Bradfordian - Bradford Grammar School

thebradfordian2012issue346

ContentsSchool NotespageSchool NoteS 3clock houSe 25SocietieS & FeatureS 33ViSitS 49art & perFormaNce 61Sport 71old BradFordiaNS’ aSSociatioN 109Kevin Riley, Headmaster23

school notesschool notesThe Editor writes…Welcome to the new-look Bradfordian. I very much hope thatyou enjoy reading this first full-colour issue, and that the newformat doesn’t scupper your shelving too much!It seemed fitting to start afresh this year: 2011-12 has beena year of transition. I wrote in last year’s edition about thephysical transformation the school had undergone; this yearwas all about an important change of personnel. Followingan ‘outstanding’ Inspection Report in the Autumn Term, onesatisfied Headmaster left us, and a brand new one arrived tobegin the Spring Term. What better time to refresh the schooljournal, I thought.I hope you will like the changes. My aim is to get more ofthe magazine to be written by the pupils and to showcasemore of their talents within its pages; this issue has proven atransitional step towards that goal.Not everything is ‘new-fangled’, however. Within these pageswe also pay tribute to several wonderful and long-servingmembers of staff who departed this year and will be muchmissed; you can read about the two fantastic South Africantours enjoyed by our Senior Rugby and Netball squads - finerewards after a year of dreadful weather which curtailedthe sporting seasons at school; or you can find out howthe school celebrated the Diamond Jubilee, or how intrepidstudents and staff are making their mark around the world;finally, some truly outstanding Old Bradfordians also makean appearance.My thanks go to everyone who submitted articles orphotographs; to Andrew Vaux and Robert West for theirmeticulous and professional proof-reading; to Marie Sugdenand Joanne Wellings in Marketing, Sam Wilkes in HumanResources, and Koleen Wright in the OBA’s office for alwaysanswering my frantic cries for help; to Richard Clough andteam at Hart and Clough for his patience and efficiency;and to Bob Gibson at Staunch Design for creating such abeautiful magazine.This has been a fantastic year in so many ways. I hope youenjoy reading about it.Joanne McNamaraThe Headmaster writes…It is always a pleasure to write the introduction to the schoolmagazine, especially for the first time here at BradfordGrammar School. What an interesting and successful yearthis has been for the school, as the articles and featureshere demonstrate. A great school magazine has a number offunctions: first and foremost it is a document of record but itis also a showcase of all that takes place within the schooland a medium where students can express their talents, inthe written word, photographs and drawings.As I come to the end of my first year at the school, I remaindelighted by the huge variety of activities which take placein the school and the unswerving pursuit of excellence. Itis a happy and vibrant community which, in its 350th year,continues to offer much to Bradford and Yorkshire.Kevin RileyHeadmaster’s Speech DayAddressNoVemBer 2011May I add my own words of welcome to our distinguishedguests. It says a great deal about the school, and it means agreat deal to the school, that so many of you have taken thetrouble in your very busy lives to be with us on this extremelyimportant day. That our Lord Lieutenant should once againfind time in her busy schedule to join us, mirroring theinterest of her predecessor, John Lyles, and her Vice LordLieutenant, John Brennan, is a not only great source ofpride and a boost to our morale but, I hope, a recognitionof what we as a school, contribute to the county at large.The presence of our Lord Mayor underlines the enduringbond between the city and the school which proudly bearsits name locally, regionally, nationally, and beyond theseshores. It has been a BGS hat-trick this week for the LordMayor, with appearances at the Guildhall, WeidenhammerPackaging and now back here at base!And as for our Guest of Honour Steve Abbott – I can’t beginto tell you how thrilled I am that Steve has accepted theinvitation to return home and be with us … but I’ll leave ourHead Prefect, Ravi, to say more.I feel particularly blessed to be surrounded by my own familytoday. The support that my dad and sister-in-law, Jane, lent meduring my brother’s illness was immeasurable, as has been thatfrom Carol’s parents over the years. In addition, it is a particulardelight to welcome my friends, the Gamble family from Brusselsand Canada. Who would have thought, Arthur and Lily, whenwe first met in February 1975 on that cold field in Tervuren, thatthirty-six years on we would still be speaking to one another,never mind that you would be sharing this occasion with mejust around the corner from where Arthur grew up?It has been said that the Headmaster’s speech is akin tothe State of the Nation address. I have gone on and on…and on... about the fact that the greatest things about BGSare the opportunities it affords to its pupils; but there issomething - lots - in it for us teachers too. On a trip to visitsome of our North American Old Bradfordians in WashingtonD.C., I was given the chance to stand where the Presidentof the United States delivers his State of the Union addressto the joint Houses of Congress: during my time at BGS BillClinton, George Bush and Barack Obama have held thatoffice. Last Monday, courtesy of the new Lord Mayor of theCity of London, Old Bradfordian David Wootton, I was at theGuildhall where, during my tenure, John Major, Tony Blair,Gordon Brown, and now David Cameron have made their‘State of the UK Nation’ speeches.Three Presidents, four Prime Ministers, one Headmaster;perhaps there is something to be said for continuity after all.The state of any nation can be summarised by answering threequestions: how was it?; how is it?; and how’s it going to be?For BGS, this has been another extraordinary year combiningthe sort of top-flight academic performance to which we allaspire, alongside a commitment to extra-curricular activitieswhich is legendary. In public examinations we once againcomfortably outperformed our local competitors (as judgedby the Inspectors) the selective state grammar schools, and inmost cases by a considerable margin too. It may not have beenpretty but there are times when you are happy to win ugly!It is hard even to begin to pick my own highlights of theyear, but I would have to include the visit by Roger Evansto formally open the Learning Link which he gave $1 millionto build - an act of quite extraordinary generosity, since thiswas his second gift to us of that amount. On the same daywe also dedicated the new building for Chemistry and SocialSciences to Alan Jerome, justifiable recognition for all Alanhas done for the schoolFor many the particular highlight was the visit by HRH theDuke of Kent to give his royal blessing to our new facilities…and yet it was far more than that. What a privilege to begraced by a second official Royal visit in less than ten years;few, if any, schools could incorporate such an array ofactivities and performances into a visit, yet still provide thesuperb lunch which had been prepared by Geoff Holmesand his team. During his two hours with us, the Duke sawsome of the finest school science facilities, he met andlistened to some amazing musicians, was introduced to ourWorld Champion rowers, the cricketers preparing for theirtour to the West Indies and our South African tennis tourists,as well as members of our CCF. He met an internationalcyclist, swimmer, Rugby and Water Polo players, along withMark Scholefield who represents the England WheelchairBasketball team... and this was in the time before lunch! Asthe Duke departed he was introduced to our Hollywood star,a Northern Ballet ballerina, and a singer with Opera North,and was then entertained by little Han Zhao from ClockHouse who is a pupil of another strong supporter of BGS,Dame Fanny Waterman. It is easy to see why the Duke andhis party were so utterly impressed, particularly commentingon the understated self-confidence and warmth of our boysand girls which is so quintessentially Bradford Grammar.Steve Abbott distributes the prizesAnd what can I say about last weekend’s experience at theLord Mayor’s Show? We all so enjoyed repaying the tributepaid to BGS by the new Lord Mayor in awarding us theincredible honour of being the first float in the procession,with a float that many observers regarded as one of, if notthe best in the entire parade.So the year haS BeeN good … But how arethiNgS Now?To say ‘pretty good’ would be something of anunderstatement, but ‘understated’ is a word used frequentlyin these parts, especially when associated with excellence. Towear your talents lightly is, after all, the Bradford way. Evenin the teeth of such a national, indeed global, financial crisis,numbers within the school are the best ever. Outstandingfacilities, academic success and no debt are undoubtedly keyfactors in families choosing to make the huge sacrifices theyoften must to send their sons and daughters here. There is aninner strength and a strong sense of self-belief in the school.aNd how’S it goiNg to Be?Judging by the large numbers attending Open Day inOctober (within a whisker of last year’s record-breakingfigures of 1,300 visitors), another triumph for Marie and hercolleagues in Marketing, the future looks bright - very bright.Past experience shows that in tough times the IndependentSector sees a ‘flight to quality’ and we hope that quality45

school notesschool notesis what we provide here. We all worry about the financialclimate and future prospects; both the short term for currentparents and the long term for our children have a measure ofuncertainty the like of which few of us can ever have seen.On a personal level, just as worrying is the lack of recognitionshown by our political elite for the contribution schools suchas BGS make to the national picture. We are an extraordinarynation, aren’t we? We combine a love of tradition andpageantry and a great affection for our monarchy, alongsidea genuine democracy... something which is almost unique inthe modern world. At a local level our democracy functionswell; issues are debated fiercely, councillors are elected andheld to account for the decisions that they make. We rely onthe dedication and hard work of our local representatives whooften hold down a full-time job whilst giving up precious familytime to promote the values in which they believe.what matters most, the teaching and learning of our boysand girls, rather than servicing huge loans.I have valued working alongside other like-minded people totry and create an environment where I hope every memberof staff, both teaching and non-teaching, feels valued. Therehave been, and will continue to be, great benefits to BGS inbuilding on the genuine goodwill of so many former pupils ofthe school in developing the Old Bradfordian’s Associationwith the 600 or so members in 1996 now numbering almost7,000 around the world. But, above all, my greatest pleasurehas been helping to enhance our bursary programme toone which not only supports about 120 boys and girls thiscurrent year, but will ensure that the social diversity whichis, and always has been (and which for many people is ourgreatest strength), remains into perpetuity to underpin thevery soul of this great school.At a national level, the picture is rather less straightforward;we have some outstanding MPs who understand thenature of their constituencies. They recognise that, first andforemost, their responsibility is to the people who placedtheir trust in them by electing them. Some even manage todo this and hold a ministerial role, and at the risk of makinghim blush, Gerry Sutcliffe is a case in point. We are delightedto welcome him here today, especially since, in his formerrole as Minister of Sport, he was such a strong advocate forBradford and the school. I’m sure he will have appreciatedour high profile during the Lord Mayor’s Show, where thetheme was ‘Fit for the Future’.I suspect, though, I am not alone in wishing that the sameprinciples applied to the leaders of the three main politicalparties who, again from a personal perspective, seek to runwith the hare and hunt with the hounds when it comes to theissue of their own schooling. Many high-profile politicians,including our own Prime Minister, recognising the need toengage with the electorate, seem keen for the details oftheir education to be brushed over. Why is it that wheneverprivate schools are mentioned in the media we see boaters,bow-ties, privilege and toffs? The reality, although it maynot be particularly palatable, is that the vast majority ofindependent sector pupils are at schools just like this one?Bear in mind that none of our leaders chose their schooljust as in reality none of the boys and girls here today reallychose their school; it was their parents who were doing whatparents do, or try to do… the very best that they could fortheir children.But this is my last Speech Day, my final commentary onthe state of Stevie D’s nation. How was it? In short, aprivilege. My own highlights would naturally include thehugely successful move to becoming a fully co-educationalschool, along with restoring the academic self-belief andpre-eminence of BGS. I have enjoyed being part of a teamwhich has overseen a spectacular capital developmentprogramme; this school has some of the finest facilitiesanyone, anywhere could ever wish to have. The existingfabric of the school and the grounds, under Chris Walkin’soutstanding stewardship, are fabulous. We have investedmillions (one estimate is about £14 million) in new buildingsand refurbishment without borrowing a penny – so there isno legacy of debt. Every penny of fee income is spent onhow iS it For me?A bit unreal, in all honesty. This school has been our lifefor the last fifteen years and without Carol’s incredible andenduring support I simply would not have lasted the course.In addition, I have to say that being half way through anInspection process is something I could have done without.And yet, just as in 2005 when BGS was given probably thefinest Inspection report I have ever seen, I am confidentthat we shall do it again. Slow run down to retirement then?Hardly!BGS will continue to thrive because it has a clear senseof purpose. It enjoys excellent governance from a Boardof Governors who give so willingly of their time and vastexpertise, and a superb Senior Management Team. MichaelSharpe has the vision, resilience, insight, and attentionto detail so typical of the Deputy Heads for which BGSis renowned; Ian Findlay is a Bursar who is unique, in myexperience, in creating such a positive link between theacademic and financial operations of the school; Bob Pagemagically manages an incredibly complex curriculum, whilekeeping the children and their choices at the centre of it;Nick Smith has overseen a significant development in ourPastoral programme which puts so much emphasis ondeveloping our youngsters personally as well as nurturingtheir academic potential; Danny Conroy has brought thecohesion and vision to our ICT provision which seems tohave grown exponentially both within the curriculum andadministratively; Jed Boardman has led us superbly intoInspection and shown a determination to optimise the extracurricularopportunities for our pupils, complemented by arange of outstanding Outreach initiatives. The leadershipof Neil Gabriel has seen Clock House go from strength tostrength - even if he does worry if there is nothing to worryabout. All of us have been supported superbly by KarenHewitt and Penny Browne before her. May I also say howgood it is to see Les Slow here today?Alongside this team, we have dedicated, hard-workingand talented teaching and non-teaching staff… and terrificpupils. Anyone who knows me will know that it is the boysand girls I shall miss most. I can honestly say that not asingle day has gone by when some boy or girl, whether bya genuine act of kindness, a thought-provoking question,a flash of genius, a smile or just a cheerful greeting, hasStephen, Steve Abbott and the Head Prefectsnot made being here worthwhile. This school has producedsome exceptionally gifted people. We can’t all be a creativegenius like David Hockney; a statesman in the mould ofDenis Healey; a towering intellectual such as Lord AlanBullock; or have the brilliant business acumen of Sir KenMorrison; lead the Civil Service like Sir David Normingtonor Sir Duncan Watson; possess the diplomatic andambassadorial flair of Sir Roger Tomkys, or the punishingintellect of the BBC’s Olympic Leader, Roger Mosey; winan Olympic Gold like Adrian Moorhouse, or show thesilken skills of Roger Shackleton or Charlie Hodgson; bea pioneering surgeon and double Cambridge blue likeRichard Jowett; or an inspirational Physicist like ProfessorJohn Dainton; actually reach the stars like the AstronomerRoyal Sir Frank Dyson; or compose music in the fashionof Frederick Delius; direct The Tudors like Michael Hirst, or‘The Pythons’ like Steve Abbott; or even be a philanthropistin the mould of Mark Richer - who every year contributeshalf the fees for thirty bursaries - or Roger Evans.That is just a small sample of what this school, throughits former pupils, has given to the world, and as theglass ceiling, which has for far too long restricted theopportunities for young women, genuinely does beginto shatter, BGS girls will inevitably take their place onthat roll of honour… as swimmer Sian Morgan, actressGeorgie Henley, cyclist Abby Mae Parkinson, cellist JoannaTwaddle, and others, already testify.In conclusion, all I ask of all the boys and girls here todaywho, like those distinguished former pupils, have had theopportunity to share this school’s values, is to do one thing:never, ever feel you have to apologise for attending or havingattended this amazing school, Be proud that you playedyour part, however small, in maintaining over 460 years oftradition and of excellence.BGS: Bradford Grammar School: Blooming Great School.Hoc AgeEnough said.S R Davidson,Headmaster, 1996-201167

school notes - StepheN daVidSoNStepheN daVidSoN - school notesStephen DavidsonThe month of November 2011 found me some twentymonths into my role as Chairman of Governors here atBradford Grammar School and facing the challenge of mysecond Speech Day of the year! Unfortunately I was unableto fulfil my obligation, which was discharged by my Vice-Chairman, Professor Colin Mellors, far more eloquently than Icould ever have managed.Whilst not relishing the nerves a stint on the stage of thePrice Hall inevitably brings I would, however, have liked topay tribute to Stephen Davidson, his outstanding leadershipand achievements during his time as Headmaster of ourgreat school.Stephen Davidson in 1996, hisfirst year at BGSStephen todaycoliN’S wordS were aS FollowS:“This is a special occasion for Stephen Davidson since it willbe his last as the school’s Headmaster. For fifteen years,Stephen has led the school to success after success. Iam told that Stephen began his first speech to the school,from this same platform, with the words “This is one ofthe proudest moments of my life” … a sentiment that hasechoed through his leadership ever since.A Geordie by birth, and spending over twelve years inManchester, it obviously took Stephen some time to realisethat Bradford is the true capital of the North, but we aredelighted that he eventually did so, and are grateful for theforesight of those who selected Stephen, against very strongexternal competition, to become Headmaster.Graduating from the University of Manchester Institute ofScience and Technology, Stephen did not immediately enterteaching but took a more natural route for a metallurgist bygoing into industry. A spell teaching football in the UnitedStates, however, convinced him that his true calling was as ateacher and his first job was at Lord Wandsworth College, aboarding school in Hampshire.Enjoying the luxuries of every meal being provided, and hishousework done by others, there was a risk that he mightnot have ventured far from this cosy world but his futurewife, Carol, had other ideas and wisely encouraged thereturn North.A teaching post in Mathematics at Manchester GrammarSchool followed, with subsequent promotions to the role ofHead of Maths and then to Head of Middle School. Finally,in 1996, he came to Bradford Grammar School.Now, if there were time, I could list a vast array ofachievements that stem directly from Stephen’s leadership– some remarkable enhancements to the school’s estateand facilities – the Sixth Form Centre, the new Pavilion,the recently opened Alan Jerome Building and the iconicLearning Link that rightly bears Stephen’s name.The list would obviously include the hugely successful moveto becoming a fully co-educational school, the school’scommitment to social diversity, and the school’s bursary fundabout which Stephen is so passionate.Sadly, time does not allow but there will be other occasionsover the next few weeks when there will be opportunity toboth reminisce and to celebrate.Instead, I will just mention two things which, I believe, setStephen apart.The first is Stephen’s commitment to our pupils asindividuals, where every child really does matter. I go intomany schools as part of my work but can think of nonewhere the Head knows every pupil by name and where everypupil is valued so greatly. It is not surprising that Stephen’soffice is bursting with ‘thank you’ cards – they are testimonyto the appreciation and affection of pupils and their families.Whilst the school buildings are quite remarkable, and will beenjoyed by future generations of staff and pupils, I know thatthe legacy Stephen will cherish most are the many hundredsof young people who have flourished during his time here.The second thing is Stephen’s remarkable ability to developthe BGS family of supporters. His ability to convey what theschool stands for and what it does is really quite exceptional,as are his powers of persuasion (as Governors sometimesknow to their cost). Indeed, were he ever to venture intothe selling of double-glazing he would be lethal. Fortunatelyfor us, he chose education and, in promoting the schooland its values, he has secured so much that is good for theschool. That we have enjoyed so much development of theestate, without any borrowing, is in very many ways down toStephen. That we have such a healthy Bursary Fund is againvery much the result of Stephen’s passion for the school andskill in conveying this enthusiasm to others.Indeed, when the school decided to launch a fund in hisname to mark his retirement, it was no surprise that hewanted it to be dedicated to a fund that would enable moreyoung children to benefit from a BGS education. The fundhas already reached in excess of £80,000. We are keeping itopen until the end of January so that there is still time to giveit that extra push towards the six-figure mark.Although he is retiring from his role as Headmaster, we knowthat Stephen will remain a close friend and supporter of BGS.In wishing him and Carol well, it is good that Stephen will betaking on a new role in the Spring as the next High Sheriff forWest Yorkshire.The role will give him ample opportunity to continue to be anadvocate and ambassador for BGS… although I must confessto being a little worried that the next time some of you mightsee Stephen he will have dispensed with the academic gownand replaced it with tights and breeches… (There were severalattempts at a sentence to follow this thought but I rejectedthem all on the grounds of good taste).”Commitment to our pupils and a remarkable ability todevelop the BGS family of supporters are the two thingsI too would have chosen to highlight. Anyone who knowsStephen soon realises that he really values, understands andgenuinely likes children and young adults. His commitmentto the bursary programme, which in his final year supportedapproximately 120 boys and girls, helped to preserve thesocial diversity in the school of which we are all so proud.His bursary fund totalled £138,000 when it closed at the endof January this year. Stephen’s work with our supporters hasbeen remarkable and this has enabled us to develop, extendand improve the fabric of the school’s estate to the tune ofapproximately £14 million. He leaves the Old Bradfordians’Association with some 7,000 members across the world.He was rightly proud of the Inspection Report we achievedin 2005 and a further ‘Outstanding’ report was received thisyear following an inspection on his watch at the end of 2011.Stephen used his remarkable abilities for the good of ourgreat school and we should be grateful to him. History willtell (as those of us here now know) that he was the rightperson for the role at the time when he came; he met thechallenge and continued to tackle it with gusto throughouthis period of tenure.We were lucky to have him.Lynne Morrison, Chairman of Governorswith Colin Mellors, Vice ChairmanThe Head Prefects hijackStephen’s last assemblyFifteen years in office and no-one has hijacked one of yourassemblies… well, there is always a first time for everything.So, today is the last normal assembly of term, with tomorrow’sbeing the Christmas service. It is also Mr Davidson’s lastassembly so we thought it would be appropriate to takethis opportunity to reflect on the fifteen years he has beenwith Bradford Grammar School and allow us to express ourwholehearted gratitude for what he has done for the school.But the size of the job facing us was truly colossal - weknew it would be next to impossible to do justice to a manwho has such a prolific BGS career to his name. Trying toemphasise his achievements for the school in a lousy fewminutes was going to be no easy task. Thus the viewpointwe decided to take was: “Who’d have thought fifteen yearsago that BGS would be the school that it is today?”Fifteen years ago this school was not co-educational, thisschool did not have many of the state-of the art facilities ithas today, this school did not have a Learning Link whichcan be seen from out of space - I mean, I don’t even thinkthe concept of a Learning Link was invented back then! Andthe list goes on - with each and every addition reinforcing thecharacter and charisma of our school. No one could haveimagined BGS like it is today, except maybe the man sittingnext to me who had the vision.It is fair to say that the school has gone from strength tostrength under your leadership, Mr Davidson. BGS hasmaintained and increased its reputation on both the local andnational stages, both academically and on the extra-curricularfront. Now it would be easy for a Headmaster merely to takecredit for all these achievements whilst remaining very distantfrom the pupils themselves. But the reality is that you do thecomplete opposite. Not only do you remember every pupil’sname, but you take an active interest in supporting us in allaspects of school life, in our studies and activities outsideof the classroom. I think it is underestimated how much weappreciate those little things as a student body.Before we come to the conclusion of our vote of thankstoday – I’d just like to quote Epictetus, a Greek philosopher.Headmaster, you will remember this quote as you yourselfused it during the Speech Day of 1998.“Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes, therefore giveyourself fully to your endeavours. Decide to construct yourcharacter through actions of excellence and determine the priceof a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you toyour strengths. Remain steadfast and one day you will buildsomething that endures, something worthy of your potential.”There can be no more appropriate quote epitomising your timehere; what you have helped to shape here will endure, and youleave a legacy that will not be forgotten.For everything you have done for us, the school would liketo present you with a token of our gratitude. The support wehad in raising the money among students was phenomenal.The gift is truly BGS – it has involved Old Bradfordians,Governors, and every pupil and teacher. We decided to giveyou a suit-length which we have arranged to be tailored atyour convenience. The material is from Bradford, as is yourtailor. Our hope is that when you take up your position asHigh Sheriff you can represent the things that mean the mostto you – your city, its industry and, most importantly, yourschool. Today we also have a card for you signed by everypupil, in order to say goodbye and, of course, thank you.L to r: Katherine Dixon, Ed Lund, Head Prefect - Lydia Holloway, JamieDavidson, Emily Layton, and Head Prefect - Ravi PatelBefore we hand over our gift to you Mr Davidson - on behalfof all the pupils - not just current students but the 2,500 pupilswho have attended this school during your time here and themany thousands more who will be educated here in the future- I would like to say thank you, goodbye and good luck to aman who has played a truly instrumental role in shaping thepresent and future states of our school. Thank you.Ravi Prasad, 6RDS, Lydia Holloway, 6APJ, and KatherineDixon, 6JDD89

school notesschool notesSusanBrearSue joined Bradford Grammar School in 1989 from her firstteaching post at Airedale High School in Castleford whereshe had gained considerable experience as a Speakingand Listening Moderator, assessing the work of manyother schools throughout the region. In the last few yearsshe has been an examiner for Bradford Grammar School’smost popular English A Level, the combined Language andLiterature course, and, since leaving BGS, she has expandedher repertoire of examining skills by undertaking work formore than one examination board and taking on the seniorpost of Assessor. During her distinguished twenty-two yearcareer, Sue has held many posts of responsibility, includingSixth Form Tutor and GCSE Coordinator.Sue was educated at Pudsey Grammar School andThe University of Birmingham and took postgraduatequalifications at Leeds Trinity University College. Shebrought to the English department expertise in Chaucer,the Romantics, Gothic Literature, Austen, the Brontësisters, Media Analysis, and many examples of English andAmerican contemporary fiction for both older and youngerstudents; her recommendations enriched the book cupboardand schemes of work in school. Her administration of thelabyrinthine details of examination board English was alwaysexcellent and her annotations of coursework were regularlypraised in Moderators’ reports. Colleagues new to thedepartment were often grateful for Sue’s patient advice andsupport in effective and efficient marking and administration.Many pupils have benefited from Sue’s generous and warmheartedtutoring and she is fondly remembered yomping upand down the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and Waleswith the various outdoor pursuits clubs that the school hasnurtured over the years. In addition to teaching Englishat all levels, Sue also taught a popular General Studiesoption in Media Eduction to Sixth-Formers, and French toFirst Formers. She accompanied several school trips toFrance and joined the Battlefields trip twice, contributingher expertise on War Poets, Wilfred Owen in particular. Herfavourite venues on English residential trips were London’sSouth Bank and Wordsworth’s haunts in Grasmere, whereher knowledge of Shakespeare or her ability to inspirecreative writing were invaluable. As well as chaperoninggirls in the early days of co-education, Sue’s presence wasalways welcomed on school trips as she remained unfailinglygood-natured, motherly and calm.Old Bradfordians will remember Sue’s stylish and creativecontributions to the theatre productions in school. Sue knewher way around the costume store and the make-up suppliesand enjoyed passing on the tricks of the trade to new staffmembers and pupil teams who had fun practising bothnatural and outlandish designs on Wednesday afternoons.Sue was one of the team running the face-painting stall at agreat number of Spring Fairs. She was also known to treadthe boards and trill like a trooper in Ken Harwood’s Gilbertand Sullivan productions and my own production of Oliver!With the help of Sixth Form girls, she helped choreographThe Pirates of Penzance, and co-directed Stephen Taylor’sThe Silver Sword adaptation, but many remember the vividand colourful masks, make-up and costumes she producedto complement David Hockney’s set design for JamesPriory’s Godspell. She enjoyed working backstage (andsometimes on the catwalk) at the charity fashion shows inschool and helped organise visiting poets and writers whogave inspiring workshops.Sue’s children have both been educated at BradfordGrammar School, with Harriet now moving into the finalyear of A Levels and Josh attending Newcastle University.She remains a voracious reader and can always be calledupon to recommend books to buy as gifts. Her home-madecards are always welcomed on special occasions and herinfectious giggle will be missed at department meetings. Suewill continue to travel, garden, cook extravagant meals forfriends and family, attend the theatre and read, in additionto her examination board duties, while her love of France iscurrently gaining a boost with part-time French classes atLeeds Metropolitan University. We wish her the very best.A P JohnsonTerryCarmanTerry Carman is retiring from the Physics department aftertwenty-one years at BGS. His knowledge of Physics,enthusiasm and experience make him a unique individual,and virtually impossible to replace.Terry was born in Farnborough, Hampshire in 1952. Heattended Cove Secondary Modern School between 1963and 1968. He gained nine O-levels and CSEs, includingMetalwork, for which his exam project was making a modeldiesel engine. He also made his own oscilloscope andGeiger counter. Realising that he loved Physics, he movedon to Farnborough Technical College, where he gained ALevels in Pure Maths, Applied Maths and Physics.From 1970 to 1973, Terry studied Physics at ImperialCollege, London, gaining an upper second class degree. Hewas heavily involved in several union societies and jointlyresponsible for the screen-printing of union society posters.He carried out research into high pressure CO 2lasers forhis PhD at The University of Hull. After employment in theApplied Physics Department and despite promising never tobecome a teacher, he was persuaded to give it a chance andfinally sat his PGCE exams in 1981.Terry began teaching at Malet Lambert School in Hull in1981 and became Deputy Head of Physics in 1985. As wellas acting as a form teacher, he also co-authored a CSETechnical Science course and acted as a Link teacher,liaising with British Petroleum. He by no means restrictedhis teaching to school-children; he taught adult educationclasses in computer awareness and programming, and ranINSET courses on the use of computers as a teaching andadministration aid. He coached winning teams of third yearpupils for the Humberside Schools Technology Competitionin 1982 and 1983, and was in charge of sound and lightingfor school productions. He was also involved in campingactivities and caving trips, acting as a Gaping Gill tourguide on behalf of the CPC, and organising and performinga cave rescue.In 1988, he was appointed Head of Physics at KingstonSchool in Hull, and was responsible for the introduction ofmicro-technology into the school. He was always a formteacher and organised walking and camping activities forpupils, and once again, was in charge of sound and lightingfor school productions.Terry made the move to BGS in 1991, to teach Physics,ICT, DT and Electronics. The list of duties and activitieshe has taken part in is exhausting to contemplate. He hasbeen Form Tutor to both the Third and Sixth Forms, vicepresidentof the Science Club, the co-author and editor ofthe Lab Mouse 5 (A2 Physics) CD ROM in conjunction withBNFL, the school’s Higher Education adviser for Physics,and the Radiation Protection Supervisor. He ran both internaland external INSET courses on the use of ICT in Physics,held responsibility for ICT development within the Physicsdepartment, and, in 1988, he developed and has sincemaintained the Physics Intranet facility. He organised soundand lighting for school productions, supported charity events(especially when it involved fancy dress). He became aCPhys and MInstP in 2005.Terry met his wife, Jeannette, at German evening classes inHull and they were married in 1992.Terry is often described (by those who do not know him) as‘old school.’ If this term denotes an outstanding knowledgeof the subject, thorough marking of homework and an orderlyclassroom, then it is correct. But this description does notinclude Terry’s ambition to use the latest technology andideas in his teaching. He has always sought new ways toinspire and help students, and was a pioneer in many ofthem. The department owes him a debt for the PhysicsIntranet (created long before the term ‘Virtual LearningEnvironment’ was a gleam in the eye of educationalists) andfor ensuring that our ICT facilities all work as planned.Terry is a teacher who always wants the best for hisstudents. His enthusiasm for teaching has never waned. Herequired the highest standards in presentation and clarity ofsolution. Many students found this approach demanding, butmany have also found that the good habits this created havelasted a lifetime as scientists and engineers. Many returningstudents have spoken of their gratitude of having a teacherwho ‘got them through the exam’ but who also cared thatthey understood the subject at a high level.Terry was an exceptional colleague. He was very kindto new members of staff and was always willing to giveup precious time to advise, help and demonstrate. Hisencyclopaedic knowledge of practical work was invaluable.In decades of teaching he had pretty much seen it all, andcould tell a colleague straight away what would work andwhat was a waste of time. The author of the piece viewsthe future with some concern when this wisdom is nolonger available to the department.It is impossible to imagine Terry looking forward to a quietretirement. He has far too much energy to take it easy. Hishobbies and interests include photography, Islay whiskies,scuba-diving, DIY (design and construction of decorativeand structural furniture), competitive fell-walking (includingthe Karrimor International Mountain Marathon and otherevents), caving, Hi-Fi and sound recording, and travelling.I am sure that all these hobbies can now get the attentionthey deserve.The Physics department is one of the engine roomsof BGS, and Terry was one of driving forces of thedepartment. Schools need teachers like Terry who combineexcellent knowledge and teaching ability, and who willnever lower the high standards they set for their students.We will sorely miss him.P ShepherdJonathanDevlinJonathan Devlin joined BGS in 1988, having read Historyand Modern Languages at Balliol College, Oxford, andthen completing a DPhil on civil-military relations duringthe French Revolution. The school in those days was amuch less friendly place than it is now, and Jonathan’suncompromising methods in the classroom initially led tosome friction with students. Nevertheless, his intellectualrigour rapidly won respect and many students found histeaching to be an excellent preparation for university.Students at all levels of the school will remember themeticulous care with which he prepared for lessons and hisdeep knowledge of every topic he taught, even if he took noprisoners when it came to the delivery of that knowledge.Numerous Sixth Form students have benefited from hisassembling of several volumes of Philosophical Concepts,and he was much in demand for interview practice withOxbridge candidates.Many students will remember Jonathan Devlin for thePhilosophical Society he established and chaired, andfor the historical trips he organised. The former was anurturing ground for many of the best intellects amonggenerations of BGS students and will be rememberedwith affection by the dozens who attended it down theyears. Here, students had the freedom to tackle the mostchallenging concepts and to present their ideas and1011

school notesschool notesdebate them under the spotlight of Jonathan’s searchinganalysis.He came with me on my first Battlefields trip in 1990,accompanied by his characteristic golf umbrella. I wellremember him standing with his foot on an unexplodedsix-inch shell on the Somme battlefield, as I expounded onwhat had happened at that point. We all sidled away, andonly then did I remind him of the foolishness of his stance.He soon began to organise day visits related to the topicstaught by the department, the first being to the preservedcotton-spinning mill at Styal, Cheshire, which we continueto visit. He moved on to organising residential visits linkedto his deep interest in Hitler’s Germany, to Berlin, Krakowand Auschwitz, and Munich. He delighted in rigorouslyresearching and planning extensive walking tours of bothwell and lesser known sites of historic interest. He tookparticular pleasure, for example, in pointing out the locationof Hitler’s bunker in Berlin, hidden under a children’splayground and car park, years before the Berlin authoritiesput up an official sign to its location. In the evenings on tripswith Senior pupils he happily socialised with them in the bar.Jonathan’s plans became ever more ambitious. The finalvisits he planned, which are taking place without him, wereto Anne Frank’s Amsterdam and to China. Many more werebeing planned!In his spare time Jonathan is a noted collector of antiques,especially clocks and furniture, and a connoisseur of redwine. He is also a painter. But above all, students, OBs andcolleagues will remember his restless energy, his wit, and hisdeep and abiding love of history. He left an indelible imprinton the History Department and on history students at BGS.N A Hooperand preference for ‘lager top’ in the clubhouse afterwards, didnot make a very good impression; many of us wondered howwell Greg would settle into life North of the Watford Gap. But,under the appropriate guidance, settle he did; and, whilst heclung dearly to the Palace kit and the Sambas, he divorcedthe lager top, having developed an affection for TimothyTaylor’s ‘Landlord’, brewed for men of the North.As a schoolmaster sculpted from the traditional mouldGreg believed wholeheartedly in and was committedheavily to the extra-curricular side of the school. He madea significant contribution to the Rugby and Cricket Clubs,and prepared and assessed BGS pupils completing the GoldDuke of Edinburgh Award. He was a committed memberof the Pastoral team, eventually graduating to the SixthForm, where his experience and knowledge was used toguide many of the school’s brightest students into highlycompetitive universities, often to study Medicine. He wasa skilful member of the staff football team and a valuabledomestique for Los Sinverguenzas CC (no more so thanduring his final send-off in the French Alps last Summer).In his spare time, Greg ran the Chemistry Department and,despite the complexities of the subject, not only did pupiluptake reach record levels during his tenure, but the resultsweren’t half bad either.After seven academic years Greg leaves Bradford Grammarnot for another great northern Grammar School, but for theleafy suburbs of Tonbridge. He will be sorely missed byall those strands of the school with which he associatedhimself. The term genuine schoolmaster is often overusedbut in Greg’s case is entirely appropriate. We wish Greg,Penny, Louis and Amalie all the very best for their lives backdown South. Finally, in the famous words of D.A.G. Smith;Greg, thanks for coming.M A Wildedepartment for a short time, Andy made a considerableimpact. The introduction of the Forensics Day with the FirstForm towards the end of the Summer Term was a winner; theSecond and Third Form students who acted for ‘AJH VideoProductions Inc.’, the Sixth Formers who were the SOCOs(Scene of Crime Officers) and the lab technicians’ recipe for‘sick’, all made for a memorable sleuthing experience. Andyalso used his love of drama and the theatre in a differentdirection, working closely with the Pete Dutton and thetheatre sound and lighting crews, and helping backstage atschool productions.Andy will be missed most for his humour and his computingskills. The whole staff benefitted from the way in which hetook ‘Moodle’ under his wing, providing demonstrationsand encouraging all teaching staff to get to grips with it. Hisunderstanding and patient attitude towards us ‘Luddites’, notto mention his ‘fire-fighting’ skills, were legendary. Under hiswatchful eye (and every Apple product going!), he draggedthe Biology Department well and truly into the twenty-firstcentury; thankfully there is still a hot line to his mobile phone!On a personal note, Andy was one of my tutor group whenhe was a student at BGS, so I have known him for manyyears. It was a pleasure to teach him and see him pursue adegree in Biological Sciences; it has been an honour to knowhim as a colleague as well as a friend.P M DunnChristineHarveyShe was a Fourth and Fifth Form Tutor under the guidanceof Jed Boardman and she very much enjoyed this role. Hercharges felt comfortable and confident, and Christine guidedthem sensitively and realistically through their GCSE years.Christine was a dedicated member of staff from the outset;she gave her all to her department writing many schemes ofwork and setting up a Computer Animation Club for pupils inFirst to Fourth Forms. She enjoyed teaching all year-groupsfrom Clock House to the Sixth Form. She took her passionfor IT even further, training as an Assessment Associate forthe EdExcel exam board and as an Ambassador for CEOP(Child Exploitation and Online Protection).Christine’s desire to further her career and to take on moreresponsibility saw her appointed as Head of Careers in 2009.She flourished in this role, swiftly overhauling the departmentand setting up an extremely successful Work ExperienceProgramme for the Fifth Form. In 2011, seventy-eight of ourFifth Formers benefited from this scheme. Outside of hercurriculum subject, Christine’s interest in traditional craftssaw her help to run a very popular Crochet Club with AngelaSlater. This has run successfully for the last four years andhas now mutated into Stitch Club and is still going strong.In addition to this, Christine was a valued member of theSpring Fair Committee, serving as Staff Representative forthe Parents’ Association. This involved helping to organisenumerous Spring Fairs to raise funds for the GrantsCommittee and the BGS community.Christine has always held BGS close to her heart but recentdevelopments meant she has decided to reluctantly bid usfarewell after ten happy and successful years. Christine isnow putting her efforts into getting her health back on track.She has moved on to pastures new and hopes in the futureto combine all her skills into a setting up her own businessas a crochet designer, maker and tutor. With Cath Kidstonalready a fan of Christine’s work, I think we can safely sayshe’s already on the road to success! We all wish her wellwith her new venture.GregFisherGreg Fisher arrived as Head of Chemistry in September2005 after taking his degree at King’s College, London, andteaching at St. Olave’s School, Kent and University CollegeSchool, London. As a boy, he passed the 11+ and attendedChatham House Grammar School. Whilst at Chatham, herepresented the school at all the major sports and excelledat Cricket; as a 1st XI opening fast bowler he struck fear intothe opposition batsman as he charged in with the EnglishChannel at his back. He was to re-live these halcyon daysmany years later in the annual BGS Dads versus U13 Ladsmatch. Playing in his Chatham 1st XI whites, by this time alittle tight, he bowled an aggressive but wicketless spell atthe terrified Second Form.His obvious association to and affection for the South becameapparent on his first appearance at Friday night staff football.Unfortunately his Crystal Palace home kit, Adidas SambasAndyHargreavesAndy made his return to BGS in 2010, having been a pupilhere from 1993 to 1998. He gained his BSc in EnvironmentalBiology at The University of Liverpool and, after completingtwo teaching posts elsewhere, we were thrilled to welcomehim back.We were sorry to lose Andy, however, after only two yearsas a colleague. Unfortunately, the daily commute fromWarrington, as his family grew, just became too difficult;there are only so many audio-books out there to while awaythe hours on the M62! Quite understandably, therefore, hisfavourite days were the departmental trips to Chester Zooand Ainsdale Sands, when he was lucky enough to be on thecorrect side of the Pennines to allow him a lie in!!Despite only being a member of staff in the BiologyChristine came to BGS in September 2002 as an NQT,bringing a wealth of experience from her previous jobs andher placements in two other schools. She completed herfirst degree at the Newcastle University reading Archaeologyand did two years of Computer Science alongside this. Hernatural ability with IT was soon evident; whilst still a studentat the University, Christine freelanced as an IT Consultantand set up the department’s webpages. Wanting to furtherher education, she later went to the University of Durhamwhere she achieved a Distinction and Best Student Awardfor her MA in Archaeological Survey (whilst working full-timeas an Archaeological Scientist for GeoQuest Associates inCounty Durham). Christine then worked as an ArchaeologicalGeophysicist for GSB Prospection in Bradford, using her ITskills to collect, process, interpret and present data, oftenappearing on Channel 4’s Time Team programme. After fiveyears of this, she wanted a greater challenge and decided toretrain as a teacher. She completed a PGCE in SecondaryICT at St Martin’s College, Lancaster, in 2001.2002 saw many NQTs start at BGS, all of them dynamic,energetic, enthusiastic. Along with these attributes, Christinebrought her down-to-earth attitude and professionalism.E TomlinsonRichardSalterAfter thirty-one years of loyal service to the school, RichardSalter retired at the end of the academic year. He willbe fondly remembered by generations of Bradfordiansand greatly missed by his friends and colleagues in theCommon Room.After completing his degree in French, German andLinguistics at Pembroke College, Cambridge, Richard spenta year as an English Language Assistant in Winterthur inSwitzerland, and then undertook a postgraduate teachingcertificate at Bulmershe College in Reading. Four years’1213

school notesschool notesteaching at a comprehensive school in Stevenage followedbefore, in 1981, Richard decided to make the move north toBradford.Throughout his time at the school, Richard taught Frenchand German, initially in approximately even measure, butin recent times more German than French. His pupilsbenefited from his encyclopaedic knowledge of bothlanguages, his careful preparation of each lesson, and hisexpert and thorough marking of their work. He particularlyenjoyed teaching Sixth Form pupils where he was able touse his erudition to good purpose, preparing candidatesfor the A Level examination with a genuine commitmentto the highest standards and a desire to get the very bestgrades for each pupil. Richard has always been keento instil into his pupils both a love of languages and oflanguage learning and an appreciation of other culturesand ways of life.The pastoral life of the school has always been close toRichard’s heart and for fifteen years at the start of his timeat the school he was a form teacher in the First Form. Hegreatly enjoyed helping the new boys settle into life atschool, and it would be hard to imagine a more caring,thoughtful and avuncular figure. After a brief sojourn in theSecond Form, Richard spent the latter part of his careeras a form teacher in the Sixth Form. In this role he offeredlevel-headed and rational advice to the young adults in hiscare, helping them in particular with their higher educationdecisions and with the university application process. Thereferences that he wrote on the pupils in his form are thestuff of legend and will remain for many years the model onwhich other colleagues should base their efforts.Richard’s considerable organisational talents wererecognised by the school when, in 1988, he was offeredthe position of Master in charge of the Book Room. His oldmanual ledgers – originally the only source of information forthe Finance Office – were eventually supplanted by computerspreadsheets, but he continued to order all the text booksfor the school until 2011, and took great pride in having themready for the start of each school year. Each book wouldarrive in a pristine plastic cover and stamped neatly on theinside with the school stamp – a Head of Department’sdream.Another role which Richard carried out in his usual unfussybut methodical and sensible style was ensuring that theSpeech Day ceremony went without a hitch, from the initialallocation of prizes to their final distribution. Logistics aside,his main concern was whether the creaking, book-ladentable would survive the afternoon.Richard will not sever all his ties with the school after hisretirement; he will continue to play an important role in theorganisation of the annual Speech Day ceremony, and prizewinners will still receive their precise seating and standinginstructions from him. Plans are also afoot for him to playan important part in the school’s minibus driver trainingprogramme for members of staff.Richard’s two great passions outside school are the electricguitar, and driving buses and coaches. He plays the guitarvery well (much better than his natural modesty would everallow him to admit), and he plays entirely by ear. Many ofhis past and present pupils will recall with fondness ModernLanguages lessons just before Christmas when Richardwould bring out his guitar and play them some seasonal (andnot so seasonal) tunes. Out too would come the words inGerman to famous Christmas carols, and the echo to thesound of Stille Nacht or O Tannenbaum.Richard has held a PSV driving licence for more than twentyyears, and he derives a great deal of pleasure from drivingcoaches and buses in the local area. Recently he hasrekindled his interest in driving vintage buses; if you are everin the Haworth or Oxenhope area and you see an open-topbus go by, Richard may well be at the wheel. Why not putyour hand out and jump on board? After all, it’s not everyday that you can discuss the finer points of Goethe’s poetryor the Second Germanic Consonant Shift with your busdriver.We wish Richard a very long and happy retirement aftermany years of dedicated service to the school and to theModern Languages department. He will enjoy spendingmore time with his wife Margrit, whom he met as a studentin Cambridge when she came over from Switzerland to learnEnglish, and with his two grown-up children, Christina andAlan. He will also be able to spend more time grappling withthe vagaries of non-synchromesh gearboxes. Bonne route!G P WoodsNickSykesNick Sykes joined the Junior School in 2000. Following inthe footsteps of Jane Forbes, the previous Director of Music,was always going to be a difficult task and a hard act tofollow. Nick was the man to do it. An accomplished organist,Nick started in the September of that year and, as withmost Music teachers, had only three weeks before his firstperformance. October’s Open Day was bearing down on usand required Nick to assess each pupil’s musical ability andselect talented musicians to perform on the day. In addition,both a Senior and Junior Choir had to be established andrehearsed. The day was a great success and from that dayon the school never looked back.Nicks shows remarkable patience and skill whenaccompanying children as they perform their musicalpieces. Nothing fazes him as he speeds up and slows down,accommodating all levels and abilities.The singing in the school is always excellent and he believes,as I do, in including as many pupils as possible in as manyactivities as possible. Each year, Nick makes entire yeargroups sing in unison, which is the mathematical equivalentof everyone achieving 100%. His ability to encouragechildren taking their first steps in music is exceptional, whileat the other end of the spectrum he can prepare children forsinging Evensong at Bradford Cathedral.Nick is responsible for encouraging very many pupils to jointhe School Orchestra, some of whom have gone on intoSenior School, developed their musical talents and nowperform professionally as a career.Every two years Nick and Geoff Lee-Gallon used to havea conversation about which production the school mightperform. Eventually one of them would suggest a musicalplay which they thought the children would enjoy and, justas importantly, be capable of performing well. Nick wasmeticulous in preparing both soloists and chorus in somevery challenging musical pieces. He always threw himselfinto the task, but was generally so laid-back you would neverhave guessed the challenges he had met and overcome! Wecame to realise that musicians can be rather precious aboutchanges to the score and he was often rather disdainful ofGeoff’s suggestions. He would have none of them - and hewas usually right. The children rose to the challenge, sangbeautifully and in the correct key! One year we producedThe Pirates of Penzance and the pirates did particularly well.Geoff asked Nick why the pirates were good singers; quickas a flash he replied, “because they like high Cs”.Nick gave so much to Clock House, playing the organ forus at all our Christmas Concerts, taking pupils to perform atvarious outside venues, and managing the school orchestra.He is an exceptional man and he will, I am sure, be sorelymissed. We wish him well in his retirement.N H GabrielJanineBatleyThe school was sad to say goodbye this year to JanineBatley, who retired in June. Janine joined in 2001, andworked as the school’s Receptionist for nearly eleven years.She was always efficient and admirably unflappable.Janine will now be able to spend more time with herdaughter and granddaughter, who live in London, and todevote herself to painting.A receptionist is one of the few people in a school uponwhom absolutely everyone has to rely; Janine will be missedby them all. We wish her the very best in her retirement.J McNamaraAllanWilsonAllan, when he retired in June 2012, was the longestserving member of the support staff at BGS. He had seenfive Heads of Chemistry come and go while he adaptedand adjusted the practical programme for the Chemistrydepartment without fuss for thirty years. Allan worked hardnot only as Senior Chemistry Technician but also contributedhis teaching skills to extra-curricular Chemistry lecturesand provided specialist training in analytical skills, such astitration and volumetric work, with Sixth Formers. His mainstrengths were his rigorous organisation of the prep. room,stock checking, PAT testing and bagging bargains from allchemical suppliers. He was meticulous in his recording ofevery coming and going in the Chemistry accounts and wasalways quick to spot when money had been debited fromthe account by CH(Clock House) and not CH(Chemistry)! Inmy time at BGS I valued not only Allan’s depth of experiencein the profession and all things BGS, but also in the way inwhich he would engineer ingenious methods to practicalassessments set by the examination boards. This reallyhelped both the teaching staff and the pupils attain highresults in the practical elements of the course: Allan’s inputled directly to the improvement of pupils’ attainment atGCSE and A Level. Outside the department, Allan devotedhis musical and choral skills to school music, and hisoutdoor expertise to CCF and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.Never shy to share a few light-hearted remarks and the timeof day of whoever was in or visiting the department, Allanwould go out of his way when visiting other colleagues inthe school and share a few words or anecdotes about thetrials and tribulations of life and put things into perspective.The Chemistry department in any school is only as strongas its technicians and I know Allan will be sorely missed byall in the department and will be a hard act to follow. Wewish him all the best in a well-deserved retirement where Iam sure he will keep himself extremely busy with his wifeWendy, children and grandchild, while also spending a bitmore time model-making, playing the guitar, running halfmarathonsand perhaps sampling the odd glass of real ale.Cheers Allan!G C Fisher1415

school notes - roBert weStroBert weSt - school notesRobertWestRobert West first came to Bradford Grammar School in1971, straight from his PGCE at the University of Bristol.He was appointed by Kenneth Robinson to a large andflourishing Classics Department (with seven staff teachingClassics). Before Bristol, Robert had been educated atDulwich College, one of seven Surrey County scholarsawarded places at the school on the strength of their 11+performance. Inspired by some outstanding Classicsmasters, including Philip Vellacott (whose fine translations ofGreek tragedies are still used by our Sixth Form today) andOB Geoff Tomlinson (who had been at BGS in the 1940s,taught by Mr Ewbank and Mr Twelves), Robert settled onClassics as his specialism in the Sixth, although he was agifted mathematician who could readily have chosen thatroad instead. The Head of Dulwich at this time, who wroteRobert’s reference for BGS, was another OB, Ronald Groves.Dulwich was followed by four years at Trinity College,Oxford, where Robert arrived in 1966 on a major scholarship,to read Literae Humaniores. With characteristic modesty, heclaims that his time at Oxford was “undistinguished”, but theself-evident depth and richness of his classical knowledgebelies this. He has kept in touch with his college over theyears, and more than one of his pupils at Bradford, inspiredby his fondness for the place, have gone on to read Classicsthere. For several years he has spent three or four weeksevery summer in Oxford, and will no doubt have manyopportunities to go back in retirement.Arriving at Bradford Grammar in 1971, Robert embarkedupon his long service to the school, teaching Latin and Greekto the full range of age groups, with Ancient History A Levelat times, and more recently Classical Civilisation; he evendelivered Classical Studies courses at the Junior School, andhas throughout his career been able to tackle any aspect ofClassics asked of him. His rich classical knowledge has beenthe bedrock of the department, and whenever his colleaguesare stuck on a point of history or a question of syntax, orhave been asked to source an obscure classical reference orto come up with an elegant Latin motto, they turn to Robert.A scholarly and effective teacher, he can be relied upon toexplain points of grammar, questions of style, concepts andideas with a characteristic clarity, authority and precision.After eighteen years under Bernard Slater as Head ofDepartment, Robert took over in 1989. This was a challengingtime for a new HoD, with all three of his colleagues being newappointments. Steering his department with characteristiccare, tact and sensitivity, he settled Tim Bateson, Ian Bentleyand myself into our new roles.Robert’s forty-one years at BGS have been important onesfor the Classics department. The 70s, 80s and 90s werenot easy times for Classics teaching in schools all over thecountry, with competition from new subjects arriving on thecurriculum, pupil numbers falling and Classics departmentsin many schools dwindling or being axed. Throughout theseyears, quietly, eloquently and effectively, Robert fought hiscorner, and the good health of Classics at Bradford GrammarSchool today would not have been possible without hisseventeen years in charge of the department.In Classics circles beyond BGS, Robert is well-known andmuch respected. He spent a sabbatical term at SelwynCollege, Cambridge, in 1996 working on a commentary onCicero’s Pro Milone; he finally published this in 2006, andhas given talks on the speech at various venues up anddown the country, Eton College among them. For the pasttwenty-five years, he has attended the Association for LatinTeaching summer schools (often leading discussion groupson Prose Composition or Prose authors), and after nineyears as their Treasurer, was made a Vice-President in 2009.Robert has also had a long career as an examiner for whatbecame OCR (first as Chief Examiner for GCSE Latin, settingthe very first GCSE Latin papers, then as Principal Examinerfor GCSE Greek Literature for a decade, and Reviser/Assessor for Classics papers at GCSE and A Level for thebest part of two decades).A First Year Form Tutor under Derek Butler from 1973 to 1987,Robert has since then regularly been a Sixth Form Tutor, muchvalued by his pupils for his guidance and support in thoseimportant years, not least his advice about choosing a degreecourse and applying to university. His reference-writing issecond to none, and he has a talent for capturing the essentialqualities of a pupil and presenting them in lucid, elegant prose.Five years as Assistant Higher Education Adviser (2006-11)gave him the chance to use these skills to great effect.Robert has contributed widely to school life over the years,singing in the bass section in school choral groups (he hasa fine voice) and supporting musical life generally; he servedas a CCF officer between 1972 and 1984, mainly in the RAFsection, and helped with the school Scouts, especially at theirSummer Camps. For a number of years he was treasurerfor the Drama Society, and in recent years has been a timekeeperand scorer at swimming galas. His skills as a proofreaderhave increasingly been called upon by teaching andnon-teaching colleagues, and he is a perfectionist whosekeen eye for detail and a thoroughness means that any taskundertaken will always be performed to the highest standard.A recent Head Boy, whom Robert had painstakingly coachedin his reading of the list of benefactors for Founders’ Day atthe Cathedral, referred to him in a piece written for the 2009Bradfordian as the “marvellous and meticulous Mr West”,which – as epithets go – is not so wide of the mark.There is undoubtedly a nervousness in the Classicsdepartment about LAR – “Life After Robert” – but hiscolleagues will miss much more than his vast Classicalknowledge and experience. We shall also miss his quick witand wisdom, his sense of humour and sharpness of mind,his patience and generosity, and, in the Classics TutorialRoom, we shall miss him demolishing the Times crosswordor the Fiendish Sudoku, and the appalling untidiness of hisdesk by the window.A man of “refined learning” (eruditio politior), known for “goodtaste in his choice of words” (sermonis elegantia), who hada “clear, gentle and melodious speaking voice” (vox liquida,suavis et canora) and “unravelled problems in the poets andorators with clarity and elegance” (lucide explicuit et lepide)and was a teacher whose pupils “held him in affection, andthe teacher likewise his pupils” (discipuli magistrum charumhabuere, magister discipulos). These phrases belong to theinscription on the memorial to Thomas Clapham, in a churchin Bethmesley, Craven. Clapham died in 1719, aged fortynine,having been Headmaster of Bradford Grammar Schoolfor twenty years, and features in the list of benefactors recitedat the cathedral each Founders’ Day (his coat of arms nowgraces the Learning Link in an illuminated stained glasswindow). The warmth of this tribute to a much loved andexceptional teacher is evident, and each one of these phrasescould equally well be used of Robert West.We wish Robert a long and happy retirement, and thank himfor all he has done for Bradford Grammar School over thepast four decades.M J ChapmanMr West with 1RAW in 1976iNterView with mr weStMr West began our discussion by iterating profusely that hewasn’t good at thinking on his feet, nor did he have manyinteresting stories to tell. While supporting almost every childin the school, be it in First Year Latin or, until very recently,guiding the Sixth Form towards higher education, Mr West’squiet presence means many students know very little abouttheir teacher.Mr West has become an understated icon at BradfordGrammar to students who now spread across generations,and he, as an individual, could not be a better ambassadorfor BGS’s qualities and values. I posed questions regardinghow he has seen the school change over the years, andhis positivity is overwhelming. For him, the school’s secret“lies in having been blessed by the right Head and SecondMaster at the right times”; and, having known four of eachover more than forty years, he is in a good place to drawsuch a conclusion. He has seen more of BGS than anyother at the present time. Memories include a studentmadebomb in the 1980s which left the Price Hall opaquewith smoke, and an evacuation to organise instead of theend of term staff procession.I wondered whether, having seen many modern buildingserected and enormous policy changes such as theintroduction of girls under Stephen Davidson, Mr West feltthe school had lost some of its traditional qualities. On thecontrary, in his opinion, girls were the best thing to happento BGS as they provided a long overdue modernisation ofthe school ethos. Mr West reflected that, for many years, itremained very much a “boys’ school which admitted girls.”However, elements such as the fact that female pupilswere to be called by their first names (as opposed to theirsurnames, as was routine for boys) meant classrooms soonbecame friendlier places.Where Mr West is less positive, and only fractionally so, is inschooling as opposed to the school. His faith in his studentsis undiminished, but he blames the introduction of GCSEsfor the narrowing in academic study he has witnessed, butinsists he still takes great interest in the abilities and academicambitions of individual students. He points out, however, thatit is impossible to “predict” which pupils at eleven will be theRussell Group candidates of their year group!It is perhaps telling, therefore, that in an environment inwhich public examinations have become so crucial (and sodraining on pupils’ time), that Classical subjects at GCSEand A-Level are becoming increasingly popular at BGS.Mr West, having watched his department contract duringhis time at the school, is in fact being replaced by a fulltimeClassics teacher. The revival of Classics is somethingwhich of course is pleasing to him, but Mr West is quick tojustify the continued importance of its study. The stories ofthe Greeks and Romans in their untranslated states are toovaluable – and too good – to be lost. Many of them, he adds,he hopes to be able to rediscover during his retirement. It isat this point that Mr West adds that at school he only choseGreek to avoid having to pursue Geography since the twosubjects clashed on the timetable!Mr West remarked that one of the most notable featuresof the school that he has seen during his time is the truededication of all the staff to their pupils. He draws uponthe example of his time working with the Higher EducationDepartment. Never was a teacher too busy to help perfecta pupil’s university reference, so willing were they to ensurethe best for the student in question. It is important weremember that Mr West is one of those members of staffwho has given endless time and energy to pupils; takingthem on Scout camps or chasing those teachers to providethe finishing touch to that university reference. He has even,in his first few years of teaching, saved a boy’s life using theresuscitation training he learnt during his PGCE. This is anevent he singles out as being his proudest moment. So too, Ithink I can say without a doubt, Bradford Grammar School ishugely proud of him.Katherine Dixon, 6JDD1617

school notesschool notesUniversity Degree Course Admissions 2011* Leaver from a previous yeara*Ameshkumar M Ahir Birmingham American Studies and English Language*Tasawar Ahmed Hull PoliticsZain Ansar Bradford College Art FoundationCalum P I Armstrong Goldsmiths English and American LiteratureArkam Asif Bradford PharmacyBBenjamin A Balmforth Durham/Collingwood Natural SciencesSamuel P Bancroft Sheffield Hallam Information Technology ManagementSophie J Barker Warwick English LiteratureSpencer Barnett Northumbria Built EnvironmentJames A Beaumont Loughborough International BusinessMarcus E Bennett Manchester Business Studies and EconomicsFrancis M Berryman Strathclyde Chemistry*Maria M Bhatti East Anglia MedicineSarah J Bolton Glasgow Psychology*Natasha Brayshaw SOAS Chinese (Modern and Classical)Joseph R Brett Sunderland Sport with Marketing ManagementHenry W Briggs Nottingham Management StudiesMiriam S D Brightbart Manchester Drama and English LiteratureSamuel J Brooksbank Sheffield Hallam Media StudiesAlexander E Browne London/King’s HistoryGeorgia S Butterworth Northumbria Business ManagementcMary E Chapman Oxford/Corpus Christi MedicineAlexander G Cleminson Newcastle Electrical and Electronic EngineeringJames D Compton Sheffield Chemical Engineering with EnergyOlivia E Cooper Nottingham American Studies and HistoryL to r: Mr Riley, Louise and Richard Lee, Mr Davidson and Mrs Chapman at the Library’s openingOpening of the Classics Lending LibraryIn the first week of the Summer Term, a new ClassicsLending Library was opened in Room 27. This projectwas made possible by a generous legacy to the ClassicsDepartment by Kenneth Pollard (OB 1936-39), and theLibrary was opened by his daughter Mrs Louise Lee.Also present for the opening were the current HeadmasterMr Kevin Riley, the previous Headmaster Mr StephenDavidson, Mr Richard Lee, all the Classics teaching staff andrepresentatives from the Classics Society.Mrs Lee said a few words to mark the occasion, recallingher father’s time at BGS, and his enthusiasm for Latin,Greek and cross-country running. She had chosen a Latininscription for the top of the handsome oak bookcase -Dominus providebit “The Lord will provide” - because shefelt it summed up his lifelong trust in God to provide in everyavenue of life and direction.The purpose of this Library is to make books and films aboutthe Classical world readily available to pupils. Members ofthe Classics Society from the First and Sixth Forms markedthe occasion by being the first to sign out books from thelibrary.M J ChapmanKeen Classicists borrowed the first books from the Lending LibrarydNaufil A Darr Bradford Clinical Sciences/Medicine FoundationHeather L Deegan Nottingham Industrial EconomicsSophie C C Dereix Edinburgh Religious StudiesGeorgina R B Dixon Oxford Brookes International Hospitality ManagementJonathan H P Dow Liverpool John Moore’s Sports ScienceeJoshua M Ellison Manchester Ancient HistoryFKatie L Fitzpatrick Newcastle HistorygThomas C Gardiner Southampton Electronic EngineeringAlexander H Giffen Newcastle Biomedical ScienceshElizabeth Hadfield Leeds College of Art Art FoundationAlison M Haigh St Andrews MedicineEdward G Hainsworth Bath Politics with International RelationsSophie V Halliday Sheffield Hallam Radiotherapy and OncologyHarry J Harrison Manchester ArchitectureCalum S Heaton Sheffield History and PoliticsAbigail K Holmes Durham/St Aidan’s Modern LanguagesDouglas W Holmes London/Imperial Geology1819

school notesschool notesAlexander Hooker Nottingham Trent ManagementHamza M Hussain Northumbria Business with MarketingIssar Hussain Sheffield DentistryiShoaib Iqbal Leicester Biological SciencesShahbaz Ishaq Wolverhampton PharmacyjOliver G Jones Manchester Chemical EngineeringkJiya Kaur Cambridge/St Catherine’s MedicineJabir Kazi Newcastle DentistryMohammed U Khan Lincoln Accountancy and Finance*Sara S Khan Bradford Chemical EngineeringTalal Z Khan Birmingham Islamic Studies and TheologyHani A S Khokhar Manchester LawConor J Kilduff Northumbria Spanish with BusinessAlastair C L Kwan Cambridge/Churchill LawlBenhokmah C H Law London/Imperial ChemistrymGeorge J H Mack Bristol ChemistryFabiana Macor-Castillo York Philosophy Politics and EconomicsKara E Mallas Lancaster GeographyEdward D Mancey Warwick MathematicsAlec S Mann Warwick (2012) Theatre and Performance StudiesGeorge A Manock Brunel Industrial Design and TechnologyDominic P Marshall York EconomicsSorcha McCaffrey Oxford School of Drama Drama FoundationJames H McWhinney Durham/Collingwood General EngineeringPhillipa C Medley Loughborough Human BiologyNicholas C J Merrick Northumbria HistoryRuby E Middleton Lincoln Interior Architecture and DesignWilliam Miller London/Goldsmiths Computing and Information SystemsCalum A J Milne Lincoln Computer Games ProductionCecilia L Rix Birmingham Physics and AstrophysicsEdward J Rook Cardiff Mathematics Operational Research & StatisticsSarah P Rothery Sheffield Hallam Business & Human Resource ManagementSJosephine D Savry Durham Business and ManagementJonathan R Schneider Warwick HistoryAbigail D Secker Birmingham (2012) MedicineSyed M Shah Manchester ChemistryCaroline A Sharpe Bradford College Art FoundationEmma O Smallwood Northumbria Business with MarketingThomas D Snowden Northumbria Building SurveyingMarriah F Sultan Bradford ChemistryJack R T Swale Sheffield Hallam Electrical and Electronic EngineeringSairish I Ul-Sehr-Tahir Leicester (2012) EnglishtRuth B Taylor York HistoryConnor E Tracey Loughborough Art FoundationwPhilip E Wagstaff Liverpool John Moore’s BiochemistrySamuel J P Walsh Lancaster EconomicsJoshua D P Watson Manchester Politics and Modern HistoryTom M Webster Northumbria HistoryJessica J Wilkhu MMU International BusinesszMohammed U Zafar Bradford LawoUgochukwu Okeahialam Keele PharmacyCharles D Oxley Newcastle Business ManagementpDinuka N Palihawadana Northumbria Biomedical SciencesSatyam B Patel Bradford College Opthalmic Dispensing with ManagementAlexander W Payne Salford Business EconomicsGraham P Pickles York Accounting Business Finance & ManagementJamie A Pimblett-Speck London/Imperial ChemistryTheodore W G Poward St Andrews TheologyqIsaac A Qureshi London/UCL Modern LanguagesrJacob M S Ramsey Northumbria Business with International ManagementJonathon P Ransome MMU Business EconomicsShaan Rashid London/Imperial MedicineMatthew N Riddell Leeds Management and PhilosophyGeorge E Riley Newcastle Chemical EngineeringUpper Sixth Formers celebrating on Results DayGap Year Destinations & Work Experience 2011Haider AliGdansk, PolandMatthew BirkenheadMPW, BirminghamAhmed DocratKPMG, LeedsAarti MisraKPMG, Leeds2021

school notesschool notesGeneral Certificate of Education (A Level) 2011Fine Art (AR), Biology (BI), Business Studies (BS), Chemistry (CH), Classical Civilisation (CC), Design & Technology (DT),Economics (EC), Electronics (ES), English Language (EA), English Literature (EL), English Language & Literature (LL),French (FR), Geography (GG), Geology (GL), German (GM), Greek (GK), History (HI), Information & Communication Technology (IT),Latin (LA), Mathematics (MA), Further Mathematics (FM), Additional Further Mathematics (FA), Music (MU), Music Technology (MT),Philosophy (PL), Physical Education (PE), Physics (PH), Politics (PO), Psychology (PY), Religious Studies (RS), Russian (RU),Spanish (SP), Theatre Studies (TS).Advanced Subsidiary results are shown with lower case letters. (Bold type indicates grade A or A*.)6acAli, S Fraz BI CH MAIqbal, Shoaib BI CH MA PH FMKaul, Jiya BI CH FR MARashid, Shaan BI CH LA MA FMSchneider, Jonathan R EC GM HI MA6agSHolmes, Douglas W CH GG GLMacor-Castillo, Fabiana EC FR GG MAWhitaker, Adam A BS GG PE6ajgBarnett, Spencer BS EA MAConnor, Struan J G BS HI PEDow, Jonathan H P MA PE PH6alSBarker, Sophie J EL HI LA POMisra, Aarti R BS LL MANewsham, Zoe E HI PO PYShah, S Mustafa BI CH EC6apjArmstrong, Calum P I CC EL PYBrightbart, Miriam S D LL FR TSCooper, Olivia E LL H POMann, Alec S CC EL TSMcCaffrey, Sorcha E FR SP TSShaw, Olivia A MA MU TSWilkhu, Jessica J AR BS EA6cjBPackman, Oliver J CH MA MT PHRiley, George E CH MA MT PH6cjwBolton, Sarah J HI PO PYO’Hara, George F M BS PE POOkeahialam, Ugochukwu BI CH MASt Clair-Charles, Eloise M BS PO PYSultan, Marriah F BI CH MA PYZafar, Mohammed U BI CH PO6crBBancroft, Samuel P IT MA PEBrooksbank, Samuel J BS IT PEGardiner, Thomas C ES MA PHImtiaz, Ahmer BI CH MAIqbal, Atif A HI IT MAKhokhar, Hani A S EC HIMiller, William G BI GG IT6dlCompton, James D CH DT MAHarrison, Harry J DT MA RUHeaton, Calum S CC HI POManock, George A DT EC HI6dmhDeegan, Heather L BS EC MAHussain, M Hamza BI BS HIRamsey, Jacob M S BS HI RSRothery, Sarah P BS PY RSTaylor, Ruth B AR HI MA6dwFBolton, Catherine A MA PYBrowne, Alexander E CH HI LA MAKazi, Jabir BI CH MAMallas, Kara E GG HI MAPatel, Satyam B BI CH PY6eaDarr, Naufil A BI CH EC POHaider, Asif A BI CH ECPayne, Alexander W EC EA HI6gcFBerryman, Francis M BI CH MA PHJiang, Yuqing CH MA FM PHJones, Oliver G CH EC MA PHMack, George J H BI CH MA PH FMSecker, Abigail D BI CH RU6jddKhan, Talal Z HI PO RSMancey, Edward D HI MA FM FA PH6jrpBalmforth, Benjamin A CH MA FM PHChapman, Mary E BI CH EL LADixon, Georgina R B BS FR POIshaq, Shahbaz BI CH MAKilduff, Conor J FR PO SPOxley, Charles D BS EC IT6kmHolmes, Abigail FR GM HIMarshall, Dominic PEC GM MAQureshi, Isaac A FR PO RU SPRix, Cecilia L MA PH TS6mpSButterworth, Georgia S BS CH POFitzpatrick, Katie L BI HI POOgden, Joseph W ES MA PORhodes, Oliver T B BS EA HIWatson, Joshua D P EC HI PO6NahAlexander, Kane A BI EA HI POBennett, Marcus E EC HI POMerrick, Nicholas C J BI CH HIWebster, Tom M BI CH HI6NSNHussain, M Ukaash A CH EC MALaw, Benhokmah C H BI CH FR MA6raSDereix, Sophie C C EA PY RSHalliday, Sophie V BS GG PEPimblett-Speck, Jamie A CH GM MA PH6rdSDocrat, Ahmed CH EC MAHainsworth, Edward G EC PE POKhan, M Uwais EC HI PO MAMedley, Phillipa C BI MA PE6riwAnsar, Zain M AR BS ITHadfield, Elizabeth AR LL HIMiddleton, Ruby E AR BI CHSharpe, Caroline A AR EA MU PYSnowden, Thomas D AR BS GG MATracey, Connor E T AR BS TS6rwmCleminson, Alexander G ES MA PHMilne, Callum A J DT MA PHPickles, Graham P EC ES MASwale, Jack R T EC ES MA6SBOsborn-Brayshaw, Cecily AR EL HISavry, Josephine D AR BI GGSmallwood, Emma O BS HI POUl-Sehr-Tahir, Sairish I EL HI LA PL6SrhBegum, Hamida BI CH MAGiffen, Alexander H BI CH EAHaigh, Alison M BI CH GG MAPalihawadana, Dinuka N BI CH MA PhRamsden, Jeremy I BI CH MA6twcBirkenhead, Matthew J BI CH HIKwan, Alastair C L CH LA MA PH FMMcWhinney, James H CH DT MA FM PHShah, Sajan M BI CH MAWagstaff, Philip E BI CH MAWalsh, Samuel J P EC HI MA PH2223

school notesComparison of Advanced Level Resultsyear a* a a*a a*aB a*aBc a*aBcd a*aBcde2011 13 37 50 78 92 99 1002010 21 42 65 87 97 100 1002009 - 64 - 88 96 99 1002008 - 60 - 84 96 100 1002007 - 62 - 89 98 100 1002006 - 62 - 86 98 100 1002005 - 52 - 85 97 100 1002004 - 51 - 81 94 99 1002003 - 51 - 86 94 99 1002002 - 47 - 74 93 99 1002001 - 44 - 75 87 96 982000 - 39 - 65 84 92 961999 - 39 - 67 85 95 971998 - 39 - 66 82 91 971997 - 34 - 60 79 89 971996 - 38 - 67 84 94 981995 - 38 - 66 83 94 981994 - 44 - 71 90 96 991993 - 51 - 77 90 97 991992 - 39 - 65 82 90 971991 - 31 - 57 78 90 95Comparison of GCSE Resultsyear a* a*a a*aB a*aBc a*aBcd2011 35 70 91 98 1002010 37 71 93 99 1002009 24 56 85 97 992008 38 71 90 97 992007 34 71 90 99 1002006 24 59 84 98 992005 26 65 90 98 1002004 32 69 91 98 992003 20 54 87 98 992002 31 67 90 97 1002001 30 65 90 98 1002000 25 57 83 97 991999 25 58 86 97 1001998 21 58 89 97 1001997 24 65 92 100 1001996 25 62 88 97 991995 16 54 84 98 1001994 13 46 74 91 971993 - 62 88 97 991992 - 70 92 98 1001991 - 67 91 98 1001990 - 70 91 98 1001989 - 57 80 95 991988 - 58 83 95 9924

Clock HouseScience Fair25

CloCk houseCloCk houseHeadmaster’s Speech Day Address2012Usually at School speech days the Headmaster stands upand drones on and on about what a great school this isand how hard the children have worked. So you will not bedisappointed to learn that tonight will be no exception!Before we celebrate the fantastic achievements of our pupils,I would just like to say a big thank you once again to ourparents. Without your support and confidence in us, Kevinand the Governors here tonight would not be celebrating theincredible achievements of your children.This year, for the third year in a row, we have had moreapplications than the previous year; well over 100 pupilshave taken the entrance exams and assessments, and fromthese candidates we have selected fewer than 50%. We willstart the new term in September with around 190 pupils,which is excellent in the current climate. Since Easter wehave been inundated with parents desperate to get theirchildren into the school and last week alone we tested sevenpupils. All of this against a backdrop of statistics showingthat our entrance assessments are actually getting tougherrather than easier. This means that the quality of pupilsentering the school continues to be high.I say it each year but, as always, the pupils attendingBradford Grammar Junior School perform above the nationalaverage.Once again we have been inundated with entrants for YearTwo and, as in the last three years, we will continue to havetwo classes in Year Two. I am delighted to say that withthe approval of Kevin, we have offered Hannah Smith apermanent position and she joins our team of twelve Formteachers.As always my thanks go out to you, our existing parentbody. All the marketing in the world would not replace youas you continue to recommend this school to other parents.You and your children are by far the best advertisement thisschool can have.I do understand just what an agonising decision you haveall made. Moving children away from schools where they arehappy and have friends, often travelling great distances toget here, is not easy. As I mention to anyone who will listen,we have not lost a child to another school in the last sixyears apart from relocation or for financial reasons. This is arecord of which I am very proud.Your support was emphasised recently during our Inspectionin the parent and pupil questionnaires. Although we are notable to see individual papers, only overall statistics, I canstate that we had amazing results confirming to us that, inyour opinion, we must be getting things right.I did manage to glean one thing from the inspectors. It wasnews to us all, but they did tell us that we had one parentwho thought our boarding provision was excellent and Iam absolutely delighted about that; if I can only find theboarding house I will have it redecorated!I also need to thank all the members of the Parents’Committee who have got together, organized events andcharity evenings, served drinks, given advice to new parents,and along with a number of other parents, also joined us andhelped out on school trips. To everyone who has helped orprovided costumes for the Bugsy Malone production etc...etc… we could not do it all without you. Thank you!As always, I do not really want to single people out becauseone always ends up forgetting someone. I must howeverexpress my sincere gratitude to Lesley Burke who haschaired and coordinated the Friends of Clock House forthree years. Alas, as Christian is moving up to Senior School,she will no longer be with us. Thank you from everyone atClock House. I am delighted to say that Mrs Hanafin haskindly offered to step into her shoes and I can now lookforward to the same level of arm-twisting that Mrs Burkeapplied. Thank you to all those parents who have helped -they know who they are; we really appreciate your input.I would also like to thank parents on behalf of the staff fora small but much appreciated little gesture. One of the realmoans that other Heads have is that on returning from tripsthat return late or residential trips over weekends, parentsgrab their children and head off without a word. It reallyangers many staff. Here at Bradford Grammar School wedo not have that problem, with parents and children alikethanking teachers for going that little bit further.Indeed it is a nice problem to have that I am required,occasionally, to save my staff from themselves and say‘no’ to some of their ideas for clubs and trips and sportingevents. With well over thirty-five trips and sporting eventsto organize, including booking the event, transportarrangements, risk assessments (in triplicate), collecting anymoney for the event, passing pupil names to the SchoolNurses, checking on epipen carriers, asthma sufferersand those pupils with other allergies, and doing all of thisin between teaching and marking, it’s a wonder they everremember to take the pupils with them on trips! They justwouldn’t do it unless they really believed your children wouldbenefit.Lady Elizabeth Kirk kindly distributed the prizes at Speech DaySo at the end of a hard year with many changes and newinitiatives being imposed I would personally like to thankall my staff and thank you for your appreciation of alltheir incredible hard work, much of which is unseen butnevertheless vital.So, on to a Short review of the year:Way back in September we started the year in trepidation…the Inspectors were coming. We did not know when, but ourtime was running out and we knew it must be soon. We wereprepared, well prepared, and knowing this, I was serenityitself. (Well, perhaps a bit tetchy.)The inspectors interrogated our school in a manner whicheven I, as an inspector, have not seen before. They saweveryone teach at least once, they scrutinized books,checked all the policies and then, having passed us on theRegulatory Requirements, came back three weeks later anddid it all again. I can’t pretend it wasn’t nerve-racking, butthe outcome, which everyone else expected but which Icould not dare to, was exceptional. This is the last time I willmention it, honest.So what iS new for next year?‘Mathletics’ parents evening. We introduced ‘Mathletics’ toYear Four and then to all year groups a couple of monthsago and it has been a great success. Natalie Rees willbe organizing a parents’ evening to encourage parents toget involved, and to show them how to use this excellentinternet based project.We are hoping for an adventure playground as requestedby our School Council. Tree roots permitting, we are hopingto start this within the next twelve months. We will also beworking on both front and rear disabled access to the JuniorSchool.We are hoping, sometime after Christmas, to trial iPadson a one to one basis in Year Four. This is not intended toreplace ICT but simply to be used as a tool to encourageindependent learning.We are also looking at a new uniform and games kit. This willhopefully not be as expensive as the current uniform and willbe phased in so no one need go out and immediately buy anew uniform.As you are aware we will no longer be conducting the 11+entrance exams for our current Year Six pupils. It has been areal pleasure to discover that Kevin believes our assessmentprocedures are rigorous and that we know our pupils wellenough to recommend them for Senior School.The Junior School has one staffing change for the new termin September.Mr Sykes is, as I am sure you are aware, retiring at the endof term and in his place we have Laura Alderson who comesto us from Settle Middle School. She will, I am sure, be anexcellent addition to the team.And so to our pupils. I would like to show you a differentapproach to the review of the year:Could all pupilS pleaSe Stand up?Sit down if you represented the school on the Rugby andNetball tour with some excellent victories, particularly atRugby with a victory over Leicester.Sit down if you took part in the Rugby and Netballtournament and particularly if you were in the Year Five Girls’team that won the netball competition.Sit down if you entered the House music competition.Sit down if you entered the Little Diamonds competition,where we won the poetry competition and received asplendid trophy.Sit down if you are in Year Two and you entered the Pomsdancing, went to Manchester velodrome and came back asnational champions. This is the second year our team hasbecome national champions.Sit down if you were involved in the successful Year Four‘Mathletics’ trial or if you have gained a bronze, silver or goldcertificate.Sit down if you were in the Boys’ or Girls’ Table Tennisteams, both of which were West Yorkshire champions.Sit down if you were in the Swimming team that made it intothe Northern Regional Finals.Sit down Edmund Milwain who won a Gold medal over ayear underage in the United Kingdom Maths Challenge.Sit down Sophie Still, Thomas Young and Thomas Austinwho achieved Silver in the same competition, over one yearahead of the age group.Sit down Hanna Suleman and Haaris Miskin who achievedBronze certificates.Sit down if you achieved something you have never donebefore at Newlands Valley Outdoor Pursuits Centre.Sit down if you are in Year Two and were involved findingtreasure on St Herbert’s island in Borrowdale in the LakeDistrict.Sit down if you were involved in the British CyclingAssociation training.Sit down if you were involved in the British PentathlonBiathlon in school.Sit down if you were one of the choir that performed atBradford Cathedral and sang at Evensong with the CathedralChoir.Sit down if you were in the U11 Boys’ Cross Country teamthat won the Bradford Schools League.Sit down Wahab Khan and Aneeq Hamdani if you werechosen for the Yorkshire U10 Cricket.Sit down Wahab Khan, Aditya Anand and Ajay Pulavarti ifyou were chosen for the U11 Bradford Schools Cricket and ifyou were chosen for the West Yorkshire U11 cricket team.I would have said if you were involved on one of the twentyother trips, residentials, ski trips and the Diamond Jubilee,Bugsy Malone and all the other visits organized for you - but2627

CloCk houseCloCk houseyou are already sitting down. So….Amir Aghabeigi, you were involved in the dance, Bugsy andthe visit to Borrowdale. Why are you not sitting down?Ah…now I remember: Sit down if you are only sevenyears old and you were in the top thirty IN THE WORLD at‘Mathletics’!Ladies and gentlemen these children have worked theirsocks off this year - and remember they were inspected too- I think all your children deserve a huge round of applause.And now to a sad event. Nick Sykes is leaving and I couldnot let this moment pass without thanking him for his lasttwelve years at Bradford Grammar School.I did ask the staff to dish the dirt and provide me withanecdotes from his time at BGS. I even contacted Geoff Lee-Gallon, the previous Head, and he had nothing but praise.However, Mr Smales provided me with a little something! Heremembered the time during a concert rehearsal when Nicksat at the piano, put his head on his arms and, whilst GeoffLee -Gallon was organizing the pupils, promptly fell asleepat the piano. The staff thought he might have died and drewlots to see who should poke him with a drumstick to see ifhe was still alive.Mr Sykes was the first to introduce ‘Pet Assemblies’. Nomatter that dogs are banned on the site, three dogs dulyarrived, were wheeled into assembly only to be greeted by allthe pupils going ‘ahhhh’ and rushing to the front. It took himten minutes to restore order and calm them all down.My overriding image of Nick, however, is his patienceand skill when accompanying children as they play theirpieces. Nothing fazes him as he speeds up and slowsdown, accommodating all levels and abilities. The singingin the school is always excellent and he believes, as I do, inincluding as many pupils as possible in as many things aspossible. Each year, whole year groups sing in unison. This isthe mathematical equivalent of everyone getting 100%. Hisability to encourage children taking their first steps in musicis exceptional, but then at the other extreme he can preparechildren for singing Evensong at Bradford Cathedral.He is responsible for encouraging many, many pupils to jointhe School Orchestra, some of whom have gone on intoSenior School, developed their musical talents and nowperform professionally as a career.Nick is an exceptional man and he will be sorely missed.And now to the main event of handing out the prizes.Lady Kirk has kindly agreed to be with us tonight followingher recent visit to the school. Out of the blue, she contactedKevin Riley to explain that in January 1939 her father, R.B.Graham, became Headmaster of Bradford Grammar School.Better than that, however, she actually came to live at ClockHouse a few days before her eleventh birthday, and it washer family home until her father retired in December 1953.Elizabeth asked if she could look round the school and,thinking the children would be fascinated to meet someonewho actually lived in Clock House before it was a school, wesaid ‘yes, please!’We planned an action-packed day for Elizabeth, her sonand daughter-in-law, David and Louise, and her elder sister,Margaret Barton. Elizabeth also sent us her memories of lifein Clock House when it was a home and not a school.For the children, particularly those in Year Four, it was agodsend and they scoured the information she sent tofind clues as to which room had been her school room,her bedroom and the sitting room. They, as I, were excitedto read about the Bogey Passage, a dark, curving tunnelbetween the study and the dining room which led to theback door. Those of you familiar with Clock House will knowof the Bogey Passage because it is still there to this day.For our children in Year Six who interviewed Elizabeth,having read her memoirs, it was like meeting a fictionalcharacter who had suddenly come to life. All went well untilshe mentioned the ghost. We have been inundated withquestions about the ghost for weeks now. We were, however,told that she was a very friendly ghost. The children learntthat the long passage upstairs was exactly twenty-two yardslong and that Mr Brown, the maths teacher, taught them tobowl there one wet afternoon. You can probably guess whatwe had to contend with next… That’s right! The next daytennis balls were flying down the corridor. Never suggestanything to children.But it was a special visit from a very special person and I amdelighted to announce that Elizabeth has generously offereda prize for citizenship and effort which will be awarded forthe first time tonight. The prize is to be known as The R. B.Graham Prize for Citizenship in memory of her father.All that is left is for me to say thank you for coming, andthank you to all the pupils who make this school so great. Ialso want to wish our Year Six pupils all the very best as theymove onwards and upwards into the Senior School and thenext stage of their education.Thank youN H Gabriel, HeadmasterOur Awesome Tripyear two trip to BorrowdaleAt about 6:03 in the morning I woke up and went into mymummy’s room. She was still asleep. I was really excitedbecause it was our trip. At 6.59 mummy got up - I wasalready dressed.Disembarking on St Herbert’s Island for a treasure huntWhen I got to school I was about to punch the air. I wentinto Miss Yates’ classroom to leave my bag and because itwas so sunny I went to play outside. Finally everyone washere and we got in the minibus. We waved goodbye to ourmummies and set off.As soon as we got to Borrowdale we had a teddy bears’picnic. After lunch we had a go at archery and it wasawesome. Then we went on a teddy bears’ trail and didsome tree hugging. We found a tree that needed six peopleto hug it. When we came back our teddy bears were goneand we had to follow the paw prints. They were all over, onthe ground and hanging on trees, each one with a clue whereto find our teddies. Carefully we followed them and they ledus to the picnic - my hippo Snozzle was drinking some juice.The teddy bears had eaten all the food so they didn’t wantany tea, but we had pizza and chips. It was really nice.After tea we went for a walk along the lake and I threwstones in the water. One even jumped out of the water.We sat on the jetty for photos before heading back to thecottage. Miss Smith read us a story called Aliens LoveUnderpants, which made everyone laugh and then it wasbedtime.If you go down to the woods today...The next morning I woke up, got dressed and went to thedining room for breakfast. There was so much food. Afterbreakfast Kev and Karen came to the cottage and we had toget a buoyancy aid and a paddle. We were going on a piratetreasure hunt! We walked down to the lake and climbed inthe boats. The water splashed us as we were towed acrossto St Herbert’s Island. There, we found a message in abottle and a treasure chest, but to get the keys we had tocomplete three challenges. It was worth it as the chest wasfull of gold chocolate coins, which we ate after being towedback to the beach.We ate our lunch and packed our bags ready for the journeyhome. On the way back we stopped at Ingleborough Hall,where Mr Smith gave us all an ice pop because it was sohot! After that we set off back to school to go home. Backat school our parents were waiting for us. I couldn’t wait totell them about our awesome adventure.William Crookes, J2SSki trip to Risoul, FranceThe pre-trip snow reports for the Alps did not look toohopeful but shortly after arriving at the resort we were kneedeepin fresh snow. Up at the top of the mountains, over ametre of snow had fallen.Clock House hits the slopesThe resort was perfect for a Junior School ski-trip with atraffic-free centre each evening and lots of shops to lookround. The skiing was varied and all abilities were cateredfor. The ESF ski-school teachers did a fantastic job and werea very friendly team. It was amazing to see how fast thechildren progressed – particularly the beginners.The hotel was good and the location couldn’t have beenbetter; just a fifty yard walk to the slopes made it easy totransport equipment to the ski meet points. The companyorganised our evening entertainment well. On the first eveningwe completed a town trail and quickly became familiar withthe resort and shops. We had an Easter egg hunt with lots ofprizes; we had a games and talent evening which was a lotof fun. We ran our annual ‘Tidiest Room’ competition, wonby girls – again! Mr Smith ran his daily quizzes which werecompleted by many of the group in exchange for prizes.It really was a fantastic holiday and the children were a creditto their parents and school; all the staff found the childrengreat fun and good company. The children supportedeach other really well and there was a lovely atmospherethroughout. Of course the success of the trip was also downto the support and assistance I received from Mr Smith, MissSmith and Mrs Horsfield – all of whom were brilliant and keptme sane.J Manning2829

CloCk houseCloCk houseOur Day as Victorians atBradford Industrial MuseumFirstly, our teacher split us into two groups. I was in GroupOne, which went to the school room first. The Masterintroduced himself and he talked to us about the changesthat were made from 1870 onwards to child education andwelfare. Then he told us a little bit about the school room wewere going to enter. Next, we stood in a line with the tallestat the back and the smallest at the front and then we hadour hands checked to make sure they were clean. After thatwe went into the school room with the girls using a differentdoor to the boys.Our first lesson was reciting the four times table and writingfour sums onto a slate. Next we practised writing up toD in ornate script and when we had finished the monitorscollected our dip pens. Later we had our drawing lesson;we had to draw a brick using only straight lines. Followingthe end of some lessons we said a prayer. My favourite partwas the object lesson; the object was the humble potato!Finally we were dismissed for lunch.In full Victorian mode!After lunch we went to the weaving shed, where a lovely ladytalked to us about the different stages involved in weavingworsted cloth. First she gave us a piece of pure wool to feeland we had to describe it. It was warm, soft and, when itwas twisted, it was really strong. Next we played a game; Iwas a warp and others were the weft. When we had finishedthe game we had made a piece of cloth. Then we went tosee some machines in action weaving cloth; there was aman called Greg who worked the machines and he explainedwhat was happening. After leaving the weaving shed wewent to the shop to spend our three pounds.Finally, we went to look at the mill manager’s house whichwas very grand and then we looked at the mill workers’cottages which were very basic. The cottages had beenfurnished from the Victorian times, the Second World Warand the 1950s; they had toilets outside! To end our trip wemet up with Group Two and we all got back onto the coachto return to school.Emelye Gill, J5HHome FrontThis year, the children of Year Five were evacuated to Murtonfor the day. After a long coach journey we were met by ourbilleting officers Miss Bird and Mrs Wilkinson – who gave ushot cocoa and a biscuit to help us settle in. Then the ARP(Air Raid Precaution) Warden (Mr T) came. He was crosswith the billeting officers as they hadn’t put blast tape on thewindows. But he was kind to us as he showed us how touse a gas mask in case of a gas attack.Mr T was very funny; he showed us the rude noises a child’sgas mask made and he made jokes all day. Evacuees hadto help him at the ARP shelter, where he explained about theblack out and the air raids. He showed us what a bombedouthouse looked like. As children we signed up to the FireGuard patrol and in teams of four practised putting out fires.He also explained how chalk saved lives in the days beforetext messaging.For lunch we had to get our ration card stamped before wecould eat. Then we were able to play just like at school.While we were outside the air raid siren sounded and we hadto walk sensibly to the Anderson shelter. These were smalland crowded. Luckily we didn’t have to wait too long for theall clear.Back at the billeting officer’s house, as evacuees we wereput to work doing the daily chores of washing, using a dollytub and mangle. This was hard work as you had to scrubthe clothes on a duck board with a bar of soap, beforesqueezing out the water and hanging the clothes out todry. We also had to churn butter using an old-fashioned jarchurn, polish the brass and tack, and had a chance to bakefarmhouse crunch using rationed ingredients.During World War II there were no DSIs or X-boxes so asevacuees we kept ourselves busy making-do and mending,creating rag rugs. This was lots of fun apart from whenyou stabbed yourself with the peg. We also had to write apostcard home letting our families know we were safe and totell them about the people we were staying with.We had a great experience as evacuees for the day but weknow we were fortunate as we got to return home, unlikesome of the actual evacuees from the Second World War.Year FiveReview: Bugsy MaloneIn July 2012 Clock House staged the musical Bugsy Malone.Every pupil in school took part and performed brilliantlyduring the matinee and evening performances.Year Two were dressed up as boxers and danced to ‘Do youwant to be a boxer?’, Year Three acted and danced in thefactory scene and Year Four were the ‘down and outs’ whomarched onto stage. There were some hilarious and amazingperformances from Years Five and Six who acted out themain parts.The play is set in America during the Prohibition era;gangster warfare is rife...Dandy Dan’s (Edmund Milwain)hoodlums were terrorising the district, seeking out Fat Sam’s(Maryam Nisa) best men to destroy them with their newweapon: splurge guns!Fat Sam, who runs the Speakeasy, had to seek the help ofBugsy Malone (Joseph Qureshi), a city slicker who was moreoccupied by sweet talking Blousey (Esme Hanafin) a wouldbegirl singer.Meanwhile, Bugsy and Leroy Smith (Joe Bacon), a guy withan awesome punch, witnessed a secret delivery of splurgeguns at Dock 17. With a bunch of down and outs (YearFour), they helped themselves from the crates. Then thepolice arrived led by Captain Smolsky (Freddy Glover) andO’Dreary (Marcus Hall/Christian Burke). Bugsy and the gangescaped though a trapdoor. Finally Dandy Dan prepared for ashowdown at Fat Sam’s Speakeasy, where the splurge gunscame into their own...It was a really fun production to do, and the children workedreally hard on it; though they might, just, have enjoyedthemselves in those gun splurging scenes! Well done toeveryone involved.D YatesThe Sport of SmilesOn Saturday 23rd June, the BeeGeeS, Bradford GrammarJunior School Cheer Dance squad, took part in the UKCANational Schools’ Championships.The National Schools’ Championships offer teams thechance to demonstrate their skills, with categories for KeyStages 1 to 5. This year, our team comprised fourteen YearTwo pupils who had been perfecting their routine with HeadCoach Dawn Murray since October, competing againstfive other teams in the Key Stage 1 Pom Dance Level Onecategory.The team had a lot to live up to as the previous team hadwon the competition in 2011. The pressure was on. TheManchester Velodrome was transformed into something thatresembled a nightclub, with loud music and flashing lightsaplenty.for the results – watching various other schools compete- the results were in. A surprise victory for team BeeGeeSwas announced and fourteen delighted pupils, one relievedcoach and two very proud teachers accepted the trophy andplaudits that came with it.H E SmithClock House SportrugByClock House Rugby FestivalA long season saw some outstanding displays across allyear groups culminating in a very enjoyable tour for the U11team to the Midlands. Once again BGS hosted its annualtournament with over ten schools participating in what isan excellent showcase for both the school and the ongoingdevelopment of Junior Rugby.CriCketThe season was devastated by the weather with some yeargroups only managing two fixtures. Out of season input,however, has seen a crop of young cricketers being selectedfor regional and county honours, Aditya Anand, Ajay Pulivartiand Wahab Khan were all selected for Bradford SchoolsU11, with Wahab going on to play for Yorkshire U10 over thesummer.The troupe overcame their nerves to perform to a medley ofmusic by the Tweenies, combining dance, cheers and jumpsin unison in order to please the judges. After a tense waitClock Housers try their hand at fencing3031

CloCk houseThe Girls’ U11 Hockey TeamhoCkeyAs with other areas Hockey is developing rapidly and thecoming season will see a fixture for the U8 Hockey squadwhich will set an ideal platform for the growth and future ofhockey. Over the season the teams enjoyed varying levels ofsuccess but this experience will undoubtedly lead to moreconsistency in the coming years.netBallThe development of Netball is consistently improving withthe school being represented at U9, 10 and 11 and, aswith Rugby, the squads enjoyed another successful BGStournament with victory for the U10 Girls. The U11 Girls alsotoured the Midlands with the Rugby squad and we hope formore successes next year.CroSS CountryAnother successful season saw the Year Five/Six boyswin the Bradford Schools Cross Country League and theBradford Schools Relay. Ben Moon was a very close secondin the overall individual standings. At the HMC Schools NEchampionships Ben Moon finished second in the U11 Boys’race, whilst Henry Miller and Oliver Sunderland were thirdand fourth respectively in the U10 Boys’ race.C NewsomeSwimmingOnce again the season saw high quality galas against somevery strong opposition; the pupils have shown outstandingdedication to training with pupils from all year groupsrepresenting the team. Thanks go to Rebecca Harvey andJoseph Qureshi, the outgoing Swimming captains, who haveserved the squad exceptionally well throughout their time inClock House.athletiCSOnce again we entered the IAPS North East Championshipsin Leeds where we encountered some very strongcompetitors. Despite this, Ben Moon ran superbly to finishsecond in the 1500m and Tom Austin and Adam Horrocksimproved on their personal bests in Javelin and High Jump.Sam Harrison competes in House Cross Country32

Societies & FeaturesDuke of Edinburgh Bronze Award33

societies & featuressocieties & featuresBGS staff, pupils and rowers in front of the fantastic floatBGS ‘Afloat’ at the Lord Mayor’s Parade, LondonWe left school on Friday afternoon not knowing what toexpect. The coach was kitted out with tables and a toilet,so our journey was really comfortable. When we arrivedwe spent time exploring London before we went to theLord Mayor’s house. The mansion and the reception wereabsolutely amazing. We mingled with many guests, suchas Adrian Moorhouse, the Lord Mayor and his family, whilecrisps were handed round by his lovely granddaughters.The Lord Mayor made a great speech and we had picturestaken afterwards. Later, we all rushed to Pizza Express fora well-earned and delicious meal, and then returned to thehotel for our night’s stay.We rose early the following morning and had a nice breakfast,ready for the big day ahead of us. We travelled to our floatin the coach. The float was fantastic; it was a huge rowingboat with two rowing machines on and the world record thatthe BGS Rowing Team broke displayed in big letters on theboat. Two of the rowers were chosen to go on the rowingmachines, then the rest of us were divided into two groups;one group got to ride on the float and the other walked besideit. We were the very first float in the parade, right behind themarching band. I had to walk beside the float for the first halfand we smiled and waved. As we set off the crowds werehuge, and there was a wide variety of different floats. At thehalfway point, the parade stopped for a lunch-break; thiswas good news for the boys on the rowing machines - theywere completely exhausted! As the second half began we allswitched round, so this time I stood on the float. The wholeexperience was truly incredible.But it didn’t stop there. After watching the end of the parade,walking around Millennium Bridge and having a look in an artgallery, we sat down for a much-needed snack of Kit Katsand drinks. Later on the most impressive firework displayI have ever seen began on the edge of the River Thames.After this, we returned to the hotel and got ready to leave. Itwas an exciting and exhausting weekend.Isobel Wellings, 2VMFBGS ‘Afloat’ at The Lord Mayor’s ParadeAmnesty InternationalWorld events over the past year have meant that AmnestyInternational Groups across the country have, as ever,had many causes to support. Our year started with aninformation campaign about the death penalty. This wasinspired by the final appeal against execution of TroyDavis, a prisoner in the U.S. state of Georgia who hadbeen on Death Row for nearly twenty years.Troy’s case was very emotive. Many of our studentsresponded with great empathy, writing messages ofsupport to Troy’s family and emailing the Georgian stateauthorities to ask for clemency. However, the caseenabled us to ask lots of questions about the state ofour society. We were able to look more rationally at theunderlying ethical and cultural issues and to engagein meaningful discussions so as to explain our ownperspective on the death penalty.Our annual Christmas card was lower in profile thanusual, owing to problems with bad weather and illness.Nonetheless, we selected a group of people to whommessages of support could be sent and cards were dulysigned and despatched. Recipients included advocatesof women’s rights in Afghanistan and those campaigningfor trade union rights in Eastern Europe, as well aspeople who had “disappeared”, having become a thornin the side of their government. In the New Year we wereencouraged to learn that several prisoners of consciencewhom we had supported in this way in the previous yearhad been released by their respective governments as adirect result of Amnesty’s campaigns.We have continued in our mission to raise awarenessof Amnesty’s work by taking advantage of a captiveaudience. In the Spring Term we gave presentations tothe Third Form in Form Period time. They learned aboutthe key tenets of the Universal Declaration of HumanRights and about the foundation of Amnesty Internationalin the 1960s. Our two student Secretaries also recountedthe experiences of their families living through traumatictimes in Pakistan and Syria, very much bringing home thenotion that we are world citizens. Meanwhile, Sixth FormPolitics students entered the Amnesty International HumanRights Reporter of the Year competition. The competitionattracted over 3,000 participants from all over the UK andSixth Former Sarah Ross was shortlisted in the top ten inher category.Please consider joining Amnesty, if only for one campaign.Our supporters gain an education in world affairs andhone their powers of thinking, debating and showingempathy. Many of our student supporters go on to doinvaluable work in the human rights field, but we all havethe small satisfaction of knowing that “It is better to light acandle than to curse the darkness.”A P SimmondsFirst Form Biology ForensicScience DayOn the 28th June, members of the First Form completeda forensic crime investigation in the Biology department.The whole year split up so that three classes would solvethe crime in the morning and the rest would do it in theafternoon.Firstly, we looked back on all of the techniques that ourteachers had taught us and put them into action. At the ‘crimescene’, we found some very useful evidence to work on, suchas blood samples, fingerprints and footprints. We all had lotsof fun on this section of the investigation, especially looking atshoe moulds, and undertaking DNA and biochemical analysis(looking for starch, etc.). By the end of a morning of efficientand precise work, all was becoming clear.Phoebe Abruzzese analysing evidence from the crime sceneEventually all of the classes got together to share their ideason who they thought was the suspect. We watched a shortclip which showed us all of the answers and I think most ofthe classes worked out who committed the crime.All of the First Form, I’m sure, would like to say a big thankyou to Mr Hargreaves who set up and created the wholeidea of the investigation, along with Mrs Chalashika andMrs Reeves. In addition, thank you to the actors from theSecond and Third Forms - Sasha Lawrence, Matt Parry,Alex Priestley, Ewan Bagshaw, Adare Robins, Felix Langley,Eddie Paget, Manisha Islam, Zoe Sheldon, Greg Cleland,Ruby Hendry, Celia Cox, and Mia Mann - who produced theevidence and short video clips to help us along the way.We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and wish we could do itall over again.Beatrice Taggart, 1ET3435

societies & featuressocieties & featuresThe Big Green SocietyThe Big Green Society aims to learn about and promoteenvironmentally friendly living at Bradford Grammar School.We want to assess the current environmental impact ofthe school and make positive changes (however small) inthe school community. We are currently working towardsachieving the Silver Eco-Schools award.This year, we made great progress on two campaign fronts.First of all, we started a Christmas Card Collection Scheme.After noticing that after the winter holidays the general wastebins are often filled with Christmas cards, we organised acampaign to collect them. We placed mail boxes around theschool for pupils to leave their old Christmas cards in. Thecards were then either cut out to make into gift cards for thefollowing year or they were properly recycled.Members of the Big Green Society encouraged recycling during Waste WeekSecondly, in March we took part in the national ‘Waste Week’campaign, joining forces with 3,700 other schools across thecountry. This involved creating and issuing a campaign toeducate the whole school about waste and how pupils cancut down on the amount of waste they produce, as well ashow they can reduce the proportion that goes to landfill, byre-using, recycling and composting.The Big Green Society led a special assembly and producedcampaign posters which were displayed all over the DiningHall. These told people how to reduce or recycle all theirlunch waste using slogans such as ‘Lunchtime Crunchtime’and ‘Are your eyes bigger than your stomach?’ This led to abig reduction in the amount of waste produced at lunchtime.Since Waste Week was such a huge success, the Big GreenSociety will be leading a second one next year on a biggerscale to produce an even better result.We have two main aims for next year. Firstly, we are hopingto ‘adopt’ Frizinghall Station. Station Adoption is a schemethat involves turning round uncared-for and unloved stations,bringing them back into the heart of the community andencouraging greater use of environmentally friendly publictransport. It adds value to what is already there and helpsmake the station more attractive. We are looking forward tobeing involved with this project.Even closer to home, the area known as ‘The Glade’ hasbeen a ‘neglected’ area of land behind the school buildingsfor many years. The Big Green Society has been particularlyenthusiastic about the development of a garden space. Wehave been involved in the initial brain-storming of ideas tobe included at the planning stage. However, we also haveour own long term plans for the land, the most ambitiousof which is to grow vegetables that can be served in theschool kitchen! Most importantly this development assistsour group in its progress towards achieving the Silver Eco-Schools award. Watch this space!A Hicks, Davina Puri, 3AML and Liz Bailey, 6MPSAeneas through to Zeus;an A to Z of the ClassicsSociety.Every Monday lunch time a group of budding enthusiasts,comprising a healthy mix of Lower School and Sixth Formpupils meet to learn, discuss and share views on the worldof Ancient Greece and Rome; not a stone is left unturned aswe pick apart the stories, myths and legends. As we delveddeeper, I have begun to appreciate how much we owe to theGreeks and Romans for so many of the things that we takefor granted today. They were smart – very smart!Throughout the year we have covered a wide range oftopics, the two most memorable being the Trojan War andOvid’s Metamorphoses. The Trojan War appears to be oneof the most important events in Greek mythology as it isfound in many works of Greek literature and art. It sees thesacking of Troy after a bitter dispute between the goddessesAthena, Hera and Aphrodite, the subsequent union of Parisand Helen and the rise and fall of Achilles – you can be sureof disaster once the gods get involved in affairs of the heart!Metamorphoses is probably the best known poem by oneof the wittiest poets of Classical times, Ovid. His theme ofchange and transformation, as seen through many differentguises, gave us the opportunity to prepare and perform tothe group some of our favourite stories and all memberscontributed with much interest and enthusiasm. This wasmy personal favourite as I enjoyed the challenge of creatingpresentations based on stories such as that of Io (a younggirl who was turned into a cow by the resentful goddessHera) and performing them in front of the assembled group.But by far the highlight of the year was the official opening ofthe Classical Library, bursting with books on ancient Greekand Roman myth, legend and civilisation. Now we have atour fingertips a resource to be proud of and one to enableus to extend our knowledge still further – thank you to MrsChapman and the Classics Department; I have had a superbyear as a member of the Classics Society.Alexander Broadbridge-Kirbitson, 1EJKBGS Debating SocietyFor the Debating Society’s Annual Dinner this June, and inlight of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, I managed to find apicture of the society from 1952. Even down to the fair shareof bad haircuts, it would seem very little has changed sincethen; it still is organised by hugely supportive teachers andis still attended by students ranging as much in their ages astheir interests. A conscious effort was made this year to drawupon the students’ varying interests when coming up withthe weekly motions. This has meant occasionally dealingwith controversial politics, with This House Would Riot orThis House Would Return The Falklands to Argentina; atother times debates were arranged with subject specialismsin mind, such as This House Would Give Genetic EngineeringFree Rein for the scientists or, for the economists, ThisHouse Still Supports Capitalism.Remarkably, this year the Debating Society has beenattended by over sixty students for some motions. Thisnumber is one which has been unprecedented in recentyears, and exceeds even the numbers of 1952! On top ofthis, new students from all years have made promisingspeaking debuts following the successful trainingprogrammes which have been organised for prospectivedebaters. Proof of this was in the final of the school’s internaldebating competition, the Davis Moxon Cup, with novicespeakers Rebecca Golenya and Shams Al-Hity holdingtheir own against old hands, and eventual winners of thefinal, Rowan Arthur and Gregory Burke. Thus with strengthin numbers, and indeed in the quality of our speakers, thefuture of the BGS Debating Society looks very bright.Katherine Dixon, 6JDD, SecretaryBGS Fairtrade GroupIt has been another busy year, featuring some events whichhave become regulars on the BGS calendar and some newideas too. The Fairtrade tuck shop continues to run everybreak from Room 13 with chocolate cookies still mostdefinitely our best seller. We have a very healthy rota ofhelpers (including Miss Hicks), to whom huge thanks areowed for all their time and expert adding-up skills. I wishI had room to mention you all, but I must give my thanksin particular to departing Upper Sixth Formers AbigailRobertson and Katherine Dixon who have given many yearsof loyal service to Fairtrade and been excellent role modelsto younger volunteers.This year’s Fairtrade Valentine’s chocolate delivery servicewas ably organised by Abi Robertson who used the projectas part of her fund-raising efforts for her British SchoolsExploring Society’s trip to Namibia, which she writes aboutelsewhere in this magazine. Abi managed a team of helpersin the buying, production and delivery of the chocolates andmystery messages. There were more than a few blushes ondelivery day!In Fairtrade fortnight (held annually in February) membersof the group put together a special assembly to encouragethe rest of school to Take a Step for Fairtrade. Mr Riley hadto negotiate a line of footprints through the Price Hall to theProclaimers’ song 500 Miles before Haaris Qureshi, BeaEvans-Thirlwell and Selina Pillai took to the stage, helpedby First Formers Will Elmore and Hugh Barrett. Specialthanks to Haaris for alleviating the pre-Powerpoint nerves byensuring that all the technology worked perfectly.Abi Robertson and organisers of theFairtrade Valentine’s chocolate delivery serviceThis was followed by a First Year raffle run entirely by WillElmore and Hugh Barrett of 1BRM, as their way of ‘takinga step’ for Fairtrade. While the whole school was learningabout Fairtrade (and how it differs from charity) in FormPeriod, Hugh and Will visited every First Form class, sellingtickets for an impressive hamper of Fairtrade chocolates and(of course) cookies. The profits, together with our tuck shoptakings, will be sent to a school in the Kenyan slums whereClock House teacher Miss Clucas will be going to work thissummer. Miss Clucas aims to use the money to buy a pair ofshoes for each pupil.The inflatable Fairtrade bananas made another appearanceat this year’s Spring Fair, helping to secure record takingson the slippery pole stall. Supervising pupils bashing eachother with blow-up bananas is a strange but somehowsatisfying way to spend an afternoon. Thanks to Davina Puri,among others, for helping out.Our final event of the year is running a team-building activityfor the incoming First Form on their transition day. Will andHugh (soon to be Second Formers) have previously been onthe receiving end of this challenge with secretly unfair rulesand I’m sure they’ll enjoy running the event. It is intendedas a way of demonstrating the unfair trade rules which existin favour of rich countries, but it’s also quite entertainingwatching the other teams struggle with inadequate resources– until all is revealed to them.So, another active year with a dedicated group of pupilswho are interested in learning about inequalities in the worldand in playing their part to help those trapped in poverty toearn a decent wage for themselves and their families. Hugethanks to all pupils who have been involved in the Fairtradegroup this year. Your action really does make a difference.E J Kingsley3637

societies & features - the diamond jubileethe diamond jubilee - societies & featuresClock House and the JubileeThe QueenA project for the Lord MayorClock House approached the Jubilee with unrestrainedenthusiasm. Firstly pupils entered a local competitionorganised by the Mayor of Bradford and won a prestigioustrophy for their poetry as well as having art work put in abook sent to the Queen.It was then time for energy to be given to our Jubilee Day.Pupils and staff came in outfits belonging to the six decadesof the Queen’s reign. The selection was amazing, as can beseen from the photographs. Pupils did not recognise theirteachers as they ranged from glamorous models of the fiftiesand sixties to hippies, the Fonz and even a Bay City Roller(aka Mr Gabriel). Then at lunchtime parents, grandparentsand friends joined us for a picnic; again they came in a rangeof stunning outfits from the decades and we were evenjoined by the Queen and Winston Churchill (aka Mr and MrsRiley).Bradford Grammar School’s Stitch Club made a groupproject this year themed on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.The members, all in the First Form, each designed a blockbased on their own ideas relating to ‘Britishness’ and theDiamond Jubilee. Also included is a block depicting theschool motto - Hoc Age.We then went to the Price Hall for a celebration of songsinterspersed with poetry and information from each decadewith the price of bread tracked through time. A free raffleof Jubilee hanging baskets provided by Mr Smith wasdelightfully received and we finished with everyone singingLand of Hope and Glory and the National Anthem.It was a royal celebration for a royal occasion and everyonethoroughly enjoyed themselves.L MorrisMr and Mrs Riley and the Clock House staff in retro fancy dressJubilee Jelly!Mr Gabriel the Bay City RollerMosaic image of the Queen created using portraits of J4 pupilsThe Queen has a long family tree,Which is all about our history.When her father died she was in tears,Now she has been Queen for sixty years.The Queen is rich, powerful and wealthy,You must admit she still looks healthy.With gleaming eyes and a beautiful smile,She’ll be perfect for walking down the red aisle.Known throughout the world for her style,Especially whilst travelling the royal mile.The Queen likes horses and corgi dogs,She also likes hats and fancy togs.She has famous people, who all come to see,Whether she’s available for ‘Afternoon tea!’The Lord Mayor with Stitch Club’s Jubilee creationThey created their individual blocks using a variety oftechniques and embroidery stitches. The blocks weremachine-pieced to form the hanging and hand-tied withbuttons.The wall-hanging was originally due to be in the handicraftcompetition at the Bingley Show in July but this wascancelled due to poor weather. It was instead shown in theLord Mayor’s Rooms in City Hall as part of the DiamondJubilee Heritage Day on Saturday 8th September 2012.The group members are Meggie Boyle, Emaan Zia, ElliePinder, Bea Taggart, Jemima Lee, Amaara Noor-Mundiya,Maddy Silberberg, Charlotte Pickard, Millie Websdale,Hannah Rawnsley and Maryam Hussain. Mrs Palmer, MissD’Arcy, Mrs Harvey and Mrs Tomlinson also made a block.The girls are now looking forward to a special visit to CityHall to meet the Lord Mayor.Stitch Club meets on Wednesday afternoons and Thursdaylunchtimes as part of the extra-curricular programme atBradford Grammar School.So, as the distinguished head of the Royal Family,We look forward to celebrating her Diamond Jubilee!E TomlinsonA poem by J3SPupils and their familes enjoyed a picnic lunchA hearty sing-song rounded off the dayDiamond Jubilee artworkAstrid Knox-McConnell J5NDiamond Jubilee artworkSyndy Cheung J5N3839

societies & features - the diamond jubileethe diamond jubilee - societies & features…England’s 1966 World Cup victory…Pupils re-enact The Coronation…Diamond Decadesa show to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubileeThe arrival of Mr and Mrs Riley dressed as Sir Winston andLady Churchill marked the start of the show’s second half, asRuby Hendry helped to settle a lively audience with a lovelyrendition of Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. Then she andAdare Robins steered us through the Queen’s reign, decade bydecade, linking six more performances, this time from the ThirdForm. 3RES took us back to The Rocking 50s again, completewith the coronation and hula-hoops. 3SEH’s musical tribute tothe 1960s included more live music, with songs around a piano,and the whole form performing The Locomotion. 3BCG’s witty70s Newsround was fronted by Greg Cleland and Ed Paget.And then Michael Jackson was back again (Thomas Liu, thistime) along with roller-blades and Rocky revisited in 3AML’shomage to the ‘80s. A lively romp through the news storiesof Non-stop 90s with 3LWH left it to 3MM to bring us up tothe modern day, which they did with Wedding Crashers as themost recent royal wedding was repeatedly interrupted by theguests whom Will and Kate had forgotten to invite. The showfinished in a shower of red, white and blue confetti.…the moon landing…What an afternoon! On Friday June 1st Her Majesty’sDiamond Jubilee was celebrated in style by the Second andThird Forms. That morning the school was already bubblinginto a party mood, with pupils dressed in red, white and blue,sporting Union Jack hats, wigs and shirts, and ready forfun. After a splendid “Best of British” lunch (fish and chipsor a full English breakfast, followed by treacle sponge andcustard!), the costumes moved up a gear, from the patrioticto the surreal. As pupils gathered in the theatre after lunch,the rows were packed with hippies, zombies, charactersfrom Star Wars, brides, teddy boys, astronauts, footballers,ermine-clad royals, ballerinas, old men in cloth caps andmasked men in white coats.Earlier in the year, the Lower School Council had come upwith the idea of celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee bystaging a variety show to represent the six decades of herreign, in which every member of the Lower School wouldtake part. Rehearsal time in the days leading up to the showwas very limited (particularly for the Second Formers, whohad exams all week), but with tremendous enthusiasm,imagination and enterprise, everyone had risen to thechallenge, and twelve pieces were ready (or, at least, roughand ready) to be performed to the rest of their year groups,and in front of a panel of judges, on the final afternoon of thehalf-term.The Second Form held the stage for the first half. EwanBagshaw set the scene for each form’s performance withan entertaining review of the decade’s highlights, and 2JIRgot things off to a lively start with their Fifties Flashback,featuring Hassan Chowdhury as an unlikely Judy Garland,fondly remembered by a row of old men as they lookedback on their youth. A lively 50s soundtrack with colourfulcostumes and dancing got the audience clapping andsinging along from the start. 2DJM gave us A Taste of the60s, with the assassinations of JF Kennedy and MartinLuther King, the 1966 World Cup, the Beatles, “one giantstep for mankind” and a heart transplant operation, cleverlystaged behind a back-lit hospital screen. 2VMF’s 70sGot Talent had Darth Vader, Mrs Thatcher and the Queenjudging the efforts of the Bee Gees, the Jackson Fiveand ABBA, before 2SMC took us Back to the 80s witha wonderful performance of Michael Jackson’s Thrillervideo. Zombies lurched and staggered around the stage asMehreen Khalil, playing Michael Jackson, strutted her stuff.Then the 90s were recalled by 2JB in a quiz show (called“Would Jubilee’ve it?” – groan!), and 2AH brought us intothe Noughties with their Face Party 2000, a lively review ofcontemporary celebrity faces, as pop stars and charactersfrom Twilight and Harry Potter leaped around the stage withmembers of the royal family.The judges (Mrs Wilde, Mr Smith, Mr Woods and Mr Brook)retired to make their decisions and returned to announce2DJM and 3BCG as the winning performances.Much fun was had, in the spirit of good old-fashionedhomemade entertainment. We hope Her Majesty would haveenjoyed the pupils’ efforts, and know that they will rememberthe occasion.Vivat regina!M J Chapman...and the most recent Royal Wedding…The Wizard of oz…Audience and judges await the Diamond Decades show4041

societies & featuressocieties & featuresChatterbooks Year ReviewChatterbooks is a creative, constructive and cool club thatmeets every Thursday lunchtime in the library classroomto discuss all book-related themes! Students from the Firstand Second Forms are welcomed with juice and biscuitsfor bookworms to devour, and regular members receive anumber of privileges, like taking out five rather than threebooks from the library.We don’t only discuss books and give our summariesof them, but we also play the greatest of games, watchwondrous movies and take part in extreme events! This yearChatterbooks supported World Book Day, ran an assembly,shadowed the Carnegie Award, completed a sponsoredReadathon and so much more! We have our own display inthe English corridor and in the Library too, so you can keepup to date with all the latest book-related news, check outBook of the Week, and get tips on what to read from theexperts; it’s all there!Once again, Chatterbooks has been a great success. For asmall club, we’re really growing in stature and status, andas we sadly wish farewell to old members in July, we lookforward to greeting new ones in September. Hope to see youthere!Ayeesha Monks, 1CWLModel United NationsThis year’s Inter-School Model United Nations Competitionwas held at Bradford Grammar School with over 110students taking part from schools across West Yorkshire.The debate centred on the Convention for the Elimination ofAll Forms of Discrimination against Women (adopted by theUnited Nations in 1979).“Such stuff as dreamsare made on” - the GreatShakespeare Debate“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merelyplayers”, or, rather, debaters, in the case of three LowerSixth Formers, Georgie Henley, Matt Procter and ChrisCasson, who took part in the annual Great ShakespeareDebate, a national debating competition, in Stratford UponAvon in March. Having got through the video entry to beselected as one of the final twelve teams, and stocked upon lunch at the ‘Food of Love Café’, an action-packed twodays ensued. Topics of debate included: “Shakespeare’stragedies are unsatisfactory as the heroes never have achance to learn from their mistakes”, “Do modern-day setdesigns bring anything new to Shakespeare’s plays?”, “IsMeasure for Measure a tragedy or a comedy?” and “Is MissLancelot’s hair naturally so red?”. The evening was certainlyour highlight – after transporting ourselves to Shakespeare’sVerona through our meal at Carluccio’s, we enjoyed watchingthe Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Measurefor Measure, featuring a motley collection of characters -nuns, gentlemen, a Duke, prostitutes, friars, constables and,inexplicably, women with lampshades on their heads!Having reached the final the next day we debated thetopic “Are Shakespeare’s plays empowering to the modernwoman?” – a hard task indeed for a boy to make a speechabout what it means to be a ‘modern woman’! Judgedby eminent Shakespeare scholars and members of theEnglish Speaking Union, we were narrowly defeated; maybewe should have heeded the warning of Julius Caesar’ssoothsayer when he said, “Beware the Ides of March.”Heading back up north we decided that, in the words ofJuliet, “Parting is such sweet sorrow”, and that, to quoteHamlet, “There are more things in heaven and earth,Horatio”!Matt Procter, 6NAHAt PeaceJam weekend Chris Casson attended a workshop called‘Graffiti for Change’ideas for working for peace. They were so inspired byAdolfo Esquivel and his experiences that they came backto school and delivered an assembly to the whole schoolabout what they had learned from the weekend. This was anunforgettable experience which motivated students to focuson their PeaceJam project for next year!R E SkeltonPhilosophical SocietyThe Prince’s TrustDuring the Autumn and Spring Terms, seven members ofthe Lower Sixth participated in the Prince`s Trust EnterpriseChallenge after choosing it from the General Studiesprogramme. The Prince’s Trust helps provide opportunitiesfor disadvantaged young people to get back into educationand employment. The group`s first fundraising event was atthe BGS Christmas Fair where we ran a small games stalland drew a raffle. The game, called the ‘Snowball Challenge’,proved very popular with the children and we soon had tore-stock our prizes! The raffle was also a smashing success– prizes were donated by local businesses and tickets soldaround school and to family and friends.Our next venture was our very own adaptation of the highlyentertaining and popular TV show Take Me Out. It washosted by ‘The Love Doctor’ and his assistants Romil Buttand Benny Lavery in front of a full house. The show ransmoothly (with only one minor hiccup - but that just added tothe comedy of the show). After all of our fundraising eventsthe group went to The Mount School in York to present infront of a small panel of business ‘Dragons’. After their bestattempts the group did not win the competition but thejudges were highly impressed by the Take me Out conceptand the group’s enthusiasm. Overall a grand total of £630was raised for the charity.Well done all round to team members Romil Butt, BennyLavery, Talha Bhatti, Usman Latif, Aneesa Hussain, ShamsAl-Hity, and Emily Wadden.D A PullenDelegates at the Model UN competitionSixty countries were represented by the nine schools takingpart which included St Joseph’s College, Holy Family School,Hipperholme Grammar School, Hanson School, CarltonBolling College, GSAL, Ackworth School and BeckfootSchool. Our students did particularly well with ConnorWarden being awarded Best Speaker, Chris Casson andScott Brayshaw awarded Joint Best Contribution, and BenScantlebury and Toby Mountain awarded Best Delegation.Congratulations to all involved.R E SkeltonBGS PeaceJam SocietyPeaceJam UK is part of an international youth movement ledby Nobel Peace Prize winners. This year the BGS PeaceJamSociety learned about the Nobel Peace Laureate DesmondTutu. They delivered an assembly in January to raiseawareness of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, andsold wristbands around school to raise money for the charity‘Children of Peace.’In April, the PeaceJam Society went to the annual PeaceJamweekend conference at Bradford University. At theconference the students took part in a variety of workshopsand activities ranging from discussion tasks and dramaactivities to learning the tango in a dance workshop! Allworkshops were based around different ways of resolvingconflict. Over the course of the weekend, the studentsalso had an amazing opportunity to listen to inspirationalspeeches given by Adolfo Esquivel, a leading Nobel PeaceLaureate, as well as presenting their own projects andPhilosophical Society continues to offer students theopportunity to explore the concepts that interest them inan environment which is simultaneously intensely academicand warmly welcoming of fresh faces and new ideas. Itis renowned for preparing Upper Sixth students for theiruniversity interviews, but this does not prevent it beingattended by pupils of every year group – and even teachers- on a weekly basis. This year students have held talkson topics as varied as Aestheticism, War, Belief, Sciencevs Religion, Human Rights and Love. Furthermore, in theSummer Term, the Society also shifted in format by havinga new guest-Chairman every week, meaning that studentsbenefitted from a new teacher at each meeting to guide theirdiscussions. Sometimes, these pairings were particularlyapt; Dr Shepherd, for example, chaired the talk on Humourby Andrew Glen. Very popular and hugely valuable to itsmembers, the Society ends this school year as successful asever.Katherine Dixon, 6JDDMembers of the Prince’s Trust team proudly display their cheque4243

societies & featuressocieties & featuresStaff came to school dressed as their favourite characters from literature for Wolrd Book DayWorld Book DayWorld Book Day this year was an even bigger success thanlast year, with more students and staff getting involvedthan ever before. The day kicked off with a thrilling ‘flashmob’ assembly showing the vast number of students in ourschool who love reading, and continued with a number ofcompetitions and games throughout the day. However, thehighlight for all was seeing thirty-three teachers (includingMr Riley!) dressed up as some of the most famous literarycharacters from history. They ranged from the legendary KingArthur and the mythological Dido, to modern classics suchas Scout Finch and The Cat in the Hat! It was a wonderfulsight to see the Little Mermaid, Sherlock Holmes and HollyGolightly all having lunch together. Special mention shouldgo to the Library staff for their original ideas, and the ladiesof the Art Department for their take on the Weird Sisters fromMacbeth!It was great fun to see the students dashing down thecorridors in pursuit of one literary character or another, butunfortunately there could only be one winner of the Guessthe Fancy Dress competition: Yousef Hussain from 3AML.Other winners from the day included Saaqib Riaz from 1HRTand Katherine Dixon in 6JDD; all three received book tokensgenerously donated by the English Society.World Book Day couldn’t go ahead each year if it wasn’t forthe support from the Library staff, the English Department,the wider school community and, of course, the membersof Chatterbooks, who have excelled themselves this yearin productivity, ideas and commitment. So if you want tobe involved in events like this in the future, make sure youcheck out Chatterbooks in September!A M LancelotDuke of Edinburghs AwardIn another very busy year there have been some significantchanges to the structure of the Duke of Edinburghs Awardscheme. Participants now manage themselves online througha new ‘eDofE’ website and area, which has had its teethingproblems but is now fully functional and much more userfriendly.There is even a new ‘DofE app’ for the iPhone whichgives participants new ideas for spicing up their food duringtheir expedition – it has taken fifty years but the Award hasfinally been dragged into the modern electronic era!A smiling Bronze Award team in the sunshinebronze award hits 300!Gabriella Swanepoel recently became the school’s 300thstudent to be awarded their Bronze Award certificate. Thesenumbers are sure to reach 400 in the near future, as this yearsaw 110 Fourth Form pupils complete the Bronze Awardexpedition section. Practice expeditions took place over sixdays in Lower Wharfedale, with the assessed expeditionsover four days in Nidderdale. This was a particularlyimpressive achievement for the sixty-two students on theFriday and Saturday of the assessment weekend, since itwas done over a period of incredibly heavy rain. All of thestudents were a real credit to the school and they will havebenefited hugely from the experience.It would not have been possible for so many students to beinvolved without the support and time given by twenty-nine(teaching and non-teaching) staff over the twelve days oftraining, practice expeditions and assessment expeditions.The Bronze Award weekends provide an invaluable outdoorexperience that is available to all students. The numbersinvolved show that there is a real appetite for an outdoorelement to the curriculum. The Bronze Award reins are nowbeing handed over to Mrs Jackson and Mrs Reeves andalready over 100 Third Form students have signed up fornext year.The girls are excited to have negotiated a wall!Gold awardOver the Easter holidays BGS ran its Gold Award trainingexpedition in the Lake District. It was another excellentexpedition to the Kentmere area in the Southern Lakes, withthirty-one Lower Sixth Form students completing the fourdays. The five groups of students had some fine weathermixed in with the usual spring rains to help keep them ontheir toes during the four-day expedition. They found thegoing challenging with many aching legs, sore shoulders andsome truly battered feet, but they came through with flyingcolours.The following students completed the expedition: GeorginaO’Connor, Imogen Allan, Alex Rogawski, Giti Aishwarya,Catherine Wright, Olivia Robinson, Georgie Henley, AngusMather, Haaris Qureshi, Oliver Boncey, Liz Bailey, EmilyMisbert, Rebecca Irons, Sumiya Hussain, Matt Fowler, SamBalmforth, Will Paget, Mike Goodwin, Jamie Boden, SamWeatherhead, Matt Gunnee, Toby Mountain, Matt Celaire,Will Briggs, Dominic Cox, Danielle Bennett, Georgie Kay,Harriet Liddington, Chloe Ramsden, Kathryn Taylor, IonaAnderson.The following is a brief summary of the teams’ experienceduring their assessed expedition in June and July.GeorGie henley from ‘team Gina’ writes…After the practice expedition, the whole team were muchbetter prepared for the assessed expedition and everyonehad an accurate idea of what to pack and what to leave athome (thankfully Matt Celaire left his forty litres of Capri-Sun at home with his mum!). The weather conditions wereappalling for the whole of the four days but the team madegood use of the latest Gore Tex waterproof clothing tofend off the deluge. Despite the foul weather the scenerywas stunning and made the challenging routes through themountains worth it. The most difficult day was the fourth daybecause of the torrential rain and the final 500 metres steepclimb up Fleetwood Pike. The best part of the expedition wasthe team spirit in the evenings at campsite. The singing keptthe team going throughout the four days and I have to thankthe team for getting us all through this experience, one thatwe shall never forget!anGus mather and oliver boncey write…We found the four-day expedition both physically andmentally demanding. Days one and two were a struggle dueto the very heavy weight of our rucksacks; days three andfour were even more difficult due to the incessant rain andgeneral foulness of the weather. The rain drained all of thepositivity out of the group forcing us to really hunker downand get on with it. Navigation was a real problem when thefootpaths flooded and visibility was down to a few hundredmetres. The team did really well to cope with all of theseelements and we have all learned many useful skills from thisexperience and a great deal about working as a team.All of the students need to be commended for theircommitment, grit and determination to succeed when thegreat British weather was draining their energy and spirits.During the Upper Sixth Form they will be working towardscompleting their Awards and looking forward to a visit to thepalace…After a long, wet climb, the payoff!Gold award PresentationsCongratulations to another four of our departing Sixthform and now Old Bradfordians who have successfullycompleted their Gold Award and are eagerly waiting fortheir presentation at Buckingham Palace. These are: JamieDavidson; William Barker; Jessica Lintin; Oliver Gillat-Jones.A further eight of our students (Seb Tullie, Courtenay Fisher,Ravi Prasad, Jonathan Lewis, Hannah Whitford, AnisahRasul, Rohan Misra and Rachel Pinder) are nearly thereand working hard to complete their Award before going toUniversity in September 2012.S R Hoath and I E Walker4445

societies & features - bGs and the worldbGs and the world - societies & featuresIn 2011, Bishop Dan Ogutu of Outreach Community Church(OCC) asked me to fundraise and organise a camp for fifty11-14 year olds from Mathare slum in Nairobi. We called thisthe ‘Holiday for Hope’.Namibia ExpeditionThis summer I joined the British Exploring Society (formerlyknown as the British Schools’ Exploring Society) for a threeweekexpedition to the Skeleton Coast and Brandberg Massifin North West Namibia. From the base camp in the NumasValley on the NW side of the Massif, five ‘fires’ (groups ofaround fifteen) set off on different projects – a 120km trek,surveying wildlife and documenting ancient bushman rock art.We spent the first five days acclimatising to thirty-ninedegree heat and ten per cent humidity, drinking eight litresa day to prevent dehydration. At night the temperaturesplummeted to minus five degrees, freezing our water andcovering the tents in frost. We learnt about navigation byGPS, the sun and the stars, and started scientific surveysof rodents using traps, recording their species, weight, sizeand sex to measure the valley’s biodiversity. Camera trapswere also set up by springs and caves, capturing images ofa leopard. In two days we carried 457 litres of water up toadvanced base camp, which would sustain fires finding therock art – a massive logistical challenge.Campers cheer as they win a wet gameCommunity Outreach in KenyaEnjoying a wet sponge gameOver recent years, Bradford Grammar has developeda fantastic connection with organisations in Kenya. Inprevious years we have been able to raise money to rebuildclassrooms damaged by fire and help to equip orphanagesrun by Outreach Community Church (OCC). OCC is aNairobi-based charity that seeks to support Mathare ValleySlum. Mathare is widely regarded as one of the worst slumsin Africa, with all the poor sanitation, overcrowding, medicaland social problems we associate with such places. OCCworks directly with the people of Mathare and other poorareas, running three schools, two orphanages and manysocial projects to help the residents.This year we have further strengthened our links bysupporting two large projects. One was to furnish the rebuiltclassrooms with quality desks and chairs, the other toprovide a holiday for underprivileged children.Fundraising for the projects involved a ‘Human Fruit Machine’ gameBGS joined up with charities BASIK and One in a Million torun a sponsored swim in March. They raised £1700, whichhas been enough to equip two classrooms with qualityfurniture. Elanor Clucas was able to go and see the desksbeing made by craftsmen when she visited Nairobi in August2012. These will be put into the new classrooms that wererebuilt with BGS fundraising, following a fire in the slum.Without these desks the classrooms were not useful to theschool, and whole classes were struggling to learn.Elanor with the team at Holiday for HopeBradford Grammar School raised a significant portion of themoney needed for the camp. Firstly, the Friends of ClockHouse Parents’ Association ran a fantastic curry and quizevening at BGS in May. Families came to trawl throughtheir general knowledge and enjoy delicious food, as wellas play amazing games such as ‘the human fruit machine’.The Second and Third Form sports day was also involved inraising money through sponsorships, having been inspiredby assemblies. Their efforts to push themselves in sports asfamilies and friends generously sponsored them were truly tobe admired.Between these two events Bradford Grammar raised over£2000 towards the camp. This went towards food andcooking, sports and craft equipment, travel, trips, supportingthe team and even buying anti-malarial medication andmosquito nets.Without the generosity of the people of Bradford Grammar,there simply would not have been the funds for the campto go ahead. The camp itself was enormously successful,and the children had the time of their lives. I hope to returnin 2014 to run another similar camp and to continue to buildlinks between BGS and Kenya.E ClucasMy fire (Boomslang) then embarked on an eight day trek tothe Skeleton Coast, covering twenty kilometres a day, withthe landscape constantly changing from savannah to granitemountains to rocky plains, finally reaching the pristine whitewilderness of the coast. It was a fulfilling experience to carryall my belongings on my back, and night watch duty againstlions made the lifestyle even more challenging. At middaywe used our three-hour breaks to learn about Namibia fromour guide Kobus, who would draw maps and sketches inthe sand – the most enjoyable lessons I’ve ever had! Wecarried out line and quadrant surveys of vegetation as wewent, finding the rare welwitchia mirabilis, and capturedaerial photographs of the desert using a kite camera. Whenwe arrived at the coast we found the shipwreck of Winston,a fishing vessel that ran aground in 1970. Luckily all her crewsurvived, but the Skeleton Coast owes its name to the lessfortunate seamen washed up on the shores by the BenguelaCurrent. Despite these gloomy surroundings, we had a dipin the freezing sea and raised our spirits with a local gamecalled “shit spitting”!For our final phase we returned to the Numas Valley to surveyancient rock art, painted 6,000 years ago by indigenous Sanbushmen of Namibia: the pictures were intended to give futuretribes information about the local geography and wildlife. Ourmost interesting find was a map of the valley, showing theriver and its tributaries, and some trees, giraffe and springbok.We were the first people to do a systematic survey of theNumas valley, and our data have been sent to the Trust forAfrican Rock Art (TARA) in Nairobi for their records.I enjoyed exploring a real wilderness for the first time, andnow feel more self-sufficient, motivated, and more confidentas a leader as a result of the expedition. The BritishExploring Society has given me a good outdoor groundingand a determination to explore more in the future! I wouldlike to thank sincerely everyone at BGS who helped me toraise funds for this expedition.Abigail Robertson, 6NSN4647

societies & features - bGs and the worldGlobal Young Leaders ConferenceFor ten days during July 2012 I was given the opportunityto attend the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) inChina, an experience which proved to be both culturallyfascinating and highly rewarding.place in Shanghai, included visits to a Coca-Cola factoryto explore the impact of globalisation and a simulation todiscuss the problem of water scarcity in a country with anever-growing population.Ben Scantlebury - far left - in ShanghaiBen with members of the GYLC in Tiananmen SquareThe GYLC is a leadership development program that bringstogether students from around the world to build criticalleadership skills in a global context - allowing young peopleto explore cultural differences first-hand and to developa greater appreciation of their role in an increasinglyinternational community. For me, this meant being ableto interact with people from a truly diverse range ofbackgrounds - meeting other young people from places asvaried as Colombia, Pakistan, and Canada.The conference took place in three different cities ofmainland China, each one unique in its own way. Duringmy time in Beijing, we paid fascinating visits to TiananmenSquare, the Forbidden City, and, of course, the Great Wall.The ancient and beautiful city of Hangzhou proved to be awelcome break from the congested and seemingly inhumanBeijing, with the famous ‘West Lake’, now a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site, being a particularly impressive feat of Chineseengineering. The final few days of the conference, takingThe keynote speakers ranged from officials in the ChineseMinistry of Foreign Affairs to experts in cross-culturalcommunication and journalists from The China Daily. Whatall the speakers had in common was their ability to offer afascinating insight into the cultural differences between Eastand West, and an intriguing first hand perspective on theday-to-day running of the Chinese state.In visiting China I found a place of contradictions – a countrywhich claims to be communist but which nevertheless hasan ever-burgeoning gap between rich and poor, a countrywhich has a highly censored media but in which the signsof globalisation are increasingly prevalent; and a country inwhich in many places its now easier to find a Big Mac than itis authentic Chinese cuisine.Thank you to both Mr Johnson and Mr Riley for supportingand helping me to take part in this fantastic experience.Benedict Scantlebury, 6HJB48

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visitsvisitsThe group outside ‘Nemo’ Science MuseumDan Sanderson experiences life on board a seventeenth-centuryDutch East IndiamanCorrie Jackson-Levrier with her clogsAmsterdamOver the Easter break, thirty pupils from the Third and FourthForms, and I, the only Second Former, together with MrHooper, Mr Leake and Mrs Chalashika, assembled for thedrive to the port at Hull. The coach journey passed quickly,as we were lucky enough to have Mary Poppins to entertainus along the way. Thanks to our guidebooks, we were ableto read about the exciting two days that lay ahead. After afew short safety briefings we got on the ferry - our homefor the next night. It was an unexpectedly smooth journeyacross the North Sea to Rotterdam; most of us had failedto notice we’d even cast off. After our evening meal, weattempted to get sufficient sleep for the busy days ahead,but mostly failed, owing to our state of excitement.The following morning we arrived at Rotterdam. Delaysin docking and heavy traffic meant that, much to ourdisappointment, we couldn’t make our first visit to the CorrieTen Boom House Museum, where Jews were hidden fromNazi searchers in a secret room. Fortunately we were ableto read all about it in our guidebooks. Next, we went on acruise of Amsterdam’s canals which taught us a lot aboutthe history of Amsterdam, as well as Amsterdam today.We saw some incredible architecture from the sixteenth tonineteenth centuries, including the ‘Blue Bridge’. This wasthe first time we saw just how many bicycles use the streetsof Amsterdam, dominating the roads everywhere. We shalldefinitely have lots of pictures of this impressive architecture,because Mr Hooper took plenty throughout the trip, even if itdid mean our losing him a couple of times!The sights and spectacular architecture didn not end there,because we then took a walk to the Anne Frank House. Ithink most of us would agree this was the most moving partof the whole trip. The house in which Anne and her familywent into hiding from the Nazi Holocaust has now beenmade into a museum, with entries from her diary and objectsrelated to her story displayed all over the walls. Firstly, wehad a fascinating talk in the education centre about Anne’sfamily and her history, as well as what was happening toJews and other races under the Nazi occupation of theNetherlands, with helpful pictures which told the whole storywell. Our guide talked us through the layout of the houseand the rooms which Anne and her family used, includingthe dark attic where they were forced to go into hiding.We then looked around the house. The displays were quiteamazing, such as the actual pencil markings of Anne andher sister’s height on the wall. It really made me think morecarefully about Anne’s story, because the evidence for it wasright there in front of me. After an evening meal at the HardRock Café, Amsterdam, we went to the Stayokay hostel inHaarlem for one night.The next day we returned to Amsterdam to visit the JewishMuseum and Quarter. This was another very moving part ofthe trip. We were shown around the Jewish Museum, which,at first was to teach us about Jewish culture and traditionsin general, such as their kosher diet and the Torah. Thenwe learned more about how badly the Jews were treatedduring the time of the Holocaust, followed by a walking touraround the Jewish Quarter. We saw the ‘Memorial to theSix Million’, the European Jews who were murdered by theNazis, and were fascinated by the way Jewish people hadplaced stones on it to show respect. Then, owing to the theftof a purse and mobile phone belonging to one of our group,we had to cancel the planned visit Kamp Vught, the transitand concentration camp through which Anne and her familypassed on the way to the death camps. However, Mr Hooperorganised alternative visits; to ‘Nemo’, an impressive-lookingscience museum that we’d seen on our canal cruise, andrather similar to Eureka in Halifax, or to Het ScheepvaartMuseum, the national maritime museum where we boardeda replica of a seventeenth century Dutch East Indiaman. Thiswas a really fun way to end the trip.We then went to the port in Rotterdam, to get another ferryback to Hull. It was a little less smooth than before, butstill a great journey – for most of us. Kasim celebrated hisbirthday too enthusiastically with chocolate and was unwell.We arrived at Hull at about 8am, having had a better night’ssleep than most of us expected!Mia Mann, 2SMCCruising Amsterdam’s canalsThe Memorial to the Six MillionIn the Portuguese Synagogue5051

visitsvisitsVisit to the Hindu Temple andSikh GurdwaraOn a windswept September day, a group of pupils set outto visit the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple and theGuru Gobind Singh Gurdwara. The trip was arranged by theBGS Sikh and Hindu Society. It was a splendid visit and allthe pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The electrifyingatmosphere en route to the Mandir was clearly evident onthe faces of those present, and having been amongst them Itoo was excited for this much anticipated event.Arriving at the Mandir, we made the most of the nowclear skies and grasped the opportunity to take a groupphotograph. Shortly after this, we were met by Mrs SeemaBhutoo of the Interfaith Education Centre. Having washedour hands (a customary procedure in the Mandir andGurdwara), we were led through the picturesque archeddoorways to the main Prayer Hall. I think it is safe to saythat the majority of us were taken aback by the great beautyof the alabaster prayer stage, home to many idols of godsadorned in garlands of fragrant jasmine and bellflowers.Sikh and Hindu Society members outside the GurdwaraThe clean, crisp air accompanied by the chiming of thebell made the ambience of the room one of peace andtranquillity. After an interesting talk by Seema, we weregiven the chance to explore the hall. With our new foundknowledge, before long we found ourselves immersed inthe daily activities of the Mandir. One such activity was thehabitual washing of the Lord Shiva’s idol, followed by thehanding out of “prasad” (food that has been accepted andblessed by the Lord) which consisted of fruit and sweets.Having paid our respects and said our goodbyes we madeour way to the Gurdwara.received an interesting tour of the somewhat atypical articlesin and around the room as well as getting the chance to seewhere the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs,also considered a living Guru) is put to rest after each day.This was a fascinating experience as it delivered an insightinto how much respect and adoration is given to what somepeople may conceive as “just a book,” when in essence toSikhs it is their guidance in their day-to-day lives.The institution of Langar (free food served to anyone,regardless of race, caste, or creed) was set up by the thirdGuru, Guru Amar Das. Eating together and sharing the work ofthe Langar is one of the Sikh ways of showing that everyoneis considered as equal. Unbeknown to us, the Gurdwara hadprepared a whole host of provisions for us to eat. An array offood, from samosas to chapattis, lay before us - somethingthat made us feel welcome and at home.Over all, the trip gave a real insight into the wider picture ofthese two major religions and, from the comments I receivedand the contented mood on the way back to BGS, it wascertainly worth the time and effort. A job well done in myopinion!Simran Dhesi, 5DJCSpanish Exchange toCórdobaOn Friday 14th October, twenty-seven Spanish students fromFourth to Lower Sixth Forms (all perfectly fluent, of course)set off to Córdoba in the South of Spain for a week-longSpanish exchange. Not only did the trip give us all a chanceto show off our unique style of speaking the language (formost of us a jumbled mixture of Spanish and English),the exchange also allowed us to take in the rich culture ofAndalucía.Having arrived at our host school from the airport, wereceived a warm welcome from our exchange partners. Apartfrom the speed at which everyone in Spain seems to speak,the most striking thing upon arrival was the heat – thirty fivedegrees throughout most of our stay.The weekend was spent getting to know our host families.For most of us this included a trip into central Córdoba forsome shopping (and a long-awaited visit to the much-hypedEl Corte Inglés), followed by meeting up for lunch and achance to try out some tasty Andalusian cuisine.which could only ever end in tragedy for certain membersof our group (how’s the broken finger, Peter Clegg...?). Inthe afternoon we spent our free time exploring the bustlingshopping streets throughout Seville and searching outthe Spanish equivalent of McDonalds (which, having nowexperienced both, is no more pleasant than the English one!)On the Wednesday we visited the location of the ancientMoorish City of Madinat-Al-Zahra, the location of the capitalof the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba. The tour around themuseum and ruins proved to be of great interest to allmembers of the group.On the final day we visited the Great Mosque of Córdoba- an impressive piece of 10 th Century architecture andnow a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was followed byseveral hours spending our remaining Euros in the variousshops throughout the city (and tracking down the elusiveDon Jamon…). Then, after bidding adios to our exchangepartners, we departed on our journey back to England – ajourney made no easier by a certain member of our groupinsisting on singing the hits of the Sugababes on the coachto the airport!Muchas gracias to all the staff who organised the exchangeand made it as great as it was. We’re all now eagerlyawaiting our chance to show off the delights of Yorkshirewhen our exchange partners come to the UK in the SummerTerm.Benedict Scantlebury, 6HJBClassics Trip to the Bay ofNaplesAs we arrived at the National Archaeological Museum inNaples, shattered after our tiring journey, we sat down toeat our picnic lunch in the burning heat. After looking at allthe beautiful statues, busts and wall-paintings, we answeredquestions and drew pictures of them in our booklets. Lateron, we went to the hotel near Sorrento where we got pairedwith our room-mates, ate our dinner and had an early night.weather. However, there was no need to cry in sorrow, sincethe cancellation gave us time to visit the remains of the villaat Oplontis, a huge mansion complete with swimming-pool.We left Oplontis looking like we’d been for a swim ourselves,since the rain had drenched and soaked us. We returned tothe hotel to dry off, and most of us took a walk down to thebeach before enjoying our dinner and a quiz.Playing shop in a thermopolion at HerculaneumOn Saturday, the weather behaved itself again, and weenjoyed warm sunshine. We spent the whole day in Pompeii,wandering the huge site and looking at the buildings andstreets we had studied during our first year of Latin. Laterin the evening, we caught the train into Sorrento to eatpizza and ice-creams and look around the shops and buysouvenirs of our trip.Entering the Gurdwara, we proceeded to take off our shoesand wash our hands, a practice that we had now becomeaccustomed to after our visit to the Mandir. However, manyof the pupils were now met with an unusual custom: thepractice of covering your head to show respect with the useof a simple coloured handkerchief known as a “rumaal”.This practice is one which anyone who enters a Gurdwara isexpected to do. Tying the headscarves proved rather trickyat first, but after a few attempts we were back on track.Having been greeted by the Vice-President of the Gurdwaracommittee, we made our way into the vast hall, where manyof the ceremonies and prayers are conducted. There, weOn the Monday, a tour around a former olive oil factory in thepleasant town of Baena had been arranged for us. This wasfollowed by a tour around the old city and all the free-timewe needed to stock up on their ‘world famous’ olive oil. Theevening entertainment was suitably Andalusian - a night ofFlamenco with our partners and their families.On the next day we were treated to the delights of Seville,the capital of Andalucía. To best take in the sights of thishistoric city we started the day with a trip in a horse-drawncarriage through the streets surrounding the impressivecathedral and Alcázar. Following this, we spent the restof the morning looking around a medieval palace - a visitOuside Caecilius’ house!On the Friday we visited Herculaneum, which has beautiful,very well-preserved buildings which still have a lot of detailboth inside and out. In the afternoon, our planned climb upMount Vesuvius was unfortunately cancelled due to stormyMr Thornton and Mr Morley play gladiator in thePompeian amphitheatreSadly, on Sunday, our trip was ending and we had to saygoodbye. But on the bright side we got to see our parentsand relations. What a great start to the half-term!Mehreen Khalil, 2SMC5253

visitsvisitsGerman Exchange TripOn a cold wintry day in December, eighteen buddinglinguists from the Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms set off forHofgeismar in Germany on the German exchange. We wereall nervous about meeting our exchange partners - however,we needn’t have been since we were all greeted warmly bythe host families.In January the Germans made the return trip to Yorkshireand had visits to Bradford and Leeds as well as a return legof the bowling, where once again Mr Davis showed that he isthe best. On Saturday, we all went to York to visit the Minsterand Jorvik Centre, and to have some shopping time. On theSunday we had some time with the students until they left inthe afternoon. We were all very sad to see them go, but can’twait for the next exchange.David Bagshaw, 5SDR…and a word from the teachersThis exchange was a great success. Everyone managedreally well to speak German with their host families andSophie Hill even succeeded in turning her trip into a Russianexchange, as her host family was originally from Russia (veryhandy for her GCSE Russian exam!) It may seem a littledaunting going to live with a foreign family for a few days butan exchange gives a unique insight into the cultural life of acountry and boosts your language skills in a way that is hardto match on a sightseeing trip.Linguists with their Exchange partnersOur trip was a busy one and we were straight into it on theThursday morning as we were treated to two lessons in theAlbert-Schweitzer- Schule. Afterwards, we were given a tourof Hofgeismar by Herr Kindl and Frau Freitag, which wastranslated by Mr Davis and Mrs Kingsley. In the evening wehad a relaxing time with the German families and were giventime to sample some quality German cuisine. On Fridaywe went to Kassel and were given a tour of the Ottoneum(a dinosaur museum). After that we had free time in theWeihnachtsmarkt where many of us tried Currywurst for thefirst time. Later that evening, Mr Davis demonstrated hisprowess at bowling!Second Formers try their hand at writing with quills at Quarry Bank MillHistory day-trip toQuarry Bank MillOn 20th March, the Second Form went on a day trip toQuarry Bank Mill in Styal, near Manchester. We spent the daylearning about conditions in cotton mills. Quarry Bank wasbuilt by Samuel Greg in 1784 and was powered by waterfrom the local River Bollin. It was situated in an attractiveplace and few accidents occurred. This brought people fromas far as London to work there.Currywurst - delicious!The next day we caught the train to Göttingen and weregiven a tour of the university and old sights by Herr Kindl.Afterwards, we once again went to the Christmas market totry the German food and were given free time to shop forsouvenirs. That evening we had some time to relax with theGerman families. The next day we were allowed a lie-in aswe were leaving later on in the day. Many of us were giventours of the local area and in the afternoon we had to saygoodbye to our German friends until their return visit.Mr Davis relaxes on a giant Advent CalendarIn January we hosted our partners in Bradford. Duringtheir stay they came into school for a day and were reallyimpressed by our whole-school assembly as well as theartwork on display around the corridors. The Headmasterwelcomed the German party over breakfast and then theycame to lessons with us. We also visited York, Leeds, theNational Media Museum and Bradford and had a returnmatch at the bowling alley. Many of the exchange familiestook their German guests out for a curry too.Thanks to Mr Davis who organised the trip, and thanks to theGerman teachers Frau Freitag and Herr Kindl for organisingour stay in Hofgeismar. Thank you too to all the parents forhosting our German partners.E J KingsleyTo start the day off, we toured all the machinery in the mill.Our guide switched the machines on and demonstratedhow they worked. They were incredibly noisy - no wonderthe workers went deaf! Next we stopped for an early lunchopposite the water wheel. The afternoon brought a visit tothe apprentice house. Children were indispensable to thefactory with their lithe figures and nimble fingers: in 1784they made up half the workforce! The apprentices weresometimes orphans but others were sent to work by theirfamilies, while others still were illegitimate or paupers. Theirorigin did not matter and they were all treated equally.Apprentices were fed three meals a day, clothed, educatedand accommodated, but they were not paid. To finish theday, we went to the domestic workshop where another guideshowed us how it worked. The loom looked like it took hoursto set up. After an activity-filled (and educational) day we setoff back to school.Emma Peacock, 2VMFA demonstration of a working loom5455

visitsvisitsReligious Studies Trip toWhitbyMr Skelton, Miss Malley and Mr de Villiers once again tookthe GCSE Religious Studies students to Sneaton Castle inWhitby. Sneaton Castle was a really fantastic place to stay.The grounds are magnificent, having lovely walled gardens, adonkey sanctuary and plenty of grounds to run around in, aswell as a gorgeous room to work in that contained beautifullypainted pictures of St Hilda who founded the Abbey atWhitby. The revision sessions were a great chance for pupilsto learn more about how to tackle their GCSE RS examsand, in the surroundings of the castle, excellent work wasproduced. Friday evening was spent hard at work but therewas also the opportunity for a time of reflection, play andenjoying the facilities at the centre.The Fifth Form RS group at Caedmon’s memorial in WhitbyOn the Saturday the group climbed the 199 steps to WhitbyAbbey (having a time of reflection at Caedmon’s Memorial),visited Whitby Abbey and spent time hard at work at thecastle. Our study time included a fascinating talk from SisterHeather Francis and Sister Samantha informing us aboutthe monastic community attached to the centre and leadingus in a tour of the beautiful Priory Church where the Sistersworship daily. It was a fantastic trip with staff and studentsreturning spiritually refreshed and ready for the exam seasonahead!R E SkeltonFirst Formers in ParisOn the Saturday morning at the start of the June half-termbreak, forty-one excited First and Second Formers and six oftheir teachers met at school to start a five-day visit to Paris.After a long coach and ferry trip we arrived at our base,the Centre Etoile Parisienne on the outskirts of the Frenchcapital. On Sunday we began with the highlight of any trip toParis, the Eiffel Tower. We braved the rain to climb the stepsto the second stage, and most of the group then took the liftup to the top of the tower for the breath-taking views overthe city. After lunch, Mr Merckx led the group on a walkingtour of Paris, taking in all the highlights including the Ile dela Cité, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Hôtel des Invalides andthe River Seine. Meanwhile, Mrs Hepworth-Wood took anintrepid party of art-lovers to the Louvre Museum. There,they braved the enormous queues and managed to seesome of the wonders of European art, including perhaps themost famous painting in the world, Leonardo di Vinci’s MonaLisa. After an hour and a half of gallery visiting, the groupwalked back through the Tuileries Gardens to meet up withthe main group again, and from there everybody enjoyed aleisurely ninety-minute cruise on a bateau-mouche on theRiver Seine.On our second day in Paris we began in Montmartre, thehill to the North of Paris with the famous white-domedBasilica of the Sacré-Cœur on its summit. From there, wespent some time in the Place du Tertre, admiring the work ofthe street artists and enjoying the quintessentially Parisianatmosphere. We bought lunch in the local pâtisseriesbefore re-joining our coach near the famous Moulin Rougenightclub. In the afternoon, we had a coach-trip aroundthe main sights of Paris, with an informative commentaryfrom Mr Merckx. We then spent some time on the ChampsElysées looking in the shockingly expensive shops ordrinking horrendously expensive coffee, before we visited theArc de Triomphe with its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.We were accompanied on both days by fantastic localanimateurs who helped guide the pupils around Paris andwho spoke to them in French throughout the day. Theanimateurs also provided lots of French input at meal timesback at the Centre Etoile and during our free time, whichincluded a football match and lots of table tennis, tablefootball and even Twister at the impressive sports facilitiesback at our accommodation.Our final day in Paris was spent at Disneyland, only a shortdrive from our centre. The pupils enjoyed all the attractionsof this theme park enormously, and there were some scarytales of Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean,Space Mountain: Mission 2 and Indiana Jones and theTemple of Peril, while the teachers enjoyed It’s a Small Worldand the other more sedate attractions! It may be a littlepiece of America just outside Paris, but we enjoyed a warmFrench welcome nevertheless.Tired but happy we climbed back onto the coach to enjoyour final evening at the Centre Etoile. Most of the grouptook part in a rounders match with Mr and Mrs Merckx asteam captains and Mrs Hepworth-Wood and Mrs Kingsleyencouraging their teammates vigorously. The following daywe set off again back to Bradford, having learned a greatdeal about Paris and lots of French too. A huge thankyou toMr Merckx for organising and leading this trip so admirably,and to Mrs Merckx, Mrs Kingsley, Mrs Hepworth-Wood andMr Morley for accompanying us to Paris and making thisfive-day break an unforgettable experience.G P WoodsLetting off steam with a littlePaintballingPaintballing, where to start? What’s better than having agreat day out with your mates? Three days after we had allsat the first of our GCSE exams - it was perfect timing! Weneeded a little break after a stressful week and, most of all,to hit a few teachers in the process. When we got there,some people (mostly girls) were anxious at the fact thatthey would get hurt by the paintballs, but as soon as wegot onto the maps all of these worries were left in the safezone. Everyone just enjoyed it. Even though the paintballsdid sting a fair bit, no one cared. It was just such fun that webarely noticed. Even when I lost both my shoes in a bog, Ijust carried on shooting, rather than go back for them andget shot at heavily. Overall, I don’t think that there’s oneperson who can honestly say they didn’t have a great day.Everything from the coach journey to the pizza at lunch wasgreat. The best part for me was just having a good laughwith my friends. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and I only hopethat the school carries on with this for other years to enjoy itas much as I did.Oliver Dunn 4PMDMr Taylor shows off evidence of a direct hit!a teacher’s viewWhat a nightmare! Organising 120 pupils and accompanyingstaff all in order to be the prime target. Health and safetyforms galore and the usual chasing of paperwork all finallyfell into place and we were off. Two packed coaches and onecar reached the Delta Force site in record time and we wereall given a safety briefing. Protective clothing was issued andthe guns were explained. At this point Dr Watson chickenedout fearing for his own safety and sat reading a book for therest of the day. The rest of us (Mr Taylor, Miss Boughton,Fourth Year boys on their Paintballing day outMiss Denby, Mr Rees, Mrs Chalashika, Mrs Dunn) got stuckin and joined the fray. The usual splattering of paintballsensued and pupils forgot that they only had 200 paintballseach. The ground was a bog and the goggles steamed upstraight away meaning that nothing could be seen. Once hityou were dead and the instruction was to put your hand upand walk out to the “dead zone”. I duly obliged and sufferedmultiple hits from pupils (and staff), getting their own back, Ifear. Battered, bruised and worn out, we ended the day witha final battle where it was every man for himself. I’ve no ideawho won but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. When isRound Two?M A ThompsonBiology Visit To Chester ZooThe 26th June was a very exciting day for all of the ThirdForm. Having finished our exams in the preceding week,and completed the tiresome revision, we were all ready toenjoy a great day away from school! After the long journeyto Chester, we were greeted by the sight of rhinos by theparking area – if we weren’t already enthusiastic, we mostcertainly were now! The day’s sights included elephants,giraffes, penguins, tigers (both real and painted on somegirls’ faces!), jaguars, many species of fish, turtles, chimps,okapis, rhinos, frogs, lions, snakes, birds, meerkats, otters,bears, zebras, ostriches, and flamingos - to name but a few!I wish I could say the weather held out for us, butunfortunately we do live in Britain! The day started withsunshine but sadly the umbrellas had to come out bylunchtime! Through the course of the day, we learned someinteresting facts, including that a carnivorous plant is notactually a carnivore! The long delays on the journey backallowed us to complete our Chester Zoo booklets, and learnsome of the biology behind the day’s fun! Despite the rain,nothing put us off from having a fully enjoyable day, which justproves that you can never be too old for the zoo! On behalf ofthe Third Form I would like to thank all the teachers who camealong with the classes. Special mentions must go to Mr Javidfor his entertaining magic shows on the bus journeys and toMrs Chalashika for organising the fantastic day!Anika Prasad, 3SEH5657

visitsvisitsPhotographing the Colorado River from Horseshoe Overlook (and terrifying the teachers!) The descent into Bryce Canyon This was not a trip for sufferers of vertigoViva Las Vegas!By an incredible stroke of luck, I was able to bag myselfa place on the most exciting educational visit of the year(possibly the decade!) - The Geography trip to the AmericanSouthwest! The only condition was that I had to write up theBradfordian article afterwards. “Easy!” I first thought; but Isoon realised that one article might not be long enough.After a gruelling but film-filled flight, we arrived in Las Vegasfor one teasingly short night’s stay at the Circus CircusHotel, before being dashed away the following morning toZion National Park. The gentle, river-side walk was a relaxedintroduction to the amazing scenery that was to greet us atevery step of this trip. It gave us a chance to acclimatisenot only to the geographical wonders we were faced with(like towers of Mesozoic sedimentary rock) but also thebaking sunshine and high altitudes. It was then on to Kanab(the Hollywood of the Western) for a hearty meal and ahilarious, interactive show in which there were some surprisestar performances, particularly from Mr AG Smith and MrThompson!The following day we set straight off to Bryce Canyon fora day’s worth of exploring one of the most startling naturalwonders of the world. The stunning and awe-inspiringtowers of rock provided plenty of photo opportunities - mini-‘Hoodoos’ that students towered over, a real-life, rock Thor’shammer and lots of very tame squirrels. After that, we ditchedthe luxury coach for a more adventurous form of travel andrafted down the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam, witha brief stop to view some ancient petroglyphs left by our earlyancestors. We then took a bird’s eye view of our route fromthe infamous Horseshoe Overlook – one of the most terrifyingmoments for the teachers as we watched students crawl tothe edge of a breath-taking 1,000 foot drop!This left just one more spectacular sight - the Grand Canyon.The extremely steep-sided gorge was carved out by theColorado River and exposes over 1,800 million years of theearth’s history. Staggering, panoramic views were offeredfrom the South Rim walk and once again enabled thestudents to get to grips first hand with the fascinating rockformations, examples of uplift, and exotic vegetation in thisunique environment. Finally, we said goodbye to the naturalwonders and headed towards a very man-made wonder, withjust one more stop on the iconic Route 66.Las Vegas itself appeared out of the night like a gaudy,brazen beacon. It really is Disneyland for adults, although thestudents seemed to find plenty to enjoy. In two days of tiringexploration we checked off the majority of the enormous,novelty hotels and their lively entertainment (including theBellagio fountains and the volcano at the Mirage), witnessedplenty of hair-raising moments at the top of Stratosphere (thetallest tower on the strip with three white-knuckle rides) andstill managed to squeeze in some shopping!This once-in-a-lifetime trip was filled with excitement andintrigue. If you had asked any of the students or staff at theend of the eight days for their highlights, it would have beena very close call between the astounding natural wondersand the equally astonishing man-made sights. It almost feltlike two different holidays, successfully combined togetherby the superb Geography department at BGS. One lastquestion - when can we go back?A M LancelotEnjoying the spectacular viewsThe group beneath the iconic sign on Sunset StripOn the Colorado river5859

visitsPupils with the dragon, protector of the cityKraków – city of contrasts“Dzień dobry!” After four days in Kraków our Polish didn’textend far beyond the words for “Good morning!” but what wedid gain was an educational and enjoyable cultural experiencewhich proved both moving and historically interesting.The focus of the trip was a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenaucomplex, where such personal reminders of one of the darkestepisodes in history as piles of human hair and thousands ofpairs of children’s shoes were both shocking and saddening.After such a tiring and challenging day a chance to wind downin central Kraków was appreciated by all.Other highlights included visits to the former Jewish quarterof Kazimierz, the central market square (considered thelargest in Europe), Wawel Castle and Cathedral where weencountered the protector of the city of Kraków, a dragonwhich breathed real fire, and the Wieliczka Salt Mine, wherea restaurant, chapels and an entire cathedral made of saltcould be found, all 300 metres underground. Of course, thePolish traditional cuisine of beetroot soup, dumplings, ryebread and apple pie was sampled by all, although manypreferred the not-so-Polish hamburgers from McDonalds!Despite the thought-provoking nature of the trip, time wasfound for light-hearted culturally enriching entertainment –we found that having your picture taken with a hen party ofbeautiful blonde Polish women was particularly good to formcross-cultural links!Above all we returned to England thoughtful, emotionallymoved, slightly sunburnt and laden with cheap souvenirs.We would like to thank the teachers for their insightfulcommentary, good humour and patience, even when OscarBarber lost his boarding pass half an hour before our flightwas due to leave!Ben Scantlebury, 6HJB, Matt Procter 6NAH, OscarBarber, 6RAS, James Regan, 6HJBIn Rynek Glowny central square60

Arts & PerformanceA level Art work by James Sugden, 6RDS61

arts & performancearts & performanceAncient drama, modern themes; Theatre Studies students produced their own Greek tragedyDrama Review of the YearDuring the year, the happy news that Miss Ball wasexpecting a baby meant that the search was on for an ActingHead of Drama, and in the Summer Term Miss Lancelot tookover duties for preparing next year’s curriculum groups andbooking the theatre visits and productions slots. Baby Sorrelarrived thriving and happy in March and we look forward towelcoming her into future A Level lessons (with her Mum andDad, of course) for Language Acquisition demonstrations.In the meantime, it was business as usual for a thrivingtheatre visiting programme. Miss Ball had arranged asuperb Alhambra backstage trip with Old BradfordianJames Newton, now a regular percussionist for Lord AndrewLloyd Webber’s company, the Really Useful Group. Jameswas drumming for Joseph and his Amazing TechnicolourDreamcoat and the drama group found the military precisionbackstage fascinating, with racks of costumes and tablesof coded stage properties, all arranged in ways that beliedthe joyous spontaneity of the production itself. As Jamesexplained, playing in a musical (on or off stage) is a strangemixture of absolute concentration and bottomless energy.He was exhausted but pleased to be playing in his hometown and gracious in spending so long with our TheatreVisiting Club.More serious drama was witnessed at the Royal ExchangeTheatre in Manchester with trips over the Pennines to see agripping production of Marlowe’s Edward II and the tendermodern play by Jonathan Harvey, Beautiful Thing. Bothplays contained portrayals of gay characters in very differentsettings and proved very fruitful for analysis and discussion.Salford’s Lowry Theatre gave us two major treats in theAutumn Term, one being a Junior trip to Wind in the Willows,a magical and inventive staging of Kenneth Grahame’sclassic tale; but the production that had the Sixth Formrolling in the aisles (in one case literally) was the NationalTheatre tour of One Man Two Guvnors (originally written byCarlo Goldoni and updated to 1960s Brighton by RichardBean). This extraordinary production had an acceleratingsense of madness and absurdity that was truly infectious.The Lowry was also the scene of a very moving staging ofthe classic RC Sherriff play, Journey’s End. The naturalisticdugout and the use of sound effects recreated FirstWorld War trench life with a disturbing but eerily authenticatmosphere and the final minutes of the play were truly gutwrenching.A monumental and stately King Lear at the WestYorkshire Playhouse brought Shakespeare’s examinationof madness, justice and violence to vivid life. Tim Pigott-Smith played Lear unsympathetically at first, but graduallyhis treatment at the hands of his cruel daughters won overthe appreciative audience. Most Sixth Formers, however,cited the standout performance in this production as thatof newcomer, James Garnon, in a swaggering portrayal ofEdmund. After Christmas, the final trips proved very popular,especially Propellor Theatre’s all-male version of The Winter’sTale by Shakespeare which illuminated the play’s darkgrief but also gave us the sight of a group of shepherds indrag singing Beyoncé’s Single Ladies. We all agreed thatShakespeare would have been tickled. During the LowerSixth Enhancement period a group also attended the WestYorkshire Playhouse premiere of Loserville, a new musicalstarring Gareth Gates with inventive staging, a productionthat has since transferred to the West End – we saw it first!Closer to home, the Hockney Theatre saw a mixed ageshowcase of Shakespeare sketches and scenes performedin October (my abiding memory being Max Orviss’s OberonKenobi and Rohan Gohri’s Puck Skywalker in a witty StarWars spoof Midsummer Night’s Dream by 2SMC.) Everyonehad their favourite scenes. You can read Miss Lancelot’sreview of the showcase below.The Children in Need charity evening organised by Fifth Formstudents with support from Dr Mouat and Mr Dutton, Starzin Their Eyes, is mentioned elsewhere in this edition by KatieShepherd but it certainly produced some terrific examples oftalented singers, comedians and dancers, as well as somevery stylish compering.The big play of the year was a farewell to Mr Davidson, agreat friend to the Dramatic Society throughout his yearsas Headmaster. Miss Ball directed Dylan Thomas’s poeticmasterpiece, Under Milk Wood, with a cast drawn fromall year-groups to bring to life the fictional Welsh village ofLlareggub (say it backwards!) where nothing much goes onbut all human life lurches into view. Marshalling the manycostumes, props and bodies was a great achievementand the overall effect was of a gigantic theatrical beastawakening and then settling down again to sleep, perchanceto dream. Magical! Dr McNamara’s review appears below.For the second year in a row, the A Level Theatre Studiesgroups were invited to perform in front of around 100 AQAModerators at a London venue in January. The purpose ofthe performance is for the Moderators’ marking of practicalwork to be standardised. Our students gain an opportunityto receive feedback on the skills they are employing inadvance of their own examination, a mock experiencethat’s scarier than the real exam! Once again the groupswere praised for their professional approach and theperformances were outstanding. No doubt the standard washelped by performing the plays to family and friends in apreview night in the Hockney Theatre before travelling downto London. Prior to embarking on technical rehearsals fortheir presentations, the group was treated to an overnightLondon hotel, a Pizza Express meal, a backstage tour atthe National Theatre (where we were thrilled to stumbleinto a technical rehearsal for a play starring Sir Antony Sherand being directed by Nicholas Hytner) and a performanceof Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors in the Olivier Theatre,starring Lenny Henry. After all the excitement it was greatcredit to the group that they knuckled down very early onSaturday morning to begin preparations for the arrival of theModerators.At AS Level, Katie Shepherd, Róisín Reynolds and BryonySkinn produced an extract from Denise Deegan’s Daisy PullsIt Off, a comedy in the style of Lip Service theatre company,with exaggerated Received Pronunciation accents andcartoonish reactions. The girls were terrific in their timingand delivery. Charlie Tooke worked with “borrowed” MiddleSchool boys, Dan Sanderson and Mike Lord, to presentscenes from Jean Genet’s Deathwatch, a grim tale of ashifting power struggle in a prison cell. The boys workedusing the methods of director Peter Brook, with ceremonialmovement and minimal props and they were praised for theirmature performances.Connor Warden scripted one of the two devised pieces thegroup had to present and, using an expressionist style, he,Angus Mather and Georgie Henley gave us a powerful andmemorable account of the emotional battle between a youngman and a young woman setting up home together, TwoRoads. Members of this group were commended for theircontrol, both physical and vocal. The final piece was anoriginal drama in the style of ancient Greek theatre, utilisingconventions from plays studied in A Level Classical Civilisationlessons but applying them to an invented myth. GeorgiaFlavell took a lead in writing the script but the whole groupwas instrumental in presenting a story that could have beenwritten over 2000 years ago. James Liney, Juliette Welch,Roselle Hirst and Jade Dhesi joined Georgia in enacting thetale of Chrisso with spectacular masks made by Katy Ball.Later in the Spring Term the groups had a chance to presenttheir own plays for a live Moderation and parents, staff andfriends gathered in support for the highlight of the dramayear. Charlie, Róisín, Katie, Bryony, Angus and Connorpresented scenes from Enda Walsh’s Chatroom, a play usingthe practices of Shared Experience Theatre Company. Thedangers of cyber chatrooms were highlighted in a vivid wayand the final feeling generated by the group was strangelyuplifting as the ‘cyber-bullies’ did not crush the hero’s spirit.In a coup de théâtre the white walls were filled with whatseemed like a home-made film (but which was of coursecarefully directed and edited by Róisín) which showed Jim,the main character, seemingly about to take his own life butinstead standing on top of a table in a fast food outlet (inShipley, in fact) and looking unbowed and triumphant as thesound effects team played a cowboy song. Sounds odd, Iknow. But it was a feel-good finale!The Upper Sixth students had the daunting task of writingtheir own play and Brain Storm was the resulting originalwork, in the style of expressionism. Each student played apersonified emotion and it gradually became clear that all theemotions were intermingling inside the head of one person, ayoung woman who was turning over in her mind the variousmilestones of a new relationship. Katy Ball designed the‘look’ of the piece with some inventive and striking masksas assessable artefacts. The rest of the cast/creators were:Georgia Flavell as Insecurity, Roselle Hirst as Honesty, LydiaHolloway as Greed, Emily Layton as Vanity, James Lineyas Empathy and Juliette Welch as Independence. Thistruly was an ensemble piece with many audience members(particularly female, it’s true to say) claiming the piece had“captured” their own “brainstorms.” The skills demonstratedby the group were breathtaking, from the hypnotic music andsound to the atmospheric lighting, from the vocal fireworksto the mind-boggling physicality. The audience alternatedbetween delight, repulsion, sympathy, amazement – theexperience was a brainstorm for the spectators, not just forthe characters!This has been another busy year with plenty of remarkablememories. Many thanks to all members of the costume,make-up, staging and technical teams under the guidanceof Mr Dutton. Two new developments for the next academicyear: Miss Wood will be joining us as an Apprentice TheatreTechnician; and the late Mrs Prior (of many years’ service inthe costume stores) has bequeathed a legacy for the HockneyTheatre and we have been able to order an upgrading ofthe lighting system as a result. Plans are afoot for an officiallaunch where we can show off the new lighting system togreat advantage. Contact the Marketing Department if youwould like to be kept on a Drama mailing list.A P Johnson6263

arts & performancearts & performanceCharacters from the delightfully dark world of Dylan ThomasReview:Under Milk WoodMy mind boggles at the thought of organising these threestage performances of Dylan Thomas’s radio drama forvoices, Under Milk Wood. It has been staged professionallya number of times and, of course, a famous film versionstarred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, but a schoolproduction reflects the ambitions of the Drama staff atBGS. Thomas’ tale of a day in the life of Llareggub, a small,fictional Welsh town, is told by a narrator along with eightyother voices belonging to Llareggub’s residents. Even afterthe poem had been edited down the Director, Miss Ball, wasstill left with a cast of fifty-six! These characters drifted onand off the stage as they performed their brief scenes. Thisplay required imaginative staging and, I imagine, resulted inbackstage chaos! Not that the audience would have sensedthis - we were treated to a beautiful show, often amusingand frequently thought-provoking, as we listened to thelovely, lilting language of Dylan Thomas.The poem begins at night as the sleepy town dreams, and thenfollows its inhabitants through the day until they return to bed.Three narrators introduced us to the characters and guided usthrough the day. Swaraj Dewedi, Lily MacTaggart and Ed Pagetall mastered both the poetic language and the musical Welshaccents in which it had to be delivered. They walked in front ofthe stage, observing and commenting on the charming vignetteswhich were played out behind them by the other characters.In fact, ‘observing and commenting’ might have been themesof the play, as we watched the neighbours living on top ofone another and knowing everybody’s business - from thehilarious gossiping housewives, played by Tyne Anderson,Millie Brayshaw, Ruby Hendry and Rosie Ogden, to thenosy postman and his wife, Lewis Day and Sarah Parry,entertaining themselves with other people’s letters! JamesLiney, playing an old, rather haunted sea-captain, kept theaudience informed about the ups and downs of the lives ofthe church congregation as they assembled for the morning’sservice. Meanwhile, the vicar, played by Charlie Tooke (who,after his performance in last year’s Whistle Down the Wind,seems to have got the ‘amiable churchman’ routine sorted!)provided, at sunrise and sunset, two descriptions whichbeautifully conjured the setting of Llareggub.Under Milk WoodThe darkly comic moments were handled really well: WillTruby’s sinister butcher had a touch of the League ofGentlemen about him, Katie Shepherd played an obsessivecompulsive widow still nagging her two dead husbands,Liam Cook and Ewan Bagshaw, in her dreams, and JamesWoods and Rosa Spencer played Mr and Mrs Pugh, asthe downtrodden husband daydreamed of poisoning histyrannical wife. The relationships of the younger characterswere explored too. Vanessa Kennedy played love-struckteenager Lily Smalls, who fancies the local Nogood Boyo,sympathetically played by Dan Sanderson. Lydia Hollowaygave a touching performance as Polly, the single mother whopines for her lost love, all the while enduring the disapprovalof the other local women. The local men, meanwhile, MikeLord, Angus Mather and Alex Sheldon, congregated in thepub, with Angus in particular excelling in his portrayal of aman who has propped up too many bars for too long. Thelocal children spent their time playing kissing games, withsome terrifying girls, led by Molly Orviss, harassing andbullying poor Matt Boyle.There were so many impressive characters and scenes inthis play that it is not possible to mention them all in thisreview; anyone who saw one of the performances will knowwhat I mean. Congratulations are due to Miss Ball andher team for managing such a feat, and for getting such ahuge cast organised and able to perform such grown-upmaterial. The backstage crew needed to be almost as largeas the cast to ensure everything ran smoothly: Pete Duttonand his technical team expertly managed the sound andlighting, and Pete, along with Katy Ball and Hettie Newberry,also constructed the set; Mr Hargreaves and Miss Lancelottook charge of the costumes and make-up, convincinglyconveying the 1950s setting. An awful lot of hard workobviously went into this production. But credit is most ofall due to the performers, who not only gave a nuancedperformance of an extremely complex piece, but also, almostwithout exception, managed to keep up convincing Welshaccents throughout!J McNamaraDreaming ShakespeareA showcAse of work inspired by the bArdIn the Autumn Term, the whole of the Second Form studiedthe comedy of confused love that is A Midsummer Night’sDream and each class created a short presentation for arelaxed evening of “lamentable comedy” in the HockneyTheatre. They were joined by other students from across theschool to explore Shakespeare’s body of work even further,to covering Hamlet, Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew.The performances ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous,but each one demonstrated the importance and joy ofstudying Shakespeare, even today and even with someof our youngest students. 2JB opened with Something IsRotten In The Woodland State…., a faithful and engagingexploration of the mystical inhabitants of the forest whichwas followed by 2SMC’s The Force of True Love set in a“galaxy far, far away” and with characters Oberon Kenobiand Puck Skywalker. Next Holly Hellawell and Brittany StCatherine from 3BCG provided a simple, yet sophisticated(and thoroughly hilarious!) retelling of the events of Hamlet.2JIR and 2AH then followed on with What Angel Wakes MeFrom My Flowery Bed? and Love in a Wood respectively.Brittany St Catherine takes part in theShakespeare ShowcaseBoth performancesexplored some of themore ludicrous, andconfusing, love triangles(or quadrangles!) fromthe play. It was thenthe turn of 1BRM, ouryoungest actors of theevening, who took tothe stage to re-enactthe three (or in theircase five) witches fromMacbeth. The finalperformance from theLower School camefrom another group ofstudents from 2SMCwho recreated the romantic tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbewith stunning and side-splitting results.Supported by the AS and A Level Theatre Studies students,it was an entertaining evening and worthwhile for all involved- actors and audience members. We are hoping to repeatthe showcase next year so keep your eyes peeled for moreShakespeare silliness!A M LancelotReview:Free by Lower schooL drAmAAfter a late change to the cast list and some wobblyrehearsals, the Lower School Drama Group stepped out onto the stage of Free on the evening of Thursday 24th Maywithout a trace of nerves!The play follows the adventures of a class of school childrenwhose cover teacher never turns up. The script’s wittydialogue and thoughtfully created characters sensitively andhonestly reproduced the atmosphere of a diverse classroom.It explored some of the issues facing students in educationtoday and also challenged the ideas and assumptionssurrounding the ‘characters’ found in each classroom. It couldhave seemed all too familiar to some of us, but it was broughtto life in an original and engaging way by the cast. RubyHendry’s Gemma led the rebellion with confidence and style,followed duly by the down-trodden Lisa (Zoe Sheldon). EwanBagshaw and Alex Priestley’s characters, know-it-all geekand terminal sniffer respectively, offered not only laughs buta chance for both performers to shine. Greg Cleland, SarahWhitelaw, Eddie Paget and Lewis Day all deserve mentionsfor their performances too. Almost all the cast were requiredon stage throughout the play, which was not only a test oftheir mental concentration but also of their ability to stay incharacter consistently. For the audience this meant lots tokeep you amused and a continuous series of giggles!It proved a thoroughly enjoyable evening for the packed-outaudience of the Hockney Theatre and an all-round successfor Dr Mouat’s Drama Group!A M Lancelot6465

arts & performancearts & performanceThe Hit MachinemArch 2012This year’s musical extravaganza featured a selection ofthe greatest Number One hits spanning from the 1950s tothe modern day. The nine soloists, forty voice choir andsixteen piece band took on musical numbers as powerful asWhitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, and as complexas Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.The evening opened with a lively performance of RockAround The Clock and continued from there, showcasing thework of artists and bands such as Elvis, Elton John, ABBA,Blondie, Bon Jovi, Duffy and Adele. The soloists includedfive girls, Emily Carroll, Chloe Ramsden, Hatty Liddington,Kate Mancey and Lizzie Pike, whilst the boys were CharlieTooke, Alfie Chapman, Conor Walsh and Matthew Boyle.The show was performed three times, the last night in acabaret format and with the proceeds being donated tocharity. Audiences came away dazzled by the costumesand lighting, not to mention the spectacular dancing(choreographed by Emily Carroll and Rachel Varley). Aboveall, those who came were treated to a wonderful night ofsinging from the entire cast, accompanied by a band whoseability and sound is astonishing considering the ages ofmany of its members. It was a show to remember!Lizzie Pike, 6CJBTalented pupils organised their own show for charityStars in Their EyesBradford Grammar School has created countless spectacularevenings in the Hockney Theatre over the years, from playsto concerts to full-blown musicals. All of these events takea great deal of time and effort but they are also a great dealof fun. So, for me, having the opportunity to put on one ofthese events was not only a fantastic way to contribute toan already extremely performance-rich school, but was alsosome of the most fun I have had while attending it.I and three of my colleagues and friends (Jade Dhesi,Róisín Reynolds and Lizzie Pike), with the help of Dr Mouat,produced a talent show nicknamed Starz in aid of Childrenin Need. The evening, whilst only small in audience capacity,was bursting at the seams with talent. The acts includedguitar-playing, singing, drama, comedy sketches anddancing and the participants ranged through all years ofthe school. It was an enjoyable night for everyone involvedbut the real excitement came with the finale. All the actsappeared on stage to dance to Reach for the Stars whichreally got the audience up on their feet. It truly was aspectacular evening which also managed to raise £429 forcharity.Katie Shepherd, 6APJChristmas ConcertThis year’s Christmas Concert was yet again a splendid affairof carols and musical performances underpinned by thetelling of the Christmas story. As per tradition, the concertopened with Once in Royal David’s City, of which MatthewParry sang a solo opening verse. The choir and congregationjoined in on the following verses.The Junior Orchestra played a festive rendition of MerryChristmas Everyone which was received with great warmth.This was followed by a number of superb acts and readingsincluding Joanna Twaddle’s flawless performance of Chopin’sPolonaise Brillante op.3. Hark the Herald Angels Sing roundedoff the first half with the congregation leaving for the interval inhigh spirits after participating in a satisfying sing.The second half proceeded with O Little Town of Bethlehemfollowed by the Senior Choir performing two K Jenkinsarrangements, Benedictus and Pie Jesu led by our Directorof Music, Mr N Mann. The Folk Group played the FleetFoxes’ more modern piece White Winter Hymnal. However,the best was saved for last. The Senior Orchestra playeda whole array of music and Mr Davidson was invitedto conduct the musicians during the Radeztsky March.The concert finished on a high - audience participationwas enthusiastic as they joined the rest of the evening’sperformers in singing O Come, all ye Faithful.Kate Mancey, 6CJBThe Hit Machine was a real treat for pop music lovers6667

arts & performancearts & performanceLeavers’ ConcertThis year’s Leavers’ Concert was, as always, a chance forthe musicians of the Upper Sixth to display their talentsfor one last time before leaving the school and becomingOld Bradfordians. The first of the evening’s solos, Sibelius’Rondino no 2, was played by Rebecca Dixon. Then we weretreated to Anisah Rasul performing Romance followed bySebastian Tullie’s rendition of 2nd movt. Oboe Sonata bySaint Saëns. Abigail Robertson played a lovely piece byGrieg entitled Prelude from Holberg’s Time and concludedthe solos for the first half.The Senior Choir started the second half with You Raise MeUp before Ed Lund stole the show with a flawless renditionof Baker Street. This was followed by Conor Walsh singing ICan’t Make You Love Me. The next soloist was Tom Killian,having arranged music for Concert Band for years andplaying a large role in BGS music life, he played the famousFeeling Good on trombone before Jamie Davidson roundedoff the set of solos with The Kipper by Mike Mower. Thelast set of leavers to play was Rowan Arthur and CharlottePowne, both flautists, who performed Duet on a Chopinmelody, a Kohler arrangement. The Senior Orchestra wasthe last musical item on the programme playing Handel’sOverture from The Royal Fireworks Suite. The departingmusicians were then invited to take one last bow. The MusicDepartment would like to thank them for all their hard workover the years and to wish them all the very best for thefuture. With all that talent, hopefully it won’t be the lastconcert they participate in!Kate Mancey, 6CJBPupil ArtworkVisitors to the school are always impressed by the quality of the artwork produced by the pupils. I thought it time that someof this fantastic work was showcased in the school magazine. There follows a selection of GCSE and A level artwork, withthanks to Mr Norman.J McNamaraGCSE work by Laura Jones, 4PHSThe BGS Concert BandChamber ConcertmArch 2012This year’s Chamber Concert provided a varied andthoroughly entertaining musical programme, featuringsmaller ensembles and soloists. The evening opened witha punchy performance from the Brass Group, setting thetone for other instrumental groups such as the Guitar Groupand the Clarinet and Saxophone Ensembles. The DixielandCrackerjacks’ formidable performance of When The SaintsGo Marching In was a real highlight, demonstrating the fullcapabilities of the senior instrumentalists at BGS.Pimms In The HockneyThe very last item in Bradford Grammar School’s musicalcalendar was ‘Pimms In The Hockney,’ a splendid eveningof jazz both old and new. The evening took in a range ofmusic from the 1930s to the noughties with a mix of singersand instrumentalists playing classics such as Fly Me To TheMoon, and Strangers In The Night. It was a relaxed affair andthe theatre had been transformed into a jazz club with a jugof Pimms sitting on each table to add a summery feel to theevening, and audience members were encouraged to bringtheir own picnic.The Chamber Choir, Choristers and Choral Scholars createda beautiful sound and the Folk Group’s performance of HelloGoodbye and Love Can Build a Bridge was greatly enjoyed,showing the diverse range of music that can be found at BGS.The evening was also integrated with some exceptional soloperformances, including Ed Lund’s rendition of Amy Quate’sLight of Sothis on the saxophone, Sophie Green playingElgar’s Salut d’amour on the violin, and Joanna Twaddle’sperformance of excerpts from Tchaikovsy’s RococcoVariations on the cello..The audience left the Price Hall both entertained andimpressed by the fantastic standard of music and the talentof the young musicians of Bradford Grammar School.All the performers looked stunning in their evening dresses ordinner suits, including the band, led by Mr Mann. Highlightsincluded Lizzie Pike’s rendition of At Last, Emily Carroll’s Let’sDo It, Harriet Liddington’s Sunrise and Kate Mancey’s But ForNow. The Saxophone Group played a set of jazz pieces andthere were two saxophone solos, Take Five, performed byAlexandra Christian, and Baker Street, played by Ed Lund. Theevening finished with a slow, mellow version of My Way sung bythe ‘Sisters of Soul’ which reduced some audience membersto tears. What a wonderful way to bring a year of outstandingperformances to a close!Kate Mancey, 6CJBA level work by Nicole Fordham, 6NSNA level work by Sarah McWhinney, 6WJNLizzie Pike, 6CJB6869

arts & performanceGCSE work by Gabi Swanepoel, 5GPWA level work by Chiara Davies, 6AGS70

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sportsportAthleticsThis summer’s appalling weather unfortunately put paid tomuch of the programme. Training and competitive eventsoften had to be cancelled. There were some high points,however, since several athletes qualified for the WestYorkshire Championships via the Bradford Schools’ event.Harry Sagar took Gold in the Junior Boys’ Long Jump andEmile Cairess also took Gold in the Junior Boys’ 1,500m.Unfortunately, they missed out on selection for the EnglishSchools’ Competition. Other medal winners were JamesPinder in the Junior Boys’ 200m and Harry Sherwood in theJunior Boys’ Javelin. Emerson James showed his potential,reaching the Junior Boys’ 400m final a year under age.Over the course of the year, the team has become muchstronger due to increased composure and technique. Thisimprovement was well illustrated against our final opponents,Dixons, where we won sixteen of our eighteen games. Afterwinning the Yorkshire School Tournament Qualifiers, ourteam of Jabin, Peter, Vishal and myself went on to win thesemi-finals and final rounds of the tournament, making usYorkshire Champions. It has been great to play badminton ata high level for the school for many years now and, as thisseason ends, I would like to thank Mrs Chalashika and MrThompson for all their support and for organising and takingus to fixtures.Lewis Starling, 6AGS, Senior Boys Captainmanaged to pull off some outstanding final results. Theseason overall resulted in our winning a commendable fiveout of six games, beating schools such as Aire Valley, HolyFamily, and Hanson. However, the loss away at Hanson wasunlucky. Perhaps luck wasn’t on our side on this particularoccasion where we lost out on a couple of sets 21-19 in amatch that could have gone either way.Nevertheless, it still turned out to be an excellent seasonand the team’s commitment and diligence was brilliantthroughout, something which I felt was reflected in ourperformance. Next year’s season certainly looks promising.Vishal Dattani, 5SDR, CaptainThe U13 Badminton SquadIn the English Schools’ Cup, our lack of strength in depthmeant we did not progress to regional finals, but there ishope that if the present Third Formers can build upon theircurrent form, they may qualify next year when they are top ofthe age group.The UAK Athletics Series that survived the weather was anexcellent initiative and hopefully will be even better next year.Of course, some of our athletes may have been inspired byour Olympians this summer and will push on in the future tofulfil their potential.C W LinesSenior MixedThis year, the Senior Mixed Team has performed very well,losing only one game in the whole season in a closelyfought match against Beckfoot, who in the end beat us5-4. In the other five matches we performed well, and wewon thirty six out of fifty four matches. This is thanks toour talented and committed team, including Lewis Starling,David Brown, Rakhi Ahir, Hannah Whitford, Leanne Brumby,Trishala Nursiah and Hettie Newberry. Thank you for playingso well.Jabin Hall, 6RWM, CaptainU15 BoySThe U15 Team completed a successful season. We playedat home and away against Salt’s, Hanson, Oakbank andHoly Family, winning all but two of our fixtures and endingon a high note by winning the final match away by fivegames to four.I would like to thank my team mates, Ed Phillips, AviPatel, Adam Jabbar, Alan Li and Pavandeep Sandhar. Alsothanks to Waj Chowdhury from the First Form for filling inwhen the number of players was short. He is certainly apromising player for next season. I would also like to givespecial thanks to Mrs Chalashika and Mr Thompson fororganising the games and making the season possible. Weare developing into a stronger team and look forward to thechallenges for the next season.Hamza Khan, 2SMC, CaptainBadMinton ClUB reportThis year we have had mixed results on the Badmintoncourt. The U13 squad have begun to work together to findtheir strengths and weaknesses and have made very goodprogress. The U15 Boys, U16 Boys and Senior Mixed teamsnarrowly missed out on first place in the Bradford Schools’Badminton League despite excellent play on court. Howeverthe Senior Boys have excelled, winning the BradfordSchools’ League as well as the Yorkshire Schools’ League.Congratulations to all those pupils who have represented theschool on court this year.BadmintonSenior BoySFirstly, I would like to thank Jabin Hall, David Brown,Zahan Darr, Matt Skelton, Adam Hamilton and Rhys Dandyfor playing in the League this year and pulling out somegreat results. I would also like to thank Jabin, Peter Cleggand Vishal Dattani for playing in the Yorkshire Schools’Tournament matches and Raees Ishtiaq and Talha Bahtti forstepping in to play in the Bradford League games.This season has been one of the best for the Senior Boysas we remained unbeaten in all games, both in the BradfordSchools’ League and the Yorkshire Schools’ League.In the Bradford League we retained the title of LeagueChampions, comfortably beating Salt’s, Beckfoot, Hanson,Holy Family and Dixons in fixtures both home and awaythroughout the season.The Senior Boys’ Badminton team, winners of the Bradford andYorkshire Schools’ LeaguesU16 BoySFirst of all, I and my team-mates would like to show oursincere appreciation to Mrs Chalashika and Mr Thompsonwho selflessly organised the fixtures and provided us witha means of transport to and from various matches. Withouttheir help and hard work, we would not have been able tohave such an enjoyable season.The U16 Badminton SquadI would also like show my gratitude to my fellow teammates Alistair Cripps, Raees Ishtiaq, Bilal Saleem, OmarBahadur, Mark Wilcock, Jacob Birkenhead, Adnan Patel andUmair Akbani . They all played with a sense of pride anddetermination which led to outstanding results and allowedus to end the season on an all-time high.Throughout the season the team went from strength tostrength and, following some quite staggering wins, weThe U15 Badminton SquadI would like to thank my fellow team members, Alasdair Glen,Neil Dattani, Milan Patel, Charles Farrar, Matthew Birkenhead,Cameron Chippendale and Arjun Saralaya. We performedconsistently to produce end of season totals of forty four winsout of seventy two games and achieving a well-earned victoryover our rivals Titus Salt’s School.Jamie Walsh, 4FRH, CaptainUnder 13 BoySThis season was fairly successful for the BGS BadmintonU13s. Overall we won four of our matches and the strongestmargin of victory was against Oakbank (7-2). The strongestteam in the league was Hanson and we hope to defeat themnext year.We got off to a slow start in which we narrowly lost toHanson, the eventual League winners. We then playedagainst Salt’s and in this game we lost by only one match(4-5). We then played against Sandal and won our first game:that felt good! After that we lost only two more matches andwe won three more beating Oakbank (7-2), Sandal again(6-3) and Salts (6-3). In the end I think we did well.As the end of the academic year draws close it is sad to saygoodbye to two Badminton players who since the First Formhave made superb progress on the court. Lewis Starling andJabin Hall have represented the school in the BadmintonSquad every year as they have moved up the school. Theyhave demonstrated immense dedication and commitmentand I hope that some of this will have rubbed off onto theyounger members of the BGS Badminton Squad. I would liketo wish them both well for the future.The Badminton Club could not run without a team ofstaff working together to supervise practice sessions andmatches. I would like to thank Mr Thompson, Ms Marti-Fernandez, Mrs Boyes-Watson and Dr Fishwick for theircontinued support, as well as Mr Fisher who has beencoaching the pupils on Wednesday afternoons.D J Chalashika7273

sportsportCricket1St xiThursday morning 5th July saw a familiar scene in the‘summer’ of 2012 - a covered pitch, a square dotted withcopious sawdust patches, black clouds overhead, rain fallingand a dismal forecast. The team was desperate to play. Itwas, after all, the final game of a most frustrating seasonand the opposition, Audenshaw School, were on their way(through torrential rain) on the M606. Coach Simon Kellettforked the areas of standing water forlornly. The water tablewas so high that there was nowhere for the rain to go. Thiswas clearly going to be the ninth match of the season to becompletely washed out. Then a bright idea – what aboutthe newly-laid artificial wicket beyond the Sports Hall? Well,maybe, if only the rain would stop. Lunch was taken and,miraculously, leaden skies turned to blue and a T20 gamewas agreed. Wind forward three hours, the sun is still shiningand a weakened BGS team are 64-6 in pursuit of 129 with alltheir main batsmen dismissed. Surely the heroics in getting1St xi reSUltS 2012a game on were going to end in disappointment? The lowerorder kept battling and, through a mixture of edges and widestogether with the odd lusty blow, the gap closed until, with ourlast pair at the wicket, 7 were needed from the final over. Aprecariously scampered 2 off the last ball saw the scores tied;the great escape had been accomplished and a draw seemeda good result at that point. But no, both teams still wantedvictory and a ‘superover’ was proposed – Cricket’s one overversion of the penalty shoot-out. This time we set the target,scoring 9 before restricting Audenshaw to 7 and recordingpossibly the most unusual win in BGS history. It was a trulybizarre end to an often disjointed and difficult season.This unlikely victory was a deserved reward for theperseverance of both players and staff alike. Only elevengames were played over the season, the lowest total since1967, and two of those were washed out half way through.The only game that was played away from BGS was theJack Sanderson Memorial Match at Saltaire, and we onlymanaged to play on three Saturdays during the term. Thegames that we played, however, were certainly eventful, withPLAyeD 11 Won 5 DRAWn 3 LoSt 3 ABAnDoneD 82nd May5th May9th May12th May26th May24th JunHuDDeRSFieLD neW CoLLeGeWon by 52 runsBGS 182-6 Johnston 52 no, Gill 46HNC 130 Ishtiaq 4-40, Prasad 2-35RGS LAnCASteRMatch DrawnBGS 135 Patel 41, Thornton 31RGS 70-8 Ishtiaq 3-9, Prasad 2-3MCCMatch Drawn (rain)MCC 140-3d Misra 2-43WooDHouSe GRoVeLost by 37 runsWG 159 Ishtiaq 4-30, Wadkin 2-13,Misra 2-50BGS 122 Johnston 61QeGS WAKeFieLDLost by 1 wicketBGS 157-7 Thornton 49, Mountain 28 no,Green 21QEGS 158-9 Butt 3-33, Ishtiaq 3-40,Prasad 2-48SALtAiRe CCJack Sanderson Memorial MatchLost by 5 runsSCC 199 Bentley 3-29, Ishtiaq 3-34,Misra 2-41BGS 194-8 Devesher 52, Butt 27, Green 23 no,Misra 2129th Jun1st Jul2nd JuloLD BoySWon by 4 wicketsOB 87 S Connor 22; Patel 3-8,Bentley 2-14, Misra 2-17,Prasad 2-20BGS 88-4 Thornton 22, Gill 21, Butt 20 no;R Nichols 2-15, R Harland 2-21HALiFAx noMADSWon by 137 runsBGS 233-6 Misra 85, Devesher 59,Thornton 35, Johnston 27HN 96 Misra 3-15, Iqbal 2-14,Prasad 2-26MAnCHeSteR GSWon by 1 wicketMGS 150 Butt 3-17, Misra 2-15,Tahirkheli 2-22BGS 154-9 Thornton 39, Johnston 38,Misra 364th Jul WiLMSLoW HiGH SCHooL Match Drawn (rain)WHS 178 Prasad 5-17, Patel 2-36BGS 29-15th JulAuDenSHAW SCHooL (T20)Won in ‘super-over’ (9-7)AS 129-4 Ishtiaq 2-13BGS 129-9 Gill 37, Green 30All matches played during 2012five of the games decided in the last over, including all threeof the team’s defeats, as well as the memorable victoriesover Manchester GS and Huddersfield New College. Inaddition, we had a strong RGS Lancaster side at 15-7although they recovered to hold out for a draw.In the wettest April to July period since records began,scoring runs was always going to be difficult and the teamonly passed 200 on one occasion. Significantly, though,none of our opponents were able to get past the 200 markat all. Our opening bowlers, Raees Ishtiaq and Ravi Prasad,excelled and rarely allowed our opponents to get off togood starts. If they weren’t taking wickets then they wererestricting run scoring, while good back up from the supportbowlers, most notably Romil Butt and Rohan Misra, ensuredthat few sides got on top of us with the bat. With a numberof limited over games, Raees, in particular, with his accuracyand array of slower balls, showed great skill in bowling atthe ‘death’ – he was the unanimous choice to bowl ourover in the ‘superover’ contest against Audenshaw and didnot disappoint. In his final year, the disjointed nature of ourseason did not help Ravi – he was at his best in the lastweek of the season when more regular Cricket enabled himto find a rhythm. His 5-17 haul against a strong Wilmslow HSbatting line-up was an exceptional piece of bowling. Romilwas our quickest bowler, although he struggled at times withinjury and was never consistently at his best, while mentionshould be made of Second Team Captain Will Bentley, whoshowed real pace in his few appearances, including a matchchangingspell against the Old Boys. As the only spinner inthe team, Rohan often had the job of ‘holding up one end,’a task that he carried out willingly and effectively. In thelast week of the season, we also gave opportunities to twoU13 spinners, Kyme Tahirkheli and Wajahit Iqbal who bothshowed remarkable confidence and maturity with both balland bat. The bowling was well supported by the fielding –Will Johnston, Navjyot Devesher, and Matt Green were alloutstanding ground fielders – and we also caught well, withRomil Butt being particularly impressive close to the bat.Batting on damp pitches was rarely comfortable and theteam lacked a dominant performer. The regular opening pairof Rama Patel and Navjyot Devesher looked accomplishedbut neither scored consistently. Rama started well butended the season low in confidence while Navjyot foundhis form after the exams with two attractive half centuriesagainst Saltaire and the Halifax Nomads. But he was unableto build on this form as he missed the last few gamesthrough work experience. Michael Thornton always lookedthe part at number 3 but, despite ending the season asthe team’s leading run scorer, he never really achieved thebig scores that his confident starts suggested. The biggestdisappointment was the form of Captain James Wadkinwho had what can only be described as a ‘nightmare’,before disappearing to Majorca and missing the final fivegames. Probably the most naturally talented batsman wasGeorge Gill, who regularly showed glimpses of high classbut frustratingly failed to apply himself consistently. He hasthe potential to make a big impact in the years to come. Itwas no coincidence, however, that the two batsmen whoworked hardest at their games during the winter made themost significant progress. Will Johnston transformed himselffrom a good 2nd XI player into one of our more reliableperformers. He started the season with a composed halfcentury against Huddersfield New College and almost savedthe game against Woodhouse Grove with a commanding 61,before guiding us to victory against Manchester GS. MattGreen threatens a similar rise. A bit-part second teamer lastyear, he worked tremendously hard during the winter andgrew in stature on promotion to the 1st XI, culminating inhis mature 30 around which the tail fashioned its unlikelycomeback against Audenshaw. The batting strength of theside came from the depth available with players as goodas Rohan Misra, Toby Mountain and Romil Butt occupyingnumbers 7, 8 and 9, and all making significant contributionsover the season.The atrocious weather was just one part of the season’sproblems. Sadly, the other was the commitment of someof the players. Former 1st XI players reading this wouldbe astonished at the lack of importance playing for theteam seems to have for a number of the players thesedays. Almost any other activity – holidays, Wimbledon,revision, university visits, work experience, golf, familyoutings, parties – seemed to have greater importance than1st XI Cricket and we played the last five games (out ofeleven!) without a number of our first choice players. Thatwe completed those fixtures with four wins and a rainaffecteddraw reflects great credit on the senior membersof the squad - Michael Thornton (who captained the side),Ravi Prasad, Will Johnston and Rohan Misra managedto forge a real team spirit and a never-say-die attitudethat resulted in some outstanding performances. The fastmatch against Audenshaw was one of these, but the gameagainst Manchester GS that saw our first victory againstthat illustrious school since 1989 was the real stand-outresult. The game was switched to BGS because of heavyrain in Manchester and we produced an excellent all-roundbowling effort to dismiss them for 150. Having lost bothopeners for ‘ducks’, a composed stand between RohanMisra and Michael Thornton put us on track before WillJohnston produced a mature knock to take us to the brinkof victory. Wickets continued to fall and a tense last over leftus needing one run to win from the final ball with one wicketin hand. A similar situation last year saw us tie the game, butthis time Raees Ishtiaq drove the final delivery through thecovers for four to complete a memorable victory.So a season that promised much ended as it started withrain as the most influential factor. Although we had moregames abandoned than ever before, we might have losteven more without the efforts of groundsman Scott Higginswho did everything humanly possible to ensure that wegot as much Cricket as we did. The driest member of the‘team’ was undoubtedly scorer James Loney who addeda new iPhone App to his skills so that we could accessour matches on the Internet. Thanks are due to these two,as well as to Simon Kellett for his patient coaching andhis excellent umpiring. We have a number of promisingCricketers in the school, but their potential will only be seenat 1st XI level if they commit themselves fully to the cause.This means practising as well as playing. I hope to see thiscommitment next year starting with the winter nets.A G Smith7475

sportsport2nd xiThe season of the floods! Here are reports on the twomatches which survived the weather.It was early May and the team made the long trip to Lancaster.Although the sun was shining, the wind was blowing in fromthe sea and it felt colder than winter. Lancaster batted firstand a second wicket partnership of 74 determined the match.Lancaster eventually posted 163 off their 35 overs. WilliamBentley’s 3 for 17 helped to restrict the total but it was goingto prove too many. First ball, wicket! And our run chase wasoff to a bad start. The innings failed to gain any momentumas wickets fell steadily and only Daniel Bennett showed anyreal resistance reaching 32. When Jack Appleyard strode tothe wicket we needed 60 off the final five overs. After a fewscrambled singles the innings ended, and Mr Schofield wasglad to get back indoors.The end of May brought a little sunshine and a matchwith QEGS Wakefield. The wicket looked flat and the bigboundaries meant singles should be easy to find. The matchstarted with the innings of QEGS. William Bentley openedthe bowling with three maidens supported by Matt Celaire’swicket maiden. After six overs QEGS were 2 for 1. QEGSnever really got out of first gear and wickets steadily fell. Allthe bowlers contributed with good line and length so that weonly needed 92 runs to win. Surely 92 off thirty overs weremanageable? On the last ball of the BGS innings the scoreswere tied. Richard Wall followed David Heslop to the wicketand added some much needed impetus, hitting fifteen quickruns. Alistair Cripps was facing; he had opened the battingand was now 39. Singles everywhere; 1 to win ... Crippsbowled the match tied.R D Schofield and R i PageU15 xiThe 2012 season was marred by the wettest summer in over100 years. Only four matches were completed and eventhese took place in mostly damp conditions. This was areal pity as the squad was large (twenty-three players) andall the boys were desperate to gain match experience andrepresent the school in competitive fixtures. More matcheswould have meant more opportunity for all the boys andmore time to develop the team. A large proportion of practicesessions also fell victim to the rain.Our first match on 5th May was away at Lancaster. We lostthe toss and were asked to bowl first. Lancaster batted withskill and punished some uneven bowling. Too many bowledtoo short and too wide and helped Lancaster reach a total of177 in thirty overs. Our response was excellent and, althoughwe fell slightly short, there was much to be proud of: YousefMahmood batted solidly and with purpose for 36 and hewas well supported by Taeed Hamdani who occupied thecrease well in the middle of the innings; Haseeb Basit scoreda brilliant 70 coming in at number seven. He bludgeonedseven sixes in his knock and it was a pleasure to watch abatsman really attack the opposition. If it had not been for amix-up in the middle and Haseeb being run out, we wouldsurely have been victorious.Our next game at Woodhouse Grove was unfortunately a taleof the toss in extremely cold and damp conditions. We lostit and had to bat first. There were some poor shots, but thewicket did contribute to a very lowly 62 all out. It wasn’t easyfor Woodhouse Grove to make the total but they managed itinside fifteen overs for the loss of three wickets.In our third fixture against QEGS Wakefield we batted firston a good BGS batting strip on the Colt’s square. Our 169looked a very good target and confidence was high at lunch.QEGS, however, were inspired and both openers wentpast 50 in an opening stand of 128. We pegged them backtowards the end with some good tight bowling but theypassed our total with an over to spare.The weather caused a gap of over a month until our finalfixture against Audenshaw School. Due to a bad forecastand dark clouds all around, we reduced the number ofovers and played a T20 match. We won the toss and battedfirst, scoring 146-5. Will Masterton and Taeed Hamdanitop scored with 29 and 39n.o. respectively. Audenshawstruggled against some fine bowling from Haseeb Basit, NeilDattani and Nick Staton, and were dismissed for just 83.This was an immensely positive way to end what was adifficult and much disrupted season. I hope all the boysmaintain their enthusiasm for the sport and persist with theirambitions to play Cricket for the school in the future. If theykeep listening and learning and put in the practice needed,some of them could certainly reach First XI standard.L W HansonU14 xiWhen the boys arrived for winter nets in January, I wasshocked to see that only thirteen boys were interested inplaying Cricket for BGS this year in the Third Form. Twostrong players had decided that their interests lay elsewhere,and there seemed to be only one student new to BGS whowanted to take part. Strength in depth would be an issue thisyear if there were injuries or unavailability.The squad worked hard during the winter and regularlyattended net sessions. The team was eager to start theirseason after Easter but initial poor weather limited this.The fixtures started with a tough home game with RGSLancaster. Under the guidance of new Captain Matt Handyand Vice-Captains Laurence Smith and Will Heard, we wentinto the game in a confident manner. A tight bowling displaylimited the RGS team to a mediocre total on a slow and lowpitch, but the BGS batsmen struggled to hit the ball throughthe tight ring of RGS fielders and succumbed to several sillyrun outs early on to lose by a wider-than-expected margin.The fixture against Woodhouse Grove showed that the teamhad backbone, with Matt Handy carrying his bat againstsome tight and rapid bowling, scoring an excellent 90 n.o.and setting WHGS a testing 159 to win from thirty overs.Unfortunately, in Djibril Mallek we came up against one ofthe best Cricketers in the region, who scored an unbeatencentury in reply. Only Laurence Smith ever caused him anyuncertainty, and our opponents went on to win with overs tospare.U14 reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 8 Won 3 DRAWn 1 LoSt 45th May12th May18th May26th May29th May10th Jun24th Jun26th JunRGS LAnCASteRLost by 7 wktsBGS 82 Handy 22RGS 141-3 Khan 2-14WHGSLost by 10 wktsBGS 158-4 Handy 90noWHGS 159-0LAiSteRDyKe (2nd round of Cup)Won by 5wktsBGS 69-5 Handy 32Laist 68 Hussain 3-7, Khan 3-33QeGSMatch DrawnBGS 117-7 Heard 30, Handy 25QEGS 172-1PARKSiDe (3rd Round Cup)Won by 10 wktsBGS 97-0 Handy 54no, Van Berkel 29noParks 94-6 Bates 3-8SHeLLey CoLLeGe (4th Round Cup)Won by 8 wktsBGS 122-2 Van Berkel 66no, Mahmood 27noShell 119-6 Lovitt 2-20WHGS (5th Round Cup)Lost by 71runsWHG 158-2BGS 87 Khan 30AuDenSHAWLost by 10 runsBGS 103-9 Handy 21Auden 113-8 Smith 2-10All matches played during 2012The highlight of the season was the team’s excellentcup run. A bye in the first round and then a convincingaway win against Laisterdyke were followed by a revengewin over Parkside from Cullingworth, to whom we hadlost in the third round last year. Parkside had two verygood players and the team produced a superb all roundperformance in the field. They also produced some tightbowling, but Handy and Scott van Berckel smashed theopposition into submission with their excellent batting torecord a super ten-wicket victory. An away match againstShelley College, Huddersfield produced a similar result,with a match-winning performance with the bat and behindthe stumps form Scott van Berckel ably supported at thecrease by Haroon Mahmood putting on 94 for the thirdwicket, to record an eight-wicket victory. Hopes were stillhigh for a winning rematch against Woodhouse Grove inthe fifth round, but once again the batting of Mallek and ourless than disciplined bowling and fielding display, made thechase of 159 perhaps thirty runs too much for our 20/20batsman. We were soon put under severe pressure withthe loss of early wickets and Yusuf Khan restored somerespectability to the total with a swift thirty.The weather put a big dent in the season during June withthree consecutive Saturdays without Cricket and thus nomatches with Ampleforth, Durham or GSAL. The sun didshine on the away game at QEGS but, after a sensiblestart with the ball, the level of concentration in the fielddropped considerably. The half-time team talk focussedon the importance of concentrating, walking in and payingattention for the full innings. The batting was much moreencouraging and the team defended their wickets well, withstubbornness from Will Heard and Tom Dixon allowing us tohang on for a draw.Our final ten-run defeat to Audenshaw was a disappointingway to end the season. Chasing a low 114 to win on theColt’s Square should not have been too difficult a task; butthe run rate was never high enough, and undue pressure fellon the middle order to accelerate - causing them to play arash of silly shots and occasional run outs.There were, in the end, some positives in what was afrustrating season. Harry Mahmood can develop into atight and economic swing bowler as he progresses andis ably assisted by Yusuf Khan. I had high hopes for thedevastating pace of Milan Patel this season and he is agood long term prospect, but he must now develop morecontrol and accuracy in his bowling to cause problems togood batsmen. Daniel Bates, John Lovitt and Kasim Khancontinue to work hard at their spin bowling and will featurestrongly in the future. What the team perhaps needs is anadditional change bowler who can bowl six accurate oversan innings. Laurence Smith and Haroon Hussain offered thisoccasionally, but need to become more consistent.The fielding of Will Heard and, behind the stumps, Scott VanBerckel was excellent, but the team as a whole needs toimprove its fitness, concentration and flexibility, particularly ingetting down to the ball.Matt Handy had an excellent season with the bat and is areal prospect for the future, as is Scott Van Berckel with twocup-winning match performances. Notable innings from WillHeard, Harry Mahmood, Tom Dixon and Yusuf Khan alsoshow that there is much promise to set good totals next yearif these four all contribute on the same day.Finally, credit must go to Matt Handy as Captain formotivating the team throughout all their fixtures andbecoming a thoughtful and strategic Captain. Thanks to MrScott Higgins for his excellent wicket preparation and all ofthe parents who supported us throughout the season. I wishall the boys the best in Senior Cricket at BGS.G C Fisher7677

sportsportU13 xiThe squad this season was a tight-knit unit which workedhard all season at basic Cricketing skills and the broaderelements of the game. There were some notable victoriesover Woodhouse Grove, Ermysted’s and Audenshaw, a closefinish last ball defeat against QEGS, Wakefield, and our onlypoor performance of the season against St Olave’s.The team was captained by Kyme Tahirkeli, who performedwith both bat and ball all season, eventually gainingselection for the 1st XI. He led by example and will learnover time about the tactics of limited overs Cricket. WillRobinson-George proved a destructive batsman to any ballon the off-side and to be our partnership breaker with hisbowling. Anish Pulavarti proved to be an enigma with hisbatting and bowling, showing signs of real talent in bothareas and then self-destructing in the next match. He willundoubtedly go on to be an essential element of the 1st XIin seasons to come. Jawad Shad took over the keeper’sgloves this season and improved rapidly throughout thecampaign. Allied to his batting, this makes him an invaluableall-rounder. Dhaim Ghafoor is a player with abundant talent.His bowling was highly effective and his batting has thepotential to destroy attacks if he can conquer his nervesand improve his concentration. Richard Lansbury developedinto a wicket-taking change bowler who also worked hardfor the team in the field. Tom Robertshaw worked hard onhis leg-spin to become an additional spin option, while hisbatting is sure to flourish with more self-confidence. WajahitIqbal is a batsman with all the strokes. Unfortunately, henever delivered the runs he promised due to wanting toplay too many shots. He was at his most effective whenhe kept his batting simple and this, allied to his fielding,will make him a 1st XI Cricketer. Subhan Farooq proved tobe a highly-effective opening bowler, who needs to workharder on his batting. Jamaal Khan is a batsman who, withmore confidence in his own ability, will prove effective.Rohan Gohri, when he played, was a dependable bowlerand workmanlike batsman, who with greater commitmentwill prove an able Cricketer. Hamza Khan worked hard athis batting and fielding to force his way into the team. SeunOgunde is a raw talent who, if he continues to work on hisgame, will become an effective Cricketer.The squad has the potential to develop into an effective unitif they continue to work hard on all areas of their game.A J GalleyU12 xiThe summer of 2012 will be recalled as the season in whichthe U12 squad led the Cricket Club into the world of Twitter,introducing tweets and scoring on a Blackberry! The summerof 2012 will be recalled with little fondness by players andspectators of BGS Cricket. Met Office records tell us thatthe summer of 2012 was a complete wash-out. The periodfrom April to June, the duration of the U12 Cricket season,was the wettest since records began in 1910. June wasthe second dullest on record with 119.2 hours of sunshine;the record of 115.4 hours was apparently in 1987. Total UKrainfall was 145.3mm; twice as much as normally expectedDespite this, amazingly, only one U12 XI fixture was lost tothe weather.The U12 season begins in January and winter nets wereenthusiastically attended with a number of individualsimpressing the ever-watchful eyes of Messrs. Wilde, Galleyand Kellett. The squad played eight games and recordedsix impressive wins, including victories over traditional rivalsLancaster RGS, Woodhouse Grove, St. Olave’s and QEGS,Wakefield. The team’s strength lies in its batting and, in myexperience, U12 XIs who bat first tend to win more matchesthan they lose. Despite my advice, however, the teampreferred to chase totals rather than set them. In fairnessto the boys they were better at chasing; in the two gamesthat they lost they batted first. So much for experience! Theunpredictable nature of sport at this level is one of the mostenjoyable parts of it.Captain Will Smith (best score 55 n.o.) and Oliver Croudson(best score 47 n.o.) were the most technically adept, mostconsistent and consequently the team’s highest scoringbatsmen. Both boys scored over 150 runs, an impressivefeat considering they often opened the innings and faced theopposition’s best bowlers. Robbie Williams’ innings againstIlkley Grammar School (38 off 17 balls) demonstrated howdestructive his batting can be. Charlie Andrews, Miles Loneyand Ben Merchant also showed that they have a good eyefor the ball and have the potential to score heavily in thefuture. Will Hopper plays very correctly and showed in theend of season inter-squad test match that he is capable ofaccumulating a significant score when he gets bat to ball.However, long after this edition of The Bradfordian isconsigned to the bookcase, the players will still be talkingof a heroic innings played by the most unlikely of heroes.Step forward, Nardeep Madhas. With the scores tied andthe last ball of the match to be bowled by QEGS Wakefield,Nardeep nonchalantly smashes a four to secure BGS afour-wicket victory.The team’s bowling attack was certainly varied, butunfortunately it lacked penetration. Daniel Brennan was theteam’s most economical bowler and took the most importantwickets of the season. His consistent line and lengthpressurised and frustrated batsmen, leading them to playfalse shots. Hugh Berry’s left arm seam-up caused batsmenproblems when he found the right line and length. Thesame could be said of the team’s other seamers, Will Smith,Oliver Croudson and Charlie Andrews. All four will prove tobe extremely effective when they become more consistent.Hamzah Arshad, left-arm orthodox and Hamza Shaukat,leggy, were our kings of spin. With a couple of individualexceptions the team’s fielding was good and supported thebowling well; in fact, there were some exceptional catchestaken this year. Will Smith captained the side capably andbecame more confident with his bowling changes and fieldplacings as the season progressed. Ben Merchant and MilesLoney shared the wicket-keeping duties and were both tidybehind the stumps.Whilst the individual development of all the players has beenextremely pleasing, my personal highlight has to be the side’srun in the David English County Cup. I have never reachedthe final and I have only ever taken one side to the semifinal(during the summer of 1997); such is the quality of thiscompetition. Therefore, the boys can be proud to have reachedthe quarter finals. On the day we were beaten by a better GSALside, but we didn’t bat well having been put in first. Moreover,the GSAL batsmen were not troubled by our sterile bowling andGSAL coasted to a comfortable 10 wicket victory.At the end of an enjoyable season my thanks to all theplayers too numerous to mention here; the parents, whohave supported the team loyally; Richard Skelton for hisvaluable coaching and umpiring skills; and to Mr ScottHiggins and his team who continue to produce schoolboypitches of the highest quality, in often testing conditions.Colours awarded to: Charles Andrews, Hamzah Arshad,Hugh Berry, Daniel Brennan, Oliver Croudson, WilliamHopper, Miles Loney, Ben Merchant, Hamza Shaukat, WilliamSmith and Robert WilliamsM A WildeCross CountryIt is worth pausing to reflect that the 2003 Bradfordian entryfor Cross Country bemoaned a lack of runners, and noted thatthe decline in participation could well result in the completedisappearance of the Club. We should bear in mind, however,that the Club at the time contained two brothers by the nameof Brownlee. Perhaps, then, rumours of its death were greatlyexaggerated. Realistically, if the school can be consideredas a microcosm of the picture in running nationally, numbersare unlikely to match those witnessed in the Club’s heyday.Competitive running is simply not as popular in this country asit once was. Rates of turnout in traditional centrepiece eventssuch as the English National Championships are a fractionof what they were as recently as twenty years ago. Anothersobering illustration comes in the shape of data collatedabout entries in this year’s London Marathon: the men’s racecontained more runners over the age of fifty than under. Withthis in mind we should be confident that there is still sufficienttalent, and in sufficient depth, within BGS to secure significantindividual and age group honours, provided we see increasedlevels of commitment in terms of training and racing.The first taste of competition in the Senior School for a newcrop of First Formers (many of whom have graduated fromClock House) came at the Bingley Harriers Schools’ CrossCountry Challenge in September. We took great satisfactionfrom the fact that we were able to field two teams in theYear 7/8 Boys’ race, where Emerson James once againunderlined what a talented young athlete he is by comingin as the Club’s top scorer in fifteenth place. In the Year9/10 Boys’ race we again managed to field two teams and,since all scorers were at the bottom of their age group, thisbodes well for next year. Emile Cairess would go on to runwell throughout the season, and here he put down an earlymarker with a fine performance in second place. In the twoSenior races we were unable to field a full team, but WillJowett, one of our two Captains, ran well to place twelfthin his event, and Natalie Brown, as the sole female runner,finished a strong fifth.Cliffe Castle in Keighley was the backdrop for a number ofraces over a testing course, and once again there were somefine individual performances. Jessica Manning finished insecond place in both rounds of the Keighley and Craven Cupin the Year 7/8 Girls’ races, with Phoebe Ogden and NatashaDawson also comfortably in the top ten. In the same series,runners in the Third Form and above competed together, andEmile took two impressive first place finishes in the boys’ races,with Will competing solidly to finish inside the top ten on bothoccasions. Abigail Robertson, the second of our Captains,secured a top six finish in a rare appearance this year.In January we made the short journey down the road toNorthcliffe for the Bradford Schools’ Championships. It is afamiliar venue, and it was hoped that we could thus describethe results in an event the Club used to utterly dominate.The day started well with a team victory in the Year 7 Girls’race, with Jessica Manning once in first place, backed up byPhoebe Ogden (3rd), Louisa Duncan (7th, in easily her bestrace of the campaign), and Amy Peacock (13th) as final scorer.The Year 7 boys were not to be undone, packing brilliantly atthe front to take the team competition, with a slightly loweroverall total. The team comprised of Ben Moon (2nd), HenryMiller (3rd), Oliver Sunderland (4th), and Callum Haynes (11th).Thereafter, a different story emerges. In the Junior raceswe were simply no match for Ilkley, but we at least fieldeda team in both events. In the girls’ race we took third place,scoring as follows: Katy Boden (10th), Emma Peacock (13th),Hope Silver (16th), and Ruby Bower (17th). In the boys’ racespecial mention once again must go to Emile Cairess, whoon this occasion ran away from the field from the gun, as heproceeded to go one better than last year’s second placefinish. Behind him, Alex Rhodes (10th), James Pike (13th),and Ralph Coen (20th) put in solid performances to bring ussecond place overall. Whilst we did not have enough runnersto register in the team competition, Maisie Manners (4th), andSarah Dewhirst (5th) ran with conviction in the Intermediates.Several of the athletes competing for BGS at this competition,of course, qualified for selection for the Bradford Schools’team for the West Yorkshire Schools’ Championships by virtueof coming in the top twelve in their respective races. Held atHipperholme several weeks after the local round, the standoutperformance at the West Yorkshires in BGS terms came fromEmile in the Junior Boys’ Race, where he came second.Emile was undoubtedly the most consistently excellentrunner this year. In addition to the aforementioned results, hecompeted in the Yorkshire Championships (6th), the NorthernChampionships (13th), the English National Championships(28th), the Inter Counties Championships (50th), and theEnglish Schools’ Championships (12th). His form on thetrack this summer suggests we can expect to see even moreimprovement next season.We would like to say thank you to our Captains, Will andAbigail, for their help in the smooth running of the Club. Thesame applies to our Vice-Captain, Rachel Pinder. No decisionhas been made about next year’s choices, but with no regularrunners in the current Lower Sixth, it is likely that the appointeesto the posts will be among the youngest in the Club’s history.Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the manystaff members that have helped out with training this year;7879

sportsportyour contributions and support during sessions (whatever theweather throws at us!), are invaluable.S M Harris and M McCartneyHockeyHockey moved into its fourth season this year and is now rightlyperceived as a major sport for girls at BGS. The girls havecontinued to develop their understanding of the deeper conceptsof the game. The Hockey Club had its biggest ever turnoutthis year with over 130 girls training and playing fixtures bothlocally, within Bradford’s League, and regionally, within their everincreasingSaturday fixture programme.FirSt xiAs the Seniors entered their second season at BGS wemanaged to field our very first Girls’ 1st XI Squad in theSaturday programme. On occasion, they did have to besupplemented in numbers by the Fifth Form girls playingup for them. This was greatly appreciated. Being the first1st XI Squad was never going to be an easy job, especiallywhen the early games were against tough opposition suchas GSAL, Hymers and Ampleforth. I think we fared betterthan anyone could have predicted and throughout theseason the team played some great Hockey. In the finalgame against GSAL I was impressed with the determinationdisplayed throughout the match and the 0-3 score line reallydid not do the game justice. Creating a team out of such asmall number of dedicated Sixth Form girls has been hard,and I look forward to the current Fifth Form girls joining theLower Sixth to strengthen the squad and hopefully havemore success next year. Unfortunately, the Senior trip to theNetherlands did not go ahead at Easter due to a clash withthe Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition.U16 xiThe U16 Squad have again had a tough season and sufferedsome heavy defeats against stronger opposition. To theircredit, the girls have taken this in their stride and are makingimprovements with each and every game. In other fixturesthey have really closed the gap, such as defeating Ashville1-0 when they lost 1-4 last year and beating St Bede’s 2-1this year, having had a 0-4 loss last year. I know Art GCSEhas played havoc with training for some of the girls, yet othershave managed to maintain their commitment to training and Ilook forward to this continuing into next year.U16 xi Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerRachael CurrieRebecca LeavorKennedy BrankinCourtenay Fisher was awarded Captain of the Year asshe has stood out above all the other Captains by helpingto organise not only her own team but also the youngersquads as well. She has taken the role very seriously andled by example.1st xi Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerHockey U15 girls on TourCatherine WrightCourtenay FisherBryony SkinnU15 xiThe U15 XI Squads have again made huge progress this year.They have played some excellent textbook Hockey. The proofwas in the pudding when Nicky Pensavalle put two goalspast the Wakefield keeper in a game which ended with uswinning 4-1! Although there are still the occasional periodsof play where we are not quite marking tight enough or weare holding onto the ball too long, our general pattern of playshows discipline and flair. We have fared well in the Bradfordarena with our A team taking both the Bradford League andTournament Winners’ shields.JUnior HoCkey toUrThe decision was made that only the Fourth Form wouldbe allowed to go on tour this year, which we were a littleuncertain about. However, this meant it was more viableto run a joint Hockey and Netball trip again, which we hadvowed not to do again. Nevertheless, I think it is fair to saythe U15 Girls really enjoyed the joint tour to Chester. Theweather was bitterly cold yet the girls just got on with playingeven as the Astroturf froze underfoot during the matchagainst King’s School! In addition to some excellent Hockeywe had fun doing a variety of activities such as walking thewalls of Chester and visiting ‘The Deep’ aquarium.U15a Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerFrankie Broadbridge-KirbitsonBeth HorsmanMartha O’SullivanHockey tourists took a walk round Chester’s wallsHockey Award Winners 2012U15B SquadPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerZoe HolmesEmily DonaldsonElise StarlingU14 xiThe U14 Girls have always showed a lot of promise in thepast, yet for some reason things have never seemed togo right for them. This season, however, has been a majorturning point for the U14s as they have become moredisciplined as individuals and as a squad. This has made ahuge difference to their game play, with the A team takingthe Bradford Schools’ Tournament and League Winners’titles. In the National Schools’ Competition we finished acreditable fourth out of six, and are making that step closerto qualifying each and every year. In the Saturday fixtureprogramme our results have been a little varied but some ofthe highlights were beating Sheffield Girls’ High 4-1, Ashville6-1 and successfully reducing the gap between ourselvesand the likes of Wakefield and GSAL each year.U14a Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerU14B Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improvedCorrie Jackson-LevrierKatherine SkeltonOlivia NewmanSarah TwaddleGrace WardZenah Al-JawadU13 xiThe U13 Squads are amongst the smallest we have atBGS, yet they all gel really well together. Personalities havedefinitely come out this season from the quiet teams thatthey were as U12s. This has helped the teams on a full-sizedpitch as their in-play communication skills were tested. Wehave had some close results this season but I think one ofthe best moments had to be Rosie Ogden scoring a goalwhich would draw the match against Wakefield with threeseconds to go! In the Mini-Hockey Nationals we fared quitewell, and with some convincing score lines we gained ourplace in the play-off. However, it was at that point thatwe ran out of steam and lost to Wakefield 0-3. Within theBradford arena both teams have played some excellentHockey with the A team taking the winners’ title of both theLeague and the Tournament.U13a Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerU13B Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerIsabel AustinMaria CampeanEmma PeacockSumaiya RehmanJohanna KlugeCarla KlugeU12 ViiIn September the U12 Girls started out as two small squadssince the new First Formers always take time to find theirfeet within the Senior School set-up and master the art ofjuggling the many activities on offer. However, it didn’t takethem long to get their feet under the table and they soon8081

sportsportbecame a real force to be reckoned with. Within the Bradfordarena the A Team were the winners both of the Tournamentand the League. They have also had some great results intheir Saturday fixtures with the A Team beating the likes ofWakefield 4-1 and Ashville 12-0! The B Team have also hada great season, with a series of tough battles ending in a 1-1draw with Wakefield and a 3-0 victory over Ashville. I reallylook forward to seeing these two squads combine into a fulleleven-a-side squad for the Saturday fixtures next year.U12a Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerU12B Squad awardsPlayer of the yearPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerHannah ChaudryPhoebe OgdenMadeleine SilberbergLouisa DuncanLydia BeckettKirandeep AthwalHockey players who this year were selected to represent the regionGirls’ representative Honoursu17 - north, Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC)Imogen Allanu15 - north, Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC)Bessie Allan, Frankie Broadbridge-Kirbitson, Corrie Jackson-Levrier, Libby Linfieldu15 - West yorkshire, Junior Academy Centre (JAC)Bessie Allan, Frankie Broadbridge-Kirbitson, Jill Gaunt,Corrie Jackson-Levrier, Libby Linfieldu14 – West yorkshire, Junior Academy Centre (JAC)Isabel Austinu13 – West yorkshire, Junior Academy Centre (JAC)Abi SpencerBoys’ representative Honoursu15 - north, Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC)James Celaire, Dan LeachH e BoughtonNetballSenior SqUadI was thrilled to come back from maternity leave to the biggestSenior Netball Squad we have ever had. Every girl from theU16 Squads had decided to carry on playing Netball in theSixth Form. This was fantastic, since Sixth Formers are oftenunavailable at weekends, mainly due to university open days.The first few weeks went well, with wins for both the 1stand 2nd VII against Stockport, Altrincham and WoodhouseGrove. Then, in early October, the open age Bradford Schools’Tournament took place. The 1st Team had won this tournamentevery year since they were First Formers, so they had a lotto prove. The 2nd VII performed well with some outstandingperformances from Captains Annabel Hewitt and LydiaHolloway. Then, disaster struck. As the 1st Team were playingtheir semi-final, Co-Captain and key centre court player SophieBoyd went down with a thud as she landed on her ankle. Timeseemed to stop, and when I got to her I could see that she wasin a lot of pain. We took her off court and Dannielle Bennettgot her window of opportunity to play in the 1st Team. And shenever looked back. Danni made it very difficult for me to takeher off court for the rest of the season… so I didn’t!Thankfully, Sophie’s ankle wasn’t broken but she was out ofaction for a few weeks. Co-Captain Alex Smith ran the teamwell in her absence and secured another few wins includingone over Bury Grammar. Next up was the first round of theIndependent Schools’ Cup, for which we travelled to AshvilleCollege. Without Sophie on court we seemed low in confidence:moreover, our fitness needed looking at! Unfortunately, we lostto Ashville that day by one goal. This loss proved even morefrustrating when we played them the following weekend andbeat them! It was as if the girls had something to prove. Wesoon moved on and concentrated on what was still to come.We had important matches coming up, as well as the NationalSchools’ Competition. Extra training was scheduled on Mondayevenings and the girls took it seriously. They became fitter andperformed to a higher standard in all of their matches. We wentto the national competition feeling good. We were fit, strong andaccurate and we had a full strength squad. We played well,beating all of the teams we played (including GSAL), beforemeeting Ashville College (again!) and Greenhead College. Sadly,after losing to these two teams, we were knocked out of thecompetition - it just wasn’t to be.We carried on and had some tough, exciting and successfulfixtures in December, including at Oldham Hulme, a newfixture, and Wakefield Girls. The Seniors seemed to havefound their mojo again.After Christmas, the 2nd Team continued their winningstreak, beating RGS Newcastle 25-15 and Bury GrammarSchool 16-13. We had the strongest 2nd Team BGS haveever had this season. Players who could easily hold theirown in the 1st Team were taking to the court every week andperforming to a very high standard. Chloe Ramsden reallystood out, playing a strong GA. In fact, she played for the 1stTeam on a number of occasions. Lily Bell also made somehuge improvements throughout the season and AnnabelHewitt and Lydia Holloway continued to impress. They tooktheir successful game-play through to the end of the season,when they beat Cheadle Hulme 24-14 and Stockport 19-14.The 1st Team also had a successful end to their season,beating Stockport 22-14 and Bury Grammar 30-14.The Senior Presentation Night was the last thing in the diarybefore Easter and we had a fantastic evening at the MercureHotel in Bradford. Then, after Easter, the only thing we werewaiting for was the tour to South Africa.1st team 2nd teamPlayer of the Season Sophie Boyd Annabel HewittMost improved Player Danielle Bennett Lily BellPlayers’ Player Amy George Lydia HollowayC A taylorU16 SqUadSWith the U16 A Squad captained by Charlotte Coles andLibby Illingworth and the U16 Bs by Rachel Varley, I havebeen fortunate enough to have three dependable Captainswho have led by example both on and off the court. Theyhave not only demonstrated good organisational skills, butalso have the ability to make insightful observations aboutperformances which have influenced training and positionalchanges during matches. It has been a real pleasure to havesuch knowledgeable Captains whom I have been able to useas a sounding board.For the U16 B Team, this season is always frustrating asmany schools are not able to field two teams at this agegroup. This has meant that Saturday fixtures have been fewand far between. But the highlight of the season was beatinga strong Cheadle Hulme side by 1 goal. The B Team wasalso entered into the Bradford Schools’ League in which theycompeted against Senior A Teams from other schools fromthe area. The results were a mixed bag, but they did enjoyone or two wins against Salt’s Grammar and Beckfoot. Inspite of a lack of court time they never failed to perform withenthusiasm and skill when required.The U16 A Team had a really good start to the seasonreaching the final of the West Yorkshire Invitation Tournamentand accruing resounding victories against good opposition,including Altrincham and Woodhouse Grove. For this squadof players, though, the exit at the first round of the NationalSchools’ Competition was a massive disappointment,especially since we all know that they have the ability toprogress to the final stages. This, in a way, took the wind outof the season’s sails. Although they continued to performreally well throughout the Saturday fixtures programme,winning all but one of their matches, they had no ‘serious’competition to prepare for. They have, however, playedconsistently well throughout their final season together.It looks likely that BGS Netball will lose some key membersof this squad for next season. We must say goodbye to EveMannings, Charlotte Coles and Natalie Brown, who haveinvested a lot of time and effort in Netball throughout theirtime here. They will be missed!I would like to wish good luck to the rest of the girls for nextyear as Senior Netballers.G K JonesU15 a SquadThis squad, under the captaincy of Francesca Broadbridge-Kirbitson, has come a long way this season both on and offthe court. Notable personal achievements include SuzannaDuncan and Caitlin Boyd gaining county selection, alongwith the selection of Francesca Broadbridge-Kirbitson, LibbyLinfield, Carrie Lavery, Emma Whittam, Ella Bower, Erin Pettitand Bessie Allan to the Bradford District Squad, which willhopefully lead to selection at county level next season.Netball becomes a more sophisticated game as oneprogresses through the age groups and becomes muchmore focused upon team strategy as opposed to individualskill. At this point last year I had some concerns as to howthis squad would cope with those demands. They haverisen to the challenge this season and have developed atogetherness that has seen them communicate with andencourage one another on court. This has been reflectedin the way they train, the way they prepare for games andindeed the way they play. The Captain has certainly played abig role in fostering this team ethic.Due to the strength and depth in ability of girls in this year,group competition for places in the A Squad is fierce. This isa wonderful position to be in as a coach. However, it doespose problems as you often know you are going to have todisappoint somebody who is working hard on their game.I would like to mention in particular Bessie Allan, CarrieLavery, Emma Whittam and Ella Bower, girls who have foundthemselves sitting on the sidelines often for half games andat other times finding themselves not named on the team list.Their attitude is to be commended as every time they havefound themselves out of the A Team they have worked hardon their game in training and in B Team games in order toforce their way back in to the squad.The U15 A Squad have won eight out of eleven Saturdayfixtures this season including victory against strongopposition such as GSAL, Hymers and Cheadle Hulme, onlylosing narrowly to Altrincham and Stockport in the first fixtureof the season and again to Stockport in January by one goal.Despite a good win over RGS Newcastle in the first round ofthe Independent Schools’ National Cup, they lost narrowlyin the second round to The Grange School, Cheshire, whichwas a shame, especially as they went on to beat them in avery cold February tour game!Despite losing out to Bradford Girls’, again by one goal, in afiercely contested final of the Bradford Schools’ Tournament,the U15’s went on to win the Regional Invite Tournament at theend of the season, a mark of how far they have progressed anda platform upon which to build for next season.Looking forward to next season, this squad of playersshould go into it full of confidence but they must alsoappreciate that there is still much work to be done if theyare to succeed in the National Schools’ Competition. Thiswill include full commitment to extra training, and a desire toimprove their ‘short’ game.Player of the SeasonPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerCaitlin BoydFrankie Broadbridge-KirbitsonErin Pettit8283

sportsportU15 B SquadThe U15 B Team, captained by Helen Thornton, has againhad a remarkable season, proving themselves a forceto be reckoned with. They have been unbeaten in theirSaturday fixtures including a win against GSAL and animpressive 35–4 win against RGS Newcastle. They havealso competed in the Bradford Schools’ League againstA-Team opposition, beating a strong Ilkley team amongstothers, but unfortunately losing out to a very talentedParkside squad.The strength of this squad is evident in their results andmany players in the B Team are hot on the heels of theA Team players. The team spirit amongst the players hasagain been indomitable this season, and it is clear that theyall enjoy playing with and for one another. They do havea thirst for success and knowledge, and although someplayers in this squad still need to work hard to ensure theyperform individual skills with consistency, they have beenable to deal with the tactical demands placed upon themthis season.The large number of girls displaying the strength to competeat this level is evident in all areas of the court, and thishas meant that selection has been difficult and some girlshave not been able to get the court time that they wouldhave liked or that we would have liked to offer them. This,however, has not deterred them from showing commitment,enthusiasm and a desire to improve. I would like at this pointto commend them all for their efforts this season. They havebeen a real credit.Player of the SeasonPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerG K JonesMolly OrvissLizzie AyreSophie MerrickU14 SqUadSWhen reflecting on their season, the U14 Squad will, I’msure, consider it a pleasing one overall. Although theirform was a little inconsistent to begin with, the girls pulledtogether and improved - not just as individuals, but asa whole. Their collective enthusiasm is one of the mostimpressive memories that I shall have of this team. Wheneverthere were places to be filled in the A Team, B Teammembers would always rise to the challenge with enthusiasmand deputise with commendable performances.Away fixtures against Stockport Grammar School, Altrinchamand Cheadle Hulme provided a tough start to the seasonbut it was clear to see that the players were quickly gellingtogether and growing in strength and confidence underthe captaincy of Annie Lane and her Vice-Captain, CorrieJackson-Levrier.As the season unfolded, their patience and hard workbegan to pay off with well-earned victories against somedifficult opposition, including Woodhouse Grove, WakefieldGirls’ and Bury Grammar. Although the fixture againstGSAL unfortunately ended in defeat, our girls matchedthem pass-for-pass in the opening two quarters, showingreal grit and determination with their clever reading of thegame and making some important interceptions. Our finalhome game of the regular season saw a worthy victoryover RGS Newcastle, which felt a timely reward for all theircommitment and progress this year.The season’s finale was the Bradford Schools’ Tournamentwhich would see both the A and B Teams sweep aside theopposition to face each other in a potential tournamentdecider! It was fantastic to see both teams playing suchexcellent Netball. Intelligent defending from Sarah Twaddleand a flawless shot from Maya Marshall from the edge ofthe circle even put the Bs one-up against the As! However,the A Team Girls fought back and left the tournament aschampions.In amongst the regular season fixtures, many of the girls alsocompeted in the National Schools’ Tournament where theyrepresented the school very well. Tremendous performancesin the County Round saw them progress to the Regionalswhere, despite an impressive effort, they lost out. Althoughthey’ll be disappointed to have not made the finals, I knowthat the girls have appreciated the experience and I believe itwill help to make them stronger and more ready for their nextattempt in two years’ time as U16s.S McMechanU13 SqUadSThe achievements of both the U13 A and B Squads havebeen due to the commitment of all the girls to training andfixtures this season. It also must be mentioned that both MrsTaylor and Mrs Jones have had a big impact on the progressof these squads this year. It has been a season of highs andlows for both squads.The U13 Netballers in actionU13 a SquadThe A Squad has grown in confidence immensely duringthis year. On Saturdays they have played some toughmatches on which, to their credit, they have never given upand the majority of them have been close matches. Theirseason started well with two wins - one against Altrinchamby 13-12, and one against Stockport by 13-8. This reallyencouraged the girls but, since both of the games wereclose, they realised they had some work to do. Ellie Raynershould be mentioned here since she was Player of the Matchfor both. She demonstrated great movement around thecircle and accurate shooting skills. Thus the Captain led byexample from the outset of the season.For the next few months the results did not go their way atthe weekends but they did in the Independent Schools’ Cupcompetition, a new feature on the calendar last year. TheU13 A Squad have clocked up the miles for this competition,first playing RGS Newcastle where a few players had toplay out of position due to injury during the match. Theycame out the winners, through to the next round againstLoughborough. Mrs Taylor took them to this match, at whichby all accounts the U13s didn’t play their best, but neitherdid Loughborough. The U13s still came back to Bradfordwith another win. Next, the quarter finals and opponents– Birkhampstead – down south (even more miles!). TheU13s played really well and did themselves proud but theiropponents were a lot taller and slicker.The last two competitions to mention were the RegionalTournament and the Bradford Schools’ Tournament. TheRegional Tournament was held at Leeds Grammar on a wet,windy and cold day (that is, until the sun came out right atthe end of it). On finding out that the first game was againstLeeds Grammar, heads went down slightly (an example ofhow matches can be lost before they have started) but, withwords of encouragement from the Captain, Ellie, they went oncourt positively. Play commenced and the girls fought hardto the bitter end. The result didn’t go Bradford’s way but theyagain never gave up even though under pressure in most ofthe areas of the court. After the group stages the U13s gotthrough to the semi-finals, where they played Wakefield Girlsto whom they lost. They finally beat Sheffield High to finish inthird place. The next tournament was Bradford Schools’ whichsaw them dominating their group. In the semi-final they playedParkside, a match which was quite stressful to watch as itwas so close, but eventually they came through to win, andto meet Bradford Girls’ in the final, which they won with ease.Winning the Bradford Schools’ Tournament was a great end tothe season! Well done.Player of the seasonPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerIzzy WellingsBecky AshurstAbby SpencerU13 B SquadThe U13Bs have had a mixed season. They had two greatwins on the Saturday fixtures, one against Ashville by 15-11and the other against Stockport by 12-2. Freddie Renwick,who has played for the A Squad a few times this season,showed herself to be a versatile player who can play at bothends of the court. She just needs to have more confidence inher ability. She was a definite asset to both squads. JohannaKluge was Captain this season. She did a sterling job tokeep the squad motivated, especially when it came to theBradford Schools’ matches. They were playing A Teams fromschools around Bradford which occasionally disheartenedthem but they never gave up. They also played in theBradford Schools’ Tournament where they unfortunately didnot make the semi-finals but they played their hearts out anddid themselves proud.There are a few players in that squad who could, if theywanted to, play in the A Squad next season if they committhemselves and compete to get their position.Player of the seasonPlayers’ PlayerMost improved playerM e HarlingSarah VarleyJohanna KlugeSasha LawrenceU12 SqUadSI was very excited to come back after maternity leave withthe thought of coaching the U12s. I knew we had some realtalent from Clock House and had heard from Mrs Jones andMrs Harling that we had some new girls who were lookinggood too. It was difficult to separate the A Team and the BTeam as the girls were all of a similar ability. Some playerswho started in the B Team are now in the A Team and someplayers in the B Team are knocking on the door of the ATeam and I am sure they will make that jump next season.The U12 Netball squadU12 a squadThe U12 A Team have had a successful season. Over halfof the team also play hockey, which made it difficult at timesto field two teams, but the girls stepped up and we hadplenty more wins than losses. I have been very lucky thisyear to have lots of strength and depth within the squad –three accurate shooters, three circle defense and more thanenough centre court players. This showed at the BradfordSchools’ Tournament when every player came off court atsome point, and we still won!! The team turned in some greatperformances, particularly against Wakefield Girls, whomwe beat by one goal, and Bury Grammar, whom we beat20-7. We met a very strong GSAL team in December whowere outstanding and… well, we lost. We met them againin the U12 Regional Tournament at the beginning of March,8485

sportsportand they certainly are a team to be reckoned with. Again, welost, but by a much smaller margin, which shows how muchimprovement the girls made over the course of the season.We finished as runners-up in that tournament.The team ended the season on a high - not only winningthe Bradford Schools’ League but doing ‘The Double’ andwinning the Tournament too, beating Parkside in the semifinaland Ilkley Grammar in the final. I am sure the parentswho were watching will agree when I say they made it hardwork for themselves in the first half of the final but, after afew words at half time, they went out and showed sheerdetermination to emerge triumphant.Two U12 players have this year been selected for theBradford District U13 Squad, and deserve to be mentioned.Phoebe Ogden plays GD at school, but has been playing WAand C for the district. It is great that she has been gettingmore experience of playing different positions and she willalways step up to the mark and change positions for mewhen needed. Hannah Chaudry is one of the shooters atschool, and again has had some experience playing WA forthe district. Well done to both girls.Player of the SeasonPlayers PlayerMost improved PlayerHannah ChaudryZoe BriggsHannah MoursiU12 B SqUadThe B Team had some real success over the season, winningmost of their games in the Bradford League and comingthird in in their section at the tournament. They had somevery high scoring games. The one that springs to mind wasagainst Oldham Hulme, where they won by (wait for it…) 3-0!Over forty minutes! They also beat Cheadle Hulme by 16-8and had some very close games against RGS Newcastleand Stockport which they won by 6-4 and 5-4 respectively.In some other schools, our B Team players would havebeen playing in the A Team. This says a lot about the sizeof the squad and the commitment to training shown by thegirls. There have been many players who really stood outand made lots of progress, which was evident in the recenttournament. Some players have also played for the A Teamon a number of occasions, which allows them to take thatexperience back to the B team and encourage others tohave the same competitive edge.Player of the SeasonPlayers’ PlayerMost improved PlayerC A taylorKirandeep AthwalElisha BaranianJemima LeeSenior netBall toUr to SoUtH aFriCaThe fifth Senior Netball Tour took place this summer in the‘Rainbow Nation’, South Africa. A lot of hard work went intomaking this tour possible and special thanks must go toMark Briggs and the rest of the Netball Parents’ Associationfor their tireless work. Also, many thanks to the rest of theNetball staff, particularly Georgina Jones and JassmineManning who were a huge part of the tour.Saturday 14th July came round quickly, and we met at BGSready to embark on the trip of a lifetime. The girls lookedfantastic in the tour kit and they were all very excited. Thejourney was a long one but, since it was an overnight flight,those of us who can sleep on a plane were alright. Unlucky,Alex Smith!On arrival into Cape Town, we were met with terrible weather,so our original plan of going straight up Table Mountain wasput on the backburner as we headed straight for the hotel.The girls managed to get some rest before we went out fordinner and had an early night ready for the first game thefollowing day. The weather was still unpredictable, so a courtat Cape Town University was booked to make sure the fixturesagainst Rustenburg Girls’ School went ahead. After a visit tothe Two Oceans Aquarium and a bite to eat, we made ourway to the venue. It was a fantastic facility and the girls werereally looking forward to playing there. We had a 1st Team andtwo evenly-matched teams, so we rotated the teams eachplayed against. Beccy Dixon’s team took to the court first toplay against their Third Team. The girls went out with a realdesire to win and were up 5-0 after the first quarter. They wereplaying with real confidence and their defence all the waydown the court was exceptional. The second quarter provedmore difficult and we drew 3-3. However, they pulled it backagain over the second half of the game and there were someoutstanding performances, particularly by Chloe Ramsdenand Izzy Holmes who got Players of the Match (voted byopposition and umpire) and we won 18-10. It was a greatstart, and certainly put the other two teams under pressure!Elephants in the road!Lydia Holloway led her team to the court to playRustenburg’s Second Team, and they had a somewhat shakystart. They were still up 5-3 after the first quarter but we allfelt that they had not quite found their stride. After a peptalk from Lydia, the girls took to the court with a changedattitude and were up 14-4 at half time. This was more likeit! The girls won the match 30-12, with Players of the Matchgoing to Charlotte Coles and Freya Armstrong. The 1st VIIhad a lot to live up to now. I knew they were feeling slightlynervous because they were spending more time warmingup than they had for any other game all season! They hadnothing to worry about, however, as they looked the moredominant team right from the start. The Rustenburg Girlswere strong and much more physical than in the othergames, and the score reflected this, but BGS looked strong,determined and accurate. There was no way they wereThe Senior Netball Touristsgoing to lose after victories from our other two teams! Theyemerged victorious. The final score was 23-14, with Playersof the Match going to Sophie Boyd and Emma Spencer.This was a great start to the tour and I was very excited toTweet the results! We went to a lovely seafood restaurant tocelebrate our success before heading back to the hotel aswe had an early start the next morning.We were due to head for the Peninsula Tour on Tuesday17th, and the Cape Town weather was now much better,so our tour guide Peter, advised us to take the trip up TableMountain. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to walk up(the girls were gutted … honest!) so we took the cable car.It was certainly worth it. The views over Cape Town weresensational. The Peninsula Tour proved very popular, mainlydue to the incredibly cute penguins at Boulders Beach! Theboat trip from Hout Bay proved less popular, but the day onthe whole was very enjoyable and the weather was great.We had team meetings in the evening to go through thematch analysis and statistics (courtesy of Jass), which werevery helpful, before the second game against Wynburg onWednesday 18th.Wednesday came along and we had a slight disappointmentwith some confusion in the booking of the Robben Islandtrip. So we took a trip to Muizemburg Beach before headingoff to the fixture. Wynburg Girls proved tougher competition,slightly more physical and definitely more accurate. Lydia’steam played against their Third Team and Beccy’s teamplayed their seconds. Both of their teams were of a similarstandard, and gave our girls a really good game. We cameout on top in both. The light was disappearing, so our FirstTeam took to the court pretty quickly. They had done athorough warm up and so were raring for action. They wereup 12-4 by the end of the first half, and this was mainlydown to the outstanding performances in defence by AlexSmith and Danni Bennett. They went on to win comfortably,25-13, with Players of the Match going to Amy George andSophie Boyd. The girls were met by their hosts and off theywent. The other staff and I went for a lovely meal at TheMount Nelson Hotel and Emily was perfectly behaved – sheslept the whole time!The next morning, we met the girls and wished Lily Bell avery happy birthday! We headed off to Langa Township forthe tour, which proved an extremely poignant visit. It certainlymade the girls feel very lucky and they were quite humbledby what they saw. We had lunch at Sheila’s Restaurant andLily was serenaded by the phenomenal Township band.We then headed for Stellenbosch and fixture number three.The weather was glorious and the sun cream was flowing! Iknew from previous tours that Stellenbosch would be toughcompetition. Stellenbosch is an Afrikaans school, and theyare known for their more physical style of play. They are quick,accurate and strong and played very good netball. Beccy’steam took to the court first to play their Third Team. It wasclose all the way through – we were up by one, then they wereup by one. It went on like this throughout the game. Playersof the Match went to Poppy Briggs and Chloe Ramsden, whowere both outstanding. BGS won by 13-11, a great result.Lydia’s team stepped up next to play Stellenbosch’s SecondTeam. We went up 6-4 after the first quarter and the girlswere feeling good. We had a dip in the second quarter andwere losing 14-10 at half time. Again, we went goal-for-goalin the third and fourth quarters but couldn’t quite do enoughto win. We lost 18-24. It was the first loss of the tour, but toa very strong opposition and Lydia was proud of her teamfor putting in such a good performance. The 1st VII took tothe court knowing what to expect. The sheer physicality ofthe opposition was hard to compete with, but the girls gaveit everything they had. I think playing hard games in quicksuccession was beginning to take its toll on the girls and forfive minutes of the third quarter they looked really tired. Itwas hard to change their style of play to suit the needs of thisgame, but they did it well and were goal-for-goal throughoutthe rest of the game. They lost 17-20, but held their headshigh knowing they had played well and had done everythingthey could. The girls went off to be hosted again and the staffsaid farewell until the morning.8687

sportsportPoppy, Amrita, Vicky and Freya get close to a cheetahFriday came around and we headed back into CapeTown to visit Robben Island. Unfortunately, the weatherhad taken a turn for the worse again and it was a sign ofthings to come. The boat trip out to Robben Island washorrendous; ‘choppy’ is an understatement. Most of thegirls were ‘ill’ on the way there and Danni even consideredswimming back to avoid the journey!! The girls showedtheir worth that day, as one of their number really was illand needed hospital attention. The rest of the girls wereexceptional and did everything we asked. We were meantto be visiting the Cheetah Outreach Centre and EagleEncounter at Spier in Stellenbosch, but we sadly missedout. That evening, however, the girls went to Mojo’sRestaurant for an authentic African meal and thoroughlyenjoyed themselves. They had their faces painted anddanced the night away!The run-up to the Knysna gameWe left Stellenbosch the next day and made our waytowards Knysna for two nights. The accommodationwas lovely and we had our fourth fixture against KnysnaSecondary School. The whole town showed up to watch thegames, and although they weren’t as strong as Stellenbosch,they were really good. Moreover, the welcome we hadthere was by far the best of the tour. Lydia and Beccy’steams played at the same time and won 27-15 and 14-5respectively, with Giti Aishwarya and Charlotte Coles gettingPlayers of the Match for Lydia’s team and Poppy Briggsand Natalie Brown for Beccy’s team. The Firsts then playedafterwards and won 28-9, with Emma Spencer and DanniBennett getting Players of the Match. We then took a trip totheir local sports club where they had put on a wonderfulspread for us, and even had their Head Girl sing for us! Nopressure there, Lydia! It was wonderful, and we went to ouraccommodation feeling very happy. Samah Alizai celebratedher eighteenth birthday in Knysna with a lovely cake and afew glasses of Coca Cola …The next day we headed for the Ostrich Farm and had lotsof fun. On the way back, we decided to stop off and givethe girls a bit of a treat. This was in the form of the CangoWildlife Sanctuary. After the disappointment of missingthe Cheetah Sanctuary in Stellenbosch, the girls had thechance to have an up close and personal encounter with thecheetahs or with Bengal tiger cubs. This made the girls veryhappy and some said it was their best day of the tour (apartfrom all the netball, of course!)On Nahoon beach for a surfing lessonThe next few days were spent in East London at CambridgeHigh School, where the girls were hosted for two nights.Many of the girls said that Tuesday 24th was a real highlightas I sprang another surprise on them - a morning at NahoonBeach, surfing, sand-boarding, climbing and snorkelling. Theweather was lovely, and the girls headed for the penultimatematch feeling relaxed and ready to play. Most of the schoolcame out to watch the games and their support wasextremely vocal! They were singing on the side-line, whichinspired our girls to sing back. That was interesting! Beccy’steam took on their Thirds and won 16-11, Players of theMatch going to Samah Alizai and Chloe Ramsden. Lydia’steam played their Seconds and lost 22-24 but, again, hada hard match and played out of their skin. Players of theMatch for that game went to Charlotte Coles and HelenaCasson. Our Firsts took to the court last and had toughcompetition. Again, their First Team was much more physicaland played a different style of Netball, one that was hard tomatch. This, coupled with the support on the side-line, madeit very difficult. However, the girls were strong and emergedvictorious. The final score was 21-17 and Players of theMatch were Alex Smith and Danni Bennett.We moved onto Grehamstown and Victoria Girls’ HighSchool for our last fixture. We stayed in one of the boardinghouses for two nights and George and Jass, I think, had oneof the nicest rooms of the trip! They had so much spacethey did not know what to do with themselves! We had arelaxing morning on the day of the fixture, playing Roundersand sunbathing on their pitches. We then got ready for thefixture and had a very good ending to our Netball on tour.Three games, three wins. We cannot ask for more than that!Beccy’s team won 15-5; Players of the Match were NatalieBrown and Amrita Bhogal. Lydia’s team won 27-9; Players ofthe Match were Charlotte Coles and Lily Bell. Finally, the 1stVII won 42-9, the best score of the tour. Players of the Matchfor them were Liz Bailey and Freya Hall. We had a braii afterthe game and an early start the morning after as we headedfor Port Elizabeth Airport for our flight to Johannesburg. Wearrived in Pilanesburg and Kwa Maritame Game Reserve fortwo nights of pure luxury. The girls had a fabulous time andwe saw plenty of animals on the game drives. I think theelephants provided the experience that made everyone holdtheir breath! We had some time at Sun City, followed by abush braii to celebrate Helena’s sixteenth birthday. It was afantastic way to end the tour.Lydia Holloway against Victoria GirlsWe held the Presentation Night on the penultimate night ofthe tour and gave awards out to everyone. The main awardswere Players’ Player, Best Tourist and Player of the Tour.Everyone voted for the Players’ Player and Best Touristawards, and they were given out as follows:Players’ Player:Beccy’s teamLydia’s team1st VIIBest Tourist (as voted by the players)Best Tourist (as voted for by staff)Player of the Tour (as voted for by staff)Poppy BriggsCharlotte ColesEmma SpencerLydia HollowayDanielle BennettAlex SmithI’d like to take this opportunity to wish all those girls leavingBGS the very best of luck, whether they are going touniversity or to pastures new. You will all be missed. Youhave all been great ambassadors for BGS and for Netball,not only whilst on the tour, but throughout your time here.I hope you carry on playing, and that we have instilled apassion for our wonderful sport into your heart and soul.Alex Smith and Sophie Boyd have been fantastic Captains ofthe 1st VII this season as have Lydia Holloway and AnnabelHewitt for the 2nd VII. Alex, Sophie and Lydia carried on thatduty with pride in South Africa, with some help from BeccyDixon. I look forward to coaching the rest of you again nextseason and hope you come back with the fire in your belliesthat you showed out in South Africa!C A taylor, Director of netballRoundersThis season has been very hit-and-miss in terms of bothpractices and fixtures due to the inclement weather.Although we had several fixtures in place for both A and BSquads at U12 to U15, in reality some teams only ended upplaying one or two games.In wintery conditions at the start of the season we facedsome very strong GSAL teams at all age groups. Allgames were very closely matched with only a few roundersdifference in the final score lines. However, unfortunately onlythe U14 B were victorious. Continuing a promising start tothe season we took six teams across to play Ilkley GrammarSchool, resulting in six wins for the BGS Girls. This wasfollowed up by victories for the U14 and U15 Teams againstStonyhurst. From then on, the weather was against us andmany fixtures had to be cancelled.We did however continue to have a good turnout at trainingeven if we have only managed to train on the Governors’Lawn on a handful of occasions. Breaks in the weatherallowed us to have fixtures versus Crossley Heath andBradford Girls’. We have produced some excellent teamsat all ages including the U12s who have taken on board thetactical side of the game. The majority of girls are now ableto place the ball according to the setup of the opposition.The U14 Rounders SquadIn addition to the fixtures for this season both the U13 andU14 A Squads had last season’s finals to play (last seasonremained unfinished due to the weather) against Ilkley andSt Joseph’s respectively. Both games proved to be highquality with outstanding fielding skills and tactical awarenessdemonstrated by all the BGS girls despite it being so early inthe season. Both teams came out victorious with the U14’sbeating St Joseph’s by a full innings and 2 rounders. In acloser encounter the U13’s came out on top against Ilkleywith a score of 13 ½ - 9.We are sorry to produce such a brief report but this seasonreally has been a washout! Let us hope for some betterweather next season.H e Boughton and G K Jones8889

sportsportThe Runcorn head raceCompeting in the VechtraceRowingThe BGS Rowing Club entered the 2011/2012 school year onthe back of arguably its most successful season ever, hopingto gain more success with promising squads throughout theage groups. For the Senior Squad, formed from the Upperand Lower Sixth Forms, and backed up from time to time byFifth Former Sam Munro who made tremendous progress,the aim was to field a J18 VIII and build upon the experiencegained in the previous year. Further down the school it washoped that the Third Form, which boasts an impressivenumber of promising rowers, would be successful in theirfirst national competitions.During October, fourteen members of the club travelled toHolland for the annual training camp and race in the Vecht.The Dutch canals offer mile after mile of uninterrupted rowingBGS Rowers on the Vecht, Hollandin contrast to the short stretch of river upon which theschool’s boathouse is situated. Thus it offers an unrivalledchance for training and development. Each of the four yearsthat I have travelled to Holland the quality and quantity ofthe Dutch and German opposition has swelled, and this yearwas no exception. However there were, as always, a numberof successful BGS crews.We all had cause to be hugely grateful to our hosts atSaaland Rowing Club for the genuine warmth of theirhospitality. The Vecht race is a part of the rowing year whichI will greatly miss.The club left Holland on a high, and to boost spirits furtherthere was the Lord Mayor of London’s Show on the secondSaturday of November. The newly-elected Lord Mayor ofLondon, David Wooton, was a keen Rower whilst at BGSand he afforded a large number of Rowers and other pupilsfrom the school the honour of leading the entire parade.Alongside the pupils on the float, which included a boatand rowing machines, were Old Bradfordian sporting greatsRichard Nerurkar, 10,000m runner, and Boris Rankov, winnerof six consecutive Boat Races with Oxford. The pupils wereacutely aware of the great honour bestowed on them, theschool and the Boat Club, and it was a day which both theyand the Club will remember for a long time.Following the Dutch training, the eight had begun to mergeinto a solid and efficient unit and there were signs of realimprovement among the Fifth Form Squad. However, as theyear progressed, bad weather began to rear its ugly head asit too often does, leading to the cancellation of head racesand missed training. The consequent lack of time on thewater meant that, despite putting in spirited performances,crews from the Senior Squad found the Runcorn and YorkHead Races less fruitful than usual. On the other hand theseearly head races did demonstrate the strength of both the Aand B J14 Crews.In March, the 1st VIII, the J16 VIII, and the two J14 quadstravelled to London for the prestigious Schools and NationalJunior Sculling Head Races. Again for the Senior Rowersthe effects of a lack of training were clear, but determinedRowing ensured that the 1st VIII, missing an injured WillWeatherhead, and the J16 VIII held their own in the toughestschool-level competitions found anywhere in the world.However at the Sculling Head the J14 A Crew of MatthewKay, George Kay, Toby Nicholson and George Hudman,coxed by Adam Smith, and the B Crew of Robert Ashby,Matthew Harris, Matt Carey, Cameron Chippendale, andMatthew Boyle, produced mature and fast performances,with the B Crew winning medals as the fastest second crewof the day. There was also a taste of success at the EnglishIndoor Rowing Championships, a gruelling challenge onrowing machines, where Liam Day took bronze in the J18Category and Angus Mather broke the seven minute barrierto do the same in the J16 Category.The 2012 Regatta Season was like no other I have seenwhilst rowing for the school. Due to incessant rain nearlyall the season’s river-based regattas, including BradfordRegatta, were cancelled. At Nottingham City Regatta, LiamDay and Rowan Arthur came third in the J18 pairs andthey also raced at the National Schools’ Regatta along withboth J14 quads. The J14 A Crew performed very creditablyconsidering their lack of water time and reached the semifinalswhich will provide important experience for the yearsahead. For the youngest boys and girls the best racing ofthe year took place in the scratch races at the annual lunchby the river, which was contended by a record thirty pupilsin the First to Third Forms. At the end of the afternoon, nextyear’s Captain Will Weatherhead and Vice-Captain SamMunro were also announced.This year the Boat Club has enjoyed a much higher profile,largely thanks to the world record breaking efforts of theprevious year. Sadly, though, we have as yet not been ableto afford the much needed new boat which the boys workedso hard to raise money for last year. On a happier note, theclub has been glad to see the new Headmaster, Kevin Riley(himself a former rower), show great support for Rowing inthe school.Rowan Arthur, 6RDSSam Munro looks a bit weary after the English Indoor RowingChampionships9091

sportsportRugby1St xVThe 1st XV playing statistics were disappointing, althoughperhaps unsurprising when the strength of the fixture list,the low numbers in the Senior Squad and the long-terminjuries to several key players are taken into account. TheSouth African touring party of 2012 consisted of just twentysixplayers in stark contrast to the forty-six who travelled toSouth Africa in 2006. Schoolboy Rugby is extremely fast andphysical, meaning a large squad is needed to be competitivethroughout the season.The Upper Sixth had a successful team during their Junioryears at BGS. However, six of the squad are no longer atthe school, and several boys have stopped playing Rugby.This left just thirteen active Rugby players from the topyear, of whom Henry Walker, Jack Small and Calum Fostermanaged just four starts between them. In addition, JamesWadkin, Matt Beaumont, Sam Garnett, Matt Gunnee, PeterGouldesbrough and Jack Robinson all had lengthy spellsinjured on the touchlines.The team was at its strongest at the start of the season,and the early signs were encouraging. We played well formost of the first fixture at Harrogate, before a sloppy tenminutespell cost us two tries and the match by six points.BGS then beat Hymers by a single point in a thrilling matchthe following weekend and the side looked to be workingwell as a unit. A mid-week draw against Ermysted’s, anda win against St Paul’s from Manly, were followed by acomprehensive victory (67-0) against Bingley Grammar in thefirst round of the DMC. Our record on 5th October read asatisfactory Played 6; Won 3; Drawn 1 and Lost 2.The fixtures had taken their toll on the squad and the 1stXV Team at GSAL was missing ten first choice players. Wewere comprehensively beaten, and did not win again in theseason. However, despite endless changes to the team,we were competitive against Stonyhurst, Mount St Mary’s,QEGS, and Wirral GS, and with a bit of good fortune couldhave won all four games.James Wadkin captained the team from inside centreand he led the defensive line well and his strong runningregularly broke the gain line. Seb Tullie was our scrum-halfwhose ability to choose when to pass, kick or make a breakdictated team patterns of play. Sam Garnett was the regularfly-half whose natural ball-playing ability gave the backsroom to find spaces into which to run. Peter Gouldesbroughand Matt Green played in the centres together when anyinjury occurred, but when at full(ish) strength, one playedat outside centre and the other on the wing. Both are bigtacklers and strong runners with an ability to offload. JackCrabtree filled in at scrum-half on occasions, but was moreregularly found on the wing or at full-back which enabledhis open field running and where his kicking could be betterutilised. Sam Melville proved a reliable full-back who dealtwell with the high ball and came into the line well in attack.Will Bentley was often found on the wing where his tacklingstopped many tries. Michael Bates, Umair Shabir, DominicCox, and Jack Robinson all got a fair share on first teamgames and were happy to play anywhere in the backs.Michael Thornton was the cornerstone of the BGS packand played every game at prop. He works hard in the setpiece and was always in the middle of rucks and mauls.Tom Hobson had an excellent season as hooker, struckthe ball well in the scrum and was exceptional in defence.Harry Manock and Ed Brownlee from the Fifth Form werealso regularly found in the front row, and were extremelycommitted to the team. Ed Lund and Josh Green sharedthe second row berth. Neither missed a match, and theyprovided much hard work in the set piece and open play.Ed, Josh, Michael and Tom all had a great work ethic andenjoyed a really good season because of it. Matt Beaumont,when fit, was an inspirational pack leader who led throughexample. He is a strong ball carrying No. 8 and provided abasis from which the pack could function. Luke Kopelciwwas an aggressive blind-side flanker who regularly turnedover ball. Matt Gunnee played on the open side flank and,when not out of breath, enjoyed returning to the back rowand became a real nuisance to opposition No. 10s. RichardBaugh regularly featured in the team and was happy(ish) toplay at prop, but preferred to play in the second or back row.I hope all those leaving BGS continue to play rugby - andwe look forward to beating you in the Old Boys’ game inSeptember.C e Linfield1St xV reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 15 Won 3 DRAWn 1 LoSt 11PointS FoR 264 PointS AGAinSt 460Date opposition Venue Result ScoreSePteMBeR10th Harrogate Grammar School Away Lost 10 – 1617th Hymers College Away Won 12 – 1121st Ermysted’s Grammar School Home Drawn 12 - 1224th Crossley Heath School Home Lost 10 - 4626th St. Paul’s Manly Australia Home Won 24 - 21oCtoBeR5th Bingley Grammar School* Home Won 67 - 08th GSAL Away Lost 5 - 68noVeMBeR5th Stonyhurst College Home Lost 24 - 279th Woodhouse Grove School* Home Lost 0 - 4412th Wilmslow High School Home Lost 7 - 5219th Mount St. Mary’s College Home Lost 22 - 3126th QEGS Wakefield Home Lost 22 - 29DeCeMBeR3rd Wirral Grammar School Home Lost 24 - 2610th St. Peter’s School York Away Lost 22 - 40JAnuARy28th Nottingham High School Away Lost 3 - 37*U18 Daily Mail Cup Fixture Matches played 2011-12The 2012 U16 XVU16 xVHopes were high for the U16s this season with what startedas a large squad, containing numerous talented individuals.Unfortunately, the results were not as expected, with injuries,call-ups to the 1st XV and, at times, some very poor tacklingall contributing to some disappointing losses.First up was Hymers. On reflection, this should have been aneasy victory, but by giving opportunities to our opponents we letthem into the game. Despite a hat-trick from James Pinto, and aspirited last five minutes, we lost the first game of the year.Playing Lancaster away was always going to be tough andit proved so. We competed well at times but the homeside proved too strong in all positions. Our high pointswere a well-worked try in the corner finished by CharlieSnowden and a fabulous individual effort by George Gill,who zigzagged his way through would-be defenders to scorefrom over halfway.Another tough away trip to GSAL followed. Again theteam fought valiantly at times with Guy Foggitt deservedlyscoring the only try for BGS after some fantastic hard work.Unfortunately, GSAL were the better side overall as BGSfailed to take advantage of the opportunities they created.Cockcroft was superb at fullback and prevented their scorebeing even higher.The Floodlit Cup at Preston Grasshoppers was next, with achance to field a full-strength side. In a game that was closerthan it should have been, BGS came out on top followingtries by Ed Brownlee, Gill, Sam Melville and a match- winningchip and chase from Tom Cockcroft in the last few minutesto seal a 26-20 victory. Hamish Kay was Man of the Matchwith a fantastic defensive performance, tackling anything thatmoved. Unfortunately in the next round we met a strong StPeter’s side who put the boys firmly back in place.Crossley Heath at home should really have gained us anotherwin. However, a couple of absences late on led to a slightlyweakened side. BGS played some of their best attackingrugby of the year, but again defence let them down. A latelead produced by a brace from Pinto, and one each forboth Jack Coen and Melville was not enough to defeat anopposition who took advantage of mistakes by BGS.Flanker Jamie Moss was the Man of the Match for his effortsin the next game against Stonyhurst which again highlightedthe frailty of the BGS tackling. 17-0 down at halftime, we fellapart defensively and never looked in with a shout. Perhapsthe poorest display of the year, this was one to forget.Finally, against Wilmslow, BGS got the win their play sofar had, at times, deserved. We got on the board quickly,scoring two early converted tries by Snowden and KodieBrook but some of the best Rugby was to come later. Withsome fantastic work by the forwards, it gave the backsspace to score three further tries in the first half to Coen,Cockcroft and Brook again. Leading 33 to 0 at half time thisgame was won. Occasionally in the second half BGS allowedWilmslow back into the game but, despite this, BGS scoredfurther tries by Snowden and Navjyot Devesher. BGS weredeserving winners dominating both up front and out widewhere Kodie Brook orchestrated the game to perfection,earning Man of the Match honours.The final three games saw the Under 16s quickly broughtdown a peg or two. Losses to QEGS and St Peter’s in acrunch rematch highlighted the side’s defensive frailties yetagain. Two high points in the second game though werethe outstanding display from Joel MacFarlane in a Man ofthe Match performance and another great try for GeorgeGill. The final game of the season against Nottingham wasa perfect showcase for what was good and bad about theU16s this season. A much depleted side went down 68 -209293

sportsportbut there was some fantastic attacking rugby with tries forHarry Petyt, Cockcroft and two more for Gill playing on thewing. MacFarlane and Pinto both had strong games in thecentres but it was again poor tackling that let us down.We fared just as badly in the Sevens season, and absencesin what should have been a strong squad took their toll. Thetournament at Stonyhurst resulted in just one victory andit was with trepidation that we went on to Rosslyn Park.On a scorching hot day BGS failed to progress past theirgroup but did get better as the games went on. In fact wedominated the final game against Shrewsbury and withsimilar performances against Sedbergh and Llangatwg wecould have made the second round.Overall this was a very disappointing season with fewhighlights, but the side was not short of talent and manyplayers have come through to stake a claim for 1st XV rugbyin upcoming years.D A Pullenof RGS Lancaster was particularly memorable since webettered their physical approach at the breakdown. If we hadbeen more clinical in the scoring zone the result would havebeen even more comfortable. The victory over GSAL whereboth sides were missing players was a welcome turnaroundfrom the previous season’s defeat and gave the team realconfidence going into the Daily Mail match against CrossleyHeath, where our pack dominated. The defeat to LancashireChampions, Stonyhurst, was disappointing as we competedon all levels, apart from three lapses of concentration andtackle technique on their danger man who exploited them,marking the difference between the teams. BGS pulled theseason round, however, with two fantastic results againsttough opponents - a destructive forward performanceagainst QEGS Wakefield setting the backs up to score,and a comprehensive team performance in wet conditionsaway to Wirral GS. After a long break and no training dueto bad weather, we never got going against Manchester butreturned the following week to dismantle Nottingham High ina physically intimidating show of forward resolve.U16 xV reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 11 Won 2 DRAWn 0 LoSt 9PointS FoR 180 PointS AGAinSt 417Date opposition Venue Result ScoreSePteMBeR17th Hymers College Home Lost 26 - 33oCtoBeR1st Lancaster RGS Away Lost 10 - 408th GSAL Away Lost 5 - 3712th Rossal School* Away Won 26 - 20noVeMBeR2nd Crossley Heath School Home Lost 29 - 385th Stonyhurst College Home Lost 0 - 6412th Wilmslow High School Home Won 45 - 1223rd St. Peter’s School York* Away Lost 0 - 3926th QEGS Wakefield Home Lost 12 - 41DeCeMBeR10th St. Peter’s School York Away Lost 5 - 25JAnuARy28th Nottingham High School Away Lost 22 - 68*U16 UCLAN Floodlit Cup Fixture Matches played 2011-12U15 xVThis season was always going to be a challenge with manyof our opponents having their strongest year groups at U15,including the Daily Mail Champions, two teams who madethe Daily Mail last 16 qualifiers and the previous year’sLancashire finalists. The squad needed to develop the depthand physicality in its play to be able to compete well andavoid the comprehensive defeats of the previous season.There were a number of significant matches. The defeatOur style of play was never going to be conducive to theSevens game, but the team developed their defensivestructure to become a very hard team to play against. Thefinal tournament at Hymers College saw the team in thegroup of death, just failing to qualify against the eventualwinners Stonyhurst College, where our defence dominated toput us in the lead, before our struggles with the ball in attackcost us dearly and we lost by two scores.The forwards developed into a dominating unit and thecompetition for places was fierce. The front row rotatedthroughout the season with James Downey initiallyoccupying the hooker’s role and gaining selection forYorkshire U15s until injury curtailed his season. His allroundstrong play saw him play in the back row in a numberof matches. William Rice-Birchall developed into an ablehooker through the season, becoming a strong tacklerand ball carrier, although there is still work to do on his setpiece skills. Matthew Chivers worked hard on his set pieceskills as a prop and, when in position, his ball carrying wasdestructive. Shadmaan Kader claimed a starting role as propwith his excellent set piece, although his loose play needsmore direction. Tom Ashurst also moved between prop andsecond row, ably covering both and adding to the teamwith his loose play. Joe Hargreaves was another player whopropped through the season, while his ability to read thegame allowed him to move into the back row.The second row was an area of strength with Rowan Beckettreturning to full fitness and displaying his typical high-energyall round play. Conor Gundry enjoyed a solid season, doinga lot of the unseen work in hitting rucks and driving mauls.Unfortunately, we lost Simon Lovitt to injury early in theseason but it was pleasing to see him return later in the year.Late in the season saw Will Masterton train in the secondrow and he shows real promise in that role for next season.In the back row, James Johnson performed at an exceptionallevel all season, carrying strongly and defending with realaggression. It was pleasing to see him gain selection for theNorthern Counties England Development Camp this summer.Sam Crossley moved into the back row to add pace andis another strong carrier of the ball - the more he plays theThe 2012 U15 XVbetter he looks in that role. Meanwhile, Oliver Clegg movedfrom the wing onto the open side, proving to be difficult todislodge from the loose ball and winning the team numerousturnovers.The backs enjoyed the season feeding off the ball the packprovided, with Bertie Worthington proving to be a dynamicscrum half, who worked hard all year to improve his passto unleash the backs. Greg Cox captained the team andfilled the standoff role, using his kicking game to great effectand controlling the distribution of the ball. Sam Ogden wasa highly effective inside centre, who tackled strongly andcarried effectively. His performance against Stonyhurst,in particular, was outstanding. Alex Marriott-Mills playedoutside centre developing his confidence in contact, with hisrunning game being a real strength. Owain Downes occupiedthe full back role adding pace to the line in attack onnumerous occasions. Dominic Bailey proved to be an ablefinisher on the wing and he improved his defence throughthe year, while George Akester showed real pace at times tofinish the scores. Alex Robinson moved into the backs earlyin the season and showed potential, until injury finished hisseason for him; we look forward to his return. Ben Appleyardplayed at both scrum half and on the wing showing finerunning skills and becoming a key part of the Sevens squad.Other players to represent the A Team were Haseeb Basitwho, when directed, was a strong performer for the teamin his numerous matches. Nicholas Staton proved to beeffective in the second row particularly at set pieces. Finally,Daniel Leach showed what a fine footballer he is with hisplay against Crossley Heath.The squad worked hard in practice to develop their playin order to become competitive on a strong circuit. Theycertainly achieved this. The next step is to challenge theseteams and turn the results around in the coming season.U15 xV reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 14 Won 9 DRAWn 0 LoSt 5PointS FoR 432 PointS AGAinSt 308Date opposition Venue Result ScoreSePteMBeR10th Harrogate Grammar School Home Won 52 – 2413th Horsforth School* Home Won 54 – 017th Hymers College Home Won 31 - 2524th Crossley Heath School Away Won 51 - 2129th Crossley Heath School* Away Lost 32 - 52oCtoBeR1st Lancaster RGS Home Won 17 - 78th GSAL Home Lost 10 - 24noVeMBeR5th Stonyhurst College Away Lost 5 – 2612th Wilmslow High School Away Lost 24 - 2819th Mount St. Mary’s College Away Won 52 - 1726th QEGS Wakefield Home Won 29 - 15DeCeMBeR3rd Wirral Grammar School Away Won 26 - 15JAnuARy21st The Manchester GS Home Lost 7 - 3328th Nottingham High School Home Won 42 - 21*U15 Daily Mail Cup Fixture Matches played 2011-129495

sportsportMy thanks go to Mr Wilde and Mr Oakes for their additionalinput into the squad throughout the season and the extrawork with the scrum. Thanks also to the players whocontinued to train hard on Wednesdays with me and theB Squad with Mr McNab. It was a shame that the weatherdisrupted the A and B Team tour to Scotland.A J GalleyU14 xVThis has been the most successful, enjoyable and fulfillingU14 season since I coached the side captained by HainsworthEG in the 2006–7 season. Unsurprisingly this year’s squadshared similar qualities to those of their predecessors. Thesquad is blessed with talented individuals complemented byskilful, committed team mates. Throughout the season theyhave trained diligently, enthusiastically and in good number.On the field of play they have been led by an extremelycapable Captain, implemented effective game strategies andconsequently have produced the best U14 playing recordsince 2007. A playing record that meets the standard to whichthe BGS Rugby Club aspires to; a playing record of which theboys can be justifiably proud.There were many individual and collective highlights duringthe course of the season. Personally, the result againstStonyhurst College and the victory against QEGS Wakefield inthe final of the Hymers Sevens Competition gave me the mostsatisfaction. For many reasons, Stonyhurst College is one ofthe toughest places to play Rugby. Those who watched thegame will appreciate why I was so jubilant at the end of thegame having secured my first ever victory in Clitheroe. QEGSWakefield set the standard at this age group and in our regularfixture we lost to a better team. Despite creating chances,particularly in the middle part of the game, the boys werenot clinical enough and consequently lost the opportunity toreally test our opponents’ resolve. At the end of the game, ourgenuine disappointment was obvious. Four months later, thatdisappointment was harnessed and used to our advantage.With silverware up for grabs the boys comfortably defeatedQEGS to become the latest BGS side to win honours atHymers College, and the first U14 VII to do so since 2007.To secure their first victory against the Wakefield lads was anextremely fitting conclusion to the season and sets up whatshould be a mouth-watering encounter next year. However,despite the success, enjoyment and fulfilment, there is stillmuch work to be done if this squad of players are to givea good account of themselves in next season’s U15 DailyMail Cup. Complacency will need to be guarded against andexpectation is something that the boys will have to respondpositively towards. The biggest game of next season mightnot be against QEGS Wakefield. Lancaster RGS, StonyhurstCollege and Manchester Grammar School all have goodsquads and will prove tough opposition next year. And whoknows what may lurk in the Cup?The squad’s forwards were mobile, technically sound at thebreakdown and won their fair share of possession all year.They are not the biggest pack on the circuit, however, andconsequently they lack a little firepower, particularly at closequarters. Only 17 of our 81 tries were scored by a forward,a statistic that succinctly illustrates the need for somestrength and conditioning work before next season. CallumManchester, Matthew Bulmer and Alfie Blackhall were thesquad’s best forwards. All three worked tirelessly to securepossession, defended strongly and carried the ball well.Callum was the side’s top try scoring forward, with four. Itshould have been at least five but, unlike a good fisherman’sstory, we will not mention the one that got away! SabbihKhan, James Lord and Aqib Khan all made a significantimpact in their first season in the A XV Squad. All three willcontinue to improve as they move through the school. AdamWaring is a good footballer who will begin to excel when hefinally settles in a position. James Callender and John Lovittboth grew in confidence as the season progressed. Bothwill make bigger impacts as their fitness improves. HarrySherwood demonstrated that he has the ability to make asignificant contribution at this level. Sachin Ahir also provedto be a valuable squad member.A well-known Rugby saying states that while forwards wingames, the backs decide by how much. This was certainlyhow the majority of our games played out. In defence ofthe forwards’ poor try-scoring record they did win enoughpossession for the backline to utilise. But in scoring 64 of our81 tries (thanks, IE Walker) it was the backline who posedthe greatest threat to opposition sides. Harry Sagar was theteam’s leading try scorer with twenty-six and, as you wouldexpect of a modern day winger, Harry is quick, strong andU14 xV reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 14 Won 11 DRAWn 0 LoSt 3PointS FoR 494 PointS AGAinSt 134Date opposition Venue Result ScoreSePteMBeR10th Harrogate Grammar School Home Won 52 – 017th Hymers College Home Won 40 - 024th Crossley Heath School Away Won 46 - 1928th Ermysted’s GS Home Won 45 - 12oCtoBeR1st Lancaster RGS Home Lost 10 - 298th GSAL Home Won 40 - 0noVeMBeR5th Stonyhurst College Away Won 19 - 712th Wilmslow High School Away Won 58 - 019th Mount St. Mary’s College Away Won 43 - 526th QEGS Wakefield Home Lost 12 - 19DeCeMBeR3rd Wirral Grammar School Away Lost 7 - 197th Audenshaw High School Home Won 36 - 0JAnuARy21st The Manchester GS Home Won 24 - 1228th Nottingham High School Home Won 62 - 12Matches played 2011-12The 2012 U14 XVclinical. Captain James Pinder scored nineteen tries butcontributed so much more, both on and off the field. He wasa constant threat with ball in hand, he created and put otherplayers into space and he is one of the finest defenders Ihave seen at this age group. His leadership and organisationwere exemplary, his understanding of the game mature.James was the squad’s best player and will be integral to thesuccess of any side in which he plays. Isaac Greene scoredten tries from the centre. Isaac carried well and has a lovelystep allowing him to beat the first defender to cross the gainline. Ed Cooper secured the scrum half spot with his efficientservice but must work on his defensive frailties (as witnessedon video during a match analysis) to fulfil his potential. Scottvan Berckel deputised when necessary but, with increasedfitness, could find himself plying his trade elsewhere nextyear. Will Heard’s decision-making and distribution improvedduring the year and this afforded the luxury of playing Pinderas second five eighth. Will’s tackle on Ilkley RUFC’s finest1st XV prop (according to the Gazette!), during Games oneThursday, was a statement to next year’s U15 coach of hisdefensive ability. James Liu was magnificent all season.Lacking the physical attributes of many of his opponentshe was never beaten defensively. James tackled way abovehis weight and always kept the ball alive often passing backinside to one of our supporting players. George Cockcroftand David Cobb were extremely versatile and played ina variety of positions often at personal cost. Both madefine contributions in the Sevens, evidence of the progressthey both made during the year. Adam Aslam, althoughinexperienced, was quick and elusive. So elusive, in fact,that I lost him after Christmas only to discover that he hadunfortunately turned up at Salt’s GS. George Kear has thepotential to become a valuable squad member but lackedthe confidence to make the contribution of which I thoughthim capable.At the end of such a great season my thanks to Mr I EWalker, without exception the best B XV coach I have hadthe pleasure to work with. I am confident that if a greaternumber of boys had committed themselves fully to the B XVprogramme we would have won more games than we did. ToMr Scott Higgins and his staff for the provision of the excellentplaying facilities we enjoy at BGS, to the dedicated band ofparents who support both the team and the Rugby Club soloyally and of course to all the boys who work so hard andgive up so much time in representing this great school.M A WildeU13 xVThe team this year encountered a mixture of outcomes,winning some and losing some, while in our very first matchagainst Harrogate Grammar we drew, 28-28! We knew thatwe could have beaten this team, so we look forward to ournext battle. After this draw Mr Taylor worked on developingnew skills, set plays and tricks that would help us gain betterposition on the field and hopefully create tries during difficultmatches. The next match, against Hymers College, showedhow these skills helped us, since we beat them decisively,47-15. Another big win was that against Ermysted’s, 43-0.Our greatest defeat was against QEGS since a fourteenman side turned out due to illness. We are looking forward,however, to our next match against them.The team’s enthusiasm kept us going through the seasonand the players’ commitment was outstanding. Nextcame the tournaments! We came second in both of them,while QEGS came out on top. One highlight was beatingCrossley Heath in the Sevens, having lost to them inthe fifteen-man game. The team was delighted with thisachievement. The next tournament was at Rosslyn Park.9697

sportsportThe 2012 U13 XVThe 2012 U12 A XVWe got through the group stages but sadly got knockedout in the first round by the eventual winners of thetournament; but this was a close match, which we lostU13 xV reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 13 Won 4 DRAWn 1 LoSt 8PointS FoR 229 PointS AGAinSt 337Date opposition Venue Result ScoreSePteMBeR10th Harrogate Grammar School Home Drawn 12 - 1217th Hymers College Home Won 49 - 1524th Crossley Heath School Away Lost 7 - 3828th Ermysted’s Grammar School Home Won 43 - 0oCtoBeR1st Lancaster RGS Home Lost 5 - 358th GSAL Away Lost 10 – 15noVeMBeR9th St. Olave’s School York Home Lost 7 - 2412th Wilmslow High School Away Lost 12 - 6219th Mount St. Mary’s College Away Won 41 - 026th QEGS Wakefield Away Lost 7 - 49DeCeMBeR3rd Wirral Grammar School Away Lost 0 - 327th Audenshaw High School Home Lost 14 - 36JAnuARy28th Nottingham High School Home Won 22 - 19Matches played 2011-12to this team by only 10 points, whereas the tournamentrunners-up lost by 28!On behalf of the whole team we would like to thank MrTaylor for all he has done for us this year. Thanks also toeveryone who helped the team, Mr Oakes, Mr Linfield andthe B-Team coach Mr Kellett. Finally, a huge thank you to allthe parents for all their support for the team. We shall lookforward to many more years like this.Max orviss, 2SMCU12 xVThis year’s U12 side was an interesting mix of Clock Housepupils and new boys and what was pleasing was that theyknitted together very quickly and complemented eachother’s strengths. We had a good turn out to training fromthe start and numbers in the squad were strong throughoutthe season which is always a healthy sign of a strong yeargroup. Nearly twenty-eight boys represented the B Teamin their fixtures and there was keen competition for placesthroughout the year, with several pushing hard to gain ATeam places next season.The season got off to a pleasing start with a win overHarrogate GS, and although they seemed more organiseddue to many of their side playing for the local club, wewere too strong and managed six tries to their three. It alsoconfirmed in my mind where certain players’ strengths lay.Unfortunately, at this stage we lost Oliver Croudson whobroke his arm in a training session just as he was beginningto show that he was going to be a key asset. HymersCollege were our next opponents and again we prevailedagainst a very strong team, and there were pleasing signs ofour organisational work. After a weekend off due to the FirstForm camp in North Wales, we were back in action againstErmysted’s GS and another good win. Several players werereally beginning to show what they could do and weregrowing in confidence each week. Particularly pleasing wasthe performance of Rory Macnab as Captain. He led theside well on the pitch and encouraged the side off the field,while ensuring they bonded too.Next up were Lancaster RGS, one of our hardest fixtures,but a good week’s preparation and a fine performance onthe day meant we ran out comfortable winners. Our nextopponents were local rivals GSAL. This was our first defeatof the season. Having conceded 19 points in the first half,we made a much better fist of things in the second half,scoring 15 unanswered points before conceding a final tryto give GSAL a comfortable-looking final score line whichdidn’t reflect the competitiveness of the game. It did makeus appreciate the need to be ready to go from the start. Thehalf-term was completed at the Barnard Castle ten-a-sidetournament the following day. Having won the group quitecomfortably, we found ourselves in the Trophy Competition.We gave good accounts of ourselves in all matches, butcould only manage third place in the group.After a few weeks off we looked a little rusty against CrossleyHeath in a 5-12 defeat, but some of the changes we weremaking were beginning to show promise. A great match withSt Olave’s resulted in a 21-28 defeat, but we matched themall the way. Two comfortable wins followed, with the sidegetting into their stride and playing to a pleasing pattern.Better ball retention and use of balls we won meant that wewere more confident in building scoring opportunities andtighter in defence. Our biggest defeat of the season camenext but, unusually, it was one of our best performances. Weplayed against QEGS Wakefield, a physically big and skilfulside. After an early score, we realised we were going to bedoing a lot of defending and we stood up to the task well,only conceding tries when they finished off overlaps, withwhich I was particularly pleased. Despite the weather takinga turn for the worse, we were able to get two more matchesin before the end of term, recording two more wins. We alsosaw the talents of Khizar Shehzad, who up to this point hadfound the commitment to training and fixtures a struggle,despite having undoubted talent. Looking back, the term hadbeen very pleasing with the side having made great progressin organisation and fitness.The second term was unfortunately somewhat curtailed bythe severe weather, with long spells when the temperaturefailed to get above freezing. Our only fifteen-a-side matchwas against Nottingham HS and we looked a pale imitationof the side that had last played in December.We now moved onto the abbreviated version of the gamewith Tens and Sevens competitions, although some of thesefell foul to the weather as well. In our own Tens tournamentwe were unbeaten until we met QEGS in the final match,despite fierce defence. In our own Sevens tournament wereached the semi-finals, but lost narrowly to St Olave’s,who then went on to inflict upon QEGS Wakefield theironly defeat of the season in the final. A disappointingperformance in the first match at Hymers College meant weonly ended up group runners up, thus failing to make thefinal. What was particularly pleasing was that some of ourvictories were over sides that had beaten us earlier in theseason. At the Manchester GS Tens we were losing finaliststo Kirkham GS, but we may get a chance of revenge whenwe meet in our fixture with them next year.The forwards became a strong unit, producing more than theirfair share of ball. They became much more mobile duringthe season and more confident handlers. The front row ofBarney Vaughan, Chichi Muchimba and Ibrahim Abdullah9899

sportsportThe 2012 U12 B XVwas an imposing sight for all our opponents. In the boilerhouse, Robbie Williams proved that he could do the shovingand still run strongly in open play. The other second rowplace was filled by a number of players, Zander MacFarlane,Jack Sherwood, Lewis Ebert-Moran, Alex McCash and TobyHainsworth-Brear. All played well and some showed promisein other positions too. Brandon St Catherine and several ofthe above-mentioned players filled the flankers’ spots, withWill Elmore securing the number eight berth, becoming areal threat when picking up from the base. I am sure that thispack will see changes as the seasons go by with playerschallenging the present incumbents, but if they progress theywill become an even more efficient possession-producing unit.Behind the scrum, Rory Macnab made the scrum half placehis own, as well as leading the side very well from there.Daniel Brennan played most of the season at fly half, butcame under pressure in the abbreviated games. KhizarShehzad and Olly Croudson filled the centre berths, creatingopenings for each other as well as being a solid defensivepairing. The back three was almost unchanged throughoutthe season with Tom Liu, and Rouhie Inayat-Sahota showinggood pace and strong tackling on the wings, and CharlieAndrews at fullback.There are other players who are waiting in the wings tochallenge for places and this can only strengthen the side.I urge all the players to keep working on their skills andfitness, since you can expect stronger opposition each yearas opponents work harder at trying to defeat you. A goodfirst season does not mean you will be a good 1st XV but, ifyou work, it could be a possibility.U12 xV reSUltS 2012PLAyeD 13 Won 8 DRAWn 0 LoSt 5PointS FoR 342 PointS AGAinSt 217Date opposition Venue Result ScoreSePteMBeR10th Harrogate Grammar School Away Won 32 - 1717th Hymers College Home Won 22 - 1028th Ermysted’s Grammar School Home Won 43 - 10oCtoBeR1st Lancaster RGS Home Won 40 - 128th GSAL Away Lost 15 - 24noVeMBeR2nd Crossley Heath School Home Lost 5 – 129th St. Olave’s School York Home Lost 21 – 2812th Wilmslow High School Home Won 52 – 019th Mount St. Mary’s College Away Won 40 – 1026th QEGS Wakefield Away Lost 0 – 58DeCeMBeR8th Wirral Grammar School Home Won 14 – 77th Audenshaw High School Home Won 46 - 0JAnuARy28th Nottingham High School Away Lost 12 - 29Matches played 2011-12Colours awarded to: I. Abdullah, C. Andrews, D. Brennan,O. Croudson, L. Ebert-Moran, W. Elmore, R. Inayata-Sahota,T. Liu, A. MacFarlane, R. Macnab, A. McCash, C. Muchimba,K. Shehzad, J. Sherwood, B. St Catherine, B. Vaughan andR. Williams.C W LinesSenior rUGBy toUr to SoUtH aFriCaOn the day we met up for our tour to South Africa, I wasunsure what to expect from the following seventeen days ofRugby and travel. For me, it would mean a return to SouthAfrica twenty-two years after my first visit and it would alsobe my first experience of an overseas sports tour, albeit asa supervising adult. The preparation for the tour had goneincredibly smoothly, with Mr Linfield and the Rugby Parents’Association working hard to ensure the boys arrived at thestart line well-funded and equipped for the tour. The onlylast minute hitches were injury-related: Toby Mountain hurthimself in pre-tour training, requiring stitches, and CaptainJames Wadkin suffered a concussion on holiday that meanthe would miss the first two games.Our first destination was Stellenbosch, in the Western CapeProvince, situated about fifty kilometres east of Cape Town.It is the second oldest European settlement in the province,after Cape Town, and its first language is Afrikaans. Wearrived with no major incidents en route - apart from theseizure of Mr Kellett’s entire wash kit at Heathrow - andsettled into the town and our apartments. Stellenboschprovided very welcoming, if somewhat quiet, surroundingsin which to begin the tour, particularly as the universitystudents were all on holiday. Stellenbosch has its ownmunicipality (incorporating the neighbouring towns of Pnieland Franschhoek), and our first fixture was to be against thePniel Villagers club side, in perhaps the most spectacularsetting for any rugby match played by BGS, with a 360degree back-drop of mountains.Pniel Villagers 31 – BGS 34 (tries – Small, Baxter 2,Gunnee, thornton 2)A first win to start the tour, but it was a far closer affair thanwe would have liked. The side was mixed up to ensure alltwenty-four fit players got a run-out, but in the end it wasonly a last minute try from Michael Thornton that got usover the line. The game was played in the most fantasticspirit, with some excellent running from the Pniel backsand forwards alike. In the end it was our ability to retainthe ball in the forwards that won us the game. All six ofour tries were scored by the pack. The club made us feelexceptionally welcome after the match, and it is evidentthat, despite their modest funding and facilities, their rugby,is developing well, and they very much suggested that nexttime we visit they intend to win. It was humbling to observethem warming up before the match with the BGS ball we hadleft them on our last tour visit two years before.After the opening match we travelled back to Cape Townand settled into our hotel. Though we stayed in the city wedid not see a great deal of the ‘real’ city, which was alsotrue of Durban and Johannesburg later in the tour. But sincesecurity still remains a concern in South Africa, this wascertainly the best option. So our leisure time within the citywas mainly spent at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which isone of the city’s most popular shopping venues, with severalhundred shops. Part of the charm of the V&A, as it is locallyknown, is that the Port continues to operate and visitors canwatch ships enter and leave. It was here that I spotted HMSDauntless, one of the British Navy’s new Type 45 Destroyers.A few drinks later, and after chatting with some of the sailors,we were able to arrange a visit on board for some of theThe 2012 Rugby Tourists100101

sportsportIan the Twitter and reporter mascot - may his shirts foreverstay on their hangers.’Sebastian tullie (oB) – scrum-half – studying Medicine atCambridge universitySo we departed Cape Town and flew on to Durban, whichprovided us with a few days of sunshine, as it had actuallybeen quite cold and overcast at the Cape. The boys, and theLinfields, certainly made the most of the sun. We stayed at ahotel with an outdoor pool, visited the beach in Durban andenjoyed a day at the Wet and Wild water park. The build-upand change of scenery certainly allowed the boys to forgettheir drubbing at Rondebosch, but did nothing for our matchpreparation and focus.Westville Boys High School 64 – BGS 0The less said about this match the better! We were not upfor it at all and played well below our ability. Westville weregood, but we did not perform.At the Cape of Good HopeBGS boys. It was very much a chance opportunity, but onethat was most enjoyable for those that were interested.Later, most of us climbed Table Mountain, although the viewswere limited by the weather. Some returned for a betterview using the Table Mountain Cableway two days later. Wealso travelled to Simon’s Town, Cape of Good Hope andCape Point, including driving along Chapman’s Peak Drive,a narrow road that links Noordhoek with Hout Bay, wherewe took a ferry out to Seal Island to observe a seal colony.Finally we spent an afternoon at Newlands Stadium watchingthe Stormers win in the Super 15s. Alongside all this tourismwe also played two games in the Cape Town region.Lagunya 5 – BGS 25 (tries – Small, Hobson, Garnett,Beaumont, Bates)We were by far the better team in our second fixture andwin of the tour, but Lagunya was always about far morethan Rugby. The visit to the Rugby club and primary schoolThe Sevens squad with Mr Oakesin one of Cape Town’s townships was a cultural eye-openerfor the boys.Rondebosch Boys High School 52 – BGS 5 (try – Wadkin)This fixture was a completely different lesson for our boys, asthey came up against a far fitter, more physical and much betterprepared opposition. The boys actually played out of their skinsand were only three scores down at half-time, but in the secondhalf the fatigue showed. This, though, is what I would haveexpected from a South African State School that has producedtwenty-one Springboks, in addition to national players forother nations. In fact, ironically, it is also Jonathan Trott’s oldschool, and he was expected to bat at three for England thenext morning in the Oval Test Match against the nation of hisorigin. It was also here that the boys were first hosted by theopposition. To my mind, it was actually the six days of hostingduring the tour that provided the boys with the best culturalinsight into South Africa, so it seems an appropriate point toread the reflections of one of the BGS boys:‘We always knew the Rugby would be tough, but had no ideahow tough! South African schools are on a different level.So three out of five wins is a good record for any touringteam in South Africa; but this tour was far more than theRugby results. The South Africa Tour was the most excitingand diverse experience I think I’ve ever had - from playingin the shadow of the Drakensburg Mountains to watchinga township side sing Shosoloza - and in doing so puttingour singing to shame! The honest nature of the developingculture does not appear to attempt to cover its past orpresent faults, and this made it all the more easy to warmto; that and the cheap beer! Perhaps the nights out with ourwelcoming hosts are best left unmentioned... but from CapeTown to Durban and onto Jo’burg I would go back. I think ifyou don’t want to return then you haven’t toured it right! Socheers to Linners and his family, Oaksy, miserable Kell, andAfter the match we moved onto Cape Town and into theGarden Court in Sandton City. Again we spent much of theleisure time in the sanitised environment of the shoppingcentre, but it certainly allowed the boys and I to add toour growing collections of South African Rugby shirts, forourselves and our families. A day at the Gold Reef Citytheme park saw Mr Kellett and I brave all the rides with theboys, before a guided tour down the former mine shafts.Parktown Boys High School 15 – BGS 21 (tries – Small,thornton, tullie)So to our last match and thankfully a win, and in the mostfitting manner, given it would be the last game thirteen of theboys would ever play for BGS. We were trailing 15-7, whenMichael Thornton’s try and Sebastian Tullie’s conversionput us back to within a point. Then, in the dying moments,Sebastian scored a match-winning try, the moment thewhistle went there was a wave of emotion and quite a fewtears. I had learnt a lot from the likes of James Wadkin andMr Linfield on this tour; for both of them the tour was seenas the end of an era, a biannual reward and celebration ofthe commitment some of the boys give to school’s Rugbyover their career and never was this clearer than at the endof the final match. Best for James to put it in his own words:Sebastian Tullie’s last ever kick for BGSMr Kellett, Mr Oakes and HMS Dauntless‘I think the highlights of the tour were playing Rugby matchesin some incredible settings and experiencing all the differentareas and cultures of South Africa whilst touring around thecountry. All of this was done whilst being around a team inwhich most of us have played together for the last decade. Itwas an unforgettable end to a fantastic career representingBGS Rugby and to end on a win made it all the better.Good luck to Linners with next year’s 1st XV!’James Wadkin (oB) – Captain and centre – studyingMedicine at universityThe last few days were spent enjoying the relaxedatmosphere of the Kwa Maritane Resort in the PillanesburgGame Reserve and reflecting on the tour. South Africa hadbeen eye-opening for the boys, and we had only scratchedthe surface. I was particularly pleased to see the emergingintegration within society, evident both in the schoolsand amongst the younger generations out socialising onevenings. It is evident, however, that many social, economicand political challenges remain ahead. The Rugby played bythe South African schools is impressive and improving, andit is to their credit that our talented boys were competitivemost of the time. This was a very successful reward tourfor those boys who have played Rugby for BGS throughtheir whole school careers. I would suggest, though, that ifthe aim is to develop a more competitive BGS 1st XV, thenthe BGS boys need demanding tours earlier in their schoolcareer, providing more of them with the opportunity to bringback the Rugby lessons they learn to their senior careerswithin school.toUr awardS:Best BackSebastian TullieBest ForwardJack Small2012/13 1st xV Captain Matt Greenie Walker102103

sportsportthroughout the year. Their full report appears later in thissection.a growing group of talented pupils who also attend clubsoutside school.Finally, I would like to report on the outstandingachievements of two individual BGS Swimmers in particular,Sian Morgan and Freddy Hoban, who are working incrediblyhard and deserve to be recognised for their achievementsoutside school. Remember their names, because you will beseeing lots of them at future championships.Sian MorGanSian’s final year at the school has seen her continue toshine, training hard and competing at the very highestlevel. In September 2011, she represented Wales in theYouth Commonwealth Games in the Isle of Man, returningwith one Silver and two Bronze medals. Sian was amongthe first to swim in the new Olympic Pool in Londonwhen she competed in three events at the Olympic trialsin March 2012. She represented Wales again in April atthe Celtic Tri Nations Championships in Dublin, winningBronze medals in the 200m and 800m Freestyle, andSilver in the 400m Freestyle. Over the summer, she will betaking part in the British Youth National Championships inSheffield and representing Great Britain in the USA NationalChampionships in Indianapolis. We congratulate Sian on herachievements to date, and wish her the best of luck in allthat awaits her in the future.Freddy HoBanFreddy is involved with the England Talent Programme,which sees him training hard and competing all over thecountry. This year, Freddy was the youngest male to qualifyfor the Olympic trials in March 2012. In July, he qualified torepresent England at a WISE event (Wales, Ireland, Scotland,England) in November by winning the 200m Butterfly atthe ESSA Championships in Liverpool. Like Sian, he willcompete in the National Championships over the summer.This dedication is all the more impressive when oneconsiders that Freddy has achieved all of this in his GCSEyear, surely the busiest academic year of his life to date. Welldone, Freddy.The West Yorkshire Schools’ Competition was held atKeighley Table Tennis Centre this year. The Girls’ U11 Teamhad no opposition, but the U13 competition was strongwith Bradford Girls’, Horsforth and Ilkley Grammar providingour opposition. Pascale Fisher managed to defeat all heropponents apart from Kate Nixon from Ilkley (EnglandNumber Three), and she was ably supported by HibahMahmood who won four out of six, including defeatingBradford Girls’ Number One Sophie Yeung. Hannah Chaudryalso managed five wins out of six and Ava Hepworth-Woodwon three out of six. BGS defeated both Ilkley and Horsforthby 6-2, and Bradford Girls’ 5-3.In the Boys’ U13 Competition BGS competed against GSAL,Horsforth, Beckfoot and Ilkley. Fraser Riley won six out ofeight as our Number One, as did Miles Loney as NumberTwo. Pavandeep Sandhar won seven out of eight, and AsimRehman all eight of his games to see BGS defeat Beckfootand Ilkley by 8-0, Horsforth by 6-2 and GSAL by 5-3.In the Boys’ U11 final, BGS defeated Lady Lane 8-0 withJosh Poulsen, Tom Young, Tom Austin and Sam Young allwinning two matches.The Boys’ U16 Team failed to qualify from their group afterlosing to GSAL and Allerton Grange, but defeating Ilkley. TheU19s drew 4-4 with Parkside, but lost 14-12 in games.Sian Morgan and Freddy Hoban were both selected for the Olympic trialsSwimmingThe Swimming Team continues to have mixed successat Swim meets. Once again the Senior Team, ably led byCaptains Jen Bonson and David Brown, helped to make someof the results more respectable. My thanks to the Captainsfor always encouraging the younger members of the teamwho sometimes became despondent because they were notwinning. We do not win all our events but I feel we have thebest team spirit of all the schools we compete against.We were represented at the John Parry Relays for NorthernHMC Schools and also at the National Bath Cup and OtterMedley Relays at Crystal Palace. The timing of these eventswas not ideal as they came at a very busy period in theacademic calendar and we were not always able to swim ourbest teams. Rest assured that those who did swim did sowith great spirit.Once again the First Form pupils had two fixtures againstWoodhouse Grove and Silcoates School and were unlucky tobe edged out of first place by the smallest of margins. Theirenthusiasm and team spirit were excellent and the future ofSwimming at BGS looks bright.This year twenty-four pupils have successfully completed theprestigious National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, with someof them going on to work part-time as lifeguards. In addition,fourteen pupils attained the Bronze Medallion award, gaininga good insight into water safety, rescue, personal survivaland CPR. The course regularly proves popular with pupilsworking towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award.In Water Polo, my thanks go to Fifth Formers GeorgeGoddard and Nick Winn. Between them they have coacheda group of First Form boys each Monday lunch-time thisyear. From fumbling beginnings, they have produced a teamof very able players who will hopefully go from strength tostrength. Thanks also to Matthew Birkenhead who has beena very able assistant at the Tuesday evening sessions runB townsendTable TennisBGS Table Tennis Club had another successful season withthe younger teams, U13 Boys and Girls and U11 Boys andGirls, all winning the West Yorkshire Schools’ Championshipsand both girls’ teams reaching the Regional Finals (the lastsixteen of the National Competition).After an Autumn Term sharing the Sports Hall with Badminton,Table Tennis moved back to the upper room, which is a placewhere pupils can develop their Table Tennis skills in secretwithout anyone in school ever finding out, until Lower SchoolSports Day, when everyone is astounded by their ability.A large number of Junior School boys and girls have reallyimproved this year along with a few First, Second andThird Form pupils, but the attendance and interest amongstolder pupils has been disappointing. Nevertheless, there isAll four teams represented West Yorkshire in the Zone Finalsagainst county winners from Derbyshire, Staffordshire,Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. In a much toughercompetition only the Girls’ teams managed to qualify forthe Regional Finals, with the U13s winning all their matchesand qualifying as Zone winners, and the U11s winning one,drawing one and losing one. Ava Hepworth-Wood, MelodySeifzedah, Megan Bulmer and Sophie Holden all improved intheir first team competition.In Blackburn, at the Regional Final, the U11 Girls competedwell against teams from Morecambe, Kettering and Stocktonand finished in fourth place. At the regional final in Grantham,the U13 Girls had a very close competition drawing 4-4 withSt Mary’s, Hull, and Deyes High School, Merseyside, butlost 5-3 to Kesteven and Grantham School to finish secondon game count. These represent excellent achievements forboth teams, placing them in the top sixteen nationally.In the West Yorkshire Schools Individual Championships,Ava and Melody lost in the semi-finals of the Girls’ U11competition, Hibah lost in the semi-finals of the Girls’ U13and Fraser, Miles, Thomas Young and Josh Poulsen qualifiedfor the quarter finals of the Boys’ U13 and U11 competitions.Hibah, Fraser and Josh all qualified through the regionaltrials at U12 Girls, U13 Boys and U11 Boys respectively.Fraser won the U13 school competition, Josh the JuniorSchool Boys’ competition and Melody the Junior SchoolGirls’ competition.Congratulations to all involved in Table Tennis this year.A Crabtree104105

sportsportTennisBoySBGS Tennis - 59; British weather - 2! It is a credit to all BGSplayers that the extremely wet summer failed to disrupt theseason. Boys turned up in all weather and frequently rejectedthe opportunity to come off court to avoid a soaking. Allhome fixtures and practices took place, with only thematches at Wilmslow School being cancelled.Our club won forty four, drew three and lost twelve matchesin block fixtures, excluding competitions. These statisticsare good and show what strength in depth BGS has on thecourt. It is difficult to analyse different age group resultsas the Juniors tended to play in order of ability rather thanby date of birth. This helps to ensure that fixtures are ascompetitive as possible.The 1st VI were unbeaten in domestic fixtures, withparticularly pleasing and hard fought 5-4 victories against StPeter’s and Ampleforth. Our team won the BGS Tournament,coming out on top against Woodhouse Grove, ManchesterGS, Yarm School, Ampleforth College and GSAL. PeterClegg and Adam Hamilton won the U19 North of EnglandPlate at Bolton, whilst Alex Marriott-Mills and Dominic Coxlost in the U16 final. At Eton College, in the ISTA SchoolsCompetition, the U18 Team lost to a strong Newcastle RGSTeam in the last sixteen round.The U15 Teams, as a group, won all their fixtures, with theexception of draws against Loughborough, Manchester GSand Ampleforth. We had particularly pleasing wins againstGSAL, Woodhouse Grove, Newcastle, St Peter’s, Wilmslowand Hymers. In the BGS tournaments, we were runnersup in the U15 and U13 events and came third in the U14and U12 age groups. The U15 and U13 Teams won theWest Yorkshire groups of the Aegon Tennis Championshipsand will both play in the knock-out stages next year. AlexMarriott-Mills and Greg Cox reached the last sixteen inthe Thomas Bowl at Eton College, while Simon Lovitt andCharles Farrar got to the quarter-finals of the Clark Cup. Inthe U13 event, Kristan Dobson and Ed Phillips lost in thefinal of the plate; Jason Bellanfante and Samuel Linfieldplayed well, but could not progress from an extremelystrong group.The BGS ‘Road to Wimbledon’ qualifying tournament waswell supported and the school had the biggest draw inYorkshire with sixty-eight players! James Liu was a worthywinner who beat Kristan Dobson in the final having alreadydispatched Jason Bellanfante in the semi-finals. James wenton to win one of his two matches in the regional competitionat the John Charles Stadium. Well done to all the playerswho entered.2012 was a really enjoyable season and the highlightsincluded the annual Junior Tours, competing at Eton in theISTA Championships and seeing so many boys on the court.Keep practicing, boys; 2013 will be equally busy!Colours for tennis:Full colours - Greg Burke, Peter Clegg, Dominic Cox, BenCunnington, Jamie Davidson, Josh Green, Adam Hamilton.Half colours - Omar Bahadur, Harry Brayshaw, James Pinto,Harjan Sandhar, Charlie Snowden.Junior colours – Rowan Beckett, Jason Bellanfante, JoshBhagaloo, Alfie Blackhall, Matt Bulmer, George Cockcroft,Greg Cox, Harry Crabtree, Tom Currie, Alex Marriott-Mills,Owain Downes, Kristan Dobson, Oliver Dunn, Erin Erturan,Charles Farrar, Isaac Greene, Simon Hardy, Joe Holden, NickKeating, Sam Linfield, James Liu, Tom Liu, Ben Longfield,Simon Lovitt, William Marshall, Rishi Naru, Max Orviss, EdPhillips, Harry Robertshaw, Pavandeep Sandhar, KhizarShehzad, George Sugden, Ed Truby, James Walsh, JamesWardale, Adam Waring.Ce LinfieldGirlSIt has to be said that this has been the fullest season so farfor Girls’ Tennis at BGS. The fixture list showed a match onvirtually every Wednesday and Saturday. These included fourBGS Invitational Tournaments, two of which, a Senior and aMixed Tournament, had never been held before. All the girlswho played this season showed commitment in lessons andat lunchtime practices and they were rewarded with a superresults table.Most of the fixtures saw the girls travel to a variety ofschools - we certainly clocked up the miles. Like last seasonwe also played at two fixtures simultaneously. This happenedwhen U12 and U13 Teams travelled to Wilmslow, whileU14s, U15s and Seniors played Stonyhurst at home. TheWilmslow fixture started something that I and Mr Linfieldfelt could benefit both the girls and boys who played tennisfor school, which was to play Mixed Tennis. Seeing thishappen so successfully at Wilmslow was a real highlight ofthe season. BGS won eleven sets and only lost one. Fromthe perspective of developing Girls’ Tennis, this could onlybenefit the girls. Playing tennis with boys seems to lead to abit more competitiveness in their game. This was definitelyevident when later on in the season BGS held a MixedTournament where we saw several of the U15 Girls lift theirgames to really complement their male partners. One playerto mention here is Krista Bennett who, apart from beingU15 Captain this season, also remained unbeaten with herpartner Greg Cox. She is a very committed and motivatedpupil who has developed into a mature and talented player.Another Mixed Tournament took place at Hymers’ School,Hull, in the final week of term. This time it was for the Juniorplayers, and we watched some of our pairings struggleagainst teams from our host school and Pocklington, butthey were never seen to give up.Seniors had a big year last year with their successfulSummer Tour, but this time it was an even bigger year interms of fixtures. Unfortunately, due to inclement weathertheir first two fixtures were rained off, but fixtures continuedafter that and a mixed season was had by all. It must bementioned that there was a core of players who were willingto represent the school even during their preparation timefor exams. These were Charlotte Cottle, Chloe Pinkney,Megan Sadler, Freya Hall, Liz Bailey, Lily Bell, Kathryn Taylorand Courtenay Fisher. Courtenay was Senior Captain, andshe helped rally the girls to play and generally did a greatjob throughout the season. One of the highlights for theSeniors was a new fixture against Worksop - a long journeybut a worthwhile one. The BGS Girls won five sets andonly lost one, but the score doesn’t reflect how close thefixture was. Worksop’s senior players were a similar abilityto our girls, but we just had the edge on them in terms ofcompetitiveness.FixtuRe ReSuLtS tABLe*Age Group Played Won Lost DrawnU12 6 3 3 0U13 6 4 1 1U14 7 6 1 0U15 9 9 0 0Seniors 5 3 2 0total 33 25 7 1*includes weekly matches, Aegon Cup, Aberdare Cup and Junior ToursThe BGS Tennis careers of Megan Sadler and Chloe Pinkneyended with representing BGS at the Eton IndependentSchools’ Tournament. There was a nice circularity to this,since as First Formers they were the first ever girls from BGSto be entered into this tournament. Both girls have beengreat ambassadors of the school! Good luck to all the girlswho have left us – we hope you will continue to play Tennis!Junior tours this season were enjoyable for both staff andplayers. One went to Loughborough and one to Nottingham.Due to changes to trip regulations we were only able to playone fixture on each tour, one at Stamford and one at TrentCollege. Both were played on Astro Turf, on which our girlsare not keen as the surface deadens the bounce of the ball.Overall, they were successful tours. Every player who wasinvited on tour was selected on the following criteria - abilityand overall commitment to training and fixtures. Both tourssaw us call at Alton Towers on the way back to Bradford.The tournaments were another highlight of the season sincewe entered seven, four of which were held at BGS. Thestandard of tennis that was played was impressive in all agegroups from Seniors to U12, and eleven independent schoolstouRnAMent ReSuLtSBGS Senior Invitational TournamentU14 & U15 BGS Invitational TournamentU12 & U13 BGS Invitational TournamentJubilee Cup TournamentRoad To WimbledonBGS ‘A’ 1stU14 ‘A’ – 2nd; U14’B’ – 8thU15 – 3rdU12 – 3rdU13 ‘A’ – 6th; U13 ‘B’ – 5thfrom around Yorkshire came to our school to compete.Over forty girls represented BGS at these tournaments andoverall did the school proud. It must be said that the U14A Team can be congratulated in achieving second place intheir tournament. Also, what a turn up for the books for theU13 B Team to beat the A Team and reach fifth place! Ourgirls often play their best Tennis in tournaments, since theopposition is generally playing a good standard and thus itlifts the girls’ games.Another highlight that has to be mentioned was the fixtureagainst GSAL on 28th May, especially for the U15s whowere a force to be reckoned with this season and at thisfixture in particular. The conditions were not ideal for Tennis,since there were continuous gusts of wind making it a bitchilly to play. The girls did not give up and they tried to takeadvantage of the conditions. This resulted in a whitewash,6-0 to BGS. The U15s this season have been the mostcommitted of all the age groups, for which they ought to becommended.Again, twelve girls were selected to compete in theaforementioned prestigious Eton Independent Schools’Tournament. This year, they included two U12 players whorepresented BGS at the U13 age group. Their names areHannah Chaudry and Amy Peacock, and they deserve amention because they have the talent to become very goodplayers and their approach to the sport is commendable -keep it up, girls! At the tournament they got through to thetop 16 schools to play towards the cup. Unfortunately, theywere unsuccessful in the end but they did themselves proud.Overall this season was a busy and productive one. Thefollowing girls took on the role of Captain - U12, HannahChaudry; U13, Emma Peacock; U14, Olivia Dovernor; U15,Krista Bennett; and Seniors Courtenay Fisher. They all werevery good Captains throughout the season and my thanksgo to all of them.Once again this report needs to be finished by reminding allthe girls who played Tennis in the Summer Term not to leaveyour tennis playing until then. If you play throughout theyear, so much more can be achieved.M e HarlingU13 – 3rd; U15 – 4th; Seniors – 2ndBGS Winner – Pascale FisherRunner-up – Alex ChristianEton Independent School Tournament U13 2nd couple qualified into the top 16106107

sportThe BGS Water Polo teams attending the English National Championships at Oundle SchoolWater PoloSeniorSAn U18 Team made up of just two Sixth Formers qualifiedfor the second round of the plate thanks to a great defensivedisplay to beat Lymm 1-0, as well as a 5-0 victory over RGSNewcastle. BGS then breezed through the second roundconceding just one goal, with a 6-0 win against Oundle (withJoe Allen top-scoring), and draws against Northampton andRGS Newcastle.U18 Finals Day was the same as that of the U16s and, sincethere is currently so much overlap between the teams, anexhausted BGS, many of whom had already played theirhearts out for the U16s, lost to Stowe in the first match of thequarter-finals. But a fantastic goal straight from keeper to EdBrownlee to net with thirty seconds on the clock helped BGSbeat RGS Newcastle 3-2 to reach the semi-finals.BGS took the lead against Alleyns in the semi-final thanks toa penalty save by George Goddard and a majestic lob by EdBrownlee to take us into half-time at 1-0. However, tirednessovertook the team, so Alleyns were able to snatch victory, andthe gold medal. BGS won bronze, after a 4-3 victory over StPaul’s, London. The team’s top scorer throughout was JoeAllen with eleven goals, followed by Ed Brownlee with ten.U16After just missing out on last year’s championship final byone goal, this year’s U16s had high hopes. They showedtheir ability early on by beating heavyweights King’sGrantham by 5-3. However, our training partners, St Bede’s,knew our game inside out and beat us, despite losing toKing’s themselves. Fortunately, the team still qualified for theplate on goal difference.The second round fell during the mock GCSEs, and so amuch-weakened BGS side travelled to Stowe with just threeof their first ten choice players. Despite heavy defeats toWarwick and Stowe, BGS came above Ripley and TrinityCarlisle to scrape through to the finals. On Finals Day, BGScame fifth overall, losing narrowly to Warwick (after refereesfailed to spot a goal from Will Liddington), Stowe andBedford, and drawing 4-4 with St Paul’s. Ed Brownlee wasthe team’s top scorer with ten goals, while Will Liddingtonscored eight.U14A promising U14 side started the season with a convincing14-8 victory against St Bede’s, and the team were feelingconfident. Until, that is, they realised that they had beendrawn in a group with Bolton, Ripley, and ManchesterGrammar, all of whom have roots with the GB squad and whowent on to come 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively in the plate.Unfortunately, BGS lost all their games and so did notqualify for the second round. However, an impressive displayagainst Ripley saw a close game not reflected in the 7-3score-line, with Milan Patel putting in impressive saves,Cameron Chippendale scoring a fantastic solo effort from adistance, and Matthew Handy and Bilal Mian scoring wellworkedgoals.George Goddard, 5APS108

Old Bradfordians’AssociationPhotograph © Martin PutzOld Bradfordians Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee109

old bradfordians’ associationold bradfordians’ associationMessage from theOBA PresidentAlthough The Bradfordian still has an Old Bradfordians’ section, the journal is primarily a record of the school year aimedat pupils and their families.The Association now publishes an annual Old Bradfordian magazine with articles of general interest about former pupilsand about OBA events. I commend this magazine to you - it is available online on the Publications tab athttp://www.bgsoba.com/ - and whilst you are at our website do spend time having a good look round. Hard copies of themagazine are available from Koleen Wright in the OBA office at school.Nevertheless, I am pleased to have this opportunity of writing a message to the current school familyin the hope that when the time comes for you to leave school you will maintain links through theOld Bradfordians’ Association throughout your life. All school leavers automatically becomemembers - and it’s free!All we ask is that you keep the OBA office updated with your contact details and with anyinteresting news about your career or other achievements.As you will see from the Old Bradfordian magazine, we have had a busy year with variousreunions, sporting events and our Annual Reunion Dinner which next year will be held inSeptember 2013.The OBA extend our best wishes to all at school – staff and pupils alike – and express ourhope that the school enjoys continued success in the future.Gordon GreenPresidentThe Old Bradfordians’ AssociationMessage from theOBA SecretaryIn taking on the role of the OBA Secretary, I admit that I felt quite daunted by the prospect of meeting so many OldBradfordians, and worried that I would be out of my depth. I can honestly say that I have felt so warmly welcomed by allthose I have met in person and corresponded with by email, letter and telephone, that I realised I had noneed to be concerned.I have had the privilege of hearing many wonderful stories and experiences about the life of the schooland I am continually learning so much about BGS, and realising that it is not just a school but a familyof ex-pupils that keep the school’s history very much alive.I encourage you all to keep in touch with the school as we are always happy to hear of your news andextremely pleased to see you all at the varied and well-attended reunions and sporting fixtures.I am thoroughly enjoying my new role and look forward to meeting many more Old Bradfordians atforthcoming reunions.Koleen WrightSecretaryThe Old Bradfordians’ AssociationLondon to Paris by BikeMay 2012As I came round in a strange room I wondered if I couldhear myself snoring for the first time in my life. Then Iremembered; I was in France with my sons, Jonny and Tim,and 130 others cycling from London to Paris. We had alreadycovered 100 of the 300 miles. It had been a wet and greyfirst day but we had survived! I was always confident that,barring accidents, I could manage one day in the saddle butwould I be able to walk, let alone ride, the next?It was a relief that my legs seemed to remember how towork. I left Jonny in peace and went in search of breakfast.It was still miserable outside. A strong southerly gale wouldblow rain in our faces as we cycled down the Normandycoast. It was not supposed to be like this. Didn’t Paddysend me part of a prayer I often used in Assembly at BGS?The wind should be on my back!Why had I agreed to take part? Sixty-five year olds do not dothis sort of thing! It was a stupid idea but I was daft enoughto tell Bradford Grammar School in my Founders’ Daysermon last September what I was thinking of doing. And itwas for a good cause too. The Joshua Project in Bradfordis doing such fantastic work with disadvantaged children,young people and their families. That’s what had kept metraining through the winter months, cycling over 1,000 milesin often wet and even freezing conditions.Pocklington C. of E. Infant School, where I am a FoundationGovernor, and then friends at church had given Tim and mea fantastic send off. 150 cheering children behind the railingson the roundabout outside the school created a wonderfulatmosphere for Le Grand Départ. Flags were waving and abig banner encouraged us with the words “Go Slow!”If the start of the second day was the low point of thetrip, then there are many happier memories as well. As Istruggled up the hill on my own into the driving wind andrain south of Calais, someone overtook me at a speed Ithought I could match. I raised my pace and settled intothe shelter and slipstream he provided. At the top of thehill the wind and rain seemed to ease and “All was well, allwas well and all manner of things were well” to misquoteJulian of Norwich.It was wonderful to ride with the boys through the rollingFrench countryside. We would set up an echelon, with meusually tagging along at the back, and pound out the miles.I thanked God for these two wonderful young men workingon instructions from their mum to look after their sometimesfoolish father.Tim would often hang back to make sure I was OK on thehills though I kept insisting that they should both ride aheadat their own pace. On a couple of occasions, Jonny camealongside and gave me a push up a steep incline “for oldtime’s sake”, recalling cycle rides many years before when Ihad done the same for them.Les, Jonny and Tim at their destinationRiding up towards the Arc de Triomphe on the cobbles ona beautiful blue-skied day and, round the corner, finallyarriving under the Eiffel Tower was more emotional than Ihad expected. I had really doubted my ability to finish andnow the journey was at an end. I had met so many differentpeople all with their own stories and reasons for tacklingsuch a challenging fundraising effort.Family and friends, including folk from all the parishes in thePocklington Group of Churches, Bradford Grammar Schooland Pocklington Infant School, helped me raise over £2,800.The three of us collected the huge total of £11,000 whichwas then match-funded through a family connection in theMidlands. So with Gift Aid the total exceeds a staggering£23,500!What next? I recently took part in the Beverley 100km (inreality 108km) Sportive and was a few minutes short ofthe gold standard time of 4 hours 15 minutes. I think I amhooked! When I logged in at the end there was the usualbanter about my surname. “Just call me Less Slow” I said!Les Slow, former Deputy Headmaster110111

old bradfordians’ associationold bradfordians’ associationAfter spending the day with him, I was struck by how muchDavid Hockney embraces new technology. The walls of hisstudio were lined with enlarged iPad paintings which stoodout in electric greens, pinks and yellows, lit by skylights.They were eerily realistic, almost like windows, except muchmore vivid and captivating. In one corner of the vast whitefloor was a collection of self-portraits, each experimentingwith a different style, but all created with the iPad. In additionto this up-to-the-minute approach to his artwork, David alsospoke positively about Twitter, online newspapers and othersocial media, which is a rare characteristic for someone ofseventy-four. I was also struck by the way he uses suchvibrant colours, and so I asked if he really sees these coloursin the scenes which he paints. And the answer was yes; ifyou look closely enough, the colours are there. This mademe think about the way I look at things, and inspired me topay more attention to detail in our surroundings.While he was here, Adrian also took part in the Old Boys’Swimming and Water Polo match against the pupils. A reportof the match follows below.J McNamaraOld Boys versus BGSannual swiMMing and waTer polo MaTchsaTurday 21 sT april 2012The BGS team seemed lulled into a false sense of securityby the title ‘Old Boys’! This year there were two recentleavers, Mike Kipling and George Mack, who, along with JoeBlayney, won four of the six individual events. Sian Morganand Tom Hobson were the individual winners for school.Looking back on the visit, another important quality thatcomes to mind is how welcoming and friendly DavidHockney was. I felt as if he genuinely wanted to share hiscreativity with us, and I came away feeling enthused andexcited, and very inspired! Last week I even experimentedon my brother’s touch-screen phone with a drawing app:the visit made me want to try out new styles and it hasencouraged me to aspire to create more.Meeting David Hockney at his studioA Day with David Hockney:Two lucky pupils Tell allWhat started off as a bleak British summer’s day on the eastcoast at Bridlington soon developed into one of the mostmemorable days of my life. Upon arrival at David Hockney’shouse we were first met by the aged smell of carameltobacco before David himself greeted us fondly at his door.After welcomes and gifts had been exchanged we were ledupstairs in his Victorian house to his cinema room. Sittingcomfortably in armchairs, we were treated to a preview ofone of his latest film projects, a three-dimensional tour of hisrecent exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. The tourwas filmed using three vertical cameras giving a sense ofspace and perspective within the exhibition and also allowingthe viewer to see where they had been, where they were,and where they were going. Deliberately, the three cameraswere not perfectly seamed together and therefore createdsome incredible shapes and angles where they met. I felt asif I had visited the exhibition myself.Climbing further up David’s house we entered his homestudio and again were enticed by another of his newestprojects, filming twelve jugglers on eighteen cameras. Theresults were spectacular, not only with regard to colour andmovement, but also the expressions and personalities whichyou could pick up from each of the jugglers faces. It wasa film you wanted to watch again and again because youwould see something different each time.After heading back downstairs, David offered to drive us tohis studio just around the corner; an offer we couldn’t decline!Sitting in the passenger seat of Hockney’s car on the way to hisstudio, we happened to drive past a Morrisons supermarket,a surreal moment for any Bradfordian, epitomising how formerpupils have gone on from the school to achieve great things.Pulling into an industrial estate road which David referred toas the “Hollywood Boulevard of Bridlington”, we arrived athis studio. From the outside it was a standard industrial unit,yet, upon entering, turned into a vast open space of creativebrilliance. The walls were decorated by, in my opinion, David’sgreatest pieces of work to date. What we saw were largeblown-up prints of his work, created on an iPad, of Woldgate,near Bridlington, throughout the seasons. The most impressivething for me about these pieces were David’s perfect colourchoices and changing brush strokes to portray the differenttextures within the piece, especially the puddles on the road.After a tour around the studio we sat around a makeshifttable to eat. Here I was, eating fish and chips opposite DavidHockney, a man who on the one hand is an incredible artist,global celebrity and living legend, yet on the other, was agenuinely lovely man, so generous with his time and so eagerto share his vast knowledge with us: truly inspirational.Before we left we were lucky enough to receive a signedbook from David. A perfect way to end what was one of mygreatest days as a BGS student.James Sugden, 6RDSDavid Hockney has always fascinated me; his colourful,distinctive work catches my attention every time I visit SaltsMill, and I used to look at his huge print in the Clock HouseHall almost every day when I was in the Junior School.Therefore, it was a privilege to meet him and an incredibleexperience which I will remember for the rest of my life.Overall, this visit will have a lasting impact on me, and I amso grateful to David for giving up his time. I feel incrediblyfortunate to have been given the opportunity to meet suchan astounding artist.Sarah McWhinney, 6WJNThe Adrian MoorhouseSwimming PoolOn 21st April, Olympic medallist and OB Adrian Moorhousereturned to the school to unveil the new name of theswimming pool. The pool has been named in Adrian’shonour, in recognition of his fantastic achievements and toinspire future generations of BGS swimmers. If you havealready read Mr Townsend’s Swimming report in the Sportsection, you will know that BGS already harbours somecurrent swimming stars, who will no doubt go on to fulfil theirpotential just like Adrian.Adrian Moorhouse unveils the plaqueSwimmers and Water Polo players spent time with AdrianIf the swimmers felt hard-done-by, they needn’t haveworried. The Old Boys’ Water Polo team featured one currentand four ex- International players. On top of that they hadtwo players who play in the National League and severalothers still playing at a high level. The school team weremesmerised by but very appreciative of the skills the OldBoys displayed. In short, it was very much a case of ‘menversus boys’, but it was a match played in good spirit withneither side giving any quarter.The event was rounded off by the official naming of the poolby Adrian Moorhouse MBE. Adrian attended BGS between1972 and 1982 and went on to win Olympic Silver in LosAngeles and Gold in Seoul for the 100m Breaststroke. Hespoke very highly of the school and of how he had startedhis swimming career here with Jack Sanderson who was incharge of swimming at BGS. Afterwards he took time to talkto the swimmers and also let them handle his gold medal.Let’s hope something rubs off!A superb buffet was put on by the catering department toround off what was a very enjoyable afternoon.B Townsend112113

old bradfordians’ associationVisit to Grand CanyonInduction DaySouth Africa Netball TourLondon 2012 Gold and Bronze medallistsOld Bradfordians doing Britain proudAnd finally… I’m sure you all switched on your TV sets or,perhaps, travelled to Hyde Park on 7th August, to watchOBs Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee win Olympic Gold andBronze in the Men’s Triathlon. After dominating the race, alongwith Silver medallist Javier Gómez, the two young men fromHorsforth impressed the whole world by becoming the firstsiblings for more than a century to grace the same podium.Alistair attended BGS from 1999-2006 and Jonny from 1998-2008, and both are fondly remembered by the staff. Formermaster in charge of Cross Country, Tony Kingham, saysthat they were marked out for glory early on, winning CrossCountry races even at Clock House. They also astoundedall who knew them with their dedication to their trainingregimes, whether these involved timed efforts in Lister Park,or longer runs to the likes of Apperley Bridge: they alwaysled by example. What was even more remarkable was thattheir achievements as part of Cross Country Club trainingwere often coupled with intensive cycling or swimmingsessions during another part of the day.Whilst at school, Alistair won the Yorkshire Cross CountryChampionships seven times and is the only runner in BGShistory to pick up the English Schools title. Jonny repeated hisbrother’s success in winning the Yorkshire title and both boysexcelled at triathlon while pupils: Alistair was World JuniorChampion, and Jonny became European Junior Champion.Ben Ross, OB and former Captain of Cross Country, kindly lentThe 2001 BGS Cross Country TeamMr McCartney a team photograph from 2001. Can you spot thefuture Olympic champion in the BGS Cross Country team?This Summer Term, in the exciting run-up to the London2012 Games, BGS students undertook a ‘Beat theBrownlees Triathlon’. Around thirty pupils from the First,Second and Third Forms covered between them thedistance that each of the Brownlees had to cover on the day.Swimmers swam 1,500m in relay; cyclists brought their bikesto school and pedalled 40km round the top playing fields;and runners completed 10km on the running track. Eventhe combined efforts of all those willing competitors, whoseevents were running concurrently, were not enough to matchthe speed of the Brownlees. BGS pupils took 2 hours 43minutes to complete the event, which put them 49 minutesbehind the Brownlees as individuals.Mr Lines, no mean triathlete (or ‘Iron Man’) himself,organised the event at school and a great afternoon washad by all the participants. Mr Lines was also present atthe Olympic Games as a Gamesmaker. He officiated at theMen’s and Women’s Cycling Road Races, and at the Men’sand Women’s Triathlons in Hyde Park, supporting our OBsin person. He was joined by other staff members and pupilspast and present, who turned up to cheer the lads on.We offer our sincere congratulations to our latest Olympicmedallists. May they offer inspiration to many more!J McNamaraDates for your Diary 2013evenTdaTeOBA Reunion Event Sat 12th Jan 20131940s Reunion Lunch Sat 20th Apr 2013OBA Swimming & Water Polo Sat 20th Apr 2013Tennis Parents’ Assoc/OBA May Ball Sat 18th May 2013OBA Cricket vs BGS Fri 28th Jun 2013Jonny (left) and Alistair after crossing the lineA few of the ‘Beat the Brownlees’ Triathlon team114VechtraceClock House DT