Issue 5 - April 2011 - Ampleforth College

News from the Monastic Community, Old Amplefordians, the College and St Martin’s Ampleforth
Diary
Issue 5 - April 2011

02
INTRODUCTION
Contents
Introduction to Monastic
Community News 02
Full Abbey Church witnesses
Solemn Profession 03
Second Zimbabwean monk
takes vows 06
School retreatants head for the
coastline 07
Manquehue helpers during Lent Term 08
St Martin’s Schola members ‘travel’
to Oswaldkirk 08
Fr Henry joins ARCIC III 09
Wisdom of St Aelred nourishes
married and single life 09
Abbey on the rails 10
Leyland - latest venue for parish
monastic gathering 11
Bamber Bridge celebration 12
St Joseph’s Day at Oswaldkirk 13
East and West join in prayer for
final unity 14
New Development Staff 15
Old Amplefordian Events 2011 16
Ampleforth Lourdes Pilgrimage 2011 17
Sophie Ryan (A09) 18
Tom Moon (C07) 19
The Cardinal Hume Centre 20
Ampleforth College Golf Club 21
Henry Byrne (O04) 22
Nicholas Coghlan (A72) 23
Lily Doyle (M08) 24
Peter Seilern (O70) 24
Expedition Everest - Alice Reid (A08)
and Lallie Fraser (A08) 25
Building Panoramics for Ampleforth 26
Old Amplefordian Rifle Club 27
Bamboo Travel Top Tour Operator
Ewen Moore (T02) 28
Old Amplefordian Updates 29
Births, Marriages and Deaths 30
Introduction to College News 32
Ampleforth Scholars 33
Extended Project Qualifications 37
Junior Drama Activity 39
St Bede’s House 40
Lent Term Sporting Highlights 42
MANIS Cross Country Championship
Success 43
Rowathon 2011 44
St Martin’s Ampleforth News 46
Castle Factor 46
Lyceum 47
Scholarship Results 48
Cross Country Success 49
Hockey 50
Year 7 Concert 51
World Book Day 52
Chinese New Year 53
Pre-Prep Dinosaur Workshop 53
Boarders’ visit to Rievaulx Abbey 54
Year 1 Time Capsule 55
Ampleforth Retreats 56
Introduction
As the team prepares to go to press with
this edition of the Ampleforth Diary we are
still preparing for the feast of Easter which
falls late this year. In this issue, I welcome
the opportunity to recall Br Cedd’s Solemn
Profession at the start of 2011, and the
Simple Profession of Br Placid Mavura in
Zimbabwe a month later. The celebration
of the Profession of Monastic Vows offers
every monk in the community the
opportunity to ponder anew his own
response to God’s call; hearing once again
the same vows he has made, and reflecting
on his quest to live them ever more fully.
It was a particular joy this year to welcome
family, friends, and students and staff from
the schools adjoining the monasteries to
pray alongside the monastic community.
In our Chapters over the last five years we
have tried to discern God’s will for this
community for we are very conscious of
the warning of Scripture, “Where there is
no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs
29.18). The resulting vision has been
presented in Ampleforth | Our Journey.
We are very grateful for the many
comments and suggestions received. These
have been a very encouraging stimulus to
clarity of thought as we reflect on the next
steps to be taken. If you by chance have
not received your copy of Ampleforth |
Our Journey, or would like additional
copies, please do not hesitate to contact the
Development Office on 01439 766777.

Full Abbey Church witnesses
Solemn Profession
Br Cedd Mannion took his final vows to the
Monastery of St Laurence during Sunday
Mass on 9th January 2011. The ceremony,
at which Fr Abbot presided, was witnessed
by Br Cedd’s family, friends, and students
from the College and St Martin’s
Ampleforth. His was the first term-time
Solemn Profession for many years, and was
thus a rare opportunity for our students to
witness this climactic moment of
commitment to the monastic way of life.
The Mass coincided with the Feast of the
Baptism of the Lord, with its focus on the
start of Christ’s public ministry and his
commitment to a life of service.
03
FULL ABBEY CHURCH WITNESSES SOLEMN PROFESSION

04
FULL ABBEY CHURCH WITNESSES SOLEMN PROFESSION
After Br Cedd had taken his vows, and
signed the Profession Document, the
congregation sang the Litany of Saints as he
lay on the pall. This black cloth covers the
coffin at monastic funerals. Its use at
Solemn Profession symbolises one’s death
to the world and entry into a new way of
life. After the Litany, Fr Abbot said the
prayer of blessing over the solemnlyprofessed
monk, and Br Cedd received the
sign of peace from all the solemnlyprofessed
monks present.
A distinctive part of the rite is the three-fold
singing of the Suscipe by the newlyprofessed
monk, and its repetition by the
other monks. These words from Psalm
118: Suscipe me Domine, secundum
eloquium tuum et vivam. Et non confundas
me ab expectatione mea (Receive me Lord,
according to your word, and I shall live. Let
my hopes not be in vain) are also sung by
his brethren at a monk’s funeral as his coffin
is lowered into the grave.

At the end of Mass, Fr Abbot pinned up Br
Cedd’s hood, to mark the start of his
three-day silent retreat. This ended with its
unpinning at Conventual Mass on 12th
January. During these days of retreat, the
newly-professed monk attends the Divine
Office, Mass and meals, but does not
communicate with others. Normally,
therefore, he arranges to see family and
friends before the ceremony, as he does
not attend the post-Profession lunch held
in the Main Hall.
05
FULL ABBEY CHURCH WITNESSES SOLEMN PROFESSION

06
SECOND ZIMBABWEAN MONK TAKES VOWS
Second Zimbabwean
monk takes vows
On 4th February 2011, Br Placid Mavura
of our Monastery of Christ the Word in
Zimbabwe made his Simple Profession
during Fr Abbot’s annual visitation to the
community. Br Placid has already spent four
years at Christ the Word, including the
two-year novitiate approved by the Holy
See for Christ the Word. He joins Br
Joseph Dinala who was Simply Professed
last year, as the second Zimbabwe-born
monk of our foundation. Br Placid is seen
here with the Prior and Subprior of Christ
the Word: Fr Robert Igo (right) and Fr
Richard ffield (left). Fr Barnabas Pham is
Novice Master.

School retreatants head
for the coastline
Fr Chad Boulton, Fr James Callaghan, Fr
Philip Rozario, Br Cedd Mannion, Br
Anselm Sayer with seven members of the
Manquehue Movement and lay staff from
Ampleforth College accompanied final year
students of Ampleforth College on a highlyappreciated
one-day retreat on 10th
February. All gathered at Sneaton Castle,
home to the Order of the Holy Paraclete,
an Anglican order of nuns. They reflected
on themes drawn from Pope Benedict’s
‘Big Assembly’ address last September to
students of Catholic schools. The students
discussed how the Pope’s challenge to seek
holiness in daily life might be realised in
their fast-approaching next stage of life
beyond school. Group discussions were
followed by conversations in pairs while
walking along the seashore. The day ended
with Mass in honour of St Scholastica - St
Benedict’s sister - in the Chapel of Sneaton
Castle.
After half-term, on 24th February, it was
the turn of Remove Year students. Being
precisely halfway through their school
career, they were asked to write a letter to
their ‘older self’ to be opened in five years
time (assuming it has not been mislaid in
the meantime!)
07
SCHOOL RETREATANTS HEAD FOR THE COASTLINE

08
MANQUEHUE HELPERS DURING LENT TERM & ST MARTIN’S SCHOL MEMBERS ‘TRAVEK’ TO OSWALDKIRK
Manquehue helpers during
Lent Term
Pictured at Br Cedd’s Profession Lunch
with Bishop Alan Hopes, Auxiliary Bishop
in the Archdiocese of Westminster are
members of the Manquehue Movement
based at Ampleforth for the Lent term
2011. They are left to right: Pilar Canales,
Nicolas Gysling, Maria Trinidad Tupper,
Roberto Quiroga, and Camila Rio.
On 20th January, Fr Edgar Miller welcomed
the girls of the Schola Sancti Martini to St
Aidan’s Church, Oswaldkirk. Usually, the
choir’s Evening Service of Prayer at 7pm
on Thursday is held in the Abbey Church.
This change in venue permitted a rehearsal
in the Abbey Church for the Orthodox
Solemn Liturgy scheduled for the next day,
Consuelo Braun (not in picture) was also
present throughout the term. During halfterm,
other Manquehue members working
at Worth and Downside travelled to
Ampleforth and renewed contact with
friends in the Monastery and the wider
campus.
St Martin’s Schola members ‘travel’
to Oswaldkirk
as part of the Octave of Prayer for Christian
Unity. The Schola, conducted by Mr
Vincent Conyngham, Head of Music at St
Martin’s Ampleforth, managed the slightly
different acoustic without difficulty, before
an appreciative group of parishioners and
parents.

Fr Henry joins
ARCIC III
The Community of St Aelred, a group of
married and single lay people based in
various parts of England and affiliated to the
Manquehue Apostolic Movement, held its
annual weekend retreat at Ampleforth in
February. St Aelred, the third Abbot of
Rievaulx Abbey (d. 1167) is revered as a
local saint and an internationally renowned
guide to the Christian and monastic life. His
Fr Henry Wansbrough has been appointed
by the Vatican to take part in the new phase
of Anglican-Catholic theological dialogue
undertaken by the Anglican-Roman
Catholic International Commission
(ARCIC). The first meeting of the new
Commission, ARCIC III, will take place at
the Italian monastery of Bose from 17th to
27th May 2011. The Co-Chairmen of
ARCIC III are the Most Reverend Bernard
Longley, Catholic Archbishop of
Birmingham, and the Most Reverend
David Moxon, Archbishop of the Anglican
diocese of New Zealand. As well as Fr
Henry, Catholic members of the
Commission include Professor Paul Murray,
a professor in the Department of Theology
and Religion at Durham University.
ARCIC III will consider fundamental
questions regarding the ‘Church as
Communion - Local and Universal’ and
‘How in communion the Local and
Universal Church comes to discern right
ethical teaching.’
Wisdom of St Aelred nourishes
married and single life
Spiritual Friendship and Mirror of Charity
have long been recognised as spiritual
classics within the western monastic
tradition. Fr Cyprian Smith (pictured)
offered reflections on possible links
between the underlying purpose and spirit
of the Benedictine vows of obedience,
stability and conversion of life and married
or single life.
09
FR HENRY JOINS ARCIC III & WISDOM OF ST AELRED NOURISHES MARRIED AND SINGLE LIFE

10
ABBEY ON THE RAILS
Abbey on
the rails
Continuing in the rail enthusiast tradition of
the late Fr Leonard Jackson (d. 1999), and
building on his collection, the Monastery
West Wing has seen the creation of the St
Laurence Railway Company – a large
“OO” scale model railway devised by
Monastic Controller, Fr Kentigern Hagan.
Its centrepiece is the city of Ampreford,
with its Cathedral, shopping centre and
school. A freight yard also provides special
siding and warehouses for Ampleforth
Abbey products The Great Western style
branch terminus serves the village of
Western Magna and its castle. Finally, a
second branch terminus is based at Jackson
St Leonard.
Many businesses in the three population
centres are named after members of the
Community e.g. The Lewis-Vivas Interior
Design Studio, Dobson’s Newsagents, The
Haigh Gallery and The Cramer Library.
Saturday afternoons and holiday times see
regular rail running sessions as an
opportunity for Community recreation.
Further ideas and additions are always
welcome.

Leyland - latest venue for
parish monastic gathering
Ampleforth monks serving on our various
parishes meet regularly (normally thriceyearly.)
Such meetings, chaired by Fr
Abbot, offer an opportunity to pool
experience and enjoy each other’s
company. This February’s gathering in
Leyland included a report on Fr Abbot’s
recent visit to Zimbabwe and on the
Monastery of Christ the Word. Discussion
then turned to specifically parish-related
items. The latter included a report on
parish property issues from David Read,
Estate Manager at Ampleforth. Monks and
others present included Fr Bonaventure
Knollys (Ampleforth Village), Julia Brooke
(PA to Fr Abbot), Fr Damian Humphries
(Osmotherley), Fr Gordon Beattie
(Parbold), Fr Leo Chamberlain
(Easingwold) and David Read (Estate
Manager).
11
LEYLAND- LATEST VENUE FOR PARISH MONASTIC GATHERING

12
BAMBER BRIDGE CELEBRATION
Bamber Bridge
celebration
St Mary’s Parish, Bamber Bridge, served by
monks of the Community of St Laurence
since 1780, held its annual dinner on 4th
March. Fr Terence Richardson, the current
Parish Priest, accompanied Frs David
O’Brien, Bernard McInulty and Philip
Rozario to the event at the nearby
Penwortham Golf Club. Over 40
parishioners attended. Such long ties
between the Abbey and parish mean,
naturally, that many other monks of
Ampleforth also have close ties with
Bamber Bridge. They include the Prior - Fr
Colin Battell - Fr Alban Crossley, Fr Francis
Davidson and Fr Bede Leach.

St Joseph’s Day
at Oswaldkirk
Fr Edgar Miller, priest-in-charge at St
Aidan’s, Oswaldkirk, periodically holds
lunches for parishioners and others. St
Joseph’s Day was chosen for the latest
event. St Joseph is patron of the carpentry
workshop at the Abbey which Fr Edgar
established ten years ago. This has become
a favourite of many pupils of St Martin’s
Ampleforth who take woodwork as one of
their regular activities under Fr Edgar’s
tuition. The celebration began with
Solemn Mass at St Aidan’s where Fr Edgar
was assisted by Fr Peter James and Fr
Marek Zukowski (pictured above right). Fr
Marek, a diocesan priest from the Czech
Republic, has been a regular visitor to
Ampleforth in recent years. Guests then
moved across the road to Oswaldkirk
Village Hall where, after grace in Czech,
lunch was served. This had been cooked
by Neil Swailes, a chef at the Monastery.
13
ST JOSEPH’S DAY AT OSWALDKIRK

14
EAST AND WEST JOIN IN PRAYER FOR FINAL UNITY
East and West join in
prayer for final unity
In a now established tradition, the choir of
the Abbey Church hosted a Solemn
Orthodox Liturgy on 22nd January to mark
the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The celebrant, Fr David Carnelly, is a
curate in Leeds and pastor to Orthodox
students at Leeds University. He also leads
the community of St Constantine and St
Helen in central York, whose services are
mainly in English, with some use of Greek
and Slavonic.
Fr Simeon Piers, a priest of the Greek
Orthodox province of Thyateira and Great
Britain, and previously warden of St
Simeon’s House, a former hostel in
Oswaldkirk for Orthodox students of the
College, in the 1970s, also participated.
Several large icons represented the
Iconastasis, a screen shutting off the
sanctuary, found in Orthodox churches. Fr
Alexander McCabe conducted the
ecumenical choir with members drawn
from the Catholic parish of Our Lady and
St Chad, Kirkbymoorside, and the Anglican
parishes of All Saints, Kirkbymoorside, and
St Mary, Lastingham, in its singing of music
of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom from
the Russian Orthodox tradition.

New Development Staff
Louise Riley
Being a Hampshire girl, whose last position
was in the City of London, the move to
Ampleforth was life changing! Having worked
in the Development Team for over a year
now and never looking back to the bustling
city, I was delighted to be asked to take on the
role of the Ampleforth Society and Old
Amplefordian Assistant. It is no exaggeration
to say that the Old Amplefordians compose
not only a network but a family, joined by the
compass for life which the valley provides
them with as they leave the College.
I am honoured to work with many of you on
planning reunions, club events and through
good old fashioned correspondence! The
Development Office are planning to increase
the number of annual reunions, events and
gatherings of OAs, so please do get involved
and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the
future.
Tel: 01439 766884
Email: lr@ampleforth.org.uk
Tom Miller
Having been a York lad all my life it is
wonderful to have found a calling here at
Ampleforth, it is such a calm and inspiring
place to come to each day, and I have felt
nothing but warmth and welcoming from
everyone I have met here so far.
I keep our database in order here in the
Development Office to make sure the
information held is all present and accurate, as
well as maintaining and evolving the web
presence for our Old Amplefordian
community. Having specialised in online
marketing communication at university, I am
thrilled to be working with the Old
Amplefordians website and new OAs Online
network. These projects have great scope to
add a real richness to the community for
future years to come and I feel privileged to
be part of it.
If you have a news item or any suggestions at
all regarding the Ampleforth OAs website or
the new OAs Online service then please do
not hesitate to contact me, I look forward to
hearing from you!
Tel: 01439 766757
Email: tdm@ampleforth.org.uk
15
NEW DEVELOPMENT STAFF

16
OLD AMPLEFORDIAN EVENTS 2011
Old Amplefordian
Events 2011
Friday 13th May 2011, London
City of London Luncheon
Saturday 14th May 2011, Rome
58th Rome Pasta Pot
Friday 20th May 2011, Malta
OAs in Malta Dinner
Saturday 25th June 2011, Ampleforth
St Aidan’s House Girls Reunion
Sunday 3rd July 2011, London
10 Years of Girls at Ampleforth College Reunion
Saturday 6th August 2011, London
St Thomas’ House 65 Year Reunion
Saturday 24th September 2011, London
St Oswald’s House 85 Year Reunion
Saturday 8th October 2011, Ampleforth
Ampleforth Society AGM
Saturday 15th October 2011, London
1991 Leavers 20 Year Reunion
Saturday 15th October 2011, Ampleforth
Old Amplefordian Parents Day
Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October 2011, Brazil
Old Benedictine School Gathering, Brazil
Thursday 24th November 2011, Newcastle
Northern Counties Dinner
Thursday 8th December, London
Friends of Ampleforth Lourdes Sick Carol Concert
If you would like further details of the any of the events above, or would
like to attend please contact Louise Riley, Ampleforth Society and Old
Amplefordian Assistant, on lr@ampleforth.org.uk or 01439 766884.

Photograph courtesy of Matthew Plummer
Ampleforth Lourdes
Pilgrimage 2011
The next Pilgrimage to Lourdes will take
place from Friday 15th to Friday 22nd July
2011. This annual event, conducted under
the patronage of the Abbot of Ampleforth,
takes a large number of sick and
handicapped people of all ages for a week’s
pilgrimage to Lourdes in the French
Pyrenees.
The Pilgrimage is always keen to hear of
people (disabled, frail or elderly) who
would welcome an opportunity to come
as a Hospital Pilgrim to Lourdes.
Ampleforth is one of the few remaining
working Pilgrimages in the UK with a
complement of doctors and nurses which
enable it to take sick people to Lourdes. Is
there anyone in your parish, village or
neighbourhood who would like to come?
Do you know anyone who is housebound
or who cares for someone at home 24
hours a day, seven days a week? The
Pilgrimage offers such people respite from
these daily tasks without separation from
each other - a holiday for both parties.
The Pilgrimage takes part in all the major
ceremonies at Lourdes and our day is
centred on the celebration of Holy Mass.
Combined with the spiritual and liturgical
messages of the week, healing in the true
sense of the word can take place.
Please look around and see if there is
someone in your area who would benefit.
We are happy to talk to anyone who is
interested and will try to meet their needs.
Similarly the Pilgrimage cannot function
without the help and dedication of its
nurses. As the result of successful
fundraising this year the Pilgrimage is in the
fortunate position to be able to offer nurses
full funding, as for them it is truly a busman's
holiday. You may know of nurses (or
healthcare assistants) who would welcome
an opportunity to come to Lourdes and
share in what is a very enriching and
fulfilling week. If you know of anyone who
expresses an interest please encourage
them to contact Janet or Annie on the
details below.
Thank you.
For further information please contact:
Mrs Anna Mayer (Pilgrimage Director)
Tel: 02920 890556
Email: anna@mayer.co.uk
Dr Janet Squire (Chief Doctor)
Tel: 01536 711451
Email: rushtonmanor@aol.com
Mrs Annie Bowen-Wright (Chief Nurse)
Tel: 020 7274 0232
Email: bowenwright@talktalk.net
17
AMPLEFORTH LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 2011

18
SOPHIE RYAN (A09)
Sophie Ryan (A09) took part in a charity
event through Newcastle University RAG
week called 'Jailbreak' in order to raise
money for KidsCan, a charity supporting
research into child cancer. The aim of the
event was to travel as far away from
Newcastle as physically possible in 36
hours... for free!
Sophie writes:
Sophie Ryan (A09)
“A friend and I managed to get flights from
Newcastle to Heathrow and then on to
Montreal without having to spend a penny
ourselves. Unfortunately we could only
stay there for 24 hours as we both had
lectures on Monday but we managed to
cram plenty into our short stay and take
hundreds of photos as well as befriending
air cabin staff and managing to have a
picture taken in the cockpit with the Pilots’
hats on!”

Tom Moon (C07)
Tom Moon (C07) started playing in bands
when he was at Ampleforth College. He
played with various individuals of different
age groups but enjoyed playing in a band
at the time called ‘Behind The Light,’ which
consisted of himself, Gabriel Cookson
(T07), Archie Cookson (T09) and Edward
Fallon (C07). When he went to University
he knew that he wanted to start a band
with original music and people who
enjoyed different approaches to making this
music.
‘First Assault’ is a collaboration of Tom
Moon and Tom Moore, who both met
during fresher’s week at Newcastle
University in 2008. Through the use of a
clever computer (band member #3) and
enthusiastic guitar riffs, they have adapted
their own sound. Through a couple of
band member changes they have found
their preferred arrangement and over the
three years they have been recording and
gigging together. They now provide a
diverse gig set aimed at all. Their music can
be found in the following places:
www.myspace.com/thefirstassault
www.facebook.com/pages/The-First-Assault
19
TOM MOON (C07)

20
THE CARDINAL HUME CENTRE
The Cardinal Hume Centre, established
by Basil Hume, an Abbot of Ampleforth, to
help homeless young people who were
sleeping rough on the streets of London,
this year celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
Philip Marsden (J74) reflects on the work
of the Centre and how Cardinal Hume
might view it today.
“When Basil Hume was Abbot of
Ampleforth he had a big impact on the
school. Although absent for long periods
on monastic business he always had time
for the boys, and a particular interest in
sport where I was fortunate to have most
contact.
“I became interested in his centre after his
death and, together with my family,
became involved in its work about 10 years
ago. It is a remarkable place which has
over the years built upon the Benedictine
ethos of welcome and hospitality upon
which it was founded. Today it provides a
home to 40 homeless young people at any
one time as well as working with hundreds
of local people who are living on the
margins of society. What makes it special is
that it gives people the support they need
as individuals - never taking a one size fits all
approach – an ethos familiar to anyone
associated with Ampleforth. Everyone is
offered a range of support from help with
finding a job, getting into education and
training, learning English, freeing
themselves from debt, advice on housing
and immigration status, even lessons on
how to become better parents.
“I think Basil Hume would be delighted to
see the way the Centre has developed and
that his legacy lives on in such a tangible
way. I think he would be even more
pleased if he felt that Ampleforth and
particularly its friends and alumni might play
a bigger part in the development of its next
25 years.”
The Cardinal
Hume Centre
Young people from the Cardinal Hume
Centre tell their stories on an exciting new
video about the Centre and its work. You
can view it on YouTube or by visiting
www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk.

Ampleforth College
Golf Club
The Ampleforth College Golf Club is a
public golf club with 190 members from all
walks of life including six members of the
Community and 25 members of staff.
Father Edward Corbould is President of the
Club but the Club is managed by members
from outside the College.
The Club leases the course from the
Abbey Trustees and contributes over
£30,000 per year towards the
maintenance of the course. The machinery
and greenkeeper are provided by the
College.
All students at St Martin’s Ampleforth and
the College have free use of the course
and priority use between 2-4pm on
weekdays during term-time.
Set in the wooded, hilly parkland to the
south and west of Gilling Castle, with
stunning views of the North York Moors,
the 9-hole course extends to 18 holes by
the use of alternative tees. The 18 holes
total 5,567 yards with a par of 69. The
non-professional course record of 68 was
set by Paul Butcher in June 2010.
The Club has an extensive fixtures calendar
throughout the year including matches
against local clubs, the College and St
Martin’s Ampleforth. Competitions are
held on most Sundays, and occasional
Wednesday evenings during Summer.
In order to retain present members and
attract new ones, the Club has built a new
log cabin style clubhouse with changing
rooms and a members’ clubroom. The
Club raised funds through an interest free
loan, generous donations and fundraising
activities. A major factor was the self-build
provided by a stalwart group of members
resulting in a clubhouse of which the Club
can feel proud.
The Club employs no-one, the part-time
manager is an in honorarium post. The
Clubhouse is unmanned with an Honesty
Box to collect non-members’ green fees.
The Clubroom provides refreshments on a
self-help basis.
This year, the full membership fee is £250
with country membership at £190. The
Club is offering considerably discounted
membership for parents of current
students and for members of the
Ampleforth Society. Parents and members
of the Ampleforth Society who live over 25
miles from the College are invited to
become full members of the Club for just
£100 or £150 for joint membership.
Furthermore, green fees for parents of
current students and for members of the
Ampleforth Society who are nonmembers,
wherever they live are set at half
the full rate.
The Club hopes very much that parents
and members of the Ampleforth Society
will join the Club and help foster the link
between the College and the Golf Club
that is so mutually beneficial.
Please visit www.ampleforthgolf.co.uk or
contact the manager, Ian Henley:
Tel: 01439 788274.
21
AMPLEFORTH COLLEGE GOLF CLUB

22
HENRY BYRNE (O04)
Henry Byrne (O04)
Henry Byrne (O04) is a painter living in
London. His strong, colourful and accurate
portraits have enabled Henry to sell
internationally and exhibit extensively in
London. Henry currently lives in East
London near his studio. For more details of
Henry’s work and commission prices
please go to his website:
www.henrybyrne.com

Coghlan (A72)
Nicholas
Nicholas Coghlan (A72) has recently
published Winter in Fireland – A Patagonian
Adventure. “After tough assignments as a
Canadian diplomat abroad, Nicholas
Coghlan (A72) and his wife Jenny unwind
by sailing Bosun Bird, a 27ft sailboat, from
Cape Town, South Africa, across the South
Atlantic and into the stormy winter waters
around Tierra del Fuego, South America.
Coghlan recounts earlier adventures in
Patagonia when, taking time off from his job
as a schoolteacher in Buenos Aires in the
late 1970s, he and Jenny explored the
region of southern Argentina and Chile
over three successive summers. This time,
as they negotiate the labyrinth of channels
and inlets around snow-covered Fireland,
he reflects on voyages of past explorers:
Magellan, Cook, Darwin, and others.
Sailing enthusiasts and readers of true
adventures will want to add Coghlan’s
world-wise narrative to their libraries.”
23
NICHOLAS COGHLAN (A72)

24
LILY DOYLE (M08) & PETER SEILERN (O70)
Lily Doyle (M08)
Lily Doyle (M08) is working in the
marketing department of Great Rail
Journeys in York whilst on her placement
year from the University of Northumbria
Business School where she is reading
Business and Management. Great Rail
Journeys are specialists in escorted holidays
by train. As the UK's largest rail based
holiday company, they offer over 130
individual rail tours to over 40 countries.
Peter
Seilern (O70)
As a result of Peter Seilern’s (O70) and his
family’s loyalty to the House of Habsburg,
he was recently elevated to Knight of the
Order of the Golden Fleece. Peter is
pictured here at the annual celebration of
the Order’s patron Saint, St Andrew the
Apostle, which took place in Rome in
November 2009. Peter and his wife
Caroline attended the celebration that
included a Requiem Mass celebrated in the
church of the Sovereign Knights of Malta
where the investitures took place.

Expedition Everest
Alice Reid (A08) & Lallie Fraser (A08)
In Nepal, the under-five mortality rate is
55%. That’s 550 babies per 1,000 live
births - England’s mortality rate is under a
fifth of this percentage. Two of the most
common reasons why these little ones are
dying way before their time are diarrhoea
and malnutrition. This is incomprehensible
when we live in a country where diarrhoea
is at most highly embarrassing and one of
the most pressing issues is obesity.
Childreach International is a charity that
works in partnership with the Dhulikel
Hospital to improve rural child health.
Their efforts have made a huge difference,
but there are still so many children in need.
This June, Alice Reid (A08) and Lallie Fraser
(A08), have signed up for Expedition
Everest, Childreach International’s flagship
fundraising event. They will embark on a
two-week hike through some of the
Himalayas most impressive valleys to the
base camp of the world’s largest mountain
visiting some of Childreach International’s
projects along the way.
www.virginmoneygiving.com/AliceReid1
www.virginmoneygiving.com/Lallie.Fraser
25
EXPEDITION EVEREST - ALICE REID (A08) AND LALLIE FRASER (A08)

26
BUILDING PANORAMICS FOR AMPLEFORTH
Building Panoramics specialise in producing
incredible photographs of buildings and
their locations. We strive to produce
images that beautifully represent the unique
nature of the buildings and locations that
are a key part of Britain's heritage.
Using a specialist photographic technique
that we call eyesview, we produce a
photograph that really captures the view of
a location as you truly see it with your eyes.
We take great care to select views that
represent the unique character of each
place, taking time to capture the light that
best reflects the details of the architecture
and the atmosphere of the environment in
which it stands. Building Panoramics LLP
aim to provide a product that is carefully
crafted, artistic, accurate and of particular
importance to the people who have a
personal interest in a building, or a
collection of buildings and the local area
that they occupy.
The eyesview technique allows a level of
detail that is only achieved with the most
high end capture devices used in
photography. This allows the picture to
have a quality and realism, that gives the
viewer a sense that they can walk right into
the picture.
Building Panoramics take great care to
produce a unique and artistic picture, taking
inspiration from the great painters of the
past, making sure that the light, atmosphere
and composition of the picture captures
the true magic and splendour of the place.
Our main focus is on the unique buildings
that make up the United Kingdom’s
schools and colleges. In our opinion, these
buildings represent an incredibly diverse
collection of architectural styles and often
reside in remarkable locations.
Building Panoramics
for Ampleforth
The Ampleforth pictures can be ordered as either a gallery mounted canvas or mounted
fine art print in several different sizes. Please visit www.buildingpanoramics.com
to view the pictures which can be purchased in the online store.
25% of each sale will go to the Ampleforth Bursary Fund.

Old Amplefordian
Rifle Club
Old Amplefordians have a tradition of being
competitive and accomplished shots. The
OA Rifle Club is hoping to rejuvenate this
enthusiasm for the sport and bring together
those Amplefordians in the area who might
wish to participate in local competitions.
Ampleforth College maintains its excellence
in this curriculum, the schools team having
recently won the National Small Bore
Shooting Competition - they are sure to be
a worthy competitor!
The CCF department will be hosting a
Centenary Tattoo in the afternoon of
Exhibition Saturday 28th May and would
welcome any Old Amplefordians
interested in joining the OA Rifle Club to
come along. Alternatively, for more
information please contact Louise Riley,
Ampleforth Society and Old Amplefordian
Assistant, on lr@ampleforth.org.uk or
telephone 01439 766884.
27
OLD AMPLEFORDIAN RIFLE CLUB

28
BAMBOO TRAVEL
Bamboo Travel
Top Tour Operator Award
Ewen Moore (T02)
Having travelled extensively in the Far East
and worked for one of the UK’s top tour
operators for the last four years, Ewen
Moore (T02) is now helping to develop an
exciting young company called Bamboo
Travel, which specialises in bespoke travel
to the Far East.
Bamboo Travel offers expert knowledge
and good value, exciting holidays and
honeymoons to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, The
Philippines, China, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia
and on the Trans-Siberian express.
In February 2011, the team at Bamboo
Travel were delighted to be awarded the
Gold Award for the UK’s Top Tour
Operator as voted for by the readers of
Wanderlust Travel Magazine. They beat
over 700 other tour operators to the top
spot, many of whom are much larger
companies and established names within
the travel industry.
Bamboo Travel offers all Old Amplefordians
and friends of Ampleforth an exclusive
discount. Simply quote ‘Ampleforth’ when
making your initial enquiry to receive a
£100 discount on any tailormade holiday
or honeymoon to the Far East.
Tel: 0207 720 9285
email: info@bambootravel.co.uk
www.bambootravel.co.uk

Robin Blake (A66)
Robin Blake (A66) recently published a new book entitled
A Dark Anatomy. It is a historical crime mystery, set in 1740s
Lancashire. Various further details about the book and
author can be found on Robin’s website
www.robinblake.co.uk.
New Years Honours
Three Old Amplefordians were named in the 2011 New
Years Honours List – Michael Ancram (W62) and Julian
Fellowes (B66) were both awarded Life Peerages and
Anthony Fitzherbert (C56) was awarded an OBE for his
service to agricultural development in Afghanistan.
Eric Thomas (H70)
Eric Thomas (H70), Vice-Chancellor of the University of
Bristol since 2001, has been elected to serve as President
of Universities UK from 2011 to 2013. Universities UK is
the representative body of all Universities in the UK.
Charles O’Malley (D85)
Charles O’Malley (D85) has been appointed a ‘London
Leader’ for 2011 by the London Sustainable Development
Commission. In this part-time role Charles will be launching
a high profile innovation challenge and ‘bootcamp’ for early
stage entrepreneurs, in partnership with a number of large
corporates and investors. In addition, Charles has recently
been appointed Head of Europe for the leading sustainability
consultancy and think tank, AccountAbility, where he will be
advising major multi-nationals on some of their most
The Ogden Brothers
Robert (T91) and Ben Ogden (T92), the directors of their
family jewellery business Ogden of Harrogate, have recently
opened a second showroom in York. The sister shop is
called The Little Diamond Shop, which was the original
name given to Ogden of Harrogate by their great
grandfather when he founded the company in 1893.
Joe Vincent (O91)
Joe Vincent (O91) studied Biological Sciences at Durham
University before spending six years in the financial services
sector at Robert Fleming and Cazenove. He moved to the
private healthcare sector in 2003 initially as Director of Sales
and Marketing at Medicsight. He spent four years at Bupa
Cromwell Hospital before taking up his current post on the
Senior Management Team at King Edward VII's Hospital.
Charlie Grace (O92)
important environmental and social challenges. Guy Mankowski (B01)
John Kerr (O90)
John Kerr (O90) has recently been appointed UK Executive
Sales Manager for Armstrong World Industries, overseeing
all sales activity for the United Kingdom and the Republic of
Ireland.
Charlie Grace (O92) is a broker specialising in Trade Credit
and Political Risks Insurance for Berry Palmer and Lyle Ltd.
Charlie works in the area of emerging markets for blue chip
banking, trading, and exporter clients. The Chairman of
Berry Palmer and Lyle Ltd is also an old boy of Ampleforth,
Charles Berry (O70).
Hugh Billett (C95)
Hugh Billett (C95) heads a team at Morgan Stanley focusing
on family offices and private clients in the UK with a special
emphasis on the North-East.
Guy Mankowski (B01) recently published his first novel. The
Intimates tells the story of a group of closely-knit friends,
each brilliantly talented failures, who are brought together
one night at a party held by Francoise to celebrate the
completion of her memoir, which portrayed them at their
most promising. But by highlighting what each of them
could have been Francoise sets the stage for a night in which
all their buried ambitions and secrets will come to light,
powerfully altering their lives in a matter of hours.
29
OLD AMPLEFORDIAN UPDATES

30
BIRTHS
Births
2007
7 January Jo and John Lentaigne (H93) a daughter, Islay Amelia
2008
11 February Sally and Simon Flatman (J90) a son, Thomas George
2009
5 January Jo and John Lentaigne (H93) a daughter, Romilly Kate
23 May Danielle and James Lentaigne (H95) a daughter, Coco Mae
5 June Deborah and Peter Thomas (B86) a daughter, Eva Verity Elisabeth Aurelia
2010
5 July Rupert and Suzanne Cornford nee Dale (OA97) a daughter, Rose Marie
26 September Claire and Julian Lentaigne (H97) a son, Benjamin David Wolfe
16 September Tara and Ceri Williams (B92) a daughter, Tessa Jude
1October Katie and Tom Shepherd (H96) a daughter, Lily Mary Fitzsimon
2 October Countess and Count Johannes Ballestrem (J98) a son, Alois Karl Josef Benedikt
25 October Zoe and Archie Sherbrooke (A99) a son, Rory Edmund James
27 November Kate and Peter Tapparo (A90) a son, Sebastian Arthur Rigby
9 December Nikki and Benedict Ryan (J90) a daughter, Jemima Daisy Ophelia
15 December Alexandra and Matthew Nesbit (H00) a son, Archie David Blake
2011
17 January Yvonne and Peter Kerry (T84) a daughter, Isabelle Grace
8 February Liz and Philip Ryan (B95) a son, Thomas Gawen Hugh
8 March Fiona and Edmund Dilger (O94) a daughter, Rose Mary

Marriages Forthcoming Marriages
2008
25 October Suzanne Marie Dale (OA97) to Rupert David Corford,
St Austin’s Church, Grassendale, Liverpool
2009
22 August Benedict Godfrey (O95) to Audrey Walas, France
2010
7 August Rupert King-Evans (T94) to Emmeline Riis-Johannessen,
St Andrew’s, Aysgarth
18 December Mark Pickthall (B76) to Amanda Riley
2011
5 March Rupert Pepper (D94) to Vanessa Warren-Gash, London
OA Deaths
2010
28 July John St-Clair Gainer (A48)
25 November Andrew J Hope (T72)
30 November Patrick L Pollen (E46)
15 December Chad MG Sarll (T66)
21 December Lord Windelsham (E50)
2011
7 January Michael Stokes-Rees (W52)
13 January Christopher R Graves (C43)
16 January Julian EG Oxford and Asquith (O34)
18 January H John S Westmore (O40)
22 January O Willoughby R Wynne (B52)
25 January Vincent AP Cronin (W40)
20 February Hon Hugh AJ Fraser (B65)
27 February Denzil Hughes-Onslow (E57)
13 March John Daniel Remers (D46)
30 March Benjamin Ruck-Keene (E67)
Hon Michael Brennan (H95) to Alejandra Mora Diaz
Henry Foster (H00) to Victoria Rickards
James Hughes (C93) to Rose Gretton
John Leyden (D95) to Zoe Keatinge
Prayers are asked for others who have died
2010
28 November John Mather, father of Jonathan (J78) and Mark (J81)
2011
11 January Jane Ryan, wife of Kevin (O56) and mother of Nick (O86)
16 January Noreen Hunt, friend of Ampleforth Abbey
24 January Kika Mycielska, great-aunt of Jozef Mycielski (O90)
31
MARRIAGES AND DEATHS

32
HEADMASTER’S INTRODUCTION
Headmaster’s
Introduction
College News
This has been a long and busy term with
much hard work achieved and many
sporting and cultural achievements to
celebrate.
This term the college section of The Diary
is focused, in part, on some of our scholars
(more to follow next term). I often reflect
with gratitude on the scholars’
contributions to the academic, cultural and
sporting life of the school. Not only do they
give much, but they act as excellent role
models. Nine of our students, all academic
scholars, have been offered places at
Oxford and Cambridge, three of them
with choral scholarships. This is a
tremendous achievement not only for the
boys and girls but also for their teachers,
who worked so hard with them. We have
enjoyed some wonderful informal concerts
in the Central Hall on Thursday
lunchtimes, designed to showcase our
music scholars’ talents. Our Basil Hume
scholars, you will discover, have been very
busy setting high standards in art, theatre,
sport and music. It strikes me that these
talented boy and girl scholars are often,
also, school monitors and energetic
fundraisers for charity.
In this edition of The Diary we are having
a feature on St Bede’s House which is
about to celebrate its eighty fifth
anniversary. This milestone is planned to be
fully marked with a celebratory meal in the
autumn and the unveiling of St Bede’s
house tweed, designed by Derek Lloyd
incorporating the house colours. Jackets in
this tweed will be available for old boys and
girls of the house. We intend this article to
be the beginning of a series highlighting the
history, achievements and character of the
different houses.
In common with many Catholic Heads
from both independent and voluntary
aided sectors I have written to encourage
the government to include Religious
Studies in the new English Baccalaureate.
Its exclusion from these core subjects
disadvantages our students; it is also a sad
reflection of the marginalisation of
Christianity in the modern world. Indeed
there is a spiritual black hole which can
threaten our national heart; in my 20 year
experience as an RE teacher the study of
Theology can be part of the attempt to
address this desperately serious issue.
Religious Studies, particularly the popular
areas of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics,
broaden, deepen and challenge the minds
of our young people and thus invests in our
and their future.
The Easter holiday approaches. For many it
will be a busy time with preparation for
public examinations next term. However,
I hope it will also bring some time for much
needed rest and that Easter will bring a
sense of rebirth and spiritual renewal. I will
keep you in my prayers.

Ampleforth
Scholars
Digby Walker (T) Libby Simpson (B)
I have been a Basil Hume Scholar since my first year at the
school, specialising in sport and drama.
During my time here I have played rugby for the 1st XV, tennis
for the 1st VI, been joint captain of the 2nd XI football team,
swam for the 1sts and got through to the semi-finals of the
Rosslyn Park rugby 7’s tournament, amongst others. I am also
an Under Officer in the CCF, have been a member of the
greenroom and have acted in, directed or been backstage for
over 20 plays and achieved my theatre laurels. I have been a
lectio divina group leader, achieved academic scholarship status,
been a student librarian and completed my bronze and gold
Duke of Edinburgh awards. I am heavily involved in the school
charity FACE-FAW and helped with the Friendship holiday. I
have been awarded house colours and I am Head of School. I
play the cello to grade 5 as well as the piano, and I participate
regularly in many other activities, from cricket nets to poetry
society. I also completed the Paras10 Charity run last year. I
have thoroughly enjoyed being a Basil Hume Scholar, as it has
allowed me to really get to know people with similar strengths
and interests.
Having been privileged enough to have been given a Basil
Hume Scholarship before I came to Ampleforth, I have tried to
make full use of it by involving myself in all aspects of school
life.
I was given the scholarship for music and sport, however I have
also taken part in several school plays, completed my gold
Duke of Edinburgh and been an active member of the school
charity, FACE-FAW, for five years, helping organise projects such
as the school charity rock concert and the whole school
Rowathon. Furthermore, alongside my A levels I took part in a
sponsored 50K row to raise money for Hope and Homes for
Children, which proved a very tough challenge! This year I was
made Head Girl, it has been a great experience, which I am
currently thoroughly enjoying, although it keeps me very busy!
I believe that being given a Basil Hume Scholarship is a fantastic
opportunity, yet to really get the most out of it, it’s necessary
to not just make an effort with your speciality but to try new
activities, be a member of various societies and say yes to the
opportunities that are offered to you.
33
AMPLEFORTH SCHOLARS

34
AMPLEFORTH SCHOLARS
Mat Beckwith (D)
During the entire month of July I had the privilege of working
as an intern for a world-renowned elephant conservation
group Save The Elephants.
I was based at their main research camp in a remote nature
reserve on the Kenyan savannah. The goal of Save the
Elephants is to secure a sustainable future for elephants and
their habitat, by promoting a tolerant relationship between
elephant and man. The group normally takes interns from
Universities, so I was very happy to be given the position.
The reasons why the experience was so special for me are
twofold. Firstly, I was able to contribute in a meaningful way to
an important cause; elephant numbers in East Africa have been
in rapid decline since the 1980’s, almost exclusively due to
poaching, fuelled by high demand for ivory in Asia. I contributed
to the efforts of the group by assisting in surveys of all the
animals present in the local nature reserve, in order to establish
the general health of the ecosystem. This meant I got to drive
vehicles around the reserve, observing and recording the size
and frequency of elephant families I encountered.
Secondly, the remote and unfamiliar setting of the camp, and its
basic facilities posed a lot of unique challenges, such as how
best to wade across a crocodile infested river at night, how to
make a tent “snake-proof,” or how to exit a room in a hurry if
you find a seven foot long spitting cobra coming through the
door (dive out a window!).
Overall, my experiences in Africa were life shaping, and fuelled
my desire to become a biologist. I would love to return to
Kenya in a few years time to pursue my own research project.
Mat has a provisional place to read Biological Sciences at
Magdalen College, Oxford.
Bella Brown (B)
My Basil Hume Scholarship is in art and sport. I have felt very
privileged being awarded a Basil Hume Scholarship.
I have participated in many school teams such as the 2nd netball
team, the 2nd hockey team, cross country team, the athletics
team and many house competitions. Outside of school I play
district netball and have trained with the junior British Event
team for horse riding. Being involved with all these different
sports has been a thorough enjoyment and has been great to
be able to be in a team with others and gain close friends. In the
Art department I have managed to produce a variety of work,
which has been displayed in many school exhibitions and also
achieved high results in examinations. I thoroughly enjoy my
Art at the school with great help from my teacher, Mr Bird,
who gives me confidence and advice. I have also been involved
in many theatre productions such as Love Labours Lost and The
Alchemist, which have been a fantastic experience and a great
way of meeting others in the school. I am also currently
completing my Duke of Edinburgh award. Achieving a Basil
Hume Scholarship at Ampleforth helped me gain confidence
in myself and therefore achieve to my full ability and apply my
full potential to the school.

Max Cockerill (T)
When I came to Ampleforth in the winter of 2006 to audition
for a music scholarship I did not realise quite what would be in
store over the next five years; hour long music lessons and lots
of ensemble groups became a part of daily life.
Music dominates my time but without it I would have found
Ampleforth a very different place. Immediately my limits were
tested by being asked to play the solo viola part in Variations on
a theme by Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams, a daunting
prospect. While my performance was adequate, more
importantly it was my first step in learning how to perform and
to enjoy doing so.
Lots of performances have followed. Highlights have been the
Mendelssohn Octet and singing on stage in Purcell’s Dido and
Aeneas. In the upper sixth I prepared for my choral scholarship
audition at Trinity College Cambridge. The audition gave me
an intimate day and a half with one of Cambridge’s most
famous choirs. We were expected to pick out individual notes
from a randomly played six note chord (a test I failed!) and then
asked to sing a piece for piano and voice to the Trinity College
choir. My reaction to this terrifying prospect was to start pacing
around in feverish excitement, showing that being a music
scholar at Ampleforth has given me a confidence and passion
for performance.
As a music scholar I find my time split between instrumental
practice and ensemble, a demanding programme but not one
that has prevented me from participating in many other aspects
of school life.
Max Cockerill was awarded a choral scholarship at Trinity.
Philippa La Rosee (B)
I was given an honorary Basil Hume Scholarship for sport,
which I felt very privileged to have been given.
My speciality is cross country, not only have I run for the school
but in the past four years I managed to qualify for the county
team and compete in the English Schools Cross Country
Championships. I also enjoy playing hockey and tennis. I was
given the opportunity to be the 2nd X1 hockey captain, which
I really appreciated and enjoyed especially as there are so many
enthusiastic and keen hockey players at Ampleforth. At the end
of last year I was also appointed as Head of Girls Games, which
involves organising sports events and liaising with the Games
Department. Furthermore, I have greatly enjoyed throwing
myself into many other areas in school life. I am currently
completing my Duke of Edinburgh gold award, I have acted in
two school productions, and I play the piano. I took part in the
Rowathon rowing 50 km for the charity Hope and Homes for
Children with the collective aim of raising £30,000. Being a
Basil Hume Scholar has further encouraged me to do
everything to my full potential and given me the incentive to
participate in a variety of aspects of school life.
35
AMPLEFORTH SCHOLARS

36
AMPLEFORTH SCHOLARS
Ava Podgorski (A)
Sine musica nulla vita … without music there is no life. This is
certainly true to my life at Ampleforth in my first term and a
half.
Weekly activities, classes and practices keep us on our toes. I
am a ‘singing’ scholar, but I also play trombone and piano, and
having sung from an early age, the choral opportunities at
Ampleforth are a wonderful chance for me to push myself,
singing new repertoire every week in Mass.
Since the age of 10 I have been a member of the Yorkshire
Youth Choir, attending residential courses during Easter and the
summer, and we toured Tuscany in 2008. I have also sung with
the National Youth Choir and done several vocal workshops
with composers and conductors such as John Rutter and Mike
Brewer. These courses build upon singing technique,
incorporating musicianship and Alexander Technique sessions.
My involvement with these organisations has furthered my love
for singing, and has broadened my repertoire, having sung
everything from Pergolesi to Coldplay.
I am a member of the Ampleforth Singers, who are currently
preparing for several concerts this term, of Big Band, the Brass
Ensemble and the Orchestra. This means that my ensemble
playing now has a chance to improve, as well as providing me
with new chances to perform in a range of musical groups, a
rich experience of a life of music.
Dan Thurman (O)
One of the many privileges of attending Ampleforth College is
the enormous range of activities available for everyone to take
part in; from cricket to art and from the orchestra to the CCF.
Being a Basil Hume Scholar entails involving yourself and others
in as many of these activities as possible and since arriving at
the school five years ago I have endeavoured to do just that.
This has resulted in me representing the school in the 1st XI for
both cricket and hockey and being a member of the school
orchestra for five years. The activities on offer can be taken up
by anyone of any skill level with experienced members of the
upper years lending a helping hand to the younger students.
The consequences of the help given by the older students is
that time is spent with other years in a way which rarely
happens in other aspects of school life. The Basil Hume
programme is a hugely rewarding one with students being
encouraged and challenged to achieve their full potential and in
my case has been very helpful in developing my skills in sport
and music.

Shobha Prabhu-Naik (M)
Extended Project Qualification
This year I decided to take up the challenge
of doing an Extended Project Qualification
(EPQ) on short stories. As I hope to study
English Literature at Cambridge University,
researching the development of the short
story was something that I knew I would
enjoy as well as benefit from. I did not
foresee, however, the vast scope of
literature that this would require me to
research. Although I only really needed to
look at stories written by a few authors, I
was immediately encouraged to keep
reading. This is mainly because researching
about the stories myself, rather than being
told about them, led me to think about
very different interpretations of them, as
well as developing a deeper insight into
their background.
I have looked at how the short story has
developed over the twentieth and twentyfirst
centuries in terms of form, plot and
style. Whilst doing this my supervisor
suggested that I do some writing of my
own, imitating the style of certain authors.
This has not only enabled me to learn in
detail how authors such as James Joyce and
Angela Carter write, but also to make a
first step in developing my own creative
writing. I have certainly not included most
of what I have discovered in the limited
5,000 word essay required by my EPQ but
this is actually what I have found most
exciting about it; I have been led to study
something without any limits on my
interest. I have been able to research huge
amounts of information on short stories,
even if not all of it is specifically relevant to
my question. Indeed, doing this project has
both helped further my interest of literature
and introduced me to the joys of
independent research and learning.
37
EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATIONS

38
EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATIONS
John Clapham (J)
Extended Project Qualification
I decided to undertake an EPQ (Extended
Project Qualification), and as a passionate
musician, I was always set on doing a
musical project. However, the flexibility of
the qualification allowed me to consider
several options before starting. I
subsequently settled on a creative project
based around a musical composition of the
name Missa Veni Creator Spiritus for
unaccompanied choir. As the name
suggests, the composition is a setting of the
Latin mass. The last three words of the title
owe themselves to the Latin plainsong
hymn of the same name, which I used both
as a melodic and philosophical basis for the
work. As a former chorister of
Westminster Cathedral, I had grown up
with both the Latin mass and plainsong as a
part of my everyday life. And so I was more
than happy to be able to put my
knowledge, experience and love of these
two disciplines into a creative use.
I completed much of the composition over
the summer holidays at home, away from
the busy schedule of school life. I had
already met several times with Mr Hardie,
my supervisor for the project, to whom I
am much indebted. So I was able to
complete most of the actual composition
by the time I returned for my upper sixth
year in September. Another aspect of the
project was that I would rehearse and
conduct the work using the Ampleforth
Singers, to whom I am also much indebted
to for their consistent focus and hard work
on the tight deadlines. I wrote a brief
commentary on the work on my return to
school, explaining some of my influences
and compositional techniques (I had spent
time researching composers such as
Britten, Durufle, MacMillan and Bairstow in
order to fulfill the research aspect of the
project and stimulate my own
compositional ideas).
The project came to a grand and satisfying
conclusion with a premiere of the work,
sung by the Ampleforth Singers, in the Main
Hall. This was then followed by a
presentation (an aspect of the project
which I particularly relished) in the Alcuin
Room in which I briefly explained what I
had done for the project as well as taking a
variety of questions from those kind
enough to attend. I was later thrilled to
learn that I had attained an A* grade for the
project, which I had found to be both
rewarding and exciting. Since finishing the
project, I have continued working with the
Ampleforth Singers on other repertoire
and have had the opportunity to perform
the mass for the first time in its true liturgical
setting in Easingwold Parish Church. I also
decided to set the poetry of Niamh Keenan
(M) to music for choir with organ
accompaniment (performed by the
combined Scholae of Ampleforth College),
as a part of the Christmas Carol Service, a
task which provided me with a new set of
challenges and difficulties and which I was
thrilled to be involved in. I am looking to
continue composing after I leave school
and am constantly eager to take part in any
compositional opportunities that are sent
my way.
I would strongly recommend the EPQ to
anyone currently a part of, or joining the
sixth form, as its flexibility provides
absolutely anyone with the opportunity to
gain recognition for something they love
and enjoy, as well as developing key skills
such as organisation, time management
and public speaking in an enjoyable and
self-determined environment.

In September 2010, 25 members of the
first year gathered for the Junior Drama
Activity. There were no auditions, and
everyone was encouraged to join, whether
or not they had ever acted before.
Four months later, having made new
friends and learnt new skills, the same
students – a bit older and a lot louder –
took to the stage in a dazzling production of
Lucy Prebble’s Enron.
The play follows the career of Jeffrey
Skilling and shows how the hubris of one
man led to worldwide financial meltdown.
The youthfulness of Miss Brown’s cast
emphasised Prebble’s satirical message,
taking us to a world where children juggled
millions of dollars like toys. George
Brichieri’s set – a scaled up rubix cube –
transformed the theatre into an adrenalinefuelled
playground. Special praise must go
to Harry Holroyd (C), for his swaggering
portrayal of Skilling, with Santiago Giraldo
(D) as his oleaginous side-kick. The trading
floor, made up of Phoebe Gibby (B), Alex
MacCuish (J), Matthew Warden (C), Rory
Skinner (H), Rosie Blackett (M), Tilly Trant
(M) and Anna Ogden (A), sang, danced and
wielded light-sabers with panache.
What was most impressive however, was
the good-humour and maturity of the cast.
This was a genuine ensemble production,
in which every member of the cast
supported each other wholeheartedly. The
future of Ampleforth theatre looks very
bright with talent like this to draw from.
Junior Drama
Activity
39
JUNIOR DRAMA ACTIVITY

40
ST BEDE’S HOUSE
St Bede’s Due to the expansion of the school, Ampleforth College moved to a house system in 1926
House
with St Bede’s opening along with St Aidan’s and St Cuthbert’s. As one of the oldest houses
the history includes a wealth of old boys, housemasters including Cardinal Basil Hume and
buildings. St Bede’s returned to Aumit House in September 2006 after two years in the central
building whilst renovation work adapted the building from two boys’ houses into one for girls.
St Bede’s House had moved from the
central building to Aumit House when it
was first built in 1957. Up until 2006 St
Bede’s had been a boys house but in June
of that year, the final top year formally
handed over the house, with their blessing,
to girls. In the September, 28 new girls
arrived for their first term. St Bede’s quickly
grew in size, with 28 becoming 72 in just
three years! This year, on the 85th
anniversary of the house, our founding first
year girls leave the school after five years.
To see an entire year group go through the
house has been a fantastic experience and
they are incredibly close to each other. We
have no doubt that they will stay in touch
for years to come and tears will most
definitely be shed in June.
St Bede’s girls still maintain strong ties with the old boys of Bede’s, including brothers,
uncles, fathers and grandfathers and we regularly welcome OAs back to visit. One of our
old boys has decided to come back for an extended stay, as a housemaster! Ben
Pennington (Head of House B95) will be joining the school in September as Housemaster
of St Dunstan’s.
Moving from a small prep school to a large school like Ampleforth can seem quite daunting
at first, but the house system allows the younger students the chance to settle into a more
homely environment, away from the hustle and bustle of school life. A first year of St
Bede’s writes: “There is a very strong sense of family within the house. Everyone is
treated equally and there is no favouritism, which means that everyone can have the same
opportunities and can achieve to the best of their abilities. We have weekly mass where
the community comes together in a spiritual way and Matron bakes for us every Friday
(we love her chocolate muffins best!). The house has a friendly, homely atmosphere and
the older years are approachable – they talk to us and help us with prep. And of course,
we have the best house colours!”

Housemasters
1926 – 1940
Fr Hugh de Normanville (RIP 1943)
His orderly methodical mind made him an
excellent organiser and his persistent drive
and irresistible determination carried his
plans to success in spite of considerable
opposition and indifference.
1940 – 1955
Fr Paulinus Massey OA24 (RIP 1977)
He always knew just what had to be done,
and if anything looked like going wrong, he
always contrived quietly, unobtrusively, and
smilingly to put it right before it grew
disastrous.
1955 – 1963
Cardinal Basil Hume D41 (RIP 1999)
‘There is in every boy a gift which I do not
possess - I must encourage that.’
1963 – 1976 Fr Martin Haigh
1976 – 1990 Fr Felix Stephens
1990 - 1997 Fr Hugh Lewis-Vivas
1997 - 2003 Fr William Wright
2003 – 2004 Fr Oswald McBride
2004 – 2006 Mr Matthew Fogg
2006 - Mr Brendan &
Mrs Victoria Anglim
Independence and honesty are bywords for St Bede’s girls, developed through the
shared experience of living together, through exemplary role models of many senior
girls but also through open discussions about the pitfalls most teenagers come
across. We treasure the fascinating range of talents and skills within the community
of girls living here, from fencing to sculpture and lacrosse to drama. The building
naturally adds to the experience of life in St Bede’s; the separate chapel and
common room provide space for reflection, peace and quiet or a chance to practice
musical instruments or singing whilst others chill out in front of the TV. The elevated
position on campus with expansive views across the valley encourages the girls to find
moments of reflection during their busy lives, reinforcing our retreats which always
include an element of practical stewardship.
41
ST BEDE’S HOUSE

42
LENT TERM SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS
Lent Term
Sporting Highlights
This Lent term has been a long one but has
been packed with lots of high quality sport.
There was time at Ampleforth when the
Lent term was very short of team sport as
the weather and indeed the facilities did not
lend themselves to them, but this year has
seen the college thrive in many of the
team sports.
The term began well with the college
retaining the Durham Warm up Sevens
trophy as the 1st VII, U16, U15 and U14
VII’s all conquered their opponents. The
1st VII then backed this up with a very
impressive performance that saw them
claim the North late trophy in a very tough
tournament. This was their finest hour but
they did perform well in other tournaments
and claimed the Plate in the U18 sevens at
Durham school. They were unfortunate to
miss out on qualification for the second day
at Rosslyn Park on tries scored.
The U15 VII played some fine rugby,
notably at Hymers where they missed out
in the final at the Hymers’ tournament and
in doing so claimed the Plate. The U14’s
fought valiantly throughout their season
and whilst they did not always succeed they
developed their play throughout. This was
shown to full effect at Ashville where they
won all their games to claim a tournament
win.
The 16’s also saved their best to last. They
had already won the Pocklington plate
competition but showed real spirit and no
little skill in their Rosslyn Park campaign
where they won their group and then beat
Bedford Modern in the play off stage
before going out in the last 16 of this
national competition.
Our football sides have also enjoyed their
season with the 1st XI achieving some fine
wins throughout their season.
The boys’ hockey teams have carried on
from the success of the girls with all our
side producing quality performances
through the term. The 2nd XI have the
best record, losing only once.
Each age group had very good national
tournament days. The U14’s pictured
were crowned as Yorkshire champions
and, together with the 1st XI, went
forward to represent the county at the
Northern stage of the Nationals. The 1st
VII senor Hockey side also reclaimed the
Durham seven a side trophy a feat they
have achieved 3 times in the last 4 years.
With more and more boys developing
their hockey the sport is becoming
stronger and stronger at the school.

MANIS Cross Country
Championship Success
Shrewsbury School hosted this year’s
Midland and Northern Independent
Schools Cross Country Championships.
.
On a superb Spring afternoon, Ampleforth
continued its fine tradition in the Open girls’
event. Having had individual winners
(Phillippa La Rosee 2009 and Anna Gould
2010) and team success (Joint 1st in 2009
and then 2nd in 2010) it was pleasing to
see them emerge as convincing victors
over a strong Sedbergh ‘A’ team (who were
3rd in the National King Henry Relays ),
Uppingham and Oundle. This was a very
strong field. Anna Gould was caught in the
pack early on but came through very
strongly to finish in 3rd place, Celia Powell,
who has had a wonderful season so far,
followed her home in 4th place. Phillipa
Jalland was a revelation in 9thplace, Phillipa
La Rosee, displayed a real commitment to
the team, by nursing a calf strain around the
course, to finish 16th and thereby secure
the final scoring place and ultimately team
victory. Lydia Dalrymple, who is only in
Year 10 ran remarkably well to finish in
22nd place. This was an exceptional team
effort to win this major Championship.
The added good news is that four of these
runners will be available next year to
defend this trophy.
43
MANIS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS

44
ROWATHON 2011
Rowathon
2011
On the Saturday, 16 students from St Martin’s Ampleforth successfully took on a team
from local rivals Terrington School and this was followed by the Endurance Challenge
when staff joined Olympic rower Roger Brown, and his rowing partner Julian Norton, for
the grueling 100km event. Eighteen students (along with 10 staff, parents and friends) took
part in this challenge rowing for up to five hours and we are so proud that they all finished
with admirable times. Our congratulations to them all - Philippa La Rosee (B), Niklas
Wittmann (J), Kick Douglas (H), Geordie Tulloch (H), Charles Ramsay (H), Ross Dwyer
(EW), Alex Crean (EW), Anthony Hornung (EW), Digby Walker (T), Angus Duncan (T),
Libby Simpson (B), Joe de Klee (EW), Vincent O’Rourke (D), Alex Hall (D), Max Archibald
(EW), Joshua O’Donovan (T), Charlie Oxlade (H) and Will Theile (C).
Over 800 students, members of staff and the local
community took part in the second Ampleforth College
Rowathon on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March at
the St Alban’s Sports Centre.
The challenge was to row over 2,500
miles, the distance from Ampleforth to
Romania in support of Hope and Homes
for Children, a leading charity which helps
children grow up in loving families in their
own countries by closing orphanages,
preventing child abandonment and keeping
together families at risk of breakdown due
to the pressures of poverty and disease.
The first Rowathon in 2009 raised £23,000
and we are determined to beat this
amount this year – with over £25,000
raised to date and donations still coming in,
we are confident we will reach our target
of £30,000.

On the Sunday, students from St Martin's
Ampleforth competed in a 10km House
Challenge before the students of
Ampleforth College took part in the 100km
House Challenge. Joining the houses were
students from Da Vinci House from the
David Young Academy, Leeds, a house
twinned with Ampleforth College. St
Thomas’ followed up their victory last year
by winning the boys’ race and St Aidan’s
won the girls’ race. All the Houses were
winners, as every single one beat their time
from last year and the camaraderie and
support between everyone was
outstanding. As for the decibel level during
the event….amazing!
The weekend was great fun and thoroughly enjoyed by the participants and spectators
alike. The Justgiving site is still open should you wish to support Hope and Homes for
Children www.justgiving.org.uk/ampleforthrowathon
Finally, many thanks to our sponsors who made the weekend possible: Concept 2
Rowing, Denison Till, BPI Recycled Products and Quentin Matthews Osteopathy.
raising funds in association with FACE-FAW for
45
ROWATHON 2011

46
ST MARTIN’S AMPLEFORTH NEWS - CASTLE FACTOR
St Martin’s Ampleforth News
Castle Factor
This event is put on by the Gap Year
students for the children to surprise
us with their previously hidden
talents. Milly Cooper and Joe Cleary
ran auditions during the week to
separate the wheat from the chaff (or
the just about bearable from the truly
bad!) Once accepted onto 'the list'
the performers spent hours honing
their act, preparing their costumes
and practising their routines.
The venue was the Long Gallery, the
time was Sunday evening..... and 12
very nervous acts gathered in the
Matthews room (backstage). First the
judges were introduced: Louis Walsh
(Richard Wilson), Dannii Minogue
(Lorna Garety - with an Australian
accent that caused the MC much
hilarity), Cheryl Cole (Anna Wilson)
and the evil Simon Cowell (Nick
Higham).
In between each act the judges gave
their verdicts, often using surprisingly
familiar phrases. The people's vote
for winner was 'The Soldier
Monkeys.' Then the judges awards
were given. In joint third place were
Lizzie Dore's solo act and Alice
Brookes and Lexie Everetts duo. In
second place was Hamleys' gymnastic
act and in first place was 'The Billy
Jeans' - worthy winners.

Lyceum
The initial aim in setting up the Lyceum was
to provide a forum in which our most able
students were given opportunities to
explore new and exciting challenges;
challenges designed to help them to
develop their talents, discover new
interests and prepare themelves for the
world beyond the classroom. At Lyceum
they are encouraged to discuss, debate and
assimilate new information, arriving at
informed opinions, which they are able to
defend in a logical and reasonable manner.
Above all they are encouraged to think.
Apart from workshop sessions on
Scholarship Maths, Science, Art, English
and Drama, Lyceum sessions have
included: a Thai evening (presented by
pupil Hamleys Cherngwiwatkij) and a
Japanese evening, discussing the food,
language and culture of these two nations;
a talk by Fr Philip on ‘The Life and Times of
the Blessed John Henry Newman’; a lesson
on The Periodic Table of the Elements by
Dr Ansell; a discussion led by Fr Leo
Chamberlain on ‘What is the use of
History?’; another by Major Blackford on
‘Working with Ghurkhas: Operations in
Afghanistan’; and a talk entitled ‘The Lighter
Side of Plastics’ by Roy McAdoo from BPI,
the largest manufacturer of plastic film in
Europe, who presented a fascinating talk
on some lesser known properties of
plastics.
The final talk of the series was by Richard
Ansell (pictured above), who returned to
Gilling Castle to deliver a talk in the room
where Mr Hollins used to teach him maths.
After Ampleforth College, Richard studied
history at Cambridge University, then at
Brown University in the USA and is now
half way through his doctoral research at
Oxford University.
For his talk, entitled ‘Only great men make
history. Do you agree?’ Richard started by
focusing on the key words in the question,
asking the pupils to think about questions
such as what ‘great’ means and whether
great and good are the same thing. He
looked at the impact of three ‘great’ men
from history as well as that of certain
women, ordinary people as well as natural
events, concluding that it was not only
great men who made history.
47
LYCEUM

48
SCHOLARSHIP RESULTS
Scholarship
Results
St Martin’s Ampleforth have broken their
record for the second successive year in
gaining scholarships to Ampleforth College.
A record number of pupils were entered
by parents for the senior school’s all
rounder Basil Hume Scholarship. Pupils
were tested in their chosen fields:
combinations of sport, drama, music, art,
and sundry specialities with exercises,
interviews and auditions, all the while
competing against pupils from schools all
over the country. Of the 18 pupils
entered, St Martin’s Ampleforth were
delighted that ten were successful.
Lucy Bidie – Music and Drama
Morgan Clarke – Music
Michael Higham – Drama, Sport
and Pipe Band Drumming
Basil Fitzherbert – Sport
Phoebe Irven – Sport and Drama
Oscar Oulton – Sport
Daisy Pern – Sport
Alicia Slater – Art
Jake Smerdon – Sport
Patrick Walsh – Music and Art
In addition, Mr Higham, the Headmaster,
was delighted to announce that Patrick
McGovern had been awarded an
Academic Scholarship to the College and
Harry Black had been successful in his
scholarship attempt at St Edward’s, Oxford,
being awarded an Exhibition to that school.

Cross Country
Success
Another inspiring and successful cross
country season began with both senior
boys and girls winning our own event at St
Martin’s Ampleforth. The ice and snow
had melted just in time, leaving the course
muddy and challenging for the runners. In
the Junior Girls race, the St Martin’s
Ampleforth team was placed third with
encouraging runs from both Hattie Duree
(4th) and Chiara Wittmann (8th), both
experiencing a match for the first time. The
Junior Boys failed to get into the top three
overall, but we were very encouraged by
the efforts of Leo Higham and Theo
Smerdon, who both look strong prospects
for the future. The Senior Girls won their
competition, led, in first place, by Olivia
Smerdon. The Senior Boys ran over the
very challenging ‘Lakes’ course and won in
fine style, maintaining a winning record that
has lasted a decade! Oscar Oulton led the
way in first place, with a time of 23 minutes
57 seconds. It is very rare for a boy to
complete the three mile course in under
24 minutes, especially in difficult conditions.
This initial win was backed up by a
resounding win for our 1st Boys at
Giggleswick with Oscar Oulton as the
outstanding runner of the year, winning first
place. The Senior Girls were a very
creditable second. Further success was
enjoyed with both the 1st Boys and Girls
teams winning the Red House match, with
Oscar Oulton yet again in first place in the
boys race and Olivia Smerdon winning the
girls race.
The next meeting was at Woodleigh
School, where Diego Cardon won the
race (in the absence of Oscar Oulton) and
the 1st boys won the match. The U11
Girls were in second place and the first
outing for the U9’s was rewarded with
second place overall, with Theo Smerdon
finishing second.
The final match was at Worksop College, a
new venue for us this season. A depleted
boys team were second overall, with Jake
Smerdon placed third. The U11 Girls
were equal first on points but placed
second overall on countback to fifth
runners. Credit to Hattie Durée (3rd) and
Chiara Wittmann (4th). All in all a great
season.
49
CROSS COUNTRY SUCCESS

50
HOCKEY
Hockey
On Saturday 22nd January, the air was
electric as excited teams of juniors and
seniors gathered in their houses to
compete in the annual house hockey
competition. From the skills of the seniors
to the sheer enthusiasm of the juniors, it
was a day of thrills and spills. It was great
to see house captains ensuring that as
many players as possible had a chance to
take part.
It was frenetic from the start. Just 12
minutes one way to determine the result
and then a rapid turn around. Both halves
of the pitch echoed to the shouts of the
competitors and spectators alike. The bank
was jam packed with watching parents,
friends and children. After each section had
completed the round robin, everybody
gathered round for the eagerly anticipated
result. Mr Slingsby and Mr Arnold added
up all the points. It was a draw! They then
totted up the number of goals conceded to
determine a winner. Still a draw! The result
was a draw overall for Barnes and Etton in
both the junior and senior sections. It had
been an exhilarating afternoon of hockey
with some memorable moments and a
very high standard of play.
Since then it has been a very busy few
weeks. The boys’ hockey has been very
exciting and Mr Arnold’s merry band have
been travelling far and wide for fixtures. In
one blisteringly fast game at Malsis we
came up against several class players. While
the scoreline of 6-2 might suggest a
drubbing, it was far from that. There was
some really courageous hockey played
with Smerdon, Ainscough, Coysh and
Fitzherbert making Malsis work hard for
their goals. Oulton and Waley were tireless
in attack and despite the very slippery
conditions launched several attacks on goal.
Outstanding in goal was Higham who,
despite the power and skill of the talented
Malsis skipper, saw off shot after shot and
gave a very good account of himself. This
was a great display of schoolboy hockey
and the boys should feel proud of the
standards achieved.
In the meantime, the girls were busy at the
Durham School annual hockey sevens
where they worked hard in cold, blustery
conditions to come third overall.
Mentioned in despatches for outstanding
performances on the day are Guilia de
Chezelles in her first tournament on the
wing and midfielder, Olivia Smerdon who
was tireless in defence and also attack
when we were on the break.

Year 7
Concert
On Saturday 22nd January, Year 7 rounded
off their Parents’ Day with a concert of
varied vocal and instrumental items in the
Blackden Hall. Highlights included the
vocal item beginning the concert, Give ear
unto me by Benedetto Marcello, sung by
Rupert Waley and Henry Laird.
Our cellists were well represented and
there were items played together as well
as solos. Archie Campbell played us a
rousing piece on the trumpet,
appropriately titled Ready, Aim, Fire!
followed by Christopher Tang playing us
Hungarian Dance No 2 by Brahms on the
violin. Set 1 sang items from Gilbert and
Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and Princess
Ida, with solos by Edmund Hirst, Rupert
Waley and Raphael Gould. Peter Black, in
one of his two appearances, played a
Spanish Ballad on the guitar, a most
sensitive performance which made the
audience listen closely. Rupert Waley
closed the solo section with a fine vocal
rendition of Handel’s Silent Worship.
This was followed by the entire year group
singing a varied programme, with audience
participation. The evening’s entertainment
closed with the famous You’ll never walk
alone from Rogers and Hamerstein’s
musical Carousel. Parents seemed delighted
with the programme and the efforts of their
children in performing a quite challenging
repertoire for young boys and girls.
51
YEAR 7 CONCERT

52
WORLD BOOK DAY
World Book
Day
For World Book Day, Mrs Keogh, our
librarian, offered a list of possible titles to
the school librarians and they chose Wind
in the Willows, mainly for the wonderful
characters in the book. This has now
become an annual event very much
anticipated by in-coming librarians. Once
the book had been chosen the set had to
be designed, costumes ordered and
provisions made. The Front Hall was
turned into Moley's house, complete with
a second hidden entrance, and a picnic on
the river bank. Librarians dressed up as
Toad, Mole, Ratty, Badger, the maid and
butler and a wicked weasel while Mrs
Keogh and parent Mrs Grace, set to work
making delicious storybook-looking
muffins, cakes and biscuits. The room was
quite enchanting once the set was
complete and every child in the school had
the opportunity to visit and try on a face
mask on their way through to buy a book
at the book fair. Events like these go a long
way to encouraging reluctant readers, firing
the imagination of all age groups and
inspiring more advanced pupils to write
their own stories.

Chinese
New Year
Chinese New Year was celebrated by both
the Boarders and the Pre-Prep in February.
The Reception Class learnt the art of paper
folding to make Chinese dancing dragons
and even tried to eat their morning break
using chopsticks! Year 1 learnt how to say
Happy New Year in Chinese, learnt about
some of the customs and enjoyed a
Chinese tea party. The Boarders
celebrated with a supper on Sunday night.
Gap students, Chris and Katie, bravely
donned Chinese robes to join in the fun:
“We ate lots of Chinese food using
chopsticks. Most of the people didn't know
Pre-Prep
Dinosaur Workshop
Steve Plater from Dino-Star, the Dinosaur
Experience in Hull, came to the Pre-Prep
to lead a Dinosaur workshop on Friday 4th
February. It was a great success and the
children were very excited to be able to
examine all his treasures closely. Steve
showed the children real dinosaur claws.
Nico correctly guessed which one
belonged to the T-Rex. The biggest claw
belonged to a Camasorous. The Allosaur
skull was the most popular exhibit and Tom
put his head inside its jaw! Kitty counted
63 teeth. Steve explained that they were
all different sizes because when a dinosaur
tooth falls out another grows in its place so
all the teeth were of different ages. In the
second workshop the children made their
own cast of a fossil (trilobites and small
ammonites) by pressing it into plasticine
and seeing it filled with plaster of paris. The
how to use chopsticks, but the Chinese
pupils helped them. Even so, Elena
(Spanish) tried to do it by using an elastic
band around her sticks! It's now the Year of
the Rabbit, so this will bring a lot of peace
and not really bad behaviour. Happy
Chinese New Year!” (Rex Lei, Year 6).
children also learnt how to make rubbings
of these fossils. Finally Year 2, Year 1 and
the Reception Class were divided into
groups to search for their own fossils using
paintbrushes in a sandbox. They were
allowed to take home any they found. It
was a wonderful experience for the
children, who now have even more
knowledge about their favourite subject!
53
CHINESE NEW YEAR AND PRE-PREP DINOSAUR WORKSHOP

54
BOARDERS’ VISIT TO RIEVAULX ABBEY
One Sunday, Fr John invited boarders to
join him in visiting the peaceful ruins of
Rievaulx Abbey. Situated in the North
Yorkshire Moors National Park, the Abbey
provides a serene and reflective local
attraction.
Fr John’s good friend and local historian,
Lucy Warrack met us there and then Lucy
walked the students through the ruined
Abbey while providing them with a vivid
portrayal of what life was like for monks in
medieval times. The students remained
reverent in respect of other visitors and the
tranquil atmosphere of the Abbey. As they
listened curiously to Lucy, they discovered
how the monks lived their day to lives
within the Abbey, what their work entailed
and how the Abbey itself was built by their
bare hands. Fr John compared his first hand
experience of life in Ampleforth Abbey to
what life was like for monks in Rievaulx
Abbey. As a result of Fr John and Lucy
kindly sharing their knowledge, the
students walked away with a strong insight
into how times have changed and what it
meant to be a Cistercian monk from the
year 1132 onwards.
The day out finished with a lovely tea,
kindly hosted by Mrs Birkett, whose
beautiful house overlooks the ruins.
Boarders’ visit to
Rievaulx Abbey

Year 1 Time
How do we know what the toys of the
past are like? What will children play with
in the future? Will the toys be the same as
our toys today? It was questions like these
that led to the children of Year 1 wanting
to bury their toys for children of the future.
We personally delivered a letter that Teddy
had written to Mr Higham asking
permission to dig a hole. Mr Higham then
came for a meeting and agreed this was a
good idea. The hardest task of all for the
children was choosing something to bury.
Clementine chose her sister’s toy! William
buried school lego. Imogen chose a battery
toy and Lydia a CD. Louis was very
generous, choosing his school uniform, his
Dad’s book, and a soft toy. The hardest
task for Mrs E was finding a suitable
container. Thanks to Ebay, an army
ammunition box satisfied the children. But
would everything fit in?
The class could not agree on a site. The
gardens were the preferred site but Teddy
was so worried about Mrs E getting down
the steps when she is 90 that it was
decided to dig a hole at the top of the steps
to the gardens. Mr Higham joined us,
donating a bottle of wine to the future head
teacher. Each item was placed in a plastic
bag or wrapped in clingfilm. In addition to
items put in by the children there were
photos of the class, the classroom, the
playground and school grounds, the daily
prayers and weekly timetable, letters,
poems and prayers written by the children,
a card with 3D glasses signed by the class,
local and national newspapers, information
about the school and the monks and the
bottle of wine. And it did all fit in! Everyone
then had a turn at digging soil on top. And
now we can look forward to the
excitement in 50 years time when we
open up the time capsule!
Capsule
55
YEAR 1 TIME CAPSULE

17-19 June 2011
Great Themes of
Scripture 1
The Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr, has proposed nine Great Themes of Scripture which
run through the Old Testament and into the New. This retreat will examine the first three,
entitled, ‘God needs Images – Beyond separateness and shame,' ‘Mutual Mirroring – A
relationship of Love' and ‘The Stumbling Stone of the Law – From requirements to
relationship.'
11-14 July 2011
Ampleforth
To book please contact:
Yvonne Wall or Gemma Kirk
Hospitality & Pastoral Office
Ampleforth Abbey
York YO62 4EN
Tel: 01439 766889
Email: pastoral@ampleforth.org.uk
www.hpo.ampleforth.org.uk
A retreat led by Fr Christopher Gorst OSB.
Loving Myself and
Others and God
Are these loves one and the same? Is self-love wrong? Did God first love me?
A retreat led by Fr Matthew Burns OSB.
Diary
The Editorial Office
Ampleforth Abbey & College
York YO62 4EY
Tel: 01439 766777
Email: cee@ampleforth.org.uk
www.ampleforth.org.uk
Details of future retreats and events are
available on the Ampleforth websites:
www.ampleforth.org.uk
Photography by Damian Bramley Photography www.djbphotography.com