Old_Cliftonian_Mag_2011

Development Plan. This is not just about
buildings and facilities, but is also about
bringing together the best pupils and the
best teachers in the best school of all, as
George reminded us.
2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the
founding of the school on September
30th 1862, with 60 boys, thirty of who
boarded and 30 of who were day boys.
Clifton is highly unusual in having been
founded as, and always having been,
both a boarding and day school and the
diverse mix of pupils that results is one
of the school’s great strengths. There
will be much to celebrate in 2012 and
numerous events, far too many for me
to describe to you now, but I do need to
draw your attention to a couple. Next year
Commem will be at the end of the Summer
Term. Pre Commem will be on Friday July
6th followed by a concert in the Catholic
Cathedral and a specially commissioned
Son and Lumière will tell the story of
Clifton’s history in light and sound as dusk
falls on the Close. We hope to enlist the
help of some famous OC actors, producers
and directors, subject to their very busy
schedules. Upper School Commem will be
on Saturday July 7th with a special 150th
Anniversary Ball in the evening. In the
week leading up to Commem, there will
be a host of events so mark your diaries
now. On the weekend of the 29/30th
of September we will mark the exact
anniversary of 150 years with the Clifton
v Marlborough rugby match, the oldest
schoolboy fixture of them all. On the
Sunday there will be two commemorative
Chapel Services. Ladies and gentlemen,
I hope you will gather from this that
Clifton is a school in very good order,
yet always striving to be even better in
all that it does to give our pupils the very
best experience.
HEAD BOY’S SPEECH: GEORGE KINSEY
It is almost impossible to believe that just
over ten years ago I started my journey at
Clifton. Coincidentally, the first memory
that sticks in my mind – and probably
always will – was as a small, shy, little
boy, being persuaded to read at the Pre
School Carol Service. Clearly not much
has changed. However, in actual fact, this
year’s Upper Sixth has, without doubt,
developed and ripened into a fairly good
bunch over the years.
The average Clifton College Leaver 2011,
during his or her time in the Upper School,
will have attended 4986 lessons, been
present at 2198 Callovers, walked into
Chapel 967 times, and spent approximately
far too long socialising on the Close. Yet the
problem with the aforementioned statistics,
is that they are based upon the “average
Cliftonian.” Aside from a wind-swept sideparting,
a universal adoration of Barbour
jackets and an insistence on going to Lizard
Lounge (arguably the worst club in Bristol)
every single Saturday night, there is no
such thing as an average or stereotypical
pupil. In the simplest form, there are boys
and girls like me who started their journey
at Clifton 10 years ago in the Pre; there
are a select few who are Clifton Veterans,
having spent 15 years at the school; there
are others who joined us in the transition
to the Upper School; and some whom we
have had the pleasure of knowing only
during the Sixth Form.
This denial of a stereotypical Leaver
2011 is further accentuated by the vast
assortment of skills and personalities that
this year’s Upper Sixth possesses. From
sportsperson to thespian, musician to
debater, single-minded scholar to genuine
all-rounder, we have them all. As a result,
we have had successes and achievements
in a widespread variety of fields.
We have continued the upward trend of
academic progression here at Clifton,
with many achieving places at the
top universities in the world, such as
Oxbridge, London, Durham and even
some in the Ivy League.
We have also excelled on the sports’
pitch. Some of us have been fortunate
enough to experience successful tours to
glamorous places around the globe, such
as California, South Africa, Barbados…
and Belfast. The Rugby 1st XV had the
most successful season for several years,
winning every cup possible, and perhaps
most memorably, winning the inaugural
Ryan Bresnahan Memorial Trophy against
Bristol Grammar School. For me, and
probably many of the other 1200 people
at a drenched Clifton Rugby Club, it was a
night that will never be forgotten. The girls
have also experienced similar successes,
with their hockey team almost invariably
being County Champions and being more
than competitive at a regional level.
Furthermore, although I cannot even
begin to claim that I am blessed with any
dramatic or musical ability, I was dragged
into playing a part in this year’s school
production of Les Miserables alongside
10 similarly incompetent members of my
House. Ignoring our input of sharp and flat
notes (which are apparently undesirable)
and horribly out-of-step dance-moves,
there were some brilliant performances
within a truly outstanding overall show.
However, in my opinion, it is a myth to
assume that a successful education is
based solely upon quantifiable outcomes,
whether this be three letters from A to E,
or the amount of points for and against in
a particular match or season. Of course,
measurable results are undeniably
important, but there is so much more to
it than that. At a recent Scholars’ Dinner,
Doctor Waller said that the best thing
about Clifton is that it is full of “hundreds
of fragments of beauty.” Although he
may well have been referring to the
lovely ladies of Worcester, West Town,
Hallward’s, Oakeley’s, I think that, in fact,
he was seeking to convey the diversity of
opportunity that Clifton offers, and I agree
entirely. Speaking personally, I should say
that the previous instance of my shortlived
career in musical-theatre reflects
this perfectly. Yet, in reality, it is the House
system which predominantly offers us
these opportunities. Furthermore, I feel
fairly secure in saying that, for every
Cliftonian, his or her best memories are
almost always founded in House events.
For some, these will be the more
conventional events, such as being
beaten by us, Moberly’s, at inter-house
rugby, or football, or hockey, or cricket.
For others, it may be House Song night or
the House Drama Festival; occasions of
fearsome competition, but ones in which,
if you look a little past the incessant
shouting, taunting and gloating, you can
glimpse genuine, total unity throughout
the school. It may be a question of slightly
more obscure events, such as inter-house
darts, backgammon, mastermind or tug
of war. Or in fact, it may be technically
38 the CLIFTON MAGAZINE 2011