Winter 04 | PDF - Rugby School

News from
RUGBY School
Number 27 ~ WINTER 2004/5
TWO TRAGEDIES
AND A MUSICAL
Both major theatrical productions
this term were tragedies, one
adapted from a modern novel,
the other a modern Romeo and
Juliet turned into a musical.
Both featured heroes of timeless
resonance, whether the lover who
fails to make peace between rival
factions, or the little man who
complains of authority while blind
to his own shortcomings.
West Side Story was an enthralling
piece of musical theatre with energetic
dance numbers invigorated by an
excellent orchestra and heartfelt
singing. Show-stoppers like Maria,
America, A Boy Like That and Officer
Krupke were rapturously received.
The TSR stage was transformed
into 1950’s New York, the organ
hidden by a Brownstone building.
Silhouettes glimpsed through windows
underscored the constant tension;
garish colours in design and costume
differentiated the opposing gangs and
created an abstract theatrical style.
Jets and Sharks fought over who the
real ‘immigrants’ were, while the
forbidden love of the star-crossed
lovers served as a catalyst for their
rage and hurtled us towards the
tragic d nouement. Bernstein’s score
elicited distinguished performances,
half the orchestra composed of pupils
tackling one of the most difficult
scores of the stage. 250 primary and
prep school children from as far away
as north Yorkshire attended a
performance and workshops on the
key elements of music, dance and
drama. As a bonus, staff gave them
a Reduced Shakespeare Company
version of the plot, lasting fully six
minutes and involving two props - a
chair and a wig.
The School Play was as austere as
the School Musical was extravagant.
Steve Berkoff’s adaptation of Kafka’s
novel The Trial received a searingly
powerful interpretation inspired by a
sure grasp of the stage as imaginary
space. The Director’s Note observed,
moreover, that the hero’s plight ‘is
not confined to the page or the stage,
but is real and contemporary’. ‘Joseph
K struggles to discover of what he
is charged, but finds himself battling
with a series of eccentric and absurd
antagonists who provide no answers
and simply add to his nightmare. His
trial questions not only society and
the system, but also the individuals
who live within it. Across the world
thousands of people are being held
without charge for unspecified crimes
that they do not understand.’ This
was not only a timeless parable of
Contents at a glance
3 Speakers' Corner
7 Charitable Causes
9 Trips, Travel and Training
12 Games Round-Up
15 Dates for the Diary
16 Tom Brown's Schooldays
…and Other Success Stories
West Side Story

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metaphysical anxiety rooted in the Law, but an urgent satire
of legal corruption and political irresponsibility today.
The first concert of the academic year was given in Chapel
by the massed members of the full-time music staff. Items
ranged from Beethoven’s sublime Spring Sonata and Elgar’s
Salut d’amour to the ridiculous spectacle of Three Little Maids
from School, to wit three dodgy schoolgirls and a Director
of Music doing particularly nasty things to an innocent tuba
on the bass line. A chamber music concert featured eight
different ensembles with repertoire ranging from the 17 th
century to two days before. Three string quartets played,
along with trios and a cello ensemble. The newest piece
was given its world premi re by the newest ensemble: four
percussionists using everyday utensils in their magnum
opus Junk.
Christmas Concert Crooners
Joseph K. Accused
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2
The Chapel Choir of 60 voices plus was again on tour,
descending on Bath Abbey one sunny Thursday afternoon to
perform music by Stanford, Rutter and Dunster-Sigtermans
with noteworthy solos by Nicole Wyatt and Richard King.
Thanks to London’s rush-hour traffic four singers arrived
at St Matthew’s Church, Wimbledon with five minutes to
spare to perform English madrigals and part-songs, not to
mention Flanders and Swann. Music played an important
role in the Remembrance Day service, with anthems for
choir and full congregation. Chapel Brass played for the
hymns and gave a moving performance of Purcell’s Funeral
Music for Queen Mary.
Louise Hopkins, professor of cello at the prestigious
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, visited us for the third
time in 10 years to give a series of Master Classes. The
day got off to a lively start with all 21 cellists joining in a
hearty rendition of Zemlicka’s arrangement The Jungle Book
Groove. This was followed by a Boccherini cello duet and a
variety of mostly romantic solo items, all set off beautifully
by the acoustics and setting of the Memorial Chapel. The
professor’s disarming humour, wise words and effortless
demonstration
were an inspiration
to all.
The Staff Art
Exhibition was
a master class of
its own, witness
the work which
embellishes this
publication.
SPEAKERS'
CORNER
The Advent Term now customarily
begins, before the Society season
gets under way, with an in-house
Brains Trust whose success may be
measured by the increasing number
of volunteers for the panel. Questions
this time included: ‘Is conflict with
artificial intelligence such as ‘The
Matrix’ possible or likely?’ ‘Should a
man like George W Bush be leading
the most powerful nation in the world
at a time of terrorist threat?’ ‘Should
we be afraid of death?’ Meanwhile, in
the more formal arena of the Senior
Debating Society, Southfield
House successfully opposed the
motion that ‘American culture is to
be regretted’, while Town and Rupert
Brooke argued respectively for and
against the motion that ‘Women
hold the answers to the world’s
problems.’
More formally still, the Mock Trial
was revived – and so enthusiastically
that barristers and witnesses had
to be selected by audition. Rugby
prosecuted in the first case, R. v.
Roach, in which a teacher had been
charged with assault upon a pupil. The
skill of Rob Sinclair and Ciara Foster
was reflected in the jury’s decision
that Roach was guilty as charged,
but Oakham’s defence team won,
contentiously, by five points. There
was consolation, however, in the
deportation of Roach to Australia,
a heavy punishment attributable
to the Judge’s dislike, he being a
former Rugby parent, of pink shirts
on defendants. Then Rugby defended
the same case, with the home team
Oundle prosecuting, and eventually
lost, although Jess Paul and George
Hicks remained convincing witnesses
under tough cross-examination.
The Tawney Society saw both
sides of the political argument. Sir Bill
Morris described the socio-political
developments of the last fifty years
with wit and wisdom, showing
convincingly where our present
government has lost its way. New
Labour had failed in its obligations
abroad and created a democratic
deficit at home by confusing good
government with more government.
People were no longer engaged in,
but seduced by, the right things, which
they now did for the wrong reasons.
Responsibility was subcontracted to
agencies, while a poor opposition
failed to hold government to account.
An indictment the more compelling
for being delivered with disarming
humility. Taking up the challenge,
Howard Flight MP addressed the
rather fanciful subject of ‘Why the
Tory party is back in business.’ He
succeeded in persuading at least one
member of the Society that his party
would form the next government,
but others remained agnostic. We
had also hoped to welcome Boris
Johnson, but the Spectator staff
assured us he was far too busy, in
spite of a Rugbeian grandfather.
The Politics Society was addressed
by the two local challengers to
the current Rugby & Kenilworth
Labour MP Andy King. Prospective
Parliamentary candidates Jeremy
Wright (Con) and Richard Allanach
(LibDem) explained why they had
become involved in their respective
parties and agreed with each other
remarkably often, most notably
in regretting their rival’s absence.
Elsewhere, Malcolm Harbour
(Con), one of the seven MEPs with
responsibility for the West Midlands,
expressed some dismay at the AQA
Government & Politics specification,
which focuses on the politics and
government of the USA at the
expense of the EU. Not only did the
EU affect our lives, but in the next
few years pupils would have rather
more opportunity to influence the
make-up of the European Parliament
than the outcome of US elections.

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SPEAKERS'
CORNER…
The European Atlantic Movement
(TEAM) annual conference took the
argument further. Asking ‘Europe
– why bother?’ Lord Plumb spoke
as an unrepentant internationalist
wearied by the cynicism of British
media and saddened that Europe
had been brought into disrepute by
bureaucratic petty tyrants. On taking
up the presidency of the European
Parliament in 1987 he had declared
he was ‘born an Englishman but
would die a European’; only as the
applause died down had he added,
‘an English European.’ Nor had his
position changed. He found the
Tories hypocritical for saying we
should be ‘in Europe but not run
by Europe’ when we manifestly are
already part of Europe. The common
already the second most common
variety in Nuremburg. Germany
had long been an advocate of
expansion to the East as its security
was improved when surrounded
by countries of similar economical
and political status. Certainly the
cost of supporting new members
was enormous and the example of
East Germany unpromising, but the
EU was like an extended family and
the UK would eventually vote for a
European constitution.
Looking across the Atlantic, our
own Head of Politics Mark Taylor
gave a brilliant appraisal of the US
elections, which had taken place just
days before. We were reminded that
Kerry had lost because he had not
said why he should win, only why Bush
should not. The evangelical Christian
vote had been significant this time,
so it was surprising that the morality
the rules for winning had changed.
To conclude the conference, Steven
Haseler, Professor of Government
at London Metropolitan University,
analysed Britain’s choice: ‘Europe
or America?’ Certainly the Atlantic
had widened with the US election.
Iraq had been a mistake and greater
distance between UK and US the
likely upshot. A referendum on
Europe would finally resolve the
question whether we were members
of the EU or unbreakable allies of
the US. Politicians claimed this was
a false choice but it was a necessary
one: we had been riding both horses
since 1945 but were now entering
a new historical phase. The ‘special
relationship’ was in decline and post-
9/11 Euro-strategy controversial.
There was a fundamental clash
between America’s uni-polar
view of itself and the European
whilst maintaining a friendly but
distant relationship to the EU.
The Geography Society heard
about continents other than America,
notably from explorer John Pilkington
on his expedition up the Mekong
River through Thailand and China to
Nepal, and from Harriet Allan on the
possible strategies for reducing the
based administration, and appearing
not only in Pompei in the form of
posters for elections and gladiatoral
shows, but even on a tile found in
London observing that ‘Australis
has been going off on his own for 13
days....’ In answer to his own question,
Mr Ward-Perkins suggested that
revisionist accounts of the Roman
Empire reflected trends in modern
The novelist Jill Paton Walsh addressed
the Temple Society on fiction
as a tool of thought: the novel was
moral philosophy with the reasoning
taken out and the examples left in.
The philosophy she had in mind was
Bernard Williams’ idea of moral luck
as exemplified by the Nazi saved by
circumstance from becoming a guard
in a death camp or, conversely, by
market could not be free without a
common currency. The problem was
that politicians failed to discuss the
Euro for fear of not being elected.
Germany, by contrast, did not need
the EU in order to tie bonds with its
neighbours, according to Hendrick
Bebber of the Berliner Tagesspiegel.
It was thanks to Polish immigrants
that German buses now ran on time
and that the Krakow sausage was
issue had only been raised on election
night. Bush had secured more votes
than any other presidential candidate
in history, yet it was not a convincing
win as one state could have swung it.
Hence Bush’s break with convention
to visit Ohio on Election Day. There
would now be much soul-searching
among Democrats, partly because
they had been in decline for years and
this year out-spent the Republicans,
partly because 2004 had shown that
worldview which favours multi-polar
superpowers. The EU was already
challenging US superpowerdom
insofar as it can influence world
affairs and has a population and
economy larger than those of the
US. France and Germany now have
a strong strategic and economic
relationship: the question for the UK
is whether to form a troika. Then
America could remain the senior
partner in an Anglo-American alliance
problems caused by AIDS in different
parts of the world.
Looking to the past, Bryan Ward-
Perkins, Fellow in History at Trinity
College Oxford, delivered the
Scholars’ Lecture on ‘Why it still
matters that the Roman Empire
fell’. His contention was that the
new orthodoxy, namely that the
barbarians had not invaded but been
accommodated into the Roman
Empire, was simply wrong. The
difference between Roman wheelmade
and post-Roman handmade
pottery showed there had been not
just a transformation but an actual
decline in the standard of living. Even
pre-Roman pots and coins had been
better, and it was not until 700 AD
that Roman standards were achieved
again. Literacy was widespread in the
Roman period, necessitated by state-
thought, for which civilisation no
longer exists and all cultures are equal.
Empires are out of fashion, indeed they
never were in fashion in the United
States whose myth is built on the idea
of rebellion. So post-Roman culture
now tends to be seen as a liberation
from tyranny. Roman civilisation is also
seen as materialistic, which reflects
the uncomfortable doubts we have
about the materialism of our culture
and its effects on our environment
and our soul. We are more at ease
with the image of simple rural life
found in post-Roman culture. And all
this matters because, if we say there
were simply peaceful shifts from one
equally valid culture to another, we get
a flattened-out view of history where
nothing went wrong: a fiction which
insinuates a dangerously misleading
view of the present where nothing
can go wrong.
Oedipus who commits patricide
even while fleeing from it. Such
examples raised the question of moral
responsibility: ‘Did he do it or did it
happen to him?’ On the one hand there
was the absolute position of Kant,
for whom intention was paramount
and the will ‘sparkles like a jewel in
its own right.’ We are autonomous
moral agents and our safety net is
God’s mercy. On the other hand there
was the modern philosopher Thomas
Nagel whose analysis of heredity,
environment, etc. allowed the idea
of moral autonomy to evaporate and
with it our self-respect. The novel
tended to the latter position because
it embraces complexity and situational
relativism. It demonstrates that moral
truth cannot be applied in the abstract
and that the devil is in
the detail. Indeed the Son
of God had submerged

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SPEAKERS'
CORNER…
himself in the storm of circumstance
and consorted with sinners and tax
gatherers precisely to affirm that
morality was contaminated by luck.
Jill Purce discussed ‘the healing voice’,
whose spiritual potential could be
unlocked by, among other mysterious
means, Mongolian overtone chanting,
in which we all solemnly joined.
For her we were truly present only
when listening to our own inner
sound. We moderns had neglected
the importance of sound as a
means of turning matter into spirit.
We do experience it in religious
assembly, where ritual sounds
create a resonant community, but
generally we ‘have forgotten that
we had forgotten’ what lovers of
music once knew. It was a real
punishment for Hildegard of Bingen
to be told she could still say Mass but
no longer sing it. There was no doubt
that sound creates form: witness the
patterning of iron filings on a plate.
Mythologies start with sound. Our
sense of inner worth depends on being
‘in tune’. The question was: ‘What song
should we be singing now?’
Also evoking the
wisdom of the East,
Fiona Fleming gave a
fascinating illustrated
lecture to the Junior
Scholars on the
difference between
Chinese and Japanese:
an introduction to
the history, thought
and literature that
emerges from the
study of script. We
learned that Chinese reads from right
to left because originally written on
bamboo strips which opened right to
left. We heard of the legendary sage
Lao Tzu who made sense of a muddy
world by waiting for it to become clear.
Politics and ethics were two aspects
of the same thing, called the Dao,
comparable with the philosophy of the
Greens today. The civilised man was
he whose advice was worth following.
We saw how the Japanese hiragana
and katakana syllabary developed
from Chinese characters, and how
the Japanese character for peace
means there is only one woman in the
house. Arthur Waley, incidentally, who
translated so many of the Chinese and
Japanese classics, was an OR.
At Junior Science Forum, Captain
Archer and Dr Ingleston presented
a frightening historical perspective
on Chemical and Biological War to
the F Block. Science Forum saw an
historical perspective on the life and
work of Sir Alexander Fleming. Dr
Gilbert Shama gave a fascinating insight
into the development of penicillin
and showed how difficult it is to
establish historical truth even in the
realm of objective scientific research.
On Activities Day, D Block pupils
were treated to an historical and
philosophical perspective as Mr Fisher
explored ‘The Art of Science’ and
showed the connections between the
two cultures. Dr Taylor gave his talk
‘Mind, Body and Soul’, after which
pupils discussed in groups their views
on dualism, reductionist materialism
and non-reductionist materialism.
As part of our government-assisted
liaison work with local schools in
the Independent/State Schools
Partnership, Dr Hampton presented
his new lecture on ‘The Sixth Sense’ to
year 9 students from Bishop Wulstan
and Lawrence Sheriff Schools. This
was a tour de force involving full use of
all sensory organs, music, drama and
much audience participation to
illuminate current research into
the way animals navigate. All three
schools were again involved in an
Engineering Challenge Day,
organised by the Warwickshire
Education Partnership, where
teams used great ingenuity to
design and build a wind-turbine that
could by a dynamo deliver power
to a model national grid system.
A long-term engineering project has
begun with a team of E Block pupils to
design and build a 4 x 4 vehicle which
will negotiate obstacles on an off-road
track that simulates a Land Rover
off-road course. The Challenge will be
held at The Heritage Motor Museum
at Gaydon in June/July 2005.
Finally, Eamonn McCabe, many times
Press and Sports Photographer of the
Year, Picture Editor of the Guardian and
now portraitist for the Guardian Arts
pages, delivered the Design Faculty
Lecture. He took us on a journey
from his early amateur attempts to
capture boyhood heroes The Who
on stage to award-winning pictures
of sportsmen like the Chinese table
tennis player and movie stars like Jude
Law – who was certainly the winner
with the ladies in the audience.
CHARITABLE
CAUSES
The Fashion Show featured
collections designed and made by 16
pupils, interwoven with selections
from Terracotta and Exposure, two
fashion outlets in Rugby, supported
by boys’ evening wear from Salter’s.
According to the programme notes,
the most daring collections evoked
the ‘perilous magic’ of Nabokov’s
nymphets, still ‘unconscious of their
fantastic power’. Some were inspired
by ‘fairy tales gently flowing,’ others
by ‘countryside florals teamed with
stripes for maximum effect’, yet
others offered ‘military uniform
customised for a lighter up-beat
image.’ Clothes and jewellery were
‘different and funky’, materials from
charity shops transformed from
cheap to chic. As last year, designers
choreographed their own sections,
which ran together seamlessly
to exciting sound and lighting.
Organised by Rupert Brooke girls
Flora Seddon and Julia Cameron,
the show played to a full house
and raised over £1200. This will be
divided between a national trust for
cervical cancer awareness, Whizz
Kids in support of Martine Bound’s
Head Girl - 1, Head Master - 0
Strutting Colourful Stuff
fund-raising trek to Peru, and a
Leukaemia charity to support the
treatment of Duncan Moore.
Also looking towards South America,
F block Geographers attended a
lecture given by Eleni Goulandris of
the charity Children of the Andes,
whose work involves helping street
children in Colombia. For the third
year running it was enlightening and
humbling to hear how difficult life
is for the citizens of this country
torn apart by conflict. One of the
projects, entitled ‘Ponte en mi
lugar’ (Put yourself in my place), is
simply a home that provides refuge
for children who require a safe
environment away from the dangers
of the streets. We heard how this
project requires £40,000 to buy
the home from the owner who, by
putting the property on the market,
threatens the very future of so many
children. The F block took it upon
themselves to raise as much money
as possible and accumulated over
£1,300 through activities as diverse
as staff car-washing and a sponsored
run/swim.
‘Children in Need’ were also the
focus of the Pudsey Bear
organised by the junior pupils of
Marshall House. They organised
the wide range of stalls themselves,
including home-made cards, quizzes,
and the ever-popular Shaving the
Balloon. Inevitably the main attraction
was the mock sumo wrestling, which
opposed many illustrious members
of the SCR, including the Head
Master, the Director of Music and
three senior House Mistresses, in
padded chest to chest combat. Pupils
were more than happy to pay for
the spectacle which confirmed, in
the words of one local newspaper,
‘a strong tradition of teaching staff
willing to make fools of themselves
in a good cause.’ The proceeds
amounted to over £2100.
The School Caterers held a
Christmas cake competition
in aid of local charities. Devised to
Pudsey Bear and Child

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RUGBY School WINTER 2004/5 9
CHARITABLE
CAUSES…
promote friendly rivalry between
House catering teams as well as
closer links between the School and
the community, the competition was
judged by the Heads of School and the
prizes awarded by representatives
of the local Salvation Army and St
Marie’s Convent. Stanley chef Eric
won.
Stanley also designed and produced
its own Stanley House calendar,
showcasing the photographic and
artistic talents of all the Stanley
girls. The thirteen-month calendar
is on sale at £10, with profits going
to support a Ugandan girl Robina
and to Anthony Nolan Leukaemia
Research. Some of the images are
simply photographs or collages of
girls around the house, others are
amusingly edited pictures of girls
disguised as Disney characters,
Christmas presents or reindeer.
The Grannies’ Christmas party
is a long-standing tradition. One
lady claimed to have seen off five
headmasters since she came to her
first such gathering. This year 25
elderly people came to OBS on a wet
Thursday afternoon, together with
the pupils who have volunteered
to be part of our ‘befriending’
scheme for our elderly neighbours
in Rugby. They were served the
usual tea, cakes, conversation,
and songs provided by our social
service music group. The musicians
continue to perform in various
venues in town and the artists are
working on a project for St Cross
Hospital. A re-energised group of
thespians has entertained five local
schools so far this year and we are
increasingly in demand to give local
First Schools football and netball
coaching. Some members of the XX
apparently saw themselves as David
Beckham r le models, so the reality
of occupying 26 eight-year-olds with
carefully prepared ball drills came as
something of a challenge.
Thursday afternoon for the
partnership scheme involves
pupils from Rugby and Lawrence
Sheriff Schools assisting teachers and
children in lessons at Bishop Wulstan
School, where their expertise and
enthusiasm are warmly received. A
major improvement this year has
seen three pupils helping in a maths
support lesson, while others have
helped in practical science classes
and the after-school homework
club. For the ‘gifted and talented’
Emma Bryant is planning a Science
Club.
The Thursday afternoon gardening
group planted 75 trees around
the Rugby School Estate in three
weeks. The trees were given to
the School by Rugby Borough
Council. Perhaps the pupils will
return as Old Rugbeians to see
spreading oak trees and flourishing
maples in years to come. In October
Christopher Lloyd OR wrote in
his Guardian Weekend gardening
column that, ‘when I was a teenage
schoolboy at Rugby, in the Midlands,
one of the mitigating features of
being a boarder far from home was
the avenue of double red (or were
they pink? – just as good if they
were) hawthorns along Moultrie
Road. That was in the 1930’s; I
hope they are still there.’ Alas they
have been replaced by fastigiate
hornbeams.
TRIPS, TRAVEL
AND TRAINING
Sports novelty of the term was
the Rackets Tour to the USA. In
Chicago we had unlimited access to
the racket clubs’ facilities, as well as
playing American and international
squash. Admittedly, opposition was
limited as the local players seemed to
spend most of their time being served
food and drink in the locker room.
Boston included a visit
to Harvard University,
s o m e s u p e r i o r
rackets opposition
and some real tennis.
We coincided with
the Boston Red Sox
playing their first two
games in the World
Series Final, which
they won for the first
time since 1918, as
displayed on the roof
of every taxi. The last
leg was in New York,
the smartest club Mr Rosser had
ever seen and repaying Mr Dewey’s
efforts with kit. Here the boys were
enthralled by an exhibition including
three of the world’s top players and
Rugby’s rackets professional, and
won half their matches. The Tuxedo
Rackets Club, 30 miles from New
York, was a unique experience in
a wealthy environment. If anyone
would like to buy the house just 100
yards from the club for eight million
dollars, it would make a great base
for us in the future!
Lxx Gallicists took the Eurostar
for a cultural visit to Paris. In four
days we climbed the back alleys of
Montmartre to view the City of
Lights; we walked along the Canal St.
Martin, through the Marais and onto
the tip of le St. Louis; strolled along
the banks of the Seine paying a late
night visit to Notre Dame in all its
spiritual splendour; and perambulated
on the cemetery of P re Lachaise in
the most autumnal of weathers. We
dined at the Place du Tertre, supped
in Rue Mouffetard and enjoyed a
hearty meal in the Quartier Latin.
We played ‘sock’ with the locals on
le de la Cit , went to a play that has
been performed for over 50 years in
the same sweaty theatre, and idled in
the Jardin de Luxembourg. The happy
few even found a place to boogie.
D Block Historians in Berlin began
with a whirlwind tour of historic
sights including the remaining parts
of the Wall, the Brandenburg Gates
and the world’s first-ever traffic light.
Among reminders of the Nazi/Cold
War periods we visited the site of the
Nazi book burning and remembered
that ‘wherever they burn books they
will also, in the end, burn human
beings.’ A visit to the concentration
camp of Sachsenhausen brought home
horrors which can seem remote in
the classroom. Though attractive in
parts, Berlin gave the impression of a
city in trouble, its economic problems
reflected in a skyline of stationary
cranes. The marvellous combination
of traditional and modern architecture
was seen in the Reichstag, but the
problems of past and present were
also seen conjoined in the memorial
to holocaust victims, now halted in
mid-construction. Finally we visited
a museum which explored Berlin’s
entire history, including a Cold War
nuclear shelter still in use today.
Lxx Geographers made their
annual visit to London
Docklands as part of
their human geography
c o u r s e t o s t u d y
how an urban area
can be transformed
from one with vast
economic, social
and environmental
p r o b l e m s i n t o a
thriving and vibrant
part of the city. The
group was given a
whistle-stop tour
of the Royal Docks
(scene for London’s 2012 Olympic
bid), Hay’s Galleria and St Katherine’s
Dock. Lunch at Canary Wharf
illustrated perfectly how manic city
life can be; some also took afternoon
tea in Butler’s Wharf. The finale was
a ‘flight’ on the London Eye which
enabled us to appreciate the sheer
scale of the city and put the day into
perspective.
Rackets Tour to the USA
Various groups have been stepping
out of these drear boroughs to
visit the theatre in Stratford and
elsewhere. The English Society’s
hectic schedule included Romeo and
Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet. The XX
Hispanists saw one of the Golden
Age Spanish plays produced this year
at the Swan Theatre.

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RUGBY School WINTER 2004/5
News from
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Pedro de Urdemalas by Miguel
Cervantes was a lively
entertainment, surpassing
even last term’s Dog in a
Manger by Lope de Vega.
The Scholars saw another
Michael Frayn play (last time
it was Copenhagen), this time
Democracy: the affecting
account of Willy Brandt’s
relationship with G nther
Guillaume, his devoted
personal assistant who was
also a Stasi spy. A rather
cerebral entertainment,
some found, in comparison
with the visual sensations of
BritArt seen at the Saatchi
Gallery earlier in the day.
Lxx Artists visited Tate
Britain and Tate Modern
to study the formal qualities
by which we understand
Art as defined in the AS
Expressive Study paper.
Two collections contrasting
in time, subject matter, media and
content showed how artists had
expressed their ideas in different
periods. The Tate Britain tour
guides analysed a number of images
including Hilliard’s ‘Queen Elisabeth
I’ (pattern), Allan Ramsay’s ‘Thomas,
2nd Baron Mansel of Margam with
his Blackwood Half-Brothers and
Sister’ (composition and light),
Gainsborough’s ‘Giovanna Baccelli’
(texture), Blake’s ‘Elohim Creating
Adam’ (line) and Constable’s ‘Chain
Pier, Brighton’ (tone). Each work was
deconstructed against the context
in which it was made. After a short
journey on the Damien Hirst Ferry up
the Thames to Tate Modern, we saw
works generated in the 20 th Century,
such as Picasso’s ‘Three Dancers’
(content), Mondrian’s ‘Composition
with Red, Yellow and Blue’ 1937-42
(line and space), and Gabo’s ‘Head
No.2’ (form and line). It was a day
of insights derived from fascinating
comparisons: Hilliard’s decorative
CCF Chapel Parade
but flat use of paint with
Mondrian’s utopian dream;
Gainsborough’s fluid use of
paint to make his portraits
with Gabo’s multi-faceted
head.
O n C C F T r a i n i n g
Weekend the ARRM
(Anti-Rugby Rogue Militia)
were out in force, so the
Rugby School CCF was
detailed to take on this
private army. The main
engagement took place at
Swynnerton training base
in Staffordshire. Once the
important jobs of building
bivvies and cooking army
rat packs were completed,
cadets spent the next 24
hours protecting the School
from attack. Orders included
background training such
as learning to fire a LSW
(light support weapon or
machine gun), cooking in the
field, obstacle courses, SAT (small
arms training), observation skills
and patrolling to lay out helicopter
landing zones. Night-time patrols
were perhaps the most difficult
task, moving stealthily to spy on
enemy positions and then using the
information to seek out top-secret
enemy equipment, all on rough
terrain and in pitch dark. Reveille at
0600hrs revealed the ARRM were
no longer and the mission had been
a success.
Non-CCF Lxx had a Team-Building
day run by World Challenge on the
Close. After some ice-breaking
activity, the 155 pupils were split
into 14 mixed teams which moved
round two concentric circuits. Seven
tasks were tackled: Amazon, Buggy,
Incoming Tide, Weigh the Brick,
Gate, Earthquake and Hoverball. Each
task required problem-solving and
leadership skills whilst enabling pupils
to meet others, learn cooperation
and have fun. Teams explored a series
of mind-mapping activities which
were then fed back to the whole
group for discussion of how the key
ideas learnt during the day could
improve academic performance,
social integration and planning for
the future.
The major outdoor contest was
the Push Cart Race, graced
despite poor forecasts with perfect
weather. It began with a time trial,
the biggest and best from each
House pushing their machine round
one lap to determine their position
on the starting line. After last year’s
controversial finish there was more
at stake than usual and School House
were out for revenge. Griffin entered
for the first time and with a surprise
third place on the grid sent ripples
Team-Building on the Close
of concern through the ranks of
seeded boys’ houses. Indeed the girls
maintained good position before their
cart suffered terminal failure after 45
minutes. Such disappointments were
remarkably few in this biggest-ever
entry, however, and more carts
finished in one piece than ever before
- testament to the team-work that
goes on long before the event. The
weeks of collecting materials and
building carts, often overlooked by
spectators on the day, are a time
when the workshops hum with
house spirit. Even where engineering
experience and technical finesse
may be lacking, enthusiasm is not.
The race itself went off without any
major mishap and a chicane in the
start/finish straight enhanced the
safety of spectators. School House
eventually won in reasonable comfort
from defending champions School
Field, while the girls’ race was won
by Bradley.
Prospective medic Tom Ward found
his trip to India a ‘shock to the
system’. Expecting to find a povertystricken
country with an outdated
and overwhelmed medical system,
he found hospitals which looked rundown
but were in fact well-equipped
and could treat every case that came
their way. Admittedly the technology
did not match that of the NHS and
things did not seem quite so sterile,
but everything ran smoothly enough.
Indeed the number of leprosy cases
had fallen massively since the 1980s
and the Manamadarui mission was
struggling to find cases to treat. At
first everything seemed unsafe too,
rickshaws weaving in and out of
Pushcarting to Victory

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News from
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News from
RUGBY School WINTER 2004/5 13
traffic and refusing to drive on the
left. After a few days, however, the
magic of India became clear. No one
seemed afraid of the future or of
lack of hygiene or of poverty, and
after a while ‘you could do nothing
but embrace this philosophy’. What
he will miss most, Tom says, is the
friendliness of the people, especially
the rickshaw drivers who let you
sit next to them and take over. The
stares were off-putting initially, but
having learned to wave back and
grin he was greeted with enthusiasm
wherever he went.
Tom Ward in India
GAMES
ROUND-UP
Running with the Ball
Boys’ rugby, though not a vintage
year, showed encouraging signs in
the lower reaches. If a side were
to be measured by its effort, the
XV would come out on top. They
certainly showed Prince Harry what
they could do when he joined them
for a training session on the Close as
part of his Gap year programme.
The U16A season, like all good
stories, had a start, a middle and an
end: first a couple of defeats, then an
impressive unbeaten run of four games
against St Edward’s, Uppingham,
Stamford and Bedford, only to
end with three further defeats in a
classic example of ‘ring composition’.
Pivotal was the 3-3 draw at St
Edward’s, where, faced with a huge
pack we threw off our ‘Lilliputian’
inferiority complex by tackling,
dragging and generally harassing the
opposition to a standstill. Size does
matter and playing larger, stronger
opponents every week takes its toll.
But ultimately the basics remain the
same: we won when the forwards
played as a unit, when the backs kept
it simple and everyone tackled.
The U16Bs had the best results
record in the club. The U16C statistics
suggest some poor performances,
but most of their matches were close
under the superb leadership of Simon
Naylor, who cajoled both forwards
and backs into some solid tackling and
Attacking Play
purposeful attacking. The U15 side
showed great promise for when they
are able physically and mentally to
sustain their performance for a whole
match. Many of the difficult areas to
coach - depth, timing and support
play - are already well established.
In the Daily Mail competition the
team was unlucky to meet a very
able side in their second match, but
even there the result could have
gone either way, largely thanks to
Jonathan White’s beautifully balanced
and elusive running.
The Young Guard who represented
the U14Bs will long remember this
season for learning that ‘one man
does not win a match’. They learnt

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RUGBY School WINTER 2004/5
News from
RUGBY School WINTER 2004/5 15
GAMES
ROUND-UP…
DATES FOR THE DIARY
JANUARY
19: Design Faculty Lecture: Peter Fossick
on the Future of Product Design
20: Temple Society: Dennis Silk on Siegfried Sassoon
21: 11+ and 13+ Entrance Examinations
23: Science Lecture: Andy Stanford-Clark on IBM
27: D Block Parent’s Concert, Reception and Dinner
Philosophy Society: Simon Blackburn on Relativism
the value of running with team
mates going forward; of creating
opportunities for one another; of
capitalising on the team’s strengths;
of tackling hard and in pairs. The
latter skill was much helped by Aussie
Gapper Eric and his now-legendary
‘tackle-game’ training drill, prompting
one opposing team coach to observe,
‘I’ve never seen an U14B team tackle
like that.’ The master i/c the U14Cs
said they played with great gusto
and soul.
The standard of boys’ badminton
improved, thanks partly to the
coaching of Julian Robertson, current
England coach and former UK no. 1.
Most 1 st VI fixtures were lost, but
half were close and could have gone
either way, while the 2nds hardly lost
a game. The team apparently needs
to develop its killer instinct.
1 st XI girls’ hockey was hugely
successful, with fast, attacking,
entertaining hockey being played
throughout. Highlights included
magnificent victories away from
home at Cheltenham College (3-2)
and Oakham (1-0). The performance
of the season, however, was a
narrow 6-5 defeat at the hands of
Repton: one of the highest quality
girls’ matches witnessed in many
years, as we raised our game against
a team which included one senior
and several junior internationals.
The season was also a resounding
success for the 2 nd XI, probably
the strongest 2 nd XI of any school,
under Laura Ellis, whose initiative
and hard work made a fine example
of leadership. The 3 rds were equally
impressive. A fierce and incisive
attack scored 25 goals, the mid-field
was doggedly determined and the
Prince Harry and the Footballers' Stone
defence dependably impenetrable,
giving the attacking players the
confidence to surge forward. All
of this cohesively held together by
the inspirational captaincy of Irina
Yanshina. The U15As, a year with
great strength in depth, had a season
all the more remarkable as they failed
to score in the first three games.
Then strong team spirit fostered by
captain Chelsea Wong, willingness
to learn and above all growing
confidence brought the year to an
end with a string of victories. The
U14As were clearly a team with a
thirst for scoring goals, though it
took a little time to develop good
defensive skills under pressure. The
U14Bs were defensively very strong,
though the forwards will need to be
more aggressive up front when they
lose possession in the D.
Girls’ badminton and squash teams
were almost unbeaten, the latter
partly due to Kim Stone-Wigg, the
best squash player we have had
for many years. It has also been a
successful term for the fencers, in
that every team and individual could compete on equal
terms with all the opposition. The Birmingham Schools
Tournament was hectic and exciting with over a hundred
fencers taking part. Ciara Foster’s admirable grit and
concentration were rewarded with a well-deserved first
place and the Senior Girls’ Foil Cup. Charles Scott did
very well to finish a hard-fought fifth in both Foil and
.
FEBRUARY
6: Music Staff Chamber Recital
8: Temple Society: Indarjit Singh
on the Relevance of Religion Today
10: Art Scholars’ Exhibition
11: Lxx Parents’ Reception and Dinner
22: Art Lecture: David Mach
MARCH
4: The Arnold Singers in Concert
8: Partnership Schools’ Lecture:
An Audience with Albert Einstein
8: Arnold Society: Dr Catherine Steel
9: Tawney Society: Katie Derham
12: Rugby Philharmonic Choir
13: Confirmation Service
Crick and Barby Runs
15: Einstein Day
16: Rosslyn Park Sevens
19: XX Parents’ Meeting
Senior Girls' Foil Champion

16
News from
RUGBY School WINTER 2004/5
TOM BROWN’S
SCHOOLDAYS…
The new film version of Tom Brown’s Schooldays, which was filmed at the
School last May and broadcast on ITV on New Year’s Day, is now available
at a discount from the School Bookshop. Cheques should be made payable
to ‘Rugby School Bookshop’ and sent to Rugby School Bookshop, Barby
Road, Rugby CV22 5DP, stating delivery address and whether the order
is for DVD (14.99 plus £1 p&p) or VHS (11.99 plus £1 p&p). Stephen Fry,
who played Thomas Arnold, has described the film as a ‘superb adaptation’
which ‘holds the line wonderfully between rollicking good-versus-evil fun and
genuine emotional force.’
… AND OTHER
SUCCESS STORIES
Oliver Dix sailed in the 4/20 event at
Draycote as part of his international
squad training.
David McDonald won 2 nd place in the
national Salter’s Horner’s Physics A
level examination.
Rachel Shakespeare successfully
reauditioned for the National Youth
Sinfonia.
Hugo Hobson was one of 4 winners
in the AQA 2004 National Christmas
Card Competition, which attracted
3000 entries.
Greg Sammons was selected for the
Midlands U18 Rugby squad, Alex
Grove for the Scottish Exiles.
Tim Cannock, Sam Hawkesley, Tim
Bentham and Sonny Wong played
for Warwickshire in the Midlands
County Championships.
Yat Nam Lung, Yifan Huang, Garrick
Ho were invited to take part in the
British Maths Olympiad.
TK Kamiyama, Jeff Lo, Tinnie Chau,
Tim Burton, James Mendes, Garrick
Ho, Tom Ward were placed in the
top 5% nationally in the UK Senior
Maths Challenge.
Marina Lawson-Smith, Sacha Baillieu,
Iola Hopkinson, Harriet Matthias
competed against 37 other Schools
to win their class in the National
Schools Equestrian Association
Championship. Marina finished 4 th in
the individual competition.
Hugo Hobson's Christmas Card
CREDITS
Editor: Jonathan Smith
Photographs: Stuart Hill
Rugby School, Rugby,
Warwickshire CV22 5EH
www.rugbyschool.net
Email: comms@rugbyschool.net
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