MHS Society Newsletter 2011-2012 - Marlborough House School

FROM THE CHAIRMAN
The autumn term has started without us really having had a proper summer. I feel cheated. We have had a few decent
week-ends, but I cannot recall so many cricket games interrupted by bad weather. Kent’s visit to Tunbridge Wells was
a disaster; the T20 game was a complete wash out. The ground was almost entirely under water – the picture below
was taken sometime after the flood had receded.
School cricket was equally badly affected. Hamish
Cloke in his GCSE year, lost the first 6 fixtures of the
season. I’m not sure if his exam results benefited –
but he made it into the 6 th Form and is now studying
for A levels.
At Marlborough House, the children returned on the
18 th April for the summer term but it wasn’t until one
full month later that cricket finally began and the 1 st
XI secured a resounding win on the newly relaid
square.
The Olympics were a huge highlight for many of us.
And as we start the hockey season there is a
noticeable increase at club level in the number of young participants. Other parents have remarked on this at football
and rugby clubs. I can’t help thinking that this must be, in part at least, due to the Olympic factor. Izzy Cloke is now
in her final year at MHS. My time as a parent, which began in the year 2000, is now on the last lap. My association
with the school is a modest 38 years, during which time the school has also educated my brother Simon Cloke and my
two cousins – Jason and Susannah Cloke.
On the subject of leavers, I should of course mention the letter that arrived by e-mail on the 11th September, from
Henry Somerset, the Chairman of the Governors. He was informing us that after almost 18 years’ service David and
Emma Hopkins have decided to retire. They started their careers at MHS in 1995 when the school had fewer than 200
pupils. Henry Somerset has been a Governor for their entire tenure and so he has seen firsthand, as indeed many of us
have, how much the school has flourished under their guidance and leadership. Pupil numbers rose quickly after they
joined and these numbers have remained healthy ever since. This is a real achievement given the economic
circumstances that have prevailed for the last four years. They will both be greatly missed and I must thank them
sincerely on behalf of the Society, for all they have done for the school.
My final thanks, as usual must be to the other Society officers who put the magazine together, in particular Linda
Beasley our Editor and John Waters our Registrar. Without them and a few others who contribute time and energy, we
would not be in print today.
With best wishes
Andrew Cloke, Chairman (MHS 1974 - 1980)
andrew.m.cloke@btinternet.com