Untitled - Old Edwardians - King Edward's School

114 Pages·2009·9.71 MB·English

я

The
Ш Annual Magazine
of
King Edward's School
ж
Birmingham
m
п
IL
ChronUU ¡c
EDITORIAL
The fathers of tho 1993 édition of tho Chroniclc inhcritcd a well established
product. And so this year thc Chroniclc morely hiid lo nieandcr and amble to
trundle along its wcll troddcn tracks and produci? thc iinishcd article.
The Chronicle docs have a team, and what a team it hasbeen. Everyonc has
worked independently under thc twinroignsof our dual editorship. And vvehavo
loved it.
In a year when thc schœl has reached maximum capacity and changcd
dramatically in design, we have stayed ihe samc. Thc Chroniclc is something you
can trust, something you can roly on.
Thc boysha ve made il what itis today wilh substantialguidanceandholpful
advicc from Mr Burns who basically makes il all work himself, The Resources
Centre have been amazing as usual.
Now just silback, putyourfec't upand enjoy thisliterarylreat.We hope you
won't be disappoinled,
Matt Dolton
Ayan Banorjca
EDI TORS
Each year Chronicle' seems tochangcilsappriiach,sty]cand formatand this
édition hasbccn noexccplion. Thc one constant, however, is Ihc effort putinby so
many individuáis. The following people deservo my profoundcst gnìtitudo, and
some of them may even get il: Catherine Tudor for her enthusiasm, indusiry and
willingness 10 laugh at my ideas; Bradley Spencer for his expert advicc on the art
secdon;Chris Boardman for the photoj^raphs which havcduncsomuch to turn this
édition into a visual record of the school's activilies; Mail l'rice for his wonderful
cover and striking artwork; Hugh Houghion for actually voluntoering to proof
rcadit; thestaffoftheRcsourcesCcntreforlaying thc whole thing out and quickly
making senso of the jumble of reports, vague plans and half-baked ideas that we
dropped on them. They arc tho truc stars.
I hope this year's édition is stimulating and enjoyable. There's certainly more to
look at and more toread, There's a silly school song (ideas for iiext year pleasc) and
there's even a holiday to win.
Mcrry Christmas,
JCSB
CONTENTS
SdAool Song 4
Hellos 5
Goodbyes 10
Features 15
Trips 29
Houses 43
Reviews 49
Music 55
Words 61
Picturos 73
Societies 81
Sport 89
STAFF
Matt Oolton Editor
Ayan Banerjea Editor
Ben Banyard features
Simon Cliff Trips
Will Batchelor Reviews
Lawrence Dean Societies
Sankhya Sen Sports
Julian Burns
Catherine Tudor
Chris Boardman Photograpliy
Hugh Houghton ProofRcader Pursuivant
Aidan Burlev Cartoons
PRIZES
Matt Price ArtworkjCover Design
Mi Hesham Abdalla VJriting
Richard Adams VJriting
'SS3
KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL SONG (1993)
Where the iron heart of England chokes on fumes and traffic cônes,
Stood a schtx>l whose architecture lingers on in sepia lones,
Gothic arches, graceful Windows, surcly this was truc renown,
Old Edwardians, young Edwardians, criod as onc, 'Let's knock it downl'
Chorus
Forward, where thc knocks are hardest, some to failuro, some to famé;
Never mind thc cheers or hooting, kecp your head and play thc game.
Forward where the scrimmage thickens, up, down under on a tour;
Twickcnham, a glorious moment, Under XVs, what a score!
Forward to our new Réception, OMR shecls in our hand,
We've a rcgistration System nono can sccm to understand.
Hcre's no place for fop or Tdler'; so what happened to that rag?
Hi-jackcd by thc lonely hearts club, now it's more a contact mag.
Standards they are surcly slipping, now therc's womcn in the Corps,
All the nice boys like a sailor - (wasn't that the case before?)
Oftcntimes defeat is splendid, victory may still be shamc:
That's what happened with thc Cock House, Vardy only woti in name,
Gifford were the rightful victors, 'Give it back, it's yours no more!'
Not so much a Cock House Trophy, but a Cock Cup, that's for sure.
CHRIS BOARDMAN that there's a common purpose about and bright here and you can't pull the
the place in stretching ourselves, and wool over their eyes. If they've got
wanting to learn. something to say, then they soon let
C; What do you do to unwind after a you know. You have to bo very sound
hard week in the computer lab? in what you are trying to put over to
CB: 1 do a lot of outdoor activities; them, as they read between the lines
fell-walking and rock-climbing in very quickly.
particular. I've also done caving and C: How well do you think that the
potholing with other schools I've school trains boys for later life?
worked with. TC: Well, it'sa totally differentwalk
C; Any less athletic hobbies? of life from anything I've ever been
CB: Photography is a great interest involved in, and obviously when they
and has been for years. I do front 1 ea ve the school, their mai n aims are to
covers on a regular basis for Scoudng goontocollegeand further educa tion.
Magazine. As a challenge I've also From the teaching point of view, they
shot a couple of holiday brochures get an all-round view of what is
and a wedding, 1 also watch Star Trek expected of them and, beforc they
avidly. leave here, they have already got a
C: Mr Boardman, thankyou "eery much. good idea of what they want to do.
C: What do you think of the facilities
ul school?
C Could you fill us in about your TOM CAMPBELL TC: Second to none, I used to think
post? the facilities were very good in thc
CB: 1 was a pupil at Manchester C: What did you do before you came forces, and when you think that this is
Grammar School for seven years, a to the school? a school, and that the boys are here
school which is just like this one in TO Well I've been at the school primarily to be educated, all the
many ways and one at which 1 was neariy two ycars now; before that I facilities, not just the sporting ones,
\-eTy happy. From iherel wen t to Leeds was a physical traininginstructor with are fantastic. Obviously, a lot is down
University in Computational Science, the army, I was based, in my last job, to the staff that work in a school like
although what I leamt in that degree "at a junior leader's training regiment,
has little bearing on what computers and we put junior soldiers through
can do now. different testing, physical endurance,
C: So where did you head after Leeds ? to get them to a standard when they
CB: I did a PCCE at Leeds and then could takean activcrolein the regular
went to teach at an inner-city type army,
comprehensive in Liverpool, There C; Did your job involve alat of travel?
we some very difficult behaviour TC: 1 did a fair bit of travel mainly
problems and a lot of conflict between because lam --j'^ite well experienced in
the staff and the parents and pupils. It Outward Bounds; 1 did have three
Was the same at my next post in occasions when I spent most of the
Stockport; for me that conflict was summer over in Canada, on the
more trying than any National Adventure TrainingTeam.upin Banff
Curriculum burdcn- and Jasper, the National Parks.
CDoyou thinkweknowhowlucky-ive C: Whattioyou thinkofihe boys?
mat K.E? TC: 1 thinkthereisa wide variation
ce-Yes.l think peoplehereareonly between the boys at school, you cant
tooawarcofhowlucky they arc. What's just classify them under onc bracket:
good about King Edward's is the fact onthewholc the ladsare well-educated
i
Chronicle 1993
this; it is great that they run the things think it's too early to look any further
they do, the adventure activities, the C: Would you consider the stale secio,
leadershipand thesport,and itmcans Iti all?
that the boys gel an ali-round MjC: 1 wouldn'tdiscountit.VVhat!
education, not just academic. look for in a school is one which has
C; What are your ambilions as far as plenty of extra-curri cular activities like
your career is concerned? sport and music. If I could finda state
TC: I don't see mysclf moving from school that had those then I ivould
herc; l'm lucky as my job is varied, ccrtainly be intercsted.
teaching P.E,, managing the sports C:Now,whenyournotteachingMalbs
centre, the input I have with the CCF. I hear you 're quite a mean sporfsmon'
lenjoythejobverymuchanddefinitely M/C: A keen sportsman,
won't be going anywhere in the near neccssarily a mean one! 1 cnjoy it- [^^
futurc. not particularly gifted bull enjoy niany
CAnd whatis yourproudest moment? sports.
TC: It's very difficult to say, but C: But you play for IheKestrelsandyou
some highlights from school would have to begood to play for them!
have to include the Under 15's going M/C: Yes, l've played a few times
to Twickenham; it says a lot for a for the Kestrels and l'm happy to gei
school when you see things likc that but 1 wanted to have a look at involved in tennis, hockey and golf
happening. A side dtx,'s not get to a something else and four years just C; W^ut's your handicap?
National Final through luck, and it didn't convince me. M/C: Noi as good as Mr Tinley's!
involved agreatdealof good coaching C; So teaching was always 'something C: Any other hobbies?
and hard work. Similarly the World you had considered? M/C: l'm a very keen musician. I
Rugby Tour involved a great deal of М/С; Yes. I taught for my gap year play viola in a couple of orchcstras in
organisation and work and was the between school and university in a Birmingham and at school, Thafsmy
experiencc of a life-tìme, not just ior prep school which I enjoyed very main hobby other than sport,
the boys, but also for staff. much. When I left university ! was C: Do you have any ambitions?
C: Mr CampbeU, Thank you. fairly sure 1 would end up teaching, MjC: Just to take each day as it
but I wanted to explore other Comes.
possibilities first. C:MrCropper, thank you very much.
MARTIN CROPPER C: So why did you choose KES?
M}C: Веса use they offered me a job!
C: Can you tei! me something aboul It wasa school witha good reputation, BRUCE MANNING
your previous afe? Your life before KES l both academically and olhcrwise. I
mean - l'm not implying you've been specitìcally wanted tomove outof the Over the last year Dr Ford went on a
reincarnated or anything! Home Countics - l'd becn brought up teacher exchange toAustraiiaand thuswe
M/C: 1 was bom in Ipswich which thercand then I worked in London, so werehonoured with the prcsenceof Bruce
would explain something of my 1 wanted a complete changcof scenery. Manning.
strange choice of football team! I wetit C: What do you Икс about the school?
to Tonbridgc School in Kent before М/С: The Wide rango of things that C: Can you teli us a bit about your
going to Queen's College, Oxford to are going on, many to a very high background?
read Maths. 1 then spent four years standard academically, musically, BM: I come from Southern
working in London and qualified as a sportingly - thcrc seems to bc Queensland and 1 have bccn teaching
chartered accountant, something going onlosuitcvcry tasto. English at Brisbane Boys' College
C: Did you enjoy Oxford? C: Whal about the boys? Do you find (BBC) for the past ten years,
MJC: Yes, very much. Both the them arrogant - the usual complaint? C: How does it compare with KES?
Maths course and the lifestyle wcrc MjC: They arc self confident but BM:It'smuchthesanieasKEexcept
interesting. It was a good place lo have somcthing to bc self confident that ìnstead of being a Church of
spend three years. about. There isof course an element of England school it is a Methodist
C: Youseem tabe yet another disaffected arrogance but there will be in any Presby terian. Likc KE it is single sex,
accountant who ended up here. h it really group like this. Pcrsonally I find thcm however, it is not as sclccti ve,but then
that had? qidte friendly. a lot of Bridsh schools aren't.
MJC: No, it just wasn't for me. I C: Any plans to move on? C: 1,4 teaching boys the same in both
went into it thinking it was quite М/С: Not in the immediate future, counlries?
possiblc that I would end up teaching. l'm only one year into the job and I ПМ : Yes, they arc just as exciting lo
ach here as they arc back home. A lo feci that I can pull my weight just as CiWhatareyourviewson the boys? Is
against BBC is lhat thc boys much as a teacher from your country. there anything you Tvould change about
ount sport as tcK) big a thing in their C: Do you feel that you have succeeded the school?
¡ves I ^^^^ ^^^^ ^'^'''^ in this challenge? /M.Thcy'rea wcll-mannered, well-
alance. BM: You people will have lo be the motivated bunch on the whole, I
judge of that. wonder if they realise what a wealth
C: Mr Manning, thank you very much of resources of all kinds they've got
and good luck for the future. here. Most will never see inside other
schools for comparison.
As to changes -1 think 1 would alter
JENNY MATTHEWS the grading system. In a school of such
bright boys it's a pity Ihat there's a
С; Ша! did you do iniore working al quota system, with so few allocated
KES? an Al.
jM: In fact this is my second lime at C: What is your greatest ambition?
KES • 1 taught here five years ago. But fM: 1 had an opération for cancer
l've also worked inCollcgesof Further twelve years ago and one of the many
Education in Birmingham, teaching gœd things tocomeoutof that wasan
biologv on GCSE, A-level, BTEC and appréciation of the présent. 1 don't
Access courses think 1 have any very great ambition,
С: V^at IS your degree in and where did althoughi would lovetospcakFrench
¡/ou tram? more fluenlly.
IM: Zoology from Queen's C; Di3 you feel tali women have an
University, Belfast, l was following a advantage over shorter women ?
tamily tradition as my mother was a fM: Is this question revealing sizist
С: Шу havcyou gonc on thaexchange? science graduate from Queen's and attitudes? Yes, I would rather be very
BM: I did the exchange as it is the her mother was one of the firsl women tali than very short and l've certainly
:heapcst way of finding out aboul to graduale from therc, My daughtcr found it no bad thing in teaching in a
liffercntformsof educa lion.Isuppose has broken the line and is al Glasgow! boys' school, On a more mundane
twas 10 see how the olher half do it. After graduating, 1 worked in level, tali women do have a more
С How do the other half do it? medicai rcscarch, firstly on tropical restricted choicc of shoes and clothes,
BM.TcachingEngUshiscxactly thc parasites, then on the circulation C: Do you feel that women areaccepted
ПС Шon a professional level but you syslcm. in Ihe school?
[ave a rnapr advantage in having a C: Do you enjoy teaching al KES? IM: Much more now than when I
jublicexamiuation System.Notcvcry ¡M: Very much, l love the buildings; was here five years ago, Then the
itatein Australia hasthisand Ibelicvc the grounds and Nature Reserve are Common Room felt rather like a
lhat when you rcmove the public super, thestafi are greal lo work with, gcntlemen's club with some of Ihe
îxamination then your standards will and ihe bovs older members secretly wishing
îodown. women hadn'l been admitted at all.
C: What have you mosl enjoyed abouf The greater number of female
miingover to England? members of staff now can only be an
BM: The way adults and studcnts advantage as it reflecls attitudes in
ïlikehave made mc feel so welcome. sociely at large.
IlovethcMidlands people. Thisis the C; lunny Matthias, thank you.
first experience l've ever had of them
and 1 will never forgel being with
ttiem. KATE MOULE
C- Bave you found Ihis past year a
Mlenge? С: Could you teli us a little bit about
BM: \cs, you must bear in mind your afe before you came to KES?
lhat l'm a foreigner and there is a rcal KM: Wcll, 1 wasborn in Wellington,
challengein going intoanothor country which isn't faraway and iscompletcly
3iid trying to sec whether you can do unexciting. Then I went to St Anne's
3)ob Su satisfactorily that thc other College, Oxford to do my degree and
PtBple around you won't feel that 1 slayed there to workin the library for
you've let the side down. 1 want them another year. After that, I went to
Chronicle 1993
Loughborough for a year to do my could have becn qui to, urn difficult, that so many OEs come back to teach?
Hbrary degree. Hc has bcen very helpful indeed. 1 SJT: No, I don't think that it is and
C: Since Si Anne's was the stomping think he's just massively relieved that this is mainly due to the quali ty of ii^^
ground of our illustriouseditor, Mr Burns, someone's come and taken over so hc school. All teachers enjoy teaching
do you have any dirt on him ? doesn't have to worry about it. a generally well behaved, academic
KM: Sadly, I just missed him. I'd C: Do you think that the library is an school and obviously King Edward's
never heard his name until 1 came here under-used resource? is onc of the best schools in the country
so I'm afraid I've got no gossip at all. KM: I certainly do. That's one of the And the simple fact is people womj
C: So why didyou become a librarian? nice thingsabout tho job, tha t there are not come back if it was not a vq^
KM: It was an idea that had been in things todo, lo try to get people to use school.
my head for a long time. It followed it. 1 hopc it will prove tobc extremcly
thcstercotypesof'Iwanttobeanurse', useful.
'I want to be a journalist', 'I want to be C: Do you have any drastic plans for
a lawyer'. It was the only reasonable the library?
decision of them all. Not tha t my heart KM: Well
was set on it all the way through C: Sorry, I have noticed some of the
university. It just seemed to be a job changes, but are there any more?
that brought together all the things 1 KM: Oh good, I'm glad you have.
like. We're hoping to computerize the
whole system on CD ROM machines.
Plans are certainly afoot.
C; Due to popular demand, what are
thechances of getting 'The Sun ' delivered
lo the library?
KM: Umm, I'm not sure about
popular demand. Basically, the
chances arc... remole, at best!
C.Miss Moule. thankyou very much.
SIMON TINLEY
C: What made you decide to becomea
C: Could you tell us a little bit about teacher?
S]T: I have always enjoyed sport
S/T; 1 was bom in Birmingham and and also Mathematics, especially at
actually came to King Edward's in A-levcl. Teaching seemed to be the
1975 and stayed here until 1982.1 then best way of combining the two and it
went to Birmingham University todo was also something 1 thought 1 could
a Maths degree for three years and do well and enjoy.
C: After two terms at KES, whatdoyou then i did teacher training for a year. C: How do you feel aboul there hang
think of the school in general? After lhat I taught at a comprehensive such big differences between thestateand
KM: I thinkit'sa very friendly place. in Watford and thenatWorcesterSixth inde})cndcnt sectors in education?
A lot of people told me that being Form College for four ycars and have SjT: I feel tha t thcre arefar too many
school librarian could be a very lonely now come back here. schools where not enough money is
job because you're the only one of C:Yihatisitlikebeingontheother5Íde spent on them arid so some of the
your sort in the whole institution, but of the common room divide? students at these schools do not get a
everyone's been very friendly. The SIT: A lot of people would find it fair deal, This was especially the case
boys ha ve certainly not lived up toany very strange to be working alongside at the first comprehensive 1 taught at
stereotypes of arrogance. 'Vou get the peoplc who once taught you. But, for where there were some very bright
odd exception but you would expect me, it isn't. Now they are just boys and girls who could have coped
that at any school. colleaguesand you don't think of them very well at KES and KEHS but were
C- How did Mr Lambie react to you as your teachcrs and they themselves held back by the less able students.
usurping his kingdom? treat you as a membcr of staff. You But here everyone has quite a lot of
KM: (Laughs) He hasn't been like would not want it any other way. abili ty and so can be pushed at a faster
that at all, fortunately, because that C; Do you think that it is surprising pace.