Issue 348
The
Bradfordian
School Notes
1
Contents
04
Section One – School Notes
36
Section Four – Visits
06
06
09
09
13
16
Introduction from the Headmaster
Speech Day – Headmaster’s Speech
Changes to the Governing Body
Leaving Staff
University Degree Course Admissions 2013
Examination Results and Comparisons 2013
18
Section Two – Junior School
20
22
24
Trips
Sports
Notable Events
26
Section Three – Societies and Features
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40
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41
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42
42
43
Senior Ski Trip
Lower School Ski Trip
The English Literature London King Lear Trip
Economics and Politics Trip to New York
Battlefields
The Cemetery
What Are We Meant to Do?
Château de la Baudonnière
English Enrichment Week Trip to Edinburgh
Religious Studies Department Trips
The British Museum
German Exchange
History in the Raw
Junior Classics Trip to the Bay of Naples
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350th Anniversary of the School’s Royal Charter
Work Experience Week
Schools’ Challenge Quiz Team Regional Champions
Routes into Languages Regional Spelling Bee Final
Combined Cadet Force
Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award
BGS Breaks the Gold Award Record
Old Bradfordians’ Gold Award Holders
The Spring Fair
Barnardo’s Mentoring
Debating
Stitch Club
MUN Competition
Christmas Fair
Fashion Show
Race for Life
Manningham Youth Talks
Fairtrade
Faiths in the City
44
Section Five – Arts and Performance
46
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52
The Winter’s Tale
The Taming of the Shrew
A Level Theatre Studies
Pericles
Drama Clubs
Johnson over Jordon
Christmas Concert
Chamber Concert
Leavers’ Concert
Sixth Form Greek Tragedy
56
Section Six – Sport
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59
63
68
71
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82
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Badminton
Cricket
Cross-Country
Hockey
Netball
Rowing
Rugby
Swimming
Table Tennis
Girls’ Tennis
Water Polo
Contents
03
Section One
School Notes
Inside this section…
04
06
Introduction from the Headmaster
06
Speech Day – Headmaster’s Speech
09
Changes to the Governing Body
09
Leaving Staff
13
University Degree Course Admissions 2013
16
Examination Results and
Comparisons 2013
The Bradfordian 2014
School Notes
05
Introduction from
the Headmaster
It is a great pleasure to write this introduction to
The Bradfordian. 2014 was an excellent year for the school
as this edition makes clear; a strong Upper Sixth achieved
some excellent A Level results and entry into many
outstanding universities.
The strength of BGS is built on its academic foundations
and it is our basic tenet that every student should achieve his or her
academic potential. Our commitment to learning is shown in the
redevelopment of the Clarkson Library; as I write the roof is going
on and in next year’s edition we will be able to show it in action.
It will be a superb addition to the school’s facilities.
Outside of the classroom there has been much to see
and take pride in; I remember Joanna Twaddle’s playing of the
Haydn Cello Concerto with particular pleasure. I am sure you will
be able to find similar memories in the following pages.
Speech Day –
Headmaster’s Speech
“Deputy Lord Mayor, Deputy Lady Mayoress, Sir David
and Lady Normington, Chairman, Governors, Honoured Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a really great pleasure to welcome
you, to echo Lynne’s welcome, to this magnificent Hall to
celebrate the end of another school year.
Every Monday morning we meet in here and we have what
we call a celebration assembly where we look at all the things that
have gone on the previous week; we pay tribute to everything that the
boys and girls are doing and today is very much the end point of that.
06
The Bradfordian 2014
I would certainly like to echo Lynne’s welcome to Sir David, one of our
most distinguished Old Bradfordians. It has been a delight to show
him around the school today and show him some familiar bits and some
unfamiliar bits. One of the things that schools do is we never throw
anything away and deep in the Footings there was indeed a file on
David Normington and Lynne will have some nice pieces from that
later. David’s Headmaster was KD Robinson whose picture is there,
a sketch by David Hockney, there is a hint there Governors for later.
He was clearly a very prescient man, David, with regard to your future
career, because he wrote about you as a member of the athletics
team, ‘he jumps horizontally with considerable skill, the child is the
father of the man’.
It is not my intention today to run through all of the many things
that we have done, but today what I want to do is twofold: – I want to
give you a snapshot of the things that we have done, I want to play you
the winning film of our film competition – My BGS – in a minute or two,
and I want to pick up Lynne’s theme of change. We have a remarkably
diverse school community here and it is reflected in the myriad of
things that these boys and girls achieve. I apologise to those who
may feel left out, if I were to read all of these things, we would be here
for an awful lot longer than any of you would like, but just to give you
a flavour of the year, Alasdair Glen won a Royal Geographical Society
prize for his geography GCSE, Hamzah Mushtaq and Vlad Neagu
were awarded Arkwright Engineering Scholarships.
We were the regional champions for Schools’ Challenge,
the First XI beat the MCC and that doesn’t happen very often. Emile
Cairess and Roisin Ramage will represent West Yorkshire in the English
Schools’ Championships in the 3000 metres and the shot. Abby Mae
Parkinson is in the Olympic Development Programme for track cycling,
Connor Bailey is an international kayaker and Matthew and Josh Carey
are international windsurfers. As you can see from the front of the
programme our U16s won the Warwick Schools Sevens, probably
the most prestigious tournament outside of the London Roehampton
Sevens tournaments. At the Chamber Concert Joanna Twaddle, who
is a member of the National Youth Orchestra, played Haydn’s Cello
Concerto in C Major; we weren’t surprised to see Joanna play it so
well, what was fantastic was to see so many other members of the
school in the school orchestra getting the opportunity to play a full
concerto. Dan Sanderson played Robert Johnson in a magnificent
production of JB Priestley’s Johnson over Jordan and our Concert
Band performed absolutely splendidly at the Grassington Festival.
And all of that is illustrative of our commitment to an all-round
holistic education at BGS, which is what we have always done and what
we shall strive to continue to do in the future, and it is made possible
by a loyal hard-working staff. I always think it is important on these
occasions as the Head to publicly thank my colleagues for all that they
do in terms of enabling the students at this school to fulfil their potential
in the ways that I have just outlined. And it was fascinating to go round
today with David and to hear him talk about his teachers here and how
he was inspired to do what he has done by the education that he received.
So, an innovation last year, we had a slide show and as a
result of that this year I had a competition, a film competition, and there
was a very generous prize of £500 for My BGS. We had a number of
entries and the winning entry is a film made by Becky Stevens who
is in Year 11. It was judged by Steve Abbott, who coincidently I found
out today was a neighbour at the bottom of David’s garden. Steve
was just back from Cannes where he had been on the Palme D’or
Committee and he wrote having chosen that film, he said, “It is
fantastic to see Bradford as UNESCO’s City of Film leading the
charge in nurturing female talent”, so hopefully with the technology
working we are going to see Becky Stevens’ film entitled My BGS.
Steve said that he thought that the editing was absolutely
terrific. The clips are from the 1962 Film Society film called Strike Action.
You can find it on YouTube and it is a film about a mythical strike in favour
of having tea at break time instead of having a pint of milk. Those of
us who are of a certain age in here will remember having school milk,
I am afraid the current school population has no memory of that
whatsoever. Becky can’t be here today, she is on holiday in Yellowstone
National Park, but when I contacted her to tell her that she had won
I asked what gave her the inspiration and this is what she said and
I think it is a very interesting insight into a sixteen-year-old’s mind:
“I thought it would be interesting to show the differences
that school and society has undergone in the 52 years since the film
was made. To show this I tried to incorporate the new technologies of
the 21st century, such as mobile phones and smart boards, as well
as the physical changes that the school has made using the Learning
Link and new Science Block. As the original film is about a small-scale
protest which changed the school, I thought using Michael Jackson’s
They Don’t Care About Us would be a good soundtrack as it is about
people rising up in protest against authority and how we are able to
change things for the better, showing how far we have come in the
last few decades.”
I suppose that in all of my teaching career I have known
that actually the best ideas come from the young and that the young
have a blinding honesty when it comes to telling people the truth, and
that phrase that Becky uses, “how we are able to change things for
the better”, in a sense serves as a mantra for this school and indeed
for all independent schools over the coming years.
School Notes
07
In the next five years we are going to face new examinations
at 16+ and 18+, they will start in September 2015 and they are a
momentous change. No time in the past has any Government changed
the national exam system at 16 and 18 at the same time. In recent
days you may have seen that the Government is suggesting that
independent schools might be inspected by OFSTED, as my colleague
Neil Gabriel said in Speech Day on Wednesday, we don’t quite see
why 30 years of failure in inspecting maintained schools gives them
the right to come and inspect independent schools. One of the reasons
why independent schools thrive is because of that independence and
we would strive very hard to maintain it in order to present the kind of
education that I described earlier. Today I have had a letter from
Ofqual sent to all schools and colleges in England and Wales, an open
letter warning of potential turbulence in the marking of this year’s
examination results. Those of you who are parents with children doing
GCSEs and A Levels, your hearts may sink at that. It is not the kind of
letter any Headmaster wants to receive, but there it is, turbulence in the
system because of change and some of us would think change that
has not been particularly well thought out or planned. But our job in
the school is to engage with that change and we shall do it positively
and we shall do it to the very best of our ability and one of the things
we will be able to stand on is our foundations and the foundations not
just in these wonderful buildings around you, but in the values that the
school has espoused for so many years. One of the things we have
got to do is ensure we are able to change things for the better.
I have already thanked my colleagues generally, but I want
to pay particular thanks today to four members of staff who retire at
the end of this term. Geoff Holmes has for fourteen years been our
Catering Manager, an army may march on its stomach, but I tell you
schools really do. There are only two things which cause chaos in
school, something to do with staff car parking or school dinners and
Geoff has absolutely led from the front and produced magnificent meals
for many years and I hope he enjoys a long and happy retirement.
I think he particularly enjoyed judging the cake competition yesterday
at the Parents’ Association Macmillan Tea Party when he didn’t have
to actually make the cake or provide it.
Tony Johnson retires after fourteen years running the
English department, a remarkably humane man Tony, very civilised,
really there for the children in the school and many of you will have
noted his particularly fine productions over those years.
Diana Hicks, twenty years’ teaching and leading the Business
Studies department, a Principal Examiner, someone who as a Head I could
rely on totally and utterly for impartial advice and for fantastic teaching.
08
The Bradfordian 2014
And finally of course the person who is missing today,
which is Dr Michael Sharpe. It was characteristic of Michael that when
the date of his daughter’s graduation after seven years at Edinburgh
University came forward and it was today, he should come to me
and ask ‘what am I going to do?’, and I said ‘Michael you have been
coming to Speech Days for 26 years, you are going to go to your
daughter’s graduation’. Michael is a one-school man, he has been
here for his entire distinguished career. David Smith, one of my
predecessors on the wall there, wrote about him, ‘Above all perhaps
a quiet but excellent relationship with his pupils who have come to
place a great deal of trust in his judgement and support’ and that
was written nearly twenty years ago, but what you can do now is
apply that to the entire school community. We all trust Michael and
we trust him because he is a man of great judgement and he has
provided enormous support for everyone and in particular I want to
say how much support he has provided for me as the incoming
Headmaster. So Michael we hope you are having a great time in
Edinburgh and we thank you for all you have done.
And my last thank you today is in one sense a rather sad
one. Trevor Shears was an Old Bradfordian and last month he died.
I am delighted that his brother Peter and Peter’s wife Pat are with us
today. Trevor was a benefactor of this school and that is one of the great
things that this school has. It has former pupils who have a deep and
abiding love for it and who want to make sure that other pupils like them
have the ability to benefit from all that this school offers. Trevor gave
a great deal of money to the school to support bursaries, to enable
bright boys and girls to come to this school whose parents could
otherwise not afford it. It is absolutely in tune with those values that
I talked about earlier. When the prize winners come up across the
stage four of Trevor’s students will be in that number. They wouldn’t
be here if it wasn’t for him. Trevor chose to change things for the
better with his support for those students. It is an enormous privilege
to run a school which has that kind of support which is there to give
us the foundations as we navigate our way through troublesome
headwinds. Trevor was a great man, a quiet man, an understated man,
he was a real Bradfordian and it is his example that I leave you with today.
Thank you.”
Video of this event is available at:
tinyurl.com/nxdrjnh
vimeo.com/101307044
Changes to the
Governing Body
The Very Revd Jerry Lepine is the Dean of Bradford and an
ex-officio member of the Board of Governors. He was formerly Rector
of St Leonard’s, Wollaton in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham
where he had been since 2002. He was also a Canon of Southwell
Minster and Area Dean of Nottingham North – an area with high levels
of child poverty and adults without qualifications. Before going to
Nottingham, he was Diocesan Evangelism Adviser in the Diocese of
Southwark. He trained for ordination at St John’s College, Nottingham,
after gaining a degree in business, and served his curacy in Harrow,
London. He then became Team Vicar in Horley, next to Gatwick Airport.
Jerry and his wife, Christine, have two adult children. He was appointed
a Governor of Bradford Grammar School in December 2013.
Leaving Staff
Michael Sharpe
by Kevin Riley, Headmaster
Dr Michael Sharpe first experienced
life at BGS as a PGCE student on
placement in 1986; it says a lot about
both him and the school that he never
left! Both recognised the quality in the other and Michael’s
career is an exemplar of a ‘one-school man’ who always found
new challenges and gave superb service to the school.
Michael’s academic abilities were evident in his own education:
Barrow Grammar School followed by a Zoology degree at Leeds and
then a PhD on ‘The effect of levamisole on the physiology, biochemistry
and behaviour of trichostrongyle nematodes’. By the time he decided
on teaching as a career he had flirted with university lecturing, run a
travel business and been a postman; those life experiences were to
stand him in good stead in his career at BGS.
Initially Michael’s posts at BGS were ‘temporary’; he was
appointed as a ‘temporary’ part- time Biology teacher in September
1987; by January 1988 he was full-time and by February 1988 he was
‘permanent’. Subsequently he became Acting Head of the First Year,
Acting Head of Biology and Head of the Sixth Form before becoming
Deputy Headmaster in 2007. Once Michael took on a role he made
it his own and everyone appreciated the efficiency, effectiveness and
humanity with which he carried it out. At the same time he maintained
the highest standards in his own teaching; he was a wonderful
administrator but not at the expense of his teaching. BGS’s reputation
for academic excellence owes much to teachers like Michael.
Outside the classroom Michael’s passion for the hills of
his native Cumbria was passed on to many students. A note on the
outdoor pursuits noticeboard would announce a trip and off would
go a party to some wild and remote places. No risk assessments in
those days and there were, allegedly, the odd hairy moments… but
with no mobile phones or Facebook, stories of lost boys stayed on
the mountains. Fortunately the boys returned! He also accompanied
many History trips which enabled him to pass on his love of the
subject to many pupils, and was ever-present at concerts.
Michael’s two daughters, Stephanie and Caroline, were
pupils at BGS and he derived a great deal of pleasure from seeing
them thrive at the school; those shared experiences are very enriching
and unusual for a parent. For Michael it was a hugely enjoyable period
of his time at the school.
All of Michael’s many and varied experiences combined to
make him such a good man and leader; in particular his judgement was
outstanding. He was a marvellous Deputy Head because everyone in
the school valued his support and trusted his judgement. As a new
Head to BGS in 2012 I could not have asked for more valuable and
useful support. BGS has a great tradition of dedicated and loyal staff:
Michael is a wonderful exemplar of it.
In retirement Michael will no doubt spend many hours
‘on the hills’ so it’s appropriate to finish with some lines from William
Wordsworth, the great Lakeland poet:
The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, unremembered
acts of kindness and love.
School Notes
09
AP Johnson
by G D’Arcy and SJ Ball,
English/Drama Department
Tony Johnson arrived at Bradford
Grammar School in September 2000
initially as a Teacher of English, but
on the departure of the previous incumbent, he stepped up to the
mark to lead the department for the next thirteen years; a period
which saw many changes, both within school and in the delivery of
English as an academic discipline in the wider educational realm.
Tony never shied away from change and he embraced
each new specification and government ‘initiative’ with the same
enthusiasm and dedication to getting the best performance from
students and staff, even when the change seemed educationally
dubious. It is thanks to Tony that the current Initial Teacher Training
programme was established at BGS in all academic departments.
As a classroom practitioner, Tony’s approach was simple:
place the student at the heart of the learning process. And this he most
certainly did. His encouragement was enthusiastic yet disciplined, his
subject knowledge wide-ranging and inspirational, and his classroom
style both creative and reflective. Students had no doubt that they were
receiving the very best lessons from someone with a genuine love of his
subject. After talking to students, both past and present, one message
is clear: nothing was too much trouble for Mr Johnson. If you needed to
work through a piece of writing, prepare a presentation for lessons or
audition for a part, his time was yours. This was the same for colleagues also.
Of course, Tony’s classroom successes only give a partial
picture of his impact on the pupils and school. Major productions to
have benefited from his direction include: Oliver!, We Will Rock You,
Blood Brothers, Our Country’s Good, Hedda Gabler, As You Like It,
The Likes of Us – all of which were played to packed houses and
brought out performances from pupils that were in turn unexpected
and brilliant. In the words of a former pupil, now a professional actor,
“Mr Johnson made the theatre a special place to be… I am almost
certain his passion, drive and enthusiasm are partly responsible for
the reason I now work in professional theatre.” Tony himself is most
proud of his production of Peer Gynt, which is registered on the official
Ibsen database because it used the full text and Grieg’s incidental
music, scored by a talented member of his then Form, Will Green.
Mention should be made of Tony’s other professional role
as Chair of Examiners for AQA Drama and Theatre Studies during
which he oversaw major changes to A Level specifications, moving
from six to four units. He began work with exam boards in 1986 and
rose through the ranks before his twelve-year stint as Chair.
His commitment to widening the cultural experiences
of older students continued beyond the classroom as a wealth of
extra-curricular trips were organised over the years. The Romantic
poets were made more vivid at Grasmere, the influences of Joyce,
Wilde and Shaw were discussed over a pint of the ‘black stuff’ in
Dublin, and too numerous to mention were the visits to London to
allow students first-hand experiences of West End productions, the
Globe reconstruction and original manuscripts at the British Library.
10
The Bradfordian 2014
But of course there is one place that drew, and still draws,
Tony faster than a Renaissance rat up a drain pipe. I mean, of course,
Stratford-upon-Avon. After his family, I’m sure I have got it right when
I say that Tony considers William Shakespeare the most important
person in his life. Ask him where he is spending summer and the
first thing mentioned will be his regular participation in an RSC
residential course.
Tony will be missed hugely. So finally, If we do meet again,
why, we shall smile; If not, why then, this parting was well made.
Diana Hicks
by RE Schofield, Economics/Business
Studies Department
After completing twenty years of
teaching Business Studies at BGS,
Diana Hicks has found the lure of
retirement irresistible. She leaves this summer to join her husband
in retirement and develop further her interests in rare maps
and prints, gardening and DIY.
Under the expert guidance of the late Peter Kewley (former
Head of Economics) at BGS, within two years Diana was promoted to
Head of Business Studies. Together with her close colleague Angela
Dews, the pair forged a tight-knit team which made Business Studies
at BGS synonymous with academic excellence. Indeed, if value added
were taken as the measure of achievement at A Level, then Business
Studies could, with some justification, claim to have been school’s
most successful department of the past twenty years.
As a teacher, contributor to extra-curricular activities, Senior
A Level Examiner and someone with relevant and extensive work
experience outside the classroom, Diana was, in many ways, a
Headmaster’s dream. As hundreds of her former students will testify,
she was an exceptionally talented and gifted teacher. Her lessons,
always thoroughly researched (during term she would spend every
weekend updating her notes from newspapers like the FT and The
Economist), were often exceptional and novel. Her genuine interest
in students, her warmth and empathy, her extrovert character, and her
expert knowledge created an extraordinary bond with them. So often
she made a lasting impression and a positive difference. I know that
so many remember her with great affection and consider themselves
fortunate to have been taught by her.
Diana also made a significant contribution to extra-curricular
activities which she firmly believed was an integral part of her job.
For many years she was the only female member of staff in the CCF
and along with Ian Stoney, Peter Ratcliffe and the late Simon Burnett
would accompany the cadets on their annual camps to Warcop,
Ripon and further afield. She played a leading role in organising the
early BGS fashion shows which proved an outstanding success and
have since become an annual fixture in the school calendar. And in
the last few years she has contributed generously of her time as the
female member of staff in the Swimming Club as well as to front-of-house
management for dramatic productions. As an Assistant Principal
Examiner she also found time to play a key role in the development
and assessment of A Level Business Studies for AQA and write
articles for the Business Review.
It goes without saying that the school in general and the
Social Science faculty in particular are very sad to see Diana leave.
She has been incredibly supportive to me over the past ten years
and has been a much admired colleague. Her sparky good humour
and lively intellect will be badly missed by staff and students alike.
We wish her a long and happy retirement and fulfilment in her quest
to find rare maps, prints and other antiques at auction houses up
and down the country. Whether at Waitrose or Bonhams, she has
always loved shopping for bargains!
Chris Walkin
by I Findlay, Bursar
Chris Walkin took up the reins
in November 2007 straight from
a successful career in the Army,
looking to make his way in Civvy
Street. If I remember correctly, this soldier who had come
under enemy fire in places like Iraq was clearly nervous,
but patently a strong contender.
Geoffrey Holmes
by I Findlay, Bursar
Geoff retired at the end of the
summer term having worked in the
school for fourteen years where he
had become a familiar figure in the
Dining Hall and at various functions catered for in school.
This ended a career spanning over 45 years in the catering
industry which started after completing a three-year National Diploma
in Hotel Keeping and Catering at Hollings College in Manchester. I
wonder whether working with so many women in the kitchens is what
keeps Geoff looking so young!
His working life has included work for the NHS, Sodexo and
periods as Catering Officer at both Stockport Town Hall and Bradford
City Hall. During sixteen years with Nestlé he moved from Catering
Manager to Quality Facilitator, working on the introduction of the BS5750
quality system which involved a crash course in factory production,
including a spell as a Team Leader on the Easter Egg Plant!
In the late 1990s redundancy meant Geoff had to look for
another opening – both he and his wife Helen were shortlisted for the
post of Catering Manager here at Bradford Grammar School – Geoff
was delighted to win out! His time at the school has seen major change
and he says that this job has been a real pleasure and a great
environment to work in – and the team have been a joy to work with.
Chris has overseen many changes from an estates point of
view, both administrative and structural. One of Chris’s first projects was
the new Pavilion, a project that had seen off two building contractors
and although a promising building, it was beset with teething problems.
Chris has methodically spent a lot of time resolving these issues,
managing to stay on top of routine matters as well as landmark projects.
They serve approximately 1,000 quality meals on a daily
basis. In addition to that they serve breakfast from 8am onwards
and operate the tuck shop at morning break. This is in addition to the
numerous other requests for food that Geoff manages without fuss
on a daily basis. Geoff has led an excellent team. As Napoleon said,
‘An army marches on its stomach’, and the BGS army has been well
fed by Geoff and his team.
The ambitious Alan Jerome Building and Stephen Davidson
Learning Link project was the most complex the school has ever
undertaken. Chris was the main contact between school and the
contractors and this turned out to be the most successful project
carried out, no coincidence then that Walkin was the ‘man of the hour’!
In my time as Bursar I have never had any complaints about
the food and I only ever receive compliments about Geoff and his team.
I have to say it has been a pleasure to work with Geoff and I can safely
say that he is one of the nicest guys I have ever worked with and met.
The Clarkson Library project has begun with Chris’s
characteristic logistical expertise, with the seemingly effortless decant
of thousands of books from the Library to the Sports Hall but, in fact,
the result of Chris’s infinite detailed plans.
Geoff had a great send off from work with a gift of Australian
dollars which he is looking forward to spending when they visit their
daughter Lucy who works for KPMG in Brisbane in December/January
– in the meantime he says he has plenty to do working on his home
and garden, and would definitely like to see more of our own country.
The whole of the estate is looking better than ever; you just
have to look around to see the fantastic condition that the school is
in. This is a credit to Chris and the hard work of all his team.
We wish Chris all the best in any future ventures he
undertakes; as a former soldier, it is likely to be a very active and
productive retirement from estates management!
Janice Webster
by D Truby, Head of Administration
Janice joined BGS in 1996 and
worked as part of the catering
team until switching to Reception
in September 2012. Janice has
been a quiet and serene member of the support team in school
and always happy to help out.
She is leaving to enjoy the summer at home with her new
puppy and is also looking forward to becoming a Grandma. Unflappable
and patient, Janice has been an excellent front-line face and voice for
the school and we wish her all the best in retirement.
School Notes
11
Sue Higgins
Clive Donnelly
by I Findlay, Bursar
by I Findlay, Bursar
Sue left the school after fifteen
years working in the Catering
department. This was her second
period of employment here, having
left to spend time raising her family.
Clive was interviewed on 31 August
2006 and started work at BGS on the
following day, which was a Friday.
He initially worked for Martin Smith,
and latterly for Chris Walkin who only just beat him out of the door!
She worked both in the Catering and Cleaning departments,
but later accepted increased hours in catering becoming responsible
for producing the food for the ever popular salad bar. Sue was always
notable for her immaculate turn out and was fastidious and efficient
in her work, and a popular member of the team.
Clive was a popular member of staff with teachers, support
staff and also with pupils. The high point of his time here was when
an RAF Chinook helicopter landed at the school and he was one of the
two lucky individuals who went up for a flight in it. He never stopped
talking about it afterwards.
Sue has three daughters, a son and five grandchildren, whom
she will have more time to enjoy, together with travelling with her partner.
Clive doesn’t have any specific plans for his retirement,
although I am sure that he will take the opportunity to take more
holidays over the coming years.
Pat Mayes
Ros Waddock
by I Findlay, Bursar
by I Smith, Financial Controller
Pat was originally appointed as a
temporary Administration Assistant in
October 2000 and became a permanent
employee in December 2001.
She became Works Clerk in 2003 and during her time in
that position has managed to successfully organise whichever Estate
Managers she has worked with.
Pat was very well organised, efficient and always very
helpful in what is a very busy department. She was both liked and
respected by all of the staff.
After raising a large family Pat has decided that now is the
time for her to spend time doing more of the things that appeal to her.
I have no doubt that she will therefore be spending more of her time
running, cycling and, of course, one of her great passions, travelling.
Roderick Thomson (RIP)
by Raymond Shaw-Smith, friend and colleague
Roderick Thomson, known as Roddy to his colleagues,
a Teacher of Art and subsequently English at the school
from 1968-95, died in November 2013.
Mr Roderick Thomson came to teach at the school in 1968
after service in the Army and some years as a journalist. From 1968
to 1970 he taught Art in the sunny upper reaches of the school with
Mr Holbrook, having himself been taught at Highgate School by the
famous Welsh artist Kyffin Williams (later RA and Sir Kyffin). He returned
to the school in 1971, invited by the Headmaster Mr K D Robinson,
and taught English in the dungeon room 40 until his retirement in
1995. He was a stickler for spelling, punctuation and grammatical
12
The Bradfordian 2014
Many parents, past and present,
will have had cause to speak to
Ros Waddock during the last
twelve years. In February 2014
Ros retired from her position as Finance Administrator where
she was in charge of billing school fees and the payroll.
Dealing with others’ money and chasing overdue bills is
not an easy task, but Ros always dealt with each query professionally
and in a pleasant and helpful way. She was a ‘bedrock’ of the Finance
department who took great pride in her work, ensuring that the books
were kept in good shape whilst earning the respect of parents and
work colleagues.
We hope that Ros enjoys a healthy and fruitful retirement
– she deserves it.
correctness, but also conducted ‘essay sets’ in a lively and inspiring
way. “Can man ever understand woman?” was a topic which reached
no conclusion according to one participant but was immense fun. He
helped in the CCF, on the stage and in other school activities, and his
firm voice and always well-formed sentences, touched with originality,
made him a pleasure to listen to. Conversation with him left you wiser
and more cheerful, with horizons a little wider. “Do it now” was one of
his maxims. Letters from him always contained cuttings from newspapers
and magazines and news of colleagues. His laughter, sometimes high
pitched, was infectious. He walked purposefully with his head well
forward and a free hand outstretched behind as if steering him. In
retirement he helped an old school friend of their early youth in a journalistic
business, and he kept all his friendships in good order. He will be
sadly missed. Roddy Thomson was once the editor of this publication.
University Degree Course Admissions 2013
A
B
C
D
Gitanjali Aishwarya
Leeds
Shams Wajdy Al-Hity
Birmingham
Medicine
Medicine
Hasanain Ali Al-Jawad
Newcastle
Architecture and Urban Planning
Imogen Allan
Bristol
Geology
Joseph Allan
Durham
Criminology
Freya L J Armstrong
MMU
Marketing Management (Exchange)
Rowan A Arthur
Oxford
History
Elizabeth Bailey
Sheffield
Geography
Samuel R Balmforth
London/Royal Holloway
Geology
Oscar Barber
Oxford
Classics and German
Richard Baugh
Oxford
Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular)
William Baxter
Newcastle
Financial Mathematics
Katherine R Beadle
Bradford
Web Design and Technology
Lily A Bell
Sheffield
Structural Engineering and Architecture
Daniel Bennett
Manchester
International Management
Danielle Bennett
Northumbria
Sport Management
Amrita Bhogal
Sheffield
English Language and Linguistics
James A Boden
Durham
Chemistry
Oliver Boncey
Durham
Modern Languages
Harriet Brassington
York
Educational Studies
Scott K Brayshaw
Warwick
Electronic Engineering
William Briggs
Newcastle
Politics
Romil Butt
Leeds Metropolitan
International Business
Christopher Casson
Oxford
Law
Daniel Cawthorn
Newcastle
History
Matthew Celaire
Liverpool
Dental Surgery
Alfred Chapman
Nottingham
Physics
Dominic Cox
Loughborough
International Business
Jack Crabtree
Nottingham Trent
Business Management and Marketing
Rhys A J Dandy
Buckinghamshire
Football Business and Media
Zahan Darr
Bradford
Clinical Sciences/Medicine Foundation
Conor C A Darren
Northumbria
Business Management
Frankie Dixon
Loughborough
Design with Engineering Materials
Amelia Duncan
Birmingham
Environmental Science
E
Jacob Ellison
Oxford Brookes (2014)
Religion & Theology/History of Art
Beatrice Evans-Thirlwell
Bath
Politics with International Relations
F
Nazeel Faruque
Nottingham
Computer Science
Calum Foster
London/King’s College
International Politics
Matthew Fowler
Newcastle
Chemistry
Grace Foxcroft
Manchester
Politics and Social Anthropology
School Notes
13
University Degree Course Admissions 2013 continued…
G
Dilhara M Gammanpila
Lancaster
English Literature with Creative Writing
Benjamin R Gaunt
Durham
Natural Sciences
Amy K George
Nottingham
Chemistry
Rebecca Golenya
Leeds
Medicine
Michael D Goodwin
Newcastle
Economics
Emma Goodwin-Jones
Birmingham
International Business with Communications
Matthew Green
Northumbria
Business with Finance Management
Matthew Gunnee
London/Imperial
Medicine
Unays Y Hafeji
Bristol
Chemical Physics with Industrial Experience
Frederick Hall
Manchester
Science with an Integrated Foundation Year
Adam Hamilton
London/Royal Holloway (2014)
Geology
Georgie Henley
Cambridge
English
Jack Hoban
Birmingham
Economics
Thomas V Holmes
Newcastle
Mechanical Engineering
I
Rebecca L Irons
Leicester
Geography
K
Harman Kang
Bradford
Law
Georgina Kay
Nottingham Trent
Design for Film and Television
David Ker
London/College of Music
Music
Hamza Khan
Bradford
Biomedical Science
Humaas Khan
Bradford
Accounting and Finance
Omar Khan
Bradford
Optometry
H
L
M
N
14
Hani Khokhar
Leeds
Law
Joseph Knight-Steward
University College London
Politics and East European Studies
Luke Kopelciw
Northumbria
Civil Engineering
Katie J Lamb
Edinburgh
International Business
Oliver Lane
Exeter (2014)
Economics and Politics
Usman Latif
Liverpool
Business Economics
Derek Law
Birmingham
Biological Sciences
James Leavor
Plymouth
Paramedic Practitioner
Harriet Liddington
Bristol
Geology
Saief Mahmood
Liverpool John Moores
Natural Sciences
Katherine E Mancey
Liverpool
Music/Popular Music
Oscar Mann
York
Music Technology Systems
Angus R Mather
Durham
Primary Teaching
Chloe Merrick
Durham
Economics with French
Archie L Miller
Hull
Chemistry
Natasha Moorey
Loughborough
Politics
Maximilian Murach-Ward
Lancaster
Computer Science
Henry Nash
York
Electronic Engineering
The Bradfordian 2014
O
P
R
S
Georgina O’Connor
Northumbria
Katie J O’Neil
Newcastle
Business Management
Speech and Language Sciences
Victoria L Oxley
Newcastle
Geography
William Paget
Newcastle (2014)
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
Grace Partington
Manchester
Spanish and Portuguese
Rama Patel
London School of Economics
Business Mathematics & Statistics
Elizabeth M Pike
Newcastle
Modern Languages
Chloe T Pinkney
Nottingham
Pharmacy
Esther J Plant
Manchester
French and Russian
Matthew J Procter
Cambridge
Modern and Medieval Languages
Chloe Ramsden
London/King’s College
Mathematics
Sherriden Rastegar
Nottingham
Art History
James Regan
Exeter
Business and Management with Industrial Experience
Hamza Rehman
Sheffield Hallam
Business and Financial Management
Roisin M Reynolds
University for the Creative Arts
Film Production
Jack Robinson
Sheffield Hallam
Politics
Olivia J Robinson
Lancaster
Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Alexandra Rogawski
Manchester Metropolitan
International Fashion Promotion
Sarah Ross
Bristol
Politics and International Relations
Leo Savry
Birmingham
Business Management
Georgia Seal
Northumbria
English Language Studies
Annabel Shelton
London/King’s College
Medicine
Katherine L Shepherd
Nottingham
English
Hector Simpson
Bristol (2014)
Mathematics
Matthew Skelton
Buckinghamshire
Sports Management and Golf Studies
Bryony G Skinn
Exeter
English with Study Abroad
Rosamund P Spencer
Exeter
Classics with Study Abroad
Alex Stevens
Newcastle
Chemical Engineering
James Sugden
University College London
Economics with a Year Abroad
Lewis Tate
York
Electronic Engineering
Kathryn Taylor
Birmingham
Psychology
Emma Tilbrook
Birmingham
Psychology
Charles C Tooke
Warwick
English Literature
V
Robyn Vaughan
Oxford Brookes
International Hospitality Management
W
Connor J Warden
Oxford
History
Samuel T Weatherhead
Newcastle
Marine Technology with Small Craft Technology
William Weatherhead
Bristol
Medicine
T
Cameron Welch
York
Computer Science
Matthew Williams
Staffordshire
Chemistry
School Notes
15
Examination Results and Comparisons 2013
General Certificate of Education (A Level) 2013
Fine Art (AR), Biology (BI), Business Studies (BS), Chemistry (CH), Classical Civilisation (CC), Design & Technology (DT), Economics (EC),
Electronics (ES), English Language (EL), English Language & Literature (LL), French (FR), Geography (GG), Geology (GL), German (GM),
Greek (GK), History (HI), Information & Communication Technology (IT), Latin (LA), Mathematics (MA), Further Mathematics (FM), Additional
Further Mathematics (FA), Music (MU), Music Technology (MT), Philosophy (PL), Physical Education (PE), Physics (PH), Politics (PO),
Psychology (PY), Religious Studies (RS), Russian (RU), Spanish (SP), Theatre Studies (TS).
(* indicates A and ** indicates A*)
A
B
16
C
Carroll: Emily
bi, en, gy
Casson: Christopher J
bi*, el*, hi*
Cawthorn: Daniel J
hi, pl*, rs**
bi, ch, ma
Celaire: Matthew P
bi, ch*, en*, ma*
Allan: Imogen L
ch, gy*, gl**
Chapman: Alfred C
ma*, fm*, ph*
Allan: Joseph M
ar**, hi**, pl*, py*
Clegg: Peter J
gn, ma, sp
Anderson: Iona C
bi*, ch, ph
Cox: Dominic G
bi, bu**, hi
Armstrong: Freya J L
ar, bu, pl
Crabtree: Jack V E
bu, ea, gy
Bailey: Elizabeth N
ea, gy, pl*
Dandy: Rhys A J
ea, gy, pl
Balmforth: Samuel R
ec, gy, gl
Darren: Conor C A
bu, it, pl
Barber: Oscar E P
el**, gn**, la**, rs**
Dhesi: Jade A
bi**, ch**, ma**, sp*
Baugh: Richard T
bi**, ch*, ma*
Dixon: Frank J
dt, ma, ph
Baxter: William J
ec, ma**, fm*
Duncan: Amelia K
bi, gy, gl
Beadle: Katherine R
fr, gn, it
Bell: Lily A
ar**, gy, ma*, ph
Bennett: Danielle L
bu, en, pe
Bennett: Daniel R
bu*, en*, pl
Bhatti: Talha M
bi, ch, it**
Bhogal: Amrita K
ar*, ea*, rs
Boden: James A
bi*, ch**, ma*, ph*
Boncey: Oliver J
ec*, ea*, fr**, sp*
Brassington: Harriet F
bu, en, hi
Brayshaw: Scott K
ek*, hi, ma*, ph
Brear: Harriet F
bu, ea, sp
Briggs: William P
ec*, gy*, pl*
Burbank: Dora E
gn*
Butt: Romil A
bu, ec, pl
Al-Jawad: Hasanain A
bu, dt, ma*
Aishwarya: Gitanjali
bi**, ch*, ma*
Al-Hity: Shams W
bi*, ch*, ma*
Ali: Faraaz-Najum S
The Bradfordian 2014
D
E
Ellison: Jacob O
ec, el, rs
Evans-Thirlwell: Beatrice
el, gl*, pl**
F
Faruque: Nazeel
ch, it*, pl*
Fordham: Nicole P A
bi, ch, en
Fowler: Matthew B
ch, ma, ph
Gammanpila: Dilhara M
cc, el, hi
Garforth: William J R
bu, gy, pe
Gaunt: Benjamin R
ch**, gn*, ma**, ph**
George: Amy K
bi*, ch*, hi
Golenya: Rebecca
bi*, ch*, ma*
Goodwin: Michael D
ec*, ma*, pl**
Gouldesbrough: Peter J
ec, ma, ph
Gray: Elizabeth L
bi, ch
Green: Matthew
bu, ec, ma
Gunnee: Matthew J
bi*, ch**, ma**, ph**
G
H
Hafeji: Unays Y
ch*, hi, ma, ph
Hall: Frederick D
bi, ch, mu*, mt*
Hamilton: Adam E P
ea, fr, gl
Henley: Georgie H
el*, hi**, la*
Hillmen: David W
ch*, gy*, ma**, ph**
Holmes: Thomas V
ch, ma, ph*
Hussain: Sumiya
gy*
I
Iqbal: Imaan
bi*, ch*, ea*, py**
Irons: Rebecca L
en, gy, gl
K
Kang: Harman S
ec, gy, gl
Kay: Georgina
ar**, ea, pl**
L
M
Ramsden: Chloe E
ch*, ec*, ma**, fm*
Regan: James E
bu**, hi, it**
Ker: David R
ma**, fm**, ph*
Rehman: Hamza
bu*, it, ma
Khan: Humaas A
bu, gy, ma
Rehman: Hamza U
bi*, ch, ma*, ph
Khan: Mohammad H
bi, ch, en
Reynolds: Roisin M
ar**, fr, ts*
Khan: M Omar
ch, it*, ma
Robinson: Jack L
ar, ea, pl
Kopelciw: Luke J
ar, ma, ph
Robinson: Olivia
bu, en, pl*
Rogawski: Alexandra C
ar, bu, en
Ross: Sarah
en, hi*, pl**
Laing: James J
el*, hi**, pl**
Lamb: Katie J
bu*, ea, py
Lane: Oliver J
ec*, hi, pl**
Latif: Usman H
ec, gy, it
S
Savry: Leo J
ar**, bu*, gy
Scantlebury: Benedict W
cc**, hi*, pl**, rs**
Law: Derek T H
ar**, bi, py
Scholefield: Mark P
it, pe, sp
Liddington: Harriet K
ch*, gl*, ma*
Seal: Georgia L
bu, ea, rs
Shabir: M Umair
ch, hi, ma
Mancey: Katherine E
el*, mu, mt*
Shelton: Annabel V
bi*, ch*, ma*
Mann: Oscar V
ma, mt*, ph*
Shepherd: Katherine L
el*, hi*, ts*
Martin: Hannah V
ar*, en, mt
Simpson: Hector J
ch**, ma**, fm**, ph**
Mather: Angus R
ea, pe, pl, ts
Skelton: Matthew L
bu, ma, pe
McWhinney: Sarah E
ar**, en**, hi*
Skinn: Bryony G
ch*, el*, hi*, ts*
Merrick: Chloe E L
ec**, fr*, ma**
Spencer: Rosamund P D
cc, gn, la*, sp*
Miller: Archie L
bi, ch, ph
Steenson: Christopher P
hi, ph, pl*
Misbert: Emily N
bi*, ch*, fr*, gy*
Stevens: Alex L
ch*, dt*, ma*
Moorey: Natasha J
bu, en, pl*
Sugden: James M
ec*, ma**, ph**
Mountain: Toby P
bi, ch, ma
Murach-Ward: Maximilian S
ek**, gn*, ph
Tate: Lewis R
ek**, it**, ma**, ph**
Taylor: Kathryn M
bi, ch, ma
Tilbrook: Emma L
en*, hi*, py**
Tooke: Charles C
el*, ma*, pl**, ts*
N
Nash: Henry W
ek*, ma, ph
O
O’Connor: Georgina C
ar**, bu, pl*
P
R
T
O’Neil: Katie J
bi*, py*, rs*
ar, bu, pl
ea, gy**, it*
V
Vaughan: Robyn F
Oxley: Victoria L
bi, ch, fr
ch*, ma*, ph
W
Wadden: Emily A
Paget: William J
Wang: Hanyu
bi, ch, ma
Partington: Grace O
bi, hi, sp
Warden: Connor J
hi*, pl*, ts*
Patel: Rama
ch*, ma**, fm*, ph*
Weatherhead: Samuel T
gy*, it*, ma**, ph*
Pike: Elizabeth M
en*, fr*, gn
Weatherhead: William J
bi*, ch*, ma*, ph*
Pillai: Selina T
bi*, ch*, en*
Welch: Cameron J
ek, ma**, fm*, ph
Plant: Esther J
ar**, bi*, fr*
Williams: Matthew B
ch, gy*, ma, ph
Procter: Matthew J
el**, fr**, hi**, ru**
Wright: Catherine G S
bi, ch, ph
School Notes
17
Section Two
Junior School
Inside this section…
18
20
Trips
22
Sports
24
Notable Events
The Bradfordian 2014
Junior School
19
Trips
Junior School Ski Trip,
Les Menuires, French Alps
by E Asady, Deputy Head of Junior School
This year, 23 pupils and three staff members from the
Junior School took to the slopes of Les Menuires in Les Trois
Vallees during the Easter break. The weather was perfect with
warm days and great visibility (with the exception of one afternoon)
and everyone had a fantastic time.
The resort was perfect for all abilities and being able to ski
straight from the back door of the hotel onto the slopes was an added
bonus. The ski runs were varied and each offered a different challenge
as the ESF ski school instructors ensured that every member of the
20
The Bradfordian 2014
group was able to try a new run each day. It was amazing to watch
the progression of all the students – particularly the beginners.
The fun didn’t stop when the lifts closed for the day; each
evening a different activity including a talent show, disco, swimming
and braving Speed Mountain was offered and the students made the
most of this time to socialise and further enjoy the trip.
As usual we ran our annual ‘tidiest room’ competition,
which once again saw the girls crowned as victors and each evening
the daily quiz champion would also be announced (this was fiercely
fought over by staff and students alike).
A huge thank you to Mr Smith for all his hard work in making
the trip successful and to the students, who were a credit to themselves
and the school. The support offered by everyone involved made the
trip the success it was. Now we can look forward to the next trip!
Borrowdale
Our Day as Evacuees
by D Yates, Junior School Teacher
by Ben Harrison and Rohan Lalli, Year 5 pupils
In June, the whole of Year 2 (ages 6 and 7) had an
exciting residential at Hawse End Cottage in Keswick.
After a rather long journey from the city, we arrived in
a rural village called Murton. Here we were told to line up in groups
and we were greeted by the billeting officer, Mrs W. She took
us inside the farmhouse and we listened to the wireless and
Neville Chamberlain’s declaration of war on Germany.
The accommodation looks across over Derwent Water
where they set sail to ‘Treasure Island’ (St Herbert’s) on the Friday
afternoon with the sun shining. There they worked in teams to find
lost treasure chests filled with chocolate golden coins.
In the evening, they set off on a circular expedition, led by
Mr Gabriel, alongside the lake and up some challenging hills to ensure
they were thoroughly exhausted and ready for their night’s sleep – not
a murmur was heard until they awoke on Saturday for more activities.
Although the rain decided to visit on this day, they still enjoyed archery
competitions and orienteering before they headed back to school in
the afternoon.
It was a trip that they all thoroughly enjoyed and hopefully
the present Year 2 will be looking forward to theirs in 2015.
“
We learnt a lot from the day
whilst having lots of fun.
Thankfully we don’t have
to experience it for real.
Mrs W gave us a drink of hot chocolate and a biscuit from the
black market to help us feel settled, and then the Air Raid Precaution
Warden, Mr K, arrived. He explained where our Anderson shelters were
in case of an air raid. There weren’t enough shelters for everyone so
some people had to use the public shelter.
Mrs W took us back inside the farmhouse and told us to
write a postcard home to let our parents know we were safe. We also
got to look at some artefacts from World War II. We had to help Mrs W
prepare for the war by cooking in the farmhouse kitchen – we made
farmhouse crunch and did the washing with a posser and a mangle.
We had to put the blast tape on the windows and clean the horse’s tack.
When it was lunchtime we had our ID cards checked and
our ration card stamped. No ration card meant no lunch.
After lunch Mr K took us to the ARP hut where we learnt
about the different types of bombs that were used in the war. We also
joined the fire guard and had a practice at putting out a fire using a
stirrup pump and shield.
We learnt a lot from the day whilst having lots of fun.
Thankfully we don’t have to experience it for real.
Junior School
21
“
Sports
by CP Newsome, Junior School Teacher
22
Netball
Swimming
U9/10/11s have competed against a variety of schools
across the region and the U11s took part in a tournament at Leicester
Grammar whilst on tour. We enjoyed another successful festival at
BGS in November. A new developmental programme will be launched
in 2014/15 to further enhance opportunities for pupils.
Over the course of the year pupils took part in seven galas
as well as the annual HMC Gala and the National Relay Competition.
Of particular note were individual victories for Sarah Bradley (Backstroke),
Shaan Aziz (Breaststroke) and the U10 Girls’ Relay Squad at the
HMC Gala.
Rugby
Hockey
Another full season of fixtures saw the ongoing development
of rugby at the Junior School with fixtures for U8 through to U11. This
ensured that a large number of pupils represented the school. The highlight
of the season saw the U11 Sevens’ squad win the plate competition at
the HMC North Sevens. BGS also hosted its annual rugby festival in
November with over 300 pupils taking part from over twelve different schools.
The girls once again enjoyed a programme of fixtures as
well as participation in HMC tournaments. Hockey is constantly gaining
in strength and profile and this will be enhanced further with changes
to the 2014/15 Games programme. Once again we competed very
well against Wellingborough College whilst on tour in March.
The Bradfordian 2014
Cross-Country
Table Tennis
This was the best year yet for Junior School cross-country
with over 50 pupils representing school. Max Bradley, Grace Dawson
and Sarah Bradley were all individual winners of their respective age
groups in the Bradford League. We were overall winners at Year 5/6
boys and girls. At the HMC Championships Max Bradley and Alex
Flaherty were first at U11/U10; Grace Dawson was second at U10
and Sarah Bradley third at U9.
Many Junior School pupils have attended Table Tennis Club
at lunchtimes and a number have enjoyed the Focus Table Tennis
Camps in the holidays. The boys and girls were West Yorkshire Team
Champions at U11. The boys won the English Schools’ Zone Finals
against five other counties and the girls finished fourth. The boys’
team reached the Regional Finals (last sixteen) and finished third.
Biathlon
Gymnastics
Once again we competed at a number of events regionally
and nationally which resulted in Max Bradley, Grace Dawson, Ben
Grimmitt and Nathaniel Taylor representing BGS at the National Schools’
Championships at the Olympic Park. Max finished third overall.
2014 saw the inaugural HMC Gymnastic Championships at
RGS Newcastle. After a combination of Floor and Vault, Eva Shivtiel
came third and Zoe Harvey was the overall champion.
Aliza Khaliq was West Yorkshire U11 girls’ champion and
Aliza and Nicholas Miller qualified for the ETTA U11 National Finals.
Athletics
A short season culminated in Max Bradley (1500m), Lizzie
Lucas (High Jump), Grace Dawson (1500m) and Lui Shivtiel (Short
and Long Jump) all qualifying for the National Finals in Birmingham
in July.
Junior School
23
Notable Events
High School Musical
by E Asady, Deputy Head of Junior School
At the end of the summer term, the Junior School
proudly presented High School Musical, the end-of-year
performance in the Hockney Theatre. Auditions had taken place
all the way back in November and the main cast had been
doing after-school and lunchtime rehearsals since the spring
term! All of Years 5 and 6 played a part in the performance
and, to everyone’s delight, the Year 2 children opened the
show with a fun-filled cheer routine.
The production required a lot of teamwork from the staff.
Alongside rehearsals there was an array of costumes to organise and
make. The set was also being transformed with giant musical notes
hanging from the ceiling, a central DJ booth and a basketball court.
The sound effects and microphones provided us with a
challenge or two, whilst Mr Dutton and his Senior School helpers took
charge of the lighting. Not only did the children have to know their
spoken lines and song lyrics, they had to be able to dance too!
24
The Bradfordian 2014
For some songs, such as We’re all in this Together, the children
really did come together to teach each other the moves. Other dance
sequences were taught repeatedly until the steps came as second
nature. For months the sound of High School Musical melodies could
be heard in Clock House as the staff hummed tunes to themselves,
the children sang in the playground and once or twice Mr Gabriel was
heard having a little sing to himself in his office!
What stood out the most, however, was the children’s
dedication to make this production the best that they could. From the
main cast learning their script inside out prior to rehearsals, to the whole
of Years 2, 5 and 6 learning their dance finale, the children did themselves
proud with their level of commitment, focus and support of each other.
The production taught the children that you get out what you put in,
as the performances were both impressive and quite magical. What
a way to end a marvellous year at the Junior School.
Video of this event is available at:
tinyurl.com/pwgjxdt
vimeo.com/102124709
Cheer Dance
by HE Smith, Junior School Teacher
The Year 2s (who also had to perform with a team member
in a plaster cast owing to a broken arm) were successful in defending
the title of KS1 Pom Dance Champions!
On 21 June 2014, Bradford Grammar Junior School
Cheer Dance Squad (the BeeGeeS) took part in the UKCA
National Schools’ Championships at the Manchester Velodrome.
The Year 3/4 team were competing in a group against
children from Year 6 and gave a sterling performance, being awarded
a respectable and very pleasing fourth place.
For the first time, the school entered two teams into the event,
a KS1 team and a KS2 team. After two terms of rehearsals, both teams
had setbacks, with members being unable to perform on the day.
An exciting and enjoyable day was had by all. The teams
would like to thank Coach Murray, Mrs Alderson, Mrs Allen and Miss
Howes for all their support.
Junior School
25
Section Three
Societies
and Features
Inside this section…
26
33
Barnardo’s Mentoring
33
Debating
33
Stitch Club
34
MUN Competition
Routes into Languages Regional
Spelling Bee Final
34
Christmas Fair
34
Fashion Show
30
Combined Cadet Force
34
Race for Life
31
Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award
35
Manningham Youth Talks
31
BGS Breaks the Gold Award Record
35
Fairtrade
32
Old Bradfordians’ Gold Award Holders
35
Faiths in the City
32
The Spring Fair
28
350th Anniversary of the school’s
Royal Charter
29
Work Experience Week
29
Schools’ Challenge Quiz Team
Regional Champions
30
The Bradfordian 2014
Societies and Features
27
350th Anniversary of the
School’s Royal Charter
by James Newton, Old Bradfordian
On 2 February 2013 BGS celebrated its 350th anniversary
of its Royal Charter, given by King Charles II, with a Gala Evening
in the Price Hall. Canapés and drinks were followed by an evening
of music and readings related to the school’s history. The reading
below, by Old Bradfordian James Newton, gives a flavour of Bradford
Grammar School’s past and what it feels like to be a pupil here.
“As far as we know there have been five main school buildings.
The earliest that we know about was on Church Bank in Bradford, a
building that was damaged during the English Civil War prior to the
Charter being signed. But that building - approached by a stream that
presumably still flows underground, and reached by a bridge over the
stream that came to be known as “Hoppy’s Bridge” after the famous
usher (or Deputy Head), Henry Hopper – that building on Church Bank
stayed intact until 1820.
The second building was on Manor Row, at the top of the hill
where Manningham Lane now begins in central Bradford. A new school
was proposed on the same site, and during its building the school
decamped to a temporary home in its third building, on Hallfield Road,
for a year and a half in 1872 to 1873.
The fourth school, on the Manor Row plot, lasted from 1873
to 1987, when it was finally demolished during the large crossroads
construction where Manor Row meets Manningham Lane now. The fourth
building became Carlton School soon after 1949, and it was curious
that many Grammar School pupils, both from the girls’ school and the
boys’ school, used to go to Carlton School for music lessons, perhaps
not realising it was the old Bradford Grammar School.
But that brings us to the Mothership. The present building
was started in 1936, largely completed by 1939 when war broke out,
but the school was not able to move in until January 1949, after the
place had been restored following its use as an army base.
Here are two memories from Old Bradfordians returning to
the school, the first, from 1854, Jonathan Richards, a successful
Manchester merchant when he paid a visit to the Manor Row building:
I noticed at once the musty smell had vanished, as had my
recollections of shouting and screaming, one Master to another or
of Governor to Master. I think I daydreamed through my school days
because it all looked so unfamiliar until I went into the assembly hall.
Suddenly my senses jolted and I was taken back to the row upon row
of boys, oldest near the front, smallest at the back. I was in assembly
on Monday morning waiting for Mr Richards to growl and groan and
quote French to bewilder me even further.
It is odd that in the 19th century the smallest pupils would
sit at the back in assembly.
The second memory is from 2003 and taken from a letter to
a teacher at that time:
It was good to see you hadn’t changed and that you still thought
Shakespeare was God’s gift to mankind. I found it very spooky to walk
into the Price Hall and remember the smell of assembly, especially on
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The Bradfordian 2014
a cold and damp day when everybody steamed a bit. The red curtains
took me right back and that night I found myself dreaming of singing
the Founders’ Day hymns. But my daytime memories are of so many
teachers making such a lot of effort to give me and my mates’ aspirations
– telling us to look outside ourselves to other people and other ideas.
I could never join in at university when friends moaned about their schools
and their teachers because I just thought, given what it could have
been like, I felt privileged.
Both recollections remember assembly and the smell of
the place. So what do I remember?
I left BGS in 2005 after having served an eleven year sentence.
To this day I can distinctly remember arriving in 1MO, Mrs Morris’s class
in Clock House. I have very fond memories of that little building at the
top of the car park, perhaps because that is where I had my first drum
lesson (now the Clock House Headmaster’s office I believe). To those of
you who don’t know, I am now a professional Drummer/Percussionist.
As the years go by, the specific memories fade but the feeling
I get when I return to this special school remains as strong as ever. I have
had the pleasure of returning to school numerous times since 2005
as a helper with Hockney Theatre projects in my gap year and as a
professional musician talking to and sharing my experiences with
current students, both here in school and taking groups of Theatre
Studies and Music students backstage when they can get to the theatres
where I am playing.
Faces change, and the building changes but the buzz and
enthusiasm around the school does not. The students seem so willing
to learn and are so enthusiastic about whatever it is they are doing.
As the Old Bradfordian from the archives mentioned, I too
remember the assemblies. I think over my time I have sat in most of the
locations in this fabulous room. In my later years as a prefect sitting up on
stage, I felt proud of my part in the place looking out into a full Price Hall.
After leaving school I undertook a gap year then I was lucky
enough to be awarded a place at LIPA (The Liverpool Institute of Performing
Arts) headed up by Sir Paul McCartney. I studied for four years there
leaving with a first class honours degree in Music. Since graduation
I have been working for Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright
on various musicals in London’s West End and touring the UK.
I am still in touch with many people from BGS in some way
or another and my best friend is Robert Durkin (Head Boy in the year
above me) and we always talk about the good, bad, strange and funny
times we had at BGS.
I would like to finish by thanking from the bottom of my
heart the staff, students, catering staff and everybody else who I was
involved with. I was lucky enough to have been offered a half bursary,
without which I wouldn’t have been able to attend.
I thank BGS for encouraging, nurturing and developing me
as a person, an adult and a professional and especially the Music
and Drama departments for believing in me. I am honoured to be here
tonight having a lovely Saturday night off from the tour of Starlight Express.
I thank you all and hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
(this article was omitted from the previous issue of
The Bradfordian owing to a printing error)
Work Experience Week
by Emma Whittam, Lower Sixth pupil
Bradford Grammar School prides itself on going the
extra mile when it comes to helping its students with their plans
for life after BGS. As part of this ethos, the school offers a week
of work experience; this year over 90 pupils from Lower Sixth
found and completed a placement in an area of work that
interested them. The placements varied from students shadowing
dentists and solicitors, to spending time working on a farm,
to working in e-marketing companies. Other pupils arranged
alternative opportunities which included Headstart and university
taster courses.
The week is designed to give pupils an idea of what it would
be like to work in the field they are considering. In addition to pupils using
their own contacts to arrange work experience, Ian Walker, Head of
Careers, uses the connections that BGS has with firms around West
Yorkshire in order to help the pupils secure a worthwhile placement.
This year, the placements were done in the week commencing 16 June.
The benefit of having the placements at this time is that it helps give the
pupils the ability to see if the steps they are planning on taking after life
at BGS will be as they thought and if they will enjoy it.
We went to visit some of the pupils on their work experience
in Leeds. We asked one of the students, Owain Downes, what he thought
of the new change in the system (the change being that the pupils do
their work experience in Lower Sixth as opposed to Year 11). He had
done work experience in Year 11 and this year completed a further
placement, this time at Gordons LLP. Owain said:
This is the first year that Bradford Grammar School also
internally supported work experience placements. James Brassington
and I took the opportunity to work with the Marketing Department and
were given a varied range of tasks to do. We took photos of cricket teams,
wrote articles regarding current pupils’ sporting achievements, and
listened to focus groups of prospective parents. We also had a preview
of BGS’s new website and gave our feedback as pupils. It was a great
experience being trusted with jobs that we’ve never done before.
We also asked Owain if he thought the week as a whole
had been beneficial to him and how:
As useful as work experience is, it isn’t compulsory. For the
25 pupils who were not partaking in the various work placements or
other similar activities, the Careers and Higher Education departments
arranged activities within school that gave the pupils a taste of skills
required for future employment. On 17 June 2014, BGS invited the
Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) to teach students about wealth
and risk management. We asked one of the students what they
thought of the activities:
“For me, I’m fortunate in the sense that I know roughly what
I want to do after school. This week has helped me because it’s shown
me the different sides of law and which side I may be most interested in.”
“It was helpful even if we don’t go into a financial career. It
taught us how we would deal with things in certain situations and it
was good fun as well.”
“Doing work experience this year benefited me more because
I knew what was going on. This is because I am now studying politics
which has given me a better insight as to what studying law involves.”
Schools’ Challenge Quiz
Team Regional Champions
by A Corrigan, Teacher of MFL
The Schools’ Challenge Quiz Team, composed of
pupils in Years 7, 9, 11 and Upper Sixth, won the North East
Region of the Schools’ Challenge Quiz competition. Loosely
based on University Challenge, pupils answer questions on
all aspects of general knowledge from Science and Literature
to popular television programmes.
Team members James Hartley, Qudeer Ahmed, Toby Nicholson
and George Goddard, along with reserve Olivia Dovernor, won three
matches on the way to the title, beating Ripon Grammar in a tightly
contested final. They all played magnificently and were a great representation
of the range of talent at BGS. We thank Toby and George for representing
the school so brilliantly: they will be a hard act to follow!
Societies and Features
29
Routes into Languages
Regional Spelling Bee Final
by A Corrigan, Teacher of MFL
For the second year in a row, four Year 7 pupils made
their way to the University of Hull on 13 March 2014 to represent
BGS in the Routes into Languages Regional (Yorkshire and the
Humber) Spelling Bee Final. In the French competition, James
Hartley and Sam Berry competed very well and in the German
competition Danyal Akhtar and Joshua Poulsen also performed
brilliantly. Danyal just missed out on making the top four in the
region (and therefore) the national final.
Having to spell from a possible list of 150 words in one
minute is a real challenge, especially in a foreign language. All the
boys should, therefore, be highly commended on the time and effort
they put in to practising their vocabulary and increasing their speed.
Combined Cadet Force
by Major JM Stott, CCF Staff
2013/2014 has been busy so far with Army and Air Force
cadets participating in a variety of activities. Staff Sergeant
Mushtaq attended a Senior Cadet Leadership Course at Nescliffe
Camp, Shropshire and gained a first class report. February
saw six cadets attend a 7.62mm target rifle course in connection
with competition shooting on Halton Ranges, Liverpool.
Annual Camp for Army and Air Force cadets was held at
Wathgill Camp, Catterick and RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. Activities
included orienteering, archery, volleyball, canoeing, raft building, kayaking,
outdoor climbing wall, obstacle course, camp craft, paint balling, high
zip wire in the forest, command tasks, field craft, drill, a 24-hour field
exercise, clay target shooting, shooting on the indoor Dismounted
Close Combat trainer, a full bore shooting competition and flying.
On 23 August, senior cadets participated in the Service of
Remembrance at the school War Memorial to commemorate the first
Old Bradfordian killed in action on 23 August 1914.
End of term saw Battery Sergeant Major Fear, Staff Sergeant
James Loney, Flight Sergeant Haaris Qureshi, Sergeant Mark Wilcock
and Corporals Sophie Hill and Alexandra Farrar leave for university. We
wish them well in their new venture and thank them for their dedicated
service to the contingent.
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The Bradfordian 2014
Duke of Edinburgh’s
(DofE) Award
by Parvathi Kanakath, Lower Sixth pupil
There are now over 370 DofE Bronze Award holders
and a further 65 who have completed their Gold. It would not
have been possible for so many students to be involved without
the support and time given by 30 (teaching and non-teaching)
staff over the twelve days of training, practice expeditions and
assessment expeditions.
Bronze Award
Over 100 students participated in this year’s Bronze Award
Expeditions. The practice expeditions took place over four days in Lower
Wharfedale, where our students experienced some uncharacteristically
fantastic bank holiday weekend weather. The assessed expeditions
took place in Nidderdale where the conditions were even better and
even the generic biting insects couldn’t keep our spirits down!
The expeditions provide an invaluable outdoor experience
that is available to all students. The award itself enables the students
to take ownership of the programme and also teaches skills that are
useful across many aspects of their life.
Trackers
The school now routinely uses ‘Tracker’ technology. The
DofE Award has invested in some mapping software which uses the
American Satellite ‘SpotOn’ to track groups remotely via a GPS signal.
We have successfully tracked seventeen groups on the Bronze award
and five groups in the Lake District on their Gold. Purists among the
Old Bradfordian population will be twitching at the thought of using
these devices but as leaders it has been invaluable when supervising
groups remotely in wild country. This has already avoided potential
emergency situations and unnecessary distress. It will also help in the
planning of assessed expeditions and possibly, more significantly,
prove to be a source of amusement watching groups drift round in
circles trying to work out if their compass is working!
Gold Duke of Edinburgh
Assessed Expedition
Eighteen Upper Sixth students undertook their Gold DofE
assessed expedition during October 2013 half term at Buttermere in
the Lake District.
I (Pav) had honestly been dreading it for a good number of
weeks leading up to the expedition, but by the time it arrived, there was
a sense of excitement for the end which was finally in sight (meaning
I would never need to do it again!)
Unfortunately, the weather was truly awful, with driving rain
and cool temperatures; however, with it being October this was to be
expected. Having said that, our group aim was to photograph local
water features which meant perhaps the rain was a blessing in disguise
because there was never a lack of water features!
Uphill and down dale, the walking was definitely challenging,
but the scenery more than made up for it. Having said that, walking
three times around Buttermere isn’t something I would do again. On
the second day we had a break in the weather, when it was cold but
clear. We had a great day walking over into the valley of Buttermere, but
the most memorable part (not counting the moment when we were
almost trampled by a mother cow trying to get to her calf) was the
morning of the last day and not just because we were finally going home!
By negotiation we needed to get up with the sparrows so
we could leave before 7.00am. This meant our group set off walking
at 6.30am, wearing head torches and trying to navigate in the darkness
before the sun came out. There was a point when we were at the side
of the lake and everyone turned off their head torches – the view was
beautiful (and closely made up for the pain in every muscle.)
The expedition was a memorable experience which I am
glad to have had the opportunity to survive!
BGS Breaks the Gold
Award Record
Bradford Grammar School now holds the record for the
largest number of participants being presented with their Gold
Award from one school. Thirteen students were all presented
with their certificates on 29 April 2014 at the ceremony held at
St James’s Palace. It is an amazing achievement that we can
only hope to better in the future.
From Left to Right: Freya Hall, Will Johnston, Will Paget, Rebecca Irons,
Rohan Misra, Chloe Ramsden, Parvathi Kanakath, Katherine Dixon
Hannah Whitford, Leanne Brumby, Michael Thornton, Seb Tullie,
Mr Baines, Lydia Holloway
Societies and Features
31
Old Bradfordians’
Gold Awards
The Spring Fair
by SR Hoath, Head of DofE
Allez les jaunes!
Congratulations to the growing list of 65 Old Bradfordians
who have made a massive commitment and a determined effort
to complete their DofE Gold Award.
We felt we couldn’t do any other theme for our Spring
Fair this year than Le Tour de France. Well it seemed as if everyone
in Yorkshire was going a bit cycle doolally! I like to think that
our Fair in May set the stage for the Tour mania that was to
follow in June and July.
by Lesley Burke, Chair of the Parents’ Association
We had lots of yellow, and lots of bikes! Indoors we had
the wonderful stalls in the Price Hall and Sixth Form Centre, and you
could try your skill on the roller bikes; the outside activities included a
hill bike race for the energetic (and donkeys for the less so), the very
popular ‘It’s a Wipe Out’ and other games and rides, music, and
displays. Our indoor eatery, the Café René, was distinctly French and
offered a plethora of tempting and tasty dishes. Farnell Land Rover
was our main sponsor, but we were supported by many other local
businesses and individual parents.
And that extra bit of yellow – the sun – came out and shone
on us. It was a wonderful day!
Video of this event is available at:
tinyurl.com/nsd4aj5
vimeo.com/95978871
32
The Bradfordian 2014
Barnardo’s Mentoring
Debating
by LS Croudson, Teacher of ICT
by TC Bateson, Teacher of Classics
The Barnardo’s mentoring project has just completed
its third year at Bradford Grammar School and it is believed to
be the only one in the country. The group meets every Thursday
after school during term time and is run by volunteers from the
Upper Sixth who help young people who care for an ill or disabled
family member with homework, revision and school subjects
they find difficult.
Bradford Grammar School sent five teams to the
Manchester Debating Competition, which had over 50 teams
from the North of England. Two of the BGS teams reached the
final consisting of four teams in total.
This year has been a fabulous year for the scheme as it
obtained local recognition in the Telegraph and Argus Community
Involvement Awards in March 2014 where it was awarded ‘Highly
Commended’. The scheme has also been nominated for the national
Princess Diana Awards and the mentors have all received a
certificate in recognition of their efforts.
The young carers and the mentors finished the year in style
with a visit to the David Hockney Theatre to see The Likes of Us school
production on 27 March 2014. This musical production had been very
aptly chosen as it tells the story of the life of Dr Thomas Barnardo,
a man who was evangelical, entrepreneurial and philanthropic and
whose crusade to rescue children living on the streets became world
renowned. The mentors are continuing with this journey by helping
those less fortunate than themselves.
“
This year has been a fabulous year
for the scheme as it obtained local
recognition in the Telegraph and
Argus Community Involvement
Awards in March 2014 where it
was awarded ‘Highly Commended’.
One BGS team went to the Cambridge University finals
day, which saw 40 teams from an original 500 entries competing.
The Debating Team did incredibly well and reached the semi-final
and finished 8th overall.
Two teams made it through to the Oxford University final
days. The finals day had 96 teams drawn who qualified in regional
rounds from over 650 teams spread throughout the United Kingdom
and Europe. The teams finished 24th and 28th.
BGS was the only North of England School to have teams
at both the Oxford and Cambridge finals days.
Stitch Club
by E Tomlinson, Teacher of MFL
Members of Bradford Grammar School Stitch Club
meet twice a week and enjoy making group projects together.
This year they have used their knitting and crocheting skills
to produce a piece to commemorate the Tour de France passing through
our region in July. The bike, which was kindly donated by a parent, has
been completely covered in wool (a technique known as ‘yarn-bombing’)
– even the spokes of the wheels have been wrapped and the lights
are represented by pompoms. Its debut was at the school’s Spring
Fair on Saturday 17 May where it was admired by many visitors. It is
currently a feature in our Headmaster’s Study. The bike was entered
into the Handicraft Section at Bingley Show and pupils and staff were
delighted to gain first place.
Societies and Features
33
“
MUN Competition
Fashion Show
by RE Skelton, Head of Religious Studies
by M Sugden, Marketing Manager
BGS Inter-Schools Model United Nations competition
was held on Wednesday 20 November. Thirty-seven countries
were represented by the five schools taking part which
included Bradford Grammar School, GSAL, Laisterdyke
College, St Joseph’s College and Feversham College.
This year’s Fashion Show was one of the most
successful yet, particularly in terms of the sales of champagne
tables, seats and raffle tickets! It also had the most ever retailers
supporting the show, from national chains to local boutiques.
The day mirrored a lot of what happens at a real UN
debating chamber. The debate focused on the convention on the
prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of
chemical weapons and on their destruction. Each pair of students
represented a country; all the UN countries in the debate expressed
their positions on a proposed draft resolution paper. The delegations
worked towards a revised resolution paper and at the end of the
session voted on a final resolution.
The BGS winners this year were as follows:
Best delegation
Yousef Mahmood
Best speaker
Andrew Styles
Highly commended:
Dan Sanderson and
Bessie Allan – Contribution
Alasdair Glen – Position paper
A very special thank you to Debenhams, Morrisons, Little
Black Dress, Chainreaxtion, Ladylike Fashion, Attic, Simon Carter,
Enzo Menswear, By Betty and Plantas Shoes. Platters for champagne
tables were provided by Pesto Prune Park. All this fantastic generosity
and support also made it the most profitable Fashion Show ever.
Coupled with the pupils’ professionalism, talent and hard
work it was an entertaining and enjoyable evening for all involved.
The choreography and expertise of the student models created slick
performances which really highlighted the outfits on show.
The money raised will support BGS netball tours and a
donation of £1,000 was made to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Video of this event is available at:
tinyurl.com/q2xk5hw
vimeo.com/90525165
Christmas Fair
Race for Life
by M Sugden, Marketing Manager
by J Wellings, Marketing Officer
The Christmas Fair was full of festive cheer and made
a lovely start to the Christmas season. There was an array of
stalls selling Christmas gifts and a spectacular grotto with
Father Christmas himself.
Bradford Grammar School entered a team for the
Lister Park Race for Life for the fifth consecutive year and has
raised nearly £7,000 for cancer research charities.
There were lots of activities for the children to enjoy and raffles
and tombolas galore. The event was organised by the netball staff and
Netball Parents’ Association and raised approximately £9,000 which
was shared between the Teenage Cancer Trust and BGS netball tours.
34
The Bradfordian 2014
This year’s event was as popular as ever with over 100 runners,
joggers, walkers and supporters, consisting of pupils, former pupils,
staff, parents, grandparents and the Headmaster’s wife, Elspeth Riley.
There are many people at the school who have recently been touched
by cancer including staff, pupils and their relatives. Everyone involved
enjoyed the uplifting atmosphere at the event and supporting one another.
Manningham Youth Talks
by Nadeem Khan and Mike de Villiers, Youth Workers
A day of ‘exploration’ for young people, aged 16 – 19,
was planned to enhance both pupil studies and personal well-being.
Members of the party came from Challenge College and Bradford
Grammar School and the day took place at the Scargill Centre
on 22 November 2014.
The programme offered sessions of quiet as well as active
teamwork and physical exercise in Upper Wharfedale. Sessions involved
studying pebbles including those which displayed unusual or ‘difficult’
behaviours. Pupils also told stories which encouraged interaction. A hill
walk was a highlight for some who had never before walked in the Dales.
The final session included a talk on ‘Hope’ by Nuzhat Ali.
This linked the hopes and dreams of young people with their place in
family and society through poetry, examples of pioneers in Bradford’s
heritage and faith traditions. Nuzhat’s conclusion was that hope should
draw a positive response so that we plan for it and act upon it. “Let us
light a candle of hope.” Participants were invited to write down their
own ‘Hope Notes’. We then took these up to the chapel where each
lit a candle and then sat in silence for a while. Analysis of the hopes
expressed shows a strong awareness of their role within family
and community.
Responses to the ‘Hope Notes’ show that nearly all of these
30 young people are very socially aware and have hopes for themselves
as well as for their future communities. The emphasis on taking part
in caring and co-operation in the community, and also ending poverty
and for greater equality in the wider world indicates a group which
comprises active citizens of tomorrow. None seemed to be sitting
back and letting it all pass over them. Such awareness and signs of
personal responsibility while recognising differences of tradition must
be encouraging signs for the future.
The day was enjoyed by all and the activities, transport and
accommodation for the day were supported by Bradford Community
Cohesion and Bradford Grammar School. Without such support we
could not be building these strong signs of future community.
Faiths in the City
by RE Skelton, Head of Religious Studies
The Faiths in the City event on 29 April 2014 was a
vibrant celebration of local faith communities. Year 9 students
spent the day in workshops, participating in dance, music, art,
meditation and storytelling activities and engaging with local
faith representatives and leaders. The day was enriching and
active, opening a window into the world of the diversity of
religious practices and traditions within our community.
The Hindu dance workshop led by Shrikant (accompanied
by a musician) was extremely energetic. Students were taught about
the ancient tradition of dance as an expression of faith in the Hindu religion
(learning dance techniques and gestures within this tradition). The Christian
Theatre Company focused on prayer in the life of a Christian and produced
a powerful play (including dance) which was performed collectively at
the end of the day. The Buddhist and Sikh workshops allowed for the
opportunity to engage with faith leaders and learn about these faiths
through meditation, music and discussion. The Islamic art workshop
allowed students to learn the traditions of calligraphy and geometric
designs, producing pieces of art throughout the day. The Jewish storytelling
workshop actively explored powerful literary themes that run throughout
the Hebrew Bible and how they have relevance in today’s world (by performing
modern stories using the themes identified in the workshop sessions).
The learning and atmosphere of the day were shared with
the whole school during a Thursday assembly where students
dynamically expressed their experiences of the day.
Fairtrade
by EJ Kingsley, Teacher of MFL
Bradford Grammar School was honoured to welcome
Aimeth Angulo to school during Fairtrade Fortnight. Aimeth is
a banana farmer from Colombia who toured Yorkshire to promote
the Fairtrade Foundation’s Stick with Foncho campaign, to make
the banana trade fair.
Aimeth grows bananas on her small farm of 1.3 hectares
which produces approximately 67 boxes of bananas per week. She
has been employed by ASOBANAR COOP for 26 years, using her skills
as a trained economist. Her role includes ensuring the organisation
continues to meet Fairtrade and Global GAP certification standards.
During her visit, Aimeth met with a selection of pupils from Years 7, 8
and the Sixth Form as well as the school’s Fairtrade Group. Despite
visiting on one of the coldest days of the year, and having never
travelled out of Colombia before, Aimeth received a very warm welcome.
Societies and Features
35
Section Four
Visits
Inside this section…
36
38
Senior Ski Trip
38
Lower School Ski Trip
38
The English Literature London King Lear Trip
39
Economics and Politics trip to New York
39
Battlefields
39
The Cemetery
39
What are we meant to do?
40
Château de la Baudonnière
40
English Enrichment Week Trip to Edinburgh
41
Religious Studies Department Trips
41
The British Museum
42
German Exchange
42
History in the Raw
43
Junior Classics Trip to the Bay of Naples
The Bradfordian 2014
Visits
37
Senior Ski Trip
by LA Kirk, Teacher of English
The highlight of the Senior Ski Trip was a New Year’s Eve
celebration with 15,000 other revellers under a firework splattered,
kaleidoscopic sky. Staff and pupils danced, as best they could
following a heavy day’s skiing, along to a well-known French DJ.
The trip was full of serious skiing and snowboarding plus many
lighter moments. During the day forfeits included donning a Batman
onesie or the notorious Master of Disaster outfit on the slopes. The evening
entertainment included bush tucker trials and dance-offs. The stunning
terrain, suitable for the abject beginner to the incredibly advanced,
expert instruction and popular evening entertainment made this an
unforgettable trip.
Lower School Ski Trip
by M Sugden, Marketing Department
During the Easter break pupils from Years 7 to 10
travelled to Les Menuires which is located at 1,850 metres
and provides the biggest ski area in the heart of the 3 Vallées
system. The 3 Vallées is the biggest ski area in the world, with
600 km of pistes or ski slopes and 172 ski lifts, linking Les
Menuires to Val Thorens, Orelle, Méribel, Courchevel, La Tania
and Brides-les-Bains. This vast ski area is designed so that everyone
from beginners to experts can make the most of their skiing.
The party stayed at Clubhotel Piolet which is located just 50
metres from the resort centre. Après-ski options included visits to the
local sports complex with indoor swimming pool, cinema, disco night,
quiz and crêpe nights, bum boarding, Winter Olympics and karaoke.
Pupils received five hours of ski instruction per day and
were graded according to ability. All pupils returned with improved
skiing skills and having enjoyed a busy but social trip.
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The Bradfordian 2014
The English Literature
London King Lear Trip
by Molly Orviss, Year 11 pupil
On 24 February 2014 we woke early to embark on
a trip down to London on the train from Leeds. Amongst the
group there were students taking English Literature, Theatre
Studies and English Language at both AS and A2 level. Despite
the early start, we were all excited at the prospect of visiting
London, particularly Hassan who had never been to the capital
before (having never even left Bradford!). Once there we hopped
straight onto the tube to visit Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Whilst there, we were able to explore the exhibition and
enjoy an excellent guided tour from an actress from Waterloo Road
(which was something that excited me greatly!). After some well-needed
lunch, we were fortunate enough to wander through the Drury Lane
Theatre, where our exclusive backstage tour taught us about the history
of the theatre and the practicalities of a real, working theatre. After a
delicious dinner at The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant, we were lucky enough
to watch King Lear at the National Theatre on the South Bank, directed
by Sam Mendes.
Watching this was particularly interesting for the English
Literature students as it was an A2 text and was also a fascinating
interpretation of the famous play which gave us lots of food for thought.
Simon Russell Beale’s Lear was at once terrifying and defenceless,
and there was a shock in store for Adrian Scarborough’s the Fool.
The following day we had a talk by Daniel Rosenthal about Shakespeare
on Film which was extremely enlightening and informative, and offered
some all-important alternative interpretations of King Lear for the A2
exam. As well as all of this, we managed to squeeze in a trip to Borough
Market, Southwark Cathedral and the Clink. The trip was extremely
interesting and thoroughly rewarding for all those involved: we can’t
wait for next year’s trips!
Economics and Politics Trip Battlefields
to New York
by NA Hooper, Head of History
by RE Schofield, Head of Economics
New York, the city that never sleeps, so good they named
it twice, was certainly bright lights and a big city. A wonderful
experience for all involved, teachers and a group of fortunate
Bradford Grammar School Sixth Formers.
The 2013 annual trip to the Battlefields of Northern
Europe took on a particular significance since it preceded the
year in which much will be done in the world, the country and
the school to commemorate the beginning of the First World War.
We had the wonderful opportunity to see New York City at
night with a cruise around the island and the first chance to see the
newly built freedom tower.
It was very touching for me to discover that the brother of
my great grandfather is buried in Lijssenthoek Cemetery, near Ypres,
Belgium, and I must have walked past his grave half a dozen times
without knowing, until this year. The images that accompany this
article show students paying tribute at the graves of relatives.
We had a tour of Wall Street and the credit crisis explained
to us by Jared, visited HSBC’s flagship branch and saw their vault
Miss Lancelot encouraged some fine poetry to be written
this year, two examples of which follow.
and the rather impressive safety deposit boxes. A New York pressure
group explained the dangers of ‘fracking’ and how pressure group
activity does or doesn’t work.
The top of the Rockefeller Building was amazing at sunset
and the 9/11 memorial left a lasting impression. Thanks to Blair we
navigated the streets successfully and Oaksey only sent us the wrong
way once on the subway. A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge on a warm
sunny afternoon was one of the highlights of the trip. Some of the
lads might remember hitting golf balls towards the Hudson River and
then there was an early morning run in central park, a meal together
at Andrew’s Diner and an even bigger meal at Dallas BBQ!
Around this we managed to make time to visit the shops,
museums, art galleries and the tourist attractions of New York. We also
visited several Starbucks for free Wi-Fi and toilets. We did so much and
in so little time. Plenty of smiles and laughs and only one lost passport!
A lasting memory will be a talk given by Old Bradfordian
Mike Gatenby from AIG. We met at the Starbucks on Wall Street after
negotiating the subway and then used the atrium of the Deutsche Bank
building. This is a public place with the Wall Street bankers filing through
and where some homeless people congregate to keep warm. We
listened to Mike explain his progress from Oxford University to an
apartment on Manhattan and we were enthralled. Yet I noticed the
juxtaposition of poverty and wealth colliding at that moment and then
noticed how this condition permeated every moment of life on Manhattan.
It was slightly unsettling, however deeply poignant.
Can I end on a personal note: it is not always easy to find
the Empire State Building. I had a great time, thank you to John and
Louise. We were a good team and, of course, I couldn’t have wished
for a better group of pupils; they were a credit to themselves and the
school. Finally, thank you to Mr McCartney who made this possible.
The Cemetery
by Daniel Bates, Year 11 pupil
The bodies, the bodies in their thousands,
Filling the graveyards that stretch out
As far as the eye can see.
It’s hard to imagine what it was like for the soldiers;
How did they meet their end?
Was it quick?
Was it painful?
What was their last sight?
The flash of a machine gun, a shell coming towards them,
Slowly sinking into the mud or perhaps they didn’t even see it.
Whatever their deaths, they fought for their cause,
Commemorated here, and let’s just pause.
And think about the sacrifice made;
Here at the cemetery, they’ll never fade.
What Are We Meant to Do?
by Helen Davies, Year 11 pupil
The dense mist blanketed the ground,
As no thing made a single sound.
The eerie feeling of times past
Echoes through our ears, like it would last forever.
The feeling of those before who have walked these very steps
Haunts my mind like a poison that burns with every breath.
I do not know what to do, should I have cried?
Or should I just think of those who died?
Am I just a footstep in this sacred path?
Or am I here to deny the sadness and simply hide it with a laugh?
For I am nothing now
Because of those men who fought so brave,
Through the darkness and the dense mist,
Through the fear and the footsteps that led to nowhere…
I have nothing left to say.
So I will just be silent.
Visits
39
Château de la Baudonnière
by GP Woods, Head of MFL
In the first week of the Easter holidays, a group of 49
pupils and five members of staff travelled to the Château de la
Baudonnière in the heart of the Normandy countryside to take
part in a French immersion week.
The majority of the group were pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9
who improved their French by participating in numerous sporting activities
led by French-speaking animateurs. The pupils played Aeroball, did
archery and took part in orienteering and in a series of initiative exercises.
They also used the climbing wall at the Château and spent an afternoon
making bread. All the instructions for these activities were given in French,
and the pupils were expected to communicate with the animateurs
and with each other without using English. Pupils took part in more
structured French lessons, where they could practise the language
that they had learnt, not just at school but also during the week. In the
evening, a series of fun activities were organised by the Château staff
– outdoor games, a sports tournament and a talent show in which our
pupils were able to show off their admirable musical and dramatic abilities.
A number of Sixth Form pupils took part in this trip too and,
although they participated in some of the sporting activities, the focus
of their week was preparation for their AS or A Level speaking test through
intensive oral practice. The Sixth Form group visited the mairie in a
nearby town and discussed local politics with the Mayor. He was not
expecting the grilling that some members of the Upper Sixth gave him
about voting patterns in recent elections! Some time was spent at the
local fire station talking to a number of firemen about their difficult but
valuable work.
A visit to a local goat farm proved to be a big hit, especially
when the pupils got the opportunity to milk one of the goats and to taste
the milk and cheese. Pupils also enjoyed the French conversation
that they had with students at a local collège, which at times seemed
like speed dating with a linguistic twist! In the evenings, pupils
enjoyed visits to the local bowling alley, the cinema and to a crêperie.
During our week we visited both Mont St Michel with its
fascinating abbey church and rather tacky gift shops, and a local
market town, St Hilaire du Harcoët, where we were able to experience
the vibrancy of a local French market at first hand. We also enjoyed
the five- hour ‘mini cruise’ from Caen to Portsmouth on both legs of
our journey.
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The main aim of the week that we spent in Normandy was
to expose the pupils to as much French as possible and to encourage
them to speak the language as much as they could. This aim was
clearly met, and the pupils came back at the end of our week much
more able to understand the spoken language and more confident in
speaking it. I would like to thank Mrs Kingsley, Mrs Tomlinson, Ms Corrigan
and Dr Baragwanath for accompanying me on the trip, for their good
company and for all the laughter that we shared that week. We hope
to make a return visit to the Château de la Baudonnière in 2016.
English Enrichment Week
Trip to Edinburgh
by Louise Fraser, Lower Sixth pupil
We departed for Edinburgh in the early hours of
Monday morning, bleary-eyed but still excited and raring to go.
Our first stop was the Writer’s Museum, where we discovered
more about the lives of three great Scottish writers – Robert
Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Next, we
crossed the city and ascended the Scott monument, which
was much higher than it looked, and gave a breath-taking view
from the top.
We then split up and went for lunch, embracing the Scottish
culture and exploring the streets of Edinburgh. We merged once again
and gallivanted to Edinburgh Castle, where we had a tour of the different
buildings. After this, we checked into our hotel, freshening up before
departing for dinner. Then, in the gathering darkness, we headed
over to the meeting point for our ghost tour. We were taken down into
the vaults beneath the city, and even the most sceptical among us
were terrified. A calm Miss Lancelot casually comforted a whimpering
Mr Hanson, whose girlish screams could be heard from the streets
above. After exiting the vaults, still shaking in fear, we were led to the
graveyard where the legendary poltergeist is said to reign. Mr Hanson
cried here too, almost refusing to enter, but he was dragged in and
tormented appropriately. After being collectively and thoroughly terrified,
we retired for the night. In the morning, we left the hotel and had
breakfast in The Elephant House, the famous café where JK Rowling
wrote her early manuscripts of Harry Potter. We then took a literary
tour of the city, hearing harrowing tales from Mrs Thompson of murder
and public hangings. Our trip ended with a private tour of the university
buildings, before we eventually made our way back to the train station
and were homeward bound. On the whole, we all had a brilliant experience
of the infamous literary city, and were, as intended, ‘enriched’.
Religious Studies
Department Trips
by RE Skelton, Head of Religious Studies
Whitby
Mr Skelton, Mrs Reeves and Mr de Villiers took the GCSE
Religious Studies (RS) students to Sneaton Castle in Whitby. Sneaton
Castle was a really fantastic place to stay: the grounds were magnificent,
having lovely walled gardens, a donkey sanctuary and plenty of grounds
to run around in as well as a lovely room to work in, which contained
beautifully painted pictures of St Hilda who founded the abbey at Whitby.
The revision sessions were a great chance for pupils to learn
more about how to tackle their GCSE RS exams and students worked
hard on the trip, producing excellent work. They also had the opportunity
to learn the role of the examiner (a very enlightening experience!).
At the conference, students were given lectures and
presentations on topics such as ‘Kantian Ethics’, ‘The Sanctity of Life’
and ‘Virtue Ethics’, all of which are central to their A Level course. Dr
Peter Vardy (pictured with BGS A Level RS students) was the main
speaker at both conferences.
Dr Peter Vardy (*the former Vice Principal of Heythrop
College of the University of London) really needs no introduction.
He has been the main speaker at the largest A Level RS conferences
in England and similar conferences across the world, and has addressed
more than 12,000 young people every year for the last twelve years.
He has a real passion for engaging young people with the big questions
that affect them today and has done more than anybody else to inspire
the resurgence in the popularity of RS.
The final debate of the day, ‘Should we use drones in war?’
proved to be lively, where students were given the opportunity to
discuss this highly sensitive issue. The students were able to take the
microphone and make insightful and well-considered contributions.
We all had a great day!
On the Saturday morning we all climbed the 199 steps to
Whitby Abbey, stopping for a time of reflection at Caedmon’s memorial.
We then visited Whitby Abbey and spent time hard at work at the Castle.
Students also had the opportunity to listen to a fascinating talk given
by Sister Carol, about the monastic community attached to the Centre.
She then led us in a tour of the beautiful Priory of St Hilda where the
Sisters worship daily. It was a fantastic trip with staff and students returning
refreshed and prepared for the exam season ahead!
Manchester
Mrs Reeves, Mr Skelton and the A Level RS students went
to Manchester for an exciting one-day Ethics conference. This was
a fantastic opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge and
understanding of the course, and also to meet other students from
all over the country studying Philosophy and Ethics.
The British Museum
by KX Meakin, Head of Classics
Sixth Form Classical Civilisation students spent a night
in London at Easter in order to have two consecutive days in the
British Museum.
After a year spent studying the sculptures from the Parthenon
it was thrilling to see the real thing and equally exciting in a very different
way to see the precise and intricate red- and black-figure vase designs
created two and a half thousand years ago. The chance to see the hit
musical Wicked completed the trip.
Visits
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German Exchange
by GP Woods, Head of MFL
This year saw the third exchange between BGS
and the Albert-Schweitzer-Schule, Hofgeismar, with a record
24 participants from each school. We welcomed our German
guests to BGS in January and organised a rich programme of
activities for them; as well as attending lessons and assemblies
in school and enjoying our school lunches, the German group
paid visits to museums and galleries in Leeds, Bradford and
York. The BGS pupils particularly enjoyed being allowed to travel
to York with their partners, and highlights for many were the
bowling trip and a visit to York’s Chocolate Story where we
learned about the history of chocolate making with hands-on
experience and a tasting session.
During February half-term, it was our turn to experience
German classrooms, enjoy local food and drink, again go bowling
and learn about numerous aspects of German culture and history.
We flew from Leeds Bradford to Düsseldorf and were then transferred
effortlessly along the Autobahn to the small town of Hofgeismar in
North Hessen. We were all impressed by the beautiful half-timbered
houses from the 1600s in Hofgeismar and the nearby town of Bad
Sooden-Allendorf and shocked by the sad stories of unsuccessful
escapes to the West at the nearby site of the old border between the
former East and West German states, which is now a museum and
memorial. Here we had a chance to sit inside an old USSR helicopter,
now looking incongruous in its charming rural setting, and to see the
site on the inner German border fence where an East German lost his
life trying to flee to the West – the bullet hole is still clearly visible. The
nearest city to Hofgeismar is Kassel and we travelled there by tram-train
– a combined vehicle that crosses the countryside like a train, but then
moves through the city streets like a tram. In Kassel we were able to
buy presents and souvenirs after a fascinating visit to the Brothers
Grimm Museum where we learned about the worldwide popularity of
their fairy tales as well as much about their lives and academic work.
All the pupils had a great time in Hofgeismar and enjoyed
fantastic German hospitality, and everybody got on very well with their
partners. On our way back to Düsseldorf airport we stopped off at the
Wewelsburg near Paderborn. Here in the triangular castle, built by the
local Prince-Bishops in the early 1600s, we saw some of the rooms
created by Himmler as a training academy for SS officers and as a
place of ceremonies and mystical rituals linked to German mythology.
This was a slightly spooky but fascinating historical site. A quick flight
back to Leeds Bradford saw us home, a little tired but having had a
fantastic week.
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Everybody who took part said that they enjoyed the trip
very much, spoke lots of German, and learned lots about German
culture and Germany in general. Although it might be a little daunting
at first to stay with another family, everybody gained an enormous
amount from the experience.
History in the Raw
by Dan Sanderson, Year 11 pupil
In the early hours of 22 June 2014, 27 students
accompanied by three members of staff set off for Krakow,
bleary-eyed and filled with anticipation of what was to come.
The first two days were spent in and around Krakow, where we
enjoyed a walking tour of the beautiful city centre and the former Jewish
Quarter, an insightful visit to the Oscar Schindler Museum and even a
trip to the mysterious Krakow salt mine, over 100 metres below ground.
The hallmark and main purpose of the trip was the harrowing
and deeply moving tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau on the third day where
over 1.3 million people were murdered by the Nazi regime. Aided by
a fantastic local Polish guide, the tour provided an insight into the
destruction, devastation and despair Nazi ideology created, but also
the importance of History in remembering the past in tribute to those
who suffered and so that we don’t ‘repeat its mistakes’.
Personal memories
I knew that this would be a hard day, but it was so draining
that after a while I just became numb to it all. When staring at all the
children’s belongings and the human hair and cloth made from it
I felt physically sick. I never thought that I would feel guilty for feeling
hungry or complaining about how my feet ache, but I did.
The physical presence of death was encapsulating. It was
incredibly upsetting. However, this is the truth of human nature and
Auschwitz is a vivid example that history must not repeat itself.
Although the last day was harrowing and horrifying, the
entire trip has been worth it. The chilled out but lively atmosphere of
Krakow’s central square provided relief in the evenings and many of
us were surprised by how beautiful central Krakow was. Good people,
beautiful city, cheap food and a fascinating if not terrifying history. I think
the visit to Auschwitz is one everyone should experience. It certainly
was a trip I will never forget.
Junior Classics Trip to the
Bay of Naples
by Fergus Stainton, Year 8 pupil
Early on 19 October at 1.30am we all arrived at school,
tired but excited about our much anticipated trip to sunny Naples.
We reached a silent Liverpool airport at 5.00am, checked in
and then we were allowed an hour to spend getting breakfast
and other things for the trip. We arrived in Naples at 10.00am
(Naples time), already feeling the sun on our cheeks and ready
to go to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. Here
we sat on the museum steps and ate lunch while watching
Neapolitan life pass by.
In the museum we walked around hunting for the intricate
animal and fish mosaics from our Latin textbook, filling in our site booklets
and admiring the exhibits and sculptures. After this we headed off to
the incredibly well-preserved house of Poppaea (one of the wives of
Emperor Nero) and soaked in the beautiful Roman architecture and
decorative mosaics still covering the floors.
When we finally arrived at the hotel we had dinner and then
a much needed long sleep, waking up at 7.30am the next morning
ready for our trip to Mount Vesuvius. After a rather long bus journey
we arrived at the foot of the volcano and we were driven up a winding
road part of the way up the mountain. Then on foot we began the
long hike up to the crater and walked around the edge, passing
many unexpected refreshment stations perched on the hillside and
very popular for buying a snack or two as we got increasingly tired.
Finally at the last stage of our walk we stopped for a group
photo and some talks about the volcano from our tour guide, who
told us about the last big eruption in 1944, and the continuing danger
to all the people living down below. After the descent we hopped back
on the bus and drove all the way to Herculaneum which we explored
in groups and which I found fascinating as it was so well preserved
you could almost feel like you were there during the eruption. From
above the site it was possible to look down and see the skeletons of
people who were waiting on what was then the beach, hoping to escape
the volcano in 79 AD.
Back at the hotel we had a suspense-filled quiz with rooms
against rooms (luckily my team came second); there were five rounds
of questions on topics like Roman mythology and Pompeii and finally
prizes which was good fun for everyone.
The next day was the big one we had all been waiting for,
Pompeii. As we arrived we already were feeling the Roman vibe as soon
as we saw the gates and the old bricked houses and the cobbled streets.
We explored the marvellous houses and took a trip to the enormous
amphitheatre, and we were all amazed by the marvellously decorated
baths. Unluckily we were not allowed to go into the house of Caecilius,
but we still got a view of his atrium.
That night we took a train to Sorrento and then went out for
a pizza. After supper we split off into groups and walked around the
lively town buying stuff, then we regrouped and went for an ice-cream
in a famous ice-cream parlour (which apparently Pope Benedict and
Lionel Messi had been to!). We took the train back to the hotel and
packed our things.
The next morning we woke up very early and had a quick
breakfast before setting off to the airport in Naples for the plane
journey back. When we got back to much-missed England, another
two-hour bus trip brought us back to Bradford in time for picking up
(in fact we were even half an hour early). Caecilius suddenly seemed
miles away again!
Visits
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Section Five
Arts and
Performance
Inside this section…
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46
The Winter’s Tale
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The Taming of the Shrew
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A Level Theatre Studies
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Pericles
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Drama Clubs
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Johnson over Jordon
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Christmas Concert
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Chamber Concert
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Leavers’ Concert
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Sixth Form Greek Tragedy
The Bradfordian 2014
Arts and Performance
45
Drama Review
of the Year
by CS Bruce, Teacher of English and Drama
The Winter’s Tale
Taming of the Shrew
We began the year preparing for the Shakespeare
Schools Festival which we entered with The Winter’s Tale, one
of Shakespeare’s late plays. Ewan Bagshaw played the Sicilian
King Leontes and Martha Pickles his pregnant wife, Hermione.
Their marriage quickly collapsed under the irrational jealousy
of Leontes believing that his best friend (Alex Priestley as
Polixenes) had started an affair with Hermione. Events spiralled
out of control resulting in deaths, banishment and long grief.
The Theatre Studies group’s set text had all the usual
elements: boasting Petruchio (Dan Sanderson), girly Bianca
(Vanessa Kennedy), besotted Lucentio (Dan Leach) and sly suitor
Gremio (Hassan Khan).
Ewan, Martha and Alex played the ‘grown-ups’ in this play
with great maturity, switching emotions between the serious drama of
the first half and managing to convince us that forgiveness was possible
many years later. They were ably supported by Ayeesha Monks in the
role of faithful Camillo who served both kings, Beatrice Goddard who
gave a powerful performance as Hermione’s outraged gentlewoman,
and Billy Lucas as the hilarious thief, Autolycus. The rest of the cast
from Years 8, 9 and 11 all gave committed performances on the night
in front of a packed audience in the Bradford Alhambra Studio Theatre.
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Two twists involved the father becoming the mother, so
Molly Orviss played Baptista, a domineering mother; and, after her
final speech of submission, Hatty Meakin’s Katherina left the stage
wielding a knife, with the implication that Petruchio would be getting
to know the knife in ways he would not welcome. Carrie Lavery made
the role of the Widow memorable, Tyne Anderson upstaged with a
variety of servants and Bessie Allan designed the set, costumes and
poster with creative flair.
A Level Theatre Studies
Drama Clubs
The groups excelled once again in their moderation
performances. This year, under Miss Kirk’s supervision, the
Lower Sixth studied the theatrical theories and methods of
Antonin Artaud. This produced two disturbing performances
to unsettle the audience and present nightmarish visions.
The Wednesday afternoon drama group decided to
write their own script and Year 8’s Esme Hanafin stepped up
to the challenge. The result was the hilarious I’m A Disney
Princess, Get Me Out Of Here! Set up like a Disney version
of the Big Brother house, students took on the roles of
famous Disney princesses in twisted, modern versions
of their characters, all vying for the hand of Prince Charming
(played by Zain Hussain).
In the first blast of Theatre of Cruelty, Tyne Anderson, Carrie
Lavery and Molly Orviss presented frankly and shockingly the words of
Sarah Kane’s 4:48 Psychosis, a study in suicidal feelings. Their costumes,
physicality and vocal variety revealed a high level of commitment and
passionate understanding. Alongside the female trio, Hassan Khan and
Dan Sanderson played authority figures with style and with regular
barrages of verbal assault. The set, designed by Bessie Allan as a white
box enclosing the audience and actors, was claustrophobic and
oppressive. Unable to relax after that performance the audience was
then given something equally strange, but with at least some moments
of light relief – Hatty Meakin played Phaedra as a tormented mother,
Dan Leach was her lust-crazed stepson and Vanessa Kennedy was
her unhinged daughter in Sarah Kane’s Phaedra’s Love. With an eclectic
soundtrack, a raised stage and a use of props and costumes that could
only be described as anarchic, these three performers brilliantly showed
a dysfunctional family disintegrating under their own fantasies and
power struggles. Both Lower Sixth groups revealed dark sides of the
human condition, but both were theatrically thrilling to watch and hear.
It was left to Upper Sixth performers, Mikey Lord and Hannah
Mears-Young, to cheer the audience up with their Devised Drama in the
style of Theatre of the Absurd, entirely self-penned, which explored the
way the Internet is meant to help communication, but sometimes causes
it to break down. The Edge of the Universe was funny, thought-provoking
and moving in equal measure. In a set created of parallel bedrooms
and walls of either poster-covered boxes or images of the cosmos, Mikey
and Hannah dressed, chatted online, arranged to meet, conducted
interviews, sang, danced, used exaggerated accents and generally entertained
without a second’s pause in a tight piece of extraordinary storytelling.
The joys and dangers of the Internet were clearly highlighted by the
fast-paced presentation building up to the coup of Mikey and Hannah
bursting through the wall of boxes to finish the play crawling over the
debris of their set.
Pericles
This was a semi-improvised version of Shakespeare’s
less well-known romantic, tragic comedy. Subhaan Ali guided
us through the story with wide-eyed comical wonder and Harry
Bolland remained steadfast and central in the demanding role
of the play’s title.
Umaira Waheed was the conniving Belle, Niamh Gregg
played the glamorous Ariel and Sarah Whitelaw was the short-lived
Snow White (she soon ate a bad apple and had to be removed from
the house). Mia Mann’s ultra-modern version of Jasmine had to contend
with her super-fan shouting adoration from the audience (played by
Siena Anderson and Billy Lucas). Naiha Sharry-Khan was the sore
loser Rapunzel, with Sylvie Walsh as the triumphant winner, Cinderella.
Along with projections of ad breaks and diary room confessions,
Cartiona Ford and Maariah Hussain rallied the crowd as the presenters,
interviewing audience members and characters alike. Notable comedic
performances came from Marcus Steward and Hanna Johal as the
‘ugly sisters’, and a rather brilliant show from Fraser Barton, who
embodied the narcoleptic Sleeping Beauty surprisingly well. The play
ended with an audience vote to declare the winner, making a brilliant
piece of comedy also interactive!
In the wake of their successful short play The Odd Egg
from summer 2013, the Friday Drama Club decided to turn their
attention from tear-jerker dramas to the fine art of horror. After much
discussion and devising the result was The Possession, a creepy
story set in a dark wood (where else?). Fraser Barton’s murderous
teacher managed to send everyone’s skin crawling, and Esther
Jackson put in a great performance as the severe head teacher.
Marcus Steward, Hanna Johal and Siena Anderson were fantastic
as their characters turned from carefree teenagers to disturbing,
possessed children with ease. Umaira Waheed’s breathless escape
from the zombie-like characters kept the audience hooked, as her
excellent acting skill made the small theatre space feel like a dense,
vast woodland. The cast not only developed the story but devised
the stylized movements of the possessed children that unnerved the
audience right up to the spine-chilling conclusion. While Esther
Jackson flexed her writing skills for some scenes, the cast worked
together to decide on costume, make-up, lighting and directing,
experiencing all aspects of putting on a production. The eerie silence
after the final blackout told of the audience’s reaction, and it is telling
that their first question to me after this performance was, “When’s the
next one??”
Esther Jackson played contrasting roles of evil daughter
and brothel madam with excellent accents and Edmund Milwain and
Christian Burke were memorable in the roles of assassin and Governor.
Nimrah Haq and Marcus Hall were also impressive as characters who
started good, but became evil as the play went on.
One of the most memorable scenes was the great tournament
when the whole of 8JB cheered on the various contestants in some
dubious Olympic/Monty Python style. It fell to Catriona Ford’s Marina to
reunite everyone at the end and she did generate the most memorable
moment of the night.
Arts and Performance
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Johnson over Jordon
by AP Johnson, Head of English
“They are all sons and daughters, you see.”
Emerging from the fires and smoke of what could have
been Hell, but could also prosaically have been the doorway to
a nightclub, Ewan Bagshaw’s ‘Figure’ confronted Dan Sanderson’s
Robert Johnson with the above words. Rarely do schools stage
ambitious dramas with such elevated themes, but this was an
extraordinary production in very many ways.
The surreal qualities of the play emerged strongly in the final
act where characters from his memories peered through a window:
Will Truby’s weirdly cheerful Don Quixote was one comical standout
performance in this sequence. Hannah Mears-Young played a faithful
teacher with poignancy and Ed Paget’s delightful Albert Goop (repeating
his lines in a vaudeville patter-style) gave depth to Johnson’s sense of loss.
“Masks and shadows and dreams!” cried the Figure in Ewan
Bagshaw’s hypnotic portrayal – and this production by first-time director
Lee Hanson gave all audience members the opportunity to make of
every episode their own truth.
I know I was not alone in being misty-eyed when Johnson
searched for his wife who had vanished from the beautifully-staged
couple’s dance; one moment the play was amusing and hopeful and
with Clem Hall’s skilfully brutal exit, it became a tragedy. The evening
was a profound theatrical experience allowing us to “be all the selves
we’ve been” as Johnson tries to explain to his loyal wife, Jill.
Robert Johnson’s family, Clem Hall’s stoical Jill, Izzy Holmes’s
open-hearted Freda and Billy Bryant’s determined Richard gathered
for Johnson’s funeral in tender scenes of naturalistic family life. Visitors
to the funeral, Alex Sheldon’s George Noble and George Goddard’s
Mr Clayton, skilfully revealed their varying feelings about the late
Johnson and their motives for attending and we gradually realised this
was to be no ordinary funeral. The haunting clock suspended above
the stage (voiced by an ominous Mikey Lord) signalled a dramatic
coup when the dead man lurched from his corpse-like pose to begin
his kaleidoscopic journey through memories of his past.
I was reminded of Terry Gilliam’s dystopian film Brazil in the
way the directors staged the scenes at the Universal Assurance and
Global Loan and Finance Corporation. Alex Priestley and Vanessa
Kennedy were nightmarish bureaucrats, relishing the frustration they
caused with their Kafkaesque questions and answers. Will Truby and
Poppy Briggs were like precision-robots in their horrible interrogations
of Johnson’s worth. The choreography of sudden bursts of frenetic
activity in the workplace was dazzling and revealed how much hard
work and drilling had gone into the production. Alongside Mr Hanson’s
directing credits, Miss Bruce and Miss Lancelot helped make this an
ensemble piece to remember, and students Martha Pickles, Lucy Scott
and Molly Orviss contributed significantly to the dance sequences.
Scenes alternated smoothly between intimate chamber moments
and spectacular moments of crowded colour.
48
The second act revealed Johnson’s inner beast as he
dived into the Jungle Hot Spot where the temptations of drink and
sex were punctuated by Ruby Hendry’s predatory Madam Vulture,
Felix Langley’s repulsive Porker and Johnson’s friend, the affable
Charlie played by Dan Leach.
The Bradfordian 2014
Originally played by Ralph Richardson and valiantly resurrected
by Patrick Stewart in a fussy production at the West Yorkshire Playhouse
in 2001, the role of Johnson would tax any seasoned professional actor.
Dan Sanderson took the role in his stride, playing the light-hearted
moments with verve and charm, and, in the philosophical passages,
giving the role a tragic arc that proved moving and charismatic. He
displayed all the emotions of Everyman – fear, bravado, envy, lust,
greed, confidence, guilt and grief – effortlessly switching as each
scenario swirled around him. Dan’s puzzled bafflement with the
parade of characters – real and fictional – that reminded him of who
he was, what he did and what he might have done – gave way to a
very adult acceptance of his final destiny as he set off into the stars.
Tom Priestley, the son of JB Priestley, came to see the
performance and commented: “Brilliant, absolutely magnificent to
see such talent and my dad would have been proud.” Mr Hanson
and his production team and entire cast should look back on
Johnson Over Jordan with immense pride. Images and feelings from
the play have continued to resonate with me long after the final
curtain. A sign of a great production, written by a truly remarkable
Bradford playwright.
Christmas Concert
by CJ Brook and R McOwen, Teachers of Music
The Music Department’s annual Christmas Concert
opened with the traditional carol ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, and,
in the spirit of the Nine Lessons and Carols Service, began
with the first verse being sung by soloist Isabel Blackhall.
Mr McOwen then made his conducting debut with his Junior
Orchestra and performed an arrangement of ‘I Wish It Could
be Christmas Everyday’; it was a pleasure to see the younger
pupils really enjoy themselves.
Mr Davis’s Early Music Group performed the French
Traditional piece The Song of the Ass, and Mr Davis himself took to
the organ to provide a drone accompaniment on the highly effective
Krumhorn stop. The Wickermen Folk Band performed a Mumford
and Sons song, I Will Wait, blending a mixture of traditional and
contemporary instrumentation with some excellent harmony vocals.
The vocal music continued with the Junior Choir under the direction
of Mr Eyre singing two contrasting numbers – Sing by Gary Barlow
and John Rutter’s Gaelic Blessing.
The first of the two evening’s soloists, Han Zhao played
Chopin’s Impromptu No.1; a truly outstanding performance given by
a remarkable young musician. The Chamber Choir sang two pieces
of traditional Christmas repertoire: The Sussex Carol arranged by
Philip Ledger and accompanied on the organ by Mr Eyre, and John
Tavener’s The Lamb. The latter piece was particularly poignant as it
acknowledged the recent passing of the distinguished composer.
The Concert Band, conducted by their highly regarded director
Mr Roberts, then rounded off the first half with three pieces in different
styles: Skyfall from the recent James Bond film of the same name, the
French Traditional melody Whence is that Goodly Fragrance Flowing,
and the theme tune to the television programme Family Guy.
The second half opened with the Senior Choir, directed by
Mr Woodrow, singing Handel’s wonderful For Unto Us a Child is Born
from Messiah, and the second of two Rutter pieces, his arrangement
of Love Came Down at Christmas. The Brass Group performed a very
clever composition entitled Winter Sails by Pamela Wedgewood, and
your two correspondents recognised a number of well-known Christmas
tunes disguised within the piece. The school’s Big Band played two
pieces which demonstrated both their collective tight sense of ensemble
and individual improvisational skill of the performers. The second of the
evening’s soloists, Sophie Green, gave a very mature performance of
Bach’s Partita No.3. Sophie has been a very loyal member of a number
of school ensembles throughout her time at BGS, and the audience
was highly impressed and subsequently showed its appreciation.
This year has seen the emergence of a Barbershop Group
showing the diversity of the music on offer at the school, and they gave
their debut performance singing Cole Porter’s Anything Goes; the boaters
and bow ties added to the sense of professionalism of the overall
ensemble. Bringing the concert to a close, the Senior Orchestra, led
by Sophie Green, performed a most distinguished work; Walton’s
Crown Imperial which was composed for the Coronation of King
George VI in 1937. Mr Brook brought down his baton and conducted
the orchestra through the most ambitious work the Senior Orchestra
has undertaken in years. The famous trumpet fanfare sounded superb
with the brass section clearly in fine form. After the final powerful
crescendo followed by hearty applause, guests retired for a reception
of mince pies and mulled wine, invigorated and full of praise for our
talented players with Walton’s magnificent fanfare still echoing in their
ears as they began the holiday season.
The musical items were interspersed on the night with a
number of readings on a Christmas theme, and thanks go to Mr Johnson
and readers Lily MacTaggart, Eden James, Edmund Milwain, Natasha
Collier and Molly Orviss. Finally, to ensure a smooth running of the
evening Mr Dutton as always was of great assistance.
Arts and Performance
49
Chamber Concert
by CJ Brook and R McOwen, Teachers of Music
The annual Chamber Concert is a chance for the many
and varied smaller BGS musical ensembles to showcase their
talents, and this was certainly the case on what proved to be
a very special evening of music. The evening began with three
pieces of early English Music; The Brass Group played Byrd’s
The Earle of Oxford’s Marche followed by Mr Davis’s Early
Music Group giving us two offerings, both by Morley; This Love
is but a Wanton Fit and Though Philomena Lost Her Love. Three
solo musicians displayed their own very special talents over
the course of the evening, the first of which was Sixth Former
Martha O’Sullivan. Martha is an outstanding multi-instrumentalist
and played the Third Movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with
great aplomb, superbly accompanied as always by Mr Sherlock.
The Barbershop Group again entertained the audience,
this time with something a bit different: Sixth Former William Truby’s
own very effective arrangement of Arctic Monkey’s One for the Road.
As the conclusion of the first half drew near, an exciting and expectant
atmosphere grew palpable in the Price Hall for the audience was
about to witness a true first for BGS. The Chamber Orchestra, formed
in September 2013, took to the stage to prepare for the main item on
the programme: Haydn’s Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major, featuring
Sixth Form pupil and member of the National Youth Orchestra Joanna
Twaddle as soloist. To perform a work such as this in its entirety is a
tremendously ambitious undertaking for any amateur orchestra, and
this performance had certainly generated much talk and anticipation
in the weeks preceding the concert.
A moment’s still calm fell over the Price Hall and the opening
movement, Moderato, was striking and confident, both the orchestra
and soloist’s measured and dynamic phrasing was a joy to hear.
The second movement, Adagio, demonstrated a thoroughly mature
understanding of phrasing; the orchestra’s accompaniment suddenly
more tender, with the reduced texture and soft dynamic underpinning
their expert soloist admirably. Moving through the third and final
movement, Molto Allegro, the orchestra delivered a tour de force to
behold and a dazzling display of virtuosity from the soloist. Mr Brook
maintained a very brisk tempo and even at its most technically
demanding the orchestra responded superbly, delivering the music
with admirable effect.
Joanna has dazzled concert audiences all over the world
and her performance tonight was as thrilling as ever, but never before
has she led her own school Chamber Orchestra through such a renowned
and wonderfully ambitious work. As the final movement reached its
joyous, climactic end, the Price Hall rose to its feet and remained
upstanding for several minutes; friends, parents, teachers, pupils and
distinguished guests united in genuine and rapturous applause. It was
a wonderful sight to behold and testimony to the utmost discipline, weeks
of rehearsal and sheer heights of musicianship that this group of young
musicians had achieved on the night. An outstanding performance by
both soloist and Chamber Orchestra, and we were extremely proud
of them all.
The second half began with the school’s Chamber Choir and
a substantial choral piece; Handel’s Coronation Anthem The King Shall
Rejoice. This challenging piece was sung with great accomplishment,
reflecting its full majesty and grandeur, and was directed by Mr Woodrow
himself from the harpsichord. The Flute Group followed, playing two
dances from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, superb intonation and
sense of ensemble was in evidence throughout. The final soloist of
the evening, Ruby Hendry, accompanied by Mr Sherlock, then sang
Fauré’s hauntingly beautiful Après un Rêve with great maturity; her
voice certainly defies her relatively young age. The Guitar Group
contributed two pieces: Lullaby of Birdland and Mean to Me, and this was
followed by Mr McGuffie’s Clarinet Group playing two very contrasting
pieces: a Spanish Tango and the theme from The Pink Panther. The
next item on the programme was a delightful and humorous sneak
preview of what was to follow in the upcoming whole-school production:
the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical The Likes of Us which
tells the story of Dr Thomas Barnardo’s noble quest to eradicate child
homelessness in Victorian London. Matthew Hull, David Bagshaw,
Matthew Chivers and James Pike, complete with imitation (we hope)
glasses of wine and cigars, delivered a confident vocal performance
in character as Cabinet Ministers of Queen Victoria’s government.
Complete with razor sharp ad-lib dialogue, their performance raised
many laughs and certainly left the audience full of anticipation ahead
of the production. The evening was rounded off in a unique and original
way with the Saxophone Group playing their piece Carnival whilst at
the same time processing out of the hall in an orderly fashion! A very
enjoyable evening was had by all who attended, and, as ever, thanks
go to Mr Dutton for his stoic assistance throughout the event.
Video of this event is available here:
tinyurl.com/ldz55tb
vimeo.com/90869620
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The Bradfordian 2014
Leavers’ Concert
by CJ Brook and R McOwen, Teachers of Music
The annual Leavers’ Concert is an event tinged with
some sadness, but many happy memories, as it is the last time
that a number of pupils who have contributed so much to the
musical life of the school perform for the final time. The concert
opened, however, with the younger generation who will hopefully
come through the ranks to take their places, and Mr McOwen’s
Junior Orchestra certainly enjoyed themselves playing Michael
Jackson’s Thriller.
Six members of the departing Sixth Form gave solo
performances, the first of which was a hugely enjoyable duet between
David Bagshaw and William Truby who sang If I Were a Rich Man from
Fiddler on the Roof with great panache. The Clarinet Group played
Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No.5 which was followed by Mr Eyre’s Junior
Choir singing two numbers from different musicals: I Dreamed a Dream
from Les Misérables, and Wouldn’t it be Loverly from My Fair Lady.
The first was conducted very ably by Sixth Former Hannah Mears-Young
who has assisted Mr Eyre throughout the year with the Junior Choir,
and the second was sung with a very pronounced Cockney accent
as indeed it should be. The Dixieland Crackerjacks were up next and
gave a swinging rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In showcasing
the improvisational skills of Martha O’ Sullivan on tenor saxophone and
William Truby on guitar. The Chamber Choir sang a highly appropriate
madrigal given the time of year, Now is the Month of Maying, and the
second solo performance of the evening was given by musical stalwart
and deserving winner of the prestigious Geoff Bastow Trophy for Brass,
Christopher Silberberg, who played Tchaikovsky’s Chanson Napolitaine.
The Concert Band concluded the first half with two energetic pieces
taken from their forthcoming Grassington Festival set list – Rock with You
and Moves Like Jagger.
The School Choir, accompanied by Mr Eyre on the organ,
opened the second half with a movement from Fauré’s Requiem, the
Agnus Dei; indeed the complete work had been performed only a
few weeks earlier as part of a concert given at St. Paul’s Church,
Shipley. This was followed by the inimitable Wickermen Folk Band,
fronted as ever by the exuberant Michael Lord, and they performed
a wonderful traditional Appalachian bluegrass song entitled Man of
Constant Sorrow, recognised by your correspondents from the film
O Brother, Where Art Thou? The eclectic line-up of instruments included
mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar and upright bass. Fiddle player Hannah
Mears-Young then showed her versatility by singing the operatic aria
Una Donna a Quindici Anni from Mozart’s Così fan Tutte. As a member
of the National Youth Training Choir she is clearly an exceptional singer
and the aria was communicated splendidly to the audience. The Big
Band gave rousing renditions of soul and funk classics Get Lucky and
A Few Good Men, and the noise level went up a further decibel with
the arrival and performance of the Samba Band and their piece We’re
On It. This ensemble has grown in numbers recently and it is great to
see the pupils really enjoying their percussion music with Mr Stevens.
Leader of the School Orchestra, Sophie Green, then gave her final solo
performance at BGS playing a piece by Bloch entitled Nigun, and as
usual it was delivered with consummate professionalism and the enjoyment
of both performer and audience was clear to see. The Barbershop
Group gave a fine performance of the Beach Boys’ classic God Only
Knows, and it is a great shame that this ensemble, only formed in the
final year of four of the five pupils involved, have to go their separate
ways despite having a substantial repertoire of material. It is hoped,
however, to record this material before they leave. For those who had
missed it at the Chamber Concert, the closing item of the evening
featured a reprise of the third and final movement of Haydn’s Cello
Concerto in C Major, Molto Allegro. Again, both orchestra and soloist
Joanna Twaddle gave a flawless performance, and it is pleasing to
see members of the school orchestra being able to play with someone
like Joanna and perform material of this standard.
Thanks must go to Mr Sherlock who accompanied a
number of items on the piano throughout the evening, and, as ever,
to Mr Dutton. A fond musical farewell was thus bade to the departing
Upper Sixth Form pupils, and the Music Department would like to
gratefully thank all the extremely talented pupils who have performed
in many concerts, recitals and musical productions over the years.
Arts and Performance
51
Greek leader Agamemnon. Virgin priestess Cassandra, memorably
played by Freya George, brought to the grim gathering of women a
suitably discordant energy and joy, from which the chorus and even
her own mother shrank.
Tyne Anderson took over the role of Hecabe as the former
queen finally learned the ghastly truth about the death of Polyxena, and
along with Hannah Mears-Young as her daughter-in-law Andromache,
performed the seemingly impossible feat of ratcheting the pathos up
a further notch with their horror and despair at the news that the child
Astyanax was to be thrown from the ramparts. The scene in which
Hannah as Andromache parted with her son to Greek soldiers (played
with brisk efficiency by George Gill and Matthew Hull), and Tyne as her
mother-in-law found the strength to comfort her, was an unforgettable
one, with both central characters and chorus members at this point
managing to muster an almost palpable sadness.
Sixth Form Greek Tragedy
by KA Meakin, Head of Classics, RM McOwen, Teacher of Music,
SB Davis, Teacher of MFL and DJ Mouat, Teacher of Chemistry
An enthusiastic audience gathered in the Hockney
Theatre on 21 November for what proved to be two thoroughly
absorbing and thought-provoking productions of Greek tragedy
from the Classics and Drama departments.
Euripides’ Trojan Women
Lower Sixth Classicists Helen Kelly, Anastaisia
Caffrey, Freya George and Kristen Casey explained to us that
Greek audiences knew the stories surrounding the Trojan War
from their mother’s knee: what they came to see was how the
story would be presented. So in telling us how and why the
Trojan women faced bereavement and enslavement at the end
of the ten-year Trojan War, the cast were just putting us a bit
closer to the position of the original Greek audience.
The play opened with a strong visual impact as Poseidon
(Matthew Hull) strode on complete with trident, soon to be joined by
(as always) fully-armed Athena (Helen Kelly). A combination of well-judged
formality of delivery from Matthew and Helen and eerie blue lighting
gave their exchange a suitably ethereal quality, as these two deities
discussed the sufferings of the Trojans with a degree of detachment.
As Queen Hecabe of Troy, who had in quick succession lost
sons, husband, city and liberty, Zoe Dickinson managed to combine
bitter anguish with the dogged resilience of a queen who continued to
feel her responsibilities to the women of Troy, played with consistency
and conviction by chorus members Kristen Barrett-Casey, Poppy Briggs,
Anastaisia Caffrey, Katharine Foxton, Laura Layton, Gemma Robinson
and Vanessa Kennedy. Chorus leader Lily MacTaggart brought out
well the women’s solidarity and determination to support one another
as they waited powerlessly to learn their fate.
Yusra Shabir as Talthybius captured the Greek herald’s
discomfort at bringing further distress to the afflicted, burying in ironic
euphemisms the news that Hecabe’s daughter Polyxena had been
sacrificed on Achilles’ tomb, and reluctantly informing Hecabe that
another daughter, Cassandra, was destined to be concubine to hated
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The Bradfordian 2014
With the entry of Greek leader Menelaus came a change
in mood and even a welcome touch of humour, skillfully exploited by
Chris Silberberg, who also brought out amusingly Menelaus’ inflated
sense of his own importance. As husband to Helen, who had caused
the entire war by running off with Trojan Paris, it was for Menelaus to
decide on Helen’s fate. Helen Kelly was convincing as the fickle and
opportunistic beauty, seizing on any argument that might find favour
with her former husband. It was left to Hatty Meakin as the third and
final Hecabe to deliver a devastatingly sustained and rational rebuttal
of Helen’s arguments, a delivery the more powerful for its incisiveness
and emotional control. True to Hecabe’s magnificent denunciation
of the Greeks’ irrational act of infanticide, Hatty gave a memorable
portrayal of a Hecabe who masters her intense anger and grief the
more compellingly to express them.
Through this Sixth Form cast as through the original Athenian
one, Euripides’ voice still manages to reach and disturb his audience.
The lighting and sound team (Miss Wood and Mr Dutton)
and musicians Lucile Chave and Greg Bertrand were all essential to
the play’s sombre atmosphere, while Miss Wood’s resourceful design
of props and costumes carried conviction. The entire cast and
production team are to be congratulated on a moving performance,
in particular Mr Barr, without whose patient and persistent direction
the performance would never have taken place.
The Medea
In Franca Rama’s modern re-telling of Euripides’ Medea,
Natasha Collier made a chilling and memorable Medea, who
(like Euripides’ Medea) takes revenge on her unfaithful husband
Jason by killing their two sons, but (unlike Euripides’ Medea) does
this in front of Jason as he sits bound, gagged and powerless
to intervene.
Natasha conveyed powerfully the vision and conviction of
a woman on a mission to persuade other women to throw off their
limiting vision of what women can be. The concerned chorus of Tyne
Anderson, Eden James, Vanessa Kennedy, Hatty Meakin and Hannah
Mears-Young made an excellent foil to Medea’s self-belief, before binding
and gagging Dan Sanderson, who as Jason reeked imperturbable
complacency. Only when the knife was drawn did Jason sense the
danger: too late to save his frightened children, played with conviction
by Year 8 pupils Christian Burke and Fin Hebditch.
The Likes of Us
In 1965 one of the most famous musical partnerships
in the world was formed in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Together they combined all the essential elements of successful
musical creation: a passion for their art, astronomical talent,
and enough diversity to keep things interesting.
Evangelical and entrepreneurial philanthropist Dr Thomas
Barnardo represents his intractable and selfless campaign to rescue
children living on the streets of 1860’s London in a quest to rid the city
of child homelessness through establishing homes for destitute children.
This is the story of Thomas Barnardo’s noble quest to overcome adversity,
sometimes from the highest offices in the land. What is most fitting,
however, is the fact that Barnardo’s in its modern charitable incarnation
is a cause close to the heart of Bradford Grammar School’s ethos
and the school’s Outreach programme. Barnardo’s Young Carers
Scheme, now in its third year at BGS, is a scheme run by Sixth Form
volunteers that enables young people who care for ill or disabled
family members to receive help and support with their own school
work alongside onerous and often difficult responsibilities.
The Likes of Us was staged over three nights in March
2014 during which the specially designed Hockney Theatre stage
was transformed into grimy Victorian London.
The show opened with a sublime overture played by the
Orchestra in their specially constructed orchestra pit under the masterful
baton of Musical Director, Mr Brook. In his final outing in a BGS musical
production, Upper Sixth bass guitar stalwart James Loney commanded
his part with great aplomb, completely focused throughout and entirely
at home alongside many experienced professional musicians. His
performance was impressive testimony to his huge talent and a most
fitting finale to a long and distinguished musical career at BGS. Some
seven years his junior, Year 7 Junior Orchestra percussionist Finlay
Mears-Young’s talents were also on display in the theatre pit assisting
Mr Stevens on xylophone and hand percussion admirably.
The opening song of the show, Lion Hearted Land performed
by cabinet ministers Matthew Chivers, James Pike, Matthew Hull and
David Bagshaw was delivered with great confidence and panache
and left the audience in no doubt as to their characters’ steadfast
insistence on maintaining the entrenched class structure of industrial
Victorian England.
But who would come to their rescue? The star of the show
of course, Dr Thomas Barnardo, who soon took the stage with his
furious opening song I’m A Very Busy Man, played by Upper Sixth
student Billy Bryant. Billy’s truly outstanding, sonorous tenor voice
and commanding stage presence perfectly fitted his character.
Syrie Elmslie was played by Sixth Form student Sophie
Green. Sophie’s formidable singing voice is well known to all at BGS,
and her vocal performance in The Likes of Us was as fine as ever.
Her grace and determination made the role comical and inspiring,
creating a memorable partner for Barnardo. Particular highlights of
Sophie’s singing included This Is My Time and Will This Last Forever?
when Barnardo and Syrie duetted alongside likely-lad cockney Johnny,
played cheekily by Year 11 pupil Matt Boyle and his feisty girlfriend,
Jenny, played with exuberance by Year 10 pupil, Ruby Hendry.
The street children themselves may have been dressed in
rags and shawls, but their voices were sublime. They were played by
Siena Anderson, Fraser Barton, Leon Dammone, Niamh Gregg, Zain
Hussain, Amrita Mangat, Marcus Steward, Sophie Still, Millie Thomas
and Izobella West. Solo verses were beautifully sung by Year 8 pupils
Catriona Ford and Bea Kingsley.
It is always thrilling to witness new talent on the BGS stage
for the first time and the performances by undoubted future stars of the
BGS stage, Year 7 Henry Taggart and Year 8 Esme Hanafin as cockney
urchins Eddie and Vicky were simply stunning. Eddie’s valiant yet futile
attempts to woo Vicky filled the auditorium with laughter and both sang,
whistled and cockney-strutted their way into the audience’s hearts whilst
at the same time seamlessly executing a complex choreography
routine (designed by Mr Johnson, no less!); although Henry’s thrilling
mock falls into the orchestra pit became frighteningly more daring
each night of the show!
Arts and Performance
53
Hannah Mears-Young expertly conveyed the tragic example
of what befell many young mothers in Victorian England. Hannah played
Rose, the working class girl, turned snarling lady of the night; fancy
free and nonchalant on the surface, yet well known for partaking in as
much liquor as she sold in order to forget her life’s true plight. Hannah’s
tremendous voice was certainly firing on all cylinders during Twice in
Love Every Day and Hold a March to the delight of the audience and
fellow Gin Palace regulars played by Phoebe Abruzzese, Bessie
Allan, Charlotte Bingham, Tyne Anderson, Lucile Chave, Catriona
Ford, Alicia Hawksworth, Maariah Hussain, Vanessa Kennedy, Ailis
Rhodes and Sarah Whitelaw.
Hassan Khan’s menacing portrayal of the volatile and
brutal Nick Sommers, known as Cracker (’cos ’e cracks ’eds!), was
the stuff of BGS theatre legend. So effective were Hassan’s one-liners
that they became famous and much-quoted by cast and crew alike,
and cries of “Who’s to blame” and “Carrots, you seen Carrots?”
echoed amongst the bustle of the Green Room and backstage
throughout the production week.
Sixth Form Theatre Studies student Mikey Lord played both
Auctioneer and Narrator, singing the rousing, barn-stomping finale
and auction song Going, Going, Gone, the great crescendo of which
saw Dr Barnardo’s winning bid finally clinch the building he would
transform into his first children’s home at 18, Stepney Causeway.
Mikey’s commanding yet extremely touching final monologue closed
the show over a wonderful orchestral reprise.
On the final night of the production the front row of the
audience was populated by local young people who are mentored
by BGS pupils. The presence of real beneficiaries of the legacy of
Dr Thomas Barnardo more than 140 years after he began his work
was a powerful and affirming statement.
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The Bradfordian 2014
Another, at times literally dazzling, partnership collaborated
on The Likes of Us; that of Lower Sixth lighting wizards Urvis Mistry and
Akmal Khalil who between them have illuminated the stars of the BGS
theatre stage since they were both in Year 7. Under the careful
guidance of Mr Dutton, often the unsung stars of the show, they have
lent their enormous talents to many memorable BGS productions and
their work as part of the technical team on The Likes of Us was exemplary.
As our spectacularly talented cast took their bows on the
first night of the show I knew instantly that when it is finally premiered
on the West End stage after more than 40 years, The Likes of Us will
have finally reached its rightful home. This year’s Upper Sixth leavers;
Billy Bryant, Hannah Mears-Young, Mikey Lord, Matthew Hull, David
Bagshaw, Sophie Green and James Loney will leave a huge hole in the
theatrical and musical life of the school and their thrilling performances
over the years have given us many memories to treasure. Yet, part of
what makes BGS such a special place is the continued renewal, the
ever-emerging talent, the learning from old hands and the desire to
break new boundaries, show after show. Such is the BGS way and I
can assure you, The Likes of Us was no exception.
Video of this concert is available at:
tinyurl.com/pd2kcak
vimeo.com/95498842
Alice
Early Music Group
On 12 and 13 December 2013, Lower School Drama
performed Alice, adapted from a play by Laura Wade, in the
Hockney Theatre. The play was directed by Dr Mouat. The cast
did themselves proud, showcasing a lot of new talent in the
lower school. All of the memorable characters from the original
book of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll were beautifully
and believably created.
This has been a very busy year for the Early Music
Group. In the Autumn Term, we provided the incidental music
for the BGS entry to the Schools’ Shakespeare Festival, a
production of The Winter’s Tale directed by Miss Bruce. It was
really exciting to be on stage at the Alhambra Studio as part of
such a professional show.
The play deals with the central character Alice coming to
terms with the death of her older brother. We never saw the brother,
played by Mikey Lord from the Upper Sixth, but he had recorded a
song for her that was filmed. Mikey composed the music and played
his guitar, putting over the number sensitively and vividly.
There were many memorable performances. Esme Hanafin
was a splendid dotty White Rabbit, who first arrived on a Barbie scooter
with white ears sticking out of the top of her helmet. Adare Robins was
a splendid mother and rather scary Queen of Hearts. Leon Dammone
played alongside her as the father and downtrodden King. Mia Mann
was very convincing as the drunken auntie and when she was tossing
the baby around as the Duchess she really made the audience laugh.
Catriona Ford was suitably arrogant and strict as Humpty Dumpty
and Zoe Sheldon was very slinky as the Cheshire Cat.
On behalf of present and previous members of the group,
I would like to thank Tony Johnson for providing us with many opportunities
to perform in his truly outstanding productions over many years.
In the Christmas Concert, we played some variations on
The Song of the Ass, perhaps better known as Orientis Partibus. This
was written in France in the thirteenth century and performed as part
of the Feast of the Ass, celebrated on 14 January. For the Chamber
Concert, we chose two madrigals by the late sixteenth-century English
composer, Thomas Morley. By playing This Love is but a Wanton Fit
and Though Philomena Lost her Love, we were hoping to bring these
delightful lesser-known compositions to a wider audience.
The Early Music Group currently consists of six players in
the upper end of the Senior School. We rehearse every Friday lunchtime
and look forward to exploring more musical treasures from the past in
the coming academic year.
The audience loved the Caterpillar scene where Ayeesha
Monks was wheeled around in a decorated shopping trolley pushed
by her whacky helpers Hanna Johal and Jenny Lord to ‘process’ Alice.
They also enjoyed the Hatters tea party scene where Billy Lucas as the
Hatter, Umaira Waheed as the Hare and Elisha Cruthers as the Dormouse
kept going round in circles. Perhaps the most memorable scene was the
croquet match with Niamh Gregg who beautifully played the hedgehog,
which was hit by the flamboyant and arrogant flamingo, played by
Zain Ishtiaq. The cast were constantly on stage supporting the many
scenes and joining in so creating a momentum and many scenes
were linked by the ever suffering postman played by Fraser Barton.
The whole play revolved around Alice and Sarah Whitelaw
was outstanding, on most of the time, it was a real tour de force.
Technically it was very good showcasing the many technical talents
in the school, not least the wonderful filming that was used in some
scenes by Haaris Qureshi.
Arts and Performance
55
Section Six
Sport
Inside this section…
56
58
Badminton
59
Cricket
63
Cross-Country
68
Hockey
71
Netball
74
Rowing
76
Rugby
82
Swimming
83
Table Tennis
84
Girls’ Tennis
85
Water Polo
The Bradfordian 2014
Sport
57
Badminton
U19 Boys
by Alasdair Glen, Captain
Badminton Club Report
by DJ Chalashika, Teacher of Biology
This year we entered four teams into the Bradford
Schools’ Badminton League: the U19, U16 and U15 boys as
well as a senior mixed team. The team just missed out on
trophies to our rivals Hanson School (U15 boys) and Titus Salt
School (U19 boys and senior mixed team). It was very close,
going down to points in all three leagues.
At the end of the season we were very sad to see our
coach, Brian Fisher, leave for pastures new. He has supported the
squad members in their training, allowing them to improve positioning
and court tactics.
I must make a special mention to the U15 boys who have
played with some grit and determination this year. They were particularly
impressive at the Center Parcs tournament hosted by Titus Salt School
just before Christmas. Although they were playing in an U16 tournament,
they were superb competitors and achieved Bronze position. This all
bodes well for the tournament next year when they will be of age.
As always a special thank you goes to all my colleagues
who have helped to supervise training and fixtures throughout the
year: Mr Thompson, Ms Cuesta-Gonzalez, Ms Marti-Fernandez,
Dr Fishwick, Dr Watson and Mrs Boyes-Watson.
The U19 boys’ squad has played some first class
badminton this year, and the final results for the Bradford League
give credit to our performance. We comfortably secured second
place after beating Beckfoot (6-3), Hanson (6-3), Woodhouse
Grove (5-4) and unofficially Holy Family (8-1) who withdrew.
Ultimately, the Titus Salt School team came first by a
narrow margin, after a hard-fought and thoroughly enjoyable match,
which they won 7-2. We both fielded our best players and all nine
games were extremely close. Most games went to ‘two-clear points’
and could have gone either way, right until the last few moments.
Nevertheless, unfortunately we were unable to get the better of their
team this time and they certainly deserve their victory.
It is clear that the squad has developed its skills significantly
since last year and new students joining the Sixth Form have also
enhanced the squad. As a result, we can compete with the Titus Salt
team on even terms on a good day, despite the fact that they have
National and County players on their team.
On balance, this has been a successful year for the U19
Boys’ Badminton Squad, and many thanks to the squad members,
including Jamie Walsh, Arran Gill, Vishal Dattani, Neil Dattani, Raees
Ishtiaq and Charles Farrar. While BGS consistently performs well in
this sport, it has the potential to do even better. I for one have
thoroughly enjoyed representing the school in this sport and I look
forward to continuing to do so next year.
U15 Boys
by Ed Phillips, Captain
Senior Mixed
This season was another great success with many wins
and only one loss. Unfortunately we came second in the Bradford
League, only missing out on first place on points difference.
by DJ Chalashika, Teacher of Biology
We did have a good run in the Center Parcs tournament,
coming third in an older age group so that was a great achievement.
Many thanks to Hamza Khan, Avi Patel, Jamaal Khan, Jason
Bellanfante, Pav Sandhar and Max Orviss for their contributions this
season.
U16 Boys
by DJ Chalashika, Teacher of Biology
The U16 boys were exceptionally keen to enter a team
into the Bradford Schools’ League this year. They tried their
utmost on court and their enthusiasm and commitment shone
through. Well done.
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The Bradfordian 2014
At the start of the academic year we had the potential
to do well in the Senior Mixed league. We had a very strong
team. There were some very close matches but, alas, we were
unable to beat our local nemesis, Titus Salt School, so we
came a very respectable second in the league.
Alex Farrar will leave to go to university next year, but
I would like her to know that she has been an extremely valuable
member of the squad: totally reliable and determined, she has made
so much progress under the watchful eye of Coach Brian Fisher.
Cricket
1st XI
by AG Smith, Head of Geography and Geology
After an hour of the first match against King’s
Worcester I knew that it was going to be a difficult season.
By that stage we were 44-6 and staring defeat in the face.
That we recovered to 104 and showed some spirit in our
bowling and fielding did not disguise what were clear
shortcomings in the team. A day later we beat Ashville
on the back of an excellent 67 from George Gill.
We had one outstanding player in George Gill who could win
a game on his own as he did against Ashville and, more memorably, the
MCC where he took apart a very strong bowling attack including three
Bradford League Division One quick bowlers in scoring an unbeaten
90 to secure a win against the strongest side that we played.
Qais Nazir contributed an extremely patient 26 not out in
28 overs in our second match at Ashville as we successfully pursued
140 for victory, an approach that was to continue throughout the season.
He became the side’s second leading run scorer, averaging 30, and
played a valuable supporting role to George in our victory over the
MCC as well as scoring an impressive 62 against Turf India, a touring
side from Delhi. Piers Fisher could also look back at his first and only
season in the XI with pride. After a fairly modest career in the junior sides
and the 2nd XI he really blossomed in the winter nets and played some
superb cameo innings, coming in lower down in the order. He also
proved to be an excellent fielder with the safest pair of hands in the team
as shown by his nonchalant catching of three huge skiers against Saltaire.
The Saltaire game was the fourth annual Jack Sanderson
Memorial match and was for the first time played at BGS with the school
finally securing a victory over a strong club side in a T20 fixture. Kyme
Tahirkheli played a crucial role in this victory. He made his mark last
season as a leg spinner of great promise, but this year it was not his
bowling that came to prominence but his batting. Almost by necessity
he was handed the vital number 3 role; a position that he really grew
into, culminating in three excellent innings at the end of the season
including a match-winning unbeaten 57 against Saltaire. The fourth
player to record a half century was wicket-keeper Vishal Dattani who
rescued the side with an excellent 51 on a very slow pitch at GSAL
in a match which was to prove pivotal to our season and our overall
record. It was a desperately close slow-scoring affair which was ultimately
decided by a contentious umpiring decision after we felt that we had
run out their last man with them four short of their target. The reprieved
batsman struck the winning runs two balls later rapidly changing an
atmosphere of euphoria into one of total despair.
The GSAL performance was probably our best concerted
effort with the ball although we were always competitive. Captain Raees
Ishtiaq was the pick of our bowlers and always bowled economically and
troubled the best batsmen without always getting the luck he deserved.
When he and George Gill opened the bowling then no opening batsmen
had an easy time of it. George was leading wicket taker making him
the first player since Paul Kellett in 1979 to top both the run scorers’ and
wicket takers’ lists. When he got it right he was exceptionally quick for
a schoolboy bowler as the touring Turf India side were to find out when
he took 6-29 in a devastating mid-innings spell. The back-up bowlers
were much younger and all gained valuable experience for the future.
Yusuf Khan was the pick of these, showing himself to be not only a
consistent medium pace bowler, but also a very useful all-round cricketer,
while Milan Patel bowled some controlled spells without always picking
up the wickets he deserved and Haroon Mahmood showed encouraging
signs of things to come against Ashville and Durham. It was something
of a relief that rain finally brought the season to a close as our batting
was struggling against a strong Old Bradfordians’ team.
Players who performed particularly well this year include
George Gill, Qais Nazir and Piers Fisher. We have a West Indies tour
next year and, as ever, a testing 1st XI fixture schedule before it.
Individual awards
Full colours: re-awards
GD Gill, R Ishtiaq
THC Balaam Bowling Trophy
GD Gill
New awards
V Dattani, K Tahirkheli
AAD Gillgrass Fielding Trophy
K Tahirkheli
Club colours
DW Heslop, Y Khan, Q Nazir
The Davies Cup
(Player of the Season)
GD Gill
JB Gray Batting Trophy
GD Gill
Sport
59
U15
by IE Walker, Teacher of Physics
The new season started with a visit to Lancaster. We
started well, bowling them out for 101, with five different bowlers
taking wickets. In response we lost early wickets and were soon
17-3. It was fantastic to see Anish Pulavarti and Will RobinsonGeorge (RG) build a partnership of 81 runs, steering us to victory.
Next up was Woodhouse Grove. Anish batted well and Subhan
Farooq and Taha Zamir performed well with the ball. It was a shame
that our local rivalry was so affected by the weather, but in the end we
were probably fortunate the game was abandoned with Woodhouse
Grove only needing a further 23 runs for victory.
Against GSAL away we were disappointed with a disjointed
effort in the field. Subhan stood out by far as the best bowler on the day,
with a splendid seven overs which only went for fifteen runs. Anish, not
for the first or last time, demonstrated a knack for picking up wickets
taking 4-44. Jawad Shad opened the batting and was determined in
his approach before falling to lbw for twenty. It was Waj Iqbal though
who showed character: he dug-in and battled his way to 35.
Against Prince Henry’s Grammar School we were far too strong,
dismissing them for 41 runs. The highlight was Seun Ogunde’s three
wickets in a single over. Next up was the visit of Durham to BGS. Unfortunately,
we once again failed to score enough runs when batting first and, despite
some good bowling, Durham cantered to a seven-wicket victory.
A combined U15 and U14 team beat the touring Indian side,
Turf India. Again Subhan bowled well, and Taha responded well to
bowling a dreadful first over by returning to the attack to pick up two
late wickets. In chasing down 148 runs Jawad, Oliver Croudson,
Will Smith, Waj and Will RG all chipped in with runs, but it was Charlie
Andrews who impressed most with 33 not out to see us over the line.
We then saw the U15s chase down 285 against Ampleforth, with an
opening 50 partnership between Jawad and Toby Betts, followed by
half-centuries from Waj and Anish in a 155-run partnership. It was an
incredible run chase from a team that has never posted a total of this
size. I was proud of the way they responded to a rare poor bowling
performance, and I was particularly impressed by Waj.
The following week the team went to the GSAL sixes
tournament. They started the day with a win against QEGS, largely due
to the boundary hitting batting of Kyme Tahirkheli (back in from 1st XI
duty) and Will RG. This was followed by a win against Pocklington where
the match-winning innings was played by Waj. Next up was GSAL, where
Kyme excelled with an exceptional half-century. The boys remained
composed with comfortable wins against Ashville and Hymers.
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The Bradfordian 2014
Jawad kept well throughout a tiring day and proved the benefits of playing
a specialist keeper. Kyme took six wickets in addition to his batting
success of 222 runs in five innings! Will RG was the most economical
bowler, Anish took a hat-trick in the final game and Subhan bowled
some exceptional overs, including key wickets: a real team effort.
The last week of the season saw the combined U14 and
U15 side tour and play games in Worcester and Chigwell. In the most
fantastic setting at Worcester, Robbie Williams played an exceptional
innings scoring 90 runs. A combined effort from our bowlers saw us win
a tight match by nine runs. Next up was a fantastic game at Chigwell
where Will Smith, Waj and Charlie all played good innings. In the end
an exceptional batting display from the Chigwell opener (Gupta), with
him scoring 126 not out, saw Chigwell win in a tight contest. The tour
had been the perfect way to finish the season and was a step up in
the standard of cricket for all the boys involved.
It has been a privilege to work with this group of boys for
the last two years. Not only is there talent, there is strength in depth
and commitment, which is best exhibited by Adam Jabbar. My hope
is that these boys will go through to senior cricket with the same
enthusiasm and continue to develop as players and young men.
U14
by LW Hanson, Teacher of English
This year I had the pleasure of working with a group
of boys who loved playing the game and excelled whilst doing so.
It is rare to encounter such unbridled fervour, skill and ambition
in a bunch of young cricketers. It is rarer still to go a season
unbeaten, but that is what this U14 XI did in all their regular
Saturday school fixtures. They never looked like losing and won
each match with ease. The only match they did lose was a
thrilling Lord’s Taverners Cup semi-final against Shelley College.
The first fixture against RGS Lancaster was no contest.
Lancaster made only 94. Dan Brennan was the pick of the bowlers
with a fine 3-12 in six overs. There were few errors in the batting reply:
BGS knocking off the total for the loss of three wickets in seventeen
overs. Ollie Croudson opened well for 27 and Robbie Williams stroked
his way to 45 not out. A great and infrequent seven-wicket win against
a team who often presents us with a most rigorous challenge.
The next match was a 20-20 fixture against Ermysted’s,
Skipton. BGS this time batted first and scored 109-5. Captain Robbie
Williams top scored with another 45 not out. Ermysted’s fell short at
79-9. Hamza Shaukat and Ollie Croudson both took 2-13 in the innings.
Things got even better when we took on GSAL two weeks
later. Sadly the home fixture against WHGS fell victim to the weather.
GSAL batted first and simply could not cope with Dan Brennan. His six
overs yielded six wickets for just eleven runs with a bodacious spell of
swing bowling. GSAL staggered and stuttered to a meagre 105 from
their 30 overs. Then, just as they had in the first two fixtures, BGS made
rapid work of the total, passing it with ten overs to spare. There was a
loss of just two wickets with a fine 34 from Ollie Croudson and an adroit
50 not out from Will Smith.
We now had momentum and confidence; an inexorable
combination. The next three matches were as one-sided as school
cricket gets. Against Durham we batted first and totalled 198-8.
Opener Will Smith played beautifully for 61 alongside Ollie Croudson
who scored a fine 48. Charlie Andrews 35 not out added some lusty
hitting to close the innings and made batting look as easy as shooting
fish in a barrel. Durham were then reduced to 117-7 with Hamza Shaukat
bagging 4-28 with his fast and flat leg spin.
Next was a demolition job on Ampleforth College. BGS batted
first and gathered 142 from 30 overs. Charlie Andrews’ imperious 48
finally showed the Ampleforth bowlers what they should have experienced
earlier in the innings. Charlie Andrews was mesmeric with the ball taking
3-11 and was athletically supported by the field who achieved five
run-outs as Ampleforth managed just 58 runs in reply.
In our final regular Saturday fixture we played Giggleswick
School away. Giggleswick struggled early on but solid late order batting
got them to 110-8 with Ollie Croudson and Dan Brennan taking two
wickets each. In reply Will Smith top scored with 34 not out as we romped
home with overs to spare. Now for the Lord’s Taverners Trophy!
The first round saw us pitted against St Wilfrid’s RC School
at home. St Wilfrid’s only managed 58 with Hamza Arshad taking 4-16
with his off-spin. BGS strolled home reaching the target for the loss of
only one wicket. The next round saw us with another home fixture against
local rivals WHGS. Charlie Andrews was the best bowler with 3-1 from
three overs. The Grove managed only 73. We lost five wickets in the
chase but it was, in the end, a comfortable victory.
Our next opponents were Hungerhill from Doncaster. Hungerhill
were competitive and aggressive. They managed only 83 from 20 overs.
Early wickets meant that there was a growing amount of pressure on the
middle and late order batsmen. At six down it was left to Sam Murphy,
playing up from the U13s, to hit the winning runs through cover; a
very good win against a spirited and creditable team. The victory put
us into the semi-final, but delays in fixtures on the other side of the
draw meant we had to wait until September and the next school year
to play Shelley College away.
BGS bowled first and came up against the best batting line-up
they had encountered. Several of the Shelley cricketers had been playing
senior matches and it showed. Despite some good bowling from
Hamza Arshad, Ollie Croudson and Will Elmore (two wickets each),
Shelley reached 136-7 from twenty overs. We started slowly and
didn’t quite get going until about seven overs in and this slow start
would prove our undoing. Despite a wonderful 66 from Charlie Andrews
and 39 not out from Robbie Williams, we were just eleven runs short.
It was not to be, but there is no disgrace in losing the only match of
the season in a semi-final. The irony of the defeat was that the winner
would take on Ermysted’s who we had soundly beaten back in May.
This loss did not diminish at all what was a fantastic season.
The boys were a credit to themselves and the school. Several will
definitely go on to represent the 1st XI, some will play at representative
level and possibly all, if they keep their appetite, will populate adult
cricket teams of the future. Well done boys, it was a pleasure to spend
the summer with you. Good luck next year and beyond. It was my
best ever summer of cricket at BGS. I am proud of you.
U13
by AJ Galley, Teacher of PE and Games
The squad had worked during the winter nets to
develop their skills. They entered the season nervously, but
their positive approach and willingness to work hard culminated
in a season that surpassed expectation.
The first match of the season saw the U13s entertain a strong
and capable RGS Lancaster side. Batting first, the BGS boys went
about the task with commitment and diligence. Sam Murphy scored
a strong 24 and Ashwin Kumar looked in good form for his eighteen.
One over of slow leg spin saw the team lose three wickets which resulted
in an under par total of 78 runs. The bowling and fielding of the U13s
made RGS work hard for their victory and another twenty runs on our
total would have asked a few more questions of the RGS team.
On a day with sunshine and showers, the U13 match was
fortunate to reach a conclusion. Batting first, Woodhouse Grove
recovered from losing two early wickets from the bowling of Adam
Horrocks to reach a decent total of 122 all out. Ashwin Kumar with
4-7 and Tom Austin (2-27) were a constant threat to the opposition
batsmen supported by excellent fielding from Freddie Glover and
Harry Bolland. Ashwin Kumar held the innings together scoring 34.
The match came down to the final ball with BGS needing three to
win. The WHGS keeper panicked and tried to throw the stumps down
allowing Tom Austin and Adam Horrocks to scramble two runs to
secure a tie.
Against an Ermysted’s GS team (Yorkshire Age Cup Group
winners) the score was below par for a twenty-over fixture.
The GSAL batsmen started off at a real pace punishing any
loose bowling. Once again the BGS bowlers fought back hard in the
middle section of the match with Ashwin Kumar bowling extremely
well for 4-13 and he was ably assisted by Tom Austin 2-23 and Ajay
Pulavarti 2-20. GSAL finished on 154-AO in the 28th over.
Returning to action after an intensive week of exams, the
team responded fantastically to playing a strong Durham School side.
After a fast start by the Durham School openers, the BGS bowlers
responded well, backed up by a dynamic fielding performance. Ashwin
Kumar bowled well for his figures of 3-19 and he was ably supported
by Ajay Pulavarti, Tom Austin and our new leg spinner, Danish Haroon.
This limited Durham School to 115-AO which they were confident of
defending with their pace attack. After a good start by Nathan Hadaway
the Durham School bowlers got on top, reducing BGS to 65-6. This
saw Harry Bolland and Freddie Glover together, who proceeded to
take the game to Durham School, hitting a partnership of 50 from 24
balls. Harry finished on 36 not out and Freddie Glover 30 not out.
The next match saw the U13s play against the touring
Indian team. A strong bowling performance spearheaded by Adam
Horrocks and Tom Austin restricted the tourists to 107-AO from their
30 overs. The home team’s batting was led by a solid 24 from Nathan
Hadaway. The pairing of Ajay Pulavarti (34) and Sam Murphy (26)
took the team to victory.
Sport
61
After a shocking start away to Giggleswick (which saw the
team three wickets down for only fifteen runs) a fine 94 from Ashwin
Kumar, supported by valuable knocks from Nathan Kearney and
Harry Bolland, took the team to 183 from our 25 overs. Unfortunately
Giggleswick were not interested in chasing the total and, despite
some good bowling performances with James Chapman taking his
first wicket of the season, Giggleswick finished well short of the total.
and with the score on 56 after fifteen of the 25 overs we were happy.
St Olave’s retired both openers to make way for their star man who
notched up runs, helping them reach 125. Two early wickets were lost
which brought Wahab Khan (20) and Henry Miller (5) to the crease.
Neither looked in any trouble, but unfortunately they didn’t score off
as many balls as they should have done and despite Matt Corkindale’s
(17) effort to accelerate the scoring, we were always behind the run rate.
The team finished the season in fine style with victories on
tour against King’s Worcester and Chigwell School. At King’s Worcester,
the home team were limited to 112 with an unprecedented four run-outs.
This pleased coach Mr Kellett. A fine 33 from Nathan Hadaway set the
team in a fine position which let Harry Bolland hit the team to victory.
At Chigwell School the home side struggled to 117-AO owing to a fine
bowling and fielding performance, which we chased down successfully
owing in part to a fine 49 not out by Ashwin Kumar.
In our game against Ermysted’s GS we won the toss and
got to bat first. Two early wickets gave the momentum to EGS, but
Wahab Khan’s (18) and Henry Smith’s (33) third wicket partnership
of 50 put us back on track. EGS bowled tightly so I was not too
disappointed with the 97 runs.
A fine season from the squad which promises a lot for next
year if they continue to work hard at their basics.
U12
by MA Wilde, Teacher of PE
Although it took this year’s cohort of U12 players
until the last weekend of the season to win a regular fixture,
the summer of 2014 has been both successful and enjoyable.
The large number of boys eager to represent the school in
this year group is a huge testament to the hard work put in by
Mr Kellett to the Junior School programme and to our winter
preparation. A and B XI games were played against St Olave’s,
York and we turned out two teams on the same day against
Settle College and Prince Henry’s, Otley, both firsts in my
time at BGS.
The competitive season started positively in Lancaster
despite the result. Having lost the toss, I was delighted with the efforts
of the boys in the field in restricting RGS, one of our most competitive
opponents, to 94 runs in 30 overs, Wahab Khan the pick of the BGS
bowlers taking 3-15 from his five overs. Unfortunately our batting wasn’t
as positive with wickets being given away too cheaply and too regularly
for a partnership to develop to challenge RGS’s 94. Two days later a
chance came to atone with a cup match against Pudsey Grangefield.
Having lost to them in the same round of the cup last season, BGS
were keen to redress the balance. Captain Matt Corkindale was far
too good for the Pudsey batsmen bowling 4-2-2-2; he deserved more
wickets. It was a little disappointing to give away 22 extras, luckily this
didn’t prove costly and the runs were knocked off with ease.
We played our third game in five days on the lovely wicket
next to the River Ouse at St Olave’s, York. Having lost the toss, we
were asked to field and whilst the bowling lacked penetration it was
extremely economical. The St Olave’s openers showed little intent
62
The Bradfordian 2014
Next up was GSAL on a perfect Saturday for playing cricket;
glorious sunshine, blue skies and not a cloud in sight! The game did
not disappoint either with BGS forcing GSAL into the final overs of the
game to claim victory. Batting first, we gave wickets away too easily,
particularly against their leggy, with poor cross-bat shots. The innings
centred around Wahab Khan’s 41 off 66, evidence that with patience
and application runs could be scored. The performance in the field
didn’t disappoint and GSAL wickets tumbled: 1-4; 2-4; 3-18; 4-30 after
sixteen overs. Dropped catches proved costly; twenty more runs may
have seen us home, nonetheless it was a great achievement to have
forced the game into the latter stages with so few runs on the board.
Captain Matt Corkindale (6-1-11-0) did a fantastic job setting fields and
rotating his bowlers, the pick of whom were: James Harrop (6-1-20-2);
Oliver Ogden (4-1-11-2) and Henry Smith (4-0-10-2). A great game,
the highlight of the season, but I couldn’t help feeling an opportunity
had been lost.
Against the stunning backdrop of Pen-y-ghent the boys
produced their best batting performance of the season and had a
positive attitude when running between the wickets. The undefeated
137-run second wicket partnership between Henry Miller (35*) & Wahab
Khan (64*) helped to set a near impossible target of 165 for Settle
College, and so it proved with Settle being bowled out for 23. Oliver
Ogden was the pick of the BGS bowlers taking 4-4 from 25 overs.
The final Saturday of the season was a highlight and the
squad enjoyed a 45-run victory over Giggleswick School, although for
some reason their member of staff wasn’t keen to socialise after the
game. The boys also enjoyed a day out at the St Olave’s Super 8s
Competition and looked splendid in their sponsored, numbered, maroon
shirts. We were runners-up in our group having beaten Hymers College
and Terrington Hall. We qualified for the semi-final, but lost to a strong
RGS Newcastle.
At the end of the summer, my congratulations go to those
who represented the U13 XI on the junior tour and those who played for
the BSCA. My thanks to all the players, the parents and grandparents
who supported the team, Mr Oakes, and Mr Higgins and his team
who continue to produce schoolboy pitches of the highest quality.
Cross-Country
by Dr SM Harris, Teacher of Maths
Once again the season started at the Bingley Harriers
races and the results here set the stage for what was to come.
A win for the intermediate boys’ team was the first of many, with
high levels of participation in the junior boys’ race. This is something
that has been maintained all year.
The first major success of the year was in the English Schools’
Fell Running Championships. Bradford Grammar School had an
individual champion in Emile Cairess, who won the Year 10 and 11
boys’ race by eight seconds, and were team champions in this age
group thanks to excellent runs from Oliver Daffern and Max Duckett.
There were more local races to follow with Years 7 and 8
competing at Malsis and large numbers of pupils competing in the first two
Keighley and Craven races at Cliffe Castle. The most notable performances
were from Emile Cairess, Oliver Daffern and Max Duckett, who managed
a one-two-three for BGS in the intermediate/senior boys’ race.
The first round of the English Schools’ Cup took place on an
unbelievably wet, and therefore extremely challenging, day in Huddersfield.
Qualifying performances for the intermediate boys’ and intermediate
girls’ teams made it worthwhile. Emma Peacock had a fantastic run
to finish fifth. The junior boys finished fifth and the junior girls sixth.
The regional finals took place at the Castledyke Equestrian
Centre, Lincolnshire. Although the course was flat, the rough terrain
and various obstacles made it one of the toughest courses the runners
have had to face. Undoubtedly the most popular spectator point was
at the dreaded water jump which was too large to jump and meant
runners had to make their way through some very cold, deep water. The
intermediate girls put in a very commendable performance to finish
seventh. The intermediate boys’ race was a nail-biting affair. It was
obvious from watching the race that the fight for the third qualifying place
was going to be close; eventually BGS missed qualifying by six points.
The first race of the New Year is the Bradford Schools. The
first twelve in each race are selected to represent the Bradford team
in the West Yorkshire Schools. There is no selection competition for
the Year 7s, but excellent performances mean next year looks promising.
Millie Fewlass-Jones ran brilliantly to finish tenth and was selected for
the girls’ team. The majority of our West Yorkshire Schools’ qualifiers
came from the intermediate age group: Emma Peacock, Katy Boden,
Emile Cairess, Max Duckett, Oliver Daffern, John-Michael Burke,
Pavandeep Sandhar, Mannan Hassan and Shihab Basit. In the senior
girls’ race Sarah Dewhirst, Maisie Manners and Ailis Rhodes all
qualified for the Bradford team.
The West Yorkshires were held at GSAL in bitterly cold
conditions. The girls put in strong individual performances against
talented competition. In the intermediate boys’ race, BGS made up
all but one of the competing Bradford team. Emile Cairess had a
comfortable victory and Oliver Daffern was unlucky not to finish in the
top eight and guarantee selection for the second year in a row.
The next major event on the calendar was the King Henry
VIII Relay in Coventry. This is a national event, with the all-time list of
fastest athletes reading like a who’s who of national distance running.
The boys’ race is a six-stage relay, with each runner completing just
over two miles. Knowing that with a team consisting predominantly of
Year 10 pupils, we were unlikely to be competing for a top ten place,
the tactic was to put our fastest runners on the first three legs and
see how long we could stay near the front. The day got off to a great
start, with Emile Cairess recording the fastest time on leg one, which
meant Max Duckett had the unenviable task of taking over in the lead
with a number of talented runners hot on his heels. Max bravely
managed to maintain a top three position, as did Oliver Daffern on
the third leg. Pavandeep Sandhar, Mannan Hassan and John-Michael
Burke completed legs four to six, with BGS eventually finishing
twentieth. This earned them the Most Improved Team Trophy.
A race that many of us had been looking forward to this
year was the Northern Schools and the chance for the intermediate
boys to claim another prestigious team title. Things were looking
good as Emile Cairess notched up yet another individual win with a
comfortable 44- second winning margin. However, possibly the most
important person of the day was the fourth counter; with one of his
best runs of the year, Pavandeep Sandhar finished in 24th place,
putting BGS in strong contention. After a long and nervous wait for
the team results, one look at Tony Kingham struggling to keep the
smile off his face told us that BGS had won the team event. This is
our first victory in this age group for over a decade and is testament
to the hard work the boys have put into training on a regular basis
during the lunch break.
Although it is not an official competition, many readers
(especially OBs) will be interested to note the outcome of the finale
of the BGS cross-country season, the Club Handicap in Lister Park.
Unlike for the school courses in Heaton Woods, no written records
exist of the fastest times for two laps of the course, but it is reckoned
that Andrew Leach had previously posted the fastest time, at just
under twelve minutes, with Richard Nerurkar second fastest, just
outside twelve minutes. This year, Year 11 pupil Emile Cairess posted
what surely, therefore, must be the fastest two circuits ever, with an
astonishing 11:44mins. It will be fascinating to see how Emile may
reduce this time further.
Sport
63
Mr McCartney and I would like to put on record, as ever,
our gratitude to the large group of parents who give us cheerful
support, sometimes in atrocious conditions: we would love to see
more, especially parents of the younger boys and girls.
Our thanks also to Mr Walker and Mr Alcock (who joined
us this year), without whom the smooth functioning of the Club could
not take place. Finally, our best wishes to Dr Baragwanath. In the two
short years he has been with the Club he has made an indelible impression.
It goes without saying that the boys and girls will miss his enthusiasm
and encouragement. BGS’s loss is Brighton College’s gain, and it is
hoped that our paths cross as competing schools in the future.
Awards and distinctions
Widdowson Trophy
(Outstanding individual contribution [Senior])
Emile Cairess
Brownlee-McNeill Trophy
(Outstanding individual contribution [Junior])
Henry Miller
Clare-Wilson Trophy (Most improved)
Jonathan Winnard
64
The Bradfordian 2014
Couplan Trophy (Handicap)
Francesca Grace
Brock-Kingham Trophy (Team)
Intermediate boys
Gutbrod Trophy (Endeavour)
Pavandeep Sandhar
Chapman Trophy (Team Manager’s discretion)
Emma Peacock
Captain 2014-2015
Emile Cairess
Vice-Captains 2014-2015
Katy Boden, Max Duckett, and Oliver Daffern
Senior colours
Emile Cairess
Junior colours
Oliver Daffern, Max Duckett, Pavandeep Sandhar,
Jonathan Winnard, Emma Peacock, Shihab Basit
Results
Event
Age Group
Name / Team
Position
Bingley Harriers Race One
Intermediate Girls
Johanna Kluge
Milly Fewlass-Jones
Max Duckett
Oliver Daffern
John Michael Burke
Intermediate Boys’ Team
9th
30th
3rd
4th
9th
1st
Emile Cairess
Year 10 / 11 Boys’ Team
Oliver Daffern
Max Duckett
Pavandeep Sandhar
Shihab Basit
Jonathan Winnard
Henry Miller
Emma Peacock
Amy Peacock
Stella Richards
1st
1st
17th
28th
50th
53rd
55th
15th
14th
35th
Just outside top 50
Intermediate Boys
English Schools’ Fell Running Championships
Year 10 / 11 Boys
Year 7 Boys
Year 10 / 11 Girls
Year 8 / 9 Girls
Year 7 Girls
Keighley & Craven, Cliffe Castle
Intermediate / Senior Boys
Year 7 Girls
Year 8 Girls
Intermediate Girls
Year 7 Boys
English Schools’ Cup, First Round
Intermediate Girls
Intermediate Boys
Junior Boys
Junior Girls
Emile Cairess
1st
Oliver Daffern
2nd
Max Duckett
Freya Bellamy
Ciara Schlosshan
Milly Fewlass-Jones
Sarah Dewhirst
Katy Boden
Emma Peacock
Johanna Kluge
Carla Kluge
Henry Miller
3rd
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Top 10 finish
Emma Peacock
Harriet Loynes
Carla Kluge
Amy Peacock
Intermediate Girls’ Team
Oliver Daffern
Max Duckett
John-Michael Burke
Pavandeep Sandhar
Jonathan Winnard
Intermediate Boys’ Team
Henry Miller
Oliver Sunderland
Ben Moon
Matthew Cogan
Alex Sharp
Edward Irwin
Ciara Schlosshan
Freya Bellamy
Milly Fewlass-Jones
Laura Fitzpatrick
Zaarah Yousaf
Stella Richards
5th
11th
24th
25th
2nd
2nd
3rd
10th
21st
23rd
2nd
9th
16th
26th
30th
36th
42nd
9th
18th
21st
34th
35th
40th
Sport
65
Results continued…
Event
Age Group
Name / Team
Position
English Schools’ Cup, Regional Finals
Intermediate Girls
Emma Peacock
Johanna Kluge
Harriet Loynes
Carla Kluge
Oliver Daffern
Max Duckett
John-Michael Burke
Shihab Basit
Pavandeep Sandhar
Jonathan Winnard
Intermediate Boys’ Team
13th
28th
35th
46th
9th
11th
24th
30th
43rd
48th
4th
Ciara Schlosshan
Freya Bellamy
Zaarah Yousaf
Laura Fitzpatrick
2nd
7th
11th
16th
Francesca Grace
17th
Stella Richards
18th
Henry Miller
George Moran
Oliver Sunderland
Sam Berry
Matthew Corkindale
Henry Smith
Oliver Ogden
Alex Sharp
Harley Robertshaw
Kahlan Lee
Declan Johnson
Joseph Atkinson
Tom Wilson
Rowan Hirst
Jake Fitzpatrick
Harry Webster
Matthew Kuncheria
Usman Omar
Daniel Twigg
Ben Cierpiol
Alex Downs
Sacha Macy
Matthew Cogan
William Marshall
Erin Ertuan
Milly Fewlass-Jones
Emma Peacock
Katy Boden
7th
11th
12th
15th
16th
17th
18th
21st
22nd
24th
27th
28th
20th
31st
33rd
34th
35th
36th
37th
39th
40th
41st
19th
25th
33rd
10th
7th
10th
Intermediate Boys
Bradford Schools
Year 7 Girls
Year 7 Boys
Junior Boys
Junior Girls
Intermediate Girls
66
The Bradfordian 2014
Results continued…
Event
Age Group
Name / Team
Position
Intermediate Boys
Emile Cairess
Max Duckett
Oliver Daffern
John-Michael Burke
Pavandeep Sandhar
Mannan Hassan
Shihab Basit
Jonathan Winnard
Nathaniel Davey
Rickdeep Singh
Shantanu Sampath
Christian Cardwell
Sarah Dewhirst
Maisie Manners
Ailis Rhodes
1st
2nd
4th
7th
9th
10th
11th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
2nd
3rd
5th
Milly Fewlass-Jones
Emma Peacock
Katy Boden
Ailis Rhodes
Emile Cairess
Oliver Daffern
Max Duckett
John Michael Burke
Pavandeep Sandhar
Mannan Hassan
Shihab Basit
27th
17th
30th
21st
1st
9th
14th
19th
33rd
36th
43rd
Emile Cairess
Oliver Daffern
Max Duckett
Pavandeep Sandhar
Intermediate Boys’ Team A
Nathanial Davey
Shihab Basit
Jonathan Winnard
Hassan Chowdhury
Henry Miller
Oliver Sunderland
Alex Sharp
Sam Harrison
Tom Stephenson
Fabian Javed
Sarah Dewhirst
Maisie Manners
Rabia Bashir
Ben Moon
Eddie Irwin
Zac Flavell
1st
5th
10th
24th
1st
41st
43rd
45th
46th
11th
14th
36th
39th
45th
46th
9th
10th
46th
32nd
34th
29th
Senior Girls
West Yorkshire Schools
Junior Girls
Intermediate Girls
Senior Girls
Intermediate Boys
Northern Schools
Intermediate Boys
Year 7 Boys
Year 11-13 Girls
Year 7 / 8 Girls
Year 8 Boys
Year 9 Boys
Sport
67
Hockey
U18 National Schools’ Report
The standard of hockey being played at BGS has once
again notched up a level. The girls have continued to develop
their understanding of the deeper concepts of the game and the
addition of Demy Dowley, Head Coach of the England Hockey
National Academy and Coach of Ben Rhydding men’s national
league team, to the hockey coaching staff at Christmas has
allowed a more consolidated approach.
This season we have had 114 girls playing and representing
BGS in fixtures from U12 through to 1st XI.
1st XI
by HE Boughton, Teacher of Girls’ Games
The 1st XI squad have had a tough season. They are
relatively new to hockey and commitment to training can be hit
and miss during A Level years. That being said, when they step
onto the pitch and knuckle down to meeting the ball and concentrate
on their early distribution, they play some really good hockey.
In the National Schools’ Competition they reached the play-offs
which is a first for BGS at U18 level and definitely shows movement in
the right direction. In the final game of the season versus GSAL, the level
of determination the 1st XI had throughout the match was impressive
and it was obvious that the 3-2 score line is one that they are particularly
proud of. The exciting news looking forward to next season is that we
will be running our first European senior girls’ tour. We are heading to
Rotterdam and look forward to playing three competitive fixtures alongside
coaching sessions, one of which is being run by a Dutch international.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
68
The Bradfordian 2014
Louise Fraser
Jill Gaunt
Beth Horsman
by Zoe Andrews, Captain
Our first match against Silcoates started well and we
continued to dominate both halves, scoring a goal in each
whilst not conceding any. The first goal came from an excellent
diagonal switch from Frankie Broadbridge-Kirbitson on the left
which caught Silcoates off guard and allowed the players on
the right wing to find a way through the Silcoates defence. The
second came from a strike at a short corner from Bessie Allan.
After a short break we were back on again playing against
Greenhead College who were a strong team. We managed to stay
tight in defence and hold off the forceful Greenhead attack for the
majority of the match with Jill Gaunt making some spectacular saves
in goal, but ended up losing 0-2.
The last match of the group stage was against Rishworth.
They came out with a fighting spirit and, as our fitness began to
deteriorate, Rishworth became increasingly dominant in the match
despite them being the weaker team. Luckily we managed to hold
off any goals, but couldn’t quite score any ourselves leaving us with
a 0-0 draw.
Fortunately we progressed through to the semi-final stage
as runners-up in our group because of our goal difference.
Our semi-final match was against Wakefield, an extremely
strong opposition. We knew this was going to be a tough match and
fought hard throughout the first half to break up Wakefield’s play.
Marking was effective and we held our own on pitch, only going 0-1
down during the first half. The second half was exhausting and a
series of short corners for Wakefield saw them scoring again.
Despite losing our semi-final match, the whole team
worked together and played to a very high standard. We are all very
pleased with our performance at this competition and hope to see an
upward trend continuing throughout the season.
U16 XI
U15 XI
by HE Boughton, Teacher of Girls’ Games
by HE Boughton, Teacher of Girls’ Games
The U16 girls started the season well and soon hit the
ground running to take third place in the U16 national competition,
winning three of their five games, which is a great achievement.
The U15 XI squad have had a mixed season with
seven wins, six losses and one draw. They really had to pull
together after the massive loss of Carla and Johanna Kluge
who moved to Germany at Christmas.
In the Saturday fixtures, the U16 squad have really excelled
and highlights include defeating Ashville 4-1 and Silcoates 5-0. Within
the Bradford area they were dominant and played exceptionally well
in their final game against vs South Craven with an outstanding 16-1
victory. I look forward to next year with an increased level of commitment
to training when they will combine with the current Lower Sixth to form
the new 1st XI. In total they scored 41 goals and only conceded thirteen.
Well done girls on a great season.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Zenah Al-Jawad
Olivia Dovernor
Becky Stevens
U16 National Schools’ Report
They have played some excellent textbook hockey, such as
the importance of widening the goal by getting a player on the post
and transferring the ball round the defence to use the space on the
opposite side of the pitch. Although there are still the occasional periods
of play where there is room for improvement, the general pattern of
play shows discipline and flair. They fared very well in the Bradford
arena, comfortably winning all league matches, and retained their title
of Bradford Champions. The most convincing result I have seen for a
long time was the 17-0 win over South Craven. Well done on a tough
season and scoring 48 goals and only conceding twenty.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Fiona Holdsworth
Rosie Ogden
Maria Campean
by Olivia Dovernor, Captain
During Tuesday afternoon we put forth a mixed team
of hockey players from the U15 and U16 squads. We travelled
to GSAL to play a league tournament against Wakefield, Rishworth,
Ilkley, GSAL and Silcoates. We did our warm up and got comfortable
with the ball, by which time we were ready to play.
First match: WGHS. We started off rather slowly, not getting
the ball, and when we did we passed it straight back! However, we
used the game as more of a learning experience since they had lots
of skill. We started to break down their press but didn’t fully achieve this,
and we unfortunately lost 0-4. At the same time that our spirits were
dampened they were lifted because our next match was Rishworth.
We knew that we could beat them because we have beaten them for
the past few years! We passed and battled well making the ball do
most of the work, allowing us to consecutively score four goals. We
then used these techniques against Ilkley: some worked and some
didn’t. But as we realised that they weren’t working, we tactically
changed our game. With helpful advice from Miss B we played in a
diamond formation, allowing us to have a better footing against our
opponents. We had a very secure grasp at the centre of the pitch and
secured another (but tight) victory of 1-0 against Ilkley. We had a rest
and then we were straight back on to play GSAL.
U14 XI
by HE Boughton, Teacher of Girls’ Games
The U14 girls are one of our smallest squads yet have
always shown a lot of promise in the past, although for some
reason things have never seemed to go right for them.
However, this season has been a major turning point as they
have become far more disciplined as individuals and as a squad.
This has made a huge difference to their game play and the A team
won the Bradford Schools’ tournament and league winners’ titles. In
the National Schools’ competition we finished a creditable fourth out
of six and are making that step closer each and every year. In the
Saturday fixture programme our results have been a little varied, but
some of the highlights were beating St Bede’s 10-0 and Ashville 12-0.
Goal scoring has definitely shown improvement. Throughout the
season 63 goals were scored.
They had agility and skill on their side, but as they had had
a game on before they were beginning to tire. We used this to our
advantage, but some silly mistakes cost us the game. Fiona
Holdsworth being superb in goal was diving all over the place and
only let in three goals in that match. To say that they were very strong
and agile they only scored three goals, so well played everyone,
especially Fiona! Throughout the day we made lovely single runs and
advanced our skills by passing at the right time and thus creating
better teamwork and opportunities. We had some great results and
overall, in my opinion, the best team performance so far this year! Well
played everyone.
Sport
69
U14 National Schools’ Report
by Bea Taggart, Captain
On Tuesday 24 September, the U14 hockey squad
played in the Nationals’ tournament. Overall we came fourth out
of six schools.
We were a fantastic team and played very well in all four
matches. Firstly, Wakefield: during this match every player in the
team got stronger, but sadly we lost 0-3. Better marking around the
pitch would have helped. Next was Silcoates, and in this match the
whole team became more powerful and scored a goal. We played
well although the final score was 1-4 to Silcoates. The third match
was against Rishworth. This was an amazing game that every player
of the team played to their full ability and resulted in a great win of
3-0. Last but not least, GSAL.
After playing three 40 minute matches everyone was tired
but we kept the opposition’s goal scoring low. This resulted in a 3-0
loss but we all played to the highest standard. Overall in the
tournament the whole team played fantastically. The player of the
tournament was Lauren Day, for her great skill and team play. A great
effort everyone!
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Bea Taggart
Lauren Day
Charlotte Pickard
U13 XI
by HE Boughton, Teacher of Girls’ Games
The U13 A and B teams have made the most improvement
this year. They started the year as very quiet individual players
yet towards the end of the season they gelled into a co-operative
team. This has helped them on a full-sized pitch as their
communication with each other was tested. The U13 XI squad
have had some close results but one of the best results was
the A team beating South Craven 14-0 in a league match.
At the In2 mini-hockey national competition they fared well
with some very tight matches, where just one goal would have clinched
it. Unfortunately drawing 0-0 with Wakefield Girls, Silcoates and North
Halifax High meant the squad did not progress to the semi-finals stage.
I’m sure this will come together next year when they play in the U14
National competition. In the remainder of the season, goal scoring
was not a problem with 41 goals in total being scored.
Awards (A Team)
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Milly Fewlass-Jones
Julia Cumberland
Katie Elmore
U12 VII
by HE Boughton, Teacher of Girls’ Games
The U12 A and B squads attended practices en
masse, which is fantastic. On average 28 girls attended training
sessions on a regular basis. They soon found their feet and quickly
mastered the art of juggling the many activities they wanted to
participate in. They have shown depth not only in numbers, but
also in skill and have gone from strength to strength. This was
proven in the Bradford District tournament where we entered
three teams who finished first, second and fifth.
They have also had great results in Saturday fixtures. The
A team results included Rishworth 3-0, Ashville 6-1 and Grange 6-1.
They scored a total of 74 goals and conceded 23. On goal difference
the U12 A team are the top team for the season. Very well done!
The U12 B team have made huge progress in terms of skill
and confidence and really pulled together at the end of the season to
draw with GSAL 4-4 and Ilkley 1-1.
I look forward to seeing these two squads combine into a
full eleven-a-side squad for their Saturday fixtures next year as they
have lots of potential and should strive to be the best that they can be.
Awards (A Team)
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Freya Bellamy
Lily Robinson
Astrid Knox-McConnell
Awards (B Team)
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Neesha Khan
Amy Claxton
Amann Raza
Girls’ Representative Honours
U17 – North, Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC)
Bessie Allan, Isabel Austin, Olivia Dovernor, Holly Hellawell,
Fiona Holdsworth and Rosie Ogden
U16 – North, Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC)
Abby Spencer
U13/15 – West Yorkshire, Junior Academy Centre (JAC)
Grace Lancaster and Bea Taggart
Awards (B Team)
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Emerald Hellewell-Weir
Emerald Hellewell-Weir
Izzy Clarke
Boys’ Representative Honours
U15 – North, Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC)
Thomas Austin
Well done to all those who have represented school at hockey
this year and thanks again to all those staff and parents, without whose
contributions the hockey at BGS would not be the success it is!
70
The Bradfordian 2014
Netball
2nd and 3rd VII
by D Bloomfield, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
1st VII Netball
by D Bloomfield, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
I have had the privilege of coaching the most talented
group of girls I have ever worked with during my first year at BGS.
Throughout the season every player has shown outstanding
commitment, enthusiasm and passion for netball which makes the
job so enjoyable. I would like to take this opportunity to thank
the two fantastic co-captains, Poppy and Libby. They have set
the standard extremely high with their leadership both on and
off the court.
There have been many outstanding performances and they
only lost three games all season. This shows the amount of talented
athletes BGS netball has!
Outstanding performances came from: Libby Illingworth, who
has been consistently exceptional all season having been awarded
player of the match in nearly every fixture; Izzy Holmes, who has made
game-changing interceptions in most matches and has been a strong
member of our defensive unit; Helena Casson, who has shown skill
and speed through centre court and has great vision for the shooting
circle; and Rhea Balmforth who has gone from strength to strength
and has maintained a focussed and determined attitude.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
All the girls have made huge improvements this year.
Their effort at training and performances in matches enabled
some of the players to progress to the team above, which as
a coach is always great to see. Their positivity and enthusiasm
have made them a pleasure to work with.
We’ve seen some great performances from both teams
and have only lost three games all season. It has been lovely to see
the girls taking on leadership roles at training and during matches,
and develop skills they can take with them when they leave BGS.
Outstanding performances this season from: Rachael Currie,
who has made exceptional progress; Liz Heard, who has stepped up
when asked to play between squads; Molly Orviss who has shown
incredible leadership skills, positivity and a fiery attitude on court; and
Sophie Merrick who has been calm and made fantastic interceptions
during matches. It has been lovely to see new players at BGS;
Monica Duggal, Abigail Walsh and Abigail Leach slot in well to the
BGS netball family, and the other girls have been very welcoming.
I look forward to seeing how the girls continue to progress.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Rachael Currie
Rachael Currie
Liz Heard
Libby Illingworth
Libby Illingworth
Rhea Balmforth
Sport
71
U16
by G Jones, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
This year’s U16s have been a pleasure to coach.
U16 is a difficult age to remain motivated through the pressure
of exams and other schools being unable to field teams. It is
testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of our girls that
this isn’t the case at BGS.
Both A and B teams have an excellent winning percentage
throughout the season of 75%. The A team started really well, becoming
champions at the West Yorkshire Invitational Tournament, notably beating
Brooksbank and GSAL. The B team gained victories over Bradford
Girls’ second team and a double victory over Woodhouse Grove. The
season continued with many victories. It was disappointing to narrowly
fail to qualify for the Regional Round of the National Schools’ Competition.
attacked the circle with some devastating feeds, especially by Izzy
Wellings who has tremendous vision. Shooting and movement within
the circle is fast and decisive. The biggest developments have been
at either end of the court, Ellie Rayner’s movement within the circle
has been creative and her shooting has been precise, complementing Becky Ashurst at goal shooter. At the other end, Izzy Austin and
Tamara Smith have annoyed the opposition with their tenacity and
amazing interceptions.
The one result in the season that showed the considerable
progress they had made was their result against Stockport Grammar
whom they drew against at the beginning of the season and then
beat them 31-11 towards the end. The season was rounded off with
an excellent 26-23 victory against a quality Bury Grammar team. This
showcased the best performance of the season.
Awards
Corrie Jackson-Levrier and Pascale Fisher have been part of
the Regional Netball Academy this season and have gone from strength
to strength in both skill level and game play; this has raised the bar
for others in the squad, a challenge which they have risen to well.
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Year 11 is the end of an era for teams as they look forward
to seniors and working with the year above. I am personally grateful
for all they have done so far in the BGS netball community.
U15B
Awards (A Team)
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Corrie Jackson-Levrier
Pascale Fisher
Lizzie Winn
Enya-Medi Wentling
Awards (B Team)
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Anika Prasad
Harriet Hoban
Lucy Scott
Tamara Smith
Tamara Smith
Izzy Wellings
The season was very mixed, and there were a few
changes in positions but this benefited the team. Commitment
and progression during the season was shown by Talia Goode
and Philippa Bailey.
The B squad worked hard on perfecting set centre passes.
The award for the most determined player on court would go to
Sarah Varley, who always comes off court red-faced from effort.
Sasha Lawrence and Roisin Brophy made progress by having more
confidence in their own ability.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Talia Goode
Philippa Bailey
Philippa Bailey
U15
A busy season, both A and B squads had their ups and
downs, but a lot of progress was made throughout the season.
Training took a new tack this season, putting a bigger
emphasis on fitness which of course the girls really enjoyed, doing
suicide runs with a few added extras. New skills which have been
introduced were ‘zoning’ up court and centre pass wall defence.
These strategies were adopted by both squads and put into game
situations very successfully.
U15A
by G Jones, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
A noteworthy season which has seen the squad grow
in confidence. They gained a good win against Oldham Hulme
in the National Cup and performed well at the West Yorkshire
Invitational Tournament; to follow were many wins throughout
the season.
The U15As have worked well under pressure. They have
developed a very distinctive brand of quality netball. Units within the
team have clicked, centre passes have been effective and they have
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The Bradfordian 2014
U14A
by D Bloomfield, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
I have had the privilege of coaching a very talented group
from Year 9. Every player has shown outstanding commitment,
enthusiasm and passion for netball which is great to see.
Zoe Briggs and Katie Robertshaw have shown great leadership
in both training and fixtures. Sally Bertrand has shown accurate and
consistent shooting: having started the season off as a goalkeeper,
she has grown in confidence and is now a key member of the attacking
unit. Hannah Chaudhry has been a reliable and calming presence.
Kirandeep has shown a huge improvement over the season; she has
always given 100% and is a role model to the rest of her teammates.
Phoebe Ogden and Zoe have a fast and agile relationship on court
and complement each other’s playing styles effectively. Katie has
been a key link between defence and attack. Defensively, Claudia
Dobson and Lydia Beckett have demonstrated great teamwork
and communication.
The season has had its ups and downs in terms of
performances, training and particularly fitness sessions, but I am
confident that they will go on to be the outstanding team they have
the potential to be.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Phoebe Ogden
Sally Bertrand
Lydia Beckett
U14B
by D Bloomfield, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
There have been high numbers taking part in netball
this season which is evident in the B team and the depth and
talent in the squad. They have all made huge improvements,
shown great commitment and enthusiasm and will hopefully
now start to see some progressions into the A team.
Outstanding performances this season go to:
Niamh Sedgwick, who has gelled well with all of the girls and has
proved to be a popular member of the group.
Maisie Lawrence and Izzy Heaton: not only a great leadership
team as captain and vice-captain this year, but they have been a very
strong unit in defence and have done extremely well to incorporate
new tactics on a defensive centre pass.
Elisha Baranian: consistently good shooting and was dedicated in
every training session.
All the girls have been a joy to coach, they all have a
brilliant sense of humour and I have really enjoyed having them
during my first year here at BGS.
U13
The U13s have had a mixed season. They are a
very large squad and have all progressed at different speeds
throughout the course of the season.
There has, therefore, been a constant change of personnel
as players continue to compete for places in the teams. This healthy
competition will only lead to them all becoming better players in the
long run. There have been many personal achievements within the
squads as a number of the girls gained selection for the District squad
and Catherine Allen was selected for the County Netball Academy.
Anna Masterton was also selected for Leeds Athletic U14 squad to
compete in the National Clubs Finals.
U13A
Captained by Megan Bulmer, the U13A team have
continued to build upon the foundations set as U12s.
The training emphasis throughout the early part of the
season was firmly based upon fitness, discipline and structure on
court and although this was repetitive, the team began to reap the
rewards towards the end of the season. Significant wins came in the
second half of the season against RGS Newcastle and Silcoates as
well as victory in the Bradford Schools’ Tournament, following a very
close game against Parkside where they demonstrated their strength
of character by coming from behind. This squad must now use the
experience gained from the strong end of the season and build upon
it in order to compete more strongly throughout the season as U14s.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Teigan Johnson
Bea Kingsley
Rebecca Harvey
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Niamh Sedgwick
Niamh Sedgwick
Lulu Duncan
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73
U13B
U12B
by G Jones, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
by G Jones, Teacher of Girls’ Games and PE
Captained by Anna Marsden, the U13B team have
made significant progress throughout the year. They have
all improved their core skills and can perform with control.
There are many girls available for selection for this
squad and it has to be said a lot arrived at BGS having little
or no knowledge of netball.
The squad needs to work on applying the skills which they
have honed. In spite of inconsistencies in their play the U13B team
have also had good wins against RGS Newcastle and Silcoates as
well as beating many of the Bradford Schools’ A teams in the league.
On the whole it has been a good season where building blocks have
been laid for next year.
Those in this squad with the knowledge such as Grace
Lancaster, Zaarah Yousaf and Alicia Cumberland have helped to bring
the others along whilst improving their own skills. There are many girls
who ought to be praised for their commitment alone – they may not
have gained much court time this year, but I’m sure Bhavani Bhardwaj,
Georgia Pope and Emily Conn will get on court more next year should
they continue to work hard. Those who have played have had an
excellent season, second only to the A team in both the Bradford District
Tournament and League, which is a massive achievement – along
with strong victories over Wakefield Girls’, Silcoates, Woodhouse
Grove and RGS Newcastle to name but a few.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
Sophie Holden
Anna Marsden
Millie Ellison
Awards
U12
The current group of Year 7 arrived as a mix of girls, some
with natural athletic ability, some with a general understanding
of invasion games and some more experienced netballers. I am
pleased to say that this has equated to a talented year group.
I was impressed with the ability of the girls to pick up and
improve new netballing concepts and skills, and with the maturity that
they have handled positional changes and selection. With so many
girls in the year wanting to play netball, selection is difficult and we try
to find a balance between giving the girls match experience and not
changing the teams so much that the success rate suffers. The result
of their maturity has been the development of a group of versatile
netballers who understand the game from different perspectives.
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Lizzie Hamer
Catherine Chapman
Most Improved Player
Amber McAllister
Rowing
by Sam Munro, Captain of Boats and
Hamish Irvine, Vice-Captain of Boats
U12A
The U12As have been a pleasure to coach. Everyone
has been focused on court and given 100% effort concentrating
upon team tactics.
After Christmas they turned a corner and went back to
basics and drilled team structure, learning when and where to move.
Results then spoke for themselves: they played eleven and won
eleven and became overall champions of the district in both league
and tournament, beating strong teams along the way.
Well done to all the girls for their achievements this season:
they have had to fight hard to gain places in the A team and will have
to continue to do that next season. There have also been personal
achievements for Georgia Rayner gaining County selection and Eve
Wellings, Millie Wadsworth, Jaya Krishna and Millie Stephenson gaining
District selection.
Awards
Player of the Season
Players’ Player
Most Improved Player
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The Bradfordian 2014
Georgia Rayner
Eve Wellings
Ella Moran
As another year of rowing comes to a close, I’m
happy to say we have had a great year, with the J14 and J15
crews performing particularly well. I’ve got to know many of
the individual rowers this year and they are all a credit to the
school. BGSBC have performed well on the water, in training
and as fine representatives of our school in competition and
at social events, raising our profile both inside school and
outside within the current and ex-rowing community.
As highlighted by the Head at our Launch by the River event,
rowing is a sport that also demands commitment from family and
supporters. This year the work of the Rowing Parents’ Association
has really been showcased, with the Jubilee Eight Appeal, the annual
dinner and the fruits of many previously involved parents culminating
in the purchase of Parent Power, a brand new Hudson Eight that I’m
sure will have a strong group of rowers pulling it along in years to
come. It has taken a very long time for this to come together, and I
must really thank the BGSBCPA, on behalf of all rowers past, present
and future, for their efforts in getting the funds required for the boat.
The presence of BGSBC was also felt at the Old Bradfordians’
Annual Dinner, where the theme was Celebrating 60 years of BGS
Rowing. It was great to meet people who have previously rowed for
the club, swapping stories of early starts and cold training sessions!
Dr Jamie Macleod, the chief guest, had some very interesting things
to say about his time at BGS, along with competing in the Olympics
as a rower in 1976 and 1980. It is an inspiration to meet someone from
BGSBC who performed at such a high level that he competed for his
country. We were also proud to be presented with an international
rowing kit for display by another ex-BGSBC member, Marcus Robst.
Rowing is definitely becoming more dominant as a sport within BGS,
with high-profile events such as this bringing it to the forefront.
We were plagued by bad weather at the beginning of the
year and lots of river training was cancelled, leading to many more
sessions spent in the gym. Despite this, there was good attendance
and the attitude shown by the team was fantastic. The improvements
in fitness were absolutely necessary for the long head races in winter,
and everybody pulled through to achieve some strong results.
In October the senior squad travelled to the Vecht for their
annual training camp and head race. It was an effective four days of
training, and the long stretches of river provided a platform for the
sessions. I would like to thank Saarland Rowing Club for their hospitality.
There were a number of successful crews (despite the monstrous
size of some of the Dutch crews!), with the boys’ J18 four and the
mixed J18 squad winning their respective races. I will miss the trip to
the Vecht as it is a huge part of the training year and the squad really
become closer as people as well as teammates, spending such a
long stretch of time in close proximity.
The J14 and J15 crews are looking stronger and stronger
and I look forward to seeing them develop more as a squad in the
future. I would like to thank Hamish Irvine for his exemplary efforts in
mentoring these two years. They had some impressive results this
year, with the J14 A team finishing twelfth at the Junior Sculling Head
at Eton in March, and also representing Yorkshire in the inter-regional
events, coming fourth.
Overall it has been a successful year for BGSBC, and there
is plenty to look forward to in the upcoming years, especially with the
new Eight being available for use. Many thanks to Simon Darnbrough
and Julia Markham for their successful coaching and hard work to
make sure we get our time on the river. Also to the BGSBCPA, without
whose support this year would not have been what it was.
This season the J14s have rowed inspirationally, not only
accumulating a case full of trophies from the corners of the country,
but also a wide range of experience and some wonderful memories
along the way. For me, it was the A crew’s performance at Tees
Regatta that proved a remarkable standard that not even Darnbrough
could deny. The A crew dominated the J14 squad race until the last
250m when their familiar rivals, Warrington RC, who have fast become
a notable competitor around the country, coming second at the National
Schools, edged away by half a length and took the tankard in one of
the most exciting races I’ve ever seen. However, expectations were
yet to be exceeded, as Euan and Ben trounced their doubles race
against York, Cambois and Yarm in a satisfactory, effortless fashion.
It was an absolute rout.
The B crew especially shone at the Junior Sculling Head at
Eton: it was there that they demonstrated how far they had come in seven
months. By putting the two crews together, the club has a formidable
Eight. With more training and time, BGSBC will have a boat that will
withstand the test of this laborious sport. I am incredibly proud of my
lads, and I can’t wait to see how they develop into an intimidating
crew, and a fine set of great guys.
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75
Rugby
Senior Squad XV Season Review
by DG Scarbrough, Teacher of PE, Games and DT
Following a four-day pre-season training camp in
Newcastle, the senior rugby coaches returned optimistic about
the squad for the season ahead. We had a super keen group of
43 who shared bunk beds, carried logs, and ran up steps and along
beaches, training incredibly hard in preparation for the season ahead.
A simple game plan involving an attacking style of rugby
was introduced and began to take shape. In the first tournament at
Macclesfield, the team came out of the blocks like caged animals
desperate to put into practice what they had learned. The entire squad
was used and a number of players began to shine on their first outing.
Captain Jake Vaughan proved his worth and versatility, alongside the
hard running of Ed Brownlee and the class of Kodie Brook and Joel
MacFarlane. Some of the younger players also offered moments of
brilliance, in particular Sam Ogden and George Akester. We also began
to realise the makings of a solid front row through powerhouses Joe
Hargreaves and Tom Ashurst. In the four games played we won two,
drew one and lost one, most notably beating RGS Lancaster who
had given us a drubbing in the previous year by around 50 points!
With the season starting so early there was always going to
be much to develop and the team improved individually and collectively
throughout their initial games. After four games the 1st and 2nd XV
teams were putting in good performances but had not won. The 1st
XV narrowly lost to Hymers in the dying seconds, but the squad could
sense that a win was just around the corner.
We broke our duck by winning a high-scoring game 52-26
against Crossley Heath. The team’s confidence snowballed and this
match was followed by a seven-game winning streak which included
memorable performances against GSAL, QEGS and St Peter’s in the
cup, in which Matthew Chivers was unleashed with an impressive
powerful display in the forwards. The NatWest Cup run came to an
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The Bradfordian 2014
abrupt end when we finished second to Barnard Castle, having started
slowly. It has been a while since BGS reached the last sixteen of the
cup, and this shows what a great effort the lads put in.
The season was rounded off with a humdinger of a game
against a very confident Kirkham GS side. It took a while for us to break
the opposition down, but after around 50 minutes the ‘whoops’ and
chants of the Kirkham boys disappeared when they realised our boys
wouldn’t let up! Our fitness came through and Greg Cox, who improved
immensely throughout the season, slotted a difficult conversion to draw
level. The match was drawn 15-15 and had it gone on any longer I have
no doubt we would have won.
Harry Petyt with his cool head, Harry Manock our enforcer,
James Johnson who carried the ball well, Guy Foggitt the unsung
hero, and Sam Melville (back from his injury) put in some excellent
performances towards the end of the season.
The senior teams trained together as much as possible,
instilling a squad mentality with everyone working from the same playbook.
This proved invaluable when injury, illness, or other reasons ruled
players out at the weekend. In total, 36 players represented the school
1st XV team in a seamless transition which emphasised our
#oneteamonedream philosophy. Players such as David Heslop,
George Gill, Harry Brayshaw and Dom Bailey stepped up to the 1st XV
when called upon and always gave 100% on the pitch.
This season will hopefully be remembered by the players
as an enjoyable one, full of honesty, hard work and hashtags.
If I could sum up the 2013 squad in one sentence it would
be: ‘A solid and hard-working group of lads with good leaders who
worked hard for each other and always played with a smile on their faces.’
#BleedMaroon
U16
by DA Pullen, Teacher of Business Studies
The season started well for the U16s squad. After a
hugely successful U15s campaign, anticipation was high for the
team’s final year together. And it appeared that things would go
as planned when they travelled away to Ampleforth to start the
year. A well-worked move in the backs, courtesy of 1st XV coach
Scarbrough’s new playbook, resulted in Harry Sagar scoring
the first of his ten tries in ten appearances in an excellent XVs’
season. Unfortunately the remainder of the game reflected the
season as a whole, with a larger Ampleforth pack battering
BGS up front, where they lacked the sheer size and weight to
repel the waves of attack.
When the team came across sides with strong forwards,
they struggled. All the season’s losses came against larger and
stronger opposition, but when not under such pressure the fast and
skilled eight provided some excellent ball for a very talented backline
when not scoring tries themselves. When moving the ball around freely,
BGS racked up large totals against Hymers, Pocklington, Mount St Mary’s
and Nottingham HS with almost every squad member contributing to
the score sheet. Even in their other fixtures it was BGS who played
the expansive, entertaining style of rugby that kept the supporting
parents entertained. With a little luck they could have, and should have
won, against Stonyhurst, RGS and Kirkham to produce an excellent
record. St Peter’s was the only real disappointment, with a side
bolstered by two hijacked 2nd XV players owing to absences, and
Alfie’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles trek to the ground resulting in
a disjointed and lacklustre performance.
This was a squad that really shone when allowed to play and
show off their pace and skills. Captain James Pinder was a talisman
who led his backline by example, ably supported by quick-footed
George Cockcroft and reliable Will Heard, who contributed five tries
each. George Kear aided the points tally, racking up 38 points with
his strong right foot. New boys Andrew Petyt and Matt Handy also
contributed, with Petyt’s wonder tries against GSAL providing the
impetus for a great win. The forwards were marshalled by ever present
Alfie Blackhall who, with four tries, was part of an extremely mobile
and adept back row that also featured Harry Sherwood and at times
hooker, Adam Waring, who scored five tries himself. Matthew Wilson
made regular appearances and his try against Nottingham was the
highlight of a developmental year. If the highly skilled front five, which
included James Callender, most improved forward Scott van Berckel,
James Lord and lineout specialist Usama Ali, had managed to grow
over the off season as much as scrum half Ed Cooper, this would
have been a formidable unit throughout the season.
Hopes were high when it came to the sevens with a group
of players naturally suited to a wide, open game. Things started well
with an excellent victory at Warwick and a close- fought loss in the
final at Sedbergh. Unfortunately the loss to injury of Pinder at
Pocklington coincided with a loss in form and confidence, ending
with an early exit at Rosslyn Park.
Despite the setbacks, things again look promising for this
group of players as they now team up with the more robust forwards
of the year above to play senior rugby, starting with the pre-season
tour to South Africa. Players such as Sagar and Pinder have already
made valuable contributions in cup games and the rest of the squad
should provide intense competition for places. The future is bright,
the future is Maroon!
2014 South Africa
Development Tour
by Owain Downes, Lower Sixth student
During the summer holidays 42 boys entering the Lower
and Upper Sixth Forms travelled to South Africa to get a taste of
the beautiful weather, divergent culture and, most importantly, the
tough rugby playing style, and it’s fair to say that South Africa
didn’t fail them.
Following the arrival in Cape Town on Sunday 3 August,
the boys spent three days at the Alan Zondagh Rugby Performance
Centre (RPC) in Reibeek West. With difficult early morning gym sessions,
basic skill development, long hours of fitness and heavy rainfall the
boys were really put to the test. However, despite the challenges that
faced them, they put their heads down and got on with it as a team,
as they knew there were tougher challenges to come.
James Johnson (1st XV Captain for 2014 season) – “It was
good to see the lads push themselves to the limit, as not only did it help
us bond as a team, it also prepared us for the hard games to come.”
After the days spent in the RPC the squad then checked in
at the Nelson Mandela Boulevard Hotel and took a ‘leisurely’ walk up
Table Mountain. Unfortunately, owing to the torrential rainfall, the
mountain did not provide the team with beautiful scenery, more a
desire to get it over and done with.
Sam Ogden – “The mountain was a real challenge, yet it
was a great experience nonetheless.”
The training phase of the tour was completed with two
development matches. The first game was against Pniel Villagers who
showed that size doesn’t always make a difference to performance.
However, the confidence that Pniel displayed didn’t stop Bradford
from winning their first game with a hat-trick of tries from Harry Sagar.
Adam Waring – “Despite their small size, I have never seen
a better tackling side than Pniel.”
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77
A trip to Robben Island was a real eye-opener to the team,
who enjoyed learning about the history of South Africa and seeing the
place where Nelson Mandela spent 25 years of his life. Following the
trip the boys then faced Lagunya, a team situated in the centre of one
of the large townships, with relatively poor facilities and very little money.
It made the boys feel very humble and appreciative of what they have
back in England. The match attracted a huge crowd of children who
were desperate to have fun with the boys on the touchline. The boys
won their game comfortably, but it was the performance the team
gave off the pitch that was the most important, with after-match
singing and bonding with the Lagunya boys.
Rowan Beckett (Deputy Head Boy) – “Everyone was so
lively, cheerful and high-spirited even though they had next to nothing,
it truly was an incredible experience that I will never forget.”
After receiving great hospitality from Jeppe, the boys then
travelled to Pilanesberg Game reserve for a well-earned rest: the safari
drive and trip to the Valley of the Waves Water Park simply topped off
what was an amazing tour which the team will never forget.
Many thanks to Ian Walker, who as tour manager, put in
relentless hours to make the tour amazingly enjoyable. Thanks also
to Julian Reed-Purvis, Andy Galley, Dan Scarbrough, John Oakes
and Matt Wilde, the coaches, without whom the tour would not have
been as successful in terms of results, experiences and the team
spirit we take into the 2014 season.
The tour then progressed to the competitive match phase.
Paarl Boys’ High School was first up, and after a night of being hosted
by them the boys prepared themselves for a step up in competition
and the first separation into 1st and 2nd XV teams. Paarl showed
excellent discipline, skill and endurance throughout the 1st XV match
that Bradford countered well. However, it wasn’t enough to defeat
them and the boys narrowly lost 19-16 with exceptional performances
from Greg Cox, Struan MacKenzie and Adam Waring.
U15
Following the tough match against Paarl, the boys packed
their bags and travelled to the Cape of Good Hope. The beautiful
weather and the picturesque scenery put the boys in a great mood
for their flight to Johannesburg where their final opponent, Jeppe Boys’
High, hosted them. A day of relaxation at the Reef City Theme Park
further heightened the boys’ mood, as well as a trip to the Apartheid
Museum that helped them get a true understanding of the cultural
separation which can still be found today.
The A team played expansive rugby with the game plan
being to utilise the pace and try scoring abilities of Harry Boyd, Jason
Bellanfante and Seun Ogunde in wide areas. Space was created for
them by the back combination of George Sugden, Sam Linfield, Kristan
Dobson and Harry Patterson through good handling and a variety of
intricate set plays. Our front five which included Jonny Senior (captain),
Tom Robertshaw, Luke van Berckel, Joe Hill, Oliver Crookes, Dhaim
Ghafoor, Issy HB and Ben Laljee were effective exponents of the set
piece and ensured much needed forward momentum through a variety
of tanks, trucks and trailers! The back row with Ben Hubbard at No8,
Finn Hall at open side and Waj Iqbal formed a good defensive unit and
a regular source of turnover ball. Long term injuries led to wholesale
changes which weakened both forwards and backs.
The final game against Jeppe Boys’ had arrived and the boys
spent hours preparing their bodies and their minds for the hardest match
they would play on tour. A defeat for the 2nd XV made the 1st XV
determined to win. After an amazing performance from every single
player representing BGS on the field, tries came from Owain Downes
and George Akester, which were converted by Greg Cox. The display that
the boys put on was outstanding, leading them to win the game 18-20.
78
James Johnson (1st XV Captain for 2014 season) –
“That was the toughest, yet the best game I have ever played in my life.”
The Bradfordian 2014
by CE Linfield, Head of Rugby
The statistics fail to show the individual and collective
progress the A team made throughout the year. Our squad was
committed with a full strength team capable of competing well
with all other schools on the circuit. Our downfall was the lack
of depth to cover injury.
The season started well with our festival against Solihull
and Colfe’s. It became evident that this team would score freely when
space on the front foot was created. BGS were dominant in early matches
including a hard fought win against Ampleforth College. An injury-struck
team then struggled against strong opposition in November and
December. However, the remaining boys showed that they could
compete but the depleted struggled to keep up for the full 60 minutes.
The 7-a-side season started with great promise and the
highlight was reaching the quater finals of the cup at both Warwick
and Barnard Castle whilst reaching the semi-finals of the plate in
The Storm and Hymers tournaments.
U14 XV
by MA Wilde, Teacher of PE
The structure of the Rugby season at BGS experienced
significant change in 2013: one term fifteen-a-side until Christmas,
followed by one term of sevens until Easter. The number of B XV
fixtures increased significantly too. At U14 level this resulted
in over 45 boys representing the school in 23 matches before
Christmas whilst leaving more time to prepare for the increasing
demands of the rapidly developing sevens season, the focus of
which was the HMC North Super Sevens Series.
Whilst the results clearly illustrate a successful fifteen-a-side
season, it was the progress and development the boys made collectively
that pleased me most. The ever evolving BGS game plan suited this
particular squad near perfectly and the boys did not let me down in
the execution of it. They can be proud of the style of rugby that they
have played and join the U14 squads of 2006-07 and 2011-12 as the
finest I have had the pleasure to coach in all my years at the school.
The first half term produced seven straight victories, the
hardest of these wins coming in a heated exchange with GSAL. Despite
a herculean defensive effort from Hymers College in the early weeks,
the boys had not really been tested physically: this local derby did not
disappoint. Receiving kick-off, BGS made a good start, going through
the phases to gain territory. However, the organised and committed
GSAL defence stood strong and the early ferocious exchanges in the
contact area set the tone for both teams for the duration of the match.
BGS scored two length-of-the-field tries within ten minutes, the first a
delightful individual effort from Tom Liu after a quick tap penalty. The
second, a set-piece move which created space for Liu again, who
unselfishly fed Charlie Andrews 40m out. On twelve minutes and with
the game nicely balanced, BGS lost their open-side flanker to the red
mist, forcing them to play the remainder of the game with fourteen men.
With elevated testosterone levels on both sides, the game unfortunately
disintegrated into a ‘who can run into contact the hardest ‘contest, which
didn’t make for an attractive spectacle. The BGS defence marshalled
itself magnificently and matched the physicality of the GSAL runners;
consequently there were no further scores and victory was secured.
Whilst I was delighted with the physicality and intensity at which this
game was played, it came at the cost of our composure; we therefore
lacked our usual organised structure in attack, consequently becoming
less threatening. My after-match notes stated: ‘The boys must strive
to maintain our attacking shape in the heat of the battle – QEGS!!!!’
The following week, on the final Saturday of the half term,
we travelled to Skipton to play Ermysted’s GS. Barney Vaughan and
Robbie Williams tormented the EGS defence and this set up the
platform for a comfortable victory. However, it was the excellent squad
performance, involving 21 players, evidence of the progress made by
a number of individuals, which was the highlight. I was delighted with
Henry Stonelake, Jack Sherwood and Cal Haynes (all of whom had
earned A XV selection by performing impressively in the B XV). The
depth and quality of the squad was increasing, as was competition
for places.
Without being disrespectful to any of our opponents, in the
second half of the term the game against QEGS Wakefield was the
one that the season had been progressing towards, the game that
we were always going to judge our season on. It was a fantastic advert
for the schoolboy game and probably the best game of U14 rugby
I have had the pleasure to be involved in during recent times, despite
the result.
BGS dominated possession in the early exchanges but
were prevented from converting it into points by a well-organised and
very physical QEGS defence. Having spent fifteen minutes defending,
QEGS showed they were equally adept in attack. A procession of
penalties gave QEGS good territory and their open-side powered over
from short range after a well-organised lineout. Possession was keenly
contested for the remainder of the half, but a lack of precision at the
breakdown led to a QEGS penalty. From the consequent lineout the
QEGS backs ran a slider, putting their very classy outside centre over
on the stroke of half time. 0-14 didn’t reflect the competitive nature
of the half, but certainly reflected the class and clinical nature of the
Wakefield side. Crucially BGS scored first in the second half; scrum
half Rory Macnab darting through the guard area from close range.
However, a fantastic QEGS restart resulted in a centre field scrum
which we defended very naively, giving them far too much space to
work in. Despite a superb tackle by BGS full-back Olly Croudson on
the impressive QEGS eight; his off-load to the equally impressive QEGS
open-side resulted in his second try and QEGS had extinguished our
momentum with an immediate response. Changes were made on
both sides and the game was ended as a contest five minutes from
time when the QEGS outside centre scored his second try from a
similar slider from a scrum.
Whilst I was pleased with the performance of the team
I couldn’t help feeling we could have asked more questions of the QEGS
side. We got a little too narrow in both attack and defence and our
set-up plays lacked their usual precision and menace (the loss in the
week to injury of our powerful running outside centre, Robbie Williams,
didn’t help in that regard). That said, the front row of Xander, Chi-Chi,
Jem and Ishmail were outstanding in all areas. Ibby Abdullah was
immense in the attacking and defensive loose. Tom Liu and Olly
Croudson gave their usual high-class performances and posed most
threat to the QEGS defensive line; Will Smith also impressed with his
defensive efforts on the wing. The boys had given everything and we
had been beaten by a better team on the day. As scant consolation,
no side got closer to them at full strength than we did.
In a display of resilience and character the squad bounced
back immediately, winning the remainder of their fixtures against
traditional rivals St Peter’s York, Newcastle RGS and Kirkham GS.
A very clinical ten-minute period in the first half of the Kirkham game
ended this match as a contest with KGS struggling, as many had
before them, to contain the strong running of Robbie Williams and
Barney Vaughan who scored two tries each.
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At the end of a fantastic fifteen-a-side season some serious
competition for places had developed within the squad and this will
benefit the boys as they progress through the school. QEGS Wakefield
certainly set the standard at this age group (four of their U14s played
in the U15 DMC final against Warwick School at Twickenham). The
challenge for our boys is to continue to make improvements across their
individual skill set and in their strength and conditioning in preparation
for next year. Their commitment, attitude and enthusiasm will ensure
they continue to pursue their holy grail.
Despite success at fifteen-a-side during their early years at
BGS, the abbreviated version of the game had proven a little more
difficult to get to grips with for this particular squad. Whilst sevens is
played on the same pitch, with the same ball and has a pass, catch,
tackle theme like the fifteen-a-side game, the two versions of rugby
have completely different strategies and techniques that the boys
have to get to grips with. The change in season structure, therefore,
gave the boys time to adjust to the different demands of sevens with
the first half term ending with the well-timed BGS tournament. The
aim was to give as many players as possible an opportunity to show
us what they could do with no emphasis on results, particularly as the
boys hadn’t qualified for any Cup competitions in the previous two
years. The boys exceeded all expectations, reaching the semi-final
of the Cup, but losing to QEGS Wakefield. A memorable start, where
I discovered Henry Reed-Purvis had spent the fifteen-a-side season
masquerading as a loose forward despite his natural acceleration
and the most ridiculous show and go I think I have ever seen, and
that the Durham School VII had clearly added some pace and weight
to their prep school side and would be the team to beat.
After half term a much tougher draw at St Peter’s York saw
us qualify for the Cup again, this time losing out to Sedbergh in the
quarters. We were progressing and confidence in our game was illustrated
with a much narrower defeat to Durham School, who won their second
consecutive tournament. No National Sevens at this age group, so
our mini-tour to Warwick gave us an opportunity to test ourselves outside
of the region. The squad had settled and was playing with confidence;
we came runners-up in our group beating RGS High Wycombe, but
lost by a score to Millfield (two giants of the southern circuit) en route
to another quarter-final defeat at the hands of the hosts who went on
to win the tournament. Another quarter-final defeat, this time at the
hands of Cheadle Hulme at the Hymers Tournament, was suggesting
that we didn’t quite have the fire power to challenge for a title; however,
the boys saved the best for last. When we got to Durham School for
the final leg of the HMC North Super Sevens Series, the hosts had won
all four of the U14 tournaments and were quite rightly feeling confident
of adding a fifth. Having beaten Hymers and Sedbergh, the group
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decider was set up with Durham. Never has a two-point loss hurt so
much; however, they were unable to rest their gun players and the
game had taken a toll on their fitness. I was confident that should we
break our quarter-final hoodoo, we could reach the final where we
were likely to meet the hosts and break our duck. Having dispatched
Ashville College in the quarters, you can imagine my surprise when
we discovered Durham were our semi-final opponents. Never before
have I played the same team twice in any tournament unless it was in
the final with both finalists coming out of the same group. If we were
going to win the tournament we were going to have to beat them at
some stage, although I perceived the final to be our best opportunity.
In a cracking match we lost 21-26; Durham went on to win the final
41-5 against St Peter’s York and completed an undefeated sevens
season, winning all five tournaments.
The sevens season had been a great success even though
we lacked silverware. The squad adapted and settled well into the game
plan, we had qualified for the Cup competition in all five tournaments
we had entered and finished joint runners-up with Sedbergh in the
HMC North Super Sevens U14 Series, although making the final at
Durham would have secured second exclusively.
The squad concluded its business with the traditional
celebration at the Aagrah in Shipley and it was fantastic to see so many
of the A and B squads enjoying the all-you-can-eat buffet. In any other
year Xander MacFarlane, Barney Vaughan, Robbie Williams or Olly
Croudson could have won best player for their outstanding contributions.
However, most years don’t have a player of Tom Liu’s exceptional
quality. Jem Shivtiel’s rampaging work in the loose and his meteoric
selection to the sevens squad earned him the most improved forward
award with fierce competition from Henry Stonelake and Ismail Ellam.
Henry Reed-Purvis (who was outstanding in the sevens), Cal Haynes
and Charlie Andrews were edged out by Will Smith for the most
improved back. Last, but certainly not least, the prestigious Man of
Steel Award: two outstanding candidates in Lewis Ebert-Moran and
Chilufya Muchimba; hard, uncompromising and totally committed to
physical pain. The decision came down to the player I would have
least enjoyed playing against as an U14 way back when. So by the
finest of margins Chi Chi became the 2013 U14 Man of Steel.
At the end of such a great season my thanks to: Mr CP
Newsome and Dr AJ Baragwanath for their commitment to the B XV;
Mr Scott Higgins and his staff for the provision of the excellent playing
facilities we enjoy at BGS; the dedicated band of parents who have
given me, the boys and the rugby club such loyal support; and, of
course, all the boys (too numerous to mention individually here) who
work so hard and give up so much time in representing our great school.
U14B
U13
by MA Wilde, Teacher of PE
by AE Macnab, Teacher of Chemistry
2013 provided an excellent test for an enthusiastic,
dedicated and talented squad who quickly adapted to the style
of play and game strategy that was imparted by coaches Wilde,
Newsome and Baragwanath.
From prior results, we all knew that the fifteen-a-side
season for this age group would be challenging. Despite the
skill sets possessed by the boys in this age group, our lack of
physicality meant that we found winning the ball against certain
oppositions difficult at times.
The season opened with impressive victories against
Ampleforth and Hymers, with both backs and forwards combining
successfully to score seven tries in each game and Zak Flavell
demonstrating accurate place kicking.
Owing to a cancellation, we travelled at short notice to play
Yarm’s A team and were understandably overawed in the first half.
However, the team showed outstanding commitment and defensive
work throughout, and despite losing I felt we gained thoroughly from
the experience as we had to play most of the game with fourteen
owing to early injuries.
We followed up with five straight victories including a solid
15-0 victory over GSAL and two superb attacking displays at
Pocklington and Ampleforth: Reed-Purvis, Hainsworth-Brier and
Shehzad all scored hat-tricks, and this was followed by St Catherine
scoring four at Ampleforth.
Our next challenge was QEGS Wakefield where we led early
in the first half with a Shehzad try. In a subsequently bruising encounter
where everyone gave 100% we succumbed to a late breakaway try.
St Peter’s arrived having been unbeaten all year. We started
superbly with an individual try from Bellamy which saw us lead 7-0.
A St Peter’s try followed by Shehzad’s penalty from long range saw
us lead deep into the second half 10-5. Despite sustained pressure
we were unable to score and a late converted try saw St Peter’s win
a superbly contested game 12-0.
That proved to be our last match. Overall, the squad played
tirelessly all season and were a great support to each other as well as
a credit to the school. Thanks to Callum Haynes who led from the
front and all those below who took part in an excellent term’s rugby.
However, there were some positives that came from the
season as we learnt how to ignore the numbers on the scoreboard and
play for a full 60 minutes. We had big wins against Giggleswick and
Mount St Mary’s and the last half of the fifteen-a-side season against
Kirkham was particularly impressive scoring 24 unanswered points, but still
just losing out. The challenge for this year group moving forward is to
win some ball. If this can be done, the backs have shown that they can
play and score points as reflected by our Sevens success.
Going down to Warwick School on the Friday night for a
Saturday tournament was a great occasion, providing a bit of reward
to the boys for their efforts in the 15s’ season. From earlier tournaments
we knew that if our best players were available and fit we could win
matches so went into the group stages with confidence, finishing the
morning as runners-up in our group and going forward into the Shield
competition. As ever, knockout rugby is exciting and somehow we
managed to keep winning, finding ourselves in the final against King’s
School, Worcester. The final was tense, traditionally BGS providing the
opposition with two scores early on, not making life particularly easy,
but we came through to win 36-24 and pick up some silverware!!
Next stop, Rosslyn Park Sevens, could we get through our group which
would be a major achievement, or were we getting a bit over-excited?
Unfortunately, the latter was to be the case, winning two games out
of three and losing the third by one try! You can’t get much closer
and although the trip down to London was a rugby success, it didn’t
feel like it at the time because we came so close and found that we
really could challenge and beat sides with our skill, even though they
were twice our size!
Some boys have had success beyond school with the
selection of Henry Macnab for the Lambs ISRUFC Northern Region
and Sam Murphy and Henry Macnab for the Leeds Carnegie EDRPP,
something they will remain part of until December 2015, assuming
they keep developing.
For the record, the U13 Team Awards for 2013-14 went to
Harry Bolland (most improved forward), Sam Murphy (most improved
back) and Henry Macnab (best player).
So, in conclusion, we managed to take many positives
from a challenging season and win some silverware. Well done to the
boys and keep going.
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81
Swimming
by B Townsend, Swimming Coach
With the majority of swimming fixtures now held in
Spring Term, it has enabled many new faces to join the swimming
team without having to make choices in the very busy Autumn
Term. This, coupled with invites to four new fixtures, has provided
the swimmers with more competition.
The first event of the year was the John Parry Relays. They
are medley and freestyle relays for boys and girls at U15 and senior
age groups. Although we did not make the main finals, it is pleasing
to report that all teams made very good accounts of themselves in
the finals.
A new event on the calendar was for the senior and U15
boys who travelled to Sedbergh to swim against the hosts and Ampleforth
College. This was a good start to the season with a comfortable victory.
Another new event was for Year 7 and 8 boys and girls at
St Olave’s School in a three-way swim with Bootham School. A very
high standard was set by the York schools with a very spirited BGS
team coming in third.
QEGS Blackburn brought a mixed gender team of Year 7
and 8 pupils to Bradford. This resulted in all the lanes being used in
each event and produced some surprising and close races. On this
occasion BGS managed to pull ahead in the relays and had a fairly
comfortable victory.
Our regular fixtures with GSAL, Silcoates and Woodhouse
Grove produced some very good individual performances, but once
again we were edged out in the relays.
We were fortunate to be invited to the University of Leeds to
swim in the inaugural Gryphon Cup event. This is for boys and girls
at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. Once again there were some outstanding
performances against a very strong GSAL team and Ashville College.
GSAL were comfortable winners with BGS coming in third just behind
Ashville. Congratulations to our two county swimmers, Ciara Schlossen
and Jonathan Milner, who both recorded personal bests in their respective
events. With the performances they produced, their future in swimming
looks very bright.
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The senior boys’ team of Edward Brownlee [captain], Freddy
Hoban, Fergus Walden and Frankie Williams travelled to Whitgift School
in Croydon for the annual eight schools’ event which precedes the
Bath Cup and Otter Medley. The Whitgift event seems to get stronger
every year with several teams boasting international swimmers; despite
tough opposition the boys gave 100%.
The following day they were in action again at the
magnificent Queen Elizabeth Pool in what was the first event held
there since the Olympics. It is an awe-inspiring pool and I am sure
our boys were proud just to have swum there.
The annual fixture against Old Bradfordians once again
proved a popular and exciting event. The swimming could not have
been closer with the teams locked at 49 points each. The cannon
relay at the end undid the school team. It seems the Old Bradfordians
can always manage a one length ‘head down and charge’ and were
comfortable winners in that event.
The water polo was a particularly good game this year.
The squad of year 1996 boys, ably led by George Goddard, proved
a good match for the Old Bradfordians. In the end the greater physical
strength of the men began to show and the boys finally went down to
a very creditable 12-8.
I would like to thank captains Rachael Currie and Ed Brownlee
for their tireless efforts with the team and having the temerity to push
for an after-school swimming club on Mondays.
Thank you also to Mrs Hicks for her chaperoning and
recording over the years. The senior team and I wish her a long and
happy retirement.
Mrs Reeves has jumped into Mrs Hicks’s trainers and is
proving a very worthy replacement.
Finally, on the last day of term, Jonathan Milner told me he
had finally broken the minute barrier for 100m freestyle, a great relief
to any swimmer but especially one so young. This puts him at the top
nationally in his age group. Congratulations Jonathan and long may
your progress continue.
Table Tennis
by A Crabtree, Teacher of Maths
Bradford Grammar School Table Tennis Club had
another excellent year. The highlights this year for the teams were
reaching the Regional Finals for the U11 boys and U16 girls and
a clean sweep at the West Yorkshire Schools, Games by our
Year 7 and Year 9 boys’ and girls’ teams. Individually, Aliza Khaliq
was West Yorkshire U11 champion and Aliza, Hibah Mahmood,
Joshua Poulsen, Fraser Riley and Nicholas Miller all reached
the National ETTA Finals in their age group.
In the West Yorkshire Schools’ competition at Keighley Table
Tennis Centre, BGS entered six teams: four boys’ teams at U11, U13,
U16 and U19 and two girls’ teams at U11 and U16. Four out of the six
teams won their competitions, with five teams progressing through to the
Zone Finals of the English Schools’ competition.
The U16 boys’ team of Fraser Riley, Miles Loney, Max Orviss
and Ed Phillips defeated Beckfoot and Brooksbank comfortably, before
a close 5-3 victory against GSAL secured the West Yorkshire title.
The U16 girls’ team, including Sophie Yung who joined the
school in Year 9, Hibah Mahmood, Madeleine Silberberg and Hannah
Chaudry defeated Oakbank 6-2 and Horsforth 8-0 to win the title.
The U11 boys’ and girls’ teams both won their competitions
with the U11 boys defeating Lady Lane 8-0, and the girls having no
opposition.
The U13 and U19 teams had much stiffer opposition, but
played competently throughout the competition. The U13 team of
Joshua Poulsen, Thomas Young, Joshua White and Nathan Hadaway
were second in their group losing to GSAL 7-1, but defeating Holy
Family School 6-2. In the semi-finals BGS defeated Horsforth 6-2, but
then lost the final. BGS qualified for the Zone Final as a runner-up team.
The U19 team of Matthew Hull, Adam Saeed, Pavandeep
Sandhar and Harjan Sandhar lost 6-2 to both Brooksbank and Beckfoot.
In the Zone Finals the five BGS teams had much stiffer
opposition competing against county winners from South Yorkshire,
Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire; however, our boys’
U11 and girls’ U16 teams progressed with 100% records. The girls
defeated Wickersley School, South Yorkshire 6-2 and Dronfield Henry
Fanshawe School 8-0, with the boys defeating Dronfield Junior School,
Derbyshire 7-1, Bramley Sunnyside, South Yorkshire 5-3, Redlands
Junior School, Nottingham 6-2 and East Bridgford Primary, Nottingham
7-1. This was the first time an U11 boys’ team from BGS has won the
Zone Finals. The team of Sam Young, James Bowmer, Pranav Balabhadra
and Nicholas Miller played excellent table tennis all day.
At the Regional Finals in Grantham, both teams were missing
a key player owing to half term holidays, but still competed well and both
finished third, placing the teams in the top twelve nationally. The boys
defeated Torrisholme Junior School, Morecambe 5-3, but lost 7-1 to
Victoria Dock Primary, Hull and 6-2 to Cliffedale Primary, Lincolnshire.
The girls defeated Wade Deacon School, Cheshire 5-3, but lost to
Walton Girls’ High School, Lincolnshire 8-0 and Dowdales School,
Cumbria 7-1. All the girls are still eligible for the U16s for two more years
so this performance is an excellent first attempt at the competition.
Locally, Bradford Grammar School dominated the school
partnership competition winning both Year 7 and Year 9 competitions.
The four teams went to the West Yorkshire Schools’ Games in March
to compete against winning teams from all five partnerships across
West Yorkshire. BGS had a great day, winning all four competitions
with 100% records. It was good experience for a number of players
who didn’t play in the ESTTA competitions. Well done to Year 7 boys:
Joshua Poulsen, Karam Butt, Sam Berry and Alastair Christian, Year 7
(and below) girls: Aliza Khaliq, Melody Seifzadeh, Mahum Sheraz
and Freya Bellamy, Year 8 and 9 boys: Miles Loney, Thomas Young,
Joshua White and Myles Barton, and Year 9 girls: Hibah Mahmood,
Sophie Yung, Madeleine Silberberg and Hannah Chaudry.
Individually, Aliza Khaliq won the West Yorkshire Schools’
U11 girls’. Mahum Sheraz, Nithila Sampath and Isla Milwain finished
third, fourth and fifth. Pranav and James both reached the semi-finals
of the U11 boys’ competition.
Joshua Poulsen and Fraser Riley lost in the final of the U13
and U19 boys’ competitions. Melody Seifzadeh, Hibah Mahmood
and Fraser Riley were losing semi-finalists in the U13 girls’, U16 and
U19 girls’ and U19 boys’ competitions.
Fraser, Hibah, Joshua, Aliza and Nicholas all qualified for
the National ETTA Finals through the regional trials.
Sport
83
Girls’ Tennis
by ME Harling, Teacher of Religious Studies
Another short term, but a lot of tennis matches played
by the girls at BGS. The Summer Term for girls who play tennis
is a busy one with lunchtime practices every day and matches
being played on a Wednesday and Saturday. From playing other
independent schools in friendlies, then competing in invitational
tournaments, to playing local schools in regional competitions,
here they are up against players with top ratings of 5.2: a real
range of competitive situations. The weather hardly disrupted
this term, which enabled the girls to practise and play hard.
This year a few new approaches were introduced. Firstly,
the results of each fixture were entered onto the Schools Sports
website, keeping both parents and pupils informed of each age group’s
progress during the term. Secondly, Year 7 had trials in the Spring
Term to select those pupils who showed ability and skill towards playing
the sport of tennis. Those who were selected played tennis in Games
every week. Some girls who were selected had never played before
but showed promise, then you had others who were members of
tennis clubs outside of BGS, so the skills required were evident.
The aim of this year was to get as many girls playing tennis
as possible, whether by representing BGS at matches or coming on
a regular basis to play at lunchtimes with their friends. The emphasis
was to get those girls hooked on tennis. Participation was a key element
this year too, but so was playing matches. Overall, the girls played
around 40 matches throughout the season.
U12 Report
This was the first time in the history of girls’ tennis at
BGS that we saw more girls playing tennis in Games lessons
than boys. This gave us an encouraging start to the term; the
attendance at lunchtime was also pleasing.
Melody Seifzadeh was U12 captain which she seemed to
reluctantly take on board, but eventually took to the role. The first fixture
of the season was played against GSAL: this was a slightly one-sided
fixture, but one that the girls went away and learnt from. There were
certain players this season who had played very little or not at all, but
as more tennis was played more progress was made as confidence
grew too! A couple of players who must be mentioned are Lizzy Hamer
and Freya Bellamy, the reason being that they progressed so much
in their skills and tactical knowledge of the game. At one particular
fixture Lizzy Hamer’s dad was heard to have said, ‘I never knew Lizzy
had the ability to play tennis, she has only just picked up the racquet’.
Freya Bellamy has natural sporting ability; she showed very clearly
that she was tactically acute.
The two fixtures that stand out this season mainly owing to
the results were against Queen Margaret’s School and Woodhouse
Grove. The U12s won both these fixtures, which certainly weren’t
easy, but they dug deep and came out with a win.
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U13 Report
The U13s took part in the regional AEGON Cup
competition. These fixtures took place after school on a week
day. The opposition included: Beckfoot, Ilkley, Holmfirth and
Woodhouse Grove. The girls managed to win two out of the
four fixtures in this competition, which they should be proud of.
The two girls who were totally dedicated to tennis this term
were Catherine Allen and Ava Hepworth-Wood - as a reward they
were invited to represent BGS at the highly prestigious independent
schools’ tennis tournament held at Eton School. These girls got
through to the last sixteen of the tournament and it must be said that
this was a great achievement!!
The U13s have the ability to achieve so much more in
tennis, they just need to believe it and be committed.
U14 Report
by Katie Robertshaw, Captain
This has been a successful season for the U14 girls.
Through the summer we have developed as individuals and as
a squad, and we have picked up new skills on top of improving
old ones.
Doubles partners flourished along the way, while friendships
have grown more resilient on and off the courts. We started out at the
beginning of the year by suffering a close defeat after four prolonged
gritty matches against GSAL, which took place on a weary Saturday
morning in the bitter rain. By listening to critique and being committed
to training, we finished the year with a draw against the talented girls
at Pocklington on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Following our first
match we realised our faults and corrected them, which resulted in
us going on to gain a victory against Ampleforth. This was then swiftly
followed by a couple of arduous matches against some of our most
toilsome opponents, but we persevered and came out on the other
side with four consecutive wins leading up to the tour. In total, out of
the nine matches we played we won five, drew one and lost three.
The highlight of the season was the highly anticipated tour,
in which we took on the specialist sports school Millfield. Leading up
to this match we were full of angst and apprehension as much to our
horror we discovered that not only were they a stupendous sports school,
but more specifically they were a prodigious tennis school with exorbitant
facilities. After a long afternoon in the sun we came out with a tremendous
victory as well as experiencing the school and its numerous sports
facilities first hand. This benefited us as we acquired experience and
insight that would not have been available to us at any of our neighbouring
schools, and the tough competition made us strive to be the best we
could be. Following the victory we had a day out at Alton Towers which
was thoroughly enjoyed by all of the team and rounded off the tour
incomparably, despite the size of the endless queues and the price of
the greasy food. Overall, the season was a colossal triumph and the
knowledge and experience we gained will aid us in the future.
U15 Report
Water Polo
by Celia Cox, Captain
This year’s tennis season started out on a high with a
victory of 3-1 against GSAL. Other successes include a 7-2 win
against St Margaret’s, a 10-8 win in the AEGON Cup, a hard-fought
6-2 win against Hymers and a 2-2 draw at Woodhouse Grove.
On tour, our doubles skills were really put to the test in our
first match against St Helen and St Katherine at Abingdon. Overall we
lost 3-4, but it was a great match to start a really enjoyable tour. One
of the highlights of this tour was playing the prestigious Millfield. We
all enjoyed the experience, not only because we came away with a
10-6 win! The schools had exceptional facilities and grounds which
made them even more amazing to play at!
The U15 girls performed really well throughout the whole
season with a determined attitude. In the end this paid off as we won
seven, lost four and drew one. Hopefully this will continue on to
another superb season next year.
U18
by B Townsend, Swimming Coach
This year was the last chance for the 1996 year
group – the only selection of players to have beaten Bolton
School in recent BGS history (a 7-1 victory in 2009). Since
then, goal difference has been a massive thorn in the side
of this talented group.
Drawn in a very tough first round group, containing
heavyweights Bolton and Ripley St Thomas, BGS knew that they
would have to play at their very best to qualify for the Championship.
An early 5-0 win against RGS Newcastle was an excellent start, whilst
a Bolton victory versus Ripley indicated that the BGS-Ripley clash would
be the Plate/Championship decider. BGS pulled themselves together
in the second half and two goals for Ed Brownlee and one for Frankie
Williams brought the score back to 4-3, before BGS ran out of time,
just failing to secure what would have been a fantastic comeback.
Bolton showed their class with a 12-0 win. BGS strolled through the
semi-finals of the Plate, beating Stowe 2-1; Bedford 5-3; and then
Stowe again, 6-0. Through to the Plate finals for the third consecutive
year, BGS failed to get their tactics right in a 5-2 loss to St Paul’s, but
played brilliantly against the much more technically good Bedford
Modern School. Excellent defensive work meant that a BMS
juggernaut was almost entirely fruitless, meaning that two counterattacking goals from Cameron Chippindale and Michael Beadle left
BGS 2-1 ahead for the final play. Agonisingly for BGS, BMS won a
penalty at the very end, to leave the match at 2-2. Needing the result
to go their way, St Paul’s could only manage a 3-2 win over BMS,
meaning that once again, BGS were knocked out on goal difference.
Arts and Performance
Sport
85
U16
U14
The U16 squad has certainly become better with age.
After being drawn in a five-team opening group, BGS started
by scoring over fifteen goals against RGS and Caldew, then
found themselves in trouble a goal down at half time against
St Bede’s, attacking the shallow end (the more difficult end
to attack).
The U14 campaign was short lived, as it contained
only one round of qualifying. In this round, BGS had to play
Manchester Grammar School, St Bede’s and RGS. Highlights
for this squad included; Zeishaane Raja testing the MGS
keeper with shots from distance, whilst Lewis Ebert-Moran
showed promising talent with a well-placed backhand goal
against St Bede’s. BGS also secured what was their first ever
victory as a squad together, beating RGS 3-2.
However, an inspired hat-trick from Matt Handy, combined
with good goalkeeping from Tom McAllister, left BGS with a 3-1 win
and qualification secured. In order to top the group, BGS had to beat
Manchester Grammar School, the undisputed best school at water
polo over the last twenty years. Midway through the first half, Cameron
Chippindale squared the ball to George Hudman, who scored with
his weaker arm to put BGS ahead. A bad refereeing decision ruled out
a clear Johnny Wright goal, for which MGS made BGS pay, coming out
4-1 on top after BGS were forced to chase the game. However, it was
undoubtedly a much better performance. The U16 team were the first
BGS team to reach the championship since the U18 side of 2010,
containing now GB player George Mack. After a narrow loss to Ripley
St Thomas, goal difference was for once in their favour heading into
the final group game against Grantham. An end-to-end match left
BGS 6-5 ahead in the closing stages, but an agonising back pass
evaded the goalkeeper to draw level, before Grantham showed their
greater experience by tricking the referee into giving a penalty, which
was put away with aplomb. Despite the result, this U16 side should
take great credit for their performance, and with more and more of them
joining clubs, they should have an excellent shot in two years’ time.
Memorable moment: the delayed, but then ecstatic
celebrations that followed George Hudman’s goal that put BGS
ahead against Manchester.
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There is undoubtedly ability in this squad. The goalkeeper,
Ben Merchant, could prove to be a saviour in years to come and
without whom BGS would have suffered heavier defeats. Similarly,
Ben Longfield’s defensive traits really stood out against MGS, where
he was able to completely mark out Manchester’s main attacking
threat. Furthermore, Will Elmore showed great leadership throughout,
and the more time that this group can play with the more senior
players, the better they’ll be in the future.
Bradford Grammar School
Keighley Road, Bradford,
West Yorkshire BD9 4JP
Main switchboard: 01274 542492
www.bradfordgrammar.com