THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015 1 Contents Introduction...... 2

Obituaries...... 7

Societies...... 14

School Trips...... 19

House Competition...... 30

DT...... 32

Art...... 34

Drama...... 36

Philosophy...... 37

History...... 38

Languages...... 40

Sciences...... 40

Maths...... 43

Geography...... 45

Geology...... 46

Engineering...... 46

Economics...... 51

Sports...... 53

Editorial...... 59 THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL 2 Prefect Team 2014/2015 Welcome A Word from the Headmaster School Captain t is a great pleasure to be able to introduce the 2015 edition of the Henry Allen IChelmsfordian. The 2014-15 academic year has been a tremendous one in terms of student achievements in so many fields, and I hope that Deputy Captains you will enjoy reading more about these. It has also, of course, been Qudsiyah Shah a year of change for me. It is a huge privilege to lead such a historic Theo Demolder school which is made up of such wonderful students and staff, supported by parents, governors and many others. May we all continue to find the enthusiasm to devote time and energy to a wide range of pursuits, getting House Captains pleasure as much from the taking part as from any result. Holland James Coughlan Mildmay Alex Jackson Strutt Jon Onabowu Mr T. Carter Headmaster Tindal Antoinette Yeung & Lizzy O’Brien

Prefects Henry Allen Foreword Qudsiyah Shah Theo Demolder On 11th November 2014 we marked which we have tried to pay hom- Michael Clesham the sacrifices of the First World War age. It has however also recently Michael Edwards with the customary two-minute si- undergone various changes and Ben Williams lence. As the centenary year of the developments, most notably the Kurian George outbreak of the war, the commemo- commencement of Mr Carters’ Arjun Kiri rations were all the more poignant tenure as Headmaster. September Rayan Qadri for it. KEGS lost 62 young men in also saw the opening of the new Dom Short the years 1914-18, with particularly Art block; a creative hub for the Luke Sheridan heavy losses in the May of 1915. school’s aspiring artists. In addi- Antoinette Yeung Thus, given the school’s direct contri- tion to these, there were the vari- Lizzy O’Brien bution to the war, we felt that it would ous endeavours by staff and stu- Jenny Lamb serve as an appropriate theme for dents alike, with numerous clubs, Nick Sale this year’s edition of the Chelms- trips and societies taking place; Bethany Hatten fordian. This seemed especially so, Mogonjet, CCF and Digit Festi- Karam Lalli given that contemporary letters from val being but a small sample. We Kishen Patel Old Chelmsfordians tell of how they hope these pages give a clear re- Aditya Vijay were reading this very magazine in flection of these events. Lauren Goebel the front line. The school is indeed Siddharth Subramaniam Tony Lopez steeped in a history and tradition, to Sian Crotty Tony Lopez Editors-in-Chief Asel Perera Connor Gray Matt Hayter Max Purkiss Teresa Soares Sai Pendyala James Beaumont Joel Rowden Euan Rainey Thomas Yeung Will Tillbrook Kunal Namjoshi Lewis Caton Matt Terry THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- HEADMASTER 3 Headmaster’s Report Address from Prize-giving

t seems to me that at these oc- Icasions we often look alternate- ly backwards, as we review the achievements of the past year, and forwards. We see an inspir- ing picture of the future; though of course, as has been remarked, we can only live in the present. So, looking backwards, the 2013/14 year brought much suc- cess. Our GCSE results were out- standing. After recent and massive changes to the English Literature grades the overall A* percentage is over 50% and the average num- ber of points per student over 714. There were many success stories, but I’d particularly like to draw at- tention to an excellent start for Mandarin GCSE – a new addition to the curriculum and taught by Mrs Adams. The foresight of my predecessor allowed this subject to get off the ground, and Mr Sher- rington is surely vindicated by the results. At AS, grades were very pleasing and we are optimistic for some excellent A level results in 2015. And at A level last summer, there were some amazing stories of success and another vindica- tion, for Dr Greenwood, our Head of English, in his determination to move from A level to the Pre-U. The History department are now intending to move the same way.

We can also look back, with a lot of pleasure, on all sorts of other last ball, and to see dignity in de- also distinguished themselves in aspects of the life of the school. feat. While speaking of sport, I’d their performance of Vivaldi’s Glo- Rugby enjoyed particular success, also like to draw attention to the ria in the spring, and the trebles with our U12, U13 and U14 play- successes of our netball and bas- on their own gave us several mo- ers all acquitting themselves well. ketball teams who are mentioned ments to remember throughout In cricket, our U15 side achieved in the programme; and also our the year. Meanwhile the Cham- the distinction of reaching the tennis teams, ably led by Mr Torrie. ber Ensemble’s performance of Corelli’s Christmas Concerto was county final, beating some excel- In Music, we can announce the outstanding and the Wind Band lent teams along the way. I man- setting up of the KEGS recording and Senior Orchestra continued aged to get over to New Hall for label, with particular thanks to Miss to perform challenging repertoire. the final, and although we were Chant, Mr Leverett and Richard The Junior Orchestra demonstrat- not winners, it was extremely good Shepherd, one of our Governors ed an upwards trajectory, and with to watch the fight go on until the and active PA members. The choir THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- HEADMASTER 4 our new Music Project providing from famous former students, we 2014. They will not count in 2015, instrument tuition in class music did of course manage to persuade but will then count in 2016. They lesson time to 40 boys, we should Grayson Perry to open our fabu- will again count in 2017, but then be optimistic for the future. In Dra- lous new Art Centre earlier this not in 2018. It seems to me very ma, Bugsy Malone was a highlight term. He left us in no doubt of the hard to extract meaning from such of the year; and I’d like to thank importance of the subject, and our a league table regime. So please, Mrs Chapman for supporting Artists are now benefitting from take any published information this – there were several brilliant an absolutely first class facility. with a pinch of salt: just look on performances from CCHS and our website if you want the truth. KEGS students, as well as rather This part of my speech would a lot of unscripted foam firing. not, however, be complete without Perhaps more threatening is the my paying tribute to Ray Knap- financial outlook for all state sec- Our wider extra-curricular pro- pett and Ricky Richmond. Both ondary schools, but particularly gramme continues to offer breadth were hugely generous with their those with large sixth forms and and diversity: surely there is some- time and energy – we are very those which benefitted from the thing for everyone. I am hugely much in their debt. As you will specialism programme. We can grateful to all staff involved in CCF, have read, given Ricky’s wide expect to lose over £400,000 of Corps of Drums, Duke of Edin- ranging roles as Management annual income and this will pre- burgh and World Challenge; and Governor, Foundation Governor, sent a major challenge. Things of course there are numerous oth- member of staff and hugely in- will not just remain the same, and er less high profile clubs. But in the fluential member of the OCs, we we will need to become more time I have, I’d like to pay tribute have instituted a prize in his hon- self-reliant and willing to embrace particularly to a few colleagues, our, and I am delighted that mem- changes which we might not at whose areas have enjoyed par- bers of his family are here today first have chosen. But KEGS has ticular recent competitive success: to see the first award of that cup. withstood many difficulties since Miss Bunting – who leads our 1551 and we will weather this one. engineering programme and Looking forwards, there is a rea- gives endlessly of her time af- son for much optimism, and chief- I’d like now to conclude by turning ter school and at weekends ly because of the quality of the away from both the past and the young people whom we are privi- future, and focussing on the pre- Mr Gibbs – who now organ- leged to teach or to have taught at sent, and speak, if I may, to our ises a group of outstand- KEGS. Some of those who have prize winners and our returning re- ing young chess players recently left may, like Alex and cent leavers. You are likely, many And Mrs Orr – who runs several James or Jon Swaine, become of you, to end up influencing or KEGS maths clubs, four maths celebrated in their fields, and leading others. Whatever your ide- teams and two programmes of that’s fantastic; but many others als, your hopes, your talents and outreach maths masterclasses will, I am sure, bring to their cho- your skills, I don’t think that you will sen area of work a conscientious ever manage to help others fully if Before I turn to the future, and work ethic, integrity in what they you don’t stay true to your values with several distinguished Old do and respect for others – values and your conscience; and for that Chelmsfordians on stage, I would which matter to all of us at KEGS. to be possible I certainly believe like to mention the two recent OCs that those values need to be con- I’ve written about – Alex Dowsett, So we should always be optimis- sistently nurtured in the present widely famous for his cycling and tic for the future: hope is a critical – in the moment we inhabit. And a Commonwealth Gold Medal win- virtue. But, looking forwards, we that is why, although the pursuit ner this year, and James Maynard, also need some realism for what of excellence in every sphere will less famous, but just announced faces us. On a relatively super- always be central to the KEGS as the 2014 Ramanujan Prize win- ficial level, we may experience ethos, I certainly believe that our ner for Mathematics. Part of the some league table nonsense – as integrity and the way we treat oth- citation refers to “his revolution- some of you are aware, our Sci- ers must always be so as well ary contributions to prime number ence IGCSEs – excellent qualifi- cations that they are (and chosen Mr T. Carter theory”. I hope that one day we Headmaster may manage to get him back to by our Scientists to best prepare KEGS, although I understand that students for A level) – have come he now ranks on the superstar in for some curious treatment. league of international mathema- They were counted by the Govern- ticians. On the subject of visits ment in 2013, but not in summer THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SALVETE & VALETE 5 Salvete ‘A warm welcome to new staff.’

he English department wel- our new afternoon receptionist. Al- Laura Flett arrived at KEGS in Tcomed Elisabeth Collier in ly’s previous role was as an admin- April, joining the school as Head- September 2014. This is Liz’s first istrator for an estate agency and teacher’s PA and HR Manager. teaching post, having previously prior to that she worked in invest- Laura previously worked as an worked as a general manager and ment banking in the City of London. HR manager at Mitsubishi UFJ communications manager within Securities in the City of London. the hospitality industry. She has Kunnali Patel joined KEGS in a BA (Hons) in English from the January as a teacher of RE and Esther Mann joined the Finance University of Reading, an MA in Philosophy covering maternity department in June as a Finance Literature from the University of leave. Kunnali was previously at Assistant. Esther is an experienced Essex and is studying for a PhD Uckfield Community Technology office administrator, and earlier in in Literature. She is also a for- College in East Sussex and at her career had been a Partners’ mer KEGS student having stud- Brentwood County High School. PA at KPMG in Canary Wharf. ied here during the mid 2000s. She holds a BSc(Hons) in Soci- ology from Loughborough Uni- English teacher Elizabeth Hind- versity and completed her PGCE man arrived in September as a at the University of Brighton. maternity cover, and left KEGS at Easter. Liz is an experienced We welcomed newly qualified teacher, and lecturer, in English Chemistry teacher Ceri Hill to and Drama, having previously the Science department in Janu- taught in schools and colleges ary, in a role covering mater- in Surrey and Kent. Liz has a nity leave. Ceri holds a BSc in BA (Hons) in English & Drama Biochemistry from the Univer- from the University of London. sity of Cardiff and completed her Ally Hounsell joined in October as PGCE at the University of Bath. Valete ‘A fond farewell to all our departing colleagues.’

ndy Russell joined KEGS in Working in RE and Philosophy and made her hugely popular with her September 2004 and taught soon taking on the Head of De- year group. It has been an abso- mathsA to all year groups. He was partment role, Kalli taught almost lute pleasure to work with Kalli in also much involved in extra-curric- all the students and worked with a the Sixth Form: she brought fresh ular squash and in the jazz band. large team of RE teachers. Philos- ideas to the way we work, whilst ophy, particularly, nurtures our stu- remaining considerate of the way Janine Broster worked at KEGS dents’ ability to discuss complex others operate. She is enormously for 8 years, quickly rising to the and challenging issues in a mature respected by colleagues and stu- position of Headteacher’s PA and and thoughtful manner and Kalli’s dents alike, having built excellent HR Officer, which she held from wonderfully open mind and sen- relationships with the teams she September 2008 until March 2015, sitivity meant that students were led. Kalli is also great fun – as rec- when she moved on from KEGS. always able to do this. Kalli’s ex- ognised by staff and students alike. She brought energy and dedica- pectations for both behaviour and Kalli has taken to motherhood like tion to the role, combined with a academic progress are extremely a duck to water and her beautiful friendly and approachable style, high and very clearly shared - stu- daughter Isla is the apple of her and as part of her work she intro- dents rise to the challenges she eye; Kalli plans to take a counsel- duced a number of systems which demands. Kalli took on the role of ling course over the next months are now integral to the school. Head of Year in September 2010, while husband Ed is left holding the taking her year groups through the baby! We wish Kalli every success Kalli Turtle joined KEGS in Sep- Sixth Form. Kalli is always sup- and happiness in this next stage tember 2007, having completed portive and positive and her caring of her life – KEGS will miss her. her Sixth Form here as a student. approach to individual students THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- GENERAL 6 New Art Block ‘The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.’

fter a year of building work the 1970s (he was a student here clearly interested, and altogether Ait was wonderful to be able from 1972 to 1978) and the differ- inspirational’. Other students were to open the doors to our new Art ence between it and our new Art thrilled to take ‘selfies’ with Gray- Centre and welcome students into facilities is astounding. Grayson son and chat to him about their our beautiful new home. We were commented that many profes- take on art and the Art Centre. also delighted that Turner Prize sional artists would be envious of winning artist Grayson Perry, who our accommodation! His speech It was particularly pleasing to wel- is one of our most famous former touched on the role of the Arts come back ex students of KEGS students, accepted our invitation and the wealth - financial and oth- who have moved on to study Art to formally open the building on erwise - they bring to our country. in its many forms: from Art Educa- Wednesday 10 September. He spoke about the iPhone, our tors to Graphic Designers, Illustra- cars, the buildings around us and tors to Photographers, Architects The new £1.6 million two-storey the fact that so much of our every- to Animators, all are pursuing a building features four light-filled day life is ‘created’ by artists and career in Art and Design, having art studios, including two for the designers. His speech was witty, come through KEGS Art Depart- sole use of sixth formers, as well insightful and enjoyed by all. ment. One of our old boys who as two new English classrooms. It completed his degree in Graphic replaces the old 1960s demount- We presented him with his old re- Design at Central Saint Martins is able which was demolished in port card, noting that a B+ in Art now working for the creative team summer of 2013, with students was his top grade overall! Over at Deloittes - art, and the creativity and staff having to make do with afternoon tea (with Alan Measles it encourages, supports so many art lessons in temporary rooms for biscuits created by Catering Man- different careers. Our wonderful the past year, everyone had been ager Jim Perry) Grayson chatted new Art Centre will be the centre looking forward to the homecom- to our guests, taking a particular for continued creativity, enjoyment, ing - and the building has certainly interest in the work of our sixth experimentation, hard work and not disappointed! formers. Year 13 student Ryan success in Art and Design. It’s Smith was flattered to hear how been worth the wait! Welcoming Grayson to KEGS much Grayson liked his work in was a pleasure. We visited the concrete and found materials and Ms H. Wiltshire Art room where he had studied in said ‘Grayson was unpretentious, Deputy Head THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 7 Nigel Fanshawe Simon Heffer’s thoughts on a distinguished Headmaster

igel Fanshawe was headmas- Nter of our school from 1949 until he retired, a year later than he should have done, in July 1977. In those 28 years he transformed KEGS from an old, quiet provin- cial grammar school to a centre of intellectual excellence. However, it was not merely the passing of examinations and the securing of more and more places at the best universities that became his achievement. Almost every as- pect of the school changed for the better under him – music, sport, drama, the Combined Cadet Force, the calibre of the teaching staff and even the accommoda- tion of the school itself, with the great expansion of its buildings in 1964. It is in such achievements that Mr Fanshawe has a claim to be perhaps the greatest head in the school’s 464-year history.

Nigel Halford Fanshawe was born in Staffordshire on 3 February 1911, the second of a family of six children. His father was a clerk, and just before the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 the family moved to a modest, cramped ter- raced house in Wolverhampton. His father was conscripted into the army in 1916, and when he returned, struggled to find employ- ment, but after a spell as a coalman ematics and when he came down he could not afford to live in the set up a scrap metal business. In from Cambridge in 1932 he be- manner they did. So when he ap- 1922 Nigel won a scholarship to came a maths master at Radley plied for the headmastership of Wolverhampton Grammar School. College, on a salary of £200 a our school in 1949, and was given He soon showed himself to be a year. In 1934, on a walking holi- the job, it represented both a chal- brilliant mathematician, and in the day in Austria he met his future lenge but also a liberation from a sixth form helped teach the young- wife, Maria, and they were mar- way of life he had found taxing. er boys – thus finding his vocation. ried in 1937. His poor eyesight He won a scholarship to Gonville prevented him from fighting in the The challenge was the state the and Caius College, Cambridge, in Second World War, but he helped school was in. Its numbers had 1929, and was able to afford to take run the Radley cadet corps. In fallen, as had its academic stand- up his place thanks to a Stafford- 1945 he moved on to Eton, which ards. This was not the fault of Mr shire County Scholarship and one was a promotion, but he found it Fanshawe’s predecessor, Norman from the town of Wolverhampton. difficult there: many of the other Squier, but of the effects of the re- He took a brilliant first in math- masters had private incomes and cent war. The buildings were in a THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 8 poor state; the body of teach- school. He believed in the carrot helped another generation into the ing staff was depleted; and the rather than the stick – though he best universities: his second retire- county council’s attitude towards was quite willing to use the lat- ment was as deplored as his first. the school varied from the unhelp- ter on anyone who asked for it! In Frinton he became a pillar of ful to the downright hostile. Nigel’s Through incentives and encour- the community. He had wide inter- way of dealing with the last prob- agement he ensured his boys ests outside mathematics, notably lem was to ignore the council as developed not just academi- a love of music and of medieval far as he could. He raised num- cally, but as young men as well. history. He was active in Frinton’s bers and standards by expand- historical society, where he would ing the catchment area of the He retired in 1977, staying on for deliver learned papers on matters school, and taking any boy from an extra year. At a time of politi- of interest to him right up to his anywhere in Essex he deemed cal uncertainty in the country with late 90s. He kept his mind active in clever enough to benefit from the a Labour government threatening other ways too, not just showing a sort of rigorous education he in- to abolish grammar schools – was brilliance at Sudoku puzzles – as tended to have the school provide. met with an outpouring of emotion might have been expected – but Within just a few years the chang- from his colleagues and from the also at cryptic crosswords. Maria’s es were already highly visible, boys in the school. He was univer- death in 1995 was a terrible blow, and the reputation of this fine old sally respected and, by that time, though he resolved to carry on, tak- school began steadily to revive. the evidence of his achievements ing up bowls, at which he quickly was all around him. Although so- became highly proficient. His son Nigel Fanshawe was a dedicated ciety had changed radically since Richard died the following year, believer in the grammar school the late 1940s he had kept the and his daughter Clare in 2009. system, not least because he had school on a steady course. And His third child, Isabel, survives him. been such a distinguished benefi- he was a sufficiently shrewd man ciary of it himself. He believed that to realise that changes sometimes For those of us who saw a lot of no boy with brains and application had to come, and would be for the Nigel in his last years one thing should be denied a first-rate edu- good of the institution – hence, stood out above all others: his ab- cation just because his parents not least, his decision to admit solute thirst for life, and a great de- lacked the money to send him to a girl to the sixth form in 1976, termination not to die. It seemed a private school. By the time he the first in the school’s history, impossible that he ever would, retired, KEGS was outperforming and something that happened so when he went, the evening most of the private schools in the much to the shock of most of the before his 104th birthday, it was land in terms of its examination re- boys, who were far more con- a terrible shock, despite his phe- sults and Oxbridge admissions. He servative than their headmaster. nomenal great age. His was truly had achieved his aim of making a life devoted to doing good, and the best education available to all. His retirement, which he spent at to doing it in prodigious quanti- Frinton-on-Sea, would last almost ties. And the debt owed to him Under him, the school was a 38 years, but was very nearly cut not just by those who were boys happy, well-ordered place. Disci- short when he was involved in a se- in his school, but by the school pline was formal and strict, and rious car accident in 1982 in Ger- itself, represents a legacy that as headmaster he managed to many. Well into his 70s, unable to will endure for decades to come. exude a sense of detachment and give up the teaching bug, he taught Dr Simon Heffer was at KEGS distance that made him terrify- as a supply teacher at the City of from 1971 until 1978. He is now a ing to younger. However, to some London Girls’ School, where his columnist for the Daily and Sunday of the older, boys. He made it his new clutch of pupils adored him, Telegraphs business to know every boy in the and where for some years he THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 9 Ray Knappett A loyal member of the school community

e were extremely sad to hear Club. He was a great supporter of his job. He arrived with a six inch Wof the death of Ray Knap- a number of charities – he was the thick book under his arm and dis- pett on 10 July. Ray was a pillar Chairman of the Walter Farthing played it on the table as he started of the KEGS community and a Trust and the Farthing Community his talk. “I expect you are won- very loyal friend and supporter of & Occupational Centre in Chelms- dering what this thick book is for? the school throughout his life. He ford for 25 years, and supervised Well, I will show you”, he said. He had been a long-standing member the giving of grants to other de- then took it off the desk, stood of both the Manage- on it and said “now ment and Foundation you can all see me”. governing bodies, and As well as his fam- put a lot of hard work ily, Ray’s other great into these roles; par- loves were his garden, ticularly the Founda- where he particularly tion governors where enjoyed playing with he was the Chairman his grandchildren, es- from 1996 to 2003. He pecially cricket, and his played a major role in vintage Rolls Royce. the 450th Anniversary He restored the 1926 Appeal, which raised car from a rusting relic £1 million and built the found under a tarpau- Music School. He will lin in a Cambridgesh- be remembered for ire field to a beautiful his integrity, his sense vehicle worthy of car- of fair play, his hard rying his daughters on work, his honesty and their wedding days. his respect for others. Ray was born in 1926 Ray leaves a wife; Eliz- and joined KEGS in abeth, three daughters 1937. He left in 1943 ; Wendy, Joanna and and joined Strutt & Hilary, and six grand- Parker - an eminent children Emily, Ben, firm of countrywide Jenny, Jack, Alison chartered surveyors and Michael, and our and land agents - straight from thoughts are very much with them. serving local charities helping the school. Apart from a spell in the Chelmsford disabled and unem- Royal Engineers for National Ser- Thank you Ray for everything ployed. He was also a trustee of vice in 1946/7; he remained at you have done for KEGS over both the Essex Youth Trust and Strutt & Parker for all of his working your lifetime. You will be missed. the South Weald Almshouses. life, becoming a local partner, and then progressing to a full partner, Ray had a keen sense of humour, which, in those days, was no mean and as a man of small height, feat for a boy born in Lewisham sometimes used his stature as a and brought up on a Chelmsford source of wit. His old friend and estate; a great tribute to his ability. colleague, Bob Cowlin, remem- Ray spent his life caring about bers accompanying Ray to value other people, whether it was his a vicarage. “This is Mr Cowlin family, or the wider community. who will look at the ceilings and He was a Church Warden at Mar- I will be inspecting the skirtings”, garetting Church for a number of Ray quipped to the occupant. On years and a founder member of another occasion Ray was giving the Chelmsford Mildmay Rotary a talk to the Rotary Club about THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 10 Ricky Richmond A devoted Old Chelmsfordian second eleven from 1962-1992, following which he has stood as umpire for them until his recent ill health sadly brought a stop to this, reducing him once again to the role of frustrated spectator. He was equally busy on the com- mittee front and over half a cen- tury undertook just about every office imaginable, culminating with a 20 year stint as Treas- urer until retirement in 2008. He was a born fundraiser and worthy President of the Asso- ciation twice, in 1972 and 1992. He spent the whole of his 42-year working life with Barclays Bank at various branches throughout Essex with 20 years as manager at Ongar during which time he e were very sorry in- school, captained the Chelmsford involved himself with many lo- deed to learn of the City Colts team and played for City W cal charities. On retirement he death of our very dear friend, Reserves. While on National Ser- was appointed KEGS’ first bur- vice he played for RAF Lytham and Bryan John (Ricky) Rich- sar in 1992 and during this time, , on 23 October, aged 81. won the RAF Junior Cup. He then mond and beyond his second retire- played two seasons with Sudbury ment in 1999, oversaw the vari- Ricky, as he was known to all, a Town and a season with Brent- ous appeals which funded the KEGS student from 1944 to De- wood Town before embarking, building of the Music School and cember 1949, joined the Old in 1957, on an illustrious playing the Darwin Centre. He had been Chelmsfordians Association imme- career with the OCs which was to married to Janet since 1957, had diately and went on to serve both continue until October 1980 when two children, Lynn and Christo- KEGS and the OCA magnificently a broken leg enforced his ‘prema- pher, and seven grandchildren, for the rest of his life. He served ture’ retirement at the age of 47! as both Management and Founda- and our thoughts are with them. tion Governor from the early 70s, During this time, Ricky played 498 Following a private family funeral, only retiring from the Management games for the OCs lst XI before a thanksgiving service was held body in April 2013, although main- being dropped in 1970 by his man- at the OCs clubhouse on 14 No- taining his Foundation Governor’s ager, Len Menhinick, (who himself vember at which the family were role as the OC’s representative. went on to chair both Management joined by representatives from and Foundation Governors at the the OCs, KEGS and Barclays Ricky was a member of Strutt School) and was thus denied that Bank in paying tribute. This House, was a sub-prefect and a elusive 500th appearance! How- was attended by some 300 fam- corporal in the Cadet Corps and, ever, undismayed, Ricky spent the ily, friends, members, school staff perhaps more importantly to him, next ten years in various player/ and governors and fellow sports- was awarded his football colours in manager roles for the 2nd, 3rd playing and work colleagues. 1948. He captained both the Junior and 4th XIs followed by a further XI in 1945/1946 and went on to cap- 21 years as manager to these tain the School 1st XI in 1948 and teams and the newly introduced 1949 where he played at full back. VETs XI before finally retiring to the role of spectator in 2001. He also represented Chelmsford His 44 years in football for the OCs and District Schools, and Essex were all but matched by 31 years Schoolboys, and after leaving playing cricket, mainly for the THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 11 The Great War ‘We Will Remember Them.’

hilip Christy, Lieutenant Knowing the risks of front line life English gentleman, I often used P2nd Battalion, the Essex he made a conscious decision to to think when I looked at him.” Al- Regiment remain in order to complete his though he was a strict disciplinar- work. It was this devotion to duty ian and insisted on things being 1896-1915 that cost him his life, aged only thoroughly done, he always did Philip Christy was born in Ilford in nineteen. He was to be the first the most dangerous work himself, 1896, the second of two children, Old Chelmsfordian to die in the such as going in front of his trench to a local architect and surveyor. Great War. to put up the barbed wire, with the He was educated at KEGS until *******result that his men had absolute 1911, when he left to pursue sixth Eric Molson confidence in him. He did some form studies at Hailybury College Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, Royal particularly daring sniping work, in Hertfordshire. Although he does Scots (Lothian Regiment) which resulted in him being twice not seem to have been particularly grazed by the German snipers, academically gifted, his house- 1894-1915 once in the head. For this work master seems to have felt that Eric Molson, the son of a physi- his name was sent to the Gen- he had the abilities to cope as a cian-MP, was born in Chelmsford eral. The July 1915 edition of the young infantry officer. on 26th March 1894. He was edu- Chelmsfordian reported that ‘E. E. cated briefly at KEGS (1902-3), Molson, Lieut. in the Royal Scots and then at Cheltenham College, Guards, was killed in action.’ Before the war began, Christy Rugby School, and Pembroke Col- ******* had joined the Special Reserve lege, Cambridge. He joined the Louis E. Tucker of the Essex Regiment, part-time army in August 1914, shortly after Sub-Lieutenant, Collingwood officers who were prepared to be the outbreak of war, whilst still an Battalion, Royal Naval Division posted to a fighting battalion in the undergraduate, being commis- advent of war. In August 1914 he 1892-1915 was mobilised and posted to the Most people have not heard of a 3rd Battalion, based then at Har- place called Krithia, or even have wich. Soon, however, he was des- any idea where it is. But on 4th patched to join the 2nd Battalion June 1915 it was the scene of on active service in France, joining some of the most vicious fighting them in time to fight at the battle of of the First World War, as British the Aisne in September. forces tried to push inland from In January 1915 he gained per- the beaches during the disastrous mission for a scheme to drain Gallipoli campaign to invade Tur- the trenches of water. His com- key, which had sided with the Ger- pany was relieved on 7th Feb, but mans. The soldiers at Gallipoli had he asked to stay on for two more to put up with terrible heat, flies, a days. On the morning he was due lack of proper water or food, and all other sorts of unimaginable mis- sioned into the Royal Scots that ery. Bodies lay unburied for weeks September. He was killed in action and decomposed out in the baking on Good Friday, 1st April 1915, sun. As a British soldier at Gallipoli aged twenty-one, and was buried your chances of death, wounding, near to where he fell. His body or falling sick were about 60%; was later moved to Godezonne less than 50:50 chance of surviv- Farm Cemetery, near Ypres. ing physically unscathed. Praise came from his colonel: “I had great admiration for the boy. Louis Tucker was cricket captain He was universally popular. We at KEGS before the war, and at should have considered ourselves the young age of 16 he started at very fortunate to get him to come university in London, studying sci- into the regiment permanently. He ence. Following this he spent time to leave he was killed by a sniper. was such a delightful type of an in Germany, and Paris, finally THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 12 returning to England to work as was certainly very popular with his noted as especially praisewor- an accountant. In 1914 he joined men, and proved a capable officer.’ thy, and he was mentioned in dis- the Honourable Artillery Company, patches for his gallantry. He was ******* but soon took a commission as an twenty-three. Sergeant Douglas Ledger (23) officer in Collingwood Battalion, Essex Yeomanry Another Old Chelmsfordian, Corporal Valentine Eales (24) Trooper Fred Bell (25), who had Royal Horse Guards two fingers shot off, continued to Trooper Fred Bell (25) return fire until finally hit in the Essex Yeomanry head and killed. Trooper Basil Hurst (19) Essex Yeomanry One soldier said of Bell: -“He was Trooper Wilfred Milbank (30) almost too brave, the boys say, and Essex Yeomanry he kept firing even after he had had two fingers cut off, but was af- On 12th May 1915 German forces terwards hit in the head and killed. assaulted the British front line on No man could ever die better. But, the Frezenberg Ridge, just outside as we now know, Fred. was a man Ypres, held by the 7th Cavalry Bri- and a gentleman.” gade. During a day of almost con- tinual rain, and heavy shelling, 1st Another trooper wrote: “Fred Bell and 2nd Life Guards were pushed died game. He gave his old hunt- back. Royal Naval Division, a unique unit ing song ‘For-ard on,’ and the made up of sailors fighting on land. By the early morning of 13th May In 1915, he went out with them to it was clear that a counter-attack Gallipoli. On 4th June the Royal was necessary to dislodge the Naval Division were given the task Germans from their new positions of clearing Turkish trenches out- which were uncomfortably close side the remote village of Krithia. to the British line. At 1.30pm the The first wave took the front line, regimental commanders of 8th and Collingwood Battalion were Cavalry Brigade were called to a given the task of pushing through meeting at the Potizje Chateau, to the reserve trenches. At a quar- when they were told that the as- ter past twelve, in long extended sault would take place at 2.15pm. line, the Collingwoods moved for- The Essex Yeomanry would be in ward as steadily as if on parade. support of the 10th Hussars and But just before reaching the Turk- Royal Horse Guards. ish trenches they were caught by a murderous fire from their right The German front line was taken flank. without too much trouble, despite the poor condition of the ground, They managed to take their objec- mud slipping men up, and jam- tive, but at what price? Within 45 ming rifles. The Essex soon came minutes all 24 officers, and 500 under extremely heavy German other ranks became casualties. artillery fire, which they had to en- Douglas Ledger The battalion had ceased to exist. dure for two hours before an order Sub-Lieutenant Tucker was one of next thing he said was ‘They have reached them to withdraw to more the those killed that day. He was blown my fingers off.’ He went easily held positions. 23 years old and has no known on firing, and was then hit in the grave. His name can be found on shoulder. His head dropped, and It was probably at this point that the Helles Memorial on the Gal- he was finished. Old Chelmsfordian Sergeant lipoli peninsular in Turkey. Douglas Ledger was killed. Rising Meanwhile Trooper Basil Hurst from a prone position to lead the It was said of him that ‘he was (19), was wounded in the leg and men of the Braintree Troop back, one of the coolest [which is to died of his wounds, despite initial he was hit and killed instantly. His say calmest] men on the field. He hopes that he would pull through. conduct throughout that day was THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- OBITUARIES 13

(19), was wounded in the leg and (24), of the Royal Horse Guards, died of his wounds, despite initial who attacked on the left flank hopes that he would pull through. of the Essex Yeomanry was killed. He has no known grave. Writing to Mr John Hurst, Capt. Macarthur of the Essex Yeo- The Essex Yeomanry eventu- manry said: -’I expect you may ally pulled back to reserve lines. have heard by now that your boy By the end of the day, of 302 of- (Basil) was wounded. He was ficers and men who had started shot in the leg, but his troop of- out, sixty per-cent had become ficer does not think seriously. casualties. Not one man of the They have made a very gallant Essex Yeomanry who died at charge, and have, I believe, estab- Frezenberg has a known grave, lished a name for the regiment.’ and all are named on the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing. Trooper Wilfred Milbank (29), was lost sight of and never seen again. The deaths of five old boys of His parents had to wait until 1916 this school in one day is a ter- for official regonition of his death. rible record of suffering that Randall Milbank has never been equalled, Finally, Corporal Valentine Eales and hopefully never will be. Mr H. Pattenden Staff Editor

Y9 boys Sam Lawn (l) and James Mitty (r) lay a wreath at the grave of Eric Molson, Old Chelmsfordian, November 2015 THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 14 KEGS MedSoc ‘Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.’

his academic year, Medsoc has Mitha returned for a talk to give us Rather than being a ‘medical stu- Tgone from strength to strength, an insight into the life of a medi- dent factory’, Medsoc has ena- supporting prospective medics in cal student. Later in the year, a few bled each individual to develop Year 12 and 13 alike. We started of our own Year 12 members gave their own personal areas of in- the year with a competitive series well-researched talks on medi- terest to research and helped of impressive ethics presentations cal topics they were passionate each pupil to progress as a well- from the Year 12 students, with about, including orthopaedics and rounded applicant. It has been a Karthik Bhat and Tejas Kotwal de- motor neurone disease. joy to see younger pupils develop livering a winning session on pre- a zeal for this rewarding career natal testing. This developed the Medsoc has become such an im- path from such an early stage, students’ ability to think critically portant support network at KEGS, and we wish them the very best about ethical issues. The Year 13 arguably one of the most well- of luck in their future endeavours. team presented on a variety of attended societies with a mem- Outgoing team: Presidents: Adi- topics ranging from Alzheimer’s bership of 83 pupils. Moreover, it tya Vijay, Qudsiyah-Bano Agha- and schizophrenia to A-level revi- has become a cohesive platform Shah Vice Presidents: Antoinette sion tips and university guides. We for the sharing of advice and dis- Yeung, Vivek Patel, Sai Pendyala held a successful round of mock cussion between Year 12 and 13 Incoming team: Presidents: Ka- Oxbridge and panel medical inter- pupils, which has led to each suc- rishma Dave, Karthik Bhat Vice views, as well as offering advice cessive generation of medics feel- Presidents: David Wringe, Haris on personal statements, the UK- ing more prepared than ever to get Shoaib, Joe Buckingham CAT and BMAT. Ex-KEGS student into medical school. and Cambridge medic Zeeshan Qudsiyah Shah 13A THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 15 The Bertrand Russell Society ‘The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent full of doubt.’

EGS has a great variety of thus it was apt to form a society School; Foucault on Power; the Kextra-curricular activities and where we share his values and fantasy lore of the Elder Scrolls, clubs. In the autumn of 2014 love of learning. and Platonic Mathematics, along- James Glover and I decided we side various discussions on phi- would create a new society to pro- Our inaugural talk was on Rus- losophy, history and politics. vide for those looking to further sell’s life and influential develop- their interests and passions. We ment of logic and mathematics. The experience of organising and agreed upon naming the society Over the course of the year and attending the society has been ex- in homage to the renowned poly- many further great talks, the so- tremely pleasurable, and I hope math and thinker Bertrand Russell. ciety had amassed a significant we can revive the society in the Although, sadly, he had no direct following. My favourite talks were Sixth Form. Thank you to Ms Platt link to the school, he is a personal by Adnan El-Gendi on the political and Mr Pattenden for their contin- hero of mine and an inspirational climate and strife in Egypt over the ued support throughout the year. figure. last century, and by Ollie Parkes on the role of women in ancient Athe- Dante Philip 11X Throughout his life he was a re- nian society. Other talks have had spected figure in a variety of aca- included some enlightening sub- demic fields and a fervent activist; jects like: a history of the Frankfurt KEGS Charities Committee ‘Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves.’

t’s been a great year for us and had wear your Christmas jumper The main event of the week was Iit is my pleasure to write this ar- to school day in aid of Jeans for undoubtedly the KEGS Clas- ticle to post the record breaking Genes and on this day Tamim sic: the Pledge Auction on the £5490 we raised, meaning we sent Bari bravely came to school in a Wednesday. It was by far the big- cheques of £1830 to each of our 3 lungi and the sponsorship money gest fundraiser of the week. How- charities: CLIC Sargent, MS Soci- he raised went towards our part- ever we’re past charities week and ety and the Mental Health Founda- ner school in Kenya, Mogonjet. In I still haven’t learnt how to describe tion, the first two being very per- February we had one more event this spectacle. Year 12s dress up sonal causes for members in the to raise money for Mogonjet: a and form themed groups, which charities committee. Quiz Night. This was wonderfully you can see pictured, which are organised by Leonnie Brabant, then sold off to the lower school’s Our first non-uniform day was in and speaking from experience, it command. aid of Great Ormond Street Hospi- was a lot of fun! tal. Then the main charities event On Thursday lunch we had a drum of the Autumn Term was Amnesty Charities Week was from Mon- off in the music school and the International week, which was the day 23rd March, however it was Lower School Bazaar in the hall. week beginning Monday 24th No- kickstarted with Band Night on This is where the 12 different low- vember. We tried to raise aware- the Friday before! Throughout the er school forms set up stalls with ness about Amnesty International week we had a stall going where mini-games which people would and pupils wrote letters or signed we sold raffle tickets, the notori- pay to play. Other events included cards to unfairly persecuted pris- ous RAGMag, wristbands etc. and a 6-a-side football competition and oners to show their support. On raised money for ‘Kidnap a Teach- the trolley dash where you would the Wednesday we had a spon- er’. Events we had in the first half compete for the quickest time to sored silence where generally one of the week were the Staff Talent push your friend in a trolley round member from each form in the Show, Gaming Room and Sponge a course. The week finished off school stayed silent just like those a Teacher. Tuesday was non-uni- with superhero netball (once again oppressed prisoners. Through this form day and some sixth formers sixth formers in fancy dress) and a we manage to raise £1200 in Am- went a step further with a spon- favourite: the cake sale. sored no-shoes day! nesty Week. In this term we also Aniket Chitre 12B THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 16 Junior Debating ‘If there are two definitive features of Ancient Greek civilization, they are loquacity and competition.’

he 2014/15 academic year the typical inquisitiveness of the Junior Debating Society founder Tsaw the development of the KEGS mind. The desire to achieve Theo Demolder’s chairmanship. It fine KEGS Junior Debating Soci- a greater understanding of any only remains to say that the task of ety, which aims to provide pupils in issue through presenting one’s running and chairing this Society years 7 to 11 with the opportunity own thoughts and dismantling for the past two years has been a to develop public speaking skills, the opposing arguments (and, it fulfilling, demanding and satisfying think soundly on a variety of topics, is important to note, conceding endeavour and, as the Society pre- both topical and intellectually stim- when flaws in one’s own argu- pares for new heights in the com- ulating, and profess one’s thoughts ment are highlighted), is a senti- ing years, I consider every speech on such topics in a convincing and ment entirely relatable to many given by a previously unconfident compelling manner. Deeply root- of those reading this publication. pupil, every mind changed by the ed is the belief that discussions words spoken by one of our debat- Motions have ranged from ‘This and debates are often made infi- ers and every Thursday lunchtime House Would Ban Animal Testing’ nitely more fruitful when thoughts spent listening to, contemplat- for the lower years, to ‘This House and opinions are expressed in ing and enjoying a discussion of Would Vote ‘Yes’ to Scottish Inde- a cogent and formal manner. any sort, to be a great success. pendence’ and ‘This House Be- The Society maintains with pride lieves Ideology is Dead in British Thanks must go to Mr Pattenden its inclusive policy; one of the most Politics’. Thus, the range of dis- and Miss Moore, whose unwaver- salient achievements of the past cussions is designed to cater to all ing support for debating at KEGS year has been the inauguration interests and encourage maximum allows such rewarding, and most of new debaters from throughout participation from the floor, an in- importantly, enjoyable experienc- the school. The Society is in es- tegral aspect of any debate. The es and I have no doubt their com- sence, not only a medium through Society boasts an attendance at mitment will be valued by all future which any KEGS pupil can en- its final debate of the year of over generations of KEGS debaters! gage in a thought-provoking de- thirty. This was a significant occa- bate, an admirable reflection of sion as it saw the final instance of Declan Hickey 11W KEGS Cooking Club ‘Cooking is not difficult. Everyone has taste, even if they don’t realize it .’

n Tuesday 28th October a after-school Cooking Club. The We have produced a wide range Onumber of KEGS students en- club has been running on Mon- of dishes including homemade tered the Create a Fairtrade Cake day and Tuesday evenings each soups, fresh ravioli, stir-fries, ba- – Build a Fairer World competi- week, basing its format on the lot- nana and mango muffins, bar- tion. The standard of the entries tery funded “Let’s Get Cooking” beque ribs and lots of delicious was remarkable – Mary Berry and scheme. This scheme was estab- curries. The team have all pro- Paul Hollywood would have been lished to encourage all members gressed and have now trans- impressed. Congratulations to all of the family to get into the kitchen ferred their skills to their homes, who took part but particularly to and start cooking healthy, bal- skills which will inevitably be the students who managed a clean anced and nutritious meals. The a great asset when they leave sweep of 1st 2nd and 3rd places recipes have been a great suc- school and have to fend for them- cess, although some members selves. The club is open to year 1. Jamie Bell 7M have managed to create a couple 8 and above and will run along 2. Aamir Ali Patel, Danyaal Mirza of disasters! One budding master- the same lines next school year. and Nihaal Sandhu 7S chef has now learnt the effect of 3. Alex Read and Saral Patel 7S using a tablespoon rather than a Bon appetite! ******* teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda This year has seen the success- in a chocolate yule log recipe, Mr J. Perry ful start of the first official KEGS much to the amusement of his col- Catering Manager leagues and a lot of clearing up. THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 17 KEGS MUN “Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it’”

ver the past few years, KEGS the conferences have managed internal year group events and OModel United Nations has to stimulate sustained levels of StortMUN, a conference planned gone from strength to strength sophisticated discussion and de- for October, which will seek to in- under the leadership of Mr Gibbs. bate across the three days. The is- volve students across the Sixth KEGS has fielded three delega- sues posed to the delegates - the Form and Year 11. Work has al- tions to StortMUN for the past question of slums, drought, ter- ready begun for the conferences few years, most recently last Oc- rorism and Ebola (Year 8 and 10) and if anyone is interested in run- tober, with KEGS representing or FGM, drought, terrorism, Ebola ning or taking part in them (es- Ethiopia, Tunisia and China. We and LGBT rights (Year 12) - were pecially October’s conference), are looking forward to continuing not those that have simple solu- they should contact Mr Burcher. our involvement in Bishop Stort- tions. However, several delega- Every Model United Nations Con- ford High School’s event over the tions managed to get resolutions ference takes a huge amount of years to come, as well as look- passed. This achievement alone organisation, so I would like to ing out for more potential events represents a significant level of in- take this opportunity to thank all to get involved in at other venues. ternational compromise and nego- the students who help out chair- Closer to home, KEGS has suc- tiation and, if mirrored by the UN ing and running the event, Mr cessfully run three internal events itself, would have gone some way Burcher for his valuable advice, - one for Year 8, Year 10 and Year in combating the issues presented. and Mr Gibbs for his constant 12. Following the theme of “In- Looking ahead to the future, and vital support and supervision. equality: the future of Africa?” KMUN has, on top of the three Henry Sainsbury 11W Senior Debating ‘For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.’

he year began with the highly ciety has also benefitted from con- dom of speech, and the potential Ttopical ‘This House hopes that tributions by members of staff. Mr reintroduction of grammar schools Scotland will leave the Union’, just Worrall mounted a spirited attack were notable for drawing some of days before the referendum, after on the most technical motion of the larger audiences of the year. which, according to our vote, the the year, ‘This House would deploy Largest of them though, was our House will have been disappointed British troops to fight the Islamic mock-election linked debate in – the debate having provided an State militants’ – along with team the library – open as a one off to opportunity to examine independ- mate Tom Mitty (Year 12) con- middle school students as well – a ence from an English perspective. vincing the floor that the practical special opportunity, thanks to Mrs Indeed, as the year moved on, the difficulties outweighed the propo- Friel’s kind agreement, to debate society continued to provide a fo- sition’s moral case. Such moral/ in the same room in which the first rum for discussion of a plethora practical clashes were repeated debating society here at KEGS of other contentious issues; Old in the controversial ‘This House met in 1899. Chelmsfordians James Dilley and would privatise the NHS’ – a rare David Barker returned before the largely economic focus, discuss- Hopefully this article has given University term began to propose ing a suggestion seldom tackled some idea of KEGS sixth formers’ the legalisation of prostitution – in the mainstream of the media. engagement with the issues of the finding themselves met by formi- Further staff insight came from day, a tradition extending back to dable opposition from novice Year Mr Burcher, challenging, from a that first debate, on the Boer War, 12s Daisy Parsons and George global perspective, leaving the Eu- in October 1899, as is well docu- Twinn, and many considered, ropean Union and America’s puta- mented in the archive of this mag- challenging questions from the tive ‘greatest country in the world’ azine. Finally, on behalf of the so- floor too. status – clash coming over moral ciety, I would like to thank Ms Platt versus military greatness. Too for her ongoing support – allowing We are glad that, as well as at- many other debates have taken us to use her classroom through- tracting, on occasion, audiences place to list them all, but, closer to out the year. of up to fifty sixth formers, the so- home, the absolute nature of free- Theo Demolder 13G THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 18 Drill and third in observations. On help from the Sixth Formers is CCF a whole, we were very pleased great, as so much time is put into In the highest tradition with the outcome. Aside from the lesson planning for the younger competitions, we also took part in cadets. I would also like to thank he KEGS Combined Cadet activities including; raft building, Sergant Major Chalmers, Lieu- TForce (CCF) is the oldest so- water sports, clay pigeon shooting tenant McGee, Lieutenant Greer ciety in the school, alongside the and a day of shooting at the range. and Captain Worrall for all their Corps of Drums. It is the biggest Like every year, we also had out help with the cadets. My final and society in the school, holding over 24 hour exercise, where all cadets’ biggest thanks must go to Major 200 cadets, all under the com- camp out for the night, and also Brown, who works tirelessly for mand of Major Brown. Honouring take part in a coordinated platoon the CCF year in year out, putting the fallen from the Great War, we attack. During our night camp- in an unbelievable amount of work had a great turnout at the ing, we were faced against the for the CCF. Remembrance Sunday Parade, in elements. There were very strong which Sgt Sam Wisbey was very winds and an astonishing amount I wish the CCF all the best of luck honoured to lay the wreath of rain, but the cadets woke up, for the following years. at the base of the War Memorial. if slightly wet, ready to move on. Overall, the camp was a success, Sharmilan Sivakumaran 13A Colour Sargeant Holding our Biennial Inspection, as and we are all very excited for our we do every two years, there was trip to Penally this Summer. a great amount of pressure, but we did what we do best – impress. Another annual event for the CCF By April 22nd, we were ready to is Easter Camp. This year, it was perform our parade, consisting of based in the Friday Woods Train- all cadets as well as the Corps of ing Area based in Colchester. For Drums at the front. 2-3 days, the cadets were in the minds of pro- The corps was led by Drum Ma- fessionals. jor Liam Hall, who put in a great The cadets amount of work in preparation split in two – of the day. The day consisted of; the friendly presentations from cadets, the pa- forces and rade, and then lessons planned the enemy by our senior cadets, taught to forces. The the year 9 cadets. The day was nights were a huge success, with the music spent out- from the corps being played ex- side under cellently, and the cadets perform- the protec- ing brilliantly. We received praise tion of a ba- for the parade, as well as for the sha, given to lessons taught. The senior cadets them by the and staff put in a tremendous CCF, which amount of work for the Inspec- each cadet tion, and were very pleased with had to build the outcome of the day. Last Sum- their self. It mer, 50 of our cadets travelled to has been Crowborough camp for our annual a real privi- Summer Camp. Like every year, lege lead- we took part in a mixture of fun ac- ing the CCF tivities, as well as military training. alongside C/ There were also a variety of com- Sgt Kunal petitions, including; drill, the march Namjoshi, and shoot, Navigation, camp craft, C/Sgt Ku- and observations. We did well in rian George many of the competitions, com- and Sgt Sam ing first in Navigation, second in Wisbey. The amount of THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 19 Mogonjet ‘Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.’

Being one of the twelve students drive from a huge, bustling, mod- in a cramped but decently-sized to go to Kenya with KEGS this ern city. The same could be said brick house into which a motor- year was an incredible and ex- for the community in which Mogo- bike and various nicely furnished ceptionally rewarding experience for a multitude of reasons. Possi- bly most poignant for me was the huge spread of different levels of wealth and luxury (or lack thereof) throughout the areas we visited. Naturally one expects, when visit- ing the ‘third world’ that everyone will have next to nothing , live in little shacks and be a totally ‘oth- er world’ from our own Western culture. Yet while this was true in some cases, I was amazed by how untrue it was in others. Sim- ply driving from Nairobi Airport to New Hope Orphanage was an eye-opener. Nairobi seemed just as well-off, smart and modern as many other cities, and I was sur- prised by how different it was not njet School plays a huge part. On chairs had been crammed. That from Europe when driving down the second Saturday of the trip we evening we went to the house of the main road. Yet as soon as all went on the community walk Joseph Rono, whose living area we left that road we were on to where various secondary stu- was larger and in many ways a lot an uneven, unlit track dotted with dents took us to their homes. As nicer than mine here in Essex! Yet shacks with hand-written signs anticipated (though still as hard- all these homes belong to people saying “SUPERMARKET” or “Cof- hitting for us as ever), there was a who attend Mogonjet School in fins for sale”. This was the der- tiny home-made mudhut with one some shape or form. They live and elict, unsafe ‘third world’ that has bed that slept five people – condi- work within the same community become the stereotype for charity tions that didn’t seem feasible for and yet their finance, possessions work in Africa, yet it was a minute’s living. Yet another student lived and general lifestyle is completely different from each other’s.

Also very remarkable on this trip were of course the chil- dren we met. The residents of New Hope are the hap- piest, most joyful group of people I’ve ever met (second only to their grandmothers in the Grandmothers’ Village we visited). Constantly singing, dancing and praising God for the blessings he gives them, they almost seem unaware of how little they have materially. We were constantly smiling when around them because their intense glee was so in- fectious, but on the final night THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 20 there, the entire mood in our party at Mogonjet are lovely, welcom- excursion but also the area that was turned on its head. Auntie Ce- ing and enthusiastic people, they is being visited. The partnership cilia told us all the backstories of by no means use the best teach- with Mogonjet and the trip thereto various residents at the Centre, ing methods. At secondary level are really unique in that respect and they were horrific. To think everything is learning by rote, and and as a large part of KEGS life I that some of these children had most students don’t understand would consider it a high priority of been neglected, malnourished, the reasoning or method behind the school to keep it progressing. even victims of attempted mur- the answers they are learning. In der, and yet had the widest, most primary the teachers don’t turn up consistent smiles of any group to the lessons a large percentage As the seventh set of 12 Mogonjet- of people was remarkable and of the time. And in the face of all ters prepares to leave for Kenya, will surely stay with me for a long this the children are still unfath- Joseph Rono, Chair of Governors time. This was then reciprocated omably enthusiastic and eager to of Mogonjet School sends an open at Mogonjet, where I couldn’t be- learn. It is an attitude unheard of in letter to all who have supported our lieve how eager the students and England, even at a school of more Kenyan partners and talks about pupils were to learn. On our first enthused learners such as KEGS. the benefits of the partnership morning there, a class of prima- between KEGS and Mogonjet: ry children dragged me into their It is because of this enthusiasm for classroom, thrust a chalk into my learning that I think KEGS’ part- ‘On behalf of Mogonjet schools hand and started cheering, “Teach nership is essential. Our school (Primary and Secondary) and the maths! Teach maths!” Similarly the can inspire both students and po- Mogonjet community at large, I secondary students listened to all tentially even staff as we introduce wish to express profound satisfac- of our lessons intently and, while more interactive, creative and re- tion and deep appreciation with unused to contributing to lessons liable teaching methods. Eager- regard to the wonderful partner- in an interactive way, had a great ness to be taught deserves to be ship we have with KEGS. A lot has been realised which includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Friendly ties among KEGS and Mogonjet students • Mutual exchange of teach- ing techniques among teachers • Appreciation of cultural diversity • Improved infrastructure through financial assistance from KEGS – courtesy of Hand in Hand charity

It is my hope and prayer that the partnership will continue for the mutual benefit of both KEGS and Mogonjet. I have no doubt in my mind that the experienc- es in the lives of KEGS students enthusiasm for learning and of- rewarded with good teaching and upon visiting Mogonjet will go a ten talked about how education support, and while we may not long way in preparing them for was more important than nearly have the greatest influence over a selfless and boundless future. anything else in life. What made how the students are taught, our this particularly surprising for me financial support as well as the Long live KEGS, long live Mogo- though was that the enthusiasm annual visit can really aid them in njet!’ was so substantial despite the improving the education given to teaching to which they are used these deserving students. What is Joseph Rono (Chair of Governors, being so poor. There’s no denying remarkable about this trip is that Mogonjet School) via Helen Wilt- the fact that, while the teachers it benefits not only those on the shire THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- SOCIETIES 21 Eco-Schools Year 8s take part in an ‘Eco-Morning’

ecently, the year eights had we were split into groups to create Year 8 Eco-Morning winners: Rthe opportunity to take part in a project. In the computer room we an introductory morning to Eco were given different things to pre- Rising sea level- 8M Schools. The day started with sent about, including, rising sea Dan Risk a briefing by our team leaders levels, fracking, species extinction Dan Fredrickson where we thought and collated and acid rain. After creating the Jamie Horobin ideas about what’s wrong with the presentations on what a billion- James Mitty school environmentally and what aire should do with his money to can be done to rectify it. The feed- help the environment, groups pre- Acid rain- 8H back was then given back to the sented back to the class so that Rory Cowper Eco-Schools for us to act upon. we all had knowledge of the most Mihir Mehrotra major issues that we face today. Daniel Oster After the brainstorming, we went There were some great presenta- Michael Wong outside to do some litter picking. tions and they were very informa- It is surprising how much rub- tive. Overall it was a great morn- Extinction of species- 8S bish is strewn about, and yet we ing and I hope it benefitted people Kieran Bennett don’t notice it at all when running and showed them what we do in Jamie Parker-Ward around or walking past. It was very Eco-Schools. Joseph McLaughlin surprising to see after 15 minutes Anand Bhardwaj Edward French that two whole bin bags had been 8M filled. I hope that people are now Kristoff Alhner Extinction of species-8T more aware of the huge amount 9M Thomas Yardley, of litter around. After we had col- James Wright, lected theses bags of rubbish we Reuben Asher, went back in to find out some more Kyle McMullen about Eco benefits. Max Langworthy For the remainder of the morning Mogonjet Trip The annual trip to our partner school in Kenya he annual trip to Kenya is ing in the school was exactly like my heart and I am so glad about Tsomething that everyone in the being in a KEGS classroom. the amazing work that KEGS school knows about and is proud to does in fundraising for our partner be associated with. Not only does Our group was very mixed and that school. I would like to thank Sue it inspire the students to fundraise made the trip even better because Smith and Hand in Hand for help- for our partner school, but it also we were all able to bond over dif- ing to organise the trip and keep it makes them want to make a dif- ferent things and use our different running smoothly, and being there ference in the world. This is some- qualities to make the best out of to help whenever needed, as well thing that is very unique to KEGS the trip and teaching at the school as Ms Wiltshire, for making the and why the partnership between in general. It is fair to say that on trip so memorable - the students the two schools is so special. our visit we made lifelong friends all had great respect for ‘Teacher with the Mogonjet students and Helen’, and I know that the they When we set off on our two week that it was clear that the union be- were so happy to see us all and long journey having little technol- tween these schools would remain welcome us into their school and ogy seemed a great feat and it felt intact for many years to come. lives. I would also like to thank Mr that we would be unable to survive Thomlinson for being a great guide without it, but when we arrived at The trip was life-changing, and on the trip and also being our top our destination we were welcomed I can honestly say that I will re- striker in the annual Mogonjet v so warmly especially when we member it fondly for many years KEGS football match! went to Mogonjet School, it felt like to come. Mogonjet and all its stu- Teresa Soares a home away from home. Teach- dents will have a special place in 13B THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- TRIPS 22 World Challenge A trip through the majestic Silk Route s an expedition rather than just two nights in the felted pavilions of built military transport lorry with Aan adventure (in World Chal- a Kyrgyz yurt camp amid herds of gigantic tyres that thought noth- lenge terminology), there were cows, horses and Bactrian camels, ing of bouncing along seemingly high expectations and excitement and enjoyed the comfort of show- impassable boulder-strewn river- in the group that this trip, to em- ers in a makeshift wooden shack: beds) – and delivered to a high brace three of the five countries standing on wooden pallets, water mountain valley, where the main of Central Asia, would really put tipped over the head out of hand- trek was to begin. Our only day of the challenge in World Challenge. held jugs and basins from a water serious rain saw us eating lunch It did not disappoint. As if the re- tank heated by hardened cakes of huddled tight as sardines under gion were not remote enough in animal dung. Not far away outside, the emergency shelter, forced to itself, our first sight of Kyrgyzstan strung out to dry between two of the take it in turns to raise hand to as we emerged at dawn onto the yurts like washing on a line, were mouth for the next bite, so scarce airstrip at Bishkek airport, was of a the strips and cuts of meat that was the room for manoeuvre. That breathtaking backdrop of serrated would go to make up our evening evening, so dark was the campsite, snow-capped mountains looming stew, washed down with tangy fer- so wet the conditions, so exhaust- like a frozen tidal wave over the mented mare’s milk. But after the ed the team, that one of us found capital. invigorating privations of the pre- himself obliged to stir the evening vious four days in the wilderness, meal, a stew in a cauldron, with After two days of cultural acclima- this all felt like the lap of luxury. his bare hand for lack of anything tising and provisioning in the folk- more suited to the task – one of lorically bustling Oshsky Bazaar A drive of over 100km along a dirt many heroic acts of individual en- we headed off into these forbidding track restored us to tarmac and durance for the collective benefit. ranges. Canubek, a Kyrgyz herder, asphalt, for the first time in nearly There were plenty of these over accompanied us with a team of a week, and we drove to the east- the course of four weeks, and eve- three horses to carry food supplies ernmost reaches of the country, rybody sooner or later was called (including some hundred loaves along the southern shore of Issyk on to put up with something unwel- of issyk non – hot bread – bought Kul, the second largest saline lake come for the sake of others. fresh in Kochkor, the last town we in the world, cupped between the would see for a week). Our accli- most majestic snowy ranges im- The trekking was arduous and matisation trek of four days, camp- aginable, part of the enormous spectacular: up beetling valleys ing wild by mountain rivers and Tien Shan system (‘Mountains of amid fir and juniper, walking and cooking evening meals over Tran- Heaven’) that constitute the north- sleeping alongside deafening tor- gia gas stoves, took us through ernmost spurs of the Himalaya rents, emerging as the vegetation rocky gorges, past Scythian burial and rise in places to 7,500m: to died out altogether onto panoram- mounds like Celtic long barrows, the north the Kengey Alatau, and ic cols which afforded a glimpse and up grassy valleys carpeted to the south the Terskey Alatau even of some of the enormous with edelweiss, climbing eventually (respectively, the Sunlit Range and peaks on the Chinese border: to a final pass at nearly 4,000m. the Shadowy Range). It was to the named, perhaps not so imagina- On both treks, we were advised to second of these, the darker (be- tively, in a period of bygone ideal- take the medication supplied in the cause north-facing) one, that we ism, pik Lenin ... pik Communism World Challenge kit to forestall al- would be taken for our main trek. ... pik Pobedy (‘Victory’). titude sickness – and it seemed to work, for all of us, in as much as But not before some truly wonder- The climax was an ascent to a nobody at any point experienced ful accommodation in a homestay turquoise-blue glacial lake, Ala serious symptoms of altitude sick- that allowed us to rally strength, Kol, on whose verges there was ness beyond the briefly dizzy, and replenish supplies, and visit sites just room to erect our tents, and in pins-and-needles-style tingling in of interest, in the fourth largest whose icy waters there was time the extremities brought on by the city of the country: Karakol. On for the most refreshing dip of our medication itself. The final descent the Wednesday morning, we were lives: to one side, the glacier itself to relative civilisation brought us to invited to pile, along with all group nosed its way towards us like a the shores of Son Kul, an alpine kit and our seven native porters, huge white slug moving infinitely lake at 3,000+m, where we spent into a monstrous Kamaz (Soviet- slowly, while to the other, the wa THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- TRIPS 23 ter of the lake spilled out through a birthday in some style, at altitude. the other hand: the tomb of this narrow channel in the rocky mar- Certainly, we could not have asked hero of the Russian Imperial Geo- gin to gush down the valley and for a finer beauty spot – in Swit- graphical Society, and the guided demonstrate to us where some at zerland (with which Kyrgyzstan is tour round the museum nearby, least of the ceaseless mountain often compared) the valley would reminded us how costly had been streams had their headwaters. have been packed with tiers of lux- the late-nineteenth-century map- The climax was an ascent to a tur- ury accommodation and expen- ping of this part of the world, and quoise-blue glacial lake, Ala Kol, sive facilities, all jostling for pride just how epic the expeditions of on whose margin there was just of place to command the view this explorer as he ventured into room to erect our tents. A splosh north towards the soaring, sym- then uncharted parts of the world: was heard as Dr Wheeler plunged metrical whiteness of pik Palatka the Russian far east around mod- into the freezing waters, leading (‘Tent Mountain’, so named be- ern Vladivostok, and four major the way for the rest of us to take cause of its shape) – but at Altyn sorties into the mountains and the most refreshing dip of our Arashan, there is (so far) only the deserts of Western China and lives: rather like rolling in crushed merest sprinkling of tiny yurts and Central Asia (the territory, in other ice. makeshift cabins, with more than words, then known as Turkestan), enough room for all to drink in the none of them quite succeeding It is hard to imagine a more dra- scenery and the revitalising moun- in attaining the ultimate goal of matic landscape. The next and fi- tain air. reaching the Potala Palace itself, nal day saw us rise again to a spec- the residence of the Dalai Lama in tacular saddle at nearly 4,000m, A week on from our original arrival Lhasa, remotest Tibet. with snow still on the north-facing in this range, a second monstrous slopes, where we paused for pho- Kamaz (Soviet military transport A coach journey, this time round tographs before plunging vertigi- such as one might remember the northern shore of Issyk Kul, nously down a 300m scree run from images of the invasion of Af- saw us back in Bishkek, and bid- – possibly one of the more nerve- ghanistan in late 1979) gathered ding farewell to Ira, our doughty racking moments on the trek. So us up, and threaded and bounced Russian guide, at the very hotel physically fit were we by now, that its way 30km down the Arashan where she had originally met us not only could we take this steep gorge between and over the rock- two and a half weeks previously. and rapid descent in our stride, but falls lining the valley-side, to rejoin She had a kind and individualised our Russian guide collapsed the the tarmacked road system at Ak parting word for every member last two days’ trekking into one, Su, from where a short journey of the group, and we were sad to and late that afternoon we arrived, brought us back to Karakol and a say goodbye as she accepted our exhausted but exhilarated, a day sharpened sense of the luxury of gifts, and reimbursement for her early at our final destination: Al- small comforts. We said goodbye unforeseen expenses on our be- tyn Arashan (‘Golden Spa’) where to our stalwart porters, somewhat half en route (she had been forced we encamped in a field alongside in awe of their ability to perse- to pay off a sort of highwayman- a Russian-built log cabin that had vere and always arrive ahead of herder who had galloped up on served once as a meteorological us (and even put up our tents for horseback and tried to block our station and mountain-rescue cen- us on one occasion) in spite of passage up the valley in which he tre, but was now, under the inimi- being rather less well equipped held the grazing rights). table tutelage of Valentin, a sim- than we: no walking poles, rather ple hostel with hot springs in which ramshackle footwear compared We now faced westwards, prepar- guests could wallow after the rig- to our own heavy-duty boots, and ing to leave for a testing three-day ours of the heights. KEGS made columnar packs that obscured journey, in two minibuses travelling good use of this ... accompanied them from behind, each containing in convoy, which would involve ex- by readings from George Lowe’s some 20kg of our foodstuffs on top iting Kyrgyzstan, transiting south- Letters from Everest, compiled by of their own kit. There were cele- ern Kazakhstan and spending a Hillary’s fellow New Zealander on brations that evening in Karakol ! the Everest expedition, so that we There was also a slight sense of learnt (as we soaked) how not to relief, mixed with incipient nostal- slaughter a yak, the hardships of gia, that the mountain treks were life at 8,000m, or what Hillary’s now behind us. The challenge was mischievous first words had been certainly not over, though. A visit on descending from the success- to the Przhevalski memorial, on ful summit attempt. We were also the eastern shore of Issyk Kul, put able to celebrate Dr Wheeler’s our own efforts in perspective on THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- TRIPS 24 night in its city of Taraz (former Kum desert, and the villages, in- the stony ground in which to lay Dzhambul), then bypassing indus- habited by Tajiks, gaze across the a pipe that would deliver water to trial Shimkent to arrive in Tash- sands to Lake Aidar Kul, shimmer- the school (the local children had kent (capital city of Uzbekistan) ing like a mirage on the northern all had to bring their own to school on the third evening. The delicious horizon. We enjoyed another won- with them until now – and it was mountain ridges of Kyrgyzstan, derful homestay in a typical village these children, and their school- the very sight of whose icy-white house: deeply shaded around a teacher Aslan, who were our work- summit-lines was refreshment to stream, among fruit trees of every partners: our arrival each morn- those sweltering in the plains be- description (including the mulber- ing would trigger a host of little low, gradually petered out to our ries whose leaves provide the food donkey-journeys as the children left and slipped out of view behind for bombyx mori, the silkworm). converged on us for work, from all us. An endless steppe flatly sur- The dwellings were of biblical corners of the village). We were ef- rounded us on every side, without simplicity: rectangular blocks of fectively that village’s hamash (vol- variation, for two days (and more, mud-brick, with rugs strewn on the untary work party, a local tradition had we delved into the heart of floor. Rahmat was our host, and comparable to the sort of thing in- Kazakhstan!). The infrastructure the women of his family, in three volved in an Amish ‘barn-raising’). bespoke a much wealthier national generations (his mother, sister-in- For all the thanklessness of plying economy, on the other hand, com- law, and nieces), looked after us: pick and mattock in temperatures pensating perhaps for the relative the cooking and washing hap- of 35ºC to 40ºC, the work proved poverty of the scenery. This coun- pened in the open air, with water highly rewarding and enjoyable for try, the ninth largest in the world by gathered from the stream. Chick- the team, both for the novelty of it surface area, has a population of ens, cats, dogs, cows, a goat, and (few, if any, had ever done heavy just 17 million. Having said that, a donkey were our daily compan- manual work of this sort before), we shared briefly the experience, ions, not forgetting the matutinal and for the hugely gratifying sight, which for some locals must be an crowing of a cockerel. Our meals at the end of three solid days, of almost daily occurrence, of nego- were served under two walnut seeing the clear water issuing from tiating border crossings, into Ka- trees, whose shade is reputedly the standpipe at the corner of the zakhstan and Uzbekistan respec- the coolest available from Eastern school, a mile away from where we tively: herded like animals along Europe to Kyrgyzstan... there were had started digging. fenced walkways in the blazing tapchans (the ubiquitous Central sun, carrying all belongings, queu- Asian tea-beds) nearby. The apri- The children were now more our ing interminably first to be admit- cots, nuts, apples, tomatoes, mul- friends than ever! The village el- ted to the immigration hall, then to berries, melon and watermelon ders from Ohum joined us that fill out the declaration form, then were all home-grown. The sheep evening for a farewell celebration to present it to the relevant official. which was slaughtered for us in which included them singing and With considerable relief we arrived front of our very eyes one even- dancing to the doira. We had by as dusk fell in a leafy neighbour- ing came from a neighbour’s flock now, then, completed our trek- hood of Tashkent, among foreign – although it had been the job of king phase, and our project phase embassies and splendid residenc- four of the KEGS boys to catch it (and, for all its brevity, this was in es, for a night of relative luxury in and bundle it into the car for the some ways the most pleasing): a hotel with hot showers en suite, journey back to base. The dear only one phase remained to us, carpeted stairs, and a chande- creature reacted with amazing and this was rest and relaxation. liered dining room. equanimity to all this treatment, We were delivered to a yurt camp and never seemed in the least near the shores of Aidar Kul, and We encountered Uzbek currency distressed. Medical students (or enjoyed an afternoon swim in for the first time, and learnt to oper- prospective ones, I should say!) the lake, followed by camel rides ate in hundreds of thousands and were particularly fascinated by the among the dunes of the Kyzyl millions of the local denomination, dissection involved, and stepped Kum (‘Red Desert’), perched on the som: each of us was given forward to examine and handle saddles between the variously tur- half a million to look after, a wodge the internal organs and their inter- gid and flaccid twin humps of Bac- which added significantly to the connections as they were progres- trian camels. bulk and weight of our daysacks! sively detached. A further minibus drove us the next morning, out of the capital and Our days were spent in the next- into the remoter and poorer areas door village, Ohum, under a blaz- around Jangiqishloq, where the ing sun, hacking a one-and-a- Nuratau mountains meet the Kyzyl half-kilometre-long channel out of THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- TRIPS 25 An akyn (traditional folksing- er) from the semi-autonomous Karakalpakh minority in the far north of the country arrived, at- tired in his native folk costume, af- ter the evening meal to serenade us and fellow guests around the large campfire, to the accompani- ment of the dombura (long-necked lute). When he moved on, KEGS settled down for the last hour of firelight to listen to a reading of Matthew Arnold’s Sohrab & Rus- tum, and what more suitable place could there be for one: on the red sands of the Kyzyl Kum, under the stars, near an inland lake that is quarter), we were ideally placed the team were proactive and en- cousin to the Aral Sea. to explore the historic centre with ergetic about seeing as many

its numerous madrassahs, mau- sights as possible in this touristi- Skirting the northern reaches of solea, bazaars and minarets, all in cally rich city: all found their way the Nuratau range the next day, we desert-coloured stone with domes to the Shah-i-Zindan, and some came after a four-hour bus journey of deep-blue faience – not forget- even reached the Ulug Beg ob- to the fabled city of Bokhara, capi- ting of course the infamous Ark or servatory, and the archaeological tal of possibly the most notorious royal fortress-cum-residence over- park of Afrasiab with its museum Central Asian emirate of them all, looking the Registan. to the Sogdian city of Maracanda which only finally met its end with that Alexander encountered when the Bolshevik revolution in 1920 A very early train journey, on he passed through in the 320s BC. that ushered in the short-lived and the antepenultimate day of the now-forgotten Bokharan People’s trip, brought us to Samarkand at The final afternoon and evening Soviet Republic, subsumed in around midday, and another very returned us, by train, to that hotel 1925 into the Uzbek SSR under pleasant hotel with tapchans un- in a leafy neighbourhood of Tash- Lenin’s new boundaries. The team der an iwan, named after and kent, ready for return flights to the were determined to make the run by Zarina, widow of the erst- UK, via Istanbul, early the next most of their time both here and while professor of French at the morning – Tuesday 5th August. It in Samarkand, and implemented a university. There were evocative was hard to register the fact that packed and well-organised sched- black-and-white photographs of we had been together as a group ule of sightseeing, including outly- this husband guiding Presidents for a whole month now: relations ing sights such as the Emir’s sum- Pompidou and Mitterand round were still so harmonious as we said mer palace, and the Naqshbandi the hulking ruins of Tamerlane’s goodbye to our Expedition Leader shrine complex. Based in the love- capital – all the more evocative for Iona Pawson (who, for sheer pro- ly surroundings of the Lyab-i-Hauz the stark contrast with those self- fessionalism, experience, patience Hotel (a former merchant’s house, same ruins as they appear and photographic skill must be now, a bare fifteen years one of World Challenge’s finest), later. Huge restoration has and returned to KEGS in high spir- gone on, in parallel with its. Some of this was down to the the nationalist revival and sheer stimulus and rich variety of the rehabilitation of Timur all we had experienced – but some as founding father, so that was down to the self-awareness the Bibi Khanoum mosque, and good-humoured determina- the Gur-i-Emir mausoleum, tion of the group themselves. I and the world-famous Reg- could not have asked for better. istan shine as if built only yesterday. We were only Mr Garcia with splendid internal courtyard Dr Wheeler in the city for some 24 hours (an and towering iwan, that was part School Leaders afternoon and evening, and then of the city’s immemorial Jewish a long morning), but once again, THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- TRIPS 26 Asia-Minor Trip ‘Asia is rich in people, rich in culture and rich in resources. It is also rich in trouble.’

of us had an earpiece wirelessly registering the narrative transmitted from his mouthpiece) to his inter- pretations of ruined archaeological sites, national monuments and glo- rious landscapes glimpsed through the coach windows, was what an interestingly demanding and varied profession that of a guide must be, in countries such as Turkey where the system is still so strong and the concern to attend professionally to visitors so noticeable.

Our six days were packed with riches: we were taken directly from the airport to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Grand Bazaar; then, on the here cannot be many parts of Our own trip coincided with an al- next morning, to the Topkapi Pal- the world where the cultural together more desperate situation T ace, National Archaeological Mu- and continental interface is more in Turkey, affecting the streets even seum and the Hippodrome. The pronounced, where history comes of ‘downtown’ Istanbul (though it following afternoon saw us trav- more thickly layered – nor, indeed, took the more carefully attuned elling down the tapering western where so many of the subjects on sensitivity of our guide to point this sea-board of the Sea of Marmara, the KEGS curriculum can be said out to us): refugees from the Syr- to the impossibly remote seeming to have originated. Freya Stark, in- ian situation have been flooding peninsula that is Gallipoli – just trepid connoisseur of Turkey in the into this neighbouring country, in before the centenary celebrations days before mass tourism, from hundreds of thousands, and beg on 25th April. The splash of poppy the easternmost interior to the for alms in gutturalised Turkish. red in the photo marks the plastic Asia Minor seaboard, wrote in her seating erected on the spot over- inimitable style at the opening to Sedat Cakmak, our guide for the looking ANZAC Cove where the Ionia (John Murray, 1954): ‘Here, duration, was a model of encyclo- Australians above all congregate like a manuscript of which most of paedic knowledgeability and bilin- each year for the anniversary. the words are rubbed away, lay the gual helpfulness, shepherding us record of our story, of what – trick- around sites from bewilderingly Mr Pattenden was also on hand ling down the slopes of time to- different epochs, and able to dis- to tell us of three Old Chelmsford- wards us by devious runnels – has course from memory on each and ians killed during the campaign: made us what we are today.’ all in his excellent English (the fruit perhaps the first time that a KEGS of an education at an international group had ever visited their memo- We were also following, nearly school in Smyrna). When not ac- rials. Declan Hickey (Y11) wrote of a quarter of a century on, in the companying Anglophone school the visit: footsteps of KEGS predecessors, groups, he is as likely to be lead- who had arrived here to the tune ing gastronomic, ornithological or ‘Among the extensive and enrich- of two coachloads on a school botanical tours, or even at the very ing classical education provided visit in 1991: the photograph, of high end showing members of the to the cohort at first hand, be it ex-Deputy Head David Bishop in international hunting or shopping atop the wondrous hills of Per- contact with a couple of the Is- community where to bag the best gamum, or surrounded by the re- tanbul locals, nicely captures the finds, be it in wilderness or high maining edifices of Troy, or before exoticism of our host country – so street. Not the least of our impres- the steps which ascend to the re- near, yet so far! sions, as we tagged along listening stored Library of Celsus at Ephe- through our ‘Whispers’ sets (each sus, our attention was turned mid- THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- TRIPS 27 way through the trip to the more the canteen. The two officers were ago. Not being able to resist test- contemporary aspects of the re- buried side-by-side at Lancashire ing the acoustics, I rushed down to gion’s history. Indeed, not only did Landing. the bottom of this huge cavea and the visits to the First World War started shouting up at my friends cemeteries allow for insights into Just across the contested Straits still at the top. What was amazing the events of the early twentieth of the Dardanelles was the site of was, despite the fact that I was century and poignant reflections Ancient Troy, as the officers at Gal- about 50 rows below them, on an on them, but also the chance to lipoli were all too aware, not least open slope with the wind battering see a unique piece of KEGS his- among them Rupert Brooke, and us, they could hear every word – tory (in a rather unexpected part they meditated on the ironies of a true testament to the ingenious of the world!) It was at the Lanca- this proximity in English verse: an- invention of the Greeks: that all shire Landing Cemetery, just west other mighty and composite inva- those years ago they could build of Cape Helles, that the head- sion force from the west, beached these huge theatres and yet eve- stone of Second Lieutenant M. and caught in a prolonged show- ryone could hear without any kind S. Straight, an Old Chelmsfordian down with local defenders. One of of artificial amplification.’ himself - in the most appropriate our own Y11s responded – as only sense of the title - could be seen. (perhaps not even!) a KEGS boy Ollie Parkes (Y11), for his part, The claim that this group is quite could – to the proximity by going was comparably affected: The possibly the only set of KEGS staff one better, choosing to meditate Greek (and then Roman) acropolis and pupils to have ever witnessed on the proximity in Homeric hex- of Pergamon sits imposingly on a this grave is not simply one of his- ameters! hill, high above the modern city of torical significance, but one which Bergama. Its remains are a mar- warrants huge gratitude for the op- We ourselves saw Troy on the fol- vellous example of the arresting portunity to be at such proximity to lowing morning, and having read power Classical settlements can somebody who walked the same parts of the Iliad in the Bronze Age still hold over those who visit them. corridors as the readership of this cistern at Agamemnon’s palace of The Temple of Trajan, partially re- very publication and subsequent- Mycenae on a previous Classics constructed, stands tall enough ly lost his life in such remarkable trip, we now completed the circle that it can be seen on the hill from by reading parts of the Iliad on the a distance, and its brilliant white stage at Ilium itself – our reader marble captures some of the pomp was called Phoebe, what’s more! of the Roman spirit. More impres- The Odeon where we performed sive yet is its Hellenistic theatre, was admittedly only of Roman capable of seating 10,000 visitors, date, and had been renovated by which was carved straight out of that most philhellenic of Emperors, the rock of the hill. The landscape Hadrian, but this recital, along with around the theatre is so impres- the views to the Dardanelles (& the sive that the skēnē, or stage, used Gallipoli monuments), and the sight to be removed after performances of Schliemann’s excavation trench, so as not to ruin the view. There were definite high points. is much to Pergamon’s history: it was one of the intellectual hubs of A very high point, in every sense, the ancient world, the birthplace of was the citadel of Pergamum that parchment, and a principal Roman circumstances is never one to be afternoon, perched like an eagle’s city of Asia Minor, but as we were underestimated. Needless to say, nest on its crag: Ross Moncrieff walking through its grand remains it was both the classical and the (Y12) writes: a rather more visceral feeling hit contemporary which made this trip me, for this city is an example of as fruitful as it was.’ ‘Having taken the cable car up the the splendour and ingenuity with hill to the ancient city of Perga- which the ancients lived their lives, Born in 1889, and educated at mum I was immediately struck by and because of that, in addition to KEGS from 1901 to 1903, Mar- how complete the city was. Much its historical value, it is a symbol of shall Stuart Straight of the 1st Bat- of it is still intact, with vast pillars why there is still a passion to learn talion, the Essex Regiment, along rising out of the ground every about the classical world.’ with a brother officer, was killed where you look. Most impressive by an aircraft bomb on W Beach was the Greek Theatre – it was From the birthplace of European on Christmas Eve 1915.They had completely intact with the seats fiction, and the site of one of the gone down to buy luxuries from still as they were over 2,000 years most famous libraries of antiquity, THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- ENGLISH- TRIPS 28 most famous libraries of antiquity, the route took us south past the watery birthplace of philosophy near the mouth of the eponymous river Meander, where Thales had sparked off that strand in rational speculation about existence that became our modern subject. What a gift to have the streets of Ephe- sus to ourselves for an hour and a half on that penultimate morn- ing: And soon afterwards, over- looking its bay, with its Crusader Castle, czame Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, where Herodo- tus (sometimes known as ‘Father of History’, when not father of lies) began the western historio- graphical tradition – and indeed bequeathed us the word history.

Mr F. Garcia Head of Classics

Stratford-upon-Avon Year 13 English students on an annual trip to William Shakespeare’s birthplace n Wednesday 3rd September, On Day Two of the trip, we left our arguments and on-stage sword Othe Year 13 English Pre-U co- hostel in the morning to meet one fights a chance to get their fill of hort embarked on the annual trip of the practitioners at the RSC for historical drama, and although the to Stratford-upon-Avon- the birth- a workshop on the play we would history was not known by all of the place of William Shakespeare- be watching in the afternoon: KEGS audience, the play was still for a chance to enjoy three pro- ‘Two Gentleman of Verona’. This enjoyed for its excellent perform- ductions performed by the Royal proved most useful for understand- ers. Shakespeare Company as well as ing the plot of this play that few of learn more about the famous Bard the students knew much about, On the final day, we were given a and the play that we would be but also in terms of appreciating very insightful talk by a RSC lec- studying by him for the next year in how performance can really bring turer on ‘Measure for Measure’, class- ‘Measure for Measure.’ to life Shakespeare’s plays. Our which gave us a brief introduc- After hastily being told to find attempts at dramatically acting tion to our exam text and what to somewhere to eat for dinner, hav- out parts of the text ourselves in look out for whilst studying it, and ing arrived slightly later than ex- the workshop were only partially finally we visited Shakespeare’s pected, our first outing was to successful, but this allowed us to childhood home and the museum see the evening production of appreciate even more the highly which holds a number of interest- ‘The White Devil’ - the token non- comic performance of the profes- ing artefacts associated with the Shakespearean play that students sionals in the afternoon; certainly Bard. The trip overall was cer- watch each year on the trip. This the highlight of the trip for many. tainly enjoyable and insightful, and modern production of the revenge Stratford-upon-Avon is definitely tragedy was full to the brim with In the evening, Pizza Express a place that should be visited by plots and murder even through to were more than happy to accept anyone interested by literature and the last minute, which many of the the forty of us for a dinner togeth- theatre. Our thanks go to the Eng- KEGS audience found to be ex- er; however that was not the end, lish Department for organising the hilarating, even if those closest to as still to be enjoyed was our final trip. the stage were left fully shaken by theatre visit of the trip. Henry IV Will Tilbrook the resounding noise of gun shots. Part 1 gave those who love tense 13E THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- GENERAL 29 KEGS DIGIT Festival The annual celebration of technology and innovation at KEGS

EGS was the focus for local ing and assembling their projects so I take this opportunity to say a Ktechnology fans on Saturday for competitions. The Games huge thank you to them too. 15 November when over 1200 Room team managed to transform visitors attended DIGIT 2014, an the Drama Studio into a fully fea- Our thanks too to the sixth form increase in numbers of over 50% tured gaming den, complete with volunteers - led by school captain on last year! From students to mood lighting and pumping mu- Henry Allen - who worked tire- businessmen, from the very young sic. In Room 28, Year 9 student, lessly through the day, perform- to the retired, and from locals to Ephraim Chappidi, hosted an ing any job asked of them with an those further afield, they all testi- entire room on his own this year, irrepressible enthusiasm and in- fied to having a fantastic time! fectious positivity. Thank you for all your efforts, without which we sim- The event, which this year was ply could not have run the event. sponsored by Chelmsford based technology giant, e2v, was packed Thanks to the Chef Perry and with interactive exhibits showcas- staff, the Site Team, and the IT ing the latest technology and in- team for their part of making DIG- novation from a city which has a IT such a success. And a final proud history as a global player in thank you to KEGS governor Jill this field. DIGIT welcomed back Attenborough, who came up with some favourites from last year, the concept of DIGIT last year, including Essex Cricket Club in and also to governors Christine the Gym, the BAE Systems Mind- Aldridge and Jane Corsham. storms Challenge and the recy- showing off the gadgets he had All three have given their time to cling Dinosaurs, but some ex- gleamed from reviewing products DIGIT, both before the event, and cellent new displays too. These for companies. on the day, for which we are most included a fascinating interactive grateful. science room from e2V and their Project 9 tutors continued to im- amazing thermal imaging devices press with their knowledge and And so DIGIT is over for another in the dark room; and also DIGIT insight, with programming work- year, but the technology and in- newcomer Visteon with their sight- shops and the like over-subscribed novation continues. We hope that operated computer screens. In and remarkably effective. Well this has served as an inspiration fact, the entire event was packed done to all involved for taking on to you all to continue seeking out full of interesting and engaging dis- the responsibilities maturely and new solutions to technical chal- plays and made for a great day out rigorously and delivering such a lenges, and to pioneering the next for all those that came. We were high quality programme. A special generation of science and tech- especially pleased that DIGIT took mention must go to Ben Williams, nology. place just days after the success Nick Sale, Jack Brittan, Peter of the first ever comet landing - at Munn, Asel Perera and Vivek which e2v and BAE Systems had Patel for their committed work as played a large part – and lots of Project 9 co-ordinators. visitors were particularly keen to find out more about this. Thanks too to Lindsey Thomp- son, who project managed the There was much more on show whole of DIGIT 2014, and who has this year from KEGS students: worked hard for the last 6 months in the Tech Block the engineer- ensuring everything was in place. ing mentors did a fantastic job of Her attention to detail was un- running the exhibit and explaining doubtedly a key part in the event Young Engineers club to visitors, running so smoothly. KEGS stu- while junior YE members were at dents too also played a huge part work showing their skills in creat- in the success of the festival, and Mr P. Leverett Head of Maths THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- HOUSE CHAMPIONSHIP 30 Holland Strutt 1st Place 2nd Place

James Coughlan Jon Onabowu

oming into the new year off the back of a re- he House Competition was the best of the last Csounding defeat, the determination to right the Tseven years- and that’s not just my biased opin- wrongs of the previous year was felt keenly by all ion. I have witnessed, and this year had the privilege in the house and inevitably it was this desire shown to oversee, the rise of Strutt from the house com- from every single person in the house that proved vi- petition’s notorious ‘whipping boy’, to an annual top tal to the returning the trophy to its rightful place with contender. This year was no exception. House Music Holland. There were successes across the board; is always one of the competition’s highlights. Spe- most notably the outstanding performances in our cial thanks has to be given to Lewis Hammond, who victorious House Music campaign, where Michael faced the Herculean task of organising rehearsals Clesham and Mark Ellis displayed both virtuosic and acts for the event. His efforts were rewarded as talent in performance and rugged determination in we narrowly lost by two points, marking the begin- organising the performances; it was an honour to ning of the tense rivalry between Strutt and Holland work with all involved in what was my proudest mo- that would endure throughout the year. Both hous- ment at KEGS. A competition is, however, nothing es took the lead at various points, culminating in without opposition and Strutt, Tindal and Mildmay House Drama, the competition of which was among have all been strong opponents and their perfor- the best I’ve ever seen; we really attend a talented mances have been some of the most impressive school. While I would have loved to have written the I’ve seen in my seven years here. They epitomise winning article, I am nonetheless extremely proud of the competitive, respectful and thoroughly enjoy- my house in what was a fantastic competition. The able way the house competition is conducted which House Spirit and relationship between the captains shows more than any individual success the true this year proved one of the greatest facets to life at spirit of the house competition at KEGS. Long may KEGS, the momentum of which will hopefully con- it continue. tinue long after we have gone. THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCHOOL- HOUSE CHAMPIONSHIP 31 Tindal Mildmay 3rd Place 4th Place

Antoinette Yeung & Lizzy O’Brien Alex Jackson

aking on the role of House Captains this year has ltimately, Mildmay did not triumph in this year’s Tbeen a challenge, following in the footsteps of UHouse Competition, yet this made the battle no last year’s house team, winners of the House Cham- less valiant. Katie-Jade did a remarkable job or- pionship in 2014. It has, however, definitely been one ganising Mildmay’s House Music performances, al- of the most enjoyable and exciting parts of being a though unfortunately things failed to turn out in Mild- KEGS student. We may have come third this year but may’s favour. Sports Captain Matt Hayter also did the house has competed with spirit and even came a fantastic job throughout, and this finally paid off first place after house cooking and house tug of war, when, even in the dying embers of the competition showing that it was not an impossible feat to climb to when many felt all was lost, Mildmay fought just as the top again. We would like to take the opportunity to fiercely as they had throughout the year to secure a thank our house team and everyone who participat- victory at Sports Morning. Thanks go to my depu- ed and supported events for being so passionate and ties, Connor and Luke for always lending a hand in dedicated as the house competition would not have organisation and their peerless House Music and been possible without them. A special thanks goes Drama compèring. Thanks also go to Ms Walton to Mr Pattenden and the other house captains. Even who did a fantastic job in her first year as head of through the stress of organising events and lack of Mildmay. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I feel ideas for inspiring house assemblies, we can safely that this year, Mildmay House spirit has been at one say that it has been a wonderful experience that we of the highest levels I have experienced in my time have thoroughly enjoyed. We have no doubt that Tin- at KEGS. Staying so involved in the House system dal will be able to achieve great things again this year was a great way to round off my seven years, full of and we wish them all the best of luck! nostalgia and emotion. I have every faith that next year will be Mildmay’s year. 32 32 DTDT AS/A2/GCSEAS/A2/GCSE COURSEWORKCOURSEWORK 33 33 DT AS/A2/GCSE COURSEWORK 34 34 ARTART AS/A2/GCSEAS/A2/GCSE COURSEWORKCOURSEWORK 35 35 ART AS/A2/GCSE COURSEWORK THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- DRAMA 36 Our Country’s Good Mr French directing his début production

There have been plays at the Ralph Clark. In Ross Moncrieff’s clergyman, Shamika Tamhane as Grammar School for centuries nuanced performance, we see him the “compassionate, passionate” past. Long before the convict develop into a passionate, caring Lt Johnston, Shahzaib Asghar as ships brought early settlers to Syd- officer; the success of the play is the stargazer Dawes, Ellen Purse ney, long before Farquhar penned a personal triumph for him, too. as the cynical Faddy. Christian his comedy. The latest Director of His troupe are predictably trouble- van Sertima is superb as the guilt- Drama to bring his experience and some in their various ways. Keen- ridden hangman Ketch, and Amy enthusiasm to the school stage is est of all is stage-struck pickpock- Wang gives a colourful Meg, who James French, and his début pro- et Sideway, played with passion misconstrues Ralph’s search for duction has to be one of the most and superb physicality by Dominic women. But this is, above all, an memorable of recent years. Short, recreating Theatreland in ensemble piece – the Aborigine’s Sydney Bay. Temi Abiloye makes speeches are done chorally – Our Country’s Good, based on the most of Black Caesar, who and as such is spectacularly suc- The Playmaker by Thomas Kene- insists on being written in as a cessful – the tender love scenes, ally, shows us how theatre has the fashionable serving man. Isabella the impassioned arguments, the power to change people’s lives, George affectingly sketches the scraps of Farquhar. bringing refreshment and redemp- pathetic pessimist Arscott. And tion to the most troubled souls; Joe Richards is wonderfully deep Like the convicts before them, they a lesson for Secretaries of State as the autodidact philologist Wise- “acquitted themselves with great for Education, perhaps. French’s hammer, whose new prologue spirit, and received the praises of compelling, uncompromising pro- gives the play its title. the audience”. So wrote Tench, duction uses a large cast of sixth for, yes, this is a true story. Ketch form students and a vast acting The women range from shy, reluc- hanged no more convicts, Wise- area, including the aisles of the tant Mary, impressively character- hammer became a respected auditorium. And even before we ized by Elizabeth Hutchinson, to merchant in Sydney, and Sideway enter, we hear the creaking tim- her sulky, insolent friend [Freya did indeed get his own playhouse, bers of the Sirius, and the hundred Von-Claire] and the complex crimi- opening it with a tragedy by Rowe, lashes meted out for assaulting an nal Liz Morden [superbly cap- whose Jane Grey was rejected in officer. The setting is neutral – the tured by Hazel Ellender], whose favour of The Recruiting Officer. players remain with us throughout, redemption will prove the Gover- Richard Broadway sitting, lying, standing around, re- nor’s point, and whose trial and acting to the scenes before them, sentence cast a shadow over the each one preceded by a Brechtian rehearsal process. The play is fur- subtitle. ther threatened by the opposition of the bitter, resentful Major Ross, Once the fleet arrives in New brilliantly played, with palpable South Wales, the red-coated, menace, by Matthew Cassettari, powdered-wigged officers and the and his comic side-kick Campbell, convicts are brought together by a nicely done by Thomas Smith. shared venture, the staging of a Max Purkiss gives an intense, play. Not, it turns out, the Tragedy mesmerising performance as the of Jane Grey, but Farquhar’s pop- troubled Harry Brewer – the scene ular Recruiting Officer. The Gover- in which he rows an unresponsive nor, Captain Arthur Phillip, played Duckling [Jennifer Lamb] along with intelligence and gravitas by the coast is exquisitely crafted. Mark Ellis, is shooting wildlife and Lamb’s later “If you live” mono- discussing crime and punishment logue over Harry’s inert body is a with Collins and Tench [Joshua heartbreaking moment. Ashaye and Joe Pitt]. He first floats the idea of a play, but the task falls There are many more sterling to the nervous Second Lieutenant performances: Joy Echefu as the THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- PHILOSOPHY- TRIPS 37 Philosophy Trip KEGS Philosophers gain insights at a top university In March of 2015, Miss Patel and tures on different topics from our philosophy and whether moral- Dr. Wheeler took the Philosophy home-grown philosophers: Elise ity truly exists was incredibly use- students on a two day residential Horsham discussed the ‘Ethics of ful for us all, which will surely be trip to Cambridge, in which we Dreaming’, George Prinn posed reflected in our results. Before were able to look around the uni- the question of whether we live in lunch our final lecture came from versity and the city, whilst doing a multiverse, and William Tilbrook Dr Wheeler, who gave us some the occasional bit of philosophy. gave his thoughts on the value of extra-curricular knowledge in After the short coach journey to art. Tea and biscuit breaks were terms of his philosophical findings Cambridge, we walked to our ac- needed, to allow our minds to di- on Process Theories of Causa- commodation at Trinity Hall; this gest the new theories we had tion, which he has been working was made easier by Dr. Wheeler’s talked about. With the educational on in his own time. With every- elite status and backstreet knowl- aspect of our first day in Cam- thing finished up in Trinity Hall, we edge, as we were given access to bridge over, we attempted to play all tidied up our accommodation a shortcut through the beautiful our own game of BBC Radio 4’s and spent our final few hours in grounds of Kings College. Upon ‘Just a Minute’, with a philosophi- Cambridge walking around the reaching the auditorium in Trinity cal twist. However this started city visiting various book shops, College, we quickly got going with many debates within the crew museums and historic buildings; our philosophical activities, start- turning what was meant to be a only a small number of the many ing with a recap of Hume’s philos- light-hearted game into a tense af- things Cambridge has to offer. ophy taught to us by Dr. Wheeler. fair, with the rowdy crowd at times After a short break for lunch, we getting involved. After a thorough On behalf of the Philosophy stu- continued with a treasure hunt argument over the rules of the dents we would like to give a big around Cambridge for shops, col- game and one team eventually thank you to both Dr. Wheeler and leges and iconic features such as being named the winners, it was Miss Patel, who organized a fun and the famous Corpus Clock, giving nice to enjoy a bit of downtime informative trip, giving us an insight us a better understanding of the by watching Inception, which, de- into both a great city and university. historical city with the incentive of spite Elise’s lecture on dreaming, Easter eggs for the winning team. was still impossible to understand. Luke Jenkinson 13F & Arjun Kumar 13G Once we had headed back to the We began bright and early the auditorium, the first of a number of next morning with the day kick- student-led lectures got underway. ing off with a lecture from Miss Throughout the trip we heard lec- Patel. A revision session of moral THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- HISTORY 38 Never Forget Talk from a Holocaust survivor On the 9th of June 2015, Otto Is- the middle of the night, it was a As I said before, not all went to rael Deutsch visited our school very secretive operation. Otto’s plan, and as the war wore on, it and gave the Year 9’s a talk on mother and sister were held back was clear that most Jewish people how the Kinder Transport rescue by German Guards, denied their would not survive, so the children mission helped him and many last opportunity to say goodbye, would have to be kept longer than other Jewish children escape but somehow, Otto’s sister man- expected. Tragically Otto’s family Hitler’s Germany just before the aged to push her way through were a few of many, many Jews outbreak of WWII. He also talked and say goodbye to Otto, with killed in the duration of the war, about the trauma he experienced. her last emotional words being, but what makes it even more tragic “be a good boy over in England”. was the fact that his mother could When Otto first started talking to have escaped, but waited, out of us, he recalled very vividly the day When Otto arrived at the border love, for her husband to come out he came home to discover that between Holland and Germany, a of the labour camp with her daugh- Austria, where he grew up, had German guard, checking the child- ter, and fittingly, in Otto’s words his decided to side with Nazi Germa- rens paperwork, went to rip up Ot- mother and father died togeth- ny. He recalled how everyone was tos documentation so he couldn’t er in a small camp, where they crowded around a speaker relaying get through, but, in Otto’s words, were shot together behind a tree. a message from the Austrian lead- “Even the worst people have some er. Being so young he didn’t realise good in their hearts.” And the Otto is now 86 years old. He is one the implications of this decision. guard passed back the paperwork. of the last of the children who were part of the Kinder operation, most Otto experienced Krystallnacht, When they crossed the border, have died, so soon there will be during which he was ordered out Dutch farmers wives, entered the no one left alive to relay their story of a synagogue by his father, went train to supply them with bread, So it is our responsibility to tell our, to the park to play football, oblivi- and drinks, freshly made, to lift children who can in turn tell their ous to the seriousness of it all, as their morale. When they eventu- children about this tragic shame- he was just 10 years old. This was ally got to the coast, the first time ful part of history so this story where he first got to know about Otto had ever seen the sea, they is not and will not be forgotten. the Kinder Transport operation. got on a boat to sail to England Luke McCarthy 9M He went back home to his mum where families were arranged to and told her about how his friend look after them until the end of was going to England, but again the war … but all did not go to thought nothing of it. A few days plan. First of all there were not later, without Otto’s knowledge, his enough Jewish families to take mother queued all night to get one in the Jewish children, so some of the last spaces on the Kinder children had to be put with fami- transport trains. He managed to lies who had different beliefs, and get the 2nd to last spot. His mother also spoke a different language. then came back to tell him, that it was only him he would be travel- Despite all this, Otto has fond ling to England alone. He would memories of the time with his tem- be leaving his mother, father, and porary family, and remembers the sister behind. His parents and sis- mother in the family, taking her ter tried to sugar-coat the situation children aside saying “I have given saying that they would see him you all my love for the whole of your again soon, but in the grave real- life, whereas he has been taken ity, they knew that they wouldn’t, away from those who loved him, for Otto’s father had already been so we will love him more” However, sent to a labour camp and the Jews Otto was one of the luckier ones. were already being sent to Ghettos. Some had to go to families who didn’t want them due to the fact too When Otto left for England, in many were taken in to England. THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- HISTORY 39 Duxford Trip KEGS Historians visit historic air base Duxford Imperial War museum is the ground. Much to Mr. Worralls seum was closed, meaning that we the home of nearly 200 aircraft, excitement, we saw a whole range didn’t get to see aircraft such as the cars, tanks and vehicles. In April, of tanks, artillery and anti aircraft super-sonic blackbird SR-71 and Year 9, KEGS were lucky enough guns from different time periods. the hugely successful B-52 bomb- to take a visit to Britain’s largest We then moved on to the main er. However, there were still plenty aviation museum. The RAF oc- attraction of Duxford, its exten- of aircraft to look at, including the cupied the base through the First sive collection of aircraft spread chance to go inside a Concorde! and Second World War and now, across numerous hangers. We Year 9 very much enjoyed it has a collection of aircraft from looked at a fascinating range of this trip, and found it very in- early World War One airplanes, aircraft from the First and Second triguing to learn about the air- to modern day, state of the art, World War, to the Vietnam and planes. Thanks go to all the staff Typhoon fighter aircraft. KEGS Korean wars right up to modern who organized the trip for us. arrived bright and early ready for day. The purpose of the trip was to the impressive museum. Armed learn and appreciate more about Kristoffer Ahlner 9M with sheets and clipboards, we the aircraft that shaped our cur- set off to explore the different rent lives, and to create a poster hangers full of aviation history. showing the main key develop- Our first stop was the Land Warfare ments of a category of aircraft. museum, where we learnt about Unfortunately, at the time of our the progression of weaponry on visit, the American Air Warfare mu- Holocaust Memorial Day Keep the memory alive A group of Year 12 KEGS History remembrance talk was ‘Keep the was an extremely interesting students attended the annual Hol- Memory Alive’ as this will be the recount of his personal experi- ocaust Memorial Day Commemo- last major anniversary of the lib- ences and the audience listened ration held in the Council Chamber eration of the Nazi concentration intently to his harrowing version at the Civic Centre in Chelmsford. camps in which survivors are able of events and his survival in spite This year was of particular im- to take part in large numbers. of the intense hardship he faced. portance in remembering the A number of local schools were The Holocaust Memorial Com- atrocities of the Holocaust be- represented in the audience, memoration was a fitting way for cause January marked the 70th along with members of the public. the horrific events to be respect- anniversary of the liberation of Sam Wisbey took part in the Light- fully remembered by today’s Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet ing of the Memorial Candles cer- generation in the hope that such forces advancing through Eastern emony and read a memoir of Nazi events shall never be repeated. Europe. The theme of this year’s Holocaust survivor David Stoliar, who had unfortu- Ed Abbott 12B nately died dur- ing the past year. The main part of the evening was a personal interview with special guest, David Peterson. Born in Poland, David is a survi- vor of the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz- Birkenau and Ber- gen Belsen. This THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCIENCES 40 Boulogne Year 7s on their first trip abroad M and 7H spent the day in booklet. They had questions to an- nice to see them trying new food 7France last June. It is a fan- swer at different points during the and speaking French at every op- tastic opportunity for them to go day. Then, it was time for lunch portunity. abroad without their parents and and our visit to a sea life museum have a taste of independence in a called Nausicaa. There is a lot to This was a good warm up ahead foreign country. see in an hour and we had just of our trip to Alsace next October. enough time to have a look at the Thank you to Mme Midroit, Mrs We started early as usual and had souvenir shop! Finally, we made Bode and our Y12 students (Alex- our first stop over in a small mar- our way to a large supermarket ander Corsham, Ben Marlow and ket in Wimereux. The weather was where everyone found a way to George Twinn) who came along delightful and we enjoyed a short spend their last Euros. on the day and made this a pleas- stroll along the sea before finding ant and smooth experience for all. a café. Pupils sat to order a soft Pupils were very well behaved and Madame D. Selaj drink and started working on their made the most of the day. It was Teacher of French Geneva ‘In science there is only physics; all the rest is stamp collecting.’

n a cold November morning at the Reformation Wall which students at the Edelweiss restau- Olast year an eclectic cohort of sculpted Geneva’s fascinating his- rant, frequented for good reason Year 13 students, physicists and tory were favourites amongst all. by Geneva trip goers every year. non-physicists alike, huddled out- side the Old Church doors, buzz- After spending the morning of the The final day was spent firstly en- ing with excitement in anticipa- second day at the International joying the exhibits at the city’s sci- tion of the next three days to be Telecommunication Union, the ence museum, followed by visits spent in Geneva. After a surprise highlight of the trip for many stu- to the headquarters of global insti- celebrity sighting (according to Mr dents had finally arrived when we tutions, many of which are found Leverett) at the airport and a short arrived at Meyrin near the Fran- in the city. A personal highlight for flight, we arrived safely with most co-Swiss border. Learning about me and many others was the tour of the day fortunately still ahead arguably the most significant en- of the magnificent United Nations of us. gineering and scientific project of building, in which so many pivotal our time on television and in text- decisions impacted tremendously Taking in our new and impressive books was enlightening, but could on global relations since the es- surroundings, we made our way not possibly compare to the oppor- tablishment of the League of Na- through the bustle of Switzerland’s tunity of entering CERN itself. For tions in Geneva in 1920. Walking francophone metropolis towards all of us, the day spent was unfor- in the footsteps of those who de- our hostel near the lakefront. After gettable; from our very first lecture termined the course of modern being presented with an attrac- with Cambridge physicist Dr. Wil- history was a truly surreal experi- tively large wad of Swiss Francs liam Barter to a guided tour of the ence. and a dual-purpose health and accelerator control room in which safety/pep talk from Mr Hall, we groundbreaking data is generated We would all like to say thank you dispersed throughout the moon- on a daily basis. To call such an very much to all of those who lit city and took the opportunity to insight into the sheer magnitude made these three days such an stroll through the quaint streets of and complexity of the processes enjoyable and memorable trip, the historical Old Town atop a hill undertaken at CERN a privilege especially to Mr Hall, Mr Leverett overlooking the busy roads below. would not do justice to those work- and Mrs Corsham whose compa- The range of unique sights was ing with the organisation. The day ny made our time in Switzerland a huge but posing by the infamous was rounded off with delicious pleasure. cannons of the Old Arsenal, visit- Gruyère and meat fondue followed Thomas Yeung ing the intricate Cathédrale Saint- with impressive Alphorn perfor- 13D Pierre and viewing the figures mances from Mr Hall and certain THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- LANGUAGE & SCIENCES 41 Biology Competitions ‘The human mind evolved to believe in the gods. It did not evolve to believe in biology.’ he British Biology Olympiad is For Y9 and Y10 there was the tya Sabnis, Rishi Sharma, Scott Ta national competition which equally demanding Biology Chal- Shelley, Charlie Shepherd, Radh challenges those happy souls with lenge, which is another national Siddiquee, Tony Stephen, Faraz an interest in Biology to stretch competition run by the Society of Syed, Jasper Tatum, Yashwanth their talents to the limit by offering Biology. The results this year were Tenneti, James Thompson, Domi- a wider syllabus than A-level. This exceptional in that all 44 partici- nic Wells, Callum Whittle, Milindu year, 13 students from KEGS took pants achieved an award. Wickramarachchi, Ethan Willmer- up the challenge: Qudsiyah Agha- Anderson, Owen Woodroff. Shah, James Beaumont, Thomas Congratulations go to: Kristoff Ahl- Braben, Beth Hatten, Alex Jack- ner, Rafee Ahmed, Krishan Bansal, Once again, particular congratu- son, Tony Lopez, Dan Moore, Daniel Bui, Eliot Bunch, James lations go to the eight gold medal Lizzy O’Brien, Sai Pendyala, Euan Caples, Daniel Carter, Ephraim winners below Rainey, Taran Sandhu, Thomas Chappidi, Jamie Cochrane, Wil- Yeung and Antoinette Yeung. All liam Coupe, William De Vivo, Ea- Daniel Carter, were successful in achieving an mon Dutta Gupta, Jonathan Hosk- Adam Norton-Steele, award, so well done to all par- ing, Wasi Iftekar, Thomas Jones, Rafee Ahmed, Eamon Dutta Gup- ticipants but particular congratu- Kabir Kumar, Max Liddiard, Zak ta, lations go to Lizzy O’Brien and Mainwaring, Dylan Man, Luke William De Vivo, Aditya Sabnis, Alex Jackson (seen below in their McCarthy, Vishvan Naidu, Omar Thomas Jones, Owen Woodruff capacity as field biologists) who Najim, Adam Norton-Steele, Jake achieved the highest Award of a O’Brien, Ben Paterson, Joseph Gold Medal putting them in the top Penny, Devmin Perera, Dominy- 7% across the country. kas Rasimavicius, Harry Risk, Adi- Ms J. Campbell Head of Biology DNA and Genetics Year 12 students on a trip to the Institute of Education

n Thursday 20th November something much bigger than what as many of the Year 12 biologists Othe vast majority of Year 12 Bi- I had ever seen before and KEGS aspire to be doctors and a medi- ology students made their way into was seated relatively near the cal themed talk was just what they Central London to the Institute of front. Our first lecture was on ‘The were waiting for. Personally I don’t Education for a DNA and Genet- role of cell communication in ani- think the lecture disappointed, ‘it ics study day, which was offered to mal development’ and was given was my highlight of the day. The enrich our school curriculum. This by UCL professor Dr. Leslie Dale. lecture focused mainly on a less- trip was unlike most others that This lecture was on embryology er known cancer,’ oesophageal had preceded it as for the first time and most of the evidence provided cancer. This talk was given by Dr under the new tag of ‘Sixth Form- was based on the scientific stud- Rebecca Fitzgerald, part clini- ers’ we made our own way to the ies of frogs and more importantly cian and part researcher from the venue rather than travelling on the tadpoles and their formation from University of Cambridge. The talk coach as we traditionally do. Once a zygote. We were introduced to revolved around a new product we poured into the centre in our lit- interesting new concepts such as that Professor Fitzgerald and her tle groups and registered with our fate mapping where an embryo is team at Cambridge had developed teacher we then proceeded to our stained to see what type of cell it called CYTOSPONGE in order to first lecture. will develop into. detect cancer in the oesophagus early. It is likely that one of you This day was a novel experience After a highly technical lecture on will come across this product af- for many of us with it being our genetics we looked forward to the ter a few years, so keep your eyes first taste of lectures, something next lecture which was titled ‘New peeled open for it. After this sec- we will be enduring on a regular development in the early detection ond lecture we broke up for lunch. basis in a couple of years. We and treatment for cancer.’ This re- walked into this huge auditorium, juvenated many KEGS students The third lecture was titled ‘En THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCIENCES 42 route to mending a broken heart’ The next lecture was titled ‘The The final talk was by Professor Tim and was by Professor Paul Riley, Genetic Hunt for Richard III’ and Spector and was titled “Identically who is from the University of Ox- was given by Dr Turi King, a lec- different”. This talk on epigenetics ford. His talk was especially inter- turer in Genetics and Archaeology was very intriguing and surprising. esting because it delved into the from the University of Leicester. The fact that certain genes can field of regenerative medicine and She started with a little history les- be chemically switched on and off how to treat heart attacks. In the son on the War of the Roses and due to our lifestyle was interest- UK someone has a heart attack then plunged into the specifics of ing but at the same time scary. We every two minutes and if this can where and when the king died. were told that twins were different be treated many lives would be This information was used to lo- due to the different lifestyles that saved. The latest developments cate Richard’s body. Amazingly they lead such as the food they ate in the application of epicardial cell they found his body on the first and their environment in general. biology were explained to us and attempt and this is where Dr. Turi although a lot of the theory was King, who some of you may have Overall the trip was both educa- not understood some of the facts seen on BBC news, came in. She tional and interesting. Some of were incredibly fascinating. The was responsible for proving the the technical information went ability of a zebra fish to regener- remains belonged to the King of over our heads but it was intrigu- ate its heart was particularly sur- England and did so by taking DNA ing nonetheless. The day was a prising. Furthermore the news that from the skeletal remains and try- memorable experience and we this treatment was being used in ing to match it with specific living would like to thank Ms Campbell the world and was working to an descendants. And indeed the long for organising it. extent also inspired us, as a previ- lost remains of the King had been ously paralysed man was able to found! Ms J. Campbell walk again due to this treatment. Head of Biology Daws Hall Nature Reserve ‘Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.’

hroughout the week of the 30th torrential downpour to psycho- older, and a whole (half) qualifica- of June, coaches full of KEGS logically preclude said practical tion more experienced, the whole Tscientists departed towards Suf- assessment; and this was post- group were able to attribute the folk. Their destination – The Daws exams, so there was seemingly trends found with the observed Hall Nature Reserve in Lamarsh – less stress in the air around the abiotic features, and all questions was familiar to them as, only a few group. Despite the record breaking were answered with much more months ago, it was here that the mid-summer weather, the group ease. Opening up the moth trap whole biology cohort carried out worked well, as the majority of the showed the group the importance practical assessments for their time was spent under the shade of of sampling at different times of now completed AS Level. With the trees, in the River Stour, or both. the year, as the catch was signifi- promotion to “A Level Biologist”, Our main task had been to sam- cantly more diverse than the last came the well-deserved fieldtrip to ple the River and the Brook. Every time we visited. Daws Hall. For numerous reasons, group took great pride in their biotic the trip this time was more easily samples, with students calling out The day was relaxed and enjoya- enjoyed: there was no practical to confirm they have the most of ble – a nice transition into our next assessment; no uncharacteristic a particular species. A few months year of learning – and we finished it off by resetting the mammal traps, lying under a tree for shade. Special thanks go to Mr Wren and Mrs Mepham for organising the trip.

Tamim Bari 12F THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SCIENCES 43 ‘Top Of The Bench’ Chemistry Competition at Loughborough University

he KEGS Chemistry Mas- the specific gravities of the solu- improve the world. We had to se- Ttermind Team of Joe Penny, tions measured with a hydrometer. lect which project we would want Eamon Dutta-Gupta, Arkar Lwin We then measured the specific to give funding to and then we got and David Suriyaarachchi won a gravities of the sample drinks and hear about some of the outcomes resounding victory in the Essex re- by matching these values to our of their research so that we could gional competition this Year. Then curve we determined which drink find out if we had made a good on Saturday 25th April 2015 the was contaminated and which one choice. Their presentations were KEGS team travelled to Lough- contained excess sucrose. For really inspiring. borough to represent Essex in the task 2 we had to identify the con- National Top of the Bench Chem- taminant and determine whether Finally, the results of the competi- istry Finals, where we competed the amount present was hazard- tion were announced. KEGS per- against other winning teams from ous. We were given copies of UV formed exceptionally well in this all over the country. spectra of an uncontaminated prestigious competition - we were drink, the contaminated drink and placed 3rd out of the top 32 teams The competition started out with a other common chemical contami- in the whole of the UK. 30 minute test of general knowl- nants in drinks. We identified the edge of Chemistry, which most of likely contaminant from the given Overall the entire team enjoyed our team members had little or no spectra and then we prepared so- the day greatly and undeniably difficulty with. After lunch the main lutions, of varying concentration, learnt a lot. We experienced work- part of the competition began: of the chemical contaminant and ing in a university lab and perform- the assessed experiment was to plotted another calibration curve - ing chemistry at a high level, us- investigate contaminants within a this time using the absorbance of ing new and unfamiliar techniques sports drink. the solutions which we measured and apparatus. We were delighted by UV-Vis-spectrometry. We de- to achieve such a commendable The experiment featured two termined the concentration of the 3rd place. Our thanks go to Dr tasks. Task 1 involved determin- contaminant and hence calculated Pearson and Dr Naish for giving ing which of two sample sports the mass of it which was contained us the opportunity to qualify for drinks had an excess amount of in the drink. We then concluded the competition, preparing us for sucrose and then realising that the whether this amount was above or the day and driving us to the event. other drink had a harmful chemi- below recommended safety limits. The team deeply appreciates their cal contaminant. The drink with work in doing so. excess sucrose was determined The end of the day was more re- David Suriyaarachchi by preparing solutions of sucrose laxing. We were entertained by 11Y with varying concentrations and current PhD students who pre- plotting a calibration curve against sented their innovative ideas to Maths Report ‘Mathematics is the music of reason.’ he past year has seen the Park. lenge took place in November TMathematics and Comput- with 78 students taking part. 20 ing department continue to grow The end of 2013-14 brought in received gold certificates, 21 sil- in both the outreach to our com- fantastic results from the Junior ver and 28 bronze. Four – Tim munity and the commitment to Maths Olympiad. There were 7 Havard, Daniel Owens, Nick Sale stretching our own students at qualifiers, and two of them – Dan- and Toby Willis - qualified for the KEGS. Particular highlights have iel Gallagher and Eamon Dutta- British Maths Olympiad, and 11 for included the new links with the Gupta – won medals. Many con- the Senior Kangaroo. The Olym- Royal Institution, forged through gratulations to both of them, and piad qualifiers did well but did not hosting masterclasses for schools to all the qualifiers. progress further. Three students throughout Essex, and the pio- achieved merits in the Senior Kan- neering of Computing in the cur- This year’s Senior Maths Chal- garoo. These were great achieve- ments, and congratulations are THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- MATHS 44 due to all who took part. The Junior Maths Team performed at KEGS. Fifty two students from exceptionally well in the regional twenty six schools were invited to The Intermediate Maths Chal- heat, leading the field for most of the classes, and they have been a lenge which took place in the the competition and lost to Ban- resounding success. Six different spring yielded some of the best crofts by one mark in the final speakers came with very different results in recent years. Of the 75 round. The team headed for the topics, including code-breaking, entrants, 72 gained certificates, National Finals in London on 22nd the Josephus problem and binary, including 33 gold certificates. June and came 14th in the country. Cantors infinities, chaos and frac- Seven students went on to qualify Members were Daniel Gallagher, tals, the story of Pi and modular Eamon Dutta arithmetic. Teachers joined their Gupta, Ben Ad- pupils from schools from all over ams and Anand Essex for these events. The stu- Bhardwaj. dents attended an extra event at Essex University, and they have Maths outreach been invited to a Celebration Day has continued at the Royal Institution at the end this year with a of June. Primary Puzzle Day and Pri- The Maths Clubs have been well mary Master- attended on Thursdays and Fri- classes for year days, and as well as testing out 5 students from competition materials, we are be- local primary ginning to branch into new territo- for the Olympiads, and 25 for the schools, taking place on vari- ry with new ideas and learning. In Kangaroo Challenge. There were ous Thursdays after school in the addition, the Puzzle Club on Friday two distinctions in the Olympiad, spring and summer terms. Topics lunchtimes, and the coding compe- Eamon Dutta- Gupta and Daniel have included the geometry of tition groups remain very popular. Carter, with Eamon Dutta Gupta Platonic Solids, and constructing winning a medal. Four of the other different triangle centres, together This year has been very success- qualifiers – David Suriyaarchchi, with maths tricks to perform on ful in the field of extra-curricular Henry Sainsbury, Harry Risk and family at home! maths and computing, and we Fred Thornton - achieved merits. congratulate all who have joined Again - superb achievements this We have also started a new ven- in the challenges, competitions year. ture with the Royal Institution, and and classes that have taken place. supported by the Essex County KEGS has also been very busy Council and Essex University. This Mrs F. Orr with Maths Team Challenges. has involved organising and host- Teacher of Maths There was a new style of Year 10 ing Year 9 Saturday Masterclasses Team competition this year – a Maths Feast. It was truly delecta- ble, and being hosts we were able to enter two teams for this chal- lenge. One of the new rounds in- volved origami, and it was great fun watching this part of the competi- tion. One of our teams came sec- ond and the other was third equal. Our team who came second went on to the final Celebration at Cam- bridge University where two of the members won a book prize in one of the rounds. The qualifying team consisted of Jonathan Belay, Vish- van Naidu, Harry Risk and Daniel Carter. THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- GEOLOGY- TRIPS 45 Iceland Trip ‘Winter is coming’ lunches packed and back into the snow for our visit to the now rapidly retreating Solheimjokull Glacier. It presented a bleak and monochromatic landscape but one that we will not rapidly for- get. A soaking beneath a waterfall close to Sejlandfoss was next on the itinerary and then back to the coach to dry off whilst experienc- ing the Arctic wilderness passing by the coach windows. Next stop was the stunning Gull Foss, less Gull more snow, so much snow that the viewing platform was closed, but that made it even more spectacular. A short journey took us to the geysers at Geysir where WOW what a fieldtrip that was ! isheidi, to assess the degree to the hydrothermal springs produce The year 12 and year 13 fieldtrip which Iceland has energy security. an unworldly atmosphere with that to Iceland had been rescheduled The constantly changing weather all pervading sulphurous smell. for the Easter holidays and despite meant we endured a blizzard one We returned to the Reykjavik City the weather forecast, which was minute and blazing sun the next. youth hostel for the final evening, dire, the excitement was mounting Heading east along the main coast bid farewell to Willie who had been as students gathered at Heathrow road we experienced an earth- an outstanding and very adapta- Terminal 2 on Easter Monday. We quake simulator right on top of a ble guide and off to the best value arrived at Keflavik on the SW Rey- fault line passing through a local meal in Iceland, the buffet at the kjanes Peninsular to be met by shopping centre, then on to the Cabin Hotel. Rumours of sight- Thori our driver and heavy drizzle, Skogar Folk Museum. Rain, sun, ings of the Northern Lights proved the forecast was looking pretty ac- snow and high winds were all ex- unfounded with the only green curate and worse was due to ar- perienced en-route before Skogar glow spotted by the expeditionary rive in the next few days. First stop Foss came into view with the ever force venturing out that evening was the viewpoint at Perlan and present rainbow at the foot of the being the glow of traffic lights on then onto our first night accommo- falls. After lunch in a roadside cave, the industrial estate! Maybe next dation at the Reykjavik City Youth we ventured to Vik to support the time? As students always seem Hostel. local tourist industry, then onto the to agree, the best was saved to Reynishverfi black volcanic sand last with the final morning being Clean, warm en-suite rooms and beach to see columnar basalt cliffs spent around Reykjavik, exploring good food ensured we were all set and coastal stacks. The winds and the stunning cathedral and the old for the experiences of Day 2 which waves were raging but once again city centre before venturing to the dawned with Reykjavik covered in the changeable weather meant luxury of the geothermally heated a dusting of snow. Packed lunch- that within moments we were in swimming pool, the Blue Lagoon. es made, breakfast taken and an the calm and the sun. Photo op- Mud packs were the order of the 8.30am meeting with the guide to portunities taken, it was off to the day whilst soaking in the hot baths rearrange the schedule to take in hotel for our second evening and as the snow fell; an experience the worsening weather, and off we the now legendary “Observation never to be forgotten and one that set, Thori at the wheel and Willie round” of the KEGS Quiz which should be oft repeated. our guide talking us through the was won by Team KEGSlavik who history of the island. With snow were delighted by their dried fish Many thanks to Miss Fryer and tyres fitted, we headed over the prize. Mrs Hitch for giving up their Easter mountains to our first stop, the Holidays to supervise the trip. geothermal powerstation at Hell- Another hearty breakfast and Geography Department THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- GEOLOGY- TRIPS 46 Pembrokeshire Trip Sixth form Geologists on a trip to Wales

he day dawned damp and made and off we set to meet our us to assess the culinary skills of Tmisty but this did not put off local guide, Sid. Whilst basking in the students with some surprising our intrepid Y12 and13 geolo- the warm Welsh sun we assessed results. The beef stroganoff group gists. Packing light, in “expedition the importance of an SSSI micro- was the clear winner with the spa- mode”, to ensure no brushes with granite at Porth Clais, reconstruct- ghetti with grated cheese offering health and safety laws when load- ed the sedimentary, tectonic and a very distant third. ing the minibus, the group set off igneous history of Ogof Golchfa for their epic journey across the and evaluated the stunning pillow Day four and the day once again widest part of the UK. First stop lavas of Pwll Dewi. Wow, geology dawned very bright and sunny. was a new location for many, one did get better than day 1! Could we Yippee, we could all go and make they had only dreamt of or seen keep this level of excitement going use of those eclipse glasses that on the internet, Tedbury Camp in into a third day? Food was not so Mr Hall had kindly provided for Somerset. Here the students, with difficult to find on the second night us. What a spectacle we looked. an initial burst of enthusiasm, ob- and a local restaurant had a sur- The eclipse was being watched served, sketched, recorded and prising windfall as 15 geologists by the group from someone’s front analysed the outcrops of steeply piled in for a meal. lawn and then again from a lay- dipping carboniferous limestone by. Would these celestial events overlain by more recent, horizontal, Day three and yet more sunshine. eclipse the geology? No chance. Jurassic oolitic limestone. An an- This time Saundersfoot and the Stackpole Quay saw the students gular unconformity was concluded Lady’s Cave anticline was our get to grip with palaeo-environ- with the folding of the lower beds destination. Students, beginning mental reconstruction using fos- resulting from the Variscan Orog- to flag a little after two days of full- sil evidence and further structural eny (Africa crashed into Europe on geology, once again observed, work before bidding farewell to Sid to produce mountains) with later recorded, analysed and sketched and beginning the long trek home. extensional faulting (the North At- the rock structures, assessed the Thanks to Miss Fryer, to Sid, and lantic opened, separating the UK palaeo-environment of this part especially to Dr. Riley for abandon- from the US); Geology doesn’t get of the coast and were stunned ing retirement and his allotment to more exciting than this, or does it? by the amazing faulting and fold- drive and assist in all aspects of ing of the strata. Year 13 students the trip. We returned to praise from We arrived late to Broadhaven stayed at Saundersfoot collating the Youth Hostel staff, it had been Youth Hostel. Having tried in vain more data (and stopping for an ice left “spotless”. Well done all and to find a fish and chip shop in cream) whilst the year 12 students onto the Peak District in 2016. Haverfordwest, we resorted to Mc- headed off for further delights at Donalds before settling in to write Amroth, both groups looking to Dr S. Hitch up our field notes. Day two and reconstruct the tectonic setting of Head of Geology the sun shone, again. Breakfast this part of Wales from 300 million was self-catered, packed lunches years ago. Self-catering allowed KEGS Young Engineers National Finals for Four teams of KEGS Young Engineers

his has been a busy and very tivities such as First Lego League competition with our other team Tsuccessful year for the KEGS and Selex ES Rampaging Chari- KEGS Sixth taking the crown as Young Engineers, particularly for ots and EES. Team Matrix Mk III national champions and our year senior club members. have reached the national finals in 10 team Cipher Solvers reached the IMechE Schools’ Aerospace the national finals of the Schools’ We have added three more com- Challenge and will be attending CyberSecurity competition. Work petitions to our schedule, with the week-long event held in the is also progressing with AstroPi Land Rover 4x4, CyberCenturi- summer holidays, Matrix Mk II al- and the ongoing cricket ‘stump- on and Student Robotics as well ready having been national final- cam’ project. Well done to every- as continuing with our regular ac- ists at the firstCyberCenturion one who has taken part in the club THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- YOUNG ENGINEERS CLUB 47 this year; I hope you enjoyed it! I would like to thank all the mentors who have given up their time this year to support and lead projects at Junior Young Engineers for the younger members, especially the three departing year 13 mentors, Ben Williams, Tim Havard and Nick Sale and also Mr Dominguez for helping with the FFL competi- tion. Miss P. Bunting Head of Engineering

Cyber Centurion Competition KEGS wins the national finals n the 17th of April 2015, two cus of the competition - securing but only 4 hours in which to do this Oteams from the KEGS Young operating systems such as Linux - again a step up in difficulty, how- Engineers Club- one team of Year and Windows 7 running on “virtual ever both teams were confident as 11s comprised of Ollie Barnard, machines” and gaining or losing early on KEGS Sixth were again in Rohan Bungre, Anurag Sahare, points depending on whether they 1st place with Matrix Mk II in 3rd. Prakash Singh and David Suri- fix security issues or create them. By lunch time the other teams had yaarachchi and a team of sixth With the teams having orientated caught up and KEGS Sixth were formers made up of Nicholas Sale, themselves during these two prac- no longer in 1st place. After eating Babalola Ajose, Laurence Watts, tise rounds, they had to compete we were given a fascinating tour Scott McQuarrie and Ryan Grif- in a further two six-hour rounds. of the museum of computing see- fiths - set out early in the morning KEGS Sixth winning the first round ing some of the earliest comput- en route to the prestigious location with Matrix Mk II coming second ers and their evolution through the of Bletchley Park to take part in and in round two both teams were years. the first CyberCenturion National moved one place down as another Finals in the UK. school took the lead. Then immediately back into the action both teams worked hard to The competition originated in the Having arrived at Bletchley park try and gain the lead but for the United States as the CyberPatriot we gathered in a room at the Mu- most part struck a wall of difficulty competition and is run by the Air seum of Computing - the hosts of and soon point scoring became Force Association. After several the competition - and waited with scarce throughout each room as successful years of running in the the 6 other finalist teams for the or- all teams searched for the most in- US, it was decided that the com- ganisers to lead us off to the com- tricate and hidden security issues petition be expanded to the UK as petition rooms. After a short time as well as the answers to the tough the CyberCenturion competition, and a speech before the world’s forensic questions. With the score- modelled after the CyberPatiot first decimal computer - the Har- board shut down and an hour or so competition, for UK based schools. well Dekatron or WITCH - we were to go, neither KEGS team were in The lead up to the finals consisted led away to the competition rooms the leading position. After that end of two practise rounds in which where we discovered that we had of the final, we were given another the teams got to grips with the fo- not only 5 operating systems to fix tour, this time of Bletchley Park it- THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- YOUNG ENGINEERS CLUB 48 self; we saw some of the buildings the results were announced. The blueprints for the computer and all in which code breakers and inter- scores were very close but KEGS received a certificate of participa- ceptors worked and learned much Sixth managed to steal away first tion. Both teams were overjoyed about the history and importance place with Matrix Mk II also do- with a great result at the end of an of the site. ing extremely well. Each member exciting day. Finally surrounded by cameras of the winning team took away an and in front of the world’s fist elec- original valve from the Colossus Ryan Griffiths 12F tronic computer - the Colossus - computer itself, the school a set of VEX Robotics KEGS Young Engineers at Rapid Electronics ver the course of January and functioning robot. However, af- Ollie Barnard, came fourth place, OMarch, two KEGS Young Engi- ter the long process of assembly, while Team two, consisting of neers teams competed in the VEX they were left with little time to trial Daniel Carter, Arnav Dutta, Owen Robotics Challenge - a competition the robot – the competition itself Woodroff, David Suriyaarachchi, supported by Rapid Electronics. would be the true test! Neverthe- Jeshua Amalesh, Rahul Pai and The teams were tasked with de- less, the two teams arrived on the Zachary Harper achieved second signing, building and programming morning of the competition eager to last. Unfortunately, neither of a robot which could be controlled to see the fruits of their labour. the teams was able to progress to remotely to complete the task of the next stage. However, both en- lifting large cubes onto columns to After a long and gruelling compe- joyed the experience thoroughly, score points, among others, in an tition, which saw alliances forged and await next year with excite- arena-style competition. Not only and discarded, robots collapsing ment and anticipation! this, the robots had to be able to and coloured blocks propelled compete in a 20 second autono- across the arena, KEGS Young Ollie Barnard mous round, in which neither team Engineers achieved moderate 11Y was allowed to interfere in con- success. Team one, consisting trolling the robot. Using the VEX of Rohan Bungre, Ethan Comer, Robotics kit, after many hours of James Thompson, Joe Twigg, experimenting and construction, Ethan Willmer-Anderson, He- each team was able to create a manth Alapati, Sam Houghton and Student Robotics Competition KEGS Young Engineers on their debut entry in the competition his year KEGS Young Engi- King Keggy, first of his Name, and wards the last few weeks before Tneers made its debut entry other Game-of-Thrones-inspired the competition, the team was fi- into the Student Robotics compe- themes). What started out as a nally in a position to take Keggy to tition, a national programme com- lot of crudely-sawn aluminium compete. The event was held at bining electronic, computer and sheets bolted together became a Newbury Racecourse on the 25th mechanical engineering fields into fully functional flag-grabbing mon- and 26th April, with a very large one exciting challenge to design, ster equipped with a very tem- indoor area where teams had build and programme a moving ro- peramental claw, webcam eye and their own workstations at which bot to compete against three other ultrasound sensor, thanks to me- to continually improve their robots robots in a capture-the-flag style chanical engineers Jon Barnes, throughout the competition. With game setup. Alex Corsham and Rohit Rajese- Laurence Watts and Ryan Griffiths From September through to April, garan. Notably the electronics as indispensable programmers on team ‘KEG’, led by Hayden Cot- hardware was provided by Student the team, Keggy became able to grove, had been working hard Robotics and the team was tasked hunt down flags effectively in the designing and constructing what with building its own code to ac- arena by scanning their QR codes eventually became a working ro- company it. with its webcam, and despite being bot (well, to some extent), which considerably slow on the move, it became dearly known to the team With an increasingly large amount was a very reliable robot. as “Keggy” (with titles such as of work spent on the project to- As a rookie team facing 53 other THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- YOUNG ENGINEERS CLUB 49 teams, many of which had partici- The programme has proved im- team achieve this feat. pated many times before and had mensely useful, testing the tech- much larger budgets than that of nical and thinking skills of the six I’d like to finish by quoting Keggy’s team KEG, the team originally saw team members and has opened motto: “Slow and Keggy wins the no aspiration in finishing anywhere new doors to engineering, as well race” near the top. Yet with increasing as helping to develop essential Jon Barnes success throughout the stages team co-operation and communi- 12C of the competition, the team also cation skills. Above all it has been became increasingly confident in a great deal of fun from start to fin- reaching the higher levels on the ish. A huge thanks from the team leader board. Amazingly, we won goes to Ms Bunting for all her ef- rookie prize for the highest placed fort and guidance in organising the entry new to the competition and logistics of the trip and giving up also secured 3rd place overall. much of her free time to help the Schools Cyber KEGS Young Engineers make it to the National Finals

uring the first term of the school 10th December 2014. Throughout in every single puzzle in the fol- Dyear, the KEGS Senior Young the day, there were several differ- lowing round! Although we felt a Engineers Club took part in the ent activities and puzzles to solve bit disappointed at the result, we Cybersecurity Challenge, making (ranging from stopping a terrorist had had a great day, learning a it to the national finals. The team, attack to using a real enigma ma- lot and thoroughly enjoying our- creatively named ‘Cipher Solvers’ chine from the Second World War) selves, safe in the knowledge that by Miss Bunting, consisted of four which, upon completion, gained us the real winner is whoever had Year 10 students: Joseph Twigg, a mysterious envelope containing the most fun. Finally, enormous Daniel Carter, Zachary Harper and a clue which we were forbidden thanks to Miss Bunting who seem- James Thompson. to open until the final round when ingly never-endingly gives up her they would come together to give time to give us these invaluable In the first part of the competition, us the answer to the final puzzle. opportunities and who without, each team had to create a cipher This part of the day soon arrived the school’s Young Engineers club that would be given to other teams and we were placed in front of a would not exist. to solve. The aim was to make the computer, showing nothing but an cipher as difficult as possible while empty response bar. Nerves were still being solvable (as determined high, it all came down to this; the James Thompson by the competition moderators). 10X klaxon sounded and we rushed Once all the ciphers had been in a frenzy to open the clues we handed in, each team was given had collected. Each one showed ten to solve over a weekend in No- a seemingly random number and it vember. Each team was given a was not until we put them in order unique account on their website (which wasted us a fair amount of from where the ciphers could be time) that we realised it displayed accessed and solutions could be the Fibonacci sequence. We entered. After a sleepless cou- clumsily scrambled to type ‘Fibo- ple of nights, endlessly trying to nacci’ into the computer (the spell- decode the competing teams’ ci- ing of which was perhaps one of phers, we finished ranked first in the most challenging parts of the our group having solved six out of day) only to discover that we had the possible ten ciphers, meaning been beaten to the mark and were we would progress to the national fourth to enter correctly. And so, finals. after two months of work, we nar- The final part of the competition, rowly missed out on the £1000 the national finals, took place in prize despite having come first in Coventry at Warwick University on the group stage and succeeded THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- YOUNG ENGINEERS CLUB 50 Land Rover 4X4 Challenge KEGS Young Engineers on their debut entry in the competition

The LandRover 4x4 in Schools showcase the work we had done however we did marvel at some of Technology Challenge involves throughout the project, ready to be the designs of the vehicles of the having to create a miniature ra- judged by the competition judges. more experienced teams, which dio controlled, off road vehicle. First came the design inspection, gave us all ideas for next year! 2014/2015 was the first year that in which our vehicle was checked The competition was good fun, our Young Engineers Club had to make sure it matched the de- and gave an amazing opportunity entered a team into the competi- sign specification (such as being to not only experience engineer- tion, with a team being selected of within a certain length and width) ing design and manufacturing, individuals with a passion of engi- which, thankfully, we passed with- but to meet other engineering en- neering and technology. We had to out any trouble. Next came the ex- thusiasts throughout Essex. We create a portfolio that would repre- citing task of having to guide our would like to thank our teacher, Ms sent our group’s work – similar to a car around an incredible off-road- Bunting, for giving up her valuable DT Coursework. Our team began simulating track, with the entire time to help us continue work on the competition in October 2014, team taking different sections of out project after school, as well and as a beginner team, we were the course, and we managed to as the organisers of the Essex given a pre-built chassis with a get a very respectable time with Regional Final who had worked functioning motor; more advanced few penalties. Then came another hard to ensure that the day went teams would have to build their track, in which we had to attach our smoothly, and was fun and enjoy- own chassis and driving system. tow bar to a trailer and manoeuvre able. We would encourage any Our team met up every week to it around. We managed most of budding engineer to enter this work on the electronics, body and the course; however our tow bars competition in the future, as it is paperwork. Finally, after months of design was disappointing which simply an amazing experience! work, we were ready for the com- resulted in us losing valuable petition, which took place on the points! Finally, we had to give a 10 Anurag Sahare 11Y 22nd of January, and the team was minute presentation in which we excited to show off the fruits of explained the work that had gone our labour, despite the early start! in throughout the 4 month project. After a brief introduction to the In the final award ceremony, we competition, we set up our stand to were sadly unable to win a trophy, IET Faraday Challenge KEGS Young Engineers experiment with 3D Printing

On the 21st April, our group of 6 equipment. It was a fun day and went to the Faraday Challenge at I would definitely recommend it. Queen Mary’s University in Lon- Daniel Risk 9M don. We had a space of around 5-6 hours to complete a set task. We had different roles, and had access to a 3D printer, as well as an intui- tive 3D design program. We could use different electronic equipment and the challenge also featured an element of maths. The whole day was based around the use of STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to not only build something, but to con- trol our finances as we were given a set amount of money to buy our THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- ECONOMICS 51 Enterprise and Skills day Year 10 learn business skills On Tuesday 7th of October, it was the Year Ten Enterprise Day. The Year Ten Enterprise Day is a day that Year Tens get to learn about different skills in business and economics. Enterprise day is designed to help students be- come more entrepreneurial and teach long term skills such as personal finance, teamwork and leadership skills. The day is run by the Enterprise and Skills Com- pany and Mrs Singh. Also there was an array of guest speakers present that talked to us about banking, accounting and law. This year, Year Ten were being taught skills on Personal Finance. Personal Finance is a topic that we all need to learn about and I think that it was great that we were able to learn so much about the topic in one fun and interactive day. Personal Finance is all about how to wisely manage your mon- pants and the Patty Flippers.” gage plans and petrol costs on my ey and how to effectively do this. car. I still have not got my head I understand that this may sound After those tasks, we were given a wrapped around premium bonds like quite a boring subject however, talk about personal banking by two either. This exercise really proved the Enterprise Team were able to members of staff at the Chelms- to us how hard it is to budget your make the topic a lot more interest- ford branch of Lloyds Bank. Year money and how fast your salary ing with games and activities such Ten then asked them many ques- can run out because of certain ex- as “enterprising skills bingo” and tions on the topic and on banking penses such as MOTs or gas bills. “match the salary to the job.” The generally. We all found this insight entirety of Year Ten worked hard in into the world of banking very in- Enterprise Day really put into per- every activity and some Year Tens teresting and it was able to answer spective how we must use our even received certificates and priz- many of our questions about terms money astutely and effectively. es for their effort during the day. that are regularly used in the news On the behalf of all of Year Ten, and in the media in relation to eco- we would like to say thank you to Our first few tasks were all about nomics and finance. We were also Mrs Singh for organising the event answering questions about person- lucky enough to have been deliv- and The Enterprise and Skills al finance and this was all done in ered with a talk from an account- Company that made an enjoya- different groups. Each group was ant turned solicitor who is the ble, interesting and fun day for us. awarded points for all their correct Chief Executive of Rawlins Davy Nikhil Shah 10X answers. I especially enjoyed this LLP. He said that he often dealt activity because it was all about with people who were not careful group work and creativity. Also, at with their money or possessions times it became rather competi- and how much trouble you could tive but there is nothing wrong in potentially get into with money. a bit of friendly competition. One Our final task for the day was an of the highlights of the day was extensive simulation of your finan- coming up with your own group cial life when you are 21 years old. name. My group ended up settling Personally, I found myself pull- on the name “Squarebob Sponge- ing my hair out over about mort- THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- ECONOMICS 52 IEA London Conference Lectures by top Economists

Following the success of an in- sor of Applied Economics at Car- spite the challenges, keep pushing triguing talk on “The Global Econ- diff Business School. This was a and you will make progress. My omy” that we attended by the IEA very heated debate as Professor favourite speaker of the day defi- at New Hall School, we were de- Patrick Minford really did seem nitely has to be Steen Jakobsen lighted to find out that four of us to disagree with what both MPs on “Equities in 2015 – will we have had been selected to go to the thought on the essential condi- a bull or a bear market?” Jakob- tions for growth to occur and he sen was an exceptional speaker IEA’s annual State Of The Econ- was very adamant on his reason- starting off with a bang and con- omy Conference, which was held ing but Joe pointed out that actual- stantly having the audience on at the Institute of Directors on ly their reasons were very closely their toes. The topic itself was an Pall Mall on the 24th of February linked. However, a common theme area which I really wanted to know 2015. Speakers this year included among all was definitely on the more about and it definitely helped Professor Kristen Forbes of the flexibility of the labour markets. me in getting a broad idea of what Bank of England Monetary Policy exactly is a bull or bear market. Committee, the BBC’s Chief Eco- During our lunch we were able nomics Correspondent Steph- to talk to the other students who We most certainly enjoyed our- anie Flanders, and Stephen King, were also selected to attend the selves at the conference as we the Chief Economist at HSBC! conference and we all had a small were able to leave gaining so At the beginning of the day we inspirational talk with Patrick McIn- much more knowledge regard- were invited into a beautiful con- tosh who was in charge of the bur- ing the UK Economy as a whole ference room where we were saries for the programme about from different perspectives. I served with biscuits and tea to him battling with three different would like to thank Mrs Singh for prepare us for the long day ahead. types of cancer and also taking on assisting us at the conference The room gradually became the South Pole. One may wonder and also to the IEA for hosting us. filled with people who worked how this relates to students and in a senior position at some of economics but it really does. It the largest firms in the UK such demonstrates how if you want to Beatrice Akinmolayan 13F as Goldman Sachs and HSBC. see a change, you need to work for it. Whether this involves imple- Henry Allen was definitely kept menting a government policy or on his toes as he pointed out ex- your own aspirational goals, de- actly who every person was that entered the room! It definitely felt overwhelming but I felt very privi- leged to be there and Victoria and I thought to ourselves how lucky we would be if we were invited to talk in a conference like this in the near future. The short presenta- tions made by the speakers were very insightful from discussing whether the exchange rate is actu- ally needed to deciding whether a low interest rate is a good or bad thing? Moreover, we were also able to listen to two panel ses- sions. The first panel session in- cluded the likes of Jeremy Browne MP Liberal Democrat Party, Kwasi Kwarteng MP Conservative Party, John Mills Chairman of JML and Professor Patrick Minford Profes- THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SPORTS 53 1st XI Football In life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are.

With many of last season’s team to progress through to the second am 6-3, with Ryan Lovelock shin- leaving KEGS in the summer, the round, with the final score 2-0. ing with six goals in two games. season started with the tough task With this result, it led to a second Shenfield awaited KEGS in the of selecting a squad of players round match away to St Thomas MESSSA Cup second round after to help bring some long awaited More, which was always going to being given a bye in the first round. silverware back to KEGS. It was be a difficult task. KEGS travelled Once more, the boys knew this fantastic to see over fifty boys try to south Essex high in confidence was going to be a tough ask, play- out for the team, however only and it was clear within the first ing against last year’s Essex Cup 18 were lucky enough to make 45 minutes that this was going winners, however they was looking the squad for the opening game to be a tough, committed affair, forward to the challenge. The boys of the season vs St John Payne. with both teams wanting noth- had a disappointing start, conced- ing more than a place in the third ing in the first 5 minutes, however The new-look KEGS, led by cap- round. KEGS had the better of the they were to peg Shenfield back tain Toby Alozie, produced a good, first half chances, with their best after a long range shot from Ryan solid performance in their first chance being cleared off the line, Lovelock which found the corner game together. KEGS had the and were probably the happier of of the net. The boys then had a better of the chances and rarely the two teams at half time. How- disappointing period either side of looked trouble, however they were ever St Thomas More came out half time, conceding three times in held to a 0-0 draw, nevertheless stronger in the second half and the space of 15 minutes, going 4-1 a good warm up before their Es- scored an early goal. The game down. However, the KEGS boys sex Cup first round match the was very even after this and with did not give in, and they managed following week. The challenges ten minutes to go, KEGS changed to score two goals just before the were Mayflower, with again KEGS formation and went to get that all end, pushing Shenfield all the playing some excellent football in important equalising goal. How- way, yet narrowly missing out 4-3. only their second match together. ever, this left space in the defence KEGS took an early lead with an which St Thomas More were able Overall, the KEGS team per- excellent team goal finished off exploit, ending up 3-0 winners. formed extremely well this sea- by Dan Barnes. After this, KEGS Unfortunately this was the end son, and missed out narrowly in never looked back, creating many of the road for KEGS in the Es- the cups to two very good teams, chances, however failing to pro- sex Cup, however the attention but they will be back even hungrier vide the end product. Yet, they now turned to the MESSSA Cup. next year to win some silverware. did manage to provide the major I would like to extend my per- blow 15 minutes before the end, Before the MESSSA Cup fixture, sonal gratitude to all the players with Dan Barnes scoring his sec- KEGS enjoyed a few friendly game this year for their hard work and ond of the game. The KEGS team wins, beating Saffron Walden dedication throughout the season. played out the remaining minutes twice, 6-2 and 4-2, and Moulsh- Mr R. Lowe Teacher of PE 1st XI vs the MCC Bats, Balls and Bouncers

On 2nd July KEGS hosted their handed opening batsmen playing en Patel and and Jamie Coleman annual fixture against the MCC. some fine shots on his way to an managed to control the scoring The MCC, captained by former impressive century. KEGS contin- rate and pick up 3 wickets be- KEGS student Nick Prowting, ued to battle away and following tween them. Albie Nuttall returned won the toss and elected to bat the drinks break captain Charlie to the attack with a fine second first. With sunshine overhead Prudence held a good catch off spell and shortly before the tea and an excellent wicket the con- the bowling of Oliver Heazel to break the MCC declared on 247-4. ditions looked perfect for batting, claim the first wicket of the day. and so it proved as the MCC got KEGS opening pair Rahul Patel off to a strong start, with their left KEGS then turned to spin as Kish- and Ollie Goldsmith negotiated a THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SPORTS 54 tricky 30 minute spell before tea cellent shots, coupled with some nal time – a fitting way to end! adn continued in the same fash- energetic running between the ion after the interval to provide a wickets, built a century partner- I would also like to extend my good platform for the middle or- ship to give KEGS an excellent op- thanks to the MCC for once again der. Patel was trapped and LBW portunity for victory. As the game giving the boys a fantastic oppor- for 18, Sam Trowell and Goldsmith entered the final stages Coleman tunity to test themselves against kept the momentum with KEGS was bowled for 78 with 27 runs still tough opposition, and also the as they played some expansive require from the final 5 overs. Hea- Old Chelmsfordians for provid- shots all around the ground. Sam zel joined Prudence and the pair ing a wonderful venue for the day. Trowell was caught out for 22 try- calmly knocked off the remaining ing to clear the infield and Gold- runs with only 4 balls to spare to Many of the KEGS squad fea- smith was unlucky to be caught give KEGS a memorable victory. tured on the summer tour to Gre- at leg slip for an impressive 45. Well deserved congratulations nada and with the majority of the go to all the team for their efforts, team having a few more years With the game finely balanced in particular to captain Charlie to play at KEGS the future of KEGS needed to regain some con- Prudence who was awarded the KEGS cricket looks promising. trol and got exactly that as Cole- MCC Spirit of Cricket award and man joined his captain Prudence Ollie Goldsmith who were both Mr J. Davies at the crease and with some ex- representing school for the fi- Teacher of PE

2015 KEGS Ski Trip – Alpe d’Huez Sometimes it’s all about the win, sometimes it’s about the skiing. On the 14th February 2015, the breath-taking views. A short flight Mogul-filled black runs were at- start of the week-long KEGS ski trip later, we had arrived at the hotel. tempted well by those in the strong- had finally rolled around, and eve- er groups, whilst steady greens and ryone, from first-time year eights From the first day’s skiing we were blues could be found in abundance and nines, to seasoned sixth form- lucky enough to have fantastic for those with less experience on the ers, arrived at the school bright and weather; beautiful sunshine accom- slopes. As well as standard slope early. (At 3am, maybe it was bright panied by clear blue skies without a skiing, terrain parks filled with jumps and a bit too early!) Any minor cloud in sight. The group was divided and obstacles of varying heights grievances over the ungodly hour into three ability-based classes and and difficulties were visited and, de- were forgotten on the bus, where introduced to our instructors. During spite one unfortunate shoulder in- the atmosphere was quiet, with ex- the classes, amusement was com- jury, this provided excellent variation cited anticipation at the prospect bined with learning, and I felt the and was considered by most to be a of a week of fantastic skiing and balance was as it should have been. highlight of the trip. As the entertain- THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SPORTS 55 ment-filled week drew to aswimming (in an outdoor pool – looking for a good time, integrat- close, the three instructors vis- yes, outside temperatures were ed with a week of great skiing. ited our hotel to give out reports below freezing!), ten-pin bowling, and to provide an indication as table-tennis, mini golf, shopping On behalf of all who attended this to how our ability had improved (or, as it was otherwise known, year’s trip, I would like to thank throughout the week. These in- replenishing the sweet stocks) both Mr Lowe and Mr Davies for structors, for their consistent and a quiz night, hosted by the all of their contribution to the trip, dedication and care, were deserv- hotel’s professional staff, as well both prior to it and during it. In ad- edly awarded their thank-you gifts. as a ‘Taken’ themed film night. dition to these two, special thanks The phenomenal views from the goes to Mr Green who, as he Although it dominated the events balcony of each and every room does every year, worked tireless- of each day, the week was not en- also provided some great photos. ly in the weeks and even months tirely devoted to skiing. Our hotel leading up to the trip to organise had a frequently used pool table, Overall, the 2015 ski trip was an it and bring everything together. a roomy area to relax in, a wide- outstanding experience both in screen TV which allowed us to terms of the entertainment and Dan Bacon 10Z watch the Champions League the skiing and I would highly rec- matches played during our stay, ommend it to other students at as well as boasting a wonder- the school, young or old, expert fully tasting chocolate milkshake. or first-timer; the ski trip provides Après-ski activities including for anyone and everyone who is

2014 Grenada Cricket Tour KEGS take on the West Indies

On the morning of the 7th July As soon as we left the plane, the sandy beach and clear blue sea 2014 the KEGS cricket team heat and humidity was immediately stretching into the distance. It pro- met at Gatwick Airport, ready evident and playing cricket in these vided a perfect spot to relax in, or for a fortnight in the Caribbe- conditions seemed like it would be play even more cricket in the form of an. Our destination was Gre- challenging. We were picked up by beach cricket, after playing all day. nada, a small West Indien is- two minibuses, whose drivers we The first day was spent acclimatis- land, in the south Caribbean. got to know well over the fortnight, ing ourselves with the immediate After going through the usual cus- one named Titi and the other, area, and spending most of our toms checks and boarding the Dragon, who epitimised the stereo- time in the bar next to the beach, plane, we relaxed, prepared for a typical relaxed Caribbean attitude. sipping a refreshing drink exclu- long time of sitting still. A number We arrived at our accommodation sive to the Caribbean called ‘Ting’. of films and a couple of meals lat- for the fortnight, situated in an idyl- Our second day was our first er, we touched down in Grenada. lic, picturesque bay with a white match day. The Tour ‘A’ team, THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SPORTS 56 led by Kishen Patel got off to a ‘A’ team built on the success of with Ollie Heazel top scoring very successful start against the their first game and won again, (which made a welcome change). Grenada Boys Senior School, win- with Rahul Patel (again) top scor- The last game on tour resulted ning by 8 wickets. Unfortunately, ing with 54 and Jamie Coleman the in an impressive victory for the the result for the KEGS ‘Lions’ best of the bowlers with 3 wickets, KEGS ‘A’ team, playing against team was not the same, losing by completing a comfortable victory. two Grenada U21 players. Rahul two wickets, providing a closely The next day was the turn of the Patel (again) top scored with 96, fought first game. The ‘Lions’ may KEGS ‘A’ team to play at the na- only to be out trying to hit another have experienced their first (and tional stadium, where they contin- six into the road, with Tim Ryan not the last) defeat, but the ‘Li- ued their winning streak with Rahul and George Christian-Marks play- ons’ team spirit, which was to be Patel (again) top scoring and Kish- ing steady roles at the other end. a feature of the tour, was born. en Patel the pick of the bowlers. The KEGS ‘Lions’, however were The next day involved a trip to The KEGS ‘Lions’ team played at steamrolled, bowled all out for 34 the capital St Georges to the Woburn, a tiny ground that needed and only getting 2 wickets in re- national stadium to watch two to be cleared of goats and sheep ply. It was a bleak defeat, but still matches of the Caribbean Pre- before we were able to start play- failed to sour the tour as a whole. mier League. Both matches were ing. This was a very high scoring The last night in Grenada was exciting affairs, coming down to match and although Ollie Phillips spent at the end of tour awards the wire. The second game in scored a rapid 87, we were still a dinner, hosted by none other than particularly was memorable as little short of the opposition’s total Jamie Coleman, who gave out a we were able to see Chris Gayle of 280 by the end of the 35 overs. number of dubious ‘awards’ and score a quick-fire hundred to lead thanked Titi and Dragon for their the Jamaica Tallawahs to victory. The penultimate match of the tour help and company over the fort- The next game for the ‘Lions’ was a for the KEGS ‘Lions’ represented night. The teachers that went were match in the Grenada Internation- a first win. The ‘Lions’ went out also thanked, and on behalf of al Stadium, where England have to bat with Mr Davies’ motiva- everyone on the tour, I would like recently played against the West tional words, ‘teamwork makes to thank Mr Worrall, Mr Davies, Indies and we had seen both T20 the dream work’ ringing in their Mr Lowe and Mr Pattenden for ac- matches a couple of days before. ears. Jamie Coleman’s 88 helped companying us and organising the This was a fantastic opportunity post a total that was never threat- entire tour. Grenada was a fantas- and despite the ultimate result, was ened by the opposition and the tic, laid-back island to which many a great day for all of us. Despite a KEGS ‘Lions’ had their first (and of us hope to return in the future. valiant 48 from Aaron Collett, the only) win on tour. Meanwhile, the ‘Lions’ never threatened the op- KEGS ‘A’ team continued their Ed Abbott position’s total. Meanwhile on the form with a very efficient victory 12B other side of the island the KEGS and good team performance, THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SPORTS 57 Watersports Trip at Mimizan Wet! Wet! Wet!

On 3 August, around 40 eager students from KEGS and Fel- sted School met up at the KEGS car park, with everybody excited and ready for the long overnight coach journey ahead. After a bit of delay, we eventually set off. We entertained ourselves with a good amount of films on the journey and I think Mr Lowe really enjoyed the film Frozen.

We arrived at Dover in the ear- ly evening and we took a ferry across the channel. When we arrived at the Campsite, it was in the middle of the next day, but most of us were tired but enthusi- astic to get on with the activities. was the fastest to complete it in had gone so quickly when we After we had unpacked our less than 23 minutes. Another were having a wonderful time. bags in our allocated tents, we favourite sport that everybody en- couldn’t wait for our first activity, joyed was Dart sailing. The boat On Saturday, 9th of August early Pico sailing. Most of us consid- was twice the size of a Pico and evening we started our return ered it as one of the most thrill- travelled faster but we had to avoid journey back home, we arrived ing sports. The next day we did some of the other capsized boats. at around 9am, the journey felt mountain biking and canoeing much shorter. I would like to thank which was fun but exhausting. During the week, we visited Mimi- all the Rockleys staff and school In the evenings we had activities zan beach town a few times and staff, especially Mr Green for or- like egg drop, a competition where the food there was delicious, es- ganising this unforgettable trip. It you had to gain points to win junk pecially the mango ice cream! has taught us many skills and will to protect your egg. Escape le lac, On Wednesday we also went to be a marvellous trip to remember. which was my favourite because a water park. There were lots Michael Wong 8H was an amazing obstacle course of awesome rides; they were su- that required teamwork. My team per fast and thrilling. The week THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- SPORTS 58 Portugal Rugby Tour 2015 KEGS on tour

It was an early Wednesday morn- The year 9’s were up first with Mr with coaches from the Portuguese ing, 3 o’clock at the infamous Harding and Mr Lowe the coach- rugby federation. The day, like KEGS church doors, when just ing staff, and Mr Davies and Mr most others, was ended with card over 30 KEGS boys from years 9 Green managing the year 10’s. In games and the occasional ‘interac- and 10 embarked on their journey what was a tight match both teams tion’ with our Spanish neighbours. to Portugal, accompanied by the went a try up, before the year 9s weary eyed Mr Davies, Mr Hard- were just edged out by the opposi- The second match for both years ing, Mr Lowe and Mr Green. A two tion’s back line, losing the match. was an opportunity to put into and a half hour flight awaited us The year 10s however were more practice the skills they had honed all at Heathrow airport, and it be- successful. They conceded the the previous day. Both teams were gan in great grammar school fash- first try before going 14 - 7 up, only triumphant, with year 9 winning ion with nearly all of us deciding for the Portuguese team (which quite comfortably, and the year 10 to sit in different seats to those consisted of some the Portuguese edging a close encounter. The last allocated on our boarding cards. national 7s players) to come back day in Lisbon concluded with the Five minute swapping of seats with a second try. The KEGS year Lisbon Open, which turned out to commenced when two women 10 team did however eventually be an enticing mini golf competi- realised they had nowhere to sit. come out as winners, with a two try tion that saw many lose patience winning margin. Post the match, with their putters. Then came the We arrived at our hotel in Lisbon, the Portuguese club decided to at- delayed flight home that no-one and after quickly dumping off our tempt a world record – in seeing had looked forward to, but all luggage, we were straight back how many people they could fit into good things must come to an end. on the road as we headed to the their tiny clubhouse. The answer, nearest shopping mall for lunch. just about the two KEGS teams On behalf of all of the boys, I would No prizes for guessing that most along with the two Portuguese like to thank all of the P.E staff for of us headed straight to McDon- teams, at a push – quite literally. organising and accompanying us ald’s. We ended the first day how- on the trip, as well as a special ever with a visit to the home of Benfica’s football stadium, Estadio da Luz. A stadium which hosted the Champions League final in 2014, and is even on FIFA 15! Our guide (and number one Por- tuguese good guy) for the trip was Hugo, who himself had formerly played for Benfica. As soon as that information was revealed, Mr Lowe began to work his way into the good books of Hugo with the hope of a contract with his name on it. Sadly, Mr Lowe’s hopes of a contract with Benfica, via the con- tacts of his new best friend, are yet to materialise (luckily for us).

The second day in Portugal meant The third day began with a trip to thank you to Hugo from everyone! the first of our two rugby matches, the beach, with games of football, on a 3G pitch with a nice stand to rugby and cricket all taking place. the side to allow everyone to imag- As well as some people wondering James Caples 10X ine their mums and dads scream- around taking selfies (Mr Lowe, ing in the crowd (or for the lucky I’m talking about you). In the af- few in the group, their girlfriends). ternoon both teams had training THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- CONCLUSION 59 Editorial

The 2014-15 academic year was inal importance to civil liberties his tireless work on Layout Editing. highly eventful. As well as the vast and legal principles throughout the In addition, we would also like to array of extracurricular trips and world. However, this past year has thanks the many members of staff clubs, there were the usual sum- not just given cause for celebra- and pupils who contributed arti- mer exams for the upper school. tion, with the further discord and cles, without which this publica- Once again an entire cohort of suffering in places such as Syria tion would not have been possible. Year 13 students will leave the and Ukraine. Such events should school and move on to their own give us all pause for appreciation Siddharth Subramaniam avenues and careers. Therefore for many of the most basic values Tony Lopez it is in this light, that in addition to and institutions we take for grant- Editors-in-Chief celebrating and detailing the vari- ed, especially given this country’s ous rich aspects of school life, it General Election in May, wherein is also worth a moment’s reflec- many of the Year 13s were able to tion on affairs in the wider world. exercise their democratic rights for Indeed although KEGS prides it- the first time. The lower years were self on its academic record it also also able to have a taster with the equally strives to make its pupils KEGS Mock Election. The editors fully engaged with all areas of po- would also like to express their ap- litical and cultural consequence, preciation for Messrs Pattenden whether or not it directly affects and Worrall, who have guided the them. Of obvious significance this entire process, Ms Cleave for her year, was the 800th anniversary of technical expertise and prowess Magna Carta; a document of sem- and finally Ephraim Chappidi for

Staff Editorial o passes the academic year of the internet. We have a school learnt much from their pupils, the S2014-15, the year of a surprise council, in which pupils’ thoughts transfer in general is far greater in Conservative win in the General are heard and discussed. the opposite direction. Election, and a perhaps less sur- prising victory in the KEGS mock Yet, in a more important sense, Perhaps, however, school, whilst election. A democratic buzz de- a school is fundamentally an un- in itself undemocratic, has a role scended upon the school as can- democratic organisation, and in the democratic process? Sure- didates of all colours debated the quite rightly so. Like the law it de- ly by educating young people we finer and less fine points of their mands obedience and those who give them the chance to take their manifestos. And this makes one cannot submit to it cannot remain. place in the national polity, mak- wonder what the place of democ- Schools, like society, are neces- ing choices based not only on racy is in a school. Is education a sarily hierarchical: without struc- politicians’ slick performance and democratic idea? In one sense all ture and organisation education carefully managed campaigns, but knowledge should be democratic suffers. Rare is the teacher who rather upon logical, intelligent, and in the sense that it should be ac- pines for total equality with pupils careful thought. cessible to all, an idea that has in the classroom. And while eve- Mr H. Pattenden been driven by the development ry teacher will say that they have Mr T. Worrall Staff Editors THE CHELMSFORDIAN 2015- CONCLUSION 60 School Captain’s Report t’s a strange feeling leaving without the help of Vice-Captains Editors IKEGS – it having been such a Theo and Qudsiyah. The two of Tony Lopez and big part of my own life and that of them have been brilliant depu- Siddharth Subramaniam my peers over the past seven/two ties, their commitment to KEGS years. Nevertheless, as I said to shines through their work, and Year 13 on our last day, the time I feel honoured to have worked Staff Editors we have spent here has been an with them. Special mention must Mr H. Pattenden and amazing experience, one that I of course go to Ms Wiltshire too, Mr T. Worrall could not have possibly imagined who has guided the three of us, as I arrived at the school aged 11. the prefects, and indeed the en- Layout Editor tire Sixth Form -through thick Ephraim Chappidi It is a testament to the dyna- and thin this past year, always mism and vitality of KEGS that there for us when we needed her. Cover Design every year this magazine can be put together with so many expe- To our successors – Sam, Karthik Aaron Demolder riences, activities and achieve- and Tom and all who follow them ments. Over the past year I have – I wish you the very best of luck. IT Support been fortunate to witness many of KEGS is a school like no other, Ms V. Cleave these first hand as school captain, and it’s an institution that holds and see the vast array of talents a special place in many people’s held by students and staff alike. hearts. The chance to attend Printed by the school has enriched my life To be chosen as school captain Graphic Impressions and the lives of countless oth- Chelmsford was a huge privilege, and some- ers, and seeing the truly remark- thing I felt truly honoured to ac- able people who make up the Many thanks to Andy Begent for cept. The opportunity to serve the school leaves me more confident material relating to Charles Jeffreys, school will be something I never than ever that it will endure and forget and was a thoroughly en- thrive for many years to come. Eric Molson, Marshall Straight joyable experience that I loved and Sidney Vipond. tremendously. However, the work Henry Allen I have done this past year simply School Captain Chelmsford War Memorial would not have been the same www.chelmsfordwarmemorial.co.uk