THE OLD WREKINIAN RECORD FEBRUARY 2016 NO. 99 WHAT’S INSIDE Dates for your diary 2016 n P3 Letter from the Headmaster WEDNESDAY, 3RD FEBRUARY n P6 Announcement of new Headmaster Manchester Branch Dinner at Francs Restaurant, n P6 News of members Altrincham n P8 A Texan goes to Wrekin n P9 Lost Addresses SUNDAY, 20TH MARCH n P10 From the archives OW Hockey and Netball Matches vs The School n P11 The Parker Prize for Science SATURDAY, 7TH MAY n P12 Sandhurst team Old Windsorians Dinner at Willington Hall, Tarporley, n P14 Sport Cheshire n P15 OW Record production costs SATURDAY, 14TH MAY n P16 Annual dinners Reunion Day for the Leavers of 1991 to 2005 – families n P18 Golf Day 2016 welcome n P19 81 Not Out n P20 Births, deaths and marriages THURSDAY, 9TH JUNE n P27 Happy Days Appeal OWA London Branch Tavern Trot n P28 Wrekin College Foundation SATURDAY, 25TH JUNE n P29 OWA Weekend OWA Committee Meeting n P29 The 200 Club OWA Summer Party, The Memorial Hall n P30 Available for sale SUNDAY, 26TH JUNE n P31 Contacts OWA Cricket Matches vs The School Foundation Fun Day MONDAY, 27TH JUNE MCC Cricket Match vs The School FRIDAY, 14TH OCTOBER Liverpool Event at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club The front cover shows Bryn Windsor as Peter Quince, Jake Thorpe as Puck and the THURSDAY, 10TH NOVEMBER Head Boy, Jack Henderson as Bottom in a Midwinter Night’s Dream, December 2015 OWA London Branch Dinner at The East India Club For further details, contact the appropriate secretary (see contacts on back cover). Editor: Serena Kyle T. 01952 265609 DEADLINES Would all contributors please keep to the following deadlines: Produced by Emerge Design Limited Telephone: 01952 632750 January 1st for the Spring publication. www.emergedesign.co.uk August 1st for the Autumn publication. Letter from the Headmaster As a new term dawns in a new year – 2016 – Wrekin continues to flourish and looks forward to the next chapter in its illustrious history. February 2016 This year, as many of you know, will be my Tim Firth, currently senior deputy head at last on the teaching staff at the school, Hurstpierpoint College, impressed everyone who met him at interview and I have no doubt that he retiring in August after completing 40 is an excellent choice to succeed me. He is a cricket years service. The last couple of years as blue from Oxford and he, his wife Jane and family Headmaster have been immensely enjoyable will enjoy living in Halcyon with its proximity and views to cricket bigside and, indeed, of the vista and rewarding, but it is time for a new man across the school. I hope that, over the course of at the helm to steer the school through the next few months, Tim will be able to visit the the challenges of the next few years. The school for various events and especially the Open waters are considerably calmer than they Morning on March 19th, so that he can meet many of the staff, pupils and parents, both old and new, were when I took over, day and boarding and get a real feel for the school. He is very excited numbers have increased and much has been at the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead done to enhance the school’s facilities and and I know that we will all give him our full support reputation. However, no school can ever in the years to come. rest on its laurels and new initiatives are Time seems to fly so quickly in a school that it is difficult to remember to mention everything always being considered to produce that without appearing to repeat what was said in my gradual evolution which is so necessary in last report. Exciting plans for the Business School any organisation. Wrekin is a very different are being finalised and the project will be going out school from the one I joined in 1976 and the to tender soon. We are pleased that this project is progressing so well as it will provide much needed one that many of you will remember. The facilities to benefit the current generation of trick with any evolution is to retain those Wrekinians. We have had some generous offers of characteristics which define you and stand financial support for the project and others have the test of time but modify those traits offered materials or services. If you feel that you are able to help either with a one-off gift, corporate which are less meaningful and useful and sponsorship over a period of time, including monies need updating. to the Foundation to help sponsor pupils through 3 Letter from the Headmaster the school, or you would like to pay to ‘buy’ a seat The standard of Wrekin’s music continues to rise – a in the lecture theatre which will bear a plaque to real feat considering last year’s triumphs – under commemorate your gift or a relative who may have the direction of Simon Platford. Record numbers of had an association with the school, please do get pupils have individual instrumental lessons and the in touch with the Foundation Office or me directly. junior Lancaster House Band (11-13 year olds) has The more we raise for this project, the sooner we almost as many members as the school’s Concert can start looking at other projects, including for Band and there is a huge array of talent on display example, enhanced teaching and rehearsing space at the many concerts, soirées and performances for music and the performing arts. to which we are treated. This year’s Chapel Choir, The rugby XV has had its best season for years looking resplendent in its new blue gowns (partly defeating schools such as KES Birmingham and sponsored – thank you – by the OWA), has a Adams’ GS which we have not beaten for many beautiful pure tone which impresses all who hear years, plus rewarding victories over Shrewsbury it. Following last year’s magnificent ‘The Armed School and Newcastle School. The girls’ netball Man – a mass for peace’ by Karl Jenkins, put in your squad has qualified, yet again, for the West diaries this year’s concert extravaganza – ‘Land of Midlands finals and, individually, we have Hope and Glory – a celebration of English music’ representatives, Natasha Coleman and Lucy Asson fittingly on St George’s Day, Saturday, 23rd April in in the West Midlands U18 elite squad. Playing at the Sports Hall. international level must be every sportsperson’s Other successes from last term include a group dream and Lorna Mackenzie, already an U18 of Fifth Form pupils winning Telford and Wrekin’s Scotland hockey player at the age of 14, has now Schools’ Global Entrepreneurship Enterprise been given the rare opportunity to play for a Challenge in November. A group of Upper Sixth second country having been invited to join the pupils greatly impressed a panel of Bank of England England squad. economists with a presentation and in a subsequent Drama continues to be a great strength of the question and answer session on their views of school and this year’s production, ‘A Midwinter ‘monetary policy, the current state of inflation and Night’s Dream’ based on William Shakespeare’s forward fiscal planning’ in The Bank of England and play of a very similar title, was no exception with The Times Interest Rate Challenge ‘Target Two Point excellent acting, brilliant direction by Dr Alex Zero’. A Fourth Former, Jacob Reid, is in Archery Witton, a superb set and great technical expertise GB’s junior training squad and represents GB in a demonstrated by all concerned. A real gem! tournament in France in late January. Four pupils, 4 Holly and Ella Townson and Tess and Harry Sanders pupils, especially if we may be able to meet up with have qualified for the National Schools Biathlon them or their parents in early March. Finals in March and, of those, Holly and Tess have As the temperature outside drops to more familiar been selected for the England National Talent winter values, I feel for some of our new pupils Camp in February. A member of staff, Anthony who have just arrived from climates much warmer Francis-Jones, who runs the school’s extremely than ours. However the evenings are, optimistically, successful Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, was beginning to get a bit lighter and the cricket square himself presented with an award for services to is looking in fine health, despite the recent deluges. the local community. He received an Access Award We have some very talented senior cricketers this from the British Horse Society for promoting year and I am looking forward to a vintage season. and creating new green routes in the Telford and Five of them are already associated with academies Wrekin area at a prestigious ceremony at Saddlers’ of major cricketing counties. I am delighted that Hall in London. Andy Liu, a pupil enrolled on the four are associated with Northamptonshire, school’s new Transition Year programme, designed my home county, and that Luke Swann, as a foundation year to prepare overseas pupils for Northamptonshire’s Academy’s performance coach, entry to the Sixth Form, is an exceedingly talented has joined our staff to establish a very popular mathematician. Andy sat the UK Mathematics winter training programme which should ensure Senior Challenge, qualified for the very prestigious our cricket goes from strength to strength. I am, Olympiad round, in itself a rare feat, and has now therefore, expecting our matches this summer to been awarded a distinction for his efforts and has be greatly entertaining and the ones against the qualified for the next round.