School Visits

a better result in next year’s battle.

Having successfully beaten out the opposition, the first team was off to Nottingham. Arriving at the familiar Warhammer World building, the team were ready. Upon entering the Grand Hall, it was clear that the event had continued to grow in size from last year, with 20 teams in total competing on the day. Special mentions to Ollie Sampson for his superb modelling, earning the team additional points, and to Joseph Teckman who stuck it out against many tough opponents, even if that required some questionable tactical decisions. Placing second overall, the team firmly cemented itself a place in the finals.

The day of the finals dawned. Lists refined, equipment packed, the team was ready to set off (with the exception of the team captain, whose late arrival was no surprise to the team, and quite consistent with his previous performances). With Mr. Goodchild’s inspirational historic anecdotes of battles long ago, the team was ready to blow the competition out of the water. The first round of matches looked promising, with all four players seizing victory decisively. Pride came before fall however, as our next opponents forced us into a win, a draw and two losses. With only one school left to face, the team really had to turn things around. A short intermission and a firm talk from the team captain seemed to do the trick, with the threat of walking home being liberally tossed around. The final round saw the team regaining their footing, walking away with three wins and one loss, placing 4th overall nationally, out of 160 schools. A solid result, but not quite at the top yet. Next year the top spot will certainly be claimed by the Warhammer Team of Aylesbury Grammar School.

A special thanks to Mr. Goodchild, Mr. Walker and Mrs. Chalk for running the club, and to all the boys who attend.

Ross Buchanan – Phillips 12

Art - Year 10 & 12 visit the Tate Modern Gallery, London

The AGS Art Department organised a trip to London to visit the Tate Modern Art Gallery on the 20th September

2016. Students travelled by train into London and walked a short distance to the gallery. Once inside the gallery students had the opportunity to tour the permanent displays of art work in the main gallery until midday, taking in some of Britain’s most diverse and contemporary works of Art. After taking lunch the group then headed into the temporary exhibition of the American artist Georgia O’Keeffe, a retrospective of her art over the twentieth century. Georgia O’Keeffe is best known for her paintings of magnified flowers, animal skulls, and New Mexico desert landscapes. With no works by O’Keeffe in UK public galleries, this exhibition was a rare chance to see the largest collection of her remarkable paintings outside of America. The students were able to explore and respond to her work. This proved not only a fantastic opportunity to view the exhibition, but also to tour works in the brand

new extension, the Switch House. This educational visit proved very successful and was invaluable to the development of the Year 10’s Art project based on the theme ‘Close Up’. Thank you to all the GCSE and A level students who attended for their positive contribution on the day.

Mrs L Tangi

Art - Year 12 visit the Royal Academy of Arts

The day started with an early morning train trip to London,

with the entirety of our three-strong class of myself, Oli Howard and Alroy Pereira. We then had a short journey on the underground to reach the Royal Academy. We were visiting to see the infamous annual Summer Exhibition, which showcases the best pieces of contemporary art work from the past year. Famed artists such as Tracey Emin and Sir Michael Craig-Martin appeared alongside obscure and unknown artists for whom this could well be one of their first exhibitions. Some stand out pieces were the wind sculpture by Yinka Shonibare in the main courtyard alongside a spectacular range of pieces in a wonderful range of styles. After the RA we visited some other galleries around London. The Gagosian contained a range of Picasso’s work which was quite inspiring to see. The National Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery contained an eclectic range of classic and modern works as ever – including the impressive tapestry by Chris Ofili which took a team of weavers over two years to complete. In all, the trip was very successful as we have been inspired by a range of artworks to complete our own personal investigations over the next year, and we would like to thank Mrs Tangi, Mrs Pearson and Mrs Saunderson for organising and supervising the trip.

Finn Walsh – Denson 12

Biology - Year 12

visit Warwick University

The Warwick visit was a very eye opening experience into the world of Biology beyond

A levels. Tim Underwood’s talk about cancer research was particularly interesting as it included recent and relevant discoveries. We saw a video of surgery to remove the top third of the stomach and bottom two thirds of the oesophagus, therefore removing the tumour in the process, the remains of the oesophagus and stomach were then reconnected. Scientist and TV presenter Greg Foot gave insight into the lengths that scientists go to in an attempt to save lives. The fact that scientists travelled up Mount Everest to simulate hypoxia (seen in ICU patients) shows the ingenuity and dedication required to become a successful scientist.

Sam Bhaskaran – Lee 12 Matt Griffin – Hampden 12 Sam Knights – Hampden 12 Nameer Rahman – Ridley 12

Biology - Year 12

visit Coombe Hill

The sky was bleak and the winds raged, but the weather would not come between the keen biologists and their task.

We spent the day conducting studies of plant biodiversity on Coombe Hill, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. On the way up we observed the effects of coppicing – cutting back trees to stimulate the growth of new stems – and the change in flora at different heights.

Our first activity was measuring the percentage cover of different species at the summit using quadrats. We repeated this twice – once more on the hillside (very steep!) and again using line transects to see how footpaths affect species richness.

Lunch offered a welcome break from the elements before moving on. Our final activity was to investigate variation in holly leaves, calculating the spine density for leaves at different heights and designing our own methods for selecting the leaves. Then it was back down for a well deserved kitkat or three!

We’d like to thank the Biology Department because the field trip was hugely important, enabling us to complete one of the twelve required practical skills. It is one thing to read about conservation and biodiversity in the textbook, but quite another to actually observe and experience it yourself!

Alex Axford - Lee 12

Geography -

visit to Sicily

After an early start at school, we landed in sunny Catania on the east coast of Sicily ready

to explore. Catania has a prolific seismic history having been destroyed in 1169 by a catastrophic earthquake and sitting in the shadow of the tallest active volcano in Europe. Mount Etna, visible from the plane whilst coming to land, was one of the attractions that we had come to see in this beautiful part of the world. We stepped off the plane and headed straight for Mount Etna. Our first leg of the ascent consisted of a long cable car journey in which we all added substantial layers of clothing anticipating the drastic change of temperatures despite the warm climate lying below. Upon departing from the safety of the cable car and the warm café, the wind, drizzle and minimal visibility led to us slowly ascending the winding path towards the summit. After half an hour of slow walking and stopping to admire the view during brief breaks in the clouds, we turned back towards the safety of the warm café and descended from the volcano. We then headed for our hotel for the night, a much-needed rest for everyone. a coach journey to Millazzo port, where we departed for the Aeolian Islands. These islands are part of a 140-kilometre island arc stretching from Millazzo to Stromboli. It is formed because of the tectonic activity between the African plate and the European plate. After departing for Vulcano, on the hydrofoil, we arrived to the somewhat unpleasant smell of rotten eggs. This was due to the large amount of sulphur being produced by the volcano lying on the small 21km square island. We swiftly began our 500m ascent heading for the Gran Cratere and after just over an hour of walking we reached the summit and were greeted by amazing views of the island and surrounding islands. We proceeded to eat our lunch at the top of the volcano before a swift descent back towards the town. With a group of boys tired from the walk, the famous Fanghi di Vulcano mud baths were a welcome sight. We headed straight for the hot mud and made the most of its therapeutic qualities. After this, we boarded another hydrofoil bound for Stromboli, not before a quick stop at Lipari for supplies and an ice cream. After arriving in Stromboli, the day was not over. We visited our hotel, ate some dinner and then headed for our first glimpse of the world-renowned volcano, Stromboli. Due to tired legs and the lack of a professional guide, we made our own way up to the viewing area

on the north side of the volcano where we had an awe inspiring view of the frequent eruptions over 500 metres above us.

For day three we visited Stromboli, which is a 926m volcano with three small settlements, San Vincenzo and San Bartolo on the northwest and Ginostra on the southeast. We were staying in the northeast and spent the day exploring as well as playing a must win Beach volleyball game on the black sands of Stromboli’s beaches. The game resulted in a win for Mr Corby’s team, a somewhat questionable victory with the fact that Mr Corby was also the unbiased referee. By the evening, the group was ready to ascend the Volcano, to see the view that we had come so far to see. We were lucky enough to be able to ascend all the way to the top of the 926m summit. It was here that we were able to watch the Volcano throw molten rocks and lava high into the air accompanied by the loud and aggressive rumble of the ground beneath us. Once settled in at the top of Stromboli we witnessed a beautiful sunset, and the once in a lifetime opportunity of being next to an erupting volcano. We also learned how privileged we were when Mr Corby and our guide said that it was some of the best views and weather they had witnessed in a very long time. After a few hours and the onset of night, we proceeded to carefully descend the steep sided volcano. We headed back to the hotel for a relaxed evening with the group talking and playing cards for hours on end before a well-deserved night’s sleep.

We were lucky enough to meet scientists from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) who had a station on the northern side of the island. They were kind enough to speak with us and explain the complexities of monitoring a volcano which nearly five hundred people called home. A variety of cameras, sensors and strain meters were set up across the island at no less that eighty different locations. Global positioning and seismometers were used to measure even the minutest of changes or movements. We accompanied this with some free time exploring the idyllic and beautiful old town with some of us visiting the church amongst other areas of the town. We then prepared ourselves for another night of volcano watching, we were so lucky to have weather similar to the night before where it was clear warm and perfectly safe allowing us to remain at the summit for hours, carefree of the world around us, admiring the volcano that was producing eruptions so frequently. After descending the volcano, we prepared ourselves for the trip back to the mainland the next morning.

After departing from Stromboli, we travelled directly from Millazzo to the northern side of Etna this time; we travelled as far as we could on one of the 4x4 buses, which shaved hours off our ascent time. After stepping off the bus wrapped up in all of our layers, which previously were no defence against the battering winds, we were greeted by a chilly yet clear and sunny day at the top of Mount Etna. This allowed us to ascend in a t-shirt and take in an awe-inspiring view when we reached the top. We were also able to clearly see the pathways of the devastating lava flows that occur frequently during large eruptions of the volcano. After descending from Mount Etna, we visited the Gole Alcantara Parco, a river which had cut a beautiful path through steep sided cliffs. We also visited another local shopping town. We then headed back to the hotel we had stayed in on the first night and went out and enjoyed the local area before packing our bags ready for our departure the next day.

For our final morning, we spent the day enjoying Catania and its local culture; we were given the opportunity to explore and most of us headed for the surrounding shopping streets. We then headed to the airport for the flight home. This trip was a once in a lifetime experience, something I think we would all agree on. To visit such a complex and dangerous part of the world requires intricate planning and months of work prior to the trip. On behalf of the group I would like to thank Mr Corby and Mr Jones for putting their time and effort into ensuring we had an amazing visit.

Charlie Dunne – Denson 12

German - Year 10 Exchange to Stuttgart

I’m sure I speak for everyone involved when I say that the German Exchange to Stuttgart was great fun as well as interesting if at times a bit

scary! We did a lot of things in the 8 days we spent in Stuttgart from deep underground in a bear cave to high up in the air at Europapark theme park.

After an early start on Wednesday morning, it was straight into the action in the afternoon when we arrived at the schools in Stuttgart. Having had a brief meeting with our exchange partners, we rushed off to the TV tower from the top of which we were able to see the whole of Stuttgart as well as a fair amount of the surrounding area. After some lessons in school with our partners on the Thursday morning, we were off to the bear caves which, despite being underground were in fact very colourful.

On Friday, I was forced to teach the German pupils that Thomas Mueller isn’t the best footballer in the world and in the same lesson I also learnt that in Germany they believe that we British only drink warm beer! Over the weekend we were left to our own devices with our guest families. However, we were never short of things to do thanks to our partners. We went shopping in the amazing city centre, watched a film at the cinema, went to a trampoline park as well as going into the woods for a campfire. On Sunday night everyone went to bed exhausted from all of the weekend’s events but still very much looking forward to the visit to Europapark the next day.

It is probably fair to say that this was the highlight of the Exchange for many people, which is understandable. Even though I don’t enjoy high and fast rollercoasters I still really enjoyed myself spending the day with such a large group. Overall the German exchange was a brilliant experience and I highly recommend it to the younger years. You improve your German whilst having fun (isn’t that our teachers’ definition of every lesson?). I would like to thank Mr. Sloan and Miss Rowling for organising such a great trip.

Edwin Vass – Lee 10 As part of our Year 10 German studies, AGS and AHS jointly hosted students from two schools in Stuttgart for a week

in July. It was great to repay the hospitality they had shown us earlier this year and to show them around the local area as well as visiting London, Oxford and Harry Potter world.

It was interesting to get an insight into their lives and compare our schools and general lives and it was a great opportunity to finally beat the Germans at football – even if it was only on FIFA. My confidence in speaking German rose and the oral exam at the end of the year was much easier to do.

The trip helped me to gain confidence, not only in German, but in general. As the exchange is with the High School, you get the opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships; the school seem to have a knack for matching up partners with the right people and German friendship groups with English friendship groups. I would definitely recommend the trip, as both sides of it are great.

Jack Burns – Hampden 10

German - Year 8

visit to Cologne

When the Boys of Denson, Hampden and Lee found out they were going to be given a chance to visit Cologne in Germany, some boys, quite literally jumped at the chance.

We were going to be going to a foreign country with our friends and all in the name of education!

Once we had signed up for the trip the itinerary offered a dinner in a traditional German restaurant, a tour of a local brewery and cathedral, a bowling night, a trip to the Lindt chocolate museum and a trip to the Phantasialand theme park. And, 13 year old boys, being who we are, only heard ‘chocolate’, ‘theme park’ and ‘bowling’. So that pretty much sold it for us. We then waited another 2 weeks for the leaving date, which passed agonisingly slowly

We all were given the once-in-alifetime opportunity to wake up at 4:30 am and once again, 13 year old boys being who we are we had all decided to go to bed the previous night at around 11pm meaning that we were of course at the top of our game. A 40 minute bus journey to Heathrow and a 90 minute flight later and we were in Germany and checking in to the Youth Hostel. We were given our keys, timings and a reminder of the €60 fine for losing our key which instantly became our most treasured possession for the entire visit. Later that evening, we went for our first ‘Traditional German Meal’.

In the morning we were up and out at 7.30am to see the sights of Cologne, visiting the Cathedral and to have look at a brewery. The 265 steps up the Cathedral were a challenge in the blistering heat but we got to see St. Peter’s Bell which weighs in at an impressive 24 tons and is the largest free swinging bell in the world. Next was the brewery tour. Never mind not being old enough to drink any of the beer, we weren’t allowed to see any either as they do not brew on weekends but we got to see the interesting process and how it is made and bottled ready for our parents to enjoy.

Loud music, flashing lights and the first drink on the house…..it was time for some bowling! Always competitive we enjoyed ourselves and with an arcade next door too it was an excellent addition to the visit.

The next day we packed and left the Hostel and were on our way to Phantasialand where we had a full 6 hours to roam free and enjoy the park. We were able to practise our German speaking all-round the park but screaming on roller-coasters is a pretty universal language wherever you go I suppose. From Phantasialand it was back to the airport and the short flight back to the UK. We arrived back at school for 9pm and had all had a great adventure.

Many thanks to all the staff who accompanied us and made the visit a success.

Antoni Kocan – Denson 8 Josh Cuddy – Denson 8

History - Year 7

visit Warwick Castle

In the Summer term, Year 7 were invited to visit Warwick Castle as part of their History

studies. As you might imagine, it was a History trip that was created to further our understanding of castles but not everything there revolved around old England. We got up to many things during the day.

The first thing we did was explore the castle itself. Even though it had had many refurbishments over the years you could still see, what life was like over 600 years ago. We were able to see some of their luxurious items (including beds and paintings), their armour and weapons for fighting opponents but we also understood that not everyone had these opportunities as these situations were for privileged people.

Another thing that we got up to was going to the highest point of Warwick Castle, which was an enormous tower. From the top, you could not only see all of the grounds but the whole of Warwick! We found out that when enemies invaded the castle they were shot at from up there due to the pull of gravity going downwards. Medieval foot-soldiers had weak armour and little protection that meant it was easy to wipe out huge numbers of advancing enemies before they reached your castle gates. Warwick castle was not just a castle though. They also had entertainment during the day such as the birds of prey show. This show contained many enormous, foreign birds, which you do not see every day. It was amazing how much trust the staff had with their birds as they let them fly quite a far distance before asking them to return. They explained that these were tame birds and do not hunt for food so they would return for their fishy treat that was given to them.

Everybody found the jail where people in charge of the castle imprisoned enemies (especially during the Civil War) extremely fascinating. We noticed that there was one tiny window high up on the wall that was the only source of light for the room. There was also a tiny space in the ground next to the cell where people were kept. It was a very tight space that was designed to make people suffer and become very claustrophobic so that they eventually died.

After a long day viewing the outstanding sights of Warwick, we decided to head back to school. We learnt loads on the trip and would all happily return later. Thank you to all the History staff for organising and accompanying such a great visit.

Finlay Power – Ridley 7 Callum Kiteley – Phillips 7

Malawi Exchange 2017

As always, our trip had two distinct phases; a week of ‘projects’ based in Chilema and a second week in the more relaxed surroundings of a safari lodge followed by some time by the shores of Lake

Malawi. First we had to get there. The eleven and a half hour flight to Johannesburg leaving at 6.00 pm was just the start. I never sleep on a plane and neither did a large number of the students. There was a despairing look in the eyes of someone who has been without any sleep for nearly a day that I recognised amongst several at around 4.00 am as I looked around: “Why did I agree to this and will it be worth it?” it said. I could only smile in a reassuring manner. And of course after that there was the flight to Lilongwe followed by a four hour bus drive down to Chilema.

All credit to the lads for raising so much money (in fact I think it was a record sum) which meant we could contribute to a lot of good causes. There was a detailed report of these in the newsletter at the start of the summer term but let me list a few things that we achieved.

At Malosa Secondary School (our main link in Malawi) we put into place new desks, bunk beds, mattresses and mosquito nets (not easy when the ceiling was often missing and there were no ladders) as well as books and ICT equipment which Mr Carson worked tirelessly to install. However the exchange is now much wider than simply Malosa School and we were also able to provide St Luke’s hospital just down the road (or rather ‘track’) with medical beds, mattresses, nets and other equipment as well. The hospital was staffed better than I had ever seen it before; three very dedicated Dutch doctors were working there. The medical care however was nevertheless minimal by our standards and the children’s ward proved to be a very emotional experience for some - myself included.

Beds, mattresses, mosquito nets and other supplies were bought for St Luke’s Hospital.

Sewing machines were provided for an organisation empowering women to start their own business whilst farming tools were provided for a nearby village. ”Here’s some money, go with two Malosa pupils and don’t come back until you’ve got a good deal on watering cans, hoes, scythes and machetes” we said at Zomba market. The lads had to go and find, then negotiate the purchase of the equipment that had been requested - and they did it really well.

We hand over much needed farming equipment bought from Zomba market.

Later that day the group travelled up to the top of Zomba Mountain where, cloud permitting, there is a fantastic view of the district. The Malawians didn’t like the cool of being up in the clouds whereas our lads found it a welcome respite from the heat!

The Plateau of Zomba Mountain. Note the difference in clothing. Malawian pupils “It’s freezing up here!” AGS pupils “First time we’ve felt cool since we arrived!”

Zomba market is also the location for Mr Corby’s 2000 Kwatcha Challenge. (K2000 is about £2.20.) Each pupil has this to spend and no more and has to haggle a deal with the market traders. Entries varied from the mundane (wooden spoons and carvings) through to the bizarre; a huge monkey wrench, a chair (“Can I take it home sir?”. Er no….) and the wheel of a car. Our Malawian minibus

drivers chose the winning entry. Food being the most important thing to them they deemed it to be a pestle and mortar.

Aaron, one of our Malawian bus drivers, congratulates Cam Burchell on winning the 2000 Kwatcha Challenge.

Preschools and primary schools were provided with resources such as games, books, blackboards and footballs.

Our fundraising for primary school equipment will make a big difference.

New classrooms and a teacher training facility funded by us were also in the process of being built and it really was amazing to see the response from the Africans. This being Malawi it was never going to be a polite ‘thank you’ but we had completely underestimated the welcome and thanks that we received. Cheering, dancing, and singing greeted us at every location. Our students could see that what we had been saying to them for well over a year about how their efforts would make a difference to people’s lives rang very true. We were all overwhelmed.

Sometimes it seemed as if the whole village had turned out to say ‘thank you’ to us.

Malawian children (and often adults) loved to see the pictures we had taken of them and laughed and laughed when they saw themselves. A truly wonderful sound in a country where all too often there isn’t a lot to laugh about. Oh, and let’s not forget that the money was raised for eight Malosa pupils and two of their teachers to come back over to the UK on the second part of the exchange.

Malawian children love to see pictures of themselves.

At night we returned to Chilema to eat (although on one occasion the dining hall had forgotten that we required a meal) and sleep. The boys had been warned that the accommodation might be a bit primitive but until they saw it I think they thought we had been joking. Although the rooms were clean(ish) and the beds had mosquito nets some of these had holes in them and had to be taped over to be safe. In our block there was an unpleasant smell of something or other that we couldn’t find the source of or eliminate. The electricity was very intermittent (and it is pitch black by 6.15 pm) so we often had to find our way to the toilets and showers by torch or candle light. Toilet paper was plentiful for once but, as usual, hot water was not. When I asked if we were going to be able to get any (a very optimistic question given past experience) the block manager laughed and said “Ah, no”. I discovered years ago that this phrase and its intonation in Malawi actually means “you really are joking aren’t you? There is absolutely no chance of that whatsoever.” No hot water for a week. Thank goodness for hand gel!

One night we had to deliver a presentation on life in the UK. Malawians do not listen politely in the way that we might in a school assembly. They are ‘into it’ from the first few seconds; cheering (screaming) at something they like, laughing loudly at something they hadn’t seen before, or just simply shouting encouragement. The lads found themselves on stage behind a curtain facing the entire school in the hall. This was it we had told them, it’s your show. Go out, inform

and entertain for 90 minutes. If ever there was a time to put nerves aside and say ‘the show must go on’ it was that night. Everyone played a part. No one was shy, or if they were it wasn’t apparent. There was singing, quizzes, presentations, demonstrations, as well getting Malawians onto the stage to try ‘bottle flipping’ – Although I think their teachers wished their pupils had not been introduced to that particular aspect of UK youth culture since Malosa students were henceforth to be seen trying it out all over the school.

The traditional England v Malawi students’ football match was the most bizarre I have ever watched. Matters were not helped by the coach’s (Mr Corby) policy of ‘one mistake and you are subbed’. This led to changes approximately every 25 seconds throughout the game for actions such as ‘not running properly’ or ‘looking daft’. All in good fun. Usually the African opposition are fast, direct and dangerous (despite playing on hard soil in bare feet) but this time they showed little threat and indeed were losing 1-0 at half time due to a well taken goal from Fitz Steger- Lewis. In the second half two more goals were conceded by Malawi due in large measure to their keeper misunderstanding that his role in the team was not in fact to turn his back on the pitch and chat to his friends behind the goal. There were then two rather bizarre ‘pitch invasions’. The first involved a diminutive African lady crossing the playing area - with rather more speed than our strikers had hitherto managed - carrying a ridiculously large and heavy quantity of firewood on her head. Then a small child who was obviously trying to ride a bike for the first time wobbled ponderously across the face of the Malawian goal; not that their keeper noticed.

The England v Malawi match. The pitch was pretty rough, it was about 28 degrees and nobody knew what was happening most of the time.

This lady had no trouble carrying the enormous bundle of firewood on her head. Several lads tried to do the same and gave up within seconds.

Then a group of Malosa students, who had really taken to the idea of throwing and catching a rugby ball, began a training session with one at the same time as another game of football began with some of the younger students on the pitch by the half way line (not that there was one). I was sitting down talking to some lads who were not feeling very well and so I didn’t see what transpired next. I had the impression that Malawi had scored a goal late on because there was some sort of restart around the centre of the pitch - although it could have been a free kick. I was therefore stunned to learn that we had apparently lost 6-3 although many of our players seemed to have little idea of what had actually occurred either and also said that the ref had been biased. Perhaps it was down to the heat. I’m calling it a draw.

Malawi Dream Team with Mr Nyalaya the school bursar outside the Malosa School Office.

Miss Hill christened the group of staff “The Malawi Dream Team” (in fact it was the first time ever that the same four staff had travelled two visits running). It proved to be true. When you are 5000 miles from home in very different, and sometimes very difficult, circumstances you definitely want to be with people you can absolutely rely on.

First and foremost, Mr Corby must take most of the credit for what was achieved. We always undertake a lot of good work but, in my view, this time we achieved more than ever before and I speak as a veteran of five visits.

He worked for two years to set it all up. Sometimes dealing with people in a developing country where phone calls or email don’t always get through (or if they do you don’t get a straight answer to your question for months) can be very frustrating. Furthermore you can’t simply send out vast sums of money without being clear where they are going and what the exact result of the payments will be. Being party leader also involves a massive responsibility. Despite every stage of every day being risk assessed to the maximum all of us were aware of the sorts of events that still might happen. No one more so than him.

Mention of course must be made of the other members of the team. Mr Carson, our ICT Guru/Supremo/ Tsar had two phrases (Give me) “Two seconds” (And I’ll sort it out). “It” was any form of phone, tablet, or computer problem whatsoever. His second (unrelated) mantra was “It’ll be fine”. In this case “It” was anything from whether a seemingly endless/impossible task (e.g. fitting mosquito nets in the dormitories with no ladders or string) would ever get completed, to whether we would be ordered to evacuate the buses at a police checkpoint by ‘Jobsworths’ (yes they have them in Malawi) who were looking for any opportunity to fine us in cash for a traffic offence real or imagined. He was right. ‘It’ was fine and his cheerful enthusiasm and positive attitude played a large part in our welfare.

Speaking of welfare, Miss Hill (Or rather ‘Doctor’ Hill as she became known for the second visit running) deserves a very special mention. The lads were rightly grateful for the part she played during the trip. In charge of first aid and sympathetic to every (even minor) health issue her quiet reassurance and knowledge of what to do played a major part in their wellbeing. She travelled everywhere with a colossal and heavy rucksack on her back filled with medical supplies. I don’t think any of us relished the question “can you hang onto my bag for a while?” I mean if I’d wanted a workout I’d have tried to find a gym….

My role was basically acting as deputy leader and to use my experience of previous trips to liaise with the Africans we had met on previous visits. Mr Corby on the other hand insisted my role was ‘maintaining morale’. If my fellow staff and the pupils enjoyed the never ending string of dreadful puns and daft observations on life for two solid weeks then I surely succeeded in that.

At Mvuu safari lodge the accommodation was much more luxurious and we had hot (well warm bordering on hot) water! We also got food that was not simply rice, beans, chicken and a mysterious, though delicious, green dish that looked and tasted rather like spinach. That basic fare kept us full and healthy in the first week. (I told the lads “This is Africa remember we are lucky to have this” and I can honestly say I didn’t hear any student complain about it.) Mvuu is in the heart of a national park and is a beautiful location with many different species of animals, birds and plants. The big ‘draw’ is the presence of elephants and luckily we were privileged to see a lot of them. Also Zebras were spotted by one group on a jeep safari which was unusual as they are very shy creatures and it was sad to learn that the pair near the camp had lost their foal to a hyena attack shortly before we arrived.

I have two defining memories from Mvuu. Firstly, on a boat safari the guide pointed to the bank and said “See the crocodile?” No one could. He moved the boat and suddenly there it was; a large reptile staring right at us - or I felt, specifically at me. Seeing as he had just explained how far and fast a crocodile can jump I was rather keen to move upriver.

An elephant suddenly appearing out of the bush 20m away from your jeep is a rather different experience to seeing one in a zoo.

The guide has just explained how far and fast a crocodile can jump.

Secondly, on a night-time game drive the guide explained how hippos do not like to deviate from their established paths. No sooner had he said that than a huge beast appeared on the track right in front of us and we fell absolutely silent. A hippo up close is a truly awesome sight. They can grow up to 1.6m tall. A female can easily weigh 1400kg and a male 1600kg. Whatever sex it was - and I certainly didn’t intend to start a speculative discussion with the guide at this juncture - it looked particularly angry that we were in its way (and, like the Crocodile, seemingly appeared to be looking straight at me). It stared aggressively for what seemed like ages before eventually crashing off into the bush to our right making a loud sequence of deep grunting noises of which I imagine a rough translation would be “I’m not going to forget this. I know where you live”. In fact later that night there WAS a hippo lumbering noisily around our chalets but I wasn’t going to venture out to try and make a judgement as to if it was the same one. Unlike elephants, who will perform at least one ‘mock charge’, hippos default straightaway into attack mode if they sense the remotest chance of success of biting you (in half) when annoyed – and it doesn’t take much to annoy one.

Hippos may look cute, but they are unpredictable and dangerous.

After Mvuu we had a couple of days on the shores of Lake Malawi. Very luxurious and very beautiful. The resort included a reasonable quality football pitch and also a nine hole golf course. Only a limited number of places were available for golf and so only students who knew how to play were allowed. It quickly became apparent that the eight students who had assured us they were all experienced players had not been entirely truthful. The first hole saw one student (who will remain anonymous) take ten shots to move less than 100m. I initially wondered why we had paid extra for an additional bag of golf balls but I soon realised why. I lost count of the number of them disappearing into the rough (you couldn’t go and look for them in case there were snakes) or into water hazards. Far from enjoying a pleasant afternoon stroll accompanying the lads much of my time was spent dodging shots flying around at angles wildly tangential to their intended direction. The game was never actually finished because it took so long to complete the first four holes that darkness started to fall and play had to be abandoned.

After this it was time to fly home and the cold of Heathrow was nothing like the welcoming warmth of Lilongwe. As soon as we got off the coach parents naturally started to ask “What was it like?” I exchanged looks with the lads just as I had on the plane on the way out. This time it was a rather more positive and knowing look - “Where do you start?!”

Mr A Grant

Religious Studies

- Year 10 visit Aylesbury Town Centre

On Monday 12th June, Mrs Crussell, Mr Warner and the Year 10 Religious Studies students visited 4 Churches and met with a Town Chaplain in Aylesbury town centre.

We were met by compassionate and enthusiastic elders, leaders or significant figures within the Church community with crucial roles in the management and coordination of their Church. These leaders kindly showed us around their building, explaining that certain features signify specific beliefs and how the Church itself helps the local community in and around Aylesbury. In addition, they described a typical service at their church and whether it contains liturgical or non-liturgical worship and preaching. This highlighted numerous similarities and differences between the various denominations within Christianity. For example, in St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Father John talked us through the process of Mass, following a specific and coordinated routine which contrasted hugely with the Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends, where there was no ‘formal’ service or symbolic ritual at all - only personal reflection. Another difference is the way that some of the Churches performed a baptism. For example, Granville Street Evangelical Church used a baptism pool which enabled the participant to be fully submerged after they had made a personal decision to follow Christ. However, Aylesbury Methodist Church and St

Joseph’s Catholic Church used a font and baptised anyone (including many babies) by sprinkling some water on their heads. The Methodist Minister explained that baptism is for anyone and everyone because the grace of God is for anyone and everyone.

During our lunch break, a member of the Street Angels and Aylesbury Town Chaplaincy came and spoke to us about the voluntary work they perform late at night and in work places in the town during the day to help anyone going through challenging times who wants to talk.

In the afternoon we visited the Society of Friends (Quaker) meeting place which we agreed was the most simple and unadorned. It was the denomination that I found the most interesting. One of the “friends” welcomed us, presented their personal views and explained the Quaker philosophy. Quakers, as an organisation, have no set beliefs or ideals which meant that we struggled to put our fingers on what exactly they do and don’t believe. They do share important values like peace and equality. We had our own short meeting in silence for five minutes which gave us space to reflect and listen in peace. Some of us found the silence discomforting however we soon realised that this form of worship is an effective way to get closer to God. As a Christian myself, what I found most interesting was discovering how little I knew regarding other denominations and their ways of worship and practices. For example, I had never been in a Methodist Church before and never understood the history behind the Methodist movement rooted in social action. In addition, I never understood the many statues and their relevance in a Catholic Church. As well as this, I learnt how unique and different the silent Quaker worship is compared to Catholic rituals and Methodist hymns. I truly enjoyed this trip and would thoroughly advocate this to anyone keen to learn about Christian denominations simply based on the amount of knowledge I gained from it.

Ben Bishop - Denson 10

As a Muslim, I found the Quakers the most interesting of the Christian places of worship. Quaker worship is so different from the traditional Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christianity I know of, and is even more distinct from Islamic prayer. Kevin, a “friend” spoke briefly about Quakerism and then we went into the Meeting House hidden away behind two terraced cottages on Rickfords Hill and experienced our own shortened meeting in the same way as a normal meeting – except we did 5 minutes instead of an hour. The house was old, and as we settled down, we used the silence to deeply reflect on our thoughts. After 5 minutes we stood up and shook hands with each other to indicate that the meeting was over, following the example of Kevin, our host. It was so bizarre, that it amused me, in one sense, but I loved how unique the process was and I wanted to do it again. After the visit, it so appealed to me that I would consider joining the Quakers because it’s not just an option available to Christians, but to me as a Muslim too. The calm and comfortable atmosphere in the meeting room resonated with my personality and the Quaker belief in pacifism is something I support. I asked whether I could join in with the weekly Sunday meetings, uneasy in case my religion may stop me from doing so, and I was told that I would be welcomed with warm and open hands. I even borrowed a book written by a Muslim Quaker that Mrs Crussell spotted on the bookshelf which I found very open-minded and inclusive. Although I enjoyed all the places of worship we visited and found them all equally informative, I was inspired by the Quakers the most.

Shoheb Hassan – Phillips 10

Year 7 Residential

With a worth-it early start we were off on a 5-hour coach journey to Cheshire, even with a nice long stop at a service station to stretch our legs we

still got there in good time. To be honest it flew by because we were excitedly chatting and having fun on the coach. Once there we were sent to our camps and put into tribes, with famous looking tribe leaders! We were already hyped and quickly playing games such as Predator (running to get to the vantage point where you couldn’t be seen) or Twenty One (similar to predator but involved more injuries!). Our first main activity was making a fire in the woods, and one of my favourite parts was getting to melt marshmallows over the fire we made. Next, we had to make shelters, that was a real challenge; with one-half of us finding the wood and the other half building and you could even sleep in them that night if you were brave enough. Jack Black (Our tribe leader lookalike) and all the leaders were helpful, giving instructions making it fun and answering any questions or worries we had but the best part of the trip had to have been camping with your mates in your shelter, with fires and songs and staying up later than usual. The only thing that made me cringe was some of the lads eating salmon eyes after the teachers and staff had filleted them! We also learnt medical procedures by having to find our tribe leaders in a perilous situation then act fast to help them. Then after a tiring day, we went to bed, with our warm sleeping bags, telling stories and jokes until late at night. The final day was one of best with competitive archery and slingshot mayhem in teams of three firing bean bags to see who’s bean bag went the furthest. After an exhilarating end to the trip, it was time to get back on the bus, with good byes and heavy bags we were on our way back with what had felt like only a couple of hours of fun had now come to a happy end. Overall, I really enjoyed this trip and would highly recommend it!

Artyno Martire-Charlett - Lee 7 Boluwatifemito Oyedepo - Lee 7

Our Year 7 residential started when we arrived at Cholmondeley Castle on 14th June. The trip was amazing and we had an action packed few days full of many activities such as archery, an adventure course, trap building, shelter making, creating survival bracelets, making tent pegs and playing games like Predator and Twenty One. This residential got us away from the life we were living (sitting at home playing on electronic devices ) and got us into the real natural world.

Ben Foster - Phillips 7

During our time on the Year 7 residential, we played games in the woods with our tribe leaders. These included Predator and 21, most people thought Predator was the best of the two. We were given the decision to sleep in the tents or shelters. We played many games and had to work out especially hard riddle games. Every night everyone gathered around the campfire and had a hot chocolate with marshmallows then went to bed. We had a great time.

Science - Year 9

visit Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park, school and

science. Three things I’d never thought could be put in the same sentence. However, I guess I’m wrong, as I was one of the boys lucky enough to get a place on the coveted school science trip to Thorpe Park. Split into two groups we were all herded through security and into the park.

Once in, Group 1 went straight into the roller coasters and motion workshop. Here we looked at the different styles of rollercoaster and how they work. We also looked at the force required to get Stealth, the park’s highest coaster, all the way up to its 210-foot peak. Despite being sceptical about doing a workshop at a theme park, it was actually rather interesting and 25 minutes later; we walked far more knowledgeable about the rides we were about to endure.

The next hours were filled with many long queues followed by marginal fear and a lot of excitement. A muchneeded trip to Burger King was made part way through the day followed by my personal highlight of the day. A ride on ‘Saw’, one of the park’s big 5 coasters. Luckily we managed to get into the ride just minutes after it had opened which was a bonus. The ride starts in the dark, then you narrowly drop under a set of swinging axes then rush outside and start a vertical 30m ascent followed by a vertical descent with lots of twists and turns and a top speed of 55mph. All of these factors added together to make an interesting mid ride photo. It was a great day thoroughly enjoyed by all and luckily the British weather was kind to us. A good way to start the last half term of year 9 and some preGCSE fun. A big thank you must go to the teaching staff who came with us on the trip and even tested out some of the rides to make sure they were safe for the students.

Sam Gilbert – Denson 9

Skiing 2017

As many of these things do, the trip started with an early morning, a bus ride, and a couple of hours in an airport.

Luckily for us, we were flying out of Heathrow Terminal 2, which already started to make the early morning worthwhile. After our last taste of averagely-sized British food, we boarded our flight to… Dublin. In a rather ingenious ploy to keep costs down, we took a connecting flight which saved us both money, and time at US immigration, by ‘going through’ in Ireland. So, after a short jaunt across the pond, in which a lack of turbulence was at a premium, the contingent of 70 of us could stride out of Logan Airport and into the harsh weather of Boston with ease. Only the day before, had somewhat of a snow storm piled through the city, which, while making things rather chilly, did help us prepare for the conditions to come at Jay. We spent the evening at Quincy Market, breaking us nicely into the grander portion sizes of our American cousins.

The next day we departed the optimistically named Quality Inn and began the lengthy drive to Jay. On the way, we stopped at an outlet mall, which, like many places as such in America, was devoid of life, which only made the process of bargainfinding even easier. And even with the dire state of the pound, we were all able to find good quality deals, and by the time everyone had got back into the coach and placed their bags down, branded products were aplenty. After some more driving, AGS arrived at Jay Peak and following the pick-up of our ski equipment and dinner, we all happily fell asleep after yet another long day.

As we looked out onto the piste on the morning of day one, the snow was falling. It turned out to be that this happened every morning, and for most of the time we were there as well. This allowed for some of the greatest powder skiing that one could wish to enjoy, so therefore after having breakfast (with truly delicious bacon and pancakes) the group hit the slopes, and got to meet our instructors for the week. For some, starting skiing was just getting back into the swing of things. For others, it was their first time on skis, but luckily for them, their instructors were able to get their confidence up in no time. Progression in all groups could be seen, even in the top group where by the end of Day 5 they were able to master some of the trickiest glade skiing. While the conditions were often bitter, the snow conditions helped make up for the sometimes -15°C temperatures that could be found at the top of the mountain.

Every evening, a new activity awaited us students. Bingo was the first night’s entertainment, followed by a trip to the Pump House. This is no mere

shoe store, no; the Pump House was an indoor waterpark, with a lazy river, a surfboard machine, and slides - one of which starts with the floor dropping out from beneath you. Not only is this an enjoyable experience in itself, listening to the screams of the teaching staff as they took on the challenge provided more than ample entertainment for the evening. We also had a quiz night, where the Year 12s were distributed among the younger year’s teams to make them fairer. However, let this be to no offence to the Year 9s; in my team, the Year 12 among us made the bulk of the team’s answers.

After another equally pleasant trip to the Pump House on the next night, and then the fifth day of skiing (with yet more snow still falling), our time at Jay had come to an end. Some 5 remarkably snow-filled days had left us all fulfilled, though it was still sad to drive away. New York was the final stop on our journey, where we took a swift trip up the Empire State Building, ate our final hearty meal just below the iconic edifice, and then proceeded on a fascinating walk down Manhattan Island, passing Times Square, 42nd Street and the Flatiron Building. We also saw an anti-Trump rally and the 9/11 memorial at ground zero before finishing our walk at Battery Park and catching our coach to the airport. The whole trip was a great snowy success, and all the boys enjoyed it thoroughly. Special thanks to Mr Ramsbottom for organising the trip, and to all the teaching staff who came along to allow the trip to go ahead.

James Burton – Phillips 12

In all honesty, on the first day of skiing, I was not the best. The way I would stop myself from crashing into other people was by purposefully falling into the ground. I took a day or two to grasp how to turn and to stop. The ski instructors were very helpful and by the next day, I was mostly able to ski. My favourite part of the trip was when we were allowed to go to a more difficult section which was in the woods. For example, we would start off with the route and then we would spot a place where we fancied going in the woods and skied there. This did though involve us falling over getting stuck a lot as we had only skied for the first time a few days ago.

Each day we skied from place to place and did something new and exciting. The only downside of the trips was when our five days of skiing ended. After that, we drove down to New York. As it was my first time to the USA I did not know what to expect going to one of the most famous cities in the world.

Once there, we visited the Empire State Building where we saw amazing views all around the city. I remember as our group walked out of the Empire State Building on the other side of the street there was a souvenir shop. A lot of us wanted a few souvenirs to take home so we went there and looked around. The only problem was when we had finished we couldn’t find any other groups.

Thank you to Mr Ramsbottom and all the other staff for organising such a fantastic trip. I really enjoyed going skiing and I would love to do it again.

Rocco Wooster – Ridley 9

Spanish - Year 9

visit Salou & Barcelona

After arriving and settling in at our resort in Salou on a warm Spanish evening, on one of the opening days of the AGS Barcelona trip 2016 we were all graced with the opportunity to visit Camp Nou the home of FC

Barcelona. We saw the museum of their impressive collection of European trophies and got to have a look inside the home dressing room followed by the famous walk out onto the pitch and going very near the dugout. We also saw a great selection of the different sports at Barcelona including football, ice hockey, ice skating and basketball. Here we all got the opportunity to try out ice skating. Some of my peers were naturally good at it and others - not quite. In Barcelona, we enjoyed some fairly exotic dishes of tapas at a restaurant of our choice. A few of us overspent on our budget of 75 Euros but we managed to pay for our meal and avoid an international incident! The food was really tasty, I tried ‘Patatas Bravas’ which are small randomly cut fried potatoes as well as ‘Pimientos de Padrón’ which is simply a Roulette of spicy or non-spicy peppers.

Barcelona is home to some incredible architecture which was awesome, most of it was made by Antoni Gaudi. We got to see La Sagrada Familia which is an incredible cathedral which was started in 1882 but is still not yet finished; it’s expected to be finished by 2028. Though Gaudi died in 1926, his plans for the cathedral have been the main inspiration for the construction currently taking place.

Gaudi also made an incredible park in the centre of Barcelona called Park Guell. The park contains amazing sand sculptures which are renowned for being extremely detailed. El Dracon is a big model lizard made up with mosaic tiles which provide a flash of colour to the park. Gaudi’s architecture was always inspired by the natural world.

On the last full day of our memorable trip to Salou and Barcelona, we got the opportunity to visit PortAventura, a theme park which boasts Europe’s tallest and fastest roller coaster - the Shambhala. It was a massively fun day where we were all separated into groups and went on different rides together. The queues weren’t too long though it was very hot in the park. My group’s personal favourites were the log flumes and Tutuki Splash.

On behalf of everyone that went, we would like to thank all the teachers for organising and leading a magnificent trip.

Dylan Sellors – Ridley 9 Sam Packer – Ridley 9

Spanish - Year 10

& 12 Exchange 2017

Whilst the 3:00AM start may not have been most conducive in the creation of an excited bus of AGS and AHS students, by the time we reached Gatwick airport the whole group were certainly eager to step foot on Spanish soil and get the ‘Reggaeton’ (Spanish tunes) banging from the back of the

coach. A short plane journey ensued, followed by a 45-minute trip from the airport to Murcia, where we had the opportunity to meet our exchanges and their fellow students. We then returned to our exchanges’ houses for lunch (traditional dishes ranged from rabbit paella to traditional stews), before joining our other exchanges for an evening of tapas and a brief student-led tour of the city.

Thursday and Friday saw us experience the typical day-to-day life of a Murcian school student, joining lessons for the day and having the chance to practise plenty of Spanish, as well as discover more about some of the very pronounced differences between the Spanish and English education system: how many English schools can boast a fully-functioning internal museum? On Friday, we were also lucky enough to be treated to a tour of many of the city’s great buildings, from the town hall (where we met the mayor and were invited to stand on the balcony from which a ‘prégon’ is made during major festivals) to the old casino (which Tom was lucky enough to frequent again over the weekend for the traditional Spanish wedding of his exchange’s cousin!).

For the rest of us, the weekend was an opportunity to eat some more typical tapas, explore many of the city’s great sites and also watch a game of football or two! Whilst the nucleus of the group remained intact, individual pairs went off to discover the culture, location and traditions in their individual ways; the WhatsApp group chat was the most intellectually-stimulated it had been in a considerable length of time, and students once again had the opportunity to practise their Spanish in a new context.

Early on Monday morning, with everyone re-energised from a weekend in the Spanish sun, the coach set off for Granada and the Alhambra, carrying both the English Students and their Spanish exchanges. After a long coach journey through the icy cold of the Sierra Nevada (“Snowy Mountains”), we arrived in the city for a few hours of shopping and sightseeing, before taking the coach up to the Alhambra hill to see the main attraction of the day, the Medieval Moorish palace. Everyone was taken aback by the imposing red exterior, the dazzling beauty of the rooms and courtyards inside and the water features that dominate the palace and gardens.

On the final full day of the trip we all filed onto the coach; sad to be about to say goodbye to Spain, but excited to see the port of Cartagena and hit the beaches of La Manga. During our free time in the city the Year 12s took the opportunity to sample the traditional churros, whilst the Year 10s took the opportunity to buy several large bottles of fizzy drinks. After visiting the Roman amphitheatre, we headed off to the beaches where we enjoyed some swimming-free fun. That night, to celebrate the exchange, the whole group headed out to Murcia town centre for a meal together. As our coach pulled away from Alfonso X El Sabio school, nobody wanted to say goodbye to Murcia and our exchanges and everyone was already eagerly anticipating the return leg.

After four long months of school, in June it was finally time for the Spanish students to visit their English families. They arrived to uncharacteristically warm temperatures (which during the week would even surpass those in the South of Spain) and straight away began their exploration of English culture, as guests of honour at Aylesbury High School Sports

Day. Whilst here they enjoyed trips to Warwick Castle, London and Cadbury World and on Tuesday were joined by the English students in a visit to Oxford, with a guided tour of the famous university and time for shopping and exploring.

During the evenings and the weekend, the organisation of activities was handed over to the British students and their families, and the Spanish were treated to a wide variety of traditional treats and traditions, sampling Fish and Chips, Afternoon Tea and even that most English of restaurants, Nando’s. On Saturday most exchanges enjoyed a picnic in the sun at Waddesdon Manor and on Sunday many made the trip to London, although the sales on Oxford Street seemed to be more attractive than the English architecture!

After a phenomenal week, the time to say goodbye came around again far too quickly and there was not a dry eye on Turnfurlong as the coach full of Spanish students headed off for the airport. However, for many students it was not a final goodbye, and the exchange was definitely the start of numerous lifelong friendships.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Corbould for organising the exchange and Mrs Burnett, Miss Santamaría and Miss Oatley for accompanying us on an incredible trip and experience we’ll never forget. ¡Muchísimas Gracias!

Tom Cay – Paterson 12

Adam Woodage – Phillips 12

World Challenge 2017

Two years of planning, fundraising and preparation, an itinerary teeming with activity and adventure, and we were off on the trip of a

lifetime. First up was Bali, a cultural hub of Hinduism and Buddhism, with an oxymoronic feeling of hectic tranquillity. After overcoming the inevitable jet-lag, we visited the main sites of Ubud, renowned for the endless backdrop of rice paddies and temples and (slightly more quirkily) a monkey sanctuary where many of us found out just how friendly monkeys can be.

Next was a chance to slip into walking boots and ensure a complete covering of jungle formula had been applied, as we headed to West Bali National Park for two days of acclimatisation treks with Ari, staying with his family and discovering tales of his extraordinary life representing Indonesia in the Paralympics. These treks took us through jungles and along beaches, discovering the natural side to the island. After these two days of trekking, we rewarded ourselves with a token day of rest and relaxation coral reef snorkelling in Pemuteran, in preparation for the next phase.

The time had come to depart Bali, and although we were sad to leave such a relaxed environment, seeing Java gave a great anticipation for what was to come, six days of trekking up a total of three volcanoes. The phase started with the first of many 3am starts to climb Kawah Ijen

for sunrise, with a view from the top that was worth the drizzly climb, as the azure pH 0.3 sulfur lake slowly cleared for all to see. Seeing Ijen gave us a great deal of excitement for the next climbs, supposedly offering the best views in Java; Pananjakan and Mt Bromo.

Another day and another early start, rewarded with a view of clouds, all shapes and sizes, enrobed in a thick fog which allowed no sight beyond an arm’s length. Being reminded of the wonders of google images, we headed back down the mountain to top Bromo, if only for personal satisfaction and a feeling not dissimilar to being next to Heathrow airport, only colder and foggier.

Although disappointed to have had a day without good views, spirits remained high as we made our way to Ranu Pani, our base camp for the four-day ascent of Mt Semeru. Last minute essentials bought, trek food handed over, motivational talks complete, and we were ready. The morning arrived and brought with it the rain which would remain for the entirety of the days walking, making the negotiation down a steep and slippery slope to camp even harder, which would see us lose a team member for the remainder of the trek. The endless complications of getting an injured student down a mountain meant an increasingly infuriating day spent waiting at the campsite, with the chances of summiting steadily falling as the minutes passed.

With the day’s dilemmas over and one man down, the trek continued, with only minor hindrance from heat exhaustion, to the second camp, and then only a few hours later to the summit. Fuelled by glucose and the determination to succeed, we made the summit after three hours and 1000m elevation gain, and for a short time we forgot all ailments and enjoyed the ecstasy that came with finally summiting, and being 3676m above sea level. The inevitable and long descent quickly became a blur, with everyone wanting to get off the mountain as soon as possible and begin the next phase of the trip.

Yogyakarta beckoned, and after an 8 hour train journey with entertainment limited to four loops of the same film, we had reached our final city. First on the agenda was four unforgettable project days at Wildlife Rescue Jogja. Here we assumed several roles trying to get stuck in as much as we could, helping a plethora of different mammals, reptiles and birds who had been rescued from illegal trade and private owners. Although saddening to see so many animals who had been abused and were now confined to cages, some of them indefinitely, it was extremely rewarding to do all we could to help the animals have as good a life as possible.

Nearing the end of our time in Java, we returned to the city for a few days to sightsee, with the main attraction being the two UNESCO temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, with an abundance of intricate carvings and designs. Topped off by a visit to the Ramayana ballet at Prambanan, and we were all templed-out for the trip! All that was left was one final day of shopping for last minute souvenirs and Javanese coffee, and a fond farewell to Java.

This experience would not have been nearly as good without the wealth of experience given by our leader Steve and two teachers, Miss Hill and Dr Gardner who we would like to express great thanks to for allowing the trip to run so successfully.

Cameron MacDonald – Lee 11

Tej Morjaria – Ridley 11

Rugby & Squash Tour 2017 -

Singapore & Australia

about like the tourists we were. Having thoroughly worn ourselves out, we headed back to the hotel for a quick meal and turned in for an early night.

After two years of planning and a certain amount of fundraising, 33 bushy-eyed Rugby and Squash players, along with Mr Ramsbottom, Mr Withey, Mr Rooney and Mr Gibbs assembled in the early hours by the Sixth Form Common room, luggage in tow, eagerly awaiting the two

weeks we had ahead of us. After boarding the coach to Heathrow, the surprisingly rambunctious group of lads faced the gruelling 13 hour flight to our first destination (Singapore) very much in the spirit of a rugby tour much to the dismay of our fellow passengers. After arriving and dropping our bags off at the first hotel, we brushed aside our jetlag and headed off to Sentosa Island, where student and teacher alike spent the day childishly splashing With some of the company struggling to adjust to the time difference, we had a late start the next morning for our day of sightseeing. A rather leisurely afternoon of shopping, led swiftly to our first game against Tanglin Rugby Club; being the first fixture, we were eager to start the tour off with a win. From the getgo we showed real strength and tenacity, with our pack dominating convincingly. Thanks to a hat-trick from Dan Wells and some great leadership from our fly half, Ben Coldicott, we secured a resounding victory by 20-10. However, our celebrations were slightly dampened after the loss of Flynn Delaney, who after breaking his arm was forced to head back home.

Following a relatively brisk 9-hour flight we arrived in Brisbane, setting up camp at the ‘Tallebudgera Sports Centre’ (a name none of us, to this day, know how to pronounce). The next day we ventured over to Surfer’s Paradise, where the group was able to surf in one of the most coveted surfing beaches in the world and despite some very mixed abilities most of the tour were able to at least stand on a board. Thanks to the facilities, we were able to get some training in before our next match at All Saints High School. Having lost some key players due to injury in the last match, we were less confident going into this contest, but with an early try from Robbie Filleul we soon began to settle in to the game. This advantage was lost, however, when some scrappy ball in our own 22 saw them shift it out wide and score in the corner. Another score from Dan Wells saw us take the lead once more, only to be lost by a dropped kick that bounced fortuitously for the opposition. Despite some regrouping at half time that saw us dominate for most of the half, we were only able to convert this pressure into one score. We were undoubtedly the stronger

team, but some very questionable refereeing along with our inability to convert saw us take our first, and only, loss of the tour by 15-17.

The evening resulted in some questionable behaviour from most of the tour, which led to the staff being quite grumpy for our trip to Australian National Zoo. A 2-day hosting followed with Urangan State High School, Hervey Bay, which some of the company thoroughly enjoyed and others didn’t enjoy quite as much due to certain circumstances. Afterwards, we had a game against our hosts; another hat-trick from Dan Wells along with the heralded return of ‘star fly half’ Ben Coldicott, saw us book a definitive 32-12 triumph.

Next we travelled away from Hervey Bay towards the much-anticipated Fraser Island. Often acclaimed for its white sandy beaches, beautiful indigenous wildlife and towering greenery, the idyllic paradise was quickly invaded by the unmistakable cry of 30 speedo-clad teenagers diving into the blissful calm of Lake Victoria. Along with a 4x4 tour of the island and a plane trip around the coast, Fraser Island was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip. After this we took a short flight south to Sydney, staying right in the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Our next game came against Marist College; despite a few big players we dominated for most of the first half, unfortunately an untimely interception saw the hosts break through and get the only score of the half. Excluding a few minutes of desperate defending, the story of the second half was much the same with us fighting to break the deadlock. Finally, impromptu fly half, Harvey Mack, put a lovely chip over the top slotting in Dan Wells for his 8th try of the tour. A successful conversion and penalty from Oliver Shearer saw us come away 10-5 victors. Our second hosting followed, this time in and around Sydney, we spent a couple of evenings seeing the world famous sights of Sydney.

Our final game came against Dural Rugby Club; the cold, wet, dark field that met us reminded us of home, as did the opposition that met us. They were undeniably the most physical game we had, but technically they were lacking. Once again Dan Wells appeared on the score sheet, coming in as our top try scorer with 10 tries. Other scores from Xav Atkins and Isaac McDonald, along with some brilliant kicking from Harvey Mack saw us secure our biggest victory of the tour by 29-0. Well done to all those involved in the tour and a special thanks goes to the staff for putting up with us for two weeks, especially to Mr Ramsbottom for all the effort and planning that went on behind the scenes.

Xavier Atkins – Denson 12

The AGS squash tour started

in Singapore. After a thirteen hour flight the team had their first match that same evening – tough schedule! The match was against the Singapore National Team at the grand Kallang Squash centre. The effects of travel and jet lag against strong opposition proved too much for the team and they lost comprehensively, despite Marcus Connor and Harshi Gupta putting up a brave battle against the Singapore no.1 ranked boy and girl players. After a much needed rest one more team match was played in Singapore at the famous Singapore Cricket club the next day before we all headed off to Australia for the next stage of the tour.

In Australia the two main highlights were firstly, the professional coaching received from Tristan Nancarrow (Australian former World no.3). This was great fun and also very beneficial to get individual tips from such an experienced former world class player. The second highlight in Australia was the entire squad entering a squash tournament against some excellent local players. James Glover won the plate draw. In Category C, Elliott Abdey made the final but unfortunately lost in a hard fought match. In Category B, Harshi Gupta impressed with a comfortable win. In Category A, Lewis Milner came a solid fourth place narrowly losing to the Australian ranked no.8 player. Marcus Connor reached the Category A final but lost to the Australian ranked no.1 player. Overall the AGS team represented themselves well with solid performances, good results and certainly impressed their overseas opponents.

The AGS squash team would like to thank Mr Withey for all the organising, coaching and supporting of the squad to enable this trip to take place. This was a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity from which all the players have gained invaluable experiences and development as players as well as having a great time!

Marcus Connor – Denson 11