Radley Newsletter 05

Radley The

N e w s l e t t e r

West Side Story | Modern Language Trips | Country Pursuits Court Games at Radley 1980-2007 | Romania | Radleians

west side Sir Tim Rice, member of Radley’s Council but more pertinently Oscar-winning lyricist and veteran of 40 years of musical theatre, wrote to the Warden in the heady aftermath that Radley’s West Side Story production, late November 2007, was ‘one of the best school shows I have seen, anywhere, if not the best’.

He spoke for nearly 1800 people who filled the New Theatre on five successive nights; many who queued were disappointed while some managed to sneak in to reprise the showstoppers, ‘Officer Krupke’, ‘Cool’, and ‘I Feel Pretty’.

Director Robert Lowe planned this production with the military precision of the D- Day landings; rehearsals started back in March 2007, a term was devoted to bringing the musical numbers to concert pitch and then in the last three months the choreography and direction came to the fore. The result was a level of control and synchronisation, of team work and of sheer verve and attack which quite swept the audience

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away. The Director had wanted the raw, dangerous aggression of gang rivalry to echo the feral state of parts of Britain’s cities in 2007, but the look of the set and of the costume was authentic Bronx circa 1955. The set was magnificent and the lighting and costume reflected the shift from exhilaration to despair. In the central operatic number of the show, ‘Tonight’ the gangs were blocked almost architecturally, each singing their own theme, each dressed and lit differently to emphasise deep mutual, simmering antipathy. This and the Rumble, where the Jets, led by Riff (Theo Whitworth, Aldro, C Social) fought the Puerto Rican Sharks led by Bernardo (Fred Rowe, Cothill, A Social) formed a rousing climax to the act. In this, as in ‘Cool’,

story and ‘Officer Krupke’ the choreography was excellent, youthful exuberance and athleticism structured and channelled into complex movement.

The Puerto Rican girls were drawn from all over Oxfordshire. Anita (Natalie Batten), full of fiery Latin energy delivered ‘America’ – with other female Sharks – with brassy flamboyance and the noise and colour created a high point of the show. But for all that this show is about gangs, about mateship and brotherhood, the centrepiece is the love of Maria (Nonie Cockburn) and Tony (Alex Rose, Thomas’s, C Social).

Their singing was by turns sensitive and powerful, and together they stilled a theatre deeply affected by the tragic consequence of hoodlum armed conflicts.

Challenged to master a fiendishly difficult score, the singers on stage and the orchestral players, did tremendously well; the band consisted of boys and their teachers and created that authentic Bernstein jazz sound.

One of the most striking features was that 6 out of the 10 school prefects took roles in West Side Story; for example the Senior Prefect, Will Summerlin (Caldicott, F Social) was a Jet and starred in Officer Krupke.

Alex Rose, head of C Social, sang and acted beautifully – he is also a member of the 1st VIII. Prominent in the orchestra was Rory van Zwanenberg (Mousford, G Social), Head of G Social and key member of the 1st XV. So, Radleians multi-task!

The New Theatre proved once again to be an inspiring venue, its foyer capable of hosting an audience of 400 for interval refreshments, and the theatre seating them in real comfort. This production tested the new lighting and sound rigs to the full and the technical professionalism of boys like Peter Barker (Aldro, D Social), under the direction of the full time Theatre Manager Matt Barker, was an important ingredient in the show.

West Side Story set wholly new expectations of drama at Radley and the buzz created by the show spilled over into all aspects of the school. In a place renowned for its outstanding team sports results, this was the most successful team game of the term.

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modern language trips

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At a recent meeting of Heads of Modern Languages I heard a delegate suggest that the increasingly risk-averse culture that seems to have become entrenched in contemporary education has brought about the demise of the school languages exchange. I am very glad to be able to say that here at Radley we have chosen not adopt the “cotton wool kids” approach and that the French, Spanish and German departments offer at least one trip abroad each academic year. Exchanges and educational trips play an essential role in the development of an individual’s understanding and appreciation of a target language and its culture. Many boys coming to Radley have enjoyed extended exposure to the French language during their time at Prep. School and the benefits of the “immersion totale” approach are soon felt in the classroom. While the basic routine of everyday life remains unchanged, the environment in which even the most rudimentary transactions are carried out helps to provide added stimulation, enjoyment and a sense of satisfaction, in short the context is crucial.

Very ordinary elements of language, heard repeatedly at breakfast, on the bus or in a shop are logged effortlessly into the memory banks. Gentle reinforcement of regular and irregular verbs around the dinner table can have a magically analgesic effect on the sometimes painful process of learning verb paradigms.

Time spent sharing a household with a sympathetic host family can help foster appreciation as well as retention of individual components of vocabulary or idiom. But let’s not pretend that the path to oral fluency is strewn exclusively with daisies. Nothing is quite as effective in reinforcing the important distinction between the use of “vous” rather than “tu” than the menacing stare of Madame la boulangère immediately after being asked “Est-ce que tu as des croissants?”

There is some breathtaking software available on the market today which allows an imaginative teacher to bring aspects of the flavours and textures of a

language into their classroom but virtual interaction, Google earth images and slideshow presentations on Smart boards can only go so far. Who can claim to have fully understood the Paris métro without buying a carnet of tickets, savouring that unmistakably rubbery biscuity smell and getting a little bit lost now and then?

The exchange link that exists between Radley and the lycée Ste. Geneviève in Paris has allowed many A level French students to formulate instructive comparisons between our two educational systems and to sample at first hand French life and culture alongside the language. This December the boys enjoyed two mornings in school, visits to the musées D’Orsay and Rodin, a look at Napoléon’s monolithic tomb in Les Invalides and a tour of the Panthéon to see the great and glorious Frenchmen housed therein and of course, Foucault’s pendulum The reciprocal visit to Radley adds a little extra colour to college life in the Michaelmas term as a dozen or so French boys and girls from an urban catholic lycée get used to the idiosyncrasies of a protestant all boys rural boarding school. “C’est vachement Harry Potter ici” is a standard reaction to the first meal in Hall. Some Radleians go back after their A levels to work as an English assistant at the same lycée giving them invaluable experience and pretty much guaranteeing oral fluency by the end of their stay. We are have been fortunate to have a post baccalaureate Ste. Genevièvienne as an extra assistante in the French department for the past 4 years helping boys with oral exam

preparation and generally bringing an extra boost of native speaker authenticity to the department.

The Spanish speaking world offers some exotic and enticing destinations for study holiday programmes and in recent years Radleians have enjoyed trips to Cuba, Guatemala, Calahorra, Barcelona and Granada. All teaching dons comment on the improved fluency and general confidence of a boy returning from such a trip and again the context in which they make their new linguistic acquisitions helps a great deal.

I remember a conversation between a group of boys and an elderly Cuban on the Malecón as we admired the sunset over the straits of Florida: “And is it true” asked the Cuban “that your presidente has built a tunnel under the ocean?”

There can’t be that many public school boys who can legitimately boast that they honed their Spanish speaking skills under a communist dictatorship albeit in the Caribbean.

The German Department at Radley runs a number of successful trips: For Removes and Vths there is a combined language and Skiing trip to Kitzbühel – language lessons in the morning or afternoon and skiing in the picturesque resort or on the nearby glacier. Evenings are spent sampling the local food in restaurants or the Christmas market, supporting the local ice-hockey team or curling.

For the Shell Year there is the trip to the Christmas Markets in Cologne: Boys spend a few days in the stunning town of Cologne, eating Lebkuchen and Wurst from the market stalls, visiting the Cathedral and trying to get as many waffles under the chocolate fountain in the chocolate museum as possible.

In the 6th form individual stays, usually in the form of homestay visits are arranged.

Over the past 15 years every member of the Modern Languages department has accompanied boys on a trip abroad and I am very grateful for their continued support and enthusiasm in maintaining this crucial element in the linguistic education of Radleians.

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country If you thought that the only animals Radley had were beagles, you were mistaken. Dexter cows, Oxford sandy & black pigs, pekin bantams, silver pheasants, Lady Amherst’s pheasants, guinea fowl, call ducks, Jacob sheep... even the boys’ ferrets now live at the new Countryside Centre.

The Countryside Centre began life in

In the two years since its foundation,

2005. When Albert Hickson returned to

it has certainly been productive: three

Radley (having left as Kennel Huntsman

litters of pigs (another is due in February);

in 2003), his new job was to be much

two generations of lambs (more are due

wider. As Countryside Officer, he would

in February); two calves (another is due

still be in charge of caring for the beagles,

in... February), plus countless chicks and

but a small farm was to be established,

ducklings, many taken home by proud

so that boys could gain experience of

boys to their long-suffering parents.

more diverse animals, so that a broader

It has involved a new group of boys -

spectrum of boys could be involved, and

those doing ‘Countryside activities’ as a

crucially so that the local community

Wednesday option - mostly Fifth formers

could also be involved in Radley’s

for whom this is their service to the

countryside activities.

community. Around sixty boys have been involved with this so far.

It has also proved popular with local schools - particularly the very local (Radley Primary School, just across the road), and Abingdon School - it is good to see a town school getting involved in the country... We have taken on a boy from Bessels Leigh School (a local special needs school) on work experience.

James Fournier (Ludgrove, F Social) even included working at the Centre as part of his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 2006.

Albert has also revived clay pigeon shooting as a regular activity on Sundays - these days we cannot do this at Radley, due to lack of space and safety margins, but boys travel to a local shooting school for lessons.

You have probably been wondering, what about the beagles? How have they coped since the ban on hunting in 2005? In fact, beagling has never been in better shape. We have been able to take advantage very successfully of the exemptions in the 2005 Act, and support is actually increasing matching the pattern seen in hunting across the country. This year, under the triple mastership of Robbie Henderson

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pursuits (Sandroyd, G Social), Freddie Bolton

the Beagles have been outstandingly

and Honiton, and yet still managed to

(Summer Fields, G Social) and James

successful in hound shows, taking seven

take Champion Beagle Doghound at the

Fleming (Maidwell Hall, H Social), a

championships (before Albert’s first in

former with Whiplash.

very good number of Shells have been

2002, it had been 51 years since Radley

out, helped by the establishment of a

had won a championship at all). Indeed,

is assured; boys can be involved in a

Hunt Supporters’ Club by joint secretary

so successful were the hounds in 2006

wider variety of country activities than

Harry Gosling (Dorset House, D Social).

that under the rules we could only

ever before; support is increasing; and the

In addition since Albert’s return in 2005,

attend two shows this year, at Ardingly

local community is benefiting.

So Radley’s status as a country school

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R A D LE Y m f dean

Alex Hackett (Downsend School and H Social)

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TE N N I S Lawn Tennis

The profile of Lawn Tennis, as in many schools, is rather higher now than a generation ago. Radley now has 20 courts in constant use in the summer rather than 8, and Radley has improved more than most. Over 100 boys now play lawn tennis as a their full-time summer sport, compared to about 15-20 in 1980.

James Male, a double handed U14 international, was the first to help Radley win a national trophy, the 1979 U15 Thomas Bowl for Public Schools. He did this with Andrew Harriman (a later rugby cap for England), and almost reached the senior Youll Cup (the Public Schools Championship) final in 1982.

It was 2003 and 2004 before Charlie Monbiot (Colet Court, D Social), Hugo Thompson (Abberley Hall, H Social), James Jeans (The Hall, H Social), Matt & Will Brooke-Hitching (Farleigh, A Social), Alex Hackett (Downsend School, H Social) & Tom Dance (Dragon, H Social) reached the Youll Cup semi-finals for 2 straight years, losing only to the ‘professional’ outfits of Millfield and Epsom.

Both Charlie Monbiot (Glos U18 champion) and Alex Hackett (twice) were also selected to represent the Annual Independent Schools team to play the All England Club at Wimbledon, the first Radleians ever to do so. Alex went on to win a single ATP point in the year after he left Radley (a feat not to be underestimated), and currently plays for Nottingham University, ahead of several scholars from the Nottingham LTA full-time squad.

In 2005, Alex Hackett led the team to the national finals of the Glanvill Cup, only achieved once before in 1997, by Ben Dean, Jamie Howard, Henry Brind and Alastair Mitchell-Innes.

Recently, the Radley team has participated in newly formed league structures through the summer term, winning the Oxfordshire based OXIST league on 6 occasions since 2000, the RHWM league in 2005 and now being founder members of the 16-school ISL league which includes many of the best schools from Oxon, Berks, Surrey, Hants, Sussex and Kent. Will Strang (Hall Grove, C Social) has been an outstanding No.1 for 2 years, while Tom Dance (Dragon, H Social), Harry Nicholls (Cothill, A Social), Will Dryer (New College School, A Social) (captain in 2006), Nick Showering (Milfield Prep, E Social), Douglas Johnson (International School, Luxemburg, D Social) and George Hackett (Downsend School, H Social) have shone in the senior team.

Juniors like Ed Monbiot (Sussex House, H Social), Rory Odam-Smith (Cothill, B Social), Gus McAlpine (Cothill, A Social) and Tom Buckley (Moulsford, B Social) all look capable of repeating recent successes.

Recent tours to Cape Town have brought a foreign flavour to the sport; the high point of the last tour was when Will Strang won the invitation singles from other English tourists and Cape Province all-comers in 2006.

Real Tennis As a ‘minority’ sport, representative and national honours have been rather easier to win compared to squash or lawn tennis, but honours there have been in plenty, even though players have had to travel to Oxford to play.

This is about to be remedied, however, since a brand new court is under construction as I write, and is due for completion in April 2008. This court will be available to all Radleians as well as housing an outside club. The court adjoins the renovated sports hall, pool, gym and squash complex and will make Radley the only school in the country with both a Real Tennis and Racquets court on site.

School matches have been played all over the country, both against schools, and on tours to Manchester and Newcastle. In the National Schools event, held annually, Radley has won the team event 3 times in 2000 (with Will Rudebeck, Cyrus Molavi (Sussex House, H Social), Guy Demetriadi (Emscote Lawn, A Social), James McEwen (St. John’s College School, C Social), Patrick Sutton (Arnold Lodge, A Social) and Will Shortt (Cothill, E Social)), in 2001 (with Freddie Bellhouse (Dragon, A Social) and Jamie Brownlee (Oratory Pre, E Social), and in 2003 with Will Nicholls (Old Buckenham Hall, H Social) and Charlie Monbiot (Colet Court, D Social). Tom Dance (Dragon, H Social) won the 2nd pairs event in 2005 with Jamie Stallibrass Milbourne Lodge, C Social and the 1st pairs in 2006 with Jamie Stallibrass.

Radley’s new Real Tennis Court

Recently, Edd Crichton (Sandroyd, C Social) and Will Strang (Hall Grove, C Social) have captained teams against Oxford University, while excellent younger players (Ed Lyle (Sandroyd, G Social), Joe Manners (Maidwell Hall, H Social), Tom Buckley (Moulsford, B Social), Angus McAlpine (Cothill, A Social) and Dan Brownlee (Oratory Prep, E Social)) already promise to surpass past glories.

However, as in racquets, Julian Snow and James Male are the two pre-eminent players of the last 30 years, and have certainly been the two best amateur players in the world since 1980. Both have won the British Open Championship against the top world professionals, Snow several times, before challenging twice for the actual world singles title. Snow’s record 18 British Amateur Singles titles are among innumerable major singles and doubles titles won by the pair.

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radle y in Back in 1993 Steve Rathbone (currently Tutor of A Social) led a holiday club for children from all around the Romania based in an ex-Communist Propaganda Camp called Caprioara. That was just four years after the revolution which saw the end of Communism and the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu. The children in most cases had never met foreigners before but they were universally welcoming and desperately keen to discover about what life in another country was like.

Since then the Romania project has established itself as an almost annual event. The 2007 trip comprised of seven Radleians and eight girls from Headington School who between them organised holiday activities for 120 eleven to sixteen year olds. Also present were 15 Romanian sixth formers who acted as translators and instantly befriended the English group. The brief for the volunteers was, firstly, to improve the English of their pupils, secondly, to improve their self-confidence and appreciation of their own country and finally to remove any misconceptions

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they had about the western world. This was not always the easiest of tasks even with the help of the translators but the children loved every minute and treated the Radleians and Headingtonians like celebrities.

Max Rendall (Westminster Under School, B Social), one of the Radley volunteers writes: “Language barriers and the exhausting enthusiasm of my class aside, I loved absolutely every minute I spent at that school without question.

Everybody you passed walking up the stairs, or out to the football pitch would wave and say hello even if they weren’t

in your class. The moment enough white t-shirts had been bought for every student, translator and volunteer, everyone was running around getting signatures, messages and photographs. It was like being famous, and it was fun, lots of fun.”

There is also always time on these trips for seeing a bit of the country.

During the first weekend we visited Brasov, a beautiful Saxon town in the Carpathian mountains and Bran, a gothic castle in Transylvania dubbed for the tourists as “Dracula’s Castle”, although it is likely that Vlad Tepes (the Imapler) only spent a few nights there. At the end of the project we went to Targoviste, a city steeped in history. It was here that Vlad Tespes and his father Vlad Dracul really ruled and where Ceaucescu was caught and executed - live on television

rom ania on Christmas Day. Another real highlight was the visit to Castle Peles in Sinaia. In contrast to the poverty which was present everywhere, this magnificent palace, which was one of the royal residences before the days of communism, has everything including it’s own cinema and a central vacuuming cleaning system.

Josh Chew (Moulsford, D Social) concludes: “The hardest part of any trip like this is to have to say farewell to people who have become your closest friends. On our last day there was a real sense that two weeks was just not long enough, an I know that everyone on the trip would like to go back again, even if only for a few days. No doubt this summer will see another equally successful trip and I strongly encourage anyone reading this to consider going.”

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r a dleians

Rory Robinson (Fifths) Twyford School and F Social After a hectic first two years at Radley, I expected no less from the Fifth form. I wasn’t wrong. There is still such a wide range of activities, from the Silk Hall to the sports field, and also in my case to the river. The Remove year gave us all a wider choice of sport to do, though most still choose to do rugby in the first term. The Colts 4 team which I was a part of had a very successful season, winning the majority of our matches, and instead of rowing like last year, I chose to do football in the Lent term. This was very different to the river, not being as well documented, but was still very much enjoyable.

One key aspect of my Radley life is music. Being a scholar, life is very full, with many music rehearsals taking place in central hours. I have come 2nd in the Gunn Cup (the woodwind competition) on the saxophone, and have entered the BBC Young Musician competition, which began last summer.

The Fifth form year is academically more challenging than the before, with GCSEs become a reality. Being in Set 1 for Maths and French, I have done both early, as well as music, and now do French and Maths AS Levels. With the pressure growing on public exams, revision has become very important, but I hope that it will pay off and that come August I will get the results I want.

I have realised in my first three years of Radley that F Social is the foundation stone of all my successes. Living with friends in a boarding house and participating in Social activities are things which can only be done in a school such as Radley, and these great privileges have allowed me to wake up every morning with the expectation of a happy and satisfying day. Being part of F social has given me many close friendships, many of which I am sure will remain during and beyond Radley.

I have had a very enjoyable third year at Radley, and it is hard to believe that I am already past the half way point of my time here. It all goes so quickly, and so it is imperative for me that I get all that I can out of here in my remaining two years.

Historically, I never seem to do things by halves and, having won two 11-plus places for grammar school, I then gained three offers and scholarships for places at public school Sixth Forms. However, there was always absolutely no doubt in my mind. Radley was my first choice and I and my family were delighted that having ‘chosen’ Radley, Radley duly chose me - and I have never looked back.

When I arrived at Radley I was struck by many things - the welcoming atmosphere, the awesome campus, the calibre, total professionalism, yet realism, humanity and humour of the Dons and Staff and the friendliness and generosity of my fellow students, who took time to get to know me and to include me in every aspect of Radley.

These things are what makes Radley special and you cannot find them anywhere else!

In my experience, I like to think Radley takes the boy and makes the man. We are taught nothing is impossible with hard work and determination and that it is important to give back in life, wherever possible. I have been encouraged to embrace every opportunity on offer, to ‘reach for the stars’, both academically and personally and this is

further driving my established ambition to be a Medical Officer in the Armed Forces.

Obviously sport is a great part of Radley life. Once accepted and ‘on-board’ as a Radleian, I was instantly invited to join the 2006 Rugby tour to Italy and, not knowing a soul, I duly arrive at Gatwick to join everyone.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the teamwork and wonderful camaraderie of this experience. It was a great start to my life at Radley and I thank the Dons for the foresight in suggesting this immediate entry into Radley life. Since then, I have taken part in many sports, including Rugby, Football and for the first time in my life Rowing. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunities to hear notable speakers, to be informed of the wider world and the opportunity to complete my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

All-in-all, my life at Radley means I have made good friends and I am now looking forward, with them, to the challenges of the next phase of my academic career with strength, confidence, excitement - some natural trepidation - and the belief that, with hard work and determination, I can and will, make a difference.

David Lyons (VI-2) BournEmouth School, and F Social I joined Radley College 6.1 from a state grammar school in September 2006. It has proved one of the happiest and most fulfilling experiences of my life so far.

After prep school and then five years at Bournemouth School, I saw Sixth Form as a time of transition and potential newbeginnings and was drawn to the wellrounded but widely challenging experience that life as a boarder and a school, such as Radley, could deliver.

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T H E R A D L ey N E W S L E T T E R

Website: www.radley.org.uk . Admissions enquiries: 01235 543174 . admissions@radley.org.uk