Portsmouth Point ‘More and more pupils from al year groups are sending in articles, stories, poems, photographs, art work, audio and video.’ Since its launch in Spring 2012, Portsmouth Point blog has offered a forum for PGS pupils, staff, OPs and parents to share their interests, enthusiasms and opinions online every day of the week. To date, we have published over 750 articles and received nearly 120,000 page views, a testament to the dedication of our contributors and the consistently high quality of their writing. I am delighted that, this year, more and more pupils from all year groups are sending in articles, stories, poems, photographs, art work, audio and video. My thanks, also, to the many PGS staff who, despite being so busy, have taken the time and trouble to contribute articles on everything from the legacy of Margaret Thatcher to the significance of Jack Duckworth, from photographs of the moon’s surface to an explanation of why sugar lumps are like Russian roulette. Most of all, praise is due to our dedicated editors who every term, and even during the holidays, have entertained and informed us in equal measure with articles on a vertiginous range of subjects. I would like to pay particular tribute to those in Year 13, who are leaving us this summer and many of whom have been editors from the blog’s inception. The following barely begins to capture the extent of their contributions, but I hope it provides a flavour. Lucy Cole could write incisively and wittily about any subject you can think of: from how to keep sane during exams
to the Isle of Wight Festival and Andalusian culture. George Chapman was similarly versatile, ranging from a challenge to George Osborne’s economic policy to the launch of his music video, ‘Pictures’ and an explanation of why country music is bad for you. Fay Davies’ essays were erudite and stylish, whether investigating what prefaces reveal about authors’ anxieties, explaining the difficulties of adapting The Great Gatsby to the big screen or examining the nation’s emotional response to the 2012 Olympics. Billie Downer offered robust and convincing defences of Eric Hobshawm, Mao Zedong and Fifty Shades of Gray. Andrew Jones’ analysis of current affairs, from Afghanistan to the Euro crisis and climate change, was invariably illuminating and in-depth. I was always impressed that George Kimber-Sweatman and Ben Willcocks were able to respond to major sporting events so quickly while still writing with insight and panache that put many professional sports commentators to shame. Particularly memorable were: George’s pieces on Nigel Adkins, the challenges of refereeing and England’s 3-2 victory over Sweden; Ben’s articles on Mario Balotelli, football chants and his A-Z of football. Meanwhile, George Laver introduced readers to an impressive range of poetry, ranging from the fourteenth to the twentieth century, in a series of thoughtful and sensitive commentaries (including his own translations of Italian verse). Tim MacBain was authoritative and entertaining in equal measure, whether discussing cricket, music, politics, Star Wars or the stresses of
Portmuthian Editor and Writer travelling with his family. Eclectic in his taste while always deeply knowledgeable, George Neame wrote some of the most subtle and appreciative music reviews that I’ve ever read. Whether describing holidays with his family, exploring the world of the “Belieber” or considering at what stage a joke crosses the line, Oli Price was invariably sharp, observant and funny. Louisa Stark’s reviews of art exhibitions from Damien Hirst to Lucian Freud and Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 were elegant and penetrating. Ollie Velasco provided wonderfully impassioned reviews of films from Les Miserables to Skyfall and The Hobbit, as well as a memorable interview with Miriam Margolyes. And Bea Wilkinson was equally at home presenting complex articles on psychology or offering an enthusiastic review of Matilda: The Musical. We are, therefore, lucky that the next generation of Portsmouth Point editors, in Years 12, 11 and 10, are as knowledgeable and versatile as those departing. I have no doubt that the blog will continue to engage with cultural, political and sporting events of the day as insightfully and eloquently as ever over the next twelve months, and I invite you to continue to visit us daily at www.portsmouthpoint.blogspot.com. Furthermore, two new issues of Portsmouth Point magazine have allowed pupils and staff to explore a range of subjects in greater depth and detail this year. At Christmas, we published the ’Icon Issue’, in which contributors examined the iconic status of nightingales and X-boxes, Watergate and the world wide web, Elvis and Mrs Thatcher, Steve Jobs and Satan, and Higgs Boson and The Clash, to name but a few. The ‘Fight Club’ issue was launched at the end of the summer term, presenting a series of articles that took issue with each other in a spirit of civilised but vigorous debate. Writers sparred over the relative merits of French and German culture, Verdi and Wagner, Clement Attlee and Robert Peel; they disagreed politely but insistently over gay marriage, technology in football, the existence of God, bullfighting, abortion, drug legalisation and austerity. And we asked two of the most difficult questions of all: what is the greatest music album and what is your favourite film? Each issue revealed, once again, the awe-inspiring breadth of interests and depth of knowledge possessed by PGS pupils. I am also indebted to the Portsmouth Point think-tank (better known as Ms Godfree and Mr Sadden) whose ideas have been central to both the ‘Icon’ and ‘Fight Club’ issues. And my thanks, finally, to our gifted designer, Clara Feltham, who has produced two visually stunning editions of the magazine. It has been another exciting year for both magazine and blog.
James Burkinshaw
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The Portmuthian is an annual magazine which outlines the successes of the Portsmouth Grammar School. It’s published each year and is often used as a prospectus for parents of potential pupils as it provides an insight into PGS life. The unique aspect about the Portmuthian is that it is in fact written and edited by the pupils themselves. The team consists of around eight Year 12 students, as well as one representative from the remaining six year groups. Being a member of the Portmuthian team comes with a range of roles and responsibilities. For example, we meet every Monday break time in order to look through the weekly schedule and decide on what events to report on. We then discuss who is best advised to write the article, and allocate the reporting to the right individual to get it done. We end up with an accumulation of articles at the end of the year and must sort them into their respective categories; for example, some will relate to areas such as Drama while others may concern Music. In some cases, we may ask other individuals from around the school to write an article and it is our job to ensure they submit it on time. It can be extremely challenging around exam time so it is crucial that we chase up out standing articles before this period. Furthermore, we also meet on Thursday lunchtimes and it is a rather productive session since we have the best part of an hour to discuss important matters. Here, we look to see which articles are missing and often choose to focus on a particular area. One week, we may devise questions to ask the new staff (which will feature in the Portmuthian) and another we might discuss possible plans for the design of the magazine. There are a range of duties we must fulfil and it’s important that we make the most of our meetings since they only occur twice a week. As well as all of this, we must ensure that we check our emails on a regular basis and read through the minutes that have been typed up and sent to us. It is our job to read over who is set to write certain articles so we can ensure they are completed on time. We also attend special meetings, for example this year we met with the archivist and also with the Portmuthian’s designer where we discussed our plans for the magazine. It all contributes to the final image and all the hard work is rewarded in the final print when all the articles are put together. It’s an incredibly enjoyable experience being a part of the Portmuthian team and great to be associated with such a fantastic magazine. While there is a lot of responsibility, it is certainly worth it when the final product is produced after a year of hark work. If you are interested in being involved contact Ms Hart, Head Editor, for more details.
Zoe Rundle ‘While there is a lot of responsibil ity, it is certainly worth it when the final product is produced after a year of hark work.’
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