The Tonbridgian, Summer 2022

Photo: Nigel Sadler

No. 796

THE TONBRIDGIAN SUMMER TERM 2022 CONTENTS 2 22 24 30 36 40 46 56

Features Valete Science Creative Writing Music Drama Art Active Sustainability Group

58 60 64

Community Action Combined Cadet Force Sport

EDITORS Ben Barber, Jonathan Reinhardt

EDITORIAL TEAM Sam Hadfield (FH5) Jasper Ledlie (PH5) George Rook (CH5) Harry French (PH4) Tom Goodchild (PH4) Charlie Lockhart (HS4) Rhys Love (Sc4) Gabriel Riordan (WW5) Harry Lang (WW4)

ORIGINATION & DESIGN Tim Barber

COVER DESIGN Tim Barber

PHOTOGRAPHY Clair Miller, Emma Sim, Russell Harper

PRINTED BY Gemini Press Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex

FEATURES To showcase one of Tonbridge’s best qualities, the editors have decided to kick off this edition with something of an ode to sport. George Rook (CH5) explains how cricket is not just meant for sunny days on mown wickets...

Wicket noun: the area of grass in between two sets of stumps on a cricket pitch.

Wicket noun: a set of three upright sticks (stumps) with two small bails on top of them.

When a Tonbridgian is given any two items vaguely representing a bat and ball, anywhere can become a wicket. I remember playing using an umbrella and undersized football in Mr Stephen’s classroom, a wicket that favours bowlers due to its impossibly short length.

Ideally all classrooms or potential playing spaces would always contain a cricket bat and (preferably tennis) ball to allow for play at any time. Sadly, this is not the case, and thus the struggling student must adapt to conditions using whatever he can get his hands on. If he finds himself in a physics lab this could be a metre ruler and a ball of string, in the library a large dictionary and scrunched paper would suffice, or even an orb and sceptre for use in the Chapel aisle. Based on these simple ideas the game of cricket can really be played anywhere, and indeed at Tonbridge it is.

In order to take the casual corridor game to the next level a wicket may be added to the wicket i.e. a set of stumps. Unfortunately, stumps are too big to fit in a schoolboy’s rucksack so further alternatives are required. A rucksack itself is a pretty good option, a Novi’s is even better. The valuable contents inside, however, makes using one a risky affair. Safer options include a ‘Wet Floor’ sign, a bookshelf, a chair or to make the challenge very hard for the batsman: a door.

Speaking from experience trying to stop a ping-pong ball hitting a door with a hockey stick is like trying to stop a tsunami with some sandbags. Even so, this completes the makeshift pitch.

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A general rule for classroom cricket is the more the merrier. Though sadly, not everyone shares the same constant desire to play so finding two full XIs is tricky. In the face of such challenges new rules must be created.

A bowler may declare he wants a slip or two in place ensuring any edge behind means the batsman must walk. I have played in the Rowe outhouse garden where the slip cordon is a table; it has never dropped a catch.

In order to prevent total destruction of the classroom, damage to property caused by the batsman is often out. Other rules may include one-hand-one-bounce and first ball grace.

The Perfect Replacement Wicket

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When the sun comes out (or the rain stops) cricketers are able to return to the yards and back gardens to take the game to another level. Personally, I like to spend my time in the Cowdrey car park, which is unsurprisingly a proper road, toiling away bowling with a tennis ball having lost the toss. Rumour has it Colin himself learnt to bat on the hallowed tarmac. Here a drainpipe covered by a grate serves as the stumps whilst a circular drain cover provides a dangerous patch on the wicket which can send the ball in all directions. If the bowler can accurately pitch the ball on this drain cover, he might just find a way through the batsman’s defence. The yard is surrounded by houses on all sides so ‘six-andout’ is necessary to prevent the loss of tennis balls. A

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“The bowler doth appeal too much, methinks” – Shakespeare Jos Buttler-esque lofted drive may bring a moment’s satisfaction, then one’s heart sinks as the ball travels towards the neighbour’s French windows. At this point you can be certain that ball is never coming back.

Tonbridge has created some amazing cricketers over the years, none more recently than Zak Crawley. I believe that it was not his games for the First XI on The Head that made him, but rather his batting in Welldon’s Garden facing searing pace bowling as his comrades charge down the hill, this is an excellent way to prepare for playing against the world’s best.

At the time of writing I fancy he might want to return to get some practice in before the test series versus New Zealand.

What has amazed me over the years playing various forms of cricket is the unwavering level of integrity shown by Tonbridgians. If the umpire raises the finger the batsman always walks. That is how it should be.

Or indeed you may be playing without an umpire in which case more often than not a friendly agreement is made over tight decisions. What is equally astounding is the lengths a Tonbridgian will go to to play cricket. Nothing will get in his way. I will leave you with a quote from the ex-Novi D-team wicket keeper: “some people say classroom cricket is a matter of life and death, I can assure you it’s much more serious than that”.

The wicket at Cowdrey House

Don’t believe for one moment that the likes of Colin Cowdrey and Zak Crawley honed their skills on the Head!

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FEATURES

If the Shirt Fits...

Struggling to work out which football team to support? Harry French (PH4) and Charlie Lockhart (HS4) have got you covered…

WATFORD

No

BRENTFORD

Do you like a YouTube vlog?

No

Do you like football?

Yes

Yes

Can you do it on a cold, rainy night?

Are you Mr Eades?

No

Yes

Have you ever ventured up north?

Yes

No

NORWICH Yes

No

Do you support human rights?

Do you like winning?

Have you ever been on an anger-management course?

ARSENAL No

Yes

No No

Would you sacrifice tradition for money?

Yes

Do you ‘bottle’ under pressure?

No

Do you like regularly travelling to Europe?

STOKE

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Yes

SPURS

If the Shirt Fits...

SOUTHAMPTON Unfortunately, you have exhausted all options for supporting an interesting club. Please choose from the following:

BRIGHTON CRYSTAL PALACE

Did you vote for Brexit?

No

No

Do you holiday in Portugal?

No

Yes

BURNLEY

Do you have a smaller house than your neighbour?

Yes

WOLVES

EVERTON

Yes

Of course!

NEWCASTLE No

Yes

WEST HAM

Yes

Do you drink Stella and wear a flat cap?

LEEDS

Yes, but I’d prefer a Carling

ASTON VILLA

Yes

Tory

Are you Mr Cleary?

No

LEICESTER

Tory or Labour?

No

Yes

Is Manchester on your UCAS form?

CHELSEA

Yes

Are you applying for History?

Labour

LIVERPOOL

Yes

MAN. UTD

No

MAN. CITY

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FEATURES

Three Professional Cricketers from a Single First XI! Will Nolan (MH4) and Inigo Pullen (PH4) caught up with Zak Crawley (WH 201116), Marcus O’Riordan (FH 2011-2016) and Toby Pettman (WW 2011-2016) to chat about all things cricket…

What was it like playing against Ollie Pope and Sam Curran when you were at Tonbridge?

to face him because he was bowling too quick – Zak would smoke him to deep cover and call “No Run”.

Toby: Pope scored quite a few runs. Zak couldn’t catch when Curran was batting against me, and Curran then smoked me for the rest of the innings. They helped themselves to quite a few runs against us. I think the standard was very good across the board in our year group. They were the two outstanding ones we played. I guess Sam Curran was always Wellington’s best player and always made that game very hard, and I remember in one game Ollie Pope scored quite a large hundred against us which wasn’t fun. On the whole, Sam and Ollie along with Zak were really the standout players in our year group. You could always tell Sam was going to be a top player; Pope on the other hand became very good after he left school. I remember Sam was bowling a rocket spell on the Head and Zak wouldn’t allow me

What were your different routes into cricket, and how do you feel that has affected you?

Zak: I played four years in the First XI and was lucky enough to get a contract at 17 so that took the pressure off me quite a bit in terms of school cricket, even though I hadn’t played any pro cricket – it sort of made the decision for me.

Marcus: I played for the 1st XI for three years and then I went to Durham but only very briefly. I then spent two years away from playing representative cricket (Kent 2’s) before coming back when I was offered a contract and so that made me not take it for granted.

Tonbridge School First XI – Class of 2016 Toby Pettman (back row, third from left); Marcus O’Riordan (front row, second from left); Zak Crawley (front row, centre) ...and for good measure, Saracens and England rugby international Ben Earl is also in this picture! (front row, right)

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Three Professional Cricketers from a Single First XI!

Toby: I only played one year in the First XI here - I was never as good as the other two – I got dropped from Sussex U14s because I couldn’t bat. Then I went to Oxford and played a more relaxed style of cricket, enjoying the beers off the pitch, and then I was lucky enough to be scouted by Notts in my last year at uni.

What is the influence of Tonbridge as such a big cricketing school?

Marcus: It helped develop me as a player because 13-18 is such a key age. You can clearly tell the difference between players who didn’t get as much school cricket as us. Especially as our year was so strong it helped because in general the standard was so high.

Toby: The coaching staff are so good, as are the facilities.

Zak: I can’t remember a time in my life when I enjoyed playing cricket more than at Tonbridge.

What are your opinions on county cricket at the moment and all the slander?

Zak: There are a few areas it could improve – there is a big focus on T20 and T20 is massive for getting more people involved which is good, but you still need to focus on getting your England Test team. The good news is the pitches seem to have improved this year.

However, the schedule needs to be fixed – I think there should be fewer games in general and more games in the summer.

Toby: I can’t really talk because apparently my nibbly seamers are the reason English cricket is ‘mudded’.

Who is the hardest county/international bowler you’ve faced?

Zak: Pat Cummins.

Marcus: Rashid Khan in T20s.

Toby: Matthew Pillans (Yorkshire). He bowled a ball that I went forward to and it bounced over my head as well as the keeper’s.

Zak Crawley

Zak: Ricky Ponting even though he is an Australian. I also loved KP. What is your favourite format?

Zak: The most rewarding is definitely four or five days.

Obviously I love playing T20 and having a slog, but four and five-dayers are the most satisfying. 50-over has kind of died and it’s upsetting because I used to love 50-over cricket – obviously it was the format we played at Tonbridge, and it brings a good mix.

Toby: Four-day cricket for me, definitely. I can swing a nice red duke around; white ball is just unfair for bowlers.

Marcus: You are more respected if you do well in the longer format, but for me all three formats are rewarding.

How do you respond to failure?

Who do you think is the biggest GOAT of cricket, aside from Darren Stevens?

Toby: We have so many games so there isn’t too long to dwell!

Marcus: AB De Villiers and Kevin Pietersen.

Marcus: I’m still learning – it’s a regular occurrence.

Probably the drive that the next day will be good – the feeling of doing well outweighs the failures.

Toby: Glenn McGrath.

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FEATURES

Who would you choose to go for a pint with after a team win?

Marcus: Fred Klassen and Grant Stewart.

Zak: Fred Klassen and Grant Stewart – they come as a package deal.

Toby: Luke Fletcher, he is a legend.

Who has the best chat in the dressing room?

Toby: James Pattinson – he is quite a fiery bloke on and off the field.

Zak: Probably ‘Milnesy’ (Matt Milnes) – dry sarcastic humour. Joe Denly is the best sledger at Kent.

Marcus: Matt Milnes as well.

That’s great – thanks very much for all of your time and good luck with the rest of the season!

Toby Pettman

Zak: It sucks when you’re in a bad run of form, the thing that keeps bringing you back is that tomorrow could be your day.

How do you balance taking advice from different coaches?

Marcus: Take a little bit from each coach, just work out what works for you.

Zak: Every coach is trying to help but 80 percent have no effect, 15% have a negative effect and 5% have a positive effect, so it’s all about finding the things that work.

Zak, what was it like making your test debut?

Zak: Marcus was there. I had dinner with him the day before which was quite weird, considering it was in Hamilton, New Zealand. I was so nervous especially when I went out to bat – it’s all about how you deal with pressure and I didn’t deal with it well at all. It’s just about getting comfortable in that environment, you want to prove that you are good enough to be there.

Do you want to open?

Zak: Yes, I have always liked batting at the top of the innings, because I like setting the tempo – I don’t like waiting to bat.

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Marcus O’Riordan

The Dream Team?

The Dream Team?

Struggling to work out your fantasy staff rugby team? Once again, Harry French (PH4) and Charlie Lockhart (HS4) have got you covered…

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FEATURES

Room for Debate Harry Lang (WW4) is feeling mischievous and presents the case for relaxing the school dress and appearance rules. He would welcome a challenger in our next issue!

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onbridge School is known for its longestablished customs and traditions, carrying centuries of history through to today. However, one thing that has, and will, change are the school’s rules and regulations on pupils’ clothing and hairstyles. There is no better time for change than now. The freedom lockdown permitted students should be at least partially carried forward, in the fashion of less strict school policies on the way students express themselves.

This loosening of school policies on self-expression could be shown primarily in the rules that surround the school uniform itself – this being the suits and tweeds that create the unified look of the ‘Tonbridge student’. This uniform shouldn’t be altered dramatically as it serves the purpose of unifying the student body and allowing for instant recognition of those enrolled. If the stance currently taken is that unnatural hairstyles and other accoutrements would negatively affect the learning environment then it should be borne in mind that there will always be differing natural hair types and colours, so added variation – if not too dramatic or extravagant – shouldn’t pose more of an ‘issue’ to the learning environment. Variation in self-expression within the school is and always will be present – it is arbitrary where the line is drawn, and I believe that it should be loosened to allow for the associated positive effects covered later in this article.

School uniform and regulations on hairstyles and suchlike have changed over Tonbridge’s lifespan to fit the times. There is no reason for us to not adapt to the current times now as we have before. With the emerging trend of mental health issues in the modern world, particularly with the isolation and loneliness that COVID has brought about, can it be said that it is right for the school to enforce aged rules hampering pupils’ self-identification and expression? To stifle their ability to be themselves rather than clones idolised by ancient and out of touch expectations or school policies not updated in a century? Selfexpression boomed over lockdown, with pupils finally able to wear and look however they wanted. After such progression, why should the school feel the compulsion to return to its Victorian policies which have and will make pupils feel negatively towards returning to school, despite all the amazing facilities

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and opportunities it offers.

Pupils may be sent home or otherwise prevented from being physically present in class if their appearance is “too unsatisfactory”. One has to question whether it is a smart idea to bar pupils from proper learning and access to school facilities due to the arbitrary judgement of their appearance.

Appearances not directly following those set out by the school’s rules, when not directly offensive, do not impact pupils’ learning, and as such have no reason to be non-present in the classroom. This would actually be a very positive change, as the real working world contains people with varying hairstyles and manners of dress that do not follow the school’s rules. As school is for the purpose of preparation for later life, it should then surely be more advantageous to introduce students to real facets of the modern world in the safe environment of the classroom.

Whilst professional attire is useful in educational spaces, it must be used in tandem with selfexpression so that they don’t serve to enforce damaging hyper-masculine, old-boy atmospheres.

These atmospheres can generate targeted group harassment which are incredibly harmful to the psyche of developing pupil’s minds, emotionally stunting them. Teen years are for self-discovery and finding ourselves, where we are no longer reflections of our parents and our environment, but our own people. School should be considered a safe environment for teenagers to express ourselves and to experiment with how we wish to be perceived. The uniform rules don’t permit this to the level where it can be beneficial to the social development of pupils. Strict school uniform policies teach kids to repress their true selves, already thoroughly drilled into us enough via social media and society in general. We should be taught to love and accept ourselves, not hide in crowds of equally repressed individuals.

Part of the school policy is to allow students to “develop their own personality and talents whilst learning how to live as part of a community.”, I contend that the rules on uniform contradict this entirely. To fully aid the development of students’ own personalities and to help them learn how to “live as a part of a community”, a more diverse

Room for Debate

social sphere needs to be developed in order to reflect the real world, which does not have the restrictions as put in place by Tonbridge. This therefore undermines student’s efforts to develop and express themselves as such, whilst their efforts to learn how to live as part of a community are hindered by the conformity demanded. This doesn’t allow students to get used to the wide variation in cultures and styles that are present in the modern world, instead only portraying the closed-off view of the world which students are presented with by school and its policies.

“We likewise expect the highest possible standards of appearance, dress, and manners.” The highest possible standards of appearance and dress that are demanded here are extremely vague, given the very focused and narrow view of modern dress that the school permits. This could either be a comment on other styles’ standards of appearance and dress, or rather saying that those styles are unable to be professional when there is bountiful evidence to the contrary, as it is an arbitrary decision that suits have an innate professionalism to them.

The school’s rules and regulations on students’ appearances should be loosened to allow students to express themselves whilst still remaining in professional attire. Permitting greater experimentation with self-identification within school, whilst avoiding the issues that come with the complete eradication of school uniform, I believe, could come in the form of increased leniency within the realms of the hairstyles and colours permitted at the school. Longer or “more severe” hairstyles should be allowed if they are to remain within reason – neither obstructing other students’ learning in any way nor directly and purposefully offensive to others.

I believe that hair should be allowed to be dyed if it is a natural colour – as this is again something that is very commonplace within the adult world and the workplace. I believe that these changes would be entirely positive and would bring a more diverse and welcoming atmosphere to the school.

Perhaps a little too extreme – remember the ‘Lockdown Lids’?

Individuality 2020 style!

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FEATURES

The Greatest Dance Rackets and Poetry are not a natural pairing? Sam Hadfield (FH5) clearly disagrees…

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ankind’s greatest feats have come from the depths of hell. To come from anguish and certain failure only to then rise and tower over the rest. One cannot know true greatness unless they have been able to stare disaster in the face; say “no, not today” and transform oneself into something more than purely human.

A Herculean beast, half God half man with the power of a thousand angels and the true grit of the long-suffering mankind. I know a tale of such multitude that to speak of it plainly is to do it the greatest injustice. Thus, I will attempt to create an image for you akin to that of Homer and Achilles’ mighty shield.

We begin...

On a hopeful morning, the champion wakes.

Cocks crew and commuter’s commute.

A racket and a hand, a mind of fire takes The truest of eye and the strength of a God-kissed Child.

The champion wakes.

In one corner stands tall the boy with honour.

Untouched, proven in battle, he steps forth to take A destiny that beholds him and waits with bated breath.

Will he receive his crown or will he fall to the power of The Boar?

The champion waits.

As the many shuffle in together like moths to A flame, they know not what greatness comes close.

If the air could speak; “Stop! All of you observe.”

One by one they climb upon the shoulders of The warriors.

The champion is near.

Nothing has mattered like this matters, Nothing sounds so sensational yet unnerving As the bustle and buzz of a crowd in anticipation.

Do not be surprised. Just wait. Just you Wait.

The champion has come.

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Then, they are there – standing together For all to see. Disrobing and revealing For the eyes to judge. Nothing stands between us and Them but a matter of a dozen yards. Brave Souls.

The champion who will it be?

It starts! Flashes of white and black and red.

Amidst the chaos of battle the tall boy is Strong. Like an eagle, with grace from wall To ball and corner to corner. There Are no mistakes.

The champion is down.

With scintillating precision, the tall boy Makes the first claim to the throne and the Crowd cheer like the great crowds of Rome.

Marching on. Stride after stride. Is this the Making of a hero?

The champion is wounded.

Curly locks, golden white of a candle so bright, The wisest of wise eyes gazes on as his lamb is Slaughtered. Helpless. Will our fortunes favour the Brave or will this be the foe’s crowning moment?

Get up!

“Oh champion…”

The Greatest Dance

Sweaty palms and rosed cheeks. It is now time.

Father turns to friend: “My son will arise again” A nod in tentative agreement then we watch.

This is it. Now or never. This is our day, Isn’t it?

The champion has no time left.

Yes. Oh Yes. All the way up, go higher And higher. Till the hand of Zeus can reach down, Touching you on the shoulder. Till the clouds Become but a distant dream below. “Go, My son!”

The champion, my champion.

The walls close in with suffocating speed.

No mercy. His heart beats a thousand beats And his body is no longer his. The spirit Of a thousand screaming boars is with him. “I will Not die today.”

The champion returns.

It is beyond return now. Status of ineffability Achieved. One final step to take and Etched into our souls this tale becomes.

Racket raised. Ball struck. Victory, dear boy, Victory is yours.

The champion shines.

Suddenly, all is different. The crown changes hands.

The wheel turns in the nick of time.

Fate is playing its conjuring trick, so brutal yet Poetic. Our gladiator climbs onto the shoulders Of Olympus.

The champion above all.

Dust settles and the sun sets on A mighty horizon. The moths are attracted To a new flame of golden brown now.

One boy sits awake at night. Tomorrow And tomorrow.

A champion has been born.

This conquest is now and will forever be known as one of the greatest achievements of any Tonbridgian sportsman. All those who had the pleasure of witnessing the truly magical nature of one of our very own’s victory over a St Paul’s prodigal son, will understand why the account of such event is written in poetic form. Queens club in London, as per, provided an apt stage to such a game whilst the mighty Tonbridgian crowd were in full force. Rackets is unlike any other sport. It is fast, brutal, brilliant, chaotic, and beautiful: only through witnessing its peaking highs and subterraneous lows can one understand why it is the best sport in the world. Many have been tremendously lucky to have been able to play the great game during their 5 years at this school. Although I have personally fallen short of the heroes of the past; John Longley, Jamie Parker and Dan Cherry are names that come to mind, others have not. The sport has a fascinating ability to draw you back in just when think you are done. When you no longer wish to try anymore, the sound of ball on string is far too tempting to neglect.

Unlike the ‘major’ sports at Tonbridge such as Cricket, Rugby and Hockey, Rackets gets half as much credit as it deserves. This is a travesty. Before you leave Tonbridge school, take a punt on Rackets. You might just fall in love.

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FEATURES

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Rhys Love (Sc4) and Tom Goodchild (PH4) recount their trip to the countryside…

Quotes...

“I really loved my group. They were all amazing and we worked together fantastically.”

Felix Williams (MH)

Rhys Day One

Chapel finished at 1pm. On the bus by 1:30. A laborious one-and-a-half-hour journey in a humid coach with a pungent smell wafting through the hot air ensued. We arrived at “The best four days of my Tonbridge career.” approximately 3pm, were walking by half past, lost within Edd Perry (JH) ten minutes. Not long after we were attempting to scale an unfathomably steep, mountain-like hill. While the rest of the “I liked it.” school was relaxing at home, recovering from the worst of the three terms, our torture seemed to be continuing and neverBertie Harris (JH) ending. The reality of expedition sunk in. Yet, after we had “The unity I experienced was amazing, the sort climbed the hill which was in reality one with a rather tame incline, our walk resembled more of a light stroll through the of thing hard to come by in life.”

countryside. Easily navigated, simply walked, and done in good Ewan Gadd-Chapman (CH) time. We arrived unscathed at the first campsite, a field in the South Downs, slightly before 6, then pitched our tents and cooked our meal using the Trangia and gas we had carried.

As the sun went down the temperature plummeted. The hot weather of the day was heavily contrasted by the chill of the nights, and we subsequently retreated into our tents.

Day Two We woke up shivering in the early hours of a Thursday morning. Awoken by the rising sun we trekked up the mildew covered frozen field to where the showers were. Despite the promise of a shower, everyone was left in shock by the campsite having the audacity to charge exclusively 50p coins to use the facilities.

Without the aid of gloves, dismantling the tent was near impossible, yet despite our frozen hands our group eventually set off at 6:30am with bags packed and a surprisingly ample amount of sleep.

In a trance-like state, we navigated and ploughed on through the fields and the wandering paths of the woods easily.

As the morning became afternoon the weather improved, and we were walking in t-shirts and shorts. Before midday our group had already cooked and eaten a full breakfast. By 1pm we were calmly sunbathing on a slight mound in

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Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

a clearing placed between two woods, remaining there for the majority of the day as we were in no hurry. However, our relaxed experience was not entirely representative of the other Gold D of E groups that day. One was chased through a field by a herd of charging cows and got lost on numerous occasions, serenaded by many internal verbal skirmishes. The other was subdued under the iron grip of a quasi-authoritarian leader. After lunch and four hours of on-and-off breaks along a thirty-minute stretch we arrived at the campsite and, again, pitched our tents unscathed. The campsite on the second day was in stark contrast to the other, primarily due to the ability to have a shower free of charge in a heated cabin.

After dinner at 6pm everyone sat outside talking for a few hours with tea and hot chocolate. Eventually though it became too cold as the evening went on, so we retired to our three-man tents and rested in preparation for the next day.

Tom Day Three We woke up early at 5am on the dot. Some of us packed up the tent, the others did nothing. Lazy. Then we plodded off into the sun, to the East. We left the other groups behind and proceeded to walk. The first two hours of travel were the most crucial hours. Still half-asleep, we weren’t fully aware we were awake, so moving the colossal distance set by the invigilators was easy. Without realising, we had trekked 13km in 2.5 hrs and by 9:30am we had reached our target, the halfway mark. By this time the hunger had set in and we began to reflect on our superiority relative to the other groups. Unlike us, they were comprised of bad walkers with no drive. We discussed their incompetence and hopelessness for about two hours and then set off again, still using the sun as guidance.

By this point, on account of our remarkably long rest, one other group had finally caught up with us. Unlike us, this group was led by a fearsome dictator, who went so far as to actually time kilometres, in a futile, pathetic attempt to catch us. To crush their morale and assert our dominance, we sped up, walking at a record-breaking pace. As planned, we fortunately lost them. By this point we happened to rediscover, largely on account of our nerdy navigators, an absolutely

incredible plot of land, overlooking a stunning marsh, and nude trees. It was a place home to many good times, and one day I do really hope to return there to ponder. We sunbathed in that idyllic spot for what felt like days, before eventually heading back to camp, towards the retiring sun, to the East.

Day Four We awoke at the usual time, to the twittering of the birds and the snores of the sleeping children (Ollie Whittall, WH). However, this day was different. To our utter bewilderment, the dictator-led group, who had not once surpassed us, covertly left before we had even awoken in a desperate attempt to beat us. The true race had begun. Over the course of the next three hours, we made significant ground, which was to be expected, considering their mediocre walking skills.

Even so, they beat us to the end, but only just. On reaching the finishing point, we popped down to the local bakery, got some sweets and went to the kids’ playground. It was a good end to the journey, and we parted ways very fulfilled.

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FEATURES

A Word from Mrs Watson-Reynolds...

T

ime and time again, I have boys sign up for the Silver award with gumption and enthusiasm (approximately 50% of the Second year), but not everyone finishes it. The hours required, the size of the commitment, the planning it takes, and the skills needed to complete the qualification are more than many realise. Not to mention the expedition itself where fitness, navigation, teamwork, resilience, and leadership are just some of the skills the boys need. At Gold, this is more heightened, particularly as one’s focus often shifts towards A levels and universities. The length and time required to complete the sections, the residential (which involves staying away from home with people you don’t know for 5 nights) and the expedition itself (a 4-day, 3-night expedition usually in wild country – Wales, the Lake District, Dartmoor, possibly Scotland) is a more sizeable commitment.

To sign up to the award takes guts, but when a boy completes their award before they’ve even left the school? That’s incredible. When anyone completes their D of E, it’s an amazing achievement, because to everyone – teachers, employers, universities – it demonstrates that you’ve gone above and beyond the norm to put yourself out there to learn new skills and

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give up your time to help others. It is a difficult juggling act and very few manage to pull through to the end.

This is why so many employers respect it when they see it on a CV and as such, if you finish, your Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award is presented to you at St James’ Palace by a member of the royal family. Yet I emphasise to the boys that it’s not just about a certificate or doing it to mention it on your personal statement, it’s about the journey you’ve been on and what have you learnt along the way. It’s hard to balance work, sport, volunteering, extracurricular activities and a social life all at once. With a lot of people achieving good degrees, employers are looking for something different that sets you apart from other applicants and when they ask you questions like ‘tell me a time you faced a challenge and how did you overcome it?’, ‘how would you handle conflict in a team situation?’, ‘you’ve said you’re organised/work well in a team/good at communicating, can you give me a situation where you could demonstrate this?’ I am sure many of those who have undertaken the award would be able to answer these questions with a plethora of examples. This is part of the value of taking on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (as well as the amazing memories the boys will have). I reflect on my own D of E experience and some of the things we had to endure - we laugh about them now and they’re some of the many highlights I reflect on from school. Seeing the boys complete their expedition, especially if they’ve been through some challenging experiences, is one of the most rewarding moments as a teacher and I encourage anyone, if they have the opportunity, to get involved with it.

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

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FEATURES

So-and-So’s Bookshelf Who’s been reading what this term.

Richard Evans Teacher of English Tales from Ovid Translated by Ted Hughes Hughes must be here somewhere: he is the root/ foundation/cornerstone. Though a controversial figure with a complex life, his poetry is the reason I teach English, inspired by a brilliant A level teacher who was a national authority on Hughes, Roger Elkin.

I feel passionately attached to all of Hughes’ writing and could have gone for any of the collections: The Hawk in the Rain; the brutality of Crow; the magnificent strangeness of Gaudete, or the shock of Birthday Letters after all the years of silence on his relationship with Sylvia Plath. Tales from Ovid is special on so many levels, however. In it, the great myth-maker of the late 20th century revisits the most extraordinary tales of magic and transformation from the classical period.

To add to that, back in 1993, alongside a group of Tonbridgians, I had the extraordinary experience of sitting in a small room as Hughes read his Tales for the

first time publicly. With no spare seats I had to perch on the windowsill behind Hughes, and was able to watch him make corrections and adjustments to his hand-written drafts as he read – about as good as it gets for a poetry fanatic. Every time I read the collection it still sends shivers down the spine. Do, if you get the chance, listen to the audio-version: it gives an incredible sense of Hughes’ hypnotic presence.

Waterland

by Graham Swift This is one of those novels that haunts you once read, and it is a pleasure to be teaching it to my current (very cool) LVIth set after a break of about twelve years. Waterland is remarkable: partly a lesson spoken by a History teacher being forced into retirement, partly a fairy-tale, partly a geography text, partly a treatise on the French Revolution – throw in a chapter on the bizarre life cycle of the eel – and you are not even getting close to its remarkable range.

If Dickens lays claim to Victorian London, Kerouac to the highways of America in the 1950s and Hardy to Wessex, Swift evokes and re-creates the Fens of East-Anglia with the most remarkable verity. The fact that he claims to have written the novel having never visited the area is an extraordinary testament to the act of creative thought.

Today’s Special

by Anthony Demetre As the boys I bump into know, I am obsessed by creating and encountering good food. My mum cooks incredible traditional, often lost, English dishes and I was also inspired by working part time in restaurants for about ten years while growing up.

Working with novels and plays all day is wonderful, but sometimes an English teacher needs a break from fiction, so there is always a cookbook on my bedside table. I could have gone for so many: Stephen Harris is a hero and The Sportsman Cookbook is fantastic on not only food but also the history of that area of Kent; anything by Diana Henry is beautiful and always works while Victoria Moore on matching food and wine (The Wine Dine Dictionary) is delectable; Nathan Outlaw’s writing on Cornish seafood is also a pleasure and I have recently been inspired by Gill Meller’s amazing veggie root stem leaf flower. As I have to pick one, it must be Today’s Special by Anthony Demetre, one of the

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So-and-So’s Bookshelf

unsung heroes of the British food scene and the genius behind Arbutus and Wild Honey. Everything is done so well, from the photographs to the crisp prose: I’m also a sucker for his take on French bistro classics. Finally, on good food and literature, if like me you enjoy that combination, do read Annabel Abbs’ The Language of Food. As well as being based on the school’s doorstep (Bordyke) it is an amazing account of the poetry of food and (bonus) written by a Tonbridge parent.

Deirdre McDermot Teacher of Modern Languages Small Things Like These

by Claire Keegan I read it earlier this year and was smitten by the main character’s innate compassion and desire to do what is right, and how small acts of kindness can make a difference. Keegan renders in simple and unsentimental language the breakdown of Bill Furlong as he searches for meaning in life. This 39-year-old man embarks on a journey to discover his identity and come to terms with his past. It is through his lens that Keegan portrays the cruelty of the Magdalene Laundries, and enquires into moral responsibilities: can we ignore evil, or should we confront it?

This short novel is set in a small town in Co. Wexford in 1985 during a time of recession and mass emigration. Furlong is for me a rather atypical man in Irish fiction: a hard-working coal and timber merchant who doesn’t drink, a dedicated husband and a caring father to five daughters. However, despite having a secure job and a loving family, he feels a sense of uneasiness about life as he tries to reconcile the past with the present. Raised by his unmarried mother in a loving home with Mrs Wilson where his mother was a housekeeper, Furlong has conflicting feelings about his childhood and is desperate to discover his father’s identity. This burden, which he has borne so gracefully until now, makes him restless - he has difficulty in sleeping, cannot switch off, and is incapable of expressing his feelings. This sheer sense of loneliness is especially poignant in the run-up to Christmas. It is against a backdrop of Christmas rituals which Keegan so skilfully evokes that Furlong, during a delivery trip to the local convent, stumbles upon

a young girl trapped and shivering in a coal shed who is mourning the loss of her baby. His discovery confirms rumours about the treatment of the girls in the convent, rumours silenced by a society over which the Catholic Church holds an iron grip. Furlong cannot ignore what he sees, but initially feels emotionally paralysed. It is only when he discovers his father’s identity and finally comes to terms with his past that he can confront the inhumanity he has witnessed: ‘Already he could feel a world of trouble waiting for him behind the next door, but the worst that could have happened was also already behind him; the thing not done, which could have been – which he would have had to live with for the rest of his life.’ Without wishing to create spoilers, the latter quote captures the essence of this touching and powerful moral story, and the importance of staying true to your values and standing up against injustice.

L’élégance du hérisson

or The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery Clever, playful in tone, and moving, this a novel that takes us on a journey of spiritual and intellectual discovery. I remember feeling inspired by the book shortly after joining the school in 2008, although

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FEATURES

it has resonated with me even more on a second reading which has given me a fresh perspective on the big questions pondered here, and their relevance.

The two themes with which I personally identify are the anachronic notion of class structure in which the elite have exclusive access to the arts, and the concept of beauty. The former is brilliantly portrayed in Renée Michel, the fifty-four-year-old concierge who hides her intellectual pursuits from the vacuous bourgeois inhabitants of the luxurious apartment block where she works. Renée describes herself as “short, ugly and plump” and “insignificant”, in line with the ugly stereotypes associated with the working class.

However, rather unlike the wealthy elite she caters for, Renée is learned and cultured. Self-taught, she is an avid reader of Tolstoy and Kant, listens to classical music, and appreciates the beauty of 17th century Dutch paintings and Japanese cinema. Her counterpart, Paloma Josse, is a 12-year-old genius who lives on the fifth floor of the building with her privileged family.

Monsieur Josse is a politician and Madame Josse holds a PhD in literature, but despite all their education and intellectual posturing, both are too busy to bother with their daughter. Like Renée, Paloma is constantly in search of meaning through knowledge and has to hide her intelligence from others. She concludes that the world is meaningless, and rather than ending up “like a goldfish in a bowl”, resolves to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. Barbery’s narrative style is particularly effective – in alternating mini-essays, both narrators offer profound reflections on the meaning of life, time, culture, and beauty. Although Renée and Paloma do not meet until late in the book, their narrations harmoniously mirror each other. And a very special friendship eventually grows between these kindred spirits, enabling Barbery to break down barriers of class. I particularly enjoyed the meditative nature of the novel and the need for meaningful experiences in our hurried and fast-paced world. Paloma, in her notebook “Profound Thoughts” explores the nature of beauty while watching a rosebud fall: “Beauty consists of its own passing, just as we reach for it.”, while Renée concludes that only through self-awareness can one appreciate the beauty of the mundane. Perhaps a fitting and timely conclusion to this review is Renée’s delicate evocation of summer rain: “Just as teardrops when they are large and round and compassionate can leave a long strand washed clean of discord, the summer rain as it washes away the motionless dust can bring to a person’s soul something like endless breathing.”

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Joe Baldwin, (HS5) Deputy Head of School Playground of the Gods – A Year of Sporting Fantasy

by Ian Stafford Sport consumes my life. I spend an ungodly number of hours playing, practising, watching and studying it. Sport is the lens through which all my thoughts are filtered, with any personal situation able to be neatly explained via sporting analogy. Ian Stafford’s Playground of the Gods is the perfect book for someone (like me) who loves sport, but knowingly lacks the physical gifts and mental aptitude to compete at the highest level. Stafford opens the book by branding himself a ‘sports fanatic’, detailing his vivid dreams of ‘sinking a 10 foot-putt to win The Open’ and ‘smacking a straight six into the Lord’s Pavilion to win the Ashes’. These dreams are certainly something I can relate to, but that Stafford, as a distinguished sports writer (he won National Sports Writer of the Year a decade before writing Playground of the Gods) claims he should be ‘above’. However, he slowly comes to the realisation that he will never be ‘above’ these fantasies and, following a mid-life crisis sparked by his 34th birthday, endeavours to fulfil them. An incredible, injury-ridden nine months ensue.

From training with Kenyan long-distance runners and being Australia’s 12th man in an ODI vs New Zealand, to partnering Steve Redgrave at Henley and boxing light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr, Stafford truly leaves no sporting stone unturned. Joining him for the ride is peak escapism...

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go was one of the texts for my English Coursework this year. In a typically Tonbridgian fashion, I’d put off reading it until it was absolutely necessary to. Thus, I read the entire novel in one sitting on a bleak Sunday evening in the Lent Term. At 1:30am, I was sat at the end of my bed, weeping uncontrollably, feeling both refreshed by this uncharacteristically intense outpouring of emotion, and frustrated at the fact this was further delaying my going to sleep. Never Let Me Go is a story of the irreversibility of time, a story of friendship and love in the face of great adversity and a story that makes you question what it really means to be human. I think the highest praise I can give the novel is that, after being forced to spend hours meticulously crafting 2500 words on its subject matter, I would happily read it

So-and-So’s Bookshelf

again. Although you may not have my luxury of being taught Never Let Me Go by a genius, I thoroughly suggest you give it a go.

The Recruit

by Robert Muchamore I’m going to say it... I believe Robert Muchamore’s Cherub books are masterpieces. As much as I understand the English Department’s view that they are the literary equivalent of ‘The Grill’, and accept that requesting a distinction after reading ten Cherub books in my Novi year may have been a step too far, I think you will be hard-pressed to find a series that is more fun to read. The Recruit starts it all off, and tells the story of James Choke, who, over the course of the novel, goes from expelled orphan to super-spy, ultimately thwarting an anthrax attack on some of the world’s leading politicians. The Cherub series may not contain the most challenging reads (as seen through the fact that Muchamore was able to write two Cherub’s a year for a decade), but it got me turning pages at a time when I would rather have done anything else. Instead of regarding these books as literary fast food, I think it’s time we see them for what they really are... an incredibly positive ‘gateway drug’ for anyone who struggles to enjoy reading.

poisoned with arsenic. There are different groups of elements which are in different sections of the book and each chapter on a single element is normally around 6-10 pages long, so it is a good book for before bed as there is no need for continuity. It is an interesting book which highlights some very interesting uses of elements that you may not expect. A good read.

Noughts and Crosses

by Malorie Blackman This book focuses on an alternative society in which white people are the minority group and suffer under the regimes of black people. It is based on a love story between a nought (white person) and a cross (black person) who fall in love at a young age. It is difficult for them to grow up together as they are of different races. It ends in a complicated issue due to the campaigning group for white people rights, the liberation militia, which the nought protagonist becomes part of. This escalates and ends on an interesting note leading to the next books in the series. It is excellent reading that is easy to be hooked by, a difficult one to put down.

Sebastian Stevenson (HS1) On This Day in History

by Dan Snow This is an easy-to-read book which takes an interesting historical event from each day of the year and discusses it for a single page. It is a wellstructured book which could be read by almost any age group. It is a nice book to read before bed, as you can read just a page or two before putting it down and you will not forget the story line. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, however it can be a little boring as you are unable to really get stuck into reading for long periods.

Periodic Tales

by Hugh Alderley-Williams This book, as the title might suggest, is on chemistry. It is quite a fun book which references many different elements in multiple different real world uses and often gives interesting backstories which are less related to chemistry, for example, the conspiracies over whether Napoleon Bonaparte was

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VALETE Tonbridge teachers will see a fair few boys through their time at the school, but for twenty years Anna Rogers has seen every single one: guiding over 3,500 boys (and their parents) towards the most appropriate post-Tonbridge pathway.

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ot a single boy goes through their Tonbridge career without coming within her orbit and she advises each one knowledgeably, patiently and confidently.

It was a moment of serendipity that brought Anna Rogers to Tonbridge School. Having just relocated to Kent and looking for a career change she happened to speculatively hand deliver her CV on the very day that it had been decided that the School needed a higher education advisor. Over the ensuing twenty years she developed and moulded that role and attuned

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her skills to the point where she became an oracle of all things relating to student life beyond Tonbridge.

Essentially self-taught, Anna has visited, at least once, every institution that a Tonbridge boy has ever advanced to – including fifteen US universities. She has built close relationships with admissions tutors, knowing what each is looking for, what grades they are likely to ask for, and what grades they are likely to accept. She spent eleven years on the UCAS secondary education advisory group and more recently has served on the Qualifications Advisory Group gaining yet more valuable contact with providers.

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Anna Rogers

Anna moved from rather austere premises in the CCF building to a far more comfortable and accessible office in 2018; however, she has never hidden away there. A littleknown fact is that in her early months here she helped then Headmaster, Martin Hammond, with his writing of a book on Marcus Aurelius – such is the diversity of her skills! She then went on to write stories and collate photos for, as well as to edit, ‘News From Tonbridge’. Anna has also been fully involved in the broader pastoral life of the School, spending six years as a tutor in Parkside, eleven years in Whitworth and two years as Senior Student master of Beech Lawn.

She has been on the History battlefields trip twice and has accompanied boys on trips to the USA on three occasions.

I was lucky enough to accompany her on one of those US trips and was struck by the way in which she exerted calm authority over the boys: never flustered, she always exhibited the kind of ‘can do’ attitude that has been a hallmark of her career at Tonbridge. She was also proud to address the Old Tonbridgian Society of New York at the Harvard Yacht Club.

Tonbridge teachers will miss Anna for the highlight of the meeting at the start of every academic year: Anna’s UCAS update. This invariably began with “results day was carnage... but by the end of the day all but a tiny number of boys had secured places they were happy with”. This would be followed by a witty run down of the top universities that year, the top courses and ‘most surprising placement’. Anna has been a master tactician when it comes to placing pegs in suitable further education or career holes: her departure will leave a big hole in so many aspects of Tonbridge life.

K E Moxon

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SCIENCE During the Lent Term on Wednesday Afternoon activities, Tonbridge School and Tonbridge Grammar School collaborated in an interschool science investigation to form a Chemistry Research Group.

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The Research Group

ive pairs of students were split into two smaller sets, with one investigating a method to measure the conductivity of ionic solutions and the other to synthesize ionic liquids (IL).

Ionic Liquid Synthesis Through knowledge of basic chemistry, we know that ionic compounds tend to be crystals, e.g., table salt (sodium chloride). However, new discoveries found that it is possible to create ionic compounds in a pure liquid form. As ionic compounds can be easily modified, their properties can be changed by great magnitudes and thus be customised for many purposes, making ILs revolutionary in many industries.

In the laboratory, this can be achieved by adding different anions which essentially change the chemical composition of the IL. Current applications include lubricants and electrolytes, and more research is still undergoing to find promising novel uses of IL. Within each individual group, students investigated various aspects of IL. For example, Rachel (from Tonbridge Grammar School) and I looked at different ways to synthesise ILs, whereas Chris Halford (PH)

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and his pair specifically investigated microwave synthesis. The entire project took over 7 weeks, and once we had finished all the experimental stages, the results were analysed at Queen Mary’s University London, using extremely advanced and expensive technology. Thankfully, all the products were exactly what we intended to synthesise.

Ben Zhao

The ionic liquids we synthesised

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Chemistry Research Group Conductivity investigation With a major feature of ionic liquids being electrolytes, Theo (my partner from Tonbridge Grammar School) and I set out to investigate how we could measure the conductivity of ionic solutions. Consequently, when the other group had synthesised ionic liquids, their conductivity could also be measured by our system. This would allow us to compare our synthesised ionic liquids with traditional solvents we were trying to replace.

We started with graphite electrodes, measuring the conductance of potassium chloride solutions over varying concentrations. Our method was then changed with new conductivity probes, which we used to measure conductivity over varying concentration and temperatures. Working with students from Tonbridge Grammar School proved to be an exciting experience. It was a pleasure to collaborate with them, exchanging ideas and creating posters of our research. Throughout the investigation, we improved our method, which in turn improved accuracy in the results. This was partly due to the introduction of new conductivity probes and a change in measurement methods; we took measurements during cooling to avoid the effects of bubbles interfering with the probe’s sensor.

Tom Kwok (MH)

Tonbridge Science Conference

the conductivity of ionic liquids with others who were also enthusiastic about science. It was the perfect occasion to discuss and present projects that we have worked hard on. To present at a Science Conference was a fantastic opportunity, let alone have the chance to host one.

Tom Kwok

Spectroscopy experience Apart from conductivity investigations, our group were able to synthesise ionic liquids following the other group’s instructions. It was our first time synthesising organic molecules. After the reflux process, there was great anticipation when the viscous brown liquid poured out of the round bottomed flask. To uncover the mystery of what we had synthesised, we went to Queen Mary’s University London and used their NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and IR (Infra-Red) Spectroscopy machines. What we had learnt from textbooks and in class came to life when we visited the laboratories.

We got to see what researchers use in professional environments and what it was like to be a research scientist. We were incredibly happy (and relieved) when we found out what we synthesised under reflux matched up (mostly) with what we had hoped for.

Being part of a research group was an incredibly gratifying experience and having the opportunity to conduct our own investigations beyond the classroom.

Tom Kwok

Each pair from the research group made a poster which combined the research and the experimental data, which was then presented at the Tonbridge Science Conference, where our projects were presented to multiple schools, both locally and internationally. Not only were we able to show case our research, but we were also able to attend multiple other fascinating presentations from other schools, including Sevenoaks and Judd.

Ben Zhao After the investigations were conducted, Theo and I attended Tonbridge School’s Annual Science Conference. We were able to share our findings with twelve schools internationally.

As a Science Ambassador, I also had the opportunity to introduce different keynote speakers, and host different presentations from other students. It was a wonderful experience to share and present my research on measuring

Pipetting a small amount of IL on the IR spectroscopy machine

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SCIENCE

The group preparing their IL samples for NMR analysis in the laboratory at Queen Mary University London

To prepare our IL samples for NMR analysis, we had to take a small sample of the IL and place it into a thin glass tube, we then added a small amount of chloroform to the tube using a long glass pipette. Our samples were ready to be examined in the NMR machine. Individually we placed our prepared samples into the giant NMR machine, which had mechanical arms to automatically load our samples, each sample was examined one by one. The NMR ran overnight and once the data was analysed, a spectrum of the results was generated and sent to the NMR’s PC, the results were forwarded to us at Tonbridge, and we all discussed the results. We were incredibly happy to see that the ionic liquids that we had synthesised were indeed what we had intended them to be!

On top of this, Rachel and I also created a podcast on our research at Tonbridge, which was a completely new and enjoyable experience for both of us.

Ben Zhao Daisie and Aida load their prepared samples into the NMR machine

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Science Communication Competition

Science Communication Competition Tonbridge’s inaugural Science Communication Competition, Science Snippets: 4 minutes to win it! was held on the evening of 13th May, in the atrium of the Barton Science Centre (BSC).

The finalists invited to attend were:

16 years and under Aditi Bajaj Harry Cordeaux Odin Holdom (PH2) Ryan Ho (Sc2) Minnie Hong Martha Sams Maddie Simpson

Weald of Kent The Kings School Tonbridge School Tonbridge School The Kings School Weald of Kent Weald of Kent

17 to 19 years

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tudents from schools around the SouthEast were invited to send the Tonbridge School Science Department a 60 second video recording discussing their favourite topic in science, in the hope they would get through to the grand finale. With over 100 entries and after a long selection day during which all entries were viewed, fourteen finalists were chosen from two categories, 16 years and under and 17 to19 years.

Nellie Ash Leonie Chatterjee William Grantham (WH4) O-Teen Kwok Tom Kwok (MH4) Jahnvi Nakrani Mahmudur Rahman Christopher Sneddon (OH4)

Tunbridge Wells Grammar Woldingham School Tonbridge School Caterham School Tonbridge School Woldingham School Eton College Tonbridge School

The competition was hosted by Phil Deakin, Head of Science and Ollie Whittall (SH4), Science Ambassador.

The judging panel composed of Head judge Sir Jim Smith from the Francis Crick Institute and Director of Science at the Wellcome Trust; our very own Headmaster James Priory; Dr Ali Galloni Head of Science at Sevenoaks School; Lisa Alford Science Coordinator at Tonbridge School and Alex Percival (CH4), Science Ambassador.

On the night of the grand finale, the finalists arrived and were looked after by the Science Ambassadors.

The BSC atrium looked amazing lit with blue and red lights with science themed music adding to the electric atmosphere. As the audience took their seats the tension started to rise as the first finalist was called to give their talk.

Competitors had just 4 minutes to talk about their specialism or

The Finalists

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SCIENCE

The Judges Left to Right: Alex Percival Science Ambassador; Lisa Alford Science Coordinator; Sir Jim Smith Francis Crick Institute & Director of Science at the Wellcome Trust; Dr A. Galloni Head of Science Sevenoaks School; James Priory Headmaster

interest in science with a specified age level aimed at first year students, 13 years of age. In the words of Richard Feynman - “If you can’t explain something to a first-year student, then you haven’t really understood”.

The judges awarded marks for content, clarity, creativity, and captivation.

The judges found it incredibly challenging to choose the winners, but after much deliberation, the judges made their decision:

The under 16 years finalists were up first, their talks were truly inspirational, and they set an extremely high standard.

Odin Holdom for Winning at Wordle How using science can help one to win the game.

Refreshments were served, and the audience had the opportunity to meet and speak with Sir Jim and the other judges. It was then the turn of the 17 to 19 finalists to take their places.

The last of the 17 to 19 finalists sat down, all having delivered talks of an exceptional quality. The competition was over, the finalists could do no more.

The judges went off to convene and the tension mounted, who was going to win?

16 years and under Winners First Prize

Second Prize Harry Cordeaux for Clear the skies Discussing space junk, the impact it has and why it is going to be a growing problem in the future.

Third Prize Aditi Bajaj for The ‘clean water’ journey How science helps clean water by the water system and could we be doing more?

Ryan Ho and Tom Kwok delivering their talks

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Science Communication Competition

17 to 19 years Winners First Prize O-Teen Kwok for The Invisible Forces – Aerodynamics A presentation on how aerodynamics is not just about planes, bird use aerodynamics to fly, and it is used in football too.

Second Prize Nellie Ash for The Universe A talk on the Big Bang, dark energy and whether the universe will end.

Third Prize Tom Kwok for Bioprospecting A talk on the exploration of natural areas in search of native organisms that can be used in commercial products ranging from pharmaceutical and cosmetic technologies.

Sir Jim Smith handed out the prize book tokens and presented all the finalists with a certificate. The competition was a huge success, and everyone had a memorable evening, this will now be an annual event:

“I was extremely impressed by the high standard of the students’ talks, many of which were truly inspirational. The finalists were so engaged and enthusiastic, they packed so much information into 4-minutes, and they presented their talks brilliantly, which showed they truly understood the science they were talking about. It was fantastic to see and hear young people enthralled by science and dedicated to talk about science, which is so incredibly important, and it was wonderful to watch a variety of presentations spanning the scientific disciplines, the future of science is clearly in good hands!”

Lisa Alford Science Coordinator

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The Winners Judge, Dr A Gallon, Nellie Ash; Tom Kwok; Harry Cordeaux; Odin Holdom; O-Teen Kwok; Aditi Bajaj; Judge, Sir Jim Smith

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CREATIVE WRITING The summer term saw the welcome return of the Staveley Poetry Prize.

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istinguished judge, Prof. Peter Robinson, poet, critic and academic, selected winners in the three age categories and awarded the prizes at the awards ceremony in Skinners’ Library. The prize celebrates the importance of creative and original thought and is named after the highly regarded poet and English teacher, Tom Staveley.

Prof. Robinson commended all the entries he had received. Overall winners were George Pearson (SH1) who won the Novi Prize, Ben Adams (OH2) who won the Intermediate Prize, and Matt Smith (JH4) who won the Senior category.

Senior Winning Poems

Commenting on George Pearson’s Racket Prof.

Robinson noted how the poem created a ‘magic’ out of the simplest of objects, enabling the reader to see a familiar thing in new and vivid ways. On Ben Adams’ If only you had seen under the folds Prof. Robinson admired the tight and efficient form, noting how this intensified the emotional impact of this accomplished poem. He found Matt Smith’s Tunbridge Wells brilliantly inventive, creating powerful contrasts with wit to achieve a profound final piece.

Prof. Robinson commented on how very important creative thought was, especially after the many challenges of lock-down and praised the students, department and school for championing imaginative writing in all of its forms.

R H Evans

Tunbridge Wells | Matt Smith (JH4) – Overall Senoir winner When the Moon came to Calverley, I thought reality had failed me.

When the stars fall from the sky, they land in Tunbridge Wells.

The Moon turned off at 9pm and they took it down; that was the last we saw of it.

I found bliss one day, lying on the wall by Calverley car park in the half term sunshine, a bittersweet symphony in my ears and my dirty white fashion trainers on my feet.

Nobody spoke to me, nobody disturbed my reverie, I waited for my dad to come by in a car at 3.45.

Tunbridge Wells is an area in decline, said Mr. Gripper, way back when.

Gone are the days of pilgrimage to KFC with my friend James, now the food court has nothing but a Subway.

Someone has chiselled an inscription into the Wellington Rocks.

There are peace signs there, but no Swastikas.

The inscription reads: A C I D. The Nazi stickers in the public toilets have been replaced by trippy drawings.

On the way in from Southborough, a Confederate flag used to hang from a council flat balcony.

Now it is no more.

Were you aware the bowling green here is of world class quality?

We write letters of moral outrage to the conservative papers, so that Middle England gets its just representation, we’ve had over a hundred years of royal status.

I find inner peace watching the skaters fail to land tricks off the pavement.

By Calverly carpark, on a summer’s day, life is good.

The skateboarders remind me that failure is transitory.

Everything comes back to Calverley Park.

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Staveley Poetry Prize 2022

La Vie (1903) | Jamie Lambert (Sc5) Joyfully pre-Raphaelite – bright with flattered hands and flattened rooms where Christ’s flat palms offer bread and blood in leafy parahelia.

A tiered dauphine is waited on with Velasquez inside, easel shadow straining beyond, passed looking to us through a glass as she teeters, soon flitters into twisting gazing uses, aquiline breasts from the stippled hand, to be cubed like Schwitter’s magazines dissected:

Is this what’s fought for? This compacted place – this trashy, saucy face boudoir – blank and naked blue which fills up with colic grace, syphilitic sad?

For it’s not that tradition which perfectly paints, represents, interprets its own emotion – a petter’s re-presentation, imitation.

And while Cabanel poses perfect, Albaydé’s doeish eyes sleep soporific. But that blue is cold and present and flat.

In a medicated organ trance whose sprained knees and brain would see anything but that purer blue expression of an impure blue impression?

Boann – Boyne and Solstice | George Thomas (WH4) For renewal and rebirth She knows how the love of men can rapture.

With promise but no intention.

Today she is a fly upon the wall.

When I was with Boann my heart felt trapped.

For her affections overwhelmed my soul.

I understand how the Dagda must feel.

He was the lover but is now the loved.

Victim of feeling and now hurt in love.

From conquest to capture, his pride is gone.

Renewed by her passion and set on the King.

Rebirthed without construct and free to feel.

I understand how the Dagda must feel.

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CREATIVE WRITING

Junior Winning Poems If only you had seen under the folds | Ben Adams (OH2) – Overall Junior winner He is the brown, threadbare jumper that hangs tiredly from your shoulders, its woollen strands clinging on.

He is the brown, cracked armchair, with a well in the centre of the leather, tattooed in cigarette stains.

He is the rusty screwdriver, with the red, plastic handle, who lazes on the toolbox floor.

When the day is grey and dull, he is the cloud of fog, creeping sluggishly through the dark.

He is the dim computer screen, that stares back after a long day at work, the bare clock at five in the afternoon.

He is the cheap Yorkshire pudding, adorning every roast dinner school lunch, small wrinkles in his oily skin.

He is the planet Pluto, always the farthest from anyone else, wandering through the dark.

He lives in the plain bungalow, waiting patiently at the end of the road, silently waiting for a ring on the doorbell.

He is a lump of granite, lying discarded on the beach, buried and forgotten in the pretty pebbles.

He is the muddy dictionary, sat neglected on every family’s shelf, the gold text slowly fading from the spine.

He is the ancient telephone, that rings, unanswered, on the table in the hall, as the police sirens wail outside.

Pure Souls | Jean Van der Spuy (FH3) Oddity of my dreams, I saw you only once before.

Hues and hope flourished, And I felt every single pulse.

If I could draw or paint the scene, A photograph perhaps, Maybe it could have been worthwhile.

It would have been better.

They had forgot the joy, Our worlds had been transfigured, And though I’ll still see them again.

I lost her.

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Staveley Poetry Prize 2022

Seven Ways of Looking at the Sky | Nathaniel Chan (HS3) I: “There will be grey skies and heavy rain expected today, and great bright strokes across the grey until 6 o’clock tonight.”

II: With this crystal ball, and the alignment of the celestial spheres, I will reveal your future. You are to be beyond the celestial world.

III: A cloudy arctic and a sun larger than cities face me, behind the glass, through the air, Untouchable and too high for most.

IV: A second sun rises, right next to the first, Although we can say that it is bright green with the words happy birthday upon it As it continues to go higher into the atmosphere.

V: Three, two, one, and take-off has been achieved.

It is now time to break the blue wall and see the stars beyond it.

VI: From spacecraft and then along the waves we must ride, towards the satellite receiver outside Number 48, Dry Hill Park Road, carrying our evening for the champions league.

VII: It has been so far away from home, Every outside looks the same – several dots of white, some big, some small, drawn upon a black canvas of night.

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CREATIVE WRITING

Novi Winning Poems

Racket | George Pearson (SH1) – Overall Novi winner The carbon fibre rim reminds me of a car spoiler.

When I swing the yellow and black stripes make it buzz like a bee.

It has a cold metal like feel.

I pick it up from my cupboard by the grip: it sticks to my hand like a spider’s web.

A man with a large wide tummy and a slim elongated neck.

It moves by the motion of swinging it.

Racket heads have many holes.

When one is hit perfectly, the target is scored.

Not every shot will result in success: practising is vital and patience is key.

A tennis racket can bring you happiness and joy but also anger and sadness: so many emotions from such a small object.

Light | Ben Rainsford (CH1) Light is mysterious as it curls round corners cuts through panes of glass it leaves its trail behind like a blade cutting through the night.

It begins just after a planet falls from view and ends after a planet falls to sight as one minute it is there and the next it is gone.

Travels like the wind, a pure mellow yellow.

We want it when we are at play But despise it when we sleep and snooze.

It is quite a mysterious thing

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Staveley Poetry Prize 2022

Just Another Year | Theo Bourgeay (WW1) Soft as silk, The lamb stirs, In need of milk, The kitten purrs, Early in the morn, The puppy raises its head, The kid surveys the golden dawn.

All to return to bed.

The winter’s icy chill has melted away, The green of grass pokes through, Far in the distance a foal neighs, It is time to start another year anew.

The blaze of summer comes and goes, The crunch of autumn has passed, And winter has once again laid down its snow, Another year has come and gone just like the last.

With a heavy sigh, The sheep rises, In need of rest, The cat struggles to open its eyes, Too early in the forenoon, The weary dog rises, The wily goat got up far too soon, To face another day’s responsibilities

Hibernating season is over, It is time to retrieve some food, Far in the distance the landscape has had a makeover, It is time to trouble and toil once again.

The sweat of summer has yet again come to close, The search of food amongst the leaves has ceased, And winter has interrupted life, Another year has come and gone just like the last.

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MUSIC Play on...

A

s usual the GCSE performances and compositions were wrapped and canned before the end of term before the lengthy, and not-straightforward, marking process, which JRPT undertakes each year as a now expert judge of the system. With a large number of candidates the IGCSE concert included eighteen numbers and a total of thirty-six players who made up the solo and ensemble contributions. For IGCSE both individual and group components are required and these do not have to be made up exclusively of exam candidates. Thus it was possible to combine other members to contribute to a candidate’s exam and grateful thanks go to the four of them who gave their time and skills to that end.

Everything from J S Bach, via Brahms and Massenet to Bridge and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers was performed in that mid-January gig and it certainly had a comfortable feel about it and served to indicate, where necessary, which pieces might feel more at home with something else when it came to the recordings.

A week later came their successors, the second year Music Scholars, plus the opportunity for the smaller ensembles who had formed Wednesday Afternoon Activity groups to play in the same concert thus providing quite a wide-ranging programme of possibilities.

After an absence of two years the term ended with the crazy ‘Novi Visit’. I say crazy because when asked to describe it the more I say about it the more crazy it seems to me to be. About 135 twelve to thirteen year-old boys arrive at lunchtime the day after our end of term, leave at 4 pm the next day and they too find it hard to describe – or so I’m told. The music department activity, done in future House groups gives each the opportunity to play, from scratch, a piece either in a percussion ensemble or learn, from scratch, a piece on the guitar.

After twelve of those sessions all instrumentalists combine in Big School and the remainder, singers, make up a choir of about 100, and learn a song. The timing: maybe 35 minutes to do that. Steve Rhind and Julian Thomas did an amazing job training, teaching, coaching and coaxing them all. The groups then performed to all the parents who could get into the room successfully rounding-off the Novi visit with coordinated sound! The amazing Tony Maloney, Matt

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Lent Term 2022

Novi Visit band with Steve Rhind

Rich, Ray Love and Ali Rafiiee together with the wonderful Artie Paice (JH1) and Maxwell Barton (Sc2) supported the whole event from start to stop.

The highly successful Jazz Night was fully subscribed long before the date. Its social aspect cannot be denied. Its bibulus and other catering accommodation with specially booked tables make this the stuff of social gatherings here.

The transition from student plus staff, to student run and performed are telling signs of the increase in both competent and convincing stylistic presentations of a very particular set of jazz skills. The Ronnie Scott’s boys are clearly the outward visible fan-base sign of the inward invisible…

D L Williams

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MUSIC

Octagon Concerts

I

n the midst of the busy performing life of the music department, with several solo and orchestral concerts over the course of each term, it might be easy to forget that there are many boys who learn music instruments for whom there are not necessarily regular solo performing opportunities.

This is where this informal weekly concert platform comes into its own. Over the course of the Lent Term, 74 boys performed across nine concerts, on a plethora of different instruments.

For many of the boys, the Octagon Concerts might be the only time they will perform in public as a soloist, and as such, these Friday afternoons are a valuable part of the learning process, and excellent preparation for music exams, too. The weekly audience is made up of other performers, with the frequent addition of supportive peers, matrons, tutors and house masters.

L F Walsh

Tonbridge School Symphony Orchestra – Eroica

O

n 18th March, 2022, the Tonbridge School Symphony Orchestra did something most school orchestras – indeed most orchestras – do not try.

Beethoven’s Third. Eroica. ‘Sinfonia Eroica’ composed to celebrate the memory of a great man. A piece Beethoven famously wanted to dedicate to Napoleon. A piece whose themes almost anyone can recall.

One of Beethoven’s most celebrated works, the Eroica is essentially a largescale classical symphony, and marked the beginning of his most innovative ‘middle period’. Composed between 1803-1804, this piece broke the boundaries of symphonic form, length, harmony, and emotional and cultural content. No doubt it wasn’t everyone’s favourite. His “longest and perhaps most difficult of all symphonies, which exhausts even connoisseurs and becomes unbearable for the mere amateur” is widely considered a landmark piece in a transition stage between the Classical and Romantic era, and sometimes named the ‘first Romantic Symphony.’ At its first performance in 1805, one man said that it “produced neither beauty nor true sublimity and power.” I vehemently disagree.

Beethoven’s Third is possibly, “the greatest, most original, most artistic and, at the

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Lent Term 2022 same time, most interesting of all symphonies” as described in Journal des Lulus und der Modern in 1807. The great Leonard Bernstein said the first two movements are “perhaps the greatest two movements in all symphonic music.” If he had heard ours, he would’ve dropped the ‘perhaps.’ The Symphony Orchestra performed – as per usual, with unflinching skill and confidence, giving those of us who attended a night to remember.

Each Symphony is a road trip. I. Allegro con brio – in sonata form, with five subjects – introduces that most timeless of themes, one that brings to mind classic cars, Liguria, and ‘perhapsless’ winding roads, roof down. II. Marcia Funebre – adagio assai, with its ‘fugal development that elides into an extensive recapitulation’ is feudal, bringing back Prokofiev’s The Death of Tybalt of our previous concert with its dark and looming themes. III. Scherzo – Allegro vivace. A ‘jest’. A vigorous, playful, dance with rushing string figures at carnival in Venice, and a reprise from the first movement. Then IV. Finale – Allegro molto. If you had shamefully nodded off like

the chap from 1805 during the previous movements, unison strings are perhaps the finest alarm clock one could wish for, a reveille readying you for your pizzicato breakfast with a view of the Mar Ligure, becoming gradually more complex as we become gradually more coherent post-stupor. But “any suggestion of academic seriousness is blown away by the brilliance, and ironic wit of the treatment.”

Laughing in the face of portentousness, it is a piece – and a performance – that shall not be forgotten.

Mr Forkgen has said: “The Eroica is a considerable challenge for any orchestra. It demands high levels of concentration, instrumental skill and, above all, musicianship in order to get to the heart of the work.

The orchestra truly absorbed the piece, going beyond notes on the page, and gave a performance that was thrilling and moving in equal measure.”

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.

Philip Dorn (JH4)

39

DRAMA ‘Fifteens’ – The House Drama Competition

T

his year saw the inaugural House Drama Competition, Fifteens. In December we published this year’s title: ‘Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes’.

Each House had half a term to create a piece of Drama up to fifteen minutes in length. Directors could choose a relevant extract from a play, adapt a published work, or write something original. The results were highly creative and ranged from Jean-Paul Satre’s No Exit to Edward II, An Inspector Calls, The Iceman Cometh and a stage version of the disaster movie Don’t Look Up. Twelve houses were whittled down to a shortlist of four over two heats.

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The final was judged by ex-Tonbridgian and professional actor, Seb Fear who assessed each one on their response to the stimulus; creativity in adapting the script or original writing; direction, realising the piece on stage, creating meaning and impact; design and use of staging, lighting, sound, costumes and props; and acting through creating character, using voice and movement.

The winning House was Whitworth with a violent, bloody and powerful version of Oedipus Rex.

Lent Term 2022

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DRAMA

GCSE Scripted Performances

A

t the beginning of March the Third Year GCSE Drama students performed scripted pieces for their Component 2 exam. The extracts explored an enormous range of themes and theatrical styles, from the detail of Naturalism, to the energy of Berkovian Theatre. This year’s exam only required candidates to perform one scene to demonstrate an understanding of character. Nonetheless, the students still managed to portray a range of mature and highly engaging characters.

East

Accidental Death of an Anarchist

by Steven Berkoff (1975)

by Dario Fo (1970)

Talan Overton-Edwards (HS3) – Mike Freddie Rosin (WH3) – Les

Dexter Little (WH3) – Inspector Bertozzo Luke Pearce (WH3) – Maniac

It’s London in the 1970s and Mike and Les are fighting for their youth. Filling their days with sex and violence, they battle both the boredom they fear and the inevitable future they see in their parents, ultimately finding that history is doomed to repeat itself.

The corrupt Italian police force are put on the spot by a ‘Maniac’ after the alleged suicide of an Anarchist. The police cannot hold him, as he has been legally-certified insane, and takes the opportunity to impersonate a judge sent to reopen the inquiry into the anarchist’s death. Through his probing, hilarious, and shocking investigation, the Maniac reveals himself to be a hero to the people and the police department’s worst nightmare.

East offers a stylized and humorous examination of the violence and uncertainty of growing up in the East End of London.

Journey’s End

by R.C. Sherriff (1928) Toby Carrie (PS3) – Osbourne Kieran McWilliams (SH3) – Raleigh France 1918. Osborne, a serious, fatherly, school teacher is spending time in the dugout before going over the top. He chats to Raleigh, a young, naive, and enthusiastic eighteen year old lieutenant who has only recently been recruited.

Sherriff’s play provides a bitter commentary on the idiocy and damaging psychological effects of a war which saw very few men return from the front. Indeed, the honest account of war, themes, and relationships within the play still resonate today.

Anorak of Fire

by Stephen Dinsdale (1994) Sam Edwards (PS3) – Gus Gascoigne “I was born a spotter.” Thus we are introduced to Gus Gascoigne, young, spotty, perpetually cheerful and completely bemused by anything that isn’t involved with his only interest - trainspotting.

Here, Gus tells us about his greatest spot and women.

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Breaking the Code

by Hugh Whitemore (1986) Rory Dalton (FH3) – Alan Turing Will Lacey (PH3) – Detective Ross British mathematician Alan Turing is a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II and a pioneer of computer science. In this scene Turing’s cryptographic activities are tested by an investigation into his homosexuality.

Bouncers

by John Godber (1977) Max Ejje (CH3) – Luck Eric Ollie Morgan (PH3) – Les Wilf Stokhuyzen (JH3) – Judd Ferdinand Wright (PH3) – Ralph Bouncers is an outrageous and hilarious parody of the 80’s disco scene. The four brutish bouncers of the title portray many different characters as we are invited for a night out on the town. There, we meet an entire cross-section of disco-goers, including Hooray Henrys, and drunken slobs! The evening’s events are set against the tatty glitzy glamour, flashing lights and pulsating beat of the nightclub scene.

The Independent Play

Loot

by Joe Orton (1965) Reuben Walsh (CH3) – Hal Max Wilkinson (WW3) – Dennis

Loot centres around two amateur thieves, Dennis and Hal. Dennis works as a hearse driver for an undertaker and the pair have robbed the bank next door to the funeral parlour. They decide to hide their ‘loot’ in the coffin of Hal’s recently deceased mother, stashing her body in a wardrobe in the meantime.

Orton’s scathing, anti-establishment play shocked 1960’s audiences.

The Independent Play Waiting for Godot

by Samuel Beckett

A

t the end of the Lent Term we saw the first independent play, Waiting for Godot, directed by members of the Common Room. Chris Ashurst and Will Law produced an inventive and immersive version of Beckett’s classic play where nothing actually happens, reset in a 1960’s airport lounge where all flights are cancelled.

Philip Dorn (JH4) and Jack Isted (WW4) played Vladimir and Estragon, two vagrants waiting at the airport for the arrival of eponymous Godot. Rory Dalton (FH3) played a suitably worrying Pozzo, suited

43

DRAMA and donning aviator sunglasses. Jayden Ogundipe (CH1) bravely encapsulated the ironically named Lucky and Theodore Bourgeay (WW1) gallantly portrayed the cameo role of Boy. This was a superb first independent play, packed with creative and thought provoking ideas from directors Chris Ashurst and Will Law. I especially enjoyed having to work my way through a maze of ropes in the foyer before being frisked by Mr Law as the security scanner went off!

G D Bruce

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The Independent Play

45

ART ‘Time’

T

his year’s House Art competition saw 12 houses respond to the theme of ‘Time’. Time is defined as the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It surpasses sentiment; it is indiscriminate, honest, and unyielding.

House Art, and this year’s theme, were introduced by four senior art scholars in the first Saturday Chapel of Lent term. Each scholar delivered a literary response to the brief of ‘Time’, aimed to provoke thought and to encourage engagement with the competition. Indeed, each house interpreted the theme in a different way, demonstrating their unique interpretation with an array of sophistication and collaboration. Boys had three weeks to submit their work, before the OBS Gallery’s administrator, Claire Hart White, had the difficult task of adjudication.

The winning piece, produced by Hill Side, with enthusiastic participation from the whole House presented and executed by Archie Wareing (HS4).

Incorporating multi-media aspects of photography, painting, and screen printing, the variety of techniques on display were anchored by the strength and use of the House colours, red and black. Images of Hillside boys, past and present, emphasise that no matter how much time passes, the House thrives, and its spirit is passed down from boy to boy. A successful artistic device that both commands attention from afar, as well as satisfying scrutiny close-up, it is a worthy recipient of the ‘House Art Hog’ award.

Also shown are the runners up, School, Whitworth, and Parkside. School created a house photo from 1901-2021, playing on a strong sentiment of history, as the oldest boarding house, balanced

House Art Winner – Hill Side

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House Art 2022 with visual acknowledgement of the new building.

The piece included contributions from 88 old boys (some as early as 1947) who recounted memories of their house experience, presented alongside.

Parkside’s sophisticated use of stroboscopic photography techniques depict the evolution of a boy captured in movement, representing time as fleeting and momentary. The resultant image is striking, particularly with bold areas of darkness, which serve to draw us in to close observation in a piece where there is much to be discovered. Lastly, Whitworth presented memories delicately dangled in a delightfully irregular display of objects, personal to each boy in the house, of varying shapes and sizes.

Occasional movement adds to the visual intrigue, exploring ‘Time’ through the lens of motion, a decision referenced confidently in art history and Sarah Sze’s ‘Timekeeper’.

House Art has always been an opportunity for boys to demonstrate their collaborative spirit, and reflects the creativity inherent to all Tonbridgians. Who will win next year’s competition? Only time will tell.

Robert Adams (Sc4)

Manor House

Cowdrey House

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ART

Oakeshott House

Ferox Hall

Smythe House

Parkside

Judde House

48

‘Time’ – House Art 2022

Park House

Detail >

Whitworth

School House

Welldon House

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ART

Second Year Art in the Tunnel Gallery

Left: Jamie Bhatnager (WH2) Right: Miles Raymond (CH2)

Ben Adams (OH2)

Top: Arthur Scott (PS2) Middle & Bottom: Connor Impey (HS2)

Ben Adams (CH2)

Miles Raymond (CH2)

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Top: James Foreman (PH2) Middle: Ben Adams (OH2) Bottom: Jamie Bhatnagar (WH2)

Arthur Scott (PS2)

Second Year Art in the Tunnel Gallery

Jamie Bhatnagar (WH2)

James Forman (PH2)

Ben Adams (OH2)

Hamish Taylor (SH2)

Miles Raymond (CH2)

Miles Raymond (CH2)

Top: Oliver Dimond (PH2) Bottom: Hamish Taylor (SH2)

Zac Smith (WH2)

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ASG IDGE SCH O OUP

TO S

U

ST

IT

Y

E

GR

ACTIV

Ben Simms (Sc5), Head of ASG.

BR

OL

A

fter a recent revival the ASG has taken off this term. It has been a pleasure to see so many Tonbridgians who want to help with the protection of the environment, reducing our carbon footprint, and who want to aid the School to achieve this goal. Clearly helped by the delicious cakes provided by the fabulous Mrs Matthews, I would hope that some boys attend because they care about their future. During our meetings every Friday break we have attempted to tackle several issues such as food, the lacklustre COP 26, and new policies that Tonbridge School can implement. I hope these articles help give you a flavour of what is going on. Please come and join us!

N

An introduction to the Active Sustainability Group (ASG)

AIN ABIL

I

n the Tonbridgian survey published in Lent 2020, 390 of you (67% of responders) ‘Strongly Agreed’ or ‘Agreed’ that the school should do more to reduce our carbon footprint. A further 395 of you (68%) ‘Strongly Agreed’ or ‘Agreed’ that you, as an individual, should do more to reduce your carbon footprint.

How are we going to do that?

Behind the scenes, Mr Moore, the Bursar, and his team have been working to make a raft of of changes to the fabric of the school that make a significant difference to the amount of energy used and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to set in place some significant projects to make a greater impact.

Importantly, for the first time, we have an estimation of a figure of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) produced

by the school, which equates to c. 2.99 tonnes of CO2 per pupil (period 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020, see Fig. 1). Whilst an internet search will produce a wealth of comparisons and statistics for visualising what this means – such as the average total carbon output per capita in the UK is around 12 tonnes, or that this is three times the annual emission for the average Sri Lankan - given the generally accepted figure is to limit global warming to 2°C, the average level of CO2 emission per capita on our planet must not exceed 2.1 tonnes by 2050... we have some way to go. Crucially, now that

Fig.1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and energy use data for period 1st July 2019 to 30th June 2020 Energy consumption used to calculate emissions (kWh) – all mandatory energy sources are included Scope 1 Emissions From the combustion of natural gas tCO2e From the combustion of fuel for transport and/or heating tCO2e From biomass pellets tCO2e Scope 2 Emissions From purchased electricity tCO2e Scope 3 Emissions From business travel in employee-owned vehicles, where the company repaid mileage claims tCO2e (average vehicle/fuel source unknown) Total gross CO2e based on above (tCO2e) Intensity Ratio: kg CO2e gross based on mandatory fields above per average number of pupils during the academic year – tCO2e per pupil:

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11,967,740

1,688.4 46.6 N/A 614.5 4.2 2,353.7

2.99

Active Sustainability Group we have a measurable figure, we have something to compare year on year, and to set targets to reduce as we go forward.

So, what is the school currently doing to help reduce our carbon emissions?

1. Energy sources, self-generation and renewable supplies. i. Switching electrical supply to renewable sources (see Fig. 2 from EDF). ii. Investigation of a major new solar panel array on the roof of TSC (right). iii. Assessing the potential for ground source or air source heat pumps for school buildings and houses. iv. Upgrading to more efficient boilers across the school (35 main school buildings and Houses and 30+ private accommodation houses to date) and investing a BMS (Building Management System) for up to 30% more operational efficiency. v. LED lighting – roll out programme over the last 10 years including the Chapel, TSC and across the site.

External LEDs for e.g. Astros are being investigated 2. Shifting the school’s £5m investment portfolio from ‘ethical’ to ‘sustainable’ – this is under review.

3. Providing electric vehicle chargers at TSC for staff, members and visitors 4. Upgrading the wall and roof insulation and double glazing on school buildings (20 main school buildings and Houses and 25 private accommodation houses to date) as a rolling programme across the site 5. Reviewing our food provisioning and sourcing – we are delighted to welcome a new Head of Catering to the school who was kind enough to speak to us and explain what steps she is taking to help reduce the impact of our food provision.

EDF Fuel Mix

Fig.2

Every year we must publish details of the fuel sources we use to generate the electricity we supply to our customers. The information in the table below covers our supply licence for EDF Energy Customers Limited for the period from April 2017 to March 2018. Our customers; electricity is sourced from our own UK power stations, the wholesale energy market and other independent power generators. We are a major supporter of independent renewable generators.

Coal

Gas

Nuclear

Renewable

Other

CO2 g/kWh

Radioactive waste g/kWh

104

0.0050

225

0.0014

EDF Energy’s fuel mix

7.55%

9.39%

71.21%

11.66%

0.19%

Contribution to our carbon emissions

66.60%

32.20%

0.0%

0.0%

1.20%

UK average fuel mix

7.54%

41.24%

20.01%

29.04%

2.07%

The figures for UK average fuel mix are provided by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Depending on the fariss you are on, the fuel source and carbon emissions associated with the generation of your electricity may vary. For more information on our fuel mix, visit edfenergy.com/fuelmix.

Blue

Coal

Gas

Nuclear

Renewable

Other

CO2 g/kWh

Radioactive waste g/kWh

0.0%

0.0%

100.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0

0.0070

Renewable

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

100.0%

0.0%

0

0.0000

All other

12.6%

15.77%

69.89%

1.35%

0.32%

175

0.0049

The low-carbon electricity that we buy for Blue and Renewable tariffs and products is supplied into the National Grid. Customers receive that electricity through the National Grid, not directly from low-carbon generators.

Blue tariffs and products – all residential Blue+ tariffs and Blue for Business.

All Renewable tariffs and products.

All other tariffs and products – tariffs not referred to as Blue or Renewable Table provided by EDF

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ACTIVE SUSTAINABILITY GROUP But what can we do, as individuals?

There are many ways in which you can be involved, and one way is to join the student body, aka the Green Committee, recently relaunched as the Active Sustainability Group. The ASG have been working with the Bursar and his team on many of the above developments and thinking of ways to involve boys in more initiatives. We meet at morning break every Friday in the Smythe Library Classroom, and there is food and drink if you choose to come along.

At the moment, we are discussing the waste management here at Tonbridge, and we’re expecting a review and breakdown of our waste from Countrystyle,

who manage and recycle all the waste at school. We are going to visit their recycling site, and report back to the school on what actually happens to all our rubbish, set up a new drive for recycling and set more ambitious goals for the future.

We’re also committed to responsible energy use and have been discussing future energy plans. Last summer, electric car charging points were installed in the TSC car park, and we’re looking to add solar panels onto the TSC, adding to the solar panels which have been on the Vere Hodge Centre.

So come along to ASG, every voice is heard!

Charles Osborne (CH2)

Sustainability and Catering at Tonbridge Representatives of the ASG, Finn McDowell (HS5) and Arthur Rogers (HS4) meet with Mrs Rebecca Ripley Parfett, our new Head of Catering.

T

he food at Tonbridge is set to change for the better, both from a health and enjoyment perspective and from a sustainability point of view. One of the immediate conclusions Mrs Ripley Parfett drew from the catering system at the school was the miscommunication between the boys and the catering staff. Bodies like House Food Committees only represented a minority of pupil views, as every boy’s catering views and tastes are different. That is why she opened the batting with a whole-school pupil survey from which she personally could understand the wishes of every boy’s opinion.

Furthermore, it came to Mrs Ripley Parfett’s attention that the separation of veg from meals has decreased their consumption – which of course has a number of negative effects, ranging from an unhealthy diet to food wastage. This is why you will have seen more ricebased dishes with the vegetables “built in”. Importantly, this is especially attractive from a sustainability perspective as it decreases the washing-up required.

Another implementation off the back of the survey is more ‘fan favourites’ (katsu curry being the highest rated) appearing more regularly on the menu. There will also be more of a distinction between lunch and dinner, meaning that they may contrast each other in terms of meats or fish, or in size, in order to maintain a balanced diet. Following on from the latest survey conducted

by Mrs Ripley Parfett in the Lent Term, collectively we quested the inclusion of more Asian and street food dishes to the menus, and this summer term we have seen Donburri bowls, Ramen, Vietnamese Bahn Mi and Indonesian Nasi Goreng to name but a few. Our diet

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has also been heavy in potatoes, so we are likely to swap to rice, noodles, cous cous and bulgur wheat instead. The school is also looking into yoghurt making machines which could produce yoghurts with a two week “shelf life”, and would reduce the huge amount of plastic packaging used in yoghurt pots. Mrs Ripley Parfett is also dedicated to listening first-hand to the boys themselves, and has already sat in most houses with boys for lunch.

Mrs Ripley Parfett is making further strides to reduce our food miles and to source locally. All of our general food is sourced from Bidfoods (which is based in Paddock Wood). Our sausages are from a butcher in Speldhurst and our dairy produce from Kent Dairy in Horsmonden. We are also reducing food deliveries to three days a week for general deliveries (you will still get just as much food!) in order to reduce the school’s carbon output. We also use Kent based fruit and vegetable providers. Mrs Ripley Parfett is looking to implement more seasonal fruit, and reduce high mileage, low quality, out of season fruit such as strawberries, which we know taste better in the summer when they are grown locally. Tonbridge is going to start looking to adopt “wonky veg” (category C), which tastes exactly the same, only looks a bit… wonky! This will reduce costs and reduce national food waste generally.

Many of you will have watched the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy and so has Mrs Ripley Parfett. Whilst the controversy surrounding sustainable fishing continues, we are actively researching the sources of fish that are least damaging to the

Sustainability and Catering at Tonbridge Tell us a little about your background and how you came to Tonbridge?

My background derives from fresh food and is the ethos under which I intend to operate at Tonbridge School.

I came here from Atalian Servest, managing a large 24/7 operation. Historically I have held multi-site management positions as an Operations Manager, Operations Support Manager and Group Manager for some well-respected contract catering companies.

Growing up, I actually wanted to be a Commercial Litigator and studied at university in a similar subject field and discovered that I had a flair for arbitration, but sadly I couldn’t get my foot into the right door.

It was then that I discovered a new passion, postgraduation, in the hospitality sector.

If you have new ideas, comments or concerns, Mrs Ripley Parfett will be running a survey for us every term to keep up to date with what we would like to see from our food offer here at Tonbridge School.

This gives each and every one of us the chance to voice our feedback directly so be sure to remember to complete the survey when it next comes around.. environment. Mrs Ripley Parfett believes that fish is a nutritious staple to our diets and is actively looking to introduce new varieties of fish into our menus.

Her survey showed that fish wasn’t best received at Tonbridge, so it could be replaced with alternative types of fish, or by other dishes altogether. Mrs Ripley Parfett is looking closely at sustainability ‘guidelines’ when choosing the fish for school dishesl. When it comes to baked goods, nearly all items are baked by the school’s own baker and made with British sugar. The school is also making strides to reduce fruit wastage with initiatives such as using over-ripe bananas in banana bread.

We also took the opportunity to ask Mrs Ripley Parfett a few questions about herself: If you were sent to a desert island with an iPod containing just three albums, what would they be?

Back in Black – AC/DC Diamonds – Elton John The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac If you were to have a dinner party with three guests, who would you choose?

SustainabiliTies

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ll of our new school ties are now made from recycled plastic bottles, each tie being made from approximately two bottles. All ties made in the last year have been woven with this recycled material and all new polyester ties and bow ties will also use the new fabric.

The ASG have redesigned their tie, as seen here, and those members who have come to at least six meetings will be eligible for the tie – so do come along to support!

Philip Dorn (JH4)

Elon Musk, Gordon Ramsey and Tom Hanks.

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ACTIVE SUSTAINABILITY GROUP

Interview with Mr Ben Hartley, the School Marshal What is a School Marshal? Will Spedding (PS4) met with Mr Hartley, our new School Marshal, to learn more about his role and how his work affects us all. to organise and facilitate everything and anything, from our social events to our exam rooms. More thanks should then go to the amazing Domestic Services staff, who work tirelessly to keep our school clean and pleasant to be in. And finally, boarders in particular should thank the brilliant team who work away in the laundry, washing the tens of thousands of items of clothing and bedding every week, all year round. Accompanied by the team of Mrs Reeves, Miss Biernaczyk and Mrs Trask, Mr Hartley organises the movements of all these people, as well as whatever random requests walk into the Porter’s Lodge every day. Mr Hartley and his team are a friendly bunch, so do say hello as you pass.

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ost of us are blissfully oblivious to the role of School Marshal and yet it is, arguably, one of the most vital to the smooth running of the school.

Mr Ben Hartley joined us as School Marshal in October 2021 and was happy to meet up to explain more about the job and, in particular, the roles we can all play in making a practical difference to our shared living environment.

Mr Hartley was born and raised in Kent and went to The Judd School before joining the police force for 22 years as a firearms instructor in both Kent and London. From there he went to Kings Canterbury, before returning to the area to become our School Marshal in October 2021. Mr Hartley works as an operations manager of sorts, tasked with overseeing the staggering workload of the Porters, Domestic services and the Laundry team, as well as everything from car park management, deliveries and fire alarms.

We should all stop for a minute and applaud the Porters.

Described by Mr Hartley as the ‘magicians of the school’, the Porters, headed up by Vesh, work in the background

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But more recently, Mr Hartley has been focusing on an audit from Countrystyle, who have the unenviable task of removing all the rubbish we generate on site, be that general rubbish, DMR (Dry, Mixed Recycling – that’s paper, card, tins and bottles to you or me) or food waste. It’s no lie that almost every one of us will throw things away into the wrong bins, whether it’s down to being late from break to Period 4, or simply out of sheer laziness.

But after a recent inspection from Countrystyle, the conclusion that was drawn was that as a school we can do considerably better on streaming waste. Mr Hartley will be meeting with them later in the term to decide how we can, in the long term, improve our performance. One of the areas that was highlighted was cardboard, especially that which comes from deliveries. Whether it’s the flood of Domino’s pizzas on Tuesday nights, or the torrent of Amazon Prime boxes which go to the school throughout the week, we are no strangers to them. The problem is not just the staggering number, but the fact that if simply thrown away in their cubic form, bins fill up after almost 4 or 5 of these boxes, bins which could have facilitated days’ worth of waste otherwise. This ends up costing the school far more and reduces our efficiency as a school.

Another common problem, which I’m sure you will all have heard a thousand times, is the mixing of recycling and food waste. A bin can be 95% filled with recyclable material, but as soon as an odd banana skin is carelessly thrown in there,

Biodiesel at Tonbridge

it becomes part of ‘General Waste’, and must separately be sent off. Put simply, recycling more is not only good for the planet, but also saves the school money (as we are charged less per ‘bin lift’ for recycling than general waste). What Mr Hartley proposes is that if we can get these simple things right, with the boring things such as bins, then the money which is saved from such can be collected and directed towards ideas that boys put forward, hopefully things far more interesting than bins.

So, watch this space for a re-launch of the school’s recycling programme – new bins, new signage, and a push from the ASG and others to make it easier for us to recycle. It’s been over seven years since the last review, so this bin overhaul is well overdue.

Fnally, as is the custom, Mr Hartley kindly answered a couple of questions about himself.

If you were stuck on a desert island with an iPod and three albums, what would they be?

All Mod Cons – The Jam Okay Computer – Radiohead Stars of CCTV – Hard-Fi If you weren’t at Tonbridge, where would you be?

I’d probably in some sort of log cabin up in North America with the bears.

Biodiesel at Tonbridge

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s part of the ASG’s drive for a greener future in Tonbridge, we are looking to reduce waste in as many creative ways as possible. Now, with the help of Mr Biddle and Mr Jacobs – who left us last term – we are looking at the disposal of used cooking oil. Every term, we use 705 litres of cooking oil across campus. Currently, this oil is collected

by Olleco, for free. They turn this into biomethane, biodiesel, electricity and organic fertiliser, and this is sold on for money. As a school, we are currently investigating keeping some or all of this waste cooking oil onsite instead and using it to power our school vehicles.

Mr Stunt, the new Head of Grounds, is currently looking into the feasibility and logistics of filtering and preparing this oil for use in some of their machines.

The Grounds department currently have a Go Green initiative, requiring all new vehicles to either be electric or biodiesel-ready. All of our existing biodiesel-ready vehicles already run on a biodiesel fuel mix – diesel already mixed with reused vegetable oil from other sources. We are looking into whether it is better environmentally to convert our used cooking oil to fuel on site, or to send it away to be converted in a larger, more efficient, facility.

Etornam Klutse (Sc1)

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COMMUNITY ACTION

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Community Easter Lunch On Sunday 3rd April, Tonbridge School was delighted to spread a little Easter cheer and welcome families to the School to share a roast meal together and enjoy some Easter fun activities All seemed to enjoy egg and spoon races, some of which saw children squealing with laughter as they won races against their parents. Many enjoyed decorating china mugs or rabbit ornaments, or making Easter Bunny masks, and were helped by the children of several of our staff who had volunteered to run the day.

Finally, children could complete an Easter egg hunt, and all left with bags brimming with chocolate Easter eggs.

The families were referred to the scheme through F.E.A.S.T – Families Eating And Sharing Together, (feast.org.uk) the Sustain food bank at Tonbridge Baptist Church, and other local organisations. One family said: It was wonderful to be welcomed to the school like this and to enjoy Easter activities together.

My children loved it and left tired and really happy.

Thank you so much, and happy Easter to everyone involved”.

Our thanks to Ark Animal Encounters, Marie Wallace who coordinated the event, the catering department and to all the staff and their children who volunteered to make the day such a success.

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ocal families including over 50 children were welcomed to the school and were treated to a fine Sunday roast carefully prepared by the catering staff of the Orchard Centre. All were hugely complimentary about the fantastic meal, and how friendly everyone had been.

After lunch, the families were welcomed to the library garden where they were delighted to find a whole range of activities for the children, while their parents enjoyed a cup of tea.

The highlight was clearly the petting zoo, where children could walk a miniature goat or sheep, or pet ducklings, chicks, rabbits, guinea pigs and many other small animals.

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Working with our Local Community

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COMBINED CADET FORCE Wednesday 16th March 2022

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wo years ago, on Tuesday 17th March 2020, everything and everyone was ready for the CCF’s Annual Inspection to go ahead as planned the following day. The stands were set, the guests were committed, the parade rehearsed, and the guard thoroughly drilled. The Inspecting Officer, Maj Gen Felix Gedney, was set for his arrival the following morning.

Meanwhile, case rates climbed, and were monitored by those at CCF HQ, as across the country. At around 8pm, the call came in from 11 Brigade Headquarters to Contingent Commander, Sqn Ldr Jonathan Harber: Inspection Day was to be cancelled with immediate effect.

Two years hence, Wednesday 16th March 2022 saw the much-anticipated return of Inspection Day – the first for three years. It was a delight to be able to host the event once again, and just another of the many examples of the much-vaunted return of pre-pandemic activities. This is not to say that there were not some challenges to be surmounted in organising the event: with the generous assistance of Old Manorian Col Alex Wilson, Commander of the British Peace Support Team in Nairobi, a very senior Inspecting Officer was secured

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early on, in the form of Lt Gen Sir Christopher Tickell, Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Unfortunately, but perhaps not unexpectedly, events unfolding in Eastern Europe meant that the nation’s top brass were rendered suddenly unavailable for such things as days out in Kent, and so we found ourselves just a couple of weeks from the Inspection and without an Officer to stand atop the dais. Once again with the help of Col

Annual Inspection Day

Alex in Kenya, we were immensely fortunate to secure as our Inspecting Officer Col John Baynham OBE, Deputy Commander 11th Security Force Assistance Brigade, who joined us from Aldershot. A former commander in our parent unit, the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, and a veteran of campaigns and projects around the world, he proved to be thoroughly good value, a perfect fit for the role on the day, and tremendous company at dinner.

We were privileged to be joined by servicemen and women from across the forces, with representatives from The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment and the Household Cavalry; Officers from HMS Collingwood, HMS President, and the Principal Warfare Officer of Type 45 Destroyer HMS Duncan joining us from the Royal Navy; and personnel from RAF Northolt representing the Royal Air Force. Following the usual sumptuous lunch, the Contingent formed up on the Quad for the formal part of proceedings, with the Honour Guard giving a typically professional performance of continuity drill under the command of Company Sergeant Major Dan Cassidy (OH5). Following a breath-taking performance, Col Baynham remarked that the Guard’s turnout and display were as good as, and better than, that seen in most of the regular Army.

The large assembled crowd was then treated to an afternoon of activities, with displays from visiting units including a Ferret Armoured Car kindly brought

by Mr Gordon Bubb, and a laser Clay Pigeon Shoot on the Fifty; a Gun Run and boat display provided by the Royal Navy; a suite of virtual reality flight simulators and a large game of Archery Tag provided by the Royal Air Force; and an exhibition of vehicles and equipment provided by Kent Fire & Rescue Service.

We were delighted that Col Baynham was able to join

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COMBINED CADET FORCE us for the Annual Dinner later the same evening, where he spoke memorably on events unfolding in Eastern Europe. At the end of the dinner, he was pleased to make the following awards to senior cadets: The Tennant Bell – for best RN Cadet: CPO Theo Collingwood (WW5) The Dougall Trophy – for best Army Cadet: CSM Dan Cassidy (OH5) The Wilson Trophy – for best RAF Cadet Flt Sgt Duncan Randall (CH5) The Paterson Sword – for the cadet who has done the most to further the aims of Tonbridge School CCF: CSgt Freddie Lacey (PH5)

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Annual Inspection Day

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SPORT First XI Hockey

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t is only when you stop playing that you realise just how exciting and important it is to do so. The Covid gods relented (mostly), the weather god smiled and even the hockey god deigned us with his presence though what he gave with one hand, he capriciously took away with the other. It was some season as the numbers and dates of the below testify with our first foray into The National Tier 1 League.

We had been thwarted in previous years in making our debut in a competition which insists on games before Christmas and is largely dominated by schools who play a full two terms of hockey. One of the great positives of hockey here is that we encounter the very best teams in the country and in so doing give players and coaches the challenge of that word excellence which we pride ourselves about in our marketing material. In recent years we have lived with the best and produced several players who are competing in the highest leagues and on the pathway for international honours. This year was no exception, but it was a tough and tight call. Going forward it is going to be even more difficult. Sport can be enjoyed by some without challenge but in my mind, and again as encouraged by the school, it’s only when you aspire that the

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transferable qualities of team building, perseverance and self-discipline are really nurtured. ‘Only connect’ gets plenty of airings, yet I fear a disconnect at the heart of our philosophy and systems.

With matches to play in November, we had to try and find times for practice amidst the many other pressures of the term. There was a core that was able to commit but many had only scraps to feed off. There was originally meant to be a Tour to Holland at Half Term but that had long since fallen victim to covid uncertainty. A friendly with St Bede’s was a welcome opportunity to play and get some shape to the team.

We had just enough where it mattered to edge a close game. Cranleigh first up in Tier 1 turned out to be well within our grasp but despite clearly playing the better hockey, we were not able to turn that into a comfortable win. However, win it was and a real boost to morale. The Reed’s fixture was then postponed twice by them as their new pitch was not yet ready and ended up after all in the Lent Term as normal. Langley Park is a school we have often encountered in previous tournaments, and we knew that this year they would be strong. By the time two of the players had arrived late from rugby, we felt distinctly unprepared for such

HOCKEY opposition. It was a hard-fought game with plenty of mature skills on display, but they were the better side.

It was a relief to get to the normality of the Lent Term with scheduled practices and matches. The first Saturday we played RGS for the 450th Anniversary Cup. Both sides were reduced through Covid, but it was nonetheless an encouraging victory for us. The highlight for me (if not the boys) was being mistaken by their master for a professional umpire! Victory over Eton followed, but we were not yet playing to the levels that our ambition required. The postponed match with Reeds was then played on Friday evening which set the pattern for our Tier 1 encounters whereby we lived with teams for the first half but lacked the depth of squad to maintain the energy levels in the second half. The other teams in the league generally had far more experience of the game so were more clinical in the circle, most especially at short corners. KGS followed a similar pattern. At half time, this team that went onto the National Final, found themselves struggling to get the better of us and would have been relieved to emerge as victors.

Likewise, St Georges which was close run until the end. The latter two were punctuated by a normal fixture with Radley which should have been well within our grasp but as much as we didn’t turn up, they did and on the day deserved their comfortable win. The game was overshadowed by a nasty facial

injury to one of their players which put everything into perspective. It is only a game, we are only a school yet we do expect huge sacrificial commitment from our teams and this does involve physical danger much as we try to minimize the risks. That we are all in it together though is what makes being part of a team so special.

We had only reached the end of January, and the run up to half term was promising to be even more intense. We brought the cup with us to a 7.30am departure for the Frank Mason Tournament which hadn’t been played for two years. We won all our matches in the morning comfortably and soon reached the semi-final. We had to wait for the arrival of Eltham College who had just edged Langley Park in a penalty shoot-out. We should have been forewarned, their remarkable goalie kept us out in similar fashion and went on to do the same against St Lawrence in the Final to be winners without scoring a goal in the play-offs! We had played our best hockey so far, but all was to change in the season as our inspirational and brilliant captain Jack Jones (PS) picked up a nasty shoulder injury from an apparently innocuous fall which was set to painfully blight not just this term but the next six months. To his immense credit he continued to support and coach the team from the side and proved just as inspirational in a sling.

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SPORT

For this and other reasons, the team was distinctly depleted from the high hopes of entry into Tier 1. A second encounter for Tier 1 this time with a similarly suffering RGS was perhaps our most frustrating day, when 5 minutes saw us go from what we thought was 3-0 to 2-3 down at half time and then eventual defeat 3-4. We had to pick up what was left of us, to face arguably the best team in the country, Whitgift, the next day. It was simply too much. As ever we could manage the game initially, but in time they simply outran and out classed us. It was beyond painful to witness, it even became a pleasure to see such good hockey being played.

Half Term could not have been more welcome. The team could hold its head up high for all that it had achieved but needed to recover physically and give perspective a chance. Tier 1 was over, new goals were set and as it turned out, so nearly realised under the new Captain Cameron Dymond (OH) who more than stepped up to the mark (the short corners under him were a distinct improvement too!).

Victories over Charterhouse and Cranleigh (again) were timely reassurance that the team was now more than able to perform without its original talisman as other senior players stepped up to the mark most especially Oli Carr-Hill (Sc) and Joe Baldwin (HS) who were joint winners of the Players’ Player Cup and Finn Kirkland (WH) who edged his way to become top scorer. At the back Kyle Heins (CH) and Ben Wentzel (JH) became Mr Dependables and Cam Tilley (Sc) - now sporting some proper shoes - grew with every performance.

The youngsters Wilf Stokhuyzen (JH) and George Glen (SH) (now fit enough to last a game) came into their own and together with the increasingly appearing Seb Deans (PS) showed that there is much to hope for in the years to come. Robin Docherty (PS) stepped into Jack’s position and found a new lease of life there while Alex Macpherson (FH) alongside him had his moments of mercurial brilliance. Arthur Rogers (HS) when called upon gave it his all and Mattie Williamson (WW) likewise while his knee let him. James Huddy (JH) kept it all together as goalie and can look back on a season of massive improvement. I am dwelling in this article on the team because, this group of players were just that offering support, encouragement and friendship across the years in a way that has been rare in my experience.

We celebrated this at the end of term dinner and rightly so.

I have paused in the narrative to focus now on the highlight of the St Georges Sixes. Despite losing our first game, the team rose to occasion magnificently and won the next six only to lose a close and even controversial final to RGS (again!).

Once the disappointment had settled, we could reflect that we had emerged 2nd out of 30 of the top teams in the

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HOCKEY South and East including six of those who had defeated us in the eleven-a-side.

It was difficult to find the necessary edge or energy a day later in our Eastbourne fixture resulting in our only draw, but at least by the weekend we could resume normal service against Hurst. This left a trip to the seaside to St Lawrence Ramsgate before our dinner date back in Tunbridge Wells. We knew what to expect - an aerial bombardment from a team with many a German – and got just that from a quality team that had even drawn with Whitgift.

Such games can turn on difficult decisions of interpretation within the circles, and though I was proud to see us playing some great hockey for this our last game together and winning the lion’s share of possession, their short corners won the day… but not the season for there was plenty to celebrate at the dinner not least the joy of camaraderie through the ups and downs of the season to the backdrop of the photographic record of so many talented players in action.

This team can certainly lay claim to that word excellent and I can foresee many a university side graced with the presence of the leavers and in some cases even more. A huge credit must go to the coach Alex Salmon who stepped into the deep end this year as a maternity cover for Leigh and taught them all to play in a way which stood up to the sternest tests. No one will forget the 100% goal or the pocket press. I also want to thank Tom Wheadon who stepped out of retirement to assist in so many ways and give of his time so generously and expertly to the hockey here.

Last time I wrote, I said it would be my last – I say so again! I still have my moments of pessimism, but I thank this team for reminding me what a great game we are all part of and all the coaches for an enthusiasm that continues to infect me. Though I have yet to have Covid, I think I suffer from the hockey equivalent of long Covid!

First XI Hockey Results Played: 21

Won: 11

Drawn: 1

Lost: 9

Michaelmas Term v St Bede’s v Cranleigh School (N) v Langley Park (N)

Won Won Lost

2–1 3–2 0–3

Won Won Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Won Won Draw Won Lost

4–3 2–1 1–3 2–5 1–5 2–4 3–4 0 –12 4–1 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–4

Won Won Won Won

1–0 4–0 3–0 5– 0

Lent Term v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reed’s School (N) v Kingston GS (N) v Radley College v St George’s Weybridge (N) v RGS Guildford (N) v Whitgift School (N) v Cranleigh School v Charterhouse v Eastbourne College v Hurstpierpoint College v St Lawrence College Frank Mason Tournament v King’s Canterbury v Duke of York’s v Sutton Valence v Norton Knatchbull Final: v Eltham College

Lost 0–0 (3 – 4 on flicks)

St George’s Sixes (Played: 8 Won: 6 Lost: 2)

Runners-up

A P Schweitzer

Squad J. Jones (Captain), (PS), C. Dymond (Vice-Captain) (OH), J. Baldwin (HS), J. Kirkland (WH), D. Carr-Hill (SC), K. Heins (CH), B. Wentzel (JH), J. Huddy (JH), C. Tilley (SC), M. Williamson (WW), A. MacPherson (FH), O. Glen (SH), A. Rogers (HS), R. Docherty (PS), W. Stokhuyzen (JH), S. Deans (PS)

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SPORT

Second XI Hockey

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he Second XI Hockey season could have been very different, with the exception of the Cranleigh game, we had the opportunity to win all the games, but often narrowly lost by one goal. The standard of hockey improved throughout the season, we just lacked a cutting edge in the D. Nick Nassuphis (Sc) and Sam Beverley (JH) gave many a rousing speech at half time or before the match and ensured heads never went down. Louie Williams (PS) made some vital saves especially in the two draws. The back line was exceptional with Chris Sneddon (OH) making numerous important interceptions, alongside some fierce tackling from Nick Webber (FH), Hugh Piper (HS), Conrad Phillpott (JH) and Sam Beverley.

In midfield Jake Hazari-Webb’s (OH) distribution and quick skills were superb. Freddie Ogilvie (HS), Arthur Rogers (HS), Will Knight (HS) and Edward Greenslade (HS) played with real passion. Upfront Leo Bezuidenhout (WW) and Seb Deans (PS) combined well but were often thwarted by some superb opposition goalkeeping.

Mr Wheadon provided some fantastic practices and ensured the boys always improved from week to week. When we look back on the season, I am proud to say the boys played hockey as a team, supported each other, and ensured that they were all better hockey players at the end of the season. Many of the

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team return next year and will be looking to make the transition to the First XI. M J Weatheritt & T Wheadon Secnd XI Hockey Coaches Squad N. Nassuphis (Captain) (Sc), L. Williams (PS), C. Sneddon (OH), L. Bezuidenhout (WW), S. Beverley (Vice Captain) (JH), H. Piper (HS), J. Hazari-Webb (OH), F. Ogilvie (HS), E. Greenslade (OH), N. Webber (FH), S. Deans (PS), W. Knight (HS), C. Phillpot (JH), A. Rogers (HS)

Second XI Hockey Results Played: 8

Won: 2

v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reed’s School v Radley College v Cranleigh v Charterhouse v Hurstpierpoint v Sevenoaks School 1st XI

Drawn: 2 Lost Draw Lost Draw Lost Won Won Lost

Lost: 4 0–1 1–1 0–1 2–2 0–5 1–0 4–1 1–2

HOCKEY

Third XI Hockey

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his year the hockey club combined 6th form with third year boys which meant we found ourselves blessed with talent and a real mix of players. Having spent the first few training sessions trying to remember how to hold a hockey stick and learning some new naeymes, the boys travelled to RGS for what promised to be a tough away day to begin the season.

Despite not being the bookies’ favourites, a fearless approach from the boys got us to half time with the score level at 0-0. After an attritional first half, we managed to find a breakthrough with a scrappy goal in the second scored by Toby Makin (HS). A substitution mix up provided a moment of madness as our centre back just walked off the pitch leaving us seriously exposed at the back but heroic saves from Marcus Twinn (PS) ensured Tonbridge took all 3 points from the season opener.

We followed this with a trip to Eton where after a dominant first half we found ourselves 1-0 up, possibly thinking it could have been more. Eton had us on the back foot in the second half and a sloppy error from a short corner allowed the men in light blue to draw level. A disallowed goal soon after

spared Tonbridge blushes. As legs began to tire, the game opened up and both sides had chances to go in front. 1-1 seemed a fair result but both sides left the pitch thinking they could have got more.

A third away game in a row saw the 3rd XI travel to Reed’s for what was set to be our toughest game yet.

A few changes to the side saw the 1st team keeper James Huddy (JH) join us alongside Ed Greenslade (OH) from the 2nd XI. Despite the reinforcements, Reeds grabbed the opener after some efficient counter-attacking hockey. Saves from Huddy kept us in the game and allowed us to apply some pressure on Reed’s in the closing stages. Despite a huge push for an equaliser, Reed’s held on and inflicted our first defeat of the season.

Our first home game of the season saw us take on Radley, providing an opportunity to reignite our season. A long coach journey for the opposition gave us the chance to catch them early and use the home advantage. Indeed, we did with a sweeping move that was clinically finished by Jack Burrows (JH). Scoring more than one a game is not something we had done yet and this record continued. A solid second-half performance at the back from Zac Schaeffer (SH)

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SPORT and Marcus Hinds (PS) brought us our second win of the season. A promising start to the season in the first half of term with every player earning a deserved break over half term.

A four-week drought of competitive fixtures was ended with a home game against Cranleigh 2nd XI. This was the first time we scored more than once in a game, a sign of great things to come, apart from the fact we also conceded 5, and an injury to our outstanding sweeper Zac Schaeffer (SH) was a devastating blow. Sadly, he would play no further part in the season.

A midweek game vs Eastbourne provided an opportunity to bounce back. The signing of Greenslade for his second appearance proved to be a stroke of genius from Mr Hoare. As well as a loan deal for two other 2nd XI players. Ed paid back his transfer fee almost instantly with two goals. The new additions to the squad helped us ease to a 5-2 victory that lifted morale. The team was now in fine form and ready to finish the season on a high.

In the face of adversity, and missing their legendary captain, Hinds stepped up to take the captaincy for the next game. Leading the men to a second big win on the bounce, the Thirds put in another astonishing display, including a hat trick from Greenlsade as the side scored the most goals in the season.

Our final game of the season saw us travel away to St Lawrence’s. A sunny day on the coast, surely nothing bad could happen? Despite the great weather and confidence amongst the players we slipped to a 0-5 defeat, a disappointing way to end the season against a strong Second XI although there were strong performances from the midfield duo of Rufus Hockley Smith (FH) and Will Clarke (PH).

Despite mixed results and losing players to injury, the 3rd XI enjoyed a full set of fixtures throughout the term and a winning season. A great way for those in Upper Sixth to end their Tonbridge hockey careers and an abundance of talented players who will no doubt threaten the First team in years to come.

George Rook (CH) Squad G. Rook (captain) (CH), M. Bull (MH), J. Burrows (JH), W. Clarke (PH), T. Dunnet (HS), E. Gadd-Chapman (CH), E. Greenslade (OH), J. Hargreaves (SH), M. Hinds (PS), R. Hockley Smith (FH), W. Lacey (PH), T. Makin (HS), Z. Schaeffer (SH), A. Tam (JH), M. Twinn (PS)

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Third XI Hockey Results Played: 8

Won: 4

Drawn: 1

v RGS Guildford v Eton v Reed’s v Radley v Cranleigh 2nd XI v Eastbourne 2nd XI v Hurstpierpoint v St. Lawrence’s 2nd XI

Won Drawn Lost Won Lost Won Won Lost

Lost: 3 1–0 1–1 0–1 1–0 2–5 5–2 6–2 0–5

Fourth XI Hockey

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hat a season! Passion, resilience, intensity and bravery. These are just four by-products generated from playing with the 4ths.

This year due to numbers, the top three years were combined into four teams with very few reserves.

In fact, going into our first game, we only had ten available players and no goalkeeper.

Operation: find a way to win. The sirens went out and like a scene from Lord of the Rings, four heroes emerged. They came from the climbing club and they came from the fives club. Goalkeeper Dhani Lynch (FH) (licensed to be aggressive), centre back Xandi Drysdale (PH) (born leader of men), top of the diamond Freddie Lacey (PH) (absolute quality) and bottom of the diamond James Watts (OH) (no shortage of physicality or talent).

The 4ths went from whipping boys to contenders. The injection of these fine men galvanised the rest of the squad and turned impossible fixtures into the target and highlight of the week.

The 4ths were exciting to watch. When Lace bomb and Ross ‘’the future’’ Mulley (CH) played, goals were guaranteed in attack, however our defence often had more holes in it than a pair of old socks given to my cocker spaniel.

As the season progressed, the positive influence of senior players such as Charlie Foks (FH), Ewan GaddChapman (CH) and Thilbault Favre (HS) helped to nurture the 3rd years, and the 4’s, even without their superstar imports, still manged to have competitive training games against the 3rds.

HOCKEY

Squad Xandi Drysdale (captain) (PH), Freddie Lacey (PH), James Watts (OH), Dhani Lynch (FH), Charlie Foks (FH), Reece Impey (HS), Ewan Gadd-Chapman (CH), Thibault Favre (HS), Will Enskat (PH), Kieran McWilliams (SH), Timod Karangoda (SH), Alexei Deibel (HS), Ben Lahiri (JH), Edward Newman (WW), Ross Mulley (CH), Toby Carrie (PS), Hugo Cotton (PS), Tom Charlesworth (WW)

As a coach it was great to see everyone enjoying their hockey, turning up early to training seasons, adapting into new roles and in a short space of time watching the students’ confidence and talent grow. I think everyone in the squad had a positive memorable experience.

Here are a few of my memories of the season: •

Lace bomb’s bleeding knees after we beat Reed’s.

•

Tom ‘’The Hacker’’ Charlesworth’s (WW) incredible performance playing centre back against a very good Hurstpierpoint team.

•

Friday training seasons when the superstars came down to run the show.

•

Ross ‘’the Future’’ Mulley’s ridiculous talent, routinely beating about three people before getting the ball onto his reverse stick.

•

Xandi Drysdale.

•

The sense of team. There was a clear sense of loyalty to the players in the 4’s. They never complained about their situation and always did themselves and their coach proud on a Saturday.

It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to coach this group of individuals this term. They had an amazing team spirit and were motivational to watch.

M J Lawson

Fourth XI Hockey Results Played: 7

Won: 2

Drawn: 0

v RGS, Guildford 4th XI v Eton 4th XI v Reed’s 4th XI v Radley U16C v Cranleigh U16B v Charterhouse U16A v Hurstpierpoint U16B

Lost Lost Won Won Lost Lost Lost

Lost: 5 3-5 1-3 3-1 4-0 3-4 0-3 0-3

Under 15A Hockey

W

e began the season in high spirits ahead of our first game against RGS Guildford, a good hockey outfit who already had a Michaelmas term of hockey under their belt. We entered the game slightly lacklustre and went 3-0 down by half time. However, we turned the game around to tie it up at 3-3, only to concede in the dying moments of the game. A solid start, despite the loss.

Reed’s at home – we were outstanding. A lovely tapin from Robin Cox (FH) opened the scoring but they found their way back into it to level the scoring before half time. Luckily, we had Zuriel Nwogwugwu (HS) on hand to storm into the D and execute a breath-taking reverse hit into the bottom corner. An astonishing way to get our first win of the season!

Charterhouse, Eastbourne, and Hurst. Three comfortable wins on the trot, with good performances notably from Jack Kirkland (WH),

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SPORT

Squad B. Cole (PH), R. Cox (FH), L. Dimond (PH), O. Dimond (PH), E. Hector (captain) (FH), C. Hinds (SH), J. Kirkland (WH), B. Smart (FH), JC. Vermeulen (CH), F. Cockaday (CH), Z. Nwogwugwu (HS), H. Jacobs (FH), W. Huddy (JH) managed to hold on, securing the win in the one of the most tense games of hockey the foundation has ever seen.

Robin Cox, and Ben Cole (PH), as well as William Huddy (JH) with a cricket-esque strike that ended up flying into the top left-hand corner. Shoutout to Hugh Jacobs (FH) who played well as a makeshift right-back and forward, bagging a couple of goals on the way.

This provided a lot of motivation for the squad as we went into the Firminger tournament at St Edmund’s school in Canterbury. We entered the tournament with high expectations, and we made it through to the knockout round top of our group, without losing a game. We played Ashford in the quarter final, and it finished a 0-0 after full time, with Bobby Smart (FH) bagging the winning Penalty after a JC Vermeulen (CH) masterclass in net. We moved to St Lawrence in the Semi-final and although we didn’t know much about them, we had heard that they had a couple of handy overseas players. They ended up troubling us and despite putting in a valiant effort, we suffered a bitter 2-1 loss. Despite a rapid-fire goal from a short corner routine, their strong aerial tactic overpowered us (although we would capitalise from it in the second leg a few days later). A big thanks to Mr Salmon for all his help in the tournament.

The scene was set. After losing to St Lawrence in the semis, we were eager to get one back on them. With the knowledge of John Gibbs providing inspiration from the side-line, we were motivated to fight for the win. We started off very strong and led by two before half-time with almost identical magnificent goals from the clinical Hugh Jacobs and the consistent Robin Cox. We threaded balls through their midfield and had their defence on ropes.

Blood, sweat, and tears heightened the tension as Cox put his body on the line, all the while testing the umpire’s patience. They put one past us late in the game and started to pile on the pressure, but we

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A huge thanks to Mr Storey-Mason and Marcus for everything they have done for us this season and all the support they have given us. All round a great season with many positives to take from it and we look forward to going again next year.

Ewen Hector (FH)

Under 15A Hockey Results Played: 11

Won: 6

Drawn: 1

v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reed’s School v Radley College v Cranleigh School v Charterhouse v Eastbourne College v Hurstpierpoint College v St Edmund’s School Canterbury v St Lawrence College v St Lawrence College

Lost Draw Won Lost Lost Won Won Won Won Lost Won

Lost: 4 3–4 0–0 2–1 0–1 0–1 9–0 6–2 5–2 1–0 1–2 2–1

Under 15B Hockey

I

t was clear from the very first session of the season that this squad was blessed with some of the best players seen at this level for some years.

Our first match saw us hosting RGS Guildford, a ‘two term’ hockey school, and so we went into the game expecting to be outplayed. However, Tonbridge came out very positively and thanks to some good passing and teamwork, we kept the ball well and dominated

HOCKEY possession. Guildford on the other hand were giving possession away. We didn’t create as many chances as we would have liked but managed to score twice by half time, Rohan Brown (SH) and Bertie Warren (MH) delivering. Guildford came out much more strongly in the second half and managed to square the game by the final whistle.

Probably a fair result overall but disappointing to give away a two-goal advantage.

The journey to Eton saw an outstanding performance from Tonbridge who had been working on transferring the ball to more open areas of the pitch and developing an effective press.

Goals from Bertie Warren and Rohan Brown came from dominant possession and the creation of more chances than in the Guildford game. The second half saw Tonbridge take their possession and passing game to even higher levels and the floodgates opened, with Joe Smiley (JH) scoring a hattrick and the fleet footed Connor Impey (HS) getting on the scoresheet. This was a really impressive performance which gave us high hopes for the rest of the season.

Reed’s were always going to be tough competitors, being another ‘two term’ hockey school, and this threat became reality from the start of a hard game for Tonbridge. Outplayed in all quarters by fitter, stronger, bigger and more technical opponents, it was a question of hanging on for the first half. To our credit, we defended bravely and effectively with Alec Schaeffer (SH) leading the backs and Freddie Wilkes (WH) saving some good shots. Jacob Louis (OH) also demonstrated impressive composure under pressure in defence, being able to calmly play the ball out of trouble. Reed’s were limited to a one

goal lead at half time but Tonbridge did manage to create some chances and could have scored on a couple of occasions. In the second half, Tonbridge looked a different team. With renewed intensity and confidence, we took the game to Reed’s, played some really good hockey and were really unlucky not to have scored on more than one occasion. A late Reed’s goal gave them the victory but the final result didn’t really tell the story of a gutsy Tonbridge performance.

The long trip to Radley didn’t affect Tonbridge adversely and we dominated the first half with open, passing hockey and setting up numerous chances on goal. We made excellent use of space on the pitch and should have been 3 or 4 up at half time.

Rohan Brown was fast becoming an effective centre forward with a powerful strike but he could only find the keepers pads. He did manage one score but we were caught out at the back a little later to concede a late first half goal against the run of play. Radley came out strongly in the second half and we lost our way a bit, running out of attacking options and looking threatened at the back. Radley were unlucky not to go ahead at this stage but Tonbridge rallied and fought back well in the last quarter, with Rohan and Bertie Warren (after a spectacular solo run) both finding the net to secure the victory.

Next was a midweek game against Sevenoaks. The opposition were a mixed team of U14 players with a few extremely skilled boys and girls in their team, but our physical dominance made the difference.

Tonbridge played a better passing game which frustrated the opposition, and we were also able to cancel out their occasional visits to our final 16. A 2-0 win represented a fair result at the final whistle.

Cranleigh gave us a terrific match after a late start, with both teams taking turns in dominating proceedings. With the game level at 1-1 it was Tonbridge who eventually came through with greater intensity and creating more chances.

It was clear from the outset that we were going to also dominate a weaker Charterhouse on a cold, grey and drizzly afternoon.

Because of our superior skills and passing game, our players were freed up more than usual with more time on the ball. This resulted in some intelligent and expansive

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SPORT hockey and multiple chances. We were 2-0 up at half time thanks to goals from Bertie Warren and Rohan Brown, with Charterhouse hanging on for dear life. The second half saw an even more dominant home side create an avalanche of attacks from both sides of the pitch. Joe Smiley and Tom Carruthers (JH) converted their chances but sadly Rohan Brown just couldn’t find the target, shooting wide multiple times. 4-0 as a final score flattered Charterhouse. With wider goals, it could have been 10-0!

A visit from Eastbourne midweek on the sands of Thomas’ astro resulted in an unspectacular first half from both teams. A roasting from Biddle and StoreyMason at half time woke up the Tonbridge side who worked harder in the second half with greater intensity and better teamwork. Despite this, Eastbourne scored early with a breakaway goal. Tonbridge responded really well with three goals. Tom Carruthers scored twice from near the goal line and Bertie Warren placed a well-aimed flick into the side netting from close range to put the game beyond Eastbourne. Jacob Louis had another assured game in defence and Amir Deane (WW) showed greater confidence on the ball and made some excellent tackles.

What turned out to be the final game in lovely weather conditions at Hurstpierpoint was dominated by a now well-connected Tonbridge team who struggled to turn their dominance and possession into goals. In the end, we managed just the one goal to seal victory, thanks to a cracking reverse hit from Arthur Scott (PS), with Hugh Berry (WW) saving us from embarrassment with a vital stop on our goal line.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this fine squad of young players. They have all developed as individuals, but more importantly, became a tight-knit team, able to pass the ball freely amongst themselves and in all areas of the pitch, making them formidable opponents. They also played in a wonderfully positive spirit, supporting each other and respecting oppositions and umpires.

W D F Biddle Squad A. Schaeffer (captain) (SH), R. Brown (SH), A. Deane (WW), C. Impey (HS), J. Louis (OH), A. Scott (PS), J. Smiley (JH), B. Warren (MH), F. Wilkes (WH), H. Berry (WW), T. Carruthers (JH), S. Williams (CH), B. van Bilderbeek (MH).

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Under 15B Hockey Results Played: 9

Won: 7

v RGS Guildford v Eton v Reed’s v Radley v Sevenoaks v Cranleigh v Charterhouse v Eastbourne v Hurstpierpoint v St Lawrence

Drawn: 1 Drawn Won Lost Won Won Won Won Won Won Cancelled

Lost: 1 2–2 6–0 0–2 3–1 2–0 2–1 4–1 3–1 1–0

Under 15C Hockey Our first match was at home against RGS. They had some skilful players who knew what they were doing.

But we kept going well, tackling hard and getting back to defend. Initially we were slow to get the ball out to the side, but we created more space in the second half. We had a few chances up front, but none of them quite came off.

Away at Eton, Berry (WW) was the lynchpin of a pleasing victory, striking the ball emphatically up the pitch. There was plenty of running from the forwards and midfield, creating lots of chances. Deane (WW) converted one in the first half, and Hunt (HS) another towards the end of the second half. The defence did not give Cameron (SH) much work to do in goal, but what he did he did well.

Home against Reeds, we created a reasonable structure, particularly in defence. We stayed strong against a relentless attack; our keeper made some spectacular saves. We also had a couple of chances on the break. We did well to enter half time 0 - 0. After that, things went downhill, conceding three quick goals. But we kept going and had a few more chances.

Away at Radley, Calcagnini (SH) had an impressive debut in goal, making many spectacular saves and clearances. But we struggled to get the ball out of our half, so the goals inevitably stacked up against us. We did create a few chances on the break, with Deane putting in some good runs. But ultimately we lost to a deserving team.

Having arrived an hour late, Cranleigh made up for it by scoring in the first minute. That set the tone for the first half. They kept the ball in our 25 for most

HOCKEY pressure that we faced against some teams, and Rampersad (CH) made some excellent saves in his debut in goal. But 0-1 was a fair reflection at half time, and despite creating some chances in the second half, 0-3 at full time was also fair.

J D King Squad W. Hunt (HS), A. Deane (WW), A. Wright (JH), A. Rayment (WW), M. Calcagnini (SH), T. Holman (WW), A. Rose (PS), J. Cameron (SH), L. Chu (MH), M. Cater (HS), O. Clarke (CH), D. Ng (PH), K. Rampersad (CH), H. Berry (WW), H. Cooper-Fogarty (CH), A. Zhalkovskyi (FH), T. Cubillo (WW). of the half and scored 7 goals. In the second half, Tonbridge came alive, with more energetic marking and moving. We conceded only one more goal and created several chances of our own.

We were well matched at home against Charterhouse. They started off well, but Tonbridge came on strongly and began to create lots of opportunities. Nil all at half time was a fair reflection of the play. The second half was similar, but Charterhouse scored a couple of breakaway goals.

Our final match was away at Hurstpierpoint on a sunny afternoon. We were not under the relentless

Under 14A Hockey

Under 15C Hockey Results Played: 7 v v v v v v v

Won: 1

RGS Guildford Eton Reed’s Radley Cranleigh Charterhouse Hurstpierpoint

Drawn: 0 Lost Won Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost

Lost: 6 0–7 2–0 0–4 0–5 0–8 0–2 0–3

W

ith so much pitch-time in previous years being lost to Covid this season was always going to be one looking to build for the future. There were some excellent performances and some less good ones, but we are certainly a much better team than when we started the season and look forward to playing the same teams again next year to measure this improvement.

With only an hour of training under our belts, facing an RGS Guildford team all of whom play club hockey several times a week was always going to be very difficult, and so it proved. We knew they would

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SPORT have some excellent players but were nonetheless surprised by the level of the opposition; some useful lessons were learnt for the rest of the season. A pleasing win against Eton followed in our second match and we showed great defensive resilience to only lose 2-0 to a very strong team from Reeds.

Stevenson (HS) was outstanding in goal in both matches (as he was all season).

The overriding emotion on leaving the county cup was one of frustration. Failure to convert several chances in our first group match meant we finished second by one point and did not progress to the cup semifinal. We eventually ran out runners up in the plate competition.

Sadly, the long journey over to Radley must have taken too much out of us and we started sluggishly.

We missed several chances and then gave away two poor goals. We clawed our way back into the match with a goal from Porter (HS) but allowed ourselves to be dominated by a physically imposing, but not technically skilful side.

T. Bussey (OH) had played only one game for the B team and A. Denny (WH) and I. Rosier (OH) were plucked straight from the C team, but the arrival of these three players (all A team rugby players) had an immediate impact as they brought athleticism, game awareness and a great approach to training. Although our first match with this re-jigged team was a 3-0 loss to Cranleigh, never has a team dominated a game to such an extent without scoring a goal and we left this match feeling like we were moving in the right direction.

Our best team performance and the best individual performance of the season - A. Denny’s (WH) manmarking of Charterhouse’s star player – followed, and we backed this up with a 7-1 demolition of Eastbourne College, in which we scored some excellent team goals.

We didn’t quite manage to replicate this level of performance against Hurstpierpoint; however, a 5-0 win against St Lawrence College, who we had struggled to beat at the county cup, was a great way to end the season.

There are several boys in this team who would at the start of the season not have considered themselves as hockey players, but I hope they stick with it for next year. The player of the season goes to R. Greenway (JH) for his determination and leadership throughout.

J M Ashton

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Squad H. Smith (captain) (SH), S. Stevenson (HS), S. Cox (PH), A. Paice (JH), A. Newman (WW), T. Jones (PH), R. Greenway (JH), T. Porter (HS), I, Rosier (OH), A. Denny (WH), M. Copper (WW), T. Bussey (SH), E. Taylor (FH), J Henderson (CH), B. Wontner (SH).

Also played: G. Huxtable (PH), H. Tribe (HS), J. Southgate (MH), H. Roberts (FH), T. Fell-Gagnere (PS)

Under 14A Hockey Results Played: 9

Won: 4

Drawn: 0

v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reeds School v Radley College v Cranleigh School v Charterhouse v Eastbourne College v Hurstpierpoint College v St Lawrence College

Lost Won Lost Lost Lost Won Won Lost Won

Lost: 5 0–8 3–1 0–2 1–3 0–3 2–1 7–1 0–4 5–0

Under 14B Hockey

T

he talent and commitment of this squad could be seen by how often and easily boys moved up to play for the U14A team throughout the season, often fitting in and being most effective. This was not only a product of the quality of many of the players but also their ambition to play at the highest level they could. Irrespective of weather, location or opposition, one could guarantee that come match day, the boys would be utterly ready to give their all. Their way of finding a way to win became the hallmark of Saturday afternoons, often being the victors in encounters where the opposition may have been the better team. This tenacity and ability to win is something I hope they retain as they move up the school. As a team, they demonstrated, throughout the season, that they were capable of effectively varying their tactics and patterns of play to best meet the situation confronting them. Sometimes direct, aggressive, and bullish, at others, looking to spread opposition teams across the pitch, showing patience and control. The boys should feel proud of their performances, as individuals, and as a team.

C M Ashurst

HOCKEY Bussey (SH) terrorising opposition defenders scoring 7 and 4 goals respectively in those opening 3 games.

Nathan Staples (WW)’s hat trick in the opening game was all it took for him to move up to the B team for the season.

Alex Bigaliy (FH) showed excellent versatility with his stick skills and close control, and he deservedly got himself on the scoresheet against Eton.

Squad B. Cheeseman (PH) (captain), B. Sheppard (Sc), W. McDougall (JH), T. Barnes (MH), W. Barr (Sc), N. Staples (WW), T. Wild (HS), H. Roberts (FH), J. Southgate (MH), G. Huxtable (PH), J. Henderson (CH), H. Tribe (HS), T. Fell-Gagnere (PS), C. Kuchta (FH)

Under 14B Hockey Results Played: 9

Won: 7

Drawn: 1

Lost: 1

v RGS Guildford

Lost

0–1

v Eton College

Won

4–0

v Reed’s School

Won

2–0

v Radley College

Draw

1–1

v Cranleigh School

Won

2–1

v Charterhouse

Won

1–0

v Eastbourne College

Won

4–2

v Hurstpierpoint College

Won

2–1

v St Lawrence College

Won

8–0

Under 14C Hockey

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ith a typical blend of athletes, hockey players and sportsmen, the U14Cs had a remarkable season, even by the high standards set by previous vintages.

The first three games on the hallowed turf of Thomas’ Astro (‘no, it’s not icy - that’s just the surface’) saw an attritional but effective style of hockey, with Archie Denny (WH) imperious at the back, Matt Davidson (OH) tireless in the middle, Isaac Rosier (OH) showing an excellent strike and good dribbling, and Hamish Cowling (OH) and Tiger

Away to Radley was the first real challenge for this team, and it was George Baker (FH) with a clinical finish who got the team going, before a superb individual effort from Cowling created in part due to Baker’s movement in the ‘D’, and William Jenkins (SH)’s clean strike demonstrated Jenkins’ impressive skills and versatility and sealed the win.

Having unsurprisingly lost Rosier, Bussey and Denny to the higher echelons of Bantams hockey, it was a chance for others to step up. Away at Cranleigh, Zachary Hill (FH) constantly hustled the opposition, Hugo Bromley (PS) started to come into his own showing excellent stick-skills and composure in the wide channels, and Alex Lopez-Sostres (HS) became our enforcer at the back with no little skill to go with it. After a lacklustre first half which ended 0-0 after numerous missed chances, the team imposed themselves on an undisciplined Cranleigh team with Charlie Kuchta (FH) and Baker capitalising.

Another away trip to Surrey saw a more convincing performance against a Charterhouse team who had threats across the pitch.

It is worth pausing to reflect on the true rock of any team: the goalkeeper. It is fair to say that Eto Klutse (Sc) did not have a particularly busy season, but any balls that did get through to him or shots on target he dealt with excellently, and through this he showed that he has that most important of mental skills for a goalkeeper: the ability to concentrate.

Back on home turf, Thomas’ was once again the venue for what was due to be the last match of the season. Paolo Bertorelli (WH) was instrumental (as he had been throughout since moving up from the D team) in moving the ball quickly up the field, and Cowling was unstoppable in leading a procession of goals. There were valuable contributions from Alfie Rawlings (WW) on the left flank in attack and Ed Pearce (HS) providing stability at the back ensuring that our attackers could stay high. 10-0, and it could have been more.

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SPORT

Under 14C Hockey Results Played: 8

Won: 8

Drawn: 0

v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reed’s School v Radley College v Cranleigh School v Charterhouse v Hurstpierpoint v Sevenoaks U15A

It was deemed, fairly, by the Master in Charge that the 14Cs had not really been tested this season, with the smallest winning margin being 3 goals, so the team were sent to Sevenoaks to take on their U15A team.

The performance that day is up there with the best I have seen by any Tonbridge sports team. Against an outfit composed of a 1st team player and three or four club hockey players, the 14Cs had no right to compete, but the attitude of every member of the team was phenomenal, and special mention must go to Davidson who kept their best player in his box, partly through sheer hustle and athleticism, but by the end also through skill. Two goals from Cowling (though plenty of chances were missed) saw us over the line, and in honesty it would have been unrealistic for Eto not to have conceded a single goal all season, so at least he can hold his head high as no one saw the Sevenoaks’ goal until the ball hit the top corner of the net.

The boys should be congratulated on a fantastic season of hockey. Their skills have developed hugely as the term has gone on, and they have shown themselves to be extremely promising young sportsmen; there is no doubt that in their own different ways they will go on to have excellent sporting careers at Tonbridge, and they should be proud of how they represented the school this term.

R J M Stephen Squad E. Klutse (Sc), A. Lopez-Sostres (HS), M. Davidson (OH), W. Jenkins (SH), A. Bigaliy (FH), H. Bromley (PS), A. Rawlings (WW), Z. Hill (FH), X. Prongué (JH), A. Denny (WH), I. Rosier (OH), P. Bertorelli (WH), E. Pearce (HS), H. Cowling (OH), G. Baker (FH), T. Bussey (SH), N. Staples (WW), C. Kuchta (FH).

Also played: R. Iqbal (WH), O. Sinclair (SH), L. Coll (SH), A. Peterson (PH), R. Foulkes (SH).

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Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Won

Lost: 0 5–0 6–0 4–0 3–0 5–0 6–0 10 – 0 2–1

Under 14D Hockey

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verall, the season turned out to be a mild success with 4 victories and 3 defeats in total. The team got off to a rocky start after playing just two training sessions together in preparation for our first game however the results picked up slightly at mid-season, possibly due to our three training sessions a week schedule. By the last two games it was clear we had found our form with two victories and clearly the best hockey we’d played yet displayed in our last game, with a comfortable 5-0 win. Training sessions were positive with pushpassing to start with, followed by a team drill and then a game against the C’s which always turned out to be very tight, with the D’s even winning a few games. All players seemed to have drastically improved by the time the season came to an end, with clearly a more friendly and optimistic view on hockey shared by the players than at the start of the season.

Daniel Carmona-Selfin (PS)

Under 14D Hockey Results Played: 7

Won: 4

v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reed’s School v Radley College v Cranleigh School v Charterhouse v Hurst

Drawn: 0 Lost Won Lost Won Lost Won Won

Lost: 3 0–1 5–0 1–2 3–0 1–4 1–0 5–0

HOCKEY Squad D. Carmona-Selfin (PS), S. Pearl (Sc), W. Crosby (OH), T. Kerr (PH), A. Brooks (Sc), L. Hofmann (OH), M. Blincoe (OH), A. Peterson (PH), R. Foulkes (SH), R. Iqbal (WH), O. Sinclair (SH), L. Coll (SH), A. Bigaliy (FH), M. Warren (PS), H. Panaich (FH)

Under 14E Hockey

A

strong group of players who were keen to improve and work hard for one another in the matches, the E team enjoyed a very successful and high-scoring season.

In defence, the team was blessed with an impressive goalkeeper, Zikora Udensi (MH) who made stunning saves, typically diving full-length to tip the ball around a post. Not that the opposition were able to break through the disciplined and tenacious Tonbridge defence very often. Aaron de Silva Wijeyeratne (WW) could snuff out any potential danger by reading the game from his position as sweeper, and Arya Soni (SH) stuck doggedly to the task of keeping the opposition strikers quiet, giving away very few opportunities.

The fullbacks, meanwhile, were as threatening going forwards as they were disciplined in defence. Sam Blackburn (Sc) grew in stature through the season, and Oliver Maltarp (PS), our dependable and fully committed captain, led the team by example, with hard work and characteristic

determination. Himmat Panaich (FH) provided the skill and guile to protect the backline from his position just in front of the defence, and coupled with the enormously impressive Harry Kirsop (WW) who pulled all the strings from the centre of the pitch, there was little wonder the opposition team rarely managed to gain a foothold in a match, facing wave after wave of Tonbridge attacks.

In midfield, Max Warren (PS) and Raymond Kaliuta (JH) linked the play nicely, delivering passes quickly to release the forwards who worked hard to stretch the pitch. As the score lines testify, we were fortunate to have a selection of forwards who were clinical in front of goal. Rotating the forwards to keep up the energy levels was a tactic the team employed successfully in all its matches. James Ferry (SH) was the top scorer, making intelligent runs behind the defence, Jago Henderson (MH) showed an instinct for being in the right place to score, while Alex Paizes (SH) and Max Clark (WH) both used their pace and athleticism to good effect. Will Beazleigh (OH) would be the winner of the award for the most assists, and Ryan Lam (MH) was the most improved player over the season, working hard to improve his stick skills as evidenced by the audacious lob over the advancing goalkeeper to score in the final match against Charterhouse.

I hope the team enjoyed playing their matches as much as I enjoyed watching them. Their games were always exciting, and they played with enthusiasm and terrific energy to produce thrilling performances

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SPORT with plenty of goals to celebrate. I look forward to watching this impressive team develop over the hockey seasons ahead.

N C Waite Squad Z. Udensi (MH), O. Maltarp (PS), H. Panaich (FH), S. Blackburn (Sc), A. Soni (SH), R. Kaliuta (JH), H. Kirsop (WW), M. Warren (PS), J. Ferry (SH), A. Paizes (SH), M. Clark (WH), R. Lam (MH), W. Beazleigh (OH), A. de Silva Wijeyeratne (WW), J. Henderson (MH) Also Played R. Landgrebe (WH), M. Charrington (SH)

Under 14E Hockey Results Played: 6

Won: 6

Drawn: 0

v RGS Guildford v Eton College v Reed’s School v Radley College v Cranleigh School v Charterhouse

Won Won Won Won Won Won

Lost: 0 5–4 2–1 5–0 9–0 3–0 7–0

Under 14F Hockey Our first game of the season, against Eton, was extremely tight, and despite maintaining the majority of possession, our opposition were able to slip one past the keeper, whereas we did not manage to capitalise on a few good chances. The following fixture was more of a romp than a victory: we

dominated at every stage, and in every corner of the pitch. A rematch against Eton, organised with the hope of a healing victory, found us pitched against a rather stronger team than in the first fixture, with the inevitable result.

L F Walsh Squad J. Ballantyne-Grant (OH), T Burnett (captain) (WW), M. Chan (PS), M. Eluwah (JH), J. Foley (WH), T. Hamilton (SH), J. Harrison (MH), A. Hawkins (WH), S. Heale (OH), R. Landgrebe (WH), H. Paterson (CH).

B. Rainsford (CH), M. Shubrook (WW), B. Warburton (WH), I. Zimenkov (CH) Also played: J. Cheung (MH), M. Charrington (SH), S. Lau (MH)

Under 14F Hockey Results Played: 3

Won: 1

v Eton College v Radley College v Eton College

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Drawn: 0 Lost Won Lost

Lost: 2 0–1 6–0 0–3

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL First XI Football

A

fter a strong pre-season at Manchester City, Tonbridge were excited to open their season with a home fixture against Brighton.

Perhaps a little too excited? In the first minute, a rash challenge earned Will Press (SH) a booking, and this, added to the wet conditions, seemed to heighten the nerves that come with pulling on the black-andwhite shirt for the first time! Soon after, Brighton capitalised and took the lead after some defensive

errors; but Tonbridge responded early through Rory Wade (PS). Some further defensive issues caused Tonbridge to trail 3-1 at half-time. The second half was all Tonbridge. They seemed to find their rhythm and began to put some passes together to maintain possession. Archie Ramanathan (PH) met a Will Pike (JH) cross to head home Tonbridge’s second.

Then Alexander Smith-Stephens (OH) made a strong run down the right to tee up Pike at the back post to equalise. As the game went on, Tonbridge looked like the side who would snatch a winner, but the deadlock was never broken.

A tough start to the league season with St Paul’s and Harrow in the first two weeks – traditionally the hardest fixtures on the calendar. In a dominant display in the first half against St. Paul’s, Tonbridge did everything but find the back of the net and were later made to pay for missed chances. A second half penalty and a goal on the counter attack sent the points to St. Paul’s. Much better was the performance against Harrow, where some real determination was shown to come back twice from a deficit. After conceding early, Patrick Hughes (HS)

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threaded a nice through-ball which Wade tucked away to level before the break. In the second half, Tonbridge again looked like the side most likely to take away all the points, but an unfortunate handball granted Harrow a penalty which they scored with five minutes remaining on the clock. Tonbridge showed great spirit to keep playing their football until the final whistle, and Ramanathan managed a late equaliser. In the dying seconds, Wade thought he had won it for Tonbridge after picking up on a loose ball in the box, only to be adjudged offside. Once again, Tonbridge left to rue the missed chances to kill off the game earlier in the half and the points were shared.

Two easy games before half term. An away trip to Radley, where Tonbridge survived some early scares in the first half; and despite not playing well, went into the break 3-0 up! The second half performance was much better, in which Tonbridge showed their class and gave no quarter to the opposition. The midfield began to show signs of how they could retain possession and

control a game. Alex Belliere (CH) was outstanding on the right wing, willing to run at and in-behind the defenders at every opportunity, giving the Radley leftback a torrid afternoon. Otto Stapely O’Neill (FH) had an outstanding game in goal and never looked like he would be beaten. Wade netted his first hat-trick of the season, Tom Ejje (CH), Patrick Hughes and Will Pike were all in the goals in a 7-0 victory. This form then continued into the match against Haileybury.

Although Tonbridge lacked some flow in the first half and with some lucky bounces of the ball, we managed to go into half time in the lead 2-1. The second half performance was very strong. Captain Theo Bannister (FH), Jonas Freeman (MH) and Inigo Pullen (PH) delivered a midfield masterclass. Haileybury could only watch as they were passed around with two-touch football and great link up play. Tonbridge scored three goals in succession to stretch their lead and overall, a comfortable 6-2 victory, and another Wade hat-trick!

With other sides in the league dropping points, Tonbridge were still in with an outside chance of the title. Tonbridge continued to climb the league table with an outstanding second half performance against St. John’s including a brace from Wade. His form continued with yet another hat-trick in a more convincing performance than the score suggests against Abingdon. It took a half-time hairdryer from Mr Cleary to remind the side of their potential, after a lethargic first half display. Although Tonbridge had managed to win these games, they had been making unforced errors and the two goals conceded against Abingdon were a stark reminder that mistakes get punished at First XI level.

Epsom was a critical game, and it was mistakes that would come back to haunt Tonbridge. A long ball from the Epsom goalkeeper was flicked on and sweeping

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FOOTBALL up behind was Edward Joyner (WW), who had been solid all season, but unfortunately headed the ball over Stapely O’Neill, who was left in no-man’s land and could only watch the ball bounce into the unguarded net. Following this, Tonbridge tried to get back into the game, but were left frustrated with both themselves and Epsom’s style of play which made for a scrappy game. The loss hit hard, and a harsh lesson was learned. Throughout the season, Tonbridge had aimed to play the same way whatever the score, and not panic; but the need to win this game and the pressure of being a goal down in the latter stages was too much on the day.

The side had a perfect opportunity to bounce back on that weekend against Berkhamsted. Having taken an early lead, Tonbridge looked comfortable for most of the half. Then a crazy five minutes before half time Tonbridge losing possession cheaply in midfield and being punished…1-1…then almost straight from kick-off, a rash challenge from the Berkhamsted defence conceded a penalty, which Wade scored to restore the one goal advantage. In the second half, Tonbridge produced perhaps their best football todate. Bannister, Freeman and Pullen dictated play in the midfield. Charlie Thompson (HS) was immense at the heart of the defence and Zane Khaleeque (CH) delivered an excellent display in goal, after a very nervous first forty minutes. A 5-1 win set up an exciting finish to the league campaign at Dulwich.

Tonbridge could prove to be title deciders, as anything less than a win for Dulwich would hand the title to Harrow. A game of two halves then ensued, determined by whichever side had the wind in their favour. Tonbridge had this in the first half, with Pike managing to score direct from a corner, and Wade netted from long range to give the visitors a two-goal advantage. But Dulwich returned with

two quick goals in the second half to set up a thrilling conclusion. As Dulwich pushed for a winner, Tonbridge still looked dangerous on the counter and had significant chances. A battling second-half performance, against the wind and injuries, secured a point and a third-place finish in the league table.

If the Epsom result had been positive, it would have been interesting to see if Tonbridge could have gone on to win this game to secure a first league title since 2017…but perhaps a lack of big-game experience as a result of no football in 2021 was the telling factor.

This experience will no doubt be something to take forward by the Lower Sixth into the 2023 season.

The rearranged game against Sevenoaks was a chance for the remaining members of the squad not away at Rosslyn Park Sevens to bow out on a high and pass on some experience to a few Second XI players and U16s who had earned a place for this

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SPORT leadership. As a group, they have continued to train and play the right way…the Tonbridge way…and I hope that next year’s squad can continue to build on this.

We wish the Upper Sixth all the very best for the future and hope to see them back at the school to represent the Old Tonbridgians.

A J Sixsmith Squad T. Bannister (FH) (captain), A. Belliere (CH), J. Freeman (MH), P. Hughes (HS), E. Joyner (WW) (vicecaptain), W. Pike (JH), W. Press (SH), I. Pullen (PH), A. Ramanathan (PH), A. Smith-Stephens (OH), O. Stapely O’Neill (FH), C. Thompson (HS), R. Wade (PS) Also played: T. Creasey (HS), M. Denny (WH), M. Ejje (CH), T. Ejje (CH), B. Findlay (SH), N. Johnson (OH), Z. Khaleeque (CH), W. Malet de Carteret (JH), K. Mamkhegov (PH), S. Pike (JH)

First XI Football Results final match. It was Tom Creasey (HS) who opened the scoring, but Sevenoaks levelled before half time.

The new additions to the squad struggled to adapt to the extra pace of First XI football, but this changed after the break and a fine second half display from Tonbridge, including another brace from Wade, gave Tonbridge a convincing 4-1 victory. Excellent performances from Max Ejje (CH) and Konstantin Mamkhegov (PH) in this game, added to the fact that the U16As claimed their respective league title, shows that the football club is in a good place and hopeful of a strong 2023 season.

Wade finished the season with 19 goals in 11 games – a new school record – one which looks unlikely to be surpassed! For his outstanding performances he was awarded First XI Player of the Season.

On behalf of the squad, I would like to thank the team of ground staff for all of the work they put in behind the scenes. I would also like to thank Mr Cleary, who was a huge support throughout the season. His reading of the game and knowing what to say at the right time was invaluable.

Finally, Mr Cleary and I would like to thank all the boys in the squad who made it such an enjoyable season to coach and in particular Bannister and Joyner for their

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Played: 11

Won: 6

Drawn: 3

Lost: 2

v Brighton Ramanathan, Wade, Pike

Draw

3–3

v St. Paul’s

Lost

0–2

v Harrow Wade, Ramanathan

Draw

2–2

v Radley Wade 3, Ejje 2, Hughes, Pike

Won

7–0

v Haileybury Wade 3, Ramanathan 2, Pike

Won

6–2

v St. John’s Wade 2

Won

2–0

v Abingdon Wade 3

Won

3–2

v Epsom

Lost

0–1

v Berkhamsted Wade 3, Bannister, Hughes

Won

5–1

v Dulwich Pike, Wade

Draw

2–2

v Sevenoaks Wade 2, Creasey

Won

4–1

FOOTBALL

Second XI Football

T

he Second XI season kicked off with a tricky away fixture to St Paul’s and within 20 minutes, Tonbridge were 2-0 down; a pattern followed repeatedly throughout the season. The team fought back to draw 2-2 and had enough of the play and opportunities to count themselves unlucky.

The following week saw an equally challenging away fixture to eventual league winners, Harrow.

Again, the team went 2-0 down within 20 minutes but pulled a goal back before half time. The second half was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to goalkeeper Olly Teare (OH) after he landed awkwardly on a very uneven goal area. The lengthy injury time that was added to the end of the match meant that we were able to commandeer the 1st XI keeper, but there were no more goals.

Radley is a long way to travel for a league game, let alone a friendly game, so coming away with a morale-boosting win was imperative. A 5-0 score line restored confidence to the team that they took on to yet another away fixture, this time Haileybury. We should have been out of sight by half time, but our slender 1-0 lead was cancelled out by a soft penalty midway through the second half. Fortunately, topscorer Elliot Morley (PH) slotted home our deserved winner.

At last, a home fixture, against St John’s and the opportunity to be the first school team to play on the OT pitch/lawn. Once again, we went 2-0 down. Once again, we fought back in the second half and won the game thanks to a last-minute Ben Moore (WH) volley.

Next visitors were the league new boys, Abingdon.

They too had read the script and were 2-0 up by half time. This time, however, there was to be no recovery, and a season filled with hope and expectation fizzled out. There was another epic come-back to draw against Epsom, a dismal 2-1 defeat to Berkhamsted and then a 4-0 drubbing by Dulwich to conclude the league season.

The final match was a potentially tough fixture against local rivals Sevenoaks. With players missing or called up to the First XI, we parachuted in several of Mr Day’s title-winning Third XI players. On a beautiful spring afternoon, in my final game in charge of the Seconds, we thrashed them 9-0, including a spectacular effort from the second half kick-off.

Many thanks to everyone that played this season and to the parents that came along to watch. It was a shame that the squad never quite clicked given such an abundance of talent and ability; it’s a results industry and as coach, I must accept the blame.

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SPORT Nevertheless, I expect to see all the Lower Sixth boys playing for the 1st XI next season and hope that the Upper Sixth boys carry on playing for as long as they can.

P J Huxley Squad F. Lee (CH) (Captain), T. Venton (WH), M. Denny (WH), B. Moore (WH), K. Mamkhegov (PH), E. Morley (PH), B. Harvey (WH), J. Cassidy (OH), Z. Khaleeque (CH), T. Ejje (CH), J. Hay (Sc), B. Findlay (SH), C. Pughe (PS), O. Glen (SH), N. Johnson (OH), O. Teare (OH), T. Instance (PS), A. Stonor (JH)

Second XI Football Results Played: 10

Won: 4

Drawn: 2

Lost: 4

v St Paul’s School

Draw

2–2

v Harrow School

Lost

1–2

v Radley College

Won

5–0

v Haileybury College

Won

2–1

v St John’s, Leatherhead

Won

3–2

v Abingdon School

Lost

0–2

v Epsom College

Draw

3–3

v Berkhamsted School

Lost

1–2

v Dulwich College

Lost

0–4

v Sevenoaks

Won

9–0

Third XI Football

T

he Third XI had a season to remember in the 2022 Lent Term, winning the ISFA 3rd XI Lent Term League and ultimately going unbeaten.

The season started with a home fixture against Brighton’s 2nd XI, a good challenge first up. The boys had a wobbly start, succumbing to the pace of the Brighton attack, however, our heads didn’t drop, and we managed to put seven past the Brighton keeper, with Ollie Grant (PS) scoring ‘a screamer’, and Elliot Morley (PH) putting a shift in up top, resulting in his absence for the rest of the season, playing with the 2s. Our first league fixture came against St Paul’s where a comfortable 3-1 win was registered with Will Nolan (MH) showing his prowess up front with a solid brace, and then going on to break his ankle the next day, ruling the rest of his season out. Then came the rather hectic game against Harrow where the boys got frustrated with decisions not going our way and

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ultimately our heads dropped. However, we were able to salvage a well earned draw with a last-minute own goal.

The week after, there was a nasty spread of ‘Radleyitis’, allowing some new boys to show their ability as we travelled up to Oxfordshire. It was a very comfortable win, with Charlie Lockhart (HS) ruling the right wing with power and pace, and scoring a proper ‘screamer’, and Theo ‘Goalski’ Collingwood (WW) earning said name with a brace. However, Jonny Hay’s (Sc) freekick from just inside the Radley half was my goal of the season, swerving right then left then right then into the top left corner. This was the birth of Mr Day’s pretty faultless five-back formation which would be crucial to the unbeaten season.

Then came a string of league games with easy wins against Haileybury, St John’s and Epsom – the fiveback dominating them and the ‘meaty’ back three of Alfie Hewitt (HS), Tom Instance (PS) and Alex Peggie (HS), and keeper Sam Kenny (MH) not conceding any in these three matches. The link up of Max Smith (SH) and Will Rusling (PH) in attack excelled, adding onto their combined total of a ridiculous amount that they had throughout the season. These two ought to give some thanks to Finn McDowell (HS) who bossed the midfield with his strength and skill, allowing them to finish with a definite record number of goals.

Here the league title was in sight, with contenders Berkhamsted up next at home. Knowing it will be a tough match. It was a classic match for the 3rd XI, a shaky start, but then we settled into it and scored a few from the normal goal scorers, Rusling and Smith, with assists from the likes of Grant and Tom Birch (MH), both utilising their pace on the wings. As was a norm in the matches, Collingwood would both hit and miss the woodwork, and Rusling would collect the tap in. Winning the match 6-1 meant the title was deservedly ours.

Our second clash with Sutton Valence 1s came next, having drawn 2-2 earlier in January, with Paddy Staunton (OH) chipping the keeper from forty yards out to salvage the draw. This game was a cracker, coming up against their ‘proper firsts’, and the boys were slightly disappointed with another 2-2 draw after second half domination. This was prime Ed Middleton (PS) where his tireless efforts, as present throughout the season, shone through as our defensive midfielder, alongside Tobe Onyia (FH) putting in weekly shifts.

We finished the season away at Dulwich, a tough game, but came away with a good win to cap off our unbeaten season. A massive thanks must go to Mr Jervis and Dr Dixon, but most importantly Mr Day,

FOOTBALL

winning us the league in his first season as the Third’s coach with his smart tactics which will go down in Tonbridge Third XI Football history.

Alex Peggie (HS4) Squad A. Peggie (Captain) (HS), S. Kenny (MH), A. Hewitt (HS), T. Onyia (FH), O. Grant (PS), T. Birch (MH), P. Staunton (OH), E. Middleton (PS), T. Collingwood (WW), S. Holden-Craufurd (PH), F. McDowell (HS), H. Clarke (OH), A. Ponsonby (Sc), C. Lockhart (HS), M. Smith (SH), W. Rusling (PH), T. Instance (PS) Also played: A. Heslop (MH), Z. Khaleeque (CH), J. Cassidy (OH), W. Nolan (MH), J. Ledlie (PH), J. Hay (Sc), G. Wilson (SH), M. Barry (JH), W. Jobber (SH)

Under 14A Hockey Results Played: 12

Won: 9

v Brighton College U18B v St Paul’s v Harrow v Sutton Valence U18A v Radley College v Haileybury v St John’s Leatherhead v Abingdon v Epsom v Berkhamsted v Sutton Valence U18A v Dulwich College

Drawn: 3 Won Won Draw Draw Won Won Won Won Won Won Draw Won

Lost: 0 7–3 3–1 1–1 2–2 7–1 5–0 7–0 6–0 5–1 6–1 2–2 3–1

Fourth XI Football

T

his year, the Fourth XI was the AFC Ajax of the football set-up as it was a bountiful cradle of talent. Big club managers Mr Huxley and Mr Day regularly purloined top talents such as Messrs Lockhart (HS), McDowell (HS), Khaleeque (CH) and Hay (SC). I am sure the lads will have missed the mercurial, liquid football of the lower leagues—the bucolic joy of playing for the love of the game and not the gaudy flash of silverware.

As Mr Sixsmith liked to call them, ‘Dixon’s Diamonds’ epitomised the best of the amateur spirit throughout the season, losing to the 5th XI like gentlemen on a Tuesday, only to hammer the 3rd XI on a Thursday.

The season got underway with an excellent 3-0 win over Brighton at home with a particularly impressive showing from Max Smith (SH). A harder game followed against St Paul’s. A narrow win was born largely by a heroic midfield performance from Finn McDowell (HS). This game also witnessed the debut of Jonny Hay (SC) who brought a youthful energy to the team despite what his birth certificate might say. The performance against Harrow was one of the best of the season with excellent exploitation of space and use of the fullbacks to overload particular sides of the pitch.

After this, the team began to fluctuate in terms of selection, as many players were called up to higher teams. Indeed, the side went through three different captains throughout the season: Lockhart, Mateus Jezia (WW) and Harry French (PH). The quality of

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SPORT Squad Captains: C. Lockhart (HS), M. Jezia (WW) and H. French (PH).

Z. Khaleeque (CH); Z. Nwogwugwu (HS); M. Jezia (WW); C. Lockhart (HS); H. French (PH); N. Durling (SH); F. Lee-Amies (WW); M. Smith (SH); S. Kemp (WW); A. Wareing (HS); A. Ponsonby (SC); R. Adams (SC); S. Kenny (MH); T. Lee-Amies (SH); B. McClinton (OH); G. Wilson (SH); D. Domanski (OH); O. Deen (SC); A. Hewitt (HS); H. Clarke (OH); J. Ledlie (OH); J. Hay (SC); F. McDowell (HS); C. Williams (WW); W. Harris (FH); G. Stoner (JH); J. Phillips (SH); P. Staunton (OH); A. Heslop (MH); S. Holden-Craufurd (PH).

Player of the season: S. Kemp (WW) opposition also dropped off considerably, which did not help the lads’ development. The 7-0 win over Berkhamsted School was a somewhat absurd match which saw George Wilson (SH) score at least five goals. Epsom College was a more challenging and rather feisty affair—a game which witnessed the debut of the iconic centre back pairing of French and Olly Deen (Sc). The lads did well to ensure that they kept their composure and did not drop their standards.

making up for their coach’s complete lack of tactical awareness. I wish to thank all them for their hard work and to thank all of the parents who dotted the side line and occasionally took on the task of assistant referee.

Unfortunately, our hopes for an unbeaten season were dashed by our old rival, Sevenoaks. Maybe the occasion and weight of expectation got to some of the boys. Certainly, Sevenoaks were a polished outfit and both sides played excellent football. Unfortunately, the match was lost in the dying embers by a spectacular freekick from one of the Sevenoaks midfielders.

Nevertheless, it was a highly enjoyable season. The lads played with incredible heart and good spirit–

ifth XI Football is in rude health. The 2020 side went unbeaten but that season had been curtailed by Covid. Could the 2022 edition match and surpass that? They most certainly could, dominating all opponents bar one and despatching two 2nd XIs along the way.

Fourth XI Football Results Played: 11

Won: 10

v Brighton College v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v Radley School v Haileybury v Bethany v Abingdon School v Epsom College v Berkhamsted School v Dulwich College v Sevenoaks School U18c

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Drawn: 1 Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Lost

Lost: 1 3–0 3–2 2–0 5–1 6–0 4–2 6–2 3–2 7–0 4–1 1–2

J M T Dixon

Fifth XI Football

F

Eastbourne’s Second XI looked like a tough opener after minimal preparations and the usual late alterations to the line-up. However, two early goals settled the nerves and with Alexis Brand (MH) and Will Price (OH) bossing the midfield, Will Rusling (PH) left no-one in any doubt that he should never had been in S2 by banging in five goals. We defended well and Charlie Williams (WW) made the save required for Eastbourne’s single big chance.

Away at St Paul’s is usually tricky but with a game under our belt we were the much better organised of the two sides and regular substitutions from St Paul’s meant that they lacked fluency. After a few scares at 0-0 we got into our stride and were 4-0 up soon after half time. The diagonal balls over the top – St Paul’s only tactic – did result in conceding a goal but in general showed the strength, communication and composure of the backline. This would be a strength

FOOTBALL throughout the season, ensuring that Williams and, later, Sam Ford (WH) seldom had to make a save.

The score lines of the next four games showed the power of the collective. For the coach, the away win at Haileybury, the stage for the Fifth XI’s last defeat back in March 2019, was particularly enjoyable.

Seif Iqbal (WH) bagged a hat-trick in a game where the opposition switched from the lowest of low blocks – a back eight? – in the first half to defending on the halfway line in the second. Each tactic was equally ineffective. The personnel of the team evolved as successful attackers like Jasper Phillips (SH) and George Wilson (SH) were moved up to S1, but new talent emerged in the form of Freddie Evans (PS), Cookie Padam Mehta (JH) and Oshi Hamilton (OH). Meanwhile George Thomas (CH) – ten goals, eight games, four MVPs – was unaccountably passed over by higher teams. Dan Cassidy (OH) increasingly controlled the centre of the park, tidying up in defence and initiating moves when in possession. The defensive unit remained rock solid and very stable: Jamie Keeling (OH), Noah Durling (SH), Will Harris (FH) and Caspian HowardSneyd (FH). Alex Morcombe (JH) deputised at centre-back very well when required. All the regular back four contributed with goals or assists. HowardSneyd’s goal against Radley and Durling’s against Epsom were as particularly memorable as many solo runs from inside our own half.

Sevenoaks Third XI provided the toughest opposition of the season. The Fifth XI showed character to come back from 2-0 down at half time thanks to goals from Price – a glorious strike – and, of course, Thomas.

S2 were a delight to work with in every training session and everyone who made an appearance for the 5th XI made a valuable contribution to the success of the team. Keeling was an excellent captain. Mr Blake and I are particularly grateful to Mr Ssebandeke for bringing a hitherto unknown level of strength and conditioning work to S2. The boys will not forget those start of session press-ups!

C D Thompson Squad J. Keeling (captain), A. Brand (MH), D. Cassidy (OH), J. Cheng (MH), D. Domanski (OH), N. Durling (SH), F. Evans (PS), S. Ford (WH), A. Froggatt (WW), O. Hamilton (OH), W. Harris (FH), C. Howard-Sneyd (FH), S. Iqbal (WH), S. Kenny (MH), F. Lee-Amies (WW),

M. Jezia (WW), R. Padam Mehta (JH), A. Morcombe (JH), J. Phillips (SH), W. Price (OH), W. Rusling (PH), G. Thomas (MVP) (CH), C. Williams (WW), G. Wilson (SH)

Fifth XI Football Results Played: 9

Won: 8

Drawn: 1

Lost: 0

v Eastbourne 2nd XI (H) Won Keeling, Brand, Rusling (5), Phillips (2)

9–0

v St Paul’s (A) Won Thomas (2), Domanski, Phillips, Keeling

5–1

v Harrow (H) Won Philips (2), Wilson (2), Iqbal, Williams

6–0

v Sutton Valence 2nd XI (A) Won Jancic, Brand, Phillips, Wilson, Thomas (2)

6–1

v Radley (A) Won Padam Mehta (2), Evans, Hamilton, Thomas, Durling. Howard-Sneyd

7–1

v Haileybury (A) Won 8–0 Harris, Iqbal (3), Evans, Thomas (2), Padam Mehta v Sevenoaks 3rd XI (H) Price, Thomas

Draw

2–2

v Epsom College (H) Won 6–1 Thomas (2), Hamilton, Phillips, Evans, Durling v Dulwich College (A) Won 5–2 Cassidy, Keeling, Evans, Hamilton, Padam Mehta

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Sixth XI Football

A

fter the briefest of get-to-know-one-another training sessions, the heart of the Football Club faced Brighton College. Setting up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, the team struggled with the unfamiliarity of it all but still managed to go into half-time with a one goal lead. In the second half though, the natural fitness levels shone through, and the game was dominated.

Braces from Dan Domaski (OH), George Wilson (SH), and Freddie Evans (PS) contributed to a fine victory.

With confidence, we set off on our first away journey to a cold St Paul’s. However, a lack of fluidity in our passing and little control meant we found ourselves behind early. We managed to work our way into the game and equalized before the break with a wellworked Evans goal. Going into half time with the momentum and having received inspirational words from the gaffer and the skipper, we came out looking to stamp our authority. Our inner Barcelona broke through as we started to form triangles and implement our unplayable ‘tiki taka’ onto the opposition. Beautiful Sixth XI Football Results Played: 8

Won: 8

v Brighton College v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v Radley College v St John’s, Leatherhead v Epsom College v Sutton Valence School v Sevenoaks School

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Drawn: 0 Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Won

Lost: 0 7–0 4–2 5–0 3–1 4–0 7–2 1–0 6–1

through balls from Arthur Loveland (OH) and captain Gus Jancic (HS) created opportunities, as did the excellent attacking work from the full backs, Harry Lumsden (CH) and Xander Froggatt (WW). An Alexander Arnold-type cross from the latter on the right to Oshi Hamilton (OH) steaming in from the left wing was the pick of the second half goals and we found ourselves 1-3 up in no time.

A generous penalty award allowed birthday boy Cookie Padam-Mehta (JH) to seal a special day… but a tame shot undermined the moment.

Fortunately, the penalty had to be retaken, but unfortunately for Padam-Mehta this was handed to Loveland to make it 1-4! This game showed a determination to win that would echo through the side for the rest of the season.

Home to Harrow next and the lads were keen to carry on their good form and free-scoring ways. The opposition couldn’t get near the quick movement and passing and, soon after the first whistle, we found ourselves in the lead. Finding the space to shoot on target proved a challenge for the first half but beautiful interplay in the second led to Jancic being on the score sheet and both wingers, Hamilton and Callum Porritt (Sc), getting in on the scoring act. A PadamMehta bicycle kick/flop could have made it more… but it hit the bar. His third brace saw Evans worthily promoted to the Fifth XI after this match.

Next on the hitlist was Radley away. Another match, another win. After a long, long bus journey, the Tonbridge boys were creditably more ready and eager to play than the opposition. Coming out of the gate on the front foot, Porritt opened the scoring with a lovely, cushioned header at the back post. A beautiful diagonal strike from just outside the penalty area had Loveland on the scoresheet, and debutant Ben Simms (Sc), adding a fresh zip and energy to the middle of the park, also chalked one up. The second half didn’t match the promise, and a curiosity of a goal scored directly from a corner saw it finish 1-3.

A pre-match scare saw the newly-appointed captain, Alex Harrison (SH), accidentally take the wrong turning on the M25 and nearly miss the start of the match against St. Leatherhead’s. A strong start was experienced but the finishing wasn’t quite up to it, although new find Ovie Onokpasa (FH) used his lightning burst of pace to burst into the box and

FOOTBALL square for a Hamilton finish at the back post. 1-0 at half time became a comfortable 4-0 at full time as the screw was turned in the second half; Hamilton scoring a second and Onokpasa also securing a brace. A moment of magic could have made it five: a lovely bit of link up play between Harrison and Loveland. The captain dribbled from the midfield as if he was the next coming of Iniesta, going around one, two, three people. An excellent Loveland run behind, and a sumptuous back heel pass, provided a ThierryHenry-like strike, all open-body and far post… but just wide. It would undoubtedly have been the goal of the season.

Epsom College gave the squad a challenge until 2-2 at half time became 7-2 at the end; another example of the commitment over a whole match to keep on playing good, controlled passing, and working the spaces that appear. A four goal-haul for Porritt here was a major contributor to his 6th XI Golden Boot; testament to his ceaseless support runs from the wing and his flexibility at being put up front when injuries required it. A goal for Sonny Louca (SH) was also due reward for his full commitment to the squad.

Without doubt though, the game of the season was at home to Sutton Valence 2nd XI. With a 100% winning record on the line, a tense, physical match played itself out: 0-0 until two-thirds into the match and until pressure on the goalkeeper finally paid off and Porritt swooped in on the mistake from a Simms shot. This was the squad staking their claim to greatness. This match was symbolised by the fight shown by Justin Cheng (MH), a late transfer, who constantly snapped at the heels of the left-back.

Credit should also be given to the steadfastness of the Judde House pairing of Alexander Morcombe (JH) and Teilo Williams (JH) at centre back, who developed an excellent partnership as the season developed.

Loveland (OH), H. Lumsden (CH), A. Morcombe (JH), O. Onokpasa (FH), C. Porritt (Sc), B. Simms (Sc), T. Williams (JH) Also played: D. Cassidy (OH), H. Collins (FH), T. Dickinson (PH), D. Domanski (OH), F. Evans (PS), S. Ford (WH), S. Iqbal (WH), C. Padam Mehta (JH), G. Stonor (JH), G. Thomas (WH), J. Walder (PS), G. Wilson (SH)

Seventh XI Football

I

t was a slightly unusual term for the Seventh XI, as with several cancellations we eventually played only three fixtures. However, they were all good games and showed some excellent progression over the season.

We started with a fixture against Eastbourne 4th XI which could be best described as a total mud bath.

We went up early on in the game with a good finish from Kit Rawlins (WW) but Eastbourne’s greater physical power eventually told, and despite a late rally and hitting the post twice we went down 3-1.

Our next match was against Radley and this proved one of the most enjoyable days of the season. The sun shone and we were reinforced by new signing Guy Stonor (JH) who had moved outfield from the 6th XI. With good performances from Jack Walder (PS), Luca Calcagnini (SH), Will Roxburgh (WH) and Dylan Brown (SH) amongst others we ran out comfortable 4-0 winners.

Our next and final game, against Sevenoaks, was probably our best performance considering the good standard of the opposition. New signing Zac Nwogwugwu (HS) was impressive and he teamed up with Ben Simms for our opening goal. Simms later added a second excellent individual goal to confirm the 2-0 win.

A routine 6-1 victory against Sevenoaks, including the only goal for a 6th XI defender – a Morcombe header from a corner, capped off what was a memorable unbeaten season.

J Blake (coach) Gus Jancic (HS) and Alex Harrison (SH)

Squad G. Jancic (captain) (HS), A. Harrison (vice-captain) (SH), J. Cheng (MH), X. Froggatt (WW), O. Hamilton (OH), H. Hilleard-Rees (CH), S. Louca (SH), A.

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SPORT Overall then this was a good season for a very good group of players and possibly one of the strongest 7th XIs the school has ever had. Although it was a slight shame not to have a couple of extra games it was a most enjoyable season overall. I do hope those going on to university continue playing the game where I am sure they will be an asset to any side they play for.

S J Seldon Squad W. Roxburgh (WH), B. Simms (Sc), J. Walder (PS), L. Calcagnini (SH), M. Lee (PH), D. Brown (SH), A. Jones (SH), T. Dickinson (PH), Z. Nwogwugwu (HS), S. Ford (WH), K. Rawlins (WW), H. Collins (FH)

Seventh XI Football Results Played: 3

Won: 2

Drawn: 0

v Eastbourne 4th XI Rawlins

Lost

Lost: 1 3 – 1

v Radley Won Stonor, Nwogwugwu (2), Dickinson

4 – 0

v Sevenoaks 4th XI Simms (2)

2 – 0

Won

Eighth XI Football

I

t always takes some time to sort out the sheep from the start of term herd of goats in S3, particularly after there were no squads from the previous season from which to start selection.

Therefore, for the first few weeks in particular, there was quite a lot of moving around of players between the 7th, 8th and 9th XI until squads became more settled.

The 8th XI’s first fixture three days into term against a strong and capable Eastbourne 4th XI proved to be a steeper learning curve than even the delightfully concave Eastbourne pitch it was played on. Torrential rain made it as much a test of character as of football, and an evenly matched first half disappointingly slipped into a 4-0 loss by the end of the second half.

This was followed by a competitive 1-1 draw away at Radley in much better weather and pitch conditions, and as the best players and combinations began to become apparent.

Two comfortable wins in the second half of term rounded off the season-firstly against a Sevenoaks 5th XI (5-1) and Bethany School (7-2). Re matches of these fixtures were arranged but with the 9th XI squad dominating selection.

Overall this was a very enjoyable season with the boys being excellent value, both in training and in competitive matches. I hope all the boys continue to enjoy their football in the future, be that in the Upper Sixth at School or for teams at university.

G M Barnes Squad W. Evans (PS), H. Collins (FH), J. Harrison (SH), I. Sarfraz (SH), N. Pugh (MH), H. Bourne (MH), R. Lambert (CH), T. Pattullo (JH), M. Nicholls (JH), E. Chan (PS), G. Stonor (JH), T. Wilson (WH), J. Walder (PS), L. Murton (JH), F. Horner (MH), D. Hopley (MH), J. Ellis (OH)

Eighth XI Football Results Played: 5

Won: 2

v Eastbourne College v Radley College v Sevenoaks School v Bethany School v Sevenoaks School

Drawn: 2

Lost: 1

Lost Draw Won Won Draw

0–4 1–1 5–1 7–2 0–0

Ninth XI Football

S

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uffice to say that this was not exactly what you would call a roller-coaster of a season for the Ninth XI! J E Robertson and Harry Lawes (WH)

FOOTBALL pre-season friendly against Brighton had ended in a disappointing draw (although coming back from 2-0 down did give us some much-needed hope).

Ominous signs indeed; I needn’t, however, have worried. In a season that had almost everything the one thing lacking was a hattrick; the achievement loved by football fans throughout the world, who seem to understand the adage, ‘All good things come in threes’ – this was certainly the case for the 16A team this season.

Squad H. Lawes (captain) (WH), F. Williams (vice-captain) (MH), J. Bentley (MH), A. Beverton-Smith (SC), A. Cubillo (OH), A. Dodd (CH), T. Goodchild (PH), D. Hopley (MH), F. Horner (MH), R. Love (SC), M. Mellor (PS), F. Mobbs (WH), L. Murton (JH), O. Taylor (PS).

Ninth XI Football Results Played: 1

Won: 0

Drawn: 1

v Sevenoaks 5th XI

Draw

Lost: 0 0–0

Under 16A Football

T

he start of the Under 16A season looked a little ominous: this was a year group who had never played a match against another school due to Covid; on day 1 of training we were greeted with a team who all played centre midfield; David Oteng-Ntim (Sc) could barely make two breaks down the wing before pulling up with cramp, and our

The top three nominees for Player of the Season?

This is a relatively easy place to start. Only 3 players received votes in the end of season awards and two of them, Sam Pike (JH) and Will Malet de Carteret (JH), were only voted for by the eventual winner.

Max Ejje (CH) was immense all season, picking up every single vote from his teammates and also from his coach. Ejje seems to have the ability to either speed up or slow down time when he has a football at his feet: on occasion, his rapid dribbling, two touch passing or shooting left opposition defenders clutching the air; on other occasions, he seemed to have all the time in the world even when surrounded by opposition players. A thoroughly deserving winner of the Player of the Season award.

The top three Most Improved Players? Again, a fairly clear winner of this award emerged from the team vote, but honourable mentions must be made for the U16As remarkable Parkside duo. James O’Connell (PS) was somehow overlooked by the A team scouts in the first week of term and started the season in the Bs. After his promotion, however, he became a stalwart of the A team, playing in several positions and always giving 100%. This was not even the scouts’ biggest mistake of the season. Instead, it was the fact that Oscar McIlwham (PS) spent the majority of the season playing for the 16B and 16C teams. McIlwham was a fantastic addition to the A team, slotting straight in at CM in a crucial game away at Abingdon.

One can only hope that TSFC’s senior scouting department is considerably more capable than its junior equivalent. Ahead of even the two Parksiders, however, and with almost all of the team vote for Most Improved, was Ben Pearl (Sc), and it is easy to see why. Questions were asked of the management when Pearl was slotted into the A team on day one, but the raw skills were (almost) all there: pace, strength, stamina, passion. But no finishing. A term later and Pearl

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League Winners

finished the season as our top scorer and developed hugely as a striker. A thoroughly deserving winner.

The top three goals of the season? Again, a couple of honourable mentions spring to mind. First of all, Ejje’s top-corner-outside-of-the-boot-curling free kick against Radley must have come close to winning the award, but was ultimately let down by Ejje’s postmatch admission that he had been aiming for the other corner. Second, Pearl’s winner against Epsom must surely have been a contender; a well-worked team goal, cutting through the heart of defence before being squared backwards to Pearl for a tap-in. Again, however, this ultimately cannot win the award given that it did not officially go down as a goal due to the referee thinking that it wasn’t one. Therefore, this prestigious award can only go to a Maradona-esque individual goal against St John’s. Having conceded early to go 1-0 down, we fought back into the game through Oteng-Ntim dancing through four or five opposition defenders and slotting past the keeper.

Clearly Mr Sixsmith’s comment (‘Oteng, looks like you’re running through treacle!’) while training with the First XI midweek had sparked something in OtengNtim: cramp a thing of the past, this was certainly a goal for the ages. It is also worth noting at this point that this season also had some exceptional misses; Tom Creasey (HS) and Byron Doughty (WW) spring immediately to mind, although both scored some fantastic goals throughout the season. On top of this, there were also some exceptional saves throughout the season from Zach Johnson (CH), particularly in a tough match against Harrow, as well as from Oli Bamford (JH), stepping-up after Johnson was injured.

The three players that all other teams feared? Ed Lee (SH), Pike and Creasey, for one particular reason.

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Headers. The heading ability in this team was remarkable, as was the number of goals scored in this manner. For a team that generally played lovely passing football, all tactics went out the window each time we were awarded a corner or a free-kick in the opposition half. As players tried to take free-kicks quickly to continue the free-flowing football leading up to it, the shout would resound from the touchline: ‘leave it! Tom, Ed, Sam, get in the box!’ More often than not, this was a good decision. One particular match, against Judd School, springs to mind, where Lee rose to win three consecutive headers from corners, one hitting the bar and another saved on the line. The opposition thought they had learnt their lesson, and placed three defenders on Lee at the next corner. This time it was Pike who had his header cleared off the line; often it was our own players rising to fight each other for headers at corners, the opposition having already raised the white flag.

Three notable matches? First of all, our opening league match against St Paul’s. After conceding two penalties, it became clear that their number ten was a fantastic player. A tactical change at half-time sought to counteract this; Malet de Carteret was told to man mark him, regardless of which team had the ball. Malet de Carteret put in a fantastic performance, allowing those around him to go and score three second-half goals to win the match 3-2. The following Saturday we came up against Harrow, who ultimately became our title rivals as the season went on. This was without doubt one of the performances of the season; we matched their physicality and, bar a speculative cross-turned-shot from their left back that caught the wind, barely offered them a chance all game. At 2-1 up we withstood some serious pressure, before Oteng-Ntim won us a penalty after some

FOOTBALL ‘heavy’ contact from their left-back that left him no choice but to fall tumbling to the ground. Another Creasey penalty. Another match won. The game that received the most votes, however, for ‘Match of the Season’ was Epsom, perhaps surprisingly given that it was the only time that we dropped points in the league. This match was certainly the toughest of the season: the weather did not aid any attempt to play proper football; the pitch was small and sloping as we had expected, and there was certainly a sense that decisions did not quite go our way in this fixture.

A draw felt disheartening at the final whistle after several controversial moments including an elbow to Creasey’s head (for which he received a yellow card) that forced him to transition to the role of assistant coach for the remainder of the season. Ultimately, however, we reminded ourselves on the bus that a draw worked in our favour, and left the league as ours to lose ahead of our final three games.

The final three? Three 3-0 wins to secure the league title after the Epsom match, when any dropped points could have meant disaster. These were three of the most assured wins of the season; pressure clearly does not pose much of a threat for this group of boys, which bodes well ahead of a busy Summer for the Third Years. The way that they carried themselves through these matches was admirable, and it was fitting that the league campaign ended with an Ejje long-range wondergoal with the final kick of the season against Dulwich.

It seems fitting to end this report with a few examples of the boys’ submissions for the ‘Champagne Moment’ Award in the end of season awards: •

‘Creasey getting knocked out trying to go shoulder to shoulder’.

•

‘Zach getting injured so Bamford could play’.

•

‘Creasey getting decked by the smallest kid on the pitch, lovely to watch’.

•

‘Dave scoring against St. Johns, finally doing something’.

•

‘Dave learning to run’.

•

‘Epsom refereeing and Mr Barber keeping his cool while Ben Pearl tries to scrap’.

Clearly, this was a team that got on with each other very well, which was surely one of the many reasons for their success. They were a pleasure to coach and thanks must also go to all of the parents

who supported us home and away throughout the season. I’m pleased that we managed to put on a good show for them!

B C S Barber Squad M. Ejje (CH) (captain), J. Allan (WH), T. Creasey (HS), B. Doughty (WW), O. Hastie (CH), Z. Johnson (CH), E. Lee (SH), W. Malet de Carteret (JH), O. McIlwham (PS), J. O’Connell (PS), D. Oteng-Ntim (Sc), B. Pearl (Sc), S. Pike (JH), J. Wildblood (PH) Also played: O. Bamford (JH), D. Fagbemi (FH), W. Harrison (JH), C. Hayward (MH), W. Horrell (OH), G. Jobber (SH)

Under 16A Football Results Played: 12

Won: 9

v Brighton College v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v Radley College v The Judd School v Haileybury v Sevenoaks School v St John’s, Leatherhead v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Berkhamsted School v Dulwich College

Drawn: 3

Lost: 0

Draw Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Draw Won Won Won

2–2 3–2 3–1 5–0 4–2 4–1 2–1 6–1 1–1 3–0 3–0 3–0

Under 16B Football

A

rather painful first attack versus defence drill set the tone for what would be a fantastic unbeaten season for the U16Bs. Watching ten attackers fail to score a single goal against six defenders, camped in their box for an entire hour unified the squad behind a playing style most endearingly but rather inaccurately called ‘Brexitball’.

Constant pressure and attacking on the counter with direct runs and high tempo passing was now the name of the game, ultimately a far cry from some early questionable comments comparing the U16Bs to Sean Dyche’s Burnley. However, the incredulity of this drill also highlighted early the sheer strength we would have in defence this season.

Expectations of a successful season started to build with some straightforward wins over Brighton and St Paul’s. The combination of Tim

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SPORT A marauding run from deep by Hugh O’Leary (PS) saw his venomous strike saved spectacularly by the St John’s goalkeeper with five minutes to go, and at the death Cosmo Hayward’s (MH) back post header somehow found its way onto the crossbar, bouncing on the goal line before being cleared. A difficult 0-0 draw to take for the squad, which allowed Abingdon to go ahead of us into first place in the league midway through the season.

Laurencin’s (Sc) diagonal passes, and Jean van der Spuy’s (FH) movement off the ball, which would remain a persistent threat all season, meant we were consistently creating and finishing more clear-cut chances than our opponents. A questionable decision by our goalkeeper Oli Bamford (JH) to take a penalty at 0-0 was a memorable moment of the win against St Paul’s, but we were all glad that he was as reliable in goal and with his command of the area as he was penalty taker. However, we faced our first significant challenge at the hands of Harrow, often one of the strongest and most physically competitive sides in the league. It was a tight affair for seventy minutes, but a dominant and composed performance from captain Charlie Tuffield (SH) and Dominic Fulton (WH) in the heart of our defence meant that we held our nerve, grabbing a late goal after great anticipation from Charlie Palmer (HS) to follow up a shot for the tap-in.

An early contender for goal of the season came when Dara Fagbemi (FH) curled a beautiful top corner shot in off the post from 25 yards against Radley College as we continued our momentum going into the season. However, we suffered our first setback as we persevered through a tricky 0-0 friendly draw against Judd, who despite having never played together, tested us for the full eighty minutes. A couple of great wins later and we would arrive at a season defining fixture against St John’s. Despite a competitive first half in which there were some questionable misses from both sides, we were dominant in the second half. A physical affair would ensue, which suited our most consistent player of the season, George Jobber (SH) to a tee. Never before has football seen someone so motivated by the prospect of a fifty-fifty challenge. I’m sure the St John’s players will not forget his face any time soon. Unfortunately, it was one of those days where the ball would not go into the back of the net.

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One of the most pleasing aspects of this season was everyone’s willingness to adapt for the sake of the team.

Midway through the season and Freddie Rosin (WH) agreed to step into Tuffield’s rather large shoes after an injury at centre-back, delivering a masterclass all season in defensive positioning. Will Harrison (JH) gave up the glitz and glamour of playing as an inside forward on the right-hand side, where goals would have come aplenty to develop into a fantastic right back, and his competence in possession and progression with the ball was a pleasure to see. In an effort to improve our conversion rate, O’Leary, who had previously scored a hat-trick from right-back, was to lead the line as striker.

What followed was an 8-0 demolition of Epsom and yet another hat-trick.

We arrived at the league decider, needing a win to set ourselves up for the league title with our momentum winded. Several Covid cases, injuries, and the school’s annual CRAS two days before meant that we arrived at league leaders Abingdon, who had won all of their fixtures, with eleven incredibly tired players and no substitutes, fielding several players from the C-Team who nobly stepped up to the challenge. Everything seemed perfectly set to be against us. At half time we went in 1-0 down, with the squad looking visibly exhausted. Most of the second half was the epitome of our season. Our belief and desire remained, while our unstoppable pressure paid off, forcing several mistakes. Some great link-up play between Hayward and O’Leary in combination with Bobby Jiang’s (MH) relentless pressure and pace meant we deservedly found ourselves 3-1 up shortly after the start of the second half. However, there was to be a twist that would be written in infamy. With three minutes to go and Abingdon looking defeated, we conceded an unbelievably unlucky own-goal from a corner, followed by a thirty-yard wonder-strike with the last play of the game. The final score was to be a 3-3 draw, and the league title now in the hands of an Abingdon side who were to win the rest of their games. To say it was

FOOTBALL undeserved for such a fantastic group of players who had given everything for the whole season does not do it justice.

Our reaction to the defeat was unsurprisingly commendable. van der Spuy, enjoying his new role as inside forward on the left, starting from his own half proceeded to run around four Berkhamsted defenders before slotting underneath the goalkeeper at the near post. Our final match against mid-table Dulwich saw us initially surprised by the sheer quality they possessed on the ball, with their league position undoubtedly a red herring as they seemed to play with even more confidence and purpose than Abingdon, and we quickly went 1-0 down, missing a penalty in the process. However, once again our perseverance and pressure paid off, and with the score at 1-1, Fagbemi proceeded to score the official goal of the season, half-volleying the ball from 25 yards out into the top-corner. The sheer technique of such a strike would put most of the strikers in the Premier League to shame. The final win confirming our unbeaten season.

It has been a sheer pleasure to coach this group of talented footballers. Special mention must go to captains Tuffield, Rosin and Jobber on carrying out their role with professionalism. Of notable mention also is Oscar McIlwham (PS), who on arriving from the C Team cemented himself as our player of the season with some energetic and entertaining performances in midfield, deservedly winning a call-up to the A-Team for the last few games of the season. A final mention must go out to the incredible support we had from parents both home and away.

L U Masters

Under 16B Football Results Played: 12

Won: 9

v Brighton College v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v Radley College v The Judd School v Haileybury v Sevenoaks School v St John’s, Leatherhead v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Berkhamsted School v Dulwich College

Drawn: 3

Lost: 0

Won Won Won Won Draw Won Won Draw Won Draw Won Won

5–0 4–0 1–0 5–1 0–0 7–1 4–1 0–0 8–0 3–3 4–2 2–1

Squad C. Tuffield (captain) (SH), O. Bamford (JH), C. Palmer (HS), F. Rosin (WH), D. Fulton (WH), W. Harrison (JH), O. McIlwham (PS), T. Laurencin (Sc), O. Fagbemi (FH), J. van der Spuy (FH), C. Hayward (MH), H. O’Leary (PS), G. Jobber (SH), B. Jiang (MH) Also played: B. Fountain-Barber (CH), R. Froggatt (WH), O. Hastie (CH), T. Horrell (OH), W. Horrell (OH), X. Nagberi (CH), M. Nyamali (SH), J. O’Connell (PS), M. Tye (WH), J. Wildblood (PH)

Under 16C Football

F

ollowing some predictions of doom from the coaches who had worked with this squad as U15s, I entered the season with a little trepidation. On meeting them, they seemed charming enough, but would that translate into success on the field? I missed their first game of the season, a routine 7-1 win against Brighton, as I was packed off to scout the D team at their fixture against Eastbourne. Returning drenched (and with Freddie Pointon (WH) immediately elevated to the Cs), we set about preparing for the traditionally seasondefining game against St Paul’s. In what was to be a high point for the season, everything came together, and we ran out 6-0 winners, the first time I’ve ever coached a team who have beaten them.

A hard-fought 1-1 draw with Harrow followed before a fairly run of the mill 6-1 win against Radley. With half term looming, we rested players for the next two games and ended up losing to Judd School (who are definitely on the up in football) and drawing to a woeful Haileybury side. This should have been an omen, as we went on to fail to win a game across the second half of term despite dominating St John’s, Epsom and Abingdon in draws and then enjoying a really tight and even game against Dulwich on the last weekend of term.

Highlights of the season – Ollie Scott (CH) scoring from 50 yards in the losing effort at Berkhamsted, Connor Nolan’s (CH) left-footed curler against Radley and any challenge from Jack Hall (PS) that didn’t involve injury to either himself or the opponent!

This side have much to offer in senior football and I look forward to hearing of their exploits in ‘The Heart of the Club’.

J A Fisher

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SPORT Squad H. Leach (OH), A. Yusifli (FH), C. Nolan (CH), O. Scott (CH), X. Nagberi (CH), M. Tye (WH), T. Horrell (OH), T. Bleakley (WH), J. Cook (SH), F. Pointon (WH), J. Clark (WH), F. Wright (PH), J. Hall (PS), T. Overton-Edwards (HS), M. Nyamali (SH), D. Hudson (CH), B. FountainBarber (CH), M. Wilkinson (WW), J Horta-Machado (PS), C.H. Lam (JH), R. Walsh (CH)

Under 16C Football Results Played: 11

Won: 3

v Brighton College v St Paul’s v Harrow School v Radley College v The Judd School v Haileybury v St John’s Leatherhead v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Berkhamsted School v Dulwich College

Drawn: 5 Won Won Draw Won Lost Draw Draw Draw Draw Lost Lost

Lost: 3 7–1 6–0 1–1 6–1 0–2 0–0 2–2 2–2 0–0 1–4 1–2

Under 16D Football

U

nder 16Ds had a frustratingly stop-start season, with a number of fixtures being called off at short notice when the opposition were unable to raise a team. That said, there were still some very memorable moments! The 1-1 draw with Harrow was a hard-fought battle between two competent teams; Tonbridge were very unfortunate to go behind to an own goal in the first half, but they roared back in the second to grab a deserved equaliser via Dexter

Little (WH). While the game officially finished as a draw, both teams were keen to settle matters via an impromptu penalty shootout. Although Talan OvertonEdwards (HS) and Little were unable to convert (the latter following an ambitious attempt at a Panenka), beautifully placed kicks from Seth Goldhill-Watts (WH), Gus Kingdon (WH) and Adam Chalmers (CH), combined with an impressive three saves from David Hudson (CH), saw Tonbridge victorious. The other obvious highlight was the away game at Epsom, which saw goals from Goldhill-Watts and Kingdon clinch the win in a tight match, with Maxim Golubchenko (Sc) putting in a MotM performance. The boys seem to have enjoyed the season and I hope they will go on to great things in the Sixth-Form XIs! A A Reid Squad M. Avery (OH), T. Bleakley (WH), A. Chalmers (CH), S. Collins (FH), J. Cook (SH), R. Froggatt (WH), M. Gilbey (OH), S. Goldhill-Watts (WH), M. Golubchenko (Sc), H. Gustard (WH), J. Hall (PS), T. Horrell (OH), J. Horta-Machado (PS), D. Hudson (CH), T. Ingram (PH), G. Kingdon (WH), C. Lam (JH), D. Little (WH), T. Overton-Edwards (HS), F. Pointon (WH), A. Popov (HS), C. Robertson (PH), T. Stevens (FH), J. Stormont (OH), C. Tansley (CH), M. Wilkinson (WW), F. Wright (PH), A. Yusifli (FH) Also played: H. Panayiotou (WW), A. Young (PS) Under 16D Football Results Played: 6

Won: 2

Drawn: 1

v Eastbourne College U18E v Harrow School v Sevenoaks School U16C v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Dulwich College

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Lost Draw Won Won Lost Lost

Lost: 3 3-7 1-1 8-0 2-1 0-1 1-6

FOOTBALL

Under 15A Football

W

hilst results did not always go the way of the Tonbridge U15As, their maturity in approach to training and matches and the clear progress they showed as a side was extremely encouraging, and I am confident that outcomes will match input more closely in years to come.

The season started with an away trip to Brighton. On very wet and heavy pitches it was difficult to play the brand of football that the group always attempted to implement but it showed that there was a lot of fight in the group as well. A 3-3 draw was encouraging but also showed some of their naivety, having scored with less than thirty seconds to play to lead they failed to defend this to see home the win. The next weekend was a completely different affair, at home to St Pauls on a massive pitch with space to play. The game started in spectacular fashion with Jimi Adesanya (PH) scoring from thirty yards on his supposedly ‘weak’ foot. Sadly we were slightly outclassed by a couple of fantastic players in the St Paul’s side who found pockets of space with impressive ease and used it extremely effectively.

Next up was Harrow away with an England youth midfielder in their side. This was an excellent performance, an early goal from Max Eichmüller de Souza (PH) giving us a 1-0 lead at half time. Having worked extremely hard and defended with fantastic organisation and shape it was a real sucker punch to concede from two corners in quick succession, the only shots we conceded all game. Sadly we were unable to take either of chances we created in the final few minutes and left without a point but with a lot to build on. We were then comfortably beaten by a strong Judd side in a very poor showing and it was

a shame to lose the momentum that had been built up to that point.

Radley were next and the side showed what they could do with a very strong performance; once again though not taking chances was an emerging trend. A 3-0 win was encouraging but it could easily have been many more had we converted the chances that were created by excellent play.

Haileybury away were next, an undefeated side who were aiming for the title. On a tilted pitch and with a heavy wind it was always going to come down to how you performed downhill with the wind.

We were 1-0 up at halftime playing very well and then struggled to get out of our own half with conditions making it extremely challenging.

It was testament to the boys that once again they played superb counter-attacking football and led with two minutes to go. We conceded an equaliser from a free kick put into the top corner from the edge of the box and left pleased with the performance but disappointed not to quite make it over the line. A comfortable win over Bethany followed with the side showing a more ruthless streak to convert several chances and it seemed like momentum was moving our way. Frustratingly, this was just in time for half term and a large gap in fixtures.

On return from the mid-season break (how very continental, what would Brian Clough have thought) we had St John’s at home. 1-0 up at half time and in complete control we were once again profligate in front of goal missing several guilt-edge chances.

This came back to haunt us when we conceded from a bundled in corner, the only time John’s got into our box all game. Some fantastic football but a loss of concentration at key moments at either end was a recurring theme. Epsom away is always a challenge with some tough conditions and a very slanted pitch. Once again we played extremely well to lead 2-1 at half time but some unexpected decisions and a slight loss in the physical battle meant we were downed 4-2. Real credit must go to Zac Smith (WH) who converted from CB to GK on the bus and put in an outstanding performance. Once again we went from the toughest of pitches to the best when we played Abingdon on their 4G pitch in a stadium able to hold several thousand. Those fans that did turn up got their money’s worth as the boys showed

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SPORT fantastic spirit and ability to come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 showing some excellent counter-attacking play. Two goals for Adesanya were the highlight and whilst we were clinging on at half time we could have won it at the end. With momentum firmly back in the camp we then put in our best performance of the season against an excellent Sevenoaks team to inflict their only defeat of the season. Three fantastic goals and a phenomenal shift of organisation in defence led us to an excellent 3-2 victory. The last two games of the season, however, saw us have to play heavily rotated sides as so many talented boys were pulled in multiple directions with Music, rugby sevens and other wonderful opportunities impacting selection. Sadly we didn’t perform to anywhere near the levels that had been built on in the previous weeks and it was a disappointing way to bow out.

Whilst results didn’t go our way it was fantastic to see the character and footballing understanding of the boys develop enormously over the season and they were excellent when given the opportunity to train with the 1st team. There are a lot of boys who have the ability to play in that time for years to come as long as they keep the same fantastic work ethic. It was also good to see the leadership of different boys throughout the season as they stepped into the captaincy with great aplomb. A wonderful group to work with and a very enjoyable season. Thanks to all the boys, parents and coaches for their support throughout the season.

C W Eades

Under 15B Football

Squad J. Adesanya (PH), M. Eichmüller de Souza (PH), H. Hargreaves (SH), G. Holder (Sc), Z. Moore (WW), F. Mulder (WW), Z. Smith (WH), B. Deen (Sc), J. Ogunkoya-Howland (SH), S. Kolaojo (PS), L. Clayman (Sc), J. McPhillips (Sc), T. Peters (MH), F. Skarbek (MH) Also played: T. James (WH), J. Mannion (WW), A. Bullock (FH), N. Lane (FH), N. Draper (FH)

Under 15A Football Results Played: 13

Won: 3

v Brighton v St Paul’s v Harrow v Judd v Radley v Haileybury v Bethany v St John’s, Leatherhead v Epsom v Abingdon v Sevenoaks v Berkhamsted v Dulwich

I

Drawn: 4 Draw Lost Lost Lost Won Draw Won Draw Lost Draw Won Lost Lost

Lost: 6 3–3 2–5 1–2 4–0 3–0 2–2 10 – 0 1–1 2–4 2–2 3–2 0–5 1–5

t was a volatile year for the U15B Football team over the course of the season. A strong 3-1 win away to Brighton at the start of the season in the absence of their coach, was followed by a 4-1 defeat at home to St Paul’s and a 7-1 loss away to Harrow, once Mr. Hoyland returned; leaving the boys questioning his methods and commitment to the 3-5-2. The lack of a focal point in these two games to lead the attack had lead to dominating performances ending in heavy defeats.

As is often the case in the world of football a mid-week friendly versus the Judd School provided an opportunity to experiment and following a slow first half, (at the time Captain) George Holder (Sc) was moved to striker. Two hat-tricks in two halves of football (including some excellent headers) spilling over into the first-half against Radley ensured Holder was the striker the U15Bs needed, but not the one they deserved; he was promptly poached by the U15As to solve their goalscoring issues. This proved to be the case for the remainder of the U15B season which was defined by

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FOOTBALL phenomenal success being immediately followed by the promotion of players to the U15As. From the team which started in the incredibly hard fought victory (4-2) against Haileybury thanks to a delightful chip from Noah Agble (OH), George Holder, Bertie Deen (Sc), Toby James (WH), James Mannion (WW), joined Jude “Bellingham” Ogunkoya-Howland (SH) as players who deservedly earned their call-up to the U15As. Despite these changes in personnel, the U15Bs rebuilt and scored thirteen goals in three days against the Surrey teams of Epsom and St John’s, Leatherhead. Sadly, as the crowded schedule took its toll on the team and injuries ravaged the squad, a difficult draw away to Abingdon was followed by a chastening loss to Sevenoaks in the derby, where three of the goals conceded in a 4-0 loss were the direct result of long throw-ins. Unusually the best game of the season came in a 0-0 draw at Berkhamsted, where the strikers were so profligate it shall ever be known as “El Missico” – the most exciting 0-0 of all time. The season ended with a heart-breaking 6-0 loss to Dulwich in a fantastic performance from the boys against a phenomenal title winning side. An excellent season and certainly the team to watch next year.

A D Hoyland Squad F. Warren (captain) (OH), A. Bullock (FH), J. Mandich (HS), N. Draper (FH), J. Ogunkoya-Howland (SH), N. Agble (OH), E. Lam (PS), B. Deen (Sc), T. James (WH), D. Levett (CH), N. Lane (FH), G. Siebert (Sc), H. Taylor (SH), C. Cairns-Scott (JH) Also played: P. Somasundram (HS), S. Barker (OH), S. Kolaojo (PS), M. Barton (Sc), G. Holder (Sc), G. Lang (OH)

Under 15B Football Results Played: 12

Won: 6

v Brighton College v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v The Judd School v Radley College v Haileybury v St John’s, Leatherhead v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Sevenoaks School v Berkhamsted School v Dulwich College

Drawn: 2

Lost: 4

Won Lost Lost Won Won Won Won Won Draw Lost Drawn Lost

3–1 1–4 1–7 5–1 5–1 4–2 7–1 6–1 1–1 0–4 0–0 0–6

Under 15C Football

S

ome football teams impress with skill. Others with heart. Others still by fusing together as a band of brothers going for glory. This year’s U15C Boars football squad had skill and heart, and they went for glory. But fused brotherhood was temporary, due to the constant reshuffling of the squad. The stalwarts among the Boars did, however, display those most praiseworthy of virtues: resilience.

Resilience was much needed. The season commenced in a rain-sogged mudfest on the uneven slopes of Brighton College’s Jubilee Grounds practice fields. The pulling and pushing of young men desperate to resist the eternal pull of gravity, mire, and muck on their boots. The slushing of ankle-deep puddles. It was football insofar as there were feet and a ball. A battered Boars squad finally managed to do the honourable thing and slide a heavy ball across the opponent goal line, somehow coming off the foot of future right wing regular Henry Trickey (WH). The 1-0 victory was sweet but damp.

The next two fixtures resulted in the season’s only losses: 0-3 against a punchy, assertively coached St Paul’s and 0-2 against a luckier, more concentrated Harrow. The crystallizing U15Cs slowly absorbed the benefits of the 4-3-3 formation. Future star striker Gavin Siebert (Sc) good-humouredly found himself utterly unable to convert, the goal magically shut less by defenders or keepers or a lack of perfect passes in front of his best foot, and more by the invisible hand of an ill-tempered Lady Fortuna. Both games, the Boars pressed particularly hard in the final 20 minutes, showing characteristic grit. At Harrow, they were moreover playing on the proverbial – and literally – tilted stage of a practice field clearly intended for that school’s version of football rules, in which an oversized medicine ball is rolled uphill through mud by moderately sober alumni wearing lounge coats and a fez, a game on full display three fields down. Much was learned.

Throughout, keeper Austin Lane (HS) saved the Boars with great dedication on the line, while offensive heart and brains Oscar McDonald (SH) earned a captain’s title, competently supported by the playmaking duo George Lang (OH) and Aaron Lee (PH), with their razor-sharp pass game and Marathon lungs. In the back, central defensive panzer Max Robinson-Long (WH) asserted his formidable field presence to great effect (with the oppo-quaking bellow of ‘Max’s’ regularly accompanying vigorous

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SPORT Squad S.l Ayankogbe (MH), S. Barker (OH), T. Barry (JH), J. Bhatnagar (WH), T.Harris (JH), E. Horn (PH), A. Lane (HS), G. Lang (captain) (OH), A. Lee (PH), O. McDonald (captain) (SH), B. Ndzi (OH), M. Robinson-Long (WH), P. Somasundram (HS), G. Siebert (Sc), Heston Symonds (OH), H. Trickey (WH) Also played: M. Bandler (OH), M. Barton (Sc), M. Bentley (MH), A. Bullock (FH), H. Cooper-Fogarty (CH), Corey Little (WH), C. Osborne (CH), S. Gibson (HS), T. Kachecha (OH), D.Levett (CH), A. Fu (PH), L.Macpherson (SH), H. Taylor (SH)

interventions, although these tended to go high and far more often than upfield). Dan Levett (CH) balanced out the back with a competent cool head and an ice-cold discipline that would soon see him taken up by the 15Bs. On the right, vocal strategist Bong-Ra Ndzi (OH) stood his ground and specialized in driving turned-over balls intelligently midfield-wards. Heston Symonds (OH) added speed, quiet expertise, and reliability wherever he was needed in the back. Alex Fu (PH) stepped up when the midfield game needed stability and fresh feet.

Soon, the Boars had to address twin misfortunes, forcing squad adjustments. The first was mostly facing C-Teams featuring large, physical off-rugby players enjoying their winter sports reveries a bit too much with their shoulders out. The former unfortunately impacted the quick and lively Terry Kachecha (OH) and the excellent Max Bentley (MH), too often undone by an extra foot and stone. The second was the ‘up’ and ‘down’ revolution of players as dictated by Covid- and injury-ridden squads. There were further impressive first-time appearances. Robinson Long’s future steel broom twin at centre back, the joyful Ted Harris (JH), muscled his way across the box. Midfield motor, standards specialist, technical battle-axe, and relentless commentator Edgar Horn (PH) reinvigorated the centre. Dynamo Jamie “Great Football Feet” Bhatnagar (WH) added technical versatility to the offense.

Fortunes reversed decisively against a shambolic Haileybury, where a highly disciplined Boars game saw the opposition fall to unnerved pieces. Typical was

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the moment the opposition’s best player attempted to carry a caught ball up-field with his hands in desperation before being sent off to red-faced protest.

Siebert finally scored, not just once by halftime, but in fact all three goals in a convincing 3-0 drubbing.

Tragically, this disappeared him to the 15Bs for the rest of the season.

Freshly unleashed, the Boars charged on. Lang took over from the loaned-upwards McDonald as captain.

For the home game against Bethany School BoysU15B, lightning bolt Samuel Ayankogbe (MH) took his soon-regular position at left forward, and the thoughtful, technical right back Sami Barker (OH) introduced tactical sense to the defence, displacing Ndzi to the left. The Boars were soon further aided by the quick feet and indefatigable spirit of Hamish Taylor (SH), the dogged defending of Pranav Somasundram (HS), sparkplug midfield reservist Corey Little (WH), the occasional return of Bentley, and goalkeeper appearances by Thomas Barry (JH) and Alex Bullock (FH). Results turned briefly ludicrous: after obliterating Bethany 8-0, the U15Cs trounced St John’s Leatherhead 7-1, although the guests outcompeted them on banter by a broad margin in the latter game.

The remainder of the season became calmer as a final iteration of the U15C Boars found their stride, buffeted by the return of the previously invalided and several players that had been briefly pulled ‘up’.

Following a well-fought 3-3 draw away against Epsom College, the squad returned to the old fighting spirit away against a scrappy Abingdon side. Backfooted at the half by a 0-1, the Boards rallied mightily. Lang and

FOOTBALL McDonald scored before the final whistle, pulling out a 2-1 win. Next, the U15Cs faced down Judd School at home with a convincing, almost elated 3-1 result and rounded off the season with a composed 0-0 at home against Dulwich. The final games saw especially spirited defensive work from the usual suspects, joined by former goalkeeper Barry.

It should finally be noted that the U15C Boars performed particularly admirably in the Junior Leagues, where they beat or drew with both the U16C and U16D teams in due course.

J G Reinhardt

Under 15C Football Results Played: 11

Won: 7

v Brighton College v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v Haileybury v Bethany School U15B v St John’s Leatherhead v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Dulwich College v Berkhamsted School v The Judd School v Dulwich College

Drawn: 2 Won Lost Lost Won Won Won Draw Won Won Cancelled Won Drawn

Lost: 2 1–0 0–4 0–2 3–0 8–0 7–1 3–3 2–1 14 – 0 3–1 0–0

Under 15D Football

attitude and real perseverance. Players’ commitment and dedication during tough training sessions truly paid off, and the team rapidly improved throughout the season, with particularly convincing wins against local rivals Sevenoaks and Judd. They are sure to be a force to be reckoned with next season!

J A D Gent Squad C. Percival (WH) (captain), M Bandler (OH), M Barton (SC). J Chambers (WH), H Cooper-Fogarty (CH), J Forman (PH), S Gibson (HS), F Hill (CH), L Macpherson (SH), J Montague Davie (SC), C Osborne (CH), O Ozgur (FH), H Panayiotou (WW), A Ramskill (MH), A Young (PS) Also played: T Barry (JH), J Bhatnagar WH), A Fu PH), T Kachecha (OH), A Lee (PH), C Little (WH), H Symonds (OH), H Trickey (WH) Under 15D Football Results Played: 9

Won: 4

Drawn: 0

v St Paul’s School v Harrow School v Haileybury v St John’s School v Epsom College v Abingdon School v Sevenoaks School U15C v The Judd School v Dulwich College

*

Lost Lost Lost Won Lost Won Won Won Lost

*

Lost: 5 0–5 0–3 2–6 1–0 2–5 5–0 4–2 5–1 1–6

*

T

he season kicked off with very challenging opposition teams. Despite having many talented players, the U15Ds needed to learn how to play as one, maintain shape, and make use of the space effectively. Early losses had the potential to wipe team morale, however, the whole squad displayed an amazing

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RUGBY SEVENS Season Report 2022 The U16s got off to a fantastic start at Rosslyn Park winning all of their group games to finish top of their group. However, they unfortunately then went on to lose their final game of the day to The King’s School Macclesfield, narrowly missing out on qualifying for day two. Some fantastic rugby was played on the day, the boys showing glimpses of their talent, but also some harsh lessons learned and plenty of opportunities for growth ahead of the next sevens season.

D

espite a slow start to the rugby sevens season due to bad weather and cancellations throughout the term, when the boys were able to take to the field they gave a fantastic account of themselves. The U18s made the semi-finals of the Cup at Shiplake, the U16s the final of the Plate at QE Barnet, and the U15s and U14s won the Wimbledon College and Reigate Sevens respectively.

The season culminated at Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens. The U18s played some fantastic sevens on day one, winning all of their group games.

They then convincingly beat Glenalmond College 5217 in the decider to qualify for the Vase Competition on day two. Unfortunately, the team had picked up several injuries throughout the term and also during the tournament and this had begun to take its toll.

The team, ably led by Joe Baldwin (HS) played some fantastic rugby over the two days but unfortunately lost out narrowly to both Queen Ethelburga’s and Merchiston Castle School, whose size and strength in depth ultimately proved the difference on the day.

The boys can be very happy with their performances throughout the term, both individually and as a team.

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The U14s started the tournament very strongly with a big 52-0 win in their opening game against Bryanston School. They then came up against a strong Brighton side who ended up making the semifinals of the u14 competition – Tonbridge lost 10-26. The boys then showed fantastic character to put the disappointment of Brighton behind them and came together to beat London Oratory School 33-24 to finish the day on a high. There is plenty of talent in this group.

Overall, the future of Tonbridge rugby looks very bright and the sevens season once again proved to be a great experience for all that participated.

Rhys Crane Director of Rugby

RUGBY SEVENS

First VII Results The Shiplake Sevens Group Matches: v Haileybury v St John’s School, Leatherhead v Shiplake College Quarter Final: v Ipswich School v Bedford School

Won Won Won

49 – 10 43 – 0 33 – 7

Won Lost

33 – 19 19 – 31

Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens Vase Day One Group Matches: v Haverfordwest High VC School v Blundell’s School v Monkton Combe School Elimination Round: v Glenalmond College Day Two Group Matches: v Queen Ethelburga’s v Merchiston Castle School

Won Won Won

38 – 14 24 – 19 36 – 19

Won

52 – 17

Lost Lost

14 – 22 12 – 21

First VII Squad Joe Baldwin (captain) (HS), Charlie Pughe (PS), William Clarke (PH), Inigo Pullen (PH), Alexander PopeSaffer (SH), Patrick Hughes (HS), Alex Stonor (JH), Sam Beverley (JH), Charlie Thompson (HS), Alexander Peggie (HS), Ben Moore (WH), Ben McClinton (OH), Neil Hudson (CH), Gabriel Riordan (WW), Rhys Parfitt (PH), Xandi Drysdale (PS), Arthur Rogers (HS) Coaches R Crane, R T Scarratt

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SPORT

Under 16 VII Squad Ben Pearl (captain) (Sc), James Allan (WH), Jack Burrows (JH), Luke Clayman (Sc), Henry Hargreaves (SH), Thomas Higgins (OH), Rufus Hockley-Smith (FH), Subomi Kolaojo (PS), Ollie Morgan (PH), Zuriel Nwogwugwu (HS), Hugh O’Leary (PS), Will Tarry (WW), James Wildblood (PH), Tom Creasey (HS), Wilf Stokhuyzen (JH), Edward Lee (SH), Hamish Taylor (SH) Coaches S J Farmer, S Jervis, R Crane

Under 16 VII Results Queen Elizabeth’s School Barnet Sevens Group Matches: v Westcliff High School For Boys v Reigate Grammar School v Berkhamsted School Plate Quarter Final: v Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools Plate Semi Final: v St Benedict’s School Plate Final: v Woodlands School

w/o Won Lost

28 – 5 5 –10

Won

21– 20

Won

31 – 0

Lost

7 – 36

Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens – Colts Day One Group Matches: v St Edward’s School, Oxford v Boundary Oak School v Bishop’s Stortford High School Elimination Round: v The King’s School, Macclesfield

Won Won Won

3–0 42 – 0 24–19

Lost

21–28

Under 15 VII Squad Henry Hargreaves (captain) (SH), Max Eichmüller de Souza (vice-captain), (PH)Thomas Barry (JH), Nicholas Draper (FH), Zuriel Nwogwugwu (HS), Freddie Skarbek (MH), Hamish Taylor (SH), Oliver Woolf (MH), Subomi Kolaojo (PS), Toby James (WH), Luke Keppel (PH), Seamus Hamilton (WW).

Coaches R J M Stephen, R Crane

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RUGBY SEVENS

Under 15 VII Results Wimbledon College John Pieroni Sevens Group Matches: v Whitgift School v RGS, Guildford v Brighton College v Seaford College Semi Final: v Skinners’ School Final: v Hampton School

Won Won Lost Won

21 – 17 12 – 5 10 – 12 40 – 21

Won

42 – 12

Won

21 – 19

Under 14 VII Squad Tom Wild (captain) (HS), Isaac Rosier (vice-captain) (OH), Archie Denny (WH), Jasper Southgate (MH), Robert Greenway (JH), Tiger Bussey (SH), Luke Coll (SH), Jack Bourne (MH), Max Clark (WH), Samuel Pearl (Sc), Sam Blackburn (Sc), Will Barr (Sc), Rufus Foulkes (SH), Jac Haurie-Pelleg (HS).

Coaches C D Morgan, J M T Dixon

Under 14 VII Results Reigate Grammar Junior Sevens Group Matches: v Worth School v Eton College v St Paul’s School Quarter Final: v Berkhamsted School Semi Final: v Hurstpierpoint College Final: v Bedford School

w/o Won Won

22 – 17 28 – 7

Won

26 – 0

Won

17 – 7

Won

33 –14

Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens – U14 Day One Group Matches: v Bryanston School v Brighton College v London Oratory School

Won Lost Won

52 – 0 10 –26 33 –24

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FIVES Senior Fives Report

T

his year was very successful for the fives club, especially the 1st IV who won some of the best games I have seen in my Tonbridge fives career.

The 1st IV this year consisted of Neil Hudson (CH), Massimo Campanale (MH), Max Freudenheim (MH) and Greg Slater (SH).

The first fixture of the season was against the Rugby Fives Association, an adult team. Strong performances from all four players in the singles was too much for the RFA to claw back in the doubles, showing that experience rather than youth cannot always win you games (one of their players being in his eighties!). This is only the third time that Tonbridge has beaten the RFA in three decades, which was a great start to the season.

The second game of the season was always going to be a tough game against St Paul’s, who we have never beaten in our time at Tonbridge. The lack of fitness, and excessive and unnecessary heating of the courts proved tough for the team, as we narrowly lost 90-105.

However, there were some encouraging performances, notably Neil and Max winning in the singles 11-2 and 11-8. The Second IV also played against St Paul’s but also lost, however there was a very strong performance from Alikhan ‘No Let’ Murat (FH) who won 11-3 in the singles, and Alikhan and Kenneth Lee (MH) both played very well in the doubles. The mighty Third IV also travelled down to St Paul’s, and delivered a dominant performance. Phillipe van der Spuy (FH), Alex Woolf (MH) and Theo Scott Wells (FH) defeating their opponents in the singles. They won 126-32.

Following the fixtures against St Paul’s, it was time to play arguably an even tougher fixture against one of the strongest schools, Alleyn’s. What was expected to be a brutal loss, turned into a tight battle, when Massimo defeated the national champion Wiseman 15-7 in the singles. One may argue that home advantage played a key role, however Wiseman has nothing on Massimo. An outstanding performance in the doubles from Max and Greg, also beating Wiseman in one of the games was something to be proud of.

This was a great victory, with the final score being 119-111. The 2nd IV unfortunately lost, however a good performance from Edd Perry (JH) winning the only game won by Tonbridge in the singles 15-10. The mighty 3rd IV backed up their convincing performance from the week before by destroying the opposition

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Max Freudenheim – Nationals Senior Plate 2022

once again, winning every single game except one.

This showed the true depth of the fives club this year.

We were expecting good results at the South-East Regional although the presence of Genesis Nsenga from St. Olave’s meant that the Senior singles was going to be very competitive. Genesis beat Max easily in one semi-final while Neil edged out Massimo in the other. In the (according to Dr Jackson) best ever final in the competition, Neil took the first game 11-8 before Genesis found his length to take the second 11-6. Going into the second hour it required great determination and no little skill from Neil to build a slender lead and hold on to it for an 11-7 in the deciding game. With no doubles partner for Genesis, the doubles was fairly easy with Neil and Massimo winning comfortably and Max and Greg coming third.

Next was another home game, this time against Winchester. A mixed 2nd IV won very convincingly 132-28, and the 1st IV had another extremely close game. A great performance from Max in the singles winning 11-3 only managed to make the overall score 28-36 after the singles matches. Great doubles performances from all the team turned the game around in the doubles, making the final score 98-89, another great win for the fives club this season.

FIVES

We then went away to Christ’s Hospital, who were not as strong as most opponents and the 1st IV won comfortably with a final score of 101-48. Following Christ’s Hospital, the 1st IV played a traditional yearly match against the OTs. Solid wins in the singles for both Massimo and Neil limited damage, the side going into the doubles narrowly losing 35-40. Losing in the singles seems to be quite a recurrent theme this year, so going into the doubles in this state was not a worry. The doubles started strongly for Tonbridge, with Massimo and Neil overall winning 44-19 in their doubles games. In the final game of the match, Max and Greg needed 7 points against the OTs top pair to win the match. This game was great to watch, and they did amazingly to reach 6 points which drew the game 103-103.

After drawing to the OTs, 8 seniors went for a weekend up to Scotland to get a taste of the quality of fives up north. The senior B team got beaten

by Merchiston, whilst the senior A team were dominating Fettes, the Scottish champions, with some ‘great length’ and ‘great width’, with only our second pair losing to their top pair, and Kenneth Lee (MH) and Aidan Huang’s (FH) demolition of their second pair 11-0, 11-0 was noteworthy. After a great supper with some adult fives players, the next day we played Edinburgh Academy, who were strengthened by their coach Richie Murby (ranked no. 9 in the world). This became quite a close match of single games of doubles up to 11. After all the

games, Tonbridge came out with a victory by a narrow 3 points.

I must mention this was the first year a student has beaten Dr. Jackson, with both Neil and Massimo beating him, which shows the quality in the fives club this year. A big thank you to Dr. Jackson, Martin, Mr Deakin (who came with us to Edinburgh) and all the other members of staff in the fives club, who supported us through the whole season, making everything that we achieved possible.

Neil Hudson (CH) Captain First IV Squad N. Hudson (CH), M. Campanale (MH), M. Freudenheim (MH), G. Slater (SH) First IV Fives Results Played: 8

Won: 6

v RFA v St Paul’s v Alleyn’s v Winchester v Christ’s Hospital v Old Tonbridgians v Fettes v EA

Drawn: 1 Won Lost Won Won Won Draw Won Won by 3 points

Lost: 1 113 – 88 90 – 105 119 – 111 98 – 89 101 – 48 103 – 103 111 – 56

Team and Trophies at South East Regionals 2022

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Alikhan Murat, Kenneth Lee, Aidan Huang, Edd Perry

Second IV Squad A. Murat (FH), K Lee (MH), Aidan Huang (FH), Edd Perry (JH)

Second IV Fives Results Played: 4

Won: 1

v St Paul’s v Alleyn’s v Winchester v Merchiston

Drawn: 0 Lost Lost Won Lost

Lost: 3 78 – 115 113 – 136 132 – 28

Third IV Squad Phillipe Van der Spuy (FH), Theo Scott-Wells (FH), Dhani Lynch (FH), Tom Gardner (CH), Alex Woolf (MH)

Third IV Fives Results Played: 2 v St Paul’s v Alleyn’s

Won: 2

Drawn: 0 Won Won

Lost: 0 126 – 32 146 – 87

Under 16 Fives

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he season began in January, with everyone glad to be back on the fives courts for a full season with the normal weekly schedule of leagues back again. The first game was a convincing loss away at Alleyn’s, but we enjoyed the opportunity to play inter-school matches again.

With only five U16s playing fives this year, some match squads were mixed with other years; in the second fixture, a mixture of U16 and 2nd IV players convincingly beat Winchester U16As without losing a game. After half term, mixtures of U16s and U15s lost to both Bradfield and Christ’s Hospital, although the Christ’s Hospital scores were tied after the singles section. The season ended on a high, with Tonbridge beating Eastbourne without losing a game.

Well done to Henry Wang (FH) and Felix Edelman (FH) as the most improved members of the Tonbridge U16 squad, with Felix’s hard work in practising after sessions leading him to ending the season as by far the best U16 player. Also, a big thank you to Dr Jackson, Dr Shafer and Martin for their coaching throughout the season.

Isaac King (CH)

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FIVES Squad Rhys Crosby (MH), Felix Edelman (MH), Isaac King (CH), James Tam (MH), Henry Wang (MH) Under 16 Fives Results Played: 5

Won: 2

v Alleyn’s v Winchester v Bradfield v Christ’s Hospital v Eastbourne

Drawn: 0 Lost Won Lost Lost Won

Lost: 3 45 – 131 132 – 28 74 – 108 127 – 176 118 – 30

Under 15 Fives

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his season was certainly made the most of by the U15s side. Both teams were eager to play matches once more, and with a few new faces to the club, there was promising outlook from the very start. We had around three weeks to warm up our weaker hands, practise once again as a team and prepare for the U15As first fixture against Alleyn’s.

Great games were played between all players in the singles, with particular notice of the debut player Alex Cliff (MH) who won his first ever game (11-6), and a very gripping match between both sides’ top players, luckily with our very own Oliver Woolf (MH) coming out on top in very tight fashion (12-11). The doubles were played with great enthusiasm, with the partnership of Luke Tippin (CH) and Alex Cliff beating their 2nd pair (11-9, 11-6). However, due to injuries sustained prior to the match, the final match was a showdown to 15 between Oliver Woolf and Alleyns’ 4th, with Oliver winning comfortably 15-3.

Unfortunately, a strong first pair in the doubles cost Tonbridge the game, with the final score being 77101 to Alleyn’s – giving the U15s crucial points of improvement going forward for the season which were certainly learnt from.

The U15Bs, however, had a far more promising start to the season. A very solid 116-68 win against Alleyn’s Bs demonstrated a keen mindset from all players, as well as overseeing some great games.

Lucas Saunders-Aroma (PS) smashed his opponent 11-0, earning him his place in the U15As, with Ethan Hudson (OH) and Ed Scott (OH) winning their singles to boost the score. All doubles games were won

by Tonbridge bar one, illustrating this team’s high potential.

With Covid-19 still circulating, the season was somewhat short in games for the U15s, but did not

stop Oliver Woolf (MH), Alex Cliff (MH), and Lucas Saunders-Aroma (PS) from dominating the SouthEast regionals. Having to play up a year group, these three, alongside Felix Edelman (MH) deserve a serious pat-on-the-back for doing so well. In the Singles, three players made it to the semi-finals of the cup. Unfortunately, Alex lost his Semi-final game 10-12 in a truly exceptional match, but we did get to see Lucas and Oliver play each other in their SemiFinal game, before Oliver won the U16 Singles 11-4, 11-7 in a gripping final match. Success was also found in the doubles, an ‘all play all’ style allowed for some fantastic games, with both pairs (Oliver Woolf, Alex Cliff and Lucas Saunders-Aroma, Felix Edelman) once again having to play each other. The 11-2 victory against Tonbridge 2 gave Oliver and Alex the confidence to beat Christ’s Hospital’s 2nd pair 12-10, before winning the competition against Christ’s Hospital’s 1st’s 11-6, with Lucas and Felix taking second place, having won two games. We all commend the team for their well-deserved victory.

The return of Ethan Glucina (PS) boded well for the following fixture for the U15 As against Christ’s Hospital. A slightly weaker side than usual, it’s no surprise that our As beat their opponents with relative ease. The overall score of 130-39 to Tonbridge is testament to the skill of our players, with every game (Singles and Doubles) being won by us. A special mention goes out to Ethan Glucina, who defeated his opponent 11-0 on his debut game of the season and could have been a very useful asset throughout the term, had Covid not stood in the way.

An unfortunate cancellation against the dreaded St Paul’s saw the U15As having to settle with Christ’s Hospital as their last game of the season, but this didn’t stop the U15Bs from tearing up Eastbourne in the final fixture of the term. The match had some great rallies, with the overall score being 136 – 100 to Tonbridge. Strong games in the singles were played

by Luca Tabor (WW) who beat his opponent 11-1, alongside Ed Scott (OH) and Ethan Hudson (OH) who beat their opponents 11-0 and 11-3 respectively.

The doubles too saw some terrific pairings, with partnerships of Freddie Caton (PS) and Barnaby Grant (PS) smashing their first game 15-0, narrowly losing the second 13-15, as well as Hudson and Scott, who won their first game 15-4, and lost the second 14-16 in a very close contest.

Overall, it was an excellent season for the U15s, having won a major tournament, many school matches and improving greatly from the losses.

Every player has become a significantly better at fives through the course of this productive term. I

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SPORT know that we all look forward to next year’s season, and hope that we can bring back more victories for the club. Special thanks go out to Martin, our coach, who has provided us with essential points of improvement every Thursday and Friday, and of course, Dr Jackson himself, who has organised this exceptional season and aided us as players with his 30 years of experience.

Oliver Wilson (MH) Under 15A Squad Oliver Woolf (MH), Alex Cliff (MH), Lucas SaundersAroma (PS), Ethan Glucina (PS), Oliver Wilson (MH)

Under 15A Fives Results Played: 2

Won: 1

v Alleyn’s v Christ’s Hospital

Drawn: 0 Lost Won

Lost: 1 77 – 101 130 – 39

Under 15B Squad Luca Tabor (WH), Luke Tippin (CH), Freddie Caton (PS), Ed Scott (OH), Ethan Hudson (OH)

Under 15B Fives Results Played: 2

Won: 2

v Alleyn’s v Eastbourne A

Drawn: 0 Won Won

Lost: 0 116 – 68 136 – 100

Under 14 Fives

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n the first half of the Lent Term, the U14s – all of whom were pretty much new to fives – spent their training sessions improving their technique as well as learning the rules for both singles and doubles.

All of the coaches helped us with this, as well as developing our understanding of the mechanics of the game. During this half term, we all enjoyed leagues, and towards the end of the period, some internal matches, including one against the U16s.

The first external match for the U14s came just before half term, against Winchester. In the A team, after the singles, Tonbridge were narrowly leading 38-30. After the first set of doubles, Tonbridge had extended their

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lead and after more excellent performances in the reverse doubles, including the second pair winning one of the games 11-8, the final score was 108-84. The B team gave an exceptional performance, winning every single game leaving the final score 132-50.

Next up, the U14s had three fixtures against Alleyn’s.

The A teams produced a thrilling match to watch. After the singles, the scores were tied at 31-31 and were still tied after the first round of doubles. Unfortunately, in the reverse doubles, Tonbridge let it slip a little and the match finished at 97-107 to Alleyn’s. The B team produced another spectacular result, once again winning all of their matches leaving the score at 13248. Despite a good fight, the C team went on to lose 67-133 to good opposition.

The next match was for the U14Cs against Bradfield A team. After the singles matches, the Cs had fallen behind 26-35. This meant that even though they fought back hard in the doubles, with some great performances by both pairs, they still lost the match 82-87.

A week later, the B team were up against the Eastbourne As. After having won all of the singles matches, they led 44-10. After great scores in all the doubles matches, losing only one of the reverse doubles, the final score was 99-34 to Tonbridge.

For the final match of the season, all three teams travelled to St Paul’s with Dr Shafer. Despite the A team losing all but one of their matches, they were all fairly close, leaving the final score as 106-127 to St Paul’s. The B team had a slightly slow start in the singles, after which the score was 33-40, but they went on to complete their unbeaten season by playing well in the doubles winning comfortably 117-104. After a number of close games, the C team lost, with a final score of 72-102.

RACKETS Even though Fives was a new sport to all of us, we have all improved an incredible amount in a very short term. This is thanks to all our amazing coaches, particularly Martin and Dr Jackson. For all the teams, this has been a great season, and we are all looking forward to next year.

Oliver Carroll (CH1) Under 14A Squad Jack Bourne (MH), Oliver Carroll (CH), Jac HauriePelleg (HS), Barnaby Grant (PS) Under 14A Fives Results Played: 3

Won: 1

v Winchester v Alleyn’s v St Paul’s

Drawn: 0

Lost: 2

Won Lost Lost

108 – 84 97 – 107 106 – 127

Under 14B Squad Devan Radia (CH), Krishnaav Miglani (MH), Harry Attenborough (PH), Daniel Armes (WH), Alex Downs

Under 14B Fives Results Played: 4

Won: 4

Drawn: 0

v Winchester v Alleyn’s v Eastbourne A v St Paul’s

Won Won Won Won

Lost: 0 132 – 50 132 – 48 99 – 34 117 – 104

Under 14C Squad Alex Downs (WH), Sam Brant (PS), Oliver Butcher (PS), Ouge Liu (CH), Lucas Flint (PH)

Under 14C Fives Results Played: 3 v Alleyn’s v Bradfield A v St Paul’s

Won: 0

Drawn: 0

Lost: 3

Lost Lost Lost

67 – 133 82 – 87 72 – 102

RACKETS Rackets Club Report

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ent Term rackets started with a home game versus Harrow, where we achieved our first clean sweep of the term, only dropping one game across all four pairs. Cracking start to the term, always a pleasure, never a chore Harrow, chins up for next time!

The next big match brought us to the capital, in the familiar borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, where we were lucky enough to play Radley at Queen’s Club. Every school is allowed one match a season at Queen’s in term time. Whilst the country bumpkins were gifted with lunch on the Radley tab, it looked like Radley were already 1-0 up. However, William Pike (JH) and Finn Kirkland (WH) were able to kick the day off with a convincing 3-1 win over a strong Radley 1st pair, followed by Sam Seecharan (OH) and Jake Hazari-Webb’s (OH) clinical performance over Radley’s well drilled AchesonGray twins. The 2nd pair, 16Bs and 14As followed the trend too, adding to a 5-2 win against one of our main competitors. Only then were we granted access to the restaurant to enjoy a well-deserved Queen’s

Club burger (or in Oli Bamford’s case – a full-on rib eye steak).

Comfortable home wins against Charterhouse, winning 5 of the 6 pairs, Winchester winning 5 of the 7 pairs, and then an away trip to Wellington with a considerably weakened team, where we managed to lose 3 of the 4 matches set us up for a home match against Eton, which was one of the biggest fixtures of the term. The first pair available again, and the Colts A pair both winning 3-0 to start the afternoon off. It was then the 2nd pairs turn to impress. Arthur Ponsonby (Sc) and Alexis Brand (MH) were under pressure and 2-1 down. However, the tables turned, and Tonbridge were able to take the game to 5 sets, where Eton were unable to handle Ponsonby’s big serves, which helped us to a thrilling 3-2 win in that match and contributed to a huge 4-2 overall victory over the Sloane rangers.

Our last match of the season provided us with another tough match day as St Paul’s travelled down to Tonbridge. The last fixture prior to

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SPORT Queen’s, it was crucial that certain pairs could get a psychological edge against the big dogs from the capital. The first pair started with a nail-biting 5-setter against the strongest senior pair on the circuit, and impressively came out with a 3-2 win. Seecharan and Jake impressed once again with a 3-0 win along with Jack Kirkland (WH) and Hugh Jacobs (FH) in the 15A pair. The second pair also enjoyed another 5 sets of outstanding rackets and were unfortunate to narrowly lose 3-2. After a tough day of rackets, the scores came out level at 3-3 across all pairs.

A term of great rackets came to an end and the team was well prepared for the week that followed at the National Schools doubles competition at Queen’s. A special mention goes to the Colts A pair, Seecharan and Hazari-Webb for only losing one match and dropping three games over seven matches this term.

Also, a huge thanks to the OC for always providing a cracking match tea. They really did serve up a treat!

The Rackets club is thriving and winning the Mark Faber Cup (for the first time in 13 years) for the top school in the country this season is testament to the outstanding work by our pro Dave Makey. He is not only a legend at Tonbridge but also in the world of rackets, and year after year produces great players and pairs that keep Tonbridge at the forefront of schoolboy rackets in the country. We are all indebted to him for his outstanding contribution in making us unmistakably the biggest and best Rackets Club in the world with 120 plus members. If you have never given this fantastic sport a try, just pop in one break-time or afternoon for a hit, as it is the best decision I made at Tonbridge. From Will Pike, myself, and the rest of

the Upper Sixth year, cheers Mr Makey, it has been an absolute blast these past five years.

Special mentions also go to Sam Baldwin (HS), Nick Nassuphis (Sc) and Jack Jones (PS) who sadly were all injured and unavailable for Queen’s, but contributed so much in their five years in the Rackets Club.

Finn Kirkland (WH) First Pair W. Pike (JH) & F. Kirkland (WH) Second Pair A. Ponsonby (Sc) & A. Brand (MH) Third Pair A. MacPherson (FH) & O. Sykes (HS) Fourth Pair S. Hadfield (FH) & R. Docherty (PS) Fifth Pair D. Carr-Hill (Sc) & C. Dymond (OH) Under16A S. Seecharan (OH) & J. Hazari-Webb (OH) Under 16B S. Pike (JH) & O. Bamford (JH) Under 15A H. Jacobs (FH) & J. Kirkland (WH) Under 15B E. Hector (FH) & F. Mulder (WW)

Queen’s National Schools’ Doubles Lent Term 2022

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fter our successful Singles Tournaments in December, we took the maximum number of nine pairs to Queen’s in March. Previously the maximum number for all schools was eight pairs four senior, two U16 and two U15. Because Tonbridge has double the number of players of any other school and our UVI boys are an exceptional group of such a high level, I had proposed that all schools should be allowed an extra pair in any of the four tournaments.

This was agreed, and all the other schools chose to enter an extra U15 pair! Predictable stuff, but it did mean we could enter ten seniors (five pairs). Sadly, injuries to Sam Baldwin (HS) and Nick Nassuphis (Sc) weakened us, but it mattered not, as our 2nd pair

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Arthur Ponsonby (Sc) and Alexis Brand (MH) reached the semi final of the 2nd pair cup. They were beaten by our 3rd pair, the LVI partnership of Alex MacPherson (FH) and Ollie Sykes (HS). Macca and Ollie then played well in the final, but Eton’s 2nd pair were too good, and we lost 3 games to 0.

In the Colts competition, the “B” team of Sam Pike (JH) and Ollie Bamford (JH) were beaten early on, in a close and fantastic battle against 4th seeded Wellington. However, our ‘A’ pair Sam Seecharan (OH) and Jake Hazari-Webb (OH) cruised into the Final of the event, thrashing a decent Radley pair in the semifinal, but then played their worst match of the season

SQUASH in the final and were soundly beaten by 1st seeds Winchester.

If there was an upset on the cards, it was possible in the U15 cup, as the one school that had dominated all season, Haileybury, had to put their 4th string in the ‘A’ pair due to injuries, and were vulnerable. In the bottom half of the draw, our ‘B’ pair Ewen Hector (FH) and Freddie Mulder (WW) blew 2 match points in the Quarter Final. In the top half of the draw our ‘A’ pair Hugh Jacobs (FH) and Jack Kirkland (WH) improved with every round and met 1st seeds Haileybury in the Semi-Final. We played well and in a close match won it by 3-1. So, into the Final to play 2nd seeds Malvern.

We lost game one, but the boys sensibly changed sides and turned the match around. We won the next three games and with them the match by 3-1. Hugh and Jack were outstanding in the Final and played the best match of their lives, thoroughly deserving to win the cup.

The 1st pair Finn Kirkland (WH) and William Pike (JH) were seeded 3 and though they struggled in the quarter-final against Eton’s second pair, we got through to meet 2nd seeds St Paul’s in the semi-final.

Our Tonbridge supporters were out in huge numbers

and once again, like at Queen’s in December, the place was rocking. A mighty battle ensued with amazing rallies and massive hitting. We played superbly, but that was still not good enough as St Paul’s were better than us and beat our warriors by 3-1. Finn and William were distraught, but they had given everything, and it was not to be. Many aficionados said after the match that it was worthy of the Final, and this proved correct as St Paul’s won the Final comfortably the next day.

However, with the 1st and 2nd pair reaching the Semis and three of our other pairs, the Doubles Finals, the 3rd pair, U16 and U15, Tonbridge had accumulated more points than any other school and won the Mark Faber Cup, presented to the top all-round school in the country at the end of every season. We were delighted to have won this prestigious cup, and our whole squad, team players and all our other one hundred and twenty or so rackets players all played their part in pulling off this remarkable feat. A truly magnificent effort by the boys in the Tonbridge School Rackets Club.

D J Makey

SQUASH Michaelmas and Lent Squash Club Report

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t has been great to get back on court this season after such a long break from competitive matches, and whilst some of our usual opponents have struggled to get sides out, there are a number of new fixtures in the calendar for next year. It is also pleasing to see squash become a three term sport, with boys able to opt for the club in the Summer Term as well now. In this context, over seventy boys have been in the club this year, and there is a lot of talent coming through in the lower school.

The ethos of the club is to try to match the strength of the opposition, rather than fielding the strongest possible side for every fixture. However, we had a full side out for the first match of the season, achieving our best win against Charterhouse in 20 years, who have traditionally been our strongest opponents. We now have Winchester on the fixture list for next year who are stronger still. We fielded two competitive teams in the Epsom Inter-School Competition, and narrowly missed promotion from the Roehampton

Competition’s second division. Prospects are very good indeed for both of these competitions next year, with three of the current First IV still at Tonbridge next season.

Finally, I want to end by thanking Cliff Herridge for his continuous efforts to help the boys improve during official session and with one-on-one coaching. He has also organized Monday night sessions for nonclub players, and two trips to watch the professionals play at the Canary Wharf Open. We look forward to the 22/23 season being one of the best for many years.

C M Battarbee Full Colours Awarded Alexis Brand (MH), Matthew Bull (MH), Alex MacPherson (FH), Christopher Sneddon (OH) Half Colours Awarded Thomas Beggs (PH), Abhay Menon (Sc), Edward Norton (PS), Alastair Wu (MH)

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FENCING Foil

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stark improvement can be seen compared to last term, to which we have both the foilists themselves and their captain Dominic Leo (PH) to congratulate. The overall results turn up green for this term, with more victories than defeats, and we hope it can stay that way under the captaincy of the quick-footed Leo. Jasper Southgate (MH) came 3rd in the Mount-Haes Foil in the Public School Fencing Competition, and in May we have the results of the British Youth Championships (BYCs) in Sheffield to look forward to, with a few foilists from Tonbridge competing. The Summer Term always proves to be a quieter one, so the time should be used to grow and strengthen the Foil team that we have at this school.

J.P. Vieu and Gabriel Day (CH) Squad G. Day (Captain), D. Leo (Foil Captain) (PH), A. Chan (MH), S. Chamberlain (HS), S. Southgate (MH), M. Cheung (PS).

Fencing Results: Foil Played: 13

Won: 7

Lost: 6

v Worth

Won

45 – 19

v Brentwood

Lost

16 – 45

v Westminster

Lost

42 – 45

v Westminster B

Lost

34 – 45

v Sevenoaks A

Lost

33 – 45

v Sevenoaks B

Won

45 – 20

v Charterhouse A

Lost

42 – 45

v Charterhouse B

Won

45 – 38

v Benenden A

Lost

40 – 41

v Benenden B

Won

45 – 34

v Worth

Won

45 – 10

v Ardingly A

Won

45 – 35

v Ardingly B

Won

45 – 26

Épée

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he Épée team displayed a strong term of fencing; it is nice to see both victories against some of the clubs that were last term’s losses and also the closing of the gap between the scores of our losses. We can certainly take these results with a positive onlook. A highlight of the term is definitely the Westminster match, where the result of the match came down to a sudden-death, golden point moment.

Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the win this time, but it looks very positive for the next time we face Westminster on the piste. The ever-calm Nicholas Samuel (WH) has continued to lead the epee team with brio, and we look forward to seeing their future results.

We wish the epeeists fencing at the BYCs the best of luck and hope they come back with positive results.

J.P. Vieu and Gabriel Day (CH) Squad G. Day (Captain), N. Samuel (Epee Captain) (WH), A. Chan (MH), M. Raymond (CH), J. Parr (SH), G. Day (CH)

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Fencing Results: Épée Foil Played: 12 13 Worth vv Worth vv Brentwood Brentwood

Westminster vv Westminster vv Westminster Skinners A B Sevenoaks vv Skinners BA vv Skinners Sevenoaks CB

Charterhouse vv Sevenoaks A A vv Sevenoaks Charterhouse B B Benenden A vv Charterhouse vv Benenden Benenden B Worth vv Worth vv Ardingly Ardingly A v Ardingly B

Won: 7 Won Lost Lost Won

Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Won

Lost: 5 6 45 – – 45 19 43 16 – 45 45 – 41 42 – – 44 45 43

34 28 – – 45 45 33 45 – – 45 27

Won Won Lost Won

45 45 – – 20 42 42 45 – – 45 37

Won Won Won Lost

45 – – 41 34 45 45 – – 43 10 36

Won Lost Lost Won

Won Won Won

45 – – 45 38 40 40 45 – – 41 35

45 45 – – 35 44 45 – 26

SWIMMING

Sabre

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eeping the same line-up as the Michaelmas term, the team had the most successful season of the three weapons. Captained by the fierce Winner Sotthivej (PS), who won both the Sabre and MAA internal competitions, the victories the team achieved were confident ones. The team’s growth can be seen in external competitions as well, where all five sabreurs that entered, qualified for the BYCs in May. At the Qualifiers, Tonbridge School swept the podium, taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, so we look forward to writing about their results in the next publication. At the Public School Fencing Competition, Laifu Fan (PH1) was Champion for Mount-Haes Sabre, after finally joining us back at school, while Seb Silva (SH3) came 2nd in the Junior and Winner Sotthivej 6th in the Senior; this led to Tonbridge School being top school in Sabre results – no mean feat!

J.P. Vieu and Gabriel Day (CH)

Squad G. Day (Captain), W. Sotthivej (Sabre Captain) (PS), S. Silva (SH), L. Tippin (CH), A. Chan (MH), C. Coogan (PS), E. Lau (PS)

Fencing Results: Sabre Played: 7 v Worth

Won: 6

Lost: 1

Won

45 – 35

v Brentwood A

Lost

38 – 45

v Brentwood B

Won

45 – 32

v Charterhouse

Won

45 – 41

v Benenden

Won

45 – 32

v Worth

Won

45 – 18

v Ardingly

Won

45 – 13

SWIMMING Swimming Club Report

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successful and enjoyable term with several excellent swimmers joining the club and a record number of Novi!

The term began in early January with the Kent Schools Individual Championships at Hartsdown pool. After eight hours of racing the team secured nine finalist medals. Max El-Mokadem (WW) won gold for the inters 100m Butterfly with a time of 1.01.77, and silver in the inters 100m freestyle. Alex Tollit (HS) won bronze in the inters 200m IM and 100m Breaststroke. It was also impressive to see boys who have previously not raced for the school come away with finals medals and hold their own against swimmers who train upwards of 15 hours per week.

This term saw the introduction of the Tonbridge Triangular meet against Judd and Skinners.

Tonbridge boys swam well across all age ranges, with some excellent swims from the Novi in their first race representing the School, with a particularly impressive breaststroke individual from Justin Leung (JH). Tonbridge went on to wIn the meet, and importantly established a new fixture in the swimming calendar.

Next, Tonbridge hosted the Weald and Downland trophies. For the first time in the event’s history Tonbridge won the three shields they are eligible for.

Largely these were won on the relay races, displaying the depth and quality of the squad across the year groups. The Tonbridge Trophy followed the Weald and Downland, hosted at Tonbridge the trophy sees 12 schools from across the South East competing.

Tonbridge came second place to a very impressive Ardingly side (who went on to win the Bath cup).

House swimming continues to be an enjoyable event, with highlights from Ferox Hall’s excellent choice in head wear. A close fought competition, WW, HS and JH were all very tight on points, unfortunately a disqualification from WW meant that going into the final cannon the cup was between HS and JH. A very impressive swim from JH led to them taking the trophy, but HS clearly have a lot of talent in their lower years which will make them a force to be reckoned with in years to come.

It is also important to thank the boys who have not made the squad this term, but who have helped with the organisation and running of all our home fixtures.

Finally I would like to thank Jeanette Dymond who has coached a huge range of boys this term from understanding the basics to mastering turns for the individual medley.

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BASKETBALL Under 19 Basketball over Christ’s Hospital, Harrow, Folkestone and Maidstone followed, along with narrow defeats to both Charterhouse and Gravesend. A resounding thumping of Skinners’ School set the stage for the seasonal curtain call which is the Tonbridge Basketball Cup, this time played as a three-way tournament against both Sevenoaks and Cranbrook. Tonbridge followed up their earlier win with a good performance against Sevenoaks, and took an early lead against Cranbrook before being overhauled in the dying minutes, handing them the trophy for the first time.

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ike other sports taking place during the Lent Term, the Basketball Club was faced with the daunting task of rebuilding a fixture list and a match-fit squad de after the interruptions of lockdown in Lent Term 2021. This was compounded, as ever, by the annual uphill-battle caused by only starting to play after Christmas: whilst most of our opposition schools have been playing since September, the availability of just one indoor Basketball Court means that we must hand over the space to our fine colleagues in the Badminton Club throughout the Michaelmas Term. One significant change for this season was inauguration of a West Kent Schools Basketball League, bringing with it several new opponents including Ravens Wood, The North School, Folkestone Academy and Gravesend Grammar School. On top of a fulsome fixture list inherited from previous years, this made for a busy and engaging season of basketball.

It was very much a season of two halves: shellshocked, perhaps, by the arrival of thoroughly-drilled opposition, the 1st Team struggled to make inroads into the first couple of games of the season, losing heavily at first, and then narrowing the margins as the team started to find form. An agonisingly close game versus the North School marked the turning point, as confidence began to flourish and the team started to gel at last. Dominant performances

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Promising new talent was on display in the club throughout the season, and it was tremendous to see a number of new faces in the team this year, as well as emerging talent from the younger years, especially in the form of Sasha Duda (PH) and junior captain Matt Tao (SC), both of whom made increasing numbers of appearances for the 1st team throughout the season. The welcome return of Isaac Glucina (PS) to the club after half term was only bettered by the fact that he remained both physically present and uninjured for the rest of the season – a first, and last, in his time as a Tonbridge Basketballer.

Amongst farewells to many high-quality players, we also say farewell to Club Captain Caspar BagnallWalmsley (WW), who has given years of skilled and dedicated service to the club, not to mention a huge number of baskets scored. We wish all the leavers the very best in the future.

S J Hargreaves Squad J. Au (SC), C. Bagnall-Walmsley (WW) capt., Z. Beasty (WH), R. Cheung (PH), A. Chow (PH), S. Duda (PH), I. Glucina (PS), P. Hwang (PS), A. Lam (JH), H. Lam (FH), A. Pope-Saffer (SH), E. Roche (SH), J. Sze (Sc), M. Tao (SC), J. Zhong (HS) Also played: C. Halford (WH), H. Rolf (WW), M. Shen (FH)

BASKETBALL

Under 19 Basketball Results Played: 14

Won: 7

v Cranbrook School v Ravens Wood School v The North School v Christ’s Hospital v Harrow School v Folkestone Academy v Maidstone Warriors v Charterhouse v Sevenoaks School v Wellington College v Eton College v Gravesend Grammar v Skinners’ School

Drawn: 0 Lost Lost Lost Won Won Won Won Lost Won Lost Won Lost Won

Lost: 7 35 – 54 57 – 77 37 – 39 60 – 31 52 – 42 37 – 29 54 – 31 42 – 69 62 – 37 47 – 57 72 – 40 47 – 58 90 – 22

The Tonbridge Basketball Cup Lost

School the squad were slick in offence, which was replete with complex new set plays to secure a 57-32 win. All squad members saw amazing improvement over the short season, showing great tenacity and attitude on and off the court. Overall, it was a stellar season, and each player was an excellent addition to the Basketball Club.

A R Cooper

Squad Matthew Tao (Sc) capt., Max Teh (HS) vice capt., Sasha Duda (PH), Dylan Huang (FH), Brandon Tang (PS), Arul Singh (PS), Fred Munn (MH), Nicholas Laidlaw (WW), Virgile Patricot (WW), Felix Shen (HS)

Under 16 Basketball Results Played: 8

Under 16 Basketball

T

he Lent Term saw an intense run of fixtures for the U16 basketball team. Though an initial loss of forward Alex Titchener (WH) to injury dented the defensive strength, Arul Singh (PS) and Sasha Duda (PH) stepped up to cement themselves as strong post players under the basket. An initial win against Cranbrook 4440 saw Captain Matt Tao (Sc) dominate in the offence, scoring multiple threes and securing the win. A close win against Langley Park 53-51 exposed a bit of uncertainty in the new defensive set up, and unfortunately this was capitalised

by Harrow in the only loss of the season, final score 45-55.

Won: 7

Drawn: 0

v Cranbrook School v Langley Park School for Boys v Harrow School v Kent Panthers Basketball Club v Charterhouse v Wellington College v Eton College v Skinners’ School

Won Won Lost Won Won Won Won Won

Lost: 1 44 – 40 53 – 51 45 – 55 59 – 50 38 – 20 43 – 26 36 – 25 57 – 32

Unphased and in good spirits, the U16s powered on in training, developing their shooting accuracy as well as experimenting with new defensive set ups. Discipline remained a sticking point, with the team fouls cone often visible on the officials table, however Tonbridge powered through with a run of victories for the rest of the season. Come the last match of the season against Skinners’

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Tonbridge Lookalikes “Knowing me, knowing you...”

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Alan Partridge

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Mark Forkgen

Bertolt Brecht

Edna Mode

Emily Glass

Puzzles How well do you know the school? The first person to bring their copy of The Tonbridgian with this page filled in to Mr Ben Barber will receive a voucher for the School shop…

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