watched by Todds and IIs, as well as Carrdus Year 5 and Year 6, and greatly enjoyed by all. The hat stand that turned round to reveal a skeletal hand and a truly ghoulish ghost was the prop masterpiece, but the girls also loved the after-production Question and Answer session with the actors. Many girls also took part in external competitions, and plaudits particularly go to Adèle Tumilty for being shortlisted for the Deddington Festival Writing Competition, and Grace Sale for making it to the second round of the national Radio 2 500-Word Short Story competition. We think both girls did fantastically well, and hope many more girls will take up the challenge next year. Outside school, the English Department ran a trip to the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham to see one of the best productions of “The Tempest” many of the department staff had seen in a long time. It was mostly for the benefit of sixth formers studying the play, but places were opened up to aspiring girls from the lower years. What was particularly noteworthy was the highly dramatized physical rapprochement between Prospero and Caliban at the end. Some might say the meal beforehand at Carluccio’s was also pretty good! The English Department also took a group to the Althorp Literary Festival this summer to hear Sir Tom Stoppard, Lady Jane Wellesley, Alan Johnson and Louise Mensch talk about their latest books – or, in Sir Tom’s case, one of his favourite books: “Le Grand Meaulnes”. The Tudor girls were inspired by many anecdotes of the day, including how Sir Tom had not read “Ulysses” when he wrote the play “Travesties”, despite filling it with references to the famous novel, or how Louise Mensch won her first contract with a publisher despite not actually having written the rest of the novel, other than the trial chapter she had sent off. Thanks go to Greta Scott, Oli Jowett, Nessa Zard, Emelie Monye, Sasha White, Jazzy Banister, Georgie Stolper, Maud Swanborough and Zoi Moir. A word has to go to our outgoing UVIth: Indi Radford, Hermione Hill, Rosie Pruden, Emily Hockaday, Lucy Ayres, Georgie Wedderburn, Mima Allison, Flossie Cunningham, and Imo Reid. They are an inspiring bunch and we know they will go on to great things. Congratulations to Emily for winning the Ashtons English Prize. Behind the scenes there have been noticeable staff achievements. Mr Field is now driving the school’s
pedagogy forwards in his key role as Director of Teaching and Learning. Mrs Beecham is formally publishing on the TES resources website her PhD– quality research into works of literature such as “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale”, “The Miller’s Tale”, Commentaries on 45 Hardy poems, “The Rape of the Lock”, “Hamlet”, “Othello”. Mr Kent and his wife Victoria have been blessed with a baby girl, Lara, although do not talk to Mr Kent about sleep right now! Dr Gray, who before this year had only taught History of Art, has achieved her ambition and is taking up a post with a substantial English–teaching component at Caterham School in September. Ms Skye is coming back into the department full time after 7 years as a housemistress, and we look forward immensely to more of her lively company and creativity. Bob Roberts – Head of English
OXFORDSHIRE BOOK AWARDS
THE OXFORDSHIRE BOOK AWARDS 2014 Ten Todds went to Abingdon School on Friday 16th January to attend the Oxfordshire Book Awards. We listened to and watched the presentations of several prizes: Best Picture Book, Best Primary Book, Best Commended Primary Book, Best Secondary Book and Best Commended Secondary Book. The authors of the Best Picture Book and the Best Commended Primary Book were there: Sue Hendra for her No-Bot, the Robot with No Bottom, and Andy Mulligan for his The Boy with 2 Heads. I have to admit, though I had never heard of these writers before the big day, I ended up going home with signed books from both of them. After the ceremony we went to the book fair. They didn’t just sell the prize–winners’ books there; they sold lots of others. I bought three books: Norman, the Slug with a Silly Shell by Sue Hendra (which she signed) for my sister; Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death by Chris Riddell (again, for my sister) and Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan (he signed it). Having a writer to sign my books felt really special. It was a great day and I’ll never forget it. Orlanda Stephens
THE TUDORIAN 2014 – 2015
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