The Barometer Half Term 2 2021-22

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BAROMETER NOVEMBER - December 2021

HALF TERm 2

CONTENTS: Creative Writing - Jaspar O Senior School Play: Neville’s Island - Henry B The Hundred: is it good or bad for cricket? - Jamie B Field Day - London Zoo Felipe E Field Day - The French Institute - Deni D Fail To Prepare. Prepare To Fail - Harris R Field Day - Museum of Brands - Isaac E Music Review - Sam M Theatre Review: Dear Evan Hansen - Ihsan A

Field Day - Bletchley Park Miguel A-C Field Day - Duke of Edinburgh - Rodrigo B-D and Devan S What makes Art, Art? - Theo N Aum Shinrikyo - Barnaby M-J The Future of Virtual Reality Zain S The uses of 3D graphics Daniel W Field Day – University Walkaround - Jamie M Queens Park Rangers F.C. Martin V Update on U.S. Midterm Elections - Felipe E

Field Day - The Tate Modern and The Saatchi Gallery Sebastian A The origin of Heracles’ myth Zachary G Basketball – An unfamiliar sport in the U.K. - Alex W Field Day - The Globe Theatre - Zain S The internal combustion engine - Jeremy B Remembrance Assembly Interview with WSS’ Organist in Residence - William P-N Does your High Street have a future? - Kaveh K The Zeitguide - Taddeo B

Cover photograph - Kaveh K, Year 10

Back cover design - Oscar T, Year 11

Runners Up: Nic P, Year 12

Runners Up: Jay J, Year 9

Creative Writing Jaspar O, Year 8 writes...

The Subtle Scar, 1792, Paris.

The clouds loomed low, an ominously still fog slightly clouded people’s vision. The trees were barren and crouched like claws. However, most of Paris was excited because it was execution night and so was Denis Pelletier but not about the very first guillotine execution, a new cure to the flu was what excited Denis because he was the scientist who had discovered it. Denis was a plump red-cheeked scientist, who wore the same dark suit every day. The type that when he sat down; the wooden chair creaked, crying in pain, the frail chair held together, barely.

Earlier that day, Darren Black: a fastidious workaholic, arrived late at the University of Paris, Denis was perplexed as his dependable friend had never clocked in late the 5 years that Denis had known him, something was not right. Darren was devastated.

Suddenly, a single teardrop erupted from Darren’s eyelids and slowly trickled down his pale face forming a lonely streak. Words barely formed from his lips. The first sentence he said after drying his tear was “the flu has taken another man’s life, make sure it doesn’t take any more.” People believe it was his father, but the only certain thing was that those scholars worked for 9 hours.

Until 6:00 p.m. when Denis made a breakthrough in the wooden ornament of a lab, a cure. 7:00 p.m., Denis arrived at his cheap rental apartment. Previously owned by a cretinous hunter, the apartment was scattered with stuffed animal carcasses

and church-like bookshelves that inhabited more cobwebs than books, animal heads were mounted on crumbling walls as the empty eyes of the dead animals engrossed the room.

Ominous lamps with devilish carvings dimly illuminated the unkempt disarray of a oneroomed flat, it was no place to conduct a science experiment, but it was the only place available because the university closed early due to the executions. Denis was generally sheepish; he didn’t find these types of killings enjoyable.

Nobody really knows where he gets the timidity because he was abandoned for no clear reason and left at an orphanage. He was never adopted, “too fat” is what people said. He had always been alone; his uncle was a ruthless outlaw that rejected Denis at the very moment he heard the word nephew. Denis had had enough, only at 8 years old he managed to escape the horrors of that house.

Denis was about to test the flu drug in his apartment on a squirrel who managed to get the flu. He had doubts. What if the squirrel dies? Will I get kicked out of university if I fail? Will anybody ever find a cure? The squirrel looked distraught, its eyes vacantly innocent staring right at Denis. The medicine was a dark purple that glistened eerily in the low light. The squirrel frailly sipped the liquid. Its small head lifted, its bushy tail raised, it scrambled across the room. The squirrel was overwhelmed with immense joy for 30 seconds before blood spluttered out of its mouth.

Gradually more blood gushed out of its mouth. A dark red pool formed on the floorboards.

Suddenly its eyes popped and the puddle on the ground grew. The stains would never come out.

Denis strolled out into the spinechillingly cold night with one objective, to get that revolting image out of his head. His black shoe was strangled by its laces as it stepped onto the cobbled road.

His face still awestruck. The stones were littered with uneven nooks and crannies. Suddenly a shrill voice rang through Denis’ ears, “murderer!”. Denis glanced up and recognised the unruly beard, angled, bushy and protruding eyebrows. He remembered the milky, snake-like eyes, but most importantly he saw a subtle scar northwest of his upper lip. Denis racked his brain. Suddenly, his jaw fell. It was Denis’ uncle Jacques Pelletier. Jacques’s trembling legs slowly waddled to the guillotine.

The executioner thrust Jacques on the machine of menace. A look of terror erupted across Jacques’s face and shivers spread through his body like a virus.

Denis saw Jacques’s head twist in his direction. Denis would be the last thing Jacques ever saw. The blade hovered ominously above Jacques’s neck. Jacques’s eyes shut.

The blade came down. The head fell, blood was spitting out and staining the body. Denis darted towards the wooden stand. He wanted to have one more look at the man who rejected him.

Denis’ finger lowered to the subtle scar. Contact. Thunder blitzed onto trees and unhooked the leaves. Denis fell unconscious, not because of the lightning, but because of the scar. In Denis’ mind, reapers moaned, and chains clanked, he thought he went to hell. It was over. Denis woke up, but he would never be the same.

SENIOR School Play: Neville’s Island Henry B, Year 13 writes…

Neville’s Island follows four businessmen who end up stranded on Rampsholme Island due to a mishap with a team-building exercise. Intentional or not, the freezing cold theatre certainly immersed the audience into the Lake District setting. I particularly admired the actors who played the opening scene; they appeared on stage in drenched costumes – a brave but effective choice which immediately made it clear to the audience that they had just swum ashore. The convincing set design and sound effects added to the suspense: Wetherby is very lucky to have a partnership with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), so the boys are able to perform in a professional theatre every year.

The annual school play is always a highly anticipated event. In spite of the pandemic, the drama department pulled out all the stops to ensure that it could go ahead – a tall order since the entire venture was overshadowed by the fact that one of the lead actors could have fallen ill. Miss Twomey took this into consideration and had the foresight to select a play with only four characters. Instead of casting four actors, she planned for a series of performers to portray the same part, thereby mitigating the risk of cancellation and also giving everyone a chance to play a lead role. The colour-coded costumes made it very easy to follow the story. Moreover, the actors’ use of tone and volume meant that the audience could recognise each character’s notable traits even when the performers were swapped around.

I could discuss each scene in great detail, but I feel that the most important factor in this phenomenal production was the magnificent teamwork that went into it. It was a thoroughly entertaining show.

The Hundred: Is it Good or Bad for Cricket?

Jamie B, Year 9 writes...

In the past, cricket consisted of only one form, the test. This 5-day epic gave each side two turns (or innings) to bat and bowl. This form of cricket is generally considered to be for avid watchers of the sport nowadays.

More modern versions such as twenty twenty (also known as T20 where each side bat and bowl for 20 overs each) and the one day international (where both teams bat and bowl for 50 overs each) tend to be more popular with the general public as they are much more informal and shorter.

who had gone to the cricket for a good time and less for people who had come through a love for the game. This new form quickly gained popularity with every kind of cricket fan as the standard of play was exceptionally high and was also exciting and flashy.

form of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, English cricket had never seen anything like this on home turf apart from The Big Bash (or county T20 championship) but even that was nothing like this brand new, flashy form of cricket.

Contrary to what you would expect from a domestic championship, The Hundred involved high-profile players from all over the globe instead of just from England. In this sense it was, in essence, just a shorter

Overall, The Hundred is seen by the vast majority of cricket fans to a be a positive move for the game as it mixes the excitement of a fast and constantly changing game with the authenticity of a classic cricket game.

This summer, The Hundred was cautiously introduced to the cricket community as a way to make cricket a more popular sport with the younger generation.

It began with a bang, featuring bright lights, fire cannons and loud music not unlike the atmosphere experienced at an NFL game in the US. The exciting atmosphere was aimed at people

Field Day - London Zoo Felipe E, Year 7 writes…

A sunny cool day began in the science labs in the Marylebone building. Each child registered accordingly. We then all started our 25 minute walk up to London Zoo. We passed by Regent’s Park football field and cricket field. I felt that it was lovely to get some green, when we spend a lot of our days near high-rise buildings.

Fresh air is always welcome. We were then greeted by a huge map of the London Zoo. We split up

in to groups of 10. I was with Mr Curlante and Ms Zaman. We went to the gorillas and took some pictures. After that we then went to the tiger hut and saw some tigers.

After that we had a long and descriptive talk about the adaptation of animals over time to deal with the problems it’s species have faced. We also had a chat about the zoo’s history and how it helps zoos around the world with many issues. Affterwards, we had

lunch in the big central middle of the zoo. I bought a burger with some friend’s money which wasn’t very good but the chips were nice.

After that we looked around the butterflies and the monkeys and the penguin beach. The penguin beach was quite cool I must say.

Then we headed back and were dismissed from Regent’s Park.

Overall, it was a great day and credit to Mr Pimlott for organising the trip.

Field Day - The French Institute Deni D, Year 9 writes...

On Friday the 5th of November Year 9 French students were invited to the Institut français for a special screening of the film “Dilili à Paris” which translates into Dillili in Paris. The film is a computer-animated adventure/ mystery and its screening was hosted in the Ciné Lumière: the French Institute’s cinema.

Personally, I was very excited about watching a film with my friends. I think others were too and at 9 AM that morning, we were given a presentation about the film’s history.

Dilili à Paris concentrates on racial inequalities through the main character: Dilili- a Kanak girl from New Caledonia, a lovely and charming character. In the first minutes of the film the director portrays a fearful picture, when Dilili is being closely followed by a white man who stays behind without revealing himself.

Dilili meets a local delivery boy named Orel and hears from a newspaper salesman that a person nicknamed the ‘Mystery Man’ is believed to have kidnapped women and girls. Orel and Dilili become friends as the film progresses. The boy takes Dilili to many famous French buildings and locations in search of a mysterious villain – as they strive to find the missing women and girls.

The film features many wellrecognised people like Louis Pasteur - a French biologist and chemist who is renowned for his discoveries in the fundamentals of vaccination, microbial

fermentation. Louis Pasteur aids Dilili and Orel with information on the mysterious identity and provides medical help to Orel when he is bitten by a dog with rabies.

As the film progresses, we see more and more of Paris. I was shocked to find out that the film was composed of reworked photographs of real places in Paris. In fact the director, writer and designer, Michel Ocelot spent 4 years and took thousands of incredible photographs of the capital very early in the mornings - to attain an almost empty city effect limiting the number of items that needed to be removed from the final photos. As the film was being created, computer animated characters and objects, such as Dilili and Orel were added in.

Having gotten more information on the Mystery Man, Dilili and Orel meet Emma Calvé a French operatic soprano born on the 15th of August 1858. With her swan-shaped boat, the duo are able to travel through the sewage system in search of the secret lair of the Mystery Man. The friends then head to the French Police to inform them of their findings. The Police refuse to believe them and laugh the duo out of the room.

Sadly, Dilili is captured by the Mystery Man’s organisation.

At this point, we learn that the members of the French Police are actually part of said organisation and the organisation is actually based in the Paris sewers. The group believe that they will make Paris great again because they believe women are ruining equality. They force females to

walk on all fours, and act as seats for the male members. Even more than that, the women are numbered and are not called by their name. Through this organisation, we study the gender inequalities that exit in the world.

As Dilili is taught to walk on all fours, she decides to rebel against the members. She says: “You can not imprison me. I leave now.” As this occurs, Dilili is isolated by metal bars which prevent her from leaving and meeting her friends: Orel and Emma. Not long after, Orel and Emma find Dilili and rescue her from the evil group.

Eventually, other women and children are rescued and freed.

Dilili in Paris was a fantastic film and the plot of the film is very entertaining and really gripping.

I loved our trip to the French Institute and Dilili in Paris is now one of my favourite French films.

In case you haven’t seen it or wish to view it again you can stream the film through Prime Video, Apple TV+ and other services. I loved our field trip the French Institute and I’m sure I am not wrong in saying that many other did as well.

Fail To Prepare Prepare To Fail Harris R, Year 11 writes...

my career. I recognised how much a friend had transformed himself An interview with former as an athlete in a very short period GB athlete and gold winning by joining a professional sprint Olympian, Allan Wells. squad (1974) and then went on to win the British Indoor Games at From a young age you have been Cosford. At that time I recognised actively and successfully involved that this could be a door opening in athletics, specifically as a and without hesitation quickly triple and long jumper. Why did followed this same route. The you change to 100m and 200m transformation was significant, sprinting when you were aged 24? then after a year with the new intense committed training both For a good part of my early on and off the track and following athletic career, I was in a comfort the system religiously I won the zone enjoying the triple and long British Indoor Championships, jumps with no real intensity but not realising at the time the in competition other than my significance of receiving the medal own individual competitive from Britain’s first 100m Olympic commitment to jumping. However champion Harold Abrahams in it was recognised and I knew from 1924, and emulating the same an early age that I had natural achievement in 1980. I was sprint speed and sprint potential, fortunate to make this move, as plus sprinting was something I ultimately this was the road to always desired. However, there sprinting success. was no real coaching direction that would give me the confidence You are a prolific medal winner and obligation to commit to it in track and field at the highest seriously. Basically, I didn’t like level – competing in the Olympics, being second best on the track Commonwealth Games, IAAF where your results would be seen World Cup and European Cup. by everyone.

You beat Ben Johnson in the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Transformations came when I was Games. Of all your wins and at a crossroad to where I was going medal positions, which was your in athletics, whether I gave it up or favourite win and why? changed something to re-stimulate I think the Olympic gold is a special achievement and undoubtedly the main success of my career, but having won in Moscow it left a number of unanswered questions in some people’s minds due to the widespread boycott of the Moscow games, which included the American team, and the American’s were recognised as the main challengers for the Olympic

sprints.

At times I accepted comments of “you only won because the Americans weren’t there.” Two weeks after Moscow, I qualified eighth for an invitation 100m final in Koblenz, where all the best sprinters in the world were invited, which included all the American sprinters. But they hadn’t experienced the physical and mental drain of an Olympic games, so they were fresh and ready to make amends having missed out on Moscow. I clearly remember the start of the race and the first twenty metres, but then a bit of a blank and recalling the last twenty metres and going through the tape in front of both Americans and winning. I won and beat the Americans; I think it shut the door on the sceptics who questioned that I was the best sprinter in the world that year, but it was also a great relief.

At the time of the race and after going through the tape, it was stated by the second best American sprinter that I was the best sprinter on the day, and even if they had been in Moscow “I would still have won.” That was an extremely humbling statement to make, which made my day and year!

Arguably you are most famous for winning the Gold in the 100m at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. You are one of Britain’s greatest sprinters. Do you think professional athletes now are under too much pressure due to social media? Would you rather be an athlete now or then?

I wouldn’t change the experience nor achievements in my athletic career, but I do think it was a greater challenge then not having both the financial and infrastructure support that is available today for British athletes.

The differences between then and now made athletes what they were.

I feel British athletics was more prominent as a sport, which made it a bit special with a number of genuine characters, including world and European record holders, and because of this I believe that the public considered athletic achievements a greater accomplishments then.

psychological focus was a building up subconsciously from months before that. This mental focus builds up towards the goal Social media and the financial of the competition; this also funding, coaching and influences the physical build up physiotherapy assistance and and is played out on reaching additional modern facilities, the finals. The physical training have had an incredible effect on consisted of morning sessions, British sport flourishing with which were more of a warm-up greater opportunities in various for the evening sessions. They sports. This also has added to the Olympic medal count over the last contained technical runs on grass, a combination of plyometrics, free twenty or so years. So athletics as standing squats, press-ups, with an individual sport generally is not as prominent in the public eye warm down, then a sleep/rest for a few hours, then lunch and prepare as once was. for the evening sessions, which contained combinations of buildI think the pressure of sport is in up sprint sessions over six weeks, the eye of the athlete emotionally when you would then be ready and psychologically. If he or she to do some early sprint trials and prepares with the greatest of dedication and commitment, with then minor competitions. This best guidance physically and with would lead up to more intense the financial support at hand, they competitions and then major have reasons for bad performances events. and conceivably less pressure.

I was initially coached in a professional sprint squad in 1975, How long before the Olympics and other major competitions did but during the majority of my you start training and how intense time as a sprinter was coached

by Mrs Wells (Margot), who still was it? Can you share a typical coaches a variety of prominent training day with us? Who was international sports people. your coach?

For the Olympics, the specific physical training started eight months prior but the

From my research, I know that you read books between the Olympic semi-final and the final to distract yourself. When you

suffered an injury immediately before the Olympics and couldn’t train, how did you cope and what did you do to get race-fit? Would you say that mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness?

Mental attitude says a lot about the athlete, and as the public see athletes and sports people competing, they sometimes can’t appreciate and understand how durable and vulnerable they can be both psychologically and physically, because the public don’t know what individual problems happen off the track. Without doubt, mental strength can make or break the athlete depending on outside factors especially when they are not in their control. In respect to my lower back injury just before Moscow, I believed that I wouldn’t be taking part in the Olympics. I was probably overprepared at that time, and part of the rehabilitation was receiving treatment four times a day for the first week, and then twice a day for the second week. This became mentally difficult especially after the first week, but what eased the repetitive arrangement was the variation of treatment, the confidence and the determined expertise I received. This no doubt maintained my mental capacity and gave me the confidence to

continue where it ended before the injury, allowing the physical side to eventually follow suit in Moscow.

You had a long career – longer than most sprinters – and retired at the age of 36, in 1988. What did you do immediately after?

Were you tempted to become an athletics coach?

It was a fairly difficult time as the focus had always been on me performing and competing, but I soon became involved with a number of different sports providing the physical and mental discipline that I had as an individual to both team and individual sports. These initially included the Lawn Tennis Association, London Scottish Rugby team, Para Regiment bobsleigh team, and individual sports from football and badminton. They all improved from the input in respect to the discipline, attitude, focus and technical aspect that is essential to compete at the top level in sport.

This all added to helping me taper down from the competitive years as an athlete, but it also included to additions to the family.

You left school at 15 to become an engineer. You are now a systems engineer at the University of Surrey with expertise in wind tunnel methodology. You advise Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering and PhD students and tutors and you also assess system solutions for a variety of experimental and commercial projects. Do you enjoy it, and would you recommend it as a career?

I advise B Eng. M Eng. PhD students and tutors etc. and assess system solutions for a variety of

experimental and commercial projects undertaken within the area. I should have retired at least four and a half years ago, but every day is a new challenge and I find working out technical and design solutions extremely enjoyable and mentally stimulating. With the coronavirus problem, this has probably maintained a bit of sanity.

Through the University, you have been involved with McLaren and Formula Student. Can you tell us about it?

I was initially involved with the Surrey University Formula Student project way back in 2006.

This was for a limited time to actually get the project up and going as one of a team of three to prepare and support the students with the task of planning, design, and sourcing specialist materials and items such as wheels, engine electronics, tires etc. Initially, there were a lot of fundamental mistakes, as you would expect starting from an inexperienced existence. Over the years, I know the students have since been successful in different specific aspects of the Formula Student competitions and have since gone from motorbike engines to electric-powered vehicles.

The involvement that brought McLaren into the picture was when in the 90s, I was part of a British Bobsleigh Association group that through a third party at the University of Surrey approached McLaren to support the BBA and look at future design improvement for the two and four man bobsleighs. This also brought in BAE systems to look at human performance, but it eventually took the shape of two PhD students, one working on

improving the performance of the chassis and the other working on refining the aerodynamics. This commitment was very successful in bringing a lot of technical support and enhanced human performance standards to the BBA.

You were born in Edinburgh and now live in Guildford, Surrey.

What football club do you support?

I still support Hearts of Midlothian and always hope they do well and still keep an eye on the Scottish football scene with Rangers Celtic and Hibs.

But I also appreciate watching the English league and have an interest in watching Manchester United and Chelsea, especially when they play well and try not to get too frustrated at times with performance and results.

How do you keep physically and mentally fit these days?

Obviously we are going through challenging times with Corona virus at the moment, but normally I would mix the bike simulator with gym work or go out on the road with the bike, jogging, long walks, specific golf exercises and golf with lightweights. Although I still have a focussed outlook on what I do, it’s nothing near to Olympic levels or attitude.

You could say that I still get the endorphin buzz which all helps to maintain a positive attitude with an element of physical conditioning.

Field Day - Museum of Brands Isaac E, Year 11 writes…

I have been working on my graphic design project since just before the summer of 2021.

Our goal is to create a chocolate product based around a company of our choice. In the project, we must design things like packaging, typography, adverts, point of sales displays and much more.

So having studied many brands from the school computers, I had become familiar with many designs. But when it came to field day, the location of choice was the museum of brands.

This place is a small museum tucked away just off Ladbroke Grove. The whole collection is from the hands of one man Robert Opie, who started collecting packaging at the age of 16. It has a great presence when walking up to it with murals of products hand painted on the walls. (Due to copyright issues a lot of the names have been changed, some are quite funny).

At first, we participated in a workshop where we looked at packaging and analysed it, then we had to redesign the packaging in

our own way. Such as redesigning the font choice or the whole shape of the box such as improving a box of Jack Daniels Fudge to make it more clear to a customer what exactly is in the product. After that we were given full reign of the place.

The highlight and main event of the museum is the time tunnel.

A great winding corridor lined with glass cabinets filled with all sorts of packaging and spans from the 1800s to the 2010s. The development of packaging over the last two centuries is honestly one of the most interesting and visual progressions in modern history. To see brands that are so well-known, such as Cadbury’s, is fascinating. From small little tins to plastic sachets, the remarkable change and the clear influence of current affairs was unusually appealing. Brands like Guinness starting out with porcelain bottles then switching to tins showed not only the development of material usage, but also the development of new technology such as the

pull tab. Early Guinness cans needed a can opener to open, and slightly later ones required a much smaller tool to poke a hole into the tin. Other items the museum showcased were radios. Some were small and pocketable made in the 90s and 2000s whilst others stood almost half a meter in the air

from the time of the world wars.

The Museum of Brands isn’t just a building packed with old boxes and bottles. It is a unique way of showing British history from the perspective of commercial products.

Overall, I think that the Museum of Brands is one of the best museums in London and I highly recommend it. Although you can just look around the time tunnel from your own home with Google Maps as the whole thing has been 3D rendered for one to walk around from their laptop.

Music Review Sam M, Year 9 writes...

The Score are a hard-hitting music group who’s work feature in multiple content creators’ videos such as the likes of Dude Perfect who often use their music in their trick-shot videos because the music syncs so well with the hype that they create and sustain during their videos. Listening to them for the first time, they did not disappoint. My mind was blown that I had not heard of the band before and if you are looking for hype songs, they do not fall short of the expected. “Legend” is my favorite song they have released as well as “On and On”. These songs make you feel powerful, like you’re on top of the world; they songs help me to push through my homework through the hardest

parts into the late hours of the day when my concentration levels are at a low and feel like I’ve achieved greatness even though I’m tired but I’ve managed to do my homework before the deadline.

Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran are two other music artists that help get me through the weekends which are weighed down with homework, so I would recommend whoever listens to music while doing their work.

These are good momentum boosters for relaxation periods when you stress out doing hard questions that you can’t just seem to answer. An album that I would recommend from Ed Sheeran is his Divide album which includes “Castle on the hill” and other famous worldwide hits. This is just

my humble opinion you don’t have to listen to these artists. Everyone has different tastes in music, so, find out which songs are the best for you.

Theatre Review: Dear Evan Hansen Ihsan A, Year 8 writes…

On Wednesday 17th November, I had the privilege of seeing Dear Evan Hansen at the Noel Coward Theatre with some Wetherby boys and staff. It was written by a man named Steven Levenson who also wrote The Language of Trees (2008) and Seven Minutes in Heaven (2009).

Evan Hansen is a bullied 17-year-old who suffers from social anxiety. His therapist, Dr. Sherman, recommends that he writes letters to himself detailing what will be good about each day. One of his bullies is Connor,

a mischievous boy in his class, who catches Evan with one of his “notes to himself ” and takes it away from him. A series of events take place that evening which leaves Evan in a very difficult situation. It is thrilling to watch Evan try different ways to get out of this.

My experience of the play was excellent. The actors were clearly very experienced, not just in acting but in singing as well. I would also like to mention that the orchestra was very effective and a very large part of the play.

The main instrument played was the guitar. It gave a dismal

touch to some of the scenes when needed.

I highly recommend this play (which is now a book and film) to anyone over the age of 10. It has a brilliant storyline that will take anyone into the world of Evan Hansen.

Field Day - Bletchley Park Miguel A-C, Year 8 writes…

On the 5th of November, Year 8 went to Bletchley Park.

Bletchley Park was a British government cryptological establishment in operation during World War II. Here was where Alan Turing and other agents of the ultra-intelligence project decoded the Axis’ secret messages, that had been encrypted with the German enigma and ‘Tunny’ cipher machines. Experts have suggested that The Bletchley Park code breakers may have shortened the war by as much as two years.

Alan Turing was a brilliant mathematician. Born in London in 1912, he studied at both Cambridge and Princeton Universities. He was already working part-time for the British Government’s Code and Cypher School before the Second World War broke out. In 1939, Turing took up a full-time role at Bletchley Park.

I really enjoyed this trip as I was impressed by Alan Turing’s drive, how much he accomplished and how he pushed the boundaries of the computer age. Leading the code breaking efforts at Bletchley

Park was not easy. Turing spent many sleepless nights working his heart out, frustrated with the barriers he had to overcome.

Turing’s leadership in the project allowed the Allies to know what the German forces were going to do before the German commanders in the field knew.

He was a British hero but because the work he did was so highly classified, only a handful of people knew about it and recognised his work at the time. He is a source of inspiration for many.

Field Day - DUKE of EDINBURGH Rodrigo B-D, Year 10 writes...

Devan S, Year 12 writes...

On Friday the 5th of November year 10 students starting the Duke of Edinburgh Award got on a bus at 7:20 on route to the Chilterns Hills to practice, plan, and prepare for the future expeditions in March.

On field day, we went on a DofE practice trip. It was the first field trip since the beginning of the pandemic and I’m sure that everyone was glad to be outside whilst the weather was still pleasant.

When we got there about an hour later, we were met by our instructors who would teach us how the expedition will work and how we will be expected to do it.

We chose our routs that we would follow to get to the finish point where we would all meet. We had to follow the map accurately through small roads, footpaths, fields and farms. We all chose different ways to reach the finish point but we would cross path with a different group from time to time.

Our supervisors taught us how to read and understand maps, as well as how to use a compass to find our bearings and direction of travel. Our challenge for the day was to make our way back to the campsite within two hours using nothing but our maps. The walk took us through forests, fields, and farms. There were some very steep hills where we encountered a group of llamas, one of which spat on Mr. Davies.

When we finally got there, we sat down at a table with our team members where we ate and chose the path that we would follow for the real expedition in a few months’ time which instead of a couple of hours would take two days of walking for six hours in each. In this hall which we were in we were also taught what to do in case of an emergency and basic first aid to help in specific situations. After around nine hours of training, we went back to school were we were dismissed.

After everyone had made it back to the camp, we started to plan our routes for the real expedition next year. As year 12 we are aiming for a Silver DofE Award, we need to plan for three days and two nights and accommodate for seven hours of journeying. We were given specific criteria, whilst planning, which made sure we passed through certain landmarks and avoided roads as much as possible.

The supervisors then gave us a presentation about first aid, showing us what to do and who to contact if we have an emergency during on the expedition. It was a really useful day out and I’m sure that everyone had a good time and learnt something, whether it was CPR or how to use pacing when walking.

What Makes Art, Art? Theo N, Year 8 writes...

During the October half term, I went to see the Summer Exhibition, entitled ‘Reclaiming Magic’ at the Royal Academy of Arts, an annual curation of arts, where one can both see and buy art. In Yinka Shonibare’s CBE RA (Exhibition Co-Ordinator) words: “The show celebrated the magical beauty in making, and the use of a multiplicity of materials, from quilting and knitting to sculpting and painting with unusual materials”.

When I was there I saw a range of skills. I saw some truly amazing talents. But some of the works I didn’t seem to quite understand. I saw two paintings, one incredibly

intricate showing much skill, the other was simply a block of leather entirely covered in the same shade of yellow. The one which I believe showed more skill went for £450 the leather went for £87,000. And I am not exaggerating. This raises two interesting questions: what is art? and who is an artist?

What is art? Art in my opinion is when a person uses a skill to demonstrate an emotion or opinion. I think that art cannot just be a blue sheet of paper. It has to require some sort of skill that

the average Joe cannot do.

This is a photo of a painting ‘IKB 79’ (1950) by the famous artist, Yves Klein. I don’t think this is art because this is something that a two year old can do. Although it may have very deep meaning for the artist, it is not showing any

skill and therefore is not art. Or is it?

This is the ‘Mona Lisa’ (1503).

Arguably the most famous and most skilled piece of art ever made. We don’t know who Mona Lisa is, but we speculate it is a lover of the artist Leonardo da Vinci. This is skilled and has a deeper meaning. It therefore contains the two elements that are required for any piece of work to be called art.

Can anyone be an artist? One of the most interesting philosophical questions I can think of is what defines certain jobs. Can anyone be a superhero, a thinker or of course an artist. I think that anyone can be an artist. You just need the two things I mentioned in the last paragraph. You have an emotion or opinion you want to share through art (I want to clarify I mean this in all types of art, not just painting). Anyone can learn a skill; it just takes time and effort.

Aum Shinrikyo Barnaby M-J, Year 8 writes....

Aum Shinrikyo was a Japan based cult active from 1987 to 2006. It later gained the reputation of one of the most dangerous cults to have ever been formed, although main operations were in Japan the cult expanded to Russia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom over its many years of operation.

The leader was a man called Shoko Asahara, a blind herbalist and acupuncturist from Southern Japan born as Chizuo Matsumoto in 1955 yet he later changed his name to Shoko Asahara as in his belief it was a more holy name. He was enrolled in a boarding school for the blind as a teenager where, even though he had a severe sight impairment he would apparently take joy in beating up the other students at the school, taking their money and physically injuring them for weeks. Over time his religious beliefs increased, and he proceeded to manifest these into the creation of a cult called Aum Shinrikyo which was a mix of Chinese Buddhism, Christianity and a mix of his own prophecies.

As more momentum gathered in Japan, with the group proceeding to gain thousands of members

in the Tokyo Metropolitan Prefecture, this led the Tokyo metropolitan police to grant them religious corporation status, which was a severe lapse in judgement from the police as this recognition meant the group could deny police investigation procedures, pay highly reduced taxes and recruit many more members. After this they began their expansion to Russia, where the leader met and partially recruited members of the Russian parliament, giving them a high amount of national support in Russia.

Over time the cult became more secretive and moved their headquarters to the Japanese countryside where they would be able to operate with less governmental regulations. The cult proceeded to get more violent, brutally murdering and dismembering those who spoke against the cult, one case includes the murder of a lawyer working in Nagano prefecture who begun a lawsuit against the cult for trapping his family, yet later that month he, his wife and their baby mysteriously vanished, their bodies would be found several years later with each of their bodies separated across

Japan. Their pinnacle in criminal activities was in 1995 when their developing bioweapons department attacked the Tokyo metro system at rush hour with Sarin gas, a dangerous gas which you cannot smell, taste or see.

When inhaled it causes violent spasms in every muscle of your body eventually ripping your internal muscles apart so painfully it will cause instantaneous death.

Five people onboard different trains with newspaper wrapped parcels of liquid sarin gas placed the parcels at different points of the trains and pierced them with umbrellas in synchrony, they then proceeded to escape the train into a getaway car never to be seen again, twelve people died and many more were injured.

Two months later, Shoko Asahara was arrested and sentenced to death by hanging. Despite that, the cult still exists in the UK, Japan, and Russia, with 2000 members in London alone. Nowadays, they go by the name, “Aleph.”

The Future of Virtual Reality Zain S, Year 9 writes...

Virtual Reality is an amazing way to explore a world different to our own. It allows us to interact with people from all around the world in a different environment.

But current VR makes us use a heavy headset, and while it does feel realistic, it is still through a screen, and you still have to use a controller to be able to do anything. Imagine being able to go into a virtual world. This concept is called Full Dive. Your brain is connected to a computer and virtual signals are sent to your brain to stimulate a virtual world.

Using this method, you would be able to go into many different virtual environments that are realistic. If you are on the opposite side of the world to members of your family, imagine being able to meet them in an instant, enjoy lunch with taste signals sent into your brain and enjoy time with them even though you are a long way away from them. But there are also many cons.

Here are the pros and cons of Full Dive:

Pro: Being able to meet people in an instant: For a lot of people, being able to meet family members far away is a big problem. If they live far away, you would have to take a long car journey, or a long journey, or even a plane journey. You also might not be able to see them that often.

You could rely on video calls, but it doesn’t exactly mimic being with people in real life. But with Full Dive, you could just log on, go onto a chat room and just be able to essentially see them in person.

Con: Addiction: One problem with Full Dive is the possibility of people not wanting to leave the world or becoming obsessed with the worlds they enter. Since Full Dive will not be able to feed people, you would have to leave the world to eat food.

People might not want to do that or forget to do that which could leave people dying from forgetting to eat.

Pro: No eye damage from screens: To use a screen, you have to be prepared to eventually face the consequences of eye strain causing depletion of eyesight.

Further, exposure to blue light in the evening has been proven to cause depression and can prevent you from falling asleep. This is a problem especially with Virtual

Reality, where there is a screen right in front of your eyes. But with Full Dive, since the images are being transferred directly into your brain, you wouldn’t have to worry about this.

Con: Everything being transferred to Full Dive and real life being obsolete: If you could transfer all work to Full Dive, then what would be the point of going to work every day when you could just enter a virtual workspace and start working or go to meetings. There might be a point that real life would become obsolete and there would be no point in being in the real world.

Full Dive is a promising idea, but as with a lot of technology, there are potential problems that should be considered.

The useS of 3D graphics Daniel W, Year 7 writes…

While 2D graphics can display amazing visuals, exploring 3D graphics has produced not only beautiful works of art, but has also played a substantial role in what we do today.

3D graphics use in video games: For videogames there is a fundamental role that 3D graphics play, because of how it adds extra depth to how players interact with an environment. 3D graphics provide a way for developers to create more ambitious games that further immerse players and as a result, many developers require the use of 3D to make more appealing games. This was quite difficult to perform effectively considering constraints that plagued early 64-bit consoles that may have devolved the output of 3D models and turn them into a mess of jagged polygons with sharp vertices that can really age what would be a groundbreaking new technology.

Nowadays, consoles can display 3D graphics that are closer to reality than ever before with new advancements in technology and is evolving further in Virtual Reality.

Architects and 3D graphics:

Using 3D graphics in films:

With the advances of 3D graphics, architects have utilized polygons and vertices to create elaborate plans with less time as well as less costs, from speeding up the design process, to allowing architects to explore experimental and creative visions to building.

3D graphics and computergenerated images play a significant role in how movies.

Unlike practical effects, wherein filmmakers had to create physical props, use prosthetics, manipulate the camera etc. to achieve the desired effect, CGI is added postproduction with the use of green screens and motion capture. that is generally used more nowadays despite how complex animating a scene is on its own which most commonly treads over the issue of the uncanny valley from how halfbaked it appears.

In addition to supporting the design process, the use of 3D graphics helps build an accurate visualization of a building for a client of a construction project without even laying out the foundation rather than just a schematic on a blueprint.

Furthermore, 3D models can demonstrate the surrounding area of the structure and how to weave it into what is required for the project.

Overall, for architecture there are numerous benefits to using 3D models considering that it can gather perspectives and views that can investigate errors or improve insight on a design effectively before the construction.

Furthermore, actors can use and interact without sacrificing the immersion that CGI has occasionally failed to capture in some movies. Overall, it’s debatable whether the use of CGI can enhance or hinder the visuals of a movie. However, it is critical that no matter what movies use to create effects, preserves the suspension of disbelief to create a believable world with the tools available.

Field Day – Year 12 Jamie M, Year 12 writes…

In the morning, we welcomed Beyond Equality, an organisation who teach secondary school children about gender equality, inclusive communities, and healthy relationships. We were split up into groups of three and in our small workshops and we began by greeting our fellow classmates. Despite being at the same school for over three years, we walked around the room telling everyone our names, hobbies, weekend plans etc. We were then asked to discuss certain topics that involved equality. The question that I found the most interesting was “in most places in the world, there are only male and female bathrooms. What happens if you don’t classify as one of the two? Where do you go?”

The responses were fascinating, with everyone voicing their own opinion. We continued discussing topics along the lines of diversity with sexuality, race, gender, identities etc. for the next hour.

The groups seemed to become a lot closer and a lot more open with one another. Our workshop concluded with an imaginary line in the classroom where one end of was “agree” and the other was “disagree.” The people from the workshop would say a statement and we had to move accordingly, depending on the extent to which we agreed or disagreed with it.

Some of the questions were “do women have an easier chance of making it onto Love Island?” and, “do men have to worry more than women when walking home at night?” Again, these prompted us to share an array of different opinions. It was a great session even though I didn’t think I would

have enjoyed it. I would like to do the session again, but next time combining it with a girls’ school as I feel it is necessary to voice a different opinion in some of the questions.

After lunch, we headed to Bloomsbury on foot to get a feel for life as an undergraduate in London. It was a crisp autumn day – perfect for walking around and observing the architecture around us. After crossing Tottenham Court Road, the area changed and became noticeably un-touristy and full of students!

We were able to imagine ourselves here. We spotted SOAS, RADA, the School of Tropical Medicine, Birkbeck College and, of course, UCL. Miss Mendes pointed out the Institute of Education, where

she, and indeed many of our teachers, gained their teaching qualifications. We went into the Quadrangle of UCL and it made the idea of going to university very real. We also went to the extraordinary art deco building called Senate House – where the University of London houses over two million books. Mr. Robertshaw showed us where UCL’s halls of accommodation are located and Mr. Crowe pointed out the streets where “the best student nightlife can be found.”

Due to Covid, we were not able to enjoy an in-depth campus tour.

However, we all came away feeling like we had a sense of what being at university might be like and, specifically, what studying at the University of London might be like.

Queens Park Rangers F.C. Martin V, Year 7 writes...

I have been a lifelong QPR fan. I have lived and breathed for QPR. I am writing this article because I would like you readers to be QPR fans with me. QPR has been an especially important team for me. When I moved into my new house, I used to go to every home game, though I haven’t been able to do so since the beginning of the pandemic.

quarterfinals of the 1976-77 UEFA Cup. They have a long-lasting rivalry with Chelsea and Fulham.

History QPR became a professional football club in 1882. Ten years later, the hoops won their first cup in that season, the West London Observer Club. In 1895, the club entered the FA Cup for the first time.

What is QPR F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club, also known as QPR, is an English professional football club currently in the Championship, the second tier in English football.

They were founded in 1886. In the early years of the club, QPR played on many different grounds before settling at Loftus Road, renamed as the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium at the beginning of the 2019-20 season.

QPR’s most recent topflight season was in the 2014-15 season.

The club’s achievements include winning the 1975-96 league cup. They were also runners-up to the FA Cup in 1982 and the First Division (now known as the Premier League). QPR once qualified for Europe, reaching the

Another 100 years later, QPR keeps on moving from different divisions. After being relegated to the third tier in the 2000-01 season they have been promoted and relegated several times. To be fair, QPR are a remarkably interesting team to look at over the years and I have seen that whilst researching for this article. This season, the Rangers are hoping to get promoted for the first time in seven years. This season will be interesting.

QPR Fun Facts 1 – Queens Park Rangers have moved home ground location 18 times since they were formed in 1886. They began playing games at Welford’s Fields between 1886 and 1888, and currently play at Loftus Road – their home since 1963.

2 – QPR were the first club in Britain to install an AstroTurf pitch in the early eighties following years of waterlogged surfaces at Loftus Road. After several clubs followed suit, they were the first club to remove it, when they did so in 1988.

3 – In 2002, two avid Queens Park Rangers supporting brothers – the Winton’s – paid out of their own pocket to bring two fresh players into the club. Danny Shittu and Doudou were the two players who came in.

4 – QPR moved home for the 19th time in their history in 2018, when they were due to move to a 40,000-seater stadium located at Old Oak Common in north-west London.

5 – QPR’s most expensive signing is Christopher Samba from Anzhi Makhachkala, who joined in January 2013. The defender is also

their most expensive sale when he returned to Anzhi in July 2013.

6 – QPR’s current record of losing all 11 away games since the start of the season is the worst of any topflight side since Liverpool in 1953/54.

7 – In 1967, Queens Park Rangers became the first Third Division club to win the League Cup, as they beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2, coming back from 2-0 down.

from the home nations.

10 – QPR have reached the FA Cup Final once in their history.

They would lose 1-0 after a replay against Tottenham Hotspur in 1982.

QPR have joined forces with eSports gaming giants, Virtual Pro Gaming (VPG), to launch the club’s first official eSports team. VPG is home to hundreds of teams and thousands upon

thousands of eager Pro Clubs eSports gamers who play live and breathe virtual football. Gamers from around the world have already signed up to represent the Rangers on the eSports platform, which specialises in 11v11 eSports on the Pro Clubs mode on FIFA 18.

I hope you I have convinced you to start supporting QPR. COME ON YOU R’S!

8 – In the BBC sitcom, My Family, lead character Ben Harper is an ardent QPR fan. In one episode, he is seen watching a game dressed in blue and white chanting, “Come on, you Hoops.”

9 – QPR finished the 1975/76 season second in the First Division, losing out on the title by a single point to Liverpool, with a team containing seven England internationals and internationals

Update on U.S. Midterm Elections Felipe E, Year 7 writes…

We now have some more information about the midterm elections in the US. The Republicans did very well in states they weren’t expected to do well in.

On 03rd November, voters in two states voted for the candidate for governor. Virginia and New Jersey hold their governor elections in off years. It looked like the Democrats would hold the two governorships by comfortable margins, but the exact opposite happened.

The Democrats seem to have lost their edge in the suburbs, especially amongst white women.

Parents who normally go to the Democrats switched to the GOP by 10 points. Democrats think that this was the main reason why they lost Virginia. Terry McAuliffe tried to nationalise the race. It backfired: Virginia voters wanted action on issues close to them (kitchen table issues). The President’s approval number was already low. They tried to make it a race against Trump; there was some logic to this since Biden beat Trump by ten points in the state just one year ago.

Moderate Democrats have said that the country has not embraced a radical agenda. They say that they voted for someone to rebuild the political system

– to bring back the old days of negotiating and bipartisanship.

The Democrats have just finished their bipartisan infrastructure bill, which had been sitting in the House for 84 days. Thirteen Republicans voted for the bill.

All in all, we shall wait to see what impact this has in the polling.

The Democrats have said that this should ease supply chains. The approval rating of the President right now is at a point where 51% of Americans disapprove of him and 62.3% say the country is going in the wrong direction.

Field Day - The Tate modern and The Saatchi Gallery Square, tucked away behind an outdoor shopping complex.

This gallery consists of art from university students. We went to gain inspiration from the very interpretive artwork that we could apply to our own work. There were some very peculiar creations in this gallery. In my opinion, the best one was a ginormous painting of a futuristic rocket being prepared for launch. It was red and black, which gave it a very sinister look.

Sebastian A, Year 11 writes...

My first art project for GCSE was ‘Natural Forms’. This is a focus on natural forms around us, such as foliage, but it is also a study on anything that is not man-made.

Humans are a very complex natural form and are amazing to see recreated in art. Especially 3D sculptures that are the size of real people or even larger.

The location of choice for field day was first the Tate Modern, a huge art gallery that was once a bankside power station originally built in 1947 but closed in 1981.

The gallery can be accessed from many different areas, including the Millenium Bridge, which we walked across to get to the gallery.

We started off by creating some quick sketches of the Millenium Bridge and then proceeded onto the main event: the Auguste Rodin exhibition at the Tate Modern.

There were many incredible sculptures of people, including The Thinker, arguably Rodin’s most famous work. My class and I examined the numerous sculptures and sat down to sketch

the ones that we liked the most.

We will subsequently use these sketches for our projects. I found Rodin’s maquettes (a sculptor’s small preliminary model) to be the most interesting exhibit. Through these small sketches, one can see the development of the sculpture into the final piece and notice the small subtle changes to the design that make it all the better.

Our second destination was The Saatchi Gallery. It is only a quick walk away from Sloane

Overall, the day was very fun and useful for our projects. I would highly recommend giving the Tate Modern a visit. Although the Rodin exhibition is now closed, they have a lot of other interesting artwork to look at, including the works of Andy Warhol and Wassily Kandinsky.

The Origin of Heracles’ Myth Zachary G, Year 12 writes…

What’s more, Heracles’ labours are very likely to be connected to The myth of Heracles/Hercules is the zodiac. Probably originating something that has been passed in Mesopotamia before changing down generations for thousands of over the years, they were years, but how did it come to be? connected to months in Ancient Greece around 300 BC, but Heracles is very likely to be of would’ve been brought over closer Neolithic origin (the latter part to 700 BC by the Phoenicians, a of the Stone Age), following people known for their trading. shamanistic traditions of travelling Whilst Heracles himself is to and from the underworld. probably Neolithic in origin, his This also corresponds to his labours came much later and main weapon of choice, a club, were possibly codified sometime which explains why he doesn’t around 600 BC in a lost epic poem use a weapon that would have

by Pysander; we have no known been used by the ancient Greeks, sources of these labours prior to such as a spear or sword. The this. It may have been an excuse myth represents this travel to the afterlife, with Heracles specifically going there for his final labour before returning with Cerberus, representing the cycle of life and death as well as the cycle of the Sun. These are additionally exemplified by the tenth labour, wherein Heracles went to obtain Geryon’s cattle, and the eleventh labour, for which he had to retrieve a golden apple. In the tenth labour, Heracles shoots an arrow at the sun out of anger when crossing a desert. This catches the attention of Helios, the Titan of the Sun, who subsequently carries Heracles to Libya on his chariot. The apples were grown in the garden of the Hesperides, which translates to “daughters of the evening.” The combination of these details highlights the cyclical nature of the Sun’s movement.

As an actual historical figure, Heracles, like many other ancient heroes, was a story about a real person who accomplished some impressive endeavours and was embellished through the ages with stories of gods and monsters.

to introduce the zodiac through mythology.

There are twelve labours – one for each month – and some of them draw explicit links to constellations in the zodiac. In some cases, other constellations that may not be on the zodiac also have connections to certain aspects of the myth. A prime example is the Babylonians’ hydra constellation, which is reminiscent of the Lernaean hydra in Heracles’ second labour.

Basketball – An unfamiliar sport in the U.K.

Alex W, Year 9 writes...

When I lived in America, for most of my life, basketball was one of the biggest sports. In our school we had basketball, baseball, football, and soccer. I played basketball, and it was my favorite sport. Then I moved to London, and nobody knew about it. There is no league, teams, or knowledge.

This should change, as it is such a popular sport in other places in the world. Firstly, it is an exciting, fast tempo game. In sports like football, the score always ends up with something like 1-0, or 1-1, while in basketball an average score is around 120. This means more action in the game, always.

Secondly, the fans of basketball are incredible. Every region of the USA supports their own team, and once the playoffs start, it

gets extremely competitive. The whole sport is very competitive from an early age, with people playing in little leagues from 4 years of age. This provides a great atmosphere at the stadium. It is also a household game that can be played anywhere with a hoop, and that is not a problem in America, with hoops everywhere. This differs in the UK, with no free outside courts anywhere in the country! This is the main problem for the loss of knowledge of the game. No way to play it! This should change with more schools playing basketball over the coming years.

Furthermore, there is a spending cap for every team in the NBA, allowing for a fair contest, as all teams can only pay a certain amount in wages. In football, some clubs have a bigger funding

allowing them to spend more than other teams, but this is not the case in basketball. All teams are also incredibly good in the NBA, making each game remarkably close and the winner is unknown. This adds to the great atmosphere inside the stadium.

This differs from football, where in the country’s top leagues you can always guess who will win.

To conclude, I highly recommend basketball just because I loved it when I played it. You can learn the game by doing WSS’s basketball club or watch some NBA games.

Field Day - The Globe Theatre Zain S, Year 9 writes...

On Friday 5th October, some of Year 9 went on a field trip to Shakespeare’s Globe. We took the central line from Bond Street Station to Bank Station and walked from there. When we arrived, we enjoyed a tour of The Globe and we were even able to go on stage, where we all performed a short line from Macbeth: “Is

this a dagger which I see before me.” After the tour, we went inside and attended a workshop about the play. In pairs, we had to use different tactics to persuade the other person to agree. After we completed that exercise, we were given a script. Person A played Lady Macbeth attempting to convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan, and Person B portrayed Macbeth as he refused.

The workshop ended early. It was cold and the pupils on the trip had been behaving well, so the teachers decided to let us buy drinks at Starbucks. After that, we walked over to Borough Market.

We had an hour to taste some delicious street food.

The Internal Combustion Engine Jeremy B, Year 12 writes…

How an engine works and the benefits of a cross-plane inline four versus a typical flat-plane inline four in a Yamaha R1 Motorbike.

Whilst an ordinary engine achieves the simple task of converting chemical energy into kinetic, you may be surprised to discover just how hard engineers work to achieve marginal improvements in performance.

In most motorbikes and all cars, an engine has four stages. Firstly, a mixture of fuel and air is injected into the cylinder while the piston is in its “down” position (this just means that it is as low as it can go). Most modern engines are four-strokes with each step completed individually, meaning that two rotations are required for one “power” stroke, wherein the energy released during combustion forces the piston downwards. Afterwards, the piston rotates to its “up” position, compressing the air and fuel mixture such that it reacts more vigorously when ignited than if it were simply allowed to burn. The mixture is then ignited by a spark plug. Some engines have two per cylinder, but only one is needed.

The spark ignites the air and fuel mixture which then explodes, pushing down the piston. This downward motion is transferred through the piston arm to the crankshaft, which turns it into a rotational motion. The crankshaft is the agent which transfers the energy of the piston to the clutch, which in turn transfers energy to the wheels with the appropriate ratio of torque to rpm. Finally, a

valve opens and the piston rotates up, pushing out the exhaust gases before the entire cycle begins all over again.

A flat-plane inline four engine has two pistons rising while the other two descend. This leads to a largely vibration-free engine as the pistons almost perfectly balance each other out. The pistons going up and down are also in pairs, with the inner two and outer two being coupled.

This leads to negligible secondary engine balance because there is no rotational momentum that would come from one end going up and the other going down simultaneously. Flat-plane inline four engines are very common and are used in lots of cars and motorbikes: everything from Kawasaki Ninjas to Priuses and even our beloved London taxis.

Until 2008, the Yamaha R1 motorcycle used a flat-plane piston configuration, which resulted in a fairly smooth engine with one piston firing every 180°, meaning that every time one piston moves down, another fires immediately; one of the four pistons will always be undergoing one of the four strokes, so a piston is producing power at all times.

Flat-plane engine (two pairs of pistons 180° apart).

However, the R1’s engine has since been changed to a cross-plane inline four, in which the first piston fires, then 270° later the second, then 180° later the third, then 90° later the fourth, then finally another 180° afterwards the first piston fires again. This leads to a smoother delivery of power, both in terms of horsepower and torque.

Cross-plane engine (four individual pistons 90° apart) Piston angles should not be confused with firing angles; they are different things.

Unlike the flat-plane inline four, which provides enormous amounts of power continuously, the cross-plane inline four provides slightly less power in far more predictable and manageable increments. In motorbikes with one-litre engines, such as the Yamaha R1, there is not only more power than needed, but more power than can actually be used. The flat-plane inline four is so powerful that riders cannot go full throttle out of corners because they would accelerate too quickly and lose traction, running the risk of a crash. A cross-plane inline four provides less power in separate distinct bursts. On a flat-plane inline, the firing pattern of the pistons is uniform, whereas in the cross-plane it is not. With this in mind, the crossplane offers power with breaks

in between. Put another way, the average acceleration is similar, but the breaks between bursts of power allow tyres to freewheel very briefly, meaning they can re-grip and not lose traction, whereas the constant power under a flat-plane could very easily and quickly spin the tire out of control.

Despite producing slightly less power, cross-planes still produce an enormous surplus, much like

flat-planes, and have ample power to move 250kg of bike and rider.

To conclude, the flat-plane inline four is cheaper, lighter (due to the lack of balancing weights that would be needed on the cross-plane), simpler to design, and easier to work on, as well as producing more power. However, the cross-plane, despite producing slightly less power, has a far smoother delivery and gives the

Remembrance Assembly

tyres more time to recover from the enormous forces that act on them. The reason cross-plane engines are not used widely is that the advantages are only noticeably relevant when the vehicle is pushed to its absolute limits, which is something very few riders or drivers are capable of doing.

Interview With WSS’ Organist in Residence William PN, Year 13 writes…

We are very lucky to have an organist in residence who plays hymns and volunteers at all of our whole-school assemblies. Henry B is an accredited member of the Royal College of Organists. He also works as a freelance organist with various appointments at a number of churches in the Greater London area. For this issue of The Barometer, Henry very generously gave up a few moments of his time to explain the challenges of playing the pipe organ and tell us why he finds “the king of instruments” so fascinating.

For how long have you been playing the organ and what made you want to start?

I first fell in love with the sound of the pipe organ when I was about five years old. It catalysed my initial fascination with the world of music and prompted me to start learning the descant recorder, treble recorder, piano, and study music theory. I was a keen member of the orchestra and I joined the choir just so I could see the organ console up close! It wasn’t until much later that I had the opportunity to play it myself.

How often do you manage to play/ practice?

I normally play at least once a day. Depending on how I feel, I might focus on technique or try sight-reading a new piece. When I’m tired, I tap into my existing repertoire and have some fun.

It’s a good way to loosen up and forget about the stresses of A Level study.

What do you particularly enjoy about playing the organ?

It’s much more three-dimensional than the piano, which I used to play. One of my favourite aspects is seeing the surprised expressions on people’s faces when they visit the console for the first time.

They are simply mesmerised by the rows and rows of stops, not to mention the spectacle of watching the organist in action.

Which piece is your favourite to play?

Difficult question – the canon of organ literature is so vast, spanning across numerous musical periods (romantic, baroque, etc.). With this in mind, it’s difficult to choose a single piece that I like playing. Bach’s contrapuntal fugues are great, but I equally enjoy playing more modern pieces. Their articulation and texture differ completely from the more traditional literature.

The organ is capable of emulating most other musical instruments, so it is possible to play organ arrangements of orchestral pieces.

At the same time, audiences are often impressed when I play wellknown rock or pop tunes; that’s always entertaining.

What are the difficulties of playing the organ?

There’s certainly a lot to think about! Adding character to a piece of music on the organ is far more complicated than on the piano.

Dynamics must be planned well in advance and are only achievable by employing the techniques of judicious registration and swell box control. Unlike the piano, striking the keys harder or softer does not vary the volume. One crucial reason why the organ is especially unique is that the organist must play with their feet. This, combined with all the other elements of organ playing, requires astounding coordination and dexterity. There’s also the indescribable pressure of having to lead an entire congregation.

Impeccable timing is integral to a successful accompaniment.

What is your favourite stop?

Registration is at the discretion of the organist and it really depends on what you have to work with – no two organs are alike, so it is subject to the characteristics of the instrument and the acoustic

nature of the room. I don’t have a single favourite stop, but I will always remain partial to a diapason chorus. Having said that, the clarinet or krumhorn work very well with some of the more contemporary literature.

What do you find most fascinating about the organ?

There can be few musical instruments that give one the impression of having an entire orchestra at one’s fingertips and toe tips, but the pipe organ does exactly that. Mozart was not an organist, but even he asserted that the organ is “the king of instruments.” I always marvel at the organ’s complexity and versatility, which are unparalleled by any other musical instrument.

Have you met many other fellow organists?

Yes, I’ve attended a few RCO events, though I’ve found that there aren’t very many organists my age. Organists are in very high demand because the organ is somewhat less popular than a lot of other instruments.

Given the rarity of the instruments, has being able to practice been a challenge?

I have a digital practice organ at home, which is very convenient.

However, it doesn’t quite compare to a real instrument. I still practice at my local church at least once a week.

Do you intend on continuing to play the organ at university?

Certainly.

Out of all the organs you have managed to play, which has been

your favourite?

As an organist, I am always interested in seeing new instruments and learning what it is that sets them apart from others. Most organs have a notable quality or feature that makes them unique. A pipe organ is something that will always be bespoke; it must be designed to fit in a particular space and it is crafted to fulfil the requirements of the customer, based on the repertoire that is intended to be played on the instrument. Hence, no two organs are ever alike.

I’ve played many instruments in different countries. Nevertheless, my favourite has to be the Walker organ at St. John’s Wood Parish Church in London. It’s the organ that I first heard all those years ago and it’s now where I go to practice.

What is the most unique organ you have come across?

I played an 1879 Morettini organ in Italy, which was an unbelievably unique experience. The mechanical tracker action was still functioning perfectly, but some of the pipes were noticeably out of tune. I’m planning to visit the Royal Albert Hall next. The RAH organ has 9,999 pipes, the largest of which is 42 feet tall! It was the largest organ in the UK until 2007 when it was superseded by the organ at Liverpool Cathedral.

If you could play any other instrument, what would it be?

None – the organ does everything.

What’s it like to play the organ in assembly?

Hinde Street Methodist Church has a three-manual Bishop organ, which lends itself well to our weekly hymns. Since I was appointed as organist in residence, I’ve been trying to expand the school’s repertoire beyond the usual handful of hymns. It might take some getting used to, but my hope is that we’ll have a much broader variety in our arsenal by the end of the academic year.

Does Your High Street Have a Future?

Kaveh K, Year 10 writes...

Fuelled by COVID-19, we have been increasingly purchasing our goods online. Whether it be groceries, school supplies, electronics or any of the other numerous things you can buy online, we are increasingly phasing high streets, and physical shops in general, out of our lives and relying more and more on deliveries.

Despite the rise of the internet in the 1990s, online shopping didn’t really take off until the success of an online bookstore: a website called Amazon, now the largest retailer in the world. In 1995, Amazon had already floated on the NASDAQ stock exchange, setting a precedent for many websites to come. However, retail shopping still had dominance. It took almost 10 years before the effects of Amazon were noticed on the retail industry.

Websites like Amazon, eBay, Alibaba and many others have completely revolutionised how we shop. No longer do we have to pop-out for half an hour to Sainsbury’s, to find the products we need. Online websites also mean that small-sellers are able to provide actual competition to that of big stores and supermarkets, meaning more competition, and generally a better price for consumers, like you and me.

However, this also introduces a dilemma. Should we sacrifice our local shops for giant megalithic corporations like Amazon, and buying from sellers whom we have never heard of? Or do we pay a higher price, and risk not finding the products you want,

by shopping on your local high street?

The high street plays a larger role in your neighbourhood than you think. Whole communities can be based around high streets; many of the organisations that put up Christmas lights are funded by local businesses.

Land value goes up when there is a high street nearby, and it creates a better general sense of community. On the other hand, is it the consumers’ fault that the high street cannot keep up with the demand or prices that online retailers provide? Should a consumer be threatened into shopping on their local high street just because it may disappear?

I believe it’s important to support our high street, though some think it’s time for a change. Mary Portas, one of the most acclaimed industry experts, says that “The days of stacking stuff high and selling it fast are completely and utterly over... Does anyone really miss BHS? Does anyone care about Dorothy Perkins?”. She believes that the high street is in need of a rapid change, instead of relying on conservative methods and shoppers not switching to online retailers.

The Zeitguide Taddeo B, Year 13 writes...

Your one-stop culture guide to the cannot miss events in December…

SPORT THE ASHES (AUSTRALIA V ENGLAND) The Gabba, Brisbane (8-12 December) The oldest and most prestigious rivalry in cricket begins at a venue where England has not won since 1986. Australia goes in as hot favourites with a vaunted bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, and Nathan Lyon. England, however, has the best test batter in the world – and Joe Root must surely have a series for the ages for his country to have any chance of victory. The availability of Ben Stokes is also a huge bonus. Yet a combination of the conditions and England’s inexperienced batting line-up suggests the Aussies will surely keep hold of the urn. This reviewer predicts, albeit sadly, 4-1 Australia.

low-level astronomers trying to warn mankind of a comet on its way to destroy Earth, writer and director Adam McKay satirises our handling of the climate crisis.

Supported by a brilliant cast, this film promises to be in contention for all the big awards at the end of the year.

ART & CULTURE ROYAL OBSERVATORY CHRISTMAS LECTURE Royal Observatory, London (11 December) University of Bristol astrophysicist Dr Hannah Wakeford talks to us about the latest research in the study of exoplanets: planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Held in the spectacular planetarium, this prominent annual event promises to be an eye-opening and horizon-wide experience.

TV & FILM

THEATRE

DON’T LOOK UP On Netflix 24th December

CABARET Playhouse Theatre, London (until 5 March)

From the man behind Anchorman and The Big Short comes a black comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.

Following the travails of two

revival, Oscar-winner Redmayne takes on the role of the Emcee, the master of ceremonies at the Kit Kat Club.

Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley star in this new production of Kander and Ebb’s classic. In Rebecca Freck Nell’s

BONUS PICK: ART DAVID SHRIGLEY: MAYFAIR TENNIS BALL EXCHANGE Stephen Friedman, London (until 8 January) A gallery filled with fresh new tennis balls. You are invited to come and swap an old ball of yours for a new one. That is, it.

Utterly bonkers. Utterly fantastic.

A superb mix of art installation and conceptual art, it encapsulates a perfect human metaphor: a transition from clean to dirty, new to old, vibrant to tired.

Wishing everyone a safe and restful break.

From the Barometer Team