The week ahead
Friday 12th January until Sunday 21st January
General Events
First can I take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year?
Third Form parents may be interested to know that the year group will give in their initial choices for GCSEs by Friday 19th January 2007. This needs to be done now to help planning for staffing and the timetable. There will of course be plenty of time to change choices after this date, and the Conference on April 22nd would be a focus of this. Your sons and daughters and their tutors have specific details including option columns (there may be some flexibility in these).
Are you interested in 'Military History'? If so then do come to listen to a fascinating talk by Professor Richard Holmes, C.B.E. entitled "Military History and Tommy, the foot soldier" on Friday 12th January at 8:00 p.m. in the Driver Lecture Room. Richard Holmes is Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and presenter of seven BBC 2 TV series from War Walks (1996) to In the Footsteps of Churchill (2005). Educated at Cambridge, where he was a scholar of Emmanuel College, Northern Illinois and Reading Universities, he taught military history at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for many years. He helped plan the prestigious Higher Command and Staff Course and the Joint Service Command and Staff College, and still teaches on it. He has written twenty books, including Firing Line (recently reprinted as Acts of War), and his trilogy on the British soldier, all published by HarperCollins: Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket, Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front and Sahib: The British Soldier in India. Dusty Warriors: Modern Soldiers at War is being published by HarperCollins in April 2006. A cash bar is available from 7:30pm onwards.
On Sunday 14th January at 8:00 p.m there is a full school Eucharist to which parents of boys in the Picton are invited -the preacheris the Master.
On Wednesday 17th January at 8:00 p.m. in the Theatre there is a chance to hear Peter Snow talk about "A Lifetime in Television". As well as being an Old Wellingtonian, Peter Snow is one of Britain's best known journalists, and presenters and a genuine house hold name. Probably most famously known for his Swingometer during elections and for his sand pit during the Gulf War, Peter really brings to life topics that most would consider boring. He started his broadcasting career at ITN in 1962 and moved to the BBC to become one of the regular presenters of Newsnight in 1980. He later presented Tomorrow's World, and is also known for his lively contribution to the BBC's election coverage. After 18 years presenting Newsnight ,Peter moved to Tomorrow's World in 1997 where his love for gadgets has been used to full effect. His quick wit and enthusiasm makes him an ideal choice for many events, dinners and other special occasions. For Radio 4 Peter chairs the general knowledge quiz series MasterTeam, which he helped to devise; and also presents the series Random Edition which looks behind the newspaper stories of a chosen date. His latest major project for TV is Battlefield Britain, which he presents with his son, the historian and broadcaster Dan Snow. Earlier this month they also presented 'What makes Britain Rich?' on BBC 2. Despite his busy schedule Peter has also managed to write. In 1970 he wrote Leila's Hijack War with colleague David Phillips, telling the story of the international crisis that was caused by the Palestinians who hijacked three airliners and blew them up on a desert airstrip. In 1972 he wrote the Biography of King Hussein of Jordan. We hope you will come and listen to a very lively and interesting talk by Peter. A cash bar is available from 7:30pm onwards. To enable us to have some idea of numbers please email Tarla Woolhouse if you are planning to attend the above event.
Jane Beament (piano) and Neil McLaren (flute) will be performing a recital of English and Dutch music at the Wigmore Hall on Sunday 4 February - we are very fortunate to be able to hear a preview of the recital here at Wellington College on Friday 19th January at 8:00 p.m. in the Concert Room. The recital will feature music by Rudolf Escher, Elizabeth Maconchy, Robin Milford and Willem Pijper. Jane Beament is a visiting teacher of piano at Wellington - she studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Hamish Milne and is a well known concert pianist. A keen exponent of contemporary music, Jane has given many world premieres and has had a number of works written for her. Neil studied at Trinity College and the Royal College of Music. He is a member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has given numerous recitals at Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room, performing on flutes from the Renaissance to the present day. Admission is free - further details can be obtained from Ros Dunmore in the Music School.
Parents of pupils in the Third Form are reminded that Saturday 20th January is a closed Saturday for the pupils as they are going to the West End.
There is a full school Service of the Word on Sunday 21st January to which parents of boys in the Anglesey are warmly invited.
Sport
The sporting term starts quickly with seventeen boys' hockey fixtures against Marlborough on Saturday 13th January. The girls on this day have netball training. The football teams take on Brighton College on the same day and our cross-country team compete in the Knole Run, the basketball team take on Eton and the badminton team the Oratory.
On Sunday 14th January the English Hockey Association National Schools' Tournament for U16 boys starts at Wellington and there is a basketball tournament at Wellington on the same day.
On Tuesday 16th January there is Under 15 Daily Mail rugby fixture on Bigside 1 against Queen Elizabeth Hospital Bristol, with a kick off at 2:30 p.m. All support is welcome. On the same day, our rackets and basketball teams take on Winchester.
On Thursday 18th January the squash teams compete in a triangular tournament and the yearlings play here against eagle House.
Saturday 20th January sees the netball matches start with our girls taking on the Perse and Lord Wandsworth. The boys' hockey teams play Charterhouse and the football teams take on the Oratory. Our cross-country runners compete in the Berkshire schools' championship, the basketball players play Bradfield and the badminton team takes on Eton.
Finally in a busy weekend, on Sunday 21st January, the O.W.s play the school hockey XI and the polo team take on Radley.
This link will take you to the Wellington intranet where details of hockey sports' fixtures (team lists, pitch details, etc) can be found. For netball click here and for football click here. To keep overall track on how the teams are doing click here for hockey, here for football and here for girls' netball.
Further Ahead
As you may know, Wellington has announced its plans to offer the International Baccalaureate alongside A Levels from September 2008. That means that the IB will be available to pupils currently in the 3rd and 4th Forms and to all those who come after them. We would like to invite you to an initial information evening on Monday, 5 February at 7:30pm in the Theatre, followed by an informal reception and chance for discussion with teachers afterwards. If you are interested in coming, please e-mail Justin Garrick.
There is also a reminder of an opportunity to perform in a concert on Sunday 18 March to celebrate Elgar's 150th Anniversary. You will have received an invitation at the end of term to sing with the College singers and Crowthorne Choral Society in this concert of Elgar's music conducted by Simon Williamson - please come along to the first rehearsal on Monday 15th January at 8 p.m. in the Old Gym - all voices required, soprano, alto, tenor and bass - parents and friends are particularly welcome. It promises to be a really uplifting experience. If you want to know more, please contact Ros Dunmore in the Music School.
There is an apartment for rent in Val D'Isere. Dates available throughout the Easter holiday 2007. All proceeds from this go towards sending the Wellington College Ski teams to competitions. The apartment sleeps 4 people and is centrally located in Val D'Isere. The cost is £350 per week. Please contact Mr John Gale on if you are interested or require more information.
Further ahead on a weekend late next term, Saturday 17th March, we plan to take all the Fifth Form to the Theatre in London. We did this with the Fourth Form this term and the event worked well. Therefore we would ask that you do not arrange anything for your sons in the Fifth Form for that Saturday night. The cost of the evening will be of the order of £40. If there are any problems with this trip on either issue, please contact John Arton-Powell as soon as possible as we need to get on and book tickets.