aymestrey mag 1991

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THE

AYMESTREY

MAGAZINE

SUMMER 1991



1989

Old Aymestrey AssociationIncome and Expenditure Accounts for year ended 31

st

March 1990

1989

Receipts Expenditure£175.00 Membership subscriptions (including renewal

of subscriptions and donations to Association

£175.00 £1 50.00 Contribution to School Magazine Expenses

Funds)£6.79 Lloyds Bank - Bank Charges £8,78

£0.50 Magazine Appeal Subscriptions £0.25 £130.00 Birthday presentation£68.83 Interes t on Abbey Nat ional Bui ld ing Society £90.13 £100.00 Contr ibut ion to Worces ter Cathedral Tower

Share Account Appeal in Memory of Jean Asterley£1.48 Interest on Lloyds Bank Deposit Account £2.06 Contribution to 80th Birthday Anniversary

celebrations

1133,70

£140.98 Excess of expenditure over income Excess of expenditure over income £124.96

£386.79 Total £267.44 £386.79 Total £267.44

Balance Sheet for Year ended 31st March 1990

1989 1989£ 1, 26 8. 40 Ba lance b ro ug ht fo rward 3 1 ' March 1 98 9 £ 1, 12 7. 42

Balances at Lloyds Bank -£140.98 Excess of expenditure over income £36.20 Current Account £ 3 0 3 . 7 2

£38.00 Deposit Account £30.31Balance on Abbey National Building Society

£1,053.22 Five Star Account £918.35

Excess of income over expenditure £124.96£1,127.42 Balance £1,252.38 £1, 127.42 Balance £1,252.38

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MINUTES OF THE 47TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

OF THE OLD AYMESTREY ASSOCIATION

HELD AT AYMESTREY SCHOOL

ON SATURDAY, 16TH JUNE 1990

PRESENT: Bill Stallard, in the chair; The President, Air Vice Marshall D.N..K. Blair Oliphant;Messrs. Matthew Patterson, Simon Patterson, Anthony Powell, Rupert Bader, Duncan

MacLaren, John Eyton Coates, Oliver Mayfield, Charles Etty-Leal, Peter Bradshaw,

Geoffrey Howell and Hugh Griffith.

APOLOGIES were received from Tom Slade, Edward Gallimore, Philip Coates, Jonathan Coates,

Christopher Mayfield, Dr. Robert Scholefield, Norris Leakey, Anthony Thornley,

Stephen Nelson, David Stokes, David Davis, Benjamin Wise, Charles Leakey, Nigel

J.K. Blair-Oliphant , Philip Adams, Charles Parry, Adam Trow, Bill Jay, Michael

Powell, Carl Gurney, Matthew Richardson and Tom Fletcher.

In the absence of the Chairman, Edward Weaving, the Honorary secretary was requested to take

the chair.

The Minutes of the last A.G.M. held on Saturday, 18th June, 1988 were confirmed and

approved. No Annual General Meeting was held during the calendar year 1989 in view of the 80th

Anniversary Celebrations.

The Accounts for the years ended 31 st March 1989 and 31 st March 1990 were presented and

these were approved. It was noted that Tom Bader had presented the handsome framed photographs

of Dan and Jean Asterley and a warm vote of thanks was proposed and passed unanimously.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:-

CHAIRMAN: Anthony Powell

VICE CHAIRMAN: Oliver Mayfield

HONORARY SECRETARY/:

TREASURER: Bill Stallard

SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT: Dan Asterley

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The meeting was informed that the annual cost of producing the School Magazine is not far off

£500. It was proposed by the President and seconded by Geoffrey Howell that the Association

contribute £200 to the yearly cost of the magazine and it was so resolved.

Rupert Bader suggested that a series of lectures be organised to be known as The ArnoldDarlington Lectures in memory of the late Mr. Darlington who had done so much to broaden the

minds of pupils at the school and that suitable Old Boys should be asked to give the lectures. The

meeting felt that this would be a very appropriate initiative.

A discussion took place as to whether future Meetings of the Association should take place at

lunchtime rather than early evening after the Annual Cricket Match. It was clear that any lunchtime

Meeting would have to take place on a Sunday.

It was proposed by Peter Bradshaw and seconded by John Eyton Coates that those members

who left school more than ten years ago should be invited to make a further subscription to the

Association and this was agreed.

The Meeting expressed its thanks to Hugh and Gill Griffith for the splendid manner in which

they staged the 80th Anniversary Celebrations last year. These had been particularly well attended

and much enjoyed by all concerned. The Chairman also expressed the members' thanks for the

warm hospitality extended to members of the Association on the occasion of the A.G.M. and

Annual Dinner.

The Annual Dinner was held this year at the School for the first time. The members and guests

who attended were delighted to hear John Eyton Coates sing One Meat Ball and although the

dinner was thinly attended, due to the late dispatch of the Magazine and Notices, it was voted a

great success and all were in favour of the same arrangement in 1991.

Members who are wishing to attend the dinner might be interested to know that there is an

excellent bed and breakfast two miles away from the school, on the A44 towards Bromyard. Mr. &

Mrs. Popplewell have an 18th century former farmhouse overlooking the Teme valley. There is a

family room and two twin bedded rooms, each with a washbasin, facilities for making tea, and a

guest sitting room with T.V. Please phone Hugh or Jay Popplewell - 0905 333288

The Editor apologises and very much regrets that in the description of those who attended the

80th party, R.A. Devereux and A.P. Sherwood were listed as A.P. Devereux.

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LEAVERS

July 1988

A.R. Bewley - (King's Worcester) Came Autumn 1985. Choir.

M.J. Burton - (Worcester Royal Grammar School) Came Autumn 1986. Rugger XV, Cricket XI

and Soccer XI. Colours for Rugby and Soccer.J.A. Cruickshank - (Uppingham) Came Autumn 1987. Choir.

N.S. Goodwin - (Rendcomb) Came Summer 1987. Rugger XV, Cricket XI. Colours for Rugby.

Choir.

M.E. Harper - (Rendcomb) Came Autumn 1985. Rugger XV, Soccer XI, Cricket XI and Cross

Country. Colours for Rugby, Soccer and Cross Country. Choir. Prefect. Ogden Cup.

O.J. Haynes - (Worcester Royal Grammar School) Came Summer 1987. Rugger XV, Soccer XI,

Cricket XI, Cross Country and Athletics. Colours for Rugby, Cross Country and Athletics.

P.M. Homer - (The Chase) Came October 1986. Rugger XV, Cricket XI, Soccer and Cross Country.

Colours for Soccer and Cross Country.

C.M. Hughes - (Indefatigable) Came Autumn 1986. Rugger XV, Soccer XI , Cricket XI and

Cross Country. Choir.

N.J.P. Michell - (Worcester Royal Grammar School) Came Autumn 1985. Rugger XV, Soccer XI,

Cricket XI (Capt.), Cross Country and Athletics. Colours for Cross Country and Athletics.

City and County Runner. Choir. Head Boy.

P.C. Phillips - (Martley) Came Summer 1989.

P.S. Smith - (Rendcomb) Came Summer 1985. Rugger XV, Soccer XI (Capt.) Cricket XI, Cross

Country and Athletics. Colours for Rugby, Soccer, Cross Country and Athletics. Worcester

City Runner. Chess. Prefect. Sports Shield.

NEW BOYS

Summer 1990P.A. Henderson, J.A.F. Smith.

Autumn 1990

A.R.H. Davidson, A.W. Drummond, B. Griffin, A.L. Gordon, R.S. Hawkes, .R. Heynes,

S.P.R.G.White, R.Williams.

Spring 1991

C. Cartwright, R.D. Crooks, J.A.B.M. Howe.

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NEWS of OLD BOYS

R. Bader is working in information technology for C.M.B., one of the leading packaging firms

in Europe. He has won a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, to the Business School,where he will start in September.

M. Bartlett, at the R.G.S., has eight GCSEs, and is taking Maths, Electronics and CDT at A level.

In September he was ranked No. 10 in the county for table tennis.

D. Bartlett, at Bromsgrove, has his athletic colours. He is a keen windsurfer.

S.J. Dorrell is Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department of Health.

E. Edmonds is a tunnelling engineer with Lilley Construction and is working in Weymouth at

present.

G. Edmonds is in his final year at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, reading French and Spanish.

J.N.F. Edwards has a son. He and his family live in Harpenden.

J.W. Edwards has a chance of being chosen to play for England in the Frisby Team.T. Edwards has just changed his job and is dairy farming in Norfolk.

N.R.P. Harris is a support scientist with a group co-ordinating stratospheric ozone research, based

on Cambridge. He is organizing a survey which will be studying depletion of ozone over the arctic.

M. Harris is a lay clerk at St. Paul's. He is also freelance and sings with the chorus at Covent

Garden, periodically.

G. Johnson lives in Hereford. He is playing the double bass in the Birmingham Philharmonic and

Worcester and Gloucester Symphony Orchestras.

R. Lane farms at Bosbury. He has two daughters and a son.

A. Lane has a son and lives near Salisbury. He will be going to Law School in Guildford in

September, when he will have completed his Articles.W. Lane, at St. Andrew's University, has won a Memorial Scholarship to Emory University, Atlanta,

for the next academic year. He will read Music, Drama and Teaching Methods. The following year

he will go to Queen's, Cambridge , to take a Post Graduate Certificate of Education. This year he

has directed H.M.S. Pinafore for the University Gilbert & Sullivan Society and has been with the

University Renaissance Choir to Chartres and Caen.

R. MacLaren has two daughters.

A.P. MacLaren is in his first year at York University.

D.B. MacLaren is doing a B.Sc. in Land Management at Leicester Polytechnic.

J. O'Neill has joined the marines.

M. Packman is the Catering Manager at Amesbury School, Surrey.

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S. Patterson at King's is Head of School and Captain of IInds Rugby. He has a provisional place at

King's, Cambridge, to read Archaeology and Anthropology.

M. Patterson is in the cross country team at Dean Close.

W. Rankin is at Manchester University.

N. Richardson played for England Colts Under 19 against Canada , also for England Students

against Scotland and for Loughborough in the semi finals of the Melrose 7s.

M. Richardson, at Kings, won the award for the most improved rugby player. He is taking 9 GCSEs

this summer.

D. Richmond now a captain in The Royal Fusilliers is glad to be back from the Gulf where he

went up with the the Ist Armoured Division in the main thrust. Previously he had been in Belize

for six months.

O. Saunders at Ackworth has five A levels, one at A grade.

J. Smith at Rendcomb has eight GCSEs.

R. Stallard is taking his articles with a London firm and will qualify as a solicitor in August. He is alieutenant in the T.A. with the Worcester & Sherwood Forresters. He has passed his captain's

exams.

Wing Commander M.J. Stokes is in the Chief of Staff's Department at the Air Ministry.

T. Wellspring has 4 'A'levels.

T. Wise has 5 'A' levels, one at 'A' grade, and is now at the London School of Economics reading

Economics. He has met Jonathan Essex who is also in London.

B. Wise, at Bloxham, is taking 10 GCSEs this year having already got an 'A' in Maths GCSE.

G. Yule is now a professional commercial diver, having had a varied career since leaving

Ellesmere.

GIFTS

We are extremely grateful to the following for their presents to the school:

Mr. & Mrs. Bewley - A hard disk for the computer.

Mr. & Mrs. Cruickshank - A complete set of new hymn books.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Covers for the new hymn books.

Mrs. Michell - Animal encyclopaedia .

Mrs. Beard - A book on heraldic designs.

Mr. & Mrs. Gorman - Apples.

Mr. & Mrs. Richardson - Potatoes for November 5th.

Mrs. Alison Leakey - From Mosquitoes to Elephants by Niels Bolwig.Mr. & Mrs. P. Edwards - Apples.

Mr. & Mrs. Griffin - Pears.

Mr. S. Gowland - A book on musical instruments.

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CHESS

The Chess Team again did well:

Played 6, Won 4, Lost 1, Drew 2.

We drew a bye in the first round of the Times National Schools Competition, beat Redhill,Birmingham in the next round and were white washed in the zonal semi final by King Edward VI,

Camp Hill, who went on to win the Birmingham zone.

The most improved player was Heynes, who is to be congratulated on gaining a place in the

County Under 11 Team.

M. Camozzi, Murphy and E. Williams played consistently well and there is plenty of

enthusiasm lower down the school.

M U S I C

During the year the following Associated Board Exams were passed:-

Grade 2

M. Michell - Piano

Grade 3

J. Cruickshank Saxophone

J. Cruickshank Theory

J. Williams Theory

J. Williams Piano with merit.

A. Tomlins Theory

P. Jolley Theory

The choir again enjoyed singing Choral Evensong at Dean Close and Malvern, although

numbers were down at the latter event due to illness in many schools in the Spring Term.

CRICKET

This was an undistinguished season and was not helped by the weather. Two matches were

washed out by rain. Of the seven played we won two, lost three and drew two.

The best performances were a stand of 50 by Alexander and M. Burton in the O.A.A. match

which was an exciting draw; 7 wickets for 32 by Alexander against St. Richard's and a spell of 4 for

12 by Abbas. Michell captained the side well but it was always a struggle with only three bowlers.

He was the most correct of the batsman but had little luck. Abbas was always keen and swung his

bat with enthusiasm but with rather more energy than skill.

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Alexander was the best bowler but less fortunate with the bat. Burton used the long handle to

good effect but not often enough. Price was very keen and batted tidily.

Of the rest Gawler, Richards, O. Symonds and Peel were the most promising.

ATHLETICS 1990

With athletics becoming more and more popular throughout the school it was natural that weshould enjoy an excellent season. The new long jump and triple jump pit, and the new shot putt

circle, both constructed by the boys, and a track measuring - at last - exactly 400 metres, made

training and competition much more entertaining. The only real disappointment was the unseasonal

weather that sabotaged Sports Day.

Apart from this, however, everything went well. We achieved a record number of AAA

awards - 96 per cent of the school gaining at least one badge - and the season was crowned with two

excellent performances on the track. Michell, in the 1500m, qualified at the District Trials to run for

Worcester City Schools in the County Championship and P.S. Smith, in the 800m, won the area trial

at Denstone and so qualified for the National Prep Schools Finals.

P.S. Smith and Michell along with Haynes, Gawler and Peel, also achieved the difficult targetof winning 5 star awards in each of the three possible categories - Three Events, Pentathalon and

Decathlon.

J. Griffin and D. Hunter achieved 5 star awards in Three Events and Pentathalon, Hughes a 5

star award for Pentathalon and Hunter M a 5 star award in Three Events.

The keenness present throughout the rest of the school may be judged by the fact that

seventeen 4 star, thirty 3 star, seventeen 2 star and thirteen 1 star awards were gained. A realistic

target for next year should be that every boy wins at least one badge.

SWIMMING

The new pool has revolutionised swimming because, although it is not heated artificially,

the water is much warmer due to the solar cover and the position of the pool. It was possible tostart swimming earlier in the year and as a result 98% of the school could swim by the end of term.

We did have a try at competitive swimming but realised very soon that it was not for us.

Schools that take part in the competitions are much larger and also all have heated and, or, covered

pools and this means that they can practise in all

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weathers and some all the year round. In fact our emphasis is on survival swimming and the two do

not really mix.

Michell, B. Edwards and Bewley are to be congratulated on swimming 2000m in far from ideal

weather conditions, Abbas and J. Williams 1500m and Haynes, Heigh, Painter and Auty 1000m.

In the National Challenge Awards Michell, Goodwin and Homer gained Bronze, Hughes, B.Edwards and J. Williams Silver and Abbas Gold.

Visit from Philip Coates (O.A.)

Mr. Coates was very funny - he said that he was born before the war -which war? His viol was

an old wonder - V I O L not V I L E! This viol was made in the early I7th century and he had

bought it at a jumble sale for less than its case! He said that it must have been used by an old black

bearded sailor as there was a very black mark where the chin would have rested. Viols went out of

fashion - they were overtaken by violins - so they were just thrown on the fire. They are now very

rare.

Justin Williams

First we watched them practise and then it was our turn to play. I think we played it well but I

played a few flat notes. Just before the end of our practice the audience came in.

Now we sat down to watch Mr. Coates play his cello. He showed us how to bounce the bow

on the string. At first I thought the strings would break. Sometimes he put a lot of pressure on

the strings.

It was our turn to play with him. When we had practised the Minuet in the music room it had

been easy but when the real thing came I thought it would be hard. Once we started playing it was

easy. Near the end someone made a mistake but he managed to catch up.

Robert Auty

CAMP

We arrived at the camp site at eleven o'clock. First we brought the trailer down near the site

and put up our tents. We were then given many jobs like digging the fire, putting up the big store

tent, etc. After this we all went up to collect wood. We had a cold lunch but a hot dinner.

Next morning everyone looked tired. At ten o'clock we set out for a walk.

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We went up a valley and then high up into a wood. We had a late lunch and soon afterwards,

tea.

On the third day we went on our long walk. We stopped at a church and signed the visitors'

book. We went on another walk the following day to find Cruickshank's penknife! We found it and

Michell and I built a dam. This was our last day except for the few hours on Tuesday in which we packed. We hitched the trailer on the car and went back to school.

One of the highlights of the camp was the delicious cake Mrs. Green Price made for us.

Michael Harper

Ed. We are most grateful once again for the hospitality and kindness Norman and Ann

Green Price show to our campers.

RUGBY 1990

One of the foundations on which Rugby at Aymestrey is built is how the older boys, some of

whom have as much as three years' experience playing for the school, pass on by their example

their hard-earned knowledge to the younger and physically smaller boys. This year they failed todo so. In the last match only three of the fifth form were in the side.

This lack of leadership and commitment from the older boys thrust a great deal of responsibility

onto the lower forms. We were fortunate to find there a captain who was willing to lead by example

and prove to the juniors that determination can make up for any disadvantage of height or weight.

Murphy, playing at full-back , not only shored up the defence with fearless tackling but was also

always willing to drive the ball back at the opposition again and again regardless of the support he

received.

Murphy's example gave some purpose to the season. After poor performances against St.

Richard's, The Elms, The Downs and Hillstone we played St. Richard's again - this time at

Under 12 level. Here the youngsters found that it was possible to play good rugby. Inexperienced

players such as Hawkes, Auty, Camozzi M., Gordon and Heynes linked up with establishedmembers of the team such as Richards, Jolley - who won his colours - Peel, Williams J., Heigh and

Edwards B. to give a solid performance of great character.

In the final match against Abberley Seconds this progress was further advanced. In the best

game of the season, against the best - and probably largest -side we had encountered, our XV played

with real spirit.

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SNOW

It was the second day that we had had no electricity and when Mrs. G. said that we could get up

we washed with cold water and then trooped down to the 3rd Form to play cards or chess. We had

breakfast and afterwards had a snowball fight with Mr. Driver, who came back covered in snowwhich he didn't appreciate. Unfortunately it was Carols and what was even worse was that, because

the cooks could not get here, Hunter M. and Hawkes helped with the lunch - at least they peeled a

sack full of potatoes.

It was like this until Monday morning and we felt the creepiness when we were read "Lot 241",

on Sunday evening in the dark, apart from the light of one candle, and then walked through the dark

passages up to the dormitories.

T. Murphy.

CAROLS

In 1981 we had neither Carols nor Bust Up due to the weather and it looked very much asthough the same would happen in 1990, as the snow came early on Saturday morning, the day

before carols. However, although we had no electricity and therefore little heat, we managed and it

was a success. The morning was spent phoning parents to change the time to 1.30 as the weather

conditions were horrific, and coping with lunch for the school, as the cooks were not able to get in.

Mr. Davidson lent us a generator- and got it working! so that there was hot water for washing up.

Some parents managed to come from as far away as Cambridge - a truly magnificent effort - and

due to a tactful suggestion by a parent and organization by Mr. Lowland, we were able to record the

service unobtrusively.

Some of the congregation may not realise that the choir learn all their words by heart and

this helps to create the atmosphere. It was harder this year in daylight but the singing was the best

ever - in particular Jolley's rendering of Drop Down Ye Heavens from Above. The highlight for

many is always Three Kings with Tom Hunt singing the lead, and this year was no exception.

SOCCER 1991

The soccer team suffered from the same weather that ruined the runners' season and the lack

of leadership from the top that bedevilled the Rugby XV. Once again it was, except for a few

occasional flurries by Homer and Price in the later matches, left to the younger members of the side

to give some hope for the future.

Lawler tried hard in goal. Richards usually played well. Murphy once again put everything

into every game and made up in determination what he lacked in

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skill. Peel and Hunter M. as the two wingers tried to bring some width to the game and Hunter D.

displayed some good` skills.

Overall, though, it was a disappointing season. The seeds of a good side were present - as the

entertaining match on Open Day showed - but there were never enough players willing to give their all for the team, not themselves, to build the match winning side that a less selfish Senior Game

would have produced.

CROSS-COUNTRY 1990-1991

For the first time since Cross-Country has been a major winter sport at Aymestrey we were

badly affected by the weather which wiped out practically the whole of the racing programme in the

Spring Term.

This was a pity as in the Autumn Term we had once again won the Worcester City Schools'

League and had begun 1991 by coming equal first in the Under 13 District trials.

A notable difference this year was the lack of any particular individual dominating the races.

The team's success was due to consistent running by all those who took part. The most consistent

finisher was Gawler but he was given good support by Smith P.D., Homer, Price, Murphy and

Williams J. Edwards B. was a late addition to this stalwart group and he surprised everyone,

particularly himself, by running well in a tough race for the Under 15s in the District Trials.

Really the only prep. school race left to us in the Spring Term was the one at Dean Close.

Smith P.D. ran the best race of his season to finish an excellent second. Had the scoring system

been the same used by every other school and athletic organisation in the country the team would

have won; as it was they finished a very creditable second.

The Juniors had little chance to display their talents but again they showed real determination

at Dean Close. Peel came third after running the hardest race of his life. He was an exemplarymodel to his fellow team-mates simply by the effort he put into every training session. With his lead

Griffin J., Camozzi M., Hunter D., Fraser, Le Galloudec, Williams R., Heynes and Symonds H.

could develop into a very good team.

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

A few years ago we entertained Dennis Weidner, an American and Patrick Briston , who is

English, for the day as they were writing a book on Boys' Preparatory Schools and had chosen

Aymestrey among others, as a school to visit.They were charming, tactful and unassuming and we let them wander as

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they wished. They took photos of boys everywhere - in class, playing games, in line and in thedormitories and also got the boys to talk to them.

This year they sent us a copy of the book. They had visited over 150 preparatory schools in

Britain and other countries and had produced a book full of photos with comments and captions.

Aymestrey features six times and although some of the photos were posed the boys became so used

to having them about that many are natural. They also asked if they could come back again, which

they did this Spring Term, and once again their visit was much enjoyed.

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aymestrey mag 1991

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