VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 3

12TH FEBUARY 2015

SPECIAL POINTS

OF INTEREST:

WinCoFo Notions

New Hall Reopening

Chawker’s Play 2

Dates For The Diary 2

Cardinal Beaufort

Lecture

4

Hockey XI 4

The Opening Of

New Hall

5

Young Enterprise 6

Trant’s House Play 6

Watercolour Exhibi-

tion

7

Awards & Notions 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

The Insight

As most of our readers will be aware, at Winchester College there is a diverse

range of society to satisfy the interests of all the boys. Whilst Debating Soci-

ety, Psychology Society and Bell Ringing Society all have sufficient demand

to warrant regular meetings, many societies can go long periods of time with-

out meeting.

Fortunately, Spanish Play Reading Society has not fallen away like various

others, and its first meeting of the year, at the end of January, was a great

success. Following a series of task times on Spanish Golden Age literature

with JKH, seven VI Book Hispanists were allocated roles in Calderón de la

Barca’s “El Médico de su Honra”, or “The Surgeon of his Honour.” The

meeting also featured four girls from Peter Symonds College and their teach-

er, Mrs. Pounds.

Led by the powerful voice of Henry Portman (K) as the protagonist, Don

Gutierre Alfonso Solís, the supporting cast of Matt Roller (I), Ollie Clark

(X), Tom Wigley (K) and Robert Hewett (C) helped to keep the play moving,

and Julia Hebron’s vivacious performance as Doña Mencía de Acuña showed

an excellent ability to tackle the tough language used.

However, the star of the meeting was undoubtedly Sasha Reviakin (H), who

took on the role of the ‘gracioso’, or joker, with aplomb, and even broke into

song on a couple of occasions. Many thanks must go to him, JKH and CMC

for organising the event, and all to Peter Symonds College for their participa-

tion.

Matt Roller (I)

Spanish Play Reading Society

PAGE 2 VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 3

The first play of the calendar year saw Chawker’s put up their production of ‘The Grimm Tales,’ a selec-

tion of fairy tales written by two German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm. The cast consisted primarily of

first timers to the QEII stage, with a number of JP and MP boys taking part; this was very encouraging

for the future of acting within the house. The play consisted of five short stories, highlighting perhaps

the most famous of the Grimm Tales: Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Ashputtel and

Iron Hans. The two directors, Yannick Schremper and George Tall, in adapting the script, made a con-

scious effort to keep the essential elements of the storyline intact whilst also managing to add in some

Wiccamical elements and references. This made for a very enjoyable and humorous show that had the

right balance between comedy and drama.

The play revolved around a central narrator, played by Ned McCrossan, who was essentially recounting

the stories aloud to the audience. The directors used the QEII stage to its full capacity, with the narrator

interacting with the audience in a very commendable fashion. Hansel and Gretel, portrayed by Tom Pike

-Caesar and Etienne Le Goater respectively, highlighted the hardships faced by poor German families in

the 19th century. Next, Jack Cheng’s depiction of Rumpelstiltskin led to a fair few laughs in the audi-

ence, as he showed a developed understanding of the character. Snow White, Ashputtel and Iron Hans

all followed with a variety of actors portraying a wide range of characters; James Korossy as Snow

White particularly stood out. A number of actors had multiple roles in the different stories, which dis-

played the versatility and adaptability of the cast on the whole. All the actors said their lines in a sort of

personal narration, almost as if they were reading from the actual book of tales, while simultaneously

acting out their parts. This was a very interesting way to go about telling these stories and I think that

overall it was an extremely effective one.

Akhil Mithal (F)

Chawker’s House Play

Dates For The Diary

22nd February - Leave-Out Ends

27th February - Kenneth Clark Prize Final

28th February - XVs

8th March - Confirmation

9th-10th March - ABRSM Music Exams

14th March - VIs: OTH vs Commoners

17th-19th March - School Play: The Revenger's Tragedy

21st March - School goes down

PAGE 3 VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 3

THE INSIGHT PAGE 4

OW Robin Baird-Smith was invited to give the annual Cardinal Beaufort Lecture for 2015, and spoke on

the topic of ‘The Book is Dead. Long Live the Book: Publishing, Reading and the Life of the Spirit’ to a

wide-ranging audience.

His thirty-minute speech covered a wide variety of topics, including the rise of the e-book, the manner in

which we read, the relationship between the Catholic Church and reading, and the life of a publisher.

After this enthralling monologue, he then opened the floor to a great number of questions and responses,

as debate broke out between those in favour of physical copies of books and those who voiced their pref-

erence for electronic versions.

The other main focus of the talk was that of the spiritual nature of reading; he believes that his apprecia-

tion and understanding of literature, and poetry in particular, has been helped by a sense of calmness and

reflection when he reads. Perhaps this point was not discussed to the same extent as the Kindle debate,

but it too was an enthralling topic.

Mr Baird-Smith, who attended the College from 1959 to 1964, has held positions at Collins and Blooms-

bury, as well as several other publishers and also currently holds a role with the Catholic newspaper ‘The

Tablet’. As a result, it is easy to see that he is well-qualified to speak on the subject of books, and his

traditional stance was echoed by various current members of staff. However, amongst the younger at-

tendees of the talk, there was perhaps a more open-minded view towards the matter.

This was certainly a stimulating and enjoyable lecture from Mr. Baird-Smith, and his vast contribution to

the industry of publishing was clear.

Matt Roller (I)

Cardinal Beaufort Lecture

Winchester College Hockey is one of the fastest developing sports in the school at the moment, with a

formidable Hockey XI leading the way, backed up by a very strong (and large) junior squad. With Mr.

Robert Moore, triple Olympian for hockey, contributing more and more to the hockey side of things de-

spite being the don in charge of golf, and rumours of a new astro turf to be built, hockey is definitely one

to look out for. With regards to this year’s Hockey XI, we are continuing to see good results coming up

from the senior team. This is no doubt due to the strong leadership of Mr. Wright, and captain Jasen

Soopramanien (C), as well as the invaluable contributions from the rest of the team. Names to look out

for on the pitch are the Scriven brothers (Jolyon (X) and Harvey (F)), goalkeeper Rory Bedford (X) and

the perennially enthusiastic Fergus Horsfall (K). Down in the junior teams, players that have shown

promising talent for years to come include Julian Moore (I), Florian Garland Hoff (F), Jeremy Cheng (H)

and Tom Nottingham (I).

Often branded as the underdogs against some of the big sporting schools, we managed to steal a 1 - 0

victory against the ever-strong Radley, which was the first victory we’ve managed against them in well

over 10 years. A narrow defeat away at Pangbourne as well as the honourable draw with Cheltenham has

already left us with a renewed confidence in our ability to perform as a team. It’s still early days in the

season, and yet we are becoming ever more optimistic about some of the tough games to come. Our next

opponent is Marlborough, who, I’m told are going to present us with yet another major challenge to

overcome, and Eton follows them. Our results against Eton have not been too fantastic in recent history,

but this year could be a turning point in the ever-heated derby between the two rival schools.

In my totally honest, unbiased opinion as a keen hockey enthusiast, I would say that Winchester Hockey

most definitely has a bright future and coupled with our other first class companions in Boat Club, Soc-

cer XI and Lords, will help to maintain our reputation for sporting achievement amongst all our rival

schools.

Angus Altham (I)

Hockey XI

PAGE 5 VOLUME 2 , ISSUE 3

The Opening Of New Hall

Sunday January 18thheralded a new age in the history of New Hall. A spectacular ceremony marked its official re-

opening after its refurbishment. The hall itself is now splendid. Attractive as well as functional, it is everything the

old New Hall was not. The evening of its opening offered an immense show of talent from the school with boys as

well as dons getting involved.

The evening started with an introduction and welcome from the Warden. He recounted the history of the magnifi-

cent building and the history of the beautiful wooden panelling which gives the hall an ancient feel despite its ob-

vious modernity. After his speech, the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire Mrs Lindsay Fox officially re-opened

New Hall. The first show of talent was the recital from The Origins and Life of William of Wykeham by The Sen-

ior Tutor (Mr Anderson), the Second Master (Mr Wyke) and Temi Bolodeoku (C). The recital started off in Latin

read fluently and compassionately by Mr Anderson; however, Mr Wyke, sensing the soporific state of the audi-

ence, politely interrupted in English. The remainder of the recital was passed between Bolodeoku and Mr Wyke,

with the conclusion given back to Mr Anderson for a final bit of Latin.

Following this came another recital, but in the form of a Septet. Made up of men in the top three years, the Septet

played Beethoven’s Septet in E Flat Op. 30 i. Adagio Allegro con brio. First Violinist, Nicholas Lau (B), led the

group through the challenging piece which was very well received by the audience; the performance was truly

stunning. As a tribute to those lost in combat, Edward Horrocks (A) and Thomas Shaw (A) read between them the

A.B.E.F Alphabet from the Wipers Times, which gave the listener an idea of the ironic humour which kept the

moral from dipping too low in the trenches. After this, an extract from the war diaries and personal correspond-

ence of 3 Rifles Battle Group, Helmand Province 2009 told of how the extraordinary bravery of an OW during a

tour in Afghanistan.

On a slightly lighter note the Community Service Entertainers gave the audience a taste of the performances they

give to people during their Wednesday Community Service sessions. Their two performances were loved by eve-

ryone. The first was a rendition of One Finger, One Thumb and was very entertaining. Their second performance

was a funny interpretation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Overall, their performance was a witty display

of Wiccamical humour. This was preceded by a very dynamic performance of The Art of Fencing. I’m sure some

members of the first row were worried about being sliced open by one of the swords as we were all thoroughly

entertained by the mock fencing fight.

In contrast to the fast paced sword fighting displayed in the Art of Fencing, the soothing British Folk songs sung

by Cantores Episcopi gave the audience a chance to recompose themselves. They sung ‘Bobby Shaftoe’, ‘Danny

Boy’ and ‘O my love is like a red, red rose’. The school has a very deep and rich singing culture with many choirs

and vocal ensembles. This year, the annual house singing competition would return to New Hall with all but four

of the houses seated in the main hall. The comical highlight of the evening was without a doubt Hugo Jen-

nings’ (C) recital of Peter Cook’s ‘Experiences Down the Mine’. It was hilarious and had the audience in outright

laughter.

The final performance of the evening was Abba’s ‘Money, Money, Money’ sung by the Quiristers. As many of

the Quiristers end up studying at Winchester, I thought that it was a nice touch ending with a glimpse at the poten-

tial future of Winchester. For those who haven’t seen it, New Hall really has become quite a spectacle. With beau-

tiful panelling and masonry, the building itself is aesthetically very pleasing. As well as its stunning looks it also

has been fitted with all manner of useful features such as automatic blinds and retractable seating. I am sure that

the school will use the hall to its full potential and exhibit the skill of students for many years to come.

Henry Warner (E)

THE INSIGHT PAGE 6

This half in QEII, Trant’s, along with a few girls from St. Swithun’s and Westgate, presented

us with a classic: The Roses Of Eyam By Don Taylor. This tragic tale was a fitting choice, 2015

being the 350th Anniversary of the outbreak of The Plague in Eyam. Derbyshire is where the

tale unfolds, and the directing duo of Luke Fletcher and Henry Fuller didn’t fall far from per-

fection in all categories. Superb live music from Thomas Collings, Hyunseog Lee, Harry Rob-

inson and Patrick McAllister whisked the audience back to 1666 whilst captivating performanc-

es all round tugged at the heart strings. Clearly a lot of effort had been put in by all involved

and it certainly paid off. Beautiful costumes and a well choreographed 17th Century dance rou-

tine also added to the realism of the experience, and it should be mentioned that Sasha Reviakin

gave a noteworthy performance as the new rector William Mompesson in his struggle to gain

the respect and trust of the villagers whilst dealing with the horrendous surrounding situation.

All in all, a tremendous show from Trant’s, especially during such a busy time, with prepara-

tions for the house singing competition coinciding rehearsals.

Toby Phillips (G)

Trant’s House Play

Young Enterprise

Young Enterprise is an historic program run with the support of HSBC that has provided children in

British with business experience for many years. Winchester College has had some interesting ideas for

the YE program over the years ranging from sponsored toilet paper to school related beanies, and The

Insight itself was a product of Young Enterprise last year. This year the YE Company named WCYE

(Winchester College Young Enterprise) is selling house cufflinks to houses either directly to the house-

masters, or to the boys. The boys involved have many opportunities to learn about business, finance and

real life. The program offers competitions, talks and workshops so that participants can really get the

most out of it. Most importantly, it gives students a financially safe environment in which they can ex-

plore ideas and hone skills which will be vital in later life.

Young Enterprise at Winchester is overseen by Mr. Tarrant who strives to ensure that boys get the most

out of the experience. As well as a Don in charge there are also two volunteer financial advisors who sit

in on meetings to guide, challenge and to advise companies on internal and external business. This year

WCYE have been blessed with two very supportive advisors and as a result have had success in their

cufflink enterprise. So far they have sold over three hundred cufflinks to housemasters and boys with

cufflinks in almost a third of houses. Their first shipment of cufflinks will be arriving in Winchester on

the 18th of February.

In conclusion, Young Enterprise is a great opportunity for boys to put their education to a practical use

and to get the confidence and experience they need to get started as young entrepreneurs. The projects

that boys come up with vary wildly and the success of The Insight stands testament to the commitment

boys show in building businesses which stand the test of time.

Henry Warner (E)

NEWSLETTER T ITLE PAGE 7

Watercolour Exhibition

Many men who go through the school do not comprehend the amazing privilege that a Wykehamist has

in the accessing of the schools collection. Ranging from beautiful Red-figure pottery from Ancient

Greece to one of the first ever printed books of Plato, the depth of the collection is astounding. The

school’s watercolour collection forms an integral part of the collection and once a year, a div puts on an

exhibition with the pieces of their choice. I was lucky enough to be in Mr Herring’s Div who put on the

watercolour exhibition this year in Art School. I have gained a huge amount from the experience from it.

After a brief history lesson on the rise of the watercolour as a medium during the 18th century, we soon

saw the pieces in the flesh. Hung on racks in a small dark room, my first impression was that this was not

a suitable location for such a beautiful selection of paintings; I was soon informed however, that water-

colours despite their splendour are prone to discolouring and damage and can only be on display for a

short time. We browsed around looking at the paintings and after much deliberation, we chose our fa-

vourites. Over the next weeks we put together a theme which suited our choices. Our choice rested on:

‘Home and Abroad’, contrasting the different styles of watercolours painted in England and across the

rest of Europe.

After a break for Christmas, we returned and set about the business of presentation. We were each allo-

cated certain paintings about which to write labels. We then proceeded to get in a huge panic as the dead-

line, January 24th, approached! The labels were in due course completed and in the days leading up to the

exhibition, they were printed onto thick card ready to be placed next to each piece kindly by Mrs Wragg

who looks after the collection and had helped us to learn about the skill needed to put on an exhibition.

Finally, the physical and frustrating task of hanging the paintings arrived and we all set about arguing

over where each piece should be with the help of Dr Foster, Mr Herring and Mrs Wragg too. The pieces

finally were put in place and, thanks to several spirit levels, we managed to straighten out each painting

and stick on the labels. In the evening we all arrived and the sight was very fulfilling. We had done it; we

had managed to put on an exhibition. All the hard work we had put into it had paid off as we smugly

strolled around the gallery dropping in the occasional fact about each painting to them. An enjoyable

evening was had all round as we gazed at the paintings by Cotman, Dadd and even Edward Lear. It was a

joy to be part of the group and it has brought us closer as a Div. I shall never forget it.

Rupert Kettle (G)

Trant’s House Play, Opposite Page

The Insight

Song, WNA (E)

Kullavanijaya, P (C): For winning the Schools’ West of England Fives Championship - U16 Dou-

bles

Song, WNA (E): For winning the Schools’ West of England Fives Championship - U16 Singles

Watkinson, TWP (I): For winning the Schools’ West of England Fives Championship - U18 Sin-

gles

Udal, CWH (A): For an exceptional Div Task

Lawrence, MSB (A): For many outstanding Div Essays for Div JA/CC

Au, HLH (F)

Choi, MH (X)

Dunlop, GSS (X)

Fraser, JW (X)

Jeon, J (X)

Kwon, T (X)

Liu, CC (X)

Metrebian, RHKB (X)*

Smith, M (X)

Turner, M (X): For excellent work for the British Mathematical Olympiad Paper 1

Metrebian, RHKB (X)

Lui, CC (X)

Cheng, GG (X)

Wan, KC (G)

Jeon, J (X)

Ganendra, JD (H): For winning Gold medals in the British Physics Olympiad

Cheung, MKS (X): For achieving a distinction in the LTCL Music Diploma for piano

Chan, THN (F): For achieving an excellent standard in the FTCL Music Diploma for piano

Brown, CD (D): For an exceptional performance in the Physics mock examination

Redfern, RWS (E): For an excellent toytime on electrical power

Petrie, GWE (I): - Clarinet

Toal, AJ (B) - Trumpet: for achieving excellent standards in the ATCL Music Diplomas

Boswell, RWJ (E): For an outstanding Economics essay on Agricultural Subsidies

Riaz, MSU (K): For an oustanding Div Task

Saer, TPJ (X): For consistently excellent Div tasks

Nuntnarumit, G (K): For an excellent presentation on Dharma and Nirvana

Recent Awards

1 Compton Road

Winchester

Hampshire

SO23 9SL

Email: m_roller@wincoll.ac.uk

Thanks to: Matt Roller Toby Phillips Henry Warner

Angus Altham Akhil Mithal Charles Williamson

Rupert Kettle

Notions Hot - A Winchester College Football term. The hot is very similar to a scrum in rug-

by; every half of a match is started with one, and it can be made up of between three

and eight players depending on the format of the game.

XVs - The annual Winchester College Football match between Commoners

(D,E,G,H and K) and OTH (A,B,C,F and I) Probably one of the biggest sporting

events of the year, with nearly the whole school present cheering on their team.

Commoner/OTH Anthem - A song, tune, or more recently rap written by boys in the

relevant side. A comical music video is usually released with the song.

Would your company be

interested in advertising in

The Insight? If so, please

contact:

a_altham@wincoll.ac.uk