Archive for May, 2010
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Next week we publish the second edition of our school year book – ‘The Gryphon’. You will possibly have been given a copy at the Old Sulians’ dinner last October.
John Cruickshank, our Head of Economics, has worked tirelessly to bring together articles and photographs which have been assembled to create a publication which attempts to give an insight into the varied activities which make up an education at Beechen Cliff.
Alex Wood’s Systemagic has produced the piece, working on the design and arranging the printing. As you can appreciate it is important that parents and friends of the school purchase a copy to ensure that we can continue the fine tradition started many years ago with the production of “The Sulian”.
At £10 a copy it is an eighty-four page highly ‘professional’ soft-backed book, fit to grace any coffee table and a fitting tribute to another varied year at the school.
We would be very grateful if you could purchase a copy, helping the school meet its obligations to our suppliers (!) and also allowing you to see how much goes on at your old school.
In the PDF document at the end of this email there is a ‘tear off’ slip which can be completed and sent to the school, together with a cheque for £10, made payable to Beechen Cliff School. We will then send you a copy of ‘The Gryphon’ upon publication!
Thank you so much for your anticipated support.
Yours sincerely,
A Davies
Headmaster
Gryphon Form
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Monday, May 31st, 2010
NEWS FROM AN OLD CBBS & BCS TEACHER
Pat Colbourne (Teacher ’66-96) has recently embarked on a mammoth challenge in his 70th year.
He has started a walk around the coastal pathway of the UK. It’s a 5,000 mile (8,000km) journey and may take him two years to complete.
He says “I have decided, before I pop my clogs, to do something that’s really challenging, purposeful and worthy so that others may benefit from my actions”.
He invites past pupils and fellow teaching colleagues to join him for a day or more? You can follow his progress and read his diary on the website : www.patsukcoastwalk.co.uk or contact him on his mobile while he walks – 07702 606713.
In 2003 Pat had the obligatory hip replacement op’ followed, in 2005, by a heart attack and subsequent coronary by-pass. Later on (in Sept’2007) he wanted to find a way to prove his fitness so he walked from coast to coast, across the country, along Hadrian’s Wall, and loved the experience.
He comments “I was so fortunate, during my 30 years of teaching both at CBBS & BCS. I had the opportunity to climb mountains in the Alps and travel the world with youth cricket teams. I witnessed great opulence, poverty and destitution in many places while travelling and I know I can do something to help a few people in the world add some dignity to their lives and that’s what I aim to do with my small fund raising effort – please help me”
He would welcome donations from Old Sulians towards his charities (see his website). He says “There are over one billion people who live without clean, fresh water and nearly 5,000 children die each day due to severe poverty, starvation or disease. In our 21st Century this should never be. Many organisations, including Rotary (I am a past-President of the Rotary Club of Bath) do their best to help alleviate these problems even if they cannot immediately solve them. This may be the last worthwhile thing I am able to do in my life so please join me in this project by giving to the charities I am supporting. Please help me help others to help themselves”.
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
The May 2010 newsletters in extended PDF format.
Newsletter – May 2010
Headmaster – May 2010
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Sulian Outing
On Tuesday 13th July Tony Buss has organised an outing to London. A party are going to St Paul’s with former President Terry Lee who mended it a bit. That party is already full but we have spare seats on the coach if you fancy a day out.
The coach leaves Avon Street Coach Park at 0900 hrs and will reach St Paul’s about midday. It will return from there at 1600 hrs (4pm). Pick-up and drop-off points can be negotiated with Tony. The cost will be in the region of a bargain £15 a head but the more that come the cheaper it might get! So, shopping in the West End, a trip to The Tower or a museum? If that appeals get in touch with Tony straight away. Phone 01225 404625 or e-mail: bussstop@sky.com You must reply by Tuesday 11th May, after which we will ask the coach company to try to fill Buss’s bus!
AGM
Another years passes. The President does 2 years now and the other Officers were re-elected. There were no new faces and we are really worried about the future. Rich is the only one under 60!
If we are to keep the Association alive we need some new blood. It will not run itself. We have a membership of 269 and a good following for the Annual Dinner. There is no one waiting in the wings for any of the committee posts! If you can spare an hour or two, once a month, we need you.
The Committee will meet in future at the Bath Cricket Club on North Parade, at 7.30pm on the 2nd Wednesday of the month starting in May. From September it will be on Tuesdays for the winter. Please come along or phone any of the numbers below. Don’t let the grim reaper see off the Association by stealth, we should be aiming for our Centenary!
School
On to more cheerful things. A number of the committee managed to attend the annual Concert where Paul Calvert, ‘Basher’ re-incarnated, rallied his troops for another stunning evening. The scope and quality of the music improves year on year and there is now the promise of a new music block. Enclosed you will find the Headmaster’s newsletter and on the reverse a note about the fund raising. More in September.
This year’s drama production was ‘The House on Hellmouth Hill’ which also received good reviews from our resident critic.
School Visit July 2010
I have only 4 names for a visit to School in July. Please contact me before the end of the month if you would like to go. It is likely to be a Friday, mid-morn start, tour and lunch but we need to make the numbers worthwhile.
Pat’s UK Coastal Walk
Honorary Life Member and former Master Pat Colbourne has embarked on a circuit of this sceptred isle. Starting from Dover Castle on 6th April we think he may have reached Studland by the months end. He will now nurse his blisters before starting out again where he left off. If you would like to sponsor Pat by a donation to his charities or support him by walking with him or giving him a bed for the night find out more from his website at www.patsukcoastwalk.co.uk He thinks it may take 2 years!!
CBBS Hockey 1949/50
Peter Powell produced several photos of the Hockey XI from way back. The pictures can be found on the .pdf version on the website www.oldsulians.org.uk
Outdoor Pursuits
Your current President is an avid cyclist with more ‘bikes’ than I have guitars! During a recent chat with Terry Lee they found a mutual interest. Rich cycled for sport at School in the ’80’s and Terry did the same back in the ’50’s. 2 photos can be found, as before, on the .pdf versions at the website.
Basement to Beechen Cliff
The book continues to sell well. We now have our fourth hundred copies. Oldfield Park Bookshop in Moorland Road has plenty. See the website or contact the Treasurer for details.
Old Sulians RFC
‘The worst season I can remember’ said Pebble Beach whose connection exceeds 60 years. Plagued by injuries and players moving on, this has been a season to forget. The competition in Somerset Premier is hard with teams like Wells, Midsomer Norton and Chard and, but for league re-organisation, they would have gone down a league this season. Let’s hope next year is more successful. Note the Annual Dinner listed below. Martin Haag is the guest speaker. And our best wishes to great club servants, Martin Harvey and Tony Slee who have both been in the wars recently. Get well soon.
Amy Williams
For any one who was somewhere quiet, Winter Olympics Gold Medallist Amy Williams is a former sixth former at School, having previously spent 5 years at Hayesfield, formerly CBGS. A superb role-model and better looking than Roger Bannister! (Am I allowed to say that?)
Ray Moon (1945)
Sadly, I pass on the news of Ray’s death. After a life time with his building firm in Warminster, Ray fought with Parkinsons in recent years. He kept in touch by e-mail and contributed several memories and thoughts for the book. We send our condolences to Margaret and their family. Courageously Ray donated his brain to the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases.
And finally we would like to see if we can add some colour to newsletters that you can download from the web. What we need therefore is some colour photos. Virtually all of the archive is black and white, after all, most of us are ‘of an age’! If you have any colour shots which would be of interest, get in touch. I can scan and return and in some cases, even revive old photos.
Events Diary
May 14th– Old Sulians RFC Annual Dinner at the Lansdown Clubhouse. Contact Terry Haines for details.(01225 465107) or visit their website : www.oldsuliansrfc.co.uk
June 3rd—NHSOB Golf Match. This year we are at home at Sham Castle. This annual match against the Newport High Schools Old Boys has been taking place since before the war. Mick Moore will tell you if you are selected to uphold the honour of the Association. No pressure!
June 18th—Association Golf Day at Sham Castle. A slightly simplified format this year. Details as previously notified in the newsletters. Contact Mike Wood soon on 01225 335250 or: mike@systemagic.co.uk to book your place and please don’t make him sweat. He needs to find his tees and polish his ball.
July 7th—Approach Golf at Victoria Park The small band of regular short course players will meet up once more from 6pm to contest the Midgely Cup round the full 18 holes. Pebble Beach will produce his book which will ensure that your inspired (or lucky) score will be suitably marked down.
July 13th—Coach Outing to London. See front page.
July 22nd—Walking Rally starting from opposite the Pump Room from 6pm., Sue Trude has agreed to punish us one more time for not paying attention to what exists around us. Those veterans of the ‘Trude Trundle’ will know the frustrations, anguish and sheer anger that a gentle stroll ‘round town can provide. Come and share the angst. Teams of maximum four and no violence or bad language please. Without giving away any secrets, I think it a fair bet that we will finish at a certain cricket club in North Parade, but don’t say I said so!
October 16th—Association Annual Dinner at Bath Cricket Club, North Parade. Full details will be provided in the September Newsletter but the format will be the same, short speeches = maximum social time. Keep the date free!
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Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Dear Old Sulians,
The onset of Spring has allowed minds to focus on the imminent examinations and cricket season preparations – I leave it to you to decide which is more important in the formation of a boy’s character.
Currently John Cruickshank, teacher of Economics and Classics, is working on the 2010 version of the ‘Gryphon’, our school year book. Those of you familiar with last year’s edition will know that this is an exceptional work and I am very much hoping that each member of the Old Sulian’s can be prevailed upon to purchase a copy this year. It will include details of some excellent sporting success, the next foray into dramatic arts though the school production, Model United Nations work and, of course, a piece from the President of the Old Sulians’ himself!
The Spring Term saw success in the County Hockey, Football and Rugby – senior teams winning Somerset and Avon cups in each sport. I believe this is unique even for Beechen Cliff! The term ahead will see a large number of school cricket teams preparing to ‘do battle’ (in the most civilised way, of course) and I very much hope that the July newsletter will recount positive news of our adventures against the great and the good in the school cricketing world. Outdoor activities will also be a focus for the next few months, the school attempting the “Three Peaks” challenge for the first time, as well as running the incredibly popular (and also incredibly challenging) Centurion Challenge. Boys and staff will put themselves through huge levels of physical suffering to prove that the school will never shirk from any challenge – it never did and should not do so now. As one boy said “It beats lessons”. Probably not the quote I was looking for …..
A short piece this time but the promise (or threat?) of a much longer one to come at the end of the summer term.
Best wishes to all and thank you again for the support of your school.
Andrew Davies
Special Note from the Editor
MUSIC PROJECT
The School is embarking on the construction of a new Music Block. They need to raise a considerable sum of money. If you would like to make a donation towards this ambitious project please send your cheque, large or small payable to: Beechen Cliff Trust No. Two Account
to:
Beechen Cliff School, Alexandra Park, Bath, BA2 4RE
If you are a taxpayer, you can even increase your gift to the school at no cost to yourself by completing the Gift Aid form available on the website. This allows the school to reclaim tax against your gift increasing its value by over 28% and, if you are a higher rate taxpayer, you can also reclaim part of the tax yourself. As an example, a gift of £25 is worth £32 with the reclaimed tax.
I will ask the Headmaster to give further news of their intentions and progress in the September Newsletter.
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