Old Tamensians: Latest News from the School and OTA

(Site updated December 2005) (Lord Williams's, Lord Williams School, Thame)

Apologies for the rather slow updates recently - this is down to PC connection issues. In the meantime Season's Greetings and Happy Christmas. (See below for the date of the Carol Service in Thame.)

Founder's Day was particulary succesful this year as we begin the process of revitalising the occasion. The Service was once again conducted by the Rev Tim Daplyn. For the first time, we had a sufficient number of pupils, governors teachers, parents and OTs present to sit in the Nave and the Service began with three pupils playing duets and solos on flute and oboe.

We're sorry to see both Michael Good and Derrick Hester OBE leave the Committee after many many years of outstanding service to the OTA. Both have undertaken a huge amount of work on the OTA's behalf.

A number of OTs have e-mailed asking if a new headmaster has been appointed. After a number of interviews it was decided that none of the candidates were suitable and the position is still open. In the meantime David Wybron is Acting Head and the post will be readvertised in Spring 2006.

The web-site had its highest number of daily visitors when 195 visited on 27th September. The average number of daily visitors is currently 147.

A page on the early history of the exchange programme with the Peter Dorfler Gymnasium, Marktoberdorf has now been added.

Dates for 2005

10th December: Lord Williams's Festival Chorus presents Karl Jenkins Requiem at Thame Leisure Centre. 7.30pm.

14th December: Christmas Carol Concert, St Mary's Thame, 7.30pm

Membership

Currently in November 2005, membership stands at 1137 with 519 of these being on e-mail. Of the remaining non e-mail members, 11 live internationally, 428 nationally in the UK, 110 in Thame, 44 in Chinnor, and 25 in Long Crendon.

Thoughts on next year's golf

Hi everyone,

I have provisionally booked The Oxfordshire for Wednesday 12th July 2006.

However, the price is going up £5 per head to £65 so I will have to charge £70 to cover prizes & costs. At this moment I do not know what the green fee element is to give a members rate but on the basis of £5 increase it would be £35.

How do you all feel about paying that amount?

I can get a lower price deal at the other golf courses we have played - i.e. Studley Wood & Magnolia Park. Please let me have your views a.s.a.p Thanks Barry

Barry

I would like to add my own thanks to you for organising yet another great day.

Personally, I think the Oxfordshire is a great venue.

For most of us it is a once per year chance to play on a Championship course and I am happy to pay a little bit extra to play there.

From what I have seen we have had a better turnout there than at the other venues so I wonder if numbers might drop if we changed. Nevertheless both Studley Wood and Magnolia Park were also good courses in fine condition so although my vote is for staying at the Oxfordshire next year, whatever the decision, I hope to keep this event on my diary for many years to come. best regards Peter Allen

Barry,

I would like to echo Peters comment, I think that the Oxfordshire is a great venue for the OTGS and adds to the enjoyment of the day. Thank you again for organizing the day and let me know if you need any further trophies to be donated so that I can have my speech prepared in advance….!! Regards Ian

Hi, Barry,

First of all, thank you for organising yet another very enjoyable event. I look forward to it every year.

Although not a problem for myself, I think several of my generation who might like to join us for the first time are put off by the price of playing at the Oxfordshire. A solution might be to ring the changes and have the Oxfordshire as a highlight every 4 or 5 years and to have a rotation of cheaper but interesting courses in between. Kind regards Cliff

Hi Baz,

Thanks for a great day at The Oxfordshire again this year. I have to say I agree with the comments from Cliff and Ian - I think that we'll price the event out of the reach for some of the younger OT's as well as some of the older ones! Look forward to everyone's comments, Best wishes, Ian Dillamore.

Resignation of our archivist We would like to thank the OT archivist Gerald Howat for his years of sterling work for the OTA. As from April 18th 2005, this position is now vacant. Please could someone from the OTs volunteer to take on this task?

An OT has an apartment to rent on the North West shore of Lake Como (approx' 700 metres away from the Lake itself). www.lakecomoapartmenttorent.com

Ideas for celebrating the OTA's 100th anniversary. What do you think? When would be the best time of the year to celebrate? Spring, summer, Founder's Day with a dinner? Please let us know.

Please would anyone interested in putting their profession out on this website list, contact Bridget (free advertising to over 140 visitors daily.)

Site Developments at Lord Williams. The Governors of Lord Williams's School are pleased to announce that they have been presented with a golden opportunity to develop the sports facilities at Lord Williams's Upper School whilst at the same time providing the resource to develop Thame's provision for the elderly. The Governors were approached by the Oxfordshire Care Partnership which needs to re-develop the Meadowcroft Home for Older People to meet the new legislative requirements for homes for the elderly. In order to re-develop the existing premises it will be necessary to transfer the ownership of a small part of the Lower School Playing Fields in Towersey Road from the Directorate of Learning and Culture to the Oxfordshire County Council Social and Health Care Directorate. This will enable the Oxfordshire Care Partnership to build a new care home that meets all the new specifications for homes. The transfer of the land, which is approximately 0.6 of an acre, will provide the school with the capital receipt to enable it to construct an Astro-turf (all-weather) playing surface on the school's Upper School site. Such a playing facility would be a huge benefit to the school and to community sports clubs as a year-round facility sorely-needed by Thame and the surrounding area.The proposal will require the consent of the Department for Education and Skills as well as the relevant planning permissions for the Home for the Elderly and the all-weather playing surface. The Governors of Lord Williams's School have given their approval for the scheme on the basis that permissions are sought and granted and that the scheme for the Astro-turf can be funded from the transfer of the section of land.Anne Clark, Chair of Governors at Lord Williams's School, said 'This is a great opportunity to provide Thame with two much needed facilities. The corner of playing field in question is an awkward shape and consequently little used by the school. The benefit to Thame of having an all-weather pitch whilst giving the town a state-of-the-art home for the elderly is an opportunity too good to miss. Michael Spencer, Headteacher of Lord Williams's School said, 'This will be a superb addition to local sporting facilities. The school, its partnership schools and the local sporting community will benefit hugely from the provision of an all-weather pitch. It will be a big asset for Thame.'

Thanks to LWA funding, and e-learning credits, fingerprint recognition scanners have now been successfully installed in all of the school libraries. This means that students no longer have to carry library cards around with them, but just have to register for fingerprint recognition in the library. There are many advantages to this system as it allows students to borrow and return books easily, without the need for a library card. It also eliminates the need to charge students a replacement fee should they lose their library card.

The School raised over 12,000 pounds for the tsunami appeal. Also over 300 pounds was raised at December's Carol Concert for breast cancer research.

The new Head of Sixth Form replacing John Fulkes is Kate Sheehan, who had previously set-up the sixth form in Alexandra Park School, Haringey.

Over forty Year 10,11,12 received Duke of Edinburgh Awards at the end of 2004.

Year 9 Syson Speech speech contest was won by Wilber Spears speaking on 'You capitalist pigs - stop telling me what to eat' and Alice Worton 'Should we be allowed to design our babies.'

Just before Christmas sixteen Year 13 students visited The Gambia. School visits to Lisieux and Bonn will be taking place this March.

In sport the U16 Girls football team are through to the last 16 in the ESFA National Girls Cup having beaten Sandown High School from the Isle of Wight 3-1 on Monday evening. The following members of this team have been recently selected for the County squad: Alice Draycott, Katie Stanley, and Caroline Scott. The U18 Boys football team are also through to the last 16 in the ESFA National Cup and they will play Charters School in Ascot. The following boys, who were part of the rugby team that won the County U15 Cup have recently been selected for the County squad: George Butler, Luke Godfrey, Tom Cooke, Alex Woodhouse, Tom Curry. In hockey, Elizabeth Brooks and Theresa Brooks have been selected for County and Ellie Jackson was selected to the National squad. Following the recent District Cross-Country Championships, James Bird was selected to represent Oxfordshire at the Nationals and Ben Diffey to represent the County at the Inter-Counties competition.

The School was delighted to receive a substantial donation to purchase state-of-the-art information technology equipment to support the teaching of maths in the school. Maths Alive is highly interactive software that was originally purchased by the school two years ago along with some interactive whiteboards and projectors. The school was keen to extend the use of the software to benefit more students at the school and asked Lord Williams's Association (LWA) for help.
The parents' association responded positively by giving the school £4,500 raised at a variety of events and prize draws. Head of maths, Richard Taylor, was bowled over by the generosity of the parents' association and said: 'We are absolutely delighted to be able extend the coverage of projectors into more maths rooms in the school. Their installation creates vast opportunities on the internet, through specialist software and resources created by staff in-house. Students find this multi-media approach to learning engaging and exciting."
Representatives of the LWA were invited to see the maths package in action and were amazed to see how maths can be so much fun.
Cecilia Fry, treasurer of the LWA said:
"We all enjoyed seeing the new-style maths lessons and were delighted to be able to help in providing more equipment to extend the facilities across the school."

If you're missing a piece of favourite news, it's most likely been transferred to Old News.

John Hampden War Memorial Fund. If any OTs are studying for any course after school, and need to have financial help with e.g. books, write a letter to W Eason, John Hampden War Memorial Scholarship Fund, The Manor House, Whitchurch, Nr Pangbourne, Berks RG8 7EX, enclosing a books list with prices. Grants are at the discretion of the committee. They are disbursed on Founders’ Day. (John Hampden Junior School has a similar grants system.)

Lord Williams's Festival Chorus

Message from Sarah Rothwell (84-91). Lord Williams's Festival Chorus has a new Musical Director, John Gibbons, MA Cantab FRCO Hon ARAM, and a new rehearsal night - Monday evenings, 7:30-9:30pm in the Upper School Hall. Please join us - the choir is a mix of Lord Williams's parents, pupils, teachers, former pupils and others who just enjoy singing. Annual subscription £45 - membership is free to Lord Williams's pupils, but under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

100 Years of the OTA

In 2009 we will celebrate the OTA's centenary and it's never too early to start thinking about how to mark this event. We will certainly wish to hold a gala dinner with, we hope, entertainment provided by distinguished OTs. If you have thoughts on this - and also on how else to celebrate - please let us know.

450 Years of the School

In 2009, the School will be 450 years old. We will keep an update here on events that will be held. Howard Goodall has offered to compose a piece of music to celebrate the event, and it is hoped that many of the members of Robin Nelson's chamber choir will be able to get-together to perform. In addition, Catharine Meek has said "I was a staff member of Robin Nelson's Chamber Choir. I am now the chairman of the Lord Williams's Festival Chorus. L.W.F.C. was formed when the school no longer supported the choir / school orchestra Spring Concert. Maybe L.W.F.C. can offer to help with the music side of the celebrations? Rosemary Gill and Barbara Stanbridge are still singing in the choir. If you feel I can in any way be of some help, please come back to me. I am now retired and therefore have spare time. I live in Long Crendon, so am 'on the spot'."

Photos

The pre-1960s group who met in the summer of 2004.

In 1971, the School had close connections with Holton Park Girls' Grammar School, with lessons being shared, and the coming together of pupils for dance, drama, choir...and going down the pub. The 1971 HPGS School Photo is a reminder of those days.

Photos from 1947, 1968 and 1984.

Animated 1979 School Photo - move your mouse to move the image.

From 1954

New photos - 1978 Cricket Team, a view of the dormitory and a 4th Year tutorial group from 1979.

1973 Girls sports team.

A number of photos have been uploaded. (If you're not on broadband then some patience will be required.)

1970 Sports Teams - 4 photos including athletics and cricket

1970 U15 Rugby

1971 1st XI Football

1987 Class 4W

1972 'All School' Rugby

all at...

CCF at Leuchars 1963 and School Photo 1963

The Governors Report for 2003/3 in pdf format. (Presented at the Governors' Meeting November 2003.)

(The report for 2004 - if prepared - is still awaited.)

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