the wellington college year book 2010/2011
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has progressed in his golf to be promoted to
the College 1st team, playing off a remarkably
low single digit handicap. These boys now
move up to the Hardinge and they will have
the opportunity to build on the impressive record they have written here. The chances are
that many of them will have prominent leadership positions in time. Mind you, if their outrageous performance at the House Supper is
anything to go by it may be hard to take them
too seriously !
The Lower Sixth bravely found their
place in the House and in the Summer Term
stepped up encouragingly to take ownership. Their positive attitude, their genuine
concern for the retention of the character
of the house and their sensitivity to the boys’
feelings reflected their maturity and their appreciation of the situation. We are delighted
that Liviy Woodward has been appointed as
a College prefect for next year — a wonderful accolade at the first opportunity for an
Anglesey Sixth Form girl. Cate Gower will
be the first girl Head of House and she will
be an undoubted success. Cate became the
first Anglesey girl to win sports colours too,
having played 1st xi hockey throughout the
Michaelmas term. Hannah Colling will play
the part of Deputy Head of House. She has
been prolific on the stage this year and will
lead a drive to restore the Anglesey to prominence in major school productions.
And then there was the last ever boys
Upper Sixth. In my reckoning there were
at least four of these chaps who would have
made very impressive College Prefects. That
they were overlooked was the house’s gain
but their calibre was deeply appreciated within
our community. Madison Hughes, 1st xv
Rugby legend and American u20 winger, led
the house with a quiet calm and composure,
never saying much but lea ding by thoughtful
example. Dominic Cooke captained the 1st
xi hockey side, and, more significantly, led the
boys to the last major boys sporting success
in the sko hockey competition. As Deputy
Head of House he was accessible to everyone
and his kindness made a deep impression on
the house. Josh Owolabi passionately sang his
way into our hearts and his Liberame solo at
the Remembrance Service was memorable in
the extreme. His chapel address came not
far behind in terms of sheer gravity. Although
he couldn’t lead us to a successful defence of
our inter house singing title he did prepare the
house for that competition with rare passion
and dedication. James Whateley narrowly
missed out on the esteemed triple colours
award as he won colours for captaining the
1st tennis team and for playing 1st xi hockey.
He missed out on a Rackets colours but did
represent the 2nd pair at Queen’s with some
success. Louis Timpany was our other 1st
xv rugby player and with Fred Evans he joins
Madison and five Anglesey Fifth Formers
to make up a very large contingent of the
College’s rugby squad due to tour South
Africa in the Summer.
Finally, the Watson Award as voted for by
the Sixth Form and awarded to the best Third
Former, went to a popular and deserving
winner in Claire Addicott. The Hutchinson
Cup for Man of the Year as voted on by all
house members went to the much loved
Dominic Cooke.
As Housemaster of this remarkable
group of young people I can only state my
appreciation for the opportunity of seeing the
Anglesey through its transition to becoming
a girl’s house. I have learnt much from the
experience and I have loved every minute of it.
As a boy’s house or as a girl’s house — or even
as a little bit of both — the Anglesey remains
preeminent as a quality house at Wellington.
In my reckoning there were
at least four of these chaps
who would have made
very impressive College Prefects.
That they were overlooked
was the house’s gain.
the wellington college year book 2010/2011
the apsley
You could say Apsley girls are at a
disadvantage from the moment we
arrive at Wellington; we have three
less sports days, three less Kingsleys,
three less chances to Be the Duke.
None of us could pinpoint our best
moments as Apslians, although being the
first girls’ House to win the House Singing
Competition comes close, as would any time
we’ve won interhouse sport—swimming,
lacrosse or hockey, any time one of us has
won a music prize or any time an Apslian’s
won an essay competition.
We’ve had incredible House trips, House
dinners and House events, from ‘Wicked’ to
raising thousands of pounds for charity in our
Cabaret evenings. Those events may all be
evidence of our collective success, or our
shared celebrations of an individual Apslian’s
success, but our best moments aren’t
measured in how we’ve excelled. Our best
moments are measured in the times we’ve
stood together in Chapel, belting I Vow To
Thee as loud as any other house; the times
we’ve walked from Chapel to Front Quad
leading the way carrying our cerulean and
pineapple flag on Remembrance Sunday as
proudly as any other house with a 150-yearold legacy; the times we’ve marched up
together on Speech Day to give our Master’s
ticks; the times at breakfast when everyone
should be sleepwalking from just waking up,
but we’re laughing and yelling while eating our
(daily-delivered) croissants; the tea parties
and barbecues in summer, the times spent
screaming over Gossip Girl and crying in the
Royal Wedding or running to Queen’s Court
in torrential rain, have bonded us.
We might have been three years behind
everyone else, but we’re as united a House as
if we’d been here all along and we’re as good
friends as if we’d known each other all our lives.
Excellence is not an act but a habit, and it’s
an Apslian’s habit to be a good friend, to work
hard, to play hard and with fortune favouring
the brave, to be brave, making the most of
every minute of our two years here.
Most of us liked our old schools, but
none of us knew we could love a school;
we’ve never forgotten how lucky we were to
become Apslians and prove ourselves true
Wellingtonians.
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