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Scissorum
1561
Merchant Taylors’ School
Issue 78
From the
Head Master
This has been a week of tremendous variety.
We began with a superb Autumn Concert,
in part marking the centenary of the Great
War. This commemoration was revisited
on Saturday when the Old Boys’ First XV
played the Honourable Artillery Corps;
many of the OMTs who fell in World War
One served in that regiment. May I give my
personal thanks to the many musicians and
OMTs, who gave so freely of their time to
make these events so unforgettable.
It is natural that, in a school, the spotlight
shines most brightly on these major
events that involve a cast of thousands,
but equally – if not more – impressive this
week has been the plethora of activities
on offer to the boys on a daily basis.
Although the scale is inevitably more
modest, this is a Scissorum packed with
irreplaceably valuable daily activity: small
concerts; exciting French, Geography,
and Physics lessons; a wealth of societies
offering the boys’ stimulating lunchtime
activities; mathematics and photography
competitions; work for charity; lectures on
economics; educational visits in Physics...
It is a considerable list and I would
especially commend to you the fantastic
images taken for House Photography –
they are quite remarkable in the subtlety
and delicacy of their composition.
Every one of these activities requires
preparation, organization, and execution;
and taken as a whole they constitute
eloquent testimony to an enormously
dedicated group of teachers and support
staff going the extra mile to serve the boys
and their school. How right the Inspectors
were to call them outstanding! The
educational benefits of a visit to Morocco
are legion, yet the photographs in this issue
show that they pale in comparison to those
other, less tangible benefits – the excitement
of adventure pure and simple that makes
such trips life-changing experiences.
Our Young Photographers of the Year!
see page 4
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough! Morocco
see page 8
On Thursday night, I attended Cabaret
at St. Helen’s and was quite simply blown
away. What a show! All credit to the girls of
St Helen’s but I am naturally particularly
proud of our boys, who were absolutely
superb! It is the last night tonight – enjoy!
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MTSThis Week
Autumn Concert
Last Thursday, the Autumn Concert took place in the Great Hall, featuring pieces chosen to mark the Centenary of the outbreak of
the First World War. The Concert Band opening the evening with a medley of ‘The Greatest War Themes’, the Sinfonia followed,
with an arrangement of ‘Silent Night’, while the Vocal Ensemble, Dixieland Band, and the Wind Band also performing before the
interval. The Choir, comprising over 150 boys, then took up the baton, performing pieces by John Ireland and Ralph Vaughan
Williams. The Chamber Orchestra performed Elgar’s ‘Sospiri’ and two stunning renditions of George Butterworth’s ‘The Banks of
Green Willow’ and Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ ended a superb evening of music.
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House Photography
Walter House was the overall winner of House Photography, after a quite exceptional level of entries this year. The Art Department
Photography Prize went to Martin Nemec for his outstanding photograph. Commendations go to Thomas Hattam, Rohan Popat,
Sungmin Kim, Sam Kay and Rohan Gupta.
Martin Nemec, Spenser House
Sungmin Kim (White)
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Thomas Hattam - (Walter)
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Rohan Gupta (Walter)
Rohan Popat (White)
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Sam Kaye (Manor)
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Geography Trip to Morocco
Morocco is the ideal location for a Sixth Form educational
visit for geographers. It offers students a plethora of physical
and human geographical experiences, such as seeing green
oases of the Draa Valley and the dramatic landscapes along
the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, whilst observing the challenges
the Berber people face adapting to climate change and the
pressures of modern society.
The boys witnessed at first hand something that they study
as part of the A2 Water Conflicts topic, for, despite regular
droughts, Marrakesh has managed to harness water from
surrounding river basins to feed the numerous golf courses and
swimming pools.
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In contrast, during our visit to the Berber village, we saw how
people face increasing problems with water scarcity how they
have sought to overcome these through small-scale irrigation
techniques. We rode with nomadic camelteers who have
diversified into tourism as they battle over sparse vegetation
in the Sahara, which is in decline as desertification processes
intensifies due to climate change.
In addition, boys learned how to cook tagine and make mint
tea, travelled by camel to our traditional Bedouin desert camp,
listened to music under the stars in the Sahara, explored the
souks of Marrakesh, and ate in Djemaa el-Fna Square.
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Maths Challenge 2014
We hosted the Middlesex heat of the Senior Team Maths Challenge on Monday, with 20 schools competing for a place in the
National Final: an afternoon of Maths puzzling was enjoyed by all!
The MTS team, coached by Mr Illing, came second in the end, losing by a single point to Habs, with Watford Girls finishing third.
Cameron Conn, Sajan Shah, Kieran Patel and Athishan Vettivetpillai all did extremely well, and can be proud of their performance.
Thanks to all those who were involved in making this a thoroughly successful and enjoyable afternoon.
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Merchant Taylors’ Students
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2013-4 Academic Prizes
Upper VI
Kieran Guffick, Vernon & Wooller Exhibition, worth £100 per annum for three
years at any British university
Ragavan Balendran, Spenser Exhibition, worth £100 per annum for three years at
any British university
Vikash Dodhia, Pitt Club Exhibition , worth £100 per annum for three years at
any British university
James Patel, Tercentenary Fund Exhibition (Classics) worth £100 per month for
three years at any British university
Shiran Amin, Beevor Trust Award, worth £2,000 per annum for any pupil going
to St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge
James Roberts, Elderton/Simmons Prize, worth £40 to the best mathematician
James Roberts, Juxon/Montefiore Prize, worth £40 for a boy proceeding to
Cambridge in 2014
Charlie Weston, Dudley Cox Award for Engineering & Design, worth £1,000 per
annum, to an outstanding pupil proceeding to an appropriate university course
Lower VI
£25 in book tokens were awarded to 16 boys for outstanding performances at
Advanced Subsidiary Level
Pranav Virani; Dillon Nathwani; Amar Shah; Beeshman Mahen; Anish Kejriwal;
Sajan Shah; Cameron Conn; Maneet Patel; Jonah Surkes; Elliot Tebboth; Archie
Vaughan; Hanish Sutaria; Jay Shah; Ankit Chadha; Oliver Cheng; Nikhil Mehta
V
£25 in book tokens were awarded to 11 boys for outstanding
performances at GCSE
Paaras Kantaria; Adam Grant; Ewan Patel; AthishanVettivetpillai; Shezad
Mohamed; James Murrell; Savya Patel; Mohammed Haroon Zaman; Matthew
Franks; Benjamin Peart; Ali Amaan
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November 21 2014
MTSThis Week
Tree-ology, Tag and Toppings – The Latest
Chapel Sleepover
Last Friday, 24 boys enjoyed another fun-packed chapel
sleepover, sharing food and fellowship, a trip to Quasar, in Hemel
Hempstead and a challenging talk on ‘being fruitful people’.
These events, which punctuate the life of the chaplaincy
each half term, have become really joyful and meaningful
times, enabling the boys to enjoy genuine fellowship within
a safe and relaxed environment and to be challenged about
the Christian faith and our responsibilities as human beings,
living as community.
Callum Davie, a second year student at The London School
of Theology, gave our talk, focusing on how we recognise and
increase our fruitfulness. He used, as his main text, St Paul’s
letter to the Galatians and reminded us of the fruits that the
Holy Spirit can produce through us as people: “the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Callum then
elaborated upon how this can make a positive impact not only
on our relationship with God, but also with one another.
Jewish Society
Rabbi Dr Rafi Zarum from the London School of Jewish Studies spoke on “Kosher and Why Jews keep it” this week.
Rafi is a leading Jewish educator in the UK and teaches at conferences, seminars, synagogues and Jewish community
centres across the globe, having completed a PhD in theoretical physics in 1999 and published a number of papers
on Quantum Chaos Theory. In 2008, he was ranked 26th in the Jewish Chronicle Power100 list of the most influential
people in UK Jewry.
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November 21 2014
MTSThis Week
Le ‘Chat’ - intense Technology Debate in French!
On Thursday, Lower Sixth Formers in Mr Rippier’s French set debated whether we should place limits on the use of new
technologies. The boys conducted the debate entirely in French, displaying an impressive level of fluency as they delighted in
countering each other’s points.
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U3 Coasting in 3D
Our Upper Third geographers have been demonstrating model behaviour in displays of their 3D coastal land formations! Each
student produced a model of a key coastal landform, such as a cliff system, and explained its formation with annotations. The
competition was fierce, but the best models included a very clearly elucidated Lego model of several landforms (Joshua), a fantastic
3D evolution using the popular Mindcraft game (Barnaby), and a stack and arch cake, which would have seen Mary Berry purr with
appreciation (Sam). The best part of all was the clarity of the explanations of the landforms’ formation, which students provided to
each other for the first five minutes of the lesson.
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MTSThis Week
The Physics of Hybrids
Sometimes the simplest demonstrations work the best! Here the Upper VI boys are checking out a model of electromagnetic
damping to support an extension discussion of regenerative braking in electric and hybrid cars.
Asian Cultural Society
It was marvellous to see the boys from the Asian Cultural Society present a cheque for more than £2000 today to Mr Tyler, who
accepted it on behalf of our Indian Partnership schools.
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MTSThis Week
Dedication of OMT Plaque marks the
refurbishment of the Great Hall
Head of Design Technology, Mike Stephenson, writes, “On Tuesday 11th November, the
school welcomed Tony Wright, President of the OMT Society, Richard Brooman, Chairman
of the OMT Society & MTS Governor, and Gavin Brown, Former President, and Chairman
of the OMT Society, who, together with the Head Master, dedicated a plaque marking the
refurbishments to the Great Hall”.
“Current MT, Lucas Gadsdon, designed the plaque, which was the subject of a design
competition run by the Design and Technology department. Prototypes were made ‘in house’
and shown to Richard Brooman (who had initiated the design project) before a pattern of the
final design was made by Richard Meyer at Precision Engraving and Profiling Ltd. His pattern
was then taken to a local foundry to be cast in 3 parts from Bronze; the premature aging of the
plaque was done using a process called patination”.
Tony Wright, the Head Master, Lucas Gadsdon, and Mike Stephenson
This week’s Design Centre shot!
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MTSThis Week
English Reading Cards
Each Monday until Christmas, the boys will receive an email
with a link to an English Reading Card – early Christmas
presents from the English Department!
Each week, the passage will link to a specific feature of
literature’s long and varied history and the boys can find out
more about this on the intranet.
A Reading Card is a very short piece of writing, which the
boys can read very quickly, wherever they are, either on paper
or on their phones. Each week a different English teacher
selects a passage that they have enjoyed, and which the boys
will enjoy too.
If your son has a QR reader app on his phone, he can also access
the Reading Card by scanning the QR code on the posters.
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If he would like to subscribe and collect a hard copy or collect
the whole set, he should see Mr Manley.
November 21 2014
MTSThis Week
Book Review
She is Not Invisible
‘She is Not Invisible’ is a book that is incredibly
hard to categorise. Some may call it a thriller; others
might refer to it as an adventure novel and some
may even consider it a mystery novel. While it
contains elements of all of these genres, it mostly
belongs to a newly emerging ‘young adult’ novel,
of which Wonder and The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night Time are examples. These novels
all feature characters outside mainstream society,
whose experiences invite reflection on our society
as a whole.
The story follows Laureth Peak, a British teenager
whose author, famous author Jack Peak, has gone
missing in New York. After receiving numerous
emails that may point towards a greater conspiracy,
she sets out to find him, taking her seven-year old
brother Benjamin along as a guide. After taking a
flight to New York, the duo head to find their father,
and soon become involved in a criminal plot.
This may at first sound like a typical mystery
thriller, but what really makes the novel interesting
is the combination of a mysterious literary riddle
about coincidence and the revelation that Laureth
is blind.
Author Marcus Sedgwick handles with ease what
could be a difficult task; using a brilliant narrative
technique: the narration doesn’t include a single
visual detail. Rather, everything is described using
sounds, smells, touches and temperatures, to the
point where these become as important as sight
would be in other books.
Sedgwick also uses Laureth’s blindness as a way
to explore society’s attitude towards the blind. He
exposes how we prioritise sight above all other
senses, and asks where this leaves those without it.
Laureth encounters numerous different attitudes
towards the blind- some are understanding, some
are indifferent and some are mocking. But she perseveres through it all, and her resilience is touching.
There’s also an interesting riddle about coincidence, but ultimately, if you approach ‘She Is Not Invisible’ as a book about
coincidence and mystery, you’ll be disappointed; however, if you approach it as a story about a talented, intrepid and engaging girl
who happens to be blind, then you’re in for one of the best YA novels in years.
Rating:
Isaac Bettridge (Fourth Form)
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Charity
Great to see Watford Observer covering the recent event at the House of Lords that celebrated the dedication and commitment to
Phab of the teachers and boys and girls at MTS and St Helen’s over the last three decades.
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MTSLooking Forward
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MTSLooking Forward
LAST NIGHT
TONIGHT
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MTSLooking Forward
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MTSLooking Forward
Arts and Creative Industries Reception 1st December at the Oriental Club
Join the Head Master, OMTs, parents and past parents at the Oriental club for the next in our series of networking and social
events. This event is for anyone working in the Arts or Creative Industries, or anyone who wishes to network in these fields.
Tickets are £10 and are limited, we expect to sell out. Guest speaker, Comedian Philip Simon (OMT 1997), will be talking about
his time at Taylors’ and beyond on the night. To book tickets go to development.mtsn.org.uk, MTS Event Registration. For
further information about our speaker, please see his website at www.philipsimon.co.uk; to follow him on Twitter, search for
@PhilipsComedy.
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November 21 2014
MTSLooking Forward
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MTSSocieties
The Marshall Lecture
Financial Amnesia Talk
Udaya Sharma (LVI) this year’s Chair of the Alfred Marshall Political Economy Society, writes:
“On Thursday 20th November, the Marshall Economics and Politics Society invited Mr Sheetal Radia (CFA) came into school
to give the boys of the Middle and Upper Schools a talk entitled ‘Financial Amnesia’.
The talk centred upon the origins and processes of the financial crisis, and how the whole situation could have been avoided
if we had learnt our lessons from the past. Having previously given a talk two years ago, Mr Radia thoroughly entertained
the boys with an informative talk as regards how loaning from banks works, and how we, as an economy, can avoid another
financial crisis in the future by using reason, and by evaluating the financial mistakes we have made in the past.
The talk included an interactive game, which tested the boys’ evaluative economic knowledge and ended with Danny Capper
(L6th) winning the prize on the tiebreaker. Overall, the talk proved to be an informative and enjoyable experience for the boys
and we hope that Mr Radia will be able to deliver another equally popular talk in the future”.
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November 21 2014
MTSSocieties
The Masks of War
A co-curricular Panglossia symposium ‘The Face of War’
took place Tuesday lunchtime. MFL and Art department
teachers focused on the impact of the Great War, the Spanish
Civil War, and the Second World War on the visual arts. The
German contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer (currently on
show at the RA) viewed nature through a psychological lens
traumatized by stories from the Second World War. Dali and
Picasso embodied the physical destruction of their country
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in the tormented and twisted human figures they painted.
Finally, we explored the paintings of Chagall and Malevich
as representative of artists who looked to the skies, and to the
exploration and interpretation of the notion of space to escape
the immobile, entrenched, terrestrial realities of the Great War.
It is amazing how much Sixth Form linguists, historians, and
art students can learn in such a short time.!
November 21 2014
MTSSocieties
Geography & the Sound of Music
Many thanks to Jodhvir Khera who ran this week’s JGS quiz. Round 1 required boys to identify some geographically-themed
songs, including Justin Timerblake’s ‘Cry me a River’, Labrinth’s ‘Earthquake’, Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’ and TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’.
Round 2 involved boys identifying particular instruments and their countries of origin using a series of geographical clues. It
was great to see so many Fourth formers taking part; well done to Jack Wu, Udi Menon, Louis Duggan and Esher Bains, who
eventually won the quiz by one point!
Test yourself
COUNTRY 1:
• The country is well known for having the best football
player in the world
• The country has a population of 47 million people
• Its monarch abdicated in June 2014 and was replaced by his son
COUNTRY 4:
• This country is a founding member of the European Union
• Its transport infrastructure is well integrated with the rest
of Europe
• This country is famous for its chocolate
COUNTRY 2:
• 1.2 billion people live in this country
COUNTRY 5:
• This country is strategically located at the crossroads of
Europe, Asia and Africa
• It is a newly industrialised country
• 80% of this country is composed of mountains or hills
• It is a nuclear weapons state with the 9th largest military
spending in the world
• The country has a Mediterranean climate
COUNTRY 3:
• This is the most visited country in the world
•In late 2009, it was affected by a debt crisis
Answers on page 34
• It famously introduced the 35-hour working week in 1999
• It is the 42nd largest country in the world
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MTSTrips
Physicists on Vulcan
On Wednesday 5th November, the Physics department took
14 aspiring physicists and engineers in the Lower Sixth to the
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Didcot, Oxfordshire.
The visit began with a tour of the Laboratory’s Particle
Accelerator complex, which although smaller than CERN’s,
is being used to carry out experiments, which affect the dayto-day lives of everyone reading this article. For example,
Airbus used the accelerator to test the durability of the joints
in their planes, and thanks to the work at RAL, they were able
to use an innovative welding technique to reduce the mass
(not weight!) of the aircraft by 5 tonnes. Our guide, Scott (who
works at the Accelerator Complex) rather cheekily suggested
that the work at RAL was a great deal “more meaningful than
the elusive particles they’re chasing at CERN”. Nevertheless,
there is an element of truth behind his words –it did strike me
how diverse and wide-ranging the applications in physics are.
When we were standing on top of the particle accelerator
(quite literally), it was interesting to note that the radiation
dosage there would have been less than the dosage from
spending a holiday in Glasgow: a great relief! The trip also
served to clear up any stereotypical misconceptions, such as
the Hollywood image of the eccentric scientist working in
total isolation. We became aware of just how closely teams
of computer scientists, technicians, plumbers, physicists and
chemists worked to solve specific problems.
Before lunch, we were given an engineering problem: “Design
a balloon-powered vehicle, which must travel in a straight
line, as far as possible.” The teachers won (needless to say!)
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with their futuristic vehicle, made from (relatively) colossal,
cardboard wheels. Unfortunately, following a brilliant trial-run
by our team, our vehicle only travelled a total of 2 inches in
the actual competition.
The outing concluded with a talk by Dr Ceri Brenner, an
experimental physicist in charge of the most powerful lasers
in the world. RAL’s flagship laser, Vulcan (an apt name), is a
high power laser which Dr Brenner is using to research into
nuclear fusion. In the briefest of explanations: nuclear fusion
is the process that occurs in stars and we want to replicate
that process here on Earth, because (a) it’s safe, (b) it releases
vast quantities of energy and (c) it generates neither pollution
nor nasty radioactive waste. If Dr. Ceri Brenner makes a
breakthrough in this field, she will be a likely recipient of the
Nobel Prize for Physics, as well as the most famous physicist of
the century. However, she faces stiff competition from “iter”, an
international team based in France, that is using an accelerator
to recreate the conditions required for a nuclear fusion reaction.
I’m sure we will all follow this race with great avidity.
Dr Ceri Brenner’s talk was superb, in making the theoretical
physics behind the lasers very accessible. I would like to thank
Mrs Mayadeen and Mr Spikings for organising the trip and
sportingly congratulate them on their momentous win in the
balloon-car race.
Athishan Vettivetpillai (LVI)
Photos courtesy of Grant Cox-Sehmi and Sung-Min Kim
November 21 2014
MTSTrips
ANSWERS FROM PAGE 26: (1) Spain, (2) India, (3) France, (4) Belgium, (5) Greece
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MTSMusic
Third Form Concert
Tuesday lunchtime saw the first in the Music Department’s series of informal concerts, as the whole 3rd Form played to
watching parents and staff. Each boy had spent just six lessons learning a new instrument before performing in an orchestra
with their form. Ben E. King’s ‘Stand By Me’ was superbly delivered by the boys, some of whom had never picked up an
instrument before, with each Form supplementing with a variation over the top of the song’s riff. The concert also gave the
chance for individuals to shine with a solo piece, with some excellent performances.
Third Form Informal Concert
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MTSMusic
Upper Third Form Concert
The Upper Third Form Concert took place in the Recital Hall on Thursday. There was a wide range of instruments on display,
with pieces on piano, guitar, cello, voice, trumpet, table, and drums performed to an appreciative audience of parents and staff.
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MTSMusic
Support the MTS Choral Society
This term our Carol Service at school is on 14th December. If you enjoy singing why not join us? Rehearsals are each Tuesday
evening at 8pm in the Music Department. No audition required! For further details contact [email protected]
Autumn Term Music Calendar
Sunday 23rd November
Concert featuring the Vocal Group, Tower of London, 1:30pm (by invitation)
Wednesday 26th November
Informal Concert, Recital Hall, 7:30pm
Wednesday 3rd December
Piano Recital by Mayumi Stone, Recital Hall, 7:30pm
Friday 5th December
The Phestival 2014 (pop & rock concert), Studio Theatre, 7:30pm (tickets £5, in aid of Phab)
Sunday 14th December
School Carol Service
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MTSDrama
Cabaret
The final tableau of the recent joint performance of Cabaret left
a lasting, haunting image of life in Germany during Nazi rule.
The transformation of the hope, joy and excitement of life
in Weimar Germany, paled into a bleak image of fascist
dictatorship and nationalistic hype, believably and effectively
performed by Sixth Formers from Taylors’ and St Helen’s.
Jonah Surkes as Ernst Ludwig, metamorphosed on stage from
eager student to Nazi officer, vividly depicting the power of
propaganda and hatred. Sam Baumal provided the voice of
reason which wove itself memorably throughout each scene,
challenging and rationalising the changes that were occurring.
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Dan Allum-Gruselle poignantly enabled us to remember this
ridiculous notion of racism and prejudice, playing the part of a
German-born Jew, unwilling to lose hope in his country.
Momentous performances from Katja Delafuente as the Emcee;
Jina Rahimi as Sally; Kristin Smithers as Fraulein Schneider;
and Alice Lassman as Fraulein Kost, created a show of quality
which edified and challenged the audience.
The supporting cast, including Freddie Collings, James
Murphy, James Withers, and Ben Peart were excellent, ensuring
that this was a show without slackness or weak points.
November 21 2014
MTSDrama
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November 21 2014
MTSArt
Scholars’ Art for the Master!
The boys have recently been designing Christmas Cards for the Master of the Merchant Taylors’ company. Of the four Art
scholars’ six designs, Peter Watkins chose Joey Ricciardiello’s card design, which is currently being printed in time for Christmas!
The winning design by Joey Riciardiello
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November 21 2014
MTSArt
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MTSArt
Upper Thirds Waves
The first parts of the Upper Thirds’ Wave sculptures are near complete. The boys sculpted in groups and will attach the individual
parts together at the end of term to create one giant wave.
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MTSArt
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MTSArt
Walter House help with collaborative art project
The Art department was a hive of activity Wednesday morning thanks to Walter House. Max Leadbetter had organised, with the
help of Miss Blowes and Miss Piponi, a collaborative sculpture project linked to the work of Antony Gormley. He will be using the
pieces in his preparation for the trial GSCE Art exam next week and it was a great team effort from all involved.
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MTSOMTs
OMT Rugby vs HAC
Recent issues of Scissorum have featured the background to
the OMTFC 1st XV vs HAC (Honourable Artillery Company)
London match, on Saturday 15th November.
Due to the RFU League system, this was the first time that
the two Clubs had faced each other in a decade and as
this coincided closely with Remembrance Sunday, it was
appropriate that the sacrifice of OMTs in the Great War, and
particularly the 27 who had died as members of the HAC,
should be marked. The HAC is based in the City of London,
and thus it was natural for many OMTs to join up to serve in
the HAC, the oldest and most prestigious Regiment in the
British Army
Jonny Taylor and Jeremy Birch kindly provided a display of
Memorabilia, and a separate poppy on the Roll of Honour
identified individually each of the 27 OMT/HAC members
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who died. These included John “Jack” Raphael (Oxford Blue,
celebrated England international, and OMTFC Captain 19061910) and John “Jock” Will (Cambridge Blue and Scottish
International).
The teams observed a Minute’s Silence prior to the match,
which turned out to be a hard-fought one, played in good
spirit, with HAC emerging eventual winners 12-28.
It was coincidental and highly poignant that, as the match
drew to the close, a thick mist rolled inexorably in across the
pitches – it was hard not to make the connection between this
and a gas attack in the WW1 trenches
Thanks to all for helping mark this significant occasion.
Gordon Brown, Team Secretary OMTFC
& HAC Regimental member
November 21 2014
MTSOMTs
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSOMTs
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSOMTs
Oli Savage at the Etcetera
Alumnus Oli Savage (OMT, Class of ‘14) is starring in
Bookends, at the Etcetera Theatre Camden from November 18
to December7. Bookends is a collection of four short plays from
emerging new writers, and a humorous and emotional look at
how we live modern life; it is a thoroughly enjoyable evening
out that will captivate you and entertain from start to finish.
The plays are:
‘Alice Springs’: a contemporary, quirky comedy about the
dangers that can arise if you live your life through social
media.
‘Four o’ Clock’: a story about young love and loss: Rob, a
nervous teenager about to experience his first date, has an
encounter with his future self.
‘A Novel Approach’: When a writer lacks the inspiration to
finish her novel, her muse and main characters take matters
into their own hands.
Almost the Birthday Party: a captivating dark comedy; Kenny
and Vern are an eccentric couple who get more than they
bargained for when they invite complete strangers to join a
play reading group.
The shows start at 7:30 Tuesday – Saturday (6:30 Sunday)
and tickets are £9 (£7 concessions).
Please go to www.openpagetheatre.weebly.com for more
details or call the box office on 020 7482 4857 www.
etceteratheatre.com.
OMT Oli Savage (left)
OMT Oli Savage (right)
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSParent 2 Parent
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSParent 2 Parent
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSSport
Give your support tomorrow!
22nd November
Rugby Match with Regiment marks OMTs who fell in The Great War
Rugby v Shiplake College
2nd, 3rd, U15A, B, C
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSSport
Paralympian and Invictus Gold Medallist
at the OMT Club
Wednesday December 3 at 7.00
This is a ticket only event, price - £10
50% of the takings will assist Derek with his training for
the 2016 Olympics, and 50% will help the Club support his
younger brother to travel to the UK to play rugby.
Paralympian Gold Medallist Derek Derenelagi (soldier, double
amputee, and Paralympian) is an inspirational speaker and
will be at the OMT Clubhouse on Wednesday week.
In July 2007, Derek Derenalagi was on a tour of duty in
Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle was suddenly
hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). On return to Camp
Bastion he was pronounced dead, but whilst preparing his body
for a body bag, medical staff found that he still had a pulse. He
was flown back to the UK in a coma, but nine days later, woke
up in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham; his wife Ana was there
to give him the news he would never walk again.
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
Derek’s physical and mental strength helped him make
the transition from the battlefield to the athletics field and
now competes in the F57 Paralympic disability category for
athletes with spinal cord injuries and amputations. At the 2012
IPC Athletics European Championships in the Netherlands,
Derek won the gold medal in the F57/58 discus. In 2014, Derek
won three medals, including Double Gold at the inaugural
Invictus Games.
Derek represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer
Paralympics as part of a 49-member squad for athletics. He
competed in the men’s F57–58 discus event, which was held on
31 August 2012 in the Olympic Stadium. He was the first Fijian
selected to represent Great Britain in the Paralympics.
Derek is an amazing, inspirational speaker. Be at the OMT
club on Wed 3rd Dec to hear this true hero speak.
November 21 2014
MTSSport
Rugby
We reported last week on Toby Wickham making county standard for two of our counties – here is Toby receiving
congratulations from head of Rugby, Adam Mills.
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSSport
v Berkhamsted
1st XV
Lost – 5-37
Scorer: Elliot Tebboth
MOM: Paul Smith
MVP: Scott Gates
The scoreline does not reflect that for an
hour this was an extremely close match.
We put in a physical performance
against a strong Berkhamsted side. The
centre partnership performed well, with
Scott Gates strong in attack, and Paul
Smith excellent in defence. Taylors’ is
looking forward to a huge ‘Friday Night
Lights’ match for the Stephen Wright
Cup.
2nd XV
Lost – 0-31
MOM: Will Reubin
MVP: David O’Sullivan
Another committed performance from
a team that is developing a real heart.
There were ‘skill errors’ from MTS, but
no ‘effort errors’ and once again, several
players made simply outstanding
contributions. Two more games in the
next seven days will challenge the boys’
bodies, but the squad will dig deep and
soon be back on a winning track.
3rd XV
Lost – 5-35
Scorer: Stokes
MOM: William Hunt
MVP: Harry Thurston
A ‘tough day at the office’; rustiness
limited our chances to score, but
Berkhamsted had to work for their tries.
The front row worked tirelessly against a
quality scrum and lineout.
U16A
Won – 41-0
Scorers: Lee X 2, Anthony X 3, Muller,
Hall
Cons: X 3
MOM: Shaun Lee
This was a clinical win. It was very
pleasing to see the boys execute moves
that we have worked on in training;
they are really beginning to build on
their ability and are becoming a very
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exciting team to watch. We played some
outstanding rugby in one of the best
team performances this season!
U16B
Lost – 7-32
Scorers: Eddie Yeh
MOM: Zakir Samad
MVP: Tom Davies
The match began well, with MTS
securing possession and playing
through the phases. However, a greasy
ball due to wet conditions led to an array
of dropped ball, which Berkhamsted
were quick to pounce on and thus three
first half tries were conceded against
the run of play and the boys ended up
on the wrong end of 22-0 at half time.
The second half was far more successful,
with MTS scoring a converted try
though some quick counter rucking and
Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
a fly hack up the pitch, which Eddie Yeh
touched down. Solid defence from Zak
Samad helped MTS stay in the game
until the very end, when two late tries
put the game beyond reach.
U16C
Won – 29-28
Scorers: Josh Kwabwe, Shaan Kara
x 2, Alessandro Arnaldi, Ben Collis,
Michael Saunders
Cons: Alessandro Arnaldi, Michael
Saunders
MOM: Alessandro Arnaldi
MVP: Shaan Kara
This has to have been one of the best
games of rugby at this level in a long
time. Two very evenly matches teams
made this into a nail-biting match, with
no team ever more than five points
ahead. Our boys demonstrated passion
November 21 2014
MTSSport
and Taylors’ will look for better things in
their next outing.
U15C
Lost – 7-24
Scorer: Sam Kent
MOM: Townsend
MVP: Aslam
The boys showed plenty of commitment
and played some excellent rugby, so
it was disappointing to suffer our first
defeat of the season at the hands of
a well-drilled opposition. There was
excellent attacking play from Sam
Kent and Enoch Omale, and excellent
defensive play from Townsend,
Williams, and Aslam.
U15D
Won – 7-5
Scorer: Rithik Karia
Con: Sahil Patel
MOM: Siddhant Patki
MVP: Pranay Madlani-Kotecha
and great commitment to regain the
lead in the last five minutes (with an
excellent conversion, almost from
the sidelines, by Alessandro), and
then hold onto it in a very long final
play. Ben Collis must be commended
for his leadership and ever-present
physicality when challenging for the
ball. Michael Saunders demonstrated
strong leadership at fly-half, as well
as some impressive commitment and
athleticism. James Seery demonstrated
great captaincy, especially in gaining
the most out of his forwards. MVP goes
to Shaan for two exceptional tries, and
his phenomenal work-rate. Overall, a
fantastic team win; the boys can be
very proud.
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U15A
Lost – 0-24
MOM: Gould
MVP: Parry
A good effort throughout and MTS were
always very much in the game. We failed
to execute chances beyond first phase
and the opposition’s tactical awareness
made us pay.
U15B
Lost – 0-31
MOM: Sameer Aggarwal
MVP: Chris Loftus
A physical Berkhamsted side forced the
U15Bs onto the back foot for much of the
game. The effort was excellent, however,
Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
The 15Ds played an incredibly
entertaining match against
Berkhamsted. In a first half played
almost entirely inside the Berkhamsted
22, it was only lack of conviction, and
carelessness with the final ball, which
prevented MTS from dominating on
the scorecard as well as the pitch. The
second half was almost a complete
reversal and the boys had to come
through some tough attacks, which
bred renewed confidence in their
defensive capabilities. Siddhant Patki, in
particular, led with his tackling. MTS just
managed to hold on at the end to come
away with a well-deserved victory: well
done, boys!
U14A
Draw – 10-10
MOM: Davey
MVP: Salkeld
The U14As should have come away
from this game with more than a draw
and will be disappointed that they
surrendered the lead, after a convincing
first half performance. They weathered
the storm of the first ten minutes and
went on to dominate the breakdown
and force Berkhamsted onto the back
November 21 2014
MTSSport
foot through powerful ball carrying and
sensible game management, against a
team whose tactics were to kick the ball
deep and apply pressure. The boys ran
the ball back with interest, rather than
getting bogged down in an aerial battle: a
testament to their desire to play positive
rugby. With a 10-5 lead, the second half,
downhill, should have been a formality,
but the team allowed Berkhamsted
to make it a scrappy contest. Lack
of focus, poor decision-making, and
missing chances to score resulted in
MTS conceding a weak try and we then
continued to play running rugby, rather
than kicking for corners. Whilst several
spectators were dismayed by this, it will
serve them well in the long run, when
they have developed the confidence to
run from deep. Whilst a more negative
approach may have guaranteed victory,
the boys were more than capable of
winning this game, by sticking to the
philosophy we have all bought into
and their game plan. This was another
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important step in their rugby education.
U14B
Lost – 22-26
A disappointing result - the boys know
they can improve on this.
U14C
Lost – 12-19
Scorers: Sam Davis, Dylan Bull
MOM: Harry O’Sullivan
MVP: Freddie Tyrell
A much-changed MTS side grew into
this tough fixture. The boys corrected
their mistakes of the first half as the
match wore on. In the pack, Harry
O’Sullivan and Sam Davies fronted up
impressively, whilst Dilan Pindoria grew
into a leadership role. In the backs, Talha
Zaman and Freddie Tyrell impressed
in attack and organised defence
increasingly efficiently. Esher Baines
deserves special praise for stepping in
from the wing to centre and dealing well
with the challenges that this posed.
Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
U14D
Won – 39-5
Scorers: A Broomhead, B Chouhan x 2,
N Dixon x 2, J Blair, G Arora,
Cons: K Mandair x 2
MOM: Max Ellmore
The team notched up their third
victory in a row with a 39-5 win over
Berkhamsted. Despite the score-line,
this was the most competitive match
that the team has played, reflected in
a half-time score of 15-5. However, a
superior Taylors’ back line was able
to spread the ball wide efficiently and
effectively to run in seven good tries, the
two most crucial and notable coming
from Jack Blair at the start of the second
half, and an interception breakaway try
from Nathan Dixon. In defence, Taylors’
continued to show strength in the tackle,
limiting their opponents to just one
try largely due to the ever-present Max
Ellmore at the break down.
November 21 2014
MTSSport
Scrummers’ Supper Dance
On Saturday 15th November, the Scrummers’ Committee held
its annual Black Tie supper dance to raise funds to support
boys’ rugby at Taylors’. The Dining Hall was transformed into a
mini Twickenham (with a view to the forthcoming Rugby World
Cup to be held in England next year) with a full crowd scene
and rugby posts, to boot. We hosted over 200 guests to a full
drinks reception and a fantastic three-course dinner provided
by the school’s catering team, all served to us by a posse of very
professional waiters AKA the senior player squad. Dinner was
followed by speeches given by Adam Mills, Director of Rugby
and Louis Rose, 1st XV captain, ending with a brilliant video of
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
the senior squad and ‘a typical week of rugby at Taylors’’. A live
auction and dancing to a live band rounded off a thoroughly
enjoyable and successful night.
Many thanks to our sponsors for the event: London Sports
Orthopaedics, Borras Construction, and Northwood College
for Girls. Thanks also to all who so generously donated some
amazing auction lots and raffle prizes; and finally a big ‘thank
you’ to all our guests for coming along and supporting the event
– we very much look forward to seeing you again next year!
Julian Seabrook, Chairman, Scrummers’ Committee
November 21 2014
MTSSport
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSSport
Hockey
v Reed’s School, Cobham
all ten boys worthy candidates for MOM.
U12A
Won – 3-2
Scorers: Charlie Horridge x 3
MOM: Horridge
U12B
Lost – 0-8
MOM: George Wright
A gutsy second half performance ensured
the 12A’s remain unbeaten this season.
Charlie Horridge led the line with three
well-taken goals, most notably a top
D thunderbolt, which left the Reed’s
goalkeeper scrambling for the bottom
corner but simply unable to react to the
snapshot finish. Egged on by a sizeable
crowd, the boys dug deep to secure
victory, snatching the winning goal with
barely five minutes to go. This was a
great all-round team performance, with
The boys fought hard, right up to the
final whistle, in this tough fixture, and
deserved a goal for their tireless efforts.
The boys learned a huge amount and, as
a result, will be much better organised
in the future. George Wright took Man
of the Match for all his hard work in
defence.
U12C
Lost – 0-3
Scorer: Dylan Williams
MVP: Ethan Lawes
The U12C team engaged in a hardfought battle against a strong Reed’s
side. This was a great match and the
scoreline does not reflect how even the
game was. The early minutes saw Reed’s
dominating, and only our determined
defence stopped them from taking
their chances. As the game progressed,
MTS began to build some momentum,
and, they began to turn the tide of play
as half time approached. The second
half saw the boys step up another gear:
Taylors’ now dominated the play and
created the chances. We hit the post
twice in a single minute in the search
for that elusive goal. Sadly, a Reed’s’
counter-attack at the death led to a
(flattering) 0-3 scoreline.
Soccer
v John Lyon
put us back on track for our next fixture at Eton.
1st XI
Lost – 6-1
2nd XI
Lost – 4-1
Stout defending and a great performance from keeper
Poojan Patel could not prevent soccer school John Lyon
from winning this match. Bustling performances in central
midfield from Munraj Grewal, James Millett and George
Weston broke up John Lyon’s flowing football, but it is always
a tough ask when boys who have only begun to play the sport
seriously in the Sixth Form have to take on opponents who
have been playing together weekly for six years! A scrappy
Joe Oakton goal was the only real highlight for the MTS
team. The performance was disappointing after a string of
decent results; commitment on the training-ground should
MTS 2nd XI produced a battling, gutsy display but still
went down 4-1 away to John Lyon on Wednesday afternoon.
The scoreline flattered the hosts a little and the MTS team
were left wondering at the final whistle how they had let the
game slip away from them at vital moments. Unforced errors
enabled John Lyon to establish a lead before Ollie Cheng
floated in a pinpoint free kick, which was nodded in superbly
by Adam Barnard. The second half was much closer and the
team battled until the final whistle. Captain Waris Panjwani
led by example and Man of the Match was rightly awarded to
classy centre back, Phil Barnard.
Swimming
Support the swim team in action again on the 27th November
over at Haberdashers’. If you think you have what it takes to
become a member of the swim team email Bryce Puszet and he
will organise a trial for you. Special congratulations go again to
Tudor Puszet and Alfie Collins, who have won all of their races
so far this year, and to Bryce Puszet for breaking the old school
record by a whole second in the 50m Backstroke.
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSLooking Forward
OMT Colts Cricket Club
Elite Academy training
Dates
Every Thursday
1700-1830
Location
MTS Sports hall
For more details; Email [email protected]
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSLooking Forward
Classics Trip to the Bay of Naples
The trip will run from Friday 1 May to Monday 4 May 2015 with visits to
Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples, and to the summit of Mount Vesuvius.
The cost of the trip will be in the region of £495, which includes return flights Luton-Naples, half board accommodation in
Sorrento, all transfers in Italy, and all admission costs.
This is the May Bank Holiday weekend, and the Friday is Field Day, so your son will not miss lessons. Places are limited, and
we need to confirm these as soon as possible. We will allocate places on a first come, first served basis.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Head of Classics, Philip Harrison [email protected].
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSLooking Forward
Divisions Easter
Paris Exchange
4 places are still available on the Divisions Easter Paris
Exchange for any boys who wish to improve their oral
communication by immersing themselves in French culture,
talking to their host family over dinner, and communicating
with a pen-pal (through social networking) well in advance of
the trip. Seize this opportunity and perform with confidence
in the exam. Contact Ms Kotsuba if you are interested.
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
November 21 2014
MTSLooking Forward
Dr William Fowlds
“When the buying stops, the killing can, too”: Saving the Rhino
Monday 24 November 2014
The Centre, St Helen’s School
Reception from 6.15pm; talk starts at 7pm
St Helen’s School is delighted to invite you to a very special evening on Monday 24th November 2014.
Last year over 1000 rhino were poached in South Africa alone, and the slaughter shows no sign of abating. Dr
William Fowlds, a veterinary surgeon who is heavily involved in the international campaign to save the Rhino
from extinction, will be speaking about the challenges facing him and his colleagues.
Dr Fowlds first came to prominence during the popular “Safari Vet School” ITV/Animal Planet documentary,
which followed mainly UK-based vet students on placement at Amakhala Game Reserve, where he is Head Vet;
his day job includes darting lions, elephants and antelope. In 2012 he was called out to a harrowing situation on
a nearby game reserve in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Overnight, three rhinos had been illegally
darted using veterinary tranquilisers and the poachers had brutally removed their horns with machetes and
axes, leaving the rhinos for dead. One rhino had already died from its injuries, but a male and female named
Themba and Thandi were still alive when they were discovered the following morning.
Dr Fowld’s struggle to save Themba and Thandi from their appalling injuries made news headlines around the
world and he was interviewed on Sky News, BBC News, CNN and ABC television. Since then, he has travelled
extensively around the world to raise public awareness about the scale and horror of the illegal wildlife trade,
and has helped to engage the support of large numbers of influential people – politicians such as Hillary Clinton,
actors including Harrison Ford and Jackie Chan, and even their Royal Highnesses Princes William and Harry– to
support his campaign.
Dr Fowlds will describe why it is so important that we take action to save the Rhino, will update us on Thandi’s
current situation and challenge us to play our part in this global campaign.
Tickets cost £4, and you will be able to reserve your ticket in advance and pick it up at the door. Please email Dr
Paul Arnold at [email protected] to reserve your place. The talk will be preceded by a drinks and canapés
reception which will commence at 6.15pm. The talk itself will begin at 7pm. Owing to limited space in The
Centre,
it
may
not
be
possible
to
buy
unreserved
tickets
on
the
night.
All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Dr Fowlds’ nominated charity, Wilderness Foundation UK.
How to find us:
• If you arrive by car, please park in the central car park (entrance in Green Lane) and follow the signs
along the illuminated path to The Centre.
• If you arrive on foot from Eastbury Road, please use the main visitors’ entrance to the site and turn right
through the pedestrian gate, following the illuminated path to The Centre.
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November 21 2014
MTSLooking Forward
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Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter
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