1. education
2. school

Issue 157
March 2014
March 2014
ACADEMIC SOCIETY
2
By Tom Jackson
On Friday 24th of January the Millfield
Academic Society were fortunate enough
to be given a talk by Mr Paul Rogers on
the Yugoslavian Civil War of the 1990s.
Paul Rogers is a world-leading barrister at
the United Na ons Court of Interna onal
Criminal Tribunals for the former
Yugoslavia (UNICTY) and is one of the
chief prosecutors of war criminals in the
Yugoslavian Civil War. The Yugoslavian
Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in
Europe since the Second World War, yet
it is also one about which least is known.
It was therefore fascina ng to hear about
it from someone who knew the details of
the conflict inside out. The scale and
severity of the figh ng was very shocking;
this was well illustrated by videos of the
siege of Sarajevo and pictures of the
Srebrenica massacre, the first genocide in
Europe since the Second World War. Mr
Rogers also gave an insight into how
UNICTY works and why it is important to
bring those responsible for atroci es in
the Yugoslavian Civil War to jus ce, even
20 years a er the conflict itself. A er the
presenta on we also had a chance to ask
Mr Rogers about his work. The talk was
very engaging and many were moved by
both the Yugoslavian Civil War and the
work of Mr Rogers. It was a memorable
experience for everyone present.
(Continued from page 3)
only to get soaked with water a er a bucket filled with it was splashed
all over me from the roof. (If you see this Whelan, cheers for the heads
up mate!)
What do you think your greatest achievement at the school has been?
Hands down it would be going to South Africa and visi ng the Langa
township. It opened a new world to me and hopefully this trip opened
a gateway for the LEAP school and Millfield to develop a partnership
that can benefit both par es.
Which people have you enjoyed being around the most?
It has to be the Walton boys as they have been with me through thick
and thin and I will never forget that! My CISI class was also memorable
as they were all very posi ve people with similar ambi ons.
If you could have come up with any idea/inven on, what would it be?
Hmmmm, maybe heated jackets that actually warm you up while
you’re walking. Sounds crazy but you never know what happens in the
future!
If you could invite any one person, alive or dead, to an exclusive dinner
for two at Walton House, who would it be?
Now this is what I call a tough ques on! Can I not have a party instead
of dinner for two? Walton is so spacious that I’m sure we would fit. But
to be honest I would choose the Prophet Mohammed PBUH. Now I
may not be very religious but throughout my childhood his teachings
have taught me Pa ence, Humbleness, and most importantly
Truthfulness.
What is your advice for any budding Heads of School?
YOUR STUDIES COME FIRST AND FOREMOST. Now I know it’s hard to
juggle the two but you have to remember the reason why you’re at
school and that is for work. Of course I think to balance these two you
need to start everything early and always try and be one step ahead of
the game.
What is the most valuable lesson that you have learned during your
me here?
Every lesson is a valuable one here at Millfield. I feel like I am
constantly encountering different situa ons that teach me all different
sorts of things everyday, and this is what makes Millfield so special in
my opinion.
What are your plans for next year?
I will be heading to university either in Bristol or Manchester to read
Economics. I’m really looking forward to a new challenge. However,
leaving Millfield will be very difficult as I’ve been accustomed to calling
it my home and I am sure all the upper sixth leavers will feel the same.
Where do you see yourself in ten years’ me?
On top of the world trying to make the best out of the opportuni es
I’m given! Probably back home star ng my own business and see what
happens from there!
3
UP CLOSE
Emma Byford interviewed by Ffion Thompson
Hi Emma. How do you feel about being Head of School with Mish?
So happy. Everyone thought he'd get it and I've always said whoever
gets Head Girl with him would be lucky; so far I've been right about
that!
How are you finding managing your me with your new role?
It's actually easier than it was last term! The play took up so much me
with rehearsals every day and trying to balance all of my other
commitments on top of that was a nightmare. So far I've just had to go
to a few more mee ngs and lunches with people and do a few more
jobs. I think when the plans for Sport Relief get underway I might think
differently.
What’s been your most embarrassing moment at Millfield?
In year 11, having survived two years without dropping my tray in the
dining hall, I thought I was safe. Then I managed to drop my tray not
once, but twice on the same day. Oh, and I have a habit of
embarrassing myself in the whole school assembly.
What would you say has been your best achievement since you have
arrived at Millfield?
I think being Head Girl has to be up there as one of the best and
Mencap Day last year was pre y good too.
What year did you join Millfield and why did you choose this school?
I joined at the beginning of year 10 when I was living in Abu Dhabi. My
old school was weekly boarding so the weekends were fairly dull and
there is so much going on all the me at Millfield so quite a few friends
from Dubai had suggested it. I
definitely made the right
decision!
What are you hoping to do
a er Millfield?
It's terrifying to think that I'm
leaving so soon! First, I'm off
to Australia for a year to work
at a school in Melbourne and
then, providing I come back, I
hope to go to uni to study
Music.
If you were given three wishes,
what would you wish for?
Unlimited wishes (I need more
than three); to be fluent in
every language; a boyfriend?
If you could be a Disney
character, which one would
you be and why?
Rafiki from the Lion King
because he is wise.
Having survived four years,
what advice would you give to
pupils at Millfield?
I would say try to say "yes" to
as much as you can. My group
tutor would disagree and
thinks I could probably have
done with learning to say "no"
every once in a while. There's
so much on at Millfield that
you can experience and I think
that's what I'll miss most
when I leave.
March 2014
If you won the lo ery what would you spend the money on?
I would keep enough to get me though life and give the rest to charity.
You're also Head of House this term: what is best thing about Mar n’s?
That 'meowing' is socially acceptable as soon as you walk through our
front door. Joking aside, I think just the friends I've made that I'll have
for a very long me! There's nothing quite like living with them all to
really get to know them, the good and the bad.
What your favourite part about being in the choir at Millfield?
The best thing is definitely the tours we go on. I think I've been to
about seven countries in the past four years with choir so that itself is
pre y impressive. We always learn a lot and come back with some
great memories. Some of the best friends I've made at Millfield have all
been in the music department, so that too!
Mishary Al Dhuwaihi interviewed by Jack Dickens
How long have you been at Millfield?
This is my fourth year at Millfield. I came in year 10 from Saudi Arabia
and it was extremely different! I couldn’t believe I made the decision to
come here in the end as it was a massive step coming from a foreign
country.
Why did you decide to come and has it lived up to your expecta ons?
Well at first the only reason I was looking to come here was solely for a
be er educa on. But a er visi ng the school and seeing all the
opportuni es it had to offer, I knew that coming to Millfield would be
for the best. As for living up to my expecta ons, it’s definitely more
than done that as I have to
admit that, looking back four
years ago, I don’t think I would
have experienced the
opportuni es presented to me
at Millfield had I gone
anywhere else.
How difficult did you find it to
se le in when you first came?
The first few months were
quite difficult, I have to admit.
I remember waking up in the
middle of night and calling my
sister complaining about how I
wanted to go back home
almost every week! But a er
my first Christmas break I got
into the system and started
making the best out of it. The
key thing to do in situa ons
like this is to occupy yourself
and just get yourself into
whatever is happening.
What is your best/funniest
memory of the school?
Funniest moment?? Ahh that’s
a really hard one! I must admit
going to South Africa during
half term really carried along
with it some unforge able
memories. But inside the
school it would be when I
came outside of the Walton
House front door in fi h year
(Continued on page 2)
March 2014
U6 LECTURE
4
By Emma Byford
Michael Eavis talks to the U6 about the history of the Glastonbury FesƟval
Each term the upper-sixth a end a number of lectures which vary
greatly in topic and are o en very moving or inspira onal. On 22nd
January we had the privilege of hearing a talk on the history of the
Glastonbury Fes val by Michael Eavis himself, the founder of the
famous fes val.
Now in its 44th year, the fes val is ever-growing in popularity with over
1 million people registering their interest to a end this year’s event,
inevitably meaning that many will be le empty-handed and
disappointed. However, you're not out of luck just yet. Eavis explained
that despite the supposed 10-mile radius to be eligible for local ckets,
it is stretched one extra mile for all of us in Street get an extra chance.
It is unbelievable to think that a cket will now set you back £210 and
people flock to Worthy Farm in Pilton from all over the world to a end
yet back in the first year it was just one hundred hippy travellers from
Stonehenge that no other farmer would accept on their land. During its
second year Arabella Churchill, granddaughter of Winston Churchill,
helped to fund the fes val to enable free entrance. She con nued to
be make Glastonbury what it is right up un l her death. Despite the
loss made that year they con nued on to make the fes val annual and
the rest is history.
O en when a speaker opens the floor to ques ons there are quite a
few, but on this occasion there were more than normal. Many hadn't
thought about how much prepara on me and money goes into
making the fes val what it is. £32 million is spent on making a long
weekend in June one of the most talked about events of the year. In a
recent poll, Glastonbury Fes val came out fi h as one of the most
recognisable brands in the world, just behind Google and YouTube.
Despite being called Glastonbury Fes val, Worthy Farm is actually
located in Pilton. Eavis explained that his strong family roots, the
magical romance of the town and the Abbey all seemed fi ng reasons
to name the fes val a er Glastonbury. He also thought that “Shepton
Mallet Fes val" didn't quite have the same ring to it.
We all really enjoyed hearing about his own personal memories of the
fes val, notably last year being invited to Mick Jagger's winnebago the
night before the Rolling Stones headline slot to have a chat for an hour.
That's not something most people will get an invite for!
Of course, the ques on everyone wanted to know the answer to was
"who are this year’s headliners?". Unfortunately, Michael has been
sworn to secrecy and was only able to offer us a few hints. We would
like to thank Mr. Whiskerd for organising yet another great lecture and
Michael Eavis for giving us an insight into the world that is the
Glastonbury Fes val.
5
VIEWPOINT
by ChrisƟan Moore
Slavery: a topic that, when it comes to world
history, is an unavoidable blemish on the
mark of human nature. How, then, is it s ll
happening today?
For a period of roughly four hundred and fi y
years, the systema c persecu on,
imprisonment, and trading of African na ves
took place on a worldwide scale, fuelled by
the privileged imperialist white man. The
atroci es that such a prac ce led to darken
the faith of even the most posi ve of
humanists.
Indeed, the transatlan c slave trade was so
ingrained into Bri sh culture that in recent
years even the Church of England has had to
repent for its sins, acknowledging the dubious
role it played in allowing the abomina on to
take place. You can imagine the relief, I’m
sure, when the Thirteenth Amendment to the
U.S. Cons tu on in 1865 was passed, and one
final victory for the global aboli onist
movement symbolised an end to slavery. The
last great power of the me had proclaimed
that it was the right of all, regardless of
ethnicity or background, to live without fear
of becoming the possession of another.
Britain naturally exhaled a sigh of relief, safe
in the knowledge that it had cleared itself of
all colonial guilt, and had sent the world
gliding into a new age of harmony, where any
memories of slavery were just that— things of
the past.
Well, no. Unfortunately not. Incorrect. The
illusion that slavery is now just something
that you find in history textbooks and
Taran no films is demonstrably wrong. To
think that would be an horrific insult to the
people who are s ll suffering from the same
fate today. How many people am I talking
about? Almost 21 million men, women, and
children are currently es mated to be
trapped in some form of slavery. We, as a
society, have allowed the slave trade to
con nue behind our conveniently turned
backs. Each day 20.9 million people are
coerced into performing ac ons against their
will, due to physical, emo onal, or financial
threat, and this fact is receiving a
dispropor onate lack of a en on from wider
society.
Here in the UK, we have become inured to the
exploita on that goes on around us. You get
the occasional horror story about young
women trapped in the basement of a
depraved slob for 20 years, but whether or
not it is to console ourselves, or simply plain
carelessness, we label these stories as “one
offs”; they simply aren’t. Human trafficking,
drug circles, and unlawful imprisonment are
amongst the many aberra ons admi ed by
Home Secretary Theresa May to be “all
around us, hidden in plain sight”. It is all too
common for immigrants to be smuggled into
Britain through illicit cartels, only to find
March 2014
themselves so heavily indebted to their
transporters that, when they die, their
children will have to inherit their workload.
Ul mately the reason for telling you this is
not to enlighten you—for that is hopefully not
necessary— but because of one very simple
reason:12 Years a Slave. The release of a film
that tracks the story of a man living without
interference or persecu on, only to one day
find himself duped and forced into slavery, is
so very relevant in the context of the modern
day. The film’s director Steve McQueen (no,
not the Great Escape actor: he’s neither black,
nor alive) is very quick to point out that there
are “more slaves now than when the film was
set in 1853 … so 160 years later we’re s ll in
the same situa on”. McQueen’s mo ves for
crea ng the film were to explore the
“repercussions of slavery”, and so the film
should not be seen as simply a piece of
history, but as a moment in me that can and
should inform our current situa on.
Although we watch films for our own
individual reasons, it is surely a common
desire for all of us to be able to iden fy with
others’ experiences. If you go to see 12 Years
a Slave then you will be able to engage with
the both the life of Solomon Northup, but also
the millions of lives that s ll today echo his
harrowing affair.
(Continued from page 12)
I have to admit to having a bit of an
interest in military history and would be
really fascinated to meet someone like the
Duke of Wellington. Perhaps we could go
to Spain and he could talk me through
some of the major ba les of the
Peninsular wars. It would have to end in
Belgium at Mont St. Jean where the ba le
of Waterloo was fought. I guess the old
Duke could be a bit intense a er a while,
so perhaps Napolean Bonaparte could join
us to give his version of events at that final
ba le. That would introduce a more lively
element to the holiday!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve
ever been given?
Don’t become a teacher…no only joking!
This has been the ques on I have
struggled with the most. Perhaps no one
has given me any really good advice or
maybe I am just not good at taking it…!
Overall I think the best advice has come
from several different people in my life as
well as being key in another of my
favourite films and it is this: “Always look
on the bright side of life…”
March 2014
CHARITY
6
By Josh Ellis
Over the last October half-term holiday, 12 pupils in the 6th form
accompanied by two members of staff travelled to Ethiopia, primarily
to visit the town of Lalibela and its large secondary school. This trip was
the first Millfield students have done to Lalibela so we weren't quite
sure what to expect.
We le straight a er school on the Wednesday and headed for
Heathrow airport, from where we would get the flight to Addis Ababa,
the capital of Ethiopia.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by one of the most basic buses
we had ever seen; we even had to pack our luggage on the roof!
On the first day we visited the na onal museum and drove up to
Ethiopian King Menelike’s palace on top of the mountain overlooking
Addis Ababa, known as Mount Entoto.
Early the next morning we had to catch a small plane to Lalibela where
we would spend the majority of the trip.
On our first day in the village we visited the school where we were
greeted by a tour of the classrooms and campus. This was followed by
a tradi onal welcome ceremony with a coffee ritual and dance. All of
us ended up having to get up and dance with the school children even
though it isn't the kind of dancing you would expect: it is more like
body popping!
12 students welcomed to the school
In the classroom at Lalibela Central Secondary School
Over the next few days we were sightseeing around the area to get a
feel for the culture and learn a bit of Amharic (the local dialect). On one
of the days, we took a mule ride up to the top of Mount Asheton,
which is over 3000m tall. At the very top of the mountain, we were
shown to a church that had been carved directly into the rock;
hundreds of years ago, people would climb up every day to chip away
(Continued on page 7)
7
CHARITY
March 2014
On the trek - sitting on the top of the world!
(Con nued from page 6)
at the rock to create the church. At the top of the mountain were some
of the most amazing views we had ever seen and we le the church
excited for everything else we were to do during our trip. However, on
the way down, Ben Hudson and myself started to feel ill, but put it
down to having not eaten for most of the day. In the end we spent the
whole evening being sick over the side of our balcony, due to sun
stroke. A er that Miss Harkness wouldn’t let us go out without scarves
covering our necks!
The church we saw at the top of Mount Asheton was not the only one.
In Lalibela there are 12 other rock-hewn churches that, according to
Ethiopian legend, were carved out by one man, known as King Lalibela,
over a period of 23 years. The legend is that he worked throughout the
day every day and, at night, the angels helped him.
On another day, we spent the whole day at the school. Some of us
even had a go at teaching! Ben and I were shocked at the level of
teaching at the school. At some points, the pupils were being taught
the completely wrong answers to rela vely simple ques ons. On the
other hand, the eagerness to learn from the pupils was incredible; all of
them wanted to make a success of their lives and they studied hard to
achieve this.
For our last three days we went on a trek around the mountains. For
me, this was probably one of the highlights of the trip. We saw some of
the most deprived areas in Ethiopia. It was a weird experience having
almost every person we saw run across fields to come and shake our
hands. They were thrilled with anything we could give them, even if it
was just a tennis ball. For the evenings of the trek we stayed in Tukuls,
which are basically mud huts that had had ma resses put on fla ened
out piles of cement on the floor to make beds.
Overall I think this was one of the best trips I have ever been on, due to
the different people that I met, the friends I made out there, the sights
and also the realisa on of how privileged we actually are. I would
recommend this trip to anyone considering it. It is a fantas c way to
spend a half-term holiday and to understand how millions of people
live every day.
(More photographs on the following page)
March 2014
CHARITY
8
Menelike’s Palace, Mount Entoto, Addis Ababa
(Con nued from page 9)
St George’s, one of the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela
Interna onal Students’ Day?
That's a maybe. I will talk to my fellow Thais and see what we can
do.
Thank you, Mookey, for your me!
Alex Kim (Kazahkstan)
Were you nervous about coming to Millfield?
Yes I was a li le bit nervous, because this is my first academic year
in the UK. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know any
people. A first year in a new school can be difficult but I found my
new friends and I am enjoying Millfield life.
Did you learn English at your previous school?
Yes, I used to learn English at my previous school but my first
language is Russian.
What's your favourite part of life at Millfield?
This is quite a tough ques on for me as there are so many
opportuni es for everyone to do something they like, as there is
such a great variety of ac vi es: MAP ac vi es, for example. For
me I find the tennis academy the best here at Millfield as there is
a great coaching staff and facili es. I also enjoy the social life;
everywhere you go you can find friends. I feel the Millfield
community is very united.
Do you wish there was some Kazakh food in the dining hall?
Well, some mes it would be great for other people to taste some
Kazakh cuisine, as it is very different to European food. I would
really enjoy this.
What more could Millfield do for interna onal students like
yourself?
Well honestly I don't think they can do anymore. The school
supplies us with everything: teachers, group tutors and nonteaching staff. I think that there is nothing else that can be done.
Thank you for your me, Alex, and good luck in your upcoming
tennis matches!
9
LOWER SIXTH PAGE
By Max Darrington
Berna Akandere (Turkey)
Were you nervous before coming to England
to study?
Yes, I was nervous because it was my first
boarding school experience. I wasn't so
worried about the English language since my
previous school was an American school
which taught us English, French and German.
How was your first week at Millfield?
It was so much be er than I expected it to be.
The Southfield girls are all amazing! They
were so helpful and kind towards me even
though they didn't know me. Now I see all of
them like sisters!
Do you miss home? Do you wish there was an
opportunity for interna onal students to go
home more o en?
Yes I miss home so much, and yes I wish there
was an opportunity to go home.
I mean Millfield is full of good
people but there is no place like
home.
Interna onal Day is coming up:
will you be wearing your na ve
Turkish dress?
Unfortunately no: I haven't
brought any Turkish dress with
me.
Thank you very much Berna for
your me!
Tess Hannah (Australia)
Were you nervous before you
came to Millfield? What did you
fear most?
I was actually so nervous
because I didn't know anyone
and I was so far away from
home but probably most nervous about the
boarding aspect because I had never boarded:
I was always a day student.
What was your first week at
Millfield like? Did the Warner girls
make you feel at home?
Yeah I was rooming with Kathryn
Morley and she, along with the
other girls, were so lovely. They
took me around to my lessons and
showed me all around the school
and waited un l I was really
comfortable with where everything
was.
What is your favourite thing about
Millfield?
Definitely it’s the friends and the
sport, being able to live with your
best friends and see them all the
me. A er that, having such a high
level of sport throughout the school
gives you a great opportunity to develop into
the type of athlete you want to be.
Do you wish they started serving Australian
March 2014
Max Darrington and Berna Akandere
field!
Mookey JarrunpaƩana (Thailand )
Were you nervous about coming to Millfield?
I was. It's a new environment,
new school, new friends, a new
type of life. You have to learn to
adapt.
Is there strong Thai community at
Millfield?
I believe there is, which includes
even those who have already le
the school. They s ll meet up on
exeats and holidays. My friends
here I shall keep for life.
What's your favourite part of
Millfield?
That’s a tough ques on. I believe
the people at the school are very
helpful and friendly. They always
offer lots of help; they always
make you feel like you are at
Torzie Boylett and Tess Hannah
home. They make sure no one is
le out and try to involve me into all their
food in the dining hall, or possibly an
different communi es.
Australian themed day?
Do you do EAL? If so, are you enjoying it?
I would love that! It would help me to miss
When I first came here, I was advised to do it,
Australia less.
but I did IELTs. I performed well in the test
Finally, what more
and they advised me that I didn't need to
would you like to see
study English as an addi onal language.
Millfield do to
Do Millfield do enough for interna onal
accommodate
students?
interna onal students?
Yes, I believe they do enough. They arrange
Possibly the school
interna onal dinners, where interna onal
could allow us to go
students can meet up. But they could do
home earlier, to allow
more ac vi es involving different peoples'
more me at home
culture, as we have so many different
because it takes me a
na onali es.
few days to get home.
Do you wish the long exeat was longer so you
(Head of Year is adding a
could go home ?
comment - NO
I have my du es here as a student, but yes, I
CHANCE!)
do wish it was longer so I could go home.
Thank you very much for
Will you be wearing your Thai dress for
your me, Tess, and
Max Darrington and Mookey Jarrunpattana
good luck on the hockey
(Con nued on page 8)
March 2014
RUGBY
10
11
SWIMMING
The lights go down in the Palau de
I Know What James
Sant Jordi Aqua c Centre, and a
hush se les in as if blown across
from the vacant Barcelona Olympic
Stadium next door. 10,000 sets of
eyes turn to focus on a now illuminated entranceway with a state of
the art video screen presen ng a visual montage barrier between the
compe tors and the 50 metre-long stretch of water in which they will
compete – against the clock, against each other, against the world. The
din is broken by an announcer, speaking first in Spanish to honour the
host na on, then in French – the official language of the Federa on
Interna onal de Nata on Armature - and then in English to sa sfy the
wealth of host broadcasters from Her Majesty’s colonies. He professes,
to those present, that they are moments away from witnessing the
commencement of this, the second final, of this, the first night, of this,
the FINA World Swimming Championships for 2013 - and that this will
be the Men’s 400 metres freestyle. The video screen divides itself in
the middle, revealing its true purpose as a doorway and, now incensed
by the stylish polyglo sm of the announcer, the crowd li like a
volcano burgeoning to life, a slow, deliberate sense of interest rising
a uned to the now swirling lights and thumping beat of the
background track. And that’s where he was.
Un l 1916, Olympic swimming events were conducted in oceans, lakes
and other non-descript outdoor loca ons. Interes ng to think how
things have changed in just 97 years. No custom-built swimming pools
holding pride of place in sold out arenas, with images broadcast to all
points of the globe. No compe on swimming pools at all really, let
March 2014
alone fancy ones hiding behind mul
-func on video screen doors. It was
not un l the Paris Olympics of 1924
that swimming events were
sanc oned to be conducted in 50metre swimming pools with marked lanes and lane ropes. From that
point on, the swimmer in Lane 8 has tradi onally been the first to be
recognised in a final, as they have qualified to that posi on with the
slowest heat me of the eight combatants. And that’s where he was.
At 17 years of age, James Guy was making his debut on the Great
Britain Senior Swimming Team – the youngest male swimmer to be
selected to compete in an individual event for Britain in two decades.
The youngest man to lead out a Great Britain relay in four decades.
And so the list goes on. A blistering and mature performance in the
heats that morning had seen James move up the rankings of that day
from 17th to 8th in the world – or 8th out of 7.046 billion if you prefer.
And that’s where he was.
Being in lane 8 has its advantages. Once the roving television camera
has removed itself to a distance further than three inches from the
swimmer’s nose, the extended me spent on the pool side as the
remaining seven compe tors are introduced to the crowd offers an
opportunity to drink in the surrounds of this surreal environment – a
luxury not afforded to those in the central facets of the pool. This is not
a venue for the faint of heart or the re ring violet. This is the domain of
champions – each spurred on by the now near-deafening rally cries of
the world’s swimming pundits. A mel ng pot of tension and pressure.
Of an cipa on and thrill. And that’s where he was.
Guy Did Last Summer
By A QuaƟca
March 2014
PROFILE
12
The Millfield Voice
Editorial and Publishing Office:
A13
Contributors:
Emma Byford
Max Darrington
Jack Dickens
Josh Ellis
Tom Jackson
ChrisƟan Moore
Ffion Thompson
Editorial Consultant:
Mr M Day
Compila on, Design & Publishing:
Mrs T Day
The views expressed in ar cles published in the
Millfield Voice are those of the contributors
and do not necessarily reflect those of the
school or of the editors
Firstly, how long have you been here and in
which capaci es?
I am now in my eighth year at the school. I am
a biology teacher and, for the last four years,
have been the houseparent for the amazing
girls in Overleigh. I have been involved with
Ten Tors and the Duke of Edinburgh Award
scheme and have now taken over the running
of the community service MAP.
What were your early impressions of the
school a er a term or two?
That it was the most incredibly busy place in
which I have ever worked – and that includes
my me spent as an army officer! I was
amazed how the school was reasonably calm
and unpopulated during the holidays and
then came instantly back to life on day one of
a new term.
…and how have they changed since?
I think it’s become even busier, if that’s
possible.
What was your school like? Anything like this?
My school was as different to Millfield as is
possible. I went to a very academic all-girls
school in Warwick. The emphasis was all on
exams and ge ng to university. In my final
year at the school there were 15 girls, out of
about 54 in total, who went to Oxford or
Cambridge. I really enjoyed my me at the
school but wish we had had other
opportuni es to do things like the DofE
award. We were a bit like Millfield in that we
were very compe ve at sport, though. I
remember playing on the first netball team
and, for a non-contact sport, it could get
surprisingly brutal!
If you could have your me at school again,
what would you do differently?
It may surprise some people to hear this, but I
would have been more vocal about certain
issues, I think. I had a terrible me doing
physics A level; when we got to the exams
there were about four topics we had never
covered. Looking back I think I should have
made some noise about that…!!
When you were fi een, what job did you most
want to do when you were older?
I really wanted to be a vet and had also begun
to want to work in counselling! Rather an odd
mix, but now my dream is to combine the two
and work in counselling, using animals as
therapy to help people. I suppose my 15 yearold self would be happy to know that I never
let go of the dream!
If you could change just one thing about
Millfield, what would it be?
To have regular exeats like other boarding
schools. I hate it at about week 3 each term
when the staff and students start to get so
red that they don’t perform at their best.
What’s your idea of a perfect Saturday
evening?
It would certainly be in the summer; a warm
and balmy evening with no rain or mud! It
would begin with some form of exercise,
perhaps a horse ride, game of squash or a
swim. Then a meal with friends, si ng
outside by candlelight; plenty of good food
and wine…
Could you please tell us about three of your
favourite films?
Tricky one. I love films and there are so many
really great ones being produced at the
moment. I have to admit to The Full Monty
being one of my all- me favourites. I love the
fact that it is set in Sheffield, where I went to
university, and also that it actually has quite a
sad story behind it. And the music from it is
wonderful. Anyone in my classes will know
that I love Wall-E. Aside from the simply
incredible anima on, the depic on of what
humans may one day do to the planet and
themselves is rather scary. Finally I love the
film Moon. Not one that many people may
have watched so I won’t spoil it by giving
away the plot but I do recommend that you
see it.
If you could go on an all-expenses-paid
holiday with anyone who has ever lived
(except family and friends), who would it be
and where would you go?
(Continued on page 5)