The year was a hugely
successful one for the
Woodardians. Our first
triumph came in the
hotly contested House debating
competition, which for once
we decided to take seriously.
Easily defeating the challenges
of Carpenter and Meynell,
we came up against a highly
acclaimed Bishop Fox side,
but Henry Biggs and Edward
Keeling worked their magic and
the trophy returned to Woodard
after a six-year absence.
Next up was the House
steeplechase, one of the more widely
attended events in the calendar.
Woodard's Oliver Fox is a highly
successful cross country runner in his
own right (having represented England
at his age group) and he set the tone
by obliterating the course record. He
was ably backed up by his fellow Housemates, and
Woodard won two of the
three teams, claiming the cup for the
sixth year on the trot. Special mention
must go to Mr Hamilton - a Woodard
tutor who has now sadly left our ranks
- who dominated the staff competition.
The House chess competition, perhaps
the greatest accolade a House can
pick up over the year, was again a
hugely popular event, bringing in large
crowds (Mr Wrobel, Mr Round and
occasionally Mr Biggs). The Woodard
team did not disappoint the rapturous
crowd, storming to victory with a win
over Meynell in the final. In the Third
Form Spelling Bee Ben Bamber silenced
his critics with a stellar performance,
to claim second from Hughie Kelsey
(a noisy neighbour from Tuckwell),
even if no one was quite sure how
the competition actually worked. The
Woodard General Knowledge team
(basically Henry Biggs and any three
people who happened to be in the
common room at the time the team was
chosen) continued to hit the heights
that have become expected of them in
recent years, putting Bishop Fox to the
sword in the final.
Purple Streak
For many Woodardians, the heart of the
House lies on the sports field (if the Fifa
pitch counts as a sports field…). Strong
performances came in the House sports
competitions, with runners-up medals
in the hockey and cricket cups.
Our Futsal team came on in
leaps and bounds, with Sven
Witney (left-sided midfielder)
and JR Al Shimali (manager)
being acquired on the transfer
market to take the team to new
heights. Sports Day was again
splashed with purple (the House
colour, as demonstrated by the
6.2s' purple ties every 'Woodard
Wednesday'), as Woodard
claimed the overall trophy for
the fifth time running, with Will
'Superhuman' Potter setting
school records in a record eight
events.
Woodard has single-handedly kept the
Raj Poot restaurant in business, with
the familiar welcome of 'Ahhh, hello Mr
Tim' greeting us. Occasionally we step
out of our comfort zone with a trip to
MacDonald's after our weekly cinema
trips, and every year group takes on the
'Zsa Zsa Bazaar' all-you-can-eat challenge
in Bristol at least once a year: Conor
Bannister currently holds the record,
with 10 clear plates of food consumed.
By far the most popular event in
House, however, is the annual sketch
contest, held on the last night of the
Michaelmas term. Woodardians never
fail to surprise with their originality, wit
and film-making skills. The Third Form
sketch - traditionally a live mickey-take
of the 6.2s - was this year described by
our beloved matron, Mrs Berry, as the
"sketch of the decade."
6.2s Ali Williams, Albert Healey, Sven Whitney, Max Molle, Paddy Cartwright, Harry Parkin, Will Potter, Laurie Moorhead, Will MacEacharn,
Bond Heepkoksong, Felix Chu, Charles Head, Conor Bannister and Jack Holmes strike a pose for the Yearbook
House Reports
Woodard
By Josh Stickland, 6.1
Harry Parkin, Harry Thomas, Will Potter, Dan Mead, Laurie Moorhead,
Conor Bannister and Josh Stickland take a break from revision
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