House No.2
Monday 20. of February 2012
No.2 welcomes and encourages boys whatever their skills and talents. All are treated equally, from the Chopin-playing, Philosophy-loving academic to the lumbering Welsh Rugby fanatic! The atmosphere in No.2 is one of purpose and fun. Boys make friends in an environment where everyone gives of his best and where there is a sense of pride in teamwork.
Housemaster Bert Lacey has two sons, George and Charlie, and he teaches Physics. He is well placed to add his support and enthusiasm to help guide the boys in No.2, as he has a passion for a wide range of activities, from Cricket and Rugby to Mountaineering and Skiing, and from Music to car restoration.
Bert says, "I feel that the boys all share in the responsibility for keeping the House ‘ship-shape’ and, in belonging to No.2, learn to value and support each other."
Success Galore
Monday 20. of February 2012
The Lent term has begun well for the No.2 Boys, with a busy few weeks that have been jammed full of activity, success and fun.
In the first week, whilst the Upper Sixth IB guys were cruising to excellent trial exam results, the FY competed in the annual Ferrets’ race around a chilly Malvern Common. In spite of the slightly unnerving sight of an air ambulance (unconnected!) the nine boys from No.2 set off with enthusiasm and as a result of strong individual performances from Ben Twohig and Nikolas Trouvain, coupled with a good run from the rest of the team, the House won the Ferrets Cup. Congratulations to the entire year group for this fantastic team effort.
As January drew to a close we also celebrated Burns Night in our usual manner. Although without the clamouring of bagpipes, the haggis supper went well, with its combination of haggis, neeps and tatties, presented by Mr Lacey who, with great drama and an amusing Scottish accent, addressed the haggis according to tradition! The Scottish bard may well have been spinning in his grave, but the boys laughed and chatted their way through the fare with a smile, at least!
The House play then dominated weeks 3 and 4, with a large cast working very hard to convert Sam Goldblatt’s excellent adaptation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels into a slick, amusing and strong 30 minute production for the school to enjoy. Nearly half of the House ended up being involved and it was great to see both cast and audience enjoying the final performance. Congratulations to Alex Khan for winning the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Freddy Benson and to the whole cast for a positive, well-presented and well-received performance. The boys thoroughly deserved their pizzas in the post-production party!
Hot on the heels of this success came the final of the Inter-House debating competition, which has been running since September. Sam Goldblatt and Gerald Roseman joined forces once again to propose the motion “This House Would Never Go To War” in their debate against the feisty No.6 team. A thrilling and passionate contest saw the teams neck-and-neck, and it was terrific when the announcement came that they had indeed won back the cup for the House. Gerald will not be resting on this front though, as he now has to prepare for the national finals of the Taylor Trophy…
As the half term draws to a close, the Upper Sixth celebrated Oli Gardner’s 18th birthday with another of the famous house birthday breakfasts - complete with giant banana cake, smoked salmon and numerous other treats to mark the day with style. And to think, Oli is now eligible to vote!