Talbot's House

Another quality celebration. We have two boys who must be the most prolific scorers in the school rugby club at the moment: Alex Sporton and Ben Kight have 7 from 3 games and 9 from 4 respectively. Duncan Keyworth and Nihat Aslanoba have been moved up to the U15 C team whilst Matthew Szeto has been named U15D team captain. Bob Song remains the king of merits with 5 this week, pushing Alikhan Bekov and Hodges Mak into second place.

The two big awards this week saw the options' Top Bloke award go to Jonny Ho for his awesome exploits in the house swimming whilst Alex' persistance in achieving the move up to the B team (he has waited a year since being moved down to the C's during last season) and his try scoring saw him named housemaster's man of the week.

Well we made it! It is funny to think that less than three weeks ago, the house was set to receive 20 new boys, new houseparents and new tutors. As we go into the exeat, Talbot's is looking like a cohesive unit and has been a vibrant and happy place to be around. That is down to the excellent welcome extended by the existing boys and our outstanding staff. We salute all 65 extended members of the family old and new for their efforts in shaping the start of what hopes to be another cracking year for the house.

My personal highlight has been the Friday celebrations of all the good things happening in the house. The options' top bloke award has been a great addition and the housemaster's man of the week almost impossibly hard to judge. Whilst it has been excellent to have already celebrated a US study scholarship, a school record, school colours, rugby success and sports day triumphs, the thing I love about the values of the house is that there is often a much louder cheer for the boy moved from the D team to the C team or who unexpectedly got the most merits then the more visible school successes.

Another treat was eating the produce made by matron's baking club last Saturday evening. The boys loved it and had lots of ideas for what they would like to bake next. As far as I'm concerned, all of them can be cooked next week  if the scones they made are anything to go by!!!

House singing is fast improving and Karan Gupta has started drilling the troops well with James Mctavish from the day house who will play the piano this year. Mr Rooke has also brought some outstanding vision and energy to our entry. Hopes are high...

Before half term, as well as the house singing, there will be a trip to Northampton to watch rugby, the house committee will meet , Shlomo visits the theatre and the orchard produce will be put to good use whilst in school the clutch will be pressed and top gear engaged.

Do keep following the action on here and twitter.

Today was an excellent way to sign off before exeat. We did ourselves proud in coming second at sports day, including winning the juniors category. That was a pleasing turnaround after being last last year. We then went karting in the evening.
Full reports will follow courtesy of the blog's new editor in chief: Michael Holroyd. In the meantime, if you want to catch up on some of the events of today check out our twitter feed.

Congratulations to Ben Kight (U15A) and Josh Simmons (U16A) who both scored hat tricks against Uppingham this weekend.

Josh on the Charge

Ben Crosses the Line

A HUGE congratulations to Alastair Blake who was awarded Arts Colours this week for his excellent contribution to Art around the school. It is a very prestigious award and the first major colours to be awarded in the house this year.

Alastair showing off the coveted Purple Blazer badge

Another Friday has been and gone. It is an excellent opportunity in the house to celebrate the great things that have happened in the past week. Over pizza yesterday evening, we lauded all the new boys for having completed a full week and congratulated the 20 boys from the house who are representing the school in rugby matches today. Out of those, Alex Guliev, Adrian Ho (both U14E) and Philip Gebing (5ths) are making their first appearances for the school. We also congratulated Bob Song, Matthew Szeto, Duncan Keyworth (U15D to U15C) and Fuga Iwama (U16D to U16C) of their promotion in teams and squads this week.

The main awards of the evening were as follows:
 - The most merits in the house this week were awarded to Jonathan Ho.
 - Ben Nesseler was made U18 indoor hockey captain this week.
 - The options' Tob Bloke of the week was Charlie Hart for his introduction and leading of the onesie craze currently sweeping the house.
 - The housemaster's man of the week saw Assan Amirov (helpfulness on the new boys trip) and Daniel Lin (contributing really well to the TED society in his first week) highly commended, but was won by Adrian So for his fantastic help on the new boys trip but also his quiet helpfulness with a number of new boys and around the house.

(image above from www.unitynwregion.org)

This weekend saw the new junior boys' challenge trip to do bushcraft at Ickwell (our school's nature reserve), which was possible due to the combined effort of Mr Gracie and Mrs Murray. The activities programme ranged from Fire Starting, using Swedish military gear (at which Alex Guliev proved to be very skilled), to Shelter Building and Rope making which for some proved to be a challenge and others (such as Duncan Keyworth), who were surprisingly good at it from the first time. Certainly the highlight of that day for most people was cooking marshmallows at a camp fire, and without doubt it was found easy enough by all boys, and most teachers!

Assan Amirov

Friday night will be our night of celebration in the house. Though we have only been back a few days, there is already much to be proud of. We have 16 boys in rugby matches this weekend, including Jack Lewsley, Teepee Princewill and Sasha Plyushchenko who all make their first appearances for Bedford (in the senior school). Nico Rey-Benito was nominated by the options as their top bloke of the week (a weekly award for boys who have been a positive presence in the house from the senior boys). The thing I am most proud of this week though is the spirit that is already starting to build in the house. It is laid down on the foundation of our existing boys' hard work in making the house welcoming and the enthusiasm of all those who have joined the house. I must especially thank those boys who came back early to help set the house up and our incredible house staff. I am on the verge of gushing, so bring on match day...

Having taken the school back squat record last term, Head of House Dom Brett has continued to work hard over the summer in the gym. Coming back early to help with new boys day also allowed him to make an attempt at the Front Squat record before term had even started. Not only did he break the record, he beat the previous one by 12.5kg, to raise it to 132.5kg.

It has been a busy summer in the house with many improvements being made. Though it may not be immediately or visibly noticeable, the new boiler and heating works should greatly improve the atmosphere of the house, especially as winter rolls on! More visibly - the goals in the garden have been replaced and the pool table is recovered and ready to see the housemaster take on all comers! There may also be some new photos and features on the walls if you look carefully...

It was sad to say farewell to Mr and Mrs Cassell at the end of last term. On a personal note I would like to thank them for all their help in moving my skills on in a house sense and being so helpful in making the transition smooth. Their contributions to Talbot's over a 12 year period have been immense and hundreds of Talbot's boys past and present are testament to that.

As we look ahead to the new term, it is a great privilege to add Mr Taylor to the tutor team and Mr Rees as the assistant housemaster along with his wife and 2 young children who are also very much part of the Talbot's family. They are both outstanding schoolmasters and will bring much to the house. Otherwise, we are lucky to be staying the same staff wise. There is much our matrons, cleaners, handyman and tutors do that is unseen by most of us but makes the house a comfortable and happy home for us all. I fear we often forget how lucky we are to have such a passionate and talented staff in the house, and I am very excited to be leading such a strong group into the 2013/14 year.

This term is always the busiest, and the 2013 edition will be no different. It is hard to look past the house singing as the upcoming highlight. What an event! I love the way that it brings the whole house together  from a piecemeal group of reticent non singers (many of whom are only just getting to know each other) into a strong choir. As usual, I expect us to be challenging for honours and though we have lost the wisdom of Mr Rouse (the Alex Ferguson of house singing in terms of trophies?) I am hopeful that the vibrant enthusiasm of Mr Rooke will do the job. What is the song I hear you ask? You'll have to be there on the night to find out!

Before this though, there is the junior new boys trip to do bushcraft at Ickwell, house karting and sports day. All of our new boys will feel like seasoned Talbot's warriors by the time Exeat rolls around in three weeks time!

Bring on 2013/14...