Patchell's

 

End Lent 2008 update

The arrival of baby Holly on the 28th January was greeted with great celebrations and a whole House drinks party.  Old Patchellians will know that an event such as this deserves a sweepstake, and so it was that the boys guessed the date and weight of the new arrival.  The sweepstake winners are pictured with their prize!

Since then Patchell's has enjoyed notable success in the world of Drama.  As the holders of the Drama trophy the pressure was always going to be intense, but with the talented trio of Tom Dickson, Niall Casey-Boyce and Doug Gibson ably supported by an enthusiastic and dedicated team of helpers, hopes were high for a repeat triumph.  They were all fantastic on the night and we carried off not only that trophy but also the award for Best Actor which went to Tom Dickson.  Roll call that night began with the spraying of champagne over the assembled cast as we began the celebrations for this terrific achievement.

Update Lent 2008

With batteries recharged after the long Michaelmas term and with the glow of the House football victory still evident, the boys returned through thick snow to what should prove to be an equally challenging and busy term.  Modules for many and mocks for others provided the harshest of wake up calls.  The general view is that the exams have been quite fair this January – let’s hope the results in March confirm this.

Gareth Davies’ selection for the U18 Scotland hockey squad bodes well for Patchell’s hockey team and with Max von Laer’s arrival back in September the House team has rarely looked stronger.  Tom Nicoll has been awarded the Captaincy of the College 1st XI, an announcement that gained the customary celebration in our evening roll call.  House swimming training has also started in earnest and as ever Patchell’s cannot be accused of going in under-prepared to these House events.  This term sees the annual Patchell’s Mastermind competition and we also have the photography competition coming up.  

With the confirmation that Phase One of the Patchell’s redevelopment will start in July (in House matron facilities and upgrading shower/toilet blocks) we have reason to be excited about the coming year.  A record number of new boys in September should ensure that House success continues far into the future.

On the domestic front our eagerly awaited new arrival is imminent.  The baby’s due date is the 21st January and at the time of writing Shelley is willing this time on.  I have 48 volunteers for the role of Godfather, which is lovely and the boys have been wonderfully enthusiastic as the due date approaches.  Inevitably we have a sweepstake (why not?!) on the baby’s ‘Date and Weight’, with the prizes bigger and better than ever!   More news to follow…

SDH

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Patchell's by Jock Brooke

Inside the building,
You can hear the voices,
Voices of the boys?
Yes, but not only
Of those boys at present.
You can listen,
Listen to the stone and mortar
Tell you stories of the past,
Where the boys chattered and bantered,
How they mimicked their housemaster
And all the while,
To an outsider it is just a boarding house.
As the wind rushes along the corridors
The ghost is awoken.
He lofts around
Waiting for the next Patchell's lad
Before making himself known to the rest of the house.
And all the while to an outsider,
It is still just a boarding house.

A striking landscape taken by a Patchellian Munro-bagger recently