Chronicle April 2016

32 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

PEOPLE Miss Bellamy’s Adventures in Dung

– and when I say ‘mix’, I mean that we trampled and stamped on it in a pit for four hours to ensure a consistent texture. Then we added straw and sand and continued stamping for another hour! Following this, the mixture was used to form bricks using a wooden template and then left to bake in the sun. Unfortunately some of the bricks were ruined when a pig decided to roll on them – the termite dung was just too inviting for him. The following day, we used the bricks to build the walls around the hut’s wooden frame. My brick laying skills still need refining… Did you spend time with local people? Yes. In pairs, we stayed with families in the village. Their homes consisted of similarly- constructed huts with no electricity or running water. We were given a corner of the room, sharing with the family and their animals, and were very well looked after despite the family’s lack of English and my very rudimentary Lao! With no lighting, the entire village was pretty much asleep by 8pm, a timetable perfectly suited to our demanding schedule.

Common Room This term we welcome: Catherine James, from The Windsor Boys’ School, to teach Mathematics; Sarah Eldred, from Robert May’s School, Hampshire, as Head Librarian; and Stephanie Carter as Matron in Cowell’s. Kate Newson has been appointed to succeed Debra Clayphan as HM of Mac’s in September. Kate joins St Edward’s from Ardingly where she is a Housemistress. Previously she was Head of Physical Education and AHM in a boys’ house at Christ’s Hospital. Kate played hockey for England U21s and has coached both boys and girls at all levels. She is married to Mark and they have two sons, George, 15, and William, 11. From September we also welcome: Flora Nelson, from Wycombe High School, to teach Classics; Anneli Rühle, from the Gymnasium Eppendorf, Hamburg, to teach Maths; and Catherine Greves and Ashley Somogyi to teach English. Catherine is a full-time athlete and part of the GB rowing squad. She competed at the Olympics in 2008 and 2012 and is aiming for selection for Rio this year. Internally, Jonathan Thomson takes over as Head of Politics. At the end of this term, we say goodbye and good luck to: Nick Gardner, who leaves to take up a position at King’s College Wimbledon; Anthony Bullard, to become Head of Science at John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe; Ewan Gault, to move to Highgate School, North London; Rev Tom Shaw, to accompany his wife, Shona, following her appointment as Second Minister at Moortown Baptist Church, Leeds; Olly Glass, to take up the post of Head of Maths at St Joseph’s College, Reading; Tom Hunter, to pursue his own artistic career; Rebecca Clark, to take up the role of Director of Drama at Stowe; Mark and Rebecca Woodward to move to Cambridge where Mark has been appointed Head of Chemistry at the Stephen Perse Foundation; and David Moore, to retire after 30 years at the School (see page 20). In personal news, we congratulate Rosie and Matthew Glendon-Doyle on the safe arrival of Hebe Virginia on 14th December.

How did you find yourself building a hut out of termite dung in Laos? It was all quite unexpected! A friend working at Harrow International School in Bangkok needed an extra member of staff for a trip just before Christmas and invited me along. What was behind the trip? We were in San Udom village working with a company called Tiger Trails whose ‘fair trek’ programme is the first community- based tourism initiative in Laos’s Luang Prabang province. The organisation works with international partners and residents to ensure that local people have equal access to the social, environmental and economic benefits of tourism. What were you doing? We were building an eco-bungalow on a popular tourist trekking route. Once complete, the bungalow will provide a source of revenue for local villagers, who will also cook and sell food to tourists. Was it hard work? It was fascinating work! We started by pulling apart a termite dung hill. Contrary to our expectations, there was no smell. We mixed the dung with water and sand

Top Chefs Head Chef Ralph Wiskin, left, congratulates Balint Oze, recently named top catering apprentice in Oxfordshire. Ralph, too, deserves congratulations: he has just completed the CIEH Level

4 Award, one of the highest qualifications in Food Safety.