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‘But secretly, we swore,
That we would never leave the island
Until we had put down, in paint, in words…
Each ochre track seeking some hilltop and
Losing itself in an unfinished phrase,
…boiling with life’
Derek Walcott
Indies when they play on the island, to the
3Ws Oval in Bridgetown, home of the West
Indies Performance Centre, and Wanderers
CC, the oldest cricket club in the Caribbean.
Along the way, they were able to mix with
some of the household names of West Indian
cricket – encountering the likes of Collis King,
Desmond Haynes, Sir Garfield Sobers and
Tony Cozier, as well as being joined on the
field at the Wanderers by current West Indies
captain Jason Holder. At the same time, the
boys got to taste an authentically Caribbean
cricketing atmosphere, as healthy crowds of
knowledgeable locals came out to populate
rickety stands and whitewashed boundaries,
and lend (typically vocal) support.
Between games there was the opportunity
for some much-needed relaxation, and a
chance to explore Barbados, with catamaran
cruises, reef diving, swimming with turtles and
even a morning round of golf on offer – not
to mention an evening sampling the carnival
atmosphere at the famous Oistins Fish Fry. At
the beach, Simon Roche, the Master-in-Charge,
did his best to proselytize all and sundry to the
ways of Waboba; his AHM, in particular, was
found wanting. The party was fortunate to be
hosted fantastically in the evenings throughout
the trip; special thanks must go to the sizeable
entourage of parents who, having begrudgingly
accompanied the squad to paradise, supported
boys and staff so warmly and generously both
from the boundaries and after games, as well as
to Henry Oakley OSE for hosting the party at
the stupendous Cobblers Cove Hotel.
Tired, happy and considerably browner
than when they arrived, the party readied
themselves for their departure back to the
damp and gloom of a British February, where
their own cricket season seemed an age away.
Much had been done, however, to prepare
them for the more familiar tests of the
Summer Term. Thanks must go to Mr Howitt
for marshalling his troops with typical zeal,
to Mr Simpkins for his (seemingly boundless)
passion and insight, and to Mr Roche for his
meticulous organisation of the tour.
15
ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
Picture by Simon Hipwell
Former schools of featured pupils: James
Woodcock (
Dulwich Prep London
), Harrison
Ward (
John Mason
), James Curtis (
Cherwell
),
Brandon Allen (
Aylesbury Grammar
), AJ
Woodland (
Davenies
), Ben Charlesworth
(
Our Lady’s Abingdon
), Will Deasy (
Dulwich
Prep London
) and Rory Hipwell (
Pinewood
).