No report yet, only three photographs. The boys returned safely on Thursday from what was by all accounts a good trip to France. There will be a proper report in the next issue of the Caldicotian, coming out soon. Photographs will also be available, to download or order, as soon as possible. For the moment, here are just three pictures, none of them to be reproduced in the Caldicotian!

Applying French!

A good photograph - I like the lighting on the hand rather than the face. I'm sure it wasn't posed!

It obviously wasn't all academia or thoughtful reflection!

Instructions for Making a Space Rocket

Writing by 2R

1. Shape some metal into a cylinder. This will be your body.
2. Mould some metal into a nose cone and make sure you wear goggles and gloves.
3. Attach the nose cone to the main body with an electric spanner. Beware of flying sparks.
4. Connect the legs to the rocket with an electric spanner.
5. Cut holes in the side of the rocket and add reinforced glass.
6. Install big rocket boosters onto the main body.
7. Place an engine in the centre of the rocket. Make sure it is 1000 horse power.
8. Fit the control panel into the rocket. Make sure everything works and load it up with fuel.
9. BLAST OFF!

D Eglinton (8.07)

1. Shape the main body of the rocket with metal.
2. Curve the metal into a cone shape, and if you want to you can paint it. Now connect the cone to the main body.
3. Mark out some windows on the body and place reinforced glass onto it.
4. Fix some legs onto the bottom of your rocket.
5. Screw in wheels on the bottom of the legs.
6. Engage an average-size door to the side of the rocket.
7. Climb inside and install the control panel to the wall.
8. Secure seats to the floor behind the control panel.
9. Adjust booster rockets to the side of the rocket.
10. Enter through the door of the rocket and blast off!

J Lagesse (8.04)

1. Heat the metal and shape it into a cylinder to make the main body.
2. Then collect some more metal and shape that into a cone for the rocket’s nose.
3. Attach the main body to the nose cone carefully.
4. Place windows on the main body then add reinforced glass to the windows.
5. Secure an entrance door to the body. Then also attach legs to the lower part of the rocket.
6. Install a control panel inside the rocket in the control room.
7. Secure several seats into your rocket. Do not forget to add the seat belts!
8. Carefully place the rocket boosters as well as the engine in position. Watch out for the flying spanner!
9. Load your now full space rocket with black fuel.
10. Get yourself in the rocket, close the door, finish the countdown and then BLAST OFF!!!

W Hobbs (8.06)

DORM DECORATING COMPETITION

The past couple of weeks have seen plenty of frantic activity upstairs as the boarders decorate their dorms ready for this term’s competition. This probably explains why so many parents have suddenly been ordered by their sons to go out and get them some posters. All the boarding staff have been amazed by the efforts that some boys will make to win, though some cynics might prefer to say ‘curry favour with the judges’ - and it is amazing how many Arsenal flags and posters suddenly appeared in Chapman’s corridor, whilst Barnaby even managed to source a Preston North End poster which went down well with Mrs Baker. Unfortunately the Bath RFC flag in one dorm backfired as this Senior Houseparent is most definitely a Gloucester supporter and fully paid up member of ‘The Shed’.

The judges were looking for a combination of originality and the ability to create a ‘homely feel’ in the dorm and we were particularly impressed with:

• The home-made shelves in dorm 11
• The door notices in dorms 3, 11, 12 & 15
• Luka’s collection of football shirts
• Dorm 12’s surprising use of balloons and playing cards
• The fact you could actually get 156 posters in dorm 20!
• The variety of flags from around the world that are on display
• How so many boys have put so much effort into it – well done everybody!

The results are:

Overall winner: Dorm 12 (below, with proud inhabitants!)

And this is just one corner!

ADJB

Picture by H Laing (11.02)

Three people came to tell us about how riding can help disabled people. One was a man, one was a woman and one was a pony! The only thing the pony did throughout the show was eat hay, but the man and lady talked about the charity and how it benefited many disabled people. They were from the RDA, which stands for Riding for the Disabled, and the pony was called Forester because it was bred in the New Forest.

I think it was quite clever because in just five minutes they had talked about geography - where the horse came from, history - the place it came from, and science - what the horse eats, and the different parts of the horse.

RDA helps disabled people by making their muscles and bones move more when the pony walks. Here is their website - well worth a look.

If you put a disabled person  on a horse, they will feel that they have power. When they are on a horse they are able to look up on people instead of down, which they do when in a wheelchair.

Clive also said that he trained a person called Sophie when she was 5, and trained her for about ten years. She had a disease. She went to the Paralympic games in Hong Kong and entered the riding competition. She ended up getting a gold medal. They help 70 to 80 children and adults a week.

A photo with a Second Form.

Excerpts from 4th form writing