Seventy cadets were deployed to Wathgill, near Catterick, to take part in this year’s Army Summer Camp. The week proved an enormous success leaving an exhausted, but exhilarated, contingent. Highlights included
the Adventure Training Package (raft building, kayaking, climbing and archery), the Overnight Exercise (enemy forces were successfully defeated and swore allegiance to the Coldstream Guards) and the very wet range day. St Albans proved extremely successful in the inter-contingent competition. CUO Matthew Gledhill commanded the drill squad to a victory over all teams over the last three weeks. St Albans School also finished 2nd in the Orienteering and 3rd in the Assault Course competitions. All cadets, from the youngest to the oldest, gave their all and were a great credit to both the contingent and the school.

The rugby squads have left to face their latest challengers – the rugby teams of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The party of 50 left Heathrow for a three week tour combining training, matches and sightseeing on the other side of the world. The teams will be playing matches in the Cook Islands, Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson, Wellington and Fiji, and they will also take in the thrills of Queenstown and the Fox Glacier en route. The first matches in the Cook Islands resulted in a 22-3 victory for the 1st XV and a 10-10 draw for the 2nd XV. Whatever the results of the rest of the matches, it will be a tour none of them will ever forget.

Nine Sixth formers have spent the first part of their summer holiday being put through their paces by the army. They attended the Cadet Leadership Course, one of the Frimley Park’s National Cadet Training Centre’s most prestigious events. While there, they were visited by The Rt Hon Kevan Jones MP, Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans. Accompanied by Lt Col Henry Eagan R Welsh, CTC Commandant and Colonel Murdo Urquhart OBE Assistant Director Army Cadets, he toured the CTC Frimley Park and met staff and instructors responsible for the running of the centre and delivery of events. Commenting on his visit he said ‘This only reinforces my view that we need to spread the Cadet experience more widely to allow as many young people as possible to benefit.’ He also thanked the adult staff and volunteers who put so much into making the events possible. Opening in 1959, the national training Centre has provided top class training for the last fifty years on, among other subjects, leadership, instructional techniques and duty of care to the adult volunteers of both the Army Cadet and Combined Cadet Forces and to Britain’s best and most senior cadets of all three Services and, recently, 24 cadets from the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. St Albans students attending the courses were James Clegg, Jack Edwards, Gareth Gibson, Jethro Lee, James Henson, Tom O’Grady, Douglas Reid, Stephen Salvesen, and Frank Schofield. On the camp he attended, Gareth Gibson was named best cadet.

The whole School went for a walk in the park, enjoying the summer sunshine, in order to raise money for the Banana Tree Project. Postponed from earlier in the week because of rain, this time the walk enjoyed perfect conditions as over 500 people snaked their way around the abbey, through Verulamium and back to School. The walk was conducted in good spirits, with the minimum disturbance to other park users. The money raised will go to assist the education of young people in orphanages in Tanzania which are supported by the School. It was a perfect way to end the term.

The elements tried to spoil Sport Day, with showers and a late downpour, but the School’s runners, jumpers and throwers went ahead and broke a few records along the way. The School’s track runners excelled, but the Fourth form high jump and the Senior pole vault records fell to high flying athletes. In the steamy environment of Westminster Lodge pool, the swimming sports were keenly contested in front of cheering crowds. It was entirely befitting that Hampson house, named after an Olympic athlete, should win both competitions.

Not content with being one of the four School teams to claim a District Cup, the U13s have gone on to grab the County Cup as well. Batting first, the boys ran up 116 for 6 in 25 overs, Gareth Taylor scoring 50 in an important partnership with Jack Killen after a cautious start. Heath Mount started very well, reaching 58 without loss after 9 overs, but Taylor took 3 wickets in 2 overs as the opposition subsided to 65 for 5, Zaheer taking 3 wickets as well, with good catching all round. Heath Mount was eventually dismissed for 85, giving St Albans victory by a 31 run margin. Captain Robbie Goldstone marshalled his team very well in the field and the Heath Mount coach, Graham Dill (OA), was impressed.