Abingdonian 2020

78 The Abingdonian Donnelly’s House As thoughts start to move towards the next academic year, for a number of reasons the academic year 2019-20 will be a year we will not forget. For some that may be due to the current pandemic, but for me it will be because, beginning in September, this was the year the house transitioned, following on from the stewardship of Mr Townsend, Mr Boyd and Mr Morgan, to become Donnelly’s House. What a year it has been. The annual House Singing Competition got us underway, an event which epitomised the house spirit, collaboration and identity that we wanted to establish as Donnelly’s. Whilst the tuneful appeal and choral beauty of our entry, Shine by Take That perhaps didn’t see us secure a top three place (maybe next year?), what it did do was provide a first opportunity for the house to draw together, bound by our values of determination, respect and fun, alongside diligence, humility and courage. I am very grateful to Jack Harvey and David Bicarregui for their patience and enthusiasm in driving our entry, alongside Joe Bradley and Iman Taghol’s accompaniment. The remainder of the Michaelmas Term passed in a flash. I was delighted to see Will Shorrocks receive his Arkwright Scholarship, whilst Oliver Clark, Dylan Kaeuper and Edward Bennett kept the audience on the edge of their seats in Every Brilliant Thing , Edward going on to successfully gain a place at the National Youth Theatre later in the year. A remarkable number of the house represented the school this year on the sports field, and as we moved into the last week of the Michaelmas Term it was great to see these talents displayed in Inter-House sport. Unsurprisingly, 1st XV captain James Coombs led our sixth form rugby team, packed full of potential, to first place in the U18 competition, whilst the fifth years and third years finished fourth and third respectively, securing first place overall. The third years also gave their all in the swimming pool, while Joshua Willson and Ben Smith helped secure the pool trophy. As Christmas approached, I was delighted to meet so many parents at our inaugural Carols By Candlelight service, and whilst the A34 did its best to disrupt proceedings, it was a festive and enjoyable way to bring the term to a close within the house community. The Lent Term is always a busy one and 2020 was no different. Round by round the breadth of knowledge and infinite facts recalled by the sixth form House Challenge team (Dominic Clark , Jonathan Ferry, Johan Nerlov and Max Williams) never ceased to amaze me; the team ended as very commendable losing finalists. The fourth year and fifth year teams were semi-finalists and quarter finalists respectively. The third year team (Edward Bennett, Sam Corbett, Archie Leishman and Alex Mapplebeck) secured victory in the final on the nail-biter tie break question! The bar has now been set…..! The Lent term also underlined the depth of dramatic and musical talent that we have in Donnelly’s, with Head of House Archie Turnbull and Lower Sixth Charlie Hobbs both taking to the stage in King Charles III whilst David Bicarregui and Joe Bradley both performed concertos at an impromptu virtual spring concert. Attention then moved to House Debating, with the third year representatives of Harry Litchfield and Oliver Clark making it to the quarter finals, and Johan Nerlov and Freddie Merrett doing a terrific job, eventually finishing second in the U18 competition. Unfortunately the exciting final week of the Lent Term, planned to include the Road Relay, Inter-House sport and other house activites, had to be put on hold as we transitioned online for both the end of the Lent Term and whole of the Summer Term. It was not the manner in which any of us had anticipated the year would finish, but I was remarkably impressed with the camaraderie, companionship and community maintained by the house throughout.