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Fifteen teams turned out for the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s Quiz Supper, raising money for the School while enjoying a convivial evening together.

The popular event saw the teams tackle nine rounds under the watchful eye of the quizmasters, who were FQE Secretary Diane Mason and her husband, George, together with Peter and Karen Forrester and their son, William (OE 2009–2016, now at Sheffield University reading Aeronautical Engineering).

Barrie Martin MBE, Chairman of Governors and Chairman of the FQE, presented the prizes. Thanking everyone who had taken part, he said: “These social and fundraising events organised by the Friends are tremendously important, both in creating a sense of community amongst the parent body and in raising essential funds for the improvement of the School’s site and facilities.”

The winning table (team pictured right), with 122 points, included: Philippa Flint (mother of recent Old Elizabethan Ralph, who is now reading Physics at Imperial, of Hugo in Year 13 and of Guy in Year 9; she was until recently the Headmaster’s Personal Assistant); Margaret Gibson (who works in the School Shop and is Head of FQE Support); Lisa Revell (mother of recent OE, Eddie, who is now reading Mathematics at Cambridge, and of Victor in Year 9; she works in the School on data-management) and Toni Smith (Support Services Manager at the School).

Just two points behind was a table that included Languages teachers Peter Feeney, Rebecca Grundy, Gill Ross, Helen Shephard and their guests.

Some examples of the rounds and questions follow (with answers at the end):

Entertainment

1. Which cult TV show has won the most Emmy awards?
2. Who is the host of Carpool Karaoke?

I'm alright, Jack

3. Which American state is the home of Jack Daniel’s whiskey?
4. Whereabouts on a ship would you find its jackstaff?

Flights of fancy

5. In which year was air travel disrupted by ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano?
6. Who made the first manned flight in a hot-air balloon from Lyons in 1783?

The name’s Bond (Music round)

7. In 1981, she won the Grammy for Best New Artist and was also nominated for Best Pop Performance for her Bond theme song, For Your Eyes Only. What was her name?

The body beautiful

8. Which company markets the perfume, Black Opium?
9. Which exercise regime began life as Contrology in the early 20th century?

A kick up the 80s

10. Who became the 100 metres Olympic champion at the 1980 Moscow summer Olympics?
11. Who attempted to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan on 30th March 1981?

In the news

12. What has been named word of the year by the Collins dictionary?
13. Who became only the second person (after Bernard Shaw) to have won both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize?

Marathon round

14. Which TV quiz show features this catchphrase: ‘Home please, Sue’.

During the break for supper, which was either fish & chips or vegetarian curry, teams were asked to complete the Marathon round. Other elements of this round included: identifying from pictures famous people who have died during 2016 (such as David Bowie, Sir Terry Wogan, Victoria Wood and Prince); unpicking anagrams formed from the elements; Dingbats and a round entitled Birdseye – identifying locations around the UK from aerial photos, including Hampton Court, GCHQ and Harrow School.

In addition, there was an observation round in which the guests were asked to watch Pixar’s 1989 computer-animated short film, Knick Knack, and then answer questions about what they had seen.

The Kick up the 80s round provided a link to the next Friends social event, an 80s night to be held in the Spring Term. Tickets will be on sale soon for this event, which is scheduled for Saturday 4th March 2017.

The raffle on the evening raised nearly £400, while the total was further boosted by a fundraising Heads and tails game played while the Headmaster was tallying up the final scores.

 

Answers

1. Game of Thrones
2. James Corden
3. Tennessee
4. On the bow
5. 2010
6. The Montgolfier brothers
7. Sheena Easton
8. Yves Saint Laurent
9. Pilates
10. Allan Wells
11. John Hinckley
12. Brexit
13. Bob Dylan
14. A Question of Sport

QE’s Sixth-Formers quite literally saw the dead hand of communism on a trip to Moscow and St Petersburg – but also savoured the architectural splendour of Russia’s imperial past. The trip involved historians from Years 12 and 13, who study Russia from the Communist takeover in 1917 to the death of Stalin in 1953.

Head of History Helen MacGregor recalled the striking start of their first full day in Moscow: “We got to see Lenin – who died in 1924! – in his mausoleum. It was amazing to see someone preserved who was so instrumental in world history, creating the first communist country. They paint Lenin with a secret formula once a week to stop him rotting, except that one hand wasn’t done in time and he therefore has black fingers.”

“We went into his mausoleum with a group of Chinese tourists, who bowed down as they passed his glass coffin,” she added.

The 27 boys also visited the Kremlin – an historic fortress as well as the base of the current president, Vladimir Putin – and the nearby grave of Stalin. Miss MacGregor noted that the group’s Russian tour guides were great admirers of Putin.

The final afternoon’s sightseeing in Moscow included opportunities to see the ornate Metro and the tombs of two more recent Russian leaders – Khrushchev and Yeltsin – at Novodevichy cemetery.

After two full days in Moscow, the pupils, accompanied by Miss MacGregor, Head of Year 12 Charlotte Coleman and Head of Year 13 Liam Hargadon, then took the famous night train to St Petersburg, which boasted four-berth cabins, toasted sandwiches and even wi-fi!

There they saw the magnificence of Tsarist Russia, with its huge palaces, beautiful gold decorations – including an entire room made out of amber in the Summer Palace – which formed a sharp contrast with the Soviet-era architecture of Moscow.

“It was very cold and it even snowed in St Petersburg, so we saw the Summer Palace just how it was built to be seen – with the blue outside walls contrasting spectacularly with the white of the snow,” said Miss MacGregor.

Pupil Conor Mellon said: “The trip enriched the perspective of the country that I had from my History lessons: walking through the Winter Palace 99 years to the day from the October Revolution was particularly cool.”

They went to a series of evening entertainments, with the most memorable being the ice hockey. “This was more like a disco, with music pumping out and cheerleaders dancing away every time play stopped,” said Miss MacGregor. “We cheered on the St Petersburg term and they got a resounding victory, which was good because the massive stadium was full of their supporters. We also went to a Russian circus in Moscow and saw some very bendy people and watched acrobats perform death-defying stunts.”

The group eagerly entered into the spirit of the country, tucking into plenty of beetroot, Stroganoff and savoury pancakes – although some also took in a trip to the local McDonald’s.

Sixth-Former Adrian Burbie said: “This was by far the best School trip I have ever been on. We threw ourselves head-first into experiencing true Russian culture – and the Soviet hat I bought more than made up for the cold.”

On their return, the boys reflected on a trip that was enjoyable and, at times, sobering too:

• Gregory Wong: “From the State University of Moscow to the Winter and Summer palaces of St Petersburg, never have I ever seen such amazing architecture that was so grand and wonderful.”
• Rufus Carruthers: “The diversity that was presented by visiting both Moscow and St Petersburg was particularly intriguing, due to their striking juxtaposition.”
• Erik Lam recalled the “breathtaking and inexplicably beautiful landmarks” and the “deathly silence of Lenin’s mausoleum”. He added: “For me, the guided tour of the Gulag museum was one of great value as not only were we confronted by the dark and unfortunate history of the Gulags in Russia, but also we were given an insight into the life and opinion of a person living in modern Russia; it lifted the veil on the mysterious and biased portrayal of Russia by Western media.”

A special workshop linked to a London-wide competition helped boost the confidence and public-speaking skills of Year 10 pupils at QE.

Some 25 boys took part in the day-long Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge workshop. The challenge is one of several programmes funded by Sir Jack Petchey, the 91-year-old East End entrepreneur, through The Jack Petchey Foundation. The boys took part in a number of activities, which culminated in an internal competition on the day.

QE Drama Co-ordinator Elaine White, who was involved in the event, said: “Some of the boys made really outstanding progress – their performances at the end of the day were unrecognisable when compared with where they started in the morning session.”

And Extra-Curricular Enrichment Tutor and History teacher Matt Dunston, who organised the workshop, added: “Creativity and self-confidence are traits that we wish to foster in boys; The Speak Out Challenge represents an excellent opportunity for doing this and for boys to benefit from the expertise of the foundation.”

The foundation’s Jonathan Drew, who facilitated the workshop, reported afterwards that he had been impressed at the efforts of all the boys. The formal feedback taken indicated that the boys felt the workshop had greatly increased their confidence, he said.

Four pupils – Yash Puli, Dylan Vekaria, Sankeith Kirubakaran and Joel Anjorin – were selected as potential entrants in the competition’s Barnet regional final in the New Year. They will now take part in a play-off to determine which one of them goes through.

After the workshop, the boys were enthusiastic about what they had learned. Joel said: “The activities were extremely enjoyable, engaging and interesting. I feel much more confident about public-speaking as a result of taking part.” Another participant, Vedant Nair, added: “I am now much more aware of things like body language, posture, hand gesture and tone when speaking to individuals and large groups. These will all help me not just in formal public-speaking, but in other areas of school life, too.”

Ian Stern has risen to the very top of the legal profession, forging his reputation as a leading Queen’s Counsel in some of the country’s highest-profile court cases of the 21st century.

Ian (OE 1968–1975) returned to QE this term for a meeting with the Headmaster and, since he is keen to support the development of advocacy skills in schoolchildren, has agreed to host a visit to the crown court by the School’s entrants in this year’s Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial competition. (In addition to his work as a barrister, he sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court, that is, a part-time judge.)

After leaving QE, Ian read Politics at Warwick and then went on to gain his Diploma in Law from City University. He was called to the Bar in 1983 and became a Recorder in 2000. He took silk (gained the award of Queen’s Counsel) in 2006.

His specialisms include professional discipline, judicial reviews, cases of murder & manslaughter and of fraud, coroners’ inquests and High Court appeals. Ian’s Chambers, 2 Bedford Row, are ranked in band 1 for professional discipline and band 2 for crime. He is a member both of the London Bar and the New South Wales Bar in Australia and is the Head of Chambers Regulatory team.

In 2014, Ian was named Professional Discipline Silk of the Year by the legal directory, Chambers & Partners. He has been involved in a large number of cases in this field, including conducting the Andrew Mitchell ‘Plebgate’ misconduct hearings on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. Recent cases include that of Dr Lyndsey Thomas, who faced an allegation of gross negligence manslaughter arising from the death of a patient. Mrs Justice Nicola Davies allowed the submission of ‘no case to answer’ put forward by the defence, which Ian led.

He also has been at the forefront of several high-profile inquests in which he represented armed police officers. These include:

• • Mark Duggan: The 2013–2014 inquest followed the death which started the London riots. (Ian was also involved in the judicial review launched by Mr Duggan’s mother, Pamela, following the inquest’s verdict of lawful killing

• • Jean Charles de Menezes: Ian represented the officers who fired the shots that killed Mr de Menezes on 22nd July 2005 at Stockwell Underground Station after he was wrongly identified as a fugitive terrorist involved in the previous day’s failed bombing attempts.

• • Chandler’s Ford robbery: He represented the officers who fatally shot two men as they robbed a security guard outside a bank in the Hampshire town.

Among the murder cases he has been involved in is last year’s Old Bailey trial of retired specialist firearms officer Anthony Long, who was accused of the murder of Azelle Rodney, a 24-year-old suspected armed robber. Mr Long, whom Ian represented, was acquitted.

Chambers and Partners is fulsome in its praise, bestowing on him plaudits including:

• • “A highly regarded silk who is consistently involved in the highest-profile and most complex regulatory cases. His expertise covers a breadth of areas, and he is particularly regarded for his knowledge on police and healthcare disciplinary matters

• • “Instructed by top solicitors and major prosecuting authorities alike” he is armed with “bags of common sense” and “excellent judgment” and has “the ability to handle the most complex of fraud trials”

• • “Impressive advocate with a measured style and a delicate touch who always makes the right decisions”

• • “Absolutely first class” and a silk “who will fight his corner for the client”

• • He is noted for his advocacy, and for his ability to win over clients by “dealing with them with the necessary level of respect for their professionalism”.

QE played its part in the BBC Children in Need appeal, with 30 boys singing live in a televised joint choir at Elstree Studios – the base for this year’s national telethon. 

The pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 were invited to join with other children from across the country in a massed performance of Bill Withers’ 1972 inspirational classic, Lean on Me.

In the studio, the QE boys sang in a joint choir alongside children from Mill Hill County High School, The Orion Primary in Edgware and Goldbeaters Primary, also in Edgware.

Director of Music Cheryl Horne said: “Whilst waiting for their afternoon studio rehearsal, our students were doing a bit of ‘celeb spotting’, most notably with cast members from EastEnders.

“After a short break and final rehearsal, it was time for 'lights, camera, action'!  Everyone performed with such enthusiasm and energy, making this a fantastic memory for our students which will last for many years.”

The amount raised currently stands at nearly £47m and is expected to rise further once all donations have been counted.