The OO Club supported this year’s Big Give with £2,000 to be used by Fourth Form pupils to donate to charities of their choice. Every pupil was given a £5 voucher to make an individual donation to a charity, and £1,000 was presented to the House with the best presentation made to the OO Big Give judges about the charity the House would like to support with the award.

Vouchers were redeemed with over 90 local, national and international charities. Some charities had personal connections, but all met a set of criteria that the House group had decided on. This year, many Houses focused on international charities, while some pupils had strong views about medical and mental health issues. The reasons for choosing their charities were heartfelt and well thought through, and the quality of the presentations was very good, sometimes refreshing, often inspiring.

Laxton girls were judged to have made the best presentation in support of Willow, a charity that fulfills Special Days for young adults living with life-threatening illnesses, and were given £1000 to donate.

On Sunday 24th June thirteen Oundle rowers travelled to York to compete in the annual York Summer Regatta.

As with previous years it proved to be a successful and rewarding day on the River Ouse, with three race victories.

Holly Kunzer (N) won the WJ18 single scull event, beating a sculler from Gorse Rowing  Club in her semi-final, and then, with the narrowest of margins, Tees Rowing Club by just one foot in the final.

Holly then combined with Ella Aisher (W) in the WJ18 double scull event and they went on to win convincingly in both the semi and final.

The Third Form boys also had a successful day in their second ever event, racing in the J14 Octuple Scull. Their final was pitched against the local St Peter’s School crew, and after a very close tussle in the first quarter of the race, the Oundle crew’s composure held fast and they managed row away to a comfortable victory. The crew included:  Florian Martin (L); Johannes Mynhardt (F); William Crane (Ldr); Ben Garner (S); Lev Umanskiy (StA); Matthew Harris (Sc); Alex Jones (Ldr); Tom Calveley (L); Jimmy Milne (Ldr).

Other notable performances came from Tom Calveley in his J14 single scull, making it through two rounds in exciting races, only to lose to a local sculler from York City Rowing Club.

In the final week of the Term, six Oundle pupils travelled to Uppingham School for the inaugural debating competition between Oakham, Stamford Endowed Schools, Oundle and Uppingham. The debates were expertly adjudicated and chaired by Sixth Form volunteers from each school. Oundle took Harriet Getley (N) and Morgan Richards (L), who chaired and adjudicated with aplomb.

Oundle’s first team, Marcus Raudnitz (L) and Thomas Caskey (L), were the proposition for the motion ‘This House Believes in the Right to be Forgotten Online’, and were narrowly pipped to the post by Uppingham in a very closely fought debate. In the end, Uppingham’s argument that such an approach would constitute censorship won the day.

Oundle’s next debate, in which Izzy Horrocks-Taylor (L) and Robert Brettle (B) opposed the motion ‘This House Would Make British History Compulsory until Year 13’, resulted in a clear victory. Brettle and Horrocks-Taylor not only won the debate, with a tightly focused argument and beautiful rhetoric, but the judges awarded them the highest points of any of the teams. This made their team the winners of the entire competition.

The winners of the debate were given the honour of having their names given to the title of the contest. The annual competition will now be known as the Brettle, Horrocks-Taylor Debating Competition.
 

On Thursday the Spanish department held an event for the First and Second Form pupils who are currently studying Spanish. The Second Form Spanish classes made presentations in groups of three and four on Spanish towns within different regions of Spain. A few of these regions included Andalucia, Castilla y León, Aragón, and Cantabria.

The presentations were worked on for a few lessons before the performance, which was then judged by the First Form Spanish set, who did an excellent job of judging the presentations by using score sheets and marking each group out of 25.

The presentations had to include all sorts of information such as typical and traditional food eaten in that part of Spain, and the famous landmarks and tourist attractions, such as museums, universities, schools, art galleries, theatres and castles.

Alongside the presentations there was some classic Spanish and Latino American food for us to try. The food included olives, tortilla chips, homemade guacamole, frijoles and a delicious cake made with Dulce de leche, which is very similar to English caramel.

It was a great experience to show off the skills we had learned throughout the two years we have been doing Spanish.

Mathilda Holland (L)

Oundle pupils have achieved an outstanding set of GCSE and IGCSE results. This year, pupils’ results were recorded in both the new numerical format of 9 to 1, and the old letter scale of A to G: 57% of all grades awarded were 9, 8 or A*, the second highest proportion of top grades for over ten years.

Fifteen pupils achieved a clean sweep of the highest grades available to them, whilst over 40% of the year group recorded the equivalent of all A* and A.

Amongst the reformed qualifications, a very impressive 33% of all results were grade 9, the highest grade, and 62% of results achieved grades 8 or 9.

Performance was strong across all subjects, with Classical Greek, English, Latin and Russian leading the way with over 70% A* grades or equivalent. More than three quarters of all candidates received grades 9 or 8 in English Language and English Literature IGCSEs.

This hard-working year group can now look ahead with confidence to a fulfilling Sixth Form career.

Writing about the Ufafa Valley in his South African novel of 1948, Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton said: "There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it.”

In July, 19 Oundle pupils from the Third to the Sixth Forms travelled to that valley in Kwazulu-Natal to spend a week at Woza Moya, a community based NGO that supports women and families that have been affected by AIDS and poverty.

The first week was spent meeting the community and learning about Woza Moya's work. Established in 2000 as a community health care project, the centre has developed a holistic and integrated programme with staff and community care givers working with child care and protection, water sanitation and hygiene, early childhood and youth development, as well as sustainable development and family income generation. Over the course of the previous year, pupils had raised £8000 to donate to support the centre’s work.

During the week, pupils met members of the community and learned how the centre has built programmes that provide support structures for residents of the valley to sustain themselves and their families. Pupils joined staff for the daily morning circles that begin each morning with a song and a prayer; they accompanied Community Care Workers on home visits;

assisted in the digging and planting of a kitchen garden with “tippy taps” at a government community centre;

they met children from the centre’s pre-school who taught the pupils Zulu songs and dances;

pupils joined the monthly meeting of a women’s self-help group that generates savings to assist members with financial hardship;

sat in on a craft-workers finance meeting where women across the valley exchange their completed goods for new materials;

and pupils were taught by the local craft workers how to make the centre’s famous sock monkeys, which are sold in shops across South Africa, alongside their other craft initiatives, such as knitting and fabric design.

The second week in South Africa was spent in the Drakensberg Mountains at the annual Creighton Aloe Festival, and included hiking in the foothills, and a scenic tour of the valley by steam train,

followed by stays at Imfolozi National Park and Isimangaliso National Park, which feature some of South Africa's most spectacular wildlife and scenery. 

A video about their visit to Woza Moya can be viewed here.

In August, the Oundle School senior rugby squads toured Chile and Argentina in preparation for the coming season. Forty-six pupils and staff flew into Santiago and were welcomed by the Grange School, which is beautifully set at the base of the Andes Mountains. The boys were generously hosted by local families, who looked after them well, introducing them to different cultural norms. The matches were closely fought and were a great start to the tour.

The next stop was Mendoza, where the squads trained in preparation for the second fixture against Chacras de Coria Rugby Club. Video highlights of the first team match can be found HERE.

At Rosario for further training, leisure time included go-carting and some very dodgy karaoke singing, although the dance moves were “a joy to watch”. The match against the Old Resian Club was closely fought, and the boys displayed great character, resilience and team work to overcome some fierce, physical opposition.

The final fixture was in Beunos Aires, where they were hosted by St John’s School in the city centre. Again, this was a fierce match, and the Oundle boys displayed strength in numbers, determination, and an ability to attack from all areas of the pitch right up until the final whistle.

From there they flew to the Argentine border to see the Iguazu Falls in style, taking a speed boat ride to the foot of the falls, where they were absolutely soaked, before travelling to the Brazil side of the river to get a panoramic view of the most spectacular sight they had ever seen.

The tour was a great success, not only in developing rugby for the coming season but also in forming relationships within the team, instilling a passion to work for each other, and developing discipline and direction in the pupils’ own development,  as well as memories which will last a lifetime. On top of this, it was just great fun.

On the first Wednesday evening of the term, sports staff, captains, co-captains and leaders attended an inspirational and memorable talk about leadership by Royal Marine Commando and polar adventurer, Alan Chambers MBE. 

A very early lesson about leadership that Alan talked about was from his time in the marines when he learned about the need to lead without using fear. Under tense circumstances, Alan was tasked with the disposal of a bomb. To complete the task successfully, he felt he had to disobey the orders of his colonel. He did what he felt was right, which was to unselfishly look after the young men he had to lead; he did so without fear and did not lose any men.

His colonel, however, did not recognise Alan’s decision, and punished him with a demotion to the lowest rank, from where he had to start his career again. Although the experience was initially a setback in his military career, it was a turning point in his understanding of effective leadership.  

After the marines, Alan embarked on an incredible career of polar exploration, which brought with it completely new demands on leadership. He talked about leading from the back instead of from the front, and letting the team work out the day-to-day problems, such as navigation, allowing the leader time to think about the bigger picture. His strategy has resulted in countless successful trips in dangerous conditions.

Alan is truly an inspiring man who shed light on how to take on the responsibilities of leadership for teachers and pupils alike, on and off the sports fields at school and beyond. 

D Grewcock

Oundle was named Public School of the Year at the Tatler Schools Awards 2018 in central London.

Delighted at accepting the award, Head, Sarah Kerr-Dineen, called it ‘the most wonderful compliment’ to the hard work of all concerned in delivering the world class education that Oundle offers. 

Mrs Kerr-Dineen said: “The pupils also deserve this recognition.  Their drive to make the most of their time at Oundle guides us every day to ensure we are delivering the best for them.” 

Tatler bases the awards on the research conducted for its annual Schools Guide, taking views from fellow schools and parents across the country.

Last season’s U14A cricket team emerged as County Cup winners in the English Schools Cricket Association competition in the final against Campian School on Thursday 6 September.

The final had originally been postponed from the end of June, and during the replay, it was affected by rain, which determined that the match be shortened to 25 overs. The Oundle side dominated the final, scoring an impressive 229 for 2 in 25 overs.

Alex Dyer (F), with 57 runs and Will Park (L), with 62 runs, batted very sensibly in putting on an opening stand of 136 for the first wicket. Will de Capell Brooke (G) finished the Oundle innings in style with a sweetly struck six into Milton Road, and a total of 58 runs, not out. 

Campion School were 10 for 1 off 3 overs when rain forced the match to be abandoned, and they gracefully conceded.

At secondary school level the first competition on offer for boys cricket is the ESCA U14 competition. In Northamptonshire this takes the form of a knockout tournament from which a winner is established to go on and represent the county in national rounds the following year as U15s.

As U14s during the last season, Oundle progressed through the earlier rounds of the ESCA competition, comfortably beating Prince William School in the first round, fighting back from a perilous position to edge past Bishop’s Stopford in a very closely contested quarter final, and beating Moulton in the Semi Final. 

Oundle will now progress to the ESCA U15 National knockout competition in June 2019.

The annual science competitions and Olympias offer challenges that stretch pupils to think about and apply their knowledge beyond the examined curriculum. Certificates that have recently been presented from last year’s competitions were awarded at the highest levels.

Last Term, 48 pupils completed the inaugural British Physics Olympia for Year 10 pupils. The exam tested pupils on a wide variety of different topics, some of which have still to be covered during lessons. Oundle pupils did very well, achieving 13 Gold Awards and 14 Silver Awards. Out of nearly 6000 pupils who entered the competition nationwide, only 541 (9%) achieved a Gold Award.

In June, Chemistry pupils took part in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, an annual competition launched by Cambridge University in 2011 to coincide with the International Year of Chemistry.

Both Thomas Riegels (S) and Marcus Fforde (S) achieved a Gold Award, placing them in the top 8% of over 7000 entrants.

In addition, eight other Oundle pupils received either Silver or Copper Awards.

The pupils all sat a 90 minute written exam designed for UK pupils in the Lower Sixth or below. Entrants who did well in the competition were sent certificates of achievement, and those who gained the top award won an invitation to a residential course at the University of Cambridge at the end of August.

Many of the pupils will now aim to repeat their success in the RSC Chemistry Olympiad 2019 competition, to be held in January.

At this year’s Charity Fair, every House organised a stall to raise funds for their chosen charity. 

Modelled on the traditional British village fete, hundreds of pupils passed through the Two Acre Club during the afternoon and had the opportunity to throw wet sponges at their teachers, borrow a dog, have their hair braided, and guess the number of sweets in a large glass jar.

The newly appointed charity representatives from each House did a sterling job of planning and hosting their stall, having first chosen a charity to benefit from the proceeds. Charities included MIND, the Ben Kinsella Trust, the Peterborough Special Olympics, and the WozaMoya project in South Africa. 

Just under £1,000 was raised in two hours, thanks to the efforts of the pupils, and the good spirits of some rather damp teachers.

Dr Marc Morris, historian and broadcaster, is an expert on medieval monarchy and aristocracy, and has written extensively on the Middle Ages. It was thus a real pleasure to have him speak at the first Senior History Society lecture of the year.

Outlining the importance of the Norman Conquest in 1066, he pointed out that the Normans, unlike the Danes, came to England to establish a permanent presence, and in so doing, drastically changed the order of ruling elites. Among the most significant social changes introduced by the invasion of William the Conqueror were architecture (there were no castles in Britain prior to 1066), serfdom and chivalry.

All of these, he argued, influenced the development of an English identity distinct from the so-called “Savage Celts” of Scotland, Ireland and Wales, who continued to practise slavery and use older means of warfare.

However, he emphasised that we should not romanticise the Conquest, which also had a detrimental effect on written English, metalwork and other elements of Anglo-Saxon culture which fell victim to the invading forces along with thousands of local people.

The lecture was an informative and entertaining exposition about the significance of the Norman Conquest.

Danila Mikhaylov (C)

It has become tradition that on European Day of Languages, which takes place on the 26th September each year, Oundelians are taught a completely new language in their normal MFL lessons, and pupils try to guess for days in advance which language they are going to be introduced to. 

The range of language taster classes on offer this year was huge. Teachers offered New Zealand Maori, Japanese, Portuguese, Turkish, Swedish, Arabic, Lithuanian and Russian, amongst others.

In some classes the pupils got the chance to showcase the languages that they know by teaching their peers. In the mix were Latvian, Cantonese, Tamil, Mandarin and Yoruba. 

Other departments also joined in, introducing new language tasters to the lesson. In one Chemistry lesson, the challenge was to pronounce the Welsh word, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

It was a real celebration of a broad spectrum of the world’s languages, and at the end of the morning, pupils went back to their Houses to enjoy either a Turkish or Spanish lunch.

The European Day of Languages is a Council of Europe initiative. The Council of Europe represents 800 million Europeans across 47 member states and promotes pluralingualism, believing that linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent.

S Davidson

Over Field Weekend the CCF Band and the Fourth Form went to France to commemorate the Old Oundelians who died during World War I. It is only by visiting the battle fields, cemeteries and memorials that one can truly understand the scale of loss suffered during WWI. 

On the journey to France the CCF stopped at reconstructed WWI trenches which replicated the conditions in which the men lived and fought. I had always imagined No Man’s Land to be a massive area and could hardly believe that at times the two sides were only 30 metres apart; so close in fact that they could smell their rival’s coffee. When we arrived in France, we went to the St Mary's ADS Cemetery where Rudyard Kipling’s son John Kipling is buried. Scanning the grave stones I noticed how many were inscribed with “Known unto God”. In this cemetery alone, there were over 1,500 graves of unknown soldiers whose families never knew their final resting place. 

On Sunday, the Band and the Fourth Form split up, and while the Fourth Form visited different cemeteries and laid wreaths on the graves of OOs, the Band followed the footsteps of soldiers, re-tracing where the trenches had been and getting a feel for the battle. We visited several cemeteries on the walk, remembered the fallen OOs at each, and listened to our History teachers who described the battles fought at each location. We also walked along a part of the sunken lane where a film was made during the war of the soldiers going over the top, and saw the crosses where each named soldier went over. We also visited a German cemetery and noticed the difference between the white stones of the British graves and the black crosses of the German cemeteries.

At Theipval the 72,000 names inscribed on the memorial of the missing men had a big impact. Sunday ended with a service at the Theipval Memorial accompanied by the CCF Band, during which each Fourth Form pupil and Band member laid a cross of remembrance for each OO who had died during the War.

On our final day, we visited the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge where there were a further 60,000 inscribed names of missing and unidentified soldiers. I kept thinking about how, at the time, those soldiers were my brother’s age now.

Anyone can visit these places and see all the same sights, but we benefited from having History teachers as guides who were able to talk us through events that had taken place 100 years ago at the exact place where we were standing. 

We will all remember this experience, and all those brave men who died, both known, and those known only unto God.

Emma Bruce-Gardyne (N)

Scott House was officially opened today by Sir David Attenborough, alongside Dafila Scott. 

Named in honour of Old Oundelian Sir Peter Scott (School House 1927), Scott House is the new home for Oundle’s junior day pupils.

Together with Sir Peter’s daughter Dafila, her family, and Martin Spray CEO Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Sir David toured the beautifully restored building, which features a listed façade that was originally a folly set within the gardens of The Berrystead. Merging the adjacent buildings with a dramatically glazed atrium, the School adapted the House for pupil use with a café and break-out area, changing rooms and a quiet study room, while retaining original architectural details. Signed art work by Sir Peter and his daughter Dafila are on display throughout the House.

The House emblem bears the image of a shoveler duck drawn by Sir Peter while a pupil at Oundle in the 1920s.

Sir Peter Scott was a legendary global conservationist and one of the founders of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. His early television career brought the natural world directly into homes across the nation, and was an inspiration for many broadcasters who followed. 

Sir David Attenborough has called Sir Peter “the patron saint” of conservation, and was delighted to come to Oundle to honour his friend. The two men met in the 1950s and 1960s when they both worked for the BBC presenting wildlife programmes. During a talk in the Great Hall later in the afternoon, Sir David said that of all those who have worked in the field of conservation, the one name that stands out is that of Sir Peter Scott, calling him one of the greatest citizens.

Fiona Quiddington, Housemistress of Scott House, is keen to ensure the pupils learn and become inspired by the life Sir Peter led. “Scott House represents a new era at Oundle School. To be named after a man who led such a diverse and fascinating life – not only a world-renowned conservationist but a naval officer, painter and Olympic sportsman – Scott House hopes to inspire every child who passes through its doors. Knowledge of the natural world is being lost with every generation, and we will educate and engage our pupils to ensure they take a natural lead in conservation efforts going forward.”   

It was Sir Peter’s father Captain Robert Falcon Scott who, in his last letter from the ill-fated Antarctic expedition, gave the instruction to Sir Peter’s mother, Kathleen, to “make him interested in natural history”. Sir Peter spent his entire life following his parents’ ideals, passing the mantle on to the world through his global and local initiatives to protect wildlife.

Over September Field Weekend, 129 pupils and 11 members of staff slept rough under the stars in the car park of St Basils, a charity in Birmingham supporting young people aged 16-25 who find themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness. They were lucky with the weather this year and managed to stay dry in their makeshift cardboard shelters, raising over £11K for the work of St Basils, a charity which has had strong links with the School for over 40 years.

On Field Weekend Sunday, pupils and visitors dodged the rain clouds once again and enjoyed a sunny Have a Go Day afternoon on the Two Acre pitch and in the School swimming pool and sports hall. Over 150 visitors were able to try their hands at a variety of activities including tennis, boccia, badminton, giant Connect 4, as well as arts and crafts. There were traction engine rides on offer, too.

On Field Weekend Monday, whilst some pupils were spending all or part of the day taking part in their regular activities, Community Action hosted three speakers who spoke to pupils about their work in the charity sector and offered volunteering and fundraising opportunities. First to speak was Carole Hughes, founder of Anna's Hope, a charity supporting children with brain tumours. Carole was followed by Ed Walker, the founder of Hope into Action, a local charity supporting the vulnerable with provision of homes in partnership with churches in the East of England. The final speaker of the morning was Revd Justus Miwanda from International Needs Uganda, who encouraged pupils to commit to fundraising for water projects in villages in Uganda. 

L Turnbull

Never has an audience in the Great Hall sat with more anticipation than on Friday afternoon when pupils, teachers and guests waited for the arrival of Sir David Attenborough. The hush that fell upon the vast room was expectant, and the applause that greeted him was sustained.

Sir David had come to Oundle to open the new junior day House, named after Old Oundelian, Sir Peter Scott (School House 1927). 

Perhaps the only broadcaster who is known and loved across all generations, Sir David’s programmes have inspired young and old with a wonder and respect for the natural world. His career, he said, has been inspired by the work of Sir Peter Scott, who he met when they both worked for the BBC in the 1950s and 60s. 

Calling Sir Peter Scott one of the great citizens, Sir David said that Peter Scott’s extraordinary knowledge about the natural world, and his reputation in the conservation movement, had impressed him more than he could say. Peter Scott was the one who stood out as the first person to make conservation an issue of global urgency, alerting the world to the pending dangers threatening the forests and deserts. 

Sir Peter’s father was the famous national hero, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, whose reputation and legacy of courage and chivalry hung over his childhood and made him determined to do everything as well as he could, and even better than others.

Sir David remarked on how astonished he was to learn that while at Oundle, Peter had illustrated and published a book about birds with two other school boys. It was the first of many books about birds and wildlife that he wrote and illustrated over a long career, having developed his passion for the natural world while a pupil at Oundle. 

After Cambridge, his sporting prowess led him to a bronze medal in sailing at the 1936 Olympics, and many years later a British champion glider. During the war years he commanded a gun boat and emerged a distinguished war hero.

Initially, Peter was an artist, but his portrait work soon gave way to that early passion for wildlife, nurtured at Oundle, and he became a noted painter of birds in the natural landscape, particularly the wetlands of East Anglia. His enthusiasm for hunting was challenged by one shattering experience when he injured a bird, and watched it struggle vainly on the mudflats, dying. The futility of its death convinced him to commit to protecting wildlife.

Following the successful effort to save the Arabian Oryx from extinction, the first such captive breeding programme, Sir Peter created the first database for the study of all endangered species. At the time, people were unaware of the damage that humans could wreak on the natural world. With his popular television programmes watched by millions, Sir Peter was able to exploit his reputation to tirelessly advance the cause of conservation, moving it from a moral campaign about protecting wildlife, to an awareness of how neglect and abuse of the natural world endangered the planet. And of course, he was one of the founders of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, for which he also created its iconic logo.

Sir David emphasised that there are still “important people” who find it inconvenient to acknowledge the damage of human activity to the planet. He said their views will be proved short-sighted and wrong. He urged the young people in the audience to be involved in conservation efforts. 

“The effort will require all of us to put it right.”

As Sir David Attenborough’s visit drew to a close, the audience gave him that rarest of Oundle moments: an ovation.

L Giurlando

Pupils in the Classics department spent Half Term touring the sights of Rome and Naples. The first full day set the pace for a busy week, beginning at the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Ara Pacis, a symbol of peace and prosperity at the beginning of the empire, followed by a few Caravaggios in local churches on the way to the Pantheon. Next to the Stadium of Domitian, hidden underground, and then on to the Fountain of Four Rivers, a walk past the site of Caesar’s brutal assassination in 44 BC, the Largo di Torre Argentina, past the Fountain of the Tortoises, and through the Jewish Quarter to the Theatre of Marcellus, stopping for some delicious ice cream on the way. We then strolled past the Temple of Portunus and the Temple of Hercules Victrix on the way to the Circus Maximus, which was staggering in its scale, able to seat 250,000 spectators in its prime.

The next morning, having stopped off at one church with incredible gold tiling, and another with a sculpture by Michelangelo, we arrived at the Colosseum and walked around the amphitheatre, peering down into the underground passageways to see where the wild animals would have been kept. Next we headed up onto the Palatine hill, looking at the Baths of Septimius Severus and Domitian’s hippodrome on the way to the Domus Augustae, Augustus’ magnificent palace overlooking the Circus Maximus, and also saw some of Nero’s vast palace which stretched across three of Rome’s seven hills. We then saw Augustus’ house, a more simple building fitting for his humble image, with Livia’s house also nearby. We then walked past the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were said to have been suckled by a she-wolf, before heading past Tiberius’ palace with a breath-taking view over the Forum. Heading down, we passed the cryptoporticus, said to be the sight of Caligula’s murder. We then walked past the Arch of Titus into the forum, erected by the emperor Domitian to commemorate the victories of his father Vespasian and brother Titus in the Judaean War. In the forum, it is impossible to truly appreciate all the buildings, but by looking at just a few, such as the Rostra, the Curia, the House of the Vestal Virgins and several temples, we were able to imagine what life might have been like in ancient Rome. 

At Domus Romanae we viewed the ruins of once lavish villas and baths. The Baths of Caracalla were the next site, a bit further out, as by the 3rd century the centre of Rome was already full of buildings. The scale was immense, with the baths having been used by up to 8000 people a day. To finish the day, we went to the top of Il Vittoriano, giving us an astounding view over the entire city. Finally, we stopped at the Trevi Fountain, thronged with tourists, and took selfies - as you do.

On Thursday, we headed out of the city, stopping at the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian on the Appian Way to see how the Romans buried their dead, and also to see the site of secret Christian worship. These catacombs would have contained over 65,000 bodies and at one time apparently held the remains of St Peter and St Paul, as well as being the home of St Sebastian’s relics. 

Then we headed to the Bay of Naples, eventually arriving at Herculaneum. Looking over the remains of this town, once a luxury seaside resort, was amazing, as it was like a time capsule. We could see not just the grand monuments, but also the houses where ordinary people lived, and other day-to-day buildings such as the thermopolia, Roman fast food shops. The highlight had to be the boathouses, because the shock of seeing the skeletons, screaming in agony and gasping for air, frozen in their deaths, made the burial site real, and clearly showed the immense suffering and the scale of the disaster that occurred in 79 AD. We ended the day in Sorrento, wandering around the serene streets.

At Capri, we arrived at the port, and braced ourselves for the day ahead. Unlike most tourists, we weren’t there for the shops or expensive hotels. We were there to climb to the top of one side of the island to Villa Jovis, Emperor Tiberius’ great palace where he spent much of his reign. At the palace we first saw the cliff where Tiberius pushed off people who had disobeyed him. Although, perhaps this was a bit of ancient fake news, as he wasn’t much liked by the Roman historians. We made our own way around the ruins, and upon seeing the unparalleled view all across the Bay of Naples, I understood why Tiberius wanted to live there. Another hike, and another place of natural beauty was up next - the Arco Naturale, a natural arch 18 metres above the ground which perfectly framed a view across the crystal clear sea. 

At the most famous town in the Roman world, Pompeii, we saw the plaster cast models of the fallen citizens, a visual recreation of the fate that befell the inhabitants of this once-thriving centre of commerce with its villas of mosaics, a forum and basilica, and much more. Wherever you are in Pompeii, you can see Mount Vesuvius, and as we wound up the side of the mountain, it was clear how the eruption could have been so devastating. 

On our last day we went to the Naples Archaeological Museum. Seeing the enormous statues which had once stood in the Baths of Caracalla and the many statues and features from Pompeii, such as the exquisite Alexander the Great mosaic, offered a sliver of understanding of the impressive artwork that once adorned the villas of the rich and powerful. The room of mosaics was incredible, as were the many black figurines from the Villa of the Papyri. 

This visit led onto a delicious final lunch in Naples before we travelled to the airport, bursting with new knowledge, but ready to return home after an action-packed week of discovery.

Polly Brown (K)