St Edward's 150 Years - by Nicola Hunter

St Edward’s: 150 Years

Chapter 3 / Houses

Below: Sing’s Lobby. Bottom: Entrance to Sing’s.

Right: House 24-hour Triathlon in aid of Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and the Haiti Earthquake UNICEF Appeal.

Right: 2010 Junior House Rugby. Below: Shell Cocoa evening in HM’s kitchen. Bottom: Ali Sullivan takes a penalty in the inter-House football.

Individuals are at ease with one another, whether they are budding stars of stage or sports pitch or new recruits from far- off lands. Inevitably the modern curse of the smartphone has started to establish itself with individuals surgically attached to their iGadget, but the boys do still talk to each other face- to-face and occasionally even read newspapers. The Lobby remains the place to gauge the pulse of the House as it draws all those entering, leaving or just passing through, into whichever hot topic might be under discussion. Although I’m not sure what my expectations were, I have been pleasantly surprised by the warmth the boys have for their friends, Housemates and a recently arrived Housemaster. There is a refreshing lack of hierarchy within the House and it is regularly the case that representatives from all five year

Sing’s (B) As a building some may argue that the functional 1960s design of Sing’s lacks character, however nobody could say the same of the residents (or ‘inmates’, as some affectionately prefer to refer to themselves). I may have only been interned for a few weeks but have already been struck by the rich diversity of talents and interests that are housed under the one roof. The House certainly has an eclectic mix of personalities with their fair share of eccentricities, and I have noticed that the sartorial elegance of my predecessor, David Corran, appears to have left its mark on some.

groups can be found in the Lobby debating the latest Senior Management Team directive or Premiership signing with passion and no little insight. And they often do so whilst all sitting on the same two-seater sofa! As David Corran rightly identified, ‘The Sing’s anima is elusive: an easy-going, accepting and liberal community

where the boys have a passionate love and knowledge of football; pride in the musical elite within the House; affection for the somewhat down-at-heel architecture and for the Lobby (not just a lobby, but the Sing’s Lobby, around which one Head Boy constructed an entire philosophy in his speech at Gaudy); notably egalitarian friendships between year groups; joyful, noisy pleasure in every success – of individuals and in-House competitions. ‘For me, the answer to the question of identifying the uniqueness of the Sing’s experience is in familiarity with the many people who have been in this space and building together, a shared way of celebrating and commiserating.’ (David Corran, Housemaster until the Lent Term, 2013) It is this sense of community and the shared experiences which inevitably ‘make’ any boarding house and help to instil the fierce loyalties that are nurtured within such a close-knit environment. I’m sure any other Housemaster or Housemistress would say the same, but I already feel part of the (functional) furniture and look forward to celebrating very soon the House’s own significant anniversary (its 50th year in its current location). Matt Parker Housemaster, Sing’s (B)

Above: Matt Parker, Housemaster. Right: Joe Barrett, 1st XI and Gloucestershire Academy.

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