Category: Woodbridge News

All the Queen’s House children enjoyed a fabulous Christmas party complete with musical statues, pass the parcel and a dance competition that would have impressed the Strictly Come Dancing judges!  The children paired up with a friend and pirouetted, waltzed and twirled their way around the hall to festive music and all dressed in their best party outfits.  This was followed by a sumptuous tea party; tables groaning with sandwiches, cakes, flapjacks, sausages, crisps and crudités. It wasn’t long before bells could be heard and Santa appeared bearing gifts for each child.  The children were so polite and grateful and even offered Santa some carrot sticks for his reindeer! Merry Christmas.

Before Christmas the Y12 and Y13 drama students headed down to Shoreditch to watch Kneehigh’s new production of the ‘Dead Dog in a Suitcase’. Kneehigh are a theatre company of storytellers who create work on both a small and epic scale. ‘Dead Dog in a Suitcase’ is based on the Beggar’s Opera, the satirical musical’s plot is based upon the corruption of a seemingly surreal world, and how all the inhabitants are affected by and play their parts in the villainy. As an A-leave student, it was refreshing to have the opportunity to see a really modern style of theatre which confronts contemporary issues with comedy, music and puppetry. I believe that trips such as these, and in fact all the trips we go on in the drama department, are so important at exposing students to new, different and possibly challenging styles of theatre…which aren’t often seen in Suffolk. We were also very excited when we spotted Mike Shepherd, the director of the show, when we were having dinner. If you look carefully you can spot him in the photo!

Flora Douglas- Year 13- Drama Prefect

The Christmas season has truly kicked off. The School House Boarders enjoyed their Christmas Dinner with staff and guests treated to some entertainment and fun. A mix of classical music and modern pop was blended with some dance before culminating with the School House band. Such is the talent in School House that all were very well entertained.

The Reception children performed the dress rehearsal of “Whoops-A-Daisy Angel” this afternoon. This is a delightful story of an angel who is different from all the rest! They were supported by an audience made up of children from the local nurseries and the Abbey school. They will perform to their parents on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

The Swing Band was in exceptionally fine form, playing as the guest of St Andrew’s Church Felixstowe for its Christmas Concert. The ten-piece set included such wonderful classics as Glenn Miller’s Little Brown Jug and Moonlight Serenade, some Brubeck and Gillespie, and to end a fabulous addition to the repertoire: Coldplay’s God Put a Smile Upon Your Face. With solos drawing warm applause within each piece, and with uncontrollable foot-tapping the order of the day, the audience clearly appreciated the silky skills and high energy of the Band, right down to the big hint of Christmas included in the last few numbers. Brilliant! Thereafter Harrison Cole became accompanist and then organist, for the Felixstowe Children’s Choir (who did a brilliant job with their Christmas songs – all impressively sung from memory) and for the audience, leading us all graciously and expertly through the season’s first carols. A lovely afternoon: our thanks to St Andrew’s for their hospitality.

Theo Bimson and Rosie Greenway were excellent impresarios and hosts to a wonderful evening of Chamber, solo and ensemble music… and even a bit of modern, jazz and improvisation. It really was a sublime programme: rich, varied, pacey, thoughtful, contemplative, cheeky, witty, virtuosic, joyful, and beautifully played throughout. Pupils coming together to support each other, and producing something so successful in the process – it rather sums up the music department, pupils and staff alike. So, congratulations to Theo and Rosie, their friends and peers, and to Mrs Williams as guest accompanist, on an evening which embraced works from Telemann to Sheeran, Summers to Saint-Saëns, Gershwin to Strauss, Williams, Powlesland, Schumann and more. The audience could not have been more delighted or better entertained.

Cross country
Well done to the 32 runners (from both The Abbey and the Senior School) who competed in Saturday’s County Schools’ Cross-Country Championships at Alde Valley School, Leiston. Although the conditions seemed clear, the wind was a force to be reckoned with and made the course that little bit tougher for our athletes. Many congratulations go to the 22 runners who came in the top 40, therefore gaining a place in the next round. However, a special mention must go to Kit Evans Lombe and Nathan Goddard, who both came first in their respective races, and Sarah Barker who came third in hers. The minor boys had some cracking results, with 7 out of the 9 runners through to the next round!!

Athletes who gained top 40 places

Minor Girls: Cecily Royal-Dawson 9th, Bea Thomas 11th, Isabelle Eaton 15th, Amy Goddard 20th, Molly Marshall 31st & Ella Walker 32nd.

Minor Boys: Kit Evans Lombe 1st, Henry Dinwiddy 5th, Charlie Turner 8th, William Franklin 13th, Tom Turner 17th, Thomas Harper 18th & Tom Martin 25th.

Junior Girls: Sarah Barker 3rd, Amy Graham 4th, Milly Buckingham 7th, Sophie Graham 17th & Ianthe Hill 40th.

Junior Boys: Nathan Goddard 1st, George Rufford 8th & Daniel Davies 38th.

Senior Boys: Connor Grant 19th.

The next round is on Thursday 14th January at RHS. Good luck to those involved!

Thank you to all the parents for their support, and especially to Mr Goddard who has worked so hard with our runners to help them to achieve so highly.