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Design Centre
Benefactors' Day
On Saturday 12th December the Development and Alumni Relations Office welcomed everyone who had supported the School since September 2014 to a drinks reception in the new Design Centre. Prior to the reception, tours of the School were given by current members of the JCR. All guests were offered tours of the Design Centre on arrival, and were then treated to a superb performance of Christmas carols from the Thomas White Singers, while enjoying canapés and a glass of prosecco.
To read the full article, please click here.
OMT Society Annual Dinner
On Friday 20th November, over 250 OMTs attended the OMT Society Annual Dinner at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The evening was very lively, with speeches from the Head Master and Anthony Martinelli (OMT, 2008), and a video speech from Baron Jock Stirrup, the current Society President, who was unable to attend the dinner.
To read the full article, please click here.
Design and Engineering Networking Event
The inaugural Design and Engineering Network event was a real success, with OMTs, parents, parents of OMTs and current pupils coming back to School at the beginning of Design Week to network and take the opportunity to look around the new building. Everyone was very impressed with the new facilities and cutting edge equipment, such as the 3D printers, which will have practical applications in a huge range of careers in future.
To read the full article, please click here.
To view all 'Recent Events' please click here.
Your archive needs you!
We are keen to enlist the help of volunteers to help out in the Archive, which is currently undergoing a comprehensive review following the appointment of the School's professional archivist, Sally Gilbert, in September 2015. The collection is full of hidden treasures, which we plan to display, digitise and make accessible to a wider audience than previously possible.
Volunteers can help with sorting material, listing collections, cleaning artefacts, repackaging documents and photographs, answering enquiries on the history of the school, preparing small exhibitions and any other areas of personal expertise.
If you are interested in helping with the archive, please do get in touch with Sally Gilbert (sgilbert@mtsn.org.uk, 01923 845529).
For more information about the archive, please click here.
Guys and Dolls
Merchant Taylors' School and St Helen's School produced a fantastic joint production of the musical 'Guys and Dolls' this December. The time and effort spent on the show was evident from the start. From the lovingly realized details in Savio Gimmi's set and lighting design, to the obvious hours spent at the piano with Joan Stubbs and Simon Couldridge rehearsing harmonies, to the excellence of the backstage team, this cast and crew can be very proud. Jo Cox, John Coleman, Melissa Marsh and Alana Simons must very proud and can take a well-deserved bow in directing and choreographing this production.
There were some standout performances, but what was especially pleasing about this production was how evenly the principal players shared the honours. Ben Peart transformed brilliantly into a bumbling Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Udaya Sharma made a wonderfully sleazy Nathan Detroit. The real surprise for many, however, was Charlie Carter, playing the part of Sky Masterson, whose performance of 'Luck be a Lady' was outstanding.
To read the full article, and to see more pictures, please click here.
Careers Convention
This year’s Careers convention for the fifth form was as successful as ever, with many OMTs and current parents coming into School to inspire the boys. At the end of November, the Careers Department hosted 35 guest speakers from different industries to speak to the girls from St Helen's as well as our boys.
There were 46 seminars offered throughout the afternoon to the 250 students. Many thanks to our OMT guest speakers who gave up their valuable time for this event: Oliver David (HeliAir); Tariq Attia (IW Capital); Matt Beake (Liberty Global); Rajiv Shah (Sigma Pharmaceuticals); Mehdi Jaffer (AlphaSights); Thomas Marsh (KMPG); Neil Flash (DNA Communications) and Victor Bentata (R V B Recognition).
This convention is an excellent way of widening our boys' ideas of what they might do and giving them access to people doing jobs which they might not have considered.
To read the full article, please click here.
House Drama - Walter win!
November saw an impressive range of performances for House Drama as Walter emerged victorious with their powerful interpretation of a scene from George Orwell's 1984. It was a chilling and powerful piece, brilliantly acted by Ishmael Levy, and beautifully staged and directed by Neville Birdi and Daniel Surkes.
There were five Houses that went through to the finals, which was held for the first time at the New Barn Theatre at Merchant Taylors' Prep.
Our judge, Mr Spencer Hinton, who is the Head of Drama at Merchant Taylors' Prep, had the unenviable task of choosing a winner, and he gave some useful and constructive feedback to the boys, as well as praising their strengths.
To read the full article, please click here.
For more articles on 'School Life', please click here.
World Cup star, Emily Scarratt coaches the boys
World Cup winner and England fly-half, Emily Scarratt, visted Merchant Taylors' during rugby week to coach the rugby scholars. The session now features on the Pro-Rugby coaches' website.
It was great to see the boys thriving under the coaching of such an inspirational female athlete.
1st XV on Rugby Tonight
On Tuesday 8th December members of the senior rugby squad appeared on BT Sport's show Rugby Tonight. It was a fantastic experience for the boys as they were able to meet some stars of the game past and present - all while on live TV!
Owen Farrell, Jim Hamilton and Joe Simpson help train the boys
Saracens' players Jim Hamilton and Owen Farrell, and Wasps' Captain, Joe Simpson, came to School during Rugby Week.
Jim Hamilton, Scotland's second row coached the senior squad players, alongside British Lion, England and Saracens' fly-half Owen Farrell, while England and Wasps' scrum-half Joe Simpson put the under 14s through their paces.
Design Week 2015
Design Week 2015 was hugely absorbing and exciting - a wonderful way to celebrate the recent opening of the new Design Centre! There were a huge number of activities for the boys and many inspiring speakers from the worlds of commerce and design illustrating the relevance of Design and Technology today. We have been delighted to see the enthusiasm of the boys and the many parents who visited our twilight sessions.
Design Week saw visits from Renault Twizy, DEMAND, Vex Robotics, Kirtoniks, Precious Metal lay workshops, Laserlines, Bloodhound Education, Electric Umbrella, Recycleabike, Dr Diane Aston from the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals, and Fullbore Motorcycles.
OMT, Roger Stephenson, owner of Fullborne Motorcycles was the contributor at the Friday night session of Design Week. He gave an inspirational talk about his passion for Classic British motorcycles, nurtured by Dennis Trebble during Geography lessons at Taylors' in the 1980s.
To read more about Fullborne Motorcycles contribution to Design Week and about the other events, please click here.
The Royal Opening of the Design Centre
On Thursday 12th November, HRH The Duke of Gloucester was welcomed to Merchant Taylors' to officially open the new Design Centre. It was a wonderful occasion, continuing the great tradition of royal visits, which saw Edward, Prince of Wales, opening the Science Block when Taylors' was in Charterhouse Square in 1926 and George, Duke of York, later King George VI, laying the foundation stone of the present School at Sandy Lodge on St. Barnabas Day, Thursday June 11 1931. The future King, on that joyous occasion, was accompanied by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who happily returned to the school to open the Music Block in 1975.
After a lunch at the OMT War Memorial Clubhouse, the Head Master, Simon Everson, escorted the Duke through the Inner Quad, where six Houses of the School had assembled. He was then shown around the new facility before speaking to the guests and unveiling a plaque.
To read more about the royal visit, please click here.
Timelapse Video
Visitors to the Design Centre have been amazed by the quality of the facility. It was the product of a competition-winning design, many years of planning, and a long building process all carried out while attempting to minimise disruption to the workings of the School. Below is a timelapse video of a phase of the building's construction.
Serenaders' Quiz and Curry Night - 27th February 2016
This annual event returns, bigger and better for 2016. We very much hope that OMTs will come back to take on our current pupils, parents and staff in the quiz. For more information about this event, please click here.
Arts and Creative Industries Reception - 3rd March 2016
The second networking event for those working in the arts and creative industries will be held joint with St Helen's on Thursday 3rd March 2016. This event invites all OMTs St Helen's Old Girls, parents, and parents of OMTs and OGs to an evening of networking and catching up with old friends.
The event will take place in the Gallery in the Crypt, St Martin-in-the-Fields, from 6.30pm. Tickets are £10 per person, please click here to book.
Afternoon Tea - 18th March 2016
All OMTs who left Merchant Taylors' before 1971 are invited back to School for Afternoon Tea with the Head Master on Friday 18th March 2016.
The event will begin at 2pm with tours of the School, before Afternoon Tea is served in the Exam Hall. There will be a musical performance from the Thomas White Singers and a performance from the Duologue competition that takes place in February.
Please contact events@mtsn.org.uk if you would like to attend the event.
Manor Reunion Lunch - 14th May 2016
All OMTs who boarded in the Manor of the Rose are invited back to School for a reunion lunch on Saturday 14th May 2016. Stephen Cole, former House Master, will be in attendance, along with a number of other special guests. More details about this event will be circulated shortly. Please email events@mtsn.org.uk to register your interest.
Medicine and Dentistry Convention - 25th June 2016
Following a successful Medics Convention in 2014, the Development and Alumni Relations office, together with the Careers Centre are hosting their second Medics convention, and this time we are also including Dentists.
As well as a networking and social opportunity for those practising medicine or dentistry, this event is a careers guidance event for the current pupils and we invite those OMTs who work in medicine or dentistry back to Taylors' to talk and inspire the boys.
If you are interested in signing up to be a speaker for the event, please do email events@mtsn.org.uk for more information.
Old Boys' Reunion Day - 2nd July 2016
After the success of last year's inaugural Old Boys' Reunion Day, the Development and Allumni Relations Office invite all OMTs who left the School in a year ending in '1' or '6' back to Taylors' for the afternoon.
The event will start at 1.30pm for a drinks reception before tours of the School at 2.00pm. There will then be activities to choose from before an evening meal at the OMT Club House at 6.00pm.
Tickets will be £15 before 29th April and £20 thereafter.
Please click here for more information and to book your ticket.
OMTHCC 50th Anniversary Dinner - 24th September 2016
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the OMT Hockey Club there will be black tie dinner at Merchant Taylors' Hall. The Hockey Family is going to assemble together at the OMTHC 50th Anniversary Dinner on 24th September 2016 to celebrate our past and develop our future. Tickets will go on sale in March, but please do contact events@mtsn.org.uk to register your interest.