Theatre and Food ... How Refined

Saturday morning club was a busy affair. Bingo was enthusiastically played, Miss Blakely showing clear expertise as the caller. A good spell of activity monkeying around on the Adventure playground followed as the boarders made the most of the sunshine.

As evening descended like a darkened cloak, it was time to dress up and head to the theatre. The theatre in question was ‘The Merlin’ in Frome and the actors treading the boards were our very own Year 7. An excellent, enthralling evening followed as we were wowed by the weird, wonderfulness of Alice in Wonderland. Following the performance one of our boarders was heard to remark:

“Incredible! The interpretation of Lewis Carol’s premier work of literary genius was packed with ingenuity and was genuinely intriguing.”

Another remarked…

“That was great and I liked the sweets at half time!”

Upon our arrival back at All Hallows we realised that the clocks would need winding forward and that we would be losing an hours sleep! Sensibly a decision was made that the children could lie in bed for as long as possible in the morning. (A clear benefit being that staff could do the same!)



Happily wake up was delayed until 8.50 and a leisurely breakfast was enjoyed in pyjamas and dressing gowns. The Pain au Chocolate on offer proved an extremely popular choice as the boarders set themselves up for the day ahead.

And what did that day hold for our happy band? I will tell you! It was the ‘Big Cook Off!’ Which translated means our boarders all contributed towards a 3 course meal which was to be eaten in the evening. Bread was made, soup simmered and blended, onions chopped and meatballs rolled, cakes baked and ‘subtly’ decorated. Emma and Suzanne were casting their expert eyes over proceedings and passing on secret recipes.

While the kitchen was running hot a variety of other activities took place; The ICT room was opened, some made Mother’s Day Cards, some took advantage of the sunny afternoon swimming and playing water polo.

At 5 o’clock it was time to sample the fruits of our labours and the budding chefs sat down to a meal of:

Smoked Bacon and Leek Soup with Home Baked Bread Rolls

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Cranmore Hall Meat Balls and Tomato Sauce Served on a bed of Swirly Spaghetti and Garnished with Tangy Tasty Cheese

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All Hallows Finest Fair Trade Chocolate Cake Decorated Garishly!

Upon passing the school drive visiting chef ‘Rordan Gamsey’ couldn’t resist finding out which geniuses were creating the tempting smells that were wafting around East Cranmore. Upon sampling the menu he was heard to remark.

“Amazing, simply amazing. The subtlety and smokiness of the soup was a joy. Smoky bacon and leeks…perfect combination. Onto the meat balls… beautiful! A real rustic quality, juicy tomato sauce and spaghetti…classic combination. And to top it all off a real dream of a chocolate cake!”

Following Mass we settled down for the evening. Letter writing and of course the ever popular ‘dormitory tidy up’ were followed by a movie in the comfort of St Bede’s. After that it was time for bed and get ready for the week ahead.

12th & 13th March

Makeovers, Shopping, Football and lots of Chocolate! What a Weekend!

Following the usual Saturday afternoon sports fest and a long walk in the sun ,where a swarm of Lady Birds were discovered, the boarders settled down to some relaxation.

Pizza, chips and corn on the cob in a box was the order of the day, served in a box in front of the last minutes of Ireland v Wales. Despite some vociferous support Ireland lost…sorry Mr Murphy!

Next it was time to move on to some…chilling out! The younger girls retired upstairs to Mrs Moulton’s Salon for some serious pampering. Elegant makeup and some slick hairdo’s were on display, just take a look at the pictures! You might notice an addition to the beautifully made up girls in the picture as our Australian Gap ,Mr Hoggetts (AKA Billinda) accidentally made his way up stairs to be have a make over of his own.

Downstairs there was a DVD on the big screen for the younger boys, whilst the older boys played pool, table football and Fifa 2010 on the games console in ‘The Cellar.’ The older girls made use of their common room to snuggle up and watch a movie of their choice. With so much activity going on it was a shame to have to call bed time!

After such a relaxing evening the boarding house sprung back into life in the morning. Fuelled by Pain au chocolate the boarders played golf, 5 a side football, sent e-mails, skyped and watched the old girls hockey match which took place on the astro. A full Sunday Roast then set everyone up for the main event…SHOPPING!
The sweet shops, milk shake shops and clothes shops of Bath, must have rubbed their hands with glee as the All Hallows 50 descended upon their shops like hungry locusts! As always the behaviour on the trip was top notch and the staff commented upon the politeness and punctuality of the children. (Well done Gang!)
In the evening it was Mass; then letter writing time, where hopefully, all children had plenty to write home about. Before bed there was just time for some hot chocolate to top off the weekend. (In case anyone hadn’t eaten or drank enough!)

Boarders' Bowling Bonanza!

A Busy Weekend

The weekend of February 12th and 13th could not have offered more variation in weather if it had tried.

Saturday saw clear skies and some welcome warmth from the sun. There were hockey and netball matches galore and the endeavour of the children was certainly matched by some great skill levels and exhilarating scorelines.

Those not in matches or finished early, enjoyed the fresh air and an opportunity to relax.

The evening saw the temperature drop and so the boarders took to their sofa’s and comfy chairs to watch the goggle box. The vast majority of boys sat glued to the England v Italy match, recorded earlier in the day, and were certainly entertained as England romped in with 8 tries. Those less interested in the 6 Nations had a choice of films to suit their needs.

With it raining all day on Sunday any time outside was largely curtailed but our Sunday activities, totally by luck rather than judgement were thankfully both indoors. It was a split trip this weekend, with our younger pupils bowling and our older boys and girls attending Lazer quest (since go karting appears to have become extortionate in price)

12 lucky boarders had a great time perfecting their bowling technique. It was wonderful to see them working as a team and becoming more confident with each frame. With the help of the bumpers, and their obvious skill, there were many strikes and spares to be had.
Special mention should go to Inigo who managed the afternoon left handed. Sophie really improved her technique, Georgia had a great afternoon's score and Miquel scored well with his individual bowling style!!! It was certainly a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.


For those at Lazer quest whilst the weather was dreary and dank; the boarders were anything but! So, the opportunity to hunt down and shoot the new teacher in a big Lazer Quest barn somewhere in dank Wiltshire was perfect.

Several of the boys thought they were auditioning for the SAS and supplied sound effects as they shot indiscriminately at anyone that moved. They were out first! The level of competition between everyone was keen and after each round notes were compared on who had shot the most targets (opponent or otherwise). And even though we were firing light beams, the fear of being hit, the excitement of hiding behind walls, in derelict buildings and around corners was very real.
In the drama and mayhem that unfolded, the new teacher was not always easy to hit. He may not be so lucky next time.