b'THE ELLESMERIAN 26Competitive Houses TALBOTHousemistress: Mrs. A.S. Donethe House. The Senior Photography Competition took place and this year was themed across three areas; Black and White Sports; Spring and Art in House Tutors: Mr S. J. Prescott, Mrs C. A. Empson, Mrs N.J. Welti, My Life. Again, it was great to see such a wide range of entries and great Mrs C. Westwood, Mr D.J. Morgan, Ms L. Killen, Mr G. Owen, skilled work being submitted by junior and senior members of the House. Mrs C. S. DilksLikewise, we saw the Junior and Senior debating teams go head to head with the other Houses and demonstrated much in terms of skills and Captains of House: N.I.F. Dalziel and W. B. Selbydebating excellence.The House Hockey event at the end of the Michaelmas term is always one the House looks forward to and given the talent pool within the The new academic year and new term started with great positivity andHouse, it is understandable. A brilliant display by the juniors saw the Talbot optimism as a regular events calendar returned to the competitive houseJuniors pick up the trophy and take the crown, whilst the seniors gave it all structure and the competitions began in earnest. The House welcomed inbut were just beaten into second place by Wakeman-Lambart. its new House Captains Natasha Dalziel and Will Selby, who would prove to be a force for good and helped define the success of the House acrossThe end of the Michaelmas Term saw the annual House Rugby matches the school year.hotly contested at both Inters and Senior level. Having won 2 of the 3 games a defeat meant a second-place finish for the Inters, whilst a very The House meetings, having previously been an online adventure,competitive Senior competition, saw Talbot win one, draw one and lose returned to a more suitable format in person and much was celebratedone, to finish a respectable 3rd overall. with the House being back together again and the allegiance and loyalty to the House returning, after such a disruptive period.The Girls Indoor Hockey event is always a time for challenge and expectation. With the strong team of players at Talbots disposal, they The House was busy on day one with the Sixth Form Its a Knockoutwent about looking to secure the cup and the victory they so wanted. event, a great way to bring the Year 12 and Year 13 pupils together as theThe Juniors having played well throughout the tournament clinched a new academic year started and put them straight into competition withwell-earned victory over Meynell to claim the Inters title. Sadly, the tug-of-war, 3-legged football and water-balloon races. The energy andSeniors event was cancelled, but we felt we had the team to make it a efforts of all who took part that day should be commended and it reallyTalbot victory across the board.proved a valuable activity in building friendships, establishing relationships and creating a clear affinity to representing Talbot House.The House Cross Country event in the Lent term is always a highlight for whole team participation and a chance for some of the individual The major event of the Michaelmas Term saw the return of the Housemembers of the House to step forward and contribute to the overall playswith this years theme being Roald Dahls interpretation ofsuccess in this competition. On a bitterly cold day, the weather was not Cinderella. The event proved spectacular, with a great team effort both ongoing to put off a spirited and determined House who wore their House and off the stage, culminating in a brilliant performance from the wholecolours with pride and braved the elements to support and compete for cast and crew. A special mention to our Yr. 13 pupils, who made sure thethe House. It got off to a great start with the Junior event being claimed play was one they would always cherish being a part of.by Talbot and particular mention should go to Bella Spencer Blow who was the individual winner in the Junior Girls competition. We did not fair Other key events reappeared in the calendar, with the Mini-sageas well in the Inters or the Seniors and as a result finished a respectable competitionsa 50-word story that must captivate the reader and leave3rd overall in the competition. them wanting more, saw a good take up and a high number of entries by'