As the outgoing Housemaster of over 11 years, I trust I will be forgiven for making this house report more a reflection of that time rather than a summary of the successes the House has had in the last year. That is not to detract from the fact that the House has battled on the various pitches in inter-House competitions this year with its usual great success, but Cubitt is very much at a transition. For Cubitt as a House it is very much time to look forward.
When I arrived at Cubitt in 1993, I had been working in the oil exploration industry. I worked hard then but was rudely awoken by the sheer scale of the job a Cranleigh teacher has! And yet time went by so quickly because it was fun. Even then Cubittians were a friendly bunch and it wasn’t long before David Derbyshire (the then Housemaster) asked me to become his deputy.
In those days the Houses were 68 strong, the vast majority were boarders and we had 12 girls in the House who played an equally active role in the running and success of the House. It was great to see so many of them at my leaving ‘do’ in June and I was delighted to see they had been equally successful in their careers. Weekends were a challenge, since everyone stayed in, there was a prep session and the VIth Form would inevitably try to attend local hostelries afterwards, returning back to the House in various states of melancholy.
In those days we had a part-time matron and I am so pleased that Mrs G, who was here when I started, has been a rock throughout my tenure. How she managed to keep the House all together in those days I shall never know, but she did. The Deputy Housemaster lived out (as did half the Housemasters) and there were only three tutors.
It is also true to say that the living accommodation left something to be desired, and I am really pleased and genuinely grateful to the Governors and Headmaster that before my tenure was complete (just!) Cubitt has come together onto one site, the facilities have significantly improved and we have so much more space. The renovation has meant the day boys no longer have to be in a residence separate from the main House and all of them appreciate the move.
Sport has always been part of the life in Cubitt: in fact there were times when it dominated to the exclusion of everything else. In my first few years here there was an inevitability in Cubitt coming last in the House Singing Competition. Music was left to others and we just turned up to be the whipping boys and girls. And yet we have recently had some outstanding musicians in the House. Who will ever forget Dan Sheppard’s performance of a Bruch violin concerto - from memory? It was simply stunning and was the culmination of a career at both the Prep School and Senior School of seven years, with increasingly brilliant performances to enthralled audiences.
And I am delighted to say that with Tom Chevis, Dom Murray and Nathan Piggot all making their mark in the Music Department and the fact that Cubitt provides the largest number of boys in the choir, music is going to remain very strong in the House. Tim Dunkley deserves special mention as the longest-serving choir member and an invaluable tenor for the five years he has been at the School. One of the major highlights in my time in the House was winning the House performance Competition last year and the post-victory celebrations have gone down in Cranleigh folk-lore. In addition some of the great highlights of my time here in Cubitt have been the House Music Evenings when the girls and boys have joined together to entertain the audience with some outstanding music and lots of fun. This year’s event was no exception, with a memorable performance of ‘Hotel California’ with Dom Murray, Ant Dunkley and Matt Moriarty bringing the house and curtain down simultaneously.
We have been exceptionally lucky with the quality of our drama in the House. There have over the years been many outstanding actors who have not only helped produce House plays (with the occasional help from some of our more talented tutors) but also played major roles in the School plays. Tom Buchan, Alex Merz and Alex Williams continued this tradition this year in playing major roles in ‘Bedroom Farce’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The House plays have traditionally been light-hearted comedies and have invariably been put on at a time of term when energy levels were dropping and spirits certainly needed lifting. And lift them they certainly did.
The House has always been strong in the Schools Challenge quiz and in the past we have had some amazing teams in this competition. Last year one of the School teams was made up entirely of Cubittians and although we didn’t win this competitions this year, I have no doubt that with talent such as Richard Lewis and James Atkinson in the House it won’t be long before Cubitt has its name on that cup again. Cubitt used to have a lot of success in the House debating but recently we have been in a number of finals but never quite managed to win. Clearly the new Housemaster will have to get a better grip on the rules than I ever did! But with Nathan Pigott and Alex Gardner and Freddie Comber at the helm I am sure debating will flourish in the House as chess has done: we have won this competition in both years of its existence with Richard Lewis a great captain and player.
But it is on the sporting field that the House dominates. Whether it should be or not I leave for others to debate, but Cubitt has always been and will always be the team to beat. This year has been no exception, but to win the athletic sports two years in a row and the cross-country 12 years in a row speaks volumes for the spirit of the House as these competitions require a large number to participate and one cannot just rely on the odd talented individual. The House nearly surprised everyone in just losing the House swimming by literally a finger tip and, with Andrew Hailey already a key swimmer in the School, I suspect the House could be even closer next year. Over the last five years the Cubitt UVIth have contained a significant group of fine sportsmen. It was no surprise then that four out of a total of eight boys who won sports prizes on Speech Day were from this House: Chris Childs for his squash, hockey and cricket; Alex Blundell Jones for his rugby and hockey; Ben O’Neill for his rugby, hockey and outstanding captaincy of the undefeated School rugby side; and Seb Stegmann for his rugby and athletics. In addition one must also mention Alex James, who was not only an excellent cricketer for both House and School but also contributed so much to the cross-country.
In Cubitt we value very highly the challenges of both the CCF and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and we are proud to see the number of boys aiming for their Gold D of E award. Our Day Warden, Simon Young, plays a key role in both activities and I would urge all Cubittians to continue to be involved in these worthwhile pursuits.
We also take our work very seriously. I have been especially impressed this year with the way the boys approached their external exams. They almost universally worked hard and the spirit amongst them has meant they supported each other, especially during the stressful exam period. I instigated the infamous third prep when I first become Housemaster. We now call it quiet time and, having looked at the statistics very carefully over the years, I can promise you all that it does make a difference. The boys have done better than predicted because we have given them that extra quiet time in the evening to work. The only exception I made was when Liverpool were playing in the Champions League and we all had to watch the penalty shoot out (the rest of that balmy May evening in 2005 was, as they say, history!).
The current UVIth led so ably by Ben O’Neill, Alex Blundell Jones and Alex James have been quite outstanding in guiding the House through the year. They have got the balance just right between work and play and quite simply led by example. They are a very coherent year group and I am sure the friendships they have made here will continue for a lifetime.
But a House is so much more than the winning and losing of competitive sport or performing in a play or musical event. Yes, it is great to win and sad to lose, but the old adage that it is the people who make a House is as true now as it was 14 years ago when I first came to Cubitt. It is the chemistry of the boys and girls, the Tutors, Deputy, Matrons and of course Housemaster, that make the House what it is. That chemistry is changing significantly this year with a number of Tutors moving on. DWR was with us for only two terms but it seems like years as he settled in so quickly; he also made a great impact in the History Department and in many other areas of School life. CJM has come for a year in exchange for WNB. Both men have added that fresh colour and lots of new ideas to our regular Tutors’ meetings and I am sure the House is better for it. This ever-changing tapestry of Cubitt is one of its strengths and it is so good to walk around the house and see the photo montages that PJC has put together so well over the years. They represent as close to a history of the House during my time as one could get, and I must thank Paul for the tremendous effort and care he has put into them.
But it is time for change: TJU is moving to a well-deserved promotion as Director of Music at Worksop. He has been an outstanding Tutor to the current UVth and many of them will be thanking him for his attention to detail and genuine care for their welfare when the GCSE results arrive. SDB is also moving to a thoroughly-deserved promotion as Housemaster of East, following a long tradition of Cubitt Deputies taking their experiences gained to other Houses. Simon has been a great support to me and we thank him for all he has done here and wish him well.
What can one say about RMD? For 38 years a Warden, Deputy or Tutor, spending nights helping with maths and listening to the woes of Housemasters, me included. Although he hasn’t spent all his time in Cubitt, Ray has become the wise counsel to all who asked. Words cannot do justice to the support he has given to tutors and tutees alike and we shall miss him more than I care to think. We wish Wendy and Ray a long and happy retirement
No-one except me will ever realise the important role that Lesley has played in this House. How much credit is given to a Housemaster’s wife? I for one have taken her far too much for granted and yet without her I wouldn’t have got the job and certainly would not have done it at all well. How much sacrifice has she and the family made during the term when one has to live and breathe the House at the expense of just about everything else...? And yet after all that Lesley became a Matron and for the last four years I genuinely believe that between Jan and Lesley we had the best Matrons in the School. I have relied heavily on Lesley’s support and advice and she is my great critic, who has tried hard to keep me from making stupid decisions and even supported me when I did.
With Jan still as Matron and GJNN as the new Deputy, I know I leave Cubitt in good hands and that the House will give its full backing to CHDB and Mrs Greaves (the new Matron) when they come next term. Finally and never least, I would like to thank all our cleaners - Joy, Jane, Tam, Fatima and Bill - who do an amazing job trying to keep Cubitt tidy without ever complaining.
To those who stay behind:
What are we leavers leaving behind when we pass through those green doors for the last time?
Well - I just look at all those collages that PJC has created and what do I see?
Success…over the years we have won a lot more than other Houses, especially when it came to the whole-House activities such as cross-country and athletics.
Comradeship….you look at the photos and see all sorts of groups, different sizes, ages and Tutors mixing in with the boys and of course girls…we mustn’t forget them.
Variety…this has shone through in everything from music to drama to sport to academic excellence…third prep really does work.
Team spirit… we have it in abundance and how many times have we won a competition because we played or worked as a team, whether it be in the House plays, the House Music Evenings or inter-House sport?
And finally and most importantly, just about every photo PJC has taken is that of a smiling, happy face. This is the friendly House and as we leavers move on I would ask only one thing of those who are lucky enough to be staying: please keep it the friendly House; it is the making of this place and those in it. Every time you walk past and look at all those photos of those who have gone before you can be proud of your heritage, and you must make sure you leave a legacy that those after you can be proud of also.
It’s been a privilege to be House-Master of Cubitt. Good luck in the future to the leavers, and to those staying, I look forward to seeing your progress from up the hill - and do feel free to drop into my study for a chat (as long as it isn’t in lesson time!).
AJG