Author Archives: Felicity Quiney

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My Journalism Virtual Work Experience

During the February half term, I completed  Springpod’s Journalism Virtual Work Experience programme. Springpod is a platform that provides a wide range of virtual work experience opportunities for those who are keen to find out about potential career options.

Over the course of the programme, I had the chance to take an in-depth look at print,  broadcast and photojournalism as well as a variety of roles within the industry. For me, meeting professionals at the live webinars was undoubtedly one of the highlights because I was able to gain a real insight into what life as a journalist is like. Among these professionals was BBC News Presenter Martine Croxall, who shared that she started out in this challenging industry by interviewing a man dressed as a rubber tree!

One of the most memorable things that I will take away from this experience is the awareness that words have the potential to shape the way a topic is viewed by an audience. The importance of impartiality is key in quality journalism and it is essential for a journalist to report the truth as accurately as possible. Although a journalist cannot always guarantee the ‘truth’ of their sources, ensuring that the report of expressed opinions and information is accurate plays a huge role in producing work fit for publications. Whilst journalists produce articles that enable the public to understand and talk about complex, relevant issues, a journalist can also generate negative impacts if failing to stick to accepted ethical principles. This may consequently cause widespread mistrust in the media.

When choosing subject matter as a photojournalist, it is important to tell a story which closely relates and appeals to human emotion surrounding the issues at the heart of the media. Freelance MMA reporter for The Daily Mail Sports Team, Natasha Hooper, highlighted both the benefits and drawbacks to working as a freelance journalist instead of in a full time, contracted position. Despite the lack of security, there are endless opportunities for a freelance writer. You are not tied to one political stance or writing style which a publication relies on you to deliver and you have the ability to work anywhere, on a different job everyday. She also underlined the importance of discovering your niche early and carefully considering why this is exactly what publications should be publishing.

I was required to complete a variety of quizzes and activities including; creating my dream portfolio, writing a climate change article, planning a news schedule/live broadcast, writing a cover letter and action plan as well as choosing my photo of the decade. I learnt that knocking on doors, building contacts, finding work experience and staying curious are invaluable approaches to taking the first steps towards a career in journalism.

My chosen photo of the decade

 

Although I am still unsure about a future career, I would definitely recommend experiences like this and keeping an open mind by getting involved with anything that interests you, should you find yourself in a similar position to myself.

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The new normal!

With locked-down cities worldwide, deer, peacocks, ducks and many other creatures have made their way into urban settings which they might normally avoid. Deserted cities across the globe have invited animals to explore their desolate streets, where the bustling normality of urban life has been forgotten over the past few months.

Sika deer are not an uncommon sight in the woodlands of Eastern Asia or in Nara Park, Japan where they have grown accustomed to tourists lining up to feed them rice crackers, however reported sightings of herds of these furrowed-browed, Bambi-like creatures in the city streets and subway stations of Nara are far from expected. Now with no visitors, the deer have started to wander into the city searching for food.

A deer walks on a pedestrian crossing in Japan

 

On a similar hunt for food, wild boars were seen foraging in the city of Haifa in Israel. This issue became so serious that local officials held a Zoom meeting to discuss the expanding population of boars in the area! Coyotes, normally apprehensive of traffic, were spotted on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and grazing deer near houses in Washington DC, only a few miles from the White House, attracted many confused passersby. In Wales, peacocks were seen strutting through Bangor and mountain goats climbing down from the cliffs of Great Orme explored the Welsh town of Llandudno.

Mountain goats in Llandudno

 

Cougars have been found lurking in the streets of Santiago, Chile and one of these big cats was even found inside an apartment complex! South of Buenos Aires in Mar del Plata harbour, a sea lion was seen on a sidewalk and another unusual sight were the cows that rested on Mare e Sole beach near Porticcio in Corsica.

During the first lockdown, a seabird swam across the clearest waters of Venice in years and Place Colette in Paris held a parade of mallard ducks, while donkeys gathered at an ATM booth in India. In New Delhi, a herd of buffalo walked along an empty highway and a lonesome cow was seen walking along an empty road in Bhaktapur, Nepal. There have also been amazing reports of people in India being able to see the Himalayas for the first time in their lives due to increased air quality.

Ducks waddle through the streets of Paris

 

Buffalo on the highway in India

 

Cow walks on empty road in Nepal

 

My family and I even spotted a horse trotting through the quiet streets of Portugal, early in the morning during the summer holidays!

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (12)

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…twelve Cathedral bells, eleven figures on Edgar Tower, ten dots, nine dots, eight oarsmen, seven Netball players, six other King’s schools, Fives courts, four disused houses, the King’s Third Master, two figures on the school insignia and a school motto in a pear tree!

Worcester Cathedral has a ring of twelve bells which are very special because they are the fifth heaviest ringing peal and are considered one of the finest rings of bells in the world. The bells are hung in a frame, high up in the Cathedral tower and are attached to a wooden wheel with a rope running round it which dangles into the ringing room below. The bells are made of bronze and each has a clapper inside which swings with the bell.

In the tower is a ring of twelve bells, with an hour bell and three quarter bells put up by Taylor of Loughborough in 1868. The twelve bells of the ring are each inscribed with the name of an apostle, and the tenor weighs 2.5 tons. The names of St. Paul, St. Mark and St. Luke are inscribed on the three quarter or half-tone bells. The hour bell weighs 4.5 tons with a 6 ft. 4.5 inch diameter. It bears the Cathedral’s coat of arms.

The Worcester Cathedral bell chamber

 

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (11)

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…eleven figures on Edgar Tower.

On the east facing entrance façade of Edgar Tower, there are decorated hollows situated to the sides of the windows. These hollows contain eleven terracotta figures of kings, queens and bishops.

Edgar Tower

 

Below, freak photographs of these Edgar Tower statues show the faces of R.J. Castley (KSW Staff 1903-1934) and H.E. Nichols (KSW Secretary 1921-1957) as Ethelred Dux and Ethelflaeda. The photos were created by A.D. Franklin (KSW Staff 1922-1966).

Edgar Tower statues freak photographs

 

Originally, Edgar Tower was the main gate to the castle and priory, known as St. Mary’s Gate. The present tower dates from the 14th century but was originally built on King John’s orders from wood and stone. For many centuries there was a statue of King Edgar and this is why it became known as Edgar Tower.

Joseph Mallord William Turner: King Edgar’s Gate, Worcester, 1794

 

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (10)

On the Tenth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…ten dots.

Each of the torteaux on the Cathedral’s coat of arms represent the ten parishes which comprised the City of Worcester at the time of the re-foundation of the Cathedral Church by King Henry VIII.

The Church of St Michael, a ‘peculiar’ (parish exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese in which it lies, and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch or an archbishop) of the Dean and Chapter serving College Precincts and the Old Palace was located within the Cathedral cemetery (close to the present-day war memorial) and also the church through which the Cathedral Foundation maintained a link with city parishioners. The church was demolished in 1843 and its replacement on College Street was also demolished in 1965.

The Church of St Peter, located on St Peter’s Street until its demolition in 1976.

The Church of St Alban on Deansway, now Maggs Day Centre.

The Church of St Helen, at the south end of High Street which is now under the jurisdiction of All Saints Church.

The Church of St Martin, know as Old St Martin’s at The Cornmarket since the opening of a new church on London Road in 1911.

The Church of St Swithun at The Shambles retained its Tudor Tower but was otherwise rebuilt in the 1730s. In 1977, the church was adopted by the Churches Conservation Trust.

The Church of St Andrew on Deansway which was partly demolished to create a garden of remembrance in the 1940s. The church is known locally as ‘The Glover’s Needle’ in reference to Worcester’s former leather and glove-making industries.

The Church of All Saints at the junction of Deansway, Broad Street and Bridge Street.

The Church of St Nicholas, The Cross, was de-consecrated in 1989 and has been a popular bar since the mid-1990s.

Finally, the Church of St Clement which relocated to the western bank of the River Severn in 1822.

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (9)

On the Ninth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…nine dots.

There are many previous forms of the school’s coat of arms which have either displayed nine or ten dots within a variety of differently shaped shields.

A range of styles for school shields used during the past fifty years

 

At some point, the Cathedral developed a variation on the badge of the Diocese where the top left-hand torteau (red dot) is hidden behind a canton (small square) in which is a representation of Mary and the baby Jesus, leaving only nine dots as opposed to the original ten. The background colour of the canton is sometimes red and sometimes blue for the Dean and Chapter. The coat of arms can be seen all around the Cathedral, on the text blocks of Worcester’s medieval manuscripts and on some of the post-medieval books belonging to the Cathedral.

The red and blue canton

 

The idea of the torteaux in the Worcester Diocesan design comes from the coat of arms of the Giffard family. Bishop Godfrey Giffard was Bishop of Worcester from 1268-1302. Godfrey was also made the Lord Chancellor of England which was one of the most important positions in the Medieval English government. The King permitted Bishop Godfrey to fortify his residences of Worcester and Hartlebury.

Prince Arthur Tudor was the eldest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was buried in Worcester Cathedral and his chantry, which is located to the right of the High Altar, near the tomb of King John, still remains today. Bishop Giffard was buried near the High Altar, and his monument has been incorporated into the design of Prince Arthur’s Chantry.

But some of you may just know it as “Nine dots, Nine bars” – the annual leaver’s bar crawl through Worcester!

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (8)

On the Eighth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…eight oarsmen.

An oar-some success from the past!

After the Worcester King’s School eight won the junior eights trophy at Marlow Regatta held on the Thames in 1960, the crew set their sights on competing at Henley the following year. Coached by Mr. R. D. Knight, Martin Hook (Chappel House 1951-1961) was a member of the first crew that went to Henley in 1961. In the 31st issue of ‘Connect’ celebrating the King’s Boat Club’s 135th Anniversary, Hook contributed some of his memories from his time rowing at the school:

Because of the discipline and punishment regime of the day during our junior years, we always had a full crew that turned up on time – no going out in an eight with one of the seats tied up”. He said that with the background of King’s and it’s excellent training stretch, they “had no excuse for not giving the opposing crew ‘a real race'”.

Below is the selection list for the Princess Elizabeth Cup, Henley 1961 – an early start!

1961 Henley VIII

 

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (7)

On the Seventh Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…seven Netball players.

A blast from the pass!

In a successful 1986 Netball season, Clare O’Riordan captained the first VII team which was coached by Mrs. Anstey. The weather throughout the season during which the first team played ten matches – winning six, drawing one and losing only three, was remarkably kind. Goal Attack and captain of the team, O’Riordan along with Alison Mackenzie (Goal Shooter) scored the team’s 163 goals while the defence only allowed their opponents to score 149 goals. The centre court players also fought well throughout the season to provide the shooters with goal-scoring opportunities.

At the end of the season, full colours were awarded to O’Riordan and Wing Attack Mandy Harvey, while half colours were awarded to Centre Julia Simcock, Goal Defence Catherine Phillips, Goal Keeper Jo North and Centre of the second team, Kate Amphlett.

The 1986-87 1st VII

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (6)

On the Sixth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…six other King’s schools.

King’s Worcester is one of seven “King’s Schools” established or re-endowed by Henry VIII following the dissolution of the Benedictine cathedral monastery. Henry VIII established the new Foundation to provide education to “forty boys, poor and destitute of the help of friends, of native genius…and apt to learn.”

On Tuesday 12th November 1991, in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke Of Edinburgh, the combined choirs and orchestra of the King’s Schools of Canterbury, Chester, Ely, Gloucester, Peterborough, Rochester and Worcester presented ‘A Celebration of Kings’ at The Royal Albert Hall to mark the 450th anniversary of their foundation or re-foundation by King Henry VIII.

The Royal Albert Hall

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The Twelve Days of King’s-mas! (5)

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…Fives courts.

In the 17th Century at Eton College, students played a game while waiting for chapel involving hitting a ball against the wall. It became a success that soon became a nationwide sport with courts based on the chapel’s architecture up and down the country. There are several codes of the sport including the popular Eton Fives (a 3-wall game) and Rugby Fives (a 4-wall game) which was formalised at Rugby School, hence the name “Rugby Fives.”

The first Fives court at King’s had been built some few years before 1879 in the corner of the old playground on the Promenade backing on to the ruins, which though technically out of bounds, had to be explored in search of lost balls. It had been provided by a fund subscribed by the Dean and Chapter, Masters, O.V.s and other friends of the School. Below, Mr.A.P. Bolland contributes some information which suggests that not all the enthusiasm was due to pure love of the game: 

In 1889, two Rugby Fives Courts were built in the new playground. They were opened by a match between the Headmaster (Mr. Bolland) and the Headmaster of Malvern College (Rev. W. Grundy) but history seems not to have recorded the winner. The restoration of these courts, and the provision of a third to the east of them, was part of the War Memorial. 

Fives courts as part of The King’s School War Memorial