Young Old Millhillians

YOMS Christmas Drinks 2009

A sudden and unexpected snow storm in North London on the 21st December played havoc with the YOMs Christmas drinks, with the consequence that many were unable to get there. There was chaos on the roads and tube lines, yet some 25 or so intrepid OMs made it to the Hammers, most having made it on foot. What some will do for a free drink!
There were three sets of siblings (Tom & Will Wright, Katie & Tom Anderson, and Stuart & James Ellen) and a broad spread of ages ranging from elder statesmen such as Ollie Sander and Duncan Beckman (who is about to train as a civil aviation pilot) to recent school leaver Samatha Davis fresh from her first term at Cambridge. A good time was had by all.

Young Old Millhillians (YOMS) are OMs under the age of 25. The Club is always keen to involve those who have just left School and there are a variety of particular benefits.

You are automatically a full member of the Club until you reach the age of 25.
You receive reduced priced tickets for attending social events such as the Cocktail Party and Annual Dinner.
OMs in Leeds, Taunton, Manchester, Cambridge and Edinburgh organise regular dinners and welcome YOMS who are studying nearby with reduced priced tickets.
Sponsorship – The Club has funds if you are undertaking an unusual or special project such as a charity bike ride or working abroad. The Club does not contribute to any charity but to OMs who are looking for support.
Careers Help.
YOMS in further education are welcome to attend the professional dinners run by the Club such as City dinner, property, engineering, legal & medical. These dinners often provide a valuable point of career contact.
We are always looking to organise social events for YOMS and every year we host Christmas drinks at the ‘Three Hammers’ pub where the first drink is free!
Don’t forget you can use the National Liberal Club but remember to take your membership card and men need to wear a jacket and tie. You can take guests and it is a great place to impress.
Sports – many YOMs play for the cricket, rugby, golf and fives teams, even if they can only make it in the holidays.
It is vital that we have your up to date email and postal address so we can keep in touch. Please contact Shalaka in the Club office. e sk@millhill.org.uk
We would love to hear from you if you would like to help or have any ideas. We need someone to publicise our events on Facebook and Friends reunited so do get in touch if you are interested.

Financial Help for YOMS in further education. Are you a University student looking for an academic grant or bursary?

If you are in further education and a former pupil of Mill Hill you should be entitled to apply for a bursary or an award from the Schools Competition Act Settlement Trust if you would like some financial support for a course. If you go to the website www.scast.org.uk you will find an explanation and details of the awards available. Provided you are 18 and under 30 and it is more than six years since you first attended Mill Hill School you are eligible.

The objects of the Trust are to:

Make awards or bursaries to beneficiaries which can be used in pursuit of higher or further education;
Provision of financial assistance, including equipment and travel, to beneficiaries in the pursuit of their studies or research;
Otherwise furthering the education of the beneficiaries.

As you will see from the website, the awards are not insubstantial and since there are only 50 contributing schools, it is well worth investigation: as well as General Bursaries there are awards for Post Graduate education and research and you can get support for a particular educational project such as a medical elective.

YOMS Christmas Drinks 2008

Over 60-70 YOMS turned up for Christmas drinks at the Three Hammers pub in Mill Hill on the 22nd December. It was an informal and thoroughly enjoyable evening with OMs catching up with old school friends. Alan Toulson, President of the OMC, Andy Mortimer Chairman and Tim Corbett Hon Sec also attended.

ODA Project Nepal 2008

Sarah Rachael Shaul

After leaving Mill Hill last year, and whilst there having been involved in the partnership project to Tamil Nadu, I knew that I wished to take part in a similar project in the summer after my first year at Oxford University. Thus this last summer and preceding year I became involved with ‘Oxford Development Abroad’. ODA is a student based charity that organizes trips to Morocco, Nepal and Uganda for students who, through their own fund raising, wish to travel in order to execute projects that assist development in the areas that need it most.

Our project was based around a school that was in need of roofing, the construction of smokeless stoves and soak pits in the neighbouring areas and teaching English in the village primary school and local youth group. Although the initial project proposition had made it clear that the area where we were to reside and work for 5 weeks was ‘remote’ it failed to warn us of its extreme isolation in the mountains. My very first initial memory of Nepal is therefore that of the hair-raising, bumpy and precarious cliff drive up to the village; the jeep following a ‘road’ often prone to landslides. Needless to say, the hilly terrain of our village’s location meant that everything we did was an uphill hike. Despite this however (and of course the common local perception held that a construction team of five girls would be unable to deal with the work in such conditions) the project was completed on time and without any major problems. The roofing of the school went smoothly and was completed first. We later visited it to see it in full use and classes well underway. Similarly, the 11 smokeless stoves and 15 soak pits were all constructed on time, something which was especially important to us as they promise to provide the most benefits for the community. Whilst the smokeless stoves are essential for lowering the number of respiratory problems provoked by the locals’ constant use of smoky, open stoves for their cooking, the soak pits ensure clean domestic utensils all year round.

What most struck us about the community in which we were working was its organization and pro-active attitude. The community meetings made it clear that, unlike in most Nepalese mountainous villages, they had made an effort to abandon the prevalent caste system in order to give women a leading role in the community as well as establish a more democratic, unified work ethic. Despite the fact that the villagers often seemed to presume that we just had money to give them, which sometimes proved a little uncomfortable, we managed to work well alongside them and by the end they seemed happy for us to take on some more of the skilled aspects of the manual labour we executed. Our teaching also gave us time to interact with the people that lived around us, something that proved more difficult to do than we had expected due to local custom and tradition. Although the level of English was very poor, the children and adults that attended the classes always proved willing; indeed when we aborted classes one day for a fun sports day they were thoroughly disappointed and asked us that we give classes only in future. It was due to this evident enthusiasm, yet lack of available resources, that we were prompted to spend our micro-fund on books and posters for the school that we worked at before we left.

There is no doubt that without the money donated this project would not have been possible. I would therefore like express my sincerest gratitude to The Old Millhillian’s Club on behalf of my team and ODA, for donating what they did in order that such a community received the help they so desperately needed.

Sarah Rachael Shaul,
St. Anne’s College, Oxford

The 3 Peaks Jogle

John O’Groats to Land’s End via Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon

When I set out to start to plan and complete this challenge, I had expectations of what the journey would be like both mentally and physically but reading other people’s stories and imagination can only prepare you so much for something as epic as what I was going to undertake. On the 12^th April I set out from John O’Groats, the Northern tip of Scotland aiming to walk to Lands End, not an unusual trip but any means but for my end to end trip I was going to add the ascent of the three highest peaks in the UK to my journey; Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, a feat which no one had yet completed entirely on foot and unsupported.

I left John O’Groats at 9.00am on the Saturday and it was an amazing feeling crossing the start line and knowing that from that moment on, I would walk six days a week for 10 weeks with the 20kg of equipment that I needed to be fully self sufficient and prepared for almost all eventualities; navigation equipment, tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food, water etc. I was almost immediately greeted with a wet ‘hello’ from the Scottish weather, giving me an insight in what could be to come throughout my time in Scotland. Completing the first day and arriving in Wick to be greeted by my parents, who were with me for the first two days of the trip, gave me a great feeling of relief that finally after months of planning, preparation and many sleepless nights, I was finally moving. At last, the easy part!

Scotland itself, is a place of immense beauty and awe, and as a lone walker moving through the mountains, hills, glens and lochs, I felt amazingly humbled to be able to access places that only those on foot can and to be able to move at a pace that whilst covering ground, allowed me to soak up each sight, sound and the occasional heavy downpour! The first two weeks however, whilst experiencing some amazing areas, particularly the Great Glen Way along the side of Loch Ness with snow covered mountains in the background, was incredibly tough physically. Pain in my feet, shoulders and hips were major problems for me and unfortunately some days were spent moving from waypoint to waypoint with little regard for the scenery around me. I was uplifted when I met a guy who was nearing the end of his cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats, who was from Muswell Hill (a town near where I live) which really lifted my spirits, in what was quite a tough time in the trip. I reached Fort William only one day behind my schedule and prepared for my attempt on the summit of Ben Nevis the following day.

My brother Stuart, who had driven up to join me, and I started in earnest the next day for what, for both of us, was our first outing on ‘The Ben.’ The rain and clouds soon closed in and we soon found ourselves navigating in dense cloud, deep snow and driving winds. It was scary at times, but thankfully due to a bit of determination and handy GPS work we arrived triumphantly at the summit to find an eerie calm and around seven feet of snow cover. Our descent was a lot easier, as the snow conditions allowed us to make quick time and in just over six hours we were back at the base of the mountain. One peak down, 200 miles completed.

Stuart then left me and I picked up the West Highland Way from Fort William to Milngavie. It was a remarkable change to the past two weeks, but it produced some of the best walking and scenery of the entire trip, especially Glen Coe. I also had my first day of solid rain on the WHW! My body began to heal, including a mystery ‘sore’ on the bottom of my foot, which caused me a lot of discomfort, and I really enjoyed that particular leg of the trip. Arriving in Glasgow, for a day off, provided another change of pace and atmosphere to the trip. I then moved down towards the border, with my parents, again joining me for a few days. Crossing the border into England was a tremendous feeling and I met one of the many ‘End to Ender’s’ heading north on a bike. We exchanged stories and headed our separate ways. A few days later I headed out from Carlisle to Skiddaw, one of the longest days, but also incredibly spectacular as the landscape dramatically on the edge of the national park from farmland to rolling hills and I spent the night at the highest Youth Hostel in the UK in amazing solitude. I moved through the busy Keswick on an incredible hot day, which culminated in convectional thunderstorms in Borrowdale. They don’t call it the wettest place in England for nothing!

Scafell was next, again with my brother along with my Uncle and his dog, Digger. This was the only peak where I carried my full Bergen for the climb rather than a daysac, as I was going up and then over into Great Langdale, rather than coming back down to where I had started. The day was perfect and due to the practices that Stuart and I had done in February, navigation was a lot easier and it gave me a chance to enjoy the stunning views from a clear summit. The descent was long and not helped by the fact that Stuart and I ran out of water but all was saved by a well earned pint once we reached the bottom and celebrated two out of three.

My ‘half way point’ was Windemere, where I spent two days resting up before pushing down through Preston and St. Helens. I thought that this would have been the toughest leg in terms of suburb and town walking but thankfully, my concern was unfounded as I made great progress, clocking up some of my best mileage of the trip, 26 miles in one day.

Wales saw another drastic change in scenery and yet another dimension to the trip and having worked across the North of the country, I linked up with a friend, Ross Keiderling, and together we summited the final Peak, Snowdon, and then traversed back across the country, through Welshpool and picked up the Offas Dyke Trail. My arrival in Ross on Wye saw a large resupply by my family and a nice surprise of having my tent put up for me! We ushered in the final big leg along the South West with the first BBQ of the summer before Ross and I finished our Welsh segment of the trip, straddling the border down to Pandy, near Monmouth and having great fun picking up fragments of the Welsh language!

A few days later, saw me crossing the River Severn, an amazing experience on foot and it signalled the final leg of the trip and an amazing achievement so far. With Ross and my family having left me in Pandy, I had to readjust to being by myself again, having had 24hr company for the past 10days. The stretch across the Exmoor hills, saw me enjoy some of the best weather of the trip, with many days spent in t-shirt and shorts but with the added pressure of maintaining enough fluids in my body to make the miles. Reaching Barnstaple and the start of my leg on the South West Coast Path inspired a new vigour in me, as I hadn’t walked the coast line since I left Inverness many weeks before. A little further down the coast I reached the 1000 mile mark at the North End of Perran Sands and I never thought I would be so happy to have reached a patch of Sand!

I really enjoyed the friendly nature of everyone I met on the coast as I walked, including a guy who was arriving in Newquay, having walked the South West Coast Path from Poole! The weather unfortunately turned quite heavy after some glorious days and I found not glorious days of sun in the final stretches of Cornwall, as I had hoped, but some of my dampest days, including my last full day on the road from Hayle, through St. Ives, to Pendeen where I was soaked to the skin, including having wet feet, my kit having obviously decided to finally give up after a long time of constant abuse!

My final day saw a soggy start but one with sadness but also joy. Sad that this incredible experience, one which I had fully immersed myself in for the past 10 weeks was now coming to an end but glad that I would soon see my family and friends and be able to not worry about mileage, navigation, water consumption and just generally trekking! So in a final foggy last effort, I at last headed down the final stretch of road to the Lands End complex where I was greeted by friends and family with balloons and banners amongst other things and having imagined the day for many weeks and thought about what I was going to do, I was hit by a sudden drain of energy and for the first time since I started, I felt absolutely shattered. Lands End Finish: 21^st June, 11.00am.

This trip has changed my life, my outlook on things, my priorities and it has taught me to enjoy the little and simple things in life. Knowing that I have now come almost 1048 miles and visited some of the most spectacular places that the UK has to offer yet realising it was not just a geographical journey but one that has made me explore my limits and what I am capable of is the most important thing for me. Many people never explore what the UK has to offer but it has everything you could want: beaches, mountains, coast, forests and much more; if only there was a little less rain!

I would not have been able to do any of this without the incredible support of my friends, colleagues, strangers, sponsors and well-wishers who all gave me the encouragement and help that I needed but most of all to my family for putting up with the ups and downs and late night planning but for giving me the love and support that helped me finish. I raised £7000 which will be divided between my three chosen charities.

Thank you for all of your support throughout the trip.

James Ellen

Supported By

Snugpak, The Old Millhillians, Alleyn’s School Combined Cardet Force, Mill Hill School Combined Cadet Force, Isle of Scilly Travel, Regatta great outdoors, Wayfayrer Foods, Bryher Campsite, Channel 7 Media and Cotswold.