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A Short History of Victoria College: 1990-1999

Compiled by A.M. Bellows

See also Sources and Selections

 *Under Construction*

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

1990

New teachers beginning this year at Victoria College were Jean Crosby (English and General Studies), Bernadette Doyle (Biology and Chemistry), Miriam Fekete (head of history) and Stephen Van Neste (Biology and Geography).
 
There was also a new Gardien and Head Porter. Terry Roberts took over the post vacated by Reg Poingdestre.
 
Danny Lloyd won the first "under 25 prize" in the J.J. Fox Painting Exhibition at the Arts Centre; Michael Ritzema also had work selected for the Exhibition. However, the most notable prize was won by a teacher. Art master Robert Tilling won a major prize from 3,000 entries at the International Drawing Biennale.
 
Victorians were again making their mark in diverse ways. Pupils Lee Mullin and Chris Kembe were in the Jersey Team for the European Surfing Championships in Portugal. James Hargrove won a place in the West of England Cricket Team.
 
After last years successes in shooting, it was a disappointment when Elizabeth College won the Ashburton Shield Match at Bisley, beating Victoria College.
 
It was bad news also in cricket, where the Dorey Cup was lost to Elizabeth College by 7 games to 2.
 
A new activity introduced by Mr Martland was Desk Top Publishing; this used the Archimedes computers and also the Acorns with a DTP package.
 
In May, a science expedition of twenty-four boys went to stay at St Aubin’s Fort from the 11th to the 13th. Projects included astronomy, making a tide table graph, completing a weather report, exploring the surrounding rock pools, and writing up about specimens observed.
 
The School Play, "Hotel Paradiso", was directed by Mike Talibard, and starred Dominic McDonald (Benedict), Jane Delmer (Angelique) and Dave Bryon (Martin).
 
The arts also saw a London Theatre trip, were pupils saw a number of plays - "A Midsummer Nights Dream" at the Barbican (RSC production), "Return to the Forbidden Planet" at the Cambridge Theatre, "Peer Gynt" at the Olivier Theatre (National), "A Clockwork Orange" (RSC) and "The Cherry Orchard".
 
The school’s annual General Knowledge Quiz was won by Dominic McDonald (year 6) and Marc Read (year 7) with scores of 132 of a possible 150. Perhaps because of the boning up on matters of general knowledge to take part in this, Victoria College won the Inter-School quiz for the 11 to 14 age group organised by the Jersey Junior Chamber of Commerce, with a winning team of Christopher Shelton, Daniel Bunting, Jonathan Nobes and Simon Boyden.
 
Dominic McDonalds also travelled to the USA with fellow pupil Ian Dallain to visit colleges there and study settlement patterns.
 
The exchange teacher from the USA at College, Dan Zoeller, supervised his 7th year tutor group in an environmental project, collecting aluminium cans for recycling. 1,000 cans had been collected this year.
 
The summer term saw the departure of a number of teachers - Frank Norwood, Stephen Van Neste, Dan Zoeller and Eve Allen. Mr Zoeller had enjoyed his year as an exchange teacher from the USA, and was sad to leave the Island so soon.
 
In September, John Le Breton relinquished his role as Head of Mathematics to A.J. Dykes. Mr Le Breton took up his new appointment as 2nd Vice Principal.
 
The Victoria College Trust Fund published its first Annual report. Since its foundation, it had raised £16,485, and spent £3,200. Monies spent had been on dinghies and equipment for the College Sailing Club, colour printers for the Prep. Computers, and a dimmer lighting system for Prep.
 
It was a good year for funding as the Midland Bank Trust Corporation donated £4,000 towards enhancing the computer provision in the Science Department. This was used to buy three BBC computers with trolleys (bringing the total to eight), and four VELAs, bringing the total to five. The VELA or VErsatile Laboratory Apparatus was a most useful piece of multi-purpose equipment for scientific work, combining a timer, frequency meter, long or short period data collected, radiation counter, and several other devices.
 
Throughout the year, work continued on the repair and restoration of the College buildings; in particular, the granite stonework was being treated with a hydrochloric mix and hosing down (to clean it), then repointing was taking place, and downpipes replaced; soft stone was being replaced as it was becoming porous, and windows replaced with leaded-lights windows; various aspects of this work was carried out on the main building, Howard Davis building, Science Block and the New Building. It was hoped that the contractors, the aptly named Cathedral Works, would complete the stonework repairs by Christmas.
 
Addition building work included improvements to the Pavilion, begun in Autumn 1990, a new heating system for the main school building, and the refurbishment of "Tatam" as a main school office. The year also saw the finalisation of plans for an extension to the New De Cartaret block.
 
News of Old Victorians continued, with Philip Ozouf now studying management at the European Business School in London. Another Old Victorian, the Reverend Stephen Mourant, was appointed vicar at Harlow in Essex, having previously been priest-in-charge at the same parish. The poet Jeremy Reed published a novel and a book of poems. And Jolyon Baker, actor, won a part in the West End production of Les Miserables.
 
Locally, Old Victorian the Rev. Michael St John Nicole took over the editorship of the Jersey Anglican Church magazine "The Pilot". Another Old Victorian, Rev. Terry Hampton helped some East Germans in their escape from West Germany while on holiday with his family. And artist Ian Rolls had his first exhibition of paintings in water colours at Studio 18 for ten years; this included a painting of Victoria College.
 
Sadly, the year saw the death of Old Victorian Peter Gorton Baker from cancer. Born in 1920, this distinguished Jerseyman had been St Helier Connetable for the period 1973 to 1983, and Jurat of the Royal Court from 1983 onwards.
 
There was also news of former teachers at College. Geoff Powell was appointed chaplain to the Oxford pastorate, and lay pastor at St Algates, Oxford. M.C. Green retired from his Open University Tutorship.