2023-2024 Season
Points at Polwhele, April |
Two Polwhele Fencing teams carried off a superb victory in the inaugural Points at Polwhele team event over the weekend, with a combined points score of 120. Bouts were fiercely contested, but at all times preserved the character of courteous and frank encounters. The precision and accuracy on the piste would have satisfied the most demanding of navigators, and the sportsmanship was as true north. It was a thrilling and successful competition filled with camaraderie, sportsmanship, and memorable bouts. Thank you and congratulations to all who fenced and helped make this event possible.
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LPJS Truro (and CFU Champs), March |
13 fencers represented the school at the LPJS Foil Competition at the Cornwall Fencing Centre. Amongst the medals that were awarded Polwhele Fencers were, at U10 a SILVER for Clemmie, BRONZES for Grace Perryman and Grace Paull; SILVER for Tommy Heath and BRONZE for Will Chapman. These were good results at what is a national ranking attracting fencers from all over the country aiming to achieve national team qualification and also international fencers seeking to gain experience.
This event also served as our Cornwall Country Championships, and we are delighted to announce that we now have three Cornwall Champions at Polwhele: Clemmie (U10 Girls Champion), Tommy (U10 Boys Champion) and Josh Bhirth (12 Boys Champion). Also fencing for Polwhele Fencing Club is Olivia (Jago’s Sister), who was U17 Girls Champion. Polwhele was awarded Best School in Foil for 2024 in Cornwall. |
British School Team Championships, February |
Polwhele A clinched the bronze medal at the British School Team Championships held at Millfield School this year. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as our athletes showcased their prowess in this fiercely contested event.
The entire Polwhele community extends hearty congratulations to both the A and B teams for their outstanding performances. Our thanks to Millfield for hosting this important national event. |
Fight Night: Twelfth Night |
We fought to three hits in two poules of five across two pistes with the intention of promoting the first ranked fencer from each poule to a final DE. Clemmie and Will were tied on victories, hits scored and hits received, but Clemmie had won in their bout, so was promoted from piste 1. On the other side of the hall, a fierce battle had evolved, with Tommy dropping only two hits (both to Josh), and claiming the other place in the final. Congratulations to Tommy on winning this term's Sword of Power. Clemmie, Henry and Barney claim medals for being top in their year groups. Many thanks to everyone who came to spectate, help score, referee, clip and unclip and support. The next Fight Night will on 3 May.
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LPJS, London, November |
Will competed at the Royal Masonic School over the weekend. It was a superb competition with fiercely contested bouts. Will represented the school with real grit and determination till the last hit of his DE bout where he was eliminated. We are proud of this plucky performance. Well done!
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Buckland Handicap, November. |
Buckland: A competition with a venerable history, and also a superb day’s fencing for Polwhele. Congratulations to Tommy on his U10 silver medal and Best Boy, and to newcomer Archer on a stellar debut which saw him claim a bronze medal! The nature of the competition meant that the more experienced fencers had to work just that little bit harder to maintain the upper hand, and certainly no one was going to make this easy. We were very pleased with the grit and determination shown by all our fencers. Well done to all!
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Fixture v Millfield Prep, November. |
This was only our second fixture, this time to Glastonbury to visit Millfield Prep School. We had hoped to take three teams, which we had to reduce to two, and then on the day to just one on account of illness. Undaunted, our Polwhele Four took on both Millfield Teams, which may have made for a late return - but no one mentioned this and all were very glad to have had the maximum fencing. We counted 50 hits to Polwhele to 30.
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Westley Foil, October. |
We competed at the Westley Junior Foil competition, which drew entries from around the South West. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day with much good fencing. Tommy came second in U10 Boys while Josh claimed the bronze medal. Clemmie was awarded the bronze medal in the U10 Girls.
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Fight Night, The Fight For Nature |
Fiercely contested on the piste, we fenced a poule unique of six to three hits. This term's Fight Night, which took place in the same week as World Animal Day, was in support of the Cornwall Wildlife Conservatory, who care for local endangered species. Each fencer reflected on the fighting style of their chosen animal and then brought this spirit to the piste. Congratulations to the medal winners and thank you to all who took part, refereed, set up the hall and kept score.
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LPJS Cambridgeshire |
Super competition, and much closer than Cambridge, USA. Congratulations to both of our fencers, who were both knocked out in the direct elimination rounds, but enjoyed some excellent fencing and returned over the Tamar with new ideas and filled with enthusiasm for our wonderful sport.
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2022-2023 Season
LPJS, Bristol
On the first day of the half term holiday six of our seven travelled to Bristol for an LPJS event, (The seventh having only just returned from the French Trip.) The competition was fierce and of excellent quality. We learned the importance of developing a confident riposte as we kept being punished for delayed actions with swift remises from our opponents. Another good day's fencing.
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Fight Night: The Coronation Caper |
During the first half of the Trinity Term our Fight Night was the Coronation Caper, which was a team event fenced over two consecutive Friday’s. Congratulations to Team Royal Corgi (Ricky, Henry and Josh) who won 45-39 in a superb first Italian Relay Team event against Team Royal Guards (Jago, Will and Clemmie.) This was our first experience of fencing in team events, where strategy and tactics are quite different from individual events.
The teams were almost neck and neck by the end of day one. Early on day two, it looked like it would be a runaway victory for the Corgis, but the Royal Guards rallied and for a while looked like they would regain control of the parade ground in some nail-biting bouts. It was not to be, though, as the Corgi's brought home the victory with composure under fire. |
Fight Night: Easter Escrime |
Congratulations to the victors. 7 Prep Fencers competed over two pistes in a pool unique to 5 hits. FN Easter Eggs were awarded for the best indirect action and the best ears. 5 Lyonhearts Fencers followed suit and with Hanene ousting Johan from the top spot by only one point.
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British School Team Champs, March 2019 |
We entered two teams in this year's BSTC. Amelia, Isla and Evie were the youngest fencers competing on the day, and attracted a fair deal of attention with their good control of distance and clever bladework. Jake, Will and Dylan began the day with determination, but a sense they would be meeting some very experienced and skilful teams on the piste. However, it became apparent from the start that we were performing better than expected in the first round of poules. A win in the first round of DE was a seminal moment for our team. A second win in the second round of DE against St Benedict's was also completely unexpected, leaving us both euphoric and exhausted, with a two point lead at 45-43 with seconds left on the clock. The boys finally went out in the third DE, securing second place in our table, and 7th overall. Superb results. Superb fencing. Superb competition. Thank you British Fencing,
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LPJS Newham, November |
Well done, Ameila on representing the School at this event. Wonderfulness in plentitude.
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LPJS Bath, November |
Lily, Arlo, Will, Dylan and Victor were our Fab Five in Bath this weekend. It was a busy competition and the hall was bursting at the seems. Plenty of real grit was required as the standard of competition was high. All out by the second round of DE, but an excellent day's fencing was had by all.
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Buckfast Handicap, October |
Jake (5th) and Amelia (6th) represented Roselyon at the Buckfast Handicap this year, which was held in Plymouth. Jake had a mountain to climb in his fights, as with more competitive experience, the rules of this event saw him start each fight with a -2 handicap. Amelia also won the BEST GIRL in the U9 event - well done to both!
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Redmaids Fixture, October |
Lily, Arlo, Victor and Lola travelled to Redmaids High Junior School in Bristol and fenced a most enjoyable team match against the redcoat girls. Roselyon were victorious, but Sport, Friendship and Fencing were the true winners on the piste. This is our longest standing fixture and one we look forward to continuing. Having said goodbye to our new friends at the Junior School, we packed away our fencing kit in double time and walked across green to the Senior School, where our fencers exchanged foils for pencils and became young mathematicians. As always, Douglas delivered a scintillating challenge. This year we came 27th out of the 55 schools represented. Many thanks to Mrs Njoh and Mrs Harley for accompanying us, Douglas, and of course Redmaids for their hospitality and for hosting this event.
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World Fencing Day, 2018 |
We enjoy World Fencing Day. But this year, our Cream Tea caused a frightful fracas as you will see from the video below. Produced and directed by Phil, this comedic masterpiece includes runaway performances from Sally and Johan. Ewan, Alfie Amelia, Arlo and Minnie collectively receive the coveted Duchy Award for their outstanding debuts in this global comedic phenomenon. Thanks to Sally for organising, Hanane for the photography, Lynne and Nikki for driving and to Tregothnan Estate for allowing us to occupy their tea plantation. No tea time treats were harmed during the production of this film.
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LPJS Wales, July |
One season ends, and another begins. Amelia, Will, Victor, Arlo, Elliot and Alfie braved an unprecedented head wave, in what was the hottest day of the ear, with temperatures inside the hall soaring to a blistering 40 degrees. And it was worth it! The adverse conditions brought out the tiger in all our fencers and there were some superb performances. Amelia (BRONZE) faced stiff competition from her first bout and impressed everyone; her final DE match was thrilling. Will was knocked out in a nail-biting DE match (10-9) by the narrowest of margins. Victor returned to the piste with confidence and style and made some excellent ripostes. Another personal best for Elliot, with some really exciting, gritty matches, which we loved. Arlo fought well, but was knocked out in the DE. Alfie (GOLD) was the last man standing, fighting off successive challenges to bring home the trophy. Well done to all. What a great way to start the new season.
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The Tea Time at the End of the Year, July |
The 'chee-ows' of choughs from the croquet lawn was a sonorous counter-riposte to the snicker-snack of free-play blades drawn on the back lawn as the Tea Time at the End of the Year (TTATEOTY) heralded the end of the fencing season. This term we bid farewell and good fencing to Elliot, Jasmine, both Alfie's, Billy, Wawa, Jonny and Scarlett. Thank you to our extraordinary Chairperson, Hanene and the Lyonhearts for providing such a scrumptious tea. Thank you also to Kelly's of Bodmin (An old Roselyon Family) for letting us borrow their ice-cream van to mediate the mellifluous heat of the afternoon. Thank you to all our fencers, parents and families for another superb year. Have a good break and return fighting fit in September.
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CEP Marathon Fleuret, June |
Congratulations to Alfie and Arlo, who competed in Paris at the CEP Marathon Fleuret. Over 38 countries were represented. After a difficult first round in the U10 boys foil, Arlo made an excellent come-back, being ranked 12th at the end of the second round of poules before being knocked out. Arlo finished 43rd overall. Alfie had a superb day's fencing in the U11boys foil with consistently good results in the poules. He finished in 22nd place, and can be very proud of this achievement. Well done!
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Dunstan Foil, June |
Amelia strikes GOLD, Miniver BRONZE. Miniver, Amelia, Talon and Ewan competed in the Dunstan Foil in Glastonbury this weekend, alongside parents and Lyonhearts Phil, Sally, Hanene and Johan. This is a unique fixture and a firm favourite on our calendar as there are age groups ranging from U9 to Veteran. Nathan, parent of Talon, has won this event two years in a row. The fencing was fun, fierce and spirited. Congratulations to Amelia on GOLD in the U9 Girls Foil. Amelia pulled off this tremendous feat, winning her final 10-8. Congratulations no less to Miniver on BRONZE. Our thanks to Sue and her team for running this superb event.
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British Youth Championships, 2018 |
It's a SILVER for Arlo, Alfie and Billy in U11 Boys Foil. AlfieH, Elliot and Jonny were on top form till they were knocked out in the DE by none other than the other Roselyon team. Wawa, Jasmine and Lily finished 5th, a superb result. We are all very proud. Well done!
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U10 British Youth Championships, May 2018 |
Very well done to Arlo on SILVER at the U10 BYCs. It was a closely fought final, Arlo was 8-6 up with a minute left. Three very close calls saw Arlo lose by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling climax to the event. Will and Talon made good headway in the poules before being knocked out in the DE. Minnie, Evie and Amelia flew the flag with distinction for Roselyon in the U11 Girls Foil.
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Challenge Wratislavia, March 2018 |
Alfie (55th) and Arlo (9th) fenced in Poland this weekend at the Wratislavia Challenge. The sheer scale of this competition is remarkable, with entries from all over the word. In the U11 boys foil there were 189 fencers. Alfie had a difficult first poule, losing two fights, which set him a mountain to climb in his DE fights. He won his first DE match 6-5, before narrowly losing to a Polish fencer 7-8 in the last 64. Arlo had a super poule round, ending with 100% victories and entering the DE in tied first position and a BYE in his first round of DE. In three consecutive DE bouts, Arlo won, 8-0, 7-3, 8-2. He lost 8-2 in the last 16 to a fellow GB fencer. Arlo finished 9th, missing the medal table by just one place! A superb competition and a triumphant performance from both boys.
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CFU Champs, Wellington Champs, March 2018 |
It was another monster weekend for Rosleyon Fencing with championship events on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Cornwall Fencing Union Championships on Saturday saw FIVE new Cornish Champions returning to Roselyon and a tremendous haul no fewer than FIFTEEN medals. AlfieB claimed GOLD in U12 and U14 Boys Foil. Wawa claimed the U12 Girls Foil GOLD. Arlo took the U9 Boys Foil GOLD and Mini claimed the U9 Girls Foil GOLD. Jonny, AlfieH, Mimi, Jake, Talon and Will added to the haul of medals variously with bronzes and silvers in abundance. Elliot wins our U12 'Fencer of the Day' for an excellent all round performance and Ewan wins U9 'Fencer of the Day' for his formidable fencing; both were unlucky not to make the medal table, having fenced very well in the first round. The Wellington Age Group Championship on Sunday resulted in GOLD for AlfieB, SILVER for Arlo and a BRONZE for Jonny in U11 Boys Foil. Elliot receives a 'Highly Commended' for his bout against Arlo, where he took an early lead, coming very close to beating the fencer most favoured to winby the end of the first round. Jasmine won BRONZE in U11 Girls Foil and Lily won a commendable 6th place. Dylan scooped a BRONZE in U9 Boys Foil. Jolly well done everyone. Thanks to all the officials and volunteers who made these events possible. As ever, our thanks and gratitude to Hanene for so generously taking these wonderful photographs. |
LPJS Cornwall, February 2018 |
The flu season was not gentle this year. Several of our fencers unable to attend and a good number of those who did, battling both the flu and their fencing opponents. It was however, a superb day's fencing. Arlo won SILVER in U11 boys foil, while DylanS won a BRONZE in U9 boys foil. In the U11 girls foil Lily won SILVER, Mimi and Amelia won joint BRONZE. Congratulations to on outstanding first competition to Evie and Will. It was a superb day and Roselyon was very well represented, despite the flu, with 12 fencers across the two venues.
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Redmaids Fixture, February 2018 |
It as lovely to renew this fixture after a year's absence. For the first time ever, we managed to field an all-girl squad of seven. Wawa, Jasmine and Scarlett represented Prep VI, Mini, Mimi, and Lily held the middle ground in ages, while Amelia was our youngest contestant. It was a lovely experience, and wonderful to see new friendships stuck from opposing ends of the piste. I'd like to thank Mrs Njoh and Mrs Burley for accompanying us and making this trip possible.
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ISA Nationals, SW Championships, January 2018 |
'Arlo wins GOLD at the ISA National Championships at the Leon Paul Fencing Centre in London. Fighting for the a spot in the final, Arlo came up against older brother Alfie, whom he managed to beat on the piste for the first time. Alfie and Billy went on to win a joint BRONZE, putting three Roselyon Fencers on the podium.
The following day, with little time to recover,the brothers joined teammates AlfieH and Jonny at the SW Foil Championships at Millfield School in Glastonbury. Another superb days fencing ensued, with AlfieH finishing 17th and Jonny 15th. Incredibly the U12 final again saw the brothers facing off against each other in a memorable and gritty fight. They matched each other point for point though much of the match, with the leading score switching several times. Ultimately though, it was the younger brother Arlo, who carried off the victory. Arlo, too young for selection, was awarded the GOLD medal and trophy, while brother Alfie claimed SILVER and joins Billy in representing the SW at the SW Championships in May in Sheffield. |
Bath School Teams, January 2018 |
The Millennium Foil Cup returned safely to its place on the library mantlepiece at Roselyon after the title was successfully defended for the fifth consecutive year!
AlfieB GOLD, and Arlo SILVER led the results table with Jonny only narrowly missing a medal in fourth place. AlfieH, Jasmine, Lily, Jake, Dylan, Ewan each made crucial contributions to the overall result in a tremendously successful days fencing. This event is all about teamwork and being part of something greater than oneself. We love it, and our thanks to Bath Swords Club for organising this superb event. |
LPJS Bath, December 2017 |
Nine fencers represented Roselyon in U11 Foil at LPJS Baths this weekend in the impressive Founders Hall at The University of Bath. AlfieB and Arlo were knocked out in the final eight in fiercely contested DE matches. Alfie's final hit was disallowed as his attack began just a fraction of a second after time expired. I cannot recall being more proud than watching Alfie, in one moment competing at highest intensity with, in his words 'everything to play for', and in the next removing his mask to shake hand with both his opponent and referee, with unrelenting good grace and control; sportsmanship to teach us all. The usual triumphs and disasters were met by the rest of the team with characteristic Roselyon good spirit and every one of our fencers and parents should be proud of what was achieved. Our U9s performed particularly well, given that this was an U11 event, and have gained much from the experience. Well done, Arlo, AlfH, Jasimine, Jake, Victor, Lily, Ewan, Elliot and AlfieB. Well done everyone, and thanks to our wonderful team of parents for a lovely day's fencing. As always, thank you Hanene for so generously sharing her photographic artistry with us!
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LPJS Fencers Club, November 2017 |
Alfie and Arlo notched up another excellent competitive experience this weekend at LPJS Fencers Club. Hard work and dedication, matched with competitive experience are an unstoppable combination.
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Triangular, November 2017
Lyonhearts hosted a thoroughly enjoyable triangular fixture involving teams from Tiverton, St Austell and Roselyon. Roselyon's Lyonhearts A lost 35-45 to Tiverton A and 29-45 to St Austell. Lyonhearts B lost 35-45 to Tiverton B and won 45-30 against Lyonhearts C, who lost 39-45 to Tiverton B. We were very pleased with the scores which reflected fairly evenly matched teams. Jolly well done to everyone on an excellent day and special thanks to Tiverton who made the long trek from Devon in order to take part in this event.
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LPJS Wrexham, November 2017
This weekend Arlo achieved a magnificent seventh GOLD medal in U9 Foil at LPJS Wrexham in North Wales. In the U11 boys foil Afie claimed SILVER in what has been described as a nail biting fight. Congratulations! We are beginning to wonder what the world record for the most gold medals in a season might be? In any event, this is a most impressive and rare accomplishment. Well done!
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Wycliffe Junior Open and Devon Senior Open, October 2017 |
Congratulations to Jonny on bringing home a very well earned U12 bronze from the Wycliffe Junior Foil Open this weekend. There were also outstanding performances from the other Roselyon fencers on the piste this weekend, who were AlfieH, Jasmine (8th), Jake (5th), Lily, Dylan and Ewan.
Closer to home, our Lyonhearts, Hanene, Sally, Johan and Phil were fencing at the Devon Senior Open in Okehampton and enjoyed an excellent competition. Congratulations to Emily on being the highest ranked cadet. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible. Other results to follow. |
LPJS Camden, October 2017
Wycliffe Year Group Challenge
Billy dominated the finals, winning 10-1 and claiming the Champion's title in an intense, high-octane bout which had focus and skilful exchanges. En route to his very well deserved victory, Billy found himself facing Jonny in the semis. This was as tense and closely contested as it was sportsmanlike. For Jonny, an unfortunate draw for the final tableau and the end of an excellent competition, which saw him finish tied in third place. Elliot put in a dazzling performance with mobility and dynamic fleche attacks, which we all agreed was entirely praiseworthy and full of promise. Ewan, the youngest Roselyon fencer on the piste this weekend, did us proud us with some superb, and technically pleasing, blade-work and well executed lunges. A very exciting and encouraging days fencing indeed.
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LPJS Cardiff, September 2017
Victory and another GOLD for Arlo at the U9 Cardiff LPJS Foil event at the Cardiff Fencing Academy! This was his 5th gold medal this year, a remarkable achievement, putting him inexorably at the top of the rankings. Talon made his debut with Roselyon and finished a very pleasing 15th. AlfieH, Elliot and Jonny joined Team Bason on the next day to fence in the U11 boys foil event. There were real triumphs, personal bests and some disappointments but all made it to the DE rounds. Both Alfie and Arlo made it through successive, tough rounds of DE before ending up on opposite sides of the piste in the final 8, everyone's worst nightmare. They traded hits in a thrilling and ferocious battle, where no quarter was asked or given. At the expirey of time, the brothers were tied at 6 points each at the end of the second period. With priority Alfie's favour, and seconds left on the clock, Alfie scored the winning his with a beautifully timed compound attack. Alfie went on to win his next DE fight before the final. This too was a superb demonstration of skill, which saw Alfie lose by a single hit 10-9 in the remaining moments of the bout, but winning a well deserved SILVER in U11 boys foil.
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The Season Begins... |
It was a fabulous start to the season this weekend. Arlo won the GOLD medal at LPJS Robin Hood in Nottingham, putting him in pole position in this year's Leon Paul Junior Series and Alfie made it to the final eight.
Back home in Cornwall, we had just finished our World Fencing Day celebrations at the Historic Port of Charles Town and were relaxing at Loveday's Restaurant when we heard the news. Dimitri Coutya (GB Wheelchair Fencer and current No.1 ranked in the world) joined us next to the tall ships, fencing and chatting to our young (and not so young) fencers, inspiring them with tales from the world of international fencing. Our fencers were thrilled to have the opportunity to fence with Dimitri, and many lasting, precious memories were made. Thanks to everyone who made World Fencing Day possible. See our video here fb.me/3BULb0CbA |
The Tea Time at the End of The Year |
Another fencing season draws to a close at Roselyon in the dappled shade under the trees on the back lawn. Our traditional end of year club fencing competition and gala final was once again followed by a most delicious, very British Tea organised by Mrs Basson, Ms Roberts and their army of helpers. It was heart warming to spend the day together, sharing the love of the sport one last time before the end of the year. The high level of proficiency, experience and camaraderie in the hall was unmistakable. Our 18 fencers fenced two poules of nine to three hits, with short intermissions for a fire drill and lunch, before gathering in the hall with the rest of the School, parents and guests for the gala final at 2pm. After a stirring rendering of our school song, all of our fencers gave us a demonstration, before we watched the top two from each poule battle out the final places in three very exciting bouts. This year's trophy was won by AlfieB. Arlo was second. Jonny and Grace tied third. The prize for sportsmanship was awarded to AlfieH. Prizes were graciously presented by Mr Keith Rogerson (Truro Fencing Club Chairman) and Mr Jim Pilkington (South West Fencing Chairman), whom we were delighted to welcome to our school. I would like to thank everyone, fencers, parents and colleagues for making this such a special event, and indeed for a super year of fencing.
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LPJS Welsh Foil, June 2017 |
It's a GOLD for Arlo at the LPJS Wales in Under 9 Boys Foil! Arlo won 10-4 in a thrilling final at the spacious stadium of the Welsh Institute for Sport. Alfie went out in the last 8 to the eventual winner, making an exciting semi-final, with team mates, Bill, AlfieH and Jake on hand to offer their encouragement and support. Another successful weekend. Well done, everyone.
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CFU Midi Event, June 2017 |
Thirteen Midi-Fencers from Prep 1, 2 and 3 took part in the first ever CFU Midi Event held at TFC. First there was a Sabre competition of two rounds of poules, then a Foil competition of the same.
In Foil, Dylan won GOLD, Ewan SILVER and Mini BRONZE. Ewan astonished everyone with a GOLD in Sabre, making him the overall (combined foil and sabre result) winner. Also in the medal tables for overall results, Mini was Runer-Up, and Amelia was tied 4th. Coaches Whitehead, Roberts and Steyn (and Bason from Wales) were delighted with their pupils' performances and the result of almost half a year of dedicated preparation. Coach Whitehead noted that you could see them 'grow in stature throughout the day.' Congratulations to everyone involved, from Photographer to Warmer-upers and Snack-providers. It was a lovely day of fencing and we look forward to a repeat in 2018! |
Dunstan, June 2017 |
What a tremendous first competition with fencers from Prep 3-6 and our Lyonhearts Open and Adult Group. They all fought like, ...well, Lyons. A special mention to Alfie who narrowly lost the finals 10-8 on an attack/counter attack to finish with second. Jonny too put up a spirited defence and finished third. Medals and awesome fencing from Joseph, Toby, Ewan and Mini (Bronze).
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Cornwall Fencing Union Age Groups, June 2017 |
Three Cornish Champions at Roselyon! Congratulations to the new Cornish Champions Grace (U14 Girls Foil), Jake (U10 Boys Foil) and Wawa (U10 Girls Foil)
There was a fabulously friendly atmosphere at this year's CFU Age Group, which was the first for time the competition has been run in recent memory. The U12 Boys and Girls fenced in the morning. Grace won GOLD, both in U12 and U14 girls foil, while Jasmine BRONZE and Wawa won SILVER in U12 girls foil with in stellar performances, winning medals in both U10 and U12. Wawa used speed and explosive power to claim a GOLD in U10 girls foil. .Jonny fenced up an age group and won SILVER, no mean feat! Joseph was earned a well deserved BRONZE. Victor was a very close BRONZE to Jake's GOLD in U10 boys foil. This was a superb victory for Jake, our new U10 Cornish Champion, which he has trained hard to achieve. He Very well done to Toby, Elliot, AlfieH, Dylan, Ewan and Lily who missed out on the medals this time, but fenced brilliantly and deserve buckets of praise for mighty and relentless fighting. |
LPJS Scotland, June 2017 |
Arlo took Davis Dore - one of the best under 11 fencers to 6-6 in the DE, Davis finally won, but it was by all accounts a tremendous bout, especially given that Arlo was fencing up an age group. A really brave performance from both boys. Alfie finally lost to Ethan 9-7 in the final tableau but not before he bagged yet another BRONZE! Well done!.
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ISA SW Championships, May 2017 |
Our team of 15 Roselyon fencers were hosted by Hatherop Castle School, which is nestled in the astonishingly beautiful Cotswolds in miles of rolling unspoilt countriside. We travelled up on Saturday and stayed in Hatherop's boarding house. On the first night we explored this fascinating medieval structure with it's turrets, towers, ancient gates, winding stairs and secret places. This was followed by a screening of The Princess Bride and a rather late bedtime. After breakfast the next morning, and an early morning walk, we gathered under the stone archways and intricate ceilings for a briefing from the competition organisers before making our way to our various fencing venues, which were split across three locations. What followed was a magnificent day's fencing set against the magnificent backdrop of the schools grounds. Grace won the U11 girls trophy, Alfie B won the U11 boys trophy, Arlo won the U9 boys trophy. Jonny brought home a SILVER medal in boys U11 foil, while Lily and Jake too BRONZE medals. Sincere thanks to the Mr Bromley and his team for running the event, to Mrs Easterbrook and our hosts, to Mrs Davis for accompanying us, to Mrs Steyn for her wonderful photographs to all the parents for supporting.
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Superb April and May Results, 2017
Some stunning results over the last two months. Arlo achieved a GOLD in U9 at LPJS Durham, supported by team mates Billy and Alfie.
Grace travelled to Sheffield for this year's U12 Foil BYC, representing the SW, which came second overall.
Billy narrowly missed out on a bronze at the U10 BYC, finishing a sizzling one place below the medals. We followed their progress on a live feed from the competition venue, watching with tremendous excitement as Billy's seeding rose from 3rd to 2nd after the second round of poules. Billy was knocked out in the final table of 8, finishing a fantastic 5th. Arlo 9th and Alfie 11th were knocked out in the final table of 16. What a fantastic result from a field of 45 fencers at the National Championships!
Grace travelled to Sheffield for this year's U12 Foil BYC, representing the SW, which came second overall.
Billy narrowly missed out on a bronze at the U10 BYC, finishing a sizzling one place below the medals. We followed their progress on a live feed from the competition venue, watching with tremendous excitement as Billy's seeding rose from 3rd to 2nd after the second round of poules. Billy was knocked out in the final table of 8, finishing a fantastic 5th. Arlo 9th and Alfie 11th were knocked out in the final table of 16. What a fantastic result from a field of 45 fencers at the National Championships!
SW Age Groups, March 2017
Superb day's fencing. Roselyon was well represented. Excellence from all. I will update this page as I receive more information, but for now these are the results I have:
U9 Boys Foil Arlo GOLD Jake SILVER Victor BRONZE Ewan Dylan U11 Boys Foil Jonny GOLD AlfieH Toby Joseph Elliot U11 Girls Foil Owooluwa BRONZE Jasmine U14 Girls Foil Grace BRONZE Congratulations also to Leon (OR 2016) on Gold in U14 Epee. |
British School Team Championships, February 2017
Day one, and it's a BRONZE! Alfie B, Arlo and Billy pulled off a coup d'etat in the semi-finals of the British School Team Championships this year, beating a Sussex House team, who were the clear favourites to win, given the substantial age difference and long history of dominance at this event. It was an exhilarating match for spectators. Our fencers pushed themselves to their physical and mental limits and beyond to achieve a tremendous victory.
Jonny, Joseph and Toby were quickly identified as a force to be reckoned with (rather satisfying to hear a fencer in the waiting area groaning upon hearing that they had drawn this Roselyon team for their next match). They won two matches and made a very good account of themselves in a third. Alfie H, Elliot, Jake and Victor came up against fierce competition from the off. However, with good fellowship and support amongst team mates, and the drive to keep trying in the face of adversity, this team surprised even themselves with some of their best ever fencing. Team captaincies were shared during the day, as were fight orders. However, a special mention to Alfie H, who marshalled and lead his team with particular skill. Day Two; Sunday. Next on the piste were the U11 Girls Foilists. Grace, Jasmine and Wawa faced up GBS Girls A Team first. An unexpected non-combativity ruling lead to a disappointing 28-43 defeat. Next however, came a spectacular 45-29 win against Chiswick Modern A. In our final match in the first round, Kings Hall, which included the top ranked South West fencers, took an early lead, having both the first and second highest ranked SW girls in their team. Grace delivered point after point, catching up with an astonishing work rate, with hits almost every few seconds. But alas, not enough to catch the Taunton team who won, 45-34. Thrilling and impressive, the girls finished 5th, just a handful of points separated them from being promoted into the semi-finals. A real team effort. Well done. |
LPJS Bristol, February 2017
By all accounts a tough competition at the Bristol LPJS again this year. In the poules round Arlo achieved a major upset and was leading the pack in first place. This gave him a bye in the first round of DE; a superb achievement given that he is still U9 and fencing in an U11 event. Alfie (12th) and Billy (13th) fell at the first round of DE. Jonny (7th) won his first DE fight but he and Arlo (9th) lost their second DE fights. Grace was again our only entrant in the U13 Girls Foil; we are looking forward to more girls joining Grace next weekend. The results make interesting reading, especially when you note how many fencers who beat you in previous competitions are now comfortably below in the final ranking. Well done Onen Hag Oll!
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LPJS Cornwall, January 2017
Thirteen fencers from Roselyon competed in this year's LPJS in Truro. There were two rounds of poules, a seeding round and then another to determine the order for the DE. Everyone rose to the challenge and demonstrated great strength of character and fencing skill. The DE saw several of our fencers go out, but there were some very hard fought battles. At the start of the day Arlo was ranked 3rd in this year's series, and after achieving a superb win, claiming the first Roselyon GOLD, he is now ranked first in U9 boys foil. Jake fenced very well from the start and finished third with a BRONZE. Wawa and Jasmine fenced their first event, and were rewarded with medal AND chocolate - what a great event! Well done to everyone who fenced. Jolly pip.
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Baths Schools, December 2016
Another superb event hosted by Bath Sword Club at King Edwards School. We like the competition format which lends itself to some excellent individual poule fencing with totals calculated for overall School awards. AlfieB scored scored 16 hits, conceding only 6, so ending with an indice of 10, 2 more than the second placed fencer from Kingswood, who conceded 5 hits, scoring 13 and ending with an indice of 5. Alfie is therefore this year's champion. The overall quality of Roselyon fencing was enough to bring home the Millenium Foil Cup for the second year running with a final total of 18 points. Every single point counted toward our victory and all credit is due to the rest of the team, which included Toby, Joseph, Billy and Arlo. Congratulations to Kingswood School, who were second with 11 points and to St Margrets who were third with 8 points. Many thanks to Mike and his team for all their hard work.
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Buckland and LPJS London, November 2026
LPJS Bath, November 2016
Grace, Toby, Joseph, Jonny, Billy, AlfieB, AlfieH and Arlo took part in the U11 foil at LPJS Bath at King Edwards School. With 34 boys and 16 girls competing in the U11 foil, it was a busy hall, lots of good fencing. Toby and Billy did well to make it to the second round of DE. Well done and thanks to one and all.
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Wellington Age Groups and LPJS Wrexham, October 2016
It was a busy weekend of fencing, with groups representing Roselyon at both the Wellington Age Groups and LPJS Wrexham. At the Wellington event, Jonny put in a superb performance to win a SILVER medal in U9, followed by Elliot with a BRONZE. Grace was ranked 4th at the end of two rounds of combined U11 poules and finished third with a BRONZE in U11 girls. Toby and Joseph fenced well and both came very close to winning their DE fights. At the Wrexham LPJS, Arlo finished 6th overall. AlfieB and Billy tied third and so were each awarded a BRONZE in the U9 boys event. Well done to everyone.
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Wycliffe, October 2016
Billy, Elliot, Grace, Toby and Jonny travelled to Wycliffe College in the town of Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, nestled in the hinterland of the Cotswolds. The school was founded in 1882 and the sports hall was a magnificent venue for this event. Congratulations to Jonny on his first competition. Congratulations to everyone on a jolly good day's fencing.
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LPJS Camden, October 2016
Congratulations to AlfieB on his BRONZE medal in U9 Boys Foil. Toby and Joseph fenced well on Saturday in the U11 boys foil. There were 40 entrants in this age group, making it one of the largest we have attended. Joseph is to be congratulated on his first competition and Toby on making it to the second round of DE, scoring some very nice hits along the way. Elliot, Billy, Arlo and AlfieB stepped onto the piste on Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed the tough competition. They were delighted to meet Richard Kruse, the GB foil fencer who fenced in Rio this year. Richard very kindly stopped to pose for photographs and offered the boys some encouragement.
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LPJS Cardiff, September 2016
Cracking start to the season at Cardiff LPJS. Afie B aquired the SILVER and Billy bagged a BRONZE in the U9 Boys Foil. For Grace and Elliot this was their first competition, and Arlo, Alfie H, Toby notched another high level competition. Alfie's final match for the silver medal could not have been closer. In the first period Alfie has a two point lead, but by the final period the fencers were tied at six each. Priority went to the other fencer, and at 23 seconds, the pressure was on Alfie to score. With just seconds left Alfie launched his final attack, which missed, the counter was good, and the match lost. Mr Simpson commented 'Ethan ranked 1st GB, Faaris ranked 2nd GB. Alf and Bill split them. Alf so close to Gold. There is a change in the new world order! The roseLYONS have arrived!! be afraid, be very afraid.' I completely agree with this and Mrs Bason's summation of the weekends fencing as 'tough and nerve wracking.' Thank you to all the parents and fencers for a superb effort and an excellent result.
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Tea-time at the End of the Year
As the academic year of 2016 lurches to a close, we bid a very fond farewell to our awesome Prep 6 fencers and parents. In what must for ever more be traditional Roselyon fashion, we celebrated the end of the year with a thrilling club competition final, which saw Leon crowned King of the Hill, followed by a delicious late afternoon tea, complete with severed-fencer's-head cake. The parents presented Mrs Birmingham with a magnificent bouquet of flowers in gratitude for her extraordinary support and kindness to everyone in our club over the past three years. I would like to thank all our parents and young fencers for sharing in making our club such a special and incredibly wonderful group to be part of.
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The High Sheriff of Cornwall visits Roselyon Fencing Club
Mrs Jane Hartley, High Sheriff of Cornwall visited our fencing club on Monday afternoon and joined in with our footwork and group lesson. Having never fenced before, she made remarkable progress, with plenty of helpful hints from our fencers. The Office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. The origins of the Office date back to Saxon times, when the ‘Shire Reeve’ was responsible to the king for the maintenance of law and order within the shire, or county, and for the collection and return of taxes due to the Crown. Today, there are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales each year. We look forward to listening to Mrs Hartley at our end of year assembly and wish to thank her for her memorable and most enjoyable visit.
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Florence Flies the Fleur-de-Roselyon at Dunston Foil
Huge congratulations to Florence who entered the Dunston Foil event over the weekend and came away with a BRONZE in the Under 13 Foil Age Group. What a magnificent achievement!
ISA SW Regional Fencing Championships, May 2016
Roselyon hosted the ISA SW Regional Fencing Championships at Truro Fencing Club. It attracted 19 competitors. After two rounds of poules there were DE rounds for both Senior and Junior foilists. Ben Turner (Hatherop Castle School) won his bout against George Livsey (Roselyon) 10-3 in the Senior Boys final to claim the trophy. With satisfying symmetry, Florence Cooper (Roselyon) won her final against Amelia Franks (Hatherop Castle School) 10-7 to win the Senior Girls Trophy.
British Youth Championships, May 2016
Leon travelled to Sheffield to take part in this year's BYCs, having been selected to represent the South West Region in U11 Boys Foil. Billy, Arlo and Alfie travelled to Telford for the U10 BYCs and all finished in the top 30, having won their first DE fights. These are all tremendous achievements and the boys should be proud. Well done!
Exeter Cathedral School Fixture, March 2016
ROSELYON ROVERS: Yesterday afternoon we travelled to Exeter Cathedral School to play a friendly fencing match. I was the captain of one team with consisted of George, and Florence was the captain of the other, consisting of Leon and Emma. We were teams of three fighting for collective points. It was a great learning experience for both sides. Everybody played with great chivalry and courtesy. After the match we were invited to stay for tea and get to know some of the students from their fencing team. Everybody played with great spirit and supported each other. A special shout out for Emma who has only just started fencing and played brilliantly and a big thank you to Mr Gale, Mrs B and Mum for taking us. Oh, and did I mention, we won!
Danial Harley, Captain |
ROSELYON REDOUTABLES: Yesterday we went to Exeter Cathedral School for a fencing fixture. We did an Italian relay: a team match - in this case, teams of three. In the first match, one person from each team fences to three, then the next two people fence to six, starting on the score the previous person got to, then to nine and do on. We beat them 27-8.
Florence Cooper, Captain |
British School Team Championships, February 2016
We entered two teams in the U11 boys foil at the British School Team Championships this year. George, Leon and Dan fenced as Roselyon A, and Toby, Alfie B and Elliot were Roselyon B. It was an excellent competition and well worth the journey to London's Brunnel University. Roselyon B finished above Bishop Challoner in 12the place; a well earned success. Roselyon A won their first two matches against Sussex House and Brentwood, but were knocked out of the DE by Eltham College, who finished in 2nd place. There was no quarter given and both teams put up a spirited and plucky fight. Mrs Bason praised the teams for their "impeccable manners, fighting spirit and good sportsmanship."
LPJS Bristol, February 2016
We attended another superb LPJS event at Bristol Grammar School. There were over 30 entrants in the U11 boys foil event, and some very skilful fencing ensued. Congratulations to Afie H who had his debut appearance. Our squad also included Billy, Toby, Alfie B, Arlo, Leon, Florence and George. Lovely to see Mabel (2013) fencing in the U15 girls foil.
Visit to Newquay Junior Academy, January 2016
We visited Newquay Junior Academy on Friday afternoon for a combined practice. The children thoroughly enjoyed the session, which was run by Kenichi Yamamoto. First we joined the Newquay fencers for some footwork training before crossing swords in group freeplay. We ended with five demonstration electric bouts, which were fenced by Florence, Leon, Dan and Emma. We'd like to thank everyone who made the visit possible and hope to host a return fixture some time in the not to distant future.
South West Regionals (BYC Qualifiers), January 2016
Dan, George and Leon travelled to Millfield for this event, which was a selection for the top five fencers in each age group to represent the South West at the British Youth Championships in Sheffield in May. The competition was therefore of a very high standard and fiercely contested. Given that the youngest age group was U12 we expected a hard fight, and we certainly got one. Dan took an unfortunate hard his in the second round, but soldiered on regardless - thata boy! George was on fire in the first rounds of the event, and was ranked 2nd at one stage. We were convinced he was heading for the medal table, but alas a tough DE call saw him face Leon, his good friend and training parter - always a most difficult match as these two have fenced together so much. Leon went on to claim a BRONZE medal and was selected to represent the South West Region at the British Youth Championships in U12 Foil. A great achievement; well done!
St Austell Invitation, January 2016
Florence, George, Daniel, Elliot, Aflie and Arlo represented the school at the annual St Austell Invitation Foil Competition on Friday evening. There were over twenty fencers of all ages, from experienced veterans to our young whippersnappers, and from all over Cornwall. It was a superb evening of fencing and much fun was had by all who attended. Medals were awarded to George for being the top ranked Primary School Fencer, Elliot for the Best Performance by a New Comer and Arlo for Most Promising Youngster.
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TFC Fixture, January 2016
LPJS Millfield, January 2016
Congratulations to our two medal winners in Under 9 boys foil; Arlo with SILVER and Billy with BRONZE. The standard of fencing was very good and all our fencers can certainly be proud of their performances and results. Leon, George, Dan, Florence and Alfie - well done! Though there is always much to work on before the next competition, I am pleased with the level of technique and awareness to strategy, which continues to improve. There were some extraordinarily tense bouts across the two venues which were a pleasure to witness. These were good results against very competitive field. Well done to all our team of fencers and supporters, on and off the piste. Many thanks to Norman and his team for running the event and Leon Paul for sponsoring it. As always, these events would not be possible without the good will and generosity of a small army of behind the scene helpers.
Baths Schools, December 2015
Heavy traffic on the way to Bath saw our arrival delayed by over an hour. Fortunately (depending perhaps on your perspective) everyone else was delayed too, so we were able to start in the first round of poules. It was a very busy hall, with over eighty excited fencers representing their various schools in foil and sabre. Our fencers hit the ground running and fought hard from the start. Many thanks to our team of parent supports, always greatly appreciated. Billy and Dan didn't loose a fight in the first round and can certainly be proud of their achievement. Alfie and Arlo fought with courage and skill, winning their poules in the second round and securing valuable points for our overall result. Toby deserves a special mention too - well done, Toby. George and Leon delivered awesome performances in the final round, which saw Leon emerge undefeated and claim the title. Roselyon was awarded the overall Schools trophy, called the Millenium Baths Schools Foil Cup, which now resides in the entrance hall at Roselyon.
Buckland Abbey Handicap, November 2015
The Buckland Abbey has a long and illustrious history and we are delighted that it has been re-invigorated and has returned to the South West's fencing calendar. We thoroughly enjoyed the day, which saw Under 9s competing with U11s, each with a handicap determined by their experience. Explanation of the handicap system below. The organisers did a superb job and our thanks to all the helpers and presidents. Well done to all our medal winners and to all those who took part!
Stover Fixture, November 2015
We travelled to Stover on Monday afternoon for a magnificent fixture against Stover School. We fenced in teams of four to four hits with a two minute time limit. Well done to our Under 9s, Toby, Alfie, Billy and Arlo on a draw with 8 wins a piece. Congratulations also to our Under 11s, Leon, George, Florence and Daniel on an honourable 7-9 defeat. Our thanks to Lynne and Andy Bornemisza for their expert organisation and running of the fixture. It was a pleasure to meet the Heads of both the Preparatory and Senior School and to see so many parents and staff from both schools supporting their fencers with such enthusiasm. Thanks to Mrs Birmingham and Mrs Bason for accompanying us on the minibus and for keeping score. After the fixture we enjoyed a superb tea with the Stover fencers before making our way home. Before parting, our hosts presented us with a lovely shield, engraved 'Stover v Roselyon, 16.11.15', and a book about the history of fencing in the area, both of which will be proudly on display for all to see in our entrance hall at Roselyon.
SW Hub Training Day, November 2015
On Sunday we attended the South West Hub Training Day held at Millfield School. Our fencers thoroughly enjoyed the day and have come away with some excellent new ideas. James Marshall lead a fascinating strength and conditioning session and provided expert input. You can read his blog about the day here. http://excelsiorgroup.co.uk/blog/introducing-fitness-to-fencers/ Our thanks to all the coaches for organising this event.
LPJS Wellington, October 2015
We thoroughly enjoyed this event at the Princess Royal Sports Centre at Wellington School, and our sincere thanks to JB and her team for running it. This was probably our best performance to date, in all age groups and at every stage of the competition. Everyone came away having achieved a personal best. Congratulations to Arlo, Alfie and George on their debut appearances on the competition circuit - what a way to start! Congratulations to Florence, whose poise and prowess with the sword is matched by her unfailing sportsmanship. DE fights were fiercely contested in all the age groups, and while the majority of parents and coaches adhered to the spectators code of conduct, sadly in some matches referees were forced to enforce penalties and to remove spectators from the hall; very poor form indeed. It is something we will encounter occasionally and it is an important lesson to learn that one must 'plough ones own furrow'. Congratulations to Leon and Toby on outstanding performances that were a pleasure to watch. After the physically and mentally demanding U9, U11, U13 and U15 age groups, it was magnificent to see past pupils Mabel, Cora, Emily and our parent Mrs B, showing us the way in a Poule Unique event - where GB colours and even Latvian National Colours were in plentiful supply. The official results are still to follow, but the medal count includes (I think) a tied BRONZE for Alfie and Toby at U9, a tied BRONZE for George and Leon at U11. Congratulations to Mabel (Roselyon, 2012) who won a SILVER in U13 and elder sister Cora who won a BRONZE in U15. These are outstanding results, and are well deserved as we have trained hard in preparation for this event. Well done, Roselyon.
Mathematics and Fencing Expedition to Redmaids School in Bristol, October 2015
Our six intrepid fence-ematicians left the Duchy in the wee hours of Tuesday morning and arrived at Redmaids after a pleasant journey North. We fielded a team of three girls and a team of three boys against Glen Golding's formidable girls, who's peers had so thoroughly beaten us in Bath last year. Florence, with her great experience ably supported newbies Amy and Grace whose debut performances with only four lessons was outstanding. The girls let the score get away from them at the start, and then spent the rest of the match playing catchup. Our girls are resilient as well as fierce and fought back with tenacity...with proper poise and deportment, of course. The score was edging closer, and had it not been for the expiry of time at 37-23, the result might have been very different. Fair play to Redmaids, though - it was a hard fought match and they earned their victory,
WIth rather pleasing symmetry, the boys took an early lead and looked set for a convincing runaway victory. However, they narrowly avoided a disaster in the final fights as, perhaps through a break in concentration, or the pressure in bringing the victory home, all thee boys all but stopped attacking from striking distance, rather choosing to close the the line, stepping close and seeking engagement, before attempting to hit. We almost came unstuck..almost. The numbers speak for themselves, and the final score of 45-22 to Roselyon was very satisfying. With a victory each, the mathematicians on the team, which was in fact eveyone on the team, would look to the overall number of hits scored by each school, thus securing our ultimate triumph. Redmaids were magnificent fencers and hosts. The team spirit on both sides was excellent, and good friendships were quickly formed. A wonderful lunch followed, while we caught our breath before the afternoon's mathematics activities.
WIth rather pleasing symmetry, the boys took an early lead and looked set for a convincing runaway victory. However, they narrowly avoided a disaster in the final fights as, perhaps through a break in concentration, or the pressure in bringing the victory home, all thee boys all but stopped attacking from striking distance, rather choosing to close the the line, stepping close and seeking engagement, before attempting to hit. We almost came unstuck..almost. The numbers speak for themselves, and the final score of 45-22 to Roselyon was very satisfying. With a victory each, the mathematicians on the team, which was in fact eveyone on the team, would look to the overall number of hits scored by each school, thus securing our ultimate triumph. Redmaids were magnificent fencers and hosts. The team spirit on both sides was excellent, and good friendships were quickly formed. A wonderful lunch followed, while we caught our breath before the afternoon's mathematics activities.
LPJS Cardiff, September 2015
Leon, Toby and Dan represented Roselyon with characteristic aplomb at this event, which was held in the spacious sports centre under the Russell Swords Fencing Academy. The event was well run and organised and we would like to thank the many volunteers and officials who helped keep things running so smoothly. There was a friendly atmosphere throughout, child-friendly refereeing and endlessly patient armourers. Toby finished 9th out of 15 in U9 boys foil, while Dan and Leon were 13th and 14th respectively out of a field of 23 in U11 boys foil. The standard of fencing was uniformly high, which is of course one reason we go to these competitions. It is experience that makes us better in the long term. All things considered (including the difficulty in competition prep caused by my injury and lengthy recovery) it was a worthwhile, enjoyable experience and another commendable performance from our fencers that left us feeling pleased and proud to be Roselyon.
LPJS, Cornwall, March 2015
Another excellent day's fencing at the new TFC venue at Truro School. What a pleasure to be fencing on metal pistes. Our thanks to TFC for organising the event, and of course to Leon Paul for sponsoring the series. Cora and Emily took bronze medals in U15; Billy collected a bronze and Toby a silver in U9. Mabel, Leon, Daniel and Oli missed the medal tables, but were pleased to bag loads of prize chocolate. Click here for the results.
Truro Fencing Club Fixture, June 2014
Pentangular at Bath University, 2014
Four fencing teams from Roselyon School traveled to Bath this weekend to take part in a pentagular team fencing competition. The Bath University Fencing Salle was a formidably impressive venue with it’s eight electric pistes and purpose built hall. Teams from Roselyon School, Redmaids School, Bristol Grammar School, St Mary’s and Bath University Swords Club took part and competition was both fierce and skilful. The Roselyon Under 13 Girls team took first place in the girls division and our Under 11 and Under 10 Boys teams came second and third respectively.
LPJS Millfield, 2014
Eight Roselyon Fencers woke up very early on the Sunday before the start of the Summer Term. Eight Roselyon Fencers travelled to Glastonbury. The standard of fencing was predictably high. In two grueling rounds of fencing, each of our eight fencers faced fierce competition. No one was left unscarred. With grit and determination we entered the first round of eliminations, a barrier we had not yet crossed. We did not expect to pass this point, could not have predicted it, yet did Roselyon fencers exceed expectations; and beyond. Leon won a bronze medal in the Under 9 category; Emily a bronze in the Under 15s. To each of our eight, a hearty congratulations. Our finest effort yet!
Carlclaze Fixture, March 2014
We wrote a new page in our history this term, literally. Three Roselyon teams travelled to Carclaze on Friday evening for our first ever fencing team fixture. The team score sheets (photograph left) record the blow by blow action for posterity.
Carclaze Fencing Club, which meets on Fridays from 7pm at Carclaze Community Primary School made us very welcome and we would like to thank them for so generously organising referees and the electric scoring apparatus that made this fixture possible. The standard of fencing was excellent and both Roselyons and Snozzles were unanimous that we should make this a regular event on our calendar.
The Roselyon Rockets were narrowly defeated 36-44 in an exhillarating and fiercely fought match: Cora Cooper; Mabel Cooper; Oliver Rouse. The Roselyon Rebels: Aston Purnell; Oli Luck; Andrew Rouse won their match, carrying off a 45-35 run away victory. The Roselyon Redoutables conceded a victory to a more experienced older Carclaze team 14-45: Leon Peyton; Forence Cooper; Thomas Greet. I would like to record my personal congratulations to the three Aarghs (Rockets, Rebels and Redoutables). You rose to the challenge and exceeded our expectations! We are very proud of you and everthing you have achieved this year in preparation for this historic event.
Carclaze Fencing Club, which meets on Fridays from 7pm at Carclaze Community Primary School made us very welcome and we would like to thank them for so generously organising referees and the electric scoring apparatus that made this fixture possible. The standard of fencing was excellent and both Roselyons and Snozzles were unanimous that we should make this a regular event on our calendar.
The Roselyon Rockets were narrowly defeated 36-44 in an exhillarating and fiercely fought match: Cora Cooper; Mabel Cooper; Oliver Rouse. The Roselyon Rebels: Aston Purnell; Oli Luck; Andrew Rouse won their match, carrying off a 45-35 run away victory. The Roselyon Redoutables conceded a victory to a more experienced older Carclaze team 14-45: Leon Peyton; Forence Cooper; Thomas Greet. I would like to record my personal congratulations to the three Aarghs (Rockets, Rebels and Redoutables). You rose to the challenge and exceeded our expectations! We are very proud of you and everthing you have achieved this year in preparation for this historic event.
F for Fencing, March 2014
When the Science Master at our School, the enigmatic Mr F told me that he would build me a scoring system, I really could not have imagined what happened next. Which is perhaps surprising, as what happened next was that he built us our own state of the art fencing scoring system. Many thanks to Mr F and his team of extra-ordinary Prep V scientists. The video below speaks for itself.
LPJS Bristol, February 2014
We took 7 fencers to the Bristol LPJS Foil event this month. It was an excellent first experience of competition and all of our fencers came away with victories to celebrate and good sound thrashings from which to learn. There was a single seeding round followed by direct elimination. We were all knocked out by the end of the first round of elimination, but could certainly hold our heads high - we may have been beaten, but we didn't make it easy for them! My thanks to the parents who accompanied us and arranged a lovely meal at a local cafe before our return journey.
2014 Honours List!
Delighted to have been able to award TEN Bronze Badges from the British Academy of Fencing Proficiency Scheme to successful applicants at last week's fencing assembly. The award consists of a certificate and a metal lapel badge coloured to match the level of the award. You will notice these badges being worn on the Roselyon School blazers around the school. Individually printed, personalised certificates were also awarded.
Winter Fencing Camp
Our Winter Fencing Camp included our first competition, which we named the Chilly Champs in deference to the rather aweful weather we had to endure. The competition was a learning experience in which everyone contributed to all aspects of running the event. The chlly weather without was nicely offset by the steamy fencing within and the winner of the Shield was none other than Florence - congratulations! We were delighted to welcome visitors from outside the school and our fencers benefited tremendously from coaching Mrs Birmingham, Cora and Mable, who kindly came back to us during this week and shared their knowledge so generously. I would like to thank all of the 16 fencers who attended and am pleased to report that we have raised a sum of money from the camp fees which we will use to bolster our equipment base. Our next Fencing Camp (TBC) will be in the Summer.
Summer Fencing Camp
Fifteen fencers took part over the course of the week. Activities ranged from footwork training sessions to group lessson to indoor and outdoor games. We visited the salle at Truro Fencing Club and had our first taste of electric fencing. We met London 2012 Olympic fencers, James Honeybone and Sophie Hutchinson. Our thanks to Jon Salfield for welcoming us to the salle and to Mr Greet, who accompanied us on the trip.
It was lovely to see so many parents dropping in over the course of the week; the children took great pleasure in instructing them the finer points in the noble art of fencing. At the end of what was a thoroughly enjoyable week, it tremendously satisfying to reflect on the general improvement in technical and tactical elements of fencing as demonstrated by our fencers. We have also been able to purchase our first few pieces of electric kit with money raised from the camp fees. Our next fencing camp (TBC) will take place in the second week of the October half term.
It was lovely to see so many parents dropping in over the course of the week; the children took great pleasure in instructing them the finer points in the noble art of fencing. At the end of what was a thoroughly enjoyable week, it tremendously satisfying to reflect on the general improvement in technical and tactical elements of fencing as demonstrated by our fencers. We have also been able to purchase our first few pieces of electric kit with money raised from the camp fees. Our next fencing camp (TBC) will take place in the second week of the October half term.
Andy Hill visits Roselyon Fencing Club
Andy Hill and his team of epeeists from Portsmouth College Fencing Club visited our assembly on Friday morning. Following the assembly Prep 4 were invited to take part in a fencing workshop. It was wonderful to meet Andy and his team and the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We look forward to meeting again soon.
Coming soon to a Roselyon School Hall near you!
During 2013 a new sport will make it's debut at Roselyon. Prep III, IV, V and VI will have the opportunity to try their hand at the noble art of fencing. Of the three weapons used in the modern sport of fencing, we will predominantly be using the foil. Foil is the most popular of the three and will also allow to our fencers to take up epee or sabre later in their fencing careers. By 2014 we will have launched the Roselyon Fencing Club with a fixture list and calendar of competitions and events.
Pictured left, a non-electric, french grip foil.
Pictured left, a non-electric, french grip foil.