South of England Surprise
Brinsbury staff and students proudly displayed their work and animals at the South of England Show 2011, and had their fingers crossed for best display in the ‘Wildlife & Farming’ area. Not only did they win this, they also received the HSBC prize for Best Trade Stand and were then presented with a cup for Best in Show!
The show was opened at the ‘Waterwheel Cottage Garden’ by the Earl of Carnarvon. Alison Read, head of Brinsbury Campus said, “The press absolutely loved the waterwheel constructed by the Carpentry students and landscaped by the Horticulture students, and the public and dignitaries were very taken by the wide range of student-created displays”.
As in previous years, our equine team stayed onsite for the week, working hard each evening building the courses fresh for each day. The artistic blacksmiths competed in three days worth of competition and our cattle won three rosettes; cared for during the show by the agricultural team.
“The judges chose us because of the range of work, our enthusiasm and the students who spoke so knowledgeably about each of their areas”, Alison surmised. “Fantastic news and great endorsement of our fantastic students!”.
Look, COOK and Taste
Chichester College launched its first annual COOK Food Festival on Westgate Fields with an array of tempting treats for invited guests and the general public. The weather did not stop passers by from stopping in and taking a look at the delicious food and inspiring demonstrations.
School pupils visited throughout the day and took part in workshops within the college - some even had a chance to go on the plane! There were Ready Steady Cook competitions and exclusive interactive demonstrations by top local chefs.
There was a diverse range of stallholders in the Farmers Market, and Professional Cookery students threw together fresh, crisp stir-fries, smoothies and other samples. Visitors interacted with the Brinsbury animals at the sustainable farming display, diners enjoyed Goodwood Restaurant cuisine al fresco, while Options Bistro was open for light snacks. Information was available on courses, Young Chefs, careers, apprenticeships and nutrition, as Jazz students played live on the lawn.
Thanks to Hospitality and Tourism students, supported by Music and Health & Social Care students, who served, guided, entertained and educated guests on the day.
War of the Worlds
Students and staff from the music department teamed up with multi-award winning Portsmouth-based theatre group CCADS to mount the first ever licensed amateur production of Jeff Wayne’s musical version of HG Wells’ War of The Worlds. CCADS artistic director, John Paul McRohon, who is directing and playing the artilleryman in the production is a former student of musical theatre at Chichester College (1998/99).
Unlike recent concert productions at the O2 and Brighton Dome, this production at the newly refurbished Kings Theatre in Southsea, was fully staged featuring a cast of 40 actors and dancers, who performed the story using spoken dialogue from the album together with choreography, physical theatre techniques and video projection.
A critic from the Portsmouth daily paper, The News, reported, “Musically it could not have been better. The Portsmouth-based drama company teamed up with young musicians from Chichester College under the leadership of Daf Hughes to perfectly recreate the score of Wayne’s hit 1978 rock album. They did an excellent job, providing tension and excitement for the audience”.
Ravenna Report
Students and staff recently visited Ravenna, Italy (a town twinned with Chichester) on an exchange programme. They were welcomed by all at the Institute for Technical Industries School (ITIS), some of whom had been to Chichester in February, and were very excited about the visit.
A few of the 5th year students took them on a grand tour of Ravenna’s finest monuments: Basilica di San Vitale, Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Battistero degli Ariani, Battistero degli Ortodossi (O Neoniano), and Cappella di Sant’Andrea. The students had worked hard to get information about each place, as they themselves had not visited these places before. Ravenna is famous for mosaics and many stunning examples were witnessed.
Coat of Many Colours
Ed Excel Pre Voc students, Jack Hickey and Josh West, have transformed a neglected Suzuki jeep. Since September 2010 the pair have been working on the jeep under the guidance of Motor Vehicle tutor Jason Knowles.
The jeep required a thorough valet, was carpeted throughout, and a new radio wired in together with interior lights. The brakes were then cleaned and refitted.
As the students favoured different colours, the jeep was painted with an interesting palette. With the help of an overhead projector, Josh painted on Scooby Doo, the Tazmanian Devil and a bulldog.
Jack and Josh hope to return to Brinsbury as students on further courses in September.
Painting Proud
Two Painting & Decorating apprentices attended the Johnstone’s Young Painter of the Year, South West regional heat on the 6th of May at Bournemouth and Poole College. The students were Lee Baker, 22, and Robyn Collett, 20.
Lecturer Carl Black said, “I was immensely proud of both students, as they performed at the very height of their ability. Lee was the only student to finish the project in the allotted time and Robyn, who took silver, was only beaten by the national winner from last year.
“Both are outstanding decorators with very bright futures”, he resolved.
Holistic Skills
Fabulous news from North London and the South and South East UK skills complementary competition. We sent five entries and came away with five medals in Aromatherapy and Reflexology categories.
In seven years of entering this competition, Chichester College has taken the top prizes for the last six. The work put in to perfecting presentation is reflected in the coaching and dedication of the staff. The sheer delight at hearing news like this is shared by the entire hair and beauty team.