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STEM / ENGLISH 5
My Lambing
Experience
Ellie Larsson- Brown, L6S
Yes, I probably should have been
revising. During Easter, however, I
was lucky enough to live and work
on a farm in Suffolk, primarily gaining
lambing experience with their flock
of 850 ewes. Being the UK’s biggest
purebred Wagyu beef farm, with a herd
of 450, I was also able to get involved
in dehorning cattle which is not for the
faint hearted but was worthwhile.
I can definitely say
that this is the most
hands-on experience
any prospective vet
student can get. I
was able to castrate
and ear tag lambs
and calves, as well
as tail dock lambs
and foot trim ewes.
The highlight of
my placement
was helping to
deliver numerous
lambs and assisting
with the birth of
two calves. The
before and aftercare,
however, is just as, if
not more, important
when trying to reduce
the mortality rate
of lambs and ewes.
Hence, I was able to
administer a variety
of drugs and care for the treatment of mastitis,
foot rot, watery mouth disease, joint-ill and a ewe
suffering from twin lamb disease. Whilst caring
for our ICU lambs through tube feeding and
various treatments, I had the pleasure of caring
for Bob – a lamb born with several deformities,
who by the end of my placement would run
around the lambing shed following me. Seeing
and assisting with two live caesareans and one
cull caesarean was another valuable experience.
Whilst lambing is definitely my most enjoyable
placement, it has also been the hardest
placement so far. I had to deal with the death of
animals more so than in a veterinary surgery or
hospital and had to work long hours, including
a 17 hour shift! With the unexpected death of
newborn lambs, we carried out a post-mortem
dissection to discover the cause of death. In one
case we found a blockage caused by colostrum
in the rumen – this gave me a great insight into
veterinary pathology.
I cannot recommend the experience enough
to anyone considering applying to veterinary
medicine. It was a fantastic way to meet other vet
students and to grow in confidence by working
and living with people I had never met before. As
well as giving me priceless veterinary experience
that I cannot gain in any other environments.
My Inspiration For
The Soldier’s Civil War
Lucas Yates, 3E
One of our Thirds, Lucas, was “Highly
Commended” in the 11-15 age category of The
Young Walter Scott Prize a national historical
fiction writing competition. He set his tale
against the backdrop of the American Civil War,
inspired by a group activity in his English class.
“I always liked history from a young age so when I learnt we were doing a Let’s
Think lesson in English about history I was ecstatic.
We covered a short story about the American Civil War called
The Bridge
. It was
about a woman who cheated on her husband while he was at war. Whilst on the
bridge with her lover, a soldier blocked the exit. She had heard the news that her
husband was coming back and she was rushing to try and get back home, but
the soldier did not let her as he thinks she is a spy. She tries many things, before
panicking and rushing at the soldier to try and run past him, ultimately leading
to her death. This piece really fascinated me. The level of dismay the woman felt
at her husband’s imminent return and the level of edginess between everyone
as though no one could be trusted. This is shown through the soldier believing
she is a spy. We discussed all of this and more. This inspired me to write
The
Soldier’s Civil War
when I heard about the competition.
When researching information about the Civil War, for my piece, I came across
an interesting fact. It turned out that during one of the battles, a luminescent
bacteria spread itself on the wounded soldiers. As I looked into this further,
I found out that this strange substance acted like some sort of antibacterial
remedy, it stopped infection and saved the lives of thousands. After reading
this I knew I had to use it in my piece.
Much of my writing was inspired by my favourite author, Michael Grant.
His use of language within his books is extraordinary and really keeps you
intrigued. For weeks I could not get my head out of books he has written,
they are absolute masterpieces. My favourite book series is, of course, one by
Michael Grant:
The Gone Series
. It is amazing and I recommend it to anyone
who is looking to engage in a series that is really worth the time reading.
The character development throughout the different books really makes the
storyline amazing. I have never loved a book series as much as this one.”
Cryptic Crossword Club
Ted Howden Chalmers, 3S, Lucas Yates, 3E and Mr Rob Young
Swimmer last in race, might one be broken? (4)
Arrive with leaders of China, Oman, Mali and Eritrea. (4)
Chief English State (5)
If the above clues might as well be written in another language, then perhaps
the new Bancroft’s Cryptic Crossword Society is the place to be. Meeting every
Monday in the English corridor, the club has introduced us to a fascinating and
original hobby.
This is club run by a few members of staff, and it is open for everyone! Crosswording
is a way of escaping the world and using your ‘detective skills’ to figure out answers
for sometimes very abstract clues.
“It’s one of the most satisfying
feelings,” says Arjun Randhawa,
describing the euphoria of solving
a clue. The club is made all the
more fun as it is run by some of our
most enthusiastic and passionate
teachers – certainly, CCS is half an
hour well spent at Bancroft’s School.
Or should that be half an hour well
spent at ‘An institution for Bacon’s
cloths, washed’ (9,6)?