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Friends of Winchester House at the new cricket nets

The cricket nets are up

Alumnicricket

New outdoor cricket nets have been installed

Winchester House Cricket captains

A huge thank you to the Friends of Winchester House and our amazing parent community for making our new outdoor cricket nets possible.  We now have 6 nets positioned on the netball courts, between the hockey and rugby pitches which significantly increases cricket training potential. Housians will be using the nets this term as part of the Beyond programme.

The fundraising target was met at Housefest, our family festival, and thanks to the magic and extreme organisation of Chris Callow, the nets were up by the time we returned to school. The new nets have enabled us to extend our cricket season and have also provided a wonderful outdoor learning environment.

A brilliant way to celebrate 150 years of cricket at Winchester House and 10 years of girls’ cricket. An incredible new asset for all Housians.

 

History of cricket at Winchester House school 

150 years of cricket

  • 1875 – Cricket first played at Winchester House from the very earliest days of the school. A tradition born alongside the school itself.
  • 1988 – “You could tell what term it was by the sport being discussed in the staff common room.”
  • 1989 – A girl plays for the 2nd XI as first change bowler — a quiet, pioneering moment that predates the girls programme by nearly three decades.
  • 1990 – Chris Wilson hits six sixes in single over for the 1st term – so remarkable it was recorded in the Cricketer magazine. A WHS legend was made
  • 1995 – James Wilson (Captain, 1st X1) scores 310 runs gains other schools. A record for a boy still with a year to go. Tom Dillon scores 179 runs at Colts age, another record.
  • 1997 – The 1st XI goes the entire season unbeaten. A golden summer in the WHS record books.
  • 2000’s – Matches begin a slow transition away from declaration cricket — the traditional format — towards the modern T20 style that now dominates the game.
  • 2008 – Chris Wilson — the WHS six-sixes legend — returns as Master i/c Cricket. He coaches Ben Duckett: 12 innings, 990 runs, average 141.4, highest score 204*. Four centuries. The 1st XI goes unbeaten.

10 years of girls cricket

  • 2016 – Girls cricket formally introduced by Sarvi Razarvi (Head of Girls Games, Welsh Indoor Cricket Team). The first match — at St Hugh’s on 7th May — is abandoned due to rain! The second, 11th June, is a WHS U11 victory.
  • 2017 – Momentum builds for girls cricket: two U11 and two U13 teams take the field in a single block fixture. The programme is growing.
  • 2018 – Cricket and rounders run side by side in hybrid fixtures for girls. Clara Wakeford and Lily Fagan play for the Boys 1st XI; Sasha Wakeford plays for the Colts A Team.
  • 2019 – Rounders is retired for good. Cricket takes over completely. Lulu Leetham becomes the first ever Captain of Girls Cricket at Winchester House
  • 2022 – First girls hard ball game — pairs vs Beachborough, 8th June. WHS win 315 to 261. Players of the match: Victoria Lee (fielder), Cecelia Butters (batter), Lucinda Heygate (bowler). Junior A’s win at Stowe the following week.
  • 2025 – Maggie Johnson becomes the first girl to score a century for WHS (1st XI). Scarlett Stoop scores the first girls’ half century at junior level at the Stowe Festival. A bespoke girls’ kit is introduced.

If you can help fill in any gaps in our cricket history, please let us know – alumni@winchester-house.org

Non Nobis Solum lunch 2026

Non Nobis Solum Lunch 2026

Alumni

We were delighted to welcome back Housians to our Non Nobis Solum lunch in May. Alumni who left the school between 1955 and 1969 joined Antonia Lee and a group of Year 8 students for lunch, followed by a tour of the school. During the meal, our talented musicians provided wonderful entertainment, ranging from classical flute, violin, and piano to a lively performance from Hamilton. Our guests remarked on how impressed they were by the exceptional standard of musical talent

Non Nobis Solum Lunch 2026
It was very special to see alumni and current Housians sharing stories of their time at the school. Walking through the corridors with our guests offered fascinating insights into what the school was like in the 1950s and 1960s – it was an honour to glimpse this part of its history. Several attendees represent the third generation of their families to attend the school, and it was heart warming to see them point out their grandchildren within the current cohort.
 

Those who choose to remember Winchester House in their will are invited to join the Non Nobis Solum Society, receiving special recognition and invites to exclusive events as a thank you. If you are interested in joining this wonderful group, please get in touch – alumni@winchester-house.org.

  
Learning Support at Winchester House School, Brackley

Winchester House alumnus Lieutenant Commander Colin Harris (1940–1945)

Alumni
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Winchester House alumnus Lieutenant Commander Colin Harris (1940–1945) has died.
After his time at Winchester House, Colin went on to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, on a scholarship, before serving in the Royal Navy. Later in life, he settled in Cornwall, where he played an active role in his local community, helping to run the village museum and working with the Cornwall Record Office.
Colin kept in close contact with Winchester House throughout his life and his son, Christopher, is a Housian too. His daughter Lizzy was the relevant age before WHS was co-ed but did sit her Common Entrance examinations at Winchester House as an ‘extra’ Housian for a few days. After his children left Winchester House Colin was a familiar and much-loved presence at Winchester House several times a year. He regularly took part in our Acts of Remembrance by reading the Naval Prayer, spoke to pupils with great warmth about his life at – and beyond – WinchesterHouse and often joined them for supper or lunch as well as performing official functions, such as planting the King Charles III Coronation tree in the Seligman Playground to mark the coronation of His Majesty in 2023.
His kindness, generosity of spirit and deep affection for the School left a lasting impression on all who met him. A true Housian, Colin will be greatly missed by our community. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Housian Sonny Goode

Alumni
Congratulations to Housian Sonny Goode on being included in the England U18 Men’s October Development Camp Squad!
A well-deserved recognition of your hard work and dedication. We are excited to see what’s next for you.

Housian Toby Thame

Alumni

Delighted to see Housian Toby Thame named in the starting for Northampton Saints this Friday against Saracens.

We wish him the very best of luck.

Celebrating 150 Years of Winchester House 

Alumni
This year, we mark a truly special milestone – 150 years of Winchester House School.
We have been reflecting on the vision of our very first Head, Rev. G. W. Bryant and his lasting legacy. Since 1875, thousands of Housians have gone on to be true Change Makers, living and breathing our motto Non nobis solum – not for ourselves alone – they have worked to make the world a better place.
And, in true Winchester House style, we’ve also marked the occasion with a jolly big party! A huge thank you to Holroyd Howe for creating the most beautiful cake to help us celebrate in style. As we celebrate this anniversary, we honour the past, embrace the present and look ahead with excitement to the future. To our pupils, families, staff and alumni – thank you for being part of the Winchester House journey.

Housian Chris Smyth

Alumni

We were delighted to welcome Housian Chris Smyth back to School whilst walking the Palladian Way with friends. Chris attended WHS from 1963-1968 and returned as a teacher in 1974. He was pleased to see his name on the Scholars’ board and show his walking companions the Upper Quad.