• St. John's Home
• Picture Pages Intro
• A poet visits
• St. John's Under Snow
• The Lord Mayor Visits
• Science Discovery Day
• Venice Art Trip
• Yr7 Normandy Trip
• Serre Chevalier Ski Trip
• Fireworks Evening
• Summer Term 1999
• Building Work II
• Pila Ski Trip
• Autumn Term Roundup
• Building Work I
• Night Under Canvas
• Summer Fun Day 1998
• Junior Sports Day
• 1998 U.S. Ski Trip
• Helicopter Visit
• A Cricket Match
• Easter Term Roundup
• First Match for the U8s
• Summer Concert
• Paris Art Trip
• Saracens Visit
• End of Year
• A hectic half a term
• 1997 U.S. Ski Trip

Left: Mr Doughty, the Groundsman, (up the ladder) and Mr Chapman had to wait until Monday 12th May before they could get the cricket nets up.

This April either was, or came close to being, the wettest since records began; and with term beginning on the 20th April we had to put up with a lot of cold, wet, miserable April weather to launch the summer term. Cutting outfields was quite out of the question, and any attempt to roll the strips would have resulted in the roller sinking out of sight.
Friday, May 1st (May Day, the First Day of Summer!) was particularly cold and nasty. We squelched down to games and then adjourned early to the gym. Would summer ever arrive?

And then on the Saturday after the May Bank Holiday summer really did arrive. It was a glorious day with not a cloud in the sky, hardly any breeze and the air scrubbed clean by weeks of rain.

And very welcome it was too seeing as we had a block of fixtures against Caldicott to play that day. Above, James Parnes of the 2nd XI can be seen stepping into a good straight drive.

Down on the Colts' pitch the Colts Bs were also in action. Having bowled Caldicott all out for 51, the Colts should have been well and truly in the driving seat. Unfortunately, successive batsmen failed to treat the straight ball with the respect it was due and Caldicott ran out the eventual winners.

Still, it was a lovely day and a good turnout of spectators were treated to some very entertaining cricket with plenty of action, drama and excitement. Also, of course, the bowlers from both teams would have been feeling fairly pleased with themselves.

The St. John's main cricket ground with its backdrop of the main building and its south facing views over west London simply must be one of the most spectactular and beautiful Prep school cricket grounds in the country. Again, it was an exciting match between the two 2nd XIs with the last St. John's wicket falling in the last over.

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