Latest news

It was Reunion Time   August 27, 2009

The Reunion2009 is over but you can see have an opportunity to share comments and witness these 5 days through the Reunion blog: blog.brockwood.org.uk

The Children's Space at the Reunion   August 15, 2009

Dear parents of children attending the reunion,

Here is a draft programme of the structure and activities for your children for you to ponder on and then submit feedback and suggestions if you wish. We are looking for extra volunteers to assist, and, if you are feeling creative, lead an activity or two.

So far we have assigned each morning to a particular theme: 'Fabric Fun', 'Modelling Mayhem', 'Paper Pandemonium', and 'Nature Novelties'. This will include making masks, paper, puppets, bags, cards, and dream catchers; juicing apples, carving chalk faces, and modelling clay. If the weather is not too wet we hope to do some nature related activities outdoors. Alongside these offered activities the children's space will be equipped with the usual delights such as: paints, paper, pencils, toys, games, cuddlies, books, hoops, balls, and a trampoline to allow for independent choice in a relaxed and flexible environment.

We suggest offering supervised time for all children between 9.45am and 1pm so that you can join TOTWAM and the morning workshops 'childless' if you wish. However, we won't expect the 8-plus year old children to stay involved the whole time; past experience has shown that some older ones like to dip in and out of the space as they independently organise their own time at the reunion - though we aim to have appropriate age related things on offer to tempt them in. There are quite a number of babies between the ages of 0-3 joining (approximately 16). Please let me know if you will need crèche facilities; this will depend on the number of volunteers at the time, and the level of demand - you may need to also elicit the help of friends and other parents.

The afternoon is unplanned at the moment. We will leave the space open for parents and children to enjoy together (or as a 'hang out' kids corner), and for anybody interested in offering a workshop for children e.g. yoga, drumming, storytelling, face painting, bushcraft.

Please let me know if you have ideas, questions, or would like to be involved in any way. Email: inwoods.school@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to meeting you and your children!

Mary-Ann and Joana

Creating Subtitles from home for Krishnamurti Video on DVD and Web   July 10, 2009

The Krishnamurti Foundation is continually releasing new Krishnamurti material on DVD and increasingly on the web. Feedback and experience show that subtitles are a great improvement to the videos. People for whom English is not their first language report to us that watching Krishnamurti’s video material with English subtitles helps them in their understanding of what is being said. The advantages of creating subtitles in other languages are obvious. For this reason we encourage Committees and individuals to translate DVDs into their own language.

We always need volunteer helpers for creating subtitles in different languages, working from home. This is why we're offering a Subtitle Workshop as part of the Reunion activities.

Creating subtitles is easy!

Some of the languages that we need translators for:
Chinese / Hindi / Russian / Arabic / Bengali / Indonesian / and more...

What you need:
- Minimal computer skills
- Very Good English skills

What we offer:
- 1 hour tutorial and a written instruction document
- the software needed
- the videos and English transcripts needed for translation
- constant email/phone support through the whole process
- coordination with other translators of the same language for checking

The workshop would last 1 hour maximum and we will work in groups of 4 or 5 people.

Thanks,
Francisco Mazza (at the Foundation)

Attic Attack!   May 31, 2009

Our long long-suffering maintenance crew, under the leadership of fearless Captain Yannick Benoit, have finally decided that they must boldly go where no man, or woman, has gone - for a considerable amount of time! The last frontier is to be tackled, they are to mount a daring expedition into the Cloister's Sitting Room attic, to see whether there is any end to the infinite amount of old student stuff stored there. If you are a former student who has contributed to the 'stuff mountain' by leaving things here in poorly marked, inadequately taped, collapsing cardboard boxes, please be warned. These boxes are about to return to haunt you. You will recall, we agree to store belongings for 2 years, but many boxes are beyond their 'collect by' date. They will now be available for collection at the Reunion and should you fail to pick them up on this occasion, we will auction them, starting price £3 a box, contents unseen. These cardboard time-capsules may reveal all sorts of secrets about your adolescent years that you would rather were not shared with others. Therefore, come to the Reunion and claim your past before we auction it!

The Deep Blue Woods   May 3, 2009

The spirit of springtime has arrived in the woodlands surrounding Brockwood, which recently became carpeted with bluebells. You are bound to recall wandering on the footpaths around Brockwood at this time of the year and encountering swathes of the tall-stemmed, bell-shaped flowers, growing closely together in the shade of the trees. The UK bluebell population is of international importance, forming 25% of the world's total number and enjoying the protection of a law which forbids the bulbs being dug up, or the flowers being picked. They were recently voted Britain's favourite flower and while at Brockwood we don't go in for 'favorites' in the morning and evening, when the sunlight forms long shadows and the colours are richest, the bluebells form a stunning spectacle and one can easily be seduced by their passing loveliness and intense deep blue.

Pool Days to Come   May 3, 2009

Can anyone tell us who the intrepid canoeists are in this early photo of the historic first-crossing of the Brockwood pool? Even if you cannot recognise them, you will no doubt recognise the pool and be glad to learn that once more it is clean and full, and by August it should be warm! The Brockwood Park swimming pool has been pumped-out, hosed-down, scrubbed, and in some cases lovingly repainted, by generations of Brockwood students. The pool is beginning to show its age (unknown, but thought to be around 60) and though we constantly need to do patching jobs to keep it in working order, it still holds water - thousands of gallons, thereby doubling as our reserve supply for fire-fighting. Of course this is not your ordinary, common, household water, but water pumped up from the extraordinary aquifer 300 foot below the chalk-cap that Brockwood sits on. The water is so cold that when the pool is first filled only a crazy person (or a first year student) will jump in, without an extended period of adjustment - requiring only the briefest immersion of the big toe of the left foot! By this August, when you arrive to plunge into it, it will be warm and inviting, due to the long, hot, balmy days we are expecting. If not, don't worry, we will have a defibrillator close by to help get your heart started again!

Two Down and One to Go!   April 9, 2009

The second school term of the year is over and it ended with the usual flurry of activity that is the Parents Weekend. For those of you unfamiliar with this fairly recent addition to Brockwood's annual calendar, it involves our inviting all of the parents of current students to come and stay with us for the last two days of the term. They attend classes, help with morning jobs, join in on games and discussions and meet teachers and tutors. Thankfully not all of the parents make it, otherwise we would not be able to cope, but this year around 50 joined us and it was crowded, chaotic, educative and fun.

Simultaneous with the parents' arrival was the appearance of the Brockwood Bystander, Issue 1. This impressive, 19 page, in-house, student newspaper, is the brainchild of 16 year old German student, Hanna Hess and a dedicated team of student writers, photographers and graphic designers, who put it together in a breathtaking 3 weeks (leaving the long overdue Brockwood Observer looking terribly tired and tortoise like with it's May release date). Hanna even managed to talk a local health food centre, Zenbu, into advertising in the Bystander and helping with costs to the tune of £100.

The Bystander succeeded in reminding us all of what a busy and eventful term it had been: there was the school trip to India in December; the new and popular cinema classes; the visits of several professional photographers offering workshops and presentations; the special concert for Peter Norris involving alumni; the new energetic and sensual salsa classes; the various informal evenings with impressive and imaginative music, dance and skits from students and staff; the excellent food festival; and finally the shared inquiry into major issues affecting us all - in particular this term, sex and sexuality was more openly and widely discussed than for some considerable time.

Sneaking and Sighing Softly   April 9, 2009

Living in England can be tough for foreign students and staff. The endless grey days and the early nightfall, the creeping damp and the continuous threat of rain; it all gets to you after a while and you begin to doubt the wisdom of ever coming to this place. Just when the spirit is almost broken and you are beginning to think dark unforgiving thoughts you register the sneaky arrival of the sibilant, softly sighing spring. It makes itself known at first by simply the slightest show of sunshine and unfamiliar warmth which takes you by surprise. You take your sweater off for 5 minutes and then put it back on again. But that small event registers as significant. Next you begin to notice that the trees are not black, bare and forbidding as they have been for months, small, green, expectant buds have appeared, likewise the early spring flowers are pushing through and before long you are surrounded by daffodils. Meanwhile, the early rhododendrons and camellias in the Grove have appeared, the young vegetable seedlings are rising with the warmth of the greenhouses and the spring lambs are gambolling in neighbouring fields. This year of special note is the magnolia on the South Lawn, in front of the dining hall. It has more flowers and a sweeter fragrance than any of us can ever remember, however, memory appears flawed, as the winter just gone is all but forgotten.
Click here to see some Brockwood Spring photos.

No Rooms but Plenty of Space!   March 16, 2009

We seemed to have run out of rooms for the Reunion far earlier than expected. Perhaps it's the internet age that makes it so easy (with the click of a button) to make your plans. Or perhaps it is that growing feeling amongst alumni that this is not an event to be missed - there's a 5 year wait for the next one! Though we have no rooms left we still have plenty of space. Space for campers and space for day guests. Brockwood is within easy reach of excellent bed and breakfast accommodation and many very good hotels, so there is no need to change your plans. Click the box on the registration form asking for this information and let us know in the Questions and Comments box that you plan to be a day guest.

A Magical Event   March 16, 2009

For fourteen years Brockwood had the good fortune to count Peter Norris amongst its staff. At the time Peter was the Director of Music at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School, but every weekend he would drive down to Brockwood to teach music and share in the life of the School. He joined forces with incumbent Alan Rowlands and newcomer, Jerome Blanche, to form a formidable teaching trio and the musical achievements of Brockwood reached new heights. Peter had to retire two years ago for health reasons, so it was a special pleasure to have him back in the School last Saturday for a concert arranged to celebrate his contribution to Brockwood.

The Assembly hall was packed with students, staff and guests for what was an intensely moving and magical event. The performers included current Brockwood students and six of Peter's former students, three of whom are now professional musicians. Prach Boondiskulchok, who organised the event, gave thanks to Peter for his uncompromising and unique teaching style, which helped in Prach's later securing a place at the Menhuin School, a scholarship at the Guild Hall, London, and then a career as a concert pianist. Prach is now a part-time piano teacher at Brockwood. The music played included Bach, Beethoven, Dowland, Messiaen, and former student Valentin Gerlier sang one of his own compositions. Valentin is the second student of Peter's to return to Brockwood as a teacher; in his case guitar.

During his time as a Brockwood teacher Peter started a music fund to help with the tuition of students who could not afford the fee and for the occasional purchase of musical instruments. For a long time Peter was the main contributor to the fund. On Saturday night the fund was relaunched as the 'Peter Norris Music Fund' and within 24 hours more than £1,000 had been collected for it. The photo shows Peter with former students and colleagues who performed. Back row from left to right: Valentin, Brian, Alisun, Kerstin, Prin, Tong, Prach. Front row from left to right: Jerome, Peter, Alan.

Seriously Curious   March 15, 2009

Former student, Lionel Claris, now a teacher and educational researcher in the USA, visited Brockwood this term:

I recently had the chance to visit Brockwood while the school was in session - for the first time in six years! It was great to get a flavour of life at Brockwood now from the perspective of a former student who left some 10 years ago. I am unfortunately unable to attend the reunion this time around and so I feel especially fortunate to have been able to be there and spend some quality time with students and staff. It was not only wonderful to reconnect with old friends, but also to interact with "Brockwoodians" I had never met before, I nonetheless immediately felt at home. I was struck by the sense I got from many of them: they are people who care to question, who care enough not to quickly judge, but who are seriously curious and want to understand. In that sense, they are people who make a difference everyday.

Brockwood and the people that make it are indeed precious and through them the intentions laid out by Krishnamurti must live on! As an educational researcher, I work on a type of critical thinking whereby thinking maintains a critical relation with itself, and it is somehow heartening to have been able to witness such questioning first-hand for a week and to realize where, and how, I became interested in it all in the first place. It is like coming full-circle in a way. I hope you will have a similar experience when you go to the Reunion.

What to Give and What to Buy?   March 15, 2009

Those of you who made it to the last Reunion will remember how heated the bidding became when Dave Robertson picked up the gavel as the auctioneer and everything from rugs to crystal vases, Kyrgzstani hats to holidays in Florence came under the hammer and went to the highest bidder. We raised enough money to resurface our new tennis court and everyone had fun in the process. We need your help to make it happen again, so if you have something that you can offer us for auction - perhaps that painting you've grown tired of, the camera you never use, or a week at the villa that lies empty - let us know and we will gratefully add it to the list of objects and pledges to be auctioned. All proceeds go to a good school cause. Please let florence@brockwood.org.uk know what you can offer and attach a photo of it if possible. As the list grows we shall post it here on the website, so that you can begin to consider what it is you want to bid for and just how high you are prepared to go.

A Classical Concert   March 9, 2009

We will be having a classical concert to celebrate Peter Norris' contribution to Brockwood as a music teacher over many years. Several of his former students will be performing on Saturday the 14th of March at 5.30pm. All alumni are invited to attend and welcome to stay for supper (sorry, no accommodation). We apologise for the late notice. If you would like to attend, please contact florence@brockwood.org.uk.

J.Krishnamurti Online   March 5, 2009

jkrishnamurti.org is a new and unique initiative of the four Krishnamurti Foundations to make the teachings of J.Krishnamurti widely available. It is planned to place on the internet the equivalent of 200 average-sized books covering all of Krishnamurti's published works from 1933 to 1986. A selection of video and audio material is also available. The authenticity of all of the material is guaranteed and everything is freely downloadable.

Single Rooms Only!   March 5, 2009

If you are hoping for a room at the Reunion it will have to be a single in the Cloisters and you better book now. All of the other available rooms in the School and Centre have now been taken. We can help arrange for rooms in local hotels or bed and breakfast accommodation, but the sooner you let us know the better. The rooms have been booked far more quickly than we expected and the trend so far suggests that this reunion is shaping up to be the biggest in Brockwood's 40 years.

Book Now: Rooms Are Going Fast   February 16, 2009

If you are determined to get a room in the School or Centre for the Reunion, we would encourage you to book soon as rooms are going fast. Already the triple rooms in the School have all been taken and the numbers of doubles and singles are limited. If you are happy camping there is no problem, but of course we would like to be able to add your name to the list of participants, so the sooner you book the better.

Thinking of You   February 14, 2009

We have begun thinking of you. That is to say that the Reunion Co-ordination Team (the RCT) has begun to meet on a regular basis to think about how we can make the Reunion work for everybody and how to ensure we can get as many alumni as possible to attend the big event. You can see us here looking very pleased with the fact that already 70 participants have registered to come to the Reunion, so hopefully we are on course to break our reunion record of around 260 participants. The RCT, from left to right is: Yannick, Bill, Farid, Fazila, Vijay, Florence, Anu, Doug. Absent: Kapila, Mary-Ann.

The Lost Alumni - Desperately Seeking   February 14, 2009

We have been promising a list of 'lost alumni' for some time and now it has arrived. Incomplete, inaccurate in places and needing your attention as well as ours, but it is a start. These are all people that our database no longer has accurate contact details for and that we would like to be in touch with. The list only goes as far as students here up to 1988 and will be added to and revised over the coming weeks and months. We shall remove names as we 'find' people and make corrections as we learn of errors. Please assist by putting us in contact with the 'lost alumni' or by encouraging them to contact us with their details. See 'Desperately Seeking' under 'Helping' for further details.

Births, Deaths and Marriages   February 14, 2009

Let us know if there are any recent births, deaths and marriages, pertaining directly to alumni that you would like to see listed on the site. Sadly we start with news of 4 deaths, some of which you may already be aware of:
Hakim Gabel - student from 1998 to 2003, died, 2008
Nicolas Van Pallandt - student from 1972 to 1979, died of cancer, 2008
Anuradha Banerjee - student from 1984 to 1986, died of cancer July, 2008
Francis McCann - former staff member, died 19th June, 2008
Mary Zimbalist - former trustee and staff member, died 17th June, 2008

Harsh Moves On   February 8, 2009

If you still know how to do a bit of applied mathematics and are not stumped when it comes to helping the kids with their algebra, perhaps you owe it all to Harsh. His long service as the chief mathematician in residence at Brockwood has come to an end and in November he bid a 'qualified farewell' to us all. Qualified because he returns this month to help with curriculum development and will continue to visit the School from time-to-time to assist in various ways. He is dividing his time between India, Europe and the US, where he hopes to combine his family commitments with his continued interest in Krishnamurti education and teacher development. After 35 years Harsh holds the record for the longest serving staff member at Brockwood.

Steve and Wendy Set to Return   February 8, 2009

As one goes, two return! Just as we were adjusting to the idea of the departure of our longest serving staff member, two other familiar faces reappeared. Steve Smith and Wendy Agnew, both former staff from the mid 70's, with a combined 32 years service at Brockwood have returned to do a second tour of duty. The last 17 years have mostly been spent in Ojai, California, where Wendy worked with the KFA and Steve did various jobs, which included some long stints in India helping KFI with teacher development. We are delighted that they have decided to join us again - after a gruelling prospective week! - Wendy to assist in the Foundation with digitising and Steve to return to teaching in the School.

Snowed in on the Hill   February 2, 2009

Brockwood students and staff awoke this morning as inhabitants of a different world. A cold-snap throughout Britain has meant the heaviest snow falls in 18 years and Brockwood is dressed in white. Various non-residential teachers and office staff were unable to make it to work because of road closures and the gaps that therefore appeared in the timetable were quickly filled with snowball fights, tobogganing, and walks through the transformed winter parkland. The white-out has caused major disruption to road, rail and air transport throughout the country, but so far nobody at Brockwood is complaining. The place looks gorgeous, but un/fortunately it will all be gone by the 20th August!
Click here to see the photos.

Less than 200 Days To Go!   February 2, 2009

You will have noticed that the counter recording the number of days until Reunion2009 has dropped below the 200 mark. This means that the lethargy associated with the winter months has to be shaken off by the newly formed Reunion Co-ordination Team (RCT). They have to begin to get their heads around such knotty questions as: How do we make sure everyone knows about the Reunion? Exactly what will everyone eat? Where do we find the best, most reasonably priced marquee in Hampshire? And who is going to be responsible for making sure the rubbish bins are emptied and the loos are clean? More exciting news from the RCT soon, but rest assured this crack team of Reunion experts will be working overtime to make this the best reunion we've had for at least five years!

Seeking “Desperately Seeking”   February 2, 2009

You may have noticed that we have not yet been able to place the 'Desperately Seeking' list on the site. This is the list of all of the alumni for whom we no longer have up-to-date contact details and who we would like to be in touch with again. Preparing the list is taking longer than expected, but it will be in place soon and we would appreciate it if you can then take a look at it to see if you can help us connect with missing alumni. We are concerned that quite a few alumni do not yet know about the Reunion, because we have no way of contacting them, so please pass the message on.

This website?

This website has been established to:

• Encourage all Brockwood alumni to attend Reunion2009
• Inform you of what is planned and how you can get involved
• Assist you in registering for Reunion2009
• Re-establish contact with you and to hear your news
• Enable you to be in contact with each other
• Encourage alumni involvment in the development of Brockwood

We will regularly update this website with news, images and feedback as the countdown to the Reunion continues - watch how time flies! - and as the event begins to fill out with people, games, dialogues, concerts, dances, and more. Our contact, via this site, means that we can easily listen, share, and build together an event that we are all going to find exciting, enriching and unforgettable.