Back To School

Every year, as the Summer holiday draws to a close, it is the same old story, up and down the country…

‘I don’t want to go back to school!’

‘Why not?’

‘Everyone hates me - even the teachers!’

‘Nonsense!’

‘Yes they do; every day, someone calls me names or pushes me into puddles.’

‘Well, you are still going to have to go back to school.’

‘Why?’

‘Because…you are the Headteacher.’

Stand By For Action

CSC Teesside is getting ready for the new school year and we are all excited to see what we can achieve in our schools this year.

We also have two new tutors for 2023-24.

In addition to Catherine Lloyd and Dave Edmunds, we are delighted to officially unveil Nicola Harrington and Chris Swales as new members of our excellent team.

Both have many years of experience when it comes to working in schools and bringing the best out of children.

We are all ready for action!

Big Day Out

One was supposed to be in London today with a group from Park End Primary School, but the big chess event was cancelled at short notice.

Rather than let the children down completely, Ms Armes and I took them for a day of bowling, pizza, ice cream and laughs.

I would have liked to have shown the bowling scores, but unfortunately that is something which is ruled out by data protection.

If you have had just half as much fun as I have had today, then I must have had twice as much fun as you.

Library Visit

It was great to catch up with Sean C. and Nicky at their Stockton Library chess session today.

It is now six years since Sean C. and I started the club and it is still going very strong.

Sean C. has probably delivered more library sessions than anyone else in the country.

There were 23 people while we were there today and more arrived shortly after we left (with an almost exactly male/female split too).

Given that the rain was rarely less than absolutely torrential, the large attendance shows how well Sean C. and Nicky are doing to make the sessions vibrant and attractive to players of all ages and abilities.

It was also very good to see the incredible Alice Sturman, our most loyal junior of all.

Catherine found an excellent checkmate too.

Black had played very well up until the point his king decided to go for an ambitious walk.

Every White move now loses the game - expect for the one played in the game.

Can you see how to force checkmate on Black's king?

Here is a gallery from the fine day of chess.

Angels Meeting

Today brought the latest meeting of Marsh’s Angels (or at least, 4/5 of them).

In between discussing plans for next season and solving checkmate problems, we launched an investigation to try and find out where the cherries from the cherry scones had gone.

Throston Honour

We were honoured to be invited to Throston Primary’s end of year Award Assembly this afternoon.

Richard Harris, who is retiring from chess tutoring after more than a decade of excellent service, was the proud recipient of a special award.
Throston, who have been one of our CSC curriculum schools since day one (back in 2010) always go the extra mile for chess.

Mr. McMorris (the school’s chess coordinator) and Mr. Atkinson (Throston’s exceptional Headteacher) are also in the pictures.

Thank you, everyone!

Retirements

Two CSC Teesside tutor retirements in one day!

Mr. Harris and Mr. Cassidy are both standing down after many years of active service.

They will be greatly missed.

Tonight’s riotous send-off involved skewers, forks, unfeasibly large pavlovas and some room-clearing jokes which cannot be repeated here.

Chess tutor Catherine Lloyd was there to celebrate the occasion, as were Nicky Britton and Micaela Harris, who somehow forgot to smile in the group photograph.

Both of the retiring tutors will be greatly missed (although Mr. Cassidy will take his place on the substitute’s bench and may well see more action next year anyway - and, of course, he will continue with the Stockton Library sessions).

Thank you, gentlemen, for your combined service of nearly two decades.