The Wisemans Head North
Howard & Gwydion Wiseman report:
28/04/26: Gwydion and Howard Wiseman have just completed their fourth consecutive annual coaching trip to St Bees.
The appetite for Fives at the school has increased each year; and the level of play even more so. During the three-day visit, the school had arranged for each year group to be coached either in their Games or PE lessons, or had been scheduled to miss a classroom lesson, with their teacher joining them for the session too. The three lovely courts were full all day long on Friday and Saturday, and from 9-1pm on the Sunday. A hardened group of school team players took part in all nine hours of practice on the Saturday!
Alongside Brad Simpson (Director of Sport) and Laurence Gribble (Acting Head/Deputy Head) the coaching at St.Bees is largely pupil-lead; the Captain, Phillipe, has done an amazing job. He has absorbed everything that has been practiced each year, like a sponge, and has passed this on amazingly well, to all other players during weekly sessions that take place even in the worst of Cumbrian winter weather.
Shot-drills, sparring contests, time challenges, point-scoring races and relentless consistency drills were lapped up by all of the pupils; beginners included (the new Year 7s are so keen and will be excellent).
Howard was the guest speaker at their third annual Sports award dinner that took place on the second evening of the visit, with 75 pupils and parents present. The sporting programme for the 100 or so pupils at St.Bees has really taken off, with a fantastic culture of broad participation and enthusiasm towards trying everything. Brad and Laurence, have done an amazing job with sport in general; but Eton Fives has clearly emerged as the most popular sport in the school. It has enabled girls and boys from all years to enjoy sport together, both as a social activity, but also as a main focus for their competitive ambitions. This past year, St Bees have taken part with their biggest squad to date, in both the Northern Championships held at Shrewsbury, the Midlands at Repton School and the Schools’ Nationals which was also held at Repton. The School is already planning for next season and are excited to be travelling to Eton College for the 2027 Nationals.
The St Bees Team have now enjoyed fixtures with the EFA, Shrewsbury School, Rossall School, and are due to play home and away Fives fixtures with Sedbergh School in June. Many of the upper sixth and recent leavers have ambitions to continue playing after school and there is a realistic chance of a St Bees team forming in London in the near future, attached most probably to the Westway club and Old Olavians.
It is so heartening to see how this sociable, fast-paced, earthy, immensely addictive, skilful, self-regulating, all-weather sport, has captured the imagination of the vast majority of the school community (teachers too!). Almost no one has had any experience of the sport whatsoever before joining St Bees and many are from abroad. For example, St Bees can boast a truly superb ladies three-pair team… from Ukraine!
You could not choose a more beautiful school or location to visit; nor a more receptive bunch of students to encourage. If any group of players would like a change of scene… contact Howard, Gareth or St Bees directly and see if a suitable opportunity can be found.
The next St.Bees Invitational weekend will be taking place on June 20/21 - contact
