22nd February 2013

Old Girl of Bolton School, author Kate Long, has written a follow-up to her best-selling 2004 novel, The Bad Mother’s Handbook, which was later made into a one-off hit TV show starring comedian Catherine Tate. Her new book, Bad Mothers United, is out on the 28th February 2013, and catches up with characters Charlotte, Karen and Nan, who are back and as hilariously catastrophic as ever. Kate had not intended to write a follow-up but was contacted by scores of readers who loved the book and wanted to know what happened next. The books are set in the fictional town of Bank Top, based on Blackrod, where Kate grew up. Another Old Girl, former High Court Judge Dame Janet Smith, has been declared one of the UK's most powerful women in a BBC survey. A panel of judges compiled a list of the country's 100 most influential females for Radio 4's Woman's Hour. The list was made up of women who have the greatest impact on British politics, society, culture and the economy.

Pitching a business idea in public is no easy ride, but 'Saddle Up', a joint team of Sixth Form Girls and Boys at Bolton School, showed nerves of steel as they delivered a highly engaging presentation which enabled them to race to victory in the inaugural Joint KPMG Enterprise Competition. As in past years, all the teams produced highly innovative ideas and compelling presentations which provided a real headache in terms of choosing an overall winner for the Dragons’ Den judging panel of delegates from KPMG, BT and Rivington Associates. After much deliberation, congratulations went to the winning team of Saddle Up, with their memory foam bike saddle and waterproof pouch for valuables.

Congratulations go to our Year 10 Boys’ Division volleyball players who returned to the Bolton Town Volleyball Championships for the second year, after taking the title in their debut season last year. Both teams played well with one team remaining unbeaten in five games to make the final and finish as runners up. They will now go on to represent the Borough for the second consecutive year in the Greater Manchester Games in May.

Also this week, Sixth Form AS and A level Mathematics students from the Girls’ Division and Boys’ Division enjoyed a lunchtime presentation on ‘Mathematics in the Digital Age’. The talk was given by Dr Terence Etchells, from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the Liverpool John Moores University. And Year 2 pupils had great fun dressing up as characters from traditional stories and attending a Traditional Tale Ball, including a banquet and dancing!