Winchester College- Parrish Preston

My wardrobe in Cook's House adorned with my bottles of Tabasco and hot sauce to enhance the British food!

 

With a short hop, a skip, and a jump across the pond, my comrades Mckay Proctor and Andrew Karpos and I found ourselves in the Land of the Brits in London, England. Jet-lagged and groggy-eyed, we spent an hour ride—on the left side of the road—to Winchester College, which would be our home for the next month. Having dropped Andrew off at Furley’s, Mckay and I settled into Cook’s House, a residence for 60 boys equipped with a squash court, gym, pool table, two music rooms and a spacious garden I would frequent to catch up on summer reading and throw the Frisbee with my housemates. 

Discovering what it means to be a "Wykehamist"

 Winchester College is similar in its commitment to educating boys in a rigorous environment. It varies, however, in its use of a block schedule. My “lessons” were taught by multiple teachers or “dons,” consisting of eight periods a day with varying study halls or “bookies” in between. I took four classes: History: British and European, English: Literature and Composition, Division: a theology and religion class, and Latin: Literature of Tacitus and history of the Roman Republic. 

My Division class and I on the roof of Winchester College chapel, overlooking the town

Mckay and I celebrating July 4th.                            Coaches and players on game day.

One of my favorite highlights from the trip was on July 4^th --not just because we were living in the country from which we declared independence 200 years earlier. Our house’s football team won the championship for Six-a-Side, the inter-house soccer competition. Mckay and I, finely dressed in suits, acted as the teams quasi-coaches, going undefeated for Team Cook’s. 

Athletically, I continued my love for rowing by participating on their accomplished crew team. I rowed and worked out with the team every day, actually accompanying them to several regattas including Redding and the Eton Rowing Centre. My time on the team was highlighted by my competing in a race in an eight with whom I had spent the past few weeks training. Spending this great amount of time and effort strengthened the bonds I had developed with my teammates. 

At the Eton College Rowing Centre

I also tried my hand at Cricket, a baseball-esque game very popular in England. Sticking out like a sore thumb on the pitch, I was apparently the “best Tennessean bowler” the coach had seen. I took this as a compliment, not sure how much it was based on fact, and played several matches with my housemates.

On a Saturday and one of my favorite experiences there, a fellow Cook-ite took Mckay and me to a free food festival called Taste of London. We lost many “pounds” shopping at many of London’s cheap retail stores and markets. We went through Heathrow Airport and iconic Waterloo Station after learning to navigate the extensive tube system of London.

Rite of passage: using a pay phone at Waterloo Station

Marti, Mckay, and I at Regent's Park.

I was absolutely amazed at the amount of greenspace in Regent’s Park, a park in London which we spent almost an entire day. This park features open fields, beautiful botanical gardens, an extensive jogging track, and a lake. 

The town of Winchester, virtually twice as old as the United States itself, is a quaint, historical jewel only a ten mintute walk from the college. Town life was bustling every day, especially in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic games. Mckay and I would frequent Winchester Cathedral and the many shops and restaurants in Winchester. 

I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Warner and Mr. Brad Gioia for not only making my trip possible, but also all of the International Exchange Programs. Thank you for supporting my first out-of-country experience, it was one I will never forget. I would also like to thank Mr. Taylor my housemaster, Nadia my house matron, and all my Winchester friends who took me in as one of their own.