Summer concert's missing member represented by wig

THIS year's Herm school summer concert was the usual mix of laughter, tears and comedy wigs.

There is a theory among creative people that when two diverse ideas collide, inspiration happens. And so we find Romeo and Juliet meeting and falling in love on the crime-ridden streets of 1920s Chicago.

'Verona meets Chicago. Tudor meets the Jazz Age. Shakespeare meets Al Capone' was the tagline for this ambitious production.

The children had a mere four weeks in which to learn and rehearse their concert, in a term that is full of trips, assessments and reports.

The talented Rachel Wright had just a day or two to coach them through a varied score, with songs from West Side Story and Bugsy Malone and even a bit of Taylor Swift thrown in.

There was slight panic the day before the performance when an important cast member was struck down with chickenpox. Instead, her character was cleverly represented by a particular wig. Whenever the wig appeared, that particular person was playing the part of the nurse. Naturally, this provided many comedy moments.

After the concert, the children were presented with certificates for their achievements and the school trophies were awarded.

The school bowling trophy was won by India Waterhouse and Ffion Jones.

A new drama cup was awarded to Ryan Jones, who is blossoming year after year into a fine young actor.

This year's winner of the cup for progress and endeavour went to Elliot Knight, the only child to have won it twice. Elliot is leaving the school to attend Grammar and will be sorely missed. Elliot also won the new cup for mathematics, donated by Lloyd's Bank.

The Herm summer fete raises funds to support the school for the whole academic year, to pay for trips, books and extra resources.

The fete is held down by the harbour in front of the White House Hotel and features many stalls including tombola, books and cakes. The highlight is always the raffle, with prizes donated by local businesses and individuals.

This year, on one of the hottest days of the year so far, the school's tiny PTA spent five hours baking in 90-degree heat.

Many of the children helped out, including those who have already moved on from the school, with just over £1,000 being raised.