Last day!!

Dear all

As you can see Fearless has made many new friends including the Drivers of our Bus! Great last day with an Elephant Ride! Early start to the Amber Fort was well worth it. Please try to view Tommy Lennard's Video! All of us enjoyed the experience.

After the amber Fort we all went to see how jewellery was made followed by a visit to a textile factory. All good fun!

Awards were made during the evening. great fun.I took photos of the trophies before we came so gave photocopies to the boys who received them! (the real ones being back at school!)

Early start tomorrow. watch out Mill Hill!

Best wishes,

Hutch and the Team

thanks to Kiran for helping with the blog!

Day 9

Hi Everyone,

We took the boys this morning to one of the Parks to find some opposition. This turned out to be a great experience with the locals more than happy to take on Mill Hill's finest. We ended up playing two matches at once with the bigger boys in one team and the smaller in another. We played with a softer ball 10 overs winner takes all.

As you can see the playing conditions were slightly different from yesterday! We ended up playing two ten over matches with the Juniors just failing to win and the senoirs winning the second match to record Mill Hill's first win on Tour!! Hurray!!

After lunch back at the Hotel the boys had relaxing time before supper followed by a Quiz that Mr Plummer,Mr Parrish and myself had organised. Ben and Jack won on a tie breaker against Thomas H and Sagar. The winners received A Mill Hill Medal!!

I can not believe we are nearly done here. Both Mr P's and the boys have been fab.

Best wishes,

Hutch

Elephant Ride tomorrow!

Day 8

yesterdays tour!

Hi Everyone,We love the comments!! Please do make the effort everyone!!

Today we were up earlyto play our last proper match and this time we won the toss and batted! A very hot day followed with the boys performing incredibly well. Guy Shipman, Kiran Choudhuri, Thomas Harley, Lochlan Murray and Tim Jacobs all ensured we achieved our highest score to date. It was great to see the boys batting with real belief in themselves, building an innings and getting the results.

James K did not play and whilst Benedict Relf performed well again with the ball only Tim Jacobs bowled well with him. Our opposition passed our score of 145 losing 3 wickets. temperatures were upto 45 degrees with not much wind! I gather a fraction hotter than London!

We were very proud of the boys got stuck in today and they have improved again today. We have to remember that the side we played today is the equivelant playing the best 11 from say Birmingham who have practiced 5 months before playing us!!

After a compulsory rest we took the boys to shop before dinner folwed by table Cricket and an Indian Board game before bed.

Another fab day

Hutch and the Team.

Day 7

Hi All,

No your computers were not malfunctioning. The Hotel last night although it had very beautifull rooms did not have any internet access!! Sorry about that.

So yesterday we visited a deserted fort which was great apart from it turned out to be an open air market! After lunch at our new Hotel we rested before going to visit a Bird sanctury. The boys and all really enjoyed the Rickshaw rides in between the wild animals on show. The evening was memorable due to a puppet show!

Today we have travelled in our home from home, of which we are very affecionate, towards the capital of Rajastan, Jaiphur. After lunch at our most amazing Hotel we had a short tour of the "Wind Palace" and an open air observatory.(Please do not ask benedict to change the time on your watch though)) The boys all enjoyed looking at the ancient guns and swords!

yes that is a group of camels with our bus!!

Early start tomorrow and yet again we are playing an Academy side. We are however becoming more battle hardened and I am pleased with the improvements made so far.

Happy Easter to you all!

Best wishes,

Hutch and the Team.

ps love to all my family!!

Day 6

Hi All,
Thanks for all your comments! It's good to have the reliable ones there!

We have all had a good day today with our match starting at 7.15am. The boys performed better today against another strong Academy side. Our hosts were particularly welcoming allowing all the boys to get involved with the game. Good performances with the ball from the Captain and Thomas. It was strange for the boys to play on matting but they adapted well. All the boys have so far avoid any serious injuries playing cricket allthough James Kilbourn decided to slip over at the Hotel!(no broken bones though!)

We are leaving Agra tomorrow early am.

Another good day!

Best wishes,

Hutch and the team

Not sure what day it is!

Three wise men?

Dear All

Wow finally made it to one of the wonders of the world. Left early from Delhi with our breakfast packs on the 6.15am Train to Agra. All the boys are well at present and it it is very hot here. I hear it is slightly cooler in the UK! The Taj Mahal was fab!

After an entertaining lunch we all had a rest before visiting the Agra Fort later on in the cool of the day before Supper. The Hotel is 5 star but perhaps more provincial than the previous amazing Hotel in central Delhi.

Due to the weather we are starting tomorrow at 7.00am!!! yes 7.00am!!! Good to chat to the boys this evening re tactics for tomorrow.Progress is being made......

Best wishes

Hutch and the Team!

ps We celebrated Jacks birthday!!

Day 4

Hi All,

All boys well Up early today and off to play one of India's top Public Schools. Only 5000 students to select from! Yes 5000! Neverless the fearless Millhillians were ready for their second game after a good nights rest and excitement of the IPL.

The opposition were however very strong and batted well against an improving performance from our bowlers with Tim Jacobs bowling well. Nick Schield performed admirably behind the stumps in the heat also.

Good batting from a couple of players particularly Lachlan entertained the crowd. Nick also managed a couple of sixes!!

After another compulsory rest we managed to get to to a couple of local Cricket shops which the boys enjoyed. Purchases were made under my guidance!

Early start tomorrow and off to Agra on the train!

Best wishes

Ian and the Team

dear all

so nice to receive all your comments which we pass onto the squad. Also touched by your concern for Fearless. Sadly fearless did not make it to the IPL game tonight because security would not let him in.

Another amazing (but hot) day. some of the boys really felt it out in the field but luckily we have plenty of sub fielders. All boys took part but came up against a strong RP Academy side who knew how to play the hard tracks better than us. Plenty to learn from today's match and a chance to improve in the game tomorrow morning. Good individual performances in trying conditions from Nick, Kieran, James K and Benedict.

Everyone enjoyed a much needed siesta in the hotel in the afternoon before heading off to the IPL game, although 1 or 2 boys opted to stay. Those of us who went enjoyed a once in a lifetime experience watching Delhi Daredevil win with some awesome batting!!!

Early start tomorrow to play one of Delhi's most prestigious public schools. Should be another tester!!

best wishes Hutch and the Team

(mr Ali: tried but failed to publish photos this time....might need that help!?!

Day Two

Hi Eveyone

Great to read all of your comments! We have had another great day here in sunny Delhi. All members of the Tour are fit and well. We have made sure that "Fearless" has had enough water and Suncream has been applied throughout the day. Several sites were enjoyed this morning, including Humayun's Tomb, the Akshaydham Temple (biggest Hindhu Temple in the world), India Gate and the Parliament buildings (and grounds where we gatecrashed a local game of Cricket!) and Qutb Minor (c.1200AD) followed by lunch at Vatsal Kanoria's Uncle's farmhouse. The afternoon was spent practicing for the first big game tomorrow starting at 8.30am our time! We hear you have gone to Day light saving to avoid the rain????

Thank you Mr Ali for your concern but I have a wingman with me this evening and progress is being made!

Huge day tomorrow with our first match followed by the IPL Match in the evening. Delhi DareDevils V Kolkata Knight Riders!!!

Best wishes

Ian Hutchinson and the Team

This the Temple we visited. I have not yet mastered how to put our own pictures on yet. Maybe Day two will have sorted that out............

"Fearless" is being looked after by me at present. I wonder who will have him the next time...............

Ian

First day in sunny Delhi

Hi,
Wow! A great first day. After a very smooth flight we arrived in the heat of the day to be greeted by our Hosts. An air conditioned coach to our Hotel was much appreciated. The Hotel is very modern and clean. After a quick freshen up we went on a tour of Old Delhi which included a Temple along with the Red Fort. We are all amazed by the vibrancy of this City. All the boys were getting tired at the end of a long day so back to the Hotel for 6.30pm. The evening meal was excellent with all the boys eating well. They are now all in bed.

Catch up tomorrow.

Best wishes,

Ian.

Week to go

I have just purchsed some probiotic tablets that apparently will avoid "Delhi Belly". Highly recommended by the Royal free Hospital. (to be taken 5 days before travel)

Mr Hutchinson

Michael Vaughan Visit

Wow. Yes this is happening! March 3rd Sixth Form Common Room.

FEARLESS

Humankind has a long history of life with Lions. Since ancient times Lion deities have been revered in mythology and legend. They have also been feared as monsters and bizarre hybrid creatures usually symbolising humanity's greatest or worst attributes.

To commemorate the Bi-Centenary Mill Hill, applied for the grant of a crest. After a Royal Licence had been signed by HM The Queen, a Patent was issued to confer upon the school the privilege of bearing with its shield a crest and a badge.

The Patent described these thus:
Within a Coronet Or a Grassy Mount Vert sejant erect thereon a Lion Gules winged paly Or and Azure grasping with both forepaws a Millrind Or.

This translates: a red Lion with wings of gold and blue sitting on a grassy hill and grasping with both paws a gold millrind (the metal centre piece of a millstone). The Lion (a symbol of England) is winged because he is carrying the values of Mill Hill School far and wide.

Our tour mascot goes by the name Fearless. Little is known about Fearless. Some say that throughout the years he has secretly mentored cricketing legends throughout the world; other say that he is just a low-cost cuddly toy that Mr Hutchinson found.

What have you heard about Fearless our tour mascot?

A handy passenger to take on tour

It might be a good idea to take hand sanitiser on tour as there are a lot of bugs around. You can pick one up at Boots or any major supermarket.

Benedict Relf

Umpire Signals

Have you ever wondered what the umpire means by waving his arms around in a strange fashion?

Believe it or not, almost every motion an umpire makes has a meaning.

Click here for the BBC Cricket guide to umpire signals