Here, at Bridgetown School, we have four teams or ‘houses’. Throughout the year we collect points for our houses and, at sports day, we compete in our house groups.

Do you remember the names and colours of our houses?

Do you know why our houses have these names? Who were Raleigh, Drake, Nelson and Chichester?

Facts: Raleigh was a brave sailor who led many expeditions to America. He brought back the tobacco and potato plants to England. He also made medicines and was a poet. Interesting Story: It is said that he spread his cloak in front of Queen Elizabeth so that she did not have to stand in a puddle. Name: Walter Raleigh Born: 1552

Facts: Nelson joined the navy when he was 12 years old. By the time he was 20, he was made captain of his own ship! He led the navy into many sea battles and became famous for his bravery. He even lost an arm and an eye in battle. He was killed on his ship, HMS Victory, at the Battle of Trafalgar. There is a very famous statue of him in Trafalgar Square in London. Interesting Story: On one occasion he didn’t agree with some orders being sent by semaphore (flag waving messages) from the command ship telling me to pull out of a battle. He put his telescope to his blind eye and said, ‘I see no ships,’ and continued into battle, which the British won! Name: Horatio Nelson Born: 29 September 1758

Facts: Drake first went to sea at 12 years of age. He was a very brave sailor and led lots of battles for England against Spain. He was also the first Englishman to sail all the way around the world. Interesting Story: Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. He had brought enough treasure back from his trip to pay off all of Britain’s debts. Name: Francis Drake Born: 1540

Facts: Chichester was a pilot but took up sailing in He won the first solo transatlantic race in 1960 in the “Gipsy Moth III,” sailing from Plymouth to New York City in 40 days. He was the first person to sail single-handedly around the world. On his around-the-world voyage, he left Plymouth August 27, 1966, sailing the 14,100 miles to Sydney in 107 days. Embarking again on Jan. 29, 1967, he returned to Plymouth around Cape Horn in 119 days, the 15,517 miles being the longest passage made by a small sailing vessel without a port of call. He was knighted in May Name: Francis Chichester Born: 17 th September 1901