This has been a long and very full year, both within the School and in the educational world We have been mercifully spared the disruption which has affected the maintained sector, but have a good deal to cope with, not least the imminence of the G.C.S.E This new examination will replace the present dual system at 16+ ,and will involve significantchanges inwhatwe teach and,even more, the way we teach it Heads of Department have been deluged with new syllabuses,and we have spent a lot of time working out how to tackle the new courses; inaddition,there have been nationally organised trainingcourses, and we have held our own trainingsessionswithintheSchool As aresult,we are as well prepared as we can be for the change; we are looking forward to it with a mixture of apprehension and excitement.
One other change which is being implemented in September affects the girls We have had avery strong entry this year, and this, combined with the steadily growing numbers in College House, decided us to open a second Girls'House The new housewillbe for day girlsonly,and will be accommodated in part of the ground floor of No 12 College Green;itwill becalledEliotHouse; BobAllum will be their Housemaster and Rosemary Diamond House Tutor College House will continue to have both day and boarding girls, butwill be a more manageable size,whichshouldbe to the benefit of all concerned
Mr A.M Grier retired from the Governing Body inMarch after 13 years, for ten of whichhe was Chairman;Mr M.G.R Adams and Mr H.L Preedy also retired from the Governing Body atthe same time after long and distinguishedservice to the School.We are grateful to them allfor theirwisdom and guidance over the years, and in particularto Mr Grier, who has been a tireless pillar of support to the School in many ways during his period of office The new Chairman of the Governors is Mr D.T Howell - an O.V who was in School House and is now Group Managing Director of Adwest in Reading The new Governors are Group CaptainT Garden (OV.), Mr S.J Lloyd and DrJudy Weiss We welcome them, and look forward to working with them in the years to come.
The publicexaminations thissummer have on the whole gone well At 'A' level, the candidates again turned in some first class results,with an overall pass rate of 91.5%, and a splendid upper range: 59% of all the grades awarded were As and Bs - more thantwice the nationalaverage Amongst this group, fourteen candidates got three As or better, with the outstanding results being those of Timothy Roscoe (Al Al A A), Justin Grindley (Al A2 A A), MarkJenkinson(Al A A A), Pin Yong (A2 AAA) and Simon Yates (AAA A). A number of A' level candidates had conditional offers for Oxford orCambridge whichthey fulfilled,bringingto 10 the total numberof those successfulatOxbridge thisyear The 'O' levels were objectively marginally less good than last year, but still pleasing The results underline the importance of hard work over the years preceding the examinations
There has again been a full programme of concerts and plays, with a number of outstanding events, notably The Winter's Tale inthe Cathedral,whichcombined the dramatic andthe musical,the talentsof staff andpupilsinthe cast,and was made allthe better bythe musicof NickOwen (O.V.) We have now started on the new theatre by the Dining Hall; by the time you read this, itshould be well advanced, and we
hope that itwill be in use within 15 months if all goes well This is an excellent project which should add a new dimension to our drama and give opportunities for even more imaginative experiments than we have seen already. The buildingwill be useful to usina mass of other ways, and will also we hope be available to other organisations in Worcester so that itcan be an asset to the City,and not only to the School
You will read reports of the games successes elsewhere; suffice itfor me to say what a pleasure it has been to watch yet another highly successful rugby side, and to see some excellent efforts and high-standard results in a number of other sports includingthe rowing,cricketatboth FirstXI and particularly Under 14 level, and also inthe so-called 'minor games' which flourish under a wide variety of guises and cater for many talents Congratulations to David Ogle who played in the final England 18 group trial, and to George Blakeway who played with David for the Midlands against the touringAustralians
We have lost a number of members of Common Room thisyear, andthere aretributestowhat they have done for us elsewhere; I am grateful to them all for their contributions while they have been here, and wish them well intheir new schools We look forward to welcoming their successorsthey will have a lot to do to live up to the standard of those who have moved on
We werealldeeply shocked andsaddened by the death of Peter CurieinMarch Ihad only been privileged to know him for three years, but his friendship, sense of humour and invaluable support were one of the great things about that period. Icouldnot imagine abetter Second Masterora more agreeable companion through allthe curiousvicissitudes of a school year Peter Bamett has written elsewhere of all his contributions to the School over hislong career here, many ofwhichIknowof onlyatsecond hand;one thingiscertain -I personally and the whole school community owe him more than can be put into words, and will always remember him with deep affection and gratitude Tim Hickson has taken over from him,and has already made his mark despite the fact that he had to start a term early and under the pressure of teaching a full timetable; I look forward to many more years of working with him as closely as I worked with Peter
We are now approaching what may well be an election year The very existence of the Independent Sector is threatened by the Labour Party,and the Allianceare at best ambivalent in their attitude All of those who believe in genuine freedom of choice andthe rightof citizens to spend their money as they thinkbest must ensure that doctrinaire jealousy doesnot deprive thiscountryof animportant part of itseducationalsystem Iwould encourage allof you who feel able to do soto support usinourfight to continueto exist by supportingthe ISISAssociation;they canbe contacted at 56 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AG
So - another full, active and encouraging year; a lot of interesting possibilities lie ahead, and the course will not always be smooth However, withthe excellent staff we have and the first class support and involvement of parents and pupils we are well placed to meet the challenges of the next few years
John M Moore
Everyone who ever knew Peter Curie must have been saddened and shocked by hissudden illnessand death, and must feel the deepest sympathy for Barbara and Tim and Simon in their loss He would have retired this summer
He was a member of the staff for over 36 years, from January 1950 He was Housemaster of Choir House from 1961 to 1978, Second Master from 1978 and President of Common Room from 1978 to 1981
The bare factual record says a great deal, but of course there is far more to be said There will be as many different recollections as there are people who knew Peter, and probably no one could do himfull justice: butthere must be general agreement on his very special qualities.
He came to King'sSchool from Canford School (where he had been Ronald Kittermaster's Head of House), service in the Royal Navy, and Trinity College, Oxford, where he gained a degree inHistory, and Blues for Hockey and Real Tennis He used to say with pleasure that he came on a temporary appointment, andthenstayed "allthistime" Most would regard it as one of F.R.K.'s inspired appointments
There was aregular fixture each year inthe hockey season when F.R.K.'sXI played the School FirstXI Here Peter could be seen in his element, totally absorbed, and in effortless control of the game His anticipation was such that it all looked perfectly simple, the ball seemed always to come straight to him, he seldom needed even to move fast, he missed nothing and he never made a mistake, it was very revealing
One of F.R.K.'smaxims was that every member of hisstaff should be capable of teaching any subject Peter might deny that he ever quite lived up to that, but he certainly did teach an unusuallywide range of subjects in his earlier days as a Middle School form master; and after he came to concentrate on History, he diverged appreciatively into Ancient History as well. His Navy experience provided a phrase to rival Tacitus on the Pentland Firth - "It's a quite extraordinary sea; it's as if you were trying to sail through treacle." He had no time for 'sloppiness' inhispupils,but he had infinite patience and sympathy with those who found difficulties in,for example, the niceties of shipconstruction or navigation in the Age of Exploration
As well as looking after a Fourth Form - no light-task in itself - he presided over the School Shop for a number of years, with allthe complications that that involved It was a common sight, inthe small room under EdgarTower, to see Peter fitting blazers to small boys (or vice versa) and dealing without any fuss with agitated parents, delayed deliveries of
parcels, and a host of difficulties - all in his'spare time' For some 20 years he was incharge of hockey andof lawn tennis as well, organising, coaching, playing.After that,he said that he was getting a bit past it; but no one would have known.
While he was Housemaster of Choir House, it was immediately obvious toanoutsiderthatitwas anefficient - in games, of course, and in every other way - and firmly controlled,but,aboveall,ahappy House There was no need to do more, to appreciate this, than to teach in the Choir House classroom;to have the privilege of attending a House Supper made itvery clearindeed ChoirHouse,surely,was a home to many of its members; those who spent holidays there with Peter and Barbaracertainlywerevery happy, and the number who remained firm friends is testimony enough.
Peter was a remarkable all-rounder in a practical way (Who else would have known what type of wood is used to make hockey sticks?) It was his idea, and his skill, that converted the Choir House cellar into a much used games room He might often be seen shirt-sleeved, and in Wellingtons, digging in hisvegetable patch inthe St Alban's area; on Friday afternoons he would be guiding and instructing the Works Group in concreting, bricklaying, dismantling, rebuilding and almost every imaginable useful activity And how often, in other ways, was everyone's life made easier by a quiet suggestion from Peter? A 'Curie plan' became a byword for a carefully and logically thought-out piece of organisation: it would make sense out of a nonsensical situation- ifitwere accepted! Peter was not one to say much, or get involved in heated debates
Of hiswork as Second Master, this is hardly the place to write: the Headmasters who knew him will know best But as the Common Room's representative he could not have been bettered, and no one could have dreamt of any other choice in the first instance
In more recent years Peter will probably have been best known, to a very large number of members of the King's School,asthe leader of the team whichranSchool,'O' Level and 'A' Level examinations.Butitmight be asked how many of them ever realised how much they owed to Peter; the sheer amount of time and care that went into the smooth running of examinations; the compiling and checking of entries and lists; the sorting out of clashes in times; the complications of absentees and late-comers; medical certificates; parcelling and posting of scripts - every detail, even down to the name-cards on examination desks In all thisthere had to be no mistake,and there was none Itwas a team operation, but there was no doubt who was the leader of the team
All that sounds very solemn and impressive But off-duty Peter was the best of company The ratherserious expression would break into a broad smile,or acharacteristicchuckle of pleasure, over the Times crossword perhaps, or some impromptu malapropism in an essay, or a good story He could tellhow to avoid being bitten by F.R.K.'sdog when one went into No.14; he knew the best stories about X and Ynever maliciously or for the sake of gossip, but for genuine enjoyment
He said littleand did much- and how ever did he find the time for all that he did? He was the least ostentatious and most imperturbable of men He represented sense and stability in even the most trying situations He was the most sympathetic and loyal of colleagues, and the best and most cheerful of friends. Very many people will catch themselves thinking, "I'd like to talkto Peter about this". He will be most desperately missed
Peter Barnert
and weekend activities for Christian groups as well as devoting much time to this within the School
We shall miss him
LB.U
Peter Humphreys
Peter joined King's from the Seychelles inSeptember 1984 Now after two years he has left for Dubai to head a Maths Department Whether it was the lure of exotic places, or a desire to represent Dubai in rugby as he represented the Seychelles that drove himout isn'tvery clear, but itiscertain that for asmallman he left avery large gap to fill Peter threw himself into a whole range of activities, and there can have been few boys in the School who were not affected by his great enthusiasm and boundless energy
He was firstandforemost an excellent mathematician and a marvellous teacher who demanded high standards and almost always got them But outside the classroom there seemed to be no limit to his interest in the School and his willingnessto contribute to itsactivities Duringthe course of a year he could be found cajoling the Third XV to one of its more successful seasons, giving his 50th LBW decision, or stage managing a play He was House Tutor to Oswald House, and, as in all else, brought commitment and much needed good humour
Peter will be remembered by his colleagues with great affection Often the butt of others' jokes, he had a ready wit and the abilityto reduce the high and mighty to hisown size He was devastating on the skittlealley; hewould hitasquash ball more often withthe wood than the strings,but he always got itback,and hewas anebullientscrumhalf for the Masters XV
Peter may have been with us for only two years but he certainly made an impression, and won very many friends within the School
MAS
John Dean
There's a lovely image in Peter Shaffer's play, Equus. at the point where it begins to dawn on the psychiatrist Martin Dysart,that hiscomfortable middle classroutine isas nothing compared with the unconventional and exciting, even electrifying, experience of his young patient, Alan Strang Sardonically, he recalls the annual high spot of his "three weeks in the Peleponnese, every bed booked in advance, every meal paid for by vouchers, cautious jaunts in hired Fiats and a sponge bag crammed with Entero-viofonm." It's his ironic duty to purge his young charge of the destructive energy which leads himto abnormal behaviour; conform he will, but, before that, at least he will have 'galloped'
I first met John Dean when he. too, was beginning to question the assumptions on which he had been living his life He's a man of great wit, enthusiasm and drive, with an interest in other people and a warm concern for their aspirations and needs These are clearly the qualities of a good schoolmaster and in his brief time here we all saw evidence enough of them
Iespecially remember a talkto more than a hundred sixth formers who satabsolutely spellbound ashe gyrated his way through a series of anecdotes and examples in a most eccentricly instructive analysis of the nature and effects of popular music The occasion shared with his improvised play, Groink, a unique sense of spontaneity which was both unnerving and challenging We could always rely on his willingness to help out at a moment's notice - a sudden
chaotic drive to Wales or an unscheduled theatre visit, was always achieved withthesame generosity and panache The daily/weekly/termly roundof teaching breeds itsown kind of heady, infectious impetus and John'streadmillmoved faster than most It came as no surprise that he wanted, even needed, tostop andtakealong look around That he elected, then, to leave teaching altogether for a while was both an honest and a courageous move
So what next? Forthe record, he hasalready researched a novel both inBirminghamand West Germany and imported and sold highpowered motorcycles. By coincidence, justasI was preparing these thoughts, Imet himinthe High Street; a colourfully ambidextrous narrative followed -the car crash on top of the Alps,the savage customs officer who stripped down his trailer and its contents for the illegal contraband thathe had been tipped off to expect... "You name itand I've done it,"he waved as hispinkteeshirt vanished into a crowd of hell'sangels If hisfuture isunpredictable,we know at least that he will gallop That he chose to do so on College Green for only ayear was for usatonce achallenge and a pleasure Wherever the course leads, John, good riding!
Mr s Suzan Dean
Mrs Suzan Dean left us inthe summer of 1986 after being with usfor ayear She came inorder to introduce Spanish,a role which she fulfilled with the ability and genuine enthusiasm necessary to start a new foreign language in a school She succeeded inlayingagood foundation on which others can build Because she was part-time, lived along way out and had family commitments, she was not able to spend asmuchtime inthe Common Room asshewould have liked. Nevertheless, we got to know her as a warm and friendly person with agenuine interest inpeople and firmviews. She hasleft usto starta new life with her family inBristol,and we all wish her every happiness in the future
Rod Holt
Rod Holtwas the first'ArtistinResidence' atKing's His work was inafigurative vein andthe topics of tents,topiary hedges and melancholy figures were painted with painstaking detail
His painting technique was admired by many within the School andwas furtherrecognised when heobtained £2000 in prize money in the Hunting Group National Art Competition A 'lady livingbehind BuckinghamPalace' later bought the painting for over £1000!
He was ably assisted by his son Jake (18 months) in the studio, after school, when Jake rediscovered AbstractExpressionism!
John Exton
After the summer vacation the Common Room welcomed 10 new members of staff In addition both Caroline Roslington and Janice Bradshaw took up full-time teaching appointments
After fiveyears atBedford School Steven Bain has come to King'sto teach Biology and PhysicalEducation He was at Durham School and holds a B.Sc in Biochemistry and Physiology from Newcastle University, and an M.Sc in Recreation Management from Loughborough University
P.G.D
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A Trip to Belgium
It was a cold grey morning, the sort of morning when the alarm clock won't stop ringing and you don't want to retrieve it from behind the wardrobe, where you last threw it The bedclothes were in disarray, the bedroom door was ajar and downstairs in the kitchen, the bacon sandwiches were rapidly congealing The hall clock struck six, the kitchen clock proclaimed five-fifteen, and the watch on the mantlepiece had stopped
Somewhere, not a million miles from the school, the playground was deserted and far up the road the school minibus wound slowly o'er the lea The school trip to Belgium was on
To say that chaos reigned inside that august vehicle could be classed as a tiny overstatement It would be more accurate to say that an air of drowsy boredom pervaded the minibus, disturbed only by the faint rustling from the back seat, as its occupant attempted to read the early edition of The Times bv the grey morning light Apart from this, and Jeremy Davis's snoring, the silence was complete
By eight-o-clock however this peace was disrupted by the attempts of several different personal stereos to render the popular hits of the day Soon the party stopped at an optimistically named 'Happy Eater', amid well voiced wonder that Mr Clemit and his battlewagon were still with us, and partook of tea, while the more affluent members lost large amounts of money on the 'Super no-loseRoulette-Snake and Ladder Gambling Palace.' The remaining few drained their teacups and shook their heads in sympathy Once the last dregs of tea had been shaken out of the English Department teapot, we set off again "Folkestone or bust!" was the enthusiastic cry from the chauffeur as we took the road once more
Several hours later, having lost Mr Clemit some eighteen times, the minibus pulled up, by lucky chance, at Dover The Company, now fully awake courtesy of Mr Diamond's driving, proceeded to disembark for lunch As before they clustered around the fruit machine, or would have done had a fruit machine been available, but settled for a Wai-Ho-King-Banzai video game instead Halfway through his second tuna and salad cream sandwich, your correspondent returned to the chariot of the school and soon it hurtled down the entrance to the ferry car park, parking a mere eighty-ninth in the queue Then was our chance for immortality as a camera crew meandered down the car park, searching for some suitably outrageous subject for their piercing documentary on the Channel Tunnel, saw Mr Diamond and moved in for the kill
"Excuse me, sir," one of them said obsequiously, as the make-up girl tried in vain to powder Mr Diamond's facial foliage, "Would you care to say a few words?"
While he was unloading his opinions upon them they moved off, searching for easier prey Mr Diamond, however, was so excited at the thought of immortality that he attempted to jump the gap between the ferry and the quay He made it, almost After he had been fished out of the water by friendly customs officials, the boat set oft and we left Brittania's maternal clutches and sailed for foreign shores
When we reached France Mr Stevens persuaded Mr Diamond to let him have a turn behind the wheel Despite this, your correspondent managed to sleep through France and much of Belgium until woken by the thirtysecond U-turn of the day into the hotel carpark. The British, and in fact the only contingent had arrived
It was with such a light-hearted feeling of frivolity that we left the next day to 'review the graveyards', tour the war memorials and the like It was only after visiting these that I realised that, not only were the graveyards war memorials, but, and maybe more importantly, the memorials were in fact graveyards Here were the graves not of men but of memories, of ideals, of camaradarie Indeed, as we stood under the great arch of the Menin Gate, the twilight already obscuring the higher names, the halflight that prevails underneath the Gate made the upturned faces artificially pale and the still clear notes of the Last Post, almost tangible, seemed to be an effort to recall the past, to revive the bodiless names scratched uniformly upon the stone It was not altogether the chill October wind that was to blame for the coldnessthat gripped me then, there on that foreign soil rendered partially British by the richer dust concealed therein, a silent reminder of the blatant human sacrifice here at Ypres. When viewed in this light, the play (Oh, What a Lovely War) became almost unforgiveable, the blunders, the egotist, Haig, who led them, by words into this state of unnamed entropy The thought of these names being alive mattered more than the mere cypher of letters to which they were now confined Who knows, or even cares, what they muttered as the bugle's advance blew their Last Post?
We next made a round of assorted graveyards, and the atmosphere in the minibus significantly lacked its former jollity The weather was cold and the trenches of the Canadian Troops were just a little disappointing in their sterility, the concrete sandbags and dry trenches made it very difficult for the cast, trained for weeks in an imaginary world of mud, water and bandages, to imagine the true colours; mud brown and blood red No-man's land too, that legendary swathe of pockmarked mud and unexploded bombs, was now a green series of undulations Our enthusiasm was furthered little by the officious Belgian who blew his whistle incessently throughout our rendering of Stille Nacht and, when we had stopped, blew his whistle once more, shouted "No zinging in ze battlefields" and turned a deaf ear to the pleas of Mr Diamond that the play was actually a tribute to the dead, and while not actually saying "Tell that to the Marines" made it abundantly understood Robbed of the dulcet tones of the German soldiers the rehearsal lost much of its sting and we soon set off once more on the rounds around the graveyards
The most striking thing about the war graves was their sheer quantity One could, if one was that way inclined, stand in a field and be completely surrounded by threefoot high wooden crosses, hundreds of them The enormity of the message that they gave was stunning It was enough to think that soldiers had been massacredjust a few miles from us but to think that one of them had been so completely blown apart, so separated from its components that not even that 'indestructible' identity disc remained to tell of the statistics surrounding these remains, these arms, legs and assorted torso that lay scattered around, whether they had once been married, had had children of their own or even which regiment they belonged to Such thoughts were profoundly unpleasant
That evening we did some "work in connection with the play" as the letter had said Arguably the most enjoyable, if not the most instructive part of the day, in which individuals read poems, sang Stille Nacht, or simply recounted their thoughts It was initially surprising to hear the contrast between Rupert Brooke's The Soldier and some of Wilfred Owen's more pithy pieces but when we considered that
The Dare
hurtled across theroom inahigh arc. Forasecond itcaught in adraft, dipped but then itregained itsprevious trajectory and continued until itlanded witha far from inaudible 'thud', spraying ink over the unfortunate inhabitants of thatwooden cell, the desk. Ireturned to carving my name upon my desk, hoping that if my luck held Imight just succeed in coupling it with 'Heather' by the time the blessed relief of 'break' arrived.
We sat and talked, laughed and joked until the brief respite had ended, then we all walked unhurriedly through the corridor, passing the faded photographs of 'Old boys' which we all knew, but never saw. We paused to read the notice-board before entering room eight, the English room
During the lunch break we tested each other for the Geography test thatafternoon, but we were interrupted by the entry of afirstformer, my brother, who complained about the noise coming from the 'Human League' tape thatwas playing. As usual he was just being awkward, so Ithought ittime to teach him a lesson.
In amatter of seconds he found his head and half his body hanging out of the window staring straight at the ground two long storeys below. He shouted, swore and, when finally let in, hit me with all the force of anger, embarrassment and fear rolled into one punch aimed at the solar plexus
Icovered up my pain by over-reacting and pretending to stagger backwards, but in the process Itripped over an onlooker, falling flaton my back and jarring every bone in my body, and a few I felt were out of my body. This produced the original desired effect of laughter, but at my expense.
The day continued as usual. After this,in the afternoon, Isucceeded in finishing my canning and accepted adare. This dare was simple but dangerous, the sort I could never resist. It was to bring into school some form of 'dirty magazine'. This not only entailed bringing it discreetly into the school, but procuring it in the first place.
Iaccomplished both these tasks in acarefully thought out manner. Iwaited until someone rang up, then Iwalked as naturally aspossible up the stairs, waited arespectable time, then flushed theloo. Hurriedly Ientered my Dad's room, removed the two newest copies of 'Mayfair', then walked out. As Idid so, I placed them inside an old cover of '1001 Questions and Answers'.
The next day Iwas the hero ofmy form. At break the room was filled asithad never been filled before. So rare was theglimpse ofanaked woman even on paper that if I had charged 10p. a head I would soon have made my fortune.
But in my pride Ifogot about the prefects. As soon as the news of the magazines reached them allkinds ofideas had to be put into practice to stop them seeing and thus confiscating them. Ifthis was done the odds were that the members ofstaff would not hear, nor see anything about them; but neither would I!
During the torture oflessons Ishifted them from locker tolocker; they ended up thatday in Edward Carmichael's locker. But who would have guessed that the prefects and feavers had decided to slash their models in that drawer!
They v-iere confiscated from the prefects by my form master, known affectionately, or not so affectionately as 'Pomme' due to his remarkable resemblance to that fruit. He had been aroused from his self-induced slumber' by the unexpected noise coming from the room of the passed Common Entrance candidates, most of whom were prefects. He found Barnaby Rugge-Price trying to hide some magazines in his briefcase, and on investigation found to his horror that the magazines were none other than pornographic literature. He immediately inquired as to whom they belonged and after threatening a detention was told that I was the unfortunate owner of the magazines.
His next step was to take them to Mr Haggard, the headmaster, who kept them with an air of joviality. Iwas furious when Ilearned of my self-inflicted predicament and vented my anger upon the unfortunate prefects. When Ifinally quietened down enough toallow them toexplain Iapologised and thanked them for their attempt at saving my face by trying to secrete and thus keep hidden the knowledge of my illegal magazines from my form master
That night Iwas quiet, worried, despondent and above all, miserable. Iknew itwouldn't be long before Dad found out, but Ihoped tohave arespite for a couple of days. This was not to be. At two o'clock in the morning Iwas shaken awake by an angry and bear-like father who didn't allow me to pass off the pretence of sleep, but demanded outright where the magazines were. When heheard he groaned and sat on the bed. Ifeltterrible, never more annoyed at myself, nor so embarrassed because he was so upset oy the fact that the teachers might find out about them -1had told him they were safely in my locker. I racked my brains for an excuse for myself tomake my pain more bearable, but for once Ifound none. Pride and arrogance were thesole factors behind the taking of the magazines, not for the sake of the form, but tor the sake of myself.
Thai morning Dad took me toschool. Iwas ordered tobring them and returned them tohim there and then, but how was Itodo it? The headmaster was in breakfast; the magazines in his study: what should I do?
Idid the obvious. Iwent into the school where my form room was, Iran past ituntil Ireached the opposite end of the school where the headmaster lived and the schooi Slept and ate. I walker: up from one end of the hall to the other, all eyes on me and said in a slightly shaky voice,
"Sir, may I i-ave the rmgsnnes back?"
To my amazement the answer was affirmative; oy the nod of a head a great weight was tiffed from my mind.
The magazines returned, ! snouid have oenn happy; but for many days winch ran into weeks that feeling of embarrassment never left me. Ifelt embarrassed because I had added lies to stupidity and fooled my father. Never aga,n w:ii i act without thinking. I have learnt my lesson
' Anyone who Knows 'Pomme' will agree that his boring monotone sends everyone to sleep
R.J.C Coldicott
all the difference to our somewhat weak back division
Most of the success in the season was due to our forward domination Julia n Tyso c was gutsy and dependable at prop Charli e Virr's enormous reach was dominant at the front of the line-out and he always gave his best Farm o Sadler seemed convinced that the object of the game was to hit the opposition Do m Peberd y was skilful at No 8 and good in the loose Ro b Adam s was a good hooker and other regulars were A d Westley, Pu g Hubert and Ian Jones
There were also notable performances in the backs Dic k Brow n was reliable in defence and a good play-maker in attack Del-boy Lythgoe did not look at home on dry ground but nevertheless made some good hard runs Steve Isles did not seem to know which team he was playing for at times; one such incident occurred against Bromsgrove when he actually tackled Charlie Virr Nic k Glosso p filled a big hole in the backs' defence Although preferring to play with a round ball rather than an oval one, S i Thompso n made a useful contribution towards the end of the season Jame s Underwoo d showed himself to be a good full-back in his few appearances
Our season came to a very satisfactory climax in reaching the final of the Bredon Sevens
On behalf of the team I would like to thank Mr P Humphreys for his time, enthusiasm and patience We would also like to wish Mr Mason and next year's team the very best of luck and we look forward to teaching them a few lessons in the O.V match
Jason Dodd (Captain)
Under 16 XV
Strength in depth throughout the squad helped it to an encouraging season of attacking, open rugby The unavailability of key players Bayliss, McCarth y (to the First XV) and Woo d (through injury), gave others their chance to show their paces and it was only the lack of weight and strength in a mobile set of forwards that prevented the season from being highly successful
Outstanding in the pack were Clee, Haynes , Heeso m and Hubert, all of whom usually did the right thing at the right time, and Anthony , who didn't Ghalamkari' s zest for the game returned, and so did his pass Jelfs ran elusively at stand off half and Mitchel l and War d were quick and determined on the wings Mitchell's four tries in the County Cup Final against Oldswinford Hospital School (lost 18-16) showed what the backs could do with a minimum amount of possession
The side entered three 'sevens' tournaments, playing well at Solihull (semi-finalists) and Oxford (beaten by a last second try in the quarter final)
Clee, Haynes, McCarthy, Bayliss, Jelfs, Ward, Mitchell and Anthony all represented the County side at Under 16 level
D.P.I
Under 15 XV
The Under 15s won the County Cup this year (10-7 in a rather scrappy final), but that should not be taken to mean either that it was the best team in the County (losing 0-44 to W.R.G.S, destroys that idea), or that the season generally was a great success (Played 18: Won 9: Lost 9) Indeed, it wasn't until the fifth game that the team had its first win (14-8 against Wrekin), but thereafter more successes came our way There were good wins against K.E.S Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, and after Christmas three
out of the four games were won
The strength of the team lay in the forwards, and there were not many front rows that got the better of Telling, Lewi s and Malsbury : Telling and Malsbury did all the hard work while Lewis talked and made threatening gestures But the real strength in the forwards was the captain, Richardson . Almost always he was the outstanding player on the field, and rather too often he seemed to be playing the opposition on his own, winning the ball in the line-out, first to the break-down, and making the tackles which far too often others in the team had missed As captain his manner and attitude on the field were exemplary
There is a tendency always to blame the backs if things aren't going right, and this season was no exception One could record at length passes dropped on our own goal line or mis-cued kicks or head-high tackles or tackles not made at all, but there were good moments too, and when Ga y or Harri s were given some room, both showed some pace
So, all in all, an average season in terms of results, but a good season in terms of spirit and commitment Team: Richardson (Capt) Telling Malsbury Lewis Dow Cowton, Rose-Cooper Cathery Robinson Evans Bourne Gay, Bone B Chin Harris Hyde
Under 14 XV
Our first game was against Christ College, Brecon, which we narrowly lost 12-0, but, despite the apparently poor start to the season, the team continued to improve throughout the remainder of the games and at times played some attractive rugby
We welcomed some new additions to the team from last year, most notably in the shape of one Joh n Malin s who, apart from the occasional fumble, produced many a good try Richar d Tomlinson , fly half and kicker, kept the backs together well and helped to keep thescoreboard ticking along by putting over some fine conversions Dunca n Hughe s showed odd touches of quality and power at the base of the scrum, often playing as an extra forward He undoubtedly has the ability to go from strength to strength in the future
The forwards, despite being outweighed by most of the teams that we played, never lost heart and continued to give of their best at al times Lawso n Higgins, the hooker, won lots of possession, much of it against the head, and led the pack by example He was ably supported by a pack that included players of all shapes and sizes but who, for the most part, managed to function as one unit
Two of the better games of the season were against King Edward's School, Birmingham and the Royal Grammar School At Birmingham, despite being 12-0 down at half-time the team produced an inspired second half performance to claw themselves back into the game and eventually finish the game level at 18-18 Even more pleasing was the victory over Worcester Royal Grammar since before the game our chances weren't rated very highly
Due to inclement weather, both the proposed tour to Macclesfield and the county trials had to be cancelled much to the disappointment of all the squad For the record the team finished the season having won 7, lost 7 and drawn 4
Finally a mention of thanks to Mr Mason and Mr Griffiths who proved themselves to be stoic coaches, inspiring us to greater things when all seemed lost I feel sure that for all concerned this was a most memorable and enjoyable season
James Ramsdale (Captain)
Under 13 XV
The playing record reads poorly: Played 12, Won 1, Drawn 1, Lost 10 Points for 72, points against 228 Nevertheless there was much evidence of improvement in the skills and efforts of the team
The points scored against the team are not high, when the games against Warwick, Solihull and Bromsgrove are subtracted, which illustrates how well the team tackled in the remaining games The three-quarter line of Vaughan , Martin, and Hollowa y must continue to work as hard in defence as in attack by running in a line to oppose their opposite number In Gibb s the team has someone with genuine pace and he is an aggressive runner
The ever-willing forwards have worked hard in training and in their matches and have a resolute pack-leader in Whiteford The most improved forward was Baile y and the back row of Stanton, Newitt and Hillebran d is taiented Jame s proved to be a good captain and was the leading try scorer and Jorda n has yet to show his full potential as a points-scorer
Highlights of the season were the games against Brecon, Bristol, W.R.G.S and in the Bromsgrove Sevens Competition the team reached the semi-finals A disappointment was the cancellation of the tour to Macclesfield as a result of the Arctic weather we witnessed in February
Under 12 XV
During the Autumn Term the rugby was, as usual, confined to games afternoons with further practices for enthusiasts on most Saturdays The first school match at the end of the first term resulted in a good win against Bishop Perowne, After Christmas the group played ten further matches; highlights were good wins for the 'A' XV against Bishop's Hereford and Cobham House, and for the 'B' XV against Solihull Kerton , Lane y and Marchant formed a promising front row while Sutcliffe, in the second row improved considerably during the season Lerner and Thoma s both made good impressions in the back row and should do well in the future Amongst the backs, the tackling of Dobbins , Lyon s and Shindler was normally impressive, while Savage, Shindler and Snelling all showed pace and ability with the ball in their hands As a captain, Savage set a fine example to his side They improved considerably during the season and could do well in the future
R.F.H./D.P.I
CRICKET
First XI1985-86
The pre-season attitude towards this term's cricket was one of optimism The indoor net practices in the spring term illustrated that our worries about an attacking opening bowler were solved, and that we had several batsmen capable of scoring a lot of runs This confidence was shown in our first game against Malvern College, King's lost the toss and were asked to bat first, a situation which throughout the season did not turn out to be as daunting a prospect as in previous years The total scored was not large but with the early part of the innings being played in fairly persistent drizzle, there was reason for hope King's declared at 153 for 5 -the team was bowled out only four times in seventeen games -
respectable 86-9; we still lost, as the Chase had reached 123 in their allotted overs The visit to Malvern was hardly an improvement After arriving in the rain to find nobody on hand to greet us, we struggled to keep the Malvern Under 16s' score within limits on a ground where one boundary is about 30 yards from the wicket Our score of 78 amounted to rather less than half theirs, but included three innings of note Evan s M., having opened, lasted until the ninth wicket (he made 101); Lambert, known as a dependable bowler - he'd taken 4-40 alreadyscored a brisk 34, more than three times the next highest innings; and Davidson , coming in at number 11, earned membership of the Primary Club by stepping down the wicket to his first ball, missing, and, unaware of Law, 39, staying there a good 5 seconds while the keeper made heavy weather of stumping him
Hereford Cathedral School once again provided us with the inspiration we needed Last year they made 25; this year it was 41 (Burnham 7-15) and we coasted to our first win Less conclusive, but equally a victory, was the game at Dean Close Another four wickets for Lambert and three each for Fawbert (yes, Fawbert!) and Underwoo d J reduced the opposition to 107 all out; one of Statham' s two catches was a beaut! We scraped home by a mere 2 wickets, but by then we were in the middle of a glorious eight days which culminated in an 80-run victory over K.E.C., Stourbridge In our score of 144 were innings of 33 from Perks and 40 from Smith , not to mention a 6 by Underwoo d A which soared into the county ground and dented Neal Radford's car Virr, who appeared on a few occasions, took 4-17 to shatter the middle of the opposition innings, with Davidson, Fawbert and Lambert capturing two scalps each
The visit to Solihull, three weeks later, was less successful Despite another three wickets from Lambert and decent innings from Smith, Perks and Underwood A., we lost comfortably But at Bablake Perks ran into real form and his 49 not out, despite including the running out of Thompson , was enough to clinch victory Thompson in fact had taken 4-21 earlier in the afternoon, three of his victims being out for nought - obviously not a bowler one wants to face early in one's innings! We should have lost the local derby at W.R.G.S The fielding was mostly responsible for the Grammar School's reaching 184-4, and we were soon 82-7 But this was the moment when Captain Fawbert, whose batting had hitherto been more a figment of his own imagination than part of the real world, finally realised the potential we all didn't know he had by scoring 66 not out - a true captain's innings, which included ten fours and saved the match A week later, despite an incredible 3-27 by Davidson, which helped dismiss K.E.S, Birmingham for 133, we still managed to lose the match Several batsmen got going, but were carried away by the thought of hitting sixes and perished in the twenties The last match was at home against Bromsgrove We should have won it but, after a fine innings in which Smith, Fawbert and Bisho p all made good scores, our fielders let Bromsgrove off the hook when they had lost 6 wickets for 29; over-confidence eroded discipline and the opposing batsmen managed a comfortable draw
Memories of the season? The unfailing enthusiasm of Fawbert's captaincy, not to mention his discovery of batting form and willingness to bowl his "leg breaks"; the loyalty and reliability of Lambert in all departments of the game; Smith's slick wicket-keeping and stylish batting; and fielding of both Underwoods and the promising left-arm spin of the younger; and not least the play ot Davidson who, though taking 10 wickets during the season, always contrived to look like a foreigner roped in to make up the eleven and utterly bewildered by
the proceedings And of course mention must be made of Mr Callaghan's expert coaching in the nets; any suggestion by members of the team that he never turned up to watch their matches are of course totally without foundation Finally the writer/umpire must add that this was the second consecutive season in which he did not give a single LBW decision
Results
Third XI
The fourth season of 'Tigers' cricket was marred by the loss of two fixtures due to rain and the non-appearance of the Royal Grammar School team
Hopes were high at the start of term as there were plenty of experienced players to call on as well as some emerging talents An unbeaten season was talked about after two victories However, we lost to a team who were completely devoid of talent at Bromsgrove thus confirming that to win all the games would be quite out of keeping with the ethos of the Third XI
The team was packed with all rounders none more so than Richar d Wilkes However, the majority described themselves as such as they were equally bad at batting and bowling At times the batting looked full of depth but against Bromsgrove the tail started at three when Lewis Bryer came in Batting highlights were Stuart Duncan' s 75 n.o to win the game against K.E.S, and Richard Wilkes's 73 against Solihull
Other batsmen endeavoured either to hit the ball out of the ground or get out as quickly as possible, the majority succeeding in doing the latter The brunt of the bowling was borne by Richar d Virr, Ala n McArdl e and Ro b Adam s who returned the best figures of 4 for 13 at K.E.S
My thanks go to Georg e Blakewa y for captaining the team, Dav e Jesso p for his fielding, Simo n Yates for the longest run up ever seen at New Road and the various girls who came to score and sunbathe Team Members
G Blakeway R Wilkes J Dodd M Anslow J May S Duncan R Adams R Vim D Jessop R Collier A McArdle S Yates R Sadler M.J.Q Smith P.J.M Thompson, L Bryer Results
vs Solihull School Won by 85 runs vs K.E.S Biimingham Won by 2 wickets vs Bromsgrove Schoo Lost by 6 wickets YS O.T's Won by 114 runs
M.J.R,
Under 16X1
The Under 16 team continued to take part in the SWCA evening league Only six of the scheduled ten games were played; of these, three games were won and three lost The batsmen were always able to score a reasonable total but the bowling was often too loose to achieve success in the limited over game Annable , Ghalamkar i and Rose-Coope r scored the most runs, with Rose-Cooper looking the most accomplished batsman Amongst the bowlers Annable, Jelfs, Be n Jone s and Rose-Cooper took the wickets
but Underwoo d also bowled well on occasions There was a lot of enthusiasm amongst the team and much enjoyable cricket was played during the term
Team Members
Annable (capt) Jelfs Underwood Parekh Cartwright Hill Bird Huntingdon Ghalamkari T Evans Rose-Cooper Robinson B Jones, T, Jones, Yuen
R.F.H
Under 15 XI
It wasn't until the last game of the season that the Under 15s almost won a match In fact, it was a tie, thanks to the large hands of Richardso n who took four catches in his one and only game of the season Otherwise there was a draw against Solihull (last pair at the wicket), and seven losses, some of them very convincing
The batting followed a fairly consistent partem established in the first game against Malvern: 61 for 2 and all out for 96, or, again, Solihull: 82 for 3 and 90 for 9 Holloway , Goodman , Do w and Jone s all had good innings, with Holloway scoring the only 50 in the season After those four it was more a question of how many golden ducks one could acquire in a season, and Ratcliffe easily won that competition Jones and Holloway bore the brunt of the bowling; Jones had figures of 6 for 52 against Kelvinside, but he could lose his direction completely at times, almost equalling the Simon Mees record of 15 wides against Bablake Goodman took a hat trick against Bishop Perowne, finishing with 5 for 26 But generally the bowling suffered from the same lack of depth as the batting Good fielding, of course, can make a mediocre team look much better, but unfortunately that wasn't the case either So, in terms of results a rather dismal season, but there was a good spirit, and enough enthusiasm and enjoyment to make it all worthwhile
Team Members
Hoiloway (Capt), Goodman, Dow, Jones, Evans, Robinson, Jessop Ratcliffe Clarke Guest Rose Viner Waits Herbert Johnston Bourne Rose-Cooper
Under 14X1
The Under 14s had an excellent season, remaining undefeated until their last fixture, the Taverners Cup Final, played on the County Ground on July 16th
Captained intelligently and maturely by Richard Tomlinson, they were an entertaining team to watch because they attacked whenever they could, often going for the win when settling for a draw might have been the safer option They emerged from the difficult first fixture against Malvern College with a creditable draw Richar d Allu m took three wickets coming in as fourth change bowler He ought to have been in the attack earlier with his deceptive and accurate away swingers but he was held back too long, as indeed happened on other occasions during the season He is a good first change bowler Richar d Tomlinso n scored an unbeaten 61 for us in reply and so long as he was at the crease we were in no danger of losing the match, though Malvern's total was too high for us to entertain the possibility of a win Richard scored consistently well throughout the season and was a dangerous and economical seam bowler He also developed into a very accomplished slip fielder
Aida n Thompso n took 5 for 23 against Dean Close On this occasion he bowled straight and on a decent length Too many times in the season, though, he wasted the new ball with a wild opening spell His batting was a little
disappointing in the first half of the season Towards the end, though, he began to score more freely and looked to have plenty of time to play his elegant strokes In this match against Dean Close we held five superb catches Throughout the season, in fact, the catching was excellent but the ground fielding was often pretty ragged I reckon we missed a dozen run outs through simply not being alert or alive to the possibilities Tomlinson and Matthe w Wheele r knocked off the runs to beat Dean Close This started a good run with the bat for Wheeler He has a good temperament and scores fluently off his legs He lost form in the second half of the season when he was not moving his feet freely enough
Lawso n Higgin s started to make runs in the next match against Christ College, Brecon Throughout the season I thought he always looked vulnerable because his feet behave so eccentrically at the crease but he certainly has a good eye and some of his strokes are exquisitely timed There was never any doubting his bravery either Ti m Jone s took three wickets in Brecon's reply He was our steadiest bowler throughout the season, and probably the fastest Invariably he looked dangerous and often did too much with the ball for batsmen to get a nick He scored runs, too; he has plenty of strokes and a good eye He should develop into a very useful all-rounder
In the second half of the season, Dunca n Hughe s scored runs and took wickets As a batsman he has an excellent technique because he moves his feet well and plays very straight As yet, though, he doesn't punish the bad balls emphatically enough I think he was at his best when trying to hurry things along against K.E.S Birmingham He scored 70 on that day and surprised himself with what he could do to the ball when he decided to stroke it rather than push and prod His off-spin bowling was a very valuable variation in our attack His control was impressive and he turned it; perhaps he was occasionally a little reluctant to give it enough air He is a player of great promise
Nic k Pomero y scored some useful runs, notably against Stourport when we were really struggling He drives straight with great power and certainly relishes punishing long hops and full tosses When he begins to understand the importance of building an innings he will become a very useful player He needs, too, to improve his fielding
Keith Norma n was another regular in the team He made it pretty plain he didn't like it behind the stumps but, though he struggled early in the season, he improved considerably and at the end of the day was pretty efficient He could score quick runs too as he did against Chase High School He is a talented player who could become a very valuable wicket keeperbatsman
Davi d Bul l and Simo n Dobbin s were regulars, too David batted bravely and correctly whenever called upon though circumstances often dictated that he didn't have the chance to build an innings and neither was he given the opportunity to turn over his arm Simon bowled tidily and took some useful wickets On occasions he struck the ball cleanly, too Both of these players have plenty of ability and should approach next season with a determination to force their way into recognition
Mar k Richards, To m Sander s and Joh n Malm s also made significant contributions on occasions and John joined Tomlinson Thompson, Jones, Wheeler and Allum in the sixa-side team which won the Hereford Cathedra School tournament in decisive fashion
S le M
Under 13 XI
As Under 12s this side had a most successful season but this trend has not continued this year as the record illustrates: Played: 9, Won: 1, Lost: 8, and the chief cause of this was poor batting
There are some positive things to say about the bowling and both J.J . Richardson , the most successful wicket taker and captain, and Vaughan can be especially pleased with their accuracy and ability to hit the stumps Coombe r can flight the ball well and could emerge as a promising spin bowler if he can avoid the shortpitched delivery Gibb s needs to bowl a better line and length and has the enthusiasm to become more consistent, and Phil p is bowling more confidently
The batting skills showed much promise in the first match against Tasker Milward and in it Chon g scored his highest innings, but the promise of spring never ripened in the fulness of summer O'Nei l ought to have scored more runs but his timing was less certain this season and Newitt, a technically most correct batsman, did not remain at the crease long enough to develop an innings The middle order batsmen, Moody, Hollowa y and Coomber failed to contribute a major innings, although Martin improved with each game
The team was always struggling to score the required runs to win a match and even low totals, as against Hawford Lodge, seemed difficult to achieve J.J Richardson's batting was missed, but let us congratulate him on his selection for the County team
Finally can we both thank the ladies who prepared the teas, the scorers Wrigh t and O'Donnel l and express our gratitude to the parents who actively encouraged and supported the team
M.R.G./R.P.M
Under 12 XI
Despite the presence of some very promising young cricketers, the Under 12X1 only managed to win three of its eight games R Jones' s left arm spin was always impressive and he took the most wickets as he was really the only bowler to maintain a constant line and length J . Johnston , A Ellison , D Wheeler , R Thoma s and the captain I Savag e all played useful innings and the side's fielding was usually adequate Next year should be a good one as long as the weather allows consistent early season practice
Staff Cricket
One of the most moving events of 1986 was the re-emergence into public life of M.A. Stevens after the personal tragedy which befell him on June 4th Indeed it was a mere nine days later that he appeared in Birmingham at the end of an exhausting G.C.S.E classics training course and expressed his determination once again to open the batting for the King's School Masters' Common Room The other nine members of the team (the eleventh cried off the emotion too much for him) elected Stevens as captain for this comeback match against K.E.S. either out of sympathy for his grievous loss or from deference to his great age - certainly not one assumes, from any regard for his tactical acumen The Fates were smiling By skilful handling of his bowlers Stevens restricted K.E.S to 122-2 in their twenty overs; he then led the way to a glorious 4-wicket victory with an innings of 41 which would have been our side's highest had not Callagha n
rather unsportingly overtaken him in the last few moments (for the record he made 51 not out) And so back to the 4th of June Like so many personal tragedies, especially those affecting Stevens, this one involved a woman In fact women played an unusually large part in the season's affairs In the past Dr . Rouse, who often scored with P.C Thompson , was the sole feminine presence in the pavilion But in 1986 not only was J.A . Bradshaw, the Oxford double blue no less, a regular member of the playing side but our second opponents - the Chase High School - included no fewer than two ladies, one of whom was rumoured to be a former England Test player, (t was this latter who did the deed When our turn came to bat, Stevens sauntered out to open the innings, apparently untroubled by any forebodings of catastrophe He took guard and prepared to receive the first ball It was only as the bowler raced into the range of his myopic vision that he began to suspect; as the bowler reached the return crease, suspicion turned to certainty: it was.. yes, a woman Was it something about her which distracted his eye? Or was it the culture shock caused by the need to readjust the values and principles by which he had lived his entire life hitherto? Explanations are fruitless; the facts are plain Stevens was bowled, first ball, by a woman
Death and resurrection have been my theme But these are apt symbols not only of Stevens' fortunes but of those of the whole team Death occurred at Himbleton, where in 1985 we beat the village side with embarrassing ease under Winter's captaincy Since then Winter had been on various courses in "leadership" and even, so he claimed, graduated to the rank of expert But not even the experience of the Leadership Trust was enough to compensate for the absence of Stone, who was recovering from exhaustion after driving the minibus back from the Lower Remove camp We lost ignominiously: all out for 69, five batsmen scoring 0 Captains of cricket teams need skills beyond the imagination of captains of industry! (For the record Winter did score 36)
The corpse might have come back to life at The Royal Grammar School If Bel l hadn't pulled a hamstring while fielding, if Stone hadn't dropped two of the three catches which came his way, if Callaghan hadn't hit the ball into his head when going well on 20 (you could tell he was dazed; he wasn't talking), if Iddo n had kept his head while all about him were losing theirs, we might have won a glorious victory But we didn't; and the corpse remained moribund in its grave
O grave, where is thy victory 9 Well, it came in all of the last four matches The turning point was, I think all would agree Stone's innings of 19 against the Old Vigornians Stevens was out for 7 Iddon for 0 (a thoroughly irresponsible shot), and the situation needed a calm, mature approach - for instance 5 singles in the next 9 overs followed by 14 runs in 4 balls and then dismissal As chance would have it, Stone provided exactly this recipe and with a little help from Callaghan (28) and Winter (27), set the side on course for a matchwinning 126-6 The O.V.s began horribly well, our opening bowlers (Thurlby and Callaghan) being hit for 15 and 21 respectively in their first two overs But the second string of Iddon, Winter and Le Marchan d stemmed the flow and won the game
The Lamb and Flag had earlier in the month played the Bangladesh national side (remember those TV and radio interviews with Iddon' ; No? Well, communicating has never been Iddon's strong point) Bangladesh beat them, we beat them, therefore we are Bangladesh From syllogism to Pershore Rugby Club, a match where everyone except the wicket-keeper bowls
and at other times, too, the small boats have been very active and a large number of novices became proficient while the more experienced trained for Worcester V & J Regatta where we won J coxed Pairs and where our Mixed Four of Stephe n Taylor, Davi d Mac k Smith , Judit h Phillips, Sara h Ganderto n and Julie n Dixo n (cox) narrowly lost their Final
This September some boys are being allowed to scull and pair (after school) in their own time We hope to initiate about 25 of the Lower Remove beginners, as well as allow more senior "Special Cases" the chance to enjoy the river at its best The response has been encouraging, and the Club will benefit immensely in that the novices will progress much more rapidly next term
Our new equipment this year includes a set of Collar blades, two Concept two ergometers and a boat trailer The trailer is the best you can buy and, when the Keith Rawlings woodwork is complete, will be the envy of the world It is also very heavy, and any "I can do it all myself showoffs may expect an instant rupture (T.E.W.'s was repaired during the holidays)
We need more good sculling boats to complement "Chom", another pair, another restricted four and but there is just no space! Indeed, we have had to send our two clinker fours to Bridgnorth R.C on indefinite loan simply to keep them out of the sun and the snow For this season we are hoping to build an extension to the boathouse on the adjoining waste-land...one day...soon?
We say farewell to a particularly loyal team whose cheerful leadership has made this season such a success.. and an especially happy one To all the coaches a warm thank you: to M.W.R.W for driving the seniors so well, to R.C.G for his patient graft with the U.R., to N.A.F and B.G for their time with the youngsters, and to David Willatt for his skill and understanding with the girls Nick Faux has left us and is already badly missed
We are very grateful to Mr J Guy for the immensely valuable filming he did for us throughout the season and at most of the Heads and Regattas
Regatta Crews
First Four
Mack Smith
A.J Guy
S.R.M Taylor
W.CG Glossop
J.R Ould (cox)
Won: School Fours al HS R SB Fours al Birmingham
SB Fours .11 Ironbridyc Sprinl
Second Four
CD Ban
P Adams
A R Hall
S.N Oakland
S.J Cupit! (cox;
Won: Novice Fours al Birmingham
First Pair
N C G Glossop
S.R.M Taylor
1P Bury (cox)
Won S B Pair ,11 Kvesham Spnn
Second Pail
C D Ban-
P Adams
J.R D:xon (cox; Third Pair
B M Glossop
P Adams
•J.R Dixon (cox)
Won: 1 Pairs al Worcester V & J
C.W Telling
M Wigfield
J.W.N Smith
A.W Boo ton
DJ Cowton T.P Armstrong
MAJ Dixon RJ.P Barker
E.D.A Westcott (cox) J.P Bury (cox)
J15 Four C
JJ.R Dickens
J.R Essex
R.T Bader
C.T Charlton
J.A Smith (cox)
J Sculls
IVomens Sculls
C.J.F Blackham M.J Leggotl
Won: Novice Sculls
T.J Leggott
S.R.M Taylor at Evesham
A.J Workman
J A Sculls
J.R Phillips
Won: Novice Sculls at Birmingham
PA.G Aston (Won: at Llandaff and Llandaff Sprint)
J.E.J Blackham
P.M Busfon
Swimming
The Senior team lacked a match winner of the calibre of Gearey or Bernie, but they did swim with great team spirit and to the best of their abilities The only individual victory was gained by Spence r Heeso m in the Senior Butterfly against Bromsgrove However, the team had successes in the relays where a one or two length thrash can counteract the expertise and stamina of the true club swimmers Glossop , McQuade , Ferridge, Bassett, Ogle, May, Heesom, Bake r and Cartwright were the stalwarts in this age group Martin Cartwright will captain the team next year
The Intermediates had a mixed season When at full strength, as against W.R.G.S and Solihull, they proved to be very strong Richar d Bayliss was the cornerstone of this age group He gained victories in Butterfly, Backstroke and Individual Medley races The team had a 100% winning record in the relays
The Juniors were perhaps the mostsuccessful of all the groups Keit h Shindler, an Evesham club swimmer, was outstanding Whilst other swimmers included Willmott , Jones , Cole y and Duncan The girls were also represented This was largely due to the efforts of Nicol e Featherstone She held the team together with strong individual performances and begged and cajoled others to swim in order to form a team
cancelled When we did manage to play the team proved weak in some departments, especially in attack, with only five or six players in the whole team who had any real skills This came to light during indoor games in which we proved to have a strong nucleus However, as a whole most battled hard and the team spirit was excellent There were some noteworthy matches, that against Solihull School being one in which Paul Millett and Chri s Goodma n played especially well Stuart Wrigh t and Richar d Ro e also proved valuable members of the team, with consistenly good performances throughout, and Guy Rimme r scored a memorable goal against Malvern College There was some consistent big hitting from Mark Smith , steady play from Simo n Pointer (sometimes so steady he almost stopped) and important contributions from Bruc e Valpy , Denni s Liew, Ti m Randle, Verno n Bir d and Jame s Burfleld
The future for hockey in the school looks very bright, with a mass of good young players emerging That, along with the keen coaching of messrs Haig and Bentley, promises good things to come Finally I wish to thank Mr Haigh on behalf of the First XI for the effort and time he has put into making the season as successful as possible
Matthew Talbot
Second/Under 16 XI
Half these fixtures were lost due to the weather Those which were played at the end of the season resulted in a 6-0 defeat away at Solihull, a 2-1 loss at home against Wrekin and a 2-2 draw at home against King's Gloucester There was no chance for a team to settle in such a short time and we can only hope for some better luck next year
A.J.H
Under 15X1
The weather was poor for a lot of the season and most of the practices had to take place on the tarmac tennis courts Against Cheltenham, like much of the season, we were unable to field our best side with many still playing rugby or being ill Although the first half of the game showed our team's lack of practice we improved in the second half, but we still lost 5-0 Another disappointment came in the second game against Solihull where we lost 3-0 All the hard work from Mr Bentley finally paid off against Wrekin when we dominated in both halves but were unable to capitalise on the many chances and it ended in a draw 1-1
* There was also an away match against Bromsgrove in Spring Term The Juniors were successfu in their age grou
Hockey
This season proved to be a fight against the elements, leading to many of the fixtures being
Bruc e Haine s and Chri s Goodma n were two of the star players of the team although were not always both available, Chris in particular being a regular First XI player They both gained places in the county Under 15 team There was also excellent play from Chri s Tuckwel l and Paul Herber t up front who finally proved their potential in the Wrekin game Marti n Hyatt and Robi n Clark e were invaluable in midfield and sometimes up front, with Martin's stick work and Robin's shear determination Helping out the defence and midfield with those already mentioned was Be n Jone s who proved himself a very competent player and of course there was Matthew Gues t in goal who improved steadily in each game and performed excellently in the Hanley Castle game which we won 2-0 We finished off the season beating King'sGloucester and it was with growing confidence and determination that we struck home 3 goals, being at one stage 2-0 down
Bruce Haines
J.E.W
Finally, during the summer holiday, Julian Smith (Bright House) learned that he had won the Bach Choir's Carol Competition for 1986 The awards for this are due to be presented atthe BachChoir'sCarolConcert intheAlbert Hall in London on December 7th
J.M.R.D
Keys Society
1985/6 was a highly successful year for the Keys Society Fourconcerts werestaged inCollege Hall, andthree outings were made A strong set of senior musiciansmade for a very high standard of performance
The firstconcert, organised by David Mack Smith,saw the appearance of David's accomplished barbershop glee club The second concert was staged by Jon Chestney, and contained mainlysolo items,notably Melanie Watson on the recorder, and also a most impressive string quartet The Christmas term also included a ChristmasCarol evening at the almshouses which cheered up a wintry evening for the inhabitants and also helped towards their piano fund.
Jocelyn Lee was incharge of the Springterm concert, the highlight of which was A.J Moeran's Songs of Springtime. This was an excellently balanced concert of ensembles and solo performances
Summer term involved the recital in the Library Art Gallery, and also an appearance at the Mayor's lunchtime recital inthe Guildhall The Summer Concert was arranged byJohn Bowley and PhilipGlenisterandthisended with the Keys Society Supper Thiswas amost enjoyable concert with some very interesting performances, particularly Britten's The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard sung by John Bowley, PhilipGlenisterand David MackSmith It was good to have such a large audience, a fitting farewell to the talent which always disappears at the end of the year
Mention mustbe made of MichaelMuiandSusanCollins for their excellent violin performances, and Mark Edwards for his endless skills as an accompanist We look forward to another prosperous year!
Philip J.Glenister
In Praise of Love
The unpromisingtitle In Praise of Love andthe musicwhich accompanied the dimming of the lights - Saint-Seans' sensuous Swan - might have led unsuspectingplaygoers to grittheirteeth inthe faceof aschmaltzy romance or,worse, a play with a message But our fears were confounded: this turned out to be the best kind of Englishplay: all kinds of questions raised, no glib answers given
There are fourcharacters,no more, andallthey do istalkno murders, rapes, cricket matches, etc This poses an enormous problem fof the cast: each actor not only has to sustaininterestinhisown partfor most of two hours,but also to be decisively different from the other three The problem was solved admirably Sebastian Cruttwell (Shaen Catherwood) is an outstanding literary critic and orthodox Communist, who seems to take pleasure in his total ignorance of allthings practical:hiswife, Lydia,hasto switch the heating on for him He entertains uswithsome splendid literarywit,delivered atafuriouspace - sometimes alittle too fast for the audience to savour - but loses our sympathy by directing most of itat hiswife She isa refugee from Estonia, who has suffered in the War at the hands of Germans and Russians, and so itseems alittle hardwhen Sebastian scoffs atslightimperfections inherEnglishandexpresses boredom at her reminiscences of enemy atrocities
The 'nice guy', whose main function is to listen sympathetically, is an American millionaire writer of downmarket fiction called Mark,played by James Cooper He did not exude the brashness Iexpect inanAmerican millionaire - or indeed inany American - but maybe Iwatch too much television; he did, however, give an excellent impression of uncomplicated kindness as a foil to the unfeeling intellectualism of Sebastian.
And now to Lydia Thisperformance byJulia Simcock was a tour de force The human interest centred on her, as a woman who started off the play as some kind of foreigner andthengraduallyemerged asanEstonianrefugeewho had suffered awful things duringthe War (Sebastian had merely been inMilitaryIntelligence), who had real human emotions and sufferings (Sebastian believed in a political dogma and scorned her"refugee stories"), andwho was suffering from a terminal disesase of whichshe would nottellherhusband for fear he could not cope; so he scoffed at her "drunkenness" when she fainted Suchtear-jerking circumstances could be too much for an audience to take. In fact the tragedy was balanced by Sebastian's comic wit, and in any case was expressed with overpowering conviction: one speech by Lydia about her Estonian past had the audience utterly spellbound, utterlyforgetful of the fact thatthiswas no more than an actress speaking a writer's lines
To some extent the Old Library,with its limited area, is a positive help in captivating the audience in this way The actors are never more then a few yards away, the stage fills almost the whole of one's visualfield,and there isnothingin the place to distract one's attention from the play There is therefore no need for gimmicks to 'involve' the audiencegimmicks which usuallyserve to make me conscious of my own presence and thus to shatter the spell that consists of being utterlylostinthe action There areof course other ways of breaking the spell:lights can come on at the wrong time, telephones continue ringing after the receiver has been lifted, actors enter several seconds after their cue. In this production none of those things happened. Charlotte Beckett had the actors under her thumb, while Nick Page (sound)and EdWilliamsand PhilipBrowne (lights) operated their respective areas with the precision of professionals.
The old Library can be restrictive of the staging, but, since the entire playtakes place inaLondon flat,the limitation was not too much of a handicap. In fact the available space was used with textbook skill, the centres of attention being distributed between the back and front, the right and left of the stage This pattern not only pleases the eye, but also enables the characters - who don't perform any real 'actions' throughout the play - to move around the stage from, say, the book-case (right) to the chessboard (front left) via the drinks table (centre),and thusprevents the scene becoming visually static
Ireferred earliertothe 'emergence'of Lydia's background And itisa feature of the play that,while nothing new occurs during it,plenty is revealed that was true already We learn that Mark and Lydia once had an affair, that Sebastian married Lydia inBerlinas aruseto help her escape from the Russians But it is in the second act that the playwright springs his greatest surprises As it opens we tend to agree with Markand Lydia that Englishmen,suchasSebastian, do not merely not express feelings but have none Our impression isstrengthened by the introductionof the fourth character, Joey, the son of Lydia and Sebastian Played by Philip Glenister,he isaself-confident young playwright who, ratherlikehisfather, adheres to apoliticaldogma, inhis case Liberalism He claims,inan argument with hismother, to be all for honesty and against the dishonesty of Sebastian's Communism; how, he asks,can he be expected to spend ten
days alone with hisfather, asLydiarequests, when "honesty" compels himtoargue with everything theCommunist says? There follows a slightly unconvincing set piece debate in which Lydia argues that people are more important than politics and that dishonesty (orpoliteness) isauseful human attribute.ThecharacterofJoey was notplayed insuch away as towinoursympathy, nordo Ithink itismeant tobe. His television play,ofwhichwecatchafewlines,sounds awful(if there's onethingworse thanaplay withamessage, it'saplay with a political message!) and,when Sebastian forgets to watch theplay andJoey reacts with exaggerated pique, we feel that Lydia deserves better offate thantobesurrounded by such insensitive Englishmen
Then the surprise Sebastian, it transpires in a conversation with Mark, knows allabout Lydia's illness His behaviour towards her, far from being insensitive, is calculated to make herfeel indispensable (his"inability"to switch on the heating) andhealthy (his attribution of her fainting fitto thevodka) We already know that Lydia,who has accepted theimminence of herdeath, isafraid ofhow Sebastian will cope after she's gone We now learn that Sebastian, who cancope perfectly well, is afraid that the battle-scarred Lydia will find death too much to face Such irony! Perhaps Joey wasright: ifthey hadboth been totally honest, a lotof misunderstanding andunhappiness would have been avoided Andyet the dishonesty of each was designed to limit unhappiness intheother The success of thisLeMarchandproductionlayinthefact thatthe dilemma, the tragedy, was not only understood but felt by the audience We left the play wondering what the characters ought tohave done, whether honesty reallyisthebest policy, why lovecauses even intelligent people tomake such ahash of things. It isquestions like those that plays are meant to impress upon us.Bravo!
R.N.G.S
Oh What a Lovely War
This production directed byAnthony Clemitwas performed by boys of the Upper Remove andFifth Form, with Sally Brown, Anna Diamond and Jane Witherick playing the female roles Preparation for the production included a three-day visit to the battlefields of Belgium and France during half-term Thesoundingofthe Last Post attheMenin Gate every night, even nowsome seventy years after the event, isa powerful andmoving occasion, andthe tens of thousands of names inscribed onthemany memorials,and the immaculately kept graves, so many simply marked An Unknown Soldier: Known Only to God', are an enduring witness to the tolly andsacrifice that were the First World War A rehearsal of the Christmas scene in the carefully preserved trenches onVimy Ridge gavethecast some idea of thekniving cold that thesoldiers suffered, butthemusic and singing accompanying that scene were not appreciated by French officialdom
There were nosuch problems intheOldLibrary Indeed, without anydisrespect tocast ordirector, Oh What a Lovely War isa play that itisvery difficult to make a hash of The pace of the play is such that it rushes on despite minor blemishes, andthemusic andsinging (much of itneed not even beparticularlytuneful) will have anaudience humming it for days afterwards Above all,the play hasa message which canriseabove anyweakness ofproduction,a message which is summed upso effectively by the final song And When They Ask Us. Nor,asthisproduction made clear, does the play need a large acting area, despite front line scenes and aball-room scene, noranelaborate setting Effective use of slides provides them both, andatthesame time helps to
The empty lines
Beneath the eyelid something moved. In the putrid, close darkness blind white worms wriggled and fed, lived, reproduced and died, the dead-white flesh that was their sustenance now peeled back and eroded from the shiny bones. All around the body, twisted inan agony of death, the decayed wood of the coffin, scattered in the earth, provided more nests for the carrion-feeders' offspring. Five yards from the body, in every direction, identical biological scenes were taking place. The deathly quiet of the mass graveyard was so profound that the mass activity beneath the ground was felt, rather than heard.
Piccadilly Circus, on the other hand, was abustling and industrious business place. The paper boys added their own noise to that of the traffic, vying with each other in the rush to sell out of copies before the afternoon edition came out. Out of the jumble of ever-moving traffic, a taxi drew to the side of the road, where ablind man sat, peddling his newspapers. A hand reached out of the cab, unwilling to take the chill November rain and called for apaper. The voice was imperious and slightly petulant. The hand was attached to the sleeve of agreen mess jacket. The blind man rose uncertain, and stepped towards a kerb. Like moths to a flickering flame, the paper boys rushed towards the cab. Pushing the coppers into apair of eager hands, the mess jacket took the firstStandard offered and withdrew into the taxi. The car then rejoined the traffic and the boys dispersed to other parts of the Circus
The blind man, one hand on his black glasses, was saying, in a worn Cockney voice, "Standard, morning, Armistice declared..."
Fifty miles away, deep beneath the dripping wooden crosses, the worms turned and burrowed, feeding deep upon the white, dead flesh above the sightless eyes...
in the warm interior of the taxi-cab, the green mess jacket, worn by Major General Smythe, opened the paper at the spons and glanced briefly once more at the banner headline. He had supposed thatit had had to come sometime. It was a shame, he thought, that he wasn't there for the end, but aman had tohave leave sometime. Fiddling the leave ticket a bit, it had meant that his subaltern had had to bear the brunt of the major tactical decisions during the last year or so. Good Grief, was itsolong? He had read infact thathis superiors had thought him still in France for that last big push in the summer, over that big river, Sam or Somme or something. He supposed he should have been there. Still Ayckbourn or someone would cover up for him, he was sure. Rather alot of casualties in that show though, he had read, the Royal Welch had advanced on the right and we hadn't backed them up. Rather amistake on Jenkins' pad, or was itArkwnght? Can't remember these new chaps, you know, ti<eycame and went so fastHe supposed they wen' to the front line, and got shot or something. Well, someone had to go, and he was damn glad it wasn't him. Just supposing though, he had stayed for the last offensive, purely hypothetical, of course, but ifhe had, they might not have lost such a colossal percentage. He knew, after alt, thatonly afool would advance from centre without back-up. What was that? Ilis driver had spoken. He struggled back to the present, reality.
"What's the matter, man," he said, "this isn't Whitehall."
"I'm sorry, sir," the driver replied, "there appears to be some disturbance up ahead, blocking the street to Whitehall. I will have to turn off here to leave the road. Would you mind walking? Idon't want any trouble."
"Yes, I dam' well do mind. Who d'you think I am? D'you...", he stopped for ithad suddenly occured to him that his voice was a trifle too petulant, his face a shade too red for those of an officer from the front. Besides, he was late. He made agreat stiow ot taking down the number of the cab, and pulled his greatcoat over his shoutders. "Oh, very well, driver, carry on."
"Sorry, su," ine taxi-driver said, and itseemed to Smythe that there was a tone of insolence, condescension and downright superiority in those three syllables. Without a word he pushed a ten shilling note through the partition, and left the cab. With a grateful hiss the cab drove away and Smythe stood al the kerb, looking after it. Glancing down, he confirmed that the polish on his dress shoes was. in tact, decreasing in shine, and hurried oft towards the crowo that he now saw gathered outside the steps of Whitehall. Toadd to his discomfort, the lining of the greatcoat, not having been treated with tar, as was the practice on the front line, began toieak. Now he was pushing through the crowd, looking neither to left noi right at lite angry, honest races crowding in on him He didn't look tor the empty sleeves, or the crutcnes. when came flooding in on htm as he pushed his way through. He affected not to notice the lost eyes, the gas bums, or the croaking hall •voice:; of the close-bomo survivors but he kept his head down, to hidr- his cap badge from the other soldiers in his regiment whom he had seen among me worst insured. His mind enlarged the deformations, aggravated the amputations until he could breath only wiiti an effort, and the useless greatcoat, now as sodden as the dress tacket beneath it, ttung heavily from his shoulders as he pushed Ins way 10the Steps Ot Whitehall. (continued on P 36!
Half-running he stumbled up the stones, slipping under his thoughts of his regiment, that he had sent off to the front line, whose salute he had taken, whose respect and even affection he had earned over the rum. The ghosts' parade of happy grinning faces, raising their glasses tohim ashe had slipped inthe mud on the way tothe transport hut, where the forged leave pass waited for him. He fellon the steps, heavily, and his mess trousers absorbed the new moisture readily. But he also felt something else, something unknown to him since his childhood; the dull-sharp pain of a concussion bruise, and then the blood welled out onto his fingers through the thick green cloth, and he saw the pale smiling face of Jenkins (or was itArkwright), grinning up at him, through his raised whisky glass, and saying "Have a good leave, sir." He saw the same face again, worried this time, sitting behind his telephones, and biting his lip withindecision until the blood
ran down his chin and dripped onto the blotter. He saw the bloodstain spread and spread over the clear whiteness, and felt a cold breeze wash over him, and he looked up to see the door of the office open, and Jenkins' figure, already distant, hurrying after the advancing men. He sat huddled on the steps outside Whitehall, dark green blot on the granite steps, and his blood ran down his knee into the rain-puddles, where it swirled, like the worms, swirling randomly as it descended, step by step, in a crimson trail.
Rupert Bader
locate and highlight the ironies which are essential tothe play.
The qualities of this production were many. Inparticular, the scenes inthetrenches were convincingly portrayed.The parts of thecommon soldiers were played with enthusiasm, with robustness and,above all,with understanding The essential humour of these scenes, which wasthe ordinary soldier'sonly means ofcoming toterms withthehorrorof the war and the indifference and folly of their officers, was sensitively maintained Perhaps itshouldcomeasnosurprise that Upper Remove and Fifth Form boys seemed much more at ease playing theparts of common soldiers rather thanofofficers andgentlemen Certainlythey couldjig better than they couldwaltz Thus theball-room scene, thegrouseshooting party andtheleaders of thenations scene atthe start of the play suffered somewhat because the boys seemed unable to identify easily with theparts Itwould be unfair tocompare thisproductionwith that of 1981, butthe earlierproductionwould seem tosupport aview that certain parts intheplay do need to be played bysenior boys
Women intheplay arenotportrayed generally ina very attractive light More often than not they are used bythe playwright to underscore anirony, butthey are interesting and demanding parts for theplayers Insome ways itwas even more difficult for thethree girls to identify with their roles andtocopewiththediversity,butthey performed most creditably, andcomplemented themale parts andsoldiers' songs as required Nor should we forget that it isMrs Pankhurst whoraises theonly voice of protest against "the blunders ofboobies, thecupidityofcapitalists,theambitions of conquerors, thelustsand liesand rancoursof bloodthirsts that love war..."
I have deliberately notpicked outindividual players for commendation Oh What a Lovely War isa play that does not suitorcreate stars Withactors playingseveral parts,with the importance of the chorus, it is above all a team performance Moreover, ifthe performance istobefaithfulto the writer, andindeed to the common soldiers whom the play pays tributeto,then itistheoverall emotional impactof the play that isimportant And that impact wasundoubtedly achieved by this production
M.A.S
Waiting for Godot
Beckett called hisplay a tragicomedy We've been used to this kind ofplay, thisgenre, since Chekhov The Seagull, for example, doesn't really have aplot What wegetaresilences, non-sequiturs, the passing of time; a slice of life. Allthe characters in it are very ordinary people andit is neither comic nortragic. Yet somehow it issomething more than typical, ordinary,something more than aslice of life: ithas a poetry, a symbolism.
Thispower ofsuggestion isthere in Godot, too Theplayis less realistic andless naturalisticthan The Seagull: thetwo main characters behave like music hall clowns and impatiently wait byatree foracryptic MrGodot to appear; and henever does Yetwe feel theplay mustbeabout more than this These ordinary people, passingtheirtime, at once bothfunny andsad,behave withakind ofpoetry of language and gesture Weintheaudience feel their despair and sense the futilityofitall Theplay,wesuspect,becomes a metaphor for life; maybe theGodot they await isthespiritual guidance we await Butthisisnever clearcutand Ithinkit'sthe absence of anexplicit statement that keeps us entranced
This wasSimon Graham's debut asdirector Very soon it was clearthathe'd aimed forablendofdifferent pictures and rhythms:stillnessand energy; intimacy and bravado; silence and rapidfire repartee; comedy and tragedy And hegotthis from Vladimir(Matt Norfolk) and Estragon(Chris McQuade) These twoworked well together To capture and sustainthe interest of avery critical andfamiliar audience for much of the time between the two of them was a very real achievement, borne of unselfishness, mutual confidence and, above all, an ability to listen to each other Acting is much more difficult, Ithink,when youdon't have thelines; the listening isthehard bit They delivered their lines well, too; I don't think I detected a single jarring intonation cr stress;Ididhearsome splendidquick-firedialogue and there were some beautifully judged pauses which were simply right. The exchange in Act 2 about all the dead voices making noises like leaves was captivating Matt Norfolk's performance wasa revelation: he wasutterly immersed in the part:hehadattimes aflamboyance andatothers a quiet, pathetic dignity; and at all times he judged the mood perfectly. ChrisMcQuade was only alittlelessconvincing:he too isanintuitiveactor butIthinkhestill hastheoccasional inarticulate gesture andfacial expression which betrays an actor at work.
Dom Peberdy and Dave Clements played Pozzo and Lucky, twocharacters whodrop inonDidi and Gogo They are ontheirwaysomewhere butwe don't know where; they apparently do,though, andIthinkthefact that they have a direction, apurpose, stresses Didi's and Gogo's lack ofone These twoseem torepresent amaster andslaverelationship: Lucky isbrutallytreated byPozzo andisheld incheck bya rope tied tight around his neck Pozzo was dressed ina Father Christmas outfit and I confess to being baffled by this
Dom Peberdy still had Mercutio in his veins, I think, because hisperformance here lacked thesubtlety needed in the intimacy of theOld Library Hetended toshout without sufficient vocal control andhisgestures hada size about them which wasinappropriate inthissmaller space, though they had been appropriate, even necessary, in the larger theatre of College House Gardens I felt hewasn't sure of what hewassupposed tobedoing,andIwasn't either. Again, though, there were sections which worked well because of hisintuitivecommand ofpace andhisawareness ofthe value of a pause. Dave Clements' Lucky was extraordinary. His mute acceptance of the brutality inflicted on him was superbly concentrated andwhen he finally andat length
Paulina can perform her high priestess's task We and Leontes are ready He welcomes Florizel and Perdita to Sicilia "as the springto the earth", the kindlygenerous host that he was at the start As the process of greeting and reunion and reconciliation unfolded allthe best feelings of joy and sadness were wrung and we were allowed a scene not offered by Shakespeare -an exquisite first meeting between Leontes and Perdita,all'warm life', alleyesandtouch ahead of words
And so to the improbable ending Leontes is ready to believe and so are we, "Let be, let be", he says Hermione's 'reincarnation'was simply and movingly done The moment was not upstaged by the addition of the Leontes-Perdita greeting because itstone was utterly different The play had moved into a different mode The Perdita - Leontes scene lives in the present, the final scene embraces past, present and future Hermione's face when she was uncovered was stunning -the one useof make upinthe whole production It could have been a disaster, but it wasn't What it did was remind usof our frailty and our losses intime But,"O, she's warm!"
1cannot imagine how you canfollow that This production decided totry,butthe beauty of Shakespeare's ending liesin itsrestraint VVesay YES was aconventional conclusionfor a play with a chorus but in my opinion was distraction from what had already been achieved ButIdon't want to go into allthatabout whether you shouldadapt Shakespeare or not, or,come to that,whether you shouldmixstaff and pupilsina school production The fact isthatthat Shakespearian ending won't work unlessitsproperly prepared. After ahesitant start (before asuspiciousreviewer) thisproduction delivered that ending in all the freshness and pain of its beauty
Colin Gray
N.B. Mystery and Merriment is to be revived for the Three Choirs Festival in August 1987
The Real Inspector Hound
The same group of people who put on Gndot also put on Hound. But this time it was post 'A' levels and under the direction of Anna Kaltsoyannis.
The play is an hilarious spoof on Whodunnits and a scathing attack on the jargon and the lack of professional integrity of theatre critics Butit'ssomething else,too; more of that later
The action begins with the arrival on stage of two critics taking their seats for a performance of a murder mystery They think the play might have started but soon reject the idea, deciding that a play can't start with a pause So they continue their conversation and it emerges that Birdboot (Derek Evans) is a very successful critic and Moon (Chris McQuade) is not; Moon is Higgs' deputy; but Puckeridge is even worse off, he's third string critic,the stand-in's standin
When the play within a play begins the telephone rinqs and Mrs Drudge, the charwoman (Sarah Tyack) answers it, saying: "Hello,the drawing room of Lady Muldoon's country residence one morning in early spring" Stoppard is poking fun at the terribly contrived way whodunnit writers impart necessary information to the audience -andthissense of fun continues throughout the play We also get Major Magnus (Dave Clements), "the wheelchair ridden half brother of her ladyship's husband Lord Albert Muldoon who turned up from Canada just the other day" coming out with remarks like "Well Ithink I'll go and oil my gun". Now perhaps you might be tempted to regard thisasa red herringbutyou'd be wrong The spiritof thisplay issuch thatthislineisnot a bluff
neither indeed is it even a double bluff, it'ssimply the plain truth
The other characters who appear inthe play withina play are Lady Cynthia(Kate Mayall), the beautiful femme fatale, Felicity (Jackie Mills),the ingenue, Simon (Simon Graham), the naive and eligible young man, and Inspector Hound himself (Mart Norfolk), the archetypal detective
A murder investigation gets under way and the hunt narrows to the immediate vicinityof Muldoon Manor which hasbeen cutoff from the outside world by the fog which has begun to roll off the nearby cliffs
Another murder takes place and gradually the jigsaw is pieced together, with the help of news bulletins which, of course, begin at the precise moment a character chooses to switch on the wireless I hope you're getting the picture Apparently we are watching the most contrived, nonsensical whodunnit imaginable and we join with Stoppard in finding ithilarious The critics,however, talk of the play inthe most pompous jargon and we share Stoppard's contempt for the absurdity of theirlanguage which ischosen merely to gratify their own egos and not to say anything worthwhile or genuinely intelligent about the play on which they are parasitic
But gradually it emerges that Stoppard is not only parodying the dreadful seaside murder mystery but writing hisown thrilleraswell Moon, thesecond stringcritic,isfinally forced onto the stagebecause hisfellow critic,Birdboot, who isalready inthe thickof it,ismurdered just as he tries to tell Moon that the dead body which has been lyingon the stage since the beginning of the play is actually Higgs! And the startling denouement comes when Major Magnus not only turnsout to be the REAL Inspector HoundbutalsoCynthia's long lost husbandLord Albert Muldoon.Butas he says, he's been leading "a double life, at least" and this man is also Puckeridge, Moon's deputy, third string critic His triumph comes as he reveals himself to hisloyalwife and then shoots Moon, thus becoming husband again to the beautiful Cynthia and first stringcritic
The play is absurdly complex and great fun and this production did splendid justice to Stoppard's ingenuity and wit I'm not going to single out individual performances Suffice ittosaythat itwas anexcellent team effort over which Anna Kaltsoyannis exercised a tight and efficient control The audience left the Old Library after the performance perhaps rather bemused, still fascinated by italland certainly with that special feeling of contentment which a thoroughly satisfying theatrical experience provides
Animal Farm
In answer to his own question, What is style?, Cocteau answered: "For many people, a very simple way of saying very complicated things."
Finding the right style was going to be very important in the Removes' production of Peter Hall's adaptation of Orwell's Animal Farm How do you present a farmyard of animals? How do you stage an allegory?
Anthony Clemitchose to set hisproduction inthe gardens of Number 12 College Green and it was a good choice Number 12 itself served excellently as Manor Farm and Animal Farm;there was asplendidly situated fruittree which was absolutely authentic and a godsend for varied and interesting blocking;and there was a second, higher level to the stage which was used to provide a visual contrast and served well as,amongst other things,the height from which the windmill, in the form of bales of straw, could fall and smash Here then was the farm
1.10p.m. Goodwin is beinga pain, saying'Gan we go now, Sir?" The sun is very hot and the wind cooling. We resume our march at 1.50 p.m. Now approaching the Nine Nicks; flat country all around. Stopped at 2.20 to look at Greatchesters. Resumed march at 2.25. Had a stop on one of the Nine Nicks. It was bad. After the Nicks we stopped at the Roman Army Museum at 3.15. Museum very interesting, with a lecture, and Aydon and Jeffrey dressing up in Roman armour and weapons.
Only one mile to go now. We leave at 4.45 p.m. arriving at Greenhead YH at 5.05, taking only 20 minutes to get here. Morgan Davies is doing the supper, which is 1 tin of pork sausages and baked beans and 1 tin of vegetable soup. The village is only a quarter of a mile radius with a garage, stream, railway and telephone. I am sleeping in a 6-bed dorm. Greenhead YH is a good one with good beds and a good common room. Just going to ring home. Drat! the 'phone is engaged and I can't get through. In my room, number 4, a 'gamblers' den' is being held... the gamblers being Vaughan, Bailey, Davies, Whiteford, Essex and Holloway. They have been gambling with polo mints and been at it for about two hours. Our dorm stinks of polos. We went to sleep at 10.45 p.m.
Day 4
Woke (to the bell) at 7.30 a.m. For two days we have lived on baked beans and pork sausages. I have bought a big carton of orange juice for my drink and for a change I have no idea what I shall have for lunch. We set off from Greenhead at 9.30, arriving at Poltross Burn Fort at 10.00 (in the pouring rain and cold wind). We set off again at 10.35 and arrived at Birdoswald at 11.38; examined the fort. To get here we had to wade through mud (literally) and cross a stream and somehow keep warm in the biting wind and chilly rain. We set off at 12.18 (approximately) from Birdoswald. Stopped at Piper-Sike Roman turret with 4-5 miles to go. Had lunch here at 12.50. We resumed the walk at 1.20, stopping at a ruin at 1.45. We were cold and wet from the wind and spitting rain. We started again at 1.50, stopping for a rest and for the others to catch up. By now the rain had stopped and the sun was out. Not far to go now. Our spirits soared as we got nearer and nearer. Holloway did his 'dakas (where he runs down a hill very fast shouting "Daka daka daka!"). We are apparently waiting for a bus to come and are resting after half an hour's solid walking. The bus arrived at 3.55 and is a coach. How glad we were we didn't have to walk. We arrived at Carlisle at 4.30 and wandered round the town for three-quarters of an hour. I visited Strand and bought a postcard. We waited for the double-decker bus until 5.45; arrived at Carlisle YH at 6.00. I am sleeping with one German above me and one either side. At 9.00 we play foxes and hounds down in the wood by the river. Bailey started wading in the river with his pumps on and got soaked up to his knees. After he'd been there about 13 minutes Holloway (in pumps and long trousers) jumped in and ran after Bailey in the water. Both naturally drenched. We ended the game at 9.48 and went back to the YH. It's the worst YH I've ever been to, with nothing to do and a bored, dull atmosphere. To bed at 10.30. We were all sleeping in the same dorm, which had only one toilet. In the middle of the night Fitzjohn got up and kicked over my rucksack, waking everyone up.
Day 5
We woke at 7.30 a.m. and had fried bread, cooked luncheon meat and cereal for breakfast. We set out for the bus stop only 100 yards away at 9.30 and waited for the double-decker bus. which arrived at 9.48. Station at 10.03, and it took quite some time to put our rucksacks in the lockers. Then we were allowed to look around Carlisle for an
hour. We came back at 11.10 and waited for the train on platform 4 until 11.31. At 3.10 we boarded our final train at Birmingham New Street. At precisely 4.25 we came home to Shrub Hill Station, tired, hungry, but content.
Lower Fourth Camp
Unlike the rest of my 'friends' who were insearch of a wild, adventurous weekend roughing it in the Welsh hills my reason was quite different. While visitingmy grandmother I forgot to strain the tea which resulted in a mouthful of tea leaves She tried to read the tea leaves (although she is no clairvoyant) and found a horse-head "Ah!"she said, "ponytrekking."
We arrived on Friday after an hour or two of tedious winding roads The chapelwas surprisinglylarger thanIhad thought from looking at a photo The chapel issituatedina beautiful valley next to a wood Separating the chapel from thewood isawide, fastflowing stream Bridgingthe streamis a rope over arope, bothtiedto atree You standon one and use the other rope for balance to get across
First night there was a small bonfire which gave you warmth before going to bed
Saturday brought rock-climbingand a work shift for our group On theway to rock-climbingwe stopped inCrickhowell and almost everyone bought Kendal mint-cake Rockclimbing was enjoyable, although stinging nettles did get in the way. Getting down was even better. In the event about two thirds of our group abseiled off a cliff 70 ft. high.
That night brought another bonfire
Sunday meant the walk About half a mile from the Old Chapel we met a Welsh hill farmer who tried to indicate (in Welsh andEnglish)thathethought the paththrough hisland must not be used without permissionfrom himeven though itwas marked as a right of way on the O.S map We took a detour to asmall chapelwithaplaque whichsaid something like,DOWN INTHE DINGLESOF CRICKHOWELL THOU SHALT FIND THE HOLY WATER OF ST DAVID We found an unhygienicspringwhich held a plaque YOU MAY DRINK and underneath stood an Esso wine glass All was well until ourgroup met asmelly dog whichfollowed usback to the chapel Apparently the source of the odour was its tail
The third bonfire was lit
By now my tent partner'ssockswere smellingso he slung them on a piece of rope between the tent posts to air.That night brought no sleep for me. Next day ourgroup went ona waterfall walkabout an hour'sdrive away, butwe stopped to buy Kendal mint-cake from a climbingshop inCrickhowell The walk was by a fast flowing river and we passed a few waterfalls and clocked up a few blisters before going underneath thewaterfall We arrived backinCrickhowellbut went straight to the pony-trekking centre The horses took ages to arrive so we were entertained by two toddlers on bikes crashing into plastic tractors Pony-trekking was uneventful Ithink I had hay-fever, but Icould be allergic to horses There was one exciting part when my horse bucked because of another sniffing his tail We arrived at the Old Chapel to find the sheepdog still there My tent partner's socks were hung up again A sleepless night brought map reading on Tuesday We started from point A and had to follow grid references looking out for coloured mugs, and arrived back at the Old Chapel We (I) took a wrong turning and another group beat us Another thing that happened was an outbreak of sickness ItstruckDavies first,but spread to Mr Clemit and unsettled other people Then we took our tents and bags to the minibus and left for home Some people were saddened to leave the dog who was named Duster
was ofahigher standard,with Simon Cobb, Gareth Morgan, Julian Heasman andPaulJudge being the best ofour battery of medium-pacers Theground fielding wascertainly better than thecatching, with Gareth Morgan, Patrick Waits and Ben Russell being impressive, aswasGeorge Kendall,who might make a really good keeper if he can improve his concentration
I have kept the best until last! In the Knowles Cup Competition, after a scrappy victory against Redhill, there followed adisciplinedperformance against Pitmaston which saw St.Albans through toasemi-final spot against that most impressive Hawford Lodge side Imagine the scenes of euphoria when outstanding fielding, tight bowling byalland the batting of Eddie George with full supporting cast performed averitable David andGoliath act! This deserved to bethefinal ofthe competition and inaway, turned outto be so:no date could be found to play the final, so itwas eventually decided toshare thecup Itisjustashame thatthe boys were robbed of their chance to play at the County Ground
Post Script - BenRussell, inthefirst three balls he ever bowled in a match, performed the hat-trick - BEAT THAT!!!
I.D Bell
Memories of London or 'Don't throw away that sausage.'
My first lodgings were in Kensal Green, asmall terraced house into which Mrs, H (I don't think we ever knew her full name) managed (o cram her husband, Mr. H, and three students. Two of us shared a room and awashstand on the landing and the third, an engineer, had a room of his own because he had been there longest and he leftit only when he had to. Mrs. H always wore an apron, charged us £4.00 per week for bed, breakfast and evening meal and full board at the weekend, and had access to the most exotic supply of vegetables I had ever seen - Mr. H was a driver at Covent Garden. Her evening meals had to be seen to be believed - there was always meat and plenty of it, harangued by leeks, potatoes mashed and roast, cabbage, beans and peas, the whole sloshing about in gravy which was as inevitable an accompaniment to afirst course as custard was to the pudding. "My boys," she would call us, as she slopped and lollopped shepherd's pie or spotted dick into bowls graced by an immaculate white tablecloth, remonstrating only when a plate went back to the kitchen with a Iragment of spinach or suet uneaten. I realised, pretty soon, that you didn't leave food unless you had to; not only did itoffend Mrs. H but it meant, also, that next time the portion was proportionately smaller. Iwaded through mountains of parsnips, which I'd always disliked, to ensure thai my carrot ration would not be cut next time. But herein lay my undoing..
We used to go down to The Windsor Castle from time to time, a sleazy place in Paddinglon which sold plenty of beer and entertained rather a good jazz band; we'd talk loudly, drink a little and generally cultivate what we rather gauchely thought of as 'the student file'. The evening of the debacle, we were loitering in groups and, I dare say, self-consciously and noisily chattering about life and death and the universe, when a spotty, clearly aggressive and aggravated youth from a neighbouring crowd crossed the frontier into Academe and, singling me out as public pseud number 1,pushed and prodded and pounded me (we would now say 'hassled') into what he hoped might be retaliatory action. My father had taught me never to respond to such provocation. "Go on drinking, lad," Ithought, and did. Mr. Spotty didn't like Ihis casual treatment ot his attentions and he offered them again and again. My battle experience diun't go that far and, inevitably, dialogue followed:
He: "You and your mates keep giving me dirty looks."
Me: (ingenuous, willy, vu/nernb'e; "Ihaven't given you a dirty look. It you've got a dirty look, you were born with it."
He: "Would you mind rep<atmg th*i*
Me: (just discerning that Imight no in a spot ot bother but clearly quite unable to retreat from my pinnacle of successful repartee) "I said," (with less conviction: "if you've got a duly look you were born v.II, i.
He: "Hight."
Cross-Country
This season saw one of my wildest cross-country running dreams for the Junior School come true A win at the renowned St Richard's Cross Country Tournament held annually inMarch, over that nowwell-worn section ofthe rolling Herefordshire countryside Tobefairtothevictorious team: Chris James, Tom Newitt, Patrick Waits, Michael Brown, Neville Clifford and Edward George, it must be stressed that not only were they first, teamwise, but their individual positions made for anoutstanding finish as they crossed the line in second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighteenth positions Amazing!
This tournament concluded afurther very successful year of running fixtures in which we were able to celebrate victories inallbuttheDean Close tournament inwhich we did notfare quite so well this year
Congratulations are clearly due to a very keen and dedicated squad who have certainly been rewarded for all their hard work on thebanks of the Severn!
Inaddition tothose mentioned abovethe squad consisted of R Jenkins(whohas been aregular member ofthesquad throughout his three years in St Albans - quite an achievement), S Cobb, M Willis,A Howard, J Froggatt, T Bradshaw, A Jenkins,M Manson,J Parker, A Thomas, A Evans - C.R Davis
Ihoped that had concluded the excursion; he seemed to move off towards fresh pastures and I smirked, virtuous and victorious. How wrong I was! These things always happen quickly. A tap on the shoulder, the sound ot abottle breaking, aturn and, before Ihave the least inkling as to what is happening, a blinding flash in my left eye, blood everywhere and we're on our way to Paddington Green Hospital. 38 stitches and some very substantial bruising. Later, I grope my way back to Maison Hwishing I'd kept my mouth shut and my ears open; my eye, thanks to some deft embroidery by a couple ot enthusiastic medical students, is fortunately saved.
The next morning, without reference to the eccentricities of the night, breakfast appears, punctual, predictable and plentiful. There are eggs, two, bacon, fried potato, bubble and squeak, fried bread, baked beans, black pudding, tomato and sausage, two. Well, in conventional circumstances, I'd have thought of thisusually asa mere preamble to the toast and marmalade but the events of a few hours previously had taken the edge off a fairly normal appetite. True to principle, though, Istruggled on until, stranded, pathetic and, by this time, rather cold, winked alarge, grey, shiny sausage. Icouldn't get it down. Mrs. H was clearly quite accustomed to serving breakfast to one-eyed bandits and would, Ihad no doubt, administer the coup de gras were I to flinch at this point. Quick as a flash, the sausage is smuggled into the handkerchief and I'm off to clean my teeth and thence to 'Out-Patients' for a service
Out-Patients' departments are only marginally worse than station waiting-rooms lor class one dreariness. Isat and sat; the man with the crutches next door, who may wellhave been there aweek, snored and the old lady opposite spoke toher neighbour in confidential whispers which were appropriate only to a wake. The clock ticked on; they fidgeted and Isneezed. Instinctively, I reached for the handkerchief and the sausage, which had kept itspresence quiet forsome little time, leapt into the air like Challenger out of the starting blocks and came to rest several rows forward amongst steel framed chairs and leg irons. Anyone with any sense would have pretended that this was not his business. Odd objects have been known to fly from time totime and a sausage might have taken itintoitsskin to go tor ashort turn round the room. But old one-eye made mistake number 2. Groping, half-blind and on hands and knees, I stroked, clawed and grunted my way through those rows of able-bodied and spavined legs to claim what was my own. Archimedes would have coped, I'm sure. I kept apologising ...""Excuse me, I'm looking lor my sausage Have you seen my sausage? So sorry you see my sausage " // was a pretty harrowing day leally but Mrs H was equal to it. "My boys," she beamed that evening, "come and sit down. I've got some lovely parsnips for you."
(Wiiller 'or A London Evening' in the Library 10th October 1986) P.G Diamond
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College Hall
At thisyear's O.V. Reunion R.J.Collins(24-29) gave me a photocopy of anarticleonCollege Hall, dated 3June 1931, by Sir Edward Elgar. It appeared in the Official Organ of Worcester School of Arts and Crafts, the Worcestershire Association and other Worcestershire cultural bodies. It was on Three Choirs Festival Concerts in College Hall within Elgar's recollection One paragraph is particularlypiquant:
"A ludicrous incident occurred in, I think, 1848 when Labhche, the most celebrated basso of his day, and Madame Alboni, an equally famous contralto, sang a duet at one of the Festival Concerts in the College Hall. My father was playing in the orchestra and his copy of the programme is now in the Cathedral musical library. At the conclusion of the duet, amidst thunders of applause, the two great artists hand in hand and bowing profoundly, retrograded to the exit. Both were of affluent proportions and they became inextricably fixed in the doorway and no amount of wriggling could free them. The applause continued and the artists continued to bow, but they could not get away. My father said the lady looked pathetically to the instrumentalists, but no mere second violin had sufficient courage to wrench a world-famous primadonna out of the difficulty. The matter was eventually settled by several of the stewards."
Between the years 1770 and 1873 the College Hall Concerts were given with choir and instrumentalists arranged on aplatform higherthanthe top of thesculptured Christ in Majesty (which had been behind plaster since Elizabethan days) and on steps that reached further down the Hall than any steps do now Thus the two great singers had to descent from the lofty platform and aim to exit through the littledoorway intothecloistersneartheeast end of the Hall Look atitnexttimeyou are there andpicturethe scene with the bass and contralto stuck tight in that doorway
In 1873 the Dean and Chapter had the white plaster of Paris constructiondemolished in order that there might be more floor space for a growing school In the process of demolition the top of the Majestas came into view
Michael Craze
O.V. Committee 1986-87
President
Chairman
Headmaster
Vice-Presidents
Hon Secretary
Hon Treasurer
Hon Social Secretary
Hon. Auditor
O.V. Cricket Clu b
Development Campaign
Elected 1984-87:
Elected 1985-88:
Elected 1986-89:
Emeritus Member
A. Hambling (43-48)
J.D. Reynolds (33-39)
J.M. Moore
A J Wright (57-65)
M.R Dudley (51-59)
M.R Craze (19-25)
O.R Craze (26-30)
R.T Padden (46-52)
J.I. Wagstaff (52-61)
TEA. Mackie (47-56)
P.C Underwood (42-47)
BJ Vivian (71-81)
R.H. Blakeway (48-56)
N.J. Sproson (71-76)
Angela Lloyd-James (78-80)
K.J.R. Morgan (74-82)
R.H Phillips (76-83)
A.F Partington (66-76)
D.L Green (63-70)
Catherine Boulton (80-82)
J.P Pimley (37-39)
Births
Dr. R.J. Adcoc k (Ch 59-67) To Caroline and Richard at Eastbourne on 31 May 1985 a son Thomas, a brother for Matthew
M.J.W Also p (S 71-76) To Marian (nee Skinner) and Michael atWarneford Hospital,Leamington Spaon 13 June 1986 a son Joseph Michael,a brother for Lucy
S.J Bundred (Ca 69-74) To Julie (nee Turnbull, Alice Ottley 68-75) and Simon in South Africa in April 1986, a brother for SamanthaEileen
P.G. Dane (Ch 64-69) To Maureen and Peter at Oldstock Hospital nearSalisbury,Wiltshireon 14January 1986 a son James
I.S. Duthie (CI. 67-74). To Kim and Ian in King's College Hospital, London,on 26 June 1986 a son Mark Edward,a brother for John William
G.H.W. Griffith (S 65-70) To Carol andGeorge inSutton Coldfield on 9 May 1986 a fourth son, Christopher Anthony
A. Hammon d (H 63-72) To Linda andAdrianon 29 July 1986 a son Mark
A.T.S. Millington (Cr 68-70) To Madeleine andAndrew at Guildford on 17 May 1985 a daughter Anna Ruth. T.D. Minton (Ch. 69-76). To Yoko (nee Nakabayashi) and Timothy in Tokyo on 8 January 1985 a daughter Emily Katherine.
Ellen Pearce (nee Phelips,S 74-76) To Ellen and Robert on 24 January 1985 a son James, a brother for Catherine and Fiona, Grandchildrenof J.H.C Phelips (S 20-29)
Rev M Powell (Cr 68-75) To Helen and Martin at Evesham on 2 February 1986 a son James Matthew
George
Dr P.R Raby (W 66-71) To Alex and Paul at Torbay General Hospital on 17 April 1984 a son Thomas
William
C.R Rayers (Cr 67-74) To Judy and Chris on 10 August 1986 JonathanMichaelandTimothy Paul,twinbrothers for Matthew Robert
Dr. D.M. Smith (H 67-71) To Julie andMarkat Worcester on 6 December 1985 a sonWilliam
Dr. M.S. Tolley (S 61-70) To SarahandMartin at Sheffield on 23 January 1986 a son Thomas
J.D Wilesmith (Ca 72-77) To Suzanne(nee Stevens) and John at Hereford Hospitalon 17 October 1985 a daughter Sophia Claire.
Engagements
Dr. T.C . Campion (Cr 68-78) of Kidderminster to Lieutenant Lisa Mann, Q.A.R.A.N.C.,of Drayton, Norwich
Alison Gunton (Co 79-81) of Worcester to Mr Bryan David Edwards of Northfield,Birmingham.
P.D.C. Wells (Ch. 76-79) of Stratford upon Avon to Miss Sally Collings of Denham Village, Buckinghamshire.
Marriages
Dr P.B Barker (W 72-77) to MissNaomi Alice Hillier in Vancouver, Canada on 24 August 1985.
M.B. Driskell (CI 60-67) to MissHanaaAl-MansouratAlHasa, Saudi Arabia on 27 February 1986
G.L. Evans (H 74-81) to MissMaggie Trott on 23 August 1986 at St Leonard's Parish Church, Oakley, Hampshire
J.A. Foster (CI 74-76) to MissSarahBooth inWorcester in May 1985
D.A Hershman (CI 68-77) toMissAbigailHenriettaDixon Goucher in Bewdley on 21 June 1986
Dr. A.E.J . Pepper (D.B. 32-27) gained an M.Sc. at Birmingham University and a D.Sc. at Durhamand won the M.C. inthe War (Royal Engineers). A professional engineer sincethen,hehasbeen chiefly concerned withbuildinginthe Middle East
V.L. Podesta (D.B 26-33) lives at 6 Sedbergh Drive, Kendal, Cumbria After headships in Worcestershire and Sussex he lectured at Doncaster Metropolitan Institute of Higher Educationand then at the Charlotte Mason College of Education,Ambleside He was a Colour Sergeant in the Worcestershire Regiment in the War
The Very Rev. D.L. Thawley (S 38-43) is Dean of Wangaratta Cathedral, Victoria, which the present Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated in 1984 Until Archbishop SirPhilipStrong (Ca 09-17) diedat Wangaratta in 1984,there werethese two O.V. priests livinginthe same Cathedral close on the other side of the world.
V.J . Wrigley (Master, 38-40) lives in retirement at Burnham-on-Sea. From 1955 to 1979 he was Headmaster of Apsley Grammar School near Hemel Hempsted It then became Comprehensive and changed its name, but not its Headmaster When he retired in 1979,ithad 1330 boys and girls in it
Post - 1945 Leavers
P.M. Adcoc k (S 72-77) haspassed the various exams and is now a member of Mensa
Dr R.J Adcoc k (Ch 59-67) continues in his one-man medical practice at Alfriston, Sussex, and is building a new surgery and dispensary
A.J . Ager-Harris (S 75-80) graduated inBusiness Studies at Liverpool University in 1984
Julie Alexander (n£e Bennett, Co 77-79) is working in Reading withCAP Group,Computer Systems Integrators, for whom Chris Rayers (Cr 67-76) also works
Captain R.I. Armstrong (Cr 72-74) has returned from exchange dutieswiththe United States Navy inVirginiaand isAdjutant to42 Commando, Royal MarinesatPlymouth In his two years in the U.S.A he competed in many Triathlons
R.M. Bacon (B 70-80) went round the globe between gaining hisFirstinPoliticsinJuneand hisstartwith Barclays de Zocte Wedd in October He wrote to us from Hawaii Captain J.N. Baird (CI 64-75) is in the Parachute Regiment and got married in 1984
Dr. P.B. Barker (W 72-77) completed his D.Phil, in Physical Chemistry at Oxford in July 1986 and in August entered on a two-year Boswell Fellowship at California Institute of Technology, a married man
P.D. Barnes (Ch 76-83) gained an Upper Second in Biochemistry atLondon Universityin1986 andisnow doing post-graduate research inplantpathology atRoyal Holloway and Bedford New College
D.R. Bell (S 51-58) won the Le Mans 24 hour race on 1 June 1986 for the fourth time, partnered byJackie Ickx the firstthree times and by Hans StuckandAl Holbert this time. They drove 367 laps and were nine laps ahead atthe finish. Their car was a 650 h.p. Rothman-Porsche.
T.C.B. Boddington (S. 59-60) lives atHarpenden and has three Benetton shops as well as being a consultant merchandiser
R.P. Booth (Cr. 71-78) lives in Worcester and works as a scientific officer at R.S.R.E.,Malvern.
D.J. Brinsley (Cr. 73-75) is a photographer with the Ministry of Defence
P.J. Brinsley (Cr 71-78) has been involved in Video production and isnow an E.F.L teacher working inItaly and Greece
Dr. M.P. Brook (Ca. 62-67), F.R.C.S.,has left his medical work in Manchester and in January 1986 went to Nepal. P.C. Brooks (CI. 52-61) isGroup FinancialController with Birmid Qualcast His road and cross-country running goes even better now he is inthe Veteran Class His son is in the King's School Flight Lieutenant J.L. Buchanan (S 68-70) is stationed at RAF Hendon
M.E. Bundred (Ca 72-77) isacivil engineer inSouth Africa withScott and Durall inPietmaritzburg,Natal,designing new roads in Transkei In 1985 he canoed in the Duduzi Marathon from Pietmaritzburg to Durban
S.J. Bundred (Ca 69-74) is an Environmental Officer (Project) at Impala Platinum (Refineries), a subsidiaryof the Gencor Group inSouth Africa He has his Mine Manager's Certificate and is a member of Mensa, Transvaal, whose monthly magazine he edits. He is working for a Computer Science Certificate too.
Dr. D.M. Carter (B.68-75) and hiswife Kathleen have both received Ph.D.degrees at Cambridge and are working there in Computer Science They are also in a Christian group trying to bringaBiblical perspective to every area of life and culture Their address is 7 Abbey Road, Cambridge
A.C Col e (W 69-74) has become a partner in Banks and Silver, in charge of the Northfield area, mainly residential properties
J.H . Coomb s (H 74-79) hopes to complete his Ph.D Physics at Jesus College, Cambridge, this next Spring and then get a research job overseas.
S.R. Coulter (S 57-66) since 1985 has been Head of Forward PlanningandTourismwiththe Wyre ForestCouncil in Worcestershire
P. Court (CI. 49-54) was Chief Executive of the Midshires Building Society and isnow Chief Executive of Birmingham Midshires BuildingSociety, formed from Midshires and the Birmingham and Bridgwater in amalgamation.
P.G. Dan e (Ch. 64-69) runs hisown printingand property development business and still brings the Atrabates to play cricket against the O.V.s A racehorse called Atrabates belongs to them and has had four wins over hurdles, including victories at Hereford and Worcester
P.L Davies (Ch 66-71) ismarried to Nicola andthey have a two-year old daughter Laura He graduated at Newcastle University and is employed by Newcastle City Council on land reclamation works, after a spell as a civil engineer in South Africa
Lt Col C.R Day (Ch 50-55) isservingwith 1(BR) Corps at Bielefeld, West Germany
P.A.G. Day (S 76-82) gained an Upper Second in Management Science in 1986 at the L.S.E. and is working for Morgan Stanley International Bank in London.
R.Y.C. Day (S. 74-80) graduated in Geography at UniversityCollege, London, andworks inLondon for Cobra Sports
I.S Duthie (CI 67-74) is in general dental practice in Croydon and the City He lives in Croydon
A.J . Dorrell (Ca. 47-50) lives inAustraliaat 27 Riverview Street, North Richmond 2754 The town has a Bicentenary coming in1988 -hiswife Lila isa fifth generation Australian and they have two sons aged 18 and 13
N. Downes (W 56-63) lives in Worcester and works for Midland Bank at Area Headquarters in Birmingham
P. Dyer (S 50-59) isManaging Director of R.G.C Offshore, a subsidiary of theTrafalgar House Group They manufacture jackets and topsides for the offshore oil industry He lives near Fife
S.J.R. Edwards (Ch 75-80) is working in New York with the Shanghai and Hong Kong Bank and living at 45 West
with Allied Breweries Corporation Management Services in Burton-on-Trent
D.J. Harrison (Ch. 75-82) spent a year working in Publishing andthree years graduating inHuman Geography at Reading University He is now training as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers and Lybrand at Reading C.J Hawkley (H 64-71) qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1977 and is in the Industrial Finance Department of Albert E Sharp, Birmingham Stockbrokers He and hiswife have two daughters Catherine 5 and Isobel 1
R.J. Hazeldine (Ch. 52-55, Master 62-68) has for the last year been SeniorTechnical Officer of the National Coaching Foundation established by the Sports Council to feed training programmes to coaches at national and local level.
C St J Heinrich (Cr 71-76) is married to Belinda and they are both teaching at Summer Fields in North Oxford
A.J . Hobso n (H 78-80) graduated inLaw at Cambridge in 1984 and passed the Law Society Finals in 1985 He is articled to Gregory, Rowcliffe in London
N.H Holde n (S 50-58) is the major shareholder in Chemical Service Laboratories, Johnsonville, Wellington, New Zealand He is training to be a judo referee D. D. Horobin (W 61-69) isan architect and has worked in the U.S.A for the last seven years He was over here in the autumn to set up a business partnership with P.J Garland (Ch 63-68)
D.T. Howell (S. 53-61) became the Chief Executive of the Adwest Groups new Defence Division inJuly 1986. For five years before that he was Managing Director of G.E.C.'s Mechanical Handling Ltd. He has moved house to Wargrave, Berkshire
R.A Joesbury (Ca 62-69) is in general dental practice in North Derbyshire He and hiswife have three children and live in Sheffield
T.C. Jones (Ch 55-62) moved in March 1986 to Addis Abbaba to join the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economics Commission for Africa
W.F Jones (D.B 44-50) hasmanaged the XL Club Cricket side against the King's School for several years and scored a Century for them in 1982, but they have not yet won O.V XL Club members who would liketo play in 1987 are asked to get in touch with him
J.G.M. Lam b (S. 45-52) runsa men's outfitters in Canford Cliffs Village, Poole, Dorset.
Nina Lees (Co 82-84)isreading Medicine atthe Royal Free Hospital and coxed the London University Second Trial Eight on the tideway on 13 December 1985
D.E. Lewis (Cr 68-78) spent 1984-86 working in London inMidlandBank'sCorporate Finance Divisionand isnow on secondment to Samuel Montagu, the merchant bankers H.M.P. Lorenz (S 45-50), a Modern Language graduate, went from prep-school teaching to a commercial job in Russia. Expelled by the Russians in the 1971 reprisals, he studied sculpture and isnow a professional with a studio in Wargrave. A bronze bust of King Henry VII by him was unveiled by the Queen at Reading School in May 1986. T Lovegrove (CI 66-74) graduated in Philosophy at University College, London He is busy writing film scripts, but plays a lot of games and runs the 100 metres
J.E Loveless (CI 50-60) graduated at Keele and married Pam, a State Registered Nurse atWorcester Royal Infirmary They live in King's Lynn where he is a freelance conveyancer and they have an adopted son David T.C Lucas (S 72-79) is a master at Bedford Modern School,where hecoaches the rowing andN.J Chinneck (Ca
64-70) coaches the rugger
Rev. R. Man n (Cr 56-64) has returned with Rosemary and the childrento the Worcester Diocese as Rector of the Wyre Forest West Group
B.A Maxwell (CI 50-58) isaChartered Civil Engineer and the Product Manager for Water, Sewerage and Sanitation services for the Crown Agents, London His work is all overseas and involves travel inAfrica and the Caribbean He and hiswife live inSevenoaks and have a son in Sevenoaks School
A.A. McQueen (Ch 76-80) spent the first two years after leaving in Australia and met H Cleaver (Ca 69-79), David Allen andAndrew Erratt He then qualified inScotland as an Accountancy Technician Now he is working in London
Susie Mike (Co 77-79) graduated inChemistry at Durham University and isworking inLondon for an American firm as a Systems Engineer in software
Hannah Milne (Co 83-85) is reading Modern Languages at Robinson College, Cambridge, after spending several months in Switzerland and Alsace
T.D. Minton (Ch. 69-76) isa lecturer in English at Nippon Medical College in Tokyo He has lived in Japan since January 1981 and has a Japanese wife
J.A.H Mitchell (S 43-47) served in the Royal Navy from 1949 to 1963 and has since been a salesman inCalifornia, first in hospital supplies, then in industrial He and his wife Heather, whom he married inWorcester Cathedral in 1957, have two graduate daughters, Fiona and Pippa, and one baby grandson Tony isintouch with D.J Cook (S 42-46) in Canada
A.J. Moody graduated at King's College, London, and Lausanne University and isworking inDenmark for the Novo Pharmaceutical Co.,as a medical researcher in Immunology and Endocrinology His brother Major P Moody is in the Cheshire Regiment and they are in Germany
K.J.R. Morgan (B 74-82) captained the unbeaten Oxford University BoxingTeam andwas unbeaten himself He spent the 1986 Long Vacation in the U.S.A touring with a Coolidge Scholarship awarded by Balliol for all-round success and is now working in the City with Shearson Lehman Brothers, a change in direction from the Army
N.A. Mos s (Cr 66-76) is living in Market Harborough and works as a product manager in Leicester
G.J. Mulcahy (CI 52-60), as Managing Director of Woolworth's successfully fought off an attempted take-over by Dixon's in May and June 1986
J.C. Nicholls (B 62-69) works with the Baldry Research Establishment and heads their Concrete Construction Section in the Structural Integrity Division He and his wife Carol live at 44 Blakeway Drive, Luton,with their son Ian 9 and daughter Helen 6 Clifford's father isJ.H Nicholls (D.B 21-27)
S.R. Norfolk (B 75-82) graduated at University College, London in 1985 with an Upper Second inLaw andwent out to the Sudan last August as an administrator with the Help the Aged Health Team in a camp of 30,000 refugees
R.H. Normington (W 68-71) isworking atTewkesbury for Moog Controls and living at Powick He and Julie his wife have a daughter Marianne 5 and son James 3. Cano n P.R. Oades (1938-40) was installed on 9 December 1985 as an Honorary Canon and Prebendary of Salisbury Cathedral.
E.P. Oates (Ca 75-78), Lieutenant R.N., is with 814 Squadron, based on R.N.A.S Culdrose, Cornwall He is employed as an Observer (helicopter warfare specialist) flying in Westland Sea King helicopters
G. O'Neill (D.B 42-47)isaManager withMajor Electricalin Adelaide and has two daughters and one son Address: 86
Meditations
"The golden age lies in an iron chest" (Thomas Middleton)
"Let Rome in Tiber melt"
The year is 1603; a girl runs along a path and dips among the lovage; Sweet Cecity! And somewhere her half-formed thought is realised-in another place, another time, perhaps. "Pray tell me, friend, are you Elizabeth or James?"
I sit in a sunfilled room; few emotional showers, but the flowers are in bloom at Rougemont, foreboding something. No longer seeking approval one revolts into love, the only thing one can do in these times of pestilence. And, oh! Cecil
"Green shoots through the wasteland'
Something is cancerous in our state; the flowers of love fall under volcanic dust 'Priests and inchanters of the hot countries do take the fume thereof until they be drunk."
I can bow the sand into patterns but who built the room that Ilive in?
Our Einstein, who are somewhere, may we forgive your mind as we grave: towards a future? Grass, eventually, pushes through concrete, a silent, green message
Billabong Road, Para Hills, Adelaide.
M.J. O'Neill (D.B 44-49) is General Manager (Staff and Administration) of thenewBirminghamMidshiresBuilding Society, whose Chief Executive is Philip Court (CI 4954)
R.H. Phillips (Cr 76-83), with a First inEconomics in his briefcase, is working in Birmingham for Investment in Industry andtraining as anInvestment Controller
C .J . Pickford (S 65-70) hastaken uphisappointment as County ArchivistforBedfordshire Hehadbeen anAssistant Archivist there since 1978 and before that was in the Hereford andWorcester Record Office
The Rev. Dr. M. Powell (Cr 68-75) wasordained Priestin Worcester Cathedral on 22 June1986
P.B Preece (S 55-63) is in England after three years in Islamabad dealing with Afghan refugees. He was First Secretary inthe British Embassy there
Dr. P.E. Preece (Cr 52-60) isstill a surgeon at the Nine Wells Hospital, Dundee andisresearching into cancer
R.A Preston (S 80-85) passed outofSandhurston15April 1986 and is commissioned in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, like histwo elder brothers.
M.D Price (S 73-75) is Branch Manager of a London Finance Company andlives inNewbury with Lynne, whom he married in1983 Hewould welcomecontact with anO.V (Tel Inkpen 558)
"Be sand not oil"
We need only love for others to create an earthly paradise; uncertain people need medical help not prison walls; but Berlin is now inside our heads.
"I am the King's favourite dog at Kew! Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?" We can provide for those who are unhappy; we can be crucified between 'yes' and 'no'. Certain ones are taking over the asylum, and Ishall pull down their wall, brick by brick.
"This serious moonlight"
Love could be described as a chemical in balance and reconciliation is my theme.
We don't want to sit still; we want to sing and dance on the desks and the altars; and take the vivid chance.
"Everlastingly chained to a single fragment of the whole, the wheel that he turns" Hercules laboured to clean up his act; wearing clothes is a sign of sadness, especially shirts from Marks & Sparks.
Simon Fletcher
S.N. Price (S. 73-74) lives inSwindon (Tel.790121) with his wife Alison andworks inFinance
Michael Pye (B 57-63) publishedhisfirst novel 'Eldorado' in 1985 anditwas intheGuardianlistof 100 best sellers His second novel 'Reckoning' isto appear inFebruary1987
Jonathan Raban (S 53-58) has had his 1985 novel 'Foreign Land' (Collins) issued inpaperback byPanPicador within itsfirst year at£3.95 Itwasdiscussed onRadio 4in the programme 'AGood Read' on28September 1986and given nearly full marks
Dr. P.R. Raby (W 66-73) qualified atBirminghamMedical School in 1978 and is now a General Practitioner at Teignmouth, South Devon Hesails inhisspare time and is currently Lark Class National Dinghy Sailing Champion
A .E . Reekes (Ch 64-69) is now Director of Studies at Cheltenham College Hisaddress is54Albert Road,Pirtville, Cheltenham
D.G. Robinson (Ch 55-61) hasmoved from Cambridge to become a Lloyds Bank District Manager in Manchester
J.G . Roe (H 46-57) married Enrichetta on 1June1985, when hewasrunninghisownPublicRelations Consultancy, and a year later to the day they moved to Italy: Viaper Candelo 22,Gaglianico, Biellese, Vercelli. It is near Lake Maggiore. Hisfirst aimisto master Italian.
I.T. Rogers (S. 75-82) graduated B.Sc. in Hotel Management in 1985 and is studying for Professional
Accountancy qualifications with Trusthouse Forte's Hotels Division
P.D. Ross (W 62-69) has a Veterinary Practice in Streatham Vale,S.W.I6,andlives nearby at35 Crown Lane He wentthrough College withCR Windridge (S 64-69) He offers a game of golf to any O.V who is ever in those parts
S.P. Scott (H 58-65) was Head of Physics at Brockworth Comprehensive School near Gloucester and isnow Head of Sixth Form at Cheltenham Ladies College, where he is organizing a new electronics department
D.J. Shrimpton (B 55-63) enjoys life inCaliforniawith his wife and two young sons He celebrated hisfortieth birthday by climbingthe 20,320 ft highMount McKinley Since 1984 he has been BusinessDevelopment Manager inEurope, the Middle East and Africa for Kaiser Engineers
R.W. Skitch (B 73-76) is in his final year at the Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, reading Biology He hopes to teach it
F.S Sutcliffe (Master, 52-68) spent the first quarter of 1986 at the Queen's College, Oxford, as a Teacher-Fellow and enjoyed pleasant evenings with Dr A.R Green (Ca 5762), Dr M.C.W Minchin (Cr 59-68), and with S.M Darlington (CI 60-70) and Dr I.D Thompson The last two are dons at Christ Church
B.J . Smith (Ch 54-60) has been a food processor for sixteen years and heads a growing team of technologists in North Derbyshire
Catherine Taylor (Co. 81-83) in her second year at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, rowed inthe Ladies First Eight in Torpids and Eights.
C. J.L. Thorne (Ca 69-74) istravelling throughout Western Europe as Assistant Sales Manager (Filters and E.M.R Systems) of Belling Lee, part of Cambridge Electronics Industries Group
P.R Turner (W 77-82) has been teaching Geography in Upper Canada College since graduating atReading in 1985 He hopes to train as a teacher in the U.K
I. Van Ryssen (S 47-52) reports a dinner in November 1985 inthe south-west with Peter Raderecht (S 44-50) and John Brushfield (S 41-50) and Graham Jackson(S 46-50) and their wives If any other O.V would like to join them please write to Ian Van Ryssen, 3A High Street, Steeple Ashton, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 6EL
Cano n N.T Vincent (H 45-55), Senior Producer, B.B.C Religious Programmes, Manchester, has been made an Honorary Canon of Derby Cathedral
B.J. Vivian (CI 71-81) isa post-graduate student at Keble College, Oxford, and captain of the College Hockey Club
D. G . Vivian (CI 72-82) in his third year at St Catherine's College, Oxford, and gained a Hockey Blue in 1986
D.A. Watkins (CI 68-70) is Head of a Middle School in Norwich and still playing cricket He and hiswife have three young children
J Waugh (S 78-82) graduated M.A in Economics with an Upper Second at Edinburgh University and is a Trainee
Accountant with Ernst and Whinney, Inverness
P.D. Webster (Cr 58-67) is a partner in Matthews and Goodman, Chartered Surveyors in London
Sandra Weeks (Co 79-80) graduated in Veterinary Science at Bristol University in June 1986 and is now in practice in Hereford
J A. Whitehead (Ch. 52-57) is a Manager with a German Trading Company in Hong Kong, shipping textiles to West Germany and the Black Sea He and his wife have three daughters
A.J. Williams (D.B 36-37) had been lost but has now written He farms Church Farm, Naunton, Cheltenham M.S. Williams (Cr 78-83), after a year pursuing musical projects, entered Sussex University in October 1986 and is reading English there
C.R. Windridge (S. 67-69) isa veterinary surgeon in New Coventry.
A.P.A.H. Woolley (S 64-69) has returned to East Anglia and is now living in Harleston, Norfolk
Rev. F.B.H. Woolley (S 56-61) is Team Vicar of the Church of the Ascension, Cambridge
A.J. Wright (Cr. 57-65) has entered the Theological College at Cuddesdon to train for Holy Orders.
University Distinctions 1986
We know of thirteen O.V.s who gained Firststhis last year There may be more M.C Mitchard (CI 75-81), a Wrangler last year, gained Honours in the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos PartIII andaDistinctionintheCertificate of Advanced Studies and was awarded the Tyson Medal S.W.. Lor d (W 73-83), following inMitchard'swake, was aWrangler; thatis, gained a First in the Mathematical Tripos Part II At Oxford Sheena Asthana (Co 80-82) graduated with a FirstinGeography and was awarded the Beckit Memorial Prize Another University Prize was won at King's College, London, by D.R. Guest (B 76-83), whose Firstwas in Civil Engineering C.J. Morris (W 75-82) gained a First in Electronics Engineering at Imperial College, London, and S.J. Baker (B 72-82) did the same in Production Engineering at Birmingham
R.H Phillips (Cr 76-81) gained a First at Exeter University inEconomics and R.M Bacon (B 70-80) at the London School of Economics gained a First in Politics J.M.J Williams (CI 73-82) gained a First inChemistry at York and is now working for a D Phil, at Oxford Louise Merrick (Co 81-83) had a First in Mathematics and Accountancy at the City University and G.B. Southall (Cr 76-83) in Mathematics at Warwick Finally,in their second year at Cambridge, J.D . Buston (Cr 73-83) and E.T.R. Chidley (S 76-83) again gained Firstsin Engineering and Natural Sciences respectively All these, and the many who gained Upper Second Classes, we particularly congratulate
Memorial Service for Peter Curie - Worcester Cathedral, 31st May 1986
Text of
Address given by David Annett (Headmaster, 1959-1979)
Those of you who are Anglicans and old enough to have had the privilege of being brought up on the Book of Common Prayer will remember that part of the Communion Service known asthe Comfortable Words "Comfortable" is not of course used in its modern sense of relaxing, or cosy, or consoling, but rather to mean strengthening, giving encouragement, inspiring confidence In this sense Peter Curiewas a comfortable man - comfortable in appearance,comfortable in speech, and most of all, comfortable in character During my 26 years as a headmaster I enjoyed the support of six successive Second Masters Each one was excellent in his own way, but I shall always be grateful that in my declining years as Headmaster of the King's School I had Peter as Second Master Utterly loyal, meticulously efficient, tolerant but firm, wise and fair, unsuccessfully hiding behind an air of scepticism and a sometimes sharp wit, that sympathetic understanding of and care for the individual -whether colleague, pupil or parent-which made him so universally loved Hewas never rattled, never bad-tempered, never malicious, and that air of genial gloom was wonderfully calming in a crisis
It may be thought that a headmaster is only shown the best side of his colleagues - though looking back I cannot believe that that is always true - but I know that in the Common Room he was exactly the same person as he was to me One of his fellow-members of staff said to me "I doubt if he ever had a serious row with anyone in the Common Room" - and only those who are familiar with the (shall Isay) often highly-charged atmosphere of a school staff-room can realisewhat a remarkable tribute that was The words that this colleague used about Peter - totally straight and honest, utterly reliable and dependable, absolutely discreet, even-tempered, modest and approachable - are the very ones that spring to my mind, and to the mind of anyone who knew him in whatever capacity
Some of you will remember Peter as a sportsman, and he was indeed a notable one At Oxford he won Bluesfor Hockey, Lawn Tennis and Real Tennis One of his Trinity friends wrote to me "Had he had a more ruthless streak he would no doubt have distinguished himself even more" He was a member of Worcester Hockey Club for many years, and I am sure that many of you here today look back on him as a fine player but even more as a most congenial companion
Some of you will remember him as a teacher, and he was a most conscientious and efficient one, primarily as a historian, but showing that versatility which was expected by Ronald Kittermaster of all his appointments In all the schools I have known, certain members of the History VI have cultivated a rather precious air of intellectual superiority - engaging at times, infuriating at others - which has earned them from their non-historian contemporaries the appellation of "pseuds" - a word taken up and given a wider circulation by Private Eye None of Peter's pupils turned into "pseuds", and there was nothing even faintly pseudish about his teaching I would guess that he saw his aim in the class-room in characteristically modest and self effacing terms - to do everything in his power to help his pupils to achieve the highest standards of which they were capable, and the qualifications which were often of vital importance to them, hoping at the same time to infect at least some of them with his own love of history And I know that at least one of these former pupils is now a history teacher because of Peter's example
Another sphere of his activities, unglamorous but invaluable, in which many will remember him with gratitude was his administration of public examinations This increasingly complex and demanding task he carried out for years with exemplary care, ingenuity and patience I am afraid that I tended to take it all for granted: one assumed that nothing could go wrong if Peter was in charge of it
Some, as I have said, will remember Peter as a sportsman, some as a teacher, some as an administrator, but I have no doubt that of the 36 years of his life which he devoted to the King's School the most fruitful and the most memorable were his 17 years as Housemaster of Choir House - not least because in this work Barbara was able to play a full and essential part Those of you whose memory of schools, in whatever capacity, does not go back beyond the 1970s can have no realisation of the difficulties and stresses which beset us in the '60s Student unrest, often reaching violent extremes, was rife in the universities and seeped down into the VI forms of schools A housemaster's job is difficult and demanding at all times: in those days it was doubly so Many young people, infected by the current malaise, rejected traditional moral standards and conventions; the individual was paramount, discipline was repugnant, and any external authority was to be despised and resisted Compared with some of the big city schools,we at King's were a quiet back-water, but even here enough senior and influential boys were affected to destabilise the community and stretch patience and understanding to the limits In these difficult conditions Peter'sgifts as a leader and counsellor were of inestimable value, not only to the school as a whole, but particularly to each individual in his house
I have had a number of letters from his old Choir House boys and their parents, and Barbara has let me see some of the many letters which she has received, and almost the same phrases recur in all of them:- "firm, fair and just", "quiet unflappable wisdom", "his judgment was invariably right", "he was tremendously kind", "how much we learned from him about tolerance and balance", "how well he knew us", "he treated us all as equals, whether we were younger boys or older, successes or railures", "he recognised an individual behind each uniform, and tried to establish a rapport with him", "he was always ready to give his support to any of our pet projects", "someone whom it was comfortable to have as an authority figure", "someone whom one has admired for over half one's lifetime", "he was one of the very best things about King's": letter after letter, with the same refrain of gratitude, respect and affection A friend outside the school wrote "what a good thing Peter was a schoolmaster, and so had an influence on the lives of so many people There must be hundreds and hundreds of boys who remember him with affection and respect." There are indeed To paraphrase Sir Christopher Wren's epitaph, "Si monumentum requiris, haec audi." "If you are seeking for a memorial, listen to these words." In recent years it has been a great sorrow to me to watch - from the touch-line, as it were - my once great profession tearing itself apart and disfiguring its own image I will not attempt to evaluate the rights and wrongs of the present deplorable dispute, but there is no doubt that many who once held teachers in respect and admiration now regard them as irresponsible, self-seeking, materialistic, idle and often subversive How Iwish that to all who feel like this I could interpose the picture of Peter, and cry "This is what a teacher can be! This is what a teacher should be!" It is of course particularly sad that Peter should not have lived long enough to hear, at the end of this last term, how much he as a person and his wonderful service to the school were appreciated, but by a strange and moving chance we can hear
something approaching the words he would then have used to take leave of the school he loved With that extraordinary thoroughness and foresight which characterised him, he had already made some notes for the speech he knew he would have to make at the FinalAssembly at the end of this term, and these were found in the drawer of his desk after his death He would doubtless have polished and expanded them, but here is part of what would have been his last message to the school, as he himself wrote it:-
"I don't pretend the school is perfect, nor that every pupil in it is angelic - there have been bad moments and difficult occasions over the years - but always there has been a warmth and friendliness about the school It has been a most happy place to work in, a kind and (to use the jargon) a caring community In the future there will of course be changes - new buildings and new developments of many sorts - and it is right that there should be But I leave you with one fervent hope You and future generations of staff and pupils must ensure that the character of the school does not change It is the most precious thing you have Cherish it and guard it."
For those of you who are members of the King's School-pupils, staff, parents, Governors, Old Vigornians-that is Peter's last message for you Fortunate indeed is the school that has a servant like this, and fortunate are we who knew him as a friend
