THE PETERITE Vol. XXX
JANUARY, 1938.
No. 287
EDITORIAL. Last term again passed sedately and ended on a festive note with the School Carol Service and the presentation of the School Play, " The Crooked Billet," both of which were as usual a great success. However, one occurrence of importance which may have a great effect on the future of the School took place last term. Thas was the recommendation by the City Council that the question " whether the lane running for 300 yards from Clifton Methodist Church through the grounds of St. Peter's School should be closed," should be placed before the next Quarter Sessions. The motion was passed by 31 votes to 9. This path has for a long time hindered the development of the School grounds, which it cuts into two, and it is to be hoped that the motion will be passed by the Quarter Sessions. We regret to report that two of the present staff are leaving us. Mr. F. Smith is leaving us to take up an appointment on the educational staff attached to the R.A.F. Mr. Smith has been with us for five years, and has done a great deal towards the coaching of the School Hockey and Tennis teams. We wish him the best of luck in the future. Miss Dorothy Turner is also leaving us, owing to her marriage to Mr. R. M. Cooper, who was formerly a member of the School staff. The marriage took place at Leeds on December 22nd. The School Chaplain officiated, whilst Mr. P. H. Sykes (the School Organist) played during the service. We wish them both every happiness for the future. As regards sport, the School XV has not had a very successful season, although they put up some very good shows, notably against Ampleforth and Headingley " A," and our forwards have been described as one of the best packs in the North of England. Owing to the extreme youth of the team, we look forward to a more successful season next year. In Squash, the School has been more successful, the School team winning four matches and losing two.
1
CONTENTS. Editorial
...
Page
1
Oxford Letter
2
Cambridge Letter
3
Old Peterite News
4
School Officers
8
Valete and Salvete
8
Chapel
9
Music
10
Library
11
House Notes ...
12
The School Play
14
The Saturday Society
16
The Debating Society
18
The Scientific Society
19
Notes and Items
20
...
The Norman T. Crombie Prize
• ••
22
...
24
O.T.C. News ...
26
Rugby Football, 1937
28
Hockey Fixtures, 1938
47
Cricket Averages, 1937
47
Squash Retrospect
48
Correspondence
52
The Junior School
53
Scout News ...
57
Contemporaries
58
Editorial Notices
59
Shanghai
In the Inter-House Rugger, which this year was played during the Christmas term, the Rise defeated the School House in the semi-final, 6-3, in a rousing game which lasted 30 minutes. Unfortunately, there was a severe frost overnight which rendered the ground unplayable, and the final will have to be played this term. And so looking forward to a term full of activities, including the Inter-House Rugger, Hockey, Boating, Squash, Boxing and Running, we take our bow and leave you to the other pages of this magazine.
OXFORD LETTER. OXFORD. December, 1937.
To the Editors of " The Peterite." Dear Sirs, Before we go any further we would like to remind you that in 1937, Oxford has won the Rowing, Rugby and Cricket, etc. The number of O.P.'s at Oxford remains constant. We have said goodbye to W. Toulmin, who is now engaged and has gone to Persia. His place has been taken by G. E. L. Graham, to whom we extend a hearty welcome. D. B. Kingston (Bursar of St. John's) is to be congratulated upon the birth of a daughter. R. C. Barras (Lincoln) has been unfortunate in missing his Final Church Exams. M. P. L. Wall (Hertford) has now recovered from his recent operation to the extent of growing a moustache, and is now playing Squash very seriously. J. M. Atkinson (B.N.C.). We congratulate him on winning the prize for the best history collation in his College. We understand there was a cash bonus attached. C. H. Vasey (Lincoln) is certain to be doing more work than anybody else and is receiving considerable coaching at Squash. J. P. Farrow (Hertford) is not so certain to be working, but occasionally plays the piano. I. L. Lupton (Worcester) has a bicycle and plays Rugby for his College 1st XV. Dresses well. 2
G. E. L. Graham (B.N.C.) appears to have got off the mark for a successful Oxford career. He gained his Freshers' Trials for Hockey and scored three goals in his final trial. He has played for the University Hockey XI and regularly turns out for B.N.C. He has also coped successfully with a Biology Exam. We are beginning to think of N. W. D. Yardley more in the light of a colonial than a Cantab, but we congratulate him heartily on several fine innings for Lord Tennyson's team in India and also on his excellent fielding. Wishing the School every success, THE OXFORD OLD PETERITES.
CAMBRIDGE LETTER. CAMBRIDGE. December, 1937.
The Editors of " The Peterite." Dear Sirs, We are compelled to start this letter by repeating the warning that unless we receive reinforcements rapidly the prophecy of " The Ten Little Nigger Boys " will be only too well fulfilled. For a change, Cambridge has been very kind providing us with weather that was more like that of an Easter term, the punts on the " Backs " being fairly popular for the first week or so of term; then for the last week we were treated to'so cold a spell of weather that we gladly went down from a Cambridge covered with snow. A few words must be said of those members of ours who have had to go down from Cambridge for good. No longer will we be entertained with stories of Clarence, the skeleton eating Moore's tea, or of twenty-five mile walks with fearsome motor bikes, or are these things so far in the past that they are inevitably muddled in our memory ? Now for the faithful few who remain. H. E. T. Summers (Queen's) has not been with us this term, but we believe that he will have finished serving his sentence in time for next term. N. W. D. Yardley (John's) also has not been seen this term, but little need be said about this, as his banishment 3
to sunnier climes has received much publicity already; we wish him luck. R. S. Bickle (Queen's), our only member in residence this term, and since there was no one else to spy on his activities, they must necessarily remain unknown. Wishing the School every success in the New Year. We remain, Yours sincerely, THE CAMBRIDGE OLD PETERITES.
OLD PETERITE NEWS. N. W. D. Yardley was asked to play in Lord Tennyson's XI on its tour of India. He has also been appointed captain of the Cambridge Cricket XI for next season. We congratulate him. * * * The Editors have received a letter from the English Public Schools' Association of New South Wales, stating that their Club Rooms will always be open to any member of the O.P. Club. The Club premises are at Warwick Building, Hamilton Street, Sydney. * * * A plan to plant a row of trees along the S.E. boundary of the School grounds has been started in order to screen the somewhat ugly-looking buildings on that side. The total cost is £28, of which £17 2s. Od. has already been given by three O.P.'s, J. C. Rodgers (£10), F. W. B. Pacey (15) and A. G. Moore (2 gns.). Any further contributions will be gratefully received. * * * F. R. W. Hemsley, M.B., Ch.B., Leeds, has been appointed an Honorary Demonstrator in Anatomy at Leeds University. * * * Surg. Lieut. B. R. Alderson has been transferred from H.M.S. Glorious to Home Waters. We hope to see him occasionally. * * * From " The London Gazette " :63rd (Northumbrian) A.A. Bde.—Richard Maxwell Deas (late Cadet Sgt., St. Peter's School, Cont. Jun. Div., 0.T.C.) to be 2nd/Lieut.-6th November, 1937. 4
W. Toulmin has been appointed to the administrative staff of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company at Abadan. * * * We are glad to hear that J. H. Collinson, Esq., who until recently was in the Purey Cust Nursing Home, is now well on the road to recovery. * * * THE LONDONDERRY CUP. The Old Peterites were defeated in the first round of the Londonderry Squash Rackets Cup by the Lancing Old Boys at the Kensington Country Club, London, by five events to love. They were, of course, greatly handicapped by the absence of N. W. D. Yardley, who is playing Cricket in India, H. S. Burrows, the Yorkshire champion, and J. D. Burrows. The best and most exciting match was that between the fifth strings, G. S. Panchaud (Lancing Old Boys) and M. Hollway (Old Peterites), and Hollway deserved every credit for putting up a magnificent fight against so good a player as Panchaud. Hollway showed great pace about the court and a good power of return. In his curiously stiff style he played a well-varied game, hitting the ball very hard at times, and playing a great many excellent drop-shots. There was practically nothing in it when the fifth game started. Hollway, playing at his best, got to 7-4 and looked well on the way to victory, but he then lapsed into some errors and allowed Panchaud to catch him at 7-7. Panchaud led 8-7, but Hollway, running magnificently, made it 8-8. Many hands were played before Panchaud at last went out. at i n____Q mi.:,.....s_a__ , , hour. D
errors. B. A. C. Gray was badly handicapped by the return of an old knee injury in the first game against C. M. Butler, who was good enough to play in the Amateur Championship. Considering the circumstances, Gray can be congratulated on running Butler to 10-9 in the third game. R. S. Woodward was generally too clever for N. B. Dobree, though the latter made the third game go to 9-8. 5
Results :— D. I. Bosanquet (L.) beat S. G. S. Pawle, 9-6,. 9-4, 9-6. W. 0. Lane (L.) beat A. V. Mackintosh, 6-9, 9-3, 9-4, 9-1. C. M. Butler (L.) beat B. A. C. Gray, 9-6, 9-2, 10-9. R. S. Woodward (L.) beat N. B. Dobree, 9-2, 9-3, 9-8. G. S. Panchaud (L.) beat M. Hollway, 4-9, 9-4, 8-10, 9-5, 10-8. * * * Will all Old Boys who wish to play in the Old Peterite Hockey match v. the School on Wednesday, March 30th, at 2-30 p.m., write to K. G. Chilman, Esq., as early as possible, but not later than March 20th, 1938. ALSO Will all O.P.'s who wish to play for the O.P. side in the Scarborough Hockey Festival, which takes place during the Easter week-end, let K. G. Chilman, Esq., know as soon as possible, when further details as to hotel tariff, times and venue of games will be sent them.
ENGAGEMENT. The engagement is announced between V. W. G. Musgrove, of the Kassala Cotton Company, Sudan, son of the late J. J. R. Musgrove and Mrs. Musgrove, of York, and. Joan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Banks, of Burnt Green. WorePg+Prsh ire.
COOPER—TURNER. On December 22nd, 1937, at St. Edmund's Church, Roundhay, Leeds, by the Rev. F. H. Barnby, Chaplain of St. Peter's School, York, assisted by the Vicar (the Rev. A. C. Vodden), Richard Mark, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cooper, 15 Clifton Avenue, Finchley, to Dorothy, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Turner, 16 Gledhow Avenue, Leeds. Organist, P. H. Sykes, Esq. Groomsmen, K. H. Rhodes, Esq., and G. S. Stead, Esq. 6
GEDGE—LEA. On October 16th, 1937, at Bombay Cathedral, Henry Francis Sydney, eldest son of the Rev. H. T. S. and Mrs. Gedge, of Foxholes Rectory, E. Yorks., to Eleanor Catherine, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Lea, 6 The Drive, Wimbledon. LUPTON—PRINCE. On October 2nd, 1937, at St. Saviour's Church, Maida Vale, London, Donald Gordon Lupton to Marjorie Joyce Prince.
BIRTH EVELEIGH. On October 16th, 1937, at Bury, to Betty (née Herbert), wife of T. B. J. Eveleigh, XX, The Lancashire Fusiliers—a son. DEATHS. JOHN ERIC BLACKBURN. On November 5th, aged 25, from injuries received in a motor car accident at Sale. J. E. Blackburn was studying dentistry at Manchester University, where he was President of the Men's Union and one of the original members of the Boat Club. REV. A. C. CLARKE. In December. For some years Vicar of Elvington, and previously a missionary in India. The Rev. A. C. Clarke was a prominent 0.P., a regular preacher in the School Chapel, and a keen supporter of the School games. GEORGE YELD, M.A. In December, aged 57.. A well-known schoolmaster and Rugby football player. Represented Leicestershire and the Midland Counties. E. R. SHEEPSHANKS. Old Peterites—and especially cricketing O.P's.—of five to ten years ago will have read with deep regret of the death of E. R. Sheepshanks near Teruel, in Spain, on the last day of 1937, when representing Reuter's at the seat of the civil war. He appeared several times with the M.C.C. side against the School, and the impression he made, and the popularity he gained, may be judged from the fact that he had gathered to himself a nickname. " Is the Sheeper playing? Good we shall have some fun." And we did. More than once he made runs, but, even if he didn't, there was always his fielding. We recall the black hair streaming in the wind, the insolent ease with which a hard drive was stopped or a difficult catch secured. In particular, there was one acrobatic effort at long-off, which cut short a possible century by R. Ogley, and ended—if memory is not at fault7
in something like a complete somersault. He was always in the game, and represented very completely what amateur cricket stands for in English life. A vivid personality, and a very happy memory. W. H. LEGAT (1867-69). Died on November 24th, aged 84. Mr. Legat was Head of Legat & Co., Manufacturing Chemists, of Bolton, and has a grandson, a boarder at St. Olave's.
SCHOOL OFFICERS. WINTER TERM, 1937. Monitors : J. T. HARDING (Head of School House). J. T. BROCKBANK (Head of Temple House). A. C. W. PING (Head of Clifton Rise). P. B. COCKBURN. V. L. F. DAVIN. Captain of Rugger—V. L. F. DAVIN. Vice-Captain of Rugger—J. T. HARDING. C.S.M. in O.T.C.—J. T. HARDING. Hon. Secretary of Shooting—R. S. DIXON. Captain of Squash—T. D. AMBLER. Editors of " The Peterite " : J. M. RUCKLIDGE. P. B. COCKBURN. T. F. CAMERON. J. A. WRIGHT. E. V. ELGEY.
VALETE AND SALVETE. VALETE. SCHOOL HOUSE. R. S. Dixon. 1934-37. Lower VIth Modern. House Monitor. Played for 2nd XV, 1936. 2nd XV Colours, 1936. Played for 1st XV, 1936-37. 1st XV Colours, 1937. Played for 2nd XI, 1936. 2nd XI Colours, 1936. Played for 1st XI, 1936-37. 1st XI Colours, 1937. Played for Hockey XI, 1937. Shooting VIII, 1935-36-37. Shooting Colours, 1936. Hon. Secretary of Shooting, 1937. Certificate " A." Sergeant in O.T.C. T. D. Ambler. Al. House Monitor. Played for 2nd XV, 1937. 2nd XV Colours, 1937. Played for 1st XV, 1937. Played for Tennis Team, 1937. Played for Squash Team, 1936-37. Captain of Squash, 1937. Member of the Debating Society Committee. Cadet in O.T.C. 8
H. A. S. Hobson. 1936-37. Al. Played for 2nd XV, 1936. 2nd XV Colours, 1936. Played for 1st XV, 1936-37. 1st XV Colours, 1937. Played for 2nd XI, 1936. 2nd XI Colours, 1936. Played for 1st XI, 1936-37. 1st XI Colours, 1937. Cadet in O.T.C.
CLIFTON RISE. J. A. Dent. 1934-37. A2. House Monitor. Played for 2nd XV, 1936-37. Rowed for 2nd IV, 1937. 2nd IV Colours, 1937. L/Cpl. in O.T.C. W. G. Barnby. 1934-37. Al. House Monitor. Played for 2nd XV, 1936-37. 2nd XV Colours, 1936. Played for 1st XV, 1936-37. Played for 2nd XI, 1936-37. Cadet in O.T.C. J. C. Atkinson. 1936-37. Lower VIth Modern. Played for 2nd XV, 1936-37. 2nd XV Colours, 1937. Played for 1st XV, 1937. Rowed for 2nd IV, 1937. 2nd IV Colours, 1937. Cadet in O.T.C. TEMPLE HOUSE. E. R. Gossop. 1933-37. Lower VIth Modern. House Monitor. Played for 2nd XI, 1935-36. 2nd XI Colours, 1936. Played for 1st XI, 1936-37. 1st XI Colours, 1937. Played for 1st XI Hockey, 1936-37. 1st XI Hockey Colours, 1937. J. Banford. 1934-37. Al.
J. P. Caley.
SALVETE. SCHOOL HOUSE.
CHAPEL. CHRISTMAS TERM, 1937. Sept. 26. XVIIIth S. after Trinity. The Headmaster. Oct. 3. XIXth S. after Trinity. 10-30 a.m. The Rev. Preb. T. A. Moxon (Headmaster of Denstone College). „ 10. XXth S. after Trinity. The Rev. J. W. Welch, M.A. (Principal of St. John's College, York). „ 17. XXIst S. after Trinity. Community Singing in York Minster at 8 p.m. „ 24. XXIInd S. after Trinity. The Rev. H. N. Hodd, M.A. (Vicar of Emmanuel Church, Leeds), O.P. „ 31. XXIIIrd S. after Trinity. The Rev. F. H. Barnby. 9
Nov. 7. XXIVth S. after Trinity. R. G. Routh, Esq., D.Litt. (formerly Headmaster of Bromsgrove). „ 14. XXVth S. after Trinity. The Rev. H. C. Geipel (Vicar of Sewerby). „ 21. XXVIth S. after Trinity. The Rev. Angelo Raine, M.A. (Vicar of All Saints', Pavement, York). „ 28. 1st S. in Advent. Evensong in York Minster at 4 p.m. Dec. 5. 2nd S. in Advent. The Rev. F. H. Barnby. 12. 3rd S. in Advent. The Headmaster. 19. 4th S. in Advent. Carol Service (collection in aid of the Lord Mayor's Christmas Cheer Fund). 5!
MUSIC. Throughout the term, Mr. Sykes has kindly continued to give us a series of Organ Recitals after Evensong on Sundays. This system was instituted a few terms ago, and has proved quite popular During the first half of the term, Mr. Sykes concentrated, on playing Handel, and each programme contained at least one of his works. Perhaps the best and most popular of these was the Organ Concerto in B flat. Later, however, he played mainly Christmas music, consisting of Pastorales and Fantasias on Carols. On the last Sunday of term we had the usual Carol Service, which was well attended. The singing was very good, and the choir are to be congratulated on the high standard attained. The service paper is reproduced to show the order of the service and the carols sung. ST. PETER'S SCHOOL CHAPEL. CAROL SERVICE. Sunday, December 18th, 1937, at 6 p.m. Processional Hymn— S. of P. 435 (vv. 1-4), " Once in Royal David's City " " 0 Lord, open Thou our lips." Choir—" 0 Little Town of Bethlehem " Walford Davies Full—" Shepherds in the field abiding " Old Lorraine First Lesson, St. Luke II, 8-20. Choir—The Coventry Carol Old English Choir—" I saw three ships " Old English Second Lesson, Isaiah IX, vv. 2, 6 and 7. Choir—" The Holly and the Ivy " Old Gloucestershire Choir—" King Jesus hath a garden " Old Dutch Congregation—" God rest you merry, gentlemen " Old London 10
Third Lesson, St. Matthew II, vv. 1-12. Hopkins Choir—" We three Kings of Orient are " Old English Choir—" Good King Wenceslas " Full—" Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning " S. of P., Hymn 59 Fourth Lesson, St. John I, vv. 1-14. Old English Full—" The first Nowell " Collection in aid of the Lord Mayor of York's Christmas Cheer Fund. Doxology—" 0 come all ye faithful " S. of P., Hymn 52 (v. 1 only) An Evening Prayer of Alcuin. The Blessing. Old Yorkshire Recessional—" Wassail Song " A welcome innovation this term was the Choir Supper given in the School House by the Headmaster and Mrs. Baird on the last Thursday of term, which was followed by a sing-song.
LIBRARY. Librarian : Rev. F. H. BARNBY. Assistant Librarians : P. B. COCKBURN, J. T. BROCKBANK, J. A. WRIGHT, J. M. RUCKLIDGE, R. S. DIXON. The following books have been added to the Library during the Winter term :— A. 87B. The Stranger Prince—M. Irwin. 87C. Royal Flush—M. Irwin. 87D. The Proud Servant—M. Irwin. G. VI. 26. Service of Our Lives—Stanley Baldwin. 27. Britain and the Beast—edited by C. WilliamsEllis. M. I. 1. Notre Dame—Victor Hugo. 2. L'Atlantide—Pierre Benoit. 3. Chronique de Charles IX—Prosper Merimee. 4. Le Lys Rouge—Anatole France. 5. Madame Bovary—Gustave Flaubert. 6, 6A. Michael Strogoff (2 volumes) —Jules Verne. M. II. 1.—Comedy in Germany (18th century)—B. AikenSneath (presented by J. C. Rodgers (0.P.) ) . I. 9A, B. Intermediate Geography (2 volumes) —L. D. D. Stamp. H. VIII. 13A. Augustus—John Buchan (Lord Tweedsmuir) . K. IV. 8C. Trade in the Eastern Seas—C. Northcote Parkinson (O.P.). 11
D. IV. 10E. Australian Summer—Neville Cardus. C. I. 6. Mathematics for the Million—L. Hogben. D. VI. 12G. Everest: The Unfinished Adventure—H. Ruttledge.
HOUSE NOTES. SCHOOL HOUSE. In opening these notes we should like to take the opportunity of welcoming Mr. Le Tocq, whose interest in shooting will be a great asset to the School. While on this note we would like to express our regret that Matron is leaving us in order to take up a post at the Sanatorium. Yet another indoor sport has been introduced by the House. In the evenings a well-known organist's form-room has been used as a billiard-room, and we are expecting a " national " cap for this game in the near future. Several of the studies are rapidly being converted into aviaries, and already boast canaries, Java sparrows and other rare species. We congratulate the Rise on knocking us out of the Inter-House Rugby Competition this term by 6 points to 3 after extra time, in a very hard-fought game. Congratulations to H. A. Milburn, R. S. Dixon and H. A. S. Hobson on being awarded their 1st XV Rugby Colours ; to T. D. Ambler his 2nd XV Colours. Finally, we should like to wish Mr. R. M. Cooper the best of luck in his new role as a married man. CLIFTON RISE. It was with deep regret that we learnt last term that Mr. J. H. Stevenson had resigned from the Housemastership of The Rise. Mr. Stevenson has done a great deal for The Rise in the few years that he has been with us, and under him we have seen the foundation of the Old Peterite Club and the starting of an embellishment fund. We should like here to express our deep appreciation of what he has done for us, and our hope that he will visit us frequently in the future. In Mr. Corkhill we know we have a worthy successor, and we feel confident that he will carry on the noble work of Mr. Stevenson. We also learnt of another departure, that of Miss Macgregor, the Matron, who is leaving us in order to get married. We wish her the best of luck in the future. 12
To turn to sport, in which very little happened last term. In the semi-final of the House Rugger we defeated the School House, the holders, 6-3, in what must have been one of the best seven-a-side games seen at the School for several years. Unfortunately, the final against Temple could not be played, owing to the ground being unfit. We hope to play them this term. Owing to the lack of House sport, no House Colours were awarded last term. We heartily congratulate M. S. Douglas, T. F. Cameron and G. P. G. Stephenson on being awarded their 1st XV Colours, and M. S. Douglas, P. B. Cockburn, J. H. Butler, J. C. Atkinson, C. M. Robson, I. D. C. Morison and J. M. Couldwell on being awarded their 2nd XV Colours.
TEMPLE HOUSE. As usual, during the Christmas term, there has been little or no opportunity for us to add to our laurels in InterHouse events. Even the seven-a-side Rugby, which this year was to have been played this term, had to be cancelled, or, we hope, postponed until next term, owing to a frost which made the final between us and The Rise impossible. However, Temple House was well represented in the School teams, R. C. Lynch, A. T. H. Wright, J. T. Brockbank, K. C. Brown, G. E. Briggs, I. S. McKay and J. A. Wright all having played for the 1st XV. The first four were regular members of the XV, and R. C. Lynch is to be congratulated on gaining his 1st XV Colours. Regular members of the 2nd XV included I. S. McKay, P. Andrew, E. W. Whitney and J. A. Wright, and we congratulate I. S. McKay on being awarded his 2nd XV Colours. L. W. Bennett and E. P. Bulmer also played for the 2nd XV. Thanks to the energy of Mr. and Mrs. Sykes and the committee appointed at the end of last term, the House Library came into operation this term, and despite the startling memories of several members of the House, the committee reported " all present and correct " at the end of term. We have at last had our House photographs framed and hung in the Common-room, and although as yet there are only four of these, they have induced a subtle and satisfactory change in the atmosphere of the room. Another welcome innovation was the provision of electric lighting in the senior studies. 13
.
We must end by congratulating our former Housemaster, Mr. Smith, on his engagement, and wish him many years of happiness in the new post to which he is going at the beginning of next term.
THE SCHOOL PLAY. " The Crooked Billet " was given by the St. Peter's Players on Saturday and Monday, December 18th and 20th, 1937. For a cast of young actors without much experience it proved very suitable. The story of secret service men at grips with a gang of crooks gave scope for rapid and exciting action, repeated ups and downs of fortune and a succession of thrilling surprises. Such a play demands, above all, the quality of speed in the actors. They came through this test with flying colours. The action was never allowed to drag, the dialogue was kept crisp, and the complete absence of hitches and loose ends was proof of careful rehearsal and resourceful stage management. Another point where young actors often fail—and many older ones, too, on the modern stage—is audibility. One famous dramatic critic dips his pen in vitriol almost weekly to bewail the cult of the inaudible on the London stage. The modern actor, he says, thinks it a crime to be heard beyond the third row of stalls. And so it is pleasant to record that on this occasion most of the actors could be distinctly followed from the back row of the gallery : and this was particularly true of the character whose words it was most important to hear, Guy Merrow. And so to the individual performances. R. S. Dixon, as Guy Merrow, was entirely at ease, and gave a quiet, incisive, level-headed rendering of his lines, which 'impressed on the audience that here was the cool and efficient secret service man who could cope with any emergency. This quiet incisiveness was especially noticeable in Act I, and was there especially valuable, because it struck at once the note on which the character was to be played. Guy Merrow was well supported by Sir William Easton (J. M. Rucklidge) and his daughter, Joan (P. R. G. Graham), both of whom were the more effective because they spoke and moved with restraint. Joan, especially, never seemed to be speaking much above a whisper, yet every word told. As the " Doctor," the villain of the piece, P. B. Cockburn registered scorn, brutality and boastfulness with a gusto that carried conviction: a pleasing study in venom. J. C. Atkinson, as Philip Easton, looked 14
and sounded the young man just down from the University. But we found it hard to believe that he had boxed for his University: he looked just a thought too elegant. H. A. Milburn was a spirited Potman, and H. A. S. Hobson, as one of the gang of " toughs," had imported a most convincing Chicago accent at very short notice. Mrs. Wimple, landlady of " The Crooked Billet," is apparently an ample and motherly old dear. But appearances are deceptive, and G. P. G. Stephenson succeeded in being both spacious and specious. R. N. Rimmer and M. S. Douglas, two more gangsters, simply oozed toughness, just as if it came natural: while R. C. Lynch, as a Police Inspector, was no more simple and stupid than a stage policeman is expected to be. The setting—the half-timbered inn parlour—was a triumph of ingenuity and economy of space. And it must be recorded that the pistols went off, and the bomb didn't, with unfailing regularity. " THE CROOKED BILLET " By Dion Titheradge. CHARACTERS (in order of appearance). " Slick " Palzer H. A. S. Hobson Sir William Easton J. M. Rucklidge Rodgers R. N. Rimmer Currall M. S. Douglas Mrs. Wimple G. P. G. Stephenson Alf (the Potman) H. A. Milburn Philip Easton J. C. Atkinson Joan Easton P. R. G. Graham Guy Merrow R. S. Dixon The Doctor P. B. Cockburn Inspector Hitching R. C. Lynch The action of all three acts takes place in the parlour of a small village inn in Kent, called " The Crooked Billet," and is continuous. Play Produced by K. H. Rhodes, Esq. Stage Carpenters and Electricians : A. E. Schofield and G. Emmel. During the intervals an orchestra played under the direction of P. H. Sykes, Esq. 15
THE SATURDAY SOCIETY. The Saturday Society, which was temporarily suspended during the Summer, has been continued this term. We have had a number of interesting and amusing entertainments, short accounts of which follow. September 25th. The School were entertained by Mr. Dwight Long, who gave us a very interesting lantern lecture on his travels round the world in a ketch. He set out from Seattle in 1934 in his boat, which he named the " Idle Hour." After sailing for about six months, he ran into bad weather, and was forced to put into harbour in New Zealand to have the boat repaired. After a short time the boat was ready, and he set off across the Indian Ocean. At Colombo, however, Timi, a fifteen year old Tahitan boy who had been his companion throughout the journey, died from pneumonia; his loss was greatly felt. Continuing through the Suez Canal, he reached the Mediterranean Sea, where he was delayed by the presence of mine-infested areas; these, however, were avoided without mishap. He finally reached London in the Summer of 1937, and anchored in the shadow of the Houses of Parliament. The slides were very good indeed, some excellent ones being shown of the East Indies and New Zealand. October 9th. Mr. Herbert Milton, who has performed many times at Maskelyne's Theatre, gave us an entertainment of " Magic Extraordinary." He gave a very clever exhibition of conjuring, one of his tricks being to borrow a bank note (Mr. Corkhill very conveniently obliged) and, after tucking it carefully away in his pocket, to produce it finally from a wallet, hermetically sealed by twenty rubber bands. He ended his programme by showing us some very puzzling card tricks, carried out with the help of two members of the audience.
October 19th. A rugger film was shown in the place of a lecture on " Life Saving " by Captain J. D. Daintree, which, unfortunately, had to be cancelled. Some of the leading players of to-day showed us how the game should be played, and demonstrated, in slow motion, some useful tactical movements, including the " scissors " and the reverse pass. 16
The film was very interesting and contained some valuable advice for both backs and forwards. October 23rd. The School had the pleasure of a return visit of Mr. Selwyn Driver, who gave us an amusing evening's entertainment. His programme consisted of a mixture of humorous songs at the piano, and amusing stories in which the Scotsman and the American played a prominent part. He ended by giving an interpretation of a typical scene during a village concert, with the village parson in charge of affairs. November 6th. We were given an interesting lecture on the " Secrets, Hazards and Humours of Modern British Mountain Climbing," by Mr. Stanley Watson, who is universally acknowledged as one of the world's greatest cragsmen. He related his experiences of mountain climbing in the Lake District, Wales and Scotland, illustrating his lecture with many excellent slides. He revealed the methods practised by modern cragsmen, enabling them to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, but emphasized that the real essential of climbing lay in the perfect co-ordination of brain and muscle. November 20th. Mr. Edward Broadhead visited us once more, and gave another of his interesting lectures on " Living Literature." He commenced his programme by reciting an extract from Victor Hugo's " Les Miserables." This was followed by " A Change of Treatment," an amusing seafaring story by W. W. Jacobs. Then, by clever make-up, he succeeded in bringing to life three of Dickens' characters: the pompous " Sergeant Buzfuz," who figured in the Bardell-Pickwick law suit; " Barnaby Rudge," the mad boy; and " Trotty Veck," the old ticket-porter in " The Chimes."
December 4th.
Mr. Stanley Bell gave us an excellent variety entertainment. He began with some short humorous stories, followed by some clever conjuring tricks. He then entertained us for a short time with some songs at the piano, and ended by giving an amusing interpretation of a typical melodrama, in which he proved himself to be a quickchange artist, taking the parts of the hero, the heroine, the villain, the village squire, and the country yokel. 17
THE DEBATING SOCIETY. The Headmaster announced at the beginning of the term that it had been decided to inaugurate a School Debating Society, and a General Meeting was held on Monday, October 11th, at which the following officers were appointed:— President: The Headmaster. Chairman : L. C. be Tocq, Esq. Resolutions were passed that the Committee for the term consist of P. B. Cockburn, J. T. Harding, A. C. Ping and T. D. Ambler, and that the Committee perform the duties of Secretary by arrangement among its members. The first meeting of the Society was held on Saturday, October 16th, the subject of the debate being that " The Practical Joke is the Highest Form of Humour." The motion was proposed by J. M. Rucklidge, whose main points were that to be successful a practical joke must have ingenuity, and, furthermore, the victim must have a sense of humour. R. S. Dixon, opposing the motion, deprecated the practical joke as the product of a childish mind, and stressed the fact that they are dangerous in that they may cause permanent harm to the victim. The motion was seconded by Mr. J. S. Cooper, and the opposition by M. S. Douglas, after which the motion was thrown open to the house. The Rev. F. H. Barnby, in his speech, pointed out that to be successful, a practical joke must not play upon the weaknesses of the victim, for in that there is an element of cruelty, but rather upon the weaknesses of the perpetrator. After the summing up by the opposer and the proposer, the motion was put to the vote and was defeated by 4 votes. to 14. The next meeting, which was very well attended, was held on Saturday, 13th November. The chairman called on the Headmaster to propose that " The German claim to the restoration of her colonies should receive sympathetic consideration." The Headmaster pointed out that there were two ways of governing a colony; that which gets what it can from the colony, and that which does what it can for the colony. Though the German type might be the former, that was irrelevant, for unless at least a partial restoration was carried out, the injustice of punishing a younger generation of Germans for the mistakes of their ancestors, would inevitably lead to war. 18
Banford was then called upon to oppose the motion, his main points being that the natives, happy at present, would be mobilized and crushed. In addition, Japan, also in need of colonies, would immediately clamour for colonial rights in northern Australia, and Italy would demand the cession of Malta. He finished by saying that in his opinion, colonies should not be given to Germany, until she had proved herself worthy of them. Parker, seconding the motion, suggested that world peace might be obtained by giving colonies in return for a promise to stop rearmament. The opposition was seconded by Mr. Rhodes, who maintained that if colonies were returned they would be used as recruiting grounds, and so bring the world a step nearer to war. The debate was then thrown open to the house, speeches in opposition being made by Mr. Ping and Mr. Pollard, while J. H. Butler supported the motion. After the Headmaster and Banford had made their final speeches, the motion was put to the vote, and was defeated by 33 votes to 7. As a variation from the conventional form of debate, a mock trial was held as the final meeting of the Society. The plaintiff, R. S. Dixon, sought £15,000 damages, and an injunction restraining him from all future criticism of Mirfield, his home town, against R. N. Rimmer, the defendant. The chairman, L. C. le Tocq, Esq., took the part of judge, the counsel for the plaintiff being J. T. Brockbank, and the counsel for the defendant being H. A. Milburn.
THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. CHRISTMAS TERM, 1937. President: THE HEADMASTER. Vice-Presidents : A. W. PING, Esq., W. N. CORKHILL, Esq., J. H. STEVENSON, Esq., K. G. CHILMAN, Esq. Treasurer: A. W. PING, Esq. Hon. Secretary : A. C. PING. Curator of the Museum: D. R. MACKINTOSH. School House Representative: J. M. RUCKLIDGE. Clifton Rise Representative: A. C. PING. Temple House Representative : J. A. WRIGHT. St. Olave's Representative : K. G. CHILMAN, Esq. 19
A General Meeting of the Society was held at the beginning of term to arrange the meetings of the Society and to elect members. The programme was elucidated by Mr. Ping. On Saturday, October 2nd, Mr. Ping gave an interesting half-hour lecture on " What is a Toadstool," accompanied by some excellent slides. He told us how to distinguish the edible types from the poisonous ones, but we do not feel sufficiently certain about them to risk eating them. Afterwards the members went down into the Physics Laboratory where an excellent collection of toadstools and fungi of all kinds was laid out on the benches. Mr. W. G. Bramley, who had accompanied Mr. Ping on the expedition, named all the different specimens, explaining in what surroundings they were found and whether they were edible or not. Most of them looked " not," and we should not like to have eaten them. The attendance was poor, only about twenty members being present. This is most probably due to the increasingly good wireless programmes which seem, unfortunately, to exert a stronger attraction than science. In time we hope to educate even the classicists. On Saturday, October 30th, Captain Kettle, the wellknown photographer, gave an extremely interesting lecture on " Colour Photography. He illustrated it with an excellent selection of slides, mainly showing what new colours have been obtained by the new colour process. There were numerous views of Scarborough taken on Mr. Kettle's miniature camera. After the lecture, Mr. Ping proposed a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Kettle, which was immediately seconded by the whole meeting. Once again there was a rather disappointing attendance. On Saturday, November 27th, J. M. Rucklidge was to have given a demonstration of " Unusual Scientific Experiments." He was unfortunately debarred from being present, but Mr. Corkhill kindly agreed to give it. The experiments were very unusual and greatly appreciated by a large and interested audience. At the end, Mr. Ping proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Corkhill, which was enthusiastically seconded.
NOTES AND ITEMS. The School attended Evensong as usual on the First Sunday in Advent in York Minster, and, in addition, attended a Community Singing Service at 8 p.m. on Sunday,. October 17th. 20
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We congratulate R. C. Lynch, T. F. Cameron, H. A. Milburn, G. P. G. Stevenson, M. S. Douglas, R. S. Dixon and H. A. S. Hobson on being awarded their 1st XV Colours, and H. A. Butler, J. T. Brockbank, K. C. Brown, A. T. H. Wright, E. V. Elgey, P. R. G. Graham, I. D. C. Morrison, I. S. McKay, T. D. Ambler, M. C. Robson, I. M. Couldwell, J. C. Atkinson, M. S. Douglas, R. C. Lynch and P. B. Cockburn on being awarded their 2nd XV Colours. Congratulations to J. T. Harding on being appointed Head of the School, and to V. L. F. Davin on being appointed a School Monitor. J. T. Harding is also to be congratulated on being appointed Captain of Hockey for next term, and also A. T. H. Wright on being made Vice-Captain. T. F. Cameron, J. A. Wright and E. V. Elgey have been made Editors of " The Peterite," and J. A. Wright has been made an Assistant Librarian. The School has joined the Ship Adoption Society, which exists to maintain contact between merchant vessels and schools. A merchant ship is allotted to each school that joins, and the school is kept informed of its movements, cargoes, adventures, etc. The captain and officers keep up a correspondence with the school, and the scheme has proved so popular that there is a long waiting list of schools, and no ship has yet been allotted to St. Peter's. The scheme should prove an easy and pleasant way of adding to our geographical and general knowledge. On November 12th the French VI form attended a performance of Moliere's " Le Malade Imaginaire," given by the Modern Language Association. Mr. P. K. Bourne, a former master, whose engagement to Miss M. M. Toyne was announced last Summer, has been appointed to the staff of Stowe. Mr. F. Smith, whose engagement to Miss B. Cockburn, daughter of Colonel and Mrs. A. Cockburn, of York, was announced this term, has been appointed Education Officer at No. 5 R.A.F. Station, Seeland, Chester, and has already taken up his duties there. We extend a hearty welcome to Mr. H. M. Pollard, B.A., who is with us from Wadham College, Oxford, during the Christmas and Easter terms of this year. We are informed that the " Memoirs of Canon E. C. Owen," by friends, with portraits, price 1/-, is now available. 21
Copies may be obtained from Miss A. O'B. Owen, 5 Bradmore Road, Oxford, or from the Editors of " The Peterite." The following additional candidates are to be congratulated on obtaining their School Certificates in the Oxford and Cambridge Examination, December, 1937 :Bower, R., Harding, J. T., Hobson, H. A. S., Robson, C. M., Shepherd, G. E., Whitney, E. W. (with Matriculation exemption). This makes a final total of 36 successful candidates in 1937 out of 39 entries.
THE NORMAN T. CROMBIE PRIZE. Mr. Ian Crombie, son of the late Norman T. Crombie, has endowed the School with a fund from which an annual prize will be awarded " to the boy amongst those leaving who, in the opinion of the Headmaster, has had the greatest influence for good in the School." It is unnecessary for us to dwell on the merits of a gift which must surely come to be the most coveted of the prizes available to Peterites, but we commend to the School the following account of the achievements of the O.P. to whose memory this prize is dedicated. Mr. Cromloie held a high place for many years among the advocates practising in police courts and county courts in York and the smaller towns in the surrounding area. Often he was called upon to appear in cases much further afield. Although he was a man of considerable eloquence and a highly skilled pleader, he was none the less a painstaking lawyer who never neglected a minor detail in his case and who was always prepared to devote the greatest number of hours possible to preparation and to research where necessary. It was often said by people in the legal profession that if Mr. Crombie had been called to the Bar instead of remaining a solicitor he would have become one of the most famous advocates in the country. • He undertook much work under the poor persons' rules and took many cases into court on behalf of people who could not afford to pay lawyers' fees.
He was :a Notary Public, of which there were only three
in York. , -.At the York Employment Exchange he served 22
as chairman of the Court of Referees. Among the Secretaryships which he held were those of the John Allan Charity and the Winterscale Charity. Deeply interested in the Merchant Adventurers' Company, one of York's two surviving medieval trade guilds, he was for some years its secretary. He was a keen member of York Rotary Club and was at one time chairman of its Fellowship Committee. A very witty man, he was an ideal after-dinner speaker. He was a keen horticulturist who gave the Grand Yorkshire Flower Show and Gala devoted service for many years. Latterly he was chairman of the Committee. Mr. Crombie lived at Haverford, Clifton Scope, a beautiful house overlooking the Ouse, and regularly attended Clifton Church, which he served as churchwarden for many years. In his youth he was a keen Rugby Union player who got his game for York. When the York Rugby League club, the professional successor to the York Rugby Union club of his day, reached the cup final at Wembley in 1931, he went to the match and had with him his old amber and black jersey. He also) played hockey for York for some years. Rowing and cycling were other sports which interested him. As a tribute to the life of Mr. Crombie and as a pointer to the prize commemorating it, we cannot do better than quote the words of Mr. J. F. Glew, the Presiding Magistrate at York City Police Court, at the time of Mr. Crombie's death. Mr. Glew said they met under a cloud. They had lost from their midst one of their most prominent advocates who practised in that court. Those who had been associated with Mr. Crombie in that court and in other spheres had always recognised his genial temperament, his kindly disposition and his desire to do everything he possibly could for those around him. No matter with whom he was dealing, whether it was his opponents or those whom he represented, Mr. Crombie's one desire was to play the game, to be fair and honest, and to try to ascertain the truth. Mr. Crombie was a great personality. The many and varied activities with which he associated himself were probably known to all in court. In connection with the Gala and in Masonic work, Mr. Crombie took a very active part, and those associated with 23
him felt they had lost a sincere friend. They tendered to the members of his family their sincere condolence. But there was a brighter side to it, for by his character and ability, Mr. Crombie had taught them—at least he hoped so—a lesson. Mr. Crombie was faithful to his God. He attended regularly his church. By conviction he was a deeply religious man, and his religion always came out in his practical daily work. With him it was not only a Sunday's work but a seven days' task. The city would feel his loss, but his memory would ever remain with them. He had left behind him a character and a life of work which it would be well for them to try and emulate. That court would miss Mr. Crombie very much. At the same time they would always have a happy remembrance of one with whom it had been a pleasure to be associated in all that Mr. Crombie had undertaken in many ways, and they could take something from his life that would be of help to them in the future in carrying out their daily work.
SHANGHAI. [C. H. Cheong, who left the School last year to pursue his studies in Shanghai, was evacuated from that city shortly after the opening of hostilities. In view of his experiences there, we confess a certain admiration for the oriental calm and detachment with which this article is written.—Ed.] Shangai—the adventurer's paradise, and the sixth city of the world is situated on the banks of the Whangpoo river. The traveller's first glimpse of Shanghai is the magnificent Bund, one of the largest in the world. The buildings are the most modern to be seen in Shanghai and their tops seem to be trying to pierce the clouds. It is here, on the Bund, where all the main business offices are situated. From the Bund the streets branch off into the centre of the city itself, the greatest street of these being Nanking Road, or the Great White Way of Shanghai, as it is called. Nanking Road is the main shopping centre in Shanghai and the stores and shops are open all day and every day, including Sunday. What surprises most strangers in Shanghai is the immense numbers of cabarets. Shanghai believes in dancing her troubles away, and there are over two hundred cabarets. alone in Shanghai. 24
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Nowadays the modern Chinese is almost completely westernized, and he has abandoned the traditional gown and slippers, and now dresses in true western style and speaks with an undisputed American accent, but this is not at all surprising, as most of the business concerns in Shanghai are American. In Nanking Road, the shopping centre, every day is a sale day, and each shop hangs out a huge banner with Chinese characters on it, telling everyone that there is a sale there. Thus all the year round, Shanghai seems to be in a state of celebration, as these banners are rarely taken down. And at night the stores seem to have a special celebration, as all of them have neon lighting and various coloured bulbs all over the building. In fact, Shanghai at night is one of the brightest scenes one could imagine. As for recreation, apart from cinemas and cabarets, there are three gorgeous parks, the most popular of which is Jessfield Park, as it is the most beautiful and has more attractions for the lover of flora and fauna than the other parks, which are more for sport. Transport in Shanghai consists mainly of modern buses and electric cars, and, for the fresh air lover, rickshaws. The roads are wide and good for driving, yet accidents caused by reckless driving are quite frequent, and the police cannot be blamed as they are most efficient. They are divided into three divisions : the British, the Chinese and the Sikhs. A policeman's lot in Shanghai is very dangerous, as armed robbers thrive there and many policemen have been killed whilst carrying out their duty. A robber's lot is easier than in England, as in Shanghai there are different Settlements, and each has its own police, so if a robber crosses from one Settlement to another, he is quite safe. There are three main divisions in Shanghai: the International Settlement, the French Concession and the Japanese Concession. Each Settlement has its own communities and ideas, and if one wishes to cycle from one Settlement to another a special licence has to be obtained. But in spite of all this modern surrounding, the Chinese are still very superstitious and old customs still prevail. In the midst of huge modern stores, one sees small shops where joss sticks and joss money is bought. Joss money is silvery paper shaped like cones which is burnt over the grave of the dead man. This ceremony is supposed to pay the gods for the journey the soul has to make to get to heaven. To a stranger all this seems odd, but it is still a 25
firm belief amongst all Chinese that this burning of " money " does really pay the gods. And another thing that one notices is that in every Chinese house there is a screen in front of the door which is supposed to be a preventative against the entrance of devils who only travel in straight lines. Another superstition is the cause of the familiar turned-up edges of the roof at each corner. When I enquired about this, I was told that devils slide down the edges of the roof and enter the house through the windows, and so if the corners are turned up the devil just shoots up into the air again and is thus baffled ! And through the ages those superstitions have existed. And so as one sees modern Shanghai, one must also remember that the old mystery of Mother China is still alive there. C. H. CHEONG.
O.T.C. NEWS. Owing to the large number of officers in comparison with the size of the contingent, 2nd Lieut. J. H. Stevenson resigned from the O.T.C. We are all extremely sorry to lose him, for he has been with us for several years and has done a great deal for the O.T.C. in general. Last term saw the splitting up of the contingent into four platoons. These platoons were as follows:— No. 1 Platoon, consisting of those taking Certificate "A" Theoretical. No. 2 Platoon, consisting of those taking Certificate "A" Practical. No. 3 Platoon, consisting of those taking Certificate "A" Practical next year. No. 4 Platoon, consisting of Recruits. No. 1 Platoon have attended some very interesting lectures, including one by Major Chilman on the air defence of the Territorial Army, and were pleased to know that in two years' time York will be equipped with an up-to-date anti-aircraft gun. No. 2 Platoon, for the first half of the term, practised for the Certificate "A" Practical, and in the latter half have attended lectures by Mr. Le Tocq on map reading. No. 3 Platoon have in the first half of the term been practising drill and weapon training, and in the latter half have attended lectures on the organisation of the army by Capt. P. H. Sykes, and have been taken in sand table exercises. The recruits have been taught the fundamental principles of weapon training by Sgt.-Major Puddick. 26
The results of the Certificate "A" Theoretical examination held last term have not yet come through, and will be published in our next issue. The following promotions were made last term :— C.Q.M.S. J. T. Harding was promoted to C.S.M. Sergeant P. B. Cockburn was promoted to C.Q.M.S. * * * STRENSALL CAMP. Drill.—Good. Field Work.—On the whole satisfactory, but the Section Commands are rather lacking in control in the field. The contingent as a whole improved during camp, and with more practice in the field would be very good. General Turn Out.—Good. The contingent was always well turned out. Camp Lines.—Very good. General Remarks.—A keen, well organized contingent. * * * SHOOTING. Shooting last term was held up considerably by the removal of the range to the far end of the old 1st XV Rugger pitch. However, the new range became available soon after half-term and a competition organised by Sgt.-Major Puddick was held. The winning team was :R. S. Dixon ... 68 J. S. Garnham ... 66 R. Wright ... ... 54 J. T. Brockbank ... 46 Total
Runners up :J. A. Wright G. E. Shepherd R. N. Rimmer J. McN. Inglis
234 67 64 56 39
Total ... 226 The highest individual score was made by Whitney (71) and the Recruits' Cup was won by D. H. Wright. Practice began for the " Country Life " Public Schools' Competition, and it is hoped to enter a School VIII for this competition in March. Several promising scores have been recorded, the following having scored over 70 out of a possible 85: Wright (J. A.), Whitney, Bower and Shepherd. 27
RUGBY FOOTBALL, 1937. RUGGER RETROSPECT. It must be many seasons since the School failed to win a single match, and regarded in that light it might be classified as a thoroughly unsatisfactory season. A moment's reflection, however, brings certain facts to light. First, the average age of the side was 16 years 2 months (slightly higher than the maximum age of a colts' side) '• secondly, many of our opponents produced an older team and a higher standard of play than they had been accustomed to for several years ; thirdly, the scarcity of backs with match experience necessitated considerable experimenting, experimenting which should bear considerable fruit during the next few years. We started the season with only three colours, and, owing to injuries, on very few occasions were they all able to turn out. During the course of the term we managed to produce a pack of forwards which must rank as one of the best the School has had in recent years, and which several well-known critics considered to be one of the finest Public School packs in the North or Midlands, a pack which would have probably gladdened the hearts of those players of bygone days who bewail the lost art of forward play, a pack shoving over the ball, wheeling and clearing their line with well-controlled rushes. It would be invidious in such an eight to mention anyone as being particularly good, better to say that all were good. In the most successful packs, few players stand out above the others, and it is the forward who is least seen who is often most useful. Behind the scrum we were not so fortunately placed. Only Davin remained as a regular member of last year's side (and he was out of the game for a large part of the term through injury), and Cameron who had played occasionally on the wing. Eventually a back division emerged which showed that in Cameron at full-back and Milburn at scrum-half we had two players well up to the highest standards in these positions. The main problem at the beginning of the term was to find a suitable fly-half, and several were tried before A. T. H. Wright was finally decided upon. He occupied the position with great credit, taking the ball on the move, and no reflection can be cast on him for the ineptitude of the threequarter line. This proved to be the greatest weakness of the team. Admittedly they had little or no experience (one of them had never played the game before the present season), but even so they did not appear to make the most 28
of their speed, or to appreciate the value of straight running. Too often were they prone to hand the ball on to someone else without making any ground, and consequently achieving nothing. Special credit must go to Lynch, whose reliable and brilliant tackling was one of the features of the season. The 2nd XV showed variable form. On occasions they were quite good, and had they always produced the resolution shown in some of their matches their record might have been very much better. Cockburn, McKay and Ambler in the forwards, and J. A. Wright, Atkinson, Rimmer and Elgey in the backs, all of whom played for the 1st XV on occasion, were particularly outstanding. Points P. W. L. D. F. A. 1st XV ... 11 0 11 0 20 197 2nd XV ... 8 2 6 0 60 158 * * 1st XV CHARACTERS. V. L. F. Davin (Captain). Centre three-quarter. Had rather an unhappy season. Took some little time to settle down at the beginning, and just as he began to strike his best form, he injured his ankle, an injury which kept him out of the game for most of the term. J. T. Harding (Vice-Captain). Forward. A hard-working and enthusiastic member of the side with a good knowledge of sound forward play. A. C. W. Ping. Forward. Has fine speed and physique, which make him a difficult player to stop. A good, solid worker, but thinks rather slowly as yet. T. F. Cameron. Full-back. With only two months' experience of the position he looks like becoming a firstclass full-back. A brilliant fielder, a powerful kicker, and a sound tackler; positional play extraordinarily good for one so inexperienced. M. S. Douglas. A very good forward in the loose, especially in clearing rushes. Must learn to pack better and use his weight in the scrums. Good in the line-out. R. C. Lynch. Wing three-quarter. The finest tackler in the side ; one who could always be relied upon to " tie up " his opposite number. Always went hard for the line in attack, but handicapped by lack of size and speed. H. A. Milburn. Scrum-half. A very well-equipped scrumhalf with a definite football brain and any amount of pluck. Should go far in the game. 29
R. S. Dixon. Forward. A whole-hearted leader who could be relied upon to play his hardest every minute of the match. P. G. Stephenson. Forward. A greatly improved forG. ward who made full use of his vast bulk. Did some clever touch-kicking from line-outs at times. A. S. Hobson. Forward. A very successful hooker who H. got through a great deal of hard work in other phases of the game. J. H. Wright. Stand-off-half. Improved tremendously A. throughout the term. Elusive in attack, while his tackling improved considerably, although not always reliable. Gets up on his opposite number very quickly, sometimes too quickly, thus leaving a big gap in the defence. H. Butler. Forward. A young forward with a good J. knowledge of scrummaging. Came on a lot during the second half of the term, and should be very useful next season. Good in the line-out. M. C. Robson. Forward. Another young forward who scrummaged well in the front row, and who was a very useful reserve hooker. K. C. Brown. Centre three-quarter. A very young and promising three-quarter with no previous experience of the game. Should be useful in future years. J. T. Brockbank. Wing three-quarter. Showing more resolution both in attack and defence than he did last year, should be a useful member of the side next season. Still too inclined to run back into the scrum instead of going for the corner flag. * * * SCHOOL v. YORK AND LANCASTER REGT. Result—Lost: School 3, York and Lancs. 10. Played at Home, Saturday, October 9th. The School were unable to field their strongest team in the opening match of the season, as Harding and Ping were temporarily out of action. Packing seven forwards, the defence was strengthened by a roving five-eighth outside the scrum. The Regiment kicked off and found a good touch, with a dummy, in the School " 25." There they stayed for some time, but play was scrappy and the backs saw little of the ball. The School fought back well, owing to the liveliness .
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of the pack in the loose. Pedlow narrowly missed the mark with a penalty shot, and on several occasions the Regiment came near to scoring. The School launched a promising attack just before half-time, but the forwards heeled the ball raggedly, giving the " threes " little chance of combining effectively. Thus at half-time there had been no scoring. The second half had not been in progress for long when another Army attack came. This time it was successful, for from a scrum a centre three-quarter broke through and passed to Pedlow, who had no difficulty in racing in underneath the posts. This try was converted. Some time later, Pedlow again scored by intercepting a pass. This also was easily turned into a goal to give the York and Lancs. a lead of 10 points. Further misfortune hit the School when Davin went off with a badly bruised leg. The forwards continued to play well in the loose, but the speed and weight of the opposition prevented them from dominating the game. With five minutes to no-side, Rimmer intercepted a loose pass and after a thrilling run scored under the posts. A questionable decision concerning the kick at goal prevented the conversion. This ended the scoring, leaving the York and Lancs. winners by 10-3. Milburn played well at scrum-half, but the other backs never looked dangerous. The forwards, however, did very well under the leadership of Dixon. Team :—G. H. Briggs ; J. T. Brockbank, T. F. Cameron, R. N. Rimmer, R. C. Lynch ; W. G. Barnby ; V. L. F. Davin, H. A. Milburn, J. H. Butler, R. M. Robson, H. A. S. Hobson, J. A. Wright, G. P. G. Stephenson, R. S. Dixon, M. S. Douglas. * * *
SCHOOL v. THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS. Result—Lost : School 3, K.O.S.B.'s 24. Played at Home, October 16th. There were several changes in the team for this match. Ping came in for Barnby at five-eighth and Elgey at fullback for Briggs. Davin and Cameron changed places. The only change in the lively pack was Cockburn for Hobson, who was crocked. The Borderers kicked off against a fresh breeze and at once began to attack. Their forwards took the ball well into the School " 25," and after some inaccurate play they heeled quickly to set their backs going. A lapse by the defence allowed Anderson to cut through and score an 31
unconverted try half way out. This made the School wake up, and they fought back strongly. After some mid-field play a mistake by one of the Borderers backs resulted in the ball going loose. Stephenson, keeping well up with the play, pounced on it and, running with determination rather than velocity, scored a good try. The kick went wide. The visitors soon took the lead again when Anderson gathered the ball near the half-way line and raced round the School backs to score under the sticks. The kick failed. Before half-time the Army pack again overwhelmed that of the School, and the assault ended when a forward dived over in the corner for another unconverted try. In the second half the Borderers had what wind there was, and their heavy pack got the better of the School, who packed only seven men, though lighter man to man. The play was even for some time, but the School " threes lacked penetration and the wings never had a scoring chance. The Borderers' backs, however, were very lively, and it came as no surprise when Anderson broke through and scored under the posts. The conversion of this made it 14-3, a bad position for the School. After this the sting seemed to go out of the pack, and ground was gained mainly by defensive kicking. Mid-way through this half, a forward forced his way over for another try, which was converted. This seemed to put life into the pack, and they rushed up the field in fine style, only to see the backs waste their chances. After a short time the Army were attacking again, and a forward booted ahead, and just got the touch down. The kick was successful. Thus the Borderers ran. out winners by 24-3, leaving the myth of the British Army's invincibility unshattered. The forwards, of whom Stephenson and Douglas were the best, could not hold a heavier pack, and consequently " threes " were unable to get going as they wanted. Team :—E. V. Elgey ; J. T. Brockbank, V. L. F. Davin, R. N. Rimmer, R. C. Lynch ; A. C. W. Ping; T. F. Cameron, H. A. Milburn; J. H. Butler, R. S. Dixon, R. M. Robson, J. A. Wright, G. P. G. Stephenson, P. B. Cockburn, M. S. Douglas. * * *
SCHOOL v. DURHAM SCHOOL. Result—Lost: School 0, Durham 35. Played at Home, October 23rd. The School were able to field a complete team in this match. Barnby came in at full-back, Atkinson at centre 32
and two forwards, Hobson and Ambler, displaced Cockburn and Wright. Ping went back into the pack and the School went onto the field with the idea of making it a forward game. The School kicked off towards Clifton. The Durham forwards heeled from a scrum and immediately their backs showed their worth by taking play into the home " 25." After only six minutes' play, Durham initiated a movement on the blind side which led to a score half-way out. This was unconverted. The School fought back, but the clever Durham backs prevented a serious offensive. Half-way through this half, Durham scored again. A passing movement gave the right wing a chance to run in and score in a good position. This was easily converted. Twice after this, before half-time, the School defence was pierced, and each time the goal was kicked, to give Durham an invincible lead of 18 points. Just before the interval the School set up a strong attack, and Stephenson very nearly forced his way over in the corner. The defence was too good for the School backs, who could not give their wings a scoring chance. In the second half the School fared little better, and were kept on the defensive for most of the time. A Durham forward forced his way over near the corner after five minutes' play, and almost immediately afterwards the School " threes " started to juggle with the ball on their own line with fatal results. With a lead of 24 points, Durham played very confidently, and nothing that the School did was of any avail. For some time the game was even, but Durham were so superior forward, that they were able to dictate the game. From a scrum near the touch line, Durham brought their wing over to make the extra man, and the ball went along the line for the other wing to score a neat try. At this point Barnby went off with an injured hip. Atkinson dropped back from centre and the School finished the game with only three " threes." It was not surprising, therefore, that Durham scored twice more in the last few minutes. Bucknell ran over for the last one in fine style, though the defence was non-existent. Durham owed their crushing victory to the superiority of their forwards, who gave Bucknell, at outside half, a constant flow of passes with which to start movements. Team :—W. G. Barnby; J. T. Brockbank, T. F. Cameron, J. C. Atkinson, R. C. Lynch ; V. L. F. Davin, H. A. Milburn ; R. S. Dixon, H. A. S. Hobson, J. H. Butler, J. T. Harding, G. P. G. Stephenson, M. S. Douglas, A. C. W. Ping, T. D. Ambler. 33
SCHOOL v. HEADINGLEY " A." Result—Lost: School 6, Headingley "A" 8. Played at Home, October 30th. With the exception of Ping the School were at full strength, though several changes were made from the team which played Durham. Cameron went to full-back, A. T. H. Wright to fly-half, Rimmer for Atkinson at centre and Brown for Brockbank on the wing. J. A. Wright came in at wing forward and Robson deputised for Ping. Headingley kicked off but could gain no advantage, and the School settled down at once to some hard scrummaging. Though beaten in the tight they were very lively in the loose and more than held their own there. The defence of the backs, too, showed considerable improvement. It came as no surprise when after a quarter of an hour's play the School scored. The Headingley defence made a mistake and Davin nipped in and rushed the ball over the line near the corner. This seemed to rouse Headingley, and their forwards began to show much more dash. Aided by some foolish mistakes they worked the ball into the School " 25." From a touch throw, an unmarked man broke loose, and when confronted by the back, passed to a colleague to score half-way out. Thus half-time came with the teams level. Until now the game had been played in semi-darkness, but on the re-start it began to rain heavily. Despite the trying conditions the game lost none of its interest. Headingley did more attacking, but the School defence was good. Davin and Rimmer relieved the pressure with several good kicks. In the thirteenth minute, however, a Headingley forward went away with the ball at his feet, and after being temporarily held up, got over for a try, which was converted. This was a blow, for to score at least twice in order to win was a hard task. The School set about the task in workmanlike style and soon had their adversaries on the defensive. But to break through proved an impossible feat. With ten minutes to go, Cameron placed a penalty goal to decrease the lead to two points. The School did not get near the Headingley line again, and no-side came with the score 8-6 in favour of the visitors. The display given by the School was much better than in the Durham match. The forwards, especially Harding and Douglas, were very good. The " threes " were on to their men more quickly and generally showed more dash. Team :—T. F. Cameron ; K. C. Brown, R. N. Rimmer, V. L. F. Davin, R. C. Lynch; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn; R. S. Dixon, H. A. S. Hobson, J. H. Butler, G. P. G. Stephenson, R. M. Robson, M. S. Douglas, J. T. Harding, J. A. Wright. 34
SCHOOL v. GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL. Result—Lost : School 0, Giggleswick 18. Played Away, Saturday, October 6th. For the defeat in this match the School have only themselves to blame, for had they displayed the dash of the Headingley match they would have overpowered their lighter opponents. In the first ten At the start the School did well. minutes they heeled well from the tight. The backs went away several times and showed that they were fairly frisky. In defence too they forced their opponents to pass hurriedly and inaccurately. But alas, they flattered to deceive. Giggleswick settled down and began to attack. The left wing broke loose and kicked over Cameron's head, but the ball was scrambled away. Some good kicks by Davin relieved the pressure, but the Giggleswick scrum-half broke away and had he passed accurately nothing could have prevented a try. The School gave away too many free kicks. From one of these a shot hit the upright. Another lapse by the defence allowed a half to break clean through, and this time he passed well and a try was scored and converted. It was now the School's turn to attack. A run by Davin made a good position and then for some unaccountable reason someone fly-kicked, and that was the end of that. Just on half-time a penalty kick at goal went wide. In the second half, Davin went into the pack with an injured ankle and Ping emerged to take his place. Play was fairly even for some time. The School saw little of the ball in the set scrums, but the Giggleswick " threes " lacked penetration. This state of equilibrium did not last for long, because from a scrum almost on the School line a forward dribbled over to score. It was unconverted. Five minutes later a similar situation arose. Again a forward fell over the line with the ball for a converted try. This managed to arouse the School from their senile attitude, but most of the work was done individually. The Giggleswick backs, though lacking guile and speed were allowed too much scope. The last try which they scored should have been prevented. The right wing ran well, and when challenged, passed inside to his centre, who romped past all School opposition. Near the close of the game the School set up a hot attack : Ping nearly got over, and from the loose scrum following, Stephenson also narrowly failed to score. No-side, however, came during another period of defence. Team :—T. F. Cameron ; R. C. Brown, V. L. F. Davin, R. N. Rimmer, R. C. Lynch ; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn ; 35
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R. S. Dixon, H. A. S. Hobson, J. H. Butler, G. P. G. Stephenson, A. C. W. Ping, P. B. Cockburn, J. T. Harding, M. S. Douglas. * * * SCHOOL v. DENSTONE COLLEGE. Result—Lost: School 0, Denstone 29. Played Away, November 10th. The School went to Denstone with an unfamiliar looking three-quarter line because of Davin's injury. Brown went inside with Ping and Elgey came in on the wing. This was unfortunate, because Denstone's power was in their backs. Denstone kicked off and from a scrum in the School half, the ball was whipped along the line to Rankin, who ran in for a try half-way out. The School recovered magnificently from this set-back, which would have taken the spirit out of many sides. The forwards smashed up many moves in their infancy by speedy breaking-up and ruthless tackling. The School improved as the game wore on. They heeled the ball in the tight, but, unfortunately, the backs were outclassed. The School were often on the defensive, but they kept Denstone at bay until five minutes to half-time. This time the wing ran down the touch-line and passed inside to Innes, who scored half-way out. The kick failed. Back came the School pack to dominate the game until the interval. The second half saw a transformed Denstone. From the kick-off they came away with a rush, and a perfect three-quarter movement resulted in a converted try by the left wing. A little later another try was conceded from another dazzling piece of play. The School tried to keep the ball close and starve the Denstone " threes." This was only temporarily successful, for the ball was very lively on the dry ground. Innes, at centre, was in sparkling form, and the School defence, though it tried hard, could not harass the scoring power of the opposition. Another try came, was converted, and so in a very short space of time the Denstone score had shot from 6 to 21 by sheer brilliance. The School fought back, and Milburn repeatedly gained ground with his kicks to touch. Despite this last effort, two more tries were scored, one on the right wing and one by a good cut-through by Innes. For the School, all the forwards played as forwards were meant to play, getting the ball in the tight. Harding and Douglas were the best on the field. The inexperienced backs were too often bewildered, but Ping and Lynch tackled hard at all times.
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Team :—T. F. Cameron ; E. V. Elgey, K. C. Brown, A. C. W. Ping, R. C. Lynch ; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn; J. H. Butler, H. A. S. Hobson, C. M. Robson, R. S. Dixon, G. P. G. Stephenson, J. T. Harding, J. A. Wright, M. S. Douglas. * * * SCHOOL v. YORK. Result—Lost: School 0, York 6. Played at Home, November 13th. With one exception the School fielded the team which had played so pluckily against Denstone earlier in the week. York kicked off towards Clifton. At first neither set of forwards could claim any superiority, and the opening minutes were dull. The York halves persisted in keeping the ball close, while the School backs made no headway against a determined defence. At last York consented to open up the game and got to within five yards of the School line. Another scramble followed, and only after five minutes was the ball finally cleared by Douglas. York's back division had been rather inaccurate, but they settled down. In the sixteenth minute a centre broke through and whipped it out to Robson, who raced over half-way out. The School pack woke up. From that point they began to show more dash, and York were rattled by it. For some time the School pressed, but the " threes " lacked penetration in the centre. Another York movement nearly led to a try, but the wing was brought down when in full flight. The second half was very thrilling, but it started with the injury of Harding, who left the field. The preliminary skirmishes of the first half led to a real battle between the backs. The School pack of seven lived up to its reputation, and Douglas, Stephenson and Dixon were always up with the ball. Though York took up the initiative, good smother tackles by Ping in the centre stopped them as often as not. A good combined movement executed by Lynch, Douglas and Stephenson nearly made a try, but the ball was knocked on. A run and a cross-kick by a York player threatened danger, but though the bounce of the ball gave it to a York forward, he was safely put to the ground. Just when no further score seemed likely, Barton again ran well to score in the corner. Nor was this the end of the thrills, because a York man booted it over the School back's head and just missed the touch-down. And so it ended ; York winning by 6-0. The School's play augured well for the future, for besides the liveliness of the pack, the defence of the " threes," especially Lynch and Ping, was very good. 37
Milburn had a good game at inside half and got through a lot of work. Team :—T. F. Cameron ; R. C. Lynch, A. C. W. Ping, J. C. Atkinson, K. C. Brown; A. T. H. Wright, H A Milburn; J. H. Butler, H. A. S. Hobson, C. M. Robson, R. S. Dixon, G. P. G. Stephenson, J. T. Harding, J. A. Wright, M. S. Douglas.
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SCHOOL v. MOUNT ST. MARY'S. Result—Lost : School 0, Mount St. Mary's 11. Played Away, November 20th. The School team remained unchanged, except at lockforward, where McKay was introduced. The absence of Davin at centre was felt, as there was a lack of thrust there. At the start, the School did well, heeling several times from the tight. Advantage was taken of a loose ball and they were nearly over from a rush. The " threes " had no finishing power, though moving tolerably well. Mount worked their way back, and in turn their backs showed little originality. It became apparent that the School could win if they didn't make any mistakes and that opportunism would win the day. Eventually a bad pass was intercepted by a home centre and a lapse by the School defence let him career down the field with a man on either side of him. He chose to pass to his wing, who scored. It was converted with a superb kick. Before the School could recover, Mount had notched another. A forward picked up and was allowed too much scope to run and pass to the wing, who ran in. A much harder kick hit the upright. To be eight points down at this point was bad, but ineffectively as the backs were playing, hope still remained with the forwards, of whom Stephenson, Harding and Douglas battled nobly. Nothing further happened in this half. The second half began with a fierce attack by Mount, who were all over. the School. It was kept up until they heeled quickly from a loose scrum and the left wing crossed over in the corner. The St. Peter's process of awakening to face facts has stood the test of time, and after this they played well. The forwards with Harding always to the fore more than held their opponents. Particularly fine was the tackling of Ping and Brown in the centre. The former broke through well on one occasion, but Brockbank was tackled by the 38
back when clear of the Mount defence. Mount came back and nearly got over again in the corner: the School were saved by a tackle by Brockbank on the line. Here a scrum was formed which collapsed over the line, but the referee did not commit himself and gave a " 25." The final whistle went with another pile of forwards on the School line. In the second half the School pack played well, and Harding, Dixon, Stephenson and Douglas were outstanding. The backs, however, were sadly lacking in ideas. Team :—T. F. Cameron ; J. T. Brockbank, A. C. W. Ping, K. C. Brown, R. C. Lynch ; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn; J. H. Butler, H. A. S. Hobson, M. C. Robson, G. P. G. Stephenson, R. S. Dixon, J. T. Harding, I. S. McKay, M. S. Douglas. * * * SCHOOL v. TRENT COLLEGE. Result—Lost: School 5, Trent 14. Played at Home, November 25th. A day ideal for Rugger greeted Trent on their first visit to St. Peter's, and as it turned out, the game was worthy of the occasion. Trent kicked off, but before they could settle down, the School forwards bustled them. A quick heel came from the first scrum and set the " threes " going smoothly. During the first ten minutes the School attacked incessantly. It came as no surprise when Harding broke loose and passed to Ping, who fought his way over for a try. It was converted by Cameron. This was very encouraging, as the Trent backs had not seen the ball up to the score. They all but scored two minutes later, however, when Charles kicked ahead, only to kick it dead with the line at his mercy. The lead was reduced by a fine penalty goal, and was lost later when the Trent outside half cut through and scored a converted try. The School's forward superiority was evident when Milburn and Wright were able to ply the " threes " with the ball. The latter played astonishingly badly, lacking all the qualities of attacking players. Their movements only tired the pack, who could have won the match by themselves if carefully nursed. Trent increased their lead before half-time by a try in the corner. The second half was a succession of School attacks, but they just could not score. The forwards played magnificently in the loose as well as the tight, and did more than was asked of them. Harding, Ping, Douglas and 39
Robson were outstanding. Only the ineptitude of the " threes " prevented the Trent defence from being riddled. A major incident occurred when Charles broke away by intercepting a pass on his own line. He kicked ahead on being challenged, and seemed certain to score, when out of the blue came Brockbank to shepherd the ball over the dead ball line. Back on the attack again, the School all but scored when Stephenson just failed to catch a cross-kick which fell inches short of the posts. Just before no-side a movement by Trent led to a try in the left-hand corner. With their forward mastery the School should have won by several points, particularly as Milburn played a brilliant game at inside half. After the game Hobson and Stephenson were awarded their colours. Team :—T. F. Cameron ; W. G. Barnby, J. T. Brockbank, K. C. Brown, R. C. Lynch ; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn ; J. H. Butler, H. A. S. Hobson, C. M. Robson, G. P. G. Stephenson, R. S. Dixon, J. T. Harding, A. C. W. Ping, M. S. Douglas. * * * SCHOOL v. WORKSOP COLLEGE. Result—Lost: School 0, Worksop 37. Played at Home, November 27th. For the first time since the Armistice Day of 1936 the School had an unaltered team in the field. It was up against a very heavy side, both fore and aft, which looked as though it would knock the stuffing out of most school teams. The start was hopeful enough ; a quick heel sent the three-quarters away in fine style. Gradually Worksop came back, but their play was rather ragged for a time. After some mid-field play a penalty was awarded against the School in much the same place as one on the previous Thursday. Rhodes kicked a magnificent goal. The effect was the same also. Within ten minutes two tries were scored, both of which were from breaks through. They were converted. The forwards continued to show enthusiasm and dash, and kept play in the middle of the field. Worksop were penalised many times for scrumming offences. Several attacking cross-kicks were executed, but they led nowhere. Worksop went further ahead when Knox, at inside half, ran round the blind-side and scored. Halftime came with the School 16 points down. With this huge lead Worksop played very confidently in the second half. The forwards of both sides gave away nothing, and the School pack must be congratulated on the 40
way it stuck to • its job. The next try was an excellent effort by Pinkney, who gathered the ball on the School " 25," and came back through the forwards, beating everyone, to score near the flag. Worksop heeled regularly in the set scrums—they were much heavier and packed like sardines—and the School three-quarter defence was really much better than it would appear on paper. Lynch and Brown tackled superbly, while there was no better defensive forward than Ping, who saved the line repeatedly by quick breaking-up. Worksop tries came at regular intervals during this half. Three of the four tries were converted, giving them a final total of 37 points. All the outsides were brilliant, and the forwards made their task easier, though we understand that the School pack made the Worksop pack work harder than against any other team this season. Team :—T. F. Cameron; W. G. Barnby, J. T. Brockbank, K. C. Brown, R. C. Lynch ; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn; J. H. Butler, H. A. S. Hobson, C. M. Robson, G. P. G. Stephenson, R. S. Dixon, J. T. Harding, A. C. W. Ping, M. S. Douglas. * * * SCHOOL v. AMPLEFORTH COLLEGE. Result—Lost : School 3, Ampleforth 5. Played at Home, December 5th. Long before the start it was obvious that an open game was going to be impossible, and that all hope would centre in the pack, which had emerged so successfully from previous matches. It was very cold when the teams took the field, but the rain stopped when Wright kicked off. From the word go the School forwards harassed their opponents, and the first ten minutes showed them in good form. Davin played the right game by kicking instead of passing, and with a bit more luck they would have scored. Ampleforth retaliated with some grand forward dribbles (which really were dribbles), but they, too, lacked finishing power. After seventeen minutes' play, Milburn slipped past his man and dived over on the blind-side. Almost immediately afterwards an Ampleforth centre kicked diagonally ahead. The wing came up, caught the ball with the help of a lucky bounce, and was over beneath the posts without a finger being laid on him. It was easily converted. Slowly all thought of back play was abandoned, and the " threes " of both sides concentrated on keeping warm. Until the interval the forwards engaged one another in close combat. 41
The second half was begun in a snowstorm, and before long the field was a blanket of white. Movements requiring the handling of the ball were impossible : only twice did anyone with the ball look like making progress. Ampleforth missed a penalty kick at goal from the touch-line, and for a moment it looked as though they might score when the ball went loose. With a quarter of an hour to go, play was taken to the School's left touch-line, and there it remained to the end, with neither side looking like scoring. Ping and Stephenson were prominent in the dribbles, while Harding played a fine defensive game. All the forwards realised that it was more profitable to push hard than to perish in the cold. Thus Ampleforth won by two points after having slightly less of the game territorially. Team :—T. F. Cameron ; J. T. Brockbank, V. L. F. Davin, K. C. Brown, R. C. Lynch ; A. T. H. Wright, H. A. Milburn; J. H. Butler, H. A. S. Hobson, C. M. Robson, G. P. G. Stephenson, R. S. Dixon, J. T. Harding, A. C. W. Ping, M. S. Douglas.
2nd XV MATCHES. 2nd XV v. DRAX G.S. XV. Result—Lost : 2nd XV 0, Drax 28. Played at Drax on October 20th. From the kick-off Drax pressed hard and kept the play well inside the School half. The School broke away twice and swept the play into the Drax " 25," but were forced back each time by the superior weight of the home forwards. Drax continued to press until half-time, when four tries had been scored, three of which were converted. There was a marked improvement in the School's play during the second half, but the Drax forwards were much heavier and generally succeeded in getting the ball, both in the tight and in the loose. Nevertheless, Drax scored after ten minutes' play, after which the School made three determined efforts and were unlucky not to score. Drax once more rushed the ball away and were rewarded with a try. Just before the end, Drax were awarded a penalty in the School " 25," but the kick went wide. Ping and Cameron were disappointing among the backs, but Atkinson and K. C. Brown played well. Ambler and J. A. Wright were prominent in the forwards, but the falling was poor throughout the team. Elgey got in some 42
good tackles, but, lacking experience, sometimes failed to get his man. Team :—E. V. Elgey; E. P. Bulmer, J. C. Atkinson, A. C. W. Ping, K. C. Brown; T. F. Cameron, I. D. C. Morison; J. M. Couldwell, J. M. Rucklidge, J. A. Dent, T. D. Ambler, I. S. McKay, J. A. Wright, L. W. Bennett, R. N. Rimmer.
* * *
2nd XV v. YORK " B." Result—Lost: 2nd XV 3, York " B " 19. Played at Bishopthorpe on October 23rd. Cockburn won the toss and York kicked off. From the first scrum York got the ball, but it did not go far along their line before Rimmer, taking advantage of a dropped pass, dribbled over the York line to score the School's only try. Bulmer failed with the kick. York then pressed hard and scored from a scrum on the School " 25." The kick was successful. The School continued to have the upper hand in the backs, except at fly-half, where A. T. H. Wright was often outwitted by a clever player, but the forwards gave away a stone per man. A forward rush gave York their second try after twenty-five minutes' play. The School fought back hard, and Rimmer had an excellent drop-kick at goal which grazed the underside of the cross-bar. In the second half play was even until the York backs began to use the blind side, and in this way they scored three more tries, of which one was converted. J. A. Wright and McKay were prominent in the pack and Elgey played well at full-back. Team:—E. V. Elgey; E. P. Bulmer, P. R. Graham, R. N. Rimmer, K. C. Brown; A. T. H. Wright, I. D. C. Brown; J. M. Couldwell, J. M. Rucklidge, C. M. Robson, I. S. McKay, L. W. Bennett, J. A. Wright, J. A. Dent, P. B. Cockburn.
*
2nd XV v. RIPON G.S. 1st XV. Result—Lost: 2nd XV 6, Ripon 8. Played at Home on November 3rd. The School started off very sluggishly and after five minutes' play, Ripon were awarded a penalty in front of the School goal, which was successful. Three minutes later 43
Ripon scored between the posts, and the kick was successful. There was no further score until half-time. In the second half the School pressed hard, and shortly after the interval, Ambler scored near the corner. Elgey just failed to convert, the ball hitting the crossbar. The School owed this try to good backing up by the forwards, Soon afterwards, Brockbank got over the line, but was just knocked over so as to strike the corner flag. Just before full-time the School was awarded a penalty near the Ripon posts, which Elgey converted. Elgey kicked and tackled well, and Graham made good use of his few opportunities. Cockburn, Ambler and McKay were prominent in the forwards, and Killick tackled excellently on the wing. Team :—E. V. Elgey; E. P. Bulmer, P. R. Graham, J. T. Brockbank, C. N. Killick; I. D. C. Morison, J. A. Wright; J. M. Couldwell, C. M. Robson, J. M. Rucklidge, I. S. McKay, T. D. Ambler, P. B. Cockburn, L. W. Bennett, E. W. Whitney.
*
* *
2nd XV v. GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL 2nd XV. Result—Won : 2nd XV 25, Giggleswick 0. Played at Home on November 6th. The School won the toss and Giggleswick kicked off against a slight drizzle. For the first ten minutes, play was fairly even, until Brockbank dashed through to score the School's first try. The kick failed. Robson was hooking splendidly and was getting the ball from nearly every scrum. Play then settled down in the Giggleswick half, and soon Brockbank ran round the opposing full-back to score a second unconverted try. Although the School pressed hard, half-time came with the score six—nil in the School's favour. In the second half the School scored five tries, two of which were converted. Brockbank scored three and Atkinson and Bulmer one each. Atkinson's try was converted by Elgey and Brockbank's last by Ambler. Elgey was prominent at full-back, kicking very well. McKay and J. A. Wright were outstanding in a hard-working pack. Team:—E. V. Elgey; E. P. Bulmer, J. T. Brockbank, J. C. Atkinson, C. N. S. Killick ; P. R. Graham, I. D. C. Graham; J. M. Couldwell, C. M. Robson, T. D. Ambler, I. S. McKay, J. M. Rucklidge, L. W. Bennett, J. A. Wright. 44
2nd XV v. YORK " B." Result—Won : 2nd XV 9, York " B " 6. Played at Bishopthorpe on November 13th. In the early stages of the game, York were penalised near their own line and Elgey put the School three points ahead with a neat kick. The play consisted mainly of ragged forward rushes, but it improved towards half-time. Bulmer and Rimmer were both sent over the line after good threequarter movements. The School pack combined better than the York one, and although York pressed hard the score at half-time was 9-0 in the School's favour. In the second half York attacked strongly and the School appeared to ease up. The School was penalised under the posts, and Shaf toe converted for York. Soon afterwards the York left wing snapped up a pass and dashed over the line to score an unconverted try. This set-back stiffened the School's defence and they held their lead until the final whistle went. Elgey kicked well at full-back and Barnby and Bulmer tackled very well on the wings. Cockburn and Ambler did useful work in the forwards. Team:—E. V. Elgey; E. P. Bulmer, R. N. Rimmer, G. H. Briggs, W. G. Barnby; P. R. G. Graham, I. D. C. Morison; E. W. Whitney, J. M. Rucklidge, J. M. Couldwell, T. D. Ambler, I. S. McKay, P. B. Cockburn, R. Bower, M. I. H. Sproulle.
* * * 2nd XV v. DRAX G.S. 1st XV. Result—Lost: 2nd XV 12, Drax 18. Played at Home on November 17th. Cockburn won the toss and Drax were set to face a strong breeze. Drax pressed from the kick-off and after five minutes scored through an interception. The kick was successful. Drax again pressed, but the School forwards took the ball up the field for Rimmer to score in the corner. Elgey failed with the kick. Ten minutes later, Atkinson ran up to the Drax line and touched down a loose ball, Elgey hitting the cross-bar with his kick. Just before half-time Rimmer ran over to touch down between the posts. Shortly after the interval, Barnby ran half the length of the field to score. During the next ten minutes play was fairly, even until the School were penalised inside the School " 25." Shortly afterwards, Davin was injured, and this 45
seemed to break up the School's defence, Drax scoring two converted tries before the finish. Team :— E. V. Elgey; R. N. Rimmer, V. L. F. Davin, J. C. Atkinson, W. G. Barnby; I. D. C. Morison, J. A. Wright; E. W. Whitney, M. I. H. Sproulle, J. M. Couldwell, I. S. McKay, T. D. Ambler, P. B. Cockburn, R. Bower, J. M. Rucklidge. * * *
2nd XV v. WORKSOP 2nd XV. Result—Lost : 2nd XV 5, Worksop 22. Played Away on November 27th. The School had a very disorganised three-quarter line for this match. Elgey came up to the wing and Cockburn and Ambler, usually forwards, became three-quarters. Shortly after the start the opposing left centre broke through and scored a converted try. The School backs improved and their tackling became splendid. The opposing forwards were too heavy for the School's pack and broke through twice to score. The School fought back and scored through Morison after a long run and kick ahead in the second half. Elgey converted. Brown showed promise at full-back. Team :—G. C. Brown ; E. V. Elgey, P. B. Cockburn, J. C. Atkinson, T. D. Ambler; I. D. C. Morison, J. A. Wright; E. W. Whitney, M. I. H. Sproulle, J. M. Couldwell, P. A. Andrew, I. S. McKay, J. T. H. Hunter, R. Bower, J. M. Rucklidge.
* * *
2nd XV v. AMPLEFORTH 2nd XV. Result—Lost : 2nd XV 0, Ampleforth 59. Played Away on December 4th. The game was played in a, heavy snowstorm, the ground being three inches deep in snow. From the start it was clear that the School were up against a much heavier and more powerful team. The opposing fly-half was the danger point in the Ampleforth attack and their three-quarters ran through very much as they pleased, the School's tackling being very weak indeed. Team :—G. C. Brown; E. V. Elgey, J. C. Atkinson, R. N. Rimmer, W. G. Barnby; I. D. C. Morison, J. A. Wright; E. W. Whitney, M. I. H. Sproulle, J. M. Couldwell, I. S. McKay, T. D. Ambler, P. B. Cockburn, R. Bower, J. T. H. Hunter. 46
HOCKEY FIXTURES, 1938. Sat., Feb. 5th. Ben Rhydding Sat., Feb. 12th. Leeds University Wed., Feb. 16th. Hull University Sat., Feb. 19th. Worksop College ... Wed., Feb. 23rd. Styx ... Sat., Feb. 26th. Scarborough ... Wed., Mar. 2nd. Bootham School Wed., Mar. 9th. York ... ... ... ... Sat., Mar. 12th. Hull ... Wed., Mar. 16th. Clodhoppers ... Sat., Mar. 19th. A XI v. Ashville College Sat., Mar. 26th. Leeds Corinthians ... Wed., Mar. 30th. Old Peterites ...
Home Away Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home
CRICKET AVERAGES, 1937. BATTING. 22.1 H. A. S. Hobson •• • 16 1 56 331 57* 262 17.5 V. L. F. Davin •.• 16 1 4 0 49 66 16.5 J. A. Wright ... 15.7 0 42 220 G. E. L. Graham •• • 14 13.4 L. W. Bennett 2 44* 161 •.. 14 0 27 69 9.9 7 I. D. C. Morison 136 8.5 ..• 16 0 56 R. C. Lynch ... 8.3 40* 99 ••• 14 2 E. R. Gossop ... 6.4 21 90 ... 15 1 ... R. S. Dixon 3.5 7 2* 7 9 R. N. Rimmer 9 23 2.9 ... 10 2 ... H. P. Cole Also batted :-T. F. Cameron, 6-0-11-48 ; J. H. Butler, 8--2-22*-74; E. V. Elgey, 3-0-14-14; P. R. G. Graham, 3-0-3-5; H. A. Milburn, 4-1-9--19; J. M. Rucklidge, 3-1-14 *-14 ; G. P. G. Stephenson, 1-0-2-2 ; E. W. Whitney, 2-0-7-7.
BOWLING. 13.18 22 22 290 ... 93.5 H. P. Cole ... 15.20 49 97 745 ... 319.3 E. R. Gossop 17.00 20 4 340 ... 76.5 J. H. Butler 22 21.04 25 463 ... 132.5 R. C. Lynch 26.87 15 15 403 ... 115.4 R. N. Rimmer Also bowled :-E. V. Elgey, 37-7-155-2 ; V. L. F. Davin, 1-0-12-0 ; H. A. Milburn, 3-0-16-0; I. D. C. Morison, 3-0-27-1; G. P. G. Stephenson, 7--3-7-1; J. A. Wright, 4-0-26-0. 47
SQUASH RETROSPECT. The School have had a successful start to the season, having won four matches and losing two, both to strong club sides. The School were without their second string, V. L. F. Davin, for several matches, but his place was ably filled by P. R. G. Graham. T. D. Ambler, the captain, has shown good form for the most part, but he has had several lapses, notably against F. Smith, Esq., in the Staff match. On the other hand, he gave M. Hollway an excellent game in the Buxton match. V. L. F. Davin has also played some good Squash, particularly against J. Hardman in the Devonshire Hall match. J. M. Rucklidge, the third string, has been very consistent throughout the term, and he finished well in extending the Harrogate third string to 8-10 in the fifth game. P. R. G. Graham and A. T. H. Wright also showed promise, and it is to be hoped that they will sustain their efforts. The standard of play amongst the rest of the School is rather low, and only J. R. Walters appears to have much idea of the game. The School will be represented in the Queen's Club Competition by V. L. F. Davin and J. R. Walters.
SQUASH. CHRISTMAS TERM, 1937. School v. F. Smith, Esq.'s Team. Sunday, October 10th.
The School were without their second string, V. L. F. Davin, who was injured. In the first match, T. D. Ambler met the former Yorkshire player, F. Smith. Mr. Smith was was too clever and experienced for Ambler, who was not on his best form. There were several long rallies with good stroke play, but they nearly always ended with one player or the other hitting the tin. J. M. Rucklidge played well to beat a former School player, D. Maclean, in three straight games. Rucklidge retrieved well, and he was always far too steady for Maclean, who did not appear to be on his best form. Rucklidge, after winning the first game 9-5, won the second to love, and although his opponent played better in the third game he was not able to recover. 48
P. R. Graham came in as a reserve for Davin and played J. R. Walters, also a last minute selection. Graham showed promising form in winning in four games after a hardhitting match. Scores:— T. D. Ambler (School) lost to F. Smith, Esq., 2-9, 5-9, 4-9. J. M. Rucklidge (School) beat D. Maclean, Esq., 9-5, 9-0, 9-5. P. R. Graham (School) beat J. R. Walters, 9-7, 5-9, 9-4, 9-3. School v. Devonshire Hall. Sunday, October 31st. T. D. Ambler played some good Squash to beat K. H. Champlin in three games. The first game was very even, Ambler winning it 10-8, but he then improved and only conceded 5 points in the next two games. V. L. F. Davin had a close and exciting game with the Hall second string, J. Hardman. Both players hit hard and there were many long rallies. Davin was the steadier player, though Hardman retrieved and rallied in a very strenuous manner, and this just carried him to victory in the fifth game. J. M. Rucklidge had an easy victory over A. N. Reid, who never seemed' to get going. Rucklidge made few mistakes and generally finished off the rallies better than his opponent. Scores: T. D. Ambler (School) beat K. H. Champlin, 10-8, 9-3, 9-2. V. L. F. Davin (School) beat J. Hardman, 9-7, 2-9, 9-5, 4-9, 9-4. J. M. Rucklidge (School) beat A. N. Reid, 9-1, 9-0, 9-4.
School v. C. R. Yeoman, Esq.'s Team. 7th.
Sunday, November
The School sustained their first defeat of the season, but were without their second string, V. L. F. Davin, who was indisposed. T. D. Ambler lost to M. Hollway, a former School captain, after a close and exciting match. Ambler played extremely well against an opponent who has had considerable experience in club play, and this turned the scale in Hollway's favour. Both players used drop and angle shots effectively and there were many long rallies. 49
J. M. Rucklidge lost to R. Faulkner, another experienced player. The first two games were very close, and Rucklidge reached game ball first in each of them. Faulkner used the drop very effectively, and this enabled him to win the third game fairly easily. P. R. Graham put up a good show against C. R. Yeomans, although he was beaten in three games. He lost the first game to love, but the second game was very close. Yeomans won) the third game fairly easily, his opponent showing signs of fatigue. Scores :— T. D. Ambler (School) lost to M. Hollway, 9-10, 7-9. 9-7, 4-9. J. M. Rucklidge (School) lost to R. Faulkner, 9-10, 8-10, 4-9. P. R. Graham (School) lost to C. R. Yeomans, 0-9, 9-10, 3-9. After the match Rucklidge was awarded his colours. School v. Leeds G.S. Sunday, November 21st. The School played Leeds G.S. after a lapse of three years. The School were without their second string, V. L. F. Davin, once more. T. D. Ambler beat R. H. Haworth in straight games in a good match. The first two games were close, but Ambler won the third more easily. He used the drop shot more effectively than his opponent, who tended to rely on hard hitting. J. M. Rucklidge had an excellent match with D. Warburton, whom he beat in four close games. Both players hit hard, and there were many long rallies, owing to the fine retrieving of both players. Rucklidge used the drop effectively on occasion, but relied chiefly on keeping to a length. P. R. Graham beat J. Dakin in a close five game match. Graham did well to win the first two games, especially after being led 8-2 in the second. He then lost the next two games but won the fifth to love. Scores :— T. D. Ambler (School) beat R. H. Haworth, 9-7, 9-7, 9-5. J. M. Rucklidge (School) beat D. Warburton, 9-6, 7-9, 9-7, 9-7. P. R. Graham (School) beat J. Dakin, 9-3, 10-8, 3-9, 7-9, 9-0. 50
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School v. The Staff. Friday, December 10th. The School beat the Staff in their usual 5-string match_ T. D. Ambler was badly beaten by F. Smith, Esq., who was in excellent form. The School player was very nervous and played many careless shots when in a good position. V. L. F. Davin just lost to G. S. Stead, Esq., in a close five-game match. Both players retrieved well, and there were many long rallies. J. M. Rucklidge beat H. A. Wrenn, Esq., in a close match, in which both players did a great deal of running. Rucklidge was the steadier player, however, and this enabled him to win in the fourth game. A. T. H. Wright was too experienced for J. S. Cooper, Esq., and he won in straight games without much difficulty. P. R. G. Graham had a close match with K. H. Rhodes, Esq., before winning in the fifth game. Mr. Rhodes recovered well after losing the first two games. Scores :— T. D. Ambler (School) lost to F. Smith, Esq., 0-9, 3-9, 1-9. V. L. F. Davin (School) lost to G. S. Stead, Esq., 9-3, 5-9, 10-9, 2-9, 7-9. J. M. Rucklidge (School) beat H. A. Wrenn, Esq., 9-2, 9-7, 4-9, 10-8. A. T. H. Wright (School) beat J. S. Cooper, Esq., 9-0, 9-5, 9-2. P. R. G. Graham (School) beat K. H. Rhodes, Esq., 9-0, 9-7, 7-9, 0-9, 9-3.
School v. Harrogate S.R.C. Sunday, December 19th. Played away. The School lost to Harrogate S.R.C. by two matches to one. The match was played in the St. George Hotel courts, as those of the Sports Club were under water. T. D. Ambler played well to beat Dr. G. B. Robinson in a five-game match. The School player used the drop and angle shots well, and he won the first game easily. He then lost the next two, but won the last pair quite easily, dropping only one point. V. L. F. Davin lost to F. Parkinson, Esq., after a fourgame match. Parkinson hit very hard, and this seemed to upset Davin, who was unable to find a satisfactory length. He played well, however, to win the second game.
51
,
J. M. Rucklidge lost to K. J. Jarvis, Esq., after the closest match of the afternoon. Rucklidge played well, his retrieving being of a very high standard. The final game was finely fought out, and Rucklidge had match-point at 8-6, but Jarvis then made a great effort and won the game, after 10 changes in hand, at 10-8. Scores :— T. D. Ambler (School) beat Dr. G. B . Robinson, 9-2, 6-9, 7-9, 9-0, 9-1. V. L. F. Davin (School) lost to F. Parkinson, Esq., 8-10, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9. J. M. Rucklidge (School) lost to K. J. Jarvis, Esq., 9-4, 7-9, 9-7, 7-9, 8-10.
CORRESPONDENCE. THE BRITISH SPORTS LETTER. 2 Copthall Buildings, London, E.C.2. December, 1937.
Dear Sir, I should be grateful if you could bring to the notice of your readers my new publication, " The British Sports Letter," the first number of which appeared on December 1st. In " The British Sports Letter " I will aim to give my subscribers, week by week, a topical, clear and detailed picture of games at home. Secondly, there will be a wide selection of Results so that they may follow regularly the activities of their particular Universities, Schools and Clubs. Thirdly, there will be a weekly-revised list of Coming Events—designed primarily to assist subscribers in fixing their Leaves. Fourthly, a Book Section will keep subscribers informed of the publication of all new sporting books, with a "potted" review of each. The subscription will be one guinea a year. I shall be pleased to send a specimen letter to anyone who may be interested on application to me at the above address. Thanking you, Sir, for allowing me a little of your valuable time, I am, Yours very truly, E. W. SWANTON. 52
St. Peter's School, York.
To the Editors of " The Peterite." Dear Sirs, In spite of the unusual lack of success this season, Mr. Stevenson has given us untiring coaching, for which I am deeply grateful. Thanks are also due to Mr. Rhodes for his excellent coaching of the Colts, while the Junior game has shown considerable promise under the combined supervision of Messrs. Stead, Smith and Wrenn. Our enjoyment of the matches has been greatly increased by the teas which have been so kindly supplied by Mrs. Baird. Yours faithfully, V. L. F. DAVIN, Captain of Rugger.. St. Peter's School, York.
To the Editors of " The Peterite." Dear Sirs, The success of the Squash matches is partly due to the splendid teas which have been so kindly provided by Mrs. Baird, whom I should like to thank. Yours faithfully, T. D. AMBLER, Captain : Squash Rackets.
THE JUNIOR SCHOOL. The Christmas term is usually thought to be a long one, but so many things happen that the term actually appears to go very quickly. This term has been just like that! An interesting and exciting event for all the boys of the Junior School was the day of the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen to York. We were given a special place to stand on the mound of Clifford's Tower (old boys will not know that the huge gaol wall has been taken down), and after rather a long wait we had an excellent view of the Queen—who, we feel sure, waved her hand to us, but the King was looking the other way. We gave a hearty cheer and then threaded our way through the crowds back to the School. Some of us, however, were small enough and ubiquitous enough to find our way to the Mansion 53
House, where we had another good view of the Royal party and of the ceremonial by the soldiers. In this account of the term we must mention the wonderfully fine Autumn weather which we had for our games days almost up to the end of November. Mr. Ping showed us a bunch of beautiful dahlia blooms he cut from the garden on November 13th. The Senior School, of course, found the hard, dry ground very unsuitable for playing Rugger, but we were able to have excellent games of Soccer on practically every one of our half-holidays. The various preparations for our Annual Gym. Display occupied our attention after half-term, but we were rather upset when a case of measles occurred, and we were doubtful as to how far the infection would spread. Fortunately, quite the majority of boys had already had measles and all these kept clear from any second attack. The Gym. Display was held on Wednesday, December 8th, and all but about a dozen boys were able to take part in it. In a short speech at the end of the Drill, the Headmaster said he was very pleased indeed with the work done by the boys, and that he was particularly impressed by the fact that all the boys did their bit and not just a special class. Sgt.-Major Puddick was heartily congratulated on his work and the choice of the graduated exercises. Parents and visitors were then invited to afternoon tea, which was provided in the New Building, and afterwards to the French Play which had been specially written and produced by Mr. K. H. Rhodes and Mr. J. S. Cooper. We were very pleased to welcome such a large number of parents and friends to our " show," an event which was first started in December, 1927. Towards the end of term we learnt that we were to lose Miss D. Turner, our Art Mistress, as she was to be married to Mr. R. M. Cooper—who was formerly a master on the staff of St. Peter's. Miss Turner has been with us for five years, and has helped many Olavites in many ways : we felt that she must have some mark of appreciation from St. Olave's for all she has done, and so at a special gathering of the Junior School on December 15th, John Denison (Head Boy of the School) presented a silver salver suitably inscribed. Of the many other doings of the term we may say that they would fill all the pages of " The Peterite " if they were written, and so we must omit detailed mention of the lectures and entertainments we attended, and of the earth work and demolitions we helped with, or of the crazes, clay 54
oven and paper aeroplanes, the snowballing and sledging, and we must take our leave of Christmas Term, 1937, with the hope that the Junior School will continue to flourish in work and in play no less successfully in the New Year.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
ST. OLAVE'S GYMNASTIC DISPLAY. Wednesday, December 8th, 1937. PROGRAMME. Song—" Where the bee sucks " Boys of Forms JIII and JIV Forms JI and JII Drill Form JIII Drill Songs— i " The Traction Engine " Forms JI and JII ii " The Huntsmen " Form JIV Drill Selected Boys Recitations Forms JV and JVI Drill INTERVAL FOR TEA. A Short Play in French ... Boys from Forms JV and JVI L'ASSASSINAT DU SULTAN OU LE CORPS DANS LE COFFRE-FORT. " God Save the King."
L'ASSASSINAT DU SULTAN OU LE CORPS DANS LE COFFRE-FORT. The Speaker: A. H. Terry. Characters in order of their appearance. La Princesse Haidee C. A. F. Cookson La Princesse Fatima R. E. Dodd Le Sultan d'Aboukir P. G. R. Dench Emile ConspirW. H. Wellburn Eustace ateurs J. K. Andrew Abdul, Vizir du Sultan G. D. Smith La Sultane d'Aboukir N. T. Barnes Une Vieille Bonne R. A. Stratton Ignace, Amant de la Princesse Haidee W. Amos 9 Un Assassin Un Detective J. A. Denison F. N. Goode Un Commis Voyageur R. T. Hey Une Dame 55
Tin Gendarme G. F. Ruddock Le President de la Republique Frangaise J. R. Penty Le General Feu-de-Joie P. M. Steele La Foule M. J. Dunn, R. L. Murray, D. L. Pryer, A. H. Terry et R. B. Wharldall Directeur de Musique : P. H. Sykes, Esq. Robes par Mrs. A. W. Ping. Souris blanches par F. N. Goode. Bombe par Messrs. Krupp, Dusseldorf. Parasol du Sultan par H. A. Milburn. STORY OF THE PLAY. The exiled Sultan of Aboukir, surrounded by his -enemies, awaits the help of the French at Marseilles. His daughter, Haidee, is just ready to run off with Ignace, a window-cleaner, when the Sultan is struck down by an unknown assassin. Two other plotters hide the body in order to escape suspicion, and the mystery is cleared up by the detective. All ends happily, as you are going to see.
G. F. Langdon. R. T. W. McDermid. J. R. Taylor. J. D. Davis. F. N. Goode. C. B. Kay.
SALVETE.
VALETE.
ST. OLAVE'S SCHOOL GAMES. During the greater part of this term we ran four games each half-holiday, but later the bad weather made some of the School pitches unplayable, and two games and a walk across country became the order of the day. We had two matches only, the first against Clifton House, Harrogate on Thursday, October 14th, whom we beat at York by 5 goals to nil. The outstanding feature of Our this match was the goalkeeping of our opponents. second match, again at York, was against Terrington Hall School on November 4th, and we won 4 goals to 1 on this occasion. 56
The following boys represented St. Olave's :—R. A. Stratton (Captain), Steele (Vice-Captain), Claybourn, Murray, R. D. Scott, Cookson, Dodd, J. A. Denison, Harnby, Garth and Hart. Walker played in place of Garth, who was ill, in the second match. In future the Senior game will play Rugger both of the Winter terms.
SCOUT NEWS. ST. PETER'S JUNIOR -TROOP. At the beginning of term we devoted all our Scout time in helping to clear the garden of Albany House of trees and shrubs. Some we chopped down and others we pulled up by the roots after loosening the surrounding soil. We had a magnificent tidying up bonfire one day towards the end of October, which was like " the burning fiery furnace " to approach. We again collected and distributed old toys, books, etc., to some poor York children just after term ended. Patrol Leader Dench and Scouts Wharldall and Wilson accompanied the Scoutmaster to the new Water Lane Estate and Huntington Road, where the gifts were much appreciated.
CUB REPORT. We welcome the following new members to the Pack:— Yellow Six : R. Sykes and Shearsmith Blue Six : G. Janes, Edinger and Firth. Red Six: D. Janes, J. Dench and Sim. Of these, both D. and G. Janes had already their first stars, and we hope that the others will quickly follow in their footsteps. Legat obtained his first star this term and is the Red Sixer. W. Stratton and E. Denison are in command of the Blue and Yellow Sixes respectively. The Yellow and Red Sixes tied in the Inter-Six competition with seventeen points each, and the Blue Six was three points behind. 57
I We have had the usual games and practices this term and finished off a full programme with a Treasure Hunt. The course was a tricky one, and even the last clue did not immediately reveal the whereabouts of the swag. Each clue contained one letter of the final message, " In the Baths." When this had been deciphered we were able to collect the treasure, an edible one, as usual.
CONTEMPORARIES. We acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of the following contemporaries, and apologise for any omissions: " The Ousel " (2), " The Dunelmian," " The Journal of the Royal Air Force College," " The Ampleforth Journal," " The Artists' Rifles Gazette " (2), " Ashville Magazine," " The Dovorian," " The Leodensian," " The Johnian," " The Sedberghian," " The Malvernian," " Cranleighan," " The Reptonian," " The Eagle," " St. Bees School Magazine," " The Scardeburgian," " The Haileyburian," " The Hymerian," " The Eastbournian," " The Giggleswick Chronicle," " The Dolphin Magazine," " The Merchistonian," " The Monktonian," " Danensis," " The Worksopian," " The Framlinghamian," " The Brighton College Magazine," " The Denstonian," " The Nottinghamian," " The Stoneyhurst Magazine," " The St. Peter's College (Adelaide) Magazine."
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