300th of a series which began in 1879. A record of 63 years' unbroken publication is one in which we may take justifiable pride. But, in fact, the " Peterite " is of still older lineage, since there was an earlier series of which the first number appeared in the Winter Term of 1873. For some time after its inception the magazine was published no less than eight times in a year—three times in the Summer and Winter Terms and twice in the Spring Term—a fact which is at once a tribute to the industry of its compilers and a reflection of those more leisurely days when life at school (as in the world at large) moved at an unhurried tempo. It is hoped, when circumstances permit us to be more expansive, to delve a little into history and reproduce in our pages some of the more interesting extracts from " Peterites " of long ago. The note from the Headmaster, which we print below, will doubtless be accepted as sufficient explanation of the delay in the publication of this number.
THE AIR ATTACK ON YORK. A NOTE BY THE HEADMASTER In the recent raid on York, which took place a few days before the Summer Term was due to re-open, the School buildings suffered some damage, both from fire and blast. It is very greatly to the credit of everyone that we were able• to begin the Summer Term twelve days after the raid, and to resume all our normal activities. Two dormitories in School House, known to generations of Old Peterites as the " Long " and the " Incubator," were burnt out, and the front half of Clifton Rise was also destroyed by fire. The temporary loss of this boarding accommodation had made certain rearrangements necessary, but we have managed to house all our boarders this term and to resume normal activities after an interruption of barely a week. Plans are being worked out which will make it possible next September to have three boarding houses, but we cannot at this stage give full details, since the first arrangements will depend upon the extent to which we are able to rebuild.
