House Notes

In the Christmas holidays W. H. N. Fairweather won the Yorkshire Junior Amateur Squash Championship, beating R. Brew, of Doncaster Grammar School, in the fourth round 9-4, 10-8, 9-6. * * *

M. E. Kershaw, M. G. Goodburn and A. N. Wyatt-Gunning were selected to play for a Leeds and District XV against a Wharfedale XV, in which P. J. Blincoe played. The match was abandoned owing to frost, but Kershaw and Gunning were picked for a County trial.

Gunning played for the Yorkshire Schooboys XV v. the Welsh Schoolboys XV. * * *

Mr. E. P. Piers is now Headmaster of Jordan's Preparatory School, Ilminster, Somerset. Mr. A. E. R. Dodds, who was recalled to the forces in the summer, and is therefore temporarily absent from the Staff, has been serving in Korea for the past three months. * * *

The Christmas Term ended with the customary "Play Supper" and the generously festive combined House Supper, at which the Headmaster and Mrs. Dronfield were present as usual. The closing week of the Christmas Term is a busy time for the domestic staff, and we are indeed grateful to Miss Stevenson, our Domestic Supervisor, and to Miss Hingley and her kitchen staff for all they did on our behalf.

THE GROVE

We returned to the House to find that we were under a completely new regime as none of last year's monitors had returned. The common rooms and back stairs had been decorated. But the studies had not been touched and so willing hands started to cover the memories of their predecessors with pink, blue, and brown paint.

The painting completed, we settled down to the main business of the term, which was, of course, the retaining of the Senior and the winning of the Junior rugger cups. We managed the latter by beating first the Rise and then Temple. The Senior Cup still rests on our shelf, as we beat Temple and the Manor, only for the weather to intervene and save the Rise.

P. J. Blincoe is to be congratulated on gaining his 1st Cap, and D. I. Fletcher and R. M. Hodgson were awarded their Colours. N. M. Hodd captained the School 2nd XV and H. Murray was awarded his Second's Colours. G. B. Pullan was captain of the Colts XV, and as a result of their efforts for the House W. G. A. Maxwell and H. Murray were awarded their House Colours. 11

As a result of last year's efforts a new shelf has had to be erected in order to accommodate the Work Cup. We have already established a lead in this year's competition.

A large British Railways map of Yorkshire now hangs in the Hall and has been the subject of much adverse criticism from the small minority of "foreigners" in the House.

At the end of term we held our House competitions, our Housemaster again showing that he was an all-round sportsman by winning the darts !

THE MANOR

As each new school year begins, we look around the House with feelings akin to despair. How can the place survive, still less thrive, without the stalwarts who have left? The newcomers look wonderfully small. The new status of Junior Middles (or Senior Middles— or, dare we say, even of Seniors) sits uneasily on the shoulders of the newly-promoted. Surely last year's were not so lacking in dignity? Then there are new monitors, perhaps, one or two of them, somewhat anti-monitorial in outlook but a short six weeks before. But the annual miracle happens. All these fears prove unfounded, and the House really gets along quite well—not gloriously, in our case this term, perhaps, but not at all badly either. Our junior Rugger team lost to a more experienced Rise side, but our own feeling is supported by some neutral experts that the match revealed some promising material among our Juniors. The Senior XV lost in the last minute of the match with Grove after a remarkably even game. Grove likewise beat us on the post in the Work Cup by producing a couple of scholarships on H.S.C. results. Thus we ended term with the same number of cups as we started, though at one time it looked as if even those had been lost, for they disappeared from their shelf. They were speedily recovered, however (from the Grove, of all places) and though nothing was proved it was generally suspected that the culprits were the Debating Society Committee, who were faced with the problem of producing a crime for a mock trial at end of term.

Internal activities have shown much vigour. A knock-out chess competition won by Hunter had a large entry and aroused much interest. The squash ladder was climbed, upwards and downwards, by some twenty people, with Booth at the top when end of term came. The House Library is now an "open" one in the reading room, and is well patronised. The Hobbies Room equipment has been restored out of the Embellishment Fund, and besides the usual aircraft whose aerial performance is apt to be spectacular but short, has seen the production of a very pleasing model of the "Scillonian", and a good start on a paddle steamer which is ultimately intended to go by steam and is a veritable "Great Eastern" among model ships, being just five feet long. A new (and temporary) hobby emerged during the term in the keeping of pet mice, black and tan variety. The interest of this 12

hobby seems to lie in the battle of wits between the mice, who want

to get out, and the owners, who want to keep them in.

This term we lose two more of our already depleted Seniors, as Nicholson and Hunter are leaving. They are both House Colours,

and both have rendered great service to the House in many ways; we

shall miss their enthusiasm and support, and wish them the best of luck in the future.

THE RISE

All our hopes of taking the honours of the rugger season were dashed by the premature arrival of winter, which made the final game impossible The disappointment of not being able to play the final round for the Cup seems greater when one realises that not for many years now have we had such a representation in the four rugger teams

of the School. M. G. Goodburn, A. N. Wyatt-Gunning, M. C. M.

Lochore, D. T. Simpson, F. D. Browne, and P. D. James all played for the 1st XV. J. B. Annequin, W. J. Burdass, P. G. Taylor, R. Hawkins, and R. J. Kelsey for the seconds; Reid-Smith, Roe, Gudgeon, Dean and Markus for the Colts; and Bolton, Lewis, Moore, J. R., and Ibberson for the Junior Colts. M. G. Goodburn was reawarded his 1st XV Cap, A. N. Wyatt-Gunning did very well as he was awarded his Cap in his first season of playing for the XV. Quite

a record. M. C. Lochore and D. T. Simpson were awarded their 1st

XV Colours, F. D. Browne his 2nd XV, and E. A. M. Reid-Smith his Colts XV Colours.

In the holiday rugger which followed the end of term, there were

several of the 1st XV chosen for the Yorkshire Public Schoolboy

trials, and we are indeed proud to congratulate a Risite, A. N. WyattGunning, on being selected to play for Yorkshire against Durham and Wales.

Acting on a suggestion by a member of the House we decided to

be original, and equip ourselves with House rugger jerseys. They were bought very much "on the Q.T." so that we should surprise the School when we turned out in them for the House matches. The first match happened to be against School House, and they were so

inspired by the sight of them that for fifteen minutes we never moved

from our "25". However, after a hard fought tie, and the subsequent replay, we won through, only to be stopped playing the final by the bad weather. F. D. Browne, 'M. C. M. Lochore and D. T. Simpson were awarded their House Colours.

We saw quite a number of new faces among the Juniors at the beginning of the term, but they soon settled down and commandeered the Hobbies Room for their aeromodelling.

P. D. F. James, W. J. Burdass, and D. T. Simpson were appointed

House Monitors.

The Railway Club re-asserted itself after its summer recess under the guidance of D. Coverdale, and is now busy building lines according to the planned lay-out.

An attempt was made to foster more music practice among the House musicians, and soon after the beginning of term a piano was put in the Matron's room. One evening at the end of term, quite a successful sing-song was conducted by the Rise musicians, even though the room was rather crowded.

Finally we had to say goodbye to F. D. Browne, P. Buttrum, and M. A. Watson. We wish them good luck in their future careers.

SCHOOL HOUSE

We entered the new school year with high hopes and many resolutions; and although, looking back, it has not been a spectacular term, we claim •to have laid a firm foundation for a year of great promise in every sphere.

Upon our return we were greeted with the disheartening news that Mr. A. E. R. Dodds had been called up again, and, indeed, was already on his way to Korea. In his brief association with the House he showed great enthusiasm for all our activities; we thank him for his many efforts and look forward to his speedy return. In Mr. J. F. Lavender we have found a worthy successor, who has quickly established himself amongst us, and to whom we extend a hearty welcome.

We congratulate Knowlson on bringing back the Headship of the School into the House, and A. N. C. Smith on his School Monitorship. The new House Monitors, Gray, Hilton, Poole, and Smithson, are also to be congratulated on their appointments.

In games, though we did not achieve any outstanding success, considerable talent has been discovered in the Junior sections of the House, which is a healthy omen for the future. We congratulate Knowlson on his Vice-Captaincy of the School XV, Smith, A. N. C., on his 1st XV Cap and Fairweather and Hilton on their 1st XV Colours; also King on his 2nd XV Colours, Rhead on his Colts Colours, and the many Junior members of the House who secured places in the' unior Colts XV.

In the House matches, as seems to be becoming the custom, we held the Rise to a draw in the semi-final of the Senior event, but with a team depleted by injuries, we went down after a gallant struggle in the replay.

In the Junior House match, we lost to a superior Temple team. After these matches, Driver and Rhead were awarded their House Colours, and Macpherson, who in his first term played extremely well in the Senior House team, his Junior House Colours. 14

In the field of mental exertion, the House Chess team were successful in the semi-final against Temple, and we are confident that we shall retain the Cup.

The School Play was very nearly a House Play, since we had over half the cast, and with Rogers, Gray, Hilton, Rice, Smith, C. K., and Webster, P. H., we provided respectively the Lady (who was not for burning), the authoritative Humphrey, the mountainous and judicial Tappercoom, the innocent Alizon, the Chaplain, lightheaded and impractical, and the old catarrh-ridden mayor.

As we began the term with a farewell, so do we close with one, and to Knowlson we extend our best wishes for the future, together with our thanks for his many and successful exertions on behalf of the House.

TEMPLE

We can pride ourselves on having contributed much to the life of the School in this term. Templars have been prominent in most School activities both in and out of doors. We can, perhaps, find some consolation in this fact for our lack of tangible success in House competitions. While we hope that this order of loyalties will continue, we also hope to be able to gain more success in next term's House events.

New Juniors soon settled down into our routine, and almost before we had time to realise it, we were well into the School term. That classroom work has not been neglected may be deduced from our second position in the Work Cup. We should like to congratulate Bond, Drew and Danton on their success in the December School Certificate.

Temple provided a useful nucleus for the Choir, and we could say much, if only space would permit, on the singing of Good King Wenceslas in the Carol Service. Kershaw, Staines, and Riley displayed commendable histrionic ability in "The Lady's not for Burning", and Robinson, though not appearing on stage, played a not unimportant part in the production. Atkinson assisted in the playing of the interval music. In various School societies Templars have done good work. 1st XV Colours were awarded to Jagger and Ankers, though Kershaw, who was this season's Captain, and Robinson "capped" this achievement. Fawcett, Marshall and White played for the 2nd XV, and the latter was awarded his Colours. Taylor won his Senior Colts Colours, and Herring and Bough also played.

These individual successes augured well for House rugger. However, in spite of a great effort the Junior team were "finally" defeated. The team, especially the forwards, played skilful and robust rugger, and their ability to fight back led to the defeat of School House; and might, with a little more luck, have gained them a victory 15