Old Peterite News and Oxford Letter

In 1902 he had entered the service of the North Eastern Railway Company under Sir George Gibb, and in 1906 removed to London when Sir George Gibb became General Manager of the Metropolitan District and London Electric Railways. In 1907 he was transferred to the staff of Mr. A. H. Stanley, who later became Lord Ashfield. In 1909 he became Traffic Development Officer and in 1912 Commercial Manager. In 1921 he became Joint Assistant Managing Director of the Companies of the Underground Group, and in 1924 assumed full administrative control under Lord Ashfield. From 1933 to 1940 he was Vice-Chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board. In 1940 he became Director General of the Ministry of Information, and in 1941 took over special duties in connection with traffic on Canals and Inland Waterways.

Frank Pick was a foundation member of the Institute of Transport and became President in 1932. He served on several Government Committees and Royal Commissions, and was Chairman of the Council for Art and Industry. He was one of the founders of the Design and Industries Association.

He died on 7th November, 1941.

OLD PETERITE NEWS

LONDON DINNER, 1951

The London Dinner of the Club was held at Brown's Hotel, Dover Street, W.1, on Wednesday, 7th November, 1951.

The Chair was taken by John Rodgers, M.P. for Sevenoaks, Kent. Mr. S. M. Toyne proposed the toast of "The School", to which the Head Master replied. The toast of "The Old Peterite Club" was proposed by F. W. B. Pacey, and Dr. M. T. Clegg replied.

In the course of the evening it was suggested informally that the Club should endow a prize in memory of the late Frank Pick. A spontaneous collection realised an amount of some £50. The "Frank Pick Prize for Design" will therefore be competed for annually at the School.

The 1952 London Dinner will be held on Wednesday, 12th November. Further details will be given in the next two issues of "The Peterite".

The following forty-eight Old Peterites attended the Dinner :—

Archer, L. H. J., 1922-26. Atkinson, E. G. B., 1920-24. Baddeley, W. D., 1915-19. Black, V. M., 1935-41. Booth, R. M., 1941-49. Cadell, T. W. P., 1919-23. Camm, J. P., 1927-31. Claybourn, G. R., 1942-46. Clegg, M. T., 1901-07. Colley, W. H., 1901-07. Cooper, A. B., 1927-31. Crombie, I. F., 1918-26. Denison, J. A., 1938-42. Dixon, J. B., 1932-36.

Douglas, F. H., 1923-28.

Rodgers, J. C., 1919-25. Dowson, R. E., 1927-29. Scholefield, C. E., 1915-20. Dronfield, J. (Head Master). Scholefield, John, 1920-25. Easten, J. A., 1881-90. Scholefield, Joshua, 1919-24. Eccles, J. D., 1940-45. Sergeant, C. W. H., 1913-14. Elliott, W., 1923-28. Sergeant, J., 1913-16. Fergusson, J. D., 1920-27. Sewell, E. P., 1918-23. Gedge, J. B., 1916-20. Stratton, W. A., 1935-45. Gray, B. A. C., 1911-21. Thompson, H. A., 1933-39. Hunter, 0., 1918-23. Toyne, S. M. (Head Master). Johnson, A. N., 1918-20. Wall, L. J. L., 1927-31. Metcalfe, R. H., 1913-18. Wright, P. J., 1942-45. Millhouse, G., 1912-13. Yardley, N. W. D„1928-34. Pacey, F. W. B., 1921-27. Yeoman, W. G., 1911-16. Pattinson, J. L., 1915-16. Guests. Pawle, S. G. S., 1927-31. Kershaw, E. ("Yorkshire Post"). Pearson, G. E., 1918-20. Pick, M., 1902-08. Woodward, F. H. (Archbishop Holgate's Society).

HONOURS

Major B. J. Eastwood (School House, 1930-36) has been awarded the O.B.E. for his services as D.A.A. and Q.M.G. of the 29th Brigade in Korea.

In the New Year's Honours A. S. Rymer (1913-21) received the O.B.E. for his work as Chairman of the York Festival Committee.

APPOINTMENTS

W. P. Allen, M.C. (1901-07), has been appointed Assistant to Commercial Superintendent (Freight), York, by British Railways. He was formerly District Goods Superintendent, Newcastle. His railway service began in 1910, when he joined the North Eastern Railway.

After serving in World War I, in which he was commissioned and awarded the Military Cross, he returned to York, where he held three appointments until 1927, when he became Dock Superintendent, Middlesbrough.

In 1940 Allen became District Goods and Dock Manager at West Hartlepool, and during his stay there was Chairman of the Port Emergency Committee, Ministry of War Transport, and member of the Hartlepools Port and Harbour Commission.

During the time he was Acting District Goods Manager at Hull (1943 to 1945), he was Deputy Chairman of the Port Emergency Committee, Ministry of War Transport, and a member of the Humber Conservancy Board.

While at Newcastle Mr. Allen was a member of the Blyth Harbour Commission.

D. V. Hewitt has been appointed Head Master of the York Minster Choir School. He left St. Peter's with a Choral Scholarship at King's College, Cambridge.

LONDONDERRY CUP

In the first round of the Squash Competition for the Londonderry Cup the O.P. team was beaten by Stowe, by four matches to one, at the Naval and Military Club on 12th December. The O.P. team was J. T. Brockbank, G. Pawle, N. W. D. Yardley, C. K. Hudson, and B. A. C. Gray. The detailed results were :

P. Sherrard beat J. T. Brockbank (9-1, 9-6, 9-7). N. Rowlands beat G. Pawle (9-6, 9-7, 9-4). R. Lush beat N. W. D. Yardley (9-7, 5-9, 9-1, 9-6). F. Hird lost to C. K. Hudson (1-9, 6-9, 7-9). T. Johnson beat B. A. C. Gray (9-1, 9-0, 9-1).

"THE MAUL"

A letter published in "The Times" of the 17th December, 1951, in the course of some interesting correspondence on old rules of rugger, is of incidental concern to Peterites. The L. E. Stevenson mentioned entered St. Peter's in 1878. He was capped for Scotland, and his name appears in the School Athletic Sports records, which begin in 1870, as the holder of the record for putting the weight. His record was established in 1883, the very year mentioned in the letter below, and held good, presumably, until the abolition of the event. We have been unable to identify the match to which Mr. H. Stanley Stephenson refers. W. J. P. Kaye was also at St. Peter's, entering in 1876, and it may be that it was a game between the School and an O.P. side. The letter is as follows :—

To THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES

Sir,—Mr. J. H. Bowman's account of the maul is not quite complete. A maul took place if a player was collared inside the goal-line before he had touched down. It proceeded at once without any pause for the referee. I, too, have a vivid recollection of a maul which took place on the ground of St. Peter's School, York, in about the year 1883, between L. E. Stevenson—afterwards a Cambridge Blue and international—and W. J. P. Kaye : and they were both on their feet. The referee at that time was called an umpire. Soon after this time two umpires were introduced, one for each end of the ground, presided over by a referee. This was not found satisfactory, and there was soon a return to one umpire, who continued to be called a referee. This accounts for the use of the word in football generally instead of umpire. With regard to minor points, they counted only if the score was otherwise equal. A single goal was worth more than any number of tries. Your faithfully,

H. STANLEY STEPHENSON.

Melbury, Chestnut Grove, Fleet, Hampshire. 11

It may be of interest to quote Mr. J. H. Bowman's version of "The Maul", which is queried in the above letter. He wrote on the 14th December : ". . . A maul took place when the referee was doubtful whether the ball was touched down over or just on the opponents' goal line by an attacking player. Two of the strongest from each side lay on the ground facing each other and each grasped and encircled the ball with both arms. On a signal from the referee the wrestle for the ball began, and the one who wrested the ball from the other and touched down was the winner. If he was of the attacking side, that side was awarded a try. The spectators at that end of the field swarmed on to the ground, watching the wrestle. . ."

`ST. Ph1hR'S SCHOOL SCRATCH FOURS'

Another item of antiquarian interest arises from the presentation to the School, by Mr. Basil Gray, of Sheffield, of a pewter tankard which belonged to his uncle, the late Edwin Gray, who was at St. Peter's from 1861 to 1865 and proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of LL.B. The tankard is inscribed : "St. Peter's School Scratch Fours", and gives the names of the crew, with their respective colleges at Cambridge, and the date, 7th December, 1865. The names are R. Hey (Lady Margaret), E. Gray (1st Trinity), J. M. Meek (1st Trinity), B. Walker (Trinity Hall), stroke, and J. T. Richardson (St. Catherine's), cox. We have no knowledge of the race or races which the tankard commemorates. The year (1865) is prior to continuous publication of "The Peterite". Perhaps there are descendants of the participants who can give further information?

Of the names mentioned on the tankard, only that of Edwin Gray appears in the School records. He was elected as a founder vicepresident of, the O.P. Club at the inaugural meeting on 20th December, 1887, when the Rev. H. M. Stephenson, the Head Master of the day, was made the first President. The formation of the Club was the result of an informal preliminary meeting convened at the School by Mr. Stephenson in September of the previous year.

In 1902 Edwin Gray, then Lord Mayor of York, presided over the O.P. Dinner at which a presentation from the Club was made to J. R. Parker ("James"), who had been Porter at the School since 1865. From the list of Old Peterites who attended this particular Dinner it would appear that in those days St. Peter's was the mainstay of the City of York. Besides the Lord Mayor, it included F. Shann (Sheriff of York), R. P. Dale (Town Clerk), J. R. Wood (Coroner), T. B. Whytehead (Clerk to the Dean and Chapter), E. R. Dodsworth (Clerk to the Governors), as well as three or four City Councillors.

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ITEMS

R. S. F. Webber, Lieut., R.N. (1938-42), sailed for home on the 29th December after 13 months' service in Korea in the frigate "Rotoriti". His wedding in New Zealand on 5th December is formally noted elsewhere.

J. B. Nicholson (1941-50) received complimentary note in the Press accounts of •the crashing of an R.A.F. bomber on the Scarborough-Beverley railway line towards the end of November. Nicholson was working on the land in the vicinity of the disaster, and with great presence of mind prevented a further accident by stopping an approaching train just in time. He then assisted in rescuing the bomber crew from the wreckage. BIRTH PENNISTON.—On 8th January, 1952, at Fallodon Nursing Home,

Leeds, to Barbara Mary (nee Parker), wife of Peter Penniston—a son (Simon Rupert Thomas) MARRIAGES BRINDLEY—BEER. On 8th September, 1951, at St. Matthias'

Church, London, Peter Charles Brindley, third son of Mr. and

Mrs. C. Brindley, 17 Ladywood Avenue, Petts Wood, Kent, to

Miss Joyce E. Beer, daughter of Mrs. E. M. Beer, now of Oakfield

Park, near Bath, Somerset. [1940-45.] WEBBER—COCHRANE. On 5th December, 1951, at the First

Church of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, Lieut. R. S. F. Webber,

R.N., to Miss Wendy Cochrane, of Dunedin, New Zealand. [1938-42.]

ENGAGEMENTS HUNTLEY—NEWTON. The engagement is announced between

William Gregson Huntley, only son of Mr. and Mrs. W. G.

Huntley, of 6 Ashwood Terrace, Sunderland, and Joyce, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. Newton, of 18 Netherburn Road,

Sunderland. [1939-43.] MURRAY—MACKINTOSH. The engagement is announced between Captain Ronald L. Murray, Royal Signals, elder son of

Mr. and Mrs. Wilfrid Murray, of York, and Eileen, daughter of

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Mackintosh, of Jamaica (formerly of

Didsbury, Manchester). [1936-43.] STUART—WHITTAM. The engagement is announced between

J. E. Stuart and Margaret Whittam, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. K. Whittam, of 3 Branxton Crescent, Newcastle-on-

Tyne. [1943-48.] SYKES—JAMES. The engagement is announced between Peter

Robin, only son of Mr. and Mrs. P. H. Sykes, of Glenhow,

Saltbum-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, and Pamela Susan, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. S. James, of Heneage Court, Falfield,

Gloucestershire. [1942-47.]

OXFORD. January, 1952.

Dear Sirs,

May we, at the start of this letter, apologise for the absence of an Oxford Letter in your last issue. One of our number did mutter something to the effect that he would write the letter for the Trinity Term, and we left it at that. However, in the Long Vac. he must have either mislaid the various items of pernicious gossip with which this letter is traditionally filled, or else left the composition until later, in the face of long months of rest ahead, only to find that it was then too late. Anyway, we hope this letter reaches you in time and that someday our colleagues at "the other university" may spring to life again.

The term has been one of extremely bad weather, as no doubt was your term at York. When the sun did shine, however, we took the opportunity of acquainting ourselves with the new faces in our somewhat small band. The main events of the term have been Robin Sykes' engagement, which is doubtless announced in your issue elsewhere, and "the contest" at Twickenham, where your scribe was present to see honour duly satisfied. You may have read with interest about the launching of the Leviathan, which some of us were lucky enough to witness. May we point out that it is intended to use it for training purposes only and not for the Boat Race itself.

The "New Boys" mentioned above number three.

A. R. Royle (B.N.C.) is joyfully exploring new ground as far as motor vehicles are concerned and has already paid at least one visit to the Morris Works. He seemed to spend most of the term entertaining and being entertained. He should go far in the Oxford world !

H. Murray (Jesus) spends his time holding mammoth tea parties and is rumoured to have rowed for his college in the Long Distance Eights. Doubtless we shall be seeing him on the river "Toggers".

I. G. Cobham (Magdalen) remained an unknown quantity until he appeared near the end of term. He was unfortunate enough to have some exams at the end of his first term and seems to have spent his time working and also shooting—at what, we were unable to discover.

W. S. Samuels (Wadham) is yet another unkown quantity. In fact it is quite an event even to catch so much as a glimpse of him with all his familiar mannerisms. He was seen once walking, as usual, on the other side of the road.

J. C. M. Rayson (B.N.C.) was seen in the Parks once or twice during the summer, fielding cover-point as usual, but he has resolved

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