The Junior School

First of all we should like to offer our sympathy to Miss Gypson, whose father died shortly after the end of term. He had been ill for some time, but his death came as a great shock.

When looking over last term, one is surprised at the great number of things which happened in so short a time. As soon as the General Knowledge was over and done, the "Rookeries" started, and many of the more enterprising stall-holders had made their fortunes in marbles before the ice and snow descended upon us. Then sliding, generally in the most unsuitable places, was the order of the day. After this cold spell, the thaw came quickly, and we just had time to play our one rugger match and be overwhelmingly defeated by St. Martin's before more snow than ever descended upon us, and boxing was the only alternative to somewhat boring walks.

The inter-House boxing resulted in a tie for first place between Ainsty and Elmet, with Alcuin one point behind. This year we gave points for the preliminary bouts, and chose the best and closest fights for the finals. Until nearly the end of February we were unable to play further games, but the fine weather in March gave us just enough time to complete the rugger and soccer House matches, as well as run off the cross-country events.

Alcuin won all their Senior rugger matches, and so gained the shield. Elmet had no difficulty in defeating their rivals in the Middles matches, which speaks well for their chances next year, and Wentworth carried off the honours in the Junior events.

The cross-country was won by Ainsty, with Wentworth a very close second. We ran the competition on the usual lines, each House running against the three other Houses in a league, and with a grand all-against-all championship on the last day. This seems to be as good a way as any of giving everyone exercise when there are not enough playing-fields to go round or when the grounds are unfit for play.

This has been the season of "selection exams.", and candidates have been kept hard at it this term. Boys have been pitting their brains, with varying success, against the wiles of no fewer than twelve different education authorities. No definite results are yet known, but we do know that several boys have already fallen by the wayside.

The health of the School, probably owing to the bad weather, has suffered a little. There has been no real epidemic, but for a very long time the sanatorium has been full or nearly full. We have never had as many as fifty boys away at once, but some two-thirds of the School has had at least one spell of absence, and several boys have had either a second whack of the same germ or else caught a rival disease after recovering from the first. 53

There has been one lecture, "Kangchenjunga Climbed", by Mr. George Band, which was greatly enjoyed by all of us. The slides were wonderful, and we were quite breathless at the speed with which we were taken up and down that mountain.

Our concert was one of the shortest, sharpest, and sweetest on record, for in under threequarters of an hour all the forms had sung, both pianists and violinists had been put through their paces, and the Choral Society had rounded off a very pleasant and varied programme. The Choral Society is a most successful innovation, open to all boys in the School who are interested.

Another innovation has been the formation of a Sunday choir, which has done much to improve the singing in Chapel. This choir sat in the nave choir stalls in the Minster during the Epiphany service. We now have a shortened order for Morning Prayer each Sunday instead of the old more informal service. On Palm Sunday we had the usual distribution of palms, followed by the reading of the gospel for the day in parts.

No fewer than sixteen candidates were prepared for confirmation by Mr. Pickard and all except one, who was ill, were confirmed by the Bishop of Selby on 15th March.

At the end of term we said goodbye to Mr. Jamieson, who has spent the last two terms with us as a temporary master. We wish him the very best of luck in the future, and we shall long remember him for his originality of thought and his great calm, which enabled him to carry on as usual through all disturbances.

VALETE (Easter Term, 1956)

D. C. Wilkes, Ainsty, J.vC. ST. OLAVE'S CROSS-COUNTRY

After the league had been run, it was clear that there was going to be a stern struggle for the shield between Ainsty and Wentworth. Wentworth, with their keen pack of Seniors, were the obvious favourites for that event, but Ainsty's Middles and Juniors were better, and it finally transpired that Ainsty won by the odd joint.

Armstrong, followed at a respectful distance by Humpherson, Watson, M. H., and Middleton in that order, proved that he was an unbeatable Senior. For the Middles, Wilkinson was unbeaten, too, throughout the season, and he had little difficulty in defeating his nearest rivals, Holgate, Carr, and Alexander Brining. In the Junior events Cloughton had won all three leagues, but he had an off-day and was unable to do better than 4th in the championship, Shannon, M., Hetherton, and Gilderdale all beating him. The following is a summary :- CHAMPIONSHIP

House League Juniors Middles Seniors Total Ainsty 6 3 2 2 13 Wentworth 6 2 1 3 12 Elmet 4 1 3 1 9 Alcuin 2 0 0 0 2 54

Result of Preliminary bouts—Ainsty 11, Alcuin 9, Elmet 8, Wentworth 5, Scoring : Two points for a winner, one point for a loser.

CONTESTS U. A. Alexander (Wentworth) beat M. A. Abel (Ainsty). J. C. Lacy (Elmet) beat D. H. Rhodes (Alcuin). C. I. D. Tomlinson (Wentworth) beat R. B. Daniel (Elmet). J. R. Coles (Alcuin) beat W. J. B. Ward (Ainsty). G. R. Monfort (Elmet) beat M. Sutcliffe (Alcuin). T. E. Giddings (Elmet) beat L. P. Dobson (Wentworth). R. L. Bruce (Alcuin) beat J. R. Brown (Wentworth). M. F. Pheasey (Ainsty) beat R. G. Armstrong (Wentworth). P. E. Jackson (Elmet) beat M. Shannon (Wentworth). M. Pickard (Ainsty) beat J. G. Wright (Alcuin). G. F. Eastaugh (Alcuin) beat G. W. Cloughton (Ainsty). G. A. Hart (Elmet) beat G. Gildener (Ainsty). Final Scores :—Ainsty and Elmet 13. Alcuin 18. Wentworth 12.

Major M. B. Marwood, 0.P., kindly acted as referee, and R.S.M. Marshall and Sgts. Webster and Heller were our most efficient judges. After the contest Major Marwood said that he was very pleased at the high standard of performance and congratulated R.S.M. Power on his coaching.

This year, there was a little comic relief when six volunteers engaged in one minute's blindfold boxing. This would have delighted the heart of St. Paul as an illustration to his exhortation to the Corinthians that each one should fight "not as one that beateth the air".

WORK SHIELD—EASTER TERM

Ainsty 9.06; Wentworth 8.34; Alcuin 8.15; Elmet 8.11.

GAMES CUP

Event Ainsty Alcuin Elmet Wetztivosth Boxing 24 24 — Football ... 1 0 6 3 Cross-country 10 3

OLAVITE INVASION OF THE LAKE DISTRICT

For the first time a large party of Olavites, aided and abetted by Messrs. Cooper, Gaastra and Pemberton, descended like a wolf on the fold upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of the Lake District. Early on 17th April, we assembled in the booking-hall of York Station, thereby seriously impeding passenger traffic. Olavite caps having previously been banned, some variety of sporting headgear was to be expected, but the glorious apparel which covered our heads came as a bit of a surprise. From Mr. Cooper's red pom-pom to Pickard's felt attrocity which had been passed on to him by his granny via a local scare-crow, there was a wild diversity of creations which 55

would have done credit to the Sherpas of an Everest expedition. Humpherson's and Lacy's Mongolian rhapsodies were matched by Baldwin's P.O.W. special, but the crowning masterpiece had not yet appeared. Two days later, Shannon picked up a battered trilby on the slopes of Catbells, and this hat had more character than all the rest of them put together.

It was soon apparent that our main armament was two mouth organs, one hunting horn and a recorder, but a powerful catapult joined us at Darlington and enjoyed a checkered existence until finally confiscated. En route we lost two fine caps out of windows, but no further accidents ensued.

On arrival at Keswick we left our luggage at the station, and Mr. Pemberton set the pace up Skiddaw to such good effect that it soon became obvious that there was a chance of reaching the top. Incidentally, an old injury attacked Mr. Pemberton's knee and he did the rest of the trip more or less on one leg (greatly to the relief of the slower gentry). We left eight of our number on the slopes of Jenkin Hill and, whilst Mr. Gaastra and Mr. Pemberton assaulted Little Man, the rest of us pelted along the crest to the summit. It was cold on the tops, and we were pleased to get down again after our first taste of the rarified air at three thousand feet. 18th April. By bus to Scales and a leisurely walk up Saddleback. We had our lunch at Scales Tarn and the party then divided, some reaching the top to the left of Tarn Crags and others mounting by Sharp Edge, which proved just a little too sharp for comfort in certain quarters. We all assembled on the top and watched the Peterites far below us get out of the train at Threlkeld and start on their way up. We then walked along Knowe Crags and came down to Derwentfolds, walking back to Keswick through Brundholme Woods. 19th April. By launch across Derwentwater to Hawse End, and a walk along the shore to Low Brandelhow, where we went off on our own. Rather more of us bathed than there were costumes and towels to go round, and several of the party showed themselves to be masters at ducks and drakes. Some of us went up Catbells, again getting a glimpse of the Peterites below, others climbed trees and Williams regaled himself with a quiet game of patience on the pier. Later we continued the tour of the lake by launch and we finished up the day with an hour's rowing. There were no casualties. 20th April. By bus to Stonethwaite, then a long grind fully laden up Greenup. After lunch we all reached the top of High Raise, and the more energetic went to Thunacar Knott and Harrison Stickle before joining the "slow train" for tea at Codale Tarn. It seemed rather a long way down to Grasmere, but we made it in good time. 21st April. A pleasant ramble to Ambleside. First of all, we were suitably impressed by a pilgrimage to Wordsworth's grave (one of our number not knowing who Wordsworth was because he was no 56

good at classics). We had lunch by Rydal Water and then made our own way to the Roman Fort near Ambleside, where we had tea. Some of us scrambled on Loughrigg and others did some boating on Lake Windermere. 22nd April. Church at Rydal, where our songs of praise were somewhat drowned by the extremely powerful singing of a local girls' school. We then went up Fairfield via Heron Pike, and returned to Ambleside via Dove Crag. From the top of Fairfield the more energetic, were led by our speedsters, Wilkinson and Brisby, and pursued perspiringly by Mr. Cooper, who was robbed of third place when Sessions shot past him, reached the top of St. Sunday Crag. It was a wonderful day and a marvellous ridge walk for most of the time. 23rd April. Our big effort. We took a bus to Dungeon Ghyll and then started on our way to the top of Scafell Pikes. We made good time up Rossett Gill and, after a breather at Angle Tarn, reached Esk Hause for lunch. We were all at the summit by 2-15, and Humpherson, by doing a handstand on the cairn, claimed that his feet had got higher than anyone else's in England. On our way down, the ambitious ones bagged Broad Crag, Ill Crag and Great End. Headlam was most careful to notch his stick at each named peak, with the result that there are now more notches than stick. At Esk Hause violent action had to be taken to speed up the sluggards, but we all got down to the bus with a couple of minutes to spare. We were very pleased with ourselves that the whole party had got to the top. 24th April. Home again, a good time having been had by all. We hope to repeat the performance next year.

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