The Junior School

The very mild weather at the start of last term was the only variant in the usual set scheme of things, for the General Knowledge paper on the first Saturday was not corrected before the "rookeries" came out in force in both authorised and unauthorised places. They flourished exceedingly for a brief spell, but lived their usual short life in spite of the fact that there was no snow to stop them. When the number of stall-holders exceeds the number of would-be customers, such pastimes are bound to die a natural death, and genuine games of marbles took their place. What was a big swerve from tradition was the growth of a series of shallow excavations into which the marbles were pitched from a distance, and, appropriately enough, the game of "holey" extended well into the season of Lent. There were, in fact, some important games to be finished after the holidays had started.

Throughout the term, we seemed to be beset with one exam. or another, and the time is upon us when results come streaming in. We held our own entrance exams. early in March, and altogether much energy was spent in trying to hoodwink the longsuffering examiners. The Work Shield competition has been going on with some intensity, and the closeness of the competition has made prophecy a very risky business.

We played two school rugger matches, both at home. In a mudbath we held St. Martin's to a pointless draw, and we gained our revenge on Drax by beating them 12-6. These results were most satisfactory, and make our final table of results look slightly more fit to be published. The various inter-House events for the Games Cup continued smoothly and, with boxing, cross-country and football finished, we are half-way through the year's programme.

The Archaeological Society has held two Friday meetings, one in the Yorkshire Museum, where Mr. Wilmott showed us the Roman exhibits, and the other in the lecture theatre, where Mr. Hartley, from Leeds iJniversity, gave a most interesting survey of the RomanoBritish period. Many of his excellent slides were of places and things outside our area, which helped to give us a more complete picture. Mr. Pemberton has started a Music Society, whose meetings are also held on Friday afternoons. The Society was inaugurated by a swing session given by Jesper and J. R. Shannon. During the term, a wellprinted (and spelt) newspaper, "The 5th Form Gazette", was

launched, and it is to be hoped that P. C. N. Brown and P. Richardson, together with their right-hand man, Bell, will have the strength to keep up the standard.

Scouting and Cubbing have flourished, and a most successful camp fire under the direction of Mr. Johnston was held in the Scout

Hut one Saturday evening in February. Mr. Chilman went up to

London on 22nd February to attend the service in Westminster Abbey

which marked both the centenary of the birth of the Founder and fifty years of Scouting.

As usual, we attended the Epiphany Service in York Minster, and our Choir sat in the nave choir stalls. On Ash Wednesday we had the Litany in Chapel, and five Olavites were confirmed by the Archbishop of York at the confirmation service held on 14th March.

On 20th March we had our School Concert, which repeated last year's success. The standard of performance was good, and the whole concert was lively and enjoyable. The violin playing was noteworthy, and Miss Wainscoat is to be congratulated on producing very fine results in the two terms that she has been with us. We wish her the best of luck in her new job.

As soon as term had ended, two parties of Olavites set out, the one to Paris and the other to the Lake District. Both were highly successful and, in their several ways, did much to broaden the outlook of all who went on them.

In spite of seventeen cases of chicken pox and five of German measles, there were fewer boys absent through illness this term than there were before Christmas. Exactly 100 boys missed at least one day, 20 of them from J.1, and the greatest number away on any one I day was 23.

INTER-HOUSE EVENTS CROSS-COUNTRY

The Cross-country seemed very open this year, and after the leagues it was by no means clear who would win. Ainsty Juniors, who had won all their leagues, were unexpectedly beaten by Alcuin, but by coming second in the Middles and first in the Seniors Ainsty finished clear winners. Alcuin, who had started the day behind both Ainsty and Elmet, managed to beat the latter by half a point.

The individual winners were all unbeaten throughout the season. Middleton had won all his league races very comfortably, but Wilkinson made a valiant effort in the championship and came very close to winning the Senior event. Carr beat Sessions for third place. In the Middles, Bowling followed his usual practice of following his team-mate Brining for the first part of the race and then overtaking him at his leisure. Shannon, M., came a good third. Coles was a clear-cut winner in the Junior event, Dew and Vooght being second and third.

It is interesting to note that Ainsty, with one third place, gained fewer spoons than any of the other Houses, which shows that teamwork counts in cross-country as much as in football or cricket.

The following is a table of results :-

CHAMPIONSHIP House Leagues juniors Middles Seniors Total Ainsty Alcuin Elmet 6 2 2 3 13

FOOTBALL (Seniors and Middles Rugger, Juniors Soccer)

As last year, each House played the other three Houses, but the system of scoring has been revised. Counting 3 for a Senior win, 2 for a Middle win, and 1 for a Junior win, the House with the highest total gains the Shield and 20 points towards the Games Cup. The second House gains 8 points and the third House 4. Alcuin Seniors and Ainsty Middles were unbeaten, also Wentworth Juniors who had

one win and two draws.

RESULTS

House Alcuin Elmet Ainsty Wentworth Seniors Middles Juniors Total 9 2 2

13 6 4 14 11i 3 6 0 0 i 911, 2 2

BOXING

The usual Boxing Tournament was held on 27th February, and a very satisfactory afternoon resulted. In the preliminary bouts, 4 points were awarded to Elmet, 3 to Alcuin, 2 to Ainsty, and 1 to Wentworth. One point was given to the winner in each contest. The Houses finished in the order in which they had started, Elmet winning the Shield which they shared with Ainsty last year. We should like to thank Captain Gardiner and his assistants for their help in refereeing and judging.

RESULTS W. N. Marshall (Elmet) beat A. W. H. Powell (Alcuin). G. R. Monfort (Elmet) lost to R. A. Wood (Alcuin). T. C. C. Harris (Ainsty) lost to J. R. Coles (Alcuin). R. J. Bowling (Elmet) beat J. C. Abel (Ainsty). P. W. Shepherd (Elmet) beat A. E. Moss (Wentworth). G A. Barber (Elmet) lost to D. J. Emsley (Ainsty). E. E. B. Stark (Ainsty) beat J. H. Starkey (Alcuin). H. A. King (Elmet) lost to J. R. Dalkin (Alcuin). R. E. Bryan (Elmet) lost to C. I. D. Tomlinson (Wentworth). M. C. M. Jesper (Ainsty) lost to R. L. Bruce (Alcuin). J. D. M. Hackney (Elmet) beat M. R. Hornby (Wentworth). A. S. Brining (Elmet) beat R. M. Fawcett (Alcuin).

GAMES CUP

Alcuin Ainsty Elmet Wentworth Boxing (5, 2, 1) ... 2 1 5 0 Football (20, 8, 4) ... 20 4 8 0 Cross-country (15, 6, 3) 6 (28) 15 (20) 3 (16) 0 (0) Athletics (15, 6, 3) ... — — — Cricket (20, 8, 4) ... Swimming (10, 4, 2)

Term Christmas Easter

WORK SHIELD

Alcuin Ainsty Elmet Wentworth 16.17 15.53 15.19 15.24 8.43 9.27 8.14 8.44

LAKE DISTRICT HOLIDAY, 1957

At 8-15 on the morning of '2nd April, a party of 36 boys and four masters cluttered up the booking-hall of York Station. A collection of hats even more surprising than last year's surmounted some very touching costumes (whose main weakness proved some days later to be in the seat of the pants). For originality Wakefield's Astrakhan special won the prize, but no fewer than four generations of female relatives (granny, mum, sister and daughter) had been pillaged to supply our needs. We travelled to Keswick without mishap and immediately crossed Derwentwater to High Brandelhow by launch. We then split into two parties, Messrs. Pemberton and Gaastra taking a select few to Longthwaite via Castle Crag, whilst the main body went up to Maiden Moor. The low road party had few excitements, apart from seeing some of the main body descend like a cataract into their midst from a highly unlikely precipice. Messrs. Chilman and Cooper, however, had some difficulty in keeping their flock together on high, and were to be seen quartering the landscape in search of stragglers like a couple of elderly but enthusiastic truffle hounds. Having gathered together what they could, they descended sedately by Rigghead quarries, and were relieved to find that the Gadarene section, who had lost themselves in spite of innumerable maps, three compasses and a clear day, had reached hostel level in one piece. 3rd April. Not a very promising day. Everyone proceeded up Sourmilk Gill, but we divided into two sections before entering the mists on the slopes of Base Brown. Mr. Chilman tried the tops with the slow train but wisely retreated to the lower country, whilst the rest slogged up Base Brown and along to Green Gable. We went down to Windy Gap, and had a cold picnic still in thick mist. After this festive meal some ten frozen creatures, led by Mr. Cooper, plunged down to Styhead Tarn by way of Aaron Slacks, whilst the remainder completed the ascent of Great Gable. We rejoined at the bottom and decided to go along the traverse to watch the climbers. This was most interesting, and well worth the journey. By the time that we had reached Nape's Needle, it was raining quite hard, so we retraced our steps and had tea in the lee of a wall at Stockley Bridge. It continued to drip on us until we got back to the Longthwaite hostel. 4th April. After a very wet night, the weather looked anything but settled. We packed up and started in two sections for Buttermere. One party set out for Dale Head by Rigghead quarries, whilst the rest proceeded up the Honister Pass by the Old Coach road. At the top of the Pass we had a little dispiriting rain, but happily it did not last long. Mr. Chilman took the footsore and fainthearted gentlemen by easy stages down the Buttermere side of the Pass, and the remainder went up Dale Head, meeting the Rigghead party on the summit. All then went on together, and the cloud, which had been 64

clinging to the top three hundred feet, rolled away. We passed along the ridge to Hindscarth, and had lunch out of the wind on the col between Hindscarth and Robinson. After this, Robinson was climbed and we got down to Buttermere well before the hostel was open. We had tea at the foot of the Sourmilk Gill which flows from Red Pike and passed the time dropping boulders into the river from the footbridge. It was fortunately discovered quite early on that a wall was being used as an ammunition dump. Soon we were at the very comfortable hostel, and the excellent soup at our first meal there will long remain a pleasant memory.

5th April. A little dull at the start but beautiful later on. All of us did the circuit of Crummock, first climbing to the head of Rannerdale. Some walked down the valley past the scene of the battle, whilst others walked along the top of Low Bank, having a good scramble down to the shores of the lake. We then ambled along the Eastern shore, and had lunch in the woods at the end of the lake. There we watched some expert timber-felling before going round the foot of the lake to Gillerthwaite. At this spot we divided, the steadies keeping to the shore whilst the more energetic climbed Mellbreak, a very fine and exciting mountain for its size. We all met on the beach at the foot of Ling Crags and several boys, egged on at a safe distance by the more irresponsible members of the staff, had a quick bathe. Not far from this spot the very dead body of a fox was found, and some of its smellier portions travelled all the way to Keswick with us before mysteriously (and mercifully) vanishing. A tame taxidermist in the party is not entirely a good thing, but it taught us the difference between windward and leeward. Many of us could not resist climbing on Ling Crags before returning to the hostel.

6th April. A lovely day, though not too hot. At this stage Gartside had most unfortunately to retire hurt on account of an attack of asthma. Everyone had a tough day, for we went up Red Pike by Scales Force, and had lunch near Chapel Crags. We then did High Stile and High Crag, getting a wonderful view of Pillar across the valley. At Scarth Gap a flying column went out ahead, but everyone reached the top of Hay Stacks, a most attractive place full of tarns and unexpected knobs. The steadies reached Warnscale Bottom by following the stream, whilst the flyers went in a large semi-circle to Fleetwith Pike and descended the ridge, which ends in an unexpected precipice. We avoided this by going down a very steep grass slope, to the detriment of the seats of many trousers Sessions had the previous evening been scientifically patched, and it is to the credit of the expedition's tailoring department that this patch held good whilst the remainder of the seat disintegrated. Having reached the shore of the lake, some enthusiasts followed the path along the Western bank, but nearly all staggered home along the road, having spent a really memorable day in the open.

7th April. Cold. As there was no regular service at a suitable time at Buttermere church, the vicar very kindly let us have our service there. We had a shortened form of mattins (without sermon), and the unaccompanied singing of the 121st psalm and the reading of the lesson by Jesper were most inspiring. We divided into two parties for the long treck to Keswick, the steadies going up Sail Beck on their way to Stair. The flying column attempted the summits and the ridge to Causey Pike. Apart from one short shower on the way up, all went well until we reached Whiteless Pike, but then the wind took a hand. On the ridge to Wandope it blew with terrific force, and both the master in charge and the head boy were at one moment to be seen in an undignified position crawling along on hands and knees with their faces buried in the ground. We did find moderate shelter for lunch, and we made a quick dash to the top of Grassmoor in partial mist. By a stroke of good fortune, there was a break in the clouds when we were on the top, and we had a wonderful view out to sea and to the white mountains to the North. After lunch we found it quite calm on the top of Crag Hill, but we had to fight our way along the ridge to Sail, and Brown nearly took off. After this, we retired in some disorder to the comparative peace of High Moss rather than face Scar Crags and Causey Pike. We did some most successful damming operations in a stream before finding a warm spot behind a wall at High Coledale for tea. The walk along the road from Braithwaite to Keswick was a bit of a grind, but we reached the hostel in good order.

8th April. Both Yeomans and Spencer fell out of their bunks during the night—no bones or springs broken. Cool and cloudy. There was no suitable bus to take us to the foot of Scafell Pikes, so we decided to attack Helvellyn. We all took the bus to Thirlspot and started up together, but the flying column went on ahead, hoping to see something of Swirral and Striding Edges. Before we reached the top we were engulfed in mist and the wind was very strong, so we had to be content with reaching the top and getting down quickly before we froze. We did, however, have one fleeting glimpse of Swirral Edge. We went down on the Thirlmere side, pursued by vindictive whisps of mist and had a cold lunch before a very fine afternoon's scramble across Helvellyn Screes. The steadies also got to the top, but went down to Wythburn and walked back to Thirlspot along the road, thus covering rather more ground than the flyers. Two or three enthusiasts saved a penny or two by walking some of the way, but the main body took the bus straight back to Keswick. In the evening the Warden showed his very fine collection of coloured slides of the Lake District.

9th April. A hectic rush to catch the bus for Windermere, and home via Carnforth and Leeds. So ended another memorable week in the Lake District.

For those interested in figures, here is a table of approximate mileages and heights climbed, based on the most done each day :-

2nd April—Keswick to Longthwaite (with packs). 3rd April—Great Gable. 4th April—Longthwaite to Buttermere (with packs). 5th April—Round Crummock. 6th April—Red Pike and High Style. 7th April—Buttermere to Keswick (with packs). 8th April—Helvellyn. Total 7 miles. 1,900 feet. 10 miles. 2,600 feet. 10 miles. 3,200 feet. 11 miles. 2,100 feet. 13 miles. 3,700 feet. 12 miles. 3,000 feet. 7 miles. 2,400 feet. 70 miles. 18,900 feet.

Although the steadies had an easier time and there was always a free choice, several members of the party reached every summit, of which there were well over twenty. Wilkinson was the speediest both up and down hills, Yeomans was the expert on scree, and Ormiston came along in the rear like the Old Superb. As usual, it was difficult to persuade the flyers to set a pace which did not spreadeagle the party all over a mountain, but they learnt fast.

PARIS, 1957

Paris in the spring became reality on 2nd April for 31 Olavites who took it upon themselves to shepherd the Chaplain and Mr. Johnston through the intricacies of foreign travel.

After a rousing send-off from a large group of parents, hard at work dealing with conflicting feelings of relief and apprehension, we settled down to a most comfortable journey to London, where we stayed overnight near Buckingham Palace.

Wednesday dawned fair and after running repairs to hastily packed grips we set off for Victoria Station. The trip to Dover passed without incident, the Customs formalities were negotiated with astonishing ease thanks to the good offices of one of our parents, and after a calm crossing we arrived in Calais at 2-20 p.m. By 7-30 p.m. we were in Paris, rather weary, very hungry and even more thankful that a coach was waiting to take us to our hotel in Montmartre. 4th April. By coach round Paris with short stops at the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and Sacre Cceur, and in the afternoon on foot to the Conciergerie, Notre Dame, and St. Chapelle.

In the evening some of us discovered the game of "bebe-foot" in the Bar Celtic which from then on became our Mecca. 5th April. By Metro to the Louvre. Although we saw the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo was unfortunately being "prepared", so we were told, for Her Majesty's visit, and we were unable to see it.

In the afternoon we again took the Metro and after harrying and even more counting by our guide, arrived at The Invalides. After visiting the Army Museum and Napoleon's tomb we split into two groups, the more intrepid and wealthier among us making the ascent of the Eiffel Tower, the remainder squandering their substance on ice cream and souvenirs.

6th April. The morning was free and in the afternoon we went to Viviennes, where some went boating, some visited the Zoo, and some got lost.

In the evening the Chaplain and one or two boys went to the cinema, and the rest of the group returned to their former pursuits, bebe-foot, juke-boxes, and the distribution of business cards for a local jeweller.

7th April. By Metro to St. George's Church where we attended service. The afternoon was free and devoted by some to shopping for presents and by others to a cementing of the entente cordiale at the Bar Celtic.

8th April. By Metro to the Gare St. Lazare, and thence by the electric train to St. Germain-en-Laye, where we spent the morning visiting the Chateau, and the afternoon in the park, resting, sunbathing, and playing soccer.

9th April. The last day in Paris and spent in a frantic round of last minute present buying, packing of suit cases, watching Her Majesty who passed obligingly close to our hotel en route for Versailles, and above all regretting the speed with which our few remaining francs disappeared. di

10th April. The long trek home began. After breakfast in the small hours we left by coach for the Gare du Nord. Lunch time saw us approaching Calais, a rather tiny steamer, and a somewhat choppy Channel. By 3-30 p.m. we were in London and at 5-35 p.m., having said farewell to those who were journeying home independently, we left King's Cross on the last leg of our trip. Sleep was now the thought uppermost in our minds, and we were not sorry to see the crowd of eager parents awaiting us in York Station with the promise of baths, bed, and bacon and eggs in the morning.

Thus ended a most enjoyable trip, from which all benefited and which has whetted our appetites for next year.

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