Oct 1957

COMMEMORATION, 1957 Comment on the Commemoration festivities must inevitably be prefaced by reference to the weather, which can do so much to make or mar the occasion. This year conditions were only moderately favourable; but at any rate we can congratulate ourselves that the usual full programme was not seriously curtailed, and the large gathering of Old Peterites, Parents and friends of the School which pregathered on the Saturday were not disappointed. True, a decisive deluge of rain brought the cricket to an untimely end, depriving us of what might have been an interesting finish to the O.P. match, but the storm was short-lived and, although further cricket was out of the question, we were able to enjoy in comfort the C.C.F. Display which as usual rounded off the proceedings. It is many years now since this effective ending to the afternoon was first introduced, but the event seems to gain in popular appeal as time goes by. Indeed it was the general opinion that this year's Display, under the leadership of Drum Major M. G. Hancock, was the most impressive we have had. We must record our thanks to Hancock for his enthusiasm and the hard work he gave to training the C.C.F. Band to such a high pitch of precision and efficiency.

Full details of the O.P. Dinner, the Cricket Match, and the Boat Races are given in the appropriate places in this number of The Peterite, and we will not enlarge on them here except to congratulate the O.P.s in raising enough oarsmen to make possible the largest number of races we have ever had on this occasion—one "Eights" race as well as four "Fours". The School won all the events, their victory in the "Eights" being particularly meritorious since the O.P. crew included several oarsmen who, since leaving School, have achieved considerable distinction in senior rowing.

The ceremony of Prize-giving at the Clifton Cinema was performed this year by Sir James Duff, the Warden of the Durham Colleges. The traditional Latin address of welcome was given with dignified distinction by C. W. Jose, our senior Classical scholar, and a novel feature of the occasion was our Guest's acknowledgment of Jose's oration in the same tongue. Sir James' extempore reply, brief but effective, and in impeccable Latin, was much appreciated by the Classicists in the audience. His address after the formal presentation of the prizes was a model of its kind. Sir James salted his sound precept with an engaging wit, and the clarity of his exposition ensured that his words of wisdom were intelligible and interesting to the most immature minds in his audience. Nurtured, as he was, at Winchester, a school which, like St. Peter's, prided itself on its antiquity, Sir James, not unnaturally, had something to say of the value of tradition.

Traditions, at any rate if they were good ones, were not comparable with old clothes which had ultimately to be discarded. They were a matter for pride, always provided they were an inspiration to look 4