However long the history of St. Peter's may continue there will be no brighter period than these 25 years of victory of the things of the spirit, for material resources were almost nil, but spiritual resources of vision and faith and courage were abundant, incarnated in the Head Master. But it is not only in bricks and mortar that we admire and are grateful to John Dronfield, the Head Master. It is his vision steadily pursued for what this type of school should be that its numbers should be in the region of round about 400, which he fondly imagines is the number of boys over which the Head Master can keep direct control. And I understand that he's done that : 400 boys, kept under direct control of the Head Master, speaks volumes for the energy, the time and self-sacrifice given to it. We are indeed grateful that we have been given these 25-27 years now—a Head Master of that calibre of soul and character, vision and faith. So may I inflict a doggerel on the proceedings, but it amuses me and I think is not entirely inept:— Somebody said, "It couldn't be done", But he with a chuckle replied Perhaps that was so, but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried. So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin On his face; if he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done—and he did it! I am honoured and have the greatest pleasure in declaring the House open.
SCHOOL NOTES On Saturday, 31st October, Dronfield House was officially opened by the Bishop of Durham, Dr. M. H. Harland, O.P. Dr. Harland's Speech appears later in this issue. * * * We welcome to the Staff Mr. B. Allen, Durham University, to teach Biology; Mr. G. M. Austin, St. John's College, Cambridge, to teach Russian and German, and Mr. D. Hirst, Leeds University, to teach French and Latin. We are also most grateful to Mrs. Mair for taking the Russian for the term after Mr. Dunstan left and before Mr. Austin came. * * * We congratulate the following on their open awards gained as a result of the December examinations : —D. A. Burnell, an Exhibition in Mathematics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge; R. Scaife, a Scholarship in Mathematics at Queen's College, Oxford; M. V. Smith, an Exhibition in Science at Peterhouse, Cambridge. * * * The School was fortunate to have three most interesting lectures this term. Mr. A. Stephen Jeffreys, Registrar of Lancaster University, gave a talk on the new university he is helping to establish. Commodore D. GunCuninghame lectured on "The Merchant Navy", giving a realistic and 3
