Letters

Full oft with thee I've urged the bounding ball, And joyed to see the slender wicket fall; Full oft we've roamed through fields and spacious woods, Where nature's songsters hide their downy broods; Full oft with thee, while yet 'twas early dawn, From the still stream the greedy pike I've drawn, On clear water watched the dancing float, Or with strong arm impelled the gliding boat; Traversed the frozen pool with footsteps light, Or urged with snowy bolts the playful fight; Schemes ever-varying filled the jocund breast, Each had its day, forgotten all the rest.

Oxford Trinity Term 1974

Readers may be surprised to find an Oxford Letter in this issue, after the minor disturbances of the last few months have led the press to make out the University to be a second Essex: devastated, torn by bloody insurrection and deserted except for a rabble of dirty-jerseyed drop-outs and the dons, cowering in their studies as they see their colleagues led off to be strung up on the Martyrs Memorial. The truth is that life here is much the same as it has been for a thousand years; perhaps the most noteworthy change was when we finally broke our run of outrageous fortune and beat Cambridge in the Boat Race last term.

It does seem, though, that O.P.'s are more political than formerly. What better example than John Williams? Apart from such comparatively trivial achievements as becoming regional chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students, and representing Oxford at the N,U.S. conference at Liverpool (when he voted against the black-listing of speakers) he was the first person from Queen's College to hold office in the Union since Brian Walden in 1957. Having served as Secretary this term, he has now been elected Treasurer. We wish him luck as he bids next term for that most coveted of all positions—the Presidency. John has been President of the Conservative Association, organising it to steer our Conservative M.P. (in a marginal seat) back to the Commons in the general election.

Rodney Lund has now completed his Oxford career, in which he manfully struggled to keep the Labour Club in the hands of "sound social democrats" and spent the rest of his time "fighting against Commies and Trots in the Students' Union". He also took a second in Law and is going to Guildford Law School, in February, to learn how to be a solicitor.

Neil Roberts has been in contact with both these gentlemen "regarding the political scene in a vague sort of way", which sounds not so much vague as just plain devious, and comes as no surprise from a Welshman who has grown a beard and spent last summer grave-digging in Syria. 68

His more orthodox activities have included rugby, drama and work on his J.C.R. committee.

Undoubtedly our most enterprising politician is Andrew Corser, who played a prominent part in the disturbances previously mentioned and was arrested for his pains. Painstaking research has proved that Andrew is the first O.P. to face trial since Guy Fawkes was arraigned in 1606!

Fortunately the sentence was not so severe in this instance.

The last of our politicians is Adrian Cook: he merely dabbles, having dubbed himself the laziest Conservative Association rep. in Oxford. The student grant, in these days of inflation, is derisory and must be supplemented if body and soul are to be kept together; Adrian's method is to let horses earn, the money for him.

We have a number of sportsmen among us. Chris Beall, for instance, has played for his college first team at soccer, hockey, table-tennis, tennis and cricket; he also won the pancake race (on crutches!) during Oxford's first rag-week. Small wonder that his work suffered and he was advised to change course (to anything!). Sadly, a knee injury kept him out of the blues teams for both hockey and ice-hockey; we hope he will be more fortunate next year.

David Grice narrowly escaped selection for a blues team: ballroom dancing. Ignoring the odd lapse into squash and hockey, his tastes in sport are quite genteel: punting, sun-bathing and tennis. Tennis for his college was particularly successful, and, in his own words, "I was awarded my colours for my services". We congratulate him on gaining a distinction in Law mods.

Timothy Day has spent his post-graduate year studying composition for the degree of B.Mus., which he has now obtained. From September he is organist and choirmaster at St. Matthew's, Northampton and conductor of the Northampton Bach Choir. We shall miss him, at Oxford, where his name was often plastered up in connection with his conducting 6_ , or organ recitals. iP Chris Pallant is often prominent around Oxford, too, especially when he has been playing rugby all afternoon. Since leaving St. Peter's he has mellowed considerably under the influence of work (in an insurance firm), travel (France and South Africa) and university.

Nick Barnes has now returned from a three week excursion behind the Iron Curtain, where he stayed for a night at "Bucharest Polytechnic" and found conditions even worse than in Wadham. His strongest impressions were of the friendliness of the people and the mosquitoes. He plays rugby, rowed for his first VIII (who were "bumped" three times as a result) and is often seen with Steven Foster, another Wadham man. The latter has now forsaken our dreaming spires for the more lucrative world of oil derricks. He is working for a company with an unpronounceable name in an undisclosed part of the world ("Anywhere apart from Russia or America", he said, as he was whisked away in his chauffeur driven helicopter). No doubt his name will continue to appear in these pages as he will be changing his address every year. We are pleased to record that he obtained his third in Physics.

John Harrison had a third in Geography, but his future is even less certain. He is taking the next few months to recover from his student days before setting about the business of starting a career.

John Fender, studying for a B.Phil. in Economics, will be spending next 69

year in Munich. This year he has earned some money on the side as a tutor at Keble. One of his pupils has been Neville Fridge—John says he enjoyed the experience and thinks he benefited from it; we haven't heard from Neville.

Messrs. Bowen and Brown have also succeeded in avoiding our most exhaustive enquiries: not so much as the sniff of a rumour. We are left to guess at what heroic deeds they must have performed that modesty has made them remain so silent.

It is sad to learn that next year there will be no recruits from St. Peter's. We hope that this is not due to a slump in applications: Oxford remains the best academic establishment in the country, and it offers an experience both unique and enjoyable.

The Oxford Old Peterites.

Filmer Cottage Bulmer York Whitwell-on-the-Hill 451

Having regularly contributed to your columns with factual details on School sporting events for so many years, may I by contrast seek the opportunity of conveying to as many Old Boys as possible my thanks for the warmth of their good wishes on the occasion of my retirement.

The party and presentation, so ably organised by Earlam Graham, John Rayson and David Kirby, made a most memorable occasion, and to Molly and myself the response and generosity of so many old friends was quite overwhelming.

As many will know, we shall continue to live at Filmer Cottage, Bulmer, York, and whatever retirement holds in store for us, we shall treasure the memories of many happy years with you all.

Our most grateful thanks for such handsome presents. My super golf clubs will, I hope, rejuvenate my game, if not me.

Robert Harding

5D Graham House Seafor Cumbernauld 4.6.74

I am sure that many people must have been saddened by the death in May of Freddie Waine, who did so much for the music of St. Peter's and of York in general in the twenty-two years that he was here.

It occurs to me that it would be pleasing to have some tangible memorial of his work in the School and that a very suitable form this might take would be the provision of an adequate piano in the Memorial Hall. The cost of a piano can be almost limitless, but I would suggest that £2,000 would be a suitable sum to aim at, being (I would hope) within the bounds of practical politics while at the same time making 70

possible the purchase of an instrument which, if not in the first flight of concert grands, would be incomparably superior to the present worn-out machinery.

Memorials of doubtful value are sometimes erected out of pure piety. This one would be highly practical and would, I am certain, be heartily approved by the dedicatee.

If there is anything I can do to further this idea, I shall be delighted to do it.

Robert Stevens, (School House, 1960-65).

The Editor acknowledges other letters supporting this proposal.