PERSPECTIVES or to ask questions. They seem to have direction to all they do. To borrow a quote from a speech I gave at the Clifton House Leavers' Dinner — "There is nothing original in an echo". I am pleased to note that there are very few echoes in your School. Finally then, thank you to all of you for making me feel a part of your School. I have really appreciated it and take back with me many happy memories of my time at St. Peter's. Neil Malherbe
IMPRESSIONS OF ST. PETER'S Before returning to South Africa, Neil Malherbe addressed the School... The day before I left to come to St. Peter's I got hold of Dylan Perlman and Philip Bartlett (who had visited St. Peter's over the past two years) and asked them about the place. When Dylan heard that I had received a letter from Mr. Bulcock of The Manor, he said that The Manor was definitely the best House. Philip, however, who had been in The Rise, was adamant that The Rise, being better at sport, was the best. Dylan's retort was that The Rise couldn't sing properly in Chapel, blurting out "RISE!" whenever it occurred in a hymn. Now, this intrigued me, so I listened out for it when I arrived, but never heard it. On enquiry I was told that "The Rev." never chose hymns with the word in them or simply omitted the harmful verse! Before I left, Philip told me to look out for a great teacher called Paddy. I laughed and said I could just imagine what he looked like — this large, red-faced Irishman who drank too much! When I arrived, the third person I met was Paddy Stephen — how wrong I was! Here I was confronted by an articulate charming man!! (surely some mistake here? The Editor). I have learned many things about your School and your country during my stay. Firstly, I don't believe you have what one could regard as weather. Rather, it seems as if you have all seasons crammed into one day, just to keep everyone guessing. Before I left South Africa I said to everyone "Enjoy your winter — I'm off to enjoy summer". Little did I know what awaited me! Secondly, you have a superb mimic in Joel Hopwood. I had been here for only a few days when I walked into the fourth form prep, room at The Manor, only to see Joel doing his impersonation of "The Rev.", complete with sound effects and "First hymn this morning. . . . 2 1 1 " . Another thing that I learned was that cricket comes in all types. I umpired several games but my last was particularly amusing. It ended in a draw, agreed upon by captain's Gordon Gibb and Nick Hales, when both balls ended up lost in the surrounding hedge. I still wonder whether the fact that it was 4.00 p.m. had anything to do with the sudden finish! An interesting bit of terminology I learned was that "Dressers" are not people who know how to dress in the latest fashions! While filming a video around the School a few days before I left I was asked by Dickie, a third former from The Rise, whether I would like to film a fight. When I asked where the fight was, he replied that he would gladly beat up some "Dressers" who happened to be crossing the Peter's fields at the time. Most importantly though, I have learned that Peterites are individuals — they are not scared to give their opinions
AN OLD BOY REMEMBERS Gerald Vero joined St. Peter's in 1935. Recently he returned after being away for nearly half a century. These are his recollections.... So, here I am, back again after almost fifty years. From the front anyway the place hasn't changed a bit! Like most small boys going to boarding School for the first time I remember the misery of saying goodbye to my mother and father. I longed to call them back. Someone hovered in the background and I was taken away to unpack and meet the rest of my dormitory — Hobson, Greenwood, Smythe, Graham, Milburn, Parker, Jefferson, Smith, Killick.... It was quite a jolt to read, for the first time, the names of some of my contemporaries in the Roll of Honour in the glass case beside the Chapel entrance. Our Junior Common Room was somewhere on the first floor, on the right just before you got to Kenneth Rhodes' study. A gentle, kindly Housemaster if ever there was one. We crept past his door to reach our dormitory. I remember the two oars over his fireplace and the not unpleasant aroma of pipe tobacco. I remember being caned for some silly escapade, moonlight bathing I think, in the freezing cold outdoor swimming pool. At the end of the Summer Term he organised a Swimming Display and we, the Swimming Team, did somersaults off the high board and dived through flaming hoops. S. M. Toyne had been Head Master for many years. He was a great personality, and under him the School had a good games reputation. I think we were one of the first of the Northern Public Schools to build squash courts. Our academic record was not so good. Mrs. Toyne was charming and motherly and it was quite an event to be asked to tea on Sundays. Sally, their daughter, was a good squash player like her father. Do you still have tuck boxes, white wooded with black metal corners and handles? Full of homemade cakes, tins 40
