Senior Common Room

Arrivals

This has been another year of change for the teaching staff and their families. First we congratulate David Spencer and Helen Mitchell on their marriage over the summer, and wish Chris Hall and Judith Taylor well for their forthcoming wedding. Celebrations are in order for the birth of Bob and Trudi Shread's firstborn, Dominic. We also say hello to several new members of staff: Joanna Marsh, a former Organ Scholar at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, joins us from Cranleigh School, where she has been for the past two years. Oliver Edwards, a graduate of Leeds University, replaces Nona Blenkin in the History Department. Maurice Monteith joins the Biology Department after completing a degree at The University of Newcastle and a P.G.C.E. at Loughborough. Rex Negus, an experienced teacher and Departmental Head, is the new Head of Economics and Business. Studies. Joining him in the Department is Nicholas Jones, a graduate of Nottingham University and a keen oarsman. We also welcome Pat Mitchell, formerly Deputy Head at Queen Margaret's, Escrick, who will be teaching A-Level Government and Politics while Liz Stephen is away on maternity leave. We also have a new language teacher, Louise Hamilton, who teaches French and Spanish, and an artist-in-residence, Clare Cockayne. In addition, four people who stepped into the breach during the academic year 1993-4 will continue with us: Maureen Hopkinson, Carole Wilson and Bridget Lewis are part-time teachers of English, History and Mathematics respectively. Mike Jones has been appointed as the mil-time Head of Information Technology. The Reverend Leon Carberry also joins us from York Minster as Assistant Chaplain.

Departures

It follows from this large number of hellos that there are also a number of goodbyes. Pelham Barton has left us after many years of dedicated service to Mathematics and Computing. Sandra Fox has been with us for two years as Head of Economics and Business Studies. Sandra deserves great credit for her coaching of the 1st XV in Business Studies, which was an uphill struggle at times! She also helped with girls' swimming; we wish her every success. Robert Jeffs is returning to his old haunt, York University, to study for an M.A. Rob has been with us for four years as a teacher of English and History. Rob earned great respect from his colleagues for the way he rose to the challenge of a job which straddled two departments, and contributed to the extra-curricular life of the School in many ways; his contribution and commitment to cross-country and boarding duties in The Manor were especially appreciated. Gary Lawrence has moved to Repton to head the Biology Department mere. In his six years at St. Peter's Gary has inspired us all with the great enthusiasm and professionalism which he has brought to many areas of School life, inside and outside the classroom. In addition to his work in the Science Department, he has been fully involved in sport all year round, as well as putting his energy into boarding duties, the Debating Society and the work of the Careers Department. We wish every happiness to Gary, Kaye and Rebecca at Repton. Our loss is their gain.

We also say farewell to Nona Blenkin, of whom Peter Taylor, the Housemaster of Dronfield, writes:

Nona Blenkin originally joined St. Peter's as Warden of Alcuin; at that time the hostel for the sixth form boarding girls. This was a challenging post: in fact, it amounted to being an assistant to all four of the boarding Housemasters to whose Houses the girls were attached. As one of the four, I can testify to the care and considerable degree of tact which Nona demonstrated during those years.

Following the introduction of full co-education in 1987 Nona was appointed Resident Assistant Housemistress of Dronfield, the newly designated girls' boarding house. It was in this role that I was able to observe and appreciate Nona's caring and understanding approach. She played an important part in the success of the house during her six years in residence and will be remembered with affection by the girls in her care. It was also while she was in Dronfield that Nona was able to put her considerable culinary skills to good use during her popular cookery classes. In addition to her responsibilities in Dronfield, for a number of years Nona organised the School's Community Service programme.

Outside School, among other interests, Nona enjoys walking and painting. There will be few idle moments in what we all hope will be a long and happy retirement.

Richard Drysdale, Head of History, adds:

Nona joined the History Department in 1985 and quickly made her presence felt as a sympathetic and erudite teacher of History. Many generations of Sixth Form historians have benefitted from her knowledge and

insights into the Tudor period. Her end of year parties for the A-Level History students were always greatly appreciated. I found Nona a supportive colleague with a gentle sense of humour that was quick to exploit the absurdities and pomposities of life. We wish her a happy retirement.

Our other leaver this year is Keith Pemberton, who retires after a career spanning forty years. Andrew Wright, the Director of Music, pays Keith his tribute:

Keith arrived in 1954: 1954 — Everest had been climbed, the new Elizabethan Age had begun, Freddie Waine was taking the music at St. Peter's to high levels and on this 'crest of a wave' Keith Pemberton arrived but perhaps without his 'eyes on the distant horizon' of retirement in forty years.

Railway engines, scouting, physics, chemistry, instrument repair and maintenance have all figured in Keith's time at St. Peter's besides, of course, his main commitment to Music.

Keith's period of service 1954-94 has seen many changes in the way music is taught and perceived in School's. Music lessons in the 1950's were largely class singing lessons. This is a common misconception about what happens today where our scope has now broadened greatly to include all types of music from Pop and Jazz to second species Renaissance counterpoint and music from the whole world including Javanese Gamelan music and Indian Rajas, although Keith has not yet mastered the slit-drum patterns of Eastern Nigeria!

Keith's greatest music loves have remained Bach and Beethoven. Many generations of pupils at St. Peter's will remember his thorough teaching of harmony, counterpoint and analysis in the sixth form and his love of the subject which was communicated so effectively.

Keith and I have not disagreed over many musical matters, only really Brahms and Buxtehude. I've given up on Keith as far as Brahms is concerned but am ever hopeful on Buxtehude — one of Keith's last talks at St. Peter's was to accompany the Brass in the Commemoration Service in York Minster playing Buxtehude where his dealing with the organ, the time lag, the resonant acoustic has always been thoroughly professional.

Did you know that the orchestra used to rehearse in an Air Raid Shelter near The Rise? Perhaps the accompaniment to Parry's 'Blest air of sirens' might have been appropriate! Did you also know that the large geography room used to be a choir rehearsal room and that the smaller geography room was the choir vestry? — things have not always changed for the better!

Keith has seen many changes in the teaching, rehearsal and performance areas within the School. He was here before the Hall was extended and before the current choir stalls were installed, before the Music School and later Annexe were established as centres for music in the School.

Keith's career trail makes unusual reading including, as it does, two spells as Assistant Director of Music either side of a period as Head of Science in St. Olave's and, of course, Director of Music for seventeen years.

Keith started as Freddie Waine's assistant and responsible for music teaching to David Blunt in Wentworth House going on to be Housemaster of Alcuin Lodge later.

His period as Director of Music was characterised by his gentlemanly dealings with colleagues — not an easy task in that position! The establishment of the Waine concerts for musical scholars in the School were a notable feature of this period and the individual musical achievements of the pupils very high. At one period there were sixteen pupils in the School who had achieved Grade 8 — quite a record.

Keith was for many years the Music Critic for the Evening Press, writing fairly judged criticisms of the concerts in and around York. For a while he was a Songman at the Minster under Francis Jackson. The Minster and its services, particularly the ones with which the School is associated, have always had a special place in Keith's heart. The Epiphany Procession, Commemoration Service and Carol Service, and the music which he associated with them — 'Omnes de saba' by Handel at the Epiphany Procession and Palestrina's 'Tu es Petrus' at the Commemoration Service. It was so good that Keith conducted 'Tu es Petrus' at his last Commemoration Service.

Keith was a versatile teacher. For a while he coached Rugger but the idea of encouraging the players in that chant of 'kill, kill, kill' was, perhaps, a little alien to his character.

For these last eight years which I have known Keith, he has been a tremendously loyal assistant and friend whose advice has been a great asset. His work in both School's where he has taught from Junior Infants to Upper 6th has always been excellent, his accompanying the St. Olave's Sunday Services under Jeffrey Gray's direction

form this year. The first match, against Bolton Percy, saw a nail-biting finish: faced with the task of scoring five runs off the last over, Matthew Grant proceeded to miss the first four completely before despatching the last two to the boundary! This was followed by a close encounter with the Parents XI, another very enjoyable match, which also ended up in our favour. The following week Morris' men completed a hat-trick of victories by defeating Escrick; highlights being the all-round skills of Peter Taylor (a performance beyond price, in fact priceless) and James Bellis' dismissal wthout playing a stroke for the second match running. These matches were all very enjoyable occasions, and we appreciated the guest appearances from pupils past and present. The season culminated with a match between St. Peter's and St. Olave's to mark Keith's retirement. The Olave's team, featuring some wily old coves, proved too strong for us. We hope this will become an annual fixture.

always reliable, his work organising the AB exams so efficient and where his wife, Jean's, stewarding has been so helpful. Keith has totally reorganised the choir library and his proof-reading skills for major musical events has meant that he has often spotted errors missed by others.

His organ playing has always been a delight and it was so appropriate that he demonstrated this so admirably at the concert held in his honour in the Summer Term. In chapel his concluding voluntaries invariably sent us out to classes with a smile on our faces — is it true the story that for the Guild of Lambslaughterers he once played 'Sheep may safely graze'?

I have always appreciated his role as long stop where he has always spotted what needed to be done at busy times and got on and dealt with it.

I know that his work in Clifton House has been greatly valued by colleagues and pupils alike and his kindly manner and good advice always appreciated.

In all of his work, whether preparing for the many Gilbert & Sullivan productions or in his exploits as a Scoutmaster or his pursuit of railway engines and now his interest in computer and musical technology, Jean, his own little buttercup, has been a great support.

I have greatly valued Keith's companionship, loyalty and good counsel. We will all miss him very much.

We all wish him a happy retirement and thank him for such a long period as a loyal servant of the School.

Works outings

Now a word about the "sports and social" aspect of the life of the Common Room. It's fair to say that the busy, often hectic, schedule of life at St. Peter's leaves little time for relaxation during term-time, but there have been few windows of opportunity over the year. James Bellis deserves credit for his success in organising the staff educational visit to the "Black Sheep" brewery at Masham before Christmas. David Morris organised and skippered the staff cricket team, which was on great

The Summer Term also saw another staff rounders event, organised by Debbie Westgate and Julie Bainbridge.

Warm thanks

Finally, my thanks go to Ian Lowe, who has as ever worked tirelessly to perform the duties of Common Room Secretary. One of his main jobs is to field the many errors, omissions and other mistakes of the Common Room Chairman. One that slipped through the net this year was when I presented as a leaving present to Nona what was supposed to be a portable easel, but which was in fact the Classics Department computer trolley! David Newman