"St. Peter's School, York, A.D. 627" — A Sequel 54 Visit to Parliament by Lower VI Politics Set

Standard tender of the most modern design although it always carried a 4,20o gallon tender many published photos of it show the locomotive with an earlier pattern of this design as preserved with Green Arrow in the N.R.M.

If any O.P. reading this has any information relating to date of tender exchanges, photos, or dates of special workings (e.g. to CCF camps) by 4818 I would be most grateful if they would contact me via the school.

Finally, for anyone wishing to construct a model of 4818 there are two excellent kits on the market. Firstly, the Nu Cast kit with correct pattern tender for 4818 as initially built and the Jamieson model featuring the older pattern tender. Nameplates for the model are available from L.F.C. at Holmfirth.

Rupert Brown.

VISIT TO PARLIAMENT by Lower VI Politics Set

Red is a dangerous colour, particularly for Public Schools, but Alex Lyon, Labour M.P. for York, goes beyond the call of duty every year on behalf of St. Peter's. Once again he went through the tedious business of collecting tickets from his Parliamentary colleagues; by the Friday he had eight tickets, but, when we arrived at Westminster on the Monday he had conjured up a further six, enough for all of us to witness a melodramatic Question Time in the House of Commons.

We did not see the Prime Minister, but there were many heartfelt Questions — about our (lack of) Defence, directed at Francis Pym, and about our (lack of) Industry, directed at Sir Keith Joseph. There was a Private Notice Question, about a lunatic American Computer which had grown tired of waiting for Nuclear War and had resorted to False Alarms. There were no less than three requests for Emergency Debates under Standing Order No. 9, all delivered with intense feeling, particularly one by Enoch Powell on Violence in Northern Ireland. He still has such power to mesmerise; like Lloyd George and Churchill, he will be remembered.

Some of us were a little embarrassed by the quaint formality of the Speaker's Procession, and others were disillusioned by the contrasting informality of the House; but the Speaker's wise words proclaimed the Humanity under the Wig, and Members' outrage at Injustice, to me, at least, rang true.

For myself, the more I visit our Parliament, the more I am reassured. J.P.R.

SCHOOL BIRD RINGING

The following birds were ringed during the year. Numbers in brackets indicate those ringed in the nest.

Blue tit 137 (i6); swallow 129 (I to); blackbird 51; starling 65 (3); great tit 44 (15); greenfinch 35; swift 3o; house martin 23 (3); tree sparrow 21 (17); dunnock 16 (4); sand martin 15; willow warbler 14 (5); robin II; song thrush 9; wren 7; reed bunting 6; coal tit 6; whitethroat 5; sedge warbler 5; pied wagtail 5 (4); spotted flycatcher 4 (4); yellow hammer 3; lesser whitethroat 2; willow tit 2; cuckoo I (I); meadow pipit 1; chiffchaff 1; linnet 1; bullfinch 1. Total: 659 birds of 32 species.

Only six recoveries were reported in 1979, but six different species were involved. The three interesting ones were: a starling ringed in 1970 found in Leeds. A redwing ringed in 1968 was found by detecting the ring only using a metal detector in woods at Bingley, West Yorks. Pride of place must go to the nesting cuckoo ringed near Wetherby on 23rd June. This bird hit a window in Holland on 7th August and was later released unhurt.