Memory Corner

Memories of a New Boy

“In January 1940, I arrived at Uppingham Station feeling extremely new in my black clothes, black trousers and black jacket. The pockets of my trousers were sewn up and had to remain so until I had been at Uppingham two years and I was no longer a fag. I joined a stream of boys walking through the station, in the darkness and snow, not knowing where I was going. At last we reached a building which was Lorne House. On arrival at my study my guide delivered me into the hands of Desmond Smith (LH 39) who informed me he was going to be my fag teacher for the first two weeks. Almost as soon as we had arrived the bell for tea went and we were led along the gloomy corridors by our guides with a constant buzz of conversation filling our ears. The House hall had two long tables in it and we sat at the very bottom of one of them. The meal itself was grand, sausages and mash and bread-and-butter and jam which after the journey was especially welcome. After tea, Desmond tried to explain the hundred and one things that were necessary for me to learn, and gave me a heap of papers known as fag notes. These contained all the information that I would be required to know by the end of a fortnight in order to pass my fags exam. I was soon pouring over the names of Houses, House Captains, Housemasters, and shops we were allowed into and those we were not, as well as the School history.

The next morning we hurried down the High street to the School shop and here I was fitted with my straw hat and scarf, and games clothes. My straw hat seemed incongruous in the snow but I was glad of the long woolly scarf. At 1030 we were herded into the Chapel and the main thing about the service that struck me was the volume of sound. It was terrific and unlike any other church services that I had attended. After the service we were led to the School Hall. A buzz of low sounds filled the Hall but these suddenly quietened as the Headmaster glided up to take his place on the platform. He read straight through the School list, the name of every boy in the School in School order. It seemed to take hours and suddenly I heard my name Ching, followed by ‘Twittey’, ‘Skeggs’, ‘Maugham’, ‘La Fontaine’, being read out. A small titter arose for a second for one of the queerest collection of names that the School had ever heard.

For the first two years, you were a fag, which meant that you were at the beck and call of the prefects or as they were called at Uppingham ‘pollies’. They would yell ‘FAG’ at the top of their voices and the last one to arrive was the one chosen to carry out their wishes. As a fag, you were not allowed to talk in the corridors and had to keep the door of your study shut. The duties of a fag included taking hot water for washing and shaving in the morning to their cubicle, and cleaning their razors and making their bed, as well as running endless errands. The Captain of the fags allocated you various duties such as cleaning their study and cleaning the brasses on their OTC uniforms. Punishments in the house consisted of cold baths and runs in the country.

One afternoon each week we would go to the allotments and dig for victory. We were one of the best fed houses, thanks to Daphne Saunders who kept chickens and obtained venison from Scotland as well as bottling masses of fruit and making jams. There was an awful row when one of the pigs that was being kept was found to have been painted green and brown. The culprit said that he had been trying to camouflage the pig from the German bombers.

I was very sad to leave at the end of the Easter term in 1944 and joined the army on my 18th birthday in April. I realise now how very privileged and lucky I was to have been at Uppingham, and to have had such a wonderful and happy experience.”

Wilmot Ching (LH 40)

Memories of JS Finch

East Block, Bottom 5 Classroom Monday PM lesson – Autumn 1963 Subject: French Composition and Essays The class was a mixture of Lower and Upper Sixth. Myself only Lower Sixth staring across the crowded room towards the window where the senior boys sat.

‘Jimmy’ Finch was a fairly new member of the languages department, a young man with a shock of tawny hair. He had obvious talent, an exceptionally raw energy and a loud voice. He had one lesson a week with us to hand back last week’s essays and issue the title for the next. Many were tired after rugger or runs and sat back to listen to his comments.

Our work was handed back, heavily marked in red ink. Without fail, it seemed, week after week, the accolade for the best essay went to Simon Lang (B 59) of the Upper Sixth. He clearly had talent and made ‘Jimmy’ Finch’s weekend marking all worthwhile. And Lang got better. Soon it was, ‘Lang this is……(waiting for it)….a SHAI (as in coconut shy) DOEUVRE!’. Lang took the compliment modestly. Then, ‘I MUST have a copy of this. Can you do me a copy, please?’ (in the days before photocopies. This was quite a laborious exercise and in my time at Uppingham never asked for by anyone else). Lang was never made to read his masterpieces out as I recall, so we never came to find out what he had written to send J.S.F into weekly ecstasy.

Philip Gooderson (SH 60)

John Finch officiating Athletics Speech Day in 1979