THE

SHIRBURNIAN

SHERBORNE: AT THE ABBEY PRESS

VOL. XL. No. 13.

MARCH - 1942.

THE

SHIRBURNIAN

:MARCH

VoL. XL.

1942.

No. 13.

Frontispiece.

Editorial

School News

School Notes

Valete

Sherbome House, Southwark

O.S. News

Social:

The Duffers

Eclectics

James Rhoades

The Dickens Society

CONTENTS.

Sherbome School Spotters' Club-No. 248

Correspondence

Literary:

Agriculture

The Bat

" Ode to an Evapo_rating Air-Raid "

Three Looking Back to Page 598

A Song of the African Warriors

Games:

Rugger

Fives

Squash

Boxing

·shooting

Stop Press:

Boxing

Inter-House Singing Competitions, 1942

Halliday Examination

Three Cock

Hockey

Illustration :

1st XV, 1941

Pagi.

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Frontispiece.

lsT XV, 1941.

Back Row-P. R. Davis, D. E. C. Russell, M. A. Kidner, D. S. Hawkins, J. B. Wingate, I. R. A. Leakey, M. R. Ricketts. Sitting-G. Lucas, Q. Bowker, E. H. Walsworth-Bell, R. J. Lilley, M. Sutcliffe.

On Ground-D. I. T. Wilson, B. J. Sproule, I. M. L. Rowllings.

THE SHIRBURNIAN No. 13. MARCH, ·. 1942. Vol. XL.·

We will not attempt to conceal a change behind an arty veneer of the abstract. This Editorial shall be short, practical, and full of facts.

Many complaints have reached us about the price of this magazine. We tried, but failed, to have the price reduced : indeed, only by judicious cutting and by refraining from all luxury, have we kept it to the usual level. But even the Editors realise there is a war on.

· The large page margins have been reduced. The Shirburnian may not look as handsome as of old, but the wide margins were wasteful and their sacrifice prevents the rejection of (even more) contributions, for it has made possible a saving of six pages in this issue. The games section has shortened.

A special supplement about " P-J " appears with this issue. No mention of him is made in the magazine itself, except in the letter from Sherborne House.

The "Shirburnian" has had to go to the printers five weeks before publi-cation. Much that has not yet happened will have happened when you read this. "Stale," will come the cries from our critics-but the "Sliirburnian" is not a newspaper.

* * * * * * * We make no mention of P-J. in the main body of " Tlze Shirburnian," because

our original intention had been to publish a short supplement and enclose it with each copy of " The Shirburnian." However, the literary contributions from the School were so ·meagre and of such poor quality that we 'vere compelled to forgo this idea and bind the supplement in with the Magazine. Consequently, it will be noticed that the type and paper used for this are of superior quality to that used in " The Shirburnian." This difference is inevitable, and has been caused by the indolent apathy of the School.

Editors of " The Shirburnian" have rarely been. so short of material; but perhaps the early closing~date for contributions was partly the reason for the miserable inadequacy of literary efforts. The School must rouse itself from this attitude of indifference, if the standard of "The Shirburnian" is not to fall any lower than it has already. ·

618 THE SHIRBURNIAN

SCHOOL NEWS

Head of the School School Prefects

SCHOOL OFFICERS

Editors of " The Shirburnian "

Games Editor Captain of Football

Hockey Shooting Fives Boxing

Prefect in charge of Agriculture

SCHOOL NOTES We congratulate the following on their scholarships :-

E. H. WALSWORTH BELL (a). · E. H. WALSWORTH BELL (a).

M. MCCRUM (b). A. H. MAxWELL (c). D. S. HAWKINS (d). B. R. G. WEBBER (f). W. T. RICE (g). C. I. BALL (h). M. R. RICKETTS (h ). M. J. F. MORRISON (b ). M. MCCRUM (b). A. H. MAxWELL (c). E. H. WALSWORTH BELL (a). E. H. WALSWORTH· BELL (a). M. R. RICKETTS (h). A. H. ROBERTS (c). M. R. RICKETTS (h). E. H. WALSWORTH BELL (a) •. A. H. MAxWELL (c).

E. G. W. BUSH: Open Exhibition for Classics, Pembroke College, Cambridge. H.F. G. CAREY: Open Scholarship for Classics, King's College, Cambridge. C. H. COURTNEY : Academic Clerkship at Magdalen College, Oxford. R. J. LILLEY: Senior Open Scholarship for History, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. J. D. MONTAGU: Open Scholarship for Science, St. Thomas' Hospital. J. H. T. REES: Open Scholarship for Modem Languages, Clare College, Cambridge. D. E. C. RUSSELL: Wolvesey Exhibition for Modem Languages, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. In the Special Entry for the Royal Navy and Marines held in October, the School had five successful

candidates out of forty-three appointments selected from over 400 candidates from all the schools. Of these, J.E. T. HALES obtained third place in the R.N. Executive; A. M. JONES first place in the R.N. Accounts branch; and H. S. WALLACE second place in the Royal Marines.

In addition, J.M. HUNTER passed into the R.N. Executive and J. D. HAWKESLEY into R.N. Engineering. On February 1st the School was allowed to go to Yeovil to hear " Solomon," seats being reserved

for the sixty who went. The recital took place at the Odeon Theatre. On February 7th Sir Paul Dukes lectured on " Russia," giving accounts of his own experiences

abroad, and referring to the political theory behind Nazism and Bolshevism. He also spoke to the Upper Vlth next morning in Divinity.

On February 12th General Mccreery lectured on" Tanks." Three tanks were on view outside the School gates both before and after the lecture. These were attacked and soon swamped by the School.

On February 21st Professor Steavenson gave a lecture on " Exploring the Universe," which was illustrated by slides.

The following have preached in Chapel this term :~The Rev. A. Field, The Rev. S. C. Deacon, The Rev. L.B. Bell, The Headmaster, The Rev. E. J. H. Nash, Dr. J. W. Welch, The Right Rev. The Bishop of Sherbome, W. A. T. Jarrett, Esq., The Rev. Canori C. M. Ricketts.

THE SHIRBURNIAN 619

A widely welcomed innovation this term has been the institution of an Upper Vlth Form, consisting of about twenty-five senior boys, drawn from all the groups of the Upper School. This form meets on Sunday mornings for Divinity, and on one period during the week for a general hour. The purpose of the form is to create a higher scholastic goal than the ordinary Group Vlth forms, in which it is quite easy to spend as much as three out of five years at school. It is still in its experimental stages.

VALETE SCHOOL HOUSE

R. J. LILLEY-VI (Group II)-came 19373, School Prefect, 1st XV ('40, '41), 1st XI Hockey ('41), 2nd XI Cricket ('40), P.T. Instructor with badge, Sergeant in J.T.C., Member of Duffers and Eclectics. Scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

J. D. J. HAWKESLEY-VI (Navy Class)-came 19372, House Prefect, Sergeant in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To H.M.S. " Frobisher." '

P. M. MAcQUEEN-V (Group IIIB)-came 19381, !st class Gym, Gym. Squad ('41), L/Corporal in J.T.C. T. S. HEwITT-lVF-came 19382, Tennis VI, XXX Blazer, L/Corporal in J.T.C., P.T. lnstnl.ctor. C. D. ORGAN-came 19391, left 19412, 3rd XI Cricket Cap.

ABBEY HOUSE

H. F. G. CAREY-VI (Group !)-came 19363, School Prefect, Head of the School, Head of Abbey House, 2nd XI ('40, '41, Captain '41), 2nd XV ('40, '41, Captain '41), Fives team ('41), P.T. Instructor with badge, C.S.M. in J.T.C., Member and Secretary of Duffers, Eclectics, and Interpretes, Editor of " The Shirburnian." Minor Scholar to King's College, Cambridge.

THE GREEN

D. R. A. MELLIS-VI (Group 11)-came 19372, House Prefect, Sergeant in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor, Member of Duffers, Halliday Cup (Senior, '41)

F. W. CROWE-VI (Group 111)-came 19373, Sergeant in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor.

HARPER HOUSE

D. E. C. RUSSELL-VI (Group 11)-came 19363, School Prefect, Head of Harper House, 1st XV ('41), 3rd XI Cricket ('41), P.T. Instructor with badge, C.S.M. in J.T.C., Member of Duffers and Eclectics. Huish Exhibitioner, W olvesey Exhibition to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

A. F. RENw1CK-VI (Group Il)-came 19372, House Prefect, Corporal in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To St. Catharines College, Cambridge.

.ABBEYLANDS

P.R. DAVIS-VI (Group II)-came 19373, House Prefect, 1st XV ('40, '41), 1st XI Hickey ('41), 1st Class Gym., Gym. Colours ('40), Trebles ('39), P.T. Instructor with badge, Sergeant in J.T.C. To R.N.V.R.

R. F. HAYLLAR-VI (Group Il)-came 19383, L/Corporal in J.T.C. J. W. R. BEE-V (Group 11)-came 19383.

LYON HOUSE

J.C. T. WARING-Came 19373, House Prefect, P.T. Instructor with badge, Sergeant in J.T.C., Member of Duffers and Eclectics. To H.M. Forces.

E.G. W. BusH-VI (Group 1)-came 19373, House Prefect, Corporal in J.T.C., Member of Duffers and Eclectics. Scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge. .

P. G. B. JACKSON-VI (Group IIIB)-came 19372, House Prefect, 2nd XI Cricket ('41), Sergeant in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To H.M. Forces.

A. T. W. AusTrn-VI (Group 11)-came 19373, House Prefect, Corporal in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. C. J. W. HoRwooo-V (Medical)-came 19373, House Prefect, Corporal in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To H.M.

Forces. R. A. M. LANG-VI (Group 11)-came 19373, House Prefect. J. W. ELLIS-VI (Group IIIB)-came 19373, House Prefect, Corporal in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To H.M.

Forces.

WESCOTT HOUSE

J. R. GREGORY-IVF-came 19373, House Prefect, Gym. Squad ('40, '41), Special Gym. ('40), Boxing Team ('40, '41), P.T. Instructor with badge, Corporal in J.T.C. To R.N.V.R. ·

M. H. L. WICKHAM-came 19381, Corporal in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To H.M. Forces.

620 THE SHIRBURNIAN

SHERBORNE . HOUSE, SOUTHWARK Sherbome House shares with Sher borne her grief at the passing of P-J. Loyal always with regard

to everything connected with the School, he was a keen friend and supporter of " Sherbome in South-East London." A few years ago, I remember he had a Lenten Free-will Offering box in the House; and finally, on behalf of the House, he handed me the contents as a gift to Southwark-and ever since, amongst our trophies, we have had "The Abbey House Shooting Cup."

In shooting, we have had another outstanding success ; to quote from the " Times " : " For the third successive year the Royal Grammar School J.T.C., Guildford, has been awarded the 'Lord Roberts' Trophy for the premier miniature rifle shooting cadet unit of Great Britain. The runner-up is ' B ' Company, 1st London Cadet Battalion (The Queens) "-(far better known to most of you as Sherborne House)-" third place being taken by Repton School." · ·

We are sorry we didn't win. But it is worthy of note that, out of a total of 1,616 competitors, our team consisted of some twenty boys, South-East London working boys, of an average age of just under 16!, and competed against places like Loretto, Repton, and R.N. College, Dartmouth. We were awarded nine Empire Marksmen and six first-class shots.

We are doing well, I think, in many other directions beside shooting ; of them I will write in next term's " Shirburnian " ; these notes have to be brief.

On January 1st we welcomed our Sergeant-Major, George Airs, as resident whole-time Club Leader. We still need ping-pong balls. Last term's urgent appeal produced six-from the Rev. P. w: Low.

Thank you, Sir, publicly, for a public-spirited example to 461 public schoolboys. We badly need a piano ; and would be able to pay a few pounds. Will anybody help ? .

PETER HARLEY, SHERBORNE HOUSE, · · Hon. Sec.

31, UNION STREET, S.E.1.

{We suggest that each House should send some ping-pong balls, since they are most urgently needed. -Ens., " Shirburnian."). ·

o.s. NEWS ROLL OF HONOUR

·KILLED IN ACTION

December, '41. BERNARD-SMITH, GEORGE CHRISTOPHER (a '15-'19), Wing-Commander R.A.F. June, '40. BALDWIN, CHRISTOPHER MELFORT, M.B.E. (g '20-'24), Major, Middlesex Regiment. December, '41. MAR!qiR, ERIC GERALD (g '35-'39), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. December, '41. WRIGHT, FRANK HUMPHREY (b '20-'25), Lieutenant, R.N.V.R.

KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE December; '41. IVENS, DOUGLAS HICKLING (b '29-'34), Flying Officer, R.A.F. December, '41. SHERLEY-PRICE, MAURICE HENRY (g '29-'33), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. February, '42. WRIGHT, GEOFFREY Roy (d '36-'39), Sub-Lieut., R.N.

DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE October, '41. COOMBE, ANTHONY FLEMING (f '28-'33), Major, R.E. November, '41. GILL, RIVERS EARWAKER BRITTAN (d '20-'24), Second Lieut., West Surrey Reginient.

DIED OF WOUNDS -May, '40 .. ROCHE, GEORGE CAMPBELL ADAIR (b '32-'37), Second Lieut., The Green Howards.

THE SHIRB'URNIAN WOUNDED

May, '41. LAKE, PETER lIAMLYN (c '33-'37), Sergeant, King's African Rifles. May, '41. WooLCOOMBE, MICHAEL JOHN (g '.23-'27), Major, R.T.R. May, '41. YEo,_MICHAEL THOMAS RUSSELL (c '34-'38), Sub-Lieut., R.N.

. .

MISSING November, '41. HICKS, MERVYN NETTLETON (h '24-'26), R.A.S.C. December, '41. MILLIGAN, CECIL JAMES (b '22~'27),. Surgeon-Lieut.,_R.N.V.R.

HONOURS GEORGE MEDAL

October, '41. DIXON, WILLIAM ARTHUR (a '05--'07), Captain, R.E.

D.S.O. . March, '42. WOOLCOMBE, MICHAEL JOHN (g '23-'27), Major, R.T.R.

O.B.E. January, '42. FOSTER, EDMOND LEWIS PEARCE (a '12-'16)~ Indian Forestry Service.

M.B.E. January, '42. COOMBE, ANTHONY FLEMING (f '28-'33), Major, R.E. January, '42. PEDDI,E, GRAHAM (b '19-'24), Captain, R.A.

MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES January, '41. BASTIN, GEORGE EDWARD REsTALIC (b '17-'21), Major, R.A. January, '41. HOLDEN, ERIC GEORGE (a '09-'14), Wing Commander, R.A.F. January, '41. LAKE, PETER lIAMLYN (c '33-'37), Sergeant, King's African Rifles. January, '42. LEWIS, JoHN WILLIAM ANSON (a '22-'26), Major, Prince of Wales Gurkas.

LITERATURE

621

" Owen Glendower," an historical romance by John Cowper Powys, has just been published. It has already been well received in America. ·

WE TAKE OFF OUR HATS TO:-The boy whose bicycle number was 35. He put it in 37 and numbered it 38. The prefect who said: "There will be.a bicycle inspection in the yard to-day, weather provided." The Abbey Bookshop for sending the Head of the School" The Nursery World." The 10th termer who asked how much petrol Mr. Bensly was allowed for his" chariot." The boy who couldn't see the Abbey clock because the sun was in the way.

SOCIAL THE DUFFERS

So far the Society has met twice this term. P. M. Foster read a long paper on" Racine," and B. R. G. Webber a paper on" The Ballads and Verse of Rudyard Kipling." •

·For March 8th we have been fortunate in obtaining Canon Adam Fox, Oxford Professor of Poetry, who will read a paper on" Robert Bridges."

On March 22nd, N. J. Cooper will read on" Humour and Stephen Leacock."

ECLECTICS This Society now consists of the Upper VIth Form, of which it is an accessory. There has been

one meeting so far this term, the motion for the debate being : " This house regrets the attitude of scepticism adopted by the intellectual classes towards astrologers and their predictions." The motion was lost by 20 votes to one. ·

THE SHIRBURNIAN

JAMES RHOADES Secretaries M. D. HOGG and M. POPE.

"As You Like It" has been read. Future plays for this term are "Romeo and Juliet," another Shakespeare play, and Masefield's " Good Friday." E.C.M.

THE DICKENS SOCIETY The Dickens Society has met twice this term. At the first meeting· we heard an interesting paper on

"Dickens's Female Characters," by D. K. Freeth. At the second meeting G. M. H. Raper read on "Dickens as a Short Story Writer."

We have yet to hear W. F. Forrest, Esq., read a paper.

SHERBORNE SCHOOL SPOTTERS' CLUB-No. 248 The term has been quite a successful one so far. Two film shows have been arranged, by courtesy

of the M.0.1., who loaned the films. Two third-class tests have been held, and twenty-three people have attained the required standard, which is a good performance.

It is hoped that Mr. Brooks, a qualified Instructor in Aircraft Recognition, will give a lecture during the term. ·

Aircraft Recognition is a necessity for everybody to-day, with the prospect of invasion hanging over us. Many enemy planes may be seen over this country, and the efficient spotter will be an invaluable person~

R. D. BUTTERELL, Hon. Sec.

CORRESPONDENCE To the Editors of" The Shirburnian." DEAR Srns,

A few terms ago a vindictive attack was made in reply to a letter suggesting that dancing classes should be started in the School. .

I have no personal prejudice against the writers of this letter, but I am amazed at this attitude to one of the most popular of present day recreations. There has been no more striking development in social habits since the war than the rise of dancing to universal popularity. i

Dancing is the greatest social asset with which you can equip yourself to-day. It leads you to hours of enjoyment, where you will have every opportunity of meeting other people.

As an exercise it is one of the healthiest in the world. It will give you mental poise, physical grace and fitness, apart.from the pleasure you will derive from it; and rhythm is a prime essential to life.

These are a few points in the defence of the suggestion, and I am sure that there are many others who do not associate dancing with." skipping round in pink tights."

To the Editors of" The Shirburnian." DEAR Srns,

Yours sincerely, " CINDERELLA."

Last summer term we experienced a delightful lecture on the " Music of Handel " by Mr. Keelan Shaw, and I have heard he is coming down again to sing. Surely he could come down more than twice a year ? Why not make a permanent appointment for at least once a term for those who, on account of an awful voice, are not allowed to enter The Musical Society.

Yours hopefully, "MUSIC .APPRECIATOR."

T would like to thank all those Masters who have so kindly helped with School Hockey this term. Yours, etc.,

M. R. RICKEITS, Captain of Hockey.

THE SHIRBURNIAN 623

(Note.-The contributions which were received for this section of" The Shirburnian-" were so few and so unsuitable that it is necessarily very short.

An Editor once wrote : " It is time the School woke up and sharpened its quills ; it is already time to think about contributions to the next issue."

This is still applicable. Although war-time needs have meant a reduction in the size of " The Shirburnian," there is no need at all for a reduction in either the amount of contributions or their quality. -Ens., "Sh.irburnian.").

AGRICULTURE

SHERBORNE'S WAR EFFORT

There appear to be three schools of thought concerning Sherborne and the War Effort. Some think that the School should give up its normal life almost entirely, and concentrate upon social service, labour on the land, or military training. The answer to this is simple-the nation wants men, not robots. Robots cannot think, and thinking men are needed now.

Some, on the other hand, consider that school life should go on just as before, that we should shroud ourselves in academic seclusion, and, as long as Britain remains on her feet, should try to ignore the war. ·

These two opinions are both rare and extreme, but many reasonable people hold views uneasily close to one of these. For instance, some boys complain bitterly about having to forgo an occasional game to do farm work. They hide their pitiful dislike of a job of work behind weak cries of-" We don't pay school fees to come and do farmwork," and so on. This is true. But truer still is the fact that these people still expect to get fed, whether they work on the lanq or not.

" Games are educational, we must not miss them at any cost," is another cry commonly raised. I agree. Games are excellent education, and the fact that games have been reduced by such a small amount by War work during the winter shows that this fact is realised. But a fact that is not realised is that far too few boys ever have the experience of doing a good job of work" on the dung-heap," though the ability to work as the labourer works is an asset more then ever valuable now.

There are others who think that the School should run its own farm. This idea is rejected for two main reasons. Full time labour is needed on a farm, and the School could not provide this without a reduction of the work done in School. This work is to a large extent what we come here for. Indeed, the fact that we spend a large proportion of our time working in School is our chief justification for being here at all. The second reason is this. At present the short-handed farmer has only to ask for labour and he gets it. If we had a farm of our own this would not be so. Moreover, skilled and experienced labour on a farm there must be, and this could not be provided 100% by the School. Paid labour would have to be employed. This labour would thus be denied to other farmers, as would much of the School mass labour. Thus, instead of having butter on both sides of their bread, the farmers would have no butter at all.

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624 THE SHJRBURNIAN

Suggestions are also often made as to the formation of a corps of experienced tractor drivers, who could plough, harrow, mow, reap and so forth. We are not deaf. This corps has existed for some time now, but has never been used. Th.e farmers do not want the help. They have their own skilled men for the job, who have not been called up. Even if they were short of this labour, the amount of help that could be given by boys tractor-driving between 2.15 and 5.45p.m. three times a week is small, and anyone in his senses would agree that it would be folly to send boys out of classrooms to drive tractors. Even in Summer, with more time available, the help that can be given in this way is irregular ·and insignificant. Nevertheless, should any farmer wish for such help-and a number know it is available-he shall have it.

Some say that the School should spend its spare time doirig social service. Many boys do Home Guard work in their spare time. And this fact should be remembered ; junior boys with plenty of spare time cannot be of much use, because they are too young. Senior boys, capable ot the work, and respon-sible enough to do it properly, just have not the time. No one can grudge the senior boy his few hours of spare time a week. It is vital that all should be given a chance to develop their own personalities and interests. If this were not so, social work would be done in spare time. .

Having mentioned a number of rejected suggestions, I will say something positive about Sherborne's War Effort.

Last Summer, as is known, about 8,000 work hours were done by the School on farms, this work running alongside of cricket.' In the holidays many boys worked on farms-a few as tractor drivers, but most as ordinary labourers. There was no officially organised school camp anywhere. This fact is much criticised, but the matter should be viewed in this light. If most boys work on farms near their homes, a very large number of farmers get labour. If the school concentrates its forces in a harvesting camp, a few farms only get labour-probably far more than they want. . This is mainly unskilled, and as, en masse, boys are difficult to teach, the presence of a camp of harvesters is something of a liability, as well as an asset to the farmer. Moreover, the majority of boys only stay at the camps for the specified time, and go at the end of that time, whether· the crops are in or not. It is mainly for these reasons that no school harvesting camp is formed. The fact that no School camp exists does not remove from anyone the obvious duty of doing war-work in the holidays.

To continue with the war effort. Far less help was wanted in the Michaelmas term, but touch was maintained with a number of farmers, and help provided where needed. In connection with the School war effort last term I would remind you of the Warship Week. No one can say the School did not play its · part in that.

As regards agricultural work this term : much the same state of affairs exists as last. Little help is wanted, but between 20-50 boys work for 1 !-2 hours three times a week, instead of twice a week as last term. Only one complaint of poor work was received, and this was due to lack of experience, and only applied to three boys. Agriculture was run with the minimum dislocation to football, and will be run with the minimum dislocation to hockey.

In addition to external agricultural work, a considerable amount of land-several acres-has been dug for vegetables, and some Houses run extras of their own, such as keeping pigs, collecting salvage, and so on. ,

There may still be critics who ask why mote farm work is not done, especially in winter. In the summer sometimes 200 boys were out working at once. It was impossible to spare more without stopping cricket completely. In the winter the greatest number ever out at once was fifty. But this matter rests with the farmers. If they had needed more labour they would have got it. It was for them to ask---.,.they knew that labour was to be had.

As the amount of work to be done on the land increases with the approach of summer, the School will provide more labour. I shall make every effort to get in touch with more farmers and to take on more work. No new work will be shirked. We have never yet had to refuse help on the grounds of labour shortage. We have seldom had to refuse or delay help at all. It is not for us, when asked how we helped win the war to " look ashamed and mutter that we did a little farm work." It is up to us to beat our record of last summer term. Farming will be considered in relation to other School activities, but the work will be more vital than ever next term, and I shall expect much from everybody.

A. H. MAxwELL, Prefect in charge of Agriculture.

THE SHIRBURNIAN

Nobody knows of where I go When the year is spent and the windows gleam. Black cats-white cats in a row And the passing of things in an endless dream. But I start with a bite of scented hay To carry me far on magic wings-Over the roof-tops rising, falling, There is no end of my timeless flight ; And over the sky the moon is crawling, And chimneys belch to i:he starry night. Nobody Jr.nows of where I go : But I start from the beam of a musty barn, Through glancing moonlight, a silver sheen,

THE BAT Where shadows whir.I in a pure delight. Meadows below and dew. untrod And mystic lanes where the poplars nod. Nobody knows of where I go Nor sees my span as I lightly pass, From twilight shadows to morning crow Under a moon of crystal glass. And I care not whither the gnomes may tread Or the rook cry out in his lonely bed. For over the land my fancy goes, And there I fly, but nobody knows.

G. M. H. RAPER.

" ODE TO AN EVAPORATING AIR-RAID." . (Dedicated to aspiring modern poets).

methinks i see this old and screaming of soluble livelihood pile, is filled to bursting point with purple pantaloons ;

mottled with scarlet apertures methinks.

and velvet over-bloated toads lie steaming

what cause that we should spectral suffer thus ?

our evanescent tragedy

in the snow.

and dark gods laugh and broil themselves to death.

death. ' death and dearth.

ha! methinks I

ha! ICONOCLASTICES.

625

(P.S.-In accordance with National economy we would suggest E.H.W.B.).

that such poems be omitted :-D.S.H. and

THREE LOOKING BACK TO PAGE 598. (With apologies to the dentist).

An uneasy time it has been for us, A host of foul instruments Prodding us, Scraping us, Filling our souls with foreboding and dread. An uneasy time it has been, An uneasy time it has been for us ; In the land of bowls, Every one of us Dismal, with dry mouth-A palsied unreality, Thoughts of ever-receding gums, Thoughts of a drilled lip too thick and too big for us.

* * * * We are uneasy,. The drill is pressing, Taking the stuffing out of us ; " Do not delay or your teeth will decay : Use Gibb's dentrifrice," Yes, we know all that ;

*

We have read in the papers many times. A bottled· gum lying on a towel nearby, And we sat on the dentist's chair, Looking at the street through curtained windows. Our heavy boots pressed against the floor. (The paltry pattern of a cheap linoleum-With protruding nails clutching at our soles). Yes, we have been through it all, Many, many times.

* * An uneasy time it has been In the land of bowls For every one of us. A world of freak scents Of cloves of mercury ; " I am not bluffing ; .

* *

Your teeth are stagnant and slow-rotting, Deep in the mire of their own instability. Two guineas please !

*

Good morning ! " J.H.T.R., R.A.S., R.D.B.

A SONG OF THE AFRICAN w ARRIORS Across the dull splendour of tropical night Comes a rhythmic galumphing of heavy feet, A monotonous wailing, the tom-tom's beat, And the clashing of spears in a frenzed rite.

Tcha-t-uba is dead, And his body lies still.

No longer :will wisdom flow through his lips. Wichedness, wickedness, How couldst thou kill

And bring to destruction Tcha-t-uba, our king. Tcha-t-uba was great, And·he ruled supreme.

He was mighty in battle and warfare. Sorcery, sorcery, Thou art extreme

When thou killest Tcha-t-uba~ Tcha-t-uba, the king.

Tcha-t-uba was loved, And we bore him no ill.

The witches of Bwao have done this deed. Murderers, murderers, Come. Let us kill,

And gain a revenge for Tcha-t-uba, our king. Tcha-t-uba is dead ; Let us fight for his soul.

Kill all his enemies, put them to death. Massacre, massacre, Let us take toll

Of those who have conjured the death of our king ! Slowly the jungle fires dim to red embers While lithe flitting shadows slip out into night. And then through the darkness a cry of delight And the massacre calmly begins.

c.w.

626 THE SHIRBURNIAN

RUGG ER lST XV RETROSPECT

The School XV had another good season, for they won all their matches against other Schools for the third year in succession, and only lost two matches against strong Army sides early in the term. This was an excellent record, for the prospects in September were not as rosy as they had been a year ago, and many key-men had to be found.

The forwards soon settled down into a workmanlike pack, though to start with they were inclined to be sluggish, and the backing-up in attack and defence was not really good until the end of the season. The line-out was better than usual and we depended here on Bell and Sutcliffe. Bowker at wing-forward on the open ~ide was indispensable, as we found to our cost 'when we had to take him out of the pack in one match to substitute on the wing. The loose heeling and open dribbling were good even against heavier packs, but our close foot-rushes near the scrum lacked vitality.

Outside, Lilley, at right centre, was the spearhead of the attack, and our opponents had continually to be on their guard against his deceptive .swerve and change of pace. The rest of the line supported him well, and Russell was a great find on the right wing, for what he lacked in pace he made up in resolution and strong-running. Hawkins and the two halves did some excellent covering in defence. The latter trained into a useful pair. Ricketts' hands were generally excellent, but he had one bad fault, a tendency to tuck the ball under his arm when he broke away. Leakey's passes were long and accurate, though slower off the ground than they appeared to be. He must learn to keep on his feet when he passes, for he cannot otherwise play his full part in attack; he was a most resolute defender. Wingate, at full-back, played some good games, notably at Downside, but was always inclined to be slow.

The tackling of the side, to start with lacking determination, improved steadily throughout the season. This was a good side, captained and led with vigour and keenness by Bell, and great credit is due to him and his

team for their record. It was not easy to live up to last year's standard, but they were not far off it. R.M.M.B.

SCHOOL v. DOWNSIJ?E The morning had been very wet indeed, and although it did not rain much during the game, the ball was heavy

and slippery. This did not prevent some really good football by both sides. The handling of our outsides and their superiority in attack was soon obvious, and if it not been for the excellent defence of Downside and their covering forwards, the score would have been very much greater. Lilley and Hawkins soon scored a try between them, which was not converted. At this stage, when the ball was slippery and our outsides were not quite used to it, the School forwards began to control the game. Playing as they had not played the whole of the season their footwork was an object lesson. Some magnificent rushes took the ball up the field for thirtyyards, and after one such take, in which Bell, Sutcliffe, Lucas and Bowker were particularly conspicuous, Sutcliffe scored a try. The kick was disallowed. Once again the forwards controlled the game. Bell was leading excellently and our heeling was timed very well. All the forwards were putting their feet over the ball quickly, so that we could do as we liked. Time and time again our outsides looked dangerous but the Downside defence stopped any scoring, until Russell, who had been doing some fine runs, eventually scored a try. Wilson kicked a goal. There was no further scoring in the first half.

After half-time the Downside forwards came back magnificently. Both packs played good football, but Downside controlled the first quarter of an hour after the start. The School soon scored again. Bell, backing up a three-quarter movement, scored far out, a try which which was well converted by Wilson. Once more after this the School were on top, as Downside seemed to have lost their fire and tired themselves. We did everything but score, and this was due to the covering of the Downside defence. Shortly before time Downside scored by a raid into our twenty-five, in which they rushed us well and we missed several kicks in succession. After a tight scrum they wheeled, to take the ball over our line. The kick failed.· The game ended with Sherborne on the attack once again.

· The whole team played well and the game was a good one. Wingate, at full back, was safe, and at times shewed considerable dash and initiative. The kicking throughout was good, and our backing-up among the forwards was a great improvement.

SCHOOL V, MARLBOROUGH.

The match was played at Marlborough, and, although the day was cold, it was quite dry and fine. During the whole game, however, there were only two or three good movements by either side. Lilley's break through in the second half, which gave Hawkins a try, and Marlborough's cross kick a little earlier were the best features of the game.

For the first quarter of an hour the School was on top and we managed to score two tries, one by Sutcliffe from a line-out and another by Rowllings, who fought his way over their line after some forward passing. Both tries were near the touch line and Wilson's kicks failed. At this point Marlborough started to bustle us, especially in the backs, but we did not seem to resent this treatment at all and were content not to try anything for the rest of the first half. The forwards were having a good struggle, but here again little originality or initiative was shown. The School was above in the loose, but in the line-outs, where we had started so well, we now began to lose the ball. At half time the score was still 6-0. . •

In the second half, although the outsides tried to rouse thems~lves and overcome the opposition, they seemed unable to do so to any great extent. Marlborough were the first to score in this half. After their forwards had been getting the ball for some time, their wing, finding he could not get through, did a fine cross kick which resulted in a

THE SHIRBURNIAN 627

try, which Woodhouse made into a goal. This cross kick and the following ten minutes were the only times in which both sides played good football. Lilley soon broke through after some better outside movements, and quicker heeling from the loose scrums. Olir next score came from a penalty which Wilson kicked. Once again the game went dead, except for the Marlborough forwards, who now controlled the game, but made little use of their control. The game finished with the score at 12-5.

The School forwards were not really quick enough over the ball in the loose, which gave the outsides little chance after a slow heel. The outsides too, seemed sleepy and we did not play as a team at all.

SCHOOL v. CLIFrON Since Clifton had moved to Bude, the difficulty was to know where wt; should play, but owing to the. hospitality

of Taunton School, who gave us a ground and tea, our match was not cancelled. . Clifton had the advantage of the conditions in the first half, a light wind down the field and a hollow in our twenty-

fives, where they might have placed the ball more often. Our outsides, especially Lilley and Russell, soon . showed their superiority over their opposite numbers, but the forwards were very evenly matched. The Clifton pack was big, and they were better than we in the line-outs, but we were a lot quicker than they in the loose scrums during the first half. Our heeling from the loose was consistent, but a trifle slow, which made the Clifton centres mark up, giving Lilley and Hawkins little chance to break through. However, after a quick heel, a break through followed and although this did not result in a try, we were placed in a scoring position, so that after hustling the defence for a few minutes, a quick heel gave Lilley a try. Wilson scored the goal.

Clifton came back very hard and, playing to their left wing, they very nearly scored two or three times. The left wing was very fast and a clever runner, but Bell was there covering when he looked like breaking through : Sutcliffe too. However, both these forwards were saved a lot of trouble, for it soon became obvious that Russell had the measure of his man, and not once did he let him through. ·

After some quick heeling we scored once more. Russell scored but Wilson xnissed the goal. Our heeling now became slow in the loose.

At half-time the score was 10-0. In the second half we played to our right, thus stopping a lot of their attack on this wing. Kicking the ball down

into the dip by the Clifton twenty-five, Ricketts kept the larger part of the play in their half. However, the Clifton pack by some excellent, hard footwork soon had the game inside our half and if it had not been for the bad handling of their outsides, they would have scored more often than they did, which was but once. Definitely on top of the School forwards for a period, their taking the ball and quick heeling resulted in a try.

Our attack did not go through after this, although we were on the attack a lot of the time. Russell scored again and Wilson scored the goal. This was the score at the end of the game, namely a School victory by 13 points to 3 points. .

The forwards played well in the loose and the tight scrummages, but the line-outs were our weak point. Lilley and Russell were very good in the outsides, but Davis was disappointing, as he might have scored two or three times if he had run as hard as he did last year.

JUNIORS' FINAL The final was played between School House " B " and Ross's. Ross's won by 6 points to 3 points. The game

was played on the Lower, and a strong wind was blowing straight down the field. In the first half Lyon House made good use of this wind to keep the play inside the School .House half, and for a lot of the time it was inside their twenty-five yard line; but the real struggle was in the two packs. Neither side had much talent outside the scrum, excepting the halves on the School House side, so the game really developed into a titanic struggle of forwards. Ross's were up in the first half and it was not long before they scored a forwards' try after several quick loose scrums, in which they had the initiative all the time. The House came back hard and once indeed they were within a yard of scoring, but Ross's soon had the play bottled down in the School House end, and once again they scored. Both kicks failed. In the light scrums Ross's had most of the ball, but the School House halves, Vivian and MacQueen, were equal to anything Bailey and Blandford, the Colts halves, could produce. At the end of the first half.the score was 6-0, and it certainly looked very favourable for School House, as the wind seemed worth twelve points at least.

Now things were very different. Although the Ross's forwards were still slightly superior, time and time again the House broke through in forward rushes, or from a tight heel, and MacQueen would make several valuable yards. Ross's forwards covered magnificently, however, and MacQueen rather helped them by not straightening up after his close break through. The House soon scored by MacQueen. The kick failed. ·

From this time on the game was extraordinarily close and fierce right up to the end. It must have been one of the hardest games on the Lower for a long time. Both sides played good, sound football, and if it was not very scientific, then the sheer tenacity of both sides made up for that. Ross's deserved to win ; they had a better side and they had used the wind to better advantage in the first half.

Barlow's School House " B "

Hey's School House " A "

Abbey House Randolph's

Westcott's Ross's

JUNIORS

J School House " B " } School House " B " }

J School House " A " . Ross's. J Abbey House ) Ross's }..w·

628 THE SHIRBURNIAN '

FIVES In the Christmas term a Junior House Pairs Fives Competition took place and was won by Abbey House. The

pairs were :-School House" A" Whitley, Leader. Harper House Tomson, Cockman. School House "B " Brayne, H. C., Wilson. Abbeylands Rogers, Doody. Abbey House Smelt, Cuthbert, P. Lyon House Blanford, Bailey. The Green Ritchie, Young. Westcott House Harris, H., Mainp.rice, H.

SCHOOL v. MAsTERS On Saturday, February 14th, a match was played between the Masters and the School. Neither side was in

practice, but the experience of the Masters told, and they deservedly won by 103-90 points. The scores were as follows-

M. R. Ricketts D. S. Hawkins

McCrum Brayner, R. B.

... ,

...

M. E. K. Westlake, Esq. B. J. F. Picton, Esq.

15-13 15- 8

15- 8 16-14

R. M. M. Barlow, Esq. A. B. Gourlay, Esq.

9-15 5-15

3-15 12-15

SCHOOL v. KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON On Saturday, February 21st, the School had its second fixture, against King's College, London University. The

two first pairs had a very good game, and the result was in doubt right up to the end. Unfortunately, the match had to be cut short to enable our opponents to get back to Bristol. The final reswt was King's College 121-Sherbome 105. The scores were as follows :-

M. R. Ricketts D. S. Hawkins

McCrum Brayne, R. B. ···1 . ..

Chinnock Monks

15-12 9-15

13-15

11-15

Colville Robinson

15-10

12-15 13-15

Singles. Colville beat McCrum 15-2. Brayne beat Robinson 15-9.

M. McCrum and R. B. Brayne were awarded their Fives Colours after this match.

SQUASH SCHOOL v. MASTERS

On Saturday, February 21st, the School played the Masters and won by 160-147 points. The scores were as follows:-

I L. B. Bell, Esq. ~pson, R. M. M. Barlow, . Esq .. Webber ... . .. 0-9 0-9 9-5

1-9 9-5 9-4 9-7

Sproule ... 4-9 9-4 9-1 9-7 9-7 9-3 7-9

Pearn ...

I 9-6 9-5 4-9 5-9 5-9 9-0 9-5 9-6 8-10

-· M.R.R.

THE SHIRBURN IAN

BOXING SCHOOL v. BLUNDELL'S

629

The match against Blundell's was held on Friday, December 13th. There were ten fights, and after some very level contests the School won by seven fights to three. Lieut. G. W. Schollick refereed the match, and Mr. Picton and Sergeant Tomkins acted as Judges.

Paper Weight (7-0). Aitken (Sherborne) beat Powles (Blundells) on points. Aitken stuck to his man well, and never gave up the attack ; he was in good training and well deserved the verdict.

Midge Weight (7-6). Allen (B.) stuck to it well, but Nicholetts (S.) was too good for him, and won on points. Nicholetts, if forced, is apt to put his head down and swing wildly. He must learn to hit straight.

Fly Weight (8-0). Renton (S.) is a sturdy boxer with good style; Lewis (B.) boxed well and brought off some beautiful right-hand counters to the body; these began to effect Renton in the third round. Renton won the fight on the first two rounds. •

Bantam Weight (8-6). Bailey (S.) and Crouch (B.) had a very spirited fight, both going at it hard. Bailey was rather wild but kept up the attack. Crouch settled down better in the third round and was getting the measure of Bailey; however, the latter well deserved the verdict on the first two rounds.

Feather Weight (9-0). This was a disappointing fight; neither could get the measure of the other, for while Conry (B.) covered up continually, MacQueen (S.) ducked badly, and neither showed great skill at boxing. MacQueen went for his man well in the first round and easily took the major points ; he just got home in the second round and lost the third ; however, he won the decision with a fair margin.

Light Weight (9-9). This was a good show of rugged fighting by Molock (B.) and a plucky effort by Gregory (S.). Molock was a strong two-handed fighter who forced the pace from the start, and never gave Gregory a chance to settle down ; Gregory did well to fight back, for he took a lot of punishment at the end of the first round, and all through the second ; in the third round, though Gregory was still game, the fight was stopped, the verdict going to Molock.

Welter Weight (1) (10-7). A really good scrap in which each boy took a lot of punishment. Prossor (S.) was shaken up by a good punch from Beales (B.) in the first round and never really recovered; both boxers stuck to it well, but Beale was a little on top all through and won on points. •

Welter Weight (2) (10-7). Another spirited fight, but Hockin (S.) made little use of guards, and took a lot more punishment than he should have done. Russell (B) was the prettiest boxer of the afternoon. He had a beautiful straight left that was continually connecting with Hockin's nose, and his right was one of the best-balanced punches of the match ; his style and footwork were also good, and he well deserved the verdict. Hockin stuck to it well, but failed to stop Russell piling up points, and the referee stopped the fight in the third round. ·

Middle Weight (11.6). An interesting fight in which ring-craft nearly outwitted hard hitting and determined fighting. During the first round Bell (S.) did most of the attacking, but scored few points on Tom (B.), who covered up well and was content to allow Bell to exhaust himself. In the second round Tom opened up a little and drew level with Bell on points. Bell was swinging badly and hitting repeatedly with the inside of the glove. However, Tom was carrying the fight to Bell now and looked like just pulling it off, but he left it too late, and, although fresher than Bell at the end, he lost the verdict on points.

Light-Heavy Weight (12-5). Rowllings (S.) seemed to worry little over the punches Sinclair (B.) gave him, and quite forgetting his guard he weighed steadily in to Sinclair until gradually his greater strength began to tell, and he won comfortably on points.

The outstanding features of the match were the very good right counter to the body used by most of the Blundell's boys, the lack of good defence among the School team, but the ability of the latter to keep up the attack throughout the fight. Altogether, it was a very good and instructive match, and I think the School boxing team are to be congra-tulated on such a satisfactory win.

SCHOOL v. BRUTON Our annual boxing match against Bruton took place on Thursday, November 27th. On account of injuries,

Bruton were only able to send over four boxers, but these gave a very good account of themselves. Although the School won the match by three fights to one, each contest was a good one, and a great deal of pluck was shown on both sides.

SEDGWICK (Sherborne) v. PENNINGTON (Bruton). A very level contest with each boy boxing in good style. Sedgwick was slightly on top throughout, and his continual attack decided the match in his favour.

CLARKE (Sherborne) v. LEWHOUSE (Bruton). Lewhouse was the better boxer and showed marked promise as a well-balanced straight hitter. Clarke stuck to it well and never gave up, but his leading was ineffectual and lacked power, though he used his feet well. The decision went to Lewhouse.

WALKER (Sherborne) v. MARKs (Bruton). This was a grand contest. Each stuck it well, but Walker, by deter-mined attack, gradually got the upper hand. Marks fought well and pluckily, but Walker did not let up on him till the final bell, and won a most spirited contest.

PROSSOR (Sherborne) v. BARNES (Bruton). This was another excellent match; neither thought much of guard, and each took a lot of punishment. Prossor was hitting hard and straight, but showed a tendency to use the heel of the hand. Though Barnes stuck to it well till the end, Prossor was too strong for him and won on points.

630 THE SHIRBURNIAN

The Senior Shooting Competition was held last term, being won by Harper House for the second year in succession. The order was :-

( l) Harper House ... Average 95.9 out of total 120. (2) School House "A" ,, 91.9 (3) Westcott House ,, 90.7 (4) School House "B " ,, 87.15 (5) The Green ,, 86.45 (6) Abbey House ,, 84.9 (7) Lyon House .,, 83.1 (8) Abbeylands ,, · 74.4

The School average on the whole was about 87 out of the possible 120, the highest score being made by Stallybrass, who got 118.

Extra Shooting was carried on as usual during the whole term, though it had to be stopped towards the end owing to a shortage @f ammunition. There is no likelihood of this happening again for some time, as an ample supply has been obtained. ·

The House Pairs Competition was also held, and won by The Green.

Group (25) Rapid (50) Snap (25) Total (100) The Green A. H. Robarts 20 42 25 87 182

Sedgwick 25 46 25 95 Lyon House Rice 20 49 20 89 174

Cordy 20 40 25 85 Abbeylands Pembleton 20 43 20 83 169

Bungey 25 41 20 86 School House " A " Courtney 15 46 10 . 71 161

Stallybrass 20 45 25 90 School House " B " Leakey 20 42 25 87 160

Rowllings 20 43 10 73 Harper House Hawkins 15 46 20 81 157

Danby 15 41 20 76 Abbey House Kidner 25 46 10 71 144

Hosegood 20 38 15 93 Westcott House Wade 15 38 10 63 141

Contanche 25 38 15 78 Owing tci various reasons no postal matches have yet taken place, though several have been arranged for the latter

part of the term. From what can be gathered from the scores in the last term's competition there should be no reason why this year's VIII should not be good enough to equal last year's in the Country Life Competition when it comes off.

A. H. ROBARTS, Captain of Shooting.

THE SHIRBURNIAN

STOP PRESS The following have been presented with their School Colours for Rugger :-

lsT XV 23.xi.41

30.xi.41 7.xii.41

23.xi.41

30.xi.41

Hewitt Danby Walton Romer Courtney

8.xi.41

16.xi.41

D. S. Hawkins D. E. C. Russell D. I. T. Wilson B. J. Sproule

Robinson Cassavetti Swan Greville

~ND XV

XXX BLAZERS Prossor Holman Jacob Ball Bungey

COLTS BADGES

Fox King Whitley

BOXING

J. B. Wingate '

I. M. L. Rowllings

Roe Cherry

Morrison

Cooper Retey Shallow Webb Pembleton

Harris, P.

Blandford

The following have been presented with theit Boxing Badges :-December, 1941 I. M. L. Rowllings P. K. C. Hockin

M. K. Prossor J. S.S. Renton P. M. MacQueen W. G. S. Nicholetts J. Gregory B: R. T. Aitken

631

This year we managed to beat the Dartmouth team by seven fights to five, in a match where interest was main-tained right up to the last fight. This was particularly gratifying, since we lost last year 8-5.

The standard of boxing has, I think, improved in the School ; this is due in great measure to the larger number of seniors taking boxing. Last term we fought Blundells in the set weights, and this created competition for the team -always a healthy thing.

The results of the Boxing Competition will be reported next term. In future, Boxing Colours will have to be regained every year except for the Captain of Boxing. This prevents

there being two or three Boxing Colours in the same weight through smaller people putting on weight. E.H.W.B.

SHERBORNE v. DARTMOUTH Pigmy. SrM v. INGRAM. Sim started well, but Ingram was quicker and firmer. He gradually wore Sim down,

until in the third round Ingram had it all his own way. Ingram (Dartmouth) beat Sim (Sherbome). Paper. B. R. T. AITKEN (S.) v. REID (D.). A good fight with Reid slightly the stronger each round. Each boy

was using his head and boxing with good judgment, but Reid proved himself the stronger and won on points. Fly. W. G. S. NrCHOLETTS (S.) v. SUTTON (D.). Nicholetts started well. Boxing with sound judgment, he scored

several points without giving anything away. Sutton came back each time, but Nicholetts pressed his advantage home and won on points.

Bantam. (i) DAVIS (S.) v. CHAMBERS (D.). Davis went for his man from the start and stuck to it well throughout. He has a lot to learn as a boxer, but it was good to see him fight himself to a finish and just get the judge's casting vote on points.

(ii) J. S. S. RENTON (S.) v. SWINDELLS (D.). Neither boxer was judging his distance well, each trying to hit too hard and thereby losing balance. It was a good fight, but Swindells carried it to his opponent, and with his longer reach in attack gained the decision on points.

Feather. (i) WALKER (S.) v. MooRE (D.). Walker dropped his guard badly and, though attacking in the first round, took a lot of telling blows that should never have landed. He stuck to his man well, but Moore was the better boxer and continually scored points with his left. The referee awarded the fight to Walker, who gained the decision ,by sheer determination to force the pace.

632 THE SHIRBURNIAN

(ii) J. J. BAILEY (S.) v. LITTLEDALE (D.). Littledale was a hard and natural hitter, and his timing of counters whenever Bailey attacked was excellent. In the second round Bailey was knocked out by a hard right hook, and this gave Littledale the fight.

Light. (i) BOWDLER (S.) v. RANKIN (D.). Bowdler is a hard and straight hitter, and he went for his man from the start. Knocked down early in the round, Rankin regained his feet, but collapsed before further fighting. Result : a win for Bowdler by a knock-out in the first round.

(ii) P. R. C. HoCKIN (S.) v. DEAN (D.). Both boxers fought well and very hard, so that there seemed little to choose between them. Dean won on a casting vote by the referee.

Welter. (i) M. K. PROSSOR (S.) v. HOWARTH (D.). Prossor was older than his opponent, who was slightly heavier. Both attacked from the start, but it soon became obvious that Prossor was stronger and fitter, and he wore his man down, winning easily in the last round.

(ii) N. J. COOPER (S.) v. LONG (D.). Long tried hard to hit Cooper, but the latter was too clever in the use of his body. Avoiding Long's attacks he hit back hard,•and in the third round the fight was stopped, when Cooper was easily winning, and had almost knocked out Long. -

Middle. NEWMAN (S.) v. ADAMS (D.). Newman was really a novice, but his opponent was very much younger than he. The first two rounds were good, but the last round saw both the boxers merely watching each other, and no incident took place at all. Newman won by his attacking in the previous rounds. M.E.K.W.

INTER-HOUSE SINGING COMPETITIONS, 1942 S.A.T.B. (Unaccompanied). Points. Unison. Points.

1. Abbey House 89 1. School House " A " 89 2. Harper House 87 2. Harper House 84 3. School House" A " 84 3. School House " B " 81 4. The Green 67 4. Abbey House 80 5. School House " B " 63 5. The Green 75 6. Lyon House 53 6. Lyon House 73

Abbeylands J No 7. Abbeylands J ... 54 Westcott House entry Westcott House Adjudicator : J. W. E. HALL, EsQ (Director of Music, Blundells School).

HALLIDAY EXAMINATION (FOR PIANOFORTE AND MUSICIANSHIP) 1. Harper House 137 Proxime Accessit Lyon House 136

Adjudicator: J. W. E. HALL, ESQ. (Director of Music, Blundells School).

THREE COCK Played on the Lower. Result: House, forty-seven points (7 goals, 2 tries and 2 penalties); School, none. Snow, hard frost, and then a dry East wind stopped games for almost three weeks, so that the Three Cock had

to be postponed for a fortnight, and, when we could eventually play, we took the first opportunity. This meant that the School had had but one punt-about together and no games as a team.

The weather was perfect for football on the day, with only a slight wind. It was clear that the House had the better side, but, after they had kicked off from the Yeovil end, the first ten minutes were a hard struggle. Several clever movements by Ricketts and Rice put the School in the House's twenty-five, and the School forwards were getting the ball as often as the House forwards. The House outsides were handling very badly too. Then they pulled them-selves together, and after two or three loose scrums, in which the House repeatedly got the ball, Roe crossed the line and ran into the middle before touching down. Rowllings kicked the goal. The School came back hard and should have scored from a penalty in the House's twenty-five, but failed to do so. The House then scored a penalty goal, kicked by Rowllings.

The game was still hard, although the House were now over the School. Their terrific superiority in weight was not shown until the second half. In the tight scrums the School were having most of the ball, but Bowker and Bell stopped any use being made of it, and from the resulting loose scrums the House generally had the ball. In the line-out the House was best, since it had several tall and heavy forwards who were prepared to jump for the ball. Ball and Cherry did their best by marking Sutcliffe and Bell, but there were always Rowllings, Swan and Holliss as well. Three more goals were scored by the House before half-time. Just before half-time the School nearly scored by Ricketts giving Rice an opening; the latter was stopped only a yard from the Ho.use line. By now, however, the House had settled down, and in the open their forwards were supporting every movement ; Sutcliffe, Bowker and Bell were especially noticeable ; and Rowllings was doing great work in the loose scrums.

At half-time the score was 18-0. The second half was a repetition of the first, except that the House were definitely on top and controlled tl(e game.

The School kicked off down the field, and Prossor gathered and opened, immediately starting an attacking movement. The ball was kept passing beautifully from forwards to outsides, and Bowker made a magnificent run to give Courtney a try in the comer. Rowllings again scored the goal. Such a start was disheartening for the School, and they felt they had lost the initiative. All the same they kept hard at it, and Robarts and Cherry were conspicuous in their untiring efforts, among a side who never gave in.

THE SHIRBURNIAN 633

From the next kick-off Bell placed the ball right down near the School's twenty-five, and it was not long before Roe was over the line and indeed the dead-ball line. The House outsides, especially the wings, were running well now, and Leakey at scrum-half, was playing a fine game, and he and Jacob were combining well. Whitehead was too inexperienced to play against the 1st XV back row and Leakey. The House continued to press; Sutcliffe, Leakey, Bell (2), and Roe scored tries. Rowllings kicked another penalty and only missed converting two tries throughout the game. His place-kicking was an object lesson and a feature of the game. The large score was due in great measure to him. The sides were ;-

The House: Walton; Courtney, Romer, Prossor, G. B. Roe; Jacob, I. R. A. Leakey; Pope, Benoy, J.P. Holliss, M. H. B. Swan, I. M. L. Rowllings, Q. Bowker, M. Sutcliffe, E. H. Walsworth-Bell.

The School: Whiteway; H. H. Fovargue, W. T. Rice (g), P. J. N. Harris, M.A. Cooke; M. R. Ricketts, A. T. Whitehead; Whiteway, J. G. Willcox, P. G. Wade, H. E. H. Newman, G. P. Hett, W. H. Cherry, C. I. Ball, A. H. Robarts (c).

THIRDS' FINAL

Played on Tuesday, March 3rd. Result : Win by the School by one goal and five tries to one goal. This match had been postponed for a considerable time because of frost, and both sides were short of practice,

but it was an excellent game-just what football should be. The School, represented by Barlow's and four of Parry-Jones's, were a strong side, especially outside the scrum,

and were too fast and heavy for the House, who, however, played a most determined and spirited game, and even caused the School supporters some uneasiness for five minutes in the first half.

There was not much in the game to start with, but a break through by Gibbon and some excelient backing up gave the School a try, which should have been converted. Not long after, the School scored again through two snap tries by Stevens and Hall. The House then pressed hard and a dropped pass was dribbled through by Walker, who scored a somewhat lucky try under the posts ; this was converted.

After half-time the School got more into their stride, and Gibbon and Edwards (2) scored tries, one of which was converted. Edwards' second try was from a beautiful individual run which left the defence standing. The House, though they stuck gamely to their opponents, could make no real impression. Their forwards played excellently and got their share of the ball, whereas the heeling of the School forwards was sluggish and did not give their outsides as many chances as they might have expected. The tackling on both sides was hard and determined, and the handling and running of the School outsides was impressive.

The School : Oliphant ; Stevens, Cockman, Gibbon, R. M., Davis ; Edwards, E. B. A., Thomas ; Renton, l'vkEwan, Danby, Fox, Gaskell, Hall.

The House : Aitken; Scott, Walker, Walden, Kilpatrick; Whitley, Block ; Meadows, Zealley, Giles, Brayne, Adams.., Turner. R.M.M.R

HOCKEY

lsT XI v. R.N.C., DARTMOUTH Won by three goals to one. Owing to the cold weather and the consequent hardness of the grounds the season started a fortnight late.

However, we were able to fulfil the first fixture of the season, after a short practice game, with an experimental side which did very well in the circumstances.

For the first fifteen minutes or so Dartmouth had more of the game, which was not merely due to the fact that they were playing with the slope. But their finishing was weak, so that the School defence was able to extricate itself from several awkward situations. About ten minutes before half-time both the School backs missed their tackle and the Dartmouth centre-forward scored. Almost immediately the School forwards got going, the ball finally reaching Hawkins, who scored from a rather weak push shot, whose pace-or rather lack of pace-defeated the opposing goal-keeper. The School now began to play much better, and following a movement by the right wing, Ricketts scored.

For the first part of the second half the School had the better of the game. Jacob picked up a pass in mid-field, eluded the Dartmouth backs, both of whom mishit the ball, and went through to score a good goal. Dartmouth now took up the attack and only weak finishing prevented them from scoring, their combined play in mid-field being very promising. Even so, the School goal had one or two narrow escapes ; but Bowker was quick and alert, and the game ended without any further score. Chief credit must go to the School halves, who worked untiringly and gave their forwards many good passes. Sproule was perhaps the most polished and effective player on the field till he tired. The backs were uncertain, mishitting under pressure and recovering slowly. Ball anticipated well, but spoilt much good work by getting badly out of position, thus making things very difficult for the rest of the defence. Jacob showed promise, but lack of experience caused him to be less effective than a centre-forward should be. Ricketts and Cassavetti did an enormous amount of work, but were inclined to be selfish. The wings were moderate. The best players for Dartmouth were Parker, the Captain, at centre-half, and Cunningham-Graham, at outside left.

School Team: Bowker; Walsworth-Bell, Ball, C. I.; Leakey, Sproule, Cooke; Whitehead, M. R. Ricketts, Jacob, Cassavetti, Hawkins.

644 THE SHIRBURNIAN

lsT XI v. KING'S SCHOOL, BRUTON Won by two goals to one. There were two changes in the School side which beat Dartmouth ; Lucas replacing Bell at left-back, and Clark,

playing at outside-left instead of Hawkins, who crossed over to outside-right to the exclusion of Whitehead. The School, playing with the slope, soon began to press and two good chances went begging. Bruton fought back and also missed a good chance of scoring. The School then set up several attacks, but Bruton packed their circle well, and the goalkeeper looked confident. It was, therefore, surprising that he allowed himself to be beaten by a partly blocked shot, which went over his head. Shortly before half-time Jacob sent in a good shot to score a second goal. At the beginning of the second half Bruton attacked strongly, the School defence faltered, and the Bruton inside-right scored from a short comer. Thereafter the standard of play deteriorated, both sides being very erratic in their passing and tackling ; there was also far too much body work and obstruction. Again the School halves bore the brunt of the work in defence, which limited their ability to help their forwards in attack, the positional play of the backs being very weak. Bowker, in goal, played very well, and Clark made a promising appearance in an unfamiliar place. Jacob was ill-served and had very little chance of becoming dangerous. Wright, the Bruton Captain, was outstanding at centre-half, and Burnett was the best of the forwards.

lsT XI v. CANFORD Lost by seven goals to one. The School were without Ricketts, Rowllings deputising at inside-right ; Whitehead replaced Hawkins on the

right wing. Canford pressed at once, their inside-right scoring after two minutes' play. The School attacked with quick determination, a centre from Whitehead was snapped up by Jacob, whose shot was stopped, but Clark followed up to score with a good shot. The Canford backs, although they were inclined to play too squarely all through the game, were never caught out again, largely owing to the extreme slowness and clumsiness of the School forwards. Before half-time Canford helped themselves to three more goals. The second half went largely in favour of Canford. The School played well in mid-field, but their attack was slow and painfully obvious. This meant that the defence got little rest on a ground which was very much faster than anything ever seen at Sherbome. In such conditions lack of practice and experience told its tale, nor could any amount of hard work compensate for this against :i purposeful side, who played well together in conditions which suited them. Three more goals were added without reply. It was an excellent game to watch, for although the School were outplayed they never gave up trying, so that Canford had to work hard for every bit of success they achieved. There was much more even play than the score suggests. For the School, Sproule was again outstanding, and Cassavetti was the only forward who was really dangerous. In the circumstances he was justified in being as selfish as he was. Whitehead did some good things, but his play showed promise rather than performance on the whole. Bowker did splendidly and could not be blamed for more than one of the goals scored against him, whereas by his quickness and decision he saved many situations. The rest of the defence struggled manfully against an opposition which, man for man, was in every instance superior. For Canford, Curle, at centre-half, and Knight, at inside-right, were outstanding in a side, which on the day, showed few weaknesses.

lST XI v. BRYANSTON •. Drew one to one. For this match Ricketts and Hawkins replaced Rowllings and Whitehead. Play was generally e~en throughout

the first half, with Bryanston the more dangerous of the two sides. In fact, the School goal had several narrow escapes ,· and the Bryanston inside-left actually scored, but was ruled off-side. About ten minutes after half-time the Bryanston centre-forward scored with a first-time shot from a centre from the right wing. Soon after, the School replied, Cassavetti scoring. after a run by Hawkins. That ended the scoring, but the game remained interesting, sometimes exciting, by reason of the swift transfer of play from one ' twenty-five ' to the other. Several good chances of scoring were missed by both sides through over-eagerness and consequent lack of control. The ground cut up rather badly after rain, which fact, together with the unnecessarily robust methods of both sides, was responsible for the distinctly moderate standard of play. · R.S.T.

The following have been presented with School Colours :-lsT XI

March 3rd March 7th March 12th

March 14th

B. J. Sproule F. M. Cassavetti I. R. A. Leakey G. Lucas D. S. Hawkins

Q. Bowker E. H. Walsworth-Bell

M.A. Cooke M.R.R.

jjn jltlcntoriant

P. E. H. PARRY--JONES

PERCIVAL EDWARD HOLLAND PARRY"JONES

BORN 1892 - DIED 1942

ABBEYLANDS 1906-1911

SCHOOL HOUSE TUTOR 1919-1928

HOUSEMASTER, ABREY HOUSE 1928-1942

The Book of Wisdom, chapter iii, verse i.

"But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God and there shall no torment touch them."

I T i5 indeed a respom;ible office which I undertake thi5 evening in telling you something of the extent of the loss which Sherborne has suffered in the death of Edward Parry-Jones.

It is hard to believe that there are about a hundred boys here who have never seen or known him, because he was for the rest of us always one of the great oustanding figures in this place.

For the benefit of newcomers I should like to recall some-thing of his own school-days at Sherborne.

He came to the School in 1906 and when he left it five years later he was a prominent member of the Sixth Form, Captain of the School XV in his third year in the side, and a silver medallist and School representative in the Public Schools Boxing. This early athletic promise was amplified in his undergraduate days at Cambridge both on the river and on the football field.

Then came the War, a Commission in the South Wales Borderers and a distinguished military career during which he was wounded in France and attained his Captaincy before return-ing to his old School to which he has given his whole life and love with its wonderful virility and strength and sanity.

I have spoken so far largely of his athletic prowess, but it would be untrue both to the man and to the tradition which he loved so dearly to suppose that this came first with him. It certainly did not ; it has not even second or third place.

The great attractiveness of his personality lay in his remark-able combination of hardness and sensitiveness, of strictness and a real sympathy, of discipline and love.

It would be a very superficial acquaintance which could associate him only with athletic success and physical prowess, great though these were.

His was a fine and sensitive spirit that contributed much to the rich store of Sherborne scholarship particularly in music.

3

Not only was he himself possessed of a very fine baritone voice, but he made his house and his home a great centre of music, and the effect of all this as a refining and cultural influence in Sher· borne it is not easy to estimate.

His outstanding qualities as a teacher are too well known to many of you to need further emphasis, and though he drove his boys and made them work as perhaps few Schoolmasters have been able to do, it was not mere slave driving; for here again his astonishing combination of hardness and sensitiveness showed itself. His boys at least knew that if he drove them hard he drove himself still harder, for he was supremely conscientious. Indeed I believe that he exhausted himself and his reserves in his effort to do just that 'extra bit' which he felt the war claimed from everyone.

He had a discriminating and almost faultless taste in all matters not only of musical but also of literary appreciation, as those who were privileged to hear his paper read about three years ago to the "Duffers" Society will readily acknowledge. But it was perhaps as a Housemaster that he was really at his greatest, and I use the word deliberately for such I know him to have been, a really great Housemaster, sent, I believe, to carry on the famous tradi· tion of his father-in-law in this place in a way which won him a reputation far beyond the frontiers of our School.

He knew, if anyone ever did, how to combine hard discipline and sympathy, and with it he combined, as his boys know well, a great and tender love for his house and his boys and his Old Boys, which was returned and is returned in overflowing measure.

No one who has seen him swinging back from a walk on a Sunday afternoon with his Prefects, or has heard what his Old Boys write and think about him can be in any doubt of this. I know it because I can recall with gratitude the many occasions on which he would drop round for a pipe over which to discuss some difficult case or some problem of School administration: and always at these times I was struck by the shrewdness of his judg-ment, his breadth and sanity of mind and his wonderful sympathy with the wrong-doer.

He was indeed greatly loved by the overwhelming majority, not indeed by all. The slacker, the shifty, the slovenly, the slip-shod, the vulgar and the blatant, these all avoided him-and wisely. Again it was in this wonderful combination of hard discipline and sympathy that lay the secret of his inspiration, because he was and is an outstanding example of what real Christianity can be, as opposed to the bogus imitation seen in the simpering saints of our Victorian stained glass windows. It is one of the most difficult things in the world, as every School-master knows, to rid the minds of boys and men of the common fallacy that Christianity is something soft and sentimental and effeminate, to persuade them that it is hard and virile and heroic; but the task is made comparatively easy when there are men like Edward Parry-Jones about the place.

No one could say that he was soft and effeminate.

Soft and effeminate men do not represent their Schools at Box-ing and Rugby football. Soft and effeminate men do not produce houses like Abbey House, and equally clearly no one can deny that he was an avowed, faithful, practising Christian.

He never paraded his Christianity-he never concealed it. It was just there.

I suppose he had his faults. We all have; but it would need a far more critical mind than mine to sum them up and to analyse them. I know we did not always agree. We had indeed some blazing rows more than once. The occasions do not matter and the reasons why I can recall them without regret is that they never left any bitterness behind.

One day, when he had just returned home for the last time, I said to him how stupid these old differences of ours now seemed, and he replied, "No, I don't regret them, Chief, they have not separated us but brought us closer together." That was the man's secret. He harboured no meanness and no malice, and whatever others may think of the term and its justification I believe myself and shall go on believing that he was of the stuff that saints are made of and I am not alone in that belief.

If you were to ask the doctors and nurses who attended him through his last long illness you would find they would agree.

5

Think for one minute what he had to face. Struck down almost at the zenith of his powers by this sinister and inscrutable disease, he was told as long ago as last November of the unani• mous, irrevocable verdict of his doctors, confirmed some days later as the result of a painful operation.

His first thoughts on regaining consciousness from the an

wisdom. If it is not impertinent I should like to take this oppor, tunity of paying a tribute of personal gratitude. A Headmaster's lot, particularly when he first takes up office, is no bed of roses. He is quite rightly and inevitably the target for a mass of criticism. personal and official, and he is apt sometimes to feel an intense loneliness. So situated he looks eagerly for those upon whom he can rely for support.

I have been more than fortunate and never more fortunate than in Edward Parry, Jones, and I can never forget how often he has stood up to defend me against attack.

I knew in dealing with him that if there were anything wrong. he would come and say so outright. I have a horror of Com-mittee Government, but it would be a terrible loneliness if one had not staunch and loyal friends upon whom one could rely for sound advice from time to time upon the many problems that confront us in this place. Such was he, and I have come more and more to rely upon his sanity and his good taste and judgment, among, I am happy to say, many others in this place. So in taking leave of him I am reminded at once of another great character, not in real life but in fiction, and that is the character known as Mr. Valiant-for-Truth in Bunyan's great classic.

May I read to you the description of his going ? I think you will see the aptness of the passage.

"Then, said he, I am going to my Father's; and though with great difficulty I go hither, yet now I do not repent of all the trouble I have been at to arrive where I am. My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage and my courage and skill to him that can get it. My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought His battle who will now be my rewarder."

When the day, that he must go hence was come, many accom, panied him to the riverside into which as he went he said, "Death where is thy sting ? " and as he went down deeper he said, "Grave where is thy victory?"

So he passed over and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side."

Spoken in Sherborne Chapel on February 8th, 1942.

7

A.R.W.

When I went to Sherborne in 1922 P.-J. was School House Tutor. We used sometimes to look at the likenesses of him that hung in the Tuckshop in old 1st XV photographs, and pass uncomplimentary remarks on those rugged features. But the time was not far off when I came to think of that face as having one of the kindest, truest looks I have ever known. He became Housemaster of the Abbey House in my last term as a boy there. In our eyes he was the obvious man to take on the unenviable task of succeeding the giant who was gone. Later, when I came to realize his extreme modesty, his lack of faith in his own powers of schoolmastering, I saw what a forbidding task it must have been. And later still-now-I realize how wonderfully well he did it, striving, and striving successfully, to maintain the tradition the House had enjoyed so long, not only of athletic prowess but also of reading and music and outdoor hobbies. One term in the House with him was enough to show me that P.-J. was something much more than just a big man with a very fierce look by the side of the boxing-ring. Twice in my last term I was reported to him by other masters for idleness or bad behaviour in form, and those little episodes alone showed me something of his sense of humour and his tad. By the end of the term I was devoted to him and at the beginning of the next came the first of innumerable visits as an old boy and a friend. What happy times those visits were! The House became a second home to me. It was not the public occasions like house-suppers that I enjoyed most, though they were good. It was the quiet week-ends when nobody else was down, and one could spend the evening upstairs in the drawing-room, perhaps playing the gramophone, perhaps talking of Sherborne, or music, or literature, or education, or Skye, or anything else. It was at these times that I discovered more and more his greatness: his complete unselfishness, his devotion to Sherborne, the almost superhuman trouble he took with his boys, his modesty, his true sympathy-that is to say his ability to enter into your life and share it: and not least his enjoyment of a joke. I can still see his strong figure and his kindly looks as he waved good-bye after my last visit less than a year ago. A rock-like friend has gone, and we are shocked and stunned at his death.

D.A.H.

8

I have known few men with greater capacity than P.-J. for entering into the spirit of a holiday; and I think this was especi-ally true of his fishing holidays. He was not an outstandingly successful fisherman, though on occasions he killed a fair number of trout, but he took an intense interest and delight in the whole business, right from the preliminaries to the actual fishing itself. From time to time in early spring-on his birthday perhaps-I would take him a few flies, and that would always be the occa-sion both for reminiscence and for speculation about what April would have in store for us. Often a rod would be brought out for inspection, or a reel produced for--quite unnecessary-oiling; all fishermen will readily picture the scene.

Then in April off wewould go to AxeorTawor,morelately, to Usk. It was seldom that he was able to come for more than a week, but I like to think that they were weeks which he enjoyed to the full. So results varied; on the first occasion, soon after I came to Sherborne, we only caught one trout between us in four days' fishing; on the Usk, however, trout were usually to be had.

If we were staying at a hotel, P.-J. seemed to have the knack of getting on at once with other anglers. There was one excep-tion. The conversation after dinner had turned to rugger and, of course, to Sherborne. On hearing something of Sherborne rugger, the stranger said "You amaze me. I always thought Sherborne was a sort of third class grammar school." The affair ended just short of physical violence! The other man was leaving the next morning, and I think that this was the only time that I knew P.-J. late for breakfast on a fishing holiday. He didn't appear at all till he heard the sounds of the monstrous man's. departure!

I have visions of walking along the banks of Usk and coming on P.-J. up to his waist in rough water with his line and cast in a most glorious tangle, and of getting a look such as I might have got had I just been detected in an off-side position ! Very soon. though, all would be well, and he would return to that serenity which made him so delightful a holiday companion.

In the evening, with the declining sun burnishing the water, back he would trudge, often singing, and always happy, and I know and rejoice to think that those were occasions when a very hard-working man found peace and recreation.

J.H.R. 9

My earliest distinct recollection of P.-J. dates from a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1909 or 1910. In those days every• body knew everybody; and a hefty fellow who was in the XV as a burly forward, and a boxer as well, could not fail to be a familiar figure. But there was a fair number of others of similar propor· tions working by a like standard of physical hardness and thrust: so many that most of them were congregated, for safety, in one form, and submitted not without groans to the same awesome personality which dominated and disciplined them on the field. But here on this sunny Sunday were two of these "toughs" out for a country walk, striding down the path from Lillington through Honeycomb wood: and one of them carried a bunch of bluebells. Both were Abbeylanders: A. B. Read, who was the second casualty among O.SS. in 1914, and P.-J. It was P.•J. who had the flowers. No one in that house could possibly escape altogether from the humanity of its Housemaster, his humour, his love of poetry and good literature, his sanity. But I doubt if H.R.K. knew many flowers by name unless they came in Words· worth or Shakespeare: and I cannot help regarding the bluebells as a symbol of the man to be. Memory is hazy at this distance: and I do not know how I came to ask him to come climbing in the Lakes in 1910. But I have a photo of him with E.D., A.G.E. Sanctuary, and C.R. de C. Peele, girded with ropes. My record shows him to have come up the Central Gulley of Great Gable: he missed E.D.'s rebellion in a Gulley on Great End, and his heart• felt" Thank God, never again" when he reached the top in safety. Nor was my enthusiasm for that noble sport communicated. After this there was a gap till his return here as a master in 1919, to dedicate all his energies to the place he loved, to marry the daughter of the man he mcist admired, and to succeed him in a house whose principles he most fervently desired to follow.

Of his time as Tutor to the School House I can say little. I have seen a letter from an old boy of that era which expressed gratitude for what P.· J. had done for a "not always easy subject." It is doing no injustice to either of two great personalities to say that while N.C.S. and G.M.C. agreed on the end of subduing boys to the useful and the good, they differed widely and some• times violently on the means,-compelling by persuasion, or per· suading by compulsion. P.•J. with his ardent discipleship of the

10

man he admired as a boy no doubt had many a' tussle,-courteous always, and always within the bounds of loyalty to his chief, who said of him that he was ''plus royaliste que le roi." As far. as I was concerned, the universal activity. demanded by. the. G.M.C •. tradition (except in tennis, and G.M.C. on a tennis,court is. a dear memory) brought P.,J. on to the Upper for Cricket. Turn, iug up late one afternoon he was put by his Captain at square. leg: and, alr:eady out of breath, had three Jeg,boundaries to save in succession. That he was actually (or nearly) sick brought only a sardonic smile of sympathy. But he took to cricket, and liked. bowling, though it looked as if he wished to throw his body with the ball, or somehow introduce an element of ruggerin the game.

In time came his marriage, and his taking over Abbey House. This burden and labour of love, assumed under melancholy circum; stances, weighed heavily upon him. He felt that he was carrying on for some one not really dead, and he would seem almost tci be effacing himself. I have heard one old boy of G.M.C.'s time angry and impatient with him for .refusing.even after a; lapse of. years to' take credit for his own house. This was typical' of his great modesty, which was very