8
Summer Term 1917
photography were all mentioned by Skipper. Indeed, he had succeeded in keeping the conflict at least at arm’s length for the boys in his care. As Betjeman later observed: … for the trenches and the guns Meant less to us than bicycles and gangs And marzipan and what there was for prep.1 John won no prizes that day. However, the Betjemans would no doubt have approached the Skipper’s brother Alfred Lynam (nicknamed at an early age and known thereafter as ‘Hum’) to express their thanks for looking after their son so well ( John later claimed Hum was like a father to him). It was indeed thanks to Hum that John had been admitted to the school in the first place.
John Betjeman at Cliff Bank, c.1914/15
The Betjemans had been regular visitors to Trebetherick in Cornwall, where Hum and May Lynam went on holiday with their children, Joc and Audrey, since before the war. John was an only child and he needed companionship – or perhaps an audience. On holiday he was able to roam with other children. A shy child, he still knew how to make other children laugh and they enjoyed his company. There were many pleasant distractions, such as treasure hunts and cricket matches, but these adult-organised events were less to John’s liking. On one occasion when his parents had to be away, John had stayed with the Lynams at Cliff Bank, their summer home in Trebetherick. ‘There was a wonderful bond of jokes in the Lynam family, and I was able to share in it,’ he recalled. He described himself as being a distinctly difficult boy at that time; Hum had to speak to him about not teasing his son Joc so much. He did nonetheless learn the joy of laughter. ‘I think
