THE
VIGORNIAN
SUMMER 1953
THE
VIGORNIAN
THE WORCESTER CATHEDRAL KING'S SCHOOL CHRONICLE TA MEN AIAAKTA MANGANfi, TA A'ETPETA ZHTO, TA A'ETKTA IIAPA 6EQN HITHSAMHN.
Vol. XIV.
SUMMER, 1953. CONTENTS.
Editorial School Officers ... School Notes ... O.V. News Births Engagements ... ... Marriages Obituary ... O.V. General Meeting and Annual Dinner O.V. Cricket Club Oxford Letter Bristol Letter Speech Day and Ffite School Play Cricket Notes and Characters Results Rowing Notes ... . ... Results Swimming Sports ... Athletic Sports Results Hockey Notes Rugby Football Notes Prospects Fixtures Fives Notes Boxing Notes The Cross-Country Chess C.C.F .22 Shooting Results Music Society Literary Society
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No. 184.
Art Society ... Debating Society ... Sixth Form Library Sixth Form Club ... Valete Acknowledgments ... Contributions Correspondence
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EDITORIAL. ROM amidst the organized chaos of the closing weeks of a school year for some, but a school career for others, there must emerge once again the familiar pages of The Vigornian, pages that become only too familiar to harassed editors and contributors, whose time is claimed by those innumerable annual activities which strive to belie the assertion that the schoolboy leads a sheltered, placid existence. But we know now that all this is part of one's education, before setting foot into what everyone so eagerly tells us are such difficult and dangerous times. Indeed so insistent are such warnings and so mournful the faces of the preceptors that even the hardiest and most self-assured boy might wistfully think of ' just one more year.' We too have learnt the truth of the saying that familiarity breeds contempt, and now that our days of familiarity are numbered, we desperately try to treasure up as many impressions of faces and places as possible ; and we can the more easily recognize the nostalgic note of the returning O.V. as he talks about College Hall and College Green as being part of one's existence which will never fade but ever draw new life from many happy returns.
F
THE VIGORNIAN. So much for musings on past and future; now we must offer a word or two on the present. Firstly we must announce to surprised and perhaps annoyed O.V.s the abolition of House Notes, but, begging the pardon of hard-working scribes of the past, during the last few years such articles have so deteriorated and lengthened that we feel we had better dispense with them until they be instilled with fresh life. To fill the gap we have launched an appeal for contributions from members of the school to add originality to what has long been a sore neglected column, an appeal which has so far met with but little response. This year has of course been dominated by the celebrations surrounding our Queen's Coronation, and our enthusiasm has been encouraged by improved status in scholastic spheres through hard won University Scholarships by pupils past and present. It is not the custom to dwell on particulars in an editorial but we feel we must draw attention to the brightest star in our sporting circles, that is the increasing fame of M. J. Keating, culminating in his winning the ' Sunday Times' Challenge Cup and Gold Medal at Bisley.
SCHOOL OFFICERS. - H. J. Davies Head of School School Monitors : R. G. L. Griffiths, G. S. W. Thomas, E. R. Vines, M. J. C. Secular, J. R. Hopkin, M. J. Senter, J. James, D. H. Slack, J. Verity, H. H. Scurfield, J. S. Rippier, J. F. Skillman. Heads of Houses :— School House - H. J. Davies Castle House - J. R. Hopkin The Hostel E. R. Vines Choir House J . Verity Chappel House . . . J. James Creighton House M. J. Senter Captain of Cricket D. H. Slack - R. G. L. Griffiths Secretary of Cricket Captain of Boats - J. S. Rippier Secretary of Boats E. Rippier - G. S. W. Thomas Captain of Football Secretary of Football - J. R. Hopkin - D. H. Slack Captain of Hockey - G. S. W. Thomas Captain of Fives Captain of Athletics - J. R. Hopkin - R. M. Turner Captain of Boxing Captain of Shooting - J. S. Rippier M. J. Keating Secretary of Shooting Secretary of Swimming - J. S. Rippier Editors of The Vigornian—M. J. C. Scoular, H. J. Davies, R. G. L. Griffiths, E. R. Vines, J. James, J. A. Eidinow, J. C. B. Coles, J. R. Canning. Librarians—M. J. C. Scoular, J. James, Sub-Librarians —J. A. Eidinow, C. D. Glynne-Jones. Secretary of the Art Society - J. E. Rowley J. James Secretary of the Music Society Secretary of the Literary Society R. G. L. Griffiths President of the Debating Society D. H. Slack D. R. Mills Secretary of the Debating Society-
Summer, 1953
SCHOOL NOTES. SPRING AND SUMMER 1953 During 1953, our efforts for the most part have been devoted to one main object: that of obtaining funds to pay for the many structural developments of the past few years. From the beginning of the Spring term preparations were afoot which reached their fruition in the Grand Summer F£te held on the afternoon of Speech Day. Though the original target of £1,000 was not quite achieved, a very creditable profit was realized and parents were given an enjoyable day, while they allowed their purses to be emptied for them with never a murmur of discontent. On the same evening the Old Vigornians held a successful dance in College Hall, the proceeds of which were generously subscribed to increase the total gain of the day. * * * On ascending the ancient spiral of the Edgar Tower at the beginning of this term, members of the Upper School observed with pleasure that two of the rooms had been entirely re-distempered and painted. It is hoped that the efforts of the decorators will continue to receive the consideration which has been shown to them so far. The long-awaited indoor rifle-range was completed in time for Speech Day and shooting competitions, including one for ladies, formed part of the Ffite programme. » « « On January 23rd a party of senior boys were the guests of Miss Webster at the Worcester Grammar School for Girls' Dance. The whole School attended the usual Ash Wednesday Service in Worcester Cathedral on February 18th. On Thursday, 19th February, a half-holiday was granted to mark the success of University scholarship candidates. * * • Saturday, February 28th, saw the annual cross-country race. The weather was fine, and the course, which began and ended in Upper Battenhall, was dry and firm underfoot. * * * At the beginning of the following- week, Mr. Eric Newton, the celebrated art critic, gave a lecture on the ' Beginnings of Modern Art' and put forward a number of valuable suggestions in answer to the many questions fired at him by an audience which seemed, generally speaking, to be inclined toward a conservative and orthodox attitude. * * * On Wednesday, March 4th, the Senior German scholars went to Birmingham and saw a production of ' Kabale und Liebe.' * * * Hockey was again played in the second half of the Spring term, and on Wednesday, March llth, the first round of the House competition was held on Perdiswell and the School field.
Snmmer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
In the afternoon of the following day, the Bishop of Basutoland, an O.V., gave an interesting lecture to the School on the subject of life in Africa.
Ascension Day was marked by the usual morning service held in the Cathedral. It was conducted by the Rev. N. E. Wilkinson.
On March 16th the Lower School heard an excellent lecture on " Wild Red Deer," by Mr. Everts.
By the addition of the outstanding Judge's halfholiday to that already promised, the School obtained a whole day's recess on Whit-Monday, and fours were entered in events at both Evesham and Hereford Regattas.
Field Day, March 17th, was held this term for the Senior Platoons at Eastnor where successful operations were earned out over ground admirably suited to the purpose, being both hilly and thickly wooded in parts. On Thursday, March 19th, a film showing the various stages in the production of steel, and its many uses in everyday life was seen by the whole school in College Hall. Friday, 20th March, saw the annual Confirmation Service for boys from the School. The Certificate ' A ' examinations were held on Saturday, March 21st, and on the following Friday, very few failures being recorded. School House put up a very fine performance to win the House Section Shield on Saturday, March 28th, by a narrow margin of marks from Hostel, the runners-up.
On Tuesday, May 26th, the Hostel team, under the able leadership of E. R. Vines, carried off the trophy for the inter-house P.T. competition. A most unusual event took place on the following day : the whole school was systematically X-rayed as part of the new City Council scheme to combat tubercular infection in its infancy. Since no one has heard anything, we thankfully presume that King's School is entirely free from any trace of tuberculosis. The Coronation half-term break began on May 29th and ended on June 3rd. On Tuesday, June 9th, Col. D. J. E. O'Flynn, D.S.O., M.B.E., carried out the annual C.C.F. inspection on the School Field and was very impressed with both the turn-out and the standard of training, which he watched being carried out after the inspection.
On the same day, Castle House won the Hockey competition, and in the evening the Vlth Form Club held a successful Spring Dance at the Alice Ottley School.
The half-holiday which Col. O'Flynn kindly requested was granted on the same day by the Headmaster.
The General Knowledge paper, a regular feature of the Spring term, took place on the morning of the last day of term.
During this week, performances of the ancient morality play ' Everyman ' took place in the Cathedral, under the skilled direction of Mrs. Sarah Knight, and the whole school attended one of the performances.
The beginning of the Summer term coincided with the visit of the Australian cricketers to Worcester and on Thursday, April 30th, the Headmaster granted a halfholiday to the School to enable boys to watch some firstrate cricket.
A special showing of the magnificent colour film ' A Queen is Crowned ' was enjoyed by the school at the Odeon cinema on the morning of Monday, June 15th.
On Monday, May llth, a large party of senior boys attended a performance of ' Antony and Cleopatra' at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford.
Field Day was held on Friday, June 19th, and closely following this spell of physical activity came a period of intense mental exertion with the ' A * and ' S ' level examinations.
Mr. Robson of the P.S.A.B. visited the School on the following day and his valuable advice was sought by a great number of boys.
The first four did not fare so well as in the past two years at Marlow, losing to Wallasey School who reached the final, in the second round.
THE VIGORNIAN. On June 30th members of the school spent a riotous afternoon watching a performance of " Toad of Toad Hall " (by the Trinity College Players), in the Gueston Gardens.
On July 6th Mr. Nicholls ably supervised the swimming sports held at the Corporation Swimming Baths. School House won the trophy this year. Certificate ' A,' Part II, was held on this day also.
On Thursday, July 9th, a party of senior boys went to London with Mr. Natan and were conducted round the Houses of Parliament by the member for Worcester, Mr. George Ward.
On July 9th, too, ' O ' and ' A.O.' examinations began. *
*
*
Speech Day, as previously mentioned, was held on July 10th. It was followed by O.V. weekend, the usual dinner being held in College Hall on Saturday, July llth.
Owing to the occurrence of an examination on the following Saturday afternoon, July 18th, only three events of the School Regatta could be rowed. The rest had to be fitted in during the afternoons of the same week. Hostel did very well to beat Creighton, hot favourites, by 3 lengths in the Senior IV's Cup.
School celebration of Holy Communion to mark the end of term was held in the Cathedral at 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 26th.
Performances of the school play ' The Knight of the Burning Pestle,' were presented in College Hall on Saturday, July 25th, and on the following Monday.
The annual Corps Camp which was again held at Castlemartin began on Tuesday, July 28th.
Our tally of overseas visitors was increased this term by the arrival of C. O. Ruben from Stockholm, Sweden, who joined Castle House. He has impressed everyone with his good manners and cheerful face and we hope he has enjoyed his short stay here. Skillman returns to America this term, but we understand he is to be replaced by a boy from California to whom we offer a cordial welcome.
Summer, 1953 WHO HAS THE CUPS ?
Senior Team Cross Country ... ... ... School Senior Individual Cross Country—School (H. J. Davies) ... School Fives Chess S. C. Graham Boxing ... Chappel (J. C. Haywood) Hockey ... Castle Section Shield School P.T The Hostel Team Shooting . ... Chappel Individual Shooting ... Chappel (M. J. Keating) Swimming School Cricket Castle Batting Castle (J. R. Scriven) Bowling School ( G. S. W. Thomas) Senior Fours The Hostel Choir Junior Fours Senior Sculls Creighton (J. S. Rippier) Coxes' Sculls Castle (J. E. Varney) Senior Sports ... ... ... ... ... Creighton Middle Sports Castle Junior Sports Shield ... ... ... ... School R. Thorn Mile Cup Senior Relay ... ... ... ... Creighton The Senior and Junior Rugby competitions were cancelled owing to bad weather.
O.V. NEWS. JULY, 19S3. HUMPHRIES, C. M. (Castle House 1908-16) has resigned from the post of Clerk to the Governors of Swanage Grammar School after 9 years' service, and has been appointed as a representative Governor by the Dorset County Council. * * * SMITH, K. P. (Castle House 1909-16) is still engaged in his Conservative work. He is also honorary Colonel of his old Regiment's T.A. Battalion, commanding the Bournemouth section of six Home Guard Battalions. MARSLAND, K. D. (1910-14) has retired from the army with the rank of Brigadier and has settled at Victoria, B.C., Canada. * * * PATTON, C. A. C. (School House 1913-21) is Deputy Sales Manager with the British Oil and Cake Mills, Northern Area. * * * Ross, Rev. K. N. (Day Boy 1917-26) has recently been appointed Vicar of All Saints, Margaret Street, London. Before this appointment, he was Vicar of Maiden and prior to that he was successively Chaplain and VicePrincipal of Salisbury Theological College. BURDEN, F. H. (Day Boy 1918-23) has moved from Java to Nigeria and at Ibadan he met SHEERWOOD (1918-23). He is now manager-of a Tobacco Company at Kumasi, Gold Coast, where he is teaching natives how to grow, make and even smoke cigarettes.
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
GREENFIELD, G. B. (1920-26) has been spending some leave in England and came to the School one day before returning to Demerara, Georgetown, British Guiana.
WEBB, D. A. (Day Boy 1944-47) has just completed his training as Estimates Engineer, and is now serving in the R.A.F. for his National Service.
FORD, L. S. K. (Day Boy 1922-26) is at present Chaplain of Felsted School and has been appointed Headmaster of Adisadel College, the largest Secondary School for boys in the diocese of Accra, in the Gold Coast.
BURGESS, T. H. (Day Boy 1944-48) was successful in passing the Intermediate Examination of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors, held last November. He has recently joined the firm of Rabjohns, Leopard & Co. (Worcester). Mr. D. RABJOHN (Day Boy 1921-29) is also an O.V.
MAUND, Rt. Rev. J. A. A. (Day Boy 1920-28) was consecrated as Bishop of Basutoland on November 19th, 1950, and he was fortunate enough to be able to return to England in January for six months. During this time he met many, old friends and addressed the School on Basutoland. It was a pity that he had to return to his diocese before the O.V. Reunion. BEARD, Col. J. H. L. (Day Boy 1927-29) has been appointed to command the 3rd Worcestershire (Droitwich) Home Guard Battalion. He served with the R.A. throughout the war both in the Middle East and at Dunkirk. BEAUMONT, P. (Natland 1921-30) is teaching French and German at Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Connecticut, U.S.A. He coaches soccer, baseball and occasionally some wrestling. He has married an American and has one son. HARVARD, C. (Castle House 1938-41) has recently become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. After working for a time at the Postgraduate Medical School of London, he has now been appointed as Surgical Registrar to the United Cardiff Hospitals. PRESTAGE, M. W. (School House 1941-45), after serving in the Royal Navy, spent four years at Seale-Hayne Agricultural College, and gained his N.D.A. and N.D.D. He hopes to get married soon and leave for New Zealand to take up farming. SHARP, J. M. (School House 1943-45) is now serving an engagement with the R.A.F. Central Band as oboist and recently played with the Epsom Symphony Orchestra. SHARMAN, M. J. (Castle House 1943-46) played rugger for Stirling County every Saturday and was surprised to find G. W. LINDNER (School House 1942-46) as his fellow wing three-quarter. LYON, J. G. (School House 1944-47) has been an assistant in Shaw Wallace Co. Ltd., 4 Bank-shall Street, Calcutta, India, for well over a year.
SKINNER, G. (Day Boy 1947-48) has now been promoted to corporal in the Life Guards and was honoured by being one of the four Life Guards to escort the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret to and from Westminster Abbey on Coronation Day. He has also taken part in the Trooping of the Colour and the Funeral of Queen Mary. » * » AGER-HARRIS, R. (School House 1942-49) has now completed his National Service in the R.A., and while serving he met several O.V.s. He was captain of his Regimental Shooting and Athletics teams as well as playing rugger for the regiment. He has now entered the managerial staff of Marks & Spencer Ltd. ACER-HARRIS, J. (Castle House 1942-48) took his R.I.B.A. exam, at Oxford this summer. LEE, J. P. B. (Day Boy 1944-50) has passed his examination at the Nautical College, Pangbourne, coming third out of 470 entrants for the exam. LEEKE, M. G. H. (Castle House 1945-50) is a SecondLieutenant in the R.E. and has been seriously injured in Korea. He is now in hospital in Japan. PENDLEBURY, G. M. (The Hostel 1947-51) is with his parents at Wahn, near Cologne and hopes to be back in this country in October. He continues to glide as a pastime and has gained his Certificates "A" and"B." JOHNSON, G. A. (Day Boy 1946-50) has just completed a three year course at Battersea Polytechnic and after two years practical will receive his Hotel Management Diploma. RADERECHT, P. S. (School House 1944-50) is now a Pilot Officer in Northern Ireland. SHEPPEY, P. C. (Castle House 1943-52) is spending his National Service in the R.A.V.C. at Melton Mowbray.
THE VIGORNIAN. BECKMAN, G. E. J. (School House 1948-51) has won an Open Scholarship to Trinity College, Oxford. WRIGLEY, R. G. (School House 1948-52) is now employed at Lodge Plugs Ltd., Rugby, in the special sales department. He was rejected from the Army on medical grounds. * * * BROWN, T. A. (Tredennyke and Choir House 1946-52) passed out of Mons Officer Cadet School in June and marched in the Coronation procession. He is now stationed at Dusseldorf and is enjoying himself in Goering's former Luftwaffe headquarters.
Summer, 1953 ENGAGEMENTS.
The engagement is announced between M. W. PRESTAGE (School House 1941-45) and Fiona Mary, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. McCallum of Bergeric, Beaulieu, Hants. * * * The engagement is announced between J. M. SHARP (School House 1943-45) and Gladys Mary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hunt of Hillingdon, Middlesex. The engagement is announced between T. J. RICHARDSON (Castle House 1943-49) and Miss J. M. Coulter, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Coulter of Worcester.
ENGLISH, J. R. W. (The Hostel 1945-52) is an apprentice at Metropolitan-Vickers, Manchester. HITCHCOCK, K. (School House 1947-51). SEXSTONE, P. (Castle House 1947-50). FORD, J. H. (Tredennyke 1945-51). SYKES, M. B. (The Hostel 1942-52). are now at the R.M.A., Sandhurst. BENNETT, H. F. (School House 1947-52). HABGRAVE, P. F. B. (The Hostel 1944-52). WHITEHEAD, D. C. (Day Boy 1943-52). are now at the Officer Cadets Training Unit, Eaton Hall, Chester. * * * PHILLIPS, L. A. (Creighton House 1940-46) after gaining a Certificate of Education of Bristol University at St. Paul's College, Cheltenham, has gone to London University to take a course in Theology at Westminster College and King's College. He would be glad to see any O.V.s who might be in London. SHERWOOD, E. S. (Castle House 1919-25) has done twenty-four years service in the Nigerian Police. He retires next January and returns to Ightham, Kent. He still feels that England is the only country in which to settle down. SMITH, B. T. C. (Castle House 1944-49) has signed on as a regular in the R.A.S.C. and is at present serving as an officer on the Gold Coast.
BIRTHS. FLAY, A. L. (Day Boy 1922-30)—to his wife, on May 10th, 1953—a son (Nicholas). RANFORD, J. G. (Day Boy 1935-39)—to his wife, Mildred, on March 2nd, 1953—a son.
MARRIAGES. The marriage took place on February 16th, 1953, of DENIS BREAKWELL (Day Boy 1940-44) and Miss June Irene Garrett. The marriage took place on March 23rd, 1953, of A. G. STROTHEE (Day Boy 1930-36) and Miss Nellie Hodges of Ombersley. The marriage took place at Great Malvern Priory Church on April 6th, 1953, of D. A. WEBB (Day Boy 1944-47) and Miss Dorothy Alice Jones of Malvern.
OBITUARY. MAJOR MARK SCOTT DUNCAN DAY (O.V. 1898-1906). Major Day died at his home " The Comedy," Christian Malford, Chippenham, Wiltshire, on Sunday, March 22nd, 1953, aged 66. He had a distinguished career in mining engineering. He graduated at the Royal School of Mines, Camborne, and was a Member of the Institute of Mining Metallurgy. He worked in many parts of the world and during the war received the Military Cross while serving with the Royal Engineers. He became a director of many mining companies. HARRY ERNEST ORAM (School House 1897-1901). He passed away peacefully at Avonside Hospital, Evesham, on February 7th, 1953, aged 68. RALPH MOORE BRIGHOUSE (Day Boy 1920-27). He died on February 16th, 1953, at Dunstall, Woodbury, near Exeter.
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
OLD VIGORNIAN GENERAL MEETING AND ANNUAL DINNER. The General Meeting was held in the Reading Room on July llth, 1953, and forty-nine members were present. The occasion was rather a special one as it marked not only the SOth Re-union, but also the retirement of the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. S. D. Strong. The President, Lt.-Col. J. C. Flay expressed great gratitude to Mr. Strong for his thirty years work and for his unflagging energy in all matters concerning the Club. He also suggested that Mr. Strong should be elected forthwith a member of the Committee. This resolution was passed unanimously. Lt.-Col. A. R. Harrison and Rev. G. H. Sharp were re-elected on to the Committee, while Mr. H. H. Holmes was again elected after a lapse of three years, taking the place of Mr. L. M. Bailey, who was appointed Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. In recognition of his services rendered to the O.V. Club, Mr. H. E. Nicholls was elected an Honorary Member. The usual business was completed and the accounts read and passed. There then ensued a lively discussion on the ways and means of meeting the increased costs. Several suggestions were made, but every one of them would have involved an increase in office work and a consiserable rise in postage and printing expenses, both of which are already rather heavy. Eventually the meeting very reluctantly, but inevitably, raised the Life Membership subscription from 3 to 4 guineas, and the Five Years' subscription from £1 to £1 10s. The President pointed out that boys (or their parents) would willingly pay this amount for the honour of being a member of the Club, and that in any case 4 guineas was the subscription for Life Membership before the last war. It was once again suggested that some of the more senior O.V.s should be invited to help the finances by sending a donation and that this should be brought to their notice in writing. The meeting then adjourned and hastened to College Hall for the Dinner.
THE DINNER. One hundred and nineteen Old Vigornians sat down to dine in College Hall with Lt.-Col. J. C. Flay, O.B.E., J.P., in the Chair. The Vice-Chairman for the evening was Kenneth A. L. Brown, O.V., The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Bristol. The Club was very pleased to welcome for the first time, the Very Reverend the Dean of Worcester, Dr. W. E. Beck, and T. E. Green, Esq., President of the Worcester Old Elizabethan Association. The dinner was excellent and the speeches were most entertaining and refreshing. The evening culminated with a presentation to Mr. S. D. Strong in appreciation of his thirty years as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the Club. On Sunday morning the Headmaster preached the Commemoration Sermon in the Cathedral to a large congregation of past and present members of the School. The Old Vigornians attending the dinner represented a cross section of all generations, and it is quite obvious that this function is becoming increasingly popular.
Those who do not come because they think that they may have difficulty with accommodation for the night, should get in touch with the Hon. Secretary who will try to accommodate them in the homes of local O.V.s.
OLD VIGORNIANS' CRICKET CLUB. At the Annual General Meeting held in April the Chairman reported a satisfactory season in 1952, during which thirty O.V.s took part in some very pleasant and enjoyable games. The 1st XI and 2nd XI played, in all, thirty-three matches, twelve of which were won, eleven lost, eight drawn, one tied and one abandoned. The Hon. Treasurer presented the accounts which were in a satisfactory state mainly due to various money making activities during the winter months; he emphasised that the playing members' subscriptions together with the donations from our Vice-Presidents were still insufficient to meet a normal year's expenses without such additional income. Officers for 1953 were elected as follows :— Chairman—*J. P. Pimley; Vice-Chairman—M. E. Nicholls; Captain Saturday XI—G. E. Malsom; Captain Sunday XI—G. O'Neill; Vice-Captain— A. K. Mannion; Hon. Secretary—*W. G. Cullis; Hon. Asst. Secretary—M. C. Dowty; Hon. Treasurer *T. H. Burgess; Hon. Asst. Treasurer—*C. R. Ralph; Committee Member—L. M. Bailey, •re-elected. A selection committee was elected comprising the two Captains, the Hon. Secretary, and W. F. Jones. So far this season the 1st XI have won four matches, lost three, and drawn six, while the 2nd XI have won seven and lost two. Seldom before has the 1st XI fielded such consistently strong sides and equally seldom have all the players been on form together, although the majority show improvement since last year. The Club is breaking new ground next year by arranging a week's cricket tour in south Devon. Fourteen members have guaranteed so far to participate and it is intended to arrange six matches during the week beginning July 18th. Any O.V.s who would like to have further particulars of the O.V. Cricket Club should please write to the Hon. Secretary, Perdiswell Grange, Droitwich Road, Worcester.
OXFORD LETTER. Dear Sirs, Once more we are called on to produce a letter, and once more the materials available for its composition are lamentably inadequate. The Oxonian O.V.s., we fear, rarely congregate in force, and maintain a suspect indifference to every attempt to unite them. We had hoped that the proposal of a cocktail party in the last week of term might attract even the more eremitic, but temporary interest in this scheme soon faded when it was discovered that the party was not being " given " by anyone, and that contributions in coin or kind were to be exacted. In short, we have failed again to meet and
8
THE VIGORNIAN.
must face our letter as an " unseen," where conjecture and improvisation are the guiding forces. We begin to wonder just what form our letter should take, especially since we discovered that it is in fact read by some of The Vigomian's public, and that their reactions are various. We have lately realised that the general tone of the past few Oxford letters has probably given the impression that the average Oxonian's existence is divided between sport (which covers everything from rugger to shove ha'penny), social activities (which include every form of licence known to man), and sleep, to gain vigour for more indulgence. The outsider may well inquire whether we ever do any work at all, particularly in view of a fifteen week vacation in the drowsy summer months. The truth is, that the average undergraduate cloaks his craft with modesty; one does not talk about one's marathon efforts, protracted into the small hours. And if one does not talk about them, no one is to know whether in fact they were ever performed—a very convenient state of affairs for some. Thus, if we speak with frivolity about the academic side of our lives, this must not be taken as a true indication of its position either in our sense of values or in the disposal of our time. People are not normally called on to catalogue their existences for the amusement of others, as we are in writing this letter : we therefore claim a certain licence of whatever sort is appropriate, and trust our remarks will be charitably interpreted where necessary. Turning to a few personalities, we have three men who have just finished schools, none of whom has been seen very often by any of the rest of us. Richard Rayson looked rather haggard, when spotted : he declined to comment on his performance in Schools, but expressed a hope to read for a research degree if he had got through— a pleasant blend of ambition and humility. We have since learnt that he has accepted a post on the staff of Christ Church Choir School, Oxford. Michael Barker, a geographer, has been equally hard to happen upon : he continued his Bach Choir activities to the bitter end, we believe, and upon encounter seemed anything but distraught. Ralph Williams also led a retired life, even weathering the storm of a Bump Supper : he made a hasty departure to the peace of the Welsh hills as soon as Schools were over. To all three we offer our sincere wishes for the second best at least. Of the less oppressed second year men, Brian Nicholas continues to work without respite, stopping only for meals. His efforts have been amply repaid in the form of a Heath Harrison Modern Languages Travelling Scholarship, an achievement on which we must congratulate him. Despite this, he is a keen member of the Worcester College duck-watching fraternity, and by way of physical exercise, makes a habit of climbing in after midnight on every possible occasion. Ken Laflin, in an unpleasant phrase redolent of hortatory addresses, has been ' working hard and playing hard,' the exertions being confined to the tennis court, apart from a few loose sallies with the punt pole. In the former category may be placed his activities as President of the St. Edmund Hall Musical Society. His landlady has continued to make demands on his nervous energy, but he is looking forward to greater domestic felicity next term. Michael Adlington continues to catch the public eye at Keble. We were regaled with glowing accounts of the Law Society dinner and of one or two annual festivities,
Summer, 1953
such as the last night of Eights', which were celebrated in traditional Keble fashion. Adlington tried unsuccessfully for the Library Committee of the Union : we wish him better luck next time. Five of the remaining six were enjoying the pleasures of the summer term following a successful passage through Prelims. The odd man out was John Whitehead at New College, whose Moderations in Physics took place this term. He passed in moderation, we understand. He has certainly been the happy hedonist, playing cricket every other day, despite the proximity of his exams. He was heard to say that he found a little work refreshing after a long day in the deep field. We must congratulate him on being elected Captain of Cricket in New College • for next year, and Hollister-Short on being elected Secretary : which latter gentleman, despite his anxiety to work, has been another not-so-happy hedonist, playing cricket regularly, and wielding the punt pole on many occasions. Francis Burns, at Hertford, is an irrepressible Scottish dancer, who is normally reeling somewhere in Oxford. He has been elected President of the Hertford Reel Club, and the happy strains of their merry-making can be heard by all late home-comers returning to New College, and the minor establishments beyond (Magdalen ?) Also at Hertford is David Tudge, a water boatman of a little known species. Whether bumping, or careening up a backwater, he moves with unhurried grace and an air of calm detachment. The cares of scholarship are reported not yet to have made their mark on him. Douglas Jones, in a carefree term, has taken part in the dramatic activities in St. Edmund Hall, including a performance of Shelley's play, " The Cenci." He has played tennis in a small way, though, to the best of our knowledge, he has not resumed his cricketing activities. Martin Davies declined to allow our original remarks about him to go into print, and they were harmless enough by any standard. We are therefore at liberty to assume the worst, and have no hestiation in doing so. Christ Church is traditionally a home of social indulgence and good-living, and we have seen occasional signs that Martin is doing his best not to let the side down. With which general observation we must be content, and let imagination play its part. We should add that he is also a regular performer in the Bach Choir. Such briefly have been our activities during the past term, for what they are worth. We may say that we have even lost our vanity value, and we take the opportunity to congratulate those who have ensured that our numbers will be maintained in the coming years. They will be able to test for themselves the truth of our picture of undergraduate life. For the rest, why should we break the illusion ? Perhaps some regard it as a form of escapism, and would not appreciate our touching on the realities (and very real they are) of bad food, recurrent work crises and perpetual impoverishment. We are also reminded of the young lady in Oscar Wilde who kept a diary because she liked something sensational to read in the train. In contemplating our own efforts, we may not get that excitement, but we can at least enjoy seeing ourselves slightly coloured in the end, and may even convince ourselves that we are something more than a set of displaced provincials in search of something beyond our reach. Yours, etc., OXON.
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
BRISTOL LETTER. Dear Sirs, Having had two terms in which to do a great many things with which to fill our letter, we suddenly find ourselves very short of suitable material on which to pass comment. At the end of the year, we realise we have not seen each other nearly enough, and despite firm intentions not to let the Bristol letter lapse, we find ourselves well into the summer vacation before anyone thinks to put pen to paper. Perhaps the reason for this is that, strange as it may seem, we have all been working. For this " red-brick University " appears to demand much mental exertion from its members. About a month before the exams, therefore, we all withdrew into our respective shells and settled down to the only unpleasant part of an undergraduate's career. Suffice it to say we have all scrambled through somehow, and now await the next hurdle with mixed feelings. Scrambled through, however, is by no means sufficient to describe the noble efforts of C. Pugh, who has gained his degree in Civil Engineering and has been awarded the Rockefeller Bursary in Public Health Engineering, tenable at Imperial College, London. With an air of modest reserve, this gentleman's only comment is that he gains another year's deferment from National Service. We offer him our warmest congratulations on such an achievement and hope that he will find time, in the future, to pay an occasional visit to Bristol. Meanwhile, Pugh is spending ten weeks at Yeovil, working on a water-supply project. M. S. Lewis, when asked what he had done since the last issue of The Vigornian, frankly admitted that he had done nothing. Nevertheless, we gather that he follows the rather ungentlemanly pastime of creating and destroying various forms of matter; at least, we assume this from the obnoxious odours which emanate from the Chemistry department. He has achieved something, however, in that he has at last shaved off his moustache. In spite of having already done one year as a veterinary student, J. D. L. Griffiths is still incapable of saying " boo to a goose " and is still occupying his leisure time on the Avon with other members of the Boat Club. By devious means, he managed to ensconce himself in the bows of the University 1st VIII which journeyed to Marlow and gained a handsome cup there. He also enjoyed himself during the University Rag week when he paraded around Bristol, clad in a pair of shorts and an old King's School Rugby shirt, collecting money for various charities. We three, between us, have had much difficulty in assembling these few phrases. From our school days, however, we remember the quotation " Brevity is the soul of wit " and so we close by—• Remaining, Sirs, Yours, BRISTOLIANS.
SPEECH DAY AND FETE. The day started unofficially with the setting up of stalls and the general last-minute finishing touches for the afternoon's sport. At mid-day the official programme began with the prize-giving and speeches. The guest speaker, who gave the prizes away, was Dr. Landa, Fulbright Professor of English at Princetown University. Introducing Dr. Landa, the Dean, as Chairman of the Governors, referred to the recent ceremony in London of the presentation to the town of Droitwich of a portrait of Edward Winslow, one of the emigrants who had sailed to America in the " Mayflower," and who had been a King's scholar for some years. The main theme of Dr. Landa's discourse was that co-operation between the English-speaking nations, upon which, he said, the world was to a large extent dependent, could only be achieved on a basis of cultural understanding. This, a subject of immediate importance, was heard by a filled College Hall, so full, in fact, that some had to stand in the lobby. Dr. Landa's speech was preceded by the yearly report of the Headmaster, who, like Dr. Landa, succeeded in being amusing and yet to the point. The Headmaster tabulated the events of the year and mentioned that his wish, with Dr. Arnold, was to produce " scholars, gentlemen-and Christians." The Headmaster also gave the reason for holding a Fete this year instead of continuing with the usual Speech Day programme, explaining that since the war the number of boys in the School had increased out of proportion to the available accommodation. Though £25,000 had already been spent in relieving the situation, still £5,000 was needed by the end of 1954. He hoped, therefore, that all would give generously in the afternoon during the Fete and also before the end of 1954. The Head Boy, Davies, concluded the speeches with a few well-chosen and amusing words and again expressed his wish that all should go home poorer in pocket, but richer in spirit. From two o'clock in the afternoon, the Fete was officially open. Perhaps the first congratulation and appreciation should be for the weather which, although not hot, was dry at least, until the last few minutes of the day. How lucky we were was emphasized by the miserable next few days, during which we saw nothing but rain. All the larger stalls deserve the highest possible commendation. Their success was shown by the crowds' which surrounded them at all times, and by the profits they made. Sufficient thanks cannot be given to the teaching staff and their wives who offiiciated at these stalls and we are sure that the whole school will join with us in thanking them. Of the many excellent side-shows and amusements, one at least cannot pass without mention: the puppet show which was most ably produced throughout the afternoon by members of L.R.A. & L.4.A. Other attractions were a tape-recorder with Mr. Willcocks as its engineer, variations on clock golf, skittles and an auction, both the latter run by the O.V. Club (who did much towards the success of the Fete). Also on view was the magnificent cup won by Keating at Bisley. However, all the side-shows should be congratulated and thanked
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
10
Upper Fifths: N. T. Vincent (Greek and English). P. N. Lloyd (French and German). D. J. Cook (History and English). M. Rowe (Mathematics and Physics) J. L. M. Fletcher (Latin). D. Bailey (Geography). J. Verity (Chemistry). J. R. King \fArt) D. A. W. Harding/^ ;' Lower Fifths: A. J. Tinkel (History and German). B. Rigg (Mathematics and Physics). D. P. G. Westgate (French). J. S. M. Robinson (Geography). M. A. Lees (History and Biology). G. A. Langstone (Biology). A. J. Kent (Chemistry)' Upper Removes: R. A. Jones (Mathematics, Physics and Latin). R. A. Padmore (Mathematics and Latin). A. J. Moody (Chemistry and Biology). M. H. Rawlings (History and English). E. R. J. Kruger (German). R. J. Withey (Greek). J. G. Roe (Geography). W. D. James (Art). Lower Removes: H. W. Noble (Mathematics, Latin and Form Subjects). M. Russell (Form Subjects and French). M. J. R. Hill (German). HONORES SCHOLAE. P. J. Randle (Physics). Upper Fourths: D. T. TUDGE—State Scholarship for History. P. J. Jones (French and Mathematics). J. E. ROWLEY—State Scholarship for Modern Languages. A. L. Jameson (French and English). M. S. LEWIS—Gloucestershire Major Scholarship, D. J. English (Latin and History). Chemistry and Physics. C. G. Hook (Latin). J. B. W. ROBINS—Meeke Scholarship for History, HertP. Hayden (Art). ford College, Oxford. G. MATTHEWS—Open Exhibition for History, Hertford Lower Fourths: College, Oxford. M. R. Daniell (Latin, French and Form G. E. J. BECKMANN—Open Major Scholarship for ChemSubjects). istry, Trinity College, Oxford. J. A. Reddick (Latin, French and Form J. E. ROWLEY—Open Exhibition for Modern Languages, Subjects). Trinity Hall, Cambridge. G. Harrison (Mathematics). M. J. C. SCOULAR—Entrance to King's College, Cam- Third Form: D. J. Langdon (French and Latin). bridge on Open Scholarship Examination for Modern C. H. Noble (Mathematics). Languages. D. R. W. Bryer (Form Prize). J. G. Robertson (Art). Second Form: D. H. Morris (Form Prize). B. L. NICHOLAS—Heath-Harrison Prize for French at G. R. Edwards (English). Oxford University. First Form: D. J. McGrath (Form Prize). * * * R. Harris (English). for the work which was put into them and for the returns which the School got out of them. The highest praise of the side-shows came at the end of the day when one respected member of the Chapter was overheard to express his admiration at the ingenious methods of swindling practised by members of the School and the O.V. Club ! In the late afternoon, tea was most efficiently provided under the guidance of Mrs. Pedder, in the Gueston Gardens. Mrs. Pedder and her squad of orderlies were the means by which many enjoyed much-needed refreshment. After the F£te there was an informal dance in College Hall, arranged by the O.V. Club, the profits of which went towards the Building Fund. There can be no doubt that the day was a great success. For this, both the management and the visitors were the cause. The management put uncountable effort into the fgte and dance and we thank the visitors for putting almost uncountable money into the results of their effort. In figures, which do not however express the enjoyment of the day, nearly £600 was taken, but the feeling of pleasure which all had in helping the School was perhaps the most successful and satisfying feature of the f6te.
J. P. B. LEE—Entrance to Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
J. L. Waters (Geography). J. I. Wagstaff (Art).
PRIZE WINNERS.
SPECIAL PRIZES.
Sixth Forms: D. L. Cummings (History and English). M. J. C. Secular (French and German). E. O. Bishop (Physics and Chemistry). P. J. Bulman (Mathematics and Physics). J. James (Latin). H. H. Scurfield (Mathematics). N. E. Bolton (Geography). M. E. J. Stokes (Art).
The Dean of Worcester's Prizes for Religious Knowledge : Sixth—J. James. Fifths—N. T. Vincent. Alderman Norton's Prize for Biology in the Sixth : G. S. W. Thomas. Mrs. Henry Wood Essays : ,-, . ., / D. L. Cummings P. N. Lloyd Senior 1 \ M . J. C. Scoular . J. Tinkel Junior 1 P. J. Jones 2 P. A. D. Brown
THE VIGORNlAN.
Summer, 1953 Music Prizes : J. James \J. S. Rippier I. F. Hastie /E. Rippier
\G. A. G. Hardman") V /N. H. Holden B. W. Whitehead J
Reading Prizes : Sixth 1 P. A. C. Campbell 2 J. R. Canning N. T. Vincent 2 A. R. Hunt Fifths P. Beresford-Jones 2 C. D. Brown Removes 2 J. R. Tringham Fourths 1 C. G. Hook Junior School 1 G. R. Edwards 2 M. R. Ashmore Headmaster's General Knowledge Prizes : Sixth J. B. Robins and C. A. W. Ive Fifths J. L. M. Fletcher and A. J. Tinkel Removes G. Davies and H. D. Watson Fourths A. L. Jameson and P. W. Tetsell Junior School J. W. Glazzard and L. G. Briarty Goodman Essay Prizes : King's School—D. T. Tudge. Other Schools—Margaret Hall (Worcester Grammar School).
Girls'
Yates Prize (for J.T.C.)—Drum-Major Burgoyne. Colonel Sykes's Prize (for Shooting)—Sgt. Keating. Physical Training—M. R. Daniell and A. H. L. Mason; N. James. Needham's Gardening Cup—J. Renold.
THE SCHOOL PLAY " The Knight of the Burning Pestle " was presented in College Hall on July 25th and 27th. This " merry passage, here and there interlaced with delight," with its genial satire on early seventeenth century public taste in drama, deserved better patronage. That many should not feel called upon to pay to see what the School can do on the stage is understandable. But it is a pity that so much skill and care in production and such talent on the part of the many actors should not have been given a full house. Of course the two audiences should have seen both performances. This would have wrought wonders in inspiration and appreciation. What there was to laugh at was well done and well received. What there was to laugh with was at times not so readily grasped. Some programme notes, or even an explanatory prologue would have helped. The first performance, if not so clear, was free from mistakes. The second, with occasional lapses, was redeemed by more individual effectiveness. The following is a composite impression drawn from both. The play has a cast of twenty-seven, of whom twenty speak : and of these there are nine who have much to say and do. The quality of voice and delivery was consistently good and most pleasant to the ear. Griffiths, as Citizen's Wife, and Secular, as Citizen (to put them' in order of precedence) kept things going from start to finish with the most lively and engaging spirit and humour that one could wish to enjoy. Their portrayal of robust, homely, wit at large, uninhibited with self-consciousness, in the realms of literary phantasy
11
was a memorable treat and one of the best things as yet done in College Hall. These two " made " the show in more senses than one : but they did not " steal " it. The interest was always shared between what they made of the play and what the play made of them. The impact of Romantic Chivalry, in the person of their apprentice, Ralph (Costeloe), on the conventional melodrama originally announced by the Speaker of the Prologue (Coles), prompts a series of scenes in which the element of foolery was brought out happily, though with less exaggeration than might have been expected. Ralph might have put on more swagger, once he was given the chance to show off, and so have appeared more put down by his subsequent discomfitures. But his voice was good, and his " dying " speech on the second night just right. Incidentally, the use made of the cock-horse was one of the best minor features, especially when the three rode off on it. To assess the merits of every part in detail would take too long. The general effect was one of happy casting and cheerful collaboration free from individual selfconceit and therefore attractive. But special mention must not be denied to the very natural and graceful Luce (Hastie), and to Merrythought (Robinson), who cleverly kept to the comic side of an otherwise sordid character : and to Mistress Merrythought as rendered by Prowse, who with crisp speech and gesture gave distinct personality to an exacting part, and is to be congratulated on his very pleasing design for the setting of the play. Michael (Buftpn) did well as the favourite child with his piping voice in contrast to the rejected Jasper (Hunt), who maintained the only real man's part with conscientious dignity, undaunted by Venturewell's malignant fury of Ralph's mountebank interventions, and making some very good scenes with Luce. Humphrey too (Masters) managed to keep up an angular pose of fatuity in face alike of Venturewell's brusque encouragement and Jasper's discerning contempt. The smaller parts were unobtrusively well rendered— whether amusingly impudent Boys (Needham and Hill) with their formal notices of change of scene; or Gentlemen (Potter, Blundell, Jameson) making the most of their Herbal Mixture to the annoyance of Citizen's Wife; or Supposed Captives (Vincent, Rubery, Ive, Hopkin), victims of a rather too serious Barber (Vines); or Apprentices turned Squire (Gillard) and " Dwarf" (Reddick, who deserves special mention); or Tapstero (Harris, who gave distinction to a very small part); or Host (Senter, who was much more animated and effective the second time); or the discreet Attendants with the " coffin " (Andrews and Sloan). The play, which was not the whole of the original, took more than two hours in the acting. The agreeable costumes and setting, and the entertaining commentary of the Citizen and his Wife would have held one's interest for still longer. Sincere thanks are due to the Producer, Mr. Wilson, and to Miss Campbell, who directed the execution of the setting by the Upper Remove Art Set to the design created by Prowse, and to all who contributed to this gay and interesting performance.
12
THE VIGORNIAN. CRICKET CHARACTERS. 1ST XI.
D. H. SLACK.—Has captained the side well and was never flurried. His wicket keeping has much improved, particularly on the leg side. G. S. W. THOMAS.—Has born the brunt of the bowling with much spirit and fire. His direction is still erratic— too many balls go to leg. A very fine fielder with a hard and accurate throw in. D. J. COOK.—His main fault is that he does not go out fully to the pitch of the ball, particularly to the quicker ones. An excellent cover fielder. R. G. L. GRIFFITHS.—A solid and unperturbed opening bat. He must concentrate on going all the way out to the ball, and drive. A much improved fielder. He should try to develop his slow left arm leg spinners. J. R. SCRIVEN.—A good aggressive bat with plenty of scoring shots. He has bowled well on occasions, but must learn to pitch a better length for his off spinners. A. J. T. PERIGO.—A fast medium opening bowler. He has gradually improved as the season progressed. He still has much to learn. He must vary his pace and maintain his direction. Not an alert fielder. J. H. BENNETT.—Bowls late in-swingers. On certain occasions he can be devastating. He must vary his pace. Very slow in the field. J. M. DRURY.—A most promising bat. Hits the ball hard and has many all round the wicket shots. V. G. EVANS.—Has a good eye and strong wrists and uses them both. His main fault is that he still does not get into the line of the ball and so is inclined to play across. Very good in the field. D. F. WESTGATE.—A very promising bat. He must develop a greater range of attacking strokes. P. MEADOWS.—A slow left arm leg spinner. Has bowled very well and is becoming very accurate. He should vary his flight more by giving the ball more air.
CRICKET NOTES. In retrospect, most people think that the 1st XI ought to have had a more successful season. The fielding was vastly improved upon that of last year, although there were still lapses at times. On the whole the bowling was good and it was particularly dangerous in the last two or three matches. The main disappointment was the batting; this was a surprising failure in a side containing seven potential batsmen. The opening match was played on Wednesday, May 13th, against L. M. Bailey's XI. The School, winning the toss, batted and scored 168 for 3 wickets. After a bad start, a second wicket partnership between Slack (43) and Scriven (86) realised 99 runs. Cook (19) and Drury (14) also batted well. After declaring, the School dismissed the first six batsmen for 83 runs, but owing to the lack of time were unable to force the advantage home. The next match was played against Dean Close at home. The School batted first on a damp wicket and were all out for.128. Scriven (34) and Drury (33) were the only batsmen who attacked. Inaccurate bowling
Summer, 1953
by the School nearly lost the match, Dean Close being 106 for 3 at the close. The School then went to Hereford, where, after winning the toss, they dismissed the Cathedral School for 65. Fast, aggressive bowling by Perigo (2 for 13) supported by some extremely good spin bowling by Scriven (5 for 8) was the cause of this collapse. However, our own batsmen failed to rise to the occasion and after a dismal procession were all out for SO, with Drury (19) the only batsman who looked like making runs. The match against Sebright at home, brought the School its first victory. Sebright on being put in were dismissed for 44, as a result of good bowling by Thomas (3 for 13) and Perigo (5 for 6). The School passed this total without any difficulty for the loss of three wickets. The best performance of the season was put up at Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury, batting first on a firm fast wicket, collapsed against the bowling of Bennett (7 for 13), who bowled his in-swingers with great effect. The School, who were set 64 to win, started badly, losing two wickets for 7 runs, but the situation was improved by Griffiths (26) and Scriven (16) so that eventually we won by six wickets. The match against Magdalen was abandoned after seven overs. At this stage, Magdalen had scored 11 runs for 3 wickets. Now the team had struck form, it visited the County Ground with renewed confidence to play a strong Club and Ground side. The Club and Ground batted first, and scored 166 for 7 wickets, the innings being notable for a century scored by Tinkler. The fast bowling of Perigo (3 for 49) and the spin bowling of Meadows (4 for 40) was played with great respect. Once again the School's batting was dismal and only by an extremely skilful innings by Scriven (59 not out) and a short but aggressive innings by Cook (20) were we saved from defeat. Bromsgrove, after being dismissed for 96, inflicted on the School its second defeat of the season. Thomas bowled throughout the innings with great hostility to take 6 for 16. The School was quickly dismissed for 64, and only a fifth wicket partnership between Slack (16) and Evans (10) prolonged the end. The next match against Malvern College was drawn. The game was notable for its frequent changes of fortune. Malvern College, batting first, lost 3 wickets for 7 runs, but then went on to score 130 for 8. The only bowling of any note was that of Thomas (4 for 46). The School, after losing 7 quick wickets, forced a draw, mainly through the efforts of Sykes (25) and Evans (15). In the important match against the Royal Grammar School the School batted first. Evans (25) acid Cook (29) brought the score to 60 for 2 at lunch, but the remaining eight wickets fell for the addition of only sixteen runs. Against inaccurate and careless bowling, the Grammar School won by ten wickets. Against Bloxham we had a very thrilling finish. Bloxham batted on a firm wicket and scored 98 for 4. A violent thunderstorm flooded the pitch but after a delay of two hours the ground was found to be sufficiently dry to continue. The School were set the task of scoring 99 runs in 55 minutes. Aggressive batting by the whole side, in particular Scriven (36) and Thomas (24), left the School only five runs short at the close, with one wicket in hand.
13
THE VIGORNIAN.
Summer, 1953
Rain again prevented a finish in the game against the Old Vigornians. Only Whitehead (57) played the School bowling at all confidently, and the Old Vigornians were dismissed for 128. The School's bowling and fielding were of a high standard: in particular, Thomas bowled very well to return the figures of S for 51. The School's innings was cut short by rain with the score of 66 for 2, of which Westgate had made 26 not out, and Scriven 17 not out. To close the season the School played an unofficial match against Norton Barracks and won by 9 wickets. Meadows (5 for 37) bowled exceptionally well on a drying wicket, and greatly contributed to the dismissal of our opponents for 75. The School lost a quick wicket,
but then Scriven (54 not out) and Westgate (23 not out) collected the necessary runs. The 2nd XI had quite a good season, winning three of their six matches, while in the Under 15 and Under 14 XIs a number of players of considerable promise for the future were discovered. The 3rd XI are to be heartily congratulated on their record of seven wins in seven matches. I should like to take this opportunity of expressing the School's gratitude for the untiring efforts of Mr. L. M. Bailey and other members of the staff in coaching the School teams. Also all those that play cricket are greatly indebted to the unceasing work and valuable assistance of the groundsman, Mr. Lane.
FIXTURES AND RESULTS. Date 13-5-53 16-5-53 20-5-53
IST XI. Opponents
13-6-53 17-6-53 18-6-53 20-6-53 27-6-53 4-7-53 8-7-53 11-7-53 15-7-53
L. M. Bailey's XI Dean Close Hereford Cathedral School Sebright School Shrewsbury School Magdalen College School Worcester Club and Ground ... Bromsgrove School Malvern College "A" XI Worcester Royal Grammar School Bloxham School ... Old Vigornians Norton Barracks
20-5-53 6-6-53 10-6-53 27-6-53 4-7-53 11-7-53
Hereford Cathedral School Sebright School Belmont Abbey School... Malvern College... Worcester Royal Grammar School Old Vigornians ...
20-5-53 6-6-53 13-6-53 20-6-53 4-7-53
6-6-53
Venue Home Home Away Home Away Away Away Away Home Home Home Home Away
Result Drawn Drawn Lost
167-3 dec.
Won Won
64-4
Abandoned Drawn Lost Drawn Lost Drawn Drawn
For 128
50 45-3
Against 86-6 106-3 65 44 63
80
Won
94-9 66-2 76-1
166-7 dec. 96 130-8 dec. 84-0 98-4 dec. 128 75
Home Away Away Away Away Home
Won Won Lost Lost Won Drawn
45-6 13-1 51 41 106 110-8 dec.
44 10 98 156-8 dec. 83 40-4
Hereford Cathedral School Sebright School Belmont Abbey School Bromsgrove School Worcester Royal Grammar School
UNDER 15 XI. Home Home Away Home Away
Won Won Lost Lost Won
18-1 69 40 60 89-4
17 39 41-9 61-8 88
27-5-53 6-6-53 13-6-53 20-6-53 24-6-53 4-7-53 8-7-53
Downs School Sebright School Downs School Bromsgrove School Hillstone School... Worcester Royal Grammar School Bloxham School
UNDER 14 XI. Home Away Away Away Away Home Home
Won Won Won Lost Drawn Lost Lost
48-3 59 69-5 dec. Ill 78-8 dec. 60 52
47-9 dec. 38 42 129 57-7 61-6 63
20-5-53 27-5-53 10-6-53 17-6-53 27-6-53 9-7-53 11-7-53
Worcester Technical School Gloucester King's School Worcester Technical School Gloucester King's School Malvern College " B " Bloxham Worcester Royal Grammar School
Won Won Won Won Won Won Won
66-8 dec. 87-6 50-1 29-1 161-7 153-8 100
61 85 47 27 158-8 dec. 150-7 dec. 75
119-8 64
90-8
2ND XI.
3RD XI. Away Away Home Home Away Away Away
14
THE VIGORNIAN.
IST XI BATTING AVERAGES. Av. Inns. N.O. H.Score Runs J. R. Scriven ... 12 3 86 340 37.77 D. F. Westgate... 5 3 26 54 27.00 33 92 15.33 J. M. Drury ... 9 3 14.44 D. J. Cook ... 11 4 29 101 V. G. Evans ... 6 0 25 60 10.00 D. H. Slack ... 12 0 43 9.25 111 25 27 P. C. Sykes ... 3 0 9.00 R. G. L. Griffiths 12 1 26 96 8.27 J. H. A. Bennett 6 1 15 39 7.8 24 G. S. W. Thomas 7 1 41 6.83 5 9 P. Meadows ... 3 1 4.5 A. J. Perigo ... 5 3 3 4 2 Also batted : J. R. King, F. M. Shoular, H. J. Davies, J. C. B. Coles, T. E. Thomas, P. R. Dickson.
IST XI BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs Mdns. Wkts. Runs Av. J. R. Scriven 53 12 13 131 10.77 G. S.W.Thomas 116 32 22 272 12.36 19 12 157 13.08 A. J. T. Perigo... 72 P. Meadows 50 8 10 153 15.3 J. R. King 11 4 1 17 17.00 J. H. A. Bennett 61 18 13 202 17.55 9 1 F. M. Shoular... 2 23 23.00 Also bowled : R. G. L. Griffiths, T. E. Thomas.
HOUSE MATCHES. Once more the House matches were played on a knock-out system, matches being of one innings. The only difference from last year was that the final was also a one innings match, because of the shortage of time. RESULTS : 1st Round : Bye, Hostel and Creighton. Choir (79) beat School (68). Castle (81) beat Chappel (51). 2nd Round : Hostel (63 for 4) beat Choir (62). Castle (53 for 1) beat Creighton (51). Final: Castle (98 for 7) beat Hostel (97).
ROWING NOTES. Before passing on to a report of the season's rowing, I feel some mention must be made of the hard work put in by Mr. Carlyle and Mr. Knight during this term and last. Both coached the IV's six days a week, however unpleasant the weather. The 1st IV this year never really came up to last year's standard but it did manage to win more races than it lost. The main trouble lay in the fact that there were four very differently shaped persons in the boat, all trying to row as one, and they only once or twice managed to do this with any success. This is not to suggest that it was a bad crew, only that it was an uncomfortable one. There were several changes of place during the term, one member having to row in all four positions. In addition, bow and stroke changed places at half-term. The 2nd IV this term was the best seen on the water for some years. They were all of about the same weight and worked as a team from the start. Although they were
Summer, 1953
a light crew, by their skill and smoothness through the water, they passed many a crew superior in strength and years, and they had a good stroke in D. Parry. They finished up the season by winning the Maiden Event at Stratford Regatta after five hard races, for which victory they were awarded 1st IV Caps. The 3rd IV was another good if light crew who lost only three races and those in open regattas. Their only faults seemed to be a tendency to miss the beginning of the stroke and to rush forward at times. N. T. Vincent proved to be a consistent stroke who should be useful in the future. The 4th and 5th IV's were quite good though not outstanding. There are one or two members of these crews who will be very useful in a few years time. Of the actual races, the 1st IV had the most exciting, having two dead-heats and winning two others by margins of two and three feet respectively. At Evesham they had an easy time to the final, where they succumbed to their old rivals, Derby School, a very quick and skilful crew. At Worcester Regatta they beat Falcon R.C. by J length and after an exciting race, dead-heated with Pengwern, only to lose to them in the re-row. At Bewdley they had another exciting race against Nottingham, in a head wind and against the current. They managed to scrape home by three feet but lost in the next round to Trent R.C. At Marlow, they met Hereford for the second time and won by the close margin of 2 feet, after a gruelling race. In the second round against Wallasey, they lost half a length on the start and were gradually left. The race against Monmouth was the most exciting this year. The IVs were neck-and-neck all the way up the Deanery course at Worcester, when a hundred yards from the finish, the Monmouth crew caught a crab and stopped. King's thought that the race had finished and also stopped, but on realising their mistake, started hurriedly and went over the line, winners by half a length. The last race against Cheltenham was also most exciting. Cheltenham led nearly all the way but by a supreme effort in the last minute, King's managed to draw level and forced another dead-heat. The 2nd IV either won or lost convincingly except in the final at Stratford, where they won with a fine last effort by J length. Next year there will be two of the 1st IV remaining, so that prospects are bright. There are many younger people who have distinct promise which will no doubt be brought to fruition by Mr. Carlyle and Mr. Knight.
ROWING RESULTS. The School won 30, lost 15, dead-heated 3.
IST IV. Won 8. Lost 4. Dead-heated 2. School or Club Result Distance May 23rd Worcester Regatta—Junior Event. won J length Falcon — dead-heat Pengwern lost 1J lengths Pengwern
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
15
The following was re-awarded 1st IV Coxing Colours : Evesham Regatta- -Schools' Event. M. Rowe. Wyggeston G.S. ... won 1 length Prince Henry's, EvesThe following were awarded 1st IV Colours : E. ham won easily Rippier; B. R. Morgan; H. H. Scurfield. (Final) Derby School ... lost 2 lengths The following were awarded 2nd IV Colours : D. Parry; May 30th Bewdley Regatta—Junior Event. M. E. J. Stokes; M. Lampitt; P. N. Lloyd. Notts. Britt. ... won 3 feet following was awarded 2nd IV Coxing Colours : Trent lost 1J lengths G.The Langstone. ... won | length June 10th Hereford C.S. won J length June 13th Monmouth School ... June 19th-20th Marlow Regatta—Schools' Event. Haileybury and I.S.C. won 5 lengths Hereford C.S. ... won 2 feet Wallasey G.S. ... lost 2 lengths SWIMMING SPORTS. June 27th Cheltenham Coll. ...dead-heat The annual Swimming Sports took place this year on 2ND IV. July 6th at Sansome Walk Baths and, for once, we had Won 12. Lost 2. brilliant sunshine. School House rather surprisingly May 20th Prince Henry's, Eveswon fairly comfortably with 37 points from Creighton ham ... ... won If lengths and Choir who were second equal with 28 points each. May 23rd Worcester Regatta—Maiden Event. School House were greatly helped in their win by the Bradford D. ... won 2 lengths splendid swimming of J. L. M. Fletcher and the excellent Bradford A. ... won 2 lengths diving of B. E. Jones. Unfortunately on the day of the Stratford won £ length sports the swimming cup was missing ; a substitute was Nottingham ... ... lost | length found, however, which Mrs. Kittermaster very kindly May 25th • Hereford Regatta—Maiden Event. consented to present to the winners. We should like to King's School, Chesthank Mr. Nicholls for all the work he does in organising ter 1st lost 1J lengths these sports so successfully. June 10th Hereford C.S. ... won 2 lengths June 13th Monmouth ... ... won 2 lengths RESULTS. June 20th Stratford Regatta—Maiden Event. Birmingham ... won 2 lengths Under Water : 1 M. E. J. Stokes (Creighton). 2 C. R. Day (Choir). Notts & Union ... won f length 3 C. D. Brown (School). Avon ... ... won 2 lengths Breast Stroke : 1 E. Rippier (Creighton). Evesham ... ... won J length 2 C. A. W. Ive (School). (Final) Stratford won J length 3 J. F. Skillman (School). won 1J lengths June 27th Cheltenham Coll. ... 1 D. J. T. Parry (Hostel). Free Style : 3RD IV. 2 R. M. Turner (Chappel). Won 6. Lost 3. 3 J. F. Skillman (School). Beating: Birminghan Univ. ; Horseferry R.C.; Here- Backstroke : 1 J. R. King (Choir). ford Sch.; Llandaff; Monmouth Sch.; Prince Henry's 2 C. R. Day (Choir). Evesham. Losing to: Worcs. B.; Notts and Union; Derby School Plunge : 1 A. J. Bills (Choir). 1st IV. 2 J. F. Skillman (School). 4TH IV. 3 C. O. Ruben (Castle). Won 1. Lost 5. Dead-heat 1. 1 B. E. Jones (School). Beating: Worcs. Blind Coll. Dead-heat: W.R.G.S. Diving : 2 M. G. O'Keefe (Chappel). 1st IV. Losing to: Prince Henry's, Evesham; R.M.R.E. 3 H. G. Vaile (Castle). Monmouth; Stratford; King's Sch. Glos. 1st IV; Under 16 Breast Stroke : Hereford. 1 D. I. Ramsay (Creighton). STH IV. 2 M. H. Leonard (Creighton). Won 3. Lost 1. 3 J. L. M. Fletcher (School). Beating: Worcs. Blind Coll.; W.R.G.S. 2nd IV.; Under 16 Back Stroke : King's School, Glos. 2nd IV. 1 J. L. M. Fletcher (School). Losing to: King's School, Glos. 2nd IV. 2 J. G. Tanfield (Hostel). 3 R. D. Callan (Creighton). SCHOOL REGATTA RESULTS. Under 16 Free Style : 1 J. L. M. Fletcher (School). Senior IVs—Final: Hostel beat Creighton by 3 lengths. 2 R. D. Callan (Creighton). Junior IVs—Final: Choir beat Castle by 1J lengths. 3 C. O. Ruben (Castle). Senior Sculls—Final : J. S. Rippier beat Stokes by 2i lengths. Relay Race : 1 Creighton. Junior-Senior Sculls—Final : Rubery beat J. L. Fletcher 2 Castle. by 1 length. 3 School. Junior Sculls—Final: D. Reddick beat Tanfield easily. 4 Choir. Coxes Sculls—Final : Varney beat B. E. Jones easily. May 25th
16
THE VIGORNIAN. ATHLETIC SPORTS.
This year we were dealt a double misfortune : firstly, we were deprived of the presence of our organiser, Mr. Cash, who, after all his hard work, was laid low a few days before the Sports and was not well enough to attend. Secondly, the weather was unkind to us, raining heavily on the first day as if to atone for the good weather of previous years. Conditions were therefore hardly favourable for record-breaking performances, so that Hopkin's excellent 220 yards and the performances of Williams B. J. and Thorn, in the Middle 100 yards and the Mile respectively, were particularly meritorious. The latter was outstanding and his very fast 4 m. 56J mile time was considerably better than that of the corresponding Senior event. Even to the uninitiated Thorn appears a wonderful prospect with the ease in which he beat two very determined runners, Reddick D. and Coles, in the mile and 880 yards respectively. The Senior performances were rather disappointing both on track and field, although King just failed to better the Hurdles time and Mills just succeeded in beating the Shot record. The thrills mainly came in the Middle Division where Castle gained a convincing victory despite the efforts of Thorn, Williams B. J. and James K. G.—the latter has developed well and shows some promise—and their standard was very high. The second day of the Sports was spared any prolonged deluge, but the only outstanding result was the completion of a quadruple victory by the Junior runner Brown C. D., who won the 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards and the hurdles. In conclusion, apart from making sacrifices to the God of rain to ensure good conditions next year, we must thank all who helped once more to stage our Sports, especially, of course, Mr. Cash and the groundsman, Mr. Lane, who must surely by now know how much we appreciate his hard work. RESULTS. Senior: 100 yards : 1, Hopkin, J. R.; 2, Thomas, G. S. W.; 3, Bolton; 4, King, J. R. Time : lOf s. 220 yards : 1, Hopkin, J. R.; 2, Bolton; 3, King, J. R.; 4, Scurfield. Time : *24f s. 440 yards: 1, Stokes; 2, Davies, H. J.; 3, Cleave; 4, Glynne-Jones. Time :. S6f s. 880 yards : 1 = Stokes and Davies, H. J.; 3, Hill, P.; 4, Bolton. Time : 2m. 11J s. 1 Mile : 1, Davies, H. J.; 2, Stokes; 3, Bolton; 4, Canning. Time : S m. 3f s. Hurdles: 1, King, J. R.; 2, Thomas, G. S. W.; 3, Hopkin, J. R.; 4. Campbell. Time : f 17 sees. High Jump : 1, King, J. R.; 2 = Thomas, G. S. W.; and Evans, V. G.; 4, Bolton. Height: 5 ft. 1 in. Long Jump : 1, King, J. R.; 2, Evans, V. G.; 3, Hopkin, J. R.; 4, Thomas, G. S. W. Dist. 18 ft. 1 in. Discus : 1, Vines; 2, Thomas, G. S. W.; 3, Scurfield; 4, Mills. Dist. 90 ft. Shot: 1, Mills; 2, Cosgrove; 3, Vines; 4, Redwood. Dist. *35 ft. 4 ins. Javelin: 1, Meadows; 2, King, J. R.; 3, Thomas, G. S. W.; 4, Skillman. Dist. 136 ft. 10 ins. Relay: 1, Creighton; 2, Castle; 3, School; 4, Choir. Time : 1 m. 44 s.
Summer, 1953
House Points: 1, Creighton, 38J pts.; 2, School, 32J; 3, Choir, 24; 4, Castle, 22; S, Hostel, 15; 6, Chappel, 11. Middle: 100 yards : 1, Williams, B. J.; 2, James, K.; 3, Gillard; 4 Ellson. Time : 11 sees. 220 yards: 1, Coles; 2, Gillard; 3- James, K. and Ellson. Time : 25f sees. 440 yards: 1 Coles; 2, Gillard; 3, Ellson; 4, Dodd. Time : 57f sees. 880 yards: 1, Thorn, R.; 2, Coles; 3, Reddick, J.; 4, Williams, B. J. Time : 2 mins. 12f sees. 1 Mile: 1, Thorn, R.; 2, Reddick, D.; 3, Williams, B.J.; 4, Adams. Time : 4 mins. 56J sees. Hurdles : 1, James, K.; 2, Shouler, F. M.; 3, Ellson; 4, Hastie. Time : 17} sees. High Jump : 1, Lynn; 2, Day; 3, James, K.; 4, Gaston. Height 4ft. 11 ins. Long Jump : 1, Gaston; 2, James, K.; 3, Harris, K. T.; 4, Gillard. Dist. 17 ft. 7 ins. Discus: 1, Dickson; 2, Harris, J.; 3, Harris, K. T.; 4, Owen. Dist. 94 ft. 4 ins. Shot: 1, Gaston; 2, Shouler, F. M.; 3, Hartley; 4, Owen. Dist. 34 ft. 4 ins. Javelin: 1, Shouler, H. B.; 2, Harris, J.; 3, Shouler, F. M.; 4, Thomas, T. E. Dist. 95 ft. 6 ins. Relay: 1, Castle; 2, Creighton; 3, School; 4, Choir. Time : 1 min. 37 sees. House Points: 1, Castle, 50 pts.; 2, School, 27 pts.; 3, Creighton, 24 pts.; 4, Choir, 20 pts.; 5, Hostel, 15 pts.; 6, Chappel, 7 pts. Junior : 100 yards: 1, Brown, C. D.; 2, Holt; 3, Fowles; 4, Skeates. Time: 12f sees 220 yards : 1, Brown, C. D.; 2, Hughes; 3, Weekes; 4, Costeloe. Time : 29 sees. 440 yards: 1, Brown, C. D.; 2, Clarke, M. A. E.; 3, Inglis; 4, Hughes. Time : 64 sees. 880 yards : 1, Randle; 2, Sheffer; 3, Clarke, M. A. E.; 4, Salisbury. Time : 2 min. 31 j sees. Hurdles: 1, Brown, C. D.; 2, Holt; 3, Hill, M.; 4, Tanfield. Time : 12§ sees. High Jump: 1 = Moody, P. and Costeloe; 3 = Sheffer and Tanfield. Height: 4 ft. 6£ ins. Long Jump : 1, Skeates; 2, Moody, P.; 3, Wilson, J.; 4, Tanfield. Dist. 14ft. IJins. Discus : 1, Wilson, J.; 2, Holt; 3, Hayden; 4, Costeloe. Dist. 73 ft. 6 ins. Shot: 1, Wilson, J.; 2, Weekes; 3, Moody, P.; 4 Costeloe. Dist. 35 ft. 8 ins. Javelin: 1, Randle; 2, Gordon; 3, Blakeway; 4, Holt. Dist. 82 ft. 3 ins. Relay: 1, School; 2, Junior Day Boys; 3, Choir; 4, Hostel. Time : 56J sees. House Points: 1, School, 47 pts.; 2, Junior Day Boys, 36 pts.; 3, Choir, 23 pts.; 4, Hostel, 13J pts.; 5, Creighton, 5 pts.; 6, Castle, 4J pts. * School Record. f Equals School Record.
Summer, 1953
17
THE VIGORNIAN.
HOCKEY. This year the previous interest in the game was not only maintained but vastly increased. At least two games were held on every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon. The pitches used were, once again, mainly those on Perdiswell and Pitchcroft, although when the Rugger season ended, a very presentable pitch was made out on the School field. The year was notable in that the School put out a 1st XI and an U. IS side to play Hanley Castle Grammar School and although beaten in both games, the performance of the junior side augurs well for the future of hockey in the School. Another new event this year was the introduction of House matches which were played for a cup presented by M. Lampitt and D. H. Slack. These matches produced some excellent hockey and were enjoyed by everyone. The season concluded with the annual match against Mr. Curie's XI which was very exciting, the School losing in the last moments when Mr. Frisby scored, the only goal of the game. The School owes much to Mr. Curie and Mr. Cash for giving up so much of their time for our pleasure, and I feel sure we are all grateful to them for their efforts. Also we thank, wholeheartedly, the other members of the staff for their valuable assistance.
defended his area admirably, having the fastest of their threes to mark. Two tries were produced by our new centre which were both converted. This game showed the forwards up in a better light against a fast and heavy pack, and some almost forgotten play was seen; however our opponents' all-round weight and speed sufficed to more than double our score. The season ended with a scrappy draw with Shrewsbury, although the forwards maintained their belated improvement, and were unlucky not to snatch a victory in a storming finish. Owing to the poor drainage conditions of our school field, only about half-a-dozen 1st XV and 2nd XV matches were played at the New Road Ground, during the season, and despite the untiring efforts of our hardworking groundsman, mud prevailed. Until something is done to combat this menace, School teams will find that the familiar Perdiswell pitch will become even more familiar. RESULTS, 1953. 1ST XV.
Wed., Feb. 4.—St. Edward's "A" XV—Away—Lost 3-9. Sat., Feb. 7—Magdalen College, Oxford—Away— Lost 10-27. Sat., Feb. 21—Shrewsbury School—Home—Drawn 3-3. 2ND XV.
HOUSE MATCHES. 1st Round : Byes : Choir and Castle. Chappel beat Creighton by 1-0. Hostel beat School by 2-0. 2nd Round : Choir beat Chappel by 3-1. Castle beat Hostel by 1-0. Final : Castle beat Choir by 1-0.
SCHOOL MATCHES. ,1st XI lost to Hanley Castle Grammar School by 8-0. 1st XI lost to P. G. L. Curie's XI by 1-0. U. IS XI lost to Hanley Castle Grammar School by 7-3.
RUGBY FOOTBALL—Spring 1953. This term the team suffered the loss of four keymen—a centre, the scrum-half and two back row forwards ; to which was added the loss of our right-wing through injury in the first minutes of the game against St. Edward's, Oxford. Here each scrum played seven men; but our forwards were outplayed by a faster pack, capitalised by the intelligent play in poor conditions of their outsides, and the score of 3-9 was indeed thought a cheap price for such disheartening play by the School. In the same week we again visited Oxford to play Magdalen College. Our right-wing being still unfit, we suffered from lack of punch although his deputy
Wed., Feb. 4—St. Edward's "B" XV—Away—Lost 6-16 Sat., Feb. 7—Sebright School—Home—Won 67-0. Sat., Feb. 21—Shrewsbury School—Away—Won 19-8.
RUGGER PROSPECTS. The season will open with a renewal of an old fixture with Christ's College, Brecon and so it is imperative that the XV should make the fullest use of the first three weeks, before this game is played. One says " the XV "—but this is a strangely anonymous team at the moment. Two forwards and three outsides are all that remain of last year's team, so there will be plenty of opportunities for those who have ambition. There should be reasonable hopes, though the age of the first group is unusually low : and, as one sees it now, the main problem will be on the wings. There are one or two good potential players for these positions, but unless they determine from the beginning of the season to be wing-threequarters, and to go—with the ball— for the corner flag, we may have to look elsewhere. The forwards at last should have revived : most of the probable choices played very well as a pack in the Spring term, and if one or two of them use their height the side should have its fair share of the ball in the lineout. One of the best place-kickers for the past eight years should be an invaluable asset, but where he is to fit in is yet to be seen. The second and third XV's will be younger than usual, and it will be particularly interesting to see how the Under IS side progresses. They won all their games last year, and have every promise of becoming a good team.
18
THE VIGORNIAN.
Date Oct. 14 17 21 24 28 31
Nov.
7 14 21 25 28
Dec.
5 9 12 16
Feb.
3 10 13 20
Summer, 1953
RUGBY FOOTBALL FIXTURES. SEASON. 1953-1954. 1st XV 2nd XV 3rd XV Under 15 XV Under 14 XV Brecon H Bromsgrove A Brecon H Dean Close H Dean CloseA Dean Close H Dean Close A Belmont Abbey A W.R.G.S. A Belmont Abbey A Hillstone A Magdalen C.S. A Cheltenham Sebright Sebright H 2nd XV A 2nd XV H W.R.G.S. H Downs A Bromsgrove H Bromsgrove H Bromsgrove A W.R.G.S. A W.R.G.S. H W.R.G.S. A W.R.G.S. H Hereford C.S. A Hereford C.S. A Hereford C.S. H Bromsgrove A Hereford C.S. H House Matches O.V.s H (House Matches if necessary). St. Edwards H
St. Edwards H Hereford C.S. H Sebright A
Magdalen Coll. H Shrewsbury A Shrewsbury H
FIVES—Spring Term, 1953. The season this year was rather short, only four fixtures being played— home and away games with the Hereford Cathedral School and further matches against Malvern "A" IV and an O.V. team. The first Hereford game was played at home. Each pair played each opposing pair twice, making a total of eight games. The first pair (G. S. W. Thomas and A. J. T. Perigo) won their four games 15-7, 15-13; 15-1, 15-2, and the second pair (R. G. L. Griffiths and J. F. Skillman) returned scores of 15-11, 15-5; 15-5, 9-15. Result: Games ... W.C.K.S. 7 H.C.S. 1 Points ... W.C.K.S. 114 H.C.S. 59 In the return game at Hereford the School won by 107 points to 75, winning six of the eight games. The next match was at Malvern where the team met with far faster conditions, owing to a smoother wallsurface providing different speeds, flight and angles from those experienced off our sand-stone surfaces. Of the eight games played, only two were in our favour, although the score of 86-118 shows that some of the games were very close. The last match was against an O.V. four which the School beat by 102-72. The O.V. four was :—1st pair, J. H. Whitehead and M. J. Morton. 2nd pair, R. F. Godsall and T. H. Burgess. The following were awarded Fives' colours for the season :—V. G. Evans, R. G. L. Griffiths, A. J. T. Perigo and J. F. Skillman. This year the House Fives competition saw a much keener struggle than usual and in the Final, School House only retained the Cup by five points against Choir House. The competition was played on the customary knock-out system.
Hostel Choir
15 30
Choir
51
Castle 62 Creighton 47
Castle
48
School 60 Chappel 28
Bye
Hereford C.S. H
Choir
98 School
School 103
BOXING. Boxing continued under the auspices of Sgt. Barrett during the Spring term. Once again there were no senior boys doing boxing and it is this difficulty which has confronted all captains of boxing in recent years. The reason for this lack of enthusiam cannot be clearly explained. Concessions were made for boys playing Rugger and still no senior boys turned up for the Boxing classes. In spite of this great set-back, the junior boys were quite successful in the Boxing competition on February 28th. This was won by J. C. Haywood who had a close fight with B. E. Jones, the winner of the cup for the previous two years. Haywood is a member of the Worcester Amateur Boxing team and has excellent chances for practice. The Boxing authorities took an ambitious step forward when they arranged a Boxing fixture with The Sacred Heart College, Droitwich. The School distinguished itself in this first outside fixture for several years, in winning by 6 bouts to 2. Again the lack of seniors was apparent but Glazzard, Haywood and Allsopp were very good.
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
Perhaps this victory will arouse » little more enthusiasm in the School for next year. Provided that more senior boys are willing to take part, there will be other outside fixtures arranged. Surely it is time that Sergeant Barrett's untiring efforts to recruit boys, should be rewarded and so make Boxing a more important sport in the coming year.
THE CROSS COUNTRY. The annual Cross-country races were held on Saturday, February 28th, and, despite difficulties arising through inclement weather and farmers' crops, all went well. A change in the junior and intermediate courses was, however, necessary, owing to the fact that several of the usual fields had been sown and the farmer naturally did not wish us to trample the young crops. In the Senior Division, H. J. Davies came home an easy winner in the very good time of 33 mins. 34 sees., a meritorious performance helping School House to win the Senior Cup. B. J. Williams also helped his House, Creighton, to gain the intermediate event by winning a very closely fought race. The junior race was won by J. C. Haywood who finished running strongly and looked remarkably fresh. The team winners here were School House. It remains for us to thank Mr. Cash for all the hard work he did to make the day a success and everyone must agree that the smooth running owes much to his organisation.
CHESS NOTES. Once again during the Spring term the Chess Club met every Friday, and the meetings were well attended throughout. The main item of the term was a return junior match against the Royal Grammar School and on this occasion we won by 4 games to 3. The introduction of these matches has stimulated interest throughout the School, and it is hoped that the fixture list will be increased. Next year it is also hoped to introduce House matches. The annual Chess competition produced many good games. Last year's holder, P. G. M. Foster, was defeated in the second round and the cup was eventually won by S. C. Graham, who reached the final for the third year in succession. Throughout the year Mr. H. Ballance has taken a great interest in the activities of the Society, and we are very grateful for his help. At a meeting of the Society at the end of the Summer term, M. Baker was unanimously elected Secretary for the coming year in succession to D. H. Slack.
19
C.C.F. NOTES. The intention of these notes in the past has been ro set down, in the most business-like form possible, a record of the achievements and, of course, the set-backs, which the Corps registered during the past year. Fortunately we have only one disappointment to record, and that is that Lieutenant Cash—will not be able to join the Corps at Camp this year. It is hoped that he will recover frdm his illness very soon. Apart from this disappointment, the year has been notable for an increase in the members of the Corps and two memorable achievements by the Shooting Eight: in the Country Life competition, it retained its position as the third best School team in the country; and Sergeant Keating, the Secretary, won the " Sunday Times " Challenge Cup and Gold Medal at Bisley. From these achievements, we must return to more mundane business. We have the usual two Field Days to record, both of which illustrated the fact that the younger members of the Corps possess more zeal than skill and that the position is reversed in the senior platoons. If it is practicable it might be that a judicious mixing of senior and juniors would lead to better results. The senior boys do, in fact, get more advanced training at Camp. One officer also suggested that one 24-hour manoeuvre during each term might force boys to use a little more care and initiative than they ever exercise at the moment. Inspection took place on June 9th. Except for some elaborate wheeling by the band it passed off as planned. The inspecting officer, Colonel O'Flynn, D.S.O., M.B.E., paid tribute to the contingent's efficiency. Taking into account the fact that it is a purely voluntary unit, he commended the enthusiasm and the work which had been put into the inspection. It must be pointed out that much of this was due to the efficiency of the officers, for which we must thank them. In the Christmas term, the officers conducted Certificate "A" Part I examinations. It is to be assumed from this that the officers at school are more exactly acquainted with the capabilities of cadets than the officers from Norton. Nevertheless during the past two terms only four cadets out of forty-nine have failed, and in the second part of the examination only five boys out of thirty-nine candidates did not pass. In passing, it is interesting to draw attention to the success of our American scholar, Cadet Skillman, and also to that of Cadet J. James, who are the first cadets known to have passed both parts of the Certificate "A" examinations in less than a year after their entrance into the Corps. The following boys passed the first part of the Certificate :— Bennett, J. H. A. Beaumont Bennett, R. W. Bray Bridgstock Dodd, R. N. Brown, P. A. D. Drew Drewett Fletcher, J. L. M. Ellson Flavell Hill, M. J. Haywood, L. J. Henderson-Nichol Jackson James, K. Jones, C. G. Langstone Jerram, A. L. O.
THE VIGORNIAN.
20
Lowson, M. V. Jones, G. M. Mackay Jones, L. D. Milne, J. King, J. L. Moody, A. J. Mansfield Procter Neal Ramsay Parsons Schute Rawlings Wilding Rigg, B. Wood, N. G. Shouler, H. B. Westgate Thomas, T. E. Wiley Turner Williams, B. J. Court, J. The following passed the second part of the examination : —• Bailey, D. Dean Caniil Ellson Caughey Harries Dance King, J. L. Dickson Leonard Entwistle McDonald Rubery Harding Harrison Rigg, B. James, J. Woodall Lynn Skillman Lewis, D. Sykes Milroy Taylor, D. L. O'Keefe Thorn Parkes Pickering Raderecht Reddick, D. The following were promoted during the Summer term : — L./Cpl. Foster \A/C.Q.M. Sgts. L./Cpls. Morgan, Redwood, "j ^TK^moc /"" £1 W C^.«*/»r Inomas, l_r. S. W., center Meadows, Bishop, Cook, Hopkin, J. R. Broadhurst, Gleave, >A./Cpls. Grieves, J, K., Verity, Eidinow, Lloyd, Slack, Parry, J Stokes, Lampitt.
*
*
»
HOUSE SECTION SHIELD. The competition for the House Section Shield has now been moved from the Summer to the Spring term. It was hoped that this would relieve the congestion in the Summer term and that the House teams would have more time and energy in the preparation for the competition. Certainly the contest, judged by Major Brierly, was much closer than usual. Although School House were the winners, their victory was not by a large margin. A new and significant feature of the competition was the emergence of the Day Boys as serious rivals. Hitherto they have been content to enter the contest in a less competitive mood. Now they have shown, despite lack of practice, an admirable determination to remove the Shield from boarding-house mantel-pieces.
Summer, 19S3
.22 SHOOTING. All the matches were won this term, and the team reached especially good form for the " Country Life " competition in making a score which broke all previous King's School records. This score was 16 more than that of last year, but as two other schools had also made a similar improvement, we were beaten into third place for the second year in succession. It was, nevertheless, a very fine effort aa the form of one or two members of the VIII had, at times, been somewhat unpredictable. The VIII was split up into two teams for the " Junior Winter Competition," in which the "A" team was placed 25th and the "B" team 16th. The general standard of shooting is gradually being improved; and as there will be an indoor range in use all the time next year, there is no reason why the VIII should not be better than that of this year, especially as only one member of it is leaving. In the House matches, Chappel won the team cup with the very good score of 183 out of 200, and their captain, M. J. Keating, won the individual cup and Col, Sykes' special prize with a score of 49 out of 50. " COUNTRY LIFE " SCORE. J. S. Rippier M. J. Keating D, Curnock T. M. Cosgrove A. J. T. Perigo J. R. King P. J. Bulman B. Rigg
Group Rapid Snap scape Total ... 10 48 30\ ,o ->,c ... 10 49 30 / ™ ^ 5 47 30\ .,, ,,... 10 48 30/ n / i 9 ... 5 46 301 ,s £l£ „, 10 48 25 J ™ ... 10 48 251 ,1fl 4r 10 42 30J n -"u
70
230
376
186
862
Results for the whole year : Shot 20; Won 19; Lost 1. The scores in the remaining matches were :— We They Result K.E.S. Birmingham .. 669 599 won Sebright ., 643 561 won Harrow 669 631 won f-Monkton Coombe .. 0,*, ,\ 572 won /o Exeter / 594 won R.N.C. Dartmouth 659 590 won •Wolverhampton G.S. .. 749 wo won Canford ... ... ... 559 \ 603 won King's Taunton f wo won * N.S.R.A, tin hat targets, f New school record for " Country Life " targets.
*
*
*
AVERAGES. MAX. 90. J. S. Rippier . .. M. J. Keating . .. J. R. King P. J. Bulman . .. B. Rigg ... . .. D. Curnock , .. T. M. Cosgrove . .. A. J. T. Perigo . ..
87.66 85.00 83.82 83.50 83.00 82.66 82.50 80.00
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN. MUSIC SOCIETY.
SPRING TERM, 1953. In the Spring term, we were fortunate in being placed first in the rota of Society meetings, which meant that we were able to hold one more meeting than usual. Our first gathering took the form of a gramophone record evening. By a system of written requests, an organised programme was drawn up, and this added greatly to the evening's enjoyment. Contrast was certainly the keynote of this meeting, for requests varied from ' Peter and the Wolf," to a chorus from Elgar's ' Dream of Gerontius.' The next meeting of the Society saw a change of environment. Mr. Wilson gave a recital of his longplaying recordings and as his gramophone and loudspeakers were too bulky for transportation, our members trooped down through the chilly night to St. Albans, where they passed a very pleasant evening. The main work of the recital was Schubert's 9th Symphony, although the fascinating orchestral effects in the ' Sorcerer's Apprentice ' made a more direct appeal to the imaginations, particularly of the younger boys in the large audience. On March 8th, Mr. Edwards of the Henwick Teachers' -Training College, who had been teaching music in the school, gave an illustrated lecture on recorder music. Accompanied by Miss Nye, Mr. Edwards traced the development of the recorder from the earliest times, ending with an interesting allusion to the fact that after many years, during which recorder music had fallen into almost total neglect due to the rise to perfection of the flute, composers had lately shown a renewed interest, with the result that many original recorder compositions have lately been published. Following the customary procedure, we rounded off the season with a Members' Night. A large and enthusiastic audience was delighted with the remarkably polished performances of their fellow members. The varied programme included violin music by J. and E. Rippier, the latter playing a particularly lovely Romance by Svensen; I. F. Hastie gave us piano music by Chopin and Debussy; a vocal quartet which Mrs. Kittermaster kindly gave up a lot of her time to coach, gave very pleasing renderings of German's ' Orpheus and his Lute ' and ' With Jockey to the Fair,' and last, but by no means least, there were two trumpet solos by N. T. Vincent which, if only for their novelty, received thunderous and long applause from the delighted listeners. Mention has already been made of Mrs. Kittermaster, but her training "of the quartet was but a small example of the unfailing support which she has given to the Music Society throughout the term. We are sure that all members are united in their sincere gratitude for all that she has done for the Society.
LITERARY SOCIETY. It is a hard task to have to cast one's mind back into the dim recesses of the Spring term, writing as I am in late July, in order to recall the endeavours of members of the Society. Having made the necessary effort, however, I now recall with renewed interest the lecture on Modern
21
Poetry which Mr. Patric Dickinson gave us in February. The eminence of Mr. Dickinson as a modern poet in his own right drew a large and expectant audience to Mrs. Kittermaster's drawing room, where Mr. Dickinson held his hearers with his expert interpretation of the meaning of modern poetry, while he referred particularly to the poems of W. B. Yeats, selections from which he read to us. After the talk, he encouraged discussion and many opinions were expressed, both favourable and otherwise. After this diversion from the usual trend of our meetings, we reverted to a play once more when, early in March, we met to read " Queen of Scots " by Gordon Daviot. Apart from the dramatic appeal of the play, it was especially interesting for students of the late Tudor and early Stuart period in obtaining a closer insight into the leading characters of the period, and in comparing this new view-point with the less colourful accounts given in school history books. " The Importance of Being Earnest," that incomparable skit of Wilde's upon Edwardian Society, concluded our programme for the term, when the readers endeavoured, with varying degrees of success, to out-do the performances of their more illustrious film rivals. " The Ghost Train " provided parts for those who were determined to make their name in Mr. Wilson's production of " The Knight of the Burning Pestle," and we hope their ambitions will have borne some fruit. As always, we must offer our sincere thanks to the Headmaster for his continued patronage of our activities and his keen interest in the progress of younger members, and also to Mrs. Kittermaster for her ever generous and unfailing hospitality at every meeting.
ART SOCIETY. For the first meeting of the Spring term programme we were fortunate enough to have the services of a representative of the Rural Crafts Industry, who gave a lecture excellently illustrated by practical demonstrations on how to make various implements out of wood, and impressed everybody by his skill with a knife. The second meeting of the term took the form of a general gathering in which various members spoke on pictures of their own choosing. All spoke well and the meeting was well attended. For our third and last meeting, the Headmaster kindly gave us a very interesting and amusing talk entitled " Political Caricatures," an hour of enlightening entertainment which rounded off the term very satisfactorily. Our final words must be to Mr. and Mrs. Kittermaster thanking them for allowing us to use their drawing-room, and also to Miss Campbell for her untiring efforts to ensure the smooth running of the Society.
DEBATING SOCIETY. For the first debate of the Spring term the motion was put to the House : " That the Monarchy should be preserved." H. H. Scurfield proposed the motion, saying that the only alternatives to a monarchy were a Republic or a Dictatorship; he then pointed out the many disadvantages of both. He argued that the Mon-
THE VIGORNIAN.
22
arch acted as an ambassador and helped to keep the morale of the Country at a high point. P. A. C. Campbell opposed this by pointing out that the Monarchy could wield no power, only existed through tradition and that it would be better to see a prosperous Republic under a capable leader. J. B. W. Robins and D. J. Cook seconded. Some very good speeches, including an enlightening one from the Headmaster, were made after the motion was thrown open to the House and the motion was ultimately carried by 43 votes to 18. There was a record attendance of 115 at the second meeting when a Mock Trial was held, and J. Verity, charged with " having stolen six goldfish, the property of the Trustees of the King's School, Worcester, from the School Fountain," was tried before Mr. Justice Pedder. Mr. Ferrar acted as clerk of the court, J. Rowley with C. Ive prosecuted, and J. R. Hopkin with D. H. Slack defended. After a lively trial, with much ' laughter in Court' the prisoner was found guilty and was sentenced to run to the scene of his crime and thence be chased back to his House by the Jury. This was duly carried out. The Society returned to a serious subject for the final meeting of the year, which was held on March 21st. The motion to be debated was " That this House regrets its education." G. Matthews proposed, and said that one should not have a general education but should study the arts. M. J. C. Secular opposed and challenged the House, saying that if we did not like our education while at school, we would appreciate it in later life. J. F. Skillman and D. R. Mills seconded forcefully. We then heard some excellent speeches from the Floor, although speakers tended to become heated at times, after which the vote showed that the motion was defeated by 53 votes to 17. This concluded the year's meetings, and it is not exaggerating to say that the standard of Debate throughout has improved tremendously : this is possibly due to the pleasing fact that still more senior boys are attending. Once again Mr. Ferrar has given his untiring support to the Society, for which we are very grateful; thanks are due also to the Secretary and to the Committee, who have all worked hard to prepare the debates.
SIXTH FORM LIBRARY. At long last one can claim that some members are beginning to show a little respect for the aims and facilities of a rapidly expanding library, and the venerable old room is now taking on a slightly more hallowed atmosphere, despite the distressing antics of a few idle junior boys, and the torrential onslaughts of summer rain which have taxed the ceiling so frequently. The Librarians have often been rebuked for the former menace and are asked why, if our library bears the prefix ' Sixth Form," pupils of the Upper Fifth are allowed indiscriminate and disrespectful use of its facilities. Alas, the librarians themselves have often asked the same question to no avail and all we can hope is that now the Sixth Form boys have been persuaded to regard it as a haven of quiet learning, the more junior will follow suit. Apart from improved status in the eyes of the School, this school year has seen other innovations. A simple
Summer, 1953
system of shelf-indexing has brightened the shelves somewhat and helped some users to discover longsought books. At the same time, conditions improved for the librarians themselves with the spring-cleaning of the sacred lobby, a thorough check on the files and the installation of a proud new filing cabinet. In checking the books of the library the current number was found to be exactly 3,000, of which half were History and English, and a further large fraction, Languages, Ancient and Modern, resulting in an overwhelming bias to the Arts side. The librarians feel however that a little more respect and interest from scientists would greatly help the development of the Science sections. Although books are being added to the library by some departmental heads at a brisk rate, this is somewhat offset by the alarming number of books which disappear during the year, and the librarians would respectfully beg of members, past and present, to take just one more look at their shelves to see if they have forgotten to return one. Lastly, in the hope that these words will catch the eye of the generous donor, we would like to offer thanks to Mr. J. F. Skillman, senior, of New Haven, Connecticut, for his welcome gift of two fine volumes of an American history and hope that a year's stay at Worcester has been of some use to his son.
Vlth FORM CLUB. SPRING AND SUMMER TERMS, 1953. In the past, there has been an outcry for greater membership of the Club from W.C.K.S., and it is satisfying to be able to report an amelioration of the situation. During these two terms there has been a great increase of enthusiasm for the Club, and because of the fewer number of meetings, more importance has been attached to each one. Unfortunately the majority of the members were prevented from attending the first meeting of the Spring term, since first year members were not allowed to join before the first meeting. At this meeting, Mr. F. R. Kittermaster addressed the Club on " British Humour." Much was learned from this talk and it was thoroughly enjoyed. The Headmaster's lucid illustrations and interpretations ensured many roars of appreciation. After this first meeting, the new members of the Club were introduced to one another at a Social Evening on February 27th. This proved a most satisfactory way of breaking the ice and getting over any unwillingness to mix together. This was followed by a dance at the Alice Ottley School on March 28th and, in spite of competition from our own film " Scott of the Antarctic," it attracted a large number of members, both past and present. On a warm evening in May, Mr. Vivian Collett spoke to the Club at the College for the Blind on the intricacies of the Constitution of Worcester. This meeting provided a chance for several eager members of the Club to fire questions at a local authority on subjects connected with the City. That evening was held in perfect British weather, but on June 12th the rain had difficulty in restraining itself from marring the Club's Annual Tennis Evening, held at the Grammar School for Girls. The lack of tennis courts at W.C.K.S. was brought home when only one member of the School reached the semi-
THE VIGORNIAN.
Summer, 1953
final out of a large entry. This must needs be remedied somehow soon so that the School's tennis prowess may be elevated. On July 4th, at the W.R.G.S., the Club held its End-of-the-Year Dance. This provided a welcome break between Advanced and Ordinary level examinations. The Embassy Players produced some very good music and with a certain end of term spirit, the dance proved to be the most enjoyable of the year. On July 17th the Annual General Meeting was held to conclude the first year of the new Constitution and, moreover, the Club's tenth year of existence. It is fitting that W.C.K.S. should be well in the picture with H. H. Scurfield as President and N. T. Vincent as Treasurer. With these two able characters to guide the Club a more ambitious programme may be attempted next year. The finances of the Club are extremely healthy, thanks to a hard-working Committee, and everything points to a most successful year to follow this one, which will remain in several people's minds for a long time in the future.
VALETE. CHRISTMAS, 1952. Upper VI:— RIGG, C.—January 1944. Chappel House. School Monitor. Sergeant, C.C.F. Librarian. Secretary Art Society. 3rd XV Football. 4th IV Rowing. Lower VI:— BIRBECK, P. K.—September, 1945. Head of Chappel House. School Monitor. School Certificate 1950. Advanced History 1952. Corporal, C.C.F. 1st XI Cricket 1951-52; colours 1952. 1st XV Football 1950-53; colours 1950-53. Upper V.— JAMES, F. W.—September 1946. Chappel House. House Monitor. Sergeant, C.C.F. 2nd XV Football. PRINGLE, J. R. G.—September 1948. Head of Choir House. School Monitor. Sergeant, C.C.F. General Certificate. Captain of Swimming 1952. Secretary of Hockey 1951. 1st XV Football 1951-52; colours 1951-52. SMITH, K. J.—September 1946. Chappel House, House Monitor. C.S.M. of C.C.F. General Certificate. 1st XI Cricket 1951-52; colours 1952. 1st XV Football 1950-53. WILLIAMS, E. F.—September 1946. Chappel House. L.-Cpl., C.C.F. Lower V:— PADDEN, R. T.—September 1946. Chappel House. Cpl., C.C.F. 3rd XV Football. 4th IV Rowing. STEVENS, K. B.—January 1950. Castle House. Debating Society Officer. Certificate ' A.' Upper Remove A:— LAMB, J. G. McG.—September 1945. School House. Upper Remove B:— GORIN, J. L.—September 1946. Choir House. Lower Remove C:— COURT, D. E. J.—January 1949. Castle House. Certificate ' A ' Part I. JARVIS, R. L.—January 1950. Choir-Chappel House.
23
SPRING 1953. Upper VI:— MATTHEWS, G.—September 1945. Chappel House. School Monitor. L.-Cpl., C.C.F. Editor of The Vigornian. History Exhibition at Hertford College Oxford. ROBINS, J. B. W.—January 1948. School House. School Monitor. Librarian. L.-Cpl., C.C.F. Editor of The Vigornian. King's Scholar 1948. County Major Scholarship 1952. Meeke Scholarship at Hertford College, Oxford, 1953. ROWLEY, J. E.—September 1944. School House. School Monitor. Sergeant, C.C.F. Editor of The Vigornian. Secretary of Art Society. 1st XV Football 1952-53; 2nd XV 1951-52. 2nd IV Rowing 1952. King's Scholar 1948. Exhibition to Trinity Hall, Cambridge 1952. State Scholarship. Upper Remove B:— BLAKEWAY, T. J.—September 1947. The Hostel. Certificate ' A.' Colts XV and 3rd XV Football 1952-3. Lower Remove A:— EXALL, D. H.—September 1948. Chappel House. Lower Remove B:— SENTER, M. E. P.—September 1948. Creighton House. 1st Form:— MORRISON-WELLS, J. F. P.—September 1950. St. Albans House.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We would like to express our thanks on the receipt of the following contemporaries. In the advent of any inadvertent omissions, we tender our apologies. The Chelt"; the Hancastrian; the Herefordian; the King Edward's School Chronicle; the Monmouthian; the Wolvernian; the Worcesterian.
CONTRIBUTIONS. LETTER TO AMERICA. Worcester, July, 1953. Dear Mom and Dad, It doesn't seem possible that it's almost time to return home again. I can remember arriving here at school in September so well, but I guess that just goes to prove how much I have enjoyed this year in England. They always say that when you're having a good time, the minutes fly by. How well I know the truth of that statement. Now that I have been in England and away from home I imagine you will find me quite a changed lad when I return. I don't seem to feel particularly different if I have changed, but when I look back on these past months I have a certain feeling which I can't seem to explain. Maybe it's caused by all the new and lasting friendships I feel I have acquired throughout the year. I'll never be able to put those down on paper. That's one thing that can't be expressed in words. How can anyone make the sweeping statement that one sometimes hears back home, " Oh ! you know the English— so aloof and stuffy, etc." I wish that those people could
24
THE VIGORNIAN.
have shared some of my experiences this year with the English. I hope that the English haven't judged America, solely on my appearance. I know some of my friends think I am absolutely mad, but honest, there are some sane Americans in America—somewhere, I'm sure of it. I have had fun though. They kid me and mock my Americanisms, especially my accent. All year I've been trying to convince people here that we, in America, speak English too. Anyway, that's what it says on our text-books. The one good thing about it though was when I sometimes made mistakes in English class. I could always fall back on the old theme, " Well, that's the way we do it back home," whether it was or not. I think people were beginning to catch on to my excuse after the first term. People have been so very kind to me this year that I feel that I shall never be able to repay them all. I hope that King's will soon start sending boys over to America on this English Speaking Union exchange scheme. Then we will have the chance to repay the wonderful hospitality which I have received throughout this year. The year's experience in another country is so valuable that I know it would be the richest year in anyone's life, as I know it has been the richest of my nineteen. I only hope that I shall have the opportunity to take my place at one of the future O.V. dinners before my hairs have turned grey. There's not much more to say here except that now I feel like an English ambassador setting out for America, rather than an American ambassador returning home. It has been a great year. Your son, JACK.
ON WRITING MY ESSAY. The wheels of the train are chattering; yet they do so monotonously, hurling the words at my head so that, although I am not listening, I hear them echoing and filling my brain with their ominous tones. " Essay tonight, essay to-night, essay to-night," they cry spitefully. " Ha, ha, ha, ha ! " they mock at me as we hurtle over some points. At their words I feel my stomach contract with apprehension and I redouble my careful scrutiny of the countryside as it flashes past the window, blurred as a film which is being shown too quickly. I am looking for rural inspiration. It is no use, the barren scenery reflects my state of mind. It is still the same when the train stops and the steam jeers at me and my former aspirations with a sibilant laugh as I step out on to the platform. I walk home slowly, glancing all about me, examining every passer-by until each stares back at my rudeness. The birds, the grass, the trees, in their gay, green summer dresses, the walls, all receive this scrutiny, but they are even less responsive than the men and women in the street. I even peer into the front rooms of the houses which line my way : the haughty ornaments glare back at me. I reach home and my mind still resembles some deserted barrack square under a hot sun. Over tea I review the situation, trying to account for my peculiar frame of mind—elation gradually suc-
Summer, 1953
cumbing to apprehension, mingling with whirling daydreams. It all started really when I began to read the essays by Chesterton, Belloc and Morton and the writings of Benchley, Thurber and Woolcott. I was fired to write as they did. I pictured the fame and success which would be mine. However, somehow I never actually put pen to paper and excused my lack of talent, for such it was, by telling myself that I had not the time and, indeed, I finally convinced myself that it was so. Then came the opportunity : we were told to write on any subject we pleased. " Aha," I thought, " this time I shall do it." So for the rest of the day I wallowed in a fantastic day-dream, far outstripping those of Mrs. Nickleby. My essay would be so brilliant that Punch would accept it at once. Then by leaps and bounds I would grow famous. The words would never stop flowing from my pen : articles, essays, short stories, reviews, even novels, each more scintillating than the last, would sweep the world. Everyone would repeat my latest ' bon mot.' I pictured myself amongst a gathering of the highest. Suddenly the hostess would confront me with an old school enemy, now eagerly wishing to be my friend; how sweet was revenge as I snubbed him viciously ! This indeed was so pleasant that I repeated it, but it was not until he turned away, crushed for the fifth time, that I remembered that I had not yet written the first essay, the one which was to unlock for me the door marked ' Fame." I did not begin to worry, however, until I realised that I could not think of a subject. Five days later I am sitting, tea over, reviewing the calamity. With my books I go into the study. I fill my pen, sharpen my pencil, open my book and draw enough margins for a novel. Half an hour later the clean, white sheet taunts me. Hastily I write my name at the top. Still no inspiration comes. An hour later the piece of paper marked " Rough Notes " is covered with doodles : the essay sheets are clean. I am now so worried that I indulge in another daydream : this time, however, I am a leading barrister. Next door, someone turns on my favourite radio programme; I steel my resolution. Then I catch sight of the barren sheets : it is no use and, excusing myself by saying, " To-morrow inspiration will come, I can write it to-morrow," I shut my books and go into the rumpusroom to hear my programme. My mother says, " Finished, John ? " " Yes, Mother." I think that there is probably more money in law, anyway.
VISIT TO STRATFORD " ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA." Having made a sedate and uneventful journey from Severn to Avon, a party from the School, under the guidance of Mr. Dilks, had the fortune to see the dramatic dashes from Tiber to Nile in " Antony and Cleopatra," a masterpiece which gains so much and at the same time is so much handicapped by the author's prolific mind. The action flits from East to West by the mere dropping of a curtain. Vivid metaphors flow from
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
impassioned speakers at such frequent intervals that great "diction cannot always match great action, and the actors need both recklessness and composure. The producer has to meet the author's prodigality by rendering lightning changes of scene realistic, without the use of elaborate scenery. Perhaps these obstacles can never be completely overcome, but this production is at the highest level at which mortal actors can interpret immortal Shakespeare. The producer, Mr. Glen Byam Shaw, captured the atmosphere in almost every aspect. His voyages from Tiber to Nile, and vice versa, were smooth and made as plausible as possible; and once he had arrived, his use of a few articles of scenery were effective in their simplicity, and quite sufficient to convey the pomp of Rome, and the heat and luxury of Egypt. A picture of the everlasting and the great was conveyed, which was suitable for the episodes of the success and degradation of Princes. Particularly impressive was the producer's clever use of contrast, by which he conveyed in many subtle ways the difference between Roman formality and Egyptian lack of form : " Roman thought " and Egyptian thoughtlessness. Michael Redgrave as Antony, and Peggy Ashcroft as Cleopatra left no doubts as to their suitability for their respective parts. From start to finish passion ruled and pierced through each expression and word, flooding the stage in torrential bursts. Mr. Redgrave, of the right stature for the victor of Philippi, " burst his buckles " with high-powered emotion and sensual desire, and acted convincingly, possessing an irrefutable ability to promote the sympathy and understanding of the audience. In every action he conveyed visibly the strife of a great past rebuking present degradation, whilst the future was blown hither and thither by a desire which counted no cost. All these inconsistencies Mr. Redgrave took into account, in the momentary supremacy of the one, never completely shutting out the others. When he was in the grips of Cleopatra's spell there was always a faint glimmer of self-respect breaking from its enforced suppression; when he was rebuking his infamy, his vice never really left him. With a deep understanding of the human side of Antony's character, Mr. Redgrave was able to vary his moods with astonishing rapidity and with equal success. He moved from valour to despair, from love to hatred, and from humility to fierceness, all in the twinkling of an eye in portraying Antony the poet, the soldier, the pillar of the world, and the " doting mallard." Miss Aschcroft as Cleopatra was no less a success. Her execution of expressive and difficult passages was crystal clear and full of authority. The lash of her tongue, the masculine scowls and the derision of her imperious voice awed servants and audience alike. Cleopatra is played as Miss Aschcroft said she imagined her, " as delightfully vile." Indeed, she strides through the play with a sharply contrasted vigour in triumph, and listlessness in defeat and despair. To the last scene she is scornful and defiant, but perhaps she does not quite convey convincingly her " immortal longings." Marius Goring as Octavius had the perfect qualities for the part. He was cold, aloof, and puritanic in abstention from pleasure. His pallid face and short cropped hair completed a picture of austerity and command. His gait, which he altered not once ; his stiff mannerisms, and his scheming, satisfied expression, all con-
25
veyed the exact requirements of an intended contrast with Antony. Mr. Goring did not need to raise his voice to convey the authority of one of the " triple pillars of the world," for he could imply so much in one scornful, imperious glance. Domitius Enobarbus was skilfully portrayed by Mr. Harry Andrews. Here was the blunt soldier, and the strange mixture of the honorable and dissolute Roman. Particularly noticeable was his vivid description of Cleopatra's river journey which was delivered with a soldierly simplicity, and with a convincing enthusiasm. Another point which was very impressive was the quality and youth of much of the supporting cast. Indeed, the whole production was excellent, and would be difficult to better. Consequently, after such a wonderful experience, it was a great anti-climax to arrive in a silent and understandably dull Worcester.
" KING LEAR." Having witnessed such a wonderful rendering of " Antony and Cleopatra," a second party was taken to Stratford by Mr. Dilks to see " King Lear." After such an outstanding season for producers and actors alike, I felt certain that the success would be continued, and it was. So successful was the performance, in fact, that all criticisms are minor and do not detract from the thorough soundness of the presentation. However, the difficulties in " Lear " are formidable, many and varied. The main worry is the length of the under-plot, which to a large extent tends to lessen the glory of the main theme. The play lasted for three-and-a-half hours, and the not-so-soft seats and the almost tropical heat of the theatre rather undermined interest in it (despite the excellence of the acting) to such an extent that they lessened considerably the effect of the magnificent last scene. There can be little relaxation of concentration in " Lear," and I thought that the length of the under-plot should have been cut. Mr. George Devine, the producer, stuck rigidly to the text, and a favourable impression was, I found, inevitably weakened by these factors and the resulting physical and mental fatigue. The scenery, following what is apparently the prevailing idea at Stratford, was simple, bare and adaptable. But a set of- weird stones, in the style of Stonehenge, while looking excellent for a throne, were rendered silly by contortion for other purposes. They reminded one forcibly of inexplicable modern sculpture. Mr. Redgrave as Lear, approached the part in a way of his own. His Lear was foolish, but not frantic, when dividing his kingdom. His descent to the depths of despair and thence to madness was clearly discernible, and Mr. Redgrave succeeded, as he succeeded as Antony, in conveying an inner strife, with his hopes and fears so clearly expressed; his " climbing sorrow " was matched by an increase in frantic emotion. Throughout the play he became more and more convincing as Lear's heart was being further cruelly rent. Then came the fight against madness and the final touching victory of senile decay and insanity, softened only by the reunion with Cordelia. Nothing seemed to be lacking in this Lear, and having studied the actions of many octogenarians, I can feel justified in saying that Mr. Redgrave conveyed senile and mental decay brilliantly by his little eccentric mannerisms. Mr. Redgrave has been criticised because
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THE VIGORNIAN.
his approach to all his parts has been the same. With his interpretation of Shylock in our minds this may be so, but the part of Lear needed this approach, and Mr. Redgrave's acting was a triunph, carefully planned and finally secured. Marius Goring as the Fool was acid and acrobatic. But the lack of enthusiasm of the audience for his wit showed that he failed in that line. He tended to concentrate too much on the wisdom and portent of his words, and not to show impish delight at their cleverness. The notes which came from his contorted mouth were harsh, and limited in number and completely lacked any breezy quality. Clearly a part such as Octavius or Richard III is more suitable for Mr. Goring. The faults of his voice seemed to be catching for I would so accuse Miss Yvonne Mitchell, as Cordelia, Delicate in manner and expression, her voice, on the other hand, seemed more suited to the part of Regan. As Regan, Miss Rachel Kempson strove to appear brutal, and she did, but her voice was obviously being forced, away from its more successful serenity. Indeed, to neither of these actresses would I award laurels, but rather to Miss Joan Sanderson as Goneril. Her villainy was convincing, her speech much more naturally harsh than Regan's, and her actions appropriately cold and abrupt. As Kent, Mr. Harry Andrews once again scored a success, second only to that of Mr. Redgrave. He was sincere, amusing and his usual blunt, confident self. The more one sees him the more one is reminded of " Bluff King Hal." In the part of Edgar, Basil Hoskins combined the advantage of having a wonderful voice with incredible antics. Robert Shaw, however, as the villainous Edmund tried to combine too much flippancy and impish delight with his sins. Taken by and large, this production was the peak of a very successful season. Its minor faults were drowned in the magnificence of Lear himself. During both performances, despite the fact that our party was positioned almost at the back of the gallery, every word was audible. I am sure that all Shakespeare lovers in the School will hope with me that two visits can be arranged next year. For this year's visits we thank Mr. Dilks for making all the arrangements.
Summer, 1953
that during the rebuilding of Castle House, the remains of a skeleton, over six feet in height, were discovered amongst many other human bones ? that the Boat Club was formed in 1877 for the purpose of pleasure trips on the Severn ? Cricket took precedence at that time and it was not until 1910, when the number of boys in the school increased to 165, that rowing made headway and won the Public Schools' Cup; that the first Vigornian was published in 1878 and was practically of the same form as it is today ? that a proposed amalgamation of the King's School and the Royal Grammar School was put forward in 1889 ? After much discussion the matter was dropped but the M.P. for Northampton brought the matter before the House of Commons, only to fail in his attempts to revive the affair; that in 1894 the Duke of York (later King George V), having visited the Cathedral, entered College Hall, where the school was assembled, and told the boys that, by his request, the Headmaster had given them an extra week's holiday at Easter ? that in 1880 the collapse of the floor in College Hall nearly killed a number of boys, and a thanksgiving service was held in the Cathedral because there had been no fatal casualties ? that the first five-court was built in 1870 and was situated in the Cathedral Gardens (then the playground) backing on to the ruins ? that in 1889 two fives-courts were built in the present playground and were opened by a match between the Headmaster (Mr. Holland) and the Headmaster of Malvern College ? History does not record the winner ! The third court was added later; that the paving stones in the school garden came from the old gaol in Salt Lane, and that the fountain is part of the cider press from Mr. Creighton's house at Claines ?
TAXIDERMY IN UPPER 4A. DID YOU KNOW ? Did You Know :—that the first headmaster of the King's School was appointed by the King himself? that, until the year 1770, the cloisters served as the school playground ? that there were once two girls' boarding schools on College Green, their numbers exceeding those at the King's School ? that the playground marks the site of the prison, its boundary walls being those at the back of the Hostel and Castle House ? that the embattled west wall of Castle House is the only remaining relic of the old prison-house ? that the original platform in College Hall was erected for the Three Choirs' Festival in 1770, and that in 1788 King George III, the Queen and the Princesses attended the festival there ?
Taxidermy is the art of stuffing and preserving creatures in life-like manner. We have done this in our own way, although we are not sure if it is the correct one. First we will say how we stuffed birds. Before stuffing, of course, comes the skinning and curing. Cut down the front of the bird from the throat to the tail, separating the feathers to prevent them from being damaged. Peel the skin off, cutting any hindering membranes as you go, also cutting the leg and wing bones (humerus and femur). Be very careful while skinning the rump, as the skin here is very thin, and is firmly attached. When the body is skinned, turn the head inside out and cut it off just before the beak; this leaves the beak attached to the skin. Then stretch the skin in the required position, if possible on a wire frame, and sprinkle alum or saltpetre on it, leaving it for a week. When it is cured, shake out the saltpetre (which is preferable to alum), and leave the skin on the frame. Stuff it with kapok and cotton wool, and when you sew it up use a soft
Summer, 1953
THE VIGORNIAN.
thread, as cotton is far too harsh and cuts the skin; a bird's skin is very delicate indeed. We have not stuffed any animals, but it is roughly the same as stuffing a bird. Skinning is the same; you need not be nearly so careful, but do not be too clumsy. There is one point though : when the skin is pinned out, or stretched, the ears should be pinned too, as they usually shrink. We have tried preserving fish, using a method of our own, and it was quite a success. We will say how we did it, then how it should be done ! First we put them in 10% Formalin and 90% water, leaving them for two weeks. As the Formalin takes the colour out of them we had to paint them afterwards. When this was done, we varnished them, and, having put them in a case, replaced their eyes with glass ones. Now, another way, which we haven't tried, but which we think is the more correct, is to put the fish in hot water and to cut it from chin to tail, peeling the skin off. Do not forget to cut inside where the fins are as these will not peel, and also be careful how you do the head. We have spent quite a lot of time on this subject, but it was well spent and we are proud of our efforts, even if they are not as good as those of a professional taxidermist.
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All eyes focused on the Royal Standard at her head, and on the figure standing on her fore superstructure. And at that moment the noble spectacle of the huge fleet which was gathered for Her Majesty's inspection merged into the background, just as at her Coronation, when the glittering pomp and splendour of the preceding procession paled into comparative insignificance at the sight of the golden coach and the gracious figure within. For the next hour and a half H.M.S. " Surprise " steamed between the long lines of vessels as the Queen acknowledged the rousing cheers of her sailors manning the great ships of her fleet. That, of course, was the highspot of the day; but during the hours beforehand the crowds gathered afloat and ashore had ample time to study the assembled fleet, to pick out the famous ships and to discuss with critical pride their Royal Navy. The Queen, in white, with the Duke of Edinburgh, in the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, standing by her side, passed close to H.M.S. " Carisbrooke Castle," turned round our bows and came up the other side : at this, thunderous cheers issued from every throat. And so the " Surprise " glided forward—a last glimpse, and then she was gone. In her wake followed the huge liners, ponderous yet graceful, but few of the Government guests were to be seen. We passed below for Coronation Cake and a welcome rest, but were soon on deck again, waiting for the flypast. All eyes were turned upwards as the formations of aircraft, winging like geese low across the country, CORONATION REVIEW OF THE FLEET. roared overhead. The squadrons taking part included My first impressions of the mighty fleet, on that every new type of aeroplane in service with the navy : Sunday night at the famous Spithead anchorage, were Venoms, Sea Furies, Hornets, Fireflies—all the exciting names that aircraft spotters know so well. overwhelming. Afterwards we went below again for refreshment, After an early breakfast at Southhampton we put our " Open Sesame" labels on the car and started and then away in the tug which took us back through off for Stokes Bay pier, about fifteen miles away. We the Review lines. I felt a glow of satisfaction when we arrived to find the fleet gay with flags and in sunshine, passed down that proud line of aircraft carriers; and I so we proceeded towards the pier with the prospect of a also noticed the many strange antennae and other devices lovely day ahead although the Solent was rough and sprouting from the mast heads—a clear indication that choppy. Launches and helicopters were buzzing here and the Navy's eyes are no longer glued to a telescope, but there as we waited for the " Carisbrooke Castle " launch, to radar screens carrying the sight of every ship far which was to take us out to the ship. Then we were beyond that of human vision. We passed H.M.S. informed that it had broken down ! That seemed the " Vanguard," the Fleet Flagship, and the latest and the end. But no ! Naval Organisation had another boat most powerful battleship in the world. Then we conready for us within a few minutes and off we went, tinued on, past the " Surprise " and into Portsmouth passing down the lines : we did not see any very large Harbour, where we disembarked. ships closely, but we passed by submarines, destroyers Later, back on the sea front at Stokes Bay, we waited and frigates. for the illumination of the Fleet; the last seconds seemed At last we arrived at H.M.S. " Carisbrooke Castle," to drag by as the hands slowly crept on to half-past ten. and after we had been saluted by the officers as we came At last the magic button was pressed, and the fleet aboard, went below to drink the royal toast in cham- leaped into light. The outlines of the ships looked fairypagne. Then there was lunch, and plenty of it. After- like, illuminated by over half a million lights. Then wards we went on deck to wait for the " Surprise," and the illuminations were turned off, all was dark once the Queen. Awaiting her arrival were some two hundred more and there came the glorious explosion of the red, and sixty ships of the Royal and Commonwealth Navies, white and blue bouquets of rockets. a number of foreign warships, great liners and tankers But suddenly all was over, and as the Fleet lit up of the Merchant Navy, and innumerable small craft of again we made our way back to Southampton, happily all shapes and sizes. contemplating the day, and knowing that, although As the " Surprise " reached the fleet we heard the times change and the Royal Navy with them, two things boom of the twenty-one gun salutes and every head will never change : the fighting spirit of our sailors and turned in the direction of the sound, in the hope of their loyal devotion to the Crown. catching a glimpse of the despatch vessel, which, for that day, bore the proud title of Her Majesty's Royal Yacht.
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THE VIGORNIAN. " AN AMERICAN YOUTH." Six foot tall, short-cropped hair, Button-down shirt, floppy jacket, Sloppy shoes, Argyle socks, Bow tie, big smile, I guess " AN ENGLISH YOUTH." Six foot tall, hair in eyes, Stiff-collared shirt, tweed jacket, Black shoes, gray socks, School tie, slight frown, Jolly good " ONE DISSENTER." Three finished branches at one end, Two turned pieces of wood on top, One apple-in-appearance projectile, Six bowls to an over : Add them together, Substract one dissenter, And you have the number of fools That make up a team.
CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editors of " The Vigornian." Dear Sirs, This is a letter which is long overdue, and the purpose of which is the correction of a bad, or rather disgraceful state of affairs. It concerns the shocking handling of school cups. One only has to look at the cup-shelf of one particular house in the school to comprehend fully the meaning of this epistle. For example, one new cup, presented only a short while ago, already has two dents in it.
Summer, 1953
This, sirs, was no accident. Certain junior members of the school admit to rough and even violent handling of their prizes. It is high time, gentlemen, that extremely harsh steps be taken to preserve our cups in a state of respect, and we ask, nay demand, that action be taken to stop this manhandling of our hard-sought prizes. Many very indignant members of the school. To the Editors of " The Vigornian." Dear Sirs, Can it be explained why, although day-boys outnumber boarders in the Senior School quite substantially, they are only represented on the Games Commitee by two members against the four boarder representatives ? Surely the constitution ought to be altered to give the day-boys a fair chance when it comes to voting. They are certainly not as helpless as some biased boarders might think; take for example this year's rowing fours where the 1st and 2nd IV's consist almost entirely of day-boys. Shall the day-boys be out-voted for ever ? Yours faithfully, H. H. SCURFIELD, To the Editors of " The Vigornian." Dear Sirs, May I be allowed, through your columns, to thank all Old Vigornians who may have associated themselves with the presentation made to me at the O.V. Dinner. I very much appreciate it, and can only say that I have considered it a great honour to have been allowed to hold office in the Club as long as 30 years. Yours faithfully, S. D. STRONG.