THE PETERITE Vol. XXXVI
OCTOBER, 1944
No. 3c7
EDITORIAL. We begin the new term fortified by the sure hope that the European War is drawing inevitably to its close. With confidence, we may invert Mr. Churchill's cautious words and proclaim openly the beginning of the end. How soon we shall Teach the end, it would be dangerous to prophesy; but, not unjustifiably, our thoughts are beginning to turn towards a future in which the war-time difficulties of school administration will be at any rate mitigated. Those difficulties at times have been almost overwhelming, and they must continue to be serious. But thus far they have been bravely faced and successfully overcome, and we may look to the future with a self-confidence born of the knowledge that we shall emerge from the war with our strength in no way impaired. Indeed numerically we are stronger than ever in the School's history, and it is obvious that the provision of increased and improved accommodation must be our foremost post-war aspiration. The position is already one of acute difficulty, and it was with satisfaction that we found, on returning from the Summer holidays, that the re-roofing of the "blitzed" School House dormitories had been begun. The additional rooms will do something to alleviate our immediate difficulties ; though nothing less than the large-scale reconstruction envisaged by the Headmaster and the Governing Body can be adequate to our needs. The calendar for the coming term contains two important events in the School Year. Speech Day will take place on Friday, the 3rd November, when we shall welcome Sir Ronald Matthews, the Chairman of the London and North Eastern Railway Company, as our principal guest. It was a happy inspiration to invite to this ceremony one so prominent in the railway and industrial worlds, and, while we may suppose that Sir Ronald will speak to us in different terms, we feel confident that his visit will be no less satisfying and inspiring than was that of the Archbishop of York last year. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the rash and x 3th December, the Dramatic Society will again present a Shakespeare play—this time Jumus CAESAR. We need say no more here than express the hope that the productions will not fall short of the standard set in previous years. We are gratified to find that the midsummer examination results include the award of a State Scholarship in Classics. It is very many years since a Classical Scholarship has come to the School, though the successes in other branches of VIth Form work have been more than satisfactory. In days gone by St. Peter's held a high reputation for classical scholarship, and we trust that Taylor-Thompson's success, on which we congratulate him heartily, will inaugurate a revival. It is desirable in a school of this kind that the humanities should receive adequate emphasis, not only in the advanced work, but also (a necessary pre-requisite, indeed) in the middle forms. It is with great pleasure that we record here the birth, on August z5th, of the Headmaster's second child, a daughter, "Daphne Ann." We feel confident that we shall be speaking for all who have been in the school during the past seven years, and for all other Peterites who have made the acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. Dronfield, when we offer our heartiest congratulations to them on an event in which they themselves have taken so much pleasure.
