Memories of Michaelhouse the First 100 Years < //E/?I(>R(C's Sf « /Jfe
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Memories of Michaelhouse The First 100 Years < //e/?i(>r(C'S sf « /Jfe/iae//o(('S'e The First One Hundred Years 1896-1996 Introduction / remember, I remember the house where I was born, the little window w here the sun came peeping in at morn. Thomas Hood. As we grow older our memories become more precious to us, and most vivi dly we recall the turbulent years of our adolescence, our hopes and fea rs, our loves and hates, our triumphs and our failures. Memories of school days at Michaelhouse are unique for each individual, b ut the photographs and stories in this book, reflecting each decade of th e school's hundred years, will, we hope, evoke for every old boy a pleasa nt feeling of nostalgia. Each reader can people the familiar places with his own contemporaries and the staff of his day. Yesterday evening, Sunday 14th May, 1995, I was roaming around the estat e. Autumn leaves carpeted the ground and the setting sun bathed the vall ey in a romantic rosy glow. I felt nostalgic. As I passed by the chapel I thought of Charles Hannah making his annual visit and hopefully 'final ' farewell sermon. None of us cared to hear for the umpteenth time the o ld man's reminiscences, including how he had walked round the Oval with Canon Todd deciding where each tree was to be planted. Passing through t he passage way, where the staff nowadays collect their post from their p igeonholes, I remember it as the entrance hall of the Rectory, and I rec all dinner parties in these rooms which are now offices, Fred and Margar et Snell our gracious hosts. Their ghosts are there to-day for me. I walk through Usher quadrangle past the Science Department, where Ken and Ruth's rondavels used to be, past the new Mackenzie House on the si te of the old Sanatorium. Next I stand on the stage of the old open-air amphitheatre. Here Seath Stranack was Shylock. Here Peter Dauncy as 'O rlando' tumbled the mighty 'Oliver', Jack Crutchley. Here we wept for J oan D'Arc (Nicholas Palmer) as she was led off to the stake. "Light you r fire!''. Here Sydney Simkin offered his kingdom for a horse. On to the cemetery, but the light is fading now. It is just possible to discern the name of Charles Brooker who dived to his death over Howick Falls in 1940 and around are the graves of many former colleagues and former friends, Paul Hett, Tommy Norwood, Robbie Robinson, Bobby Woods, John Wilson.... But, like Hannah, I must be becoming an ancient mariner myself. Just on e more memory: It was 1947. On the wall of the house occupied by Robbie and Anne Robinson there was a lovely photograph, taken and enlarged by Robbie himself, of a little girl, their first daughter Sue. She is the compiler of this book. Her son Gavin, who was at Michaelhouse from 198 6-1990, (a keen photographer like his grandfather) and Sue's original i dea was to print a collection of their photographs, of her home, Michae lhouse. The project has been expanded since then, and here it is - a book about Michaelhouse. Ronald Brooks. Acknowledgements: To Ronald Brooks, for his encouragement and assistance, Elaine Dobson's enthusiasm, (she let me loose in the Archives,) and the support of the Centenary Committee, in particular Richard Lister. I am most grateful. Most of the black and white photographs are my Father, Robbie Robinson 's, the coloured ones, my son, Gavin Steiner's. Thanks to Kevin Rudham. one of the photographers for the book, "Historic Schools of South Afri ca", for your photograph "The Library 1993" (p96), and the Johannesburg Photographic Society, with Herman Potgieter, for the photo (pl52-153) "The front of the School". Last but not least, all the Michaelhousians who told me their stories, and lent us their photographs, please accept our grateful thanks. Sue Pollock December 1995 Lithographed by Teeanem Printers (Pty) Ltd. 208 Victoria Road, Pieterma ritzburg, 3201. Contents Pages: Titles I. The Founder of Michaelhouse: We feared him, but we also regarded him with great affection. 3. The first journey that James Todd made to Africa was in 1886. 5. some people dream of worthy accomplishments: while others stay aw ake and do them. 6. A name: MICHAELHOUSE. II. Quit you like men 12. My dear father...1 like this school much better than the other... 15. MICHAELHOUSE BALGOWAN 18. His Dream Materializes: Natal Diocesan College Balgowan. 19. Gaunt, bare veld, scarred by builders rubble met their eyes... 26. "The Great Conflict is over.....the awful price paid in full." A Memorial is to be built. 32. An antiquated uniform - "For the sake of neatness we do not care to r isk sun-stroke or heat apoplexy." 36. Drills, Parades, Rats and Royalty. 41. Show boyhood how it can serve and the response will seldom fail, pres ent it with ideals and THE IDEALS OF TODAY BECOME THE TRADITIONS OF TOMORROW. " 44. "The person who is a good sport has to lose to prove it." 49. Dear Sir.....I allude to the habit of putting the bottom of their cricket fl annnels into their socks. 58. "Since there is no opportunity at Michaelhouse to become a bullfighter or gladiator, he opted for Hockey goalie." 60. "I MUST GO DOWN TO THE TRACK AGAIN..." 64. "We HAVE ELECTED TO PLAY THE GAME 'RUGBY' .......THE G AME HAS BEEN GROUND INTO EVERY BOY." 71. "We HEARTILY CONGRATULATE OUR RIVALS (HiLTONIANS) O N WINNING...LETS HOPE THAT SOME DAY THEY MAY GET A BETT ER AND LESS DUSTY GROUND." 79. "The Producer richly deserved the bouquet of carrots and onions wh ich she was presented WITH AT THE FINALE." 80. "any dream will do-------------------------------" Joseph. 83. "It gratted stubbings turning out a spy bocorse he was a deasant genia l chap in plus fors." 84. "Portia------------------is dead." 86. "That sometimes here of me it might be said: 'To him at least his scho ol was ever dear.'" 87. "MEANWHILE WE ARE, THE BOTH OF US, IN FOR A HELL OF A T IME!" 89. "how extraordinary that the moth only attacks the seat of your trouser s." 93. Knowledge and timber should not be used until they are well seasone d 100. I HAVE NOT FAILED 10,000 TIMES. I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY F OUND 10,000 WAYS THAT WILL NOT WORK. 103. It IS WHAT YOU LEARN AFTER YOU KNOW IT ALL THAT COUNT S. 104. THE QUIET DIGNITY OF MICHAELHOUSE BELIES ITS CONSTA NT NEED FOR FUNDS. 109. A TEACHER INFLUENCES ETERNITY: HE/SHE CAN NEVER TE LL WHERE THAT INFLUENCE STOPS. 110. From the Constitution III. Speechday 1897: Held "in honour of our great archangel, St. micha el." Canon James Todd. 113. Outstanding people have one thing in commo n: an absolute sense of mission. 116. on show, having delusions of grandeur, backslapping, Schmaltzy o r bonhomie? 118. 'Stars of the Morning so gloriously bright.. ' 120. "Some sort of spiritual relationship is important. Michaelhouse offers superb facilities to expand this aspect of education." (a boy) 128. "If you get Bossanyi you'll get the best piece of glass in the continen t of Africa." The dean of York. 129. Above the Rose window is a gable window in intense blues whic h raises the eyes to the DARKNESS OF THE ROOF. 131. A RECOLLECTION OF THOSE FEW YEARS WHEN WE WERE P ART OF MICHAELHOUSE 132. An Architectural Icon of Todd's dream 142. "Like our fathers we are willing to cultivate learning on a little oatmeal .' 150. A new generation of schoolboys will take Michaelhouse to its heart. IV Preface "A boy s connection with his school is not severed when he leaves, but las ts throughout life. I mean that his whole tone, moral and spiritual, as we ll as intellectual, is largely determined for life by his school; and to h is dying day he will be different from what he would have been if he had b een at any other school." The Founder of Michaelhouse, Canon James Cameron Todd, 1896- 1903 . In the Chronicle celebrating the Jubilee Year 1946, the Editor, Jim Chutte r reprinted an article by Canon Todd that he had written in one of the ver y first issues of the S. Michael's Chronicle. He wrote: "The purpose of the Chronicle is to preserve for them (our successors) a record of our thoughts and doings so that five hundred years hence the boys may learn something of their predecessors from the pages of the S. Michael's Chronicle. It forms a link between the Old Boys and their scho ol." There was only one Old Boy at that time! Such was his determination to s ucceed in his venture and establish a Diocesan school in South Africa. I ndeed these Chronicles of History and the anecdotes pertaining to the ac tivities of the generations of students who have passed through Michaelh ouse, their Rectors and teachers, the buildings, the playing fields and classrooms were an invaluable resource in the preparation of the text fo r this book. My Father, Robbie Robinson's meticulously catalogued black-and-white pho tographs, my son Gavin's coloured pictures, together with the works of a mateurs, a few professionals, mainly friends and members of the Michaelh ouse community were the inspiration for the illustrations. The photograp hs we have chosen portray people, places and events that relate to Micha elhouse.