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THE SHIRBURNIAN

SHERBORNE : AT THE ABBEY PRESS VOL. XL. No. 22. MARCH 1945.

THE SHIRBURN·IAN

MARCH :: 1945. VoL, XL. No. 22, CONTENTS·.

Frontispiece. Page Editorial 1001 School News 1002 School Officers 1002 School Notes 1002 School Events 1002 The Art School 1005 Lenten Addresses 1005 School War Memorial 1005 Valete 1006 o.s.s. 1007 Roll of Honour 1008 Societies 1010 Musical Society 1010 School Orchestra 1010 The Duffers 1011 The Alchemists 1012 The Interpretes 1012 Les Polyglottes 1013 The Wildman Society 1013 The Incogniti ... 1013 The Sherborne School Radio Club 1014 Games: Rugger 1014 The Two Cock 1016 The Three Cock 1017 Boxing 1018 Fives 1018 Squash 1018 Correspondence 1019 Literary: The Facetious Cliche 1021 Fear 1022 A Memory of the 'Nineties 1022 Searchlight 1023 The Kalighat Temple 1023 These Simple Things ... 1025 The Clock 1025 Poem ... 1027 The Blind Boy and the Wind 1027 Snow in the Street 1027 Reunion 1027 Unforgotten 1028 Reincarnation 1028 Snow ... 1029 · The Rising Generation 1029 The Santa Ana Trail 1030 Sport ... 1030 Marvellous are Thy Works 1032 Rugby Football 1032 Winter Violets 1033 Clouds on a Clear Sky 1033 False Prophets 1033 Quiz ... 1034 Obituaries 1035 Stop Press ... 1044 Illustrations : 1st XV Rugger ... .,. ... Frontispiece The Rt. Rev. The Lord Bishop of Salisbury Frontispiece C. Day Lewis ... Frontispiece Snow in the Courts Frontispiece John Hollington Grayburn ... Facing page 1036 Edward Christopher Moule ... Facing page 1037 1st XV. RUGBY, 1945. Standing: H. T. Davis, P. K. Cuthbert, D. M. E. Anson, R. G. A. Leman, R. D. Harris, G. C. Rittson Thoma•, B. R. T. Aitken. Seated: T. S. Zealley, T. J.C. Cockman, A.H. Blanford (Capt.), M. C. Danby, J. R. S. Farrer. On Ground: C. W. Thomas, T. J. G. Rog.crs, J.C. T. Turner. THE RIGHT REVEREND SNOW IN THE COURTS. C. DAY LEWIS. THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY· THE SHIRBURNIAN

No. 22. MARCH, 1945 VoL. XL EDITORIAL

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Undeterred by Sha·N's reference to Democracy as "the last refuge of cheap misgovernment," we have given each member of the school a voice in the editing of The Shirburnian, and claim that this term's issue is truly representative. Although suggestions were few, they were helpful, and we give a short summary of them with the results of the voting. It is a cheerful and perhaps surprising thought that Sherborne has awakened from her sticky con­ servatism. Only 88 out of 342 voters were opposed to a progressive policy. On the question of O.S. contributions, voting was 303-41 in favour of their inclusion, though some people objected to the res­ triction " celebrated " and others wished it to be emphasised. In many cases blue, dark or light, and gold was suggested as preferable to light blue embossed on dark blue for the cover, but opinion was almost unanimous that a change of some sort should be made. Due to a printer's error which was still misunderstood after the alteration had been notified, the " caricatures v. wood blocks " had to be ignored. It was clear that a majority favoured the caricatures if changed fairly regularly; but we are hoping at a future date to have a new set of wood blocks, artistic, less conventional and with good lettering. On the question of The Shirburnian's issue, voting was 177-171 against the proposed innovation-anyway we should have needed a large majority to have taken this measure. . The most popular feature was the Prose, and the least popular the Verse. We deplore the philistine outlook of 95 Shirburnians, and we intend to continue printing all suitable poems submitted to us, as we feel that this feature is important and significant in a magazine of high literary standing. Perhaps we should note, too, that the Verse was fourth in order of popular features. 29 people disliked the Editorial. We make no apologies; we didn't think we had written one. One correspondent told us," it is disgusting to leave out the Editorial : it is the most interesting part," and another hailed its omission as " a welcome change." Nor do we apologise to the thirteen people who disliked the "Take off our hats"-" because they were written by the Editors." The school, we are led to believe, likes this feature, and, if no suitable contributions to it are forthcoming, we feel quite justified in taking the steps we did. This term we have printed all the contributions to the " Take off our hats," and we leave you to judge for yourselves. Furthermore the lack of contributions to this feature is only typical of that to many others. It is tradi­ tional for editors to grumble about their poor support ; but few can have experienced the present state of barrenness and lack of enterprise-witness entries for school prizes. It must be war-weariness. We forgive those who give no contribution and expect nothing in return; but those who demand this or that and make no personal effort to that end, we can but deplore. There was for example a small clique in one house which asked for "a page of humour," one member of which wanted "humorous articles by writers who could be humorous," So far they have sent us no contributions? and perhaps it is 1002 THE SHIRBURNIAN just as well. Incidentally, although we welcome lighter poems and stories, we are chary of middle school "humour," and we do not like the idea of turning The Shirburnian into a second-rate" Punch." Suggestions that we should include crosswords, chess problems, competitions, advertisements, salvetes, lists of successful S.C., H.C., and Cert. "A" candidates, and serial stories, have received due consideration-so has the suggestion "scientific," scrawled across the page by a member of Gp. III. The required length of features forms a useful guide in selection ; but we must point out, as someone mentioned, length is governed by " the quality and quantity of contributions." The average for the correspondence was 3.47; for the Prose, 3.95; the Verse, 2.32. As for the Editorial, we have exactly fulfilled your requirements. SCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL OFFICERS Head of the School ... P. N. WALKER (a). School Prefects P. N. WALKER (a). B. M. HAMILTON (b). P. H. T. BECKETT (c). T. J. C. COCKMAN (d). T. J. G. ROGERS (f). A. H. BLANFORD (g). G. C. RITTSON-THOMAS (h). M. R. T. WALDEN (a). T. S. ZEALLEY (a). P. K. CUTHBERT (b). R. L. L. DAVIS (g). B. R. T. AITKEN (a). Editors of " The Shirburnian " T. J. G. ROGERS (f). G. M. H. RAPER (h). J. H. G. CROMPTON (d). Games Editor A. H. BLANFORD (g). Captain of Football A. H. BLANFORD (g). Hockey A. H. BLANFORD (g). Fives M. R. T. WALDEN (a). Boxing ... P. K. CUTHBERT (b). Shooting B. M. HAMILTON (b). Gym. P. K. CUTHBERT (b). Prefect in charge of Agriculture P. H. T. BECKETT (c). SCHOOL NOTES HONOURS. We congratulate the following : J. H. G. Crompton, on winning a Stapledon Scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford. A. R. Plowden, on winning a Kitchener Scholarship. R. S. Walsh, on winning a Science Exhibition to New College, Oxford. H. C. Brayne and M. C. Danby, on getting places in the Royal Navy Special Entry Examination. SCHOOL EVENTS STAFF We congratulate Mr. R. S. Thompson on the birth of a son, Alistair Martin Swire, which took place during the Christmas holidays. We welcome Colonel Washington Metcalfe, the author, who joined the staff at the end of the Winter term. He has already become a well-known figure of Sherbome's staff, and we are grateful for the chance of having among us this most versatile and individual teacher. THE SHIRBURNIAN 1003

We congratulate Mr. Bloy on his appointment to the position of School Bursar next term. No more is the somnolence of Middle School French Sets to be startled by his heart cry of " I've been teaching French for the last thirty years," nor will Senior Pools, that gallant and occasionally hilarious institution, hear the toot of his whistle denoting foul and counter foul. We are personally grateful to him for the use of his printing machine (from which we launched our pamphlet raid at the beginning of term), and wish him every success in his new post. BRYANSTON On Thursday, November 16th, there occurred a musical event that makes history CONCERT in Sherborne. A number of boys from Bryanston School visited the School and gave a concert of chamber music in the Big Schoolroom. Their programme was sur­ prisingly ambitious, and began with Bach's concerto for Two Violins. The Bass aria " Honour and Arms," from " Samson," was sung with phenomenal control and neatness by R. C. C. Stalman, who also performed admirably and refinedly upon the Bassoon in one of Mozart's two divertimenti for two Clarinets and Bassoon. The climax of the evening was a brilliant and inspired performance by F. S. Rhys of Brahms' Paganini variations. · The thanks of all of us are due to Bryanston and their Musical Director, Mr. J. Sterling, for a truly enjoyable evening. The Headmaster in thanking them referred to some " Choral Broadsides " which we believe are to be delivered in the Summer Term. (M. J. GORDON). INTER-HOUSE Having sent our last issue of The Shirburnian to press while th-c Winter term was in SINGING it's infancy, we were unable to include any mention of the Glee and Shout Competi­ tions. The final performance took place in the Big Schoolroom at the end of No'vember, when an assembly of singers made the walls echo to that original refrain of "Moppity Moppity Mono." The glee, a setting of Dowland's verses "Fine Knacks for Ladies," was won by Barlow's, whose robust version of "Robin he Married a Wife in the West" was beaten by a short head by an even robuster version from Thompson's. Although the repetition of the two songs makes these occasions a little dazing, the affair is most satisfactory. The singing of part songs has fallen off con­ siderably since Izaak Walton's day, and we welcome most warmly this yearly revival of a delightful pastime. Our thanks are due to Mr. Sterling of Bryanston, who judged the competition. THE SNOW The term began with one of the coldest spells that Sherbome has had for many years. Snow had fallen intermittently throughout the week ; but the first heavy fall took place on a Saturday. By Chapel time the courts had become a death-trap for the unwary and a happy hunting ground for the rest of the School, while every class­ room lobby was blocked by an enormous snowball. We had visions of the staff arriving by moose or sledge, making the cloisters ring with cries of" Mush ! Mush ! " Games were out of the question, and after snowballing had become too bleak for pleasure, an universal toboggan craze swept the School. However, the enormous slump market in second-hand sledges which we anticipated, never materialized, the problem being solved by an equally acute fuel shortage. ILLNESS After snow came disease. An agitated note from the Headmaster containing several postscripts gave the School its warning of this, and before long the number of casual­ ties was increasing at a speed which exceeded even the Abbey Press, and matrons and pew keepers were kept working overtime. Harper House was isolated due to a case of Scarlet Fever, on February 14th. Most of the Senior part of the House learnt, largely for the first time, of the hardships of a schoolmaster's life. However a good deal of teaching was effectively done, in spite of a few successive extra half-holidays. A miniature field day was held, a wood­ clearing operation by the J.T.C. against a reinforced S.C.C. The J.T.C. suffered 1004 THE SHIRBURNJAN

rather severe losses in the first part and considered t.he umpires badly biassed. The second part was undecided. A pantomime was held on the last night of imprison­ ment, which, in spite of the cast's being badly thinned by mumps, was a great success, not the least being the horse which did its drill in a very spirited fashion. On the Sunday evening the senior part of the House much enjoyed reading " The Taming of the Shrew." Edgar Allan Poe once wrote a story about a skeleton which turned up at a dance and played a kind of death anthem to the gathering. Something of the sort seems to have happened in Lyon House, only in this case the spectre was called Plums and the victims recovered in a day or two. This Poe story at least had a happy ending. SHERBORNE AND Sherborne would not be Sherborne without its dogs. We remember the· dog who ITS DOGS showed lamentable taste at the standing down of the Home Guard by barking fran­ tically at the Union Jack throughout the National Anthem. This term it was a small brown dog of mixed pedigree and with the same flippant sense of humour. Not content with various sorties on to the Seniors' Field early in February (where it made havoc of the referee's shins), it had the audacity to show up in morning chapel, whence it was only ejected by a senior member of the choir-or " chorister " as the chapel committee would call him. Rumour has it that the dog belongs to the "We want more v-1-nt-r--s campaign " and symbolised a dog's chance. GODFREY WINN On February 3rd the School heard a lecture by Mr. Godfrey Winn, the journalist, who spoke on " A Convoy to Russia." The speaking tended to be theatrical in places ; but the majority of the School was entirely satisfied, and who are we to carp, for, in doing so, we might appear to be belittling the subject of the lecture, a subject of heroism in its truest form? On the Sunday, a list of Mr. Winn's books was posted in the Cloisters. Besides other war books, he has written Women I Admire, and has contributed to the Daily Mirror in pre-war days. The criterion is always the School and Mr. Winn's lecture must be counted as among the most successful this term. M.0.l. FILMS On Wednesday, February 14th, the School saw an interesting performance of M.0.1. films. These were as good as ever, especially the one which dealt with the transfer. of a harbour to France after D-day. AIRCRAFT Those who attended V. Bentell's lecture on Aircraft Production on Saturday, PRODUCTION February 17th, were amply rewarded by a most interesting account of this topic. LEON GOOSENS Our thanks are due to· Mr. Leon Goosens, the oboeist, who gave one of the most enjoyable recitals we have had for some time. Mr. Goosens prefaced his recital with a short and witty talk on the history and construction of the oboe. He then played the following items: Entree et Cotillon (Senaille), Sinfonia (Easter Oratorio) (J. S. Bach), Allegro (J. B. Loeillet), Air and Hornpipe (Purcell), Sarabande and Minuet (Kronke), Siciliana (Alec Templeton), Melody (Morgan Nichalas), Couvre Feu (Barthe). Mr. Goosens' recital should be a model for future occasions. None of the music was above his audience's heads ; the pieces were short and made a direct appeal. Further­ more, it was extremely satisfying to watch a master musician at work. . MOISEIWITSCH For those who have passed the mumps-chicken pox-measles stage, there will be a piano recital by Moiseiwitch on March 14th, at Foster's School. We can rely upon hearing a performance of brilliance and masterful interpretation. BUNS On Wednesday, February 21st, the Tuck Shop made gastronomic history by supplying buns with currants in them. The news spread quickly of this sensational discovery, and the usual crowd of boys going round a second time for their milk-and-bun order swelled out of all proportion. As there has been no recurrence, we can only surmise that the whole thing was a hideous mistake; but, to quote the butler in the shaggy dog story, it was " not so dam hideous." THE UPPER The Upper Sixth has spent its working hours this term discussing God in the Big SIXTH Schoolroom and Mammon in the Lower Library. The climax of the term, however, THE SHIRBURNIAN 1005

was undoubtedly Mr. Parr's address on February 25th. The talk, which dealt with youth organisations (the theme of Mr. Parr's sermon later in the morning), was unusual and remarkably impressive. We have had many calls recently to this or that department of state service, but Mr. Parr's appeal for Public School support in the matter of youth welfare brought home to listeners the immense importance of this great work. THE ART SCHOOL The Art School was again decorated this term by reproductions of paintings. With the exception of "Dante and his bJok," which has visited the School before, most of the pictures were new to the users of the Art School. The coolness of Paul Nash's Sussex landscape lias drawn well-deserved attention and excusable criticism. This oil painting, with the freshness of a water-colour, forms a good contrast to the hot, airless " Tahiti Mountains " of Gauguin. The simplicity of these two pictures again contrast strongly with " Winter " by Brueghel the elder, whose delicate detail has pleased many. Van Gogh and Cezanne as well as old Italian, German and Flemish masters are also represented. Those who use the Art School will have, I think, at the end of this term, two wishes-the first to bid farewell to "Dante and his book,'' and the second to welcome a few more English paintings. We cannot grumble. These pictures do much to brighten the walls of the room. W. H. A. BROWN.

LENTEN ADDRESSES 1. February 15th. CONSECRATION (Canon F. A. Cockin). People use such difficult words in talking about religion-" consecrate," " dedicate,'' and such like. What do they mean ? Have they any relation to ordinary life ? 2. February 22nd. THOUGHT AND WORK (Rev. w. L. s. Fleming). Can we consecrate our minds ? If so, does it mean thinking about God all the time ? A parson once said, " I should like a large notice hung over every pulpit saying, ' Don't do what I say but think, man, think.' " 3. March 1st. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS (Rev. A. K. Mathews). Friendship, at home or anywhere else, is the biggest thing in life, bu_t it doesn't happen automatically. "Friendship consists in loving rather than in being loved "-does this mean that we have to love people we don't like ? 4. March 8th. SUFFERING (Rev. L. G. Fisher). There were three crosses on Calvary: and there are three ways of taking suffering. You can shout about it : you can be very courageous and just " take it.'' But there is a third way-Christ's way. 5. March 15th. RELIGION (Rev. D. B. Harris). Does religion need to be consecrated ? Certainly, for religion can be a very good or a very bad thing. It is always dangerous : and the Christian religion depends on prayer. 6. March 22nd. HoLY COMMUNION (Rev. K. M. Carey). Is it just an extra for the very pious ? If not, how does it fit into the general scheme of things. Is it the place where God brings all people and things into a right relationship ? SCHOOL WAR MEMORIAL The Editors feel that the School should be kept more up-to-date with proposals made for the War Memorial, and reprint the following extracts from reports of the O.S. Society. It has been considered desirable that a beginning should be made in dealing with the question of the formation of a suitable War Memorial and to that end a committee has been formed. The Governing Body has appointed five of its members as follows :­ The Lord Bishop of the Diocese (O.S.). Colonel Wingfield Digby. Sir Hubert Medlycott. Sir Philip Colfox. W. E. Beckett, Esq. (0.S.). In addition, the Headmaster has been appointed to act. 1006 THE SHIRBURNIAN

At the Annual General Meeting of the 0. S.. Society the following were appointed to represent the Society:- Revd. Arthur Field. Surgeon Rear-Admiral B. Pickering Pick. A. H. Trelawny-Ross, Esq. R. J. L. Kingsford, Esq. Major J. A. Tallent. Since their appointment Mr. Nowell Smith has been co-opted to the Committee. The first meeting has been held when the Bishop of Salisbury was elected to the Chair ; Admiral Pick as Secretary and Mr. Field as Treasurer. The Committee was very conscious of their responsibility and the gravity of the decisions they would be called to make. The discussion ranged over a wide field but was of a preliminary nature only ; tenta­ tive proposals for various forms of memorial were put forward and the Headmaster gave a list of those which had reached him. They were :- Extension of the Chapel by the addition of a new South Aisle. New Big School. Completion of The Courts. Provision of Scholarships, Exhibitions or Buraries for the sons of Old Shirburnians. A statue of St. Michael to be erected in the Courts or other more suitable site. The Headmaster stated that the order in which he mentioned these suggestions was no criterion as to their importance, desirability or practicability. Two other suggestions were made by members of the Committee ; the formation of a ·Garden of Remembrance which might be taken in conjunction with the extension of the Chapel and the other that the present Big School should be enlarged. No decisions were made on these proposals. Indeed, in such a complex question, none could be made at such an early stage. Finance ; the needs of the School ; opportunities for building, and many other questions will all have to be taken seriously into account ; and the fact that in 1950 the School will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the grant of its Charter must not be forgotten. A few letters have been received in response to the request that O.SS. should forward their views as to the form the Memorial should take. Practically all of them stress the need of the provision of bur­ saries for the sons of O.SS. who have fallen or been disabled as a result of war service. The Committee have the proposal in the forefront of their deliberations and sympathies and have taken note of the trend of public opinion. As regards new buildings or additions to existing buildings to meet the needs of the School, the Committee have engaged the services of a distinguished architect who has been given the various pro­ posals and who has visited the sites. He will in due course report to the Committee who will consider the report and should then be in a position to put forward concrete proposals ; in doing this they will be guided by the wishes of the subscribers ; the amount of money at their disposal ; and the availability of labour and materials.

VALETE SCHOOL HOUSE 3 C. D. H. WILSON-VI (Group IIIB)-came 1940 , House Prefect, 3rd XI ('44), P.T. Instructor, Sergeant in · J.T.C. To Army. T. A. BATCHELAR-VI (Group IIIB)-came 19403, House Prefect, 2nd XI ('44), Sergeant in J.T:C., P.T. Instructor. To Queen's Royal West Surreys. 3 M. P. CANNING-V (Group IIIB)-came 1942 • To Merchant Navy.

ABBEY HOUSE 2 T. I. M. ARNOLD-IVF-came 1940 , 3rd XI ('44), P.T. Instructor. To R.A.F.

THE GREEN 3 R. J. A. BAKER-VI (Group IIIB)-came 1940 , House Prefect, 3rd XV, P.T. Instructor. To Army. M. E. A. MANNING-V (Group IIIB)-came 194!3, House Prefect, P.T. Instructor, Corporal in A.T.C. To' Cambridge. THE SHIRBURNJAN 1007

HARPER HOUSE M. C. DANBY-VI (Group llIB)-came 194!1, School Prefect, 1st XV ('43-'44), P.T. Instructor, Member of Alchemists, Petty Officer in S.C.C. To Royal Navy. 3 C. E.·N. ARKELL-VI (Group II, History and English)-came 1940 , 1st XI Cricket ('44), 1st XI Hockey ('44), Sergeant in J.T.C., P.T. Instructor. To Fleet Air Arm. J. G. DE LA BERESFORD-V (Group II, History and English)-came 194!3, Member of lncogniti. To Exeter University Art School. ABBEYLANDS P. B. A. D. FAWKES-VI (Group IllB)-came 194!2, House Prefect, P.T. Instructor. 2 J. c. CHAPPELL-lllr>-came 1942 • LYON HOUSE 3 R. G. A. LEMAN-VI (Group IIIA)-came 1940 , House Prefect, 1st XV ('44), P.T. Instructor with badge, Sergeant in J.T.C., Member of Puffers and Alchemists. To Army. A. C. V. HARDEN-VI (Group II, M.L.)-ca...'Tie 194!1, House Prefect, P.T. Instructor, Sergeant in J.T.C. To H.M. Welsh Guards. ; P. D. Woor>-VI (Group 1)-came 19403, House Prefect. B. J. CUNDALL-VI (Group IIIB)-came 194!3. To Aeronautical College. WESTCOTT HOUSE 3 R. S. WALSH-VI (Group IIIA)-came 1940 , Member of Upper VI, Duffers and Alchemists, Corporal in J.T.C. Exhibitioner to New College, Oxford. o.s.s. The Editors hope to interest the School in its more celebrated old boys by printing a series of short biographical notes with photographs where possible. We regret that in the case of Prof. Whitehead O.M., we have not been able to obtain a photograph. PROF. A. N. WHITEHEAD (a, 1875-1880) The order of merit has been conferred on Alfred North Whitehead, the most distinguished living member of our fraternity vide his record in the School Register. He was Head of the School, Captain of the XV and of the XI and winner of the Digby Prize and the Mathematical Medal for three consecu­ tive years. He went up to Cambridge with a Scholarship to Trinity; and at Cambridge was Abbott University Scholar, 4th Wrangler, 1st Class Mathematical Tripos, Smith's Prizeman and Fellow of his College. Subsequently he was Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Imperial College of Science, and since 1924 he has been Professor of Philosophy at Harvard, U.S.A. In the words of a former Head­ master, "the only man who can meet Einstein on his own ground." THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY (a, 1882-1886) Starting life at Sherborne in the lowest form of the School, the Bishop was inspired with " a great and undying ambition to rise higher." He claims that his greatest distinction (after that of being made Chaplain to the King) was writing a Greek prose of such merit that it has been preserved in the School House studies ever since. He was at Christ's College, Cambridge, and was ordained in 1892. Before his present appointment which he received in 1936, he had been Bishop of Portsmouth since 1927. He is a proctor in Convocation. He writes : " The Vicar of Sherborne will describe with gusto the more regretable features of my horrid past." C. DAY LEWIS (d, 1917-1923) Born in Queen's County, Ireland, April 27th, 1904, of Anglo-Irish parentage. Related to Oliver Goldsmith on his mother's side. Began writing verse at the age of ten, and has never stopped since : first appearance in print in The Shirburnian. His interest in English literature was stimulated by H. R. King, house-master and benefactor of Sherbome School, whose daughter he later married. Classical exhibitioner of Wadham College, Oxford, where he came under the influence of C. M. Bowra, now 1008 THE SHIRBURNJAN

Warden of Wadham, the eminent Greek scholar and author of several critical works on modern European literature. At Oxford became associated with W. H. Auden and Stephen Spender in the new poetic movement which was to make a great stir in the 1930's: edited Oxford Poetry and published his first two volumes of verse. After leaving Oxford became a schoolmaster, teaching for eight years five of them at Cheltenham College. Enjoyed the schoolmaster's life, but gave it up in order to give whole time to writing, and to take part in left-wing political activity. In 1935 published the first of several detective novels, under pseudonym of" Nicholas Blake." Has done a good deal of broadcasting, and is particularly interested in the speaking of poetry on the air. In 1940 commanded a platoon of the Home Guard at Mus bury, Devon, his home; since 1941 has been working in Publications Division M.0.1., editing the official stories of the war. Member of Council of Society of Authors : Fellow of Royal Society of Literature: appointed Clark Lecturer to Cambridge University for 1946.

ROLL OF HONOUR (continued) KILLED IN ACTION Sept. '44. GRAYBURN, JOHN HOLLINGTON (b, '31-'35), Lieutenant, Parachute Regiment, A.A.C. Sept. '44. HENSON, RICHARD LIDDIN (d, '36-'41), Lieutenant, Royal Berks. Regiment. Dec. '44. LANG, EDWARD JAMES MORGAN (g, '26-'29), Wing-Commander, R.A.F. Nov. '44. LINDREA, CYRIL BRIAN (a, '39-'43), Lieutenant, Royal Marines. Oct. '44. Morn, IAN DEREK LACON (h, '30-'35), Captain ,R.A. Sept. '44. NORMAN-WALKER, ARTHUR FAIRFAX (b, '26-'32), Major, R.A. (Air Landing Regi:.). Sept. '44. TASKER, ANTHONY LECKONBY ASHTON (g, '33-'38), Captain, Leicester Yeomanry. Nov. '44. TYSON, PETER WILLIAM (a, '35-'37), Lieutenant, Rants. Regt. Oct. '44. YEO, JOHN MAURICE MACFARLANE (g, '30-'34), Captain, R.A.C. June, '44. YOUNG, RODERICK ALAN (d, '29-'33), Lieutenant, Devon Regt. DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE Nov. '44. FAWCETT, CHARLES HERBERT (d, 'll-'14), Major, R.A. DIED OF WOUNDS Sept. '44. BALCK-FOOTE, JoHN ANTHONY (a, '38-'42), Lieutenant, Rants. Regt. Oct. '44. MATTHEWS, PETER ARTHUR (d, '33-'37), Captain, Leicester Yeomanry. Oct. '44. PARSONS, FRANK CLARK (h, '34-'38), Gunner, R.A. KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE Nov. '44. SCOTT, RICHARD DAWSON Cf, '37-'41), Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.V.R. MISSING Aug. '44. PEARN, FRANCIS CORY (c, '37-'40), Warrant Officer, R.A.F. Sept. '44. PROCTOR, JOHN RICHARD(/, '35-'39), Lieutenant, Parachute Regt. WOUNDED Sept. '44. ALLEN, JOHN ANTHONY (c, '37-'41), Captain, Norfolk Regt. Sept. '44. CARSE, EDWARD ADAM (h, '24-'28), Lieutenant-Colonel, Oxford and Bucks. L.I. Nov. '44. MANNING, GEOFFREY HUGH WARNER (c, '31-'35), Lieutenant, Hereford Regt., (4th and 5th times) .. Sept. '44. ROGERS, JOHN (d, '30-'34), Major, Devon Regt. Oct. '44. SAUNDERS, ALAN ERNEST (c, '24-'29), Captain, Northants Yeomanry. Aug. '44. ScAMMELL, JOHN RICHARD LYN (c, '32-'37), Captain, Somerset L.I. PRISONERS OF WAR Oct. '44. RUSSELL, DAVID EDWARD CHARLES (d, '36-'41), Lieutenant, Parachute Regt. Sept. '44. RoPAR, PHILIP JOHN (g, '32-'36), Major, Dorset Regt. Sept. '44. SMITH, JOHN GORDAN (j, '30-'34), Flying Officer, R.C.A.F. (previously reported missing) THE SHJRBURNIAN 1009

Obituaries on page 1035. HONOURS (continued) V.C. (posthumous) GRAYBURN, JOHN HOLLINGTON (b, '31-'35), Lieutenant, Parachute Regt., A.A.C.

ORDER OF MERIT WHITEHEAD, ALFRED NORTH (a, '75-'80).

D.S.O. BELLAMY, ROBERT HUGH (g, '29-'33), Lieut-Colonel, D.C.L.I.

M.C. GREENSHIELDS, THOMAS LOCKHART (a, '29-'3 ), Captain, R.A. HOLMAN, JosEPH KENNETH JACK (g, '35-'39), Major, R.A.C. (Sherwood Rangers). ORGAN DEREK CYPRIAN (a, '36-'40) Captain, Gurkhas. PARRY, JOHN ONSLOW (d, '32-'36) Captain, R.A. ROGERS, JoHN (d, '30-'34), Major, R. Devon Regt. WALLER, DAVID JOHN ASHLEY (a, '35-'40), Lieutenant, Hussars.

D.F.C. LYWOOD, C. J. (f, '37-'41), Flying Officer, R.A.F.

D.S.C. EDMUNDSON, JAMES BROOKE (d, '35-'38), Lieutenant (A), R.N.

C.B.E. BARKER, RICHARD ERNEST (d, '04-'07), Major-General, Royal Signals.

M.B.E. BROWN, WILLIAM DOUGLAS ELMES (d, '29-'31), Colonel, R.A. CARSE, EDWARD ADAM (h, '24-'28), Major, Oxford and Bucks. L.I. WARREN, NICHOLAS THORN (b, '35-'39).

M.M. KEMBLE, PETER HENRY (h,·'36-'40), Trooper, R.A.C.

MENTIONED IN DISPATCHES BARKER, RICHARD ERNEST (d, '04-'07), Major-General, Royal Signals. BROWN, WILLIAJ'.1 DOUGLAS ELMES (d, '29-'31), Colonel, R.A . . HERBAGE, KENNETH ALFRED (c, '12-'13), Lieut.-Colonel, R.A. HOLMES, HUGH FRANCIS WINNINGTON (Staff), Lieut.-Colonel, G.I., S.D., H.-Q., M.E.F. TOZER, GEORGE CLARK (a, '21-'26), Lieutenant-Commander, R.N.V.R. WESTLAKE, PETER ALAN GRANT (d, '32-'37), Captain, R.A.

BRONZE STAR MEDAL WEBBER, BERRY R. G. (f, '37-'42), Sergeant, R.C.S., Att. U.S. Army. 1010 THE SHIRBURNIAN

WE TAKE OFF OUR HATS-(see Editorial)-TO: The officer who ordered us to do massages, verbal and written. The boy who said ' un petit roman d'amour' meant ' a little Roman in armour.' The boy who said that the records in the Gramophone Society were in such bad condition that in playing the music on one side the reserve side was quite audible. The boy who had a square triangle missing from his hat. The N.C.O. who, when explaining the parts of the rifle, said' This is the fore-hand swizzle.' The boy who wished to be buried in cremated ground. The Latin Master who said that the circumference of a circle was a straight line. The Master who drew the class's attention to the "unshaded triangle shaded in white."

50 YEARS FROM The Shirburnian' s OF MARCH AND APRIL, 1895 Hugo Daniel Harper, for twenty-seven years headmaster of the school, died in this year, and an obituary of him was included in the March issue. · It was recorded that G. M. Carey, late housemaster of Abbey House, obtained his South and Inter­ national caps for rugger. The Editors are to be congratulated on an eight-page Editorial. Thanks for the idea. School House won the Three Cock v. c, d. & f. by a goal and two tries to a try. Brig.-Gen. Moberly was playing for the House side. A correspondent wrote : " I have been greatly touched from time to time by reading the civil but generally rather despairing letters addressed to you by your correspondents, usually beginning ' might I suggest' and ending' hoping that this may reach the eye of the authorities'."

SOCIETIES MUSICAL SOCIETY The Winter term brought the membership of the Society well above all records. Two major works of Hubert Parry-Blest Pair of Sirens (for 8-part choir) and the Ode to St. Cecilia's Day-were put into rehearsal and the ground covered in about nine weeks : no mean feat in a term which included the House­ singing competitions. They were sung with unmistakable zest and enjoyment. The Lent term (with, alas, its attendant epidemics) has seen a good deal of strenuous work in prep­ aration for Commemoration Recitals. So far part of Brahms' Requiem, two unaccompanied motets by Vittoria (0 Vos Omnes and OQuam Gloriosum), and a short modern work by Dyson have been prepared; but there is a great deal yet to be done in the matter of balance, nuance and quality, to bring things up to the high standard in choral singing which we set out to maintain at Sherborne. We shall see. At the moment things are promising ; but promise must develop into achievement.

SCHOOL ORCHESTRA It is now almost a year since the school orchestra first started to meet in the Big Schoolroom. rt was then but a primitive affair, and had only just emerged from its "string class" stage. Throughout the Summer, practices were difficult to arrange, and everyone found them uninteresting and wearisome. Criticism was profuse, and not always encouraging, but there was no doubt that our standard was a poor one. Mr. Leighton realized that our only hope of success was to join forces with other local players, . who would form a more substantial nucleus than the School alone could provide. But it was indiscreet to ask better players to come unless we could play something more ambitious. · At the beginning of the Christmas term, we were still somewhat disorganised, but the numbers grew throughout the term, and members gradually became more and more interested. By the end of term we had eighteen members, and there is no doubt that everyone gained considerable experience from the term's work. THE SHIRBURNIAN 1011

After the Christmas holidays we started again, but this time it was in a different atmosphere. People were more accustomed to playing together than they had been before, and-more important-they had been practising during the holidays. The final stimulus for attack was the Director's request that the orchestra should give a concert to the School. The music was arranged, and everyone was given a fixed position; first violin-second violin; desk one or desk two. Until then the positions had been inter­ changeable and uncertain. At last people had something for which to work-a genuine satisfaction for their labours. These labours will soon have produced their fruit, but we hold no responsibility for the taste of the fruit. We have done our best to arrange a concert which will be within everyone's scope. The technical difficulties must not be too great, and yet it must be ambitious. We want the audience to hear some music which will please them, although our performance of it may be an indifferent one. Whatever is the result there is no possible doubt that every player will have given of his best. We therefore warn the critics that we are but beginners, and as yet we have made no recordings of our music. But we ask them to treat our efforts kindly, and to render their respect and approval of all Mr. Leighton's magnificent and inspiring work, by giving us their support and their enthusiasm.

THE DUFFERS At the fourth meeting of the Winter Term, T. J. G. Rogers read a paper on "Rupert Brooke." It was obvious from the start that he had made a more than usually thorough study of his subject, and also that he had had access to many poems of Brooke unknown to the general public. Some of these were read, and proved of great interest to the Society. The paper as a whole consisted largely of quotations from the poet's work, together with a short description of his life. The question of Brooke's true position as a poet was thoroughly discussed, and the conclusion was reached that he could not be called a great poet, but rather a poet for youth. Those examples of his poetry that we have do, however, point to promise of a great future. (The paper is to be published in shortened form in The Poetry Review.) The last meetirig of 1944 was held on December 3rd, G. M. H. Raper read an unusual and interesting paper entitled" Books and the Man." In it he traced his literary experiences from his early youth to the present day, quoting freely from his favourite authors. He expressed the opinion that all reading must be a personal matter, and that the lasting qualities of a book must in the end depend upon personal opinion. Both these papers created excellent precedents, and it is to be hoped that future writers of papers will choose equally interesting subjects, and treat them with the same skill and fluency. The first meeting of 1945, which was held at the Green on January 28th, was conspicuous for ·two reasons-the excellence of the paper which we heard, and the Chairman's many good suggestions for making the Society less formal in its atmosphere and more successful in producing interesting disciission after the papers. It has also been suggested that the Society should resume its one-time practice of reading a Shakespeare play at regular intervals. This idea, although completely acceptable, is unfortunately im­ practical until after the war, or at least until some easing in the situation : for to read a play well, the parts must be prepared, and few people can find sufficient time for this. The paper at this meeting was entitled" Victor Hugo," and was read by D. A. Faulkner. It is certain that Victor Hugo is known in this country only through his novels, and the reader wisely refrained from discussing these too fully. He presented the Society instead with a survey of his life, and more especially his poetical works. Although he could not quote from these, the reader gave a clear impression of their nature, and left his audience with an accurate picture of the poet. This paper was well constructed through­ out, and the reader deserves the highest praise for providing us with such a paper. Illness has unfortunately curtailed the activities of the Society, but it is hoped to hear the following papers before the end of the term: B. M. Hamilton, "Richard Wagner" P. N. Walker, " Sir Walter Raleigh," and L. S. May, Esq, "Trends in Modem Art Form." R. L. L. DAVIS, Hon. Sec. 1012 THE SHJRBURNJAN

THE ALCHEMISTS After The Shirburnian had gone to press last term, there were two further meetings of the Society : at the third meeting of the term, Dr. H. M. Cundy read a paper on the cyclotron. This paper was an extremely clear and precise description of the mechanism, construction and uses of this comparatively new piece of apparatus with which science has now been equipped. With the aid of diagrams he was able to explain the theoretical basis upon which the machine depended, and he then went on to describe the practical form which the apparatus took. He explained that the use of this instrument did not lie en­ tirely in its ability to split the atom and the theoretical interest attached thereto, but also in its ability to prepare radio active elements for use by the medical profession. At the fourth meeting of the term we were fortunate enough to get Mr. A. Denys Thompsori, the headmaster of Yeovil School, to come and speak to the Society on a non-scientific subject-:-advertising. He has already written two books on the subject so that his knowledge and interest in it must be very great: this was clearly shown to be true by his paper. He started of by "Putting advertising into its setting " and he then went on to describe the various types of advertisement and the different motives and instincts to which they appealed. He stressed the influence that advertising had upon the public mind, especially the less well educated ; and he pointed out that this influence represented a very real danger which should not be underestimated. At the first meeting of the Society this term, Mr. R. A. Atthill read us a paper entitled" Ludwig van Beethoven." Mr. Atthill may be considered as an authority on Beethoven, having just published a short work on that subject from which his paper to the Alchemists formed an extract. The first part of his paper was devoted to a description of the life of Beethoven and the dates and sequence of the completion of his various musical works. He went on to describe Beethoven's character in greater detail, mentioning such things as his boorishness and his mental isolation. From there he passed on to a description of Beethoven's music itself, and to illustrate his various points he brought his paper to a conclusion by playing several recordings of Beethoven's works. Amongst these were the Egmont Overture and the Scherzo from "Eroica." The second meeting this term was held on Sunday, February 24th, when we were very grateful to Mr. Snow for coming down to talk to the Society on Oil. He started his paper by making a few observa­ tions on the history of the use of oil. It is recorded in the Bible that Noah's Ark was " pitched within and without " ; and pitch is a derivative of oil. He then described the progress of man's searching for and finding of oil right up to the present day. Next he went on to explain exactly what happens to the oil from the time when it is tapped at the well as the crude oil to the time when it has been refined and is ready for use in the aero-engine. The paper was illustrated throughout with lantern slides of which he possessed a very good selection. · T. S. ZEALLEY, Hon. Sec. THE INTERPRETES The Interpretes have been reading two plays by the first of the three great Greek tragedians, Aeschylus. The" Persians" was read at the end of last term. Aeschylus himself had taken part in the Persian Wars and was producing a play before those who had fought there only eight years after the event. It has the same topical interest as play about Hitler would have in 1950. He describes the defeat of the Persians at Salamis (480 B.C.) with great realism and detail, and the play is marked by its fine narrative passages. The tragic idea behind this play is the pride of Xerxes, a sin for which he must be punished, and the successive scenes, especially the introduction of the ghost of Darius, show the heavier and heavier blows of punishment upon him. The play is also of considerable historical interest because of the reliability of its detail. The " Agamemnon," which we have been reading this term, is generally considered the author's masterpiece. It has a plot based on the Homeric legend. Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, has to appease the gods by sacrificing his eldest daughter, Iphigeneia, before there is a favourable wind for the expedition to start for Troy. This is the sin for which vengeance must be taken; and it comes by the hand of his wife, Clytaemnestra, who owes him mortal hatred for slaying her daughter. She has the help of her para­ mour Aegisthus, and slays Agamemnon on his return. The feigned welcoming by Clytaemnestra, the magnificent choruses, with their foreboding of doom, the scene wherein Cassandra, the prophetess who is fated never to be believed, foresees the doom approaching, are all masterfully drawn. J. H. G. CROMPTON, Int. Max. THE SHJRBURNIAN 1013

LES POLYGLOTTES The first play read this term by the Society was Goethe's Egmont, and considering the average depth of snow during the first two meetings, absenteeism was remarkably low. The reading did not reach an unusually high standard, partly because of the length of the speeches which members found difficult, and in some cases impossible to understand; but perhaps especial mention should be made of Mr. E. S. Blenkinsop's interpretation of the Duke of Alba. He managed to combine quiet menace with Spanish eloquence, and the result was most convincing. After the reading, 0. A. Faulkner gave a short but revealing appreciation of the play; he criticised the lack of action and perhaps he was justified. A play such as Egmont is convincing on the stage and satisfying to brood over ; but in such a Society it does not read very well. Faulkner also stressed the character of Egmont, the story of a man whose attractive­ ness, whose demoniac power, is his downfall. For those members of the Society who had read the play somewhat blindly, Faulkner's talk must have been an illumination. On Sunday, February 11th, five members of the Society met at Nowell Cottage at the invitation of Mr. Leighton, to hear the last act of" Die Meistersinger." All those who were present expressed great satisfaction and pleasure at this musical ridicule of pedantry. Refreshment for body and mind such as Mr. Leighton provided comes as a great stimulant on a Sunday evening, and the Society's warm thanks are due to him for his hospitality. E. A. HAMILTON, Hon. Sec. THE WILDMAN SOCIETY The So~iety had the very good fortune on December 2nd to have two distinguished members of the staff as guest speakers-Mr. Atthill and Mr. Thomas. The motion before a fairly full house was : " This House believes that The Arts have suffered from Convention and Tradition and approves of the Modern Tendency to break away." Mr. Atthill, opening the debate, proposed the motion and said that we must not become slaves to tradition ; that the great masters of the past had been considered bad in their own times ; and that Art must have free expression. Mr. Thomas rose to oppose him and moved that " one must play the game according to the rules." He spoke of smoke-screens put up by the Hon. Proposer. He maintained that Realism was an invention of the devil and cited Hitler as a great realist. Mr. Raper, speaking third, held the second speaker's arguments to have been irrelevant, and made a strong defence of Modern Literature. The Hon. Secretary, speaking fourth, spoke about a hollow barrage (which the House thought funny) and read a sonnet. The debate was thrown open to the House and various interesting points were made. The voting was decided, after a summing-up by Mr. Atthill in a most masterly fashion, by a comic modern poem read by Mr. Thomas, and the motion was lost by 42 to 24 votes. The first meeting of the Easter Term was a Snap debate. Attendance was small, epidemics having seriously reduced the number of members, but the four motions on very trivial subjects were discussed in a very amusing fashion, and all had a very entertaining evening. J. H. G. CROMPTON, Hon. Sec. THE INCOGNITI The Society is still going ahead vigorously without any signs of lapsing into its previous condition of decay, from which it was rescued a few terms ago, thanks to our Secretary and Chairman, Mr. Green. So far this term we have only had one paper. This was by C. J. P. Andrews on" Civil Aviation." He gave us an interesting and compact account of the inventions which led to flying. He then spoke for some time on aviation before and after the war, successfully steering clear of the R.A.F., which is quite an achievement now-a-days. His subject was a difficult one, being rather a number of isolated facts, but even so he managed to hold our attention for the phenomenal time of 70 minutes, which we believe is twenty minutes longer than the previous record length. Though he wandered rather from the order of events towards the end, his paper was well constructed and clearly showed that he took a great interest in his subject. After the war we shall certainly see some novel methods of transport both for goods and passengers. When the paper was over, the reader showed us some photographs from his extensive collection to give us some idea of post-war travel conditions. 1014 THE SHIRBURNIAN

With all due respect to C. J. P. Andrews, the Committee has announced that papers in future must be limited to three-quarters of an hour, unless they are of exceptional interest, when the Committee alone may grant an extension of time. During the rest of the Term we hope to hear two more papers. On February 25th M. G. Bown will read a paper on" The Stars and the Universe," which promises to be most entertaining. On March 11th G. F. Symondson will read to us on Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. D. G. SHERRARD, p.p. Hon. Sec. THE SHERBORNE SCHOOL RADIO CLUB .·.:_At the beginning of the Christmas term, with subscriptions at 2s. a term and the balance brought foi:Ward from the previous term, we were able to amass a sum of £3 10s., and this enabled us to under ta~~ certaill amount of redecoration and general improvement of the layout of the wireless room. This is not a very large room and its state of repair was not of the best; but, by the time the stone wall had beelf subjected to a coat of distemper and the woodwork had received similar treatment with the aid of'SC>me green and cream paints, the room looked quite a different place. A wooden work-bench was erec­ ted1i1ong the length of one of the walls, and this was provided with electric points from which wireless sets;:soldering irons and other electrical equipment could be run. Above the bench a convenient tool i:~<* was fitted, and further accommodation was provided in the form of a wooden shelf above this. The ·illumination of the bench was provided for by two shaded lights situated conveniently over it. ·<:-~By .means of the most helpful co-operation of Mr. Mee and the Bursar we were able to obtain a set of~xcellent lockers, each having its own hinged door which could be padlocked if desired. These lockers pr

GAMES

RUGGER SCHOOL v. TAUNTON .·. ··: - On Saturday, December 9th, the School went over to Taunton again, this time to play Taunton School itself :..We were so far unbeaten and Clifton had beaten Taunton, but we were without our Captain; the Taunton forwards were said to be very good, and anything might happen at the end of the season; the situation, therefore, was interesting ·-and might even be fraught with tension or possibly anxiety. We returned, however, with a win of five tries (15 points) to nil; The._weather had been unkind during the previous week with a continuation of the earlier rain, and the ground, when we got on to it, appeared muddy, though possibly not as muddy as it might have been. We were in luck again, and Cockman, deputizing for Blanford, duly won the toss, so that again we played with the slope and wind. This may not have made so much difference as it did against Clifton, but it was a very decided advantage. THE SHIRBURNIAN 1015

There was not much in the opening exchanges of the game, except that Anson might have realized from the first passing movement, what he discovered very definitely in the second half, that his opposite number was a weak link in the Taunton defence. The game was indeterminate for some time, with the School pressing, but eventually Thomas kicked ahead, followed up fast, and iust got the touch-down to score far out. The kick, like all the rest, was missed. There followed a period during which the outsides several timesJooked dangerous, but the old bugbear, faulty passing, reared its ugly head again and two certain tries were lost. The next score, however, came from a passing movement in which Cockman scored far out ; to do this he had to take a most difficult pass with a wet ball behind him and slow down while running at full speed. It was a great piece of handling. Things were looking better, but six points were not enough for a lead at half-time. Just before half-time, however, Thomas slipped away round the scrum and scored a try that from its position should have been converted. So we crossed over with a lead of nine points and the result depended on the forwards. From the kick-off they showed that they meant business and soon had the game well in the Taunton twenty-five. \Ve pressed hard and seemed certain to score, but no score came for a long time. The forwards were, however, playing magnificently and any doubts of a win were receding into the background. Taunton did press occasionally from good kicks, but we always forced them back. The result of the match was made certain when Anson cut through on the right and scored about half-way out. During this half there was considerable rain and the ground became a quagmire in places, but the handling ot the outsides was good, and another try came from Anson, following a quick and neat pass from Davis. Our game was now to keep the ball close, or to heel it and kick to touch; this we did and.Carson-Parker was very safe. There is no doubt that the School adapted themselves to the conditions better than did Taunton, and in the outcome it was the forwards who won the game so decisively. They controlled the game in the tight after the first quarter of an hour, and in the loose throughout ; it was easily the best game they have played this season and they were very well led by Danby. We were taking scrums against a heavier pack instead of line-outs and we were getting the ball, a fair proof of our superiority. The conditions towards the end of the game were just as bad as they could have been. So ended a season in which the weather has been against us almost all the time, for our strength has lain outside the scrum ; but when demands have been made on the forwards they hwe risen to the occasion, and we have found ourselves able to win under any conditions. The team was the same as that against Clifton, except that Carson-Parker played at fly-hali instead of Blanford who was taking an examination. .

lST XV RETROSPECT

The season was started with a match against Canford with an ' A ' side, which was won by 84 points to nil. There is no doubt that the XV suffered for most of the season from this extraordinary win, for there is nothing more difficult to do than to continue to play up to such astonishing form. The effects were seen more than once in subsequent matches in which the side obviously considered themselves capable of winning by a large margin; but the tries did not come and the side then began to think they were playing ill, and became jumpy and unsettled in consequence. A good instance of this was against Downside at home, when three tries were missed early on in the game, and we eventually won only by one try and three penalty goals, although having much the best of the game in attack. The Blundell's match was a great disappointment and we only succeeded in pulling the game out of the fire in the last minute by a superb goal kicked from the touch-line by Turner. Otherwise every other match was won, if not by large scores, at any rate quite convincingly. It would not be fair to the side not to record that, while our strength lay outside the scrum, the weather after the first few weeks was all against outside play and we had to play in mud and rain. This was espec­ ially true of the grounds at Blundell's and Taunton. The outsides soon picked themselves, except scrum-half, where Thomas eventually played instead of Bailey ; the former showed more initiative in attack and defence and got his place on that, playing particularly well against Clifton and Taunton. Blanford, though he lacks the pace of a class fly-half, was always a steady player and had a steady­ ing influence on the side in tight corners. Cockman was outstanding on the left wing and scored some remarkable tries; he has become a much smoother and more accomplished player, and this, combined with his great pace, made him really dangerous. With a season's experience behind them, Anson and Davis should be a formidable pair of centres next year, especially if the latter can improve his passing, which lost some certain tries this year. Aitken was sure and competent at full-back, and Turner ran aggressively on the wing when he got the chance. The forwards developed into a much better pack than at one time seemed probable. They were at their best against Clifton and Taunton and dominated the game against the heavy Taunton pack, which had proved itself for­ midable against other schools. Danby, if a little unflexible in his methods, got every ounce out of his pack as leader and set them a fine example of hard going. Zealley was a more than adequate hooker, and Farrer was valuable in the line-out. Their heeling was never as quick as it should have been, but they generally got more than their fair share of the ball. The main criticism of the side as a whole was its comparative weakness in backing up in attack and covering in defence ; these are the chief characteristics of a great side, and this failing prevented this year's side being really great. Even so they were an unbeaten side and they came up against some stout opposition, so they have every reason to be pleased with their record. R.M.M.B. {]( THE SHIRBURNIAN

JUNIOR HOUSE MATCHES The result of Juniors was as follows :­ Round I. Semi-final. Final. " B " beat " G " I 2 r" B" beat" A " 2 "A " beat "F" J l .. B" beat" Al" 1 "A " beat "D " l .. A1 " beat" H" J " H " beat " C " J JUNIORS FINAL Two CocK: SCHOOL HousE "A" v. WESTLAKES This was played on the Lower on Tuesday, December 12th, and won by Westlake's by one goal and one try (8 points) to one try and one penalty goal (6 points). School House won the toss and played towards Sherborne,_with a fairly strong wind behind them. During the first half neither side had the better of the game, and the ball was equally in both halves of the field. After about twenty minutes' play, the Westlake's wing forwards were offside when there was a scrum just outside their twenty-five yard line in the centre of the field. This was kicked by Lovell, giving School House " A " a lead of three points. After this Westlake's attacked more strongly and Symondson made several good openings, though faulty passing or positioning prevented any tries. One try by School House was thrown away when a centre broke through and, with only the full back to beat, failed to pass to the man outside him. The kicking was good on both sides, especially the School House fly-half, who made full use of the wind. In the second half the play was again very even to begin with. School House again might have scored though selfishness prevented it. After about twenty minutes Roberton made a good run and sent the ball into touch near the School House line ; a few minutes later Campbell went round the scrum to score. This was converted by Sugden. This was followed up about five minutes later by another try, this time from Roberton, after a good passing movement. The kick failed. The game was now very tense. School House attacked up the left-hand touch line and the ball was kicked into touch just on the Westlake's line. From the ensuing line-out, one of the School House forwards scored. This made it 8-6 to Westlake's; would the goal be kicked? No, the kick failed, but the Westlake's forwards shouted as they charged so the kick was given again, but with no better luck. After this the whistle was blown for close of play with Westlake's having won by 8 points to 6. The passing of neither side could be called good, and the School House forwards bunched far too much. Westlake's deserved to win, if only because they used their opportunities more. The teams were :- Westlake's: Preece; Kingsberry, Symondson, Pavey, Roberton; Robertson, Campbell; Pursell, Watts, M., Fox, Sugden, Elliot (Capt.), \Vatts, H., Britton, Carr, C. School House "A" : Whyte; Berrisford, Spankie, Lovell, Carter; Rice, Fawcett; Blake, Hogg, Spafford, Fish, Barker, Adams (Capt.), Bomford, Ridley.

THIRDS HOUSE MATCHES The results were :- - " D " beat " G " "D" beat" H" " B " beat " D " " B " beat " A " " B " beat " F " " B " beat " C " THIRD'S F!NAL : SCHOOL HOUSE v. WESTLAKE'S This was played on Monday, February 19th, and won by the School by two tries and one penal.y goal (9 points) to one dropped goal (4 points). There was a slight wind blowing from the Yeovil direction against which the School kicked off. The House pressed hard at the beginning and kept the ball in the School half all the time ; the School forwards were off-side several times and there were two or three shots at kicking penalty goals, but with no luck. The House forwards were getting most of the ball, but their centres were too selfish and no Lries were scored, with the result that the game was very scrappy, and there were few good three-quarter movements. After about fifteen minutes' play the House fly-half dropped a goal from a loose scrum in front of the posts. The School began to play a bit better after this ; a nice opening by Taylor and a pass to Roberton took the ball into the House half, and a forward dribbling movement took the ball up to their line, where Campbell went over to score from a loose scrum a few minutes later. The kick failed. The game continued to be rather scrappy, but just before half-time a nice movement on the blind side between the scrum-half and right-wing took the ball into the House twenty-five. There the House forwards were off-side and Godfree kicked a good goal, giving the School a lead of 6 points to 4 at half-time. In the second half the School forwards were seeing more of the ball then the House, but their three-quarters were inclined to be too selfish and try and go through where there obviously was no opening. After one good three-quarter movement which took the ball into the House twenty-five, Campbell went round the blind side to-score far out. They kept on pressing hard but were unable to penetrate the House defence again. The House then started to see more of the ball and worked their way up the field by kicking to touch, but there was no more score, the game ending with the play well in the School half. THE SHIRBURNIAN 1017

The game throughout was dull and scrappy, with very few good three-quarurs movements. The halves on both side~ w~re playing well, though Campbell was inclined to try going through by himself too many times instead of gettmg It out to the three-quarters. The teams were :- School House: Tozer; Wimbush, Scampton, Spankie (Capt.), Berrisford; Jenkins, Carlis; Wreford, Carden, Ritchie, Butcher, Vyner, Ridley. Westlake's: Clarke, J.C. T. (f); Clogstoun, Roberton, Godfree (f), Humphries; Taylor Cf), Campbell (Capt.); Carr, Watts, A., Kill, Dussek Cf), Teale Cf), Carey, S. SENIOR HOUSE MATCHES These had to be postponed owing to the snow, and so time available for practice was short. Hey's and Randolph's, therefore, scratched, making it possible to miss out the first round altogether. " G " beat " H " " B " beat " G " " A " beat " B " " B " beat " D " THE SENIORS' FINAL The Three Cock was played on the Lower on Saturday, February 17th. The cock house, Westlake's, had been allowed to take two players from Ross's owing to the isolation of Barlow's. The weather was sultry, with little wind, and the School kicked off from the Sherborne end. The ball was opened out by the School House forwards, and after thirty seconds' play, Leader, scrum-half, broke through after a loose scrum, passing to Walker, who scored far out on the line. Lovell's kick failed. After this promising start, which left the opposing side a little bewildered, the House continued to press. The game levelled out a little ; but the School was not getting the ball well in the scrums, and the three-quarters had little opportunity to use their superior strength. The House brought the ball down field again, and the School was penalised for foot-up in a scrum on the twenty-five. Lovell failed to kick a goal. After more ~evel play, and some excellent tackling by the School House outsides and covering by the forwards, which stopped the develop­ ment of several three-quarter movements, the House again took the ball into the opposing twenty-five, and Lovell tried a dtop. This failed ; but shortly after he beat his man to score a second try. He converted. With the score at 8-0, the School began to wake up a little, and Anson, one of the centres, scored after a spectacular run. Broadley's kick just failed. For the rest of tlte half the House was back on the offensive; Walden tried to drop a goal, but with no success. In the second half the House maintained the pressure.- Stout play by the forwards and quick heeling in tlte tight and the loose prevented the School from using its strength outside. Several rimes the House looked like scoring, and much of the play was in the School's half. Lovell tried another dtop-kick, but this again failed. After some level play, the School outsides took the ball up-field, and Anson scored far out on the line. A good attempt by Broadley failed to convert. Witlt tlte score at 8-6, the School took courage; tlte play evened out, and several rimes they looked like scoring. One of the School forwards was penalised for off-side. Lovell failed to kick a penalty ; but tlte House followed up hard and very nearly scored. A scrummage on the line resulted in a scrum ' 5,' and the School managed to regain some ground. A third dtop kick by Lovell (the Headmaster had offered 10/- per drop goal) failed; but soon after this he scored another try far out. Turner failed to convert. With tlte score at 11-6, the School looked like scoring several times ; but the House's tackling was magnificent, and many a three-quarter movement was broken up. Lovell tried another drop-kick, which again failed. After pressing by the House forwards, Blanford did a magnificent kick down the field, and for tlte last two minutes the play was level. It was a most surprising game, and School House must be congratulated on a well-deserved victory. The chief fault witlt the School was that the forwards were not sufficiently bustling and aggressive, and the ball was seldom opened out to the outsides. Defensive play round the fringes of the scrum was weak. Zealley's inspiring leadership and the magnificent tackling of the House, particularly Aitken's, were the chief features of an exciting and well-fought game. The teams were :- House Team: B. R. T. Aitken; P. N. Walker, M. R. T. Walden, Smith, C. J., Whyte; Lovell, T. C. Leader; Greenstreet, T. S. Zealley (Capt.), Howorth, J. R. S. Farrer, Rogers, H. D., N. V. Turner, Adams, Smart. School Team: Preece; Gordon, J. C., D. M. E. Anson, B. M. Hamilton, Ayres; A. H. Blanford (g), M. H. Blakeney; Vorley, J. M. S., Broadley (g), Ferry, C. C. W. Hammick, Chetham-Strode, Watts, H., Elliott, P. K. Cutltbert (Capt.). THE THREE COCK. THE DIGNITY OF AGE When in 1872 Mr. J. Kennedy gave a Cup for what was to become an historic match in Sherborne, he probably did not look ahead for seventy years or wonder whetlter his Cup would last so long. Till then tlte School House had played the rest of the School, but now it was to be the School House against "The First Three Out-Houses." For some time it was a two-day match, and it was Canon Young who, in 1887, limited it to an hour. The School House I-.ad won the first game and the match was good enough to last, though tltere have been two periods when it came under review, and was in danger of abolition. Many an Old Boy could write at great length his own recollections of the match. I do not intend to do tltat, though memories are vivid enough. In my own day we just inherited and maintained ::n exceedingly thorough attitude towards it all. The whole of tlte School House went into training for five weeks, and there was once intense indignation when a boy was found to be missing from the wa!k round by the Abbey before breakfast ; and when we discovered that he had bad 'flu or pneumonia or something, tlte resentment did not wholly die down. There was even a plot among junior boys to subscribe for a cab to enable a prominent player to escap~ from the San. and appear on the football field ... 1018 THE SHIRBURNIAN

The dominance of Carey's House in games for years made the Three Cock rather hopeless, and in 1915 a change was voted in the hope that it would restore the equilibrium. Unhappily, it failed to do that, and it also failed to maintain the Three Cock as such. Instead, a glorified Two Cock took its place, in which the Cock Out-House was allowed to choose helpers from only one other House. No one liked this, for it went right against the traditions of the match, but it was not till 1928-30 that a better way of maintaining the old game was agreed. The tide of success was still running heavily against the School House, and a Master wrote to the Games Committee urging that the Three Cock should be abolished and a different system started. The assumption was that the School House would never again be able to tackle the representatives of three Houses. But some of us did not agree, and at a meeting held in the Lower Library, where both Housemasters and House Captains were represented, the matter was thrashed out. Finally, the excellent system was decided on, which lasted till 1944, whereby the representation of three Houses on the field against the School House was assured. Cock Houses have often hated breaking up their side to introduce players from two other Houses, but they have obeyed the rule. It was felt indeed that a good job of work had been done in restoring, per­ manently, as we hoped, the essential nature of the Three Cock, though a five years' period of trial was a condition. Much patient effort had gone towards thus restoring the dignity of the match and all seemed well. Dis aliter visum, but maybe some day this traditional game will be firmly established once more. It is worth keeping as a fine ending to the footer season, which othervvise might peter out ; and, if worth keeping, there is much to be said for keeping it up with its traditional implications. They form its chief interest and value. A.H.T.R. BOXING The Novices' Boxing Competition was held in the last half of the term. The general standard was only fair, but there were some very promising boxers entered, while the keenness of all competitors was most encouraging. The boxing match on February 22nd, against Downside, resulted in a technical win for Downside, each side winning four bouts, and Downside being awarded a walk-over in the Bantam weight, owing to Watts, A. C. being It lbs. over-weight. The bouts were as follows:- Paper Weight Webb (f) v. E. J. Sandison Lost. Fly Weight Tozer v. N. C. Roskell Lost. Feather Weight Knapman v. M. J. Morissey Won. Light Weight Campbell v. I. M. Nicolson Lost. Welter Weight D. A. Smart v. P. F. Mcinnes Won. Middle Weight B. R. T. Aitken v. D.J. McNabb Won. Light-Heavy Weight Wilson (a) v. P.R. Baker Lost. Heavy Weight P. K. Cuthbert v. · R. Gilmore Won. The following Boxing Colours have been awarded :- February 23rd R. P. Wilson. C. J. R. Knapman. FIVES AND SQUASH FIVES. A Fives Competition for new boys was held towards the middle of the Michaelmas Term. There was an encourag­ ing entry of 65, which shows well for the game in future, provided that the ball shortage can be mastered in the mean­ time. Tozer and Wilson fought their way through five rounds to the final; however, Tozer easily proved the better, defeating his opponent in a short match 15-0, 15-3. Wilson's main fault lay in his slowness of movement and the dilapidation of his gym-shoes, which prevented him from meeting the ball quickly; on the other hand, Tozer was nimble and placed well; he should become a useful player, if his left-hand hitting can be improved. At the moment a Senior and Junior Fives Competition are under way. SQUASH. SCHOOL 'ti. DOWNSIDE. This match was held at Downside on Thursday, February 22nd, resulting in a win for the School by five matches to nil. School. Downside. Score. Result. Carter, B. R. 0. v. Thornton, J. M. C. 10-9, 6-9, 9-0, 9-4 Win (3-1) Gordon, J. C. v. Byrne, R. L. 9-7, 9-6, 10-9 Win (3-0) Walden, M. R. T. v. Harveys, J.M. C. 9-4, 4-9, 9-1, 9-5 Win (3-1) Harris, H. L. K. v. Pigat, E.W. 9-5, 9-3, 9-5 Win (3-0) Melhuish, P. M. F. v. Pereira, M. N. 9-5, 9-1, 9-0 Win (3-0) Result 5-0 To enable the team to watch the boxing in the afternoon, the match was played off in the morning soon after our arrival. The stardard match play of each string meeting his opposite number and playing the best of five games was agreed upon, though this system has the disadvantage of restricting each player to one set of games ; more practice and experience would be gained, if everyone played one another. The first strings, Carter and Thornton were both playing neat and balanced squash and at first it seemed that the latter would pull off an easy victory, since his piacing was so accurate, but Carter rallied and tired his opponent out by even better placing and low-hitting, after dropping some very simple shots. Carter's fluent style surpassed the play of the other four School players who, though they did well to defeat their opponents by so great a margin, lacked consistency in low-hitting. If only all squash players would make up their minds to hit the ball down the side walls-and this applies to all those that I have watched in the school courts-instead of indulging in fancy shots round the three walls, the standard would improve no end. However, sufficient due must be granted to the team for their victory. J.C. Gordon has been awarded his Squash Badge-23,2.45, THE SHlRBURNlAN 1019 CORRESPONDENCE PRINTERS' ERRORS The Editors wish to make it clear that they can take no responsibility for mistakes in the Headings as they were not included in the galley proofs.

We have awarded the Prize for the best letter to P. G. L. COLE. Letters were judged :- (a) on their tone; (b) on their subject matter; (c) on their constructive thought.

SCHOOL AGRICULTURE To the Editors of" The Shirburnian." SIRS, Will you allow me to add a financial statement to your short article on School Agriculture in the December Shirburnian ? Although we only make a nominal charge of 3d. an hour, we earned enough in the year to cover running expenses -insurance premium, maintenance of tools, claims for damage to bicycles-as well as this, we were able to give £9 each to the three harvest camps and to make smaller grants to the two Houses which did their holiday farming near Sherborne. This will be some consolation for blisters and boredom. I should also like to record my appreciation of the work done last term by the Prefect of Agriculture. Coming fresh to his nebulous province, in succession to an unusually good Prefect, and in the absence of the Master in charge, lie took responsibility and managed a difficult term with success. Yours, etc., E. C. MOUL!!.

HOLY COMMUNION May I make a few suggestions concerning the Holy Communion Service as we have it here ? First, in a great many churches nowadays, the 1928 version of the Prayer for the Church Militant is used, and many people prefer it to the older version. Couldn't we have it here, at least sometimes ? Second, it is the practice in a few churches for the priest to cleanse the vessels, etc., before the seeond Lord's Prayer, and not at the end of the Service. This is because for a great many people the most devotion pan of the Service comes either before or immediately after receiving the sacraments, and they also think of the Gloria and Blessing as being the end of the Service. Has this slightly different procedure been considered ? My last two suggestions are purely disciplinary measures. If it were put strongly to the whole congregation that no one should go up to communicate until everyone in front had done so I am sure it would obviate the dreadful custom of queuing up half-way down the aisle each time. Similarly, if everyone remained kneeling until after the priest had finished reading out where the Epistle is taken from, what he said would then be audible for those who wanted to hear it. These last two have been suggested often before, but nothing will ever come of them until someone takes a strong hand,-and they will soon resolve into the " done thing " once they have been started. P. G. L. COLE. I should like to suggest that once a term at least there should be a celebration of Holy Communion in place of Matins on Sunday morning. This Service would be primarily an act of worship, like Matins, and would be treated in the same spirit as Matins, and not as a Service where people normally communicate. My reason for this suggestion is that the atmosphere at Holy Communion is far more conducive to worship and prayer than either Matins or Evensong. Since, however, a celebration at such a time would draw the lazy communicants, it should be a Choral celebration, so that the hymn-singing would tide over that very difficult gap while the Sacraments are being administered when the attention tends to wander. I must emphasise that the object of having a celebration at such a time is not that people may communicate ; the early morning is the time for that. Yours sincerely, P. H. H. JACKSON.

COUGHING IN CHAPEL Would it be possible for boys who are seriously troubled by coughs to obtain leave off Chapel ? This leave is granted, and rightly, at lectures, and the cacophony is thereby much lessened. The preacher can hardly be any the less wonh thinking of than the lecturer. Yours, etc., M. J. FISHER. 1020 THE SHIRBURNIAN

ORGAN RECITALS We have a fine organ in the Chapel, and a considerable number of boys enjoy listening to organ music. We all know that Mr. Picton is exceedingly busy and, under the circumstances, would find it very difficult to spare time for organ recitals. But we have in the School another organist of very high reputation, namely, Col. Metcalfe. I am sure a large section of the School would be very glad if organ recitals in the Chapel could become a regular feature in the School calendar. Yours, etc., A. R. FORREST. IN DEFENCE OF EDITORIALS I must confess that I do not examine the tent-pole before venturing under the canvas, however starched this may appcar from without. It was with trepidation indeed, that I trusted myself to those self-supporting walls of the last edition. Please may I enter a plea for this essential support to be renewed, i.e., for an editorial on the old lines. Finally, I may say that I consider myself to be about as conspicuous as "that boy with his sleeves rolled up" on the Mass P.T .. Yours sincerely, M. A. P. HOGG. TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS In reference to the first letter of last term's issue by Messrs. Northcroft and Beckett, I should like to oppose strongly their first suggestion. Surely people who have been to Sherborne would prefer to see something novel every term, in rows of new faces than various aspects of the school buildings which they themselves have seen countless times. Pictures of buildings have been enclosed before as well as 1st XV or lst XI groups; this can be done again. I am, etc., A. K. L. BLACK. PEN-NAMES There has been some argument lately in The Shirburnian about using pen-names. This, with many other similar subjects, seems a very frivolous matter for bickering. If the Editors make this or that rule about it, no one can com­ plain; it is their business. We miss a mild chuckle at "Bulldozer," who wanted the end fives-court cleared, but real names have obvious advantages. The Editors are Englishmen and presumably no amount of argument will move them. Those who are dissatisfied must wait for future Editors, who will, doubtless, alter the rule. Let us try to drop all such stupid matters and widen the scope of the correspondence to The Shirburnian in every sphere. This sort of thing is absurd in a magazine of such high standing. I am, Sirs, Yours, etc., D. G. SHERRARD. A SCHOOL BOOKSHOP Now that the time has almost come when it will not be quite so useless to make suggestions of a slightly more adventurous nature, may I ask someone to give a sufficient reason, perhaps in next term's issue of The Shirbumian, why we should not have a School bookshop ? Such a shop would be able to get supplies at wholesale prices, and would, therefore, be constantly receiving the difference between the wholesale and retail charges ; and this, after the wages, etc., had been paid, would be pure gain for the School. Not only that, but think of the advantages of having a shop which specialises entirely in books and material needed by the School, and a staff all of whom would presumably know something about school books and be able to help one when lost. For these reasons alone it would surely be a thing worth having. P. G. L. COLE. DRAMA The School Dramatic Society is dead but not forgotten, as is shown by the continuous argument and discussion on the subject, which has only increased since the Society's disbandment. The causes of failure were briefly these : cin the boys' side, lack of time and the quarantine complications were the salient problems ; on the production side,. no boy possessed the time, talent or experience for the job, nor were members of the staff able to undertake it, for the same reasons. Again, we started from scratch as regards equipment, all of which had been destroyed by fire at the beginning of the war. Finally, since boys might not impersonate females, we were compelled to seek further to supply this need, and here the difficulty of varying routines and quarantine made confusion worse confounded. All these problems would confront us if we attempted to restart the Dramatic Society to-day ... The war is, of course, largely to blame. There appears to be only one possible solution to bring into force, at any rate till the war conditions are finished. I suggest that one House, or perhaps two, should produce a play in the Christmas and Easter Terms, when time is available. The rehearsal difficulties would thus be largely overcome, and the production of fairly short plays should not prove too difficult, even though experience may be lacking. The only new problem arising out of such a system would be that of female parts. To avoid this problem, the plays would have to be performed to relatively small invited audiences only in the performing house-on very similar lines to the ordinary House festivities evety Christmas term. Yours, etc., P. J. KENT. HEATING AND THE FUEL SHORTAGE I would like to draw attention to the fact that since the lobbies outside the classrooms have no doors, it is a great waste of fuel to have radiators in them. Also where doors are provided outside rooms nine and nineteen, they are almost invariably left open. Could not these radiators be turned off? Yours, etc., C. ALEXANDER. THE SHJRBiJRNIAN 1021 STRAW HATS Amongst other articles of wear is an object that none of us like, namely, the straw hat. But, while we are here, it is better to conform to type, and wear it with comparative willingness. From the state of a large number of these hats, one would say that five minutes' knockabout, per day, was the revenge for the compulsion. Surely this can be stopped somehow, and ruined hats cast aside for.new. It is a disgrace to the School to wear such battered hats (generally battered with carelessness, and not with the wear of ages) as are often seen to-day. Yours sincerely, G. W. M. BRITTON, G. F. SYMONDSON, J. R. BUCKNILL. JUNIOR SOCIETIES Would it not be a good idea if societies were instituted in the School in order that everyone may have an equal chance of studying the arts, improving their own abilities and reading good literature ? Why is it that in many cases only the Upper School have the chance of being elected into such societies as the James Rhoades, for instance ? Why not let everybody have an equal chance ? There are some boys even in the Lower School who would rejoice if such societies were introduced. Yours, etc., c. B. JONZEN, W. S. BLACKSHAW. LETTERS IN THE PAST Lamenting the lack of contributions to the most imponant section of The Shirburnian, the Editors have selected a few of the more practical suggestions made in recent years, and recorded them as possibl:: c:i:::nragement for future correspondence. Needless to say, it is not the Editors' responsibility to see that ideas submitted to them are put into practice ; but it should be noted that more attention is paid to them than some correspondents suppose. It was a letter to The Shirburnian that led to the introduction of caps for cricket ; and, more recently, one gave binh to the School Orchestra, and another to J.T.C. flashes. In previous issues of The Shirburnian it has been asked : Why the School has not entered a team for the Seven-a-Side Rugger at Richmond since 1941 ? Why we do not return to the A. & M. hymn-tunes of " Abide with me,'' " He who would valiant be " and others? · Why classical translations are locked-up in the Library? The idea that they would be used as cribs is Victorian, and anyway they are not suitable for this purpose. Why the School's activities are not recorded with those of other schools in the Sunday Times ? Why music lovers do not start subscription concens ? 10/- from 200 would give £100 for a start, or 5/- a term on the bill would give £375 a year. Apart from suggestions for the formation of every type of society and the regular bouquets to members of the staff from Games' Captains, the favourite topics for letters have been Plainsong, Voluntary Games and Dancing Lessons ; and even letters on these subjects are preferable to the innumerable quibbles and grouses that the school submits with alarming regularity to the correspondence section. LITERARY V. C. Clinton-Baddeley (d. '13-'18) has submitted the following at the Editor's request. It is to appear later in a collection of similar articles in book form. This is its first appearance in print. THE FACETIOUS CLICHE There are two kinds of cliche : the respectable and the facetious. The respectable cliche is nor­ mally derived from an original expression of wit or wisdom, which has become the property of many memories. Its wisdom may be dulled by the breath of such familiarity-but it remains true metal. The facetious cliche has an origin precisely opposite. It is founded not in wisdom but in folly, and is enter­ taining only so long as a catch-phrase is new enough to be surprising. When the answer " I wouldn't know " first swept across this country, it seemed by a devious innuendo to make a commentary on the characters of questioner and questioned. But after fifty thousand people have made the identical declaration, and each on innumerable occasions, it becomes abundantly plain that they wouldn't know very much. The breath of familiarity has not dulled this metal : it has eaten it away. The facetious cliche has lately spread beyond the common society of bores and is now become a par- .1022 THE SHIRBURNIAN ticular property ofradio and music hall comedians. Joseph Grimaldi, when he stepped upon the stage, was in the habit of exclaiming "Here we are again !" That was a statement of fact-no more a facetious cliche than " Good morning " or " How d'you do :l" Modern comedians, through some curious misunder­ standin~ of human endurance, have provided themselves with a series of facetious cliches which they now consider an essential part of their entertainment. " You lucky people ! " and " If ever a man suffered ! " will be recognised as examples of their kind. The audience laughs-but it is not-and it cannot be­ the laughter of delighted surprise. It is an exacted tribute. This misconception of the anatomy oflaughter is due to a failure to distinguish between the repetition of catch-phrases and the technique of repetition, which is indeed an essential principle of farcical acting, at its excruciating best with Mr. Chaplin on an ice rink. But that is a joke, not of words but of action, and a joke which builds upon itself so that each part of it is an extension and not merely a repetition of the original. Moreover it is a joke which the comedian does not repeat in the same form at his next appearance. The technique will be the same, but it will be exercised upon a different catastrophe. The cliche of common conversation is a tribute to the wit of another age, and those who have no wit of their own would be dull indeed without this company. Even the exploration of an avenue was a sensible figure of speech once, and phrases which the ignorant have chewed less often, or which link the mind with some attractive story, like "stealing the thunder " or " spoiling the Egyptians," have retained almost the full surface of their original brilliance. The facetious cliche offers no companionship because it was never rooted in sense. "Yes, we have no bananas" may have shocked us into laughter once. But how can it do so again? I wouldn't know. v. c. CLINTON-BADDELEY. FEAR Fear that infiltrates deep into our lives is the blind fog that presses the window, seeps into crannies of rooms and passages, and leaves Mountaineer is wcatho::rwise, where one blind stone floors in sweat, damps down fires. yard is sheerdown crag and fell, grated Cloud has stolen our comfort, the steep and channelled with blood ; waits for the wind contours of the clear-limned hills, the fierce to veer and clear the tops, pinpoints his far colours of the daylight world; horizon's lost, objective, and then moves forward without fear here and now severed and isolated in the chill monotone of muffled mist. ROBIN ATTHILL. A MEMORY OF THE 'NINETIES Though in the 'nineties ethereal pyramids of distant sail were still projected above the Channel­ horizon almost as frequently as the plumes and smudges of smoke, the sight of the bigger wind-driven ships was already becoming rare. It was rare enough, at all events, to arouse a pleasurable thrill in one, and to cause course to be altered, so that a closer view might be had of the lofty and majestic four-master, the slender, more delicately rigged barque. The memory of one of the last of these visions, at close-hand (for I see her as absolutely leaning over us), returns to the mind, after all those years, as an imprint so clear in detail that it might have been received no longer ago than yesterday. It was one of those days toned in grey and silver by the diffusion of light through banks oflow cloud, with sporadic shafts of radiance striking down through the gaps in their melancholy procession. With a stiff breeze pressing the schooner over, we smashed into seas that were of a cold, pale green in the hollows, but richly dark upon the convex slopes and streaked as with crystalline snow in the incidence of the sunbursts. When the light waned in the passage of a heavy cloud, the sound of the breeze seemed to grow more markedly shrill ; the spars creaked as the yacht lay further over, gouts of spray fell on board, rattled in the hollow of the fore-stay sail, the water edged the rail, fell over it, ran limpid along the deck. We were going fast; but the ship that showed up astern like a pagoda of alabaster overtook us at a speed in comparison with which our own was no more than a crawl, Our helm was eased, so·that the great full-rigger should pass us as close as possible; she went by at no more distance than perhaps the length of a cricket-pitch. I remember that, as her jib-boom, tipped with white paint, like her mastheads, came abreast of our taffrail, I took one last end-on look at that looming tower of grandeur and loveliness-then turned resolutely away, gazing across the empty expanse of sea and sky at right angles to her c0urse. This was for the sake of the thrill it would give one to see the massive, flaring spar, the dripping dolphin-striker, the quivering triangles of her headsails steal suddenly again into view. When they appeared, a complicated figure of planes and lines described upon THE SHiRBURNIAN 1023 the grey background of sky, the roar of all the winds of heaven seemed to accompany the surge and souse, the sibilant overtones, the deep, humming bass of the undertone, of that majestic re-entry. The waves exploded in great smothers about her bows, leaped at the white, gilt-crowned figure-head imperturbable hovering just beyond their reach, climbed into a hawsehold, and fell out of it in streams and gushes. So she drew level, and, as I have said, in actuality for some moments leaned over us. The shadow of that enormous pneumatic mechanism intensified that in which we already lay ; its spread cut the wind from us entirely, so that the schooner suddenly sat up on an even keel, with sails flapping, her little lute-strings soundless in the thrumming and bourdon of that great aeolian orchestra ; and the air in its lee became suddenly more definitely chill. And so she bent over us, condescending, imperious, an embodiment of power and beauty; seeming to incline in a bow of grave and regal stateli­ ness, which, though enduring for a few short moments in reality, in my imagination has remained per­ manently fixed. This sight, perhaps the most glorious I have seen upon the sea, is projected into the mind as a sound­ film is projected before one. Suddenly the ship is there and the voice of the wind and waves, of the straining machinery of rope and block, spar and canvas, with her. So she leans over us, all thunderous and humming, with soughings and flutterings and the pipe of a myriad little voices, as though her masts were great trees, their branches the refuge of a flight of anxious birds, blown before the fury of a tempest : an iron-built ship of some two thousand tons, painted black, except for the red water-line and the white squares of the long line of ports. Memory has caught and fixed the leap of a column of foam, licking the lee rail like a white flame, the thin blade of sunlight that, stabbing all at once between the main and mizen masts, lit the stretch of deck disclosed beneath the arch of a sail.. She goes by us with a sort of long bound, forward and upward, like a fine hunter rising to a fence : as though the power of the wind. were actually lifting her off the waters to pursue her course over them. Men along her side wave and call out to us, one of them wearing a fur cap ; upon the long poop, with its carved rails and white-painted bouys, a stocky, bearded man, cap and sleeves gold-braided, walks back and forth; two other officers lean shoulder to shoulder against the mizen-shrouds, and wave to us, too. And so she leaves us, showing stem-windows gleaming above a mill-race of foam, her ensign a warm, heartening oblong of scarlet streamed stiff and flat as a board by the strong and steady off-shore breeze. Alas ! if she still floats (which is indeed un­ likely), she will carry no longer that brave old flag. She will be now nothing but a hulk, moored in sad dilapidation up-river in some foreign port. And thus I would rather not see her as surviving at all. But one did not apprehend such things, then. One saw her as a thing of beauty, with no thought of the future bearing with it that inevitable decay which is the tragedy of man-wrought loveliness. T. WASHINGTON METCALFE. The Editors are glad to have the chance of reprinting Edward Toeman's poem "Searchlight." The Author was at School House ('39-'.43), and since leaving Sherborne has f< unded a magazine "Prospect," in the second number of which the poem first appeared. "Prospect " is designed for the work of young or little-known poets, and has been mentioned by the B.B.C. and Times Literary Supplement. SEARCHLIGHT Some can picture it as death by rote appointing, Poised upon beam, holding exposing Its piston-shunt cracking Piteous foils of a rich man's writhing Arbour and plinth, flinging Or the coward's bleating when the hammers rose. The belching dust from the turnip fields. There is but the stab, and the torment is over. Yet in the quick parry of the light Guns start thundering, salutation I can see the death blow ... Of skidding shells. Then smashed rigging Not an instant the blinding seeing ... A puff in the clouds and a life See the strangulation in each beam Gone just as surely as a steady tramping splits a box. EDWARD TOEMAN. THE KALIGHAT TEMPLE One day, while on a visit to Calcutta, I went with a friend to visit the Kalighat Temple, a famous Hindu place of worship. We boarded a crowded tram-car which took us the best part of the way, and then completed our journey by rickshaw. The last lap lay do-..vn a very narrow street, packed with milling people, and smelling as only an Indian street can smell. While the rickshaw-wallah shouted to pedestrians to clear the way, we breathed resolutely through our noses and hoped for the best. On arriving at the temple, we were immediately pounced on by two old men, each of whom tried to 1024 THE SHiRBliRNIAN

push the other out of the way, as they babbled into our ears their qualifications to be our guide. "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom I humbly bow-" shouted one of them, an Indian Uriah Heep if ever there was one ! We shuddered, and turned to the other one, an old man with drooping white moustaches and a worried look, who introduced himself as the Chief Priest. We doubted it, but anyone was preferable to Uriah Heep ; so we followed him up the alley leading to the Temple, followed by his disappointed rival, still desperately protesting his faith. We had considerable difficulty in getting rid of him. . The Alley opened into a cobbled yard, around which several temples were grouped. Lying flat on his stomach, and completely blocking the entrance to this yard, was an old man with long grey hair and red streaks painted all over his face. He was obviously very holy. We waited for him to finish his devotions, then entered the yard. It was filled with a seething throng of people, mostly poor and dressed in rags. Flies swarmed everywhere, and there was an unpleasant stench of dirt and sweat. " This," said our guide, indicating the temple on our left, " is temple of Vishnu, one of the Hindu trinity : Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer. Wait one moment, and I will show you." With an agility surprising for his age, he sprinted up the temple steps and switched on an electric bulb, illuminating a statue of Vishnu, a small god with a black face, playing on a flute. Next he showed us the temple of Brahma, which consisted of a raised platform with terraced sides, and pillars, supporting a domed roof. In this it differed from the other temples, which had tiled walls beneath the same stone superstructure. Beautiful, no doubt, to Eastern eyes, they presented to ours an impression of unparalleled ugliness. "We now come to Place of Sacrifice," the "Chief Priest" warned us, as we shouldered our way through the crow:d. "Formerly the Priests of Kali made human sacrifices to the goddess. Now" (he sighed, regretfully, it seemed to us), "human sacrifice no longer possible. Instead we sacrifice young· male goats and buffaloes. Look ! " We looked. Before us stood two forked stakes, worn and bloodstained. There was blood on the ground, and there on the cobbles lay a row of goats' heads, raw and bleeding, off which the flies were making a hearty meal. There was also a little dog, who lay curled up in the sunlight, another victim we feared of the goddess' appetite-until he twitched an ear, and opened one sleepy eye. "After the goats are killed," our guide explained, "the bodies are taken to the temple kitchen and cooked for pilgrims to eat. The heads, which you see here, will later be distributed among the poor." We shuddered, and passed on to the Kali Temple itself, which was bigger than the others, and had gold designs emblazoned on its doors. From it proceeded a most unholy din-shouts and screams and wild ecstatic laughter. Evidently an orgy was in progress. " Unfortunately," our guide explained " only bare-footed Hindus are allowed to enter the. temple, but you may view the goddess through the temple doors, which will be held open for you." He made a sign to two loungers, who accordingly held open ·the doors, through which we were just able to catch a glimpse of the goddess. The representation of her is more symbolic than human. It consists of a semi-circle with a flat base, in which three eyes are shown, radiating from a central point, and below them a small, golden tongue. The whole is surmounted by a golden parasol. Next, he led us to the rear of the temple, where grew an unhealthy-looking tree, with stones and pieces of brick tied to its branches. Beneath the tree sat a woman. " This," we were told, " is known as the Barren Tree, since it has never borne fruit. If a woman is unable to bear children, she will come to this tree and pray to be made fertile. If her prayers are heard, and a child is born to her, she will go to the Ganges and will fetch a stone or a piece of brick, which she will tie to one of the branches of this tree. Also, when the child is one year old, she will cut off some of its hair, and will scatter it beneath the tree." Judging by the quantity of hair in evidence, the tree had helped to raise the birth-rate con­ siderably. We left the temple by another alley, on either side of which lay shrines to Ganesh, the elephant-· headed God of Wisdom, Sarswati, the Goddess of Education (to whom successful students come in procession, with garlands, which they hang around her neck), and other lesser deities; into which we stopped to peer. On emerging from the alley we were immediately pounced on by Uriah, who begged to be allowed to show us the cremation ground which lay a little farther down the road. We had to push him off the rickshaw several times before he finally accepted his dismissal. THE SHIRBURNJAN 1025

The cremation-ground, on Burning Ghats, as it is more commonly called, was fronted by a most impressive building, which was itself dominated by a small statue of Chitteranjan Das, the first mayor of Calcutta, after whom one of the principal streets of the city is named. After we had admired this for some time, we were led round to the rear of the building, where were situated the Ghats themselves. We found ourselves in an unpaved yard, flanked on either side by buildings, and backed by a wall, in which was a single door, leading out on to the river bank. At intervals in the ground were shallow trenches, in some of which heaps of ash still smouldered, giving off a pleasant odour of sandalwood. The whole place had an air of peace and changelessness, and I remember feeling drowsy and contented as we followed the guide across the yard, threading our way between the smouldering remains of men and women now gone to their long rest. A body, covered with a sheet lay on a ' charpoy ' awaiting cremation. Skirting it, we came to a halt before the farthest trench, where a fire, evidently not long lit, was crackling cheerfully, the flames flaring up and subsiding, while the smoke oozed through the cracks in the faggots. Dimly, we heard the guide explaining the process of cremation. Somehow, his voice sounded very far away. Some­ where behind us a woman began to cry, loudly and hysterically, as ifher heart would break. On and on droned the guide's voice; on and on went the sound of weeping. The flames leaped and crackled. I looked at my friend : his face had turned a delicate shade of green. Turning to the guide : " All right, we've had enough," I said. We followed him out through the door in the wall, and found ourselves in a sort of narrow terrace, where stood monuments to various famous men whose bodies had been cremated there. Below us, the slimy waters of the Hooghly oozed sluggishly towards the sea. Finally, we made our way back to the road, passing on our way the Temple of Shiva, a forbidding-looking building, shrouded in trees and mystery, its iron gates fastened with an enormous padlock. We found the rickshaw-wallah in a state of great anxiety ; apparently he had given us up for dead. And in a sense, indeed, we had returned from the dead. It was with a sense of relief that we settled ourselves in the rickshaw. " Chowringee, boy," we said. T. C.H. RAPER (h '36-'40). THESE SIMPLE THINGS. And when I shall the river cross, Salt sea air and the seagulls' cry; What shall I find on the other side ? And waves and rocks in stormy seas. The love of God to suffice my loss, A quiet walk as nature's guest; And many another gift beside. The taste of food ; and farmyard smells ; But oh, the many earthly joys, Smooth, soft sheets when one sinks to rest ; Which all in a moment pass away ; The floating murmur of distant bells. Simple, lovely, happy things; Paintings ; poetry ; oaken beams; Friends and loved ones true and gay. Finished work, and a merry song ; Cloud-topped hills and morning air; Homely lights when evening comes ; A horse's gallop between my knees; And a fireside chat when the day is won. P. N. WALKER The Editors have awarded their Prize for a prose contribution to A. R. Forrest for the following story. THE CLOCK It was made in Barcelona by a man whose name I have forgotten. He was young and above all wished to be a poet, but the fate that gave him a poet's vision forgot to give a poet's gift of expression. It was his last work before he died, and I bought it willingly for he was a fine craftsman. It stood about four feet high in a skeleton casing of cherry-wood and had a conventional pendulum and weight movement. So much was apparent at a glance. What was not so evident was the curious quality of the carving. For everything about it ; the short bowed legs, the pillars which supported the mechilnism and the hands on the dial, was humanised. The legs were human, the pillars were· based on four tin dwarfs with broad hunched backs and were themselves four men standing with arms upraised. The hands on the dial were hands indeed, gnarled and work-worn on short strong arms. This alone would not be very unusual as something similar may be seen in most Victorian drawing-rooms. What gave it its distinc­ tion was the living quality of the figures. The four standing men were clutching at the headpiece with strained anxiety on their upturned faces ; the dwarfs wore an expression of pain and exhaustion, arid the legs were taut and almost quivering with the effort of holding up so great a weight. However, from a 1026 THE SHIRBURNlAN distance, it appeared normal enough, if a little out of date, and I allowed it to remain in a corner of my study for some time after my return from Spain. This study, I must explain, had a very wide, old-fashioned hearth for log fires, and in front of this I had placed a writing desk and a swivel chair with an armchair on either side. The clock stood against the wall away from the fireplace and soon began to make itself evident by its irritating and persistent tick. The chimes, made of coiled brass tubing, were low and melodious, but the tick had a peculiar quality that prevented my ear from fading it out as is the case with most clocks. This reached such a pitch, that one night I left my desk to stop the pendulum. Having done this, I decided to move it to the hall where it would not prove so annoying, and accordingly put my hand round its back to pick it up. My fingers immediately encountered a roughness in the casing and in order to examine it better, I turned it around to face the wall and shone my reading lamp on it. Cut deeply into the wood were three inscriptions. One was in Spanish and had been heavily erased with a chisel. One was in a language and writing that I did not know, but have later identified as High Tamil, a very ancient, but lost dialect of India. The third was a single Latin word, '' Maneo." I puzzled over all three inscriptions for some time, and finally, feeling disinclined for further work, sat down in one of the armchairs, switched out the light and began to examine the Tamil words I had copied down, by the light of the log fire. I soon gave this up, however, and from watching the back of the clock, more grotesquely alive than ever in the flickering shadows, I fell into a light doze. Everyone knows that strange state between sleeping and waking when one is conscious of both states but desirous of neither, and in which there often occurs the impression that a voice has just spoken in one's ear, often just to call a name. This one, however, appeared to emanate from a point about twelve feet away from me at about the level of my head, or slightly above. It was conducting a rambling monoiogue, not in English, but in Castilian, the language of Spanish literature, and the tone varied from a fretful murmur to a sonorous and impassioned delivery like that of an actor. The whole was faintly distorted and came in bursts like the voice from an imperfectly tuned wireless. "Calderon, Calderon," it said querulously, " Wherever I turn there is Calderon. He glitters like tinsel, he froths like champagne, but of body of form, and of style, he has nothing. Why is it that I can see and am dumb, that I have the ears and am dumb while such a tool can bray like a trumpet. He sees only the gods of his creating, the gods of petty hate, of petty romance, of empty vociferous passion while I, I, the dumb, the helpless, feel at one with the vast pulsating universe. I know that I am but a grain of dust, less than a grain of dust, and yet I laugh, for it is part of the divine impudence of man to know his littleness and yet in the silence of the spheres, to lift his puny voice in laughter. I see the great beaches at the end of the world, dim with a mist of stars, that echo to the boom of the surf, and all I can find is a line so full of sound that it is laughable. " The waves that toll the bells of thunder on the sighing sand ... " I strive for Parnassus and when I think that I have reached it, I find myself in a swamp of bathos. Even my speech has the over-musical, cloying: sweetness of gaelic poetry. Yet I still hope. Come, I have been working on a requiem. 'Bury my heart in the silver hills, Where the pipes shrill to the sickle moon, And down in the valley a burn sings Sounding an old and magic tune ' ·Surely that is better; I feel it is better; it must be. Now something quiet and allegorical as a cry and a refrain. ' Sing me the song of forgotten seas, The reaper comes for the bidden quest.' Surely that is good, Heavens above ! I have tried, it must be. But a last line, a last line, I cannot think ! Quick, I shall forget ! How shall I write it ? His hands, his hands, he can write ! God let me move I must have them ... I awoke suddenly with an acute sense of nightmare. Not two feet away from my chair, facing me, stood the clock. From then on I acted purely on the impulse of hysteria. Seizing it by the pillars, I hurled it bodily into the fire. It caught with a roar and as the flames shot up the chimney, I fancied that I heard a thin keering sound like a violin bow drawn across a wineglass, that died away into the jangling of the chimes and the hiss and crackle of the polished case. A. R. FORREST. THE SHIRBURNIAN 1027

POEM I hear upon the windowpane With icy touch they brush my head The gusty rattle of the rain, And stir the darkness round my bed. And from a casement swinging wide Outside I hear the sad wind rave ; Cold, windy fingers reach inside. The stars have fled the sky. Envoys of the raging air, The soldier in his lonely grave They play and fumble with my hair. Is colder far than I. J. R. BUCKNILL.

THE BLIND Boy AND THE WIND I've never seen the stars at night. I've never seen the meadows green, I've never seen the sky. Nor glimpsed the boundless sea. But I have heard the music But, oh, what lovely, haunting songs Of the wild wind passing by. The wind has sung to me. J. R. BUCKNILL.

SNOW IN THE STREET The snow that fell so pure and white, How many other things we know, The snow that fell but yesternight, Things that are clean and pure as snow That settled soft along the street Are flung down underfoot and then Is trodden black by people's feet. Stamped black by savage, thoughtless men ? J. R. BUCKNILL.

REUNION The wires hummed louder, now that the air was empty and cold. He was counting the posts, as he walked sharply down the frozen rutted track which led from the farm to the village,-and the station. " Eight-Nine-Ten-," they passed him in silent succession. The stark pylons, with their teeming lines, effortlessly breasted the lull, and passed above him, a complicated entanglement of threads, glistening in the palely loitering sun. He blew on his knuckles. " Twenty-one-Twenty-two-Twenty-three-." He was thinking : " How old would Frank be now ? Still only three years older,-amazing what a difference those three years had always made ! But now,-would the gap be so great ? Before, it had seemed yawningly deep." He wondered if there would be more openness between them, frankness, something more than mere kinship. He deserved a deeper relationship. "Thirty,-Thirty-one,-Thirty-two-." "It was two years since he had seen Frank. Two years-Two! What would he be like now? Still supercilious and cold ? The elder brother who had inherited all the unpleasant traits of a father killed in 1938 China? Who had gone out into the world,.and was now coming back experienced, and-what? Bitter? Repentant? Time would tell." He had always been able to read Frank like a book, knowing him better than anyone else did. But,-those two years ; what had they done ? The train hooted, just up the valley : he echoed its hoot with a sigh, and broke into a run. '' -Sixty-seven,-Sixty-eight,-Sixty-nine-.'' he was still counting, as he ran; and, he was smiling nervously, like a child, in auticipation of Frank, and -what ? He disappeared round a comer, and, for some time, his even footbeats crisply reverberated in the hollow air.

G. w. M. BRJTTON, 1028 THE SHIRBURNIAN

••• UNFORGOTTEN Can memory fail me, Whose are the precious locks ? Though years pass by lightly, She mocks Beguile me to forget The painter's palette. That vision long passed ? Can man's art portray The face stays o'er long· Their subtle tint ? Through life's crowded throng Locks Titian red Of cares. It will ever last. Falling like tears, shed From a heart torn away. Whose are those eyes, serene Ultramarine ? Shall I see this face again ? These deep shining pools, If it be so, then In shade pensive, I shall know that happiness is mine. In streaming sunlight There is the golden dawn, Shining bright, The sun will rise for me, Saying that love rules. That I may clearly see Those wistful eyes, And shining locks of thine. K. M. G. KIRKBRIDE.

REINCARNATION The atmosphere of the sitting-room was warm and pleasant. It was the late afternoon of a day in November, and outside a misty greyness was already brushing clammily against the window-panes. Two elderly sisters, one of them a little older and greyer than the other, were having tea with an old, white­ haired man. The old man was their brother. He still, however, looked full of health, his eyes were deep-set and unclouded and his wrinkled face was forever twisting into a smile. He had a marked habit of contin­ ually scratching his right ear with his hand. The fire in. the hearth crackled and hissed with zest, and its light stroked with a ruddy colour the faces of the two women seated at the table and the man lying back easily in a large armchair. The china cups on the table gleamed clean and white, and thin columns of steam tapered lazily up towards the raftered ceiling. · "More tea, Henry?" asked the elder sister, reaching towards the gleaming silver teapot with a hand that was wrinkled but steady. " Oh, I'm so sorry ; I've put milk in. How stupid of me. I must have been thinking of something else." Her brother smiled. "Why, Anna, I thought you knew my stock oflikes and dislikes by now. You know I never touch milk. They gave me too much of it as a child, I suppose." "You are peculiar over some things, Henry," Anna said, pouring the milk from the cup with a deft movement into the slop bowl. " I don't understand why anyone should dislike milk. It's such a pure and inoffensive liquid. Here's your cup ; there's some hot water left if the tea's too strong for you. By the way -what was it we were talking about a few minutes ago ? Oh yes, I know-reincarnation-that was it. You mentioned the subject, Henry. I can tell you frankly, that I myself don't believe in it. I hold that it's all nonsense. I believe that we were intended to live our life on earth and no more. At the end of that life we die, we are buried, and our souls are admitted to heaven. At least that's what happens to a large number of us." She gave her brother a swift, keen glance. "Henry, I do wish you wouldn't keep scratching your ear so ferociously. It gets on my nerves. Reincarnation is a pagan belief, and I'm ashamed of you for suggesting that there's any truth in it." " I agree with you " the younger sister broke in meekly. She spoke but little, and when she chanced to make a remark she nearly always did agree. " All the same," she said, her pale face lighting up, " it would be rather pleasant to be a pigeon in one's next life. I've always thought flying would-Henry, what are you laughing at ? " Henry relaxed his features, and his hand strayed to his ear. "Nothing, my dear, only at the picture of you perched on top of Nelson's column. Never mind, I think you'd make rather a good pigeon. I know exactly what I would like to be: a healthy, well-looked after comfortable household cat. A cat is the happiest of animals. It has nothing to do all day, a good warm fire to sit in front of in winter, plentifoltit-bits to eat, an extensive and exciting world to explore by THE SHIRBURNIAN 1029

night and a surrounding atmosphere of luxury and comfort. Ah ! I'd look forward to my next life ifonly I was certain that it would be that ofacat." He gave a deep sigh, and began scratching the offending ~~- . Anna adjusted her pince-nez. cc Henry," she said, cc I am not impressed. I think you waste your time talking the most abominable nonsense ! " She punctuated the end of her sentence with a clatter of plates as she piled the tea things. * * * * * * * * Several weeks later the old man died. He caught a cold and died quietly without warning. His sisters, as might be expected, were at first much upset by their loss, but the pangs of grief were gradually softened by the passing of time. Then, a few months after, the two sisters were sitting one evening round the glowing fire knitting quietly and speaking little. They seemed absorbed in their work, but once or twice Anna's gaze wandered towards the empty chair by the fire. The curtains were drawn, but a chink of dark blue sky showed at the top of the window. The knitting needles clicked monotonously, mingling with the hollow ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece. Suddenly the door, which had not been fastened properly, opened with a click, and a large tabby cat made its entry into the room. Without hesitation it stalked towards the fire, and sat down a few yards away from the grate, regarding the sisters with what appeared to be a grin on its face. The younger sister felt moved, cc Poor thing," she murmured, " it must have strayed in from the cold. I'll get it a drop of milk." She bustled out of the room and returned with a brimming saucer which she placed in front of the cat. The animal looked at it with scorn, turned up its nose, and moving nearer to the fire sat motionless except for its eyes, which blinked every now and again. " Good gracious," said Anria, " I've never known a stray cat refuse milk before." She felt herself regarding the cat keenly, and she inwardly reproved herself for a stupid idea which had suddenly risen in her mind. She coughed, and moved uneasily in her chair. The atmosphere of the room seemed unbearably hot, and yet at the same time she felt a strange chill inside her. It certainly looked a healthy, well-looked after, comfortable creature. The cat blinked again, and the sisters watched fascinated. Slowly and deliberately it raised its paw and began to scratch its right ear. J. R. BUCKNILL. SNOW Heavy laden clouds, above But then wind falls, the snow grows deep Eanh, by winter bared, below­ To swiftening hail earth must bow down Eanh to which we give our love And myriad flakes begin to steep For it, Spring-clad in green, we know. Already whitened hill and town. Moon wind-tossed in cloud-rift skies Northwards, southwards now there reaches Perpetual floats with icy calm, · Boundless stretch of dazzling white Gives fitful light and cloud defies On hills, in dales, on roads and beaches And soothes black earth with dimmest balm. Lights my window as I write. On fallow field now comes down flake, Yet few nights hence, who knows what may Flake of snow comes down to earth, Befall this gleaming vivid mass- Sheets of fairy white they make, To snowless earth may come the day But banish warmth and give cold birth. And all forget what came to pass. Like sentinels at break of day Man, like snow, with glory blest, Great trees stand stark against the sky Briefly shines till death is nigh, And nature seems to stand at bay, All too soon must pass to rest While piercing winds shriek, howl and cry. And, falling-star like, leave the sky. D. R. ARNOTT. THE RISING GENERATION Lunch had almost ended and so had the conversation of the middle table. Cooke was the prefect who was presiding for that fortnight and conversation with Cooke was never very easy; but, now that the fairly safe topics of rugger and the snow had been exhausted, the inventive genius of the Medical, Historical, and Mathematical fifth and sixth was at a loss. Finally, the pride of the Classical group threw out a brilliant leading remark to the affect that he had been arguing with someone, whom he obviously regarded as a Classical dreg as to whether it was better to be blind, deaf, or dumb. There followed a five-second 1030 THE SHIRBURNIAN pause while the minds of all five-there was a middle school boy as well but nobody paid any attention to him-ruminated. The Classical member, in order to encourage the others suggested that he would hate to be blind as he would not be abie to see, and if he wasn't able to see then he would never know whether people looked " veni, vidi or vici " which was half the fun of life. Everybody laughed ! The Medico observed with a knowing chuckle that although he personally would hate to be dumb, he knew quite a few people-this with a dark look at Cicero on the other side of the table-to whom loss of speech would be quite a benefit. This was not considered to be in very good taste, although the boy from the Middle School was seen to smile. The Historian broke into the rather strained atmosphere with a long anecdote about his aunt who in the end turned out to be deaf and to possess an ear trumpet, which was rather a bore when one had to shout down it. He moralised on his aunt and ended by saying that he would hate to be deaf as he would. not be able to hear anything. The Mathematician heartily agreed and said that it would be frightful to have to do deaf and dumb language for the rest of one's life. He then illus­ trated his point much to the amusement of the table. Cooke broke in by saying that his clothes had been washed in the holidays for years by a blind woman and that she was quite happy. With a triumphant smile the Oassic pounced on him and said that he could not see how she could tell when his clothes were clean if she was blind. The others all agreed and looked to Cooke to explain. He reddened, irritated to have been caught out by such juniors, and said rather shortly that he did not know how she could tell, but he knew his clothes were always clean and he knew she was very happy. The Medico skilfully and tactfully changed the conversation by asking Cooke whether he would rather lose an arm or a foot. Cooke's reply, however, was cut short by the rapping of the housemaster's mallet. Lunch was ended but there was a notice to give out : "There will be a lecture to-night by Mr. Stuart on the Rising Generation and its duties. Attendance will be voluntary, but I hope that as many as can will go, as you must never forget-You Are The Rising Generation and on Your Shoulders rests the World." A. E. CHETHAM, Strode. THE SANTA ANA TRAIL Oh, I started down the canyon on a rangy wall-eyed hoss I relieved 'em of their valuables and chucked 'em in With a band o' Texas Rangers on ma tail. the river- J ust because I got a little bored and went and shot ma Oh, I'm ridin' down the Santa Ana trail. boss- Then I sudden feels a tingle as I didn't like bein' single Oh, I'm ridin' down the Santa Ana trail. And I kinda knew I'd led a rotten life, And then feelin' kind o' reckless and a little short of So I girded up ma liver and I walked along the river dough Just to see if I could find myself a wife. Well I took my gun and robbed the Texas mail. Sure, I found a hacienda, with a shady white verandah So, I turned ma old hoss southward and lit out for Mexico- And a girl with eyes like deep blue sapphire-stone. Oh, I'm ridin' down the Santa Ana trail. And I says," Oh Senorita," for I hadn't seen a sweeter, But when I had ridden forty miles upon ma rangy roan " Will you come and live with me and be my own ? " He was gettin' slow and tired like a snail, Then she casts her eyes down shy-like, and she winks Till at last he staggered, gasped and fell, without a at me so sly-like, single moan- And she answers "Yes" and tosses back her hair. Oh, I'm ridin' down the Santa Ana trail. So I swung her on ma pinto and we rode to San Jacinto, So I left him there to die upon the shores of Rio Grande And came out o' church a newly-wedded pair. And I clambered up among the rocks and shale, Then we settled in a ranch house on the shores of Rio Pulled out my old six-shooter and prepared to make Grande a stand- With a thousand head of hefty longhorn cattle, Oh, I'm ridin' down the Santa Ana trail. And now we got a little kid who'll make a fine cowhand So I shot them Texas rangers and they died without a When he takes up a lasso, and not a rattle. quiver, Sure, I knew ma old six gun could never fail : C. GALLOP. SPORT Being an incomprehensive treatise on which sports ~re which ana also th~ whys and w~erefores. (With further apologies to Sellar and Yeatman for not hav~g rea~ a word of theirs on such subjects, and even more apologies should it transpire that we are three mmds with but a smgle sport). A knowledge- of the rules is assumed throughout. A sportin' fellow must indulge in a sufficient number of the sports listed below. THE SHIRBURNIAN -1031

(I) Primitive Sports. (These are not compulsory). England is undoubtedly the home of pukka sports, though there are a few rude sports known in such foreign lands as Scotland, etc. There they play such games as tossing the caber, cutting the caper and swinging tht: lead. This last game is very old, having been instituted by the Old Pretender. However, let us pass to the more civilised sports :-

(2) Pukka Sports. (At least two must be attempted). Huntin'. This is a very pukka sport. Thus, it must not be thought that it is merely an excuse for cold-blooded killing. On the contrary, even in the heat of the moment, everyone possesses an air of com­ plete sang-froid, sans-souci, etc. As long as you remember this, everything is· plain sailin', ridin' and huntin' right up to the coup de grace when the stomach of the fox, or the esprit de corpse is thrown to the hounds. At this stage it must be borne in mind that one man's meet is another man's poison and hence it is best not to eat the fox yourself. Shoo tin'. A very skilled pastime involving great hardships, especially if it rains enough to damp the cartridges, the shooting team's spirits, etc. On such occasions bad language is considered good form and the time of year is known as the grousing season. Under no circumstances forget to let a sitting bird lie, or, if you meet one to let a lyre bird sit. This is a point of etiquette.

Fishin'. Famous for being a very difficult and patient sport, requiring a great deal of discrimination. ln this connection it must immediately be pointed out that some fish are not so desirable as others. Always remember that the blood of the rudd has a stench like the tench and the bream and the daice are not quite naice. Remember also that although you can cast a fly at almost any time of year, you must never cast a clout until May is out. Thus if the hook catches in the seat of your pants, never let it go any further than that. As to the correct dress, waders or turboots are generally used. On no account should skates be worn. Golfin'. Care is needed in this sport, since it is a game of pros and cons (professionals and connois­ seurs) ; these must be weighed up, squared up, teed up, etc., especially if you claim to have performed the amazing feat of holing in one, i.e., to succeed (perhaps) in hitting the ball out of the blue on to the green in one shot. In attempting this, however, you are more likely to fall into one of the main pitfalls of golf, a bunker (bad luck). If this should happen, take your stand in the sand, seize a mashie-niblick from a caddie, laddie or (in Ireland) paddie, and proceed to mash and nibble away the surrounding earth until the way is clear for a good way up the fairway. It is essential that the names and functions of the various clubs be known, e.g., Cleek is a very exclusive club frequently used for black-balling. Tennis. Despite the large number of so-called Tennis Clubs in the country, the game is actually played with an instrument of fifty strings (approx.). Hence the whole thing _is nothing more than a racket. This game is therefore, optional.

(3) Essential Sports. (In addition to those above, these two games must have at least been attempted at one stage of the sportsman's life). Cricket. The most pukka position to hold in connection with cricket is that of umpire; everyone appeals to him in time of doubt, difficulty or despair. Hence he must be well acquainted with the ins and outs of the game. Besides this he must be of a very good character, having the reputation of the world­ famous British Umpire to uphold. The upshot of all this is that you must not put up your name as a candi­ date for this position, if you are in any way an upstart or anything but a downright upright fellow. How­ ever, you need have no qualms about being selected as captain of a village cricket team. The main qualifi­ cation for such a captaincy is to have sufficient room to store the team's equipment (vicars may use their churches in this connection, hence the expression bats in the belfry). As for the game itself, when going in to bat, you must take guard or you will be caught out on some point or other (possibly cover-point). Remember that the bowler has three courses open to him; to bowl you out (googley), to bowl you over (body-line), or to bowl over you (donkey-drop). 1032 THE SHIRBURNIAN

Football. There are two types of football, Rugger and Soccer. There is a great difference between these two games ; Rugger is played with a lemon-shaped ball, and soccer with an orange-shaped ball. Thus the famous game of Oranges and Lemons is only a demonstration of the lasting hatred between the players of these two types of football. I shall view the matter from the pukka standpoint or grand stand, and from this position one immediately notices a very important fact. At half-time the rugger players perform the ancient rite of sharing a lemon, symbolising their intention to muck in together ; but it is significant that there is no corresponding orange shared on the soccer field. This clearly is a matter of supreme importance, the amount of team spirit being the acid test of any game. Hence to all the searching questions of the spoil-sport the answer is a lemon (which is a Good Thing -suck it and see !) R. W. ScoTT. MARVELLOUS ARE THY WORKS I have never seen a School Prospectus but I suppose it contains a list of the Assistant Masters, then the Housemasters, next the Headmaster, ending finally with the Board of Governors, very high and lifted up. Here, amid the galaxy of Bishops and retired colonels, the casual observer might imagine the control of the School lay. But the control of the School does not lie with the Governors, nor with the Headmaster, nor with the Housemasters, nor, despite all wishful thinking, does it lie with the Assistant Masters, and · well do they all know it. The School is ruled by one, who is like the Board high and lifted up, and on whose hands the safety and well-being of the School depend. Our Lord and Governor is the Abbey Clock. For so many years now has the Abbey Clock held us in sway that a tradition has grown up around it approaching to the Divine Right of Kings or the Infallibility of the Pope. Masters and boys alike must bow down before its face, and with the Psalmist chant : "marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." The Abbey Clock realises the position and sometimes takes advantage of it with a certain grim humour of its own. For instance, after weeks of exemplary behaviour it will suddenly strike quarter to nine two minutes too early. On one occasion it stopped its South face and led a whole House into sin. Of course, no excuse beginning-" the clock was ... "could be accepted, for the Abbey Clock is always right. Every so often, however, the Abbey Clock suffers from strange fits of drunkenness. The minute hand whirs round twice to the minute, it sounds strange tocsins on its bells, and finally relapses into stupor while artisans administer emetics to its insides. On these occasions we tum away in embarassment and creep about trying not to acknowledge that the Clock has failed. It is as though we had caught our old family butler unconscious after a carousal with the brandy. Yet, we at Sherborne, who watch day by day the painful toil up to the hour, the sharp flick over the perpendicular and the triumphal descent well ahead of the strike, should give thanks for the rule of so benevolent, if somewhat erratic, a Governor. R. N. QUARTANO. RUGBY FOOTBALL I think that everyone should have a rµdimentary knowledge of the game of Rugby. Most people have a slight knowledge of it, but so many romances have died in the awed and blushful silence following an uninformed remark at Twickenham, that I do feel that all girls should be warned. The first thing one has .to do is to be able to distinguish between Rugby and Association Football. In Rugby the ball is an egg-shaped horror, whose progress is anything but orthodox and predictable, whereas in Association the ball is round and has an orderly and precise bounce. In Association too, the players may not handle the ball, unless the referee's back is turned, whilst in Rugby every player tries his best to pick it up. The backs and the forwards in Association, usually keep to their appointed positions, but in Rugby the players rush hecticly around without any decent regard for what they are called. In Association one is not encouraged to kick the ball off the field (keep it on the island) ; but in Rugby it is to be commended (Oh, nice touch, sir!). · Now let us consider the actual game of Rugby. First of all, it is usual for the two sides to fix up a time for the great match. At half an hour after this appointed time, various players will begin to arrive, and eventually the game will commence. Every player will be wearing a different coloured jersey, which not only helps to increase the confusion, but also adds to the surrealistic effect. Then the whistle will blow, and someone will kick the ball ; from then onwards the game is rather difficult to follow, in fact, almost impossible. Various players will rush around picking up the ball, falling on it, or throwing it at THE SHIRBURNIAN 1033

someone else. Occasionally the referee, if he is not at that moment underneath a large pile of bodies, will blow his whistle and a certain number of people will congeal into a heaving mass of humanity. This is known as a "scrummage" and the players who form it are called "forwards." The rest of the side can, therefore, be classified as " backs," and these are the glamour boys of the outfit. At the end of the game, that is to say, when the referee blows a long piercing blast on his whistle, both sides will gather themselves opposite each other and cheer courteously. This practice is not only chivalrous, but useful ; for it enables the spectators to find out which side has won. (The winners always cheer first). If it is a draw you're foxed! I hope my remarks do not lead you to think that Rugger is anything but an essentially well-bred game. A certain amount of animalism is admitted, but even the dirt is dished out with an air and sometimes an apology. Besides, Rugby is a game that many people persist in playing. Probably, the main reason for this is that it does make good hearing for one's friends, especially the blonde at the next table. Some play merely for the delight of the hot shower afterwards, and others for the beneficial effect of mud on the complexion. Rugby is not on the whole an immensely popular game at public schools. Association Football, however, always provides an ample excuse for the bad Rugger player, who remarks casually as he returns from the field, that soccer was his best game. But the rugger season is now drawing to a close. It's a long time till we see the old spheroid again and, if you'll excuse me, I'll just go and sharpen the nails in my boots .. B. I. BLAKE. WINTER VIOLETS To-day some little country children brought But I heard their elders talking of war : how one, Home from the fields some winter violets. A mere boy, had steered his plane through storms, They were picked in the mead land, which, grown dour With the dead pilot's blood still on his tunic- of late, Alone. He landed in England, crazed with nightmare Yields nought but thorn this barren Christmastide That still he steered, that the foe came up in swarms : And I, a child at heart, cannot forget That hope was ended-death an oblivion. The winter violets which fill my thoughts. They were picked in the mead land, and a rabbit fled And thinking still of that boy, whose latent power In the reed spikes, when he heard their first delight : Had braved Heaven and Earth, and found innate, " Look at the flowers-there-by the long warren ! " Unplumbed strength to pilot his limping craft, (And a thrush sprang up by a hawthorn and was gone). I send you these-the winter violets Yes, they are treasured flowers, now: to-night Of heart and soul-the season's hardiest flower, They take root in my heart as in a mead. Knowing that you will treasure them, and wait. Before Chn'stmas Eve, 1944. G. M. H. RAPER.

CLOUDS ON A CLEAR SKY. (For "Ginger.") Oh, white-winged galleon cloud, go set your course But show us yet your love, though we should seem l]pon the noonday fathoms of the sky- Brief ports of call upon your wild transition. Winged Pegasus, whom zeal of Summer spurs, For you is no delaying : we are the dim Steed of the driven heights, that ride unreined Fancies of guessed at wonderlands below To the wind's caprice, azure infinity ! The stream's sweet cadence, momentary visions. My sweet cliff, that have a thousand hollows And my thanks to you, oh voyager, that embrace For the spent dreamer : oh, my white comrade, The morning hills with rain, and thence behold . That are with us a moment's span, and then must follow Ralph at his plough, Frank with his lusty face ; The sun's track, the South's passionate calling­ And, like a pilgrim, pause to bless King, knave, Would that the power were mine that you might be And with Midas' touch tum every grain to gold. stayed! G. M. H. RAPER. FALSE PROPHETS Oh, they are wise! They say, " Life is a link They are fools ; for, seeing, they cannot see, Between death and death, in Ian.ds of the lost. Nor, hearing, understand. They know no God. And Life," they say, " is a cellulose chink Life is a line of epigrams, a nod Cut in the wheel of Time, a rotor loosed To the passing friend, or a shoulder tap, In the void. Life is a taking and making And low complacent chuckle. Fools, they clap Of chances, the Jew and the poor relation." Between the movements of Life's symphony. And,.sad and cynical they seem, remarking, " Death is an admirable solution." T. J. G. ROGERS. 1034 THE SHJRBURNIAN

QUIZ. With what members of the staff do you connect the following :- 1. "Are you Jones ?-The great Jones ?-The greatest of all the great Jones's ? " 2. "The Book of Job should have been called the Book of--·." 3. "Be sharp together-wonn, tu; wonn, tu." 4. " Tomorraw and tomorraw and tt>morraw ... " 5. " ... Creeps in this petty pace from doy to doy." 6. · " Translate : ' The cow sat on the garden wall.' " 7. " I've been teaching French for thirty years." 8. " My dears ! " 9. "You sausage ! " 10. "When you meet an Old Shirburnian tramp on West Hill ... " 11. " Suppose we were on a desert island ... " 12. " Is there any comfort in the pipes ? " 13. " And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew · That one small head could carry all he knew." 14. "You're going on the land ?-as manure, I suppose." 15. " Fix baynits, and charge ! " 16. "You wabbits at the back of the room." 17. " That's correct, sir." 18. "I resolved to drink no alcohole." Their term was short. They left a name, But not the sort That we acclaim. It matters not. We care no more. 19. "For Padre--" 20. "And Mr.--"

"What is Matter ?-Never mind. What is Mind ?-No matter," " Read over your compositions, and where ever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, Strike it out."-DR. JOHNSON. " There is now less flogging in our gredt schools than formerly, but then less is learned there : so that what the boys get at one end they lose at the other."-DR. JOHNSON. · " Madam, before you flatter a man so grossly to his face, you should consider whether or not your flattery is worth his having."-DR. JOHNSON. "What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering."-G.B.S. "There are two tiagedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get it."-G.B.S. "The golden rule is that that there are no golden rules."-G.B.S. "The world's great men have not commonly been great scholars, nor its great scholars great men,"-0. W. HOLMES. " Alexander at the head of the world never tasted the true pleasure that boys of his own age have enjoyed at the head of a school."-HoRACE WALPOLE. "It were better to perish than to continue schoolmastering."-CARLYLE. "Public schools are the nurseries of all vice and immorality."-HENRY FIELDING. "'Let's fight till six, and then have dinner,' said Tweedledum."-LEwls CARROLL. " ' I can explain all the poems that ever were invented-and a go:>d many that haven't been invented just yet/ " - LEWIS CARROLL, 1035

OBITUARY 1036 THE SHIRBURNiAN

We reprint the following by permission of" The Times."

ANOTHER ARNHEM V.C. LIFE GIVEN IN BID TO HOLD RHINE BRIDGE A third Victoria Cross has been awarded for the epic of the British airborne troops at Arnhem last September. The last V.C.-a posthumous award-has been made to:-

LIEUTENANT JOHN HOLLINGTON GRAYBURN, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps, of Chalfont, St. Giles, Buckinghamshire. It is the first V.C. to be won by the Parachute Regiment and was awarded for supreme courage, leadership, and devotion to duty. . Lieutenant Grayburn was a platoon commander of the Parachute Regiment which was dropped on September 17th with the task of seizing and holding the bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem. The North end of the bridge was captured and, early in the night, Lieutenant Grayburn was ordered to assault and capture the southern end with his platoon. He led his platoon on to the bridge and began the attack with the utmost determination, but the platoon was met by a hail of fire from two 20mm. quick­ firing guns, and from the machine-guns of an armoured car. Almost at once Lieutenant Grayburn was shot through the shoulder. Although there was no cover on the bridge, and in spite of his wound, Lieut­ enant Grayburn continued to press forward with the greatest dash and bravery until casualties became so heavy that he was ordered to withdraw. He directed the withdrawal from the bridge personally and was himself the last man to come off the embankment into comparative cover. Later his platoon was ordered to occupy a house which was vital to the defence of the bridge, and he personally organized the occupation of the house. Throughout the next day and night the enemy made ceaseless attacks on the house using not only infantry with mortars and machine-guns, but also tanks and self-propelled guns. The house was very exposed and difficult to. defend and the fact that it did not fall to the enemy must be attributed to Lieutenant Grayburn's great courage and inspiring leadership. He constantly exposed himself to the enemy's fire while moving among, and encouraging, his platoon, and seemed completely oblivious to danger. HOUSE SET ON FIRE On September 9th the enemy renewed and intensified his attacks on the house.· All attacks were repulsed, due to Lieutenant Grayburn's valour and skill in organizing and encouraging his men, until eventually the house was set on fire and had to be evacuated. He then took command of elements of all arms, including the remainder of his own company, and reformed them into a fighting force. He spent the night organizing a defensive position to cover the approaches to the bridge. The next day he extended his defence by a series of fighting patrols which prevented the enemy gaining access to the houses in the vicinity. This forced the enemy to bring up tanks which brought Lieut. Gray­ burn's position under such heavy fire that he was forced to withdraw to an area further North. The enemy now attempted to lay demolition charges under the bridge and the situation was critical. Realizing this, Lieut. Gray burn organized and led a fighting patrol which drove the enemy off temporarily, and gave time for the fuses to be removed. He was again wounded, this time in the back, but refused to be evacuated. Finally, an enemy tank, against which Lieut. Grayburn had no defence, approached so close to his position that it became untenable. He then stood up in full view of the tank and personally directed the withdrawal of his men to the main defensive perimeter to which he had been ordered. He was killed that night. From the evening of September 17th until the night of September 20th Lieut. Grayburn led his men with supreme gallantry and determination. Although in pain and weakened by his wounds, short of food and without sleep, his courage never flagged. There is no doubt that, had it not been for this officer's inspiring leadership and personal bravery, the Arnhem bridge could never have been held for these three days.

This is the 125th V.C. awarded in the present war and the forty-fifth won by the Army. ~. '. -- , t i

! I I L_ _Jl

JOHN HOLLI!'\GTON GRAYBURN EDWARD CHRISTOPHER MouLE. THE SHIRBURNIAN 1037

Lieutenant Graybum who was 25, was one of the three sons of Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Graybum, of Roughwood Farm, Chalfont St. Giles. He was married in 1942, and there is one son, born in March, 1943. Before he volunteered for the Parachute Regiment he was a captain in The Oxfordshire and Buckingham­ shire Light Infantry, and had fought in North Africa and Italy. He left Sherborne School two or three years before the war and joined the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in London. * * * * * * * * I take it as a great privilege to be asked to write a few words in appreciation of Jack Graybum. Jack and his brother, Pat, were friends of our boys, and spent much of their free time with us. Jack was always cheerful and very good company ; "a most lovable boy." Starting with his work amongst the Southwark Cadets, his great capacity for duty and leadership developed, until at Arnhem his outstanding courage, devotion and endurance won him the V.C. All honour to Jack. C.L.B. * * * * * * * * My memories of Jack Grayburn take me back to the early days of my headmastership at this School. Many figures have passed before the screen of one's mind in ten years and alas ! many gallant ones for the last time, and it is not very easy to distinguish even such a notable one as this with all the detail which one would wish for under the present circumstances ; but -I do remember him clearly, particularly as Captain of Boxing and a most resolute fighter in the ring, and remember part"kularly the keenness which he showed under' P.J's.' inspiration in training up the young idea in that House as well as in the School in general. There was nothing particularly outstandingly athletic in his appearance. I think the most arresting features were his eyes, very steady and grey and calm in their expression, and a resolute jaw which expressed clearly enough the determination and resolution which formed the keynote of his character. I remember, too, a long conversation I had with him while he was going to bed in the Sanatorium where he had obtained temporary hospitality during a visit to Sherborne shortly after he had left. He was describing to me his manner of life in London and I remember the details to this day. His working day consisted then offull hours at the Bank, morning and afternoon, training for his future career in the Hong­ kong and Shanghai Bank, home to supper at about 7, then three hours slogging in preparation for his banking examination, bed at 12.30 and up again at 7, next morning. He took one evening off a week and spent this regularly lending a hand at Sherbome House. Southwark, where his assistance, as I was told at the time, and have since heard from many sources, was absolutely invaluable. I expostulated with him, I remember, for a long time telling him that it was too much and that he could not keep up this pressure for so long, but he laughed it off and assured me that I need not worry. He had been down two or three times since the outbreak of war as a subaltern in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, and very glad indeed everyone was to see him. Shortly after he wrote and told me that he was going to be married and then a year after he wrote to say that his wife had presented him with a son and 'would I please enter him for Sherbome School.' I forget how old the boy was at this time, I think perhaps two or three days. Such was the boy who was destined to bring to his old School the great honour of having gained the first Shirburnian V.C. in the war. No one who knew him here will be in the least surprised; indeed, it is just what one would expect from such a resolute and high principled man as Jack Graybum. My great regret now is that ' P .J .' is no longer with us to write as he alone could have written a full account of this boy when he was at Sherbome. Let me just add as the School's representative a word, however inadequate to express to all his relatives and friends the pride which we all feel in reading of his gallant exploits at Arnhem. We shall see, too, that his memory is kept ever green, and that his young son when the time comes for him to follow his father at Sherborne will find that the School is neither forgetful not ungrateful. Requiescat in pace. A.R.W. EDWARD CHRISTOPHER MOULE . The first day of the Easter term marked the passing of Edward Christopher Moule after a long and painful illness, and with it our community has lost a member who, though he had joined it comparatively recently, had come to be recognised as one of the soundest and staunchest of men. He had been, before corning to Sherbome,a housemaster at Bradfield, and from there had gone to Weymouth College just before the War as Headmaster. Every schoolmaster in Dorset at least knew at this time that Weymouth College was doomed. For some years that had been common knowledge in the i038 THE SHIRE URN IAN profession, and not even E. C. Moule, great schoolmaster though he was, could have prevented the inevit­ able conclusion. When the affairs of the College were wound up he accepted readily the appointment which I was fortunately able to offer him at that time, and never was there for us a more fortunate opening. From the very first Moule showed himself to be a man of sterling worth and of the very highest Christian principles. As one of my colleagues half jokingly, half seriously, said to me a few years ago : " Maule is the only man I have ever known who really made Christianity work." I suppose it was the tremendous keenness and enthusiasm with which E.C.M. threw himself into every activity of which this friend was thinking, whether it was the J.T.C. or his English Class, or with his Play Reading Society. Everything was done at full pressure and with all the heart and mind and soul. A real enthusiasm of this sort is infectious and he had already made for himself a very permanent and important place in our society. Of his own life it is difficult to speak. I often used to watch him walking across the Courts with that long back of his as straight as a ramrod and with his head held so firmly and squarely above the broad shoulders and I have often thought to myself how very typical of his whole character his outward appearance seemed to be. It was impossible to imagine E.C.M. doing or thinking of anything mean, petty or underhand. Some friend wrote about him in " The Times " shortly after his death describing him as a man who refused to quarrel, and we too, at Sherbome, found the descrip­ tion apt. It was impossible to quarrel with a man who was always the very soul of courtesy and friendliness, so ready to see the other man's point of view, so perfectly balanced in temper and so admirably restrained. He had already performed splendid service here by stepping into the breach of Abbey House for a year and taking charge during P.J's. illness and at the time of his death, and had shown as he had no doubt shown at Bradfield, all those pastoral qualities which stamp the genuine housemaster. His home life presented an almost perfect picture of the happy family at its very best, and it was seldom in the summer term that one saw that tall straight figure except accompanied by a small, stocky, sturdy son firmly grasping one hand. It is indeed a cruel blow that has robbed the young family of their father and our School of such a natural leader and gifted teacher so many years before the allotted span was due. We can only bow our heads in humble and grateful submission before the mystery of God's inscrutable but never-failing Providence. A.R.W. * * * * * * * * EDWARD MouLE came to Bradfield from Emmanuel College, Cambridge (where he had graduated with a Second Class in Classics in 1925), and from Yale University, where he had been Henry P. Davison Scholar in 1923-24. He at once impressed boys and masters alike as a man who would give of his very best in everything that he attempted. I well remember his form room, situated on the first floor of the new grey-bricked classrooms recently opened by H. A. L. Fisher. We, the school certificate candidates of his form, Remove A, looked out through the windows on to the semi-Gothic windows of the Big School, to a lovely chestnut tree and spacious green playing fields, and yet our attention was immediately caught and held by "Holy" Moule (such was the affectionate nickname by which he was known)'s enthusiasm for the subject he was teaching us. Milton's " Paradise Lost" can become arid and uninteresting in some hands, but he made it an unforgettable reality, and looking back and analysing those far-off impressions, I see that he taught us to visualise in it a philosophy of the good and evil in the outside world for which he prepared all those who came under his care so well. Nor can I at least forget that-tho' it was not, as he confessed, his subject-he was one of the first of my masters to teach me something of the living interest and scope of history. His judgements were always balanced, careful and conscientious; Latin syntax " very shaky " he correctly wrote in one report, and if it possibly grew less shaky and enabled me to obtain a credit this was no less due to him. Then there were the manifold outside activities, the choir and the Musical Society under Douglas Fox, delightful evenings in the Shakespeare Society when we interrupted our readings to drink coffee and eat chocolate biscuits, knowledgeable discussion as to what books should be bought on the Beaumont Library Committee, or rehearsals of " Antigone " or "Agamemnon " on warm and lovely, if somewhat gna.t saturated, evenings in the Greek Theatre. Finally, there was "Hillside." Edward Moule inherited a difficult task but as always he infused his house with vigour and dignified it with spirituality. He brought it up to a high standard, and then, to Bradfield's 1"egret, left to become head of his old School, Weymouth. I did not see him for eight years, and then he greeted me as a colleague. He had not changed ; there was the same serenity of spirit, well-balanced decision, pervading energy, generous enthusiasm and THE SHlRBVRNIAN 1039 personal interest in all whom he knew, suffused with the glow of a faith whose intensity and brilliance so often put the rest of us to shame. He did not change, and in God's care, he has not changed, for he was rlad, as Isaiah has put it, with the zeal of his God, whether it was at Bradfield, Weymouth or Sherbome, "as with a cloak." V.H.H.G. * * * * * * * * EDWARD MouLE who, when he first came to Sherbome was conspicuous on the School only for his height, very soon made a name for himself as a most painstaking and enthusiastic teacher. We used to look forward with considerable pleasure to all his school periods, especially the English literature ones, because he was never disinterested in his subject, and always full of energy and the zest ofliving. To some, perhaps, who had become sunk in a lethargy of their own, this abundance of good spirits and keenness may have seemed rather tedious, but soon, when they bestirred themselves, they really learnt to enjoy their work with him, and gave of their best. Always willing to fill a gap or help someone out of a difficulty, he soon made a host offriends at Abbey House, where for two very difficult terms he was acting housemaster. No one who has seen him at work far into the night, as was often his way unless " ord.ered to bed," could ever be too grateful for the long hours he toiled, in his determination to perform a hard task well. The three qualities which struck one most were his sincerity, his selflessness, and his real humility. Never was a harsh word spoken unless well deserved, never an unkind or ungenerous act committed. I remember so well one night at the end of the summer term of 1942, when I had been packing till early in the morning, and having just had a shower was making my way to bed. At the top of the stairs I heard the top dormitory door shut quietly, and knew that he was doing his night rounds. We passed each other on the stairs, and instead of receiving a well-merited reprimand I was greeted with a friendly " Good­ night." This incident perhaps serves to illustrate something of his amazing tolerance. He must have found many of our ways at Abbey House rather strange, and not as he would have liked in some respects, but he regarded himself as a caretaker whose business it was to keep the place warm for its next owner without making any alterations, and in this, which can by no means have been easy, he succeeded admirably. Much more could be said-of his activities as President of the James Rhoades Society which he founded, of his love of music and encouragement of it in both House and School, of his work in the Home Guard and J.T.C., where he will be sorely missed-but space is short. In his brief time at Sherbome he made himself a well-loved and valuable figure in the School. To one old boy at least he will always remain as the perfect example of a truly Christian gentleman. M.McC. * * * * * * * * When one tries to sum up the character of a man who has made many friends among masters and boys, and who has served his School ungrudgingly to the very last, it is often possible to take a single incident from the past years which gives a clear picture of the man and all that he stood for; but in trying to say something of the great loss which Sherbome has suffered in the death of Mr. Moule, one remembers not one but a score of occasions when his enthusiasm and humanity was revealed. It was his greatest attribute that into whatever he did he threw all his energy and strength. He was untiring and indefatigable, and it was this same spirit of self-sacrifice and love of hard work that won him the ungrudging admiration of all who knew him. . He will be remembered as one who came to the School when the power to cope zvith emergencies was essential. He soon proved himself fully capable of dealing with all the difficulties of war-time and, furthermore, succeeded in bringing a new sense of urgency to what had seemed mere routine. In the Corps he was one of the first to begin the task of bringing things up to date. Here he demanded of others the fullest co-operation and enthusiasm. He himself seemed to thrive on bad weather and irksome parades. One remembers the interminable leopard crawls and monkey runs-nightmarish features of the N.C.Os. Course, and the occasional butt of comic songs. Boys who had never known him in form were yet able to come into contact with him through the James Rhoades Society, which he himself founded for the reading of Shakespeare in the Upper School, and of which he was a keen but unobtrusive member. In this, as in all things, he seemed to bring out the best in others. He could combine efficiency with a real humanity and understanding of boys. He gave his best to every project to which he applied himself. It is from men like this that we learn the true meaning ofloyalty. T.J.G.R., G.M.H.R. 1040 THE SHJRBURNIAN

CAPTAIN JOHN PHILIP BLAKE, M.C. (Royal Marines); JOHN BLAKE came to Sherbome as a teacher of Mathematics in September, 1939, spending only one term here before joining the Royal Marines. He was present at the Dakar incident and remained in the tropics for a large part of 1940-41 before being transferred to the Mediterranean. In July, 1943, he joined the 43rd R.M. Commando and commanded a troop of 70 men. He went to Italy in January, 1944, was awarded the Military Cross " for his outstanding gallantry and leadership shown while serving with the 43rd R.M. Commando in the attack on Mt. Ornito on 3rd February " ; was present at the Anzio landing, and later crossed over to the Dalmatian Islands. He returned to Italy and on 13th June was reported missing as the result of leading an attack on a German strong point. His death in action was confirmed at the beginning of August. Few will ever know the tremendous loss the School has sustained. It is hard to realise that such a splendid personality will not return to give us of his best, as it was his impatient desire to be able to do. The essence of John Blake's character was naturalness and simplicity. His successes at school and university were more than enough to turn his head, but he never showed the slightest sign of conceit nor any desire to find his friends chiefly from among the athletically successful. He was Head of his Preparatory School at Emworth and captain of all games ; Head of the School and of Mead's House at Aldenham, where he was also captain of cricket and a school colour for fives and hockey. At Cambridge he won his Blue for cricket, was a member of the University Wanderers Hockey Club and of the Hawks Club, and was captain of Cricket and Hockey at St.John's. But no one would ever learn these things from his own lips. Amongst his own interests cricket stood out pre-eminently. All his letters to me contained some reference to it, no matter what time of year it might be. Sound and stylish bat though he was, it was his fielding which most impressed and gave such pleasure to all who saw him play. Whether he was playing for Cambridge or Hampshire or in some club match or on the village green, it was equally keen and polished, a perfect expression of himself. He had a most retentive brain and great powers of con­ centration. But the most outstanding features of his life were his deep devotion to his family and to his faith and the enormous enjoyment he got out of life and friendship. He made friends wherever he went, for he entered whole-heartedly into the joys and sorrows of others in a natural way. All his officers stressed that he was a born leader of men and that all his men were so proud of him and so fond of him and talked of his outstanding personality. Perhaps the words of his Commanding Officer to his parents sum him up as well as words can: "John's loss to you is irreparable, as it is to the Corps and to the nation-an officer of his quality is quite irreplaceable." R.S.T. CYRIL BRIAN LINDREA (a '39-'43). (Lieut., Royal Marines). BRIAN LINDREA came to Sherborne from St. Peter's, Weston-super-Mare. Early impressions were of an endearing modesty and ingenuousness, and a grievous bereavement courageously borne. Naturally he made many friends, both close and in a wide circle, and was indeed one of the most popular boys of his time. - A good footballer (he got his 2nd XV Colours), and capable swimmer, in the classroom more dogged than brilliant, he will be remembered for his unvarying good sense and kindness, particularly when as a prefect he showed an unusual capacity for sympathy with and helpfulness towards those junior to him. He joined the Royal Marines in the early part of 1943, and his death during the Antwerp operations in the autumn of 1944 came all the more as a shock in that it was so near to his time ofleaving school. But there was no mistaking the deep regret expressed at the news by OSS., his contemporaries, and by present Shirburnians, who remembered him as their senior. Without any doubt in his quiet unassuming way, Brian Lindrea had left an abiding mark on his House BRIGADIER H. C. PARTRIDGE, D.S.O. (b '16-21). CUTHBERT PARTRIDGE was acting as Military Conductor to the two Members of Parliament whose aeroplane was lost on its flight from Italy to Greece a few weeks ago : hope of the safety ~fall on board has now been adandoned. He came to the Prep. at Sherborne in 1913 and quickly made his mark as an athlete, and with his sunny nature was popular with everyone. In September, 1916 he went on to the Abbey House. He brought honour to his House by his brilliant athletic career. He was a member of the School XI for three years, being Captain in 1921 ; he was a good bat and a fine wicket-keeper ; he was in the School XV and afterwards played for Somerset; in the School Spons of 1921, he won six open events, an achievement tJIE SHiRBURNIAN 1041 recorded only on three other occasions ; in the following holidays he won the Public School half-mile race at Stamford Bridge ; he also represented the School for two years in the Public School Boxing Competition. · From Sherborne he and his companion of Prep days, Douglas Gaye (they seemed to be inseparable) went to Sandhurst, and thence together in 1923 they joined the Dorsetshire Regiment. In 1933, Cuthbert was appointed Supervising Officer of Physical Training at Sandhurst, a post after his own heart. In 1935 he was gazetted to the Royal Fusiliers as Captain. During the war he served in the Middle East in Libya, in Abyssinia: in Syria (where he was taken prisoner and had the experience of travelling to France via Jugo-Slavia, Austria and Germany before he was released), and finally in Italy, where he was appointed Brigadier and won the D.S.O. . In him may be seen the real value of athletics in the formation of character ; he was devoted to games of all sorts, and his love of them kept his mind fresh and clean and wholesome, and his body always fit; from them he learnt unselfishness, fair-mindedness and generosity, and through them he came to know the art of leadership which he used with such :wisdom and effect, as well as the joy of comradeship ; his friends were legion. In private life his one wish seemed to be to make those around him happy and at their ease ; he was always cheerful, always kind and unassuming ; but you had only to watch him boxing to know what courage, what tenacity, what determination and what fierceness lay concealed behind that gentle exterior: how typical of the best English soldier ! He had an alert and intelligent mind and a considerable appre­ ciation of literature. It is difficult to conceive anyone more fitted for the life he had chosen. No doubt, if he had been spared, he would· have brought still greater distinction to himself and his old School ; but God thought otherwise, and his fine life and work in this world are ended ; but we may be sure that they have not been in vain, and there are many who are the better for the privilege of having known him. L.C.P. F. P. ST. M. SHIAL (b '24-'28). (Lieut.-Colonel. Killed in Italy, September, 1944). How completely trivial success at School, at the time so rightly viewed as all-important, seems a few years later ! PAT SHAIL reached the VI th form by normal progression, and was at times a deadly slow bowler in the 2nd XI ; but he left for the R.A.C. before he had gained special distinction in any sphere. Of his army career let others more qualified speak ; his rank at his death, aged 33, is some indication of his success. But I can speak of his downright honesty, of the flashes of real anger, of his gaiety, and of his almost precocious knowledge of the habits and conventions of a Christian gentleman which made his friendship such a delight : and as an host when he would patiently try and teach me some of the artS of dry-fly fishing -perhaps his greatest accomplishment-on that most lovely trout stream, the Wiltshire Avon. His affection for Sherbome and his love of the English countryside, maybe, is balanced now by Sherborne's sorrow and England's gratitude for yet another very gallant Officer. L.M. CECIL JAMES MILLIGAN (b '22-'27). CECIL JAMES MILLIGAN was the third son of Dr. W. A. Milligan, London. War came in the middle of his Medical Course, but as soon as he had got his degree, he joined the Navy. He had taken some time co decide on his profession, but once having started medicine he never looked back, and his career seemed full of promise. In his short time at sea he encountered much danger and showed the greatest courage and coolness. He was very popular with officers and men. His ship was torpedoed in January, 1942, and very few were saved. GEOFFREY DRAKE BROCKMAN ('19-'23). GEOFFREY DRAKE BROCKMAN went to Woolwich from Abbey House where he was from '19-'23, and afterwards joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was a born soldier and his career was full of promise. He became A.D.C. to the Governor ofBihar and Orissa, which post he held for two years. He was killed in February, 1942. EDWARD LIONEL FOX ('12-'16). EDWARD LIONEL Fox was in Abbey House from '12-'16. He was a good cricketer in the XI '15 and '16. After School he went to the Quetta College and joined the Indian Arn'ly. He fought in the Great War; 1042 THE SHIRBURNIAN as Lieutenant in the Garhwal Rifles he gained his M.C. in Mesopotamia. He became Adjutant to his Regiment in 1925, a post he held till 1929. He had a charming personality, very quiet and unassuming and made many friends. He was killed in July, 1942. GEORGE ROCHE ('32-'37). GEORGE RocHE, who died of wounds in December, 1941, while- serving with the Green Howards, was the only son of Mrs. Roche, Worsall Vicarage Farm, Yorks., and nephew of George Blair (b '08-'13) and was in Abbey House '32-'37. He was a House Prefect and a very loyal Shirburnian. With a very shrewd brain, he would have given much in the service of his fellow men. ARTHUR F. NORMAN-WALKER, R.A. ('26-'30). ARTHUR F. NORMAN-WALKER, son of Colonel I. N. Norman-Walker, C.I.E., I.M.S., went to Woolwich from Abbey House, where he was from '26-'30. He was the second son of a much loved Sherbome family, and one felt he had a distinguished military career in front of him. He had a lively sense of humour and enjoyed life to the full, and made others happy wherever he was. He was killed at Arnhem. · JOHN RUDOLF MORITZ (c '19-'23). JOHN RUDOLF MORITZ was at Sherbome from September, 1919to 1923. Onleaving he went on the Stock Exchange. He died of wounds received in the Middle East in November, 1942, while serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery. JOHN WOODVILLE BRENDON (c '28-'33). JOHN WOODVILLE BRENDON, Major, 3rd King's Own Hussars, was killed in action in Italy, in March, 1944. He was one of three brothers, all of whom were at The Green. On leaving Sherbome he went up to Hertford College, Oxford, and studied Law. He was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Hussars (S.R.O.) in 1936, and served with the 8th Army in North Africa and Italy. GEOFFREY FAIRFAX PECK (c. '22-'27). GEOFFREY FAIRFAX PECK was one of four brothers, all of whom were at The Green. On leaving School he went on the Stock Exchange. He was killed in action in Normandy in July, 1944, while serving as a Major in the 2nd Northants Yeomanry. JAMES RICHARD FORD (c '30-'34). JAMES RICHARD FORD, Major, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was killed in action in Normandy in July, 1944, while leading his Company. PHILIP STUART JACKSON-TAYLOR (c '09-'14). PHILIP STUART JACKSON-TAYLOR, Squadron-Leader, R.A.F., was the elder of two brothers, who were both at The Green. At School he won a Longmuir Drawing Prize and represented the School in the Public Schools Boxing in 1914. He served in the European War of 1914-18, first as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Hereford Regiment, being wounded in Gallipoli, and later in the R.F.C. He obtained a permanent commission in the R.A.F. in 1919. After graduating in the R.A.F. Staff College, he retired with the rank of Squadron Leader in 1928. He was killed on active service in February, 1945, while flying to the Yalta Conference as a representative of the Air Ministry. CHARLES ARTHUR STREET (c '18-'21). CHARLES ARTHUR STREET was one of two brothers, both of whom were at The Green ; and the son ofLieut.-Colonel A. Street, O.B.E. (O.S.). On leaving Sherbome he went up to Jesus College, Cambridge, and later obtained a commission in the South Staffordshire Regiment. He held the rank of Lieut.-Colonel and was attached to the Worcestershire Regiment at the time of his death in action in Burma in February, 1945. T. T. LOGAN (d '26-'28). T. T. LOGAN was killed on the Buna Beach in 1942, fighting with the Australians with whom he joined up at the outbreak of War. At School he was a remarkably cheery and good-tempered boy with a very independent outlook and full of good courage. . D. E. WILSON (d '28-'32). D. E. WILSON after leaving Sherbome went up to New College, and took an honours degree in Engineering. He was very keen on sailing and became Vice-Commodore of the O.U. Sailing Club for two years, during which time he led his team to victory, twice against Cambridge, and in other races. THE SHIRBURNIAN . 1043

He joined Bristol Aeroplanes, but in October, 1939, became Sub-Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R., and was promoted Lieutenant after one year. He went down with the "Dorsetshire" on April 5th, 1942. His heart was in sailing. He acted as helmsman in the English team, with Stewart Morris and Peter Scott, which beat the Swiss in the Anglo-Swiss Yacht Races on Lake Thun in 1939. His ambition was to take a boat and sail to the South Sea Islands. He had a very kindly and happy disposition, as boy and man, and made a host of friends. G. R. FFOLLETT (d '28-'31). G. R. FFOLLETT had a very creditable career at Sher borne as a House Prefect and reached the Sixth and 2nd XV. He went into the City, joined the H.A, and played for" The Wasps." In 1939 he got a Commission in the Dorsetshire Regiment, went to Malta in February, 1940, and died there after an operation on January 30th, 1941. His Colonel wrote of him that he was liked by all, officers and men, a good sportsman and a keen and reliable officer. "I had hoped to promote him in the near future. He was to me a personal friend whom I trusted and was very fond of." . J. P. GRI.i!G (d '25-'30): J. P. GRIEG loved his school life. He was universally popular and as honest as the day, a boy of sterling character. He went into business and was sent out to Brazil in 1940. He tried hard to get home to take his share in the war, but was not released until 1942. His ship was sunk on the way home. He was univer­ sally loved. Simplicity and sincerity were his chief characteristics, but he had a clear idea of what was right and was completely unspoilt in doing it. Yet he made no enemies. PILOT OFFICER A. B. E. RUTHERFORD (/). TONY RUTHERFORD was Head of Abbeylands in 1941. He left to join the R.A.F. and obtained his Commission as a Pilot. After distinguished service with Typhoons before and during the Normandy campaign, for which he was awarded the D.F.C., he returned to this country for a period of training. It was during this period that he met his death in a flying accident. Quiet and reserved in manner, Rutherford nevertheless made many friends, both here and in the R.A.F. He showed his best qualities when given opportunities to lead or to act, and his loss was a severe blow both to Old Shirburnians and to the members of his Squadron. JOHN MAURICE MACFARLANE YEO (Captain and Adjutant, R.A.C.) (g '30-'34). JOHN MAURICE MACFARLANE YEO was killed in N.W. Europe in October last. At School he was in the VIth Form and destined for the Law. Without particular success in games, for his eyesight was always a handicap there, he exercised an influence beyond the ordinary by reason of his utter sincerity and perfect adjustment to his surroundings. In peace and amid the crude realities of war he was completely genuine, and up to the end his letters home showed what Sherbome meant to him. From the Sappers he trans­ ferred to the R.A.C., and it was with them that he was killed in action. GEORGE EDMUND ALLISON (Flight Lieutenant, R.A.F.) (g '25-'29). GEORGE EDMUND ALLISON was in the School Shooting VIII, and after he left pursued his set plan of making contacts as widely as possible. Balliol College, Banking, The Foreign Office and the Stock Exchange were all a part of his plan. He contested a Constituency unsuccessfully, but would certainly have tried again but for the War. An interesting and enterprising career was ended by the greatest adventure of all. · ANTONY LECKONBY ASHTON TASKER (Captain, R.A.) (g '33-'37). ANTONY LECKONBY ASHTON TASKER came to Sher borne as a Scholar and soon showed himself to be a fine games player as well. He had two years in the Cricket XI, won the Batting Averages Cup, Captained his House and made a remarkable 200 in a Final House Match. He was also Captain of the Hockey XI. His interests were wide and included a well-informed enthusiasm for astronomy. In short, he was able and efficient far above the average, but he will be remembered more for what he was even than for what he did. The man carried into the hard theatre of war the great qualities of heart and mind which he had shown as a boy. A great tribute has come from those with whom he served: "And there was never any secret about the key to his personality ... His Battery had chosen a beautiful spot in the comer of an orchard ... people from the village nearby brought flowers ... a young Friar from a neigh­ bouring monastery brought a cross which he had made himself and which one of our men is painting ... all signs of something very deep, a rich mixture of affection and admiration." Those who knew him will understand, 1044 THE SHIRBURNIAN STOP PRESS The Editors are not responsible for anv misprints in this Section.

}AMES RHOADES SOCIETY. It was with deep regret that the Society learnt at the beginning of the term of the death of Mr. Moule at the Yeatman Hospital. Since its inception in 1940, Mr. Moule organised the Society with his customary thoroughness, and we owe a very deep debt of gratitude to him for all the trouble he took to make the Society what it is. In his place we welcome Mr. Atthill, who has taken on this duty in addition to that of organising School Concerts and Lectures. We are sincerely grateful to him for giving up so much of his time to us. During the first half of the term, due to a paucity of lecturdess Saturdays, the first play read was a short one, Galsworthy's" Escape," an old favourite. Mr. Barlow again took the chief role, and our high expectations were fully realised. Despite the fact that certain members found it somewhat difficult to exchange their polished accents for those of the labourer or warder, a very enjoyable evening was spent. The second play to be read this term is" Henry V," in which P. J. Kent will take the title role. D. J.M. HOWORTH JHon. D. R. A. SPANKIE Secs. HOCKEY SCHOOL 5 GOALS ; TOWN HOCKEY CLUB NIL. The first match was played on Young's on Saturday, 10th March. Of last year's team, Blanford (the Captain) Cockman, and Broadley remained, Covington being ill. From the start the Town were on the defensive and it was not long before Rittson-Thomas opened the scoring with a fast shot which gave the goalkeeper no chance. The Town rallied and caused Grattan to save well, but play was soon transferred to the other end. Several good movements by the forwards came to nothing until Carson-Parker scored a seco11d goal, after good work by Watts and Broadley. Shortly after. Rittson-Thomas scored again. The Town goalkeeper was called upon many times to save, but he managed to keep his goal intact. Unfortunately, Hicks, the Town inside left, was hit on the knee by a rising clearance from one of his backs, which necessitated ris removal to the wing. To add to their troubles, the Town centre forward also hurt a leg, so that for the rest of the game their attack was seriously depleted. However, for most of the second half the defence remained steady under constant attack until near the end, when good work by Cockman and Hunter enabled Broadley and Rittson-Thomas to add two more goals. The game was played at a fast pace throughout and th~ School showed very promising form. Team: Grattan; Harris, H. L. K., Faulkner; Blanford, Watts, H. F. M., Allerton; Hunter, J. W., Rittson­ Thomas, Carson-Parker, Broadley, Cockman, T. J. C.

SCHOOL 6 ; KING'S SCHOOL, BRUTON NIL. Played at Bruton on Tuesday, 14th March. Bruton had the misfortune to be without their Captain and centre half. The School pressed at once and for most of the first half, but could score only twice through Carson-Parker, who finished off a good effort by Rittson-Thomas and Broadley. The Bruton backs were playing up on their inside men instead of covering, and this caused the School forwards to get off-side very often. But in· the second half they pushed the ball through much more quickly, which enabled Broadley to add three more goals and Carson-Parker one. The game was played at a great pace on a warm day, so that both sides were exhausted by the end. While the whole side played well, Blanford and Watts were outstanding, and the left wing, Cockman and Broadley, was always dangerous, though Broadley became far too selfish towards the end. Both the backs played very steadily, Harris in particular hitting the ball very cleanly and crisply. The team was the same as that which played against the Town, except that Covington played left-half instead of Allerton.

SCHOOI. "A" XI 3; ALLHALLOWS SCHOOL 2. Played at Allhallows on Thursday, 15th March. The ground was very dry and bumpy, making accurate ritting and passing very difficult. Nevertheless, both sides gave a good account of themselves, the School side in particular playing much better than might have been expected considering they had never played together before. Allhallows opened the scoring, their Captain at centre-half following up an opening and hitting a good goal. Almost immediately the School equalised through Carson-Parker, and not long after Lovell added another, so that the School led at half­ time by two goals to on;:. In the second half play moved quickly from one end to the other and both goals had narrow escapes. A break through by the Allhallows' forwards following a free shot to the School for off-side, produced an equalising goal from their inside-right. For the rest of the game the School pressed continuously until Lovell scored a final goal with a plendid cross shot. The School deserved to win, for they had the more dangerous forward line and it was only some spectacular first-time clearances and the vigilance of the goalkeeper that kept the score down. Lovell and Anson made a very good right wing and Carson-Parker was always dangerous. The halves, particularly Walden, were good, and passed intelligently to their forwards, and the backs and goalkeeper were· steady under pressure, though Ccleman should have saved the second goal. Team: Coleman; Aitken, Faulkner (Capt.); Walden1 Smith C. J., Covington; Anson1 Lovell, Carson-Parker, Blakeney, Robenson, THE SHJRBURNIAN 1045

CONCERT BY THE SCHOOL ORCHESTRA On March 10th the School heard the first concert to be given by its newly-formed orchestra. That every seat in the Big School-room was filled, despite the voluntary attendance, is sufficient indication of the School's support for this enterprise. Few people, indeed, came to criticise or find fault, and the atmosphere was one of an appreciation and gratitude seldom experienced on Saturday evenings. The orchestra was somewhat reduced through illness, the most noticeable loss being that of the two 'cellists. Blacking did his best to cover the 'ce!Io part on the piano, but it was not the same. The Introduction, Overture, Air and March from H:mdel's Occasiom.J Oratorio was spirited, though in parts a little ragged and not improved by the tympani supplied by the audience. The orchestra was not very delicate in its treatment of the lighter passages, but showed greater confidence in the more robust. In the Mozart Piano Concerto Blacking, despite strenuous boxing during the afternoon, played with a confidence and smoothness that was admirable. White followed with two songs, a pleasant contrast to one another, which he sang with an ability we have come to expect of him. The fourth item was a popular piece and ably managed by the orchestra. Blacking and Gordon then gave a spirited and sympathetic rendering of four Brahms' Waltzes, and White followed with two more songs. It must be embarassing to forget one's words before a large audience, and he is to be congratulated on the way he quickly regained his confidence. His singing more then compensates for lapses of memory ; the Headmaster acclaimed " Linden Lea" as his fav0urite item. As a finale, the orchestra played Mozart's Serenade for Strings. It formed a fitting conclusion to the concert, and was the orchestra's most successful piece. Apart from a minor catastrophe in the second violins, all the movements were played without a hitch, though some of the quieter and slower passages were a little out of tune. The concert was a great start. We should like to thank all responsible for il, especially Mr. Leighton who has met with many difficulties and suffered criticism from the most unlikely quarters. We should also like to remind the School of the need for its active support. More players are required. Bear in mind that the inability to master a piano keyboard does not mean that one is unmusical, nor does it debar one from playing an orchestral instrument. The Programme was as follows :- 1. Introduction, Overture, Air and March (from the Occasional Oratorio) Handel. 2. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A major (First movement) Mozart. Solo piano-J. A. R. Blacking. 3. Songs. Devotion Richard Strauss. Go not happy day Arthur Soll!ervell. A. C. White. 4. Shepherd's Dance (from " Henry VIIIth" Dances) Edward German. 5. Leibeslieder Waltzes, for Piano Duet (Nos. 5, 6, 15 and 18) Brahms. J. A. R. Blacking J.M. Gordon. 6. Songs. Sea Fever John Ireland. Linden Lea R. Vaughan Williams. A. C. White. 7. Serenade for Springs (A\legro-Romanze-Minuet-Allegro) Mozart. First Violins: Mr. A. B. Gourlay* Viola Miss L. Wilkins M. H. S. Bound 'Cellos: Miss A. Wallace* Mrs. Brewster Mr. F. Peltzer* C. A. Zeally Double Bass : Mr. H. Littlepage Mrs. Luxmoore M. J. Gordon Second Violins: Miss M. S. Tidey Flute: Mr. C. Norris P. C. Teale Clan"nets: Dr. C. Langmaid D. L. Watts R. L. L. Davies M. Ridley* Bassoon: Mr. F. G. Mee J. W. L~idlay Piano: J. A. R. Blacking P. N. Wilson Conductor Mr. C. Leighton. *Absent from the performance. MOISEIWITSCH RECITAL That so great a musician as Moiseiwitsch should visit Sherbome was undoubtedly an honour, and we were glad to note that the large and enthusiastic audience which attended the performance at Foster's School on March 14th was everything that an audience should be. We have heard of audiences that coughed, whispered, crackled paper and clapped inopportunely-sometimes even during a piece. Let us congratulate ourselves on this undeniable proof that Sherborne knows how to welcome the great figures of the musical world. · If the programme had a fault it was in the choice of items, many of which displayed to the full the soloist's virtuo­ sity, but none of which entirely satisfied frcm the point of view of the music. We remember the fingers of Albert Sammons when he played here in the Winter of 1941, but at the Moiseiwitsch Concert our seat was so situated that we could not see the soloist's fingers on the keys. Accordingly, we were at liberty to watch his face. The expression was so immobile, the eyes so steady, that one had the impression of watching his mind. At times, indeed, it seemed that the music came not from the man but from the piano itself and finding expression through him, 1046 THE SHIRBURNIAN

Of the pieces which he played, the Chopin Sonata in B Minor and Moussorgsky's " Pictures from an Exhibition " gave the most pleasure, while Scriabin's Nocturne for the left hand gave proof of the ingenuity both of composer and performer. This was a concert given in a fine cause and played in a fine manner. · AllBEYLANDS-WESCOTT HOUSE CONCERT On March 17th, Abbeylands and Westcott House are giving a short informal Concert at Abbeylands, to which House Prefects from other Houses have been invited. It is hoped that this will be the first modest step towards some­ thing on the lines of P. J. Kent's proposal in the Correspondence, and that other Houses will be prompted to give similar entertainments in the winter terms. In addition to musical items and " first performances " of topical songs, the programme will include two scenes from" Peer Gynt" by Westcott House, and Barrie's one-act enigma" Shall We Join the Ladies," by Abbeylands. RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT I have been invited to write a short review of the term. I refuse with some thought and hesitatingly proffer my reasons. You must already have a good idea .of the events, the successes, and the failures of this Spring Term by your very presence l;tere. Besides, what is this our Shirburnian but a review in detail of very nearly every aspect of our community life, and if this and the Headmaster's end of term speech are inadequate, it is asking too much of my limited capacity to put the finishing touches. We are a boxing School, and I cannot do· better than summarise in the footsteps of our Prime Minister and Field Marshal Montgomery. The first round we sparred with·our opponent, weighed him up, and delivered a few well­ placed punches. The second round has been tough and we retire with a bleeding nose and feeling that we have taken more than we gave. Let us make full use of the last interval. The third round will require determination and guts, in fact, our all, if with the bell we may win the prize and the satisfaction of a fight well fought. P. N. WALKER. ENVOI

By propaganda and pamphleteering, and even bribery, we claim to have restored The Shirburnian to its pre-war literary standard. It is true that to attain this end, and with the School's approval, we have included contributions by literary members of the staff and OSS. ; but it must be remembered that the intelligentsia is at least a year younger than that of peacetime, and, furthermore, the happy clique that stayed on ' for another cricket season ' or ' for the benefits of that last year,' and who supplied the bulk of former contributions, has now been dispersed to the services, short courses and mines. We feel with some justification that our magazine compares favourably with those of other schools which similar situations seem to have affected more seriously. For this, we not only echo our predecessors' thanks to the publishers, but we also do that most unconventional of things, thank our contributors, some of them have taken pains for which even appearance in print cannot fully compensate, and we feel that they have at last been inspired by that higher motive, a sense of duty to the community. When no less a dignitary than the Head of the School writes us a poem, are we too optimistic to prophesy a return to the arts ? Even the much criticised members of Ee. III, who have lost their souls, have not been a fruitless source for contributions. Sherbome, indeed, has many lights, but just as many bushels. There are still people in the School with literary ability who are too lazy to contribute to The Shirburnia11. We suggested elsewhere that war-weariness may be the cause ; but with conditions little changed and a countryside that breathes peace from every field and tree, we surely cannot take upon ourselves the excuse that the front-line soldier hesitates to acknowledge. There is unrest, admittedly, and that sometimes dangerous feeling of ' He-is-dead-who-will-not,fight ' ; but these are emotions we should control till we are best fitted to fulfil our callings. Let us overcome this resignation and complacency. Last year there were three entries for the School poem and one for the essay. We print the subjects chosen for this year, hoping that more people will enter for these prizes:- · English Essay-' Toleration.' English Verse-' Childhood.' We also give a provisional closing date for next term's contributions, July 8th, although the matter will no longer be in our hands. This we hope will afford some guide to O.S. contributors who write to us on the last Monday of term hoping that they are not too late for the term's issue. We have another finger in the pie, too, as we have arranged that next term the paper shall return to its previous flawless white. With a cover that was turning from blue to grey and pages blending to the same colour, we felt that some shade distinction was necessary and offer our apologies for taking the matter into our own hands. Finally, no more will you be robbed of our copies to supply other Public Schools. It may be of interest that by this distasteful mean~ wt.> were able to send last term's Shirburnian to our more select brethren; but our publishers have now under­ taken to distribute 48 copies, free of charge. When the blood-red sun had gone burning down, And the lights were lit in the little town, Outside, in the gloom of the twilight grey, The little dog died when he'd had his day. T.J.G.R., G.M.H.R., J.H.G.C., Editors of " The Shirburnian.'' NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

All Letters and Articles intended for publi..;ation shoutl be sent to the EDITOR, Sherbome School, Dorset. The Annual Subscription is 8/- (including postage). The Shirburnian is published three times in the year, once each in the Lent, Summer and Michaelmas Terms. Subscribers changing their addresses are requested to communicate at once with the PUBLISHERS, as otherwise the Shirburnian cannot possibly be forwarded to them. This applies especially to subscribers entering or leaving the Universities. If an article is to be continued in successive number:. the whole is to be sent in at once. No contribution will be inserted which is not the bona fide production of some one who is, or has been, a Member of the School. We decline to hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our contributors.

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All Business Communications with regard to the Shirburnian should be made to the Publishers at The Abbey Book Shop, Ltd., The Parade, Sherborne, Dorset, to whom alone Subscriptions should be sent. •