Owt 30 Old Wyves' Tales 30

Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 30-1

OWT 30 OLD WYVES' TALES 30 - JANUARY 2004 THE IRREGULAR NEWSLETTER FOR WYVERNIANS PRE-1976 Edited By Dennis J Duggan, Rock Cottage, Brook Street, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire. SY21 7NA Tel 01938 555574 07985 405 365 [email protected] Web Site: www.wyvernians.org.uk Webmaster, Tom Horton: [email protected] EDITORIAL We have received no new members since OWT 29, and our numbers currently stand at 470. Of those, 270 have an e-mail address. The total figure includes deceased people and those who are, to all intents and purposes, dormant. Nobody with an e-mail address is ever deleted from the address book (unless of course they ask to be removed, which some do) because effectively it costs nothing to send them OWT and reunion invitations. Of the 200 without an e-mail address, some have passed away, others have said they have no interest and several do not receive postal correspondence from me because they never respond. Personally I think that is rather rude, but there we are. So 130 Old Boys receive their reunion invitations by post, and of those between 15 - 20 send me a supply of SAE's to receive printed copies of OWT. The number tends to fluctuate as more and more people gain access to a PC. OWT 29 was 'bounced back' by seven of the e-mail recipients. I sent them each a postcard enquiring if they had changed their e-mail address and was disappointed to receive only one reply!! Perhaps they have moved, or prefer to read the newsletters on the web site. Some people say I am too sensitive over such a lack of response, and maybe I am. All I can say is that I would reply if the boot was on the other foot. Last week, January 14th, I gave a talk to Welshpool WI. My subject was Wyvernians, and my experiences in organising reunions. It went down fairly well, and I took some small items from the collection to illustrate my talk. Poolians love giving, and attending, talks and slide shows and several citizens are 'regulars' on the circuit. There is an active social life in the town, with numerous clubs and societies with their attendant meetings and dinners. Some of it is quite parochial, but none the worse for that. Those of you fortunate to live in a small, thriving market town will know what I mean. FROM PAULWILLIAMSON 1957-62 (Editor's note. This item was sent to me in April 2003, but because it is not strictly connected with Wyvernians it was not published. But Paul took the trouble to write it, so here it is) Mick Stokes, Gez Fitzpatrick, Neton and twin, Gareth Mills, my son and I have just returned from Australia. I emigrated to Sidney by ship in May 1967, via the Suez Canal. We managed to contact two of my old mates. One is a reformed alcoholic, the other a manager with Auspost. We were postal clerks together at Maroubra PO. My other mate is in the Phillipines until June. We went to the Blue Mountains, Canberra, Snowy Mountains and Dandenongs through to Melbourne. It was a little noisy there. We had a hired campervan. I had forgotten that Melbourne still has the old trams. Then on to Adelaide, and I apologise for not trying to contact Robert Hastings in Melbourne. We watched a drive-in movie in Sidney, and at Adelaide we watched Australian Rules. The lady who sold us the tickets did not mention the balls came too close for comfort during kicking practice. The across the Nullabor Plain to Kalgoorie, a world-famous goldmining town and mining college. That day we did nearly 800 miles in twelve hours. There had been some rain and the kangaroos came out to drink, so a

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 30-2 little caution was required. On to Perth for a five day stay. We did almost 3,500 miles of hard driving, but the Mercedes diesel was well able to take it and used no oil.We flew from Perth to Melbourne, then onto Cairns in tropical Queensland, which is a beautiful place. We had three nights in Tokyo, two of them in one of those plastic bubble-capsules. I can recommend Japanese Airlines, but Japan is very expensive. I had done a similar trans-Australia trip around November 1968. Regards to Roger Gowland who I saw at the 2003 reunion. I don't know if Mr Pace is still alive. He did awaken me to the big world out there. FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 (Continued from November 2003 - ed) As to other happenings in the 6th form at Downing Drive (or in view of the poor drainage should that be DROWNING Drive?) we found the laboratories to be well-equipped. In the benches were racks of dropper bottles, designed to dispense small quantities of solutions. This was invaluable, as Doc Burrows used to hand out spot samples in small tubes. You then dutifully ran through tests using the chemicals to identify the four component parts of the unknown. I was handed a sample, but despite several attempts could only spot three and not four. I told the Doc, and he gave me a hint to check for halide. I went away to recheck, but the result was still negative so Doc returned to the bench to show me how it should be done. But his result was also negative! We moved to another bench and this time the result was positive. It appeared that a temporary assistant had been told to check the silver nitrate solutions because they had the trait, as used in photography, to darken in sunlight. This had been done, and the bottle rinsed and cleaned with distilled water. But for some reason it had been refilled with tap water, instead of silver nitrate, so gave no result when used in the experiment. I had begun to fear my chemistry career was about to reach a premature end - fancy not being able to find four components. In later life, in the water industry, a lot more than four had to be found, and levels evaluated down to micrograms per litre. One other item mentioned some time ago was the motor scooter owned by one B Thompson, which found its way onto the stage in the Hall. This was not a Lambretta, as claimed, but something wickedly known in scooter circles as a Crappy. The correct name for it was a Capri. It had a good seat for the driver, but the passenger accomodation was a square pad above the rear wheel. Brian was kind enough to give me a lift to Uppingham Road one evening, after I had closed an after-school library session, because my pedal cycle had developed two flat tyres overnight. To say that trip was torture would be an understatement. It was the sort of seat that made one mile preferable to two, and no miles best of all. Sorry, BT. The lift was appreciated, if only to reach the bike shop for a puncture repair kit before it closed. REUNION UPDATE If you have not yet replied to your invitation for 2004, and are in a position to do so, please respond as soon as possible. This applies even if you cannot - or do not wish to - come. We have once again booked the Everard Room and the Hall, with a buffet in the cafeteria, in the assumption numbers will be similar to previous years. But if that is not the case we might be able to manage with just the Hall, thus preserving our valuable funds. As you all have full details of the arrangements that is all I need say here, except to thank those of you who have already been in touch to say yes or no. FROM BRIAN SCREATON 1959-65 (Continued from November 2003 - ed) Malcolm Davies recalls the Lee Circle multi-storey car park (for some unfathomable reason originally called the Auto-Magic car park) This building also looms large (as it would, I suppose!) in my memory. With my partner-in-crime

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 30-3 of those days, John Marney, I spent many lunchtimes going up and down in the lifts; but one incident was rather more senseless, even for me and Marn. One day, for art, Charlie Varley had us all out in the playground sketching the partly-built car park. He disappeared for a while - probably for a coffee and cigarette - so John Marney and I decided it would be a great wheeze to go up to the top of the unfinished structure and wave to the rest of the art class below. We somehow managed to get right to the top. These days I can't measure up a new house on a building site without a hard hat, reflective jacket and two weeks' health and safety training, but times were different then! We reached the top and stood on the edge. There was no guard rail, nor the concrete surround which now exists, so it was quite a toe-tingling experience. All the more so when we realised that one of the faces looking up at us from the playground belonged to Charlie Varley, who had returned from his break. We tried to saunter casually back down, but were met by an apoplectic Charlie, his complexion as puce as one of his shirts, who hustled us back to the playground. Incredibly I don't recall any punishment being dished out, but looking back now from these H & S obsessed days it seems the 'height' of stupidity. I lost track of John Marney after leaving CBS, though he occasionally popped up in the Leicester Mercury as he had a sort of zoo in his back garden (probably much to the annoyance of his neighbours - I think he lived in Birstall at the time) and was always saving birds with broken wings. I believe he emigrated, but can't be sure. Bailiss's, again as mentioned by Malcolm Davies, also brings back memories of those bags of stales although his revelation about the mice almost had me bringing back my tea. But when I thought about it, I had a vague recollection that Bailiss's was closed down in later years for what would now be called food hygiene offences. I might be misremembering; perhaps that was the Chinese restaurant next to The Fountain. A previous correspondent expressed amazement at what others could remember, and commented his own days at CBS had seemed to pass in a blur. That goes for me too, and I am still staggered that some seem able to recall detailed conversations from their schooldays. But I am glad of that. The foregoing has just about exhausted my schooldays memories, and some of those are only periphally associated with City Boys. Lastly a little snippet. At the last reunion I was interested to hear from Doc Burrows that Alan J W Bell, producer of such TV classics as Last Of The Summer Wine, is none other than the son of the late E J W Ding Dong Bell. I must admit I had always wondered about the similarity of the initials, and so another of life's little conundrums was solved. FROM DEREK HINE 1941-45 I again missed the last reunion, but unfortunately it fell between a visit to Western Park View for my father's 98th birthday, sadly his last, and a visit to the Walker stadium arranged by my son. Three trips to Leicester in four weeks is too much for me now! Re the choice of schools. I was told that Wyggeston Boys had to attend school on Saturday mornings, and as City Boys was nearest laziness won as usual. A number of us, with our bikes, went to Knipton Harvest Camp in the back of a lorry. I remember we overtook the Physics master's car, with two or three of the boys, somewhere between Melton Mowbray and Croxton Kerrial. The lake we swam in was Knipton reservoir, on the Duke of Rutland's estate. He gave permission for us to use it. The water was cold, but refreshing after a day's work in the fields. There was a Lancaster in the lake, with the tail-end showing above the water. It seems unreal now, but less than four years later, during a three-hour stint over Pembrokeshire, I saw from the observer's seat of a Sea Mosquito one of the last few Lancasters still in service pass beneath us.

FROM KEITH WRIGHT 1948-54 OWT 28 proved very interesting to me. I particularly enjoyed reading Bryan Alexander's short contribution. Can he be persuaded to write more? (Over to you, Bryan - ed) He often used Thank you, Lesley Welch** as a catch phrase in reply to anyone providing a piece of useless information, so demonstrating the perspicacity which must have contributed to his obtaining a place at Selwyn College. The Rimmington abstract provided was an interesting insight for those whose time at CBS coincided with R R Pedley's reign. As it indicated, he taught the 6th form, I think just the Sci 6th on nonexamination matters. In particular I remember his strong objection to the comprehensive movement (he was right, of course) Pedley was a disciple of Dr F R Leavis, his Cambridge tutor, who was no fan of C P Snow's views, which may account for some of the rigidity in outlook to which Rimmington refers. In once defining oleaginous as greasy he precipitated peals of laughter, as this was the nickname given to him by the less deferential. He once enquired which of us had access to The Concise Oxford Dictionary. One hand, Tony Hancock's, went up. He then enquired who had access to a Chambers dictionary. The same hand went up. 'If we were good socialists,' he opined, 'the dictionaries would be divided up and distributed equally among you.' He once came down heavily on someone who used virtually in the sense of very almost, complaining that its use should be restricted to mean unreal, as in the virtual focus of a lens, or nowadays the virtual memory of a computer, I suppose. I still have The Concise Oxford Dictionary I got later, now fifty years old. Comparing the definitions of, for instance, disinterested and presently with the current Oxford Compact (which I got from an offer at a garage) nicely illustrates how words may degrade in their precision over time; something which Pedley's rigidity could not easily cope - or maybe his power was dependent on a degree of rigidity? Chas Howard was also involved in getting/keeping the scientists 'cultured'. He taught us American history, famously stating, 'You can only be a Duke or Earl in America if you get your parents to christen you that.' Quite incidentally, some years later at Birmingham University, I met an Old Boy called Horseman, who had been a Prefect in my earlier days. He was studying for an MA in American history (coals to Newcastle?) Chas persuaded some of us to take a 'serious' Sunday paper - The Observer, which I continued with until it went off badly, just before The Grauniad took it over. One contemporary's mother complained 'there was too much reading in it!' Thus were we moulded. **Most readers (of a certain age - ed) will remember that Leslie Welch was a variety act on steam radio who was able to answer obscure sporting questions, and this phrase was uttered by his questioner after he had correctly given the name of Arsenal's goalkeeper in the 19.. cup final or similar. FROM TONY WAKEFIELD 1951-56 After nearly fifty years I still have fond memories of the school. The most memorable master was Bill Sykes, who taught French and Music. There is another Old Boy here in Hamilton (Hamilton, New Zealand and not Hamilton in the suburb of Leicester - ed) Suresh Patel, a pharmacist who was at the school in the 1960's (Tony, please ask him if he wants to join us - ed) FROM JOHN (JAKE) BLAIKIE 1955-62 As one who thoroughly enjoyed his time at City Boys I find it difficult to understand anyone who loathed their schooldays. That period of my life provided me with a fine education and some of my best long-term friends, with whom I still communicate. As I approach my 60th birthday that seven-year period now seems but an augenblick.

(Thanks, Mr Newton - sad to hear of his passing) Unfortunately I cannot picture Don Whitbread, but not being selected to take Latin it may be he never taught me. I read, with a nostalgia obviously shared with many others, about the Humberstone Gate and Lee Circle premises. They seemed so big at the time, but would I suspect appear quite cramped now. Those small classrooms, narrow corridors and the stone steps showing much sign of wear. From a teacher point of view the early years are a bit of a blur. Wally Wardle, Johnny Geeves (sic) Basher Unsubstantiated Brewin, McNulty, Newton, Brushe, Pace, Howard, Sweet, Willan, Gould... I didn't realise he was a commando. We might have won the war much quicker if he'd made the Germans study Pride and Predjudice as they would have died of boredom. As someone who narrowed down to the science stream, and eventually double maths and physics, my memories are more of Dr Burrows, Remington, Larry Lawson and Dalai Lawrence - but most notably O F T (Bob) Roberts. Being a sports-oriented person I have great memories of Grace Road and Rushey Fields, including the bicycle scramble to get there; activities of soccer/tennis/cricket only occasionally interrupted by the drudgery of cross-country. Add a flavoured milk for sixpence, before heading home to watch Victory At Sea. Since leaving I did Mech Eng at Birmingham, worked at the BU until late 1968 then migrated to Australia in early 1969 along with Ian Neill. Bob Beef Neill was in my year, and Alex Neill was a couple of years after Ian. Ian was, I think, 1957-64. He is not prone to nostalgia, but on a recent visit to Melbourne (after a round of golf and a second bottle of red wine) he did manage a sparkling rendition of the school song complete with all verses and the chorus. It certainly got the attention of the other restaurant patrons. How is it that forty years later I can espouse the Latin chorus wordperfect, though with no idea what it means, yet cannot remember what I read yesterday? I always thought of it as a pretentious initiative of Mr E J W Bell, and in no way does it compare with a rousing version of Jerusalem as conducted by Bill Sykes I note my old friends Dave Atton, Ted Dougherty, Brian Cope, Ray James, Brett Nason, Jim Gilfedder, Frank Whitelam and John Herrick are active on the site and at the reunions. As a distant exile, can I put in a whatever-happened-to request for the following: Bruce Adams, Spencer MacManus, John Worth and Andy Hamilton. Happy to be contacted at [email protected] And Oz visitors are welcome. (To be continued - ed) FROM LAURIE FORD 1962-66 I was fascinated to read Geoff Manchester's reminiscences in the last OWT, particularly the reference to the Christmas concert. The concert took place in 1963, and the first year lads miming were in fact second years. I should know as I was one of them. I remember the concert as being at Humberstone Gate, as it seemed quite an accolade to perform in front of the whole school. We were shipped over to Humberstone Gate specifically for the performance. We might have done it at Elbow Lane first. The performers were myself, with a red cardboard-cutout guitar borrowed from my church; Phil Selvidge (who had a brother in a real band) with a wooden replica guitar; Steve Pinchbeck; Glenton (I think) and Chris Issit. We mimed to You Were Made For Me, by Freddie & The Dreamers, a hit of the time. I seem to recall we went down a storm. We must have – someone remembered it! With regard to the lads who really did play, I remember their spot well. I thought they were brilliant, and I'm sure they also did The Dakota's instrumental Cruel Sea. The Dakotas were Billy J Kramer's backing group. OBITUARIES Ron Smith, History, passed away January 4th. R J Bryan (1934-39) passed away during 2003. W E Smith (1933-38) died very recently.

It is understandable that I am seldom notified when an Old Boy passes away, so I normally receive the news by telephone from his widow or other surviving relative when they receive the reunion invitation. These calls are always difficult to deal with, and embarrassing for both parties. I always feel guilty, yet need not do so because the letters are sent out in all innocence. The records are always amended promptly to avoid a repeat next time. COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ISSUE IN LEICESTER 1945-74 AND OTHER ESSAYS BY GERALD T RIMMINGTON(cont’d) In common with other new secondary school buildings in Leicester the plan, formulated in 1948, had been for a four-form entry establishment. At the time it had seemed that only a school of that size would support an economically viable 6th form. However, the situation had changed rapidly. The Director of Education stated in 1960 that, 'Early leaving from grammar schools has declined. 6th form numbers mount each year - in 1949 we had 415 6th formers, today there are 719..... It must be remembered too that when all modern schools develop GCE 'O' level courses they will send increasing numbers of children forward to grammar school as transfers into 6th forms. It seems therefore as if the future grammar schools can...... be reorganised on a three-form entry basis. This will keep 6th form numbers within bounds...... ' Dr Thomas had in mind a City Boys 6th form of 120, and the plan was limited for provision for this number, but it was a serious underestimate, for the increasing provision of university places at the time was encouraging a greater proportion of 16+ pupils to remain longer at school. Headmasters, moreover, partly because the formula which determined the number of staff posts of special responsibility gave a greater weighting to pupils of this age group than to younger pupils, were assiduous in encouraging the growth of their own 6th forms. In the city as a whole 6th form numbers increased 588 to 1,134 in 1964. So Bell soon complained about Thomas's low estimate and adjustments were necessarily made in the building programme, though the school had to manage without its swimming pool. Other improvements were made possible, and were supported by Bell, as the school expanded. Some of these were in line with changing educational values. Geography, for instance, was in the process of changing from a subject in which there was an aesthetic literary emphasis to one in which there was a more scientific quantifying approach, so there was an increasing need for laboratory space. Crammer had been unable to appreciate this need, and WAG Pace, head of the Geography department, had never been able to convince him about it. Though Pace had eventually been able to secure a room to be used for the storing of geographical equipment, he was prevented from using it as a room in which to teach the subject by the timetable which, to prevent congestion in the corridors, required masters to teach in the boys' own form rooms. The only exceptions were art, crafts, music, PE and the sciences. Pedley was more appreciative of geography's needs, and the Lee Circle annexe was equipped with a history room as well as a geography room. Bell carried this a stage further by insisting the new building had good accomodation for geography teaching. Similarly the accomodation for music, arts and crafts had always been appalling in rammer's time. H H Sykes, who taught French and music at the school from 1941-65 soon became discouraged. A man of exceptionally good qualifications in music, and a talented musician, he had only one third of his timetable allocated to the subject, with hopelessly inadequate accomodation and little equipment. The inspectors noted that No room can be spared for music lessons, which have therefore to be held in the Hall. The equipment includes an organ, adequate to support the singing of the whole school, two pianofortes - one of them an old but serviceable grand - an electric record player which can no longer give good reproduction in so large a room, and an insufficient amount of storage space for music and records. Bell ensured that music, arts and crafts had better provision in the new building, to allow a greater emphasis to be put upon variety of activity and performance.

WYVERNIANS FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS Some of you have queried the way the reunions are financed, and your concerns about me being potentially out of pocket are appreciated. I am pleased to report that is not the case, but it might be worth me going into details of how we operate. I am Founder and Secretary, Brian Screaton is Treasurer. There are no other officials, but we do have a very loose committee consisting of Dr Arnold Burrows, Frank Smith, Geoff Cort and Mike Ratcliff. In practice this seldom - if ever - needs to meet. The reunions are self-financing, or at least have been so far. We try to make a small profit, and to date have succeeded, but of course there are some payments required 'up front'. They are a known quantity, but the income is unknown because we have no idea how many people will come. We base the attendance cost on how many came the previous year, which is probably somewhat unreliable, but there seems no other way to do it. So one source of funds is the actual reunions. Others are: sales of the school-film videos, though the market is pretty well saturated by now and sales have slowed to a very small trickle; sales of Mike Ratcliff's Wyvernian CD; sales of Wyvernian's merchandise by Geoff Cort, who donates 10% of his profits to our funds; occasional donations form Old Boys. We had a one-off injection of cash some time ago when the money from the now-dormant Old Wyvernians bank account was transferred to us. It had languished unloved for well over twenty years! Brian does, of course, maintain a Wyvernians bank account and this is currently in the black. Expenses are pretty minimal. Brian, Mike and I claim expenses as required. These are mainly for postage and printing. We have also paid to have several panoramic photos framed professionally. If anyone requires further details please let me know. As always, I stress that no one is profiting personally from Wyvernians. In fact, if you take time-spent into account, the opposite applies!! FROM TIM MARTIN 1966-73 I began in 1B in 1966, subsequently advancing to 2A, 3A, 4A, 5S, 6Sc1 and 6Sc2 before gaining a B.Sc in maths and physics and an M.Sc in Analysis at Dundee University in 1977. Initially I found the teachers very awesome. 1966 was the school's second year at Downing Drive, and the building seemed very impressive. Fencing was the thing to get into. In the first year my main memory is of Mr Palmer, who taught History. Ur seemed to be his starting point for everything. He had a keen hatred for the class rebels, i.e. nicotine-finger-stained, redsocks- wearing, top-shirt-button-undone brigade who always seemed to be in detention, but who were also irritatingly good at sport! His favourite punishment for these unworthy reprobates was not detention, as favoured by some masters, but one of the following as appropriate to the crime. 1) Hit hand with ruler. 2) A kick up the backside (literally) 3) Grab the hair and twist hard. 3a) Put chewing gum in hair. The classroom was rich with the reek of wind, no doubt emitted from the bowels of those who were more than a little intimidated by such goings-on in our midst. Needless to say I dropped History, along with the other 'waffle' subjects, at the earliest opportunity. Happy (and not so happy) days! FROM GEOFF WILLIAMS 1943-48 Referring to OWT 25, and Horace Coates' letter re the school swimming team, I was also a member of this up to my leaving in 1948. It was the only sport at which I was any good. In October/November, 1945 (I think) a 'Friendly' match was arranged with Desford Boys' School, which was a Reform School. We went by coach, and were very politely greeted and shown round. There was a small indoor pool, about twelve feet square, where they said the very young boys were taught. We changed, then were told to wear our shoes and bring our towels. We were led outside, across a playground - no sign of a building. No one had hinted this was an outdoor, UNHEATED, pool and they thought it was a huge joke. Of course, they were completely used to it. The joke rebounded on them

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 30-8 somewhat, because we did not lose a single race. We were so cold we swam like hell to get out at the other end. I wonder if anyone else remembers it. I must dispute the claim by Malcolm Davies (1959-66) that 'his lot' were responsible for giving the nickname Bill (from Oliver Twist) to H H Sykes. He was known thus during my time at CBS. Two nicknames which keep cropping up are Wally Wardle and WAG Pace. We always knew them as The Count and Runner Pace respectively. A SUGGESTION FROM DR A A BURROWS It would be useful to invite comments about the reunion date, length of notice, lunch etc. It might also be worthwhile to enquire what support there is for an (additional) informal evening dinner. The one I attended went very well (it was so noisy that other diners changed to another room) Editor's Note Dr Burrows is referring to an evening meal at The Malt Shovel, Barkby, Leics, after the 2003 reunion. I believe his dining companions were all former chemistry pupils, and the event was organised independently rather than being a part of the reunion proper. The idea is an excellent one, and if anyone is interested in such a meal please let me know. Obviously it would need to be booked in advance, so the arrangements would be best undertaken by someone living locally. Any volunteers? AND FINALLY... I do not recall many references to the caretakers so far. Perhaps that is because they were usually in the background, and most of us had little direct contact with them. Am I correct in saying they were responsible for ringing the bells to signify the end of a period - or better still the end of the school day? What a blessed sound that was, generally speaking. Not always, though, because depending on the timetable it might also announce the imminent approach of an even worse experience than the one currently being endured. In my case that often meant sport, though swimming was OK because I had 'permanently excused' myself by way of a forged note, ostensibly from my mother. What crimes I committed in that innocent lady's name. My aversion to sport is well-known, and I often managed to avoid games by handing Jock Gilman a forged note. These had to be presented to him at the staff room door during the morning break (I think) and I can see him now, pipe in hand, initialling a whole series of them as the usual malingerers formed an orderly queue. With hindsight there was surely no way he was taken in by these pieces of paper; I guess he felt it was not worth the bother of cross-examining us, and in any case we were a liability on the pitch and would have spoiled football or cricket for those who actually enjoyed the matches. The usual drill was to report to the library, and there was a little club of regulars who met up there on games afternoons. We did our homework, chatted, or read a book, depending on our mood. Very occasionally Jock would have a surprise purge and transfer us to an empty classroom, where we had to write lines, but that was a rarity. On one of the library afternoons I decided to leave the library a few minutes early, presumably because of boredom. My bus home left from Newarke Street bus station, near the Phoenix Theatre, so my route led me up Horsefair Street past the Town Hall. Imagine my dismay when at that point I spotted Ken Witts walking towards me, and realised there was no escape. To my relief he gave me a cheery greeting and continued on his way, and the matter was never mentioned again. Good old Ken!

OWT 31 Old Wyves Tales 31 – Feb 2004? Ye Olde Newsletter For Wyvernians Pre-1976 Edited By Dennis J Duggan, Rock Cottage, Brook Street, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire. SY21 7NA Tel 01938 555574 or 07985 405365 Web Site: www.wyvernians.org.uk EDITORIAL Following publicity in the Leicester Mercury and Shropshire Star, in connection with the forthcoming reunion, we have attracted a dozen or so new members - some of whom will be attending on March 20th. This is excellent news, and I was not surprised that two of the responses to a letter in a provincial Shropshire newspaper came from Cley in Norfolk, and Skegness in Lincolnshire! There must be hundreds of Old Boys out there who are unaware of our existence. Are there any volunteers prepared to write to their local papers to publicise Wyvernians? The 2004 reunion is a good excuse to raise the subject, and as you would give my contact details (don't forget the e-mail address - [email protected] ) that would be the end of your responsibilities. Do please consider doing this small task, as we do need more members. There is a small but steady drain as people die, or simply lose interest and ask to be removed from the list, so we must not become complacent. I realise it is probably too late to get new recruits to the reunion, but I do hope you will consider raising our profile in an attempt to increase membership. We are playing the 'long game' FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 As you are aware my interest in sport, especially if it involved more than one person and a ball, dropped into minus figures at the very thought. So the annual trek to Grace Road for the staff v school cricket match was an event I really looked forward to (on a par with being told that spinach was good for me - ugh) This match always seemed to be blessed with hot sunny weather, and we had to keep our blazers on. Then, as now, I burned very easily, so I turned up the collar and wore my hated cap in an attempt to minimise the sun's effect. One year I decided that as Alan Jasper Mercer had handed out some simultaneous equations as homework I might as well utilise my time at the cricket match rather than waste it, and set about solving them. I was about three parts through when I heard, 'What are you doing, boy?' from one of the teachers not involved in beating leather to death (probably Jock Gilman, then - ed) I explained it was homework, and was then informed a detention was in order. I politely replied my father would not take kindly to that because it would not be for failing to do the work. The teacher digested this piece of logic, then took himself quietly away. After this, every other match was studiously avoided by using the library dodge. Nip in there when the others were being led to the buses and go into town when the buses had gone, then reappear as buses unloaded around 4pm. At the 2003 reunion I purchased Part 1 of the school video, and hope Part 2 will be available again soon (Contact Brian Screaton - ed) In all my seven years at CBS I never went to the school film shows, even though a feature film was shown as well. The titles held no allure for me, and to this day I cannot recall any of them. Nostalgia being what it is, the video serves to remind me of people and events. Some of the school trips were out of reach, as my parents could not possibly afford them. In fact it was difficult for us to manage a week in a caravan out-of-season. Trips to the theatre were also undertaken, usually to see the Shakespeare play being studied for 'O' level. To this day I have never been to a live performance in a theatre, as I am sure that by Act 1, Scene 3, I would

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 31-2 develop nomadic tendencies and retire to the bar or restaurant. That of course leads me to the School Play. Again, in seven years I saw exactly NONE. At one point I had broad shoulders relative to my height and build, and a naive English master suggested I might try for a part in a Shakesperean masterpiece he was producing. He was somewhat shaken to his roots by my reply, which was to the effect that Shakespeare would have to manage without me because it looked like a load of twaddle from page 1, line 1. For some reason I was never approached again, even for the part of a non-speaking extra with limited movement. Did I say or do something to offend the chap? As if! FROM RAY TAYLOR 1938-44 (This item was received in March 2003, and at the time I felt it was personal and not intended for publication. However it is such a nice positive item I hope Ray will not mind if I print it - ed) I feel I must write to say what a wonderful time I had at the 2003 reunion. Your organisation must be applauded. I could not fault it. The meal was excellent, the company pleasant. I met two old friends. Derek Brealey (1938-43) I had not seen for 45 years. When we were first married in 1954 we had houses only three doors apart on a new estate in Leicester. Brian Wells (1940-45) lived in the next street when we were boys, and we played together during the war years. I had not seen Brian for 58 years. Derek and I were sitting at the same table, eating, when Brian came and sat down. We looked at each other's name badges and instantly recognised each other. The conversation flowed as if it were yesterday. I had pleasure looking at the school memorabilia, and saw the exercise books I donated some two years ago. I was able to say to those people looking at them, 'They were mine!' Being tee-total, the absence of a bar did not bother me. Anyway, thanks again for the happy memories. All credit to you and Stephanie, and long may you continue in your dedicated work. (Thanks for those kind words, Ray, but of course I cannot take all the credit - ed) NOTES FROM THE EDITOR Please note that any item sent to me will be printed in OWT unless you specifically mark it Not Intended For Publication. I am always looking for new material, so as Malcolm Davies would say, dredge those memory banks. And as I always say, what other publication guarantees to print your work - though I regret to say we cannot afford to pay you! Items are printed more or less word for word, with only spelling and grammatical mistakes corrected. I do not alter facts quoted, even if I suspect they are wrong. FROM JOHN (JAKE) BLAIKIE 1955-62 I'm settled in Melbourne after time in Sidney and Newcastle. Ian Neill is in Canberra after time in Sidney (twice) Melbourne and Brisbane. We have both been married to good Yorkshire lasses for longer than we care to think about. I've worked for IBM, EDS, Nortel (seem to have a penchant for North American multi-nationals with blue logos) and am currently looking at winding down with a local telecommunications company. I have spent some time working in other parts of the region, including Thailand (16 months) India and China, all of which were amazing experiences. Oz is not a paradise with sunshine, as might be advertised by Australia House. It is a developed Western country, with a significant and mostly peaceful multicultural society, but has all the problems of other developed nations. A significant and increasing gap between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' is fuelled by greed and speculation. A chronic, but seemingly acceptable level of unemployment (around 6% that we know of and record) somewhat disaffected youth, a limited and declining manufacturing sector, a world perspective as being basically a quarry and a farm, and at the moment a completely ineffectual Labour party.

FROM TIM MARTIN 1966-73 'Then still wet behind the ears, But now for the past a-yearning, With trawls through an ocean of memory and strife, And nostalgic thoughts of a drowning dive into that pool - No, that sea of great learning. (Along with some other ambitious pond life) Its harbour was Evington, T'was CoLBS, Downing Drive' This makes that crap poetry of William McGonagall (Dundee's famous writer) look really quite good. Actually, Keats is my hero. You can't beat Keats! FROM TOM HORTON, WYVERNIANS WEBMASTER The new domain name is now up and running. The new address for the site is www.wyvernians.org.uk and I will put a redirect page on the old cjb address. If anyone wants their e-mail address added to the site, so mail sent there can be redirected to them, please contact me at [email protected] (Tom wrote this message before Christmas - ed) FROM MICK STOKES 1957-62 I went down to Leicester from Harrogate at the end of November, having been invited to the 60th birthday party of a former chess-playing friend. Keith McLaughlin had attended New Parks Secondary Modern School, but later we belonged to the same chess clubs, Highcross and Foxhunters. Other chess players at the party were Mick Broadhurst, ex King Richard III, and Paul Wylie. Paul was a classmate at City Boys. Unfortunately, whilst in 5L, he was suspended from school for wearing narrow-bottomed trousers and winkle pickers. After a few weeks' absence he was invited to return, which he did in the mistaken belief the rules had been relaxed. His family could not afford to replace the offending items so he was immediately sent home again, never to return. Despite this, Paul still has affectionate memories of school life. (Can you put Paul Wylie in touch with me, please - ed) Bringing me up to date on other former pupils, Paul mentioned bumping into Gez Fitzpatrick. We explained to Mick Broadhurst that Gez had been a terrific footballer. Surprisingly he failed in his attempt at a professional career, but went on to become a local star. In particular he helped Friar Lane Old Boys to much success in the 70's (Can we contact Gez? - ed) I boasted to Mick that I had taught Gez to play chess; he responded that he had taught Peter Shilton. Checkmate! Ian Neill's name was mentioned in OWT29. He was another of my year who successfully represented the school at both football and chess. Thanks to Paul Williamson for the mention in OWT 30. To make it clear, I have not just returned from Australia with him. You probably knew that, but a comma in the wrong place could be misleading. I noted Ron Smith in the obituaries. He was my form master and history teacher in 5L. Until then I was hopeless at history, and blamed the teachers. Mr Smith was firm but friendly and, it seemed to me, the first teacher who was interested in the pupils as well as the subject. Without his help I would never have passed history 'O' level. FROM TREVOR LEWIN 1945-49 Does anyone know the whereabouts, or what happened to, Ron Munden? (I will forward any replies to Trevor - ed) FROM PETER MARKHAM 1946-51 Yet again I am unable to attend the reunion due to prior commitments. As you may know, I am very involved with athletics - in particular my event of Race Walking. On March 20th I will be acting as referee at an international meeting at Leamington Spa. I do hope I will be able to attend a reunion in the future.Thank you for all the hard work with Wyvernians and keeping Old Boys in touch. I wish more of my

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 31-4 schoolmates were in contact. Four I would particularly like to make contact with are Charles (Chuck) Saddington (C W Saddington, 1946-51, is one of the new recruits mentioned above. Do you want me to pass on your address details? He does not have an e-mail address - ed) John Buswell, Tich Radford and John Maxwell. If anyone can help I would be very pleased. FROM BERNARD HARRISON 1949-56 Many thanks for details of the 2004 reunion. Unfortunately I must offer apologies, living in Australia and all that. However, I do send all Wyvernians warmest greetings from down-under. I had the pleasure to be in Leicester during September 2003 and met up with some contemporaries - Paul Bond, Cliff Dunkley, Bob Gregory and Richard Thompson (who all looked in fine shape, and demonstrated well- preserved wits) – and am glad to be in touch with them. Thanks too for the excellent web site and its rich seam of information. Through this, my brother Peter (1945-53, with the inexplicable nickname Buggie) has been able to contact a good friend, Tom Williamson, who lives in Namibia. He is also seeking other contacts. Buggie now lives in Cornwall. Much has been written in OWT about the wonderful eccentricities of masters and pupils - and greatly entertaining they are. Would it be too earnest to request contributors to recall moments of real enlightenment, or Joycean epiphanies even, in the classroom? Here are three starters. 1) Bob Roberts' marvellous after-school lectures on Space. These always attracted a full house, and showed what a splendid showman and gifted teacher he could be. He fired the imaginations of the raw young lads of Leicester. 2) Flash Gordon, choosing a moment in his RE lesson when attention might have slackened, to recall the Gestapo knocking on his door in Holland early one morning to take him away for questioning. 3) Percy Philips, in a darkened lab, demonstrating the refraction of a pencil of light through a prism to 3 Alpha and making us FEEL physics for the first time. I could offer more, and am grateful to them all. FROM DAVE WAIT 1958-63 Is there anyone out there who remembers Sid James opening the Tesco supermarket underneath Lee Circle car park? Or riding up and down in the lifts until we were warned off? We know about Bayliss's and their 6d bags of stales, but what about the little sweet shop on the corner of Wharf Street? You could get about 1 lb of mixed reject sweets for 6d - in fact you received so many they were sometimes used as missiles. Keep up the good work. It is appreciated. OBITUARY Arthur Reed (1940-44) died March 2002 EDITOR'S NOTE - Paul Williamson (1957-62) is obtaining postcards of Clarence House to sell at a small profit to raise funds for Wyvernians. They show an aerial view of our old school, including Clarence Street and part of Humberstone Gate. There is also a glimpse of the famous multi-storey car park. Paul should have stocks in time for the reunion, and has priced them at 30p each. The cards will no doubt be of particular interest to those living away from Leicester or abroad. To order contact Mr Paul Williamson, 28 Ripon Drive, Blaby, Leicester. LE8 4AH. Tel 0116 277 2790. E.mail [email protected]

Obviously you would have to send a SAE if ordering by post, but please contact Paul direct.

FROM DEREK BREALEY 1938-43 My memories of the school are coloured by a schooling system alien to modern society. It was a time when all the masters wore gowns and were called Sir. The fag system still operated, and school prefects - who proudly wore tassels on their caps - acted as a kind of police force to uphold discipline. They stamped on bullying and those who did not play fair. Stronger discipline was enforced by the Headmaster, Dr Crammer, who used the cane in extreme cases. However, we were educated to a very high standard and given strong moral standards, which I still follow to this day. Many like myself reached matriculation standard at 16, the equivalent of 5 A grade 'O'levels today, and went on to obtain well-paid jobs. Not bad for a working-class boy, which I was. Many of the then Wyvernians, and quite a few of the younger masters, lost their lives fighting in the 1939-45 war - I wonder what happened to the Roll of Honour which was in the old Hall? I hope that piece of history has not been lost. I enjoyed my time at the school, and have many fond memories of my classmates and teachers alike - my first form master was a Mr Trump, so you can imagine what we boys did about that! FROM PAUL WILLIAMSON 1957-82 I have spotted Gerald (Gez) Fitzpatrick in High Street, Leicester. He and Tommy Hamill had a soccer trial for Scunthorpe around 1959/60, but neither of them were wanted. Gez went on to appear in the 1977 Challenge Vase finals (Wembley next one) but lost both 1 - 0 at home. The first match was against Stamford. Richard Smith scored; he was a PE teacher in the area between 1956-64, I believe. FROM BERNARD HUTCHINGS 1943-50 Many thanks for sending me details of the 2004 reunion. At this time of Eats Shoots and Leaves, congratulations on knowing where to put the apostrophes. We must have been well- educated! FROM JOHN RATNETT 1941-46 You may be amused by the following true story. For many years the original Old Wyvernians held an annual reunion dinner in various venues around the city. Some of the best were at a (then) newly-built catering facility on the university campus. I well remember one, sometime during the sixties, where the chairman, before introducing the guest speaker, offered an apology from one of the organising committee who had been detained in hospital overnight following minor surgery. The member did not wish to disclose the nature of his surgery, so the chairman said, 'In the circumstances he would be circumspect and, with discreet circumlocution, avoid circumventing the member's wishes.' The audience thought he circumnavigated the subject quite well, and deserved a round of applause! FROM CLIVE BAGLEY 1971-76 As a member of the last class of the old school I want to tell you I very much appreciate the newsletters, and that I shall always encourage those 'youngsters' of my generation to catch up and contribute as time goes on. Someday, when I find enough time and thinking space, I shall write and post my recollections to you. They may not make pretty reading, since I shall have to describe the ending of the school as you all knew it, but I shall at least try to make it entertaining. In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy the recollections of those members I might consider as my father's generation, and giggle a little to imagine his like as recalcitrant as mine.

'THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ISSUE IN LEICESTER AND OTHER ESSAYS' BY GERALD T RIMMINGTON (cont’d) Bell ensured that music and arts and crafts had better provision in the new building, to allow a greater emphasis to be put upon variety of activity and performance. Pedley and Bell both worked within the cultural climate which produced the comprehansive school, and especially Stewart C Mason's Leicestershire Plan and the Crowther Report. The county reorganisation, begun on an experimental basis in the Oadby, Wigston and Hinckley areas, showed that a comprehensive secondary school system could be developed in existing buildings, and that it was not necessary to produce schools in the 1,000 - 2,000 range as previously thought. Moreover it could be shown that this made it possible to introduce greater flexibility of programmy by providing, for less academic pupils, examination schemes like those made available by the Royal Society of Arts, and the Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institute, forerunners of the Department of Education and Science-sponsored Certificate of Secondary Education. Crowther's committee examined the education of pupils between fifteen and eighteen years of age and, while endorsing the principle of study in depth at the sixth form level, deplored over-specialisation and the narrow range and combinations of subjects offered, especially in arts programmes. Both headmasters opposed these new developments. Pedley had responded by introducing ew subjects such as Economics and Russian, and by stressing the increasingly good results obtained at all levels. In 1956 the Advanced level results at City Boys' School had been higher than the national average in all subjects except English and Geography. In seven of the thirteen subjects sat there had been no failures at all, and this run of successes continued throughout the next decade. Bell responded by introducing a wider range of recreational and cultural activities. An Officer Training Corps was established, partly as a means of maintaining discipline during a period in which there was, throughout the country, a relaxation of traditional disciplinary patterns. Fencing was similarly introduced as a means of developing grace of movement and self-discipline. The school orchestra and drama group expanded beyond their traditional Speech Day functions and occasional special performances, and became part of cultural exchange programmes with tours in Germany and France. In 1956 he was able to report to the Governors that a dozen societies were functioning; the chess club had twenty eight of its members participating in the County Junior Chess Congress. He was also able to show parents a film record of school activities. While previous headmasters had always made examination results and activities special features in their annual reports, Bell also took an exceptional interest in publicising any aspect of the school's activities he thought would be creditable, and was at times suspected of introducing activities more for their publicity than their educational value. While the rebuilding of the school in the eastern suburb of Evington provided the boys with much improved facilities, there was some loss as well as gain. It was now further from the city centre than any of the other grammar schools, so it was therefore inevitable it would become much more of a neighbourhood school in course of time. There was some aesthetic loss too, for despite the excellent local environment and facilities the building was architecturally undistinguished, rather like a series of rectangular glass boxes. There was none of the grace and charm of the old building that many pupils remembered with affection. Bell's sudden death in 1974, and Leicestershire's assumption of responsibility for the school in the same year, marked the end of an era. The school did not survive much longer as a selective boys' school; as The City of Leicester School it became a mixed 11 - 18 comprehensive. As a historical entity it serves as a good example of the pupil-teacher centres that had turned into municipal secondary schools in Morant's time as Secretary of the Board of Education, growing and developing with the rising tide of demand after the passing of the 1902 Education Act, and being numbered among the more successful schools of its type.

(That brings us to the end of the relevant chapter. In OWT 32 I will start at the very beginning, because I began the story halfway through - ed) FROM DON LETTS 1930'S (This item is not strictly to do with Wyvernians, but for those of us interested in ships it does have some significance - ed) I don't know if anyone is interested, but I have managed to obtain details of the ship on which I escaped from Dunkirk. I was in the second load. I wonder of any other Wyvernians were aboard this wonderful little ship?! If so, we would have a wonderful excuse to celebrate at the reunion!! De Mok I was built in 1939 on the Rijkwerf (Royal Dutch Navy Yard) at Willemsoord, near Den Helder, and entered service 1st April 1940. She was a communications vessel, with a crew of 18, and armed with one 50mm cannon and two 12.7mm machine guns. Length - 118ft 9ins. Beam - 20ft 4ins. Draft 6ft 7ins. Displacement - 149 tons. She left Terschelling for England on May 14th and was put to work on the evacuation of Dunkirk. She did two trips, bringing back a total of 214 troops, but on a further trip was badly damaged and beached there, before being repaired and put into service with the German Navy. After the war she was returned to Willemsoord and repaired. In 1949 she was completely refitted as a training vessel for young people entering the Dutch Royal Navy and renamed H.M. RC II, then in 1950 Y 807, and in 1954 Hendrik Karssen. At that time she was armed with 2 x 20mm machine guns. Hendrik Karssen was a 24-year-old Navy man from Semarang, and a survivor of the Battle of the Java Sea, who had been captured by the Japanese. He spat in the face of a Japanese officer, and called out 'Long live the Queen' as he was bayoneted to death without a blindfold.

He was posthumously decorated with the Bronze Lion. De Mok I was brought out of service in 1973 and has since been refitted to sleep 30. She earns a living carrying up to 67 people for day and week trips on the Wadden Zee and out into the North Sea. AND FINALLY... Does anyone remember the tuck shop? I do not recall one at Elbow Lane, but I do remember the one at Humberstone Gate. It was situated in the separate building where we ate our school dinners, just to the left of the doors. When funds permitted, my favourite dinnertime (we never called it lunch!) purchase was a stick of liquorice and a tube of Trebor Refreshers. These last had a nice sherbert taste, and came in a variety of colours. The liquorice I always polished off before afternoon lessons, the Refreshers being saved for surruptitious sucking in class. We all knew that eating in class was strictly against the law, so I suppose it was a bit of a challenge to see if one could 'get away with it.' The degree of risk depended on the teacher in charge at the time, and there were some (no names) whose presence persuaded me to leave the sweets untouched. Otherwise it was a case of waiting until the master was writing on the board, hand slowly inserted in to pocket, remove Refresher by feel, insert in mouth, suck without moving lips. If caught, I seem to remember the sweets would be confiscated.

OWT 32 OLDWYVES TALES 32 - APRIL 2004 EDITED BY DENNIS J DUGGAN, ROCK COTTAGE, BROOK STREET, WELSHPOOL, MONTGOMERYSHIRE. SY21 7NA TEL 01938 555574 07985 405 365 WEB SITE www.wyvernians.org.uk REUNION 2004 We had over 90 people at this year's reunion, though it is difficult to give an exact figure. As always it was a team effort, and I would like to specially thank the following people for their help and support: Brian Screaton, Stephanie Duggan, Frank Smith, Mike Ratcliff, Geoff Cort, Paul Williamson, Tom Horton, Arnold Burrows. Quite simply the reunions – and Wyvernians come to that - would not exist without them. There was a super atmosphere, and I hope all of you who attended enjoyed the day. Age Concern provided an excellent lunch, with a choice of hot or cold food, though as usual on these occasions there was a fair amount left over. That situation will hopefully be remedied next year. There should have been a bar, but once again we were let down at the last minute because the people booked to do it apparently received a 'better offer' of a large wedding. Fortunately, unlike last year, we did have a week's notice, so Brian was able to purchase supplies and the day was saved. FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 At Christmas time a concert was arranged to allow those hardy souls interested in displaying their talents an opportunity to do so, be these talents musical, theatrical or comical. It surprised me to see how many pupils had expensive musical equipment, including amplifiers. Some items spring to mind, as this show also included members of staff. During the intervals, various boys rushed on stage and issued a warning: The viper is coming, the viper is coming. This ran throughout the morning, until eventually Alan Jasper Mercer wandered on with a bucket and chamois. In a German accent he proclaimed, I am der viper, vere are ze vindows you vant me to vipe? Who said comedy was dead? Another group, comprising 6th formers - including some prefects - came on dressed in large nappies. Another, with one boy dressed to resemble Wally Wardle and claiming to be the Controller of eunuchs for Boss Ceasar, mimed to a song by an all-girl group (very high pitched voices) The Controller then said, Stop, Boss Ceasar is coming. Onto the stage strolled a Don Whitbread look-a-like in a purple dressing gown and Imperial crown. The Controller clapped a hand to his chest and said, Hail, Boss Ceasar. The eunuchs did the same in turn, but No 4 did so in a voice so bass it seemed to come from below the stage. At this point Boss Ceasar told the Controller, Take it away - he is not cut out for this job. Most younger members of the audience missed the joke, but the older boys who had studied Roman history and biology understood. One act were to sing and play guitar, but also planned a skit based on reports in the press about amateur groups with poorly installed and maintained electrical equipment. These had sometimes caused fires and blackouts at their gigs, and at least one person had been rushed to hospital with burns and palpitations when his microphone stand became live. These lads had made a fake guitar and fitted it with a flash gun and smoke pellets. The idea was the guitar should emit a flash and a cloud of smoke, but the flash gun had not been used

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-2 for a while and the capacitor had become discharged so nothing happened. After several tries they threw the guitar to one side, when the flash promptly triggered because the capacitor had become operational. Imagine what would happen these days - alarms going off and everyone out (To be continued - ed) FROM WYVERNIAN VOL 36, NUMBER 1, AUTUMN 1968 Mr O F T Roberts, MC, MA (Cantab) It is with deep regret that we report the death of Mr Roberts, who taught Mathematics at the school for twenty-one years, and was head of the Maths Dept for six years, before he retired at the age of seventy in 1966. Mr Roberts was a fine mathematician - he was a Cambridge Scholar and Wrangler - and he inspired many a budding mathematician to follow in his footsteps. Indeed, the reward for his life's work that he valued most was the deep affection and friendship of boys he had taught. This was a special comfort to him during the year he spent in hospital, when so many Old Boys rallied round to visit and to help him. Those of us who knew Mr Roberts were saddened at his passing. We had hoped to hear his loud and cheerful greeting for many years to come. W.E.R. Mr H H Sykes, BA (Oxon) B Mus, FRCO, CHM. We have unhappily to report the death on the 31st May of Mr H H Sykes, who was on the staff of the school from 1941 until his retirement in the summer of 1965. He had a distinguished academic career in the musical sphere, and it is as music master of the school, organising the choir, orchestra and concerts, as well as his lessons, that we shall all fondly remember him; and many pupils and ex-pupils are indebted to him for grinding them through their first faltering steps in French. His health had been a constant source of concern towards the end of his teaching career, and we are pleased he was able to enjoy three contented and untroubled years of retirement in Manchester before his passing. E.S.O. FROM MIKE WALKER 1949-55 I was recently introduced to the Wyvernians web site by Bernard Harrison (1949-55) who now resides in Perth, Western Australia. Having enjoyed several hours of reading through the back issues, including a paragraph by Derek Bailey (1949-50) in OWT13, I felt compelled to put in a word on Bob's behalf. Bob taught me maths in 4 Alpha and 5S. He was, as we all know, quite incapable of controlling his classes, yet in our own perverted way most of us liked and respected him. I can hardly imagine how he must have felt, come 4pm, as even his better days would have been intolerable for most of us. Yet he had the stamina to continue teaching well past normal retirement age. Years later I became periphally involved in the management of Bob's final illness, and I can tell you he was a wonderful patient. He accepted all the bad news without flinching, and seemed more concerned with my unease than his own illness. After he left hospital, and at the suggestion of a caring ex-pupil, I visited his home. There I found him in meagre surroundings, alone and sick, and I felt ashamed that after such a dedicated career he was being so badly neglected by our so-called welfare state. I left for Canada shortly afterwards, but remain grateful for our contact during that brief time. Bob was a kind, sensitive and generous old gentleman, and would readily show it if one gave him the chance. Unfortunately few of us did. FROM MEL KNIGHT 1958-65 Last week (This was written March 7th 2004 - ed) I was persuaded at a private function to stand up and sing the verse of a song. I realised this was the first time

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-3 this had happened (sober) since Bill Sykes banned me from the choir after my voice broke. He claimed I was tone deaf, and was probably right. However I extracted my revenge on his birthday, when I presented him with a carefully-wrapped present on behalf of the class. As you will recall, the only attention needed by his head was a polish, so when he opened the parcel and found a toothless comb he was none too impressed. Then came the customary growl and swing of the hand, at which point he released the comb. This flew through the air and landed in the depths of the piano, so he had to lean into it and after a while surfaced with the offending gift. The class was in hysterics. With a face that could kill he announced the customary one hour sentence. But it was worth it! EDITOR'S NOTES When we returned home from the reunion weekend I began to put away all the memorabilia. As is the way of these things I began to look through some of The Wyvernian magazines, and although I had read them all I realised that some of them contained interesting and historic photographs. My plan was to scan these, put them on a CD and send this to our archivist, Mike Ratcliff, so he could add them to the CD he produces. It also seemed a good idea to send a copy to our Webmaster, Tom Horton, so he could include a selection on our web site. My attempts at scanning were not satisfactory, and despite trying different settings even the best results were not suitable for reproduction, as parts of the pictures seemed to be covered in square shapes!! I sought Mike's advice, and he explained he had found similar problems. It seems this is down to the relatively primitive printing system used for the magazines, and we cannot find a way round it. A great shame, as the photos and drawings are worthy of a wider audience. Whilst clearing redundant paperwork from my files I came across some items which, at the time, I felt were not intended for OWT. Why that was I have no idea, so I belatedly reproduce them below and apologise to the contributors for my lapse. A couple of people have queried the existence of a war memorial at the school. The Wyvernian, December 1948, Vol 16, No 1,contains a report and photograph. It was mounted on a wall in the Hall, and the picture shows it positioned above a cabinet on top of which are various shields and cups. Does anyone know what happened to it? My item about the tuck shop brought forth some excellent responses, and these will appear in due course. FROM GUNTER LAWSON 1947-54 (Written November 2001) Regarding your request for feedback, I very much enjoy OWT, though if there is not another tale about Wally Wardle I would be content! My own memories tend to be more general and less detailed than most. Things like trips to the cinema to see the great Lawrence Olivier Shakespeare films Hamlet and Henry V, the trip to The Festival Of Britain (very exciting, unlike The Dome) and the Railway Club's Christmas outings to the sheds, always in the Christmas holidays. By the way, one wellknown and powerful Old Wyvernian is Alastair Campbell, the government's chief press officer. FROM RAY BROWN 1956-62 (Written November 2001 before the film night at Downing Drive) Fascinating! I know I appear in at least one of the films, covering 1960, when there was a school trip to Rome to see the Olympics. I am the idiot buying a rosary from a street vendor, thinking it was a necklace then changing my mind when I realise there is no clasp on it! Would love to see it again, as I was thin and fit in those days and no-one believes

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-4 me now. If you get the chance, please mention me to Doc Burrows. He may remember me as one of his swimming team for virtually the whole of my time at the school - freestyle, backstroke and diving. I certainly recall him telling me I had no chance of passing my Chemistry 'O' Level, then confounding him with an 85%! FROM GEORGE W RICHARDS 1949-54 (Written December 2001) On leaving City Boys' I took an apprenticeship and studied, which led to a degree in Mechanical Engineering and corporate membership of the I Mech E. I worked in nuclear power and steelmaking until my retirement. I am not in touch with anyone from the school apart from Dr Arnold Burrows, who is a friend. FROM RAY BIRLEY 1950-55 (Written December 2001) In OWT14 details sent in by Don Wright refer to contemporaries, one of which is a chum I have been trying to locate. His name is Kevin Hall, and during our time at CBS we were close mates and shared some really good times. I last saw Kev in 1958/59, and I believe he went to live in Blackpool. Unfortunately the only mutual contact who knew the address, Mick Elliott, was killed in an accident before he had the opportunity to pass the information on. I remember Don Wright's name, but cannot put a face to it at the moment. Mike Ross and Eddie Blount I knew quite well - in fact Eddie was the only person to ever give me a black eye. It happened when I bumped my head on his knee during a gym period. FROM DON HARMER 1936-41 (Written December 2001) I read OWT12 and saw a letter from Harold Swann. I recall Harold well, since he was in the same form as me. You may not know that a 50th anniversary for those leaving CBS in 1941 was held in (surprisingly enough) 1991. A R (Russ) Clarke and I dreamed this up after meeting in a barbers shop at the Granby Street end of Belvoir Street, and later assisted by another who I have temporarily forgotten (my memory!) A visit took place to the Humberstone Gate premises, followed by a visit to Downing Drive, after which there was a dinner at the Belmont Hotel. Russ Clarke was a first-class cricketer and footballer, and became a manager for the then Midland Bank. FROM HAROLD SWANN 1936-41 (Written August 2001) A reference to Bud Fisher was really interesting, as Bud taught me maths in Forms 1A and 2A in 1936-38. He ran a Bull-Nose Morris with a thermometer mounted on top of the radiator (This is a commonly held belief, but is in fact incorrect. The car was a Morris [Cowley, I think offhand] with a flat radiator - ed) and was an excellent tutor. Perhaps many people will not be aware of the fact he himself attended CBS and was taught by Joey Carpenter, a Captain in WW1, who was still teaching in my time. He taught 2A and 3A onwards. Bud had no trouble keeping his classes in good order – any miscreants were registered in his writing class. These were held every month on a Wednesday, when we had our monthly half-day off. Two hours in this class improved your writing, as well as the conduct in Bud's maths lessons! My kind regards to all fellow Wyvernians. FROM PETER SMITH 1958-63 (Written February 2002) Just to let you know how much I enjoyed watching my video of the school films Vol 1. I think I spotted my 1.5 seconds of fame on a school trip in 1959, but I don't think I saw my brother Frank at all. There were a lot of familiar

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-5 faces, some appearing to hog the limelight, and memories good and bad flooded back. My schooldays at CBS were NEVER the best years of my life, as they were supposed to be, but as we get older it is pleasant to look back through rose-tinted spectacles. It is even better when there are also tangible memories on the CD. Many thanks to yourself and others who have captured these memories for all to share. FROM CRAIG BIRD 1975-80 I enjoy reading OWT, even though the content is predominantly concerned with Humberstone Gate and Elbow Lane pupils. I wish more of my generation would take an interest and sign up. The contrast between the stories of the older generation and my own would be very interesting, particularly when put into the context of the relevant periods. The language used, and references to out-of-school activities, would, I assume, be very different then when compared to my years at the school. FROM PAUL BAINES 1961-67 The forecast for this week is heavy snow and freezing temperatures (This was written January 25th 2004 - ed) even down here on the south coast. That always reminds me of the winter of, I think, 1962/63, when it snowed on Boxing Day and the fields did not clear until almost Easter. For games that year we used to catch the buses to Grace Road, then walk back to school in a long crocodile accompanied by a couple of teachers. That was our games afternoon! Since I lived on the Eyres Monsell Estate it seemed a bit daft to walk all the way back into town to get a bus home again, so I always made sure I was near the middle of the crocodile. From there I would rush into a side road and hide in a garden until the line had disappeared, then catch the bus home. Very daring that was, because the thought of truanting never occurred to me. My partner-in-crime was Gareth Bert Bowden - we really did think we were doing something extremely courageous. Thinking about it now I suppose the teachers must have known what we were up to, but simply ignored it. (Editor's note. I also pulled much the same dodge, except I made sure I was at the back of the crocodile. It was then a simple matter to nip into a convenient garden gateway until the coast was clear, then wait for the No 87 Corporation bus to come along. At one of our earlier reunions, Bill Mann confirmed the teachers were indeed aware of what was going on. Perhaps they admired our initiative?! I too thought I was being very brave, not to say crafty - ed) I was interested to read Brian Screaton's (is that Screech, I ask myself?) contribution to a recent OWT, particularly the bit about John Marney. John and his brother Colin, another OW, are my cousins. I've lost touch with them over the years, and only met up at the funerals of grandparents, although I still exchange Christmas cards with their mum. No, John hasn't emigrated, he lives somewhere near Norwich. I don't know the address, but could easily find it. Colin lives near Derby, I think. Their mum still lives in the same house. OBITUARY Arthur Reed (1940-44) passed away March 2002 Roy Iliffe (1939-44) kindly sent me a Leicester Mercury cutting dated May 21st 2003. It is the obituary of Michael Wood, head of CBS from 1975-76 and the COL school from 1976-81. He was 79. He is perhaps best-remembered for his advice to Gary Lineker not to pursue a future in football! Mr Wood was an outspoken opponent of comprehensive education, and an advocate of corporal punishment. He retired in 1981, aged 57, and moved from Oakham to Suffolk.

FROM CLIFF DUNKLEY 1949-57 Bob Smith and I travelled to Doncaster yesterday for Ron Smith's funeral (This was written January 27th 2004 - ed) There follows a brief biography, consisting of what we already knew and other facts made known during the service. Ron was one of five children, born into a Yorkshire mining family. When Ron was four years old his father was killed in an accident down the pit. Ron was a promising child, and won a scholarship to Penistone Grammar School, where he received much encouragement and flourished. He obtained an Exhibition to Jesus College, Oxford. The fact the previous holder of the Exhibition was Harold Wilson was a source of pride and some amusement to Ron. After graduating with a First in History, Ron was called up into the Royal Navy. At first he resisted being considered for a commission, but ended his war with the rank of Lieutenant. He served in a corvette on the Atlantic convoys, as well as the danger-fraught Murmansk convoys to Northern Russia. On demobilisation, Ron took up a teaching post at Kirkby Fields College of Education on Merseyside. In due course the college was transplanted to Northampton as part of the 1970's Development Plan for the town and was formally opened by Mrs Thatcher, Secretary of State for Education. After merging with two other educational institutions in the locality, the college developed into Nene College (now University College, Northampton , awarding First degrees in its own right) Until his retirement in the early 1980's, Ron was Dean of the Faculties of Humanities at Nene where I (CD) met up with him again while working at Leicester University on relations with affiliated colleges. After losing his wife of 55 years in 1997, Ron's latter years were clouded with ill-health, and two years ago he went into residential care, suffering from Alzheimers Disease. He died on January 4th 2004, aged 86, leaving a son, Rupert, and a daughter, Jane. FROM ERNIE 'SONNY' WHITE 1952-57 I really look forward to OWT, and eagerly scan down to see what names I recognise. I remember my time at CBS with real affection. I loved that school, and the Humberstone Gate building holds special memories. My work sometimes takes me there to do a talk or lecture, and the strength of feeling at being back in the place that had such a positive effect on my life always takes me by surprise. Not that I was clever or bright; I was just a kid who made it off The Saff** simply because I passed the 11+ and then found the work very hard. Though I did enjoy the school environment my academic progress was unremarkable - 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5g. I think the G was for general. However I was in Bradgate, which everyone knows - if they are really honest - was by far the best House, and gained house colours in football, cricket and swimming. I played football for the Junior XI and Second XI, and cricket for the school at some level too, but I've forgotten which. Being a local politician (I know, get a life Whitey) I was very fortunate to spend a year in civic office as Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, and on one occasion, 1995 I think, I was hosting a rather large dinner at County Hall for the world of education in Leicestershire. The guest of honour was the Principal of the City of Leicester School, and he said a few words in response to the chairman's speech. To cut a long story short he had found out I was an Old Boy, and turned up with my complete school records in a plain brown envelope. He proceeded to entertain the guests, and embarrass me something rotten, with extracts from the various comments on my report sheets. If that wasn't bad enough he read out all my detentions and what they were for. I had forgotten how many there were, but I actually got one for talking

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-7 whilst in detention! Another was for 'being in the wrong place' (what the hell did that mean?) and another for 'humming during a lesson' What kind of an establishment was this, I wonder? One of the detentions was imposed by one Jock Gilman for 'not reporting back to school from games' and I remember it vividly. There is a story behind it, but because this contribution is already too long I ask if I may recount the tale in a future OWT (Do please tell us more about this - ed) With thanks to the good guys. Billy Bufton, bless him, was one. What a wonderful diversion Mesopotamia was in History. And the good teachers who made a difference to countless lives, like Ken Witts and John Larry Lawson. Also some schoolmates who I never forget but never see, like Alan Jones, Johnny Rushin, John Hopkinson, Alan Fall, Johnny Ogden, Mick Childs, Harry Hawksworth and many more. Where, oh where, have all the years gone. ** Editor's note - Ernie refers to 'The Saff' but most of my family lived there from when the estate was built and we always knew it as 'The Saffron' and never 'The Saff'. My branch lived at 10 Linwood Lane during the first half of the 1950's so I am sure of my facts. 'The Saff' is, I believe, a fairly new nickname for what is properly called The Park Estate. Does anyone agree or disagree with me? FROM KEITH WRIGHT 1948-54 I was glad Bryan spotted my reference to him. Re my article, the coals to Newcastle bit referred to a sentence which mysteriously got lost - and maybe would be best buried – ie that Horseman subsequently obtained a job lecturing in America on American History. Interesting that prefects didn't have Christian names, nor fellow pupils for much of the time in those days. Last year I helped (advised?) the local High School in a vaguely horticultural project. I asked a girl for her Christian name, only to be told she did not have one because she was an atheist. Thankfully, having worked in the health service with many Hindus and Moslems, I was quick off the mark with, 'fore name, then' so maintained my street cred without too much difficulty. 'THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ISSUE IN LEICESTER 1945-1974 (cont’d) AND OTHER ESSAYS' BY GERALD T RIMMINGTON The City of Leicester School is one of many secondary education facilities in England which, founded as municipal 'academic' or 'grammar' schools in the early twentieth century, were based on pre-existing nineteenth century foundations. Where there was a lack of charitable monies for educational purposes, schools had grown out of higher grade schools administered by school boards, or 'organised science schools' which derived their income from the Science and Art department in London. Yet others, like the Leicester school, had their origins in pupil-teacher centres. This essay traces the development of the Leicester school as it moved through its various phases; as pupil-teacher centre, mixed secondary school and boys' grammar school, to 1974 - the eve of its transformation into a mixed comprehensive school. Like all other educational institutions it responded to political and social ideas, movements and decisions, and was a product partly of local initiative and partly of national policy. The City Boys' School, as it was originally named to commemorate Leicester's gaining of city status, was founded in 1919, but its origin has to be sought in the 1880's when the Leicester School Board, anxious to ensure a steady supply of new teachers in its elementary schools, developed facilities for the training of pupil teachers. When Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth, the first Secretary of the Education Department in London, had initiated the pupil teacher system in 1846, he had been one of many people who accepted that the most economical and efficient way to

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-8 train the majority of teachers who were to staff the rapidly increasing number of public elementary schools was to institute an apprenticeship system. The apprenticeship, initially of three, later four, years enabled many senior elementary school pupils to remain at school to be taught by the master the elements of his craft. It was an undoubted improvement on the monitorial system which it replaced, for it provided continuity of training through a graded schedule. It had also improved the then lowly status of teaching by giving it the dignity of a craft, to be learned like any other craft by steady application under the guidance of a master. Furthermore it had ensured that children were taught by people who came from the same social stratum, and who could therefore be deemed to speak the same language and understand the same culture. But it had its disadvantages too, for it produced teachers with little knowledge beyond that which they were required to teach, with very little experience of the world outside the elementary school, and with a predisposition for thinking of their craft as unchangeable and static. They tended to teach as their masters had taught them for the whole of their working lives, instilling the same 'bundles' of knowledge by the same methods into several generations of pupils. FROM TOM WILLIAMS 1949-57 Can I say how good it is to receive OWT? I was particularly interested to read the piece by Bernard Harrison, with whom I moved from Humberstone Junior School to City Boys in 1949, along with Paul Bond and Richard Thompson. Having now been retired for seven years I find I have very little time to do the things I would like, but when time permits I will submit my memories of the school plays from 1951-57. I was fortunate enough to come under the tutelage of Gordon Franey, and to 'star' in plays from 1954-57. Happy days. I have continued to be active in amateur theatre, and am now Chairman of the Central Council for Amateur Theatre and on the Board of the Voluntary Arts Network, as well as being President of Winchester's Chesil Theatre, which operates from a 12th century church. FROM PETER JACKSON 1944-49 Not many correspondents have commented on their lead-up to attending CBS. I doubt my recollections are much different to others. I attended Coleman Road Junior School, off Broad Avenue, on the eastern side of the city. In early spring 1944 I took the scholarship exam - they didn't call it the 11+ in those days. The more scholastically able were offered a place at a grammar school. Locally the lesser able went to an intermediate school, Moat Road, and the rest went to Green Lane Road. I was apparently a border-line case between the first and second categories, as I had to re-sit the exam. I must have just made the grade, as I had the option of attending CBS, Alderman Newton's or Wyggeston. My playmates considered The Wiggy to be a snobbish institution, so it was CBS as first choice. I then had to attend an interview, with my father, before The Beak, Mr Crammer. I recall being ushered into his office on a lovely sunny morning in late spring. It was one of only two occasions I entered his room. The second was five years later at the end of the 1949 summer term, when all those leaving were called in and given his best wishes for the future. The interview was a verbal multi-answer set of questions handed to me on a sheet of foolscap. My father and I obviously just made the grade, as I started in Form 1B in September 1944. In those days grammar school education was not completely free, even though a scholarship exam had been passed. A fee had to be paid, according to the income of one's parents. The maximum was three guineas per term. My father

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-9 had to pay this amount, certainly for the first year, before the system was changed and secondary education became free for everyone. At the time my father earned the princely sum of £5. 1. 0 per week as a foreman lift erector at Gimson Lifts. Hardly a great amount by presentday standards, but we ran a car and had a telephone. Probably went with the job! I think September 1944 was the year Wally 'The Count' Wardle joined the school. He was my form master in 1B. That first morning the class was lined up in alphabetical order along the glazed screen separating 1B from 1 Alpha, the two rooms on the second floor at the back of the building. I think Josh Carter was form master for 1 Alpha. I can still hear his voice booming through the screen from next door. We were told which House we belonged to - Abbey, Bradgate, Charnwood or De Montfort - for the rest of our school lives. We then sat at our desks. Those whose names were at the front of the alphabet sat at the rear of the left side, down to those at the end of the alphabet on the right side near the master's desk. Being a J I was somewhere in the middle, and sat next to a very pleasant chap called Keith Lanning. He was one of the brighter ones, as he moved up to 2A the next year whereas I plodded along in the B stream. Consequently we lost contact after that first year, but I often wonder - Keith, where are you now? (To be continued - ed SCHOOL MEMORABILIA I have begun the lengthy and, if I am honest, tedious job of cataloguing the collection. Now spring is here it is doubly difficult to knuckle down to this indoor task, and I should of course have commenced it during the winter months. Each item is being entered on a database and allocated a unique number. The fields are: category (book, ephemera, photo, magazine etc) donor (where known) date, brief description. When everything is listed I will cross-reference it with Mike's CD, as it is possible I have items not yet included on that. As always, please feel free to donate any CBS artefacts in your possession if you want them to find a safe home and be shared with other Old Boys. Exhibits remain the property of the donor and can be reclaimed at any time, except where we have paid to have photographs framed. FROM LES OSWIN 1935-39 I wonder whether anyone remembers, or participated in, the exchange arrangement with a Hamburg school (or schools) in 1935 or 1936. Pupils from Hamburg stayed with CBS pupils and parents for a fortnight or so, and vice versa. My late brother Jim Oswin (1932-37) was involved, and the first stage was a German schoolboy from Hamburg, Rolf Muth, who stayed I believe with another boy's family during the August fortnight. He then returned home to Hamburg, accompanied by brother Jim. The first week was apparently a very pleasant experience, with Rolf and his parents taking Jim all over the busy city and welcoming him graciously into their home. Rolf proved to be a most amiable companion. The second week of the fortnight came as rather a shock, because Rolf had been compulsorily scheduled to attend a nearby Hitler Youth Camp and Jim was expected to accompany him. Compared to the happy and comfortable time with the Muth family, this stay with the Hitler Youth was rather unpleasant. The site, and living conditions, proved to be uncomfortable and unattractive and the activities and discipline were not really acceptable to my brother. Jim never forgot the experience, for it was obvious that Germany was teaching her youth to become proficient in activities wholly unacceptable to the peaceloving British. I am sure Jim would have written to Rolf and his parents to thank them for a

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 32-10 most pleasant stay in their home, and so far as I know that was the end of this period of his schooling. Later he was called up into the Royal Corps of Signals and served in England until D-Day, when he landed on JUNO beach. In December 1944 he lost an arm in Belgium, and eventually returned home. In 1948, after I myself had returned to Civvy Street and was living with my parents, they received a letter bearing a foreign stamp. It was from Rolf Muth, who was still incarcerated in a PoW camp in Siberia. He wrote that he was an officer in the German army, and had been captured in 1943 whilst fighting on the Russian Front; he had been a PoW ever since. The main reason for writing, other than to enquire after our family, was to ask Jim and my parents if they would help persuade the British government to put pressure on the Russians to release their German prisoners and allow them to return to their homes. Jim was advised of this letter, but understandably declined to become involved. However, after some discussion we decided to do all we could to help Rolf and his fellow prisoners. All we could do, of course, was to pass the letter on to our MP, which we did along with our strong recommendation to put pressure on the Russians. About a year later Rolf wrote from Germany, expressing sincere thanks for any action we had taken to secure their release from captivity. No mention was made of his parents, but reading between the lines it was fairly evident they had perished during the war. He expressed the hope he would travel to South America, and many months later another letter confirmed he was there and hoped to set up a business. Did any other Old Boys become involved in this school exchange scheme, and are their any stories to tell? CBS CD Mike Ratcliff is continually updating the CD, but we cannot expect you to keep forking out £6 or so every couple of months. Mike is prepared to operate an exchange scheme, whereby if you return your current CD with a cheque for £2.50 he will swap it for the latest version. Simply pop it in an envelope - it does not need a case or special packing so can go for the price of a stamp. Make cheques payable to Mr M Ratcliff and send to 48 South Knighton Road, Leicester. LE2 3LP. FROM BRIAN McAULIFFE 1955-63 I was pleased to see the photos of the yachts on the Norfolk Broads on the web site, as I was a member of the Green Wyverns Yachting Club from 1957. It gave me a life-long interest in both yachts and the Broads, and I will in fact be there next week sailing with my wife and three daughters (This was written April 1st - ed) The picture showing Chas Howard at the helm brought back fond memories of the annual sailing holidays, and also of the great weekends when, after Chas had bought his own boat, I and one or two other sixth-formers would go with him in his Jaguar to Norfolk for the sailing and the beer! How sad he is no longer with us. He and Flo Willan were major influences in my life, Chas for the sailing and Flo... well, I became a Biology teacher too! One of the group photos was also of great interest, as I was taught chemistry by both Mr Lawson and, for one year, by Mr Mann. I was especially grateful to the latter, as he took the Physics class for those of us who were mathematically inept ie: had passed at 'O' Level but were not doing it at 'A' Level. I don't suppose any of them will remember me, and certainly not with any pleasure, but I remember them with gratitude.

AND FINALLY... I don't think any boy ever crossed the threshold of the staff room, be it Elbow Lane, Lee Circle or Humberstone Gate. Indeed, few had occasion to visit the staff room at all. But I often found myself outside the door, the usual reason being to hand a forged sick note to Jock Gilman so I could avoid some sort of sporting activity. And occasionally a pupil might be despatched with a message. It was always tempting to attempt a sneak peek inside while Jock perused the note before initialling it. My impressions were of tatty armchairs, well past their sell-by date - where had they come from? Did the masters use the staff room as a convenient way to dispose of their old three piece suites? Did they haunt the second-hand furniture shops on Charnwood Street? But my abiding memory is the thick fug of pipe and cigarette smoke, which hung in the air like a 1950's London fog. Most of them must have smoked, no doubt as a way of relieving the stress of teaching. I suppose today's teachers must have to nip outside between lessons if they want a cigarette.

OWT 33 OLD WYVES' TALES 33 – May 2004 THE NEWSLETTER FOR OLD BOYS - CITY OF LEICESTER BOYS GRAMMAR SCHOOL PRE- 1976 EDITED BY DENNIS J DUGGAN, ROCK COTTAGE, BROOK STREET, WELSHPOOL, MONTGOMERYSHIRE. SY21 7NA TEL 01938 555574 EDITORIAL The cataloguing of the memorabilia collection is continuing slowly, lack of time being the main problem. As I mentioned in OWT32 it is also very tedious, and there always seems something better to do. One of our members E-mailed me recently to suggest an advertisement in Saga magazine. In fact Brian Screaton and I had already considered this, but it seems sensible to wait until nearer the next reunion so we can offer something specific, thus encouraging Old Boys to contact us. I talk about lack of time, and some of you might like to hear why I am short of this commodity. Here is a list of what I am involved with in Welshpool. Member of Rotary, and from July I shall be Communications Officer; committee member of The Heulwen Trust, a charity which operates two narrow boats for disabled children; committe member of the Welshpool Festival of Transport; Director of The Welshpool Partnership, and also a member of the Management Team; member of the Welshpool Library Reading Group; member of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway; committee member of WAG (Welshpool Area Group, W & LLR) and editor of the newsletter; member of Friends of Montgomery Canal; I have given one guided walk of Welshpool, and will do others after training; founder and secretary of Wyvernians; I was given the opportunity to stand for the Town Council in next month's elections, but declined; founder and co-ordinator of the Welshpool Oral History project; volunteer with Tape Talks For the Blind (Stephanie is Secretary); member of The Powysland Club; member of Powys Family History Society. We also have an active social life and a large garden, to say nothing of my cycling activities and other hobbies. So you can see that a job such as cataloguing could usefully be delegated to a person who has some spare time available, though it is difficult to see how that would work. My brother contacted me regarding the problems experienced in scanning photographs from The Wyvernian magazines, detailed in OWT32. He works in the printing industry, and explains the phenomenon thus: The problem you have experienced with scanning printed photographs is well known. What you are experiencing is called moire (pronounced moray-the final "e" should be an acute "e", like Nestle). To reproduce different shades in a picture from a single colour (black ink) a picture is broken down into a series of different sized dots. Large dots for the dark areas and small dots for the light areas. The dots are all the same distance apart and printed at the same angle (usually 45 degrees for black). When you scan the photograph you are, in fact, scanning these dots. To reproduce the picture on your screen the image is projected from the RGB guns in the monitor onto a "grid" of phosphor dots behind the glass of the monitor. Because the dots on the picture do not align with the dots of the monitor a "clash" occurs which produces the pattern. If someone on the television is wearing a herring-bone jacket or a patterned dress you often see this phenomenon on the screen as a "jazzy" pattern. Indeed, were you to try to print the scanned picture again, the printing process would apply a further set of dots (this is called the screen ruling) and a similar pattern would ensue, because the new dots do not align with the old ones. To prevent it happening the picture needs to be de-screened when scanning. Effectively, this means knocking the picture out of focus to blur the dots and

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 33-2 then attempting to sharpen it up again afterwards. Of course, the quality of the picture is degraded by this process. Good scanning software will have a de-screening option within its advanced settings, and usually does a creditable job of rendering the picture useable. The project has gone on the back burner for the moment. In any case I went to the trouble of photo-copying items I felt might be of particular interest to some individuals, but after posting them and receiving no acknowledgements or appreciation I soon stopped that particular activity as there is obviously no demand for it. I accept these mails were unsolicited, so please do not take offence at my remarks if you were one of the recipients, but it seems to prove I am barking up the wrong tree! FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 During the time at Elbow Lane, a new dance came onto the scene - The Twist. One morning, Wally Wardle decided to see who was, in his opinion, up to this 'new dance' (Said with derision) Several exhibitionists went on stage, including one James Lynton Russell. The music played. James Lynton won, and due to his enthusiastic performance he became landed with the nickname Arse Almighty. This stayed with him until The Twist vanished into the mists from whence it had appeared. A coincidence. I have been watching Volume II of the school video, and it shows a trip to the Med in 1968 including Malta. Dear me, some scenes have not changed. I have been in the shop shown in Mdina (sic) and seen the fountain, but had to walk along one road as it is now restricted to permit holders only. As previously mentioned, sport with a ball was not my forte. But one year, when the summer cricket season reared its ugly head, I was put in to bat and found myself facing the fearsome Abo Harrison. I had previously heard one piece of information of some use to me, that is the batsman was not allowed to handle the ball... Abo sent down the first two balls fairly gently to acclimatise himself, then came the third and by wielding the bat horizontally (Do you mean vertically? - ed) I succeeded in landing the ball just in front of my feet. I then picked it up and handed it to Arthur Sweet, the wicket keeper, who - bless him - signalled me OUT. I did the same thing the next couple of times I was obliged to bat, but then I was not invited to play. Hooray. You have sometimes mentioned my handwriting is somewhat iffy to read. I am afraid this is as a result of a stupid experiment carried out by Leicester Education Committee. They decided that despite most of my generation being taught to read and write at an early age by assorted relatives, we should be taught to write a sort of italic script. This was only practiced in a few schools, and it led to CBS staff sniping about our poor script and naming the Primary Schools concerned. Only one person, from Braunstone Frith Junior (Adrian Pilgrim) had/still has beautifully-formed handwriting, this being for a particular reason (Adrian does have exquisite calligraphic skills - ed) FROM JOHN FLEWITT 1956-59 (This was written in response to an e-mail I sent to John some time ago regarding an amusing doodle I found - ed) I must apologise again for not replying to your very kind e-mail regarding some doodle of mine that you have on the cover of an old Physics text book. I'm afraid I seem to have had a heck of a busy autumn and winter and, in fact, it was my children who first read your e-mail about the doodle. They were highly amused especially my eldest son, Andrew, who is now a 6th Former at a local Grammar School, and anyway, having read this bit about me they came rushing to tell me. No, I don't remember doing it but I am 99% certain that it is mine. I have been blessed to be a happy individual, and used to joke at CBS at every opportunity. I was also a keen follower of The Goons at the time (still am along with son, Andrew) and I was very taken with the design on the cover of a Goon's EP which appeared around 1957 featuring the Ying Tong song etc. I bought a copy of this record, which I still have, and the cover is full of a kind of Gerard Hoffnung nonsensical

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 33-3 drawings which still tickle me to this day. Ah, things were so innocent then. I still marvel at the fact that the doodle is still in existence and also that someone like yourself actually came across and identified it as mine. I felt as though I was reliving a part of my past life and I just find the whole episode quite moving. By the way, I do have a humorous story to tell which I will cobble together for a future OWT (Don't forget to send it in, please - ed) FROM PETER JACKSON 1944-49 Continued from OWT32. I have at last arrived at the subject which first drove me to put cursor to screen. That was a comment by the editor in OWT30 that few references have been made about caretakers. During my sojourn at CBS I do not recall The Beak having a secretary, though someone must have done the paperwork! There was certainly a caretaker, one Mr Grundy. He was always dressed in a dark blue suit and waistcoat, from which hung a chain attached to a pocket watch. I don't remember him ever speaking, or rebuking anyone. He was a very quiet character, of smallish but well-built stature, with dark crinkly hair. At the allotted time he would consult his watch and take a hand bell, which he would ring ding-a- ling, ding-a-ling, from several locations around the school to ensure things were on the move. A far more impressive person was Mr Grundy's good lady, who was in charge of dispensing the school dinners. She was twice his size, and looked quite intimidating in her bulging pinafore and turban - the usual garb for working ladies at that time. The dinners were taken at long trestle tables in the gym, the masters' table being set at right angles at the yard end of the gym. Bud Fisher was always in attendance to supervise, and say Grace beforehand. We would then file out to Flo Willan's nearby biology lab, where Mrs Grundy, along with her alleged sister and another lady, stood in line behind aluminium containers of steaming matter. It was a two-course meal; meat and two veg followed by jam roll, or sponge, and custard. The meat was invariably a curled up and overcooked slice of beef, about half the size of the sole on a leather shoe - which it closely resembled. The vegetables were overdone dark green cabbage and reconstituted powdered potato. On approaching the food we would remark, 'Leather and seaweed again.' This was said sufficiently loudly for Mrs G to hear, whereupon she would glare wildly and shout, 'You should be grateful you've got something to eat.' She was probably right; food rationing was still in force. On Mondays we received a little orange pill containing Vitamin 'C' to supplement our diet (I wonder if they were Haliborange - ed) Looking back they were carefree days. FROM ALAN PYKETT 1959-66 First, may I say how much I enjoy reading OWT, and many thanks are due to the editor and contributors. Some have recounted their first day at school, so I thought I would join them. My first day was 8th September 1959. At the time I lived in Matlock Street, Highfields, which was really within walking distance of CBS and Lee Circle. However, I generally went to school on the bus. I had arranged to meet the only other boy who was due to join the school from Charnwood Street Junior School at the bus stop; his name was Peter Marsham, and we had spent four enjoyable years at Charnwood Street where we had been successful in passing the 11+. Only two other boys passed, and they went to Alderman Newton's. Seven girls were successful, and they went to the various girls' grammar schools. Having alighted from the bus in Humberstone Gate we made our way to the Lee Circle annexe. There we were 'greeted' by the new second year, who promptly took our caps and led us across the playground where we had to run a sort of gauntlet before they returned the caps. This was done in good fun, and we looked forward to doing the same to the new intake next year - although I could not see myself becoming involved! However this became irrelevant, because those in authority decided this ritual would not take place in future. We were soon told to which class we had been allocated; 1Alpha, 1A or 1B. I was perhaps a little put out on being

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 33-4 told I was in the 'B' stream, but it turned out to be a good class with a great set of lads. Following this exercise we were shown to our classrooms and introduced to the form masters, who in our case was Bob Dennis - a very pleasant man. I believe it was his first year at the school. I assume we then went to our first morning assembly, which in Lee Circle was held in the science laboratory. There we met for the first time none other than Wally Wardle, head of the junior part of the school. FROM LES OSWIN 1935-39 It was with great pleasure and anticipation that I read your recent contribution to The Shropshire Star. This was noticed by my daughter, who is a regular reader. I was impressed to read of the revival of the Old Wyvernians, albeit under a new name. I am one of three brothers who attended CBS. My elder brother was Jim, and my younger is Rex. Between us we were at CBS between 1932 to 1945. Many names come to mind - Mr R W Crammer, Bull Smith, Pig Kersey, Carps, Mr Hill, Pluto, Mr Trump and dear Buffer - Mr Bufton, who was both my form and house master (De Montfort) In the early days of the war, when I was a Prefect, the school was temporarily closed because of the lack of air-raid shelters in Chancery Street (sic) and we shared mornings and afternoons with Wyggeston Boys in University Road. We returned to Humberstone Gate before Christmas 1939, when I left to work as a clerk at Leicester Royal Infirmary. I still have my solid silver Prefect's badge, but the tasselled cap disappeared years ago. These were raised on passing a master in the street. After the war, a get-together was organised at the Co-op Hall, just off High Street, probably in association with the Old Wyvernians. I attended with Jim, and we learned of the deaths of many of our friends and classmates during the conflict. I often wondered if a plaque listing Old Boys killed in action was ever created at the original school, and if so whether it was transferred to the new premises. Does anyone know of this? (See item below - ed) My brother Jim passed away in 2002, but Rex still lives in the Leicester area. I was actively involved with the 1939 pantomime Aladdin And His Wonderful Gamp, a parody on the radio show ITMA which was popular at the time. FROM DR A A BURROWS 1957-68 Thank you for your prompt reply (To E-mail correspondence - ed) I notice that you did not comment on my observation that Cliff Dunkley's contribution said nothing about Mr Smith's time at CLBS. I trust that you intend to go back to him - or for that matter anyone else who can give a detailed account. I do not know the date of his arrival or departure ; the very few things I know are : (i) He was a Housemaster (ii) He was a pillar of the staffroom bridge table (iii) He smoked a pipe (iv) - as already noted - he opened the batting for the Staff XI (v) He was one of the (very select !)band who had a First Class Honours degree - in his case Oxford.

(Cliff, do you wish to rise to thechallenge? - ed) (The following is as a response from Doc regarding a previous query about the was memorial) Thank you for another fascinating instalment. I have only one criticism - repetition is a sign of old age ! I was surprised by your remark about the War Memorial. You will recall that it is placed in a most inappropriate position at knee height on the left as you go in by the main entrance to the Downing Drive school - certainly not where EJWB had it fixed !

I am glad to note that the School was represented at Mr Smith's funeral , but I have read the account of his career several times and can still find no reference to his time at CLBS ! My favourite story about him concerns the occasion of the Staff v Education Dept. Staff (cricket) at Grace Road. They were short of an umpire and so looked around - who had a white coat ? Despite stating that I knew nothing about cricket I was press-ganged by Mr Smith and given the rule-book to read the night before the match. It will be recalled that he opened the innings , and before very long the cry was "howzat". My knowledge of the lbw rule was extremely thin , but I reasoned that since the ball had bounced 'in line' with the stumps and had hit both of his legs , this must be lbw and I raised my finger accordingly. Mr Smith duly walked and never mentioned the incident thereafter ; I still do not know whether I was right or whether he was very generous! (The Staff team won the match). OBITUARY Les Oswin kindly sent me a copy of The Ven Peter Mallett's obituary. It originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph on June 11th 1996. He was 70, and had been Chaplain General to the Forces from 1974-1980. The Ven Peter Mallett had a colourful career, and if anyone is interested in more detail please let me know. There is too much information for me to quote the obituary verbatim. FROM JIM JOYCE 1951-59 I ran the tuck shop at Humberstone Gate in 1958-59, much to the annoyance of Ding Dong Bell. The tuck shop was the responsibility of the Head Boy, who could select a Prefect to run it. The Head Boy in 1958-59 was Terry Fryer, a friend of mine. I had survived many altercations with Bell over the years, and he had made it quite clear he did not like me. He had a conflict with me because I was brilliant at maths, and was heading for a state scholarship and perhaps King's College, Cambridge (I was spared the latter hell) and he just loved to brag about the success of the school. When I was made a Prefect Bell told me quite clearly, in front of other new prefects, that it was against his better judgement but that others (Bob [Roberts? - ed]and Remington I found out later) had persuaded him it would be good for me. So we had the perfect situation. The Head Boy was my friend, who had the right to select a Prefect to run the tuck shop, and I just loved wagon Wheels and Milky ways. So I became boss of the tuck shop. Ding Dong was furious when he found out, and called Terry to see him. Fair play to Terry, he stood up for me; and Ding Dong would not over rule his school captain. Each month I received a percentage of the profits, and this encouraged me to become a capitalist for the only time in my life. I expanded the tuck shop as much as space allowed, and increased the items sold. The cupboard bulged with new products, as well as the old faithfuls. The result was a roaring income for me, and - more importantly - free access to chocolate at any time of day! And, of course, immense power. FROM MARTIN REEVES 1962-67 Just a bit of trivia. You mentioned eating Trebor Refreshers. Did you know the person who invented the Trebor brand was named ROBERT - TREBOR was his name reversed. Found that in a Christmas cracker, I think. FROM GRAHAM MORTON 1949-56 The idea of a tuckshop came from Ernie Bell. If they had one at Whitgift then we would have one too! I think it began the year before Keith Burdett and I ran it, and one of the 'proprietors' was Tony Burke. His mother had a draper's shop at 289 St Saviours Road. Brian Burdett (not to be confused with Keith) may know Tonys partner. I last saw Tony at a retirement 'do' a few years ago - he had been working for the LEA for some time. Richard Thompson last saw

Keith in Manchester – again some years ago. As we had 'A' levels in the summer term, I think the proprietorial exchange must have taken place after Easter. We served from 1955-56. The 'shop', or panelled wooden cupboard, was just inside the dining hall on the right as you went in. We had two dinner tables for a counter. I cannot remember how we came to do the job; we were either chosen or invited. The key to the cupboard was kept in the office, and one of us would collect it, along with the float, just before break. The keys and takings would be returned after lunch. Stocktaking was a chore, and the accounts always showed a loss! Each Friday the secretary paid us our commission, a percentage of the takings. Keith and I chose the stock from Kingston Confectionery Co Ltd, whose warehouse was at 21 Anstey Lane close to the junction with Blackbird Road. Our eyes opened wide the first time we saw the hundreds of boxes stacked high before us. We placed the order through the school office, and by some miracle the stock appeared. I cannot remember if we had to carry the stock from the office to the tuckshop. Penny chews were popular, as were Spangles (some flavours more than others) and Maltesers. Cadbury's Crunchies were hugely popular at the time, and we would order forty or fifty boxes. Imagine our disappointment when only half a dozen boxes were delivered. These sold in a couple of days, and when Crunchies were on sale the staff appeared like bees round the proverbial honeypot. Some weeks before Christmas the supplier invited us to the warehouse to view the presentation boxes of fine chocolates, tins of toffees and selection boxes. We decided to run a Christmas Club, and people made their choice from the glossy brochure provided by the wholesaler. A brochure went to the staff room. All paid up in time, and we had a special opening after school during the final week of term. I hope that Mrs Witts, Lawson, Franey and Co enjoyed their gifts. I cannot imagine a school tuckshop being run like that today, and I do not remember a litter problem. The editor writes of its absence at Elbow Lane. Could it be that some traders learned of its existence and complained about the effect on their sales? Or was it Giant Decay? FROM PETER MARKHAM 1946-51 (This was written March 2004 - ed) As a result of your help I received a surprise telephone call from C W Chuck Saddington last night. We spent nearly thirty minutes on the phone, recalling our schooldays and many schoolmates. As he has returned to live in Leicester he had given me his telephone number, and we have arranged to meet up for a pint. Thank you for putting me in touch with an old schoolmate after over 50 years. FROM GEOFF KITCHEN 1953-59 Frank Whitelam has been in touch, and he mentioned the Old Wyves Cricket Club still functions, and turns out regularly. I played for them for two years after leaving school before moving south in October 1961. They are planning a meeting at Grace Road at one of the County one-day knockout matches, but unfortunately I am away (This was written March 2004 - ed) FROM PAULWILLIAMSON 1957-62 It was good to see you again at the 2004 reunion. Keith Duguid (1958-63) grew up on the New Parks Estate a few doors away from me - always good entertainment, and like my family is of Scottish origin. A tall, bald man - the one from Singapore (sounds like Steve Mellor - ed) had made the effort to travel 7 - 8,000 miles, and Don Letts is certainly good for someone of 87. Nice to meet Mr Brushe again; went to Switzerland with him in August 1959; a beautiful place. Several Oxbridge scholars at the reunion, but it was the University of Like for me. I wasn't in the genius class. It's a pity there were not more well-known faces in attendance - it's your heart that takes you there. Keith tells me that Bob Hastings is in

Tasmania, but I thought he was in Melbourne, Victoria. I have the copies of the original plans for Clarence House. It was built as The Wyggeston Girls Hospital School in 1877. The plans are by S Burgess and dated 1876. So it seems it was a girls' school for 40+ years. I need to get more details on usage etc, then the plans will be with you tout suite (sic) How about some retro music at the 2005 reunion? I have the necessary items - a Dansette and the records (sounds good to me - ed) FROM PROF JOHN FWOODWARD OBE 1944-48 My daughter, who lives in Shropshire, sent me the Wyvernians cutting from the Shropshire Star, as she felt it might interest me. I completed the School Certificate at CBS before moving to Scotland, where I finished my schooling and went to university. There are only a few names from my year that I can recall. Allen Hook, who I did see a couple of times before I left Leicester. I know he became a GP in Mansfield. Terry Willson and Peter Seal, with whom I played cricket. Ivor Bufton, who was the son of a master of the time. I did visit the school in the early 70's and talked to the assembled senior years about university education in Scotland, but I cannot recall the names of those I met. FROM BRIAN SCREATON 1959-65 2005 is the 40th anniversary for those leaving in 1965 before the move to Downing Drive, and it would be great if we could recreate the relevant form photos. Could we make a big effort to get hold of everyone who left in 1965 and see how close we get? If we could fill half the places it would be great. Mr Leicester would no doubt help with publicity, and if we sent in 1965 photographs at regular intervals between now and the next reunion, with copy on what we are trying to achieve, it might just take off. I'm just thinking out loud here. As to a star guest I was thinking of Michael Kitchen, though I realise he is difficult to pin down. Or Alistair Campbell and Gary Lineker, though they would have no contemporaries there. And, of course, Keith Hill. He might be a possibility if we could suggest some quasi-political topic for him to talk on - is 2005 an election year? Again I'm just thinking out loud. I thought if we got in early enough, and made the event sufficiently attractive to tempt them, we might get lucky. Or we could try to get as many 1965 staff as possible. Perhaps Bill Mann and John Lawson could help? (Over to the readership - who is willing to become involved with this project? Let me know - ed) FROM ALAN TAYLOR 1944-49 I quite enjoyed the 2004 reunion, and the chance to climb those stairs again. Unfortunately it was not until the very end of the meeting that I discovered there were at least two people from my era (the Coates brothers) I did feel to be intruding when trying to read peoples' name badges, and in view of this perhaps a system of symbols could be considered for 2005. So we could have y for 1950's, * for 1960's etc, using different colours. The system would require a key, but the advantage would be easier recognition of one's peers without the need for intimacy. Perhaps it is food for thought. Are there no annual subscriptions for Wyvernians? Perhaps not - it might put some people off. (We do not ask for subs. So long as we generate sufficient income to pay expenses, and have photographs framed etc we are happy - ed) FROM LAURIE FORD 1962-66 On a September day in 1962 I apprehensively walked from the bus stop on my first day at CBS. I walked past Ginns & Gutteridge, funeral directors, on the way! Though CBS had been my first choice, it was still a bit daunting. Only two others from Dovelands, my old school, were joining me, Howard (Chas) Mayhew and Jimmy Wilton. On arrival at the school it was into the assembly hall, sitting with the whole new intake and waiting for my name to be read

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 33-8 out and be assigned to a particular class. It's different now. There are induction days, buddying and all sorts of initiatives to ease the difficult transmission from junior school to secondary. I could have done with something like that in 1962, as I unfortunately ended up in the wrong form, 1B rather than 1A! There were two Fords, you see. This error remained undiscovered until my first report, and then only because my parents could not believe the comments about my behaviour. The mistake was confirmed when it was noticed the report listed my Christian name and house incorrectly. As ever, Dad went in to sort things out, though I stayed in 1B as it was felt a move at that point would not have suited me. The form master (and Maths master) for 1B was ‘Jasper’ Mercer, regularly mentioned in Old Wyves Tales. Other masters that year were Sadie Thompson (Scripture), Mr Bourne (French), Chas Howard (History), Bob Dennis (Science), Mr Varley (Art), Bunny Hutchinson (Woodwork), Wally Wardle (Geography. The lower school in Elbow Lane, despite being small, had a good range of facilities and activities on offer to while away the lunchtimes. The junior library, which was housed in a room just off the first floor gym, had a small but excellent range of books. There were games of handball in the upstairs gym. A master would give up his time to referee. Strange to think we took that for granted. There was football in the yard. There was also the excellent lunch-time record club in the assembly hall. A few cool 3rd formers with the school record player, piles of chart singles and an eager audience. It was here that I got into the pop music of the time, an tracks I hear now on ‘golden oldie’ stations take me right back to those days. I can’t remember the reasons why, but I do remember from time to time the club being temporarily closed down due to some sort of misconduct. On its re-opening we had to apply for passes to attend it, presumably only granted on the basis of good behaviour. School meals were variable. They were dished out by the head of table (a third former) and the two lads next to him. I think we all had to take turns in helping out with the servings. I think that games for us was on a Wednesday afternoon. Special buses to the hallowed turf of the county’s Grace Road cricket ground. Football at Grace Road always seemed not quite right somehow. Grace Road always seemed to be quite exposed to the wind and it always seemed to be cold. And as for the ‘Dickensian’ changing rooms in the pavilion!! I imagine Leicestershire CCC was well chuffed when City Boys moved to Downing Drive, and its own playing fields, as it meant that at long last it could start to do up the ground. It is noteworthy that County only started to improve after we left. Friday morning was a trip to the upper school at Humberstone Gate. Assembly in the big hall, which was surrounded by honours boards, showing us what we could aspire to. I think previous issues of ‘Old Wyves Tales’ have indicated that the honours boards were at some point dumped. If so that strikes me as akin to vandalism. There was a bit of a shock due to the physical size of lads in the upper school who all either seemed to have prefects’ ties, colours ties, colours gold braid round their blazers or any combination of them. Lessons consisted of (I think) alternatively swimming at Vestry Street baths with sadistic instructors who pushed you in the water, or PE, probably with Jock Gilman. Pirates if we were very lucky, otherwise things like vaulting horses. The morning would continue with either double art (not so good) or double woodwork (aaagh) neither of which I particularly excelled at. Then it was school dinner in a ‘nissan-like’ hut. Finally there was the long crocodile back across town to Elbow Lane led by responsible sixth formers. How did they remember the way? At some point we were also presented with bibles, suitably labelled up with our names inside. I still have mine. Overall that first year was (and my school reports confirm this!!) a bit of a struggle. However, it laid the foundations for things to get better. And if the editor thinks this worth printing I will write up some more reminiscences for future ‘Old Wyves Tales’. FROM GUNTER LAWSON 1947-54 Thanks again for all your hard work in producing these tales. I think there must have been an

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 33-9 editorial error in respect of Cliff Dunkley’s obituary on Ron Smith. He says that “On demobilisation, Ron took up a teaching post at Kirkby Fields College of Education on Merseyside.” But this was the job Ron took up when he left City Boys, so there is a gap between demob and finishing at City Boys. Perhaps Cliff could be persuaded to fill in the gap some time. I was deeply indebted to Ron as he was my teacher as I started in the 6th form, and he took so much care and was so helpful and encouraging. FROM HORACE L COATES 1944-49 The other day (20.04.04) I switched on the Local Radio "Talkback" programme and caught the end of a conversation about "FRIENDS OF WAR MEMORIALS". I have a faint 'recall' of mention having been made at a Reunion about the Plaque/s that used to be in the School Hall and enquiries as to where they are now. Have you had any luck in 'chasing' these items? I did not contact the 'phone number quoted as I did not know if you had already covered this ground. However, for what it's worth the speaker was a Mr. Chris Stephens/Stevens(?) on 0116 2716086 should you wish to contact him. (See item by Dr Burrows above -ed) FROM NEVILLE JACKSON 1942-47 I recall my first morning at the School. The New Boys sat in the Hall and were advised which form they were in – 1Alpha, 1A or 1B. I was placed in 1B. The relevant staff sat on one side of the hall and the names allocated to each form, starting with the alphas, were read out by the Headmaster, R W Crammer. As I sat there looking at the form masters I took an instant dislike to the appearance of one of them, a dark haired rather fierce looking man, praying that I would not be in his form. You guessed it, I was. However, this chap, a Mr Burdett, turned out to be a good and fair form master and I enjoyed my year with him. One of my early recollections on starting at the School in 1942 was the practice of `fagging`. This activity was confined to the rear playground located between the main school building and the separate block which contained the Chemistry Lab (upstairs) and the Physics Lab (ground floor). Entrance to this playground was via a large wooden gate, painted green I think, in which was a small door. Inside this door the older lads formed two lines between which new boys had to pass having negotiated the small door. As one passed between the lines a series of blows from satchels, often packed with heavy books, were administered. I recall that I got through the lines relatively unscathed. I can`t remember for how long one was regarded as a `new boy` or how long the fagging went on but at some stage the `authorities` stopped it and masters patrolled the playground. This may well have been brought about by some unfortunate new boy getting injured or his glasses broken whilst running the gauntlet of the fagging lines. A third memory concerns travelling to school. Our family lived on the Aylestone Road a few hundred yards south of the Gas Works. My normal routine was to catch a tram virtually outside the house and ride into the City. The tram terminated in Bowling Green Street at the back of the Town Hall. I would walk along Horsefair Street and on into Halford Street, hence to Charles Street. An alternative to Halford Street was to walk through the Woolworths Store which ran between Gallowtree Gate and Free Lane, a small street off Charles Street. A left turn brought me to Humberstone Gate and to school. A problem arose during the War in the mornings when a tram would arrive at my stop often overfull with passengers standing everywhere. My attempts to board would be frustrated by the Conductor shouting `Munition workers first!`. Waiting for the next tram or even the next or the next often resulted in my being late for school. Boys travelling on other tram routes encountered similar problems resulting in the School taking up the matter with Leicester City Transport but to no avail. The problem was solved by my getting up earlier and walking the almost two miles to school. Travelling home and back at lunchtime and home in the afternoon was easier as the trams were less crowded. In my later years at school I

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 33-10 set up a cycle which solved my transport problems. There was relatively little traffic on the road and cycling to Humberstone Gate presented few problems. AND FINALLY... In these days of schoolgirls of 12 being made pregnant by boys of the same age, it seems strange to think back to when I was that age. I was 12 in 1959, and like all (alright, most!) of my contemporaries I showed no interest in the opposite sex. Girls, and I have a younger sister so know what I am talking about, played with dolls and skipping ropes. They liked helping with housework and cooking, and their games involved dolls' tea parties and nurses' uniforms. Girls took an interest in their appearance, and loved clothes and having their hair done. We boys, on the other hand, played manly games such as cowboys and Indians, tick, football and cricket. These pursuits often led to scuffles or fights. Electric trains were an abiding passion, to say nothing of real ones, as were bicycles. In fact it was considered 'cissy' to associate with girls, and any lad doing caught so ran the risk of ridicule from his pals. I first became aware of the opposite sex in 1963, when I developed a crush on a girl called Sandra Hughes - though I never actually spoke to her! She lived on Sturdee Road ('on The Monsell') and I walked past her house every morning on the way to the No 87 bus stop. She attended King Richard III. If I was lucky I would spot Sandra coming out of her house with her mother and brother, because they caught the No 88 (I think it was) which came down Hillsborough Road and on to Pasley Road. I could never work out the routine for Sandra's return home. My bus was the 4.15 No 87 from the small bus station near the Phoenix Theatre, and occasionally she would climb aboard, though that was a rare occurence. On one momentous occasion she sat next to me, and I was able to read the name inscribed on her wooden ruler; that is the only reason I thought she was called Sandra Hughes, though of course the ruler might once have belonged to someone else. It never occurred to me to talk to her, even when I was given the opportunity to do so, and I merely admired her from afar until August 1964, when I left school.

OWT 34 OLD WYVES' TALES 34 – July 2004? THE NEWSLETTER FORWYVERNIANS EDITED BY DENNIS J DUGGAN, ROCK COTTAGE, BROOK STREET, WELSHPOOL, MONTGOMERYSHIRE. SY21 7NA TEL: 01938 555574 07985 405365 www.wyvernians.org.uk [email protected] EDITORIAL It is quite a while since I was in a position to write an OWT, almost two months. Once again the problem is time, or rather the lack of it. We have a couple of new members since May, otherwise there is little to report. The cataloguing of the memorabilia collection has ground to a halt, and I am trying to convince myself I will complete that job during the winter months. One new photograph is currently sitting in my Inbox, otherwise no further items have been received. Some of you are aware of disturbing rumours concerning Clarence House. Various versions are doing the rounds, but there seems little doubt the basic facts are true. Leicester City Council are planning to relocate Age Concern, and sell or lease Clarence House. AC will go to the former Police HQ in Charles Street, or perhaps somewhere in the Rutland Street area. Our old school will become flats, offices or a hotel. As I said, there are several stories and I do not know which one (if any) are correct. But no smoke without fire, and there is enough solid evidence to justify me reporting the matter in OWT. It certainly does not bode well for us; it is surely unlikely another organisation would let us use the building the way AC currently do, and whilst the exterior of the building is listed and presumably safe from harm, can we say the same about the interior? Only time will tell. Of course we can still hold reunions, but there is no doubt that Clarence House is a huge incentive for many ex-pupils to attend. A village hall, or room above a pub, would simply not be the same.

FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 It has been assumed that I gave the nickname 'Bill' to Mr H H Sykes. It is a sign of a good education that generations of boys would give him this nickname, in view of his fiery temper. Mention has also been made of the Atticus Society. I do not know if this is the same thing, but when we moved to Downing Drive in 1965 E J W Bell appropriated two periods on Friday afternoons for his use with the sixth form. We met in the gallery seating at the rear of the assembly hall. A wit from Don Whitbread's Latin group likened it to meeting secretly in an attic. I do not know if Atticus is Latin for attic. EJW took to arranging visiting speakers, with a variety of themes. Only two spring readily to my mind. The first was a representative from the South African embassy. He talked about their segregation policies, and the reasons for their implementation and continuation. I think the idea was for this chap to get a roasting, so EJW was not best pleased to find a fair percentage of the group agreed with some of the speaker's views. It plainly irked him somewhat. The second one I recall belonged to a religious order. He was dressed in a habit similar to the type worn by Friar Tuck, but he was a brother rather than a monk. His order did charitable works, one of the best-known being prison visiting. He was a likeable chap and all was going well until someone threw in a question asking if Leicester prison had a gallows. The answer was yes, and it was kept in good order. The brother said he had seen it used to stretch rope, then to EJW's horror uttered the immortal words: 'This device had a bloody great big lever, like the handbrake on a lorry, and when the locking trigger was released well, bugger me, the big bag of sand disappeared.'

Silence reigned for a few moments before EJW, in an attempt to create a diversion, asked a good tangential question. These meetings were designed to embarrass us, as EJW sometimes began the session then picked people at random to talk for two minutes on a subject of their choice. I managed to avoid this for quite a while, but was eventually cornered. In those days I did not like public speaking, though that changed over the years as I joined various committees etc, but I had mentally prepared a two-minute talk on deliberate embarrassment of shy people by those in authority. EJW's moustache quivered a bit. After leaving school, as the librarian I decided to present a book. After much deliberation I decided on a book containing whimsical photographs of cats and kittens. I was interested in photography so the artistic studies appealed to me, and I felt the book covered both science and arts thus showing no bias. It cost about £5 in 1966, equivalent to perhaps £40- £50 today. I delivered it to the school, and after a couple of weeks received a letter from EJW. To say his thanks were a backhanded compliment would be kind. EJW stated that although the photographs were well-studied and technically excellent they poked fun at some of God's creatures. Here endeth the lesson. Each morning a Prefect was required to read an extract from the bible. You were expected to use the school's large version, kept on the lectern. The New English bible had just been published, and I had a copy, and for five days this was used. To say the following week was a little tense would be under-estimating EJW, the RI teachers and Phil Drummond (school captain) as they did not appreciate the deviation from tradition. Political correctness and different religions have made the practice of such readings obsolete now. One interesting fact to emerge from the episode was my source of the NEB. One master was involved in his church/religious group for young people, and it was he who arranged to sell copies - say no more, Squire! FROM PAUL WILLIAMSON 1957-62 Although I felt the wrath of 'Ding Dong' Bell's cane on my backside twice (I thought he was going to get a trophy out of his cupboard!) he had our best interests at heart, as did 100% of the staff. You can be shown the way, but for whatever reason not take it. I can now confirm that Alan J W Bell (producer - Last Of The Summer Wine) is no direct relative of Ernest J W Bell. I wrote to the BBC to check. FROM TIM MARTIN 1966-73 At City Boys', what did we learn that set us up for life? In Physics, Mr. Lawrence said regelation was the re-freezingof ice. I was more concerned relegation and LCFC avoiding it! In Chemistry, Mr. Waite said a mole was not a skin blemish, nor a funny burrowing animal, but something else. I'll go to my grave still not knowing what he meant! In Biology, Mr. Willan said worms do 'it' in a manner that somehow explained human reproduction also. To this day, I'm not convinced! In History, Mr. Palmer said it all started at Ur. Err, that can't be right! In Geography, Mr. Witts said something about the soils of Russia. My brain refused to be burdened with such stuff! In French, Mr. Ormerod said that all nouns have gender. Not in my logical world they don't! In Physical Education, Mr. Gilman said that cross-country running in January would toughen us up. I just froze! In Assembly, Mr. Bell said we must avoid girls in order to pass our exams!In life, what have we learnt that was a set-up at City Boys'? FROM MIKE VALENTINE 1955-60 The Newsletter has been keeping up with me - and it's good to read of what was, as well as what is. You are obviously doing something right!! Sorry I couldn't make the

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 34-3 reunion but I did pass details on to an earlier pupil - Lewis H. Lawrence, who lives in Narborough and also to an extra 'Dad' of mine - Ray Phillips - who is in his mid eighties - still lives in Leicester and who could be contacted through me if anyone remembers him from 1930 - 35! Ray was a colleague of my own dad, both working for Shell Mex, and when dad came to Catherine Street Depot, Leicester on 'relief' from Bedford, he stayed with Ray and his wife at their home in Willow Street. Eventually I came as well, also living with Ray & Hilda Phillips. So it was Brunswick Street Infants and then Chester Street Juniors -both St. Matthew's Anglican Church Schools. At Chester Street I remember playing cricket against Peter O'Grady who, after the end of the Cricket season, also turned up in Lee Circle - and he was a better cricketer and a brighter lad! From there I passed 11 plus and, for two reasons - I came to City Boys. Firstly it was the nearest to the old Wharf Street area which was really most of St. Matthew's parish. AND secondly, since Ray Phillips had himself been to CB - he very kindly agreed to buy all of my School uniform - and I mean all of it - including all sports kit ( Charnwood) and a 'best' uniform set for Sundays, worn at Curzon Street Methodists - which I also made my 2nd home - and where my RI teacher Brian Thompson visited as a Methodist Local Preacher. Ray Phillips is still part of my life and an extra Grandfather and Great Grandfather within our family. I came across a book on the old Wharf Street area - published by Leicester City Council Living History Unit. 'Wharf Street Revisted' by Cynthia Brown - ISBN 0 9521090 2 6 Does it take me back. FROM DR A A BURROWS 1957-68 By a remarkable coincidence there is an article in the recent edition of 'Countryside La Vie' by Professor Bernard Capp, historian at the University of Warwick. He was in the same year at CLBS as (eg) Atton and Herrick (the 3 alpha which I taught on arrival at the school in 1957) - probably the cleverest set I ever taught at the school. I know that he went to Pembroke College, Oxford (my memory fails me as to the exact description of his scholarship) and was present at the Inaugural Wyvernian Dinner at Merton College, Oxford, on 5th March 1965, which I organised. The coincidence is, of course, he was a star pupil of Mr Smith. You can see the article at www.countrysidelavie. com Had he been in touch he would undoubtedly have been at The Malt Shovel dinner. [This item was sent to me April 30th - ed] FROM JEFF CHAPMAN 1953-59 I enjoy reading OWT, and it's rather nice being reminded of things long forgotten. A couple of points arising from OWT32. Tom Williams briefly refers to school plays from 1951-57. If my memory serves me correctly, 1957 was the year of Henry IV Part 2, which was presented for three (I think) performances at the Corn Exchange, Market Place. It was followed by an Easter visit to Krefeld. 1958 was the year of Romeo & Juliet. Unlike Tom Willams' 'starring' roles, mine were much more mundane - bit parts and walk-on roles!! I can't agree with Ernie White's claim that Bradgate was the best House. Statistics would probably show that during my years at the school, De Montfort - the House I belonged to - was superior! However I admit that Bradgate came a close second, with Abbey and Charnwood usually trailing way behind.

FROM ALFRED GIBBS 1936-42 Many thanks for OWT 32, very interesting material, especially the Deutchland piece. I was at CBS '36 to '42 but do not remember the interchange arrangements.However, with my current memory, so what!!!. In '39 we had a Mr Ormondy teaching German; he was English, but very pro Hitler. I understood he was sacked by Mr Crammer, the Headmaster, for refusing to help with sandbagging the school in Humberstone Gate. With your team, please keep up the good work. Best wishes to you and yours and of course the team. (Alfred, I have your dates as 1936- 41. Please confirm which is correct. Thanks - ed) FROM ROGER PEBERDY 1950-57 I notice in a recent OWT there is a comment to the effect that no boy ever dared cross the threshold of the inner sanctum of the Staff Room. One day I will write to you about the end of Summer Term 1956 when, at dead of night, some of us broke into the School and even into the Inner Sanctum itself to carry out what is now called a 'make-over' on the room! Despite the Head's absolutely embargo on any end of term pranks, the staff arrived in the morning of the last day of term (Mr Bufton even coming in early to try to trap miscreant pranksters) to find the Staff Room replete with Christmas Tree, decorations and a table set for a Christmas party!!!! Maybe names cannot be revealed even now, though I have to that confess I was one! I gather that a video version of the original 'School film' may be available - although I note that you had sold out of the first production run according to the website. I would be very interested in obtaining a copy of this video as the School film was a project dear to my heart back in 1956 and 7; in fact I was one of group of two or three sixth-formers who persuaded our honoured Headmaster (Mr Bell) to go ahead with idea, and actually went with him to purchase the original clockwork cine-camera (can't remember the name of the shop it came from, but I think it was in Belvoir Street). Of course the film-stock was Standard 8mm, silent and black and white. We had great fun acting as cameramen, lighting men, producers and actors and, to the Headmaster's credit, the thing was virtually turned over to us to produce, he not knowing exactly what we had been up to until he saw the developed reels! I remember rigging up flood-lights and improvising a 'camera dolly' from a trolly borrowed from the school canteen with a ladder attached precariously to it to film some sequence or other in the school hall, and getting into trouble for introducing some trick photography in a school visit to Stratford shot where someone filmed walking along by the river suddenly disappeared! My own 'starring role' was when I was filmed doing a bit of dissecting in the Biology lab. I wonder if any of those very early sequences stayed in the film that was passed down to the future generations? I was the sound and lights man for the school's dramatic productions for three years running, and actually went to Germany with them 'on tour' in Krefeld and Munchen Gladbach. I was in the strangely superior position of being the one and only 6Sc4(bio) student at CBS. I had been accepted for medical school at the tender age of 16, having got all the necessary A levels thanks to the 'alpha stream' fast-tracking at CBS and the fact that I started in 1 alpha at the age of 10! I was not allowed to start at University until I had passed my 17th birthday, and in those days the 'gap year' hadn't been invented of course, so I simply repeated the year and did my A levels a second time round! In the mean time I carried on attending school and messed around! It was indeed 'the happiest year of my life' and Mr Willan proved to be a true friend for that year. He went through the motions of setting me work of course, but I never did it! I met him in the street about 4 years later, and he said

"Peberdy, you still owe me several biology essays I believe!" The fearsome man who had filled us with fear in earlier years proved to be a human being after all! I remember him making a six-foot 5th former stand on his stool in the Biology lab and announce to the class "I am a low down slimy clod" - humilation was a major weapon of his! Reading the newsletters has brought back many memories. 6sc2(bio) consisted of me, Paul Bond and John Pearson - Pearson and I became the 6Sc3 boys and Paul left and went to work for the GPO I believe. John Pearson went to Birmingham Medical School a year ahead of me - but thanks to the vagaries of the system qualified a year later than I did - that left me to plough my lonely furrow for that very odd 4th year in the sixth. when I made plaster casts of fossil horses, x- rayed frogs (with the help of Mr 'El Seed' Philips the physics master and the faithful Mr Stribling)! Maybe I will get round to relating some of my time-wasting exploits in the company of Tony Baxter, Barclay Vernon Best and Charles Tansley etc. in the Newsletter sometime! FROM JOHN BLAIKIE 1955-62 Thanks for OWT 32. Discussions of Bob Roberts and Bill Sykes certainly brought back a few memories. One day I really do intend to get back there and see how small the Humberstone Gate building really is compared to how big it used to seem. Will I ever be able to forget the metal chairs with brown canvas in the hall? FROM DON MANSER 1938-43 I must congratulate you on the way OWT is produced and the way in which the whole venture is managed. I particularly enjoy your entertainingly selfdeprecating autobiographical notes. Trawling through the back numbers of Old Wyves’ Tales on the internet the other day, in search of news of old classmates, I was astonished to find in OWT 25 a piece by Ray Taylor describing in considerable detail a conflict between myself and “Bud” Fisher. I remember that such conflicts were frequent and I think the reason was that “Bud” found, to his great disappointment, that try as he might, he could not instil into Manser’s head any mathematics of even the most rudimentary kind. Being hopeless at Maths I naturally disliked it, and no doubt this created a wholly unreasonable antipathy towards the small, rotund and rosy figure who, at the time, had the misfortune to be its physical embodiment. The result, inevitably, was conflict. The really strange thing is that I do not recall this particular incident at all. There is no doubt that it took place; Ray Taylor’s detailed description of my father is accurate enough to convince me of that, but what I simply cannot understand is how any participant in such an appalling incident could fail to have any recollection of it. The Headmaster, Mr Crammer, always seemed to me to be a sensitive and kindly man, and his action in taking my father to confront “Bud” in front of a class of grinning and utterly unsympathetic schoolboys seems to be quite out of character. The whole episode must have been acutely embarrassing for all concerned and especially so for “Bud” Fisher .. I understand that “Bud” s daughter occasionally reads OWT, and if she happens to read this, I do hope she will accept my apologies for my part in this unhappy incident and my sympathy for her late father’s discomfiture. Were he still alive, he might be gratified to learn that his unteachable pupil eventually managed to absorb sufficient maths to be able to complete an associateship course in Business Administration at Perth Technical College (the university did not offer degree courses in business or commerce at that time) and, after graduation, to teach statistical methods part-time at the same institution and later to become head of the Industrial Engineering Department of a

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 34-6 large tractor factory. Some of “Bud’s“ maths must eventually have penetrated that thick skull. Keep up this great work. (When I received this message from Don, back in May, I immediately forwarded a copy to Ann Jessop, Bud Fisher's daughter. She and Don have since been in contact. I wondered if Ray's piece in OWT25 was perhaps a little too personal to publish, but I do not wish to begin censoring items - unless they are libellous or rude -ed) FROM GEORGE WRZESIEN 1958-61 I was at City Boys' between 1958-61. My life is four days per week hang/paragliding, cycling, kite-surfing (what is that? - ed) and three days per week dentistry. It is a wonderful world to live in, and I am happy to carry on for the next 60 years. OBITUARY Fred Philps passed away May 2004. Fred attended the school 1932-37. EDITOR'S NOTES Please note all items sent to me - with the exception of libellous or rude submissions - will be printed in OWT unless you specifically state 'NOT FOR PUBLICATION' I correct glaring grammatical and spelling errors, but do not alter dates or facts even if I am certain (or think I am!) they are incorrect. Articles can be any length, though very long ones will probably be split into one or more short blocks. It is only in exceptional circumstances that I print anything not directly, or indirectly, concerned with CBS, tempting though that sometimes is. OWT appears as and when I have the time and inclination to issue one. New material is always needed, so do please send something. If you don't, there will eventually be no more newsletters! I use material in date order, and OWT34 takes us up to mid-June - so there is not a lot in stock. If you write to me by hand do PLEASE try to make it legible!!!! FROM BRIAN COPE 1954-62 It seems appropriate to say something about Ron Smith or to encourage others to do so. First, he was a very good teacher of history who maintained a scrupulously neutral stance even when discussing issues about which he must have felt strongly. One suspected he was a socialist and that he had some impatience with the narrower aspects of grammar school education, but it remained a suspicion. Equally, one suspected that he, as a sound professional. had little patience with Bob Roberts and the more exotic blooms - but again this was something one sensed rather than knew. It is for his students to praise him -Phillips, Capp and Geary who all went into academic life and Keith Hill, who preferred to swim with the sharks - and it is to be hoped that they will do so. He seemed massively normal and one of the pillars of the school. Incidentally, one of my memories is of Suez and how my attitudes changed from the 'Daily Express' gung-hoery which my father followed to a recognition that Mr. Gaitskell had a point - and Keith Hill's views certainly had an effect then. I can't help wondering how comfortably he sits now with this Iraq adventure! On EJW and his eye for marketing.... I had invited Richard Hoggart from the university to talk to a sixth form society about D.H.Lawrence. EJW got wind of this and circulated all the other schools so that when Mr. Hoggart turned up he found himself addressing a large audience in the main hall. I wrote to him afterwards and apologised , pretentiously adding that this was typical of the Head. He replied saying he 'quite understood' - a remark which with the passage of time I now see more as a comment on my teenage conceit than an agreed criticism of EJW!

FROM ARTHUR TURNER 1954-61 Thanks for your continuing hard work. I have memories similar to yours with Sandra Hughes. I arranged to meet a girl in Humberstone Park. When the big day came we met, but I couldn't bring myself to speak to her and she got fed up and left. I never did get to know her name. FROM DEREK HINE 1941-45 There was a building just inside the Clarence Street entrance with an L-shaped wall protecting the door. When I started CBS in 1941 we were herded into this 'pen' and then made to 'run the gauntlet'. It was quite harmless that year. Unfortunately in 1942 some of the boys went OTT, with at least one boy using a satchel to floor the new boys, and I believe a bicycle pump was also used. There must have been some harm done; no wonder the practice was banned. Note to our Ed, I got the street name right this time! To be honest I was (and still am I suppose) rotten at street names. FROM CLIFF DUNKLEY 1949-57 Many thanks for OWT33, which was up to the usual high standard. Something must have gone adrift with the Ron Smith obituary material. eg, my companion was described as Bob Smith instead of Bob Gregory. I certainly did not mean to indicate that Ron proceeded directly from war service to the College of Education on Merseyside. I did not keep a copy of what I wrote. I don't have that many reminiscences of Ron, as I was only (as they say at Eton) 'up to him' for just over a year. I found History extremely interesting, but I hated being made to write 'O' level essays in classtime every Friday morning. Perhaps I should have taken History in the 6th form in preference to German, but the sight of 6th form historians carrying copies of Bindaff's Tudor England put me off as I disapproved of the early Tudors - Welsh gangsters on the make. When he first arrived at CBS Ron wore a snuff- coloured hairy suit and an extremely tattered gown. He replaced the latter after one year, and I was disappointed to note he was still an Oxford BA and had not proceeded to the MA - as was his right, without further examination. From time to time his clothing was endangered by his habit of putting an unextinguished pipe into his jacket pocket. Regarding the 2005 reunion, I agree it would be a good idea to get a famous OW along - eg, Michael Kitchen. But I would draw the line at inviting Alistair Campbell, as he is too-controversial a figure. I for one would certainly have reservations about attending an event in which he would assume a major role. FROM ALUN FISHER 1964-71 Finally I have got round to e-mailing my appreciation for all the hard work and enjoyment you provide through your efforts. Thank you!!!! The recent spate of stories about first days at CB reminded of my own. I was in the last intake into the junior school at Elbow Lane in 1964. Still upsets me to go past there and see it as a car park, although I did have the opportunity to go there when it was an annex of the Polytechnic. Amazing how small every thing seemed years later! However I digress. I can well remember the excitement of the first day, catching the bus from home near the old speedway stadium with other friends who attended Alderman Richard Hallam ( Paul Harris and Ian Ward were two that I remember). Feeling very proud in new blazer and compulsory cap, which was promptly removed by the waiting lines of existing pupils lined up near the side gate to welcome the first years and thrown in the air and trampled over. As with the majority of first years that was perhaps the

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 34-8 only time the cap was worn coming to school, unless a teacher was sighted.!!! In fact I still have the same said cap, and it is one of my prized possessions along with my white first XI cricket cap which Iater got and to my shame never returned. I also have a tie and colours. Some things one just cannot throw out, much to the amusement of the family. Elbow Lane holds many memories, and was in my opinion a great place even with all its faults. Fondly remember the rose garden, and warm summer days walking around it, or having classes with Brian Scott, who was my form teacher in 1A, out there. Also the small gym upstairs where many lunch times were spent playing handball. I still have the scars on my knuckles to remind me!! Certainly had more character than Downing Drive. As with others. one morning a week was spent over at Humberstone Gate. Friday in my case. Swimming at the long-gone Vestry Street followed by either art/woodwork up in the roof of the building (or is my memory playing tricks) and then maths. Dinner was taken in the Nissen hut before we made our snake like way back Elbow Lane and the comfort of our own class with its single rows of desks next to the downstairs hall where Wally Wardle ruled the roost. Going down to Grace Road to watch the county play cricket also brings back many memories of playing soccer there and also attending sports days. A memory assisted by the two excellent videos produced. Very exciting for my young son to see his dad in school teams! AND FINALLY... Several people have now mentioned their first day at CBS. My own memories are: catching a bus into town on my own for the very first time; I was in short trousers, and felt surprised at the number of boys in long ones; eyeing up my fellow pupils, and wondering which were the bullies and which might become my friends; being shown the procedure for dinner; volunteering for the school orchestra, as it seemed a good idea to show an interest in something; being taken aback by the formality and discipline compared to junior school; the strange feeling of being in uniform for the first time; the feeling of awe when contemplating the senior boys, who seemed more like men; the feeling of relief when the first day was over.

OWT 35 OLDWYVES' TALES 35 – August 2004? THE IRREGULAR NEWSLETTER FOR WYVERNIANS (PRE-1976) EDITED BY DENNIS J DUGGAN, ROCK COTTAGE, BROOK STREET, WELSHPOOL, MONTGOMERYSHIRE SY21 7NA TEL 01938 555574 07985 405 365 www.wyvernians.org.uk [email protected] EDITORIAL Concern over the future of Clarence House prompted me to write to Leicester Mercury Postbag, and the letter was printed on July 24th. It may or may not be a coincidence, but a public meeting was called on August 6th with the aim of 'putting an end to speculation on the subject'. Briefly, Age Concern have no wish to leave Clarence House and nor do their clientele. Their lease has three years to run, and is renewable for a further twenty five years. But it is a prime site, and the Leicester Regeneration Company will set out their plans for the area in October. It seems there will be no change in the foreseeable future, but nothing can be certain when councils and /or other official bodies are involved. Incidentally, Radio Leicester asked me to do a telephone interview on the subject just before the meeting and I felt it went quite well. I was interviewed by Monica Winfield at 11.20. Of course, some people feel that Clarence House could be put to better use on behalf of the City. Who is to say which is right and which is wrong? Paul Williamson is continuing his research into the history of Clarence House, and I know one or two others are doing the same. Otherwise little has happened on the Wyvernians front since OWT 34, apart from one potential new member. So as is my custom, let me kick of OWT 35 with an item from Malcolm Davies... FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 Just to say the (2004) reunion went well. I met a few people I had not seen for some years, plus my uncle turned up. During my chats at the reunion one item popped up, that being the tuck shop. Some thought it did not exist in both sections of the school. Over in the Lee Circle annexe the products sold were sweets and chocolates. In the canteen at the main building they did not sell sweets and chocolates, but various biscuits were featured. One day no one was available to open the shop in the annexe, resulting in some withdrawal symptoms between breakfast and dinner. The most senior prefect, i.e. the School Captain, organised some supervision to shepherd us across to the canteen. Unfortunately 'Wally' Wardle found out and issued mass detentions as punishment for leaving the annexe. This caused grave embarrassment to the School Captain, the prefects and EJW Bell. The prefects were not happy because they saw such matters as part of their duties towards assisting the staff; Mr Bell was discomfited because a number of parents contacted him to complain about what they saw as unjust detentions. The annual prize-giving ceremony was held at De Montfort Hall. It was not spontaneous, because a rehearsal took place during the morning so everyone knew where to sit and what to do. It was important that the select few (the same people every year during my time) were able to access the stage easily and quietly when presented with their awards. Certain names come to mind. RJW and DJW Winter and Drummond. It always looked to me as if the house system was rigged, as the super-athletes all seemed to be in the green one, whatever it was called (Abbey House - ed) and a majority of the academic winners came from the same one. But back to the practice. After it finished we were allowed home for the afternoon, but a register was taken on our return in the evening. I was once taken to task by a form master for having the nerve to turn up for the ceremony wearing the same shirt I had worn for the rehearsal, instead of wearing a fresh one. One person did not attend the rehearsal because he lived in Loughborough and used the train. This might stop at Great Central Station or the Midland station, depending on what time he left the house. He was

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 35-2 tackled about this at De Montfort Hall during the evening but was non-committal about his absence. It was noticeable that after registering he disappeared, and I suspect he went into town instead of suffering with the rest of us. (To Be Continued - ed) FROM HAROLD COATES 1944-51 First of all my thanks and appreciation to you and your band of helpers for the excellent organisation of this year's reunion. I note with regret that Alan Taylor, writing in OWT 33, was reluctant to intrude by reading name badges. He should be reassured this is not the case, and certainly Horace (Harold's twin - ed) and I would have welcomed the chance to meet one of our contemporaries at CBS. They seem to be few in numbers. Secondly, an apology (This was written 6.6.04 - ed) I see it is now two months since you sent me reproductions of paintings printed in The Wyvernian. I note, again in OWT 33, that you felt discouraged by other peoples' similar lack of response to your actions. I'm sorry for the delay. I had intended to write, but what's that quotation about the road to hell being paved with good intentions...? So in reply to your query as to whether we remember doing these paintings the plain answer has to be NO. You have inadvertently raised something that caused Horace and I trouble and embarrassment at school, and even after all these years it is difficult to talk about it. We do not remember doing the pictures because we didn't paint them. For the first two years of our school life our art homework was done by our father. Talking about this now, two things surprise us. One is that our father actually did this, he being a man of firm principles and very much against any form of deception. Secondly, we cannot understand why the art master, Mr Hockley, never queried the matter, because our father's work was very different to our own in style and quality. At one time we were even put forward for a prize under the Sir Jonathan North scheme, which would have meant doing a picture under supervision as well as submitting previous work. This would surely have given the game away, but luckily for us others were selected. The problem was, of course, that once started it was difficult to stop the deception, but stop it eventually did. This happened at the beginning of our third year, without anyone noticing the drastic change in style and presentation. Now to some random jottings on items called to mind from various OWT's. Back to nicknames and 'Flo' Willan. I am sure this did not originate from his initials, which were RLF, or his signature - of which I have a specimen in my leavers Wyvernian. Being present when Mr Willan arrived at CBS, I'm sure it was something to do with the substance phloem, which I understand is part of the structure of woody plants. Whether it was the way he pronounced the word, the emphasis he gave to it, or a classroom joke led to the nickname 'Flo' being applied I cannot remember now. Incidentally, thinking about Mr Willan's Biology lessons, I have remembered that for our first two years we were taught Biology by a Miss E Jones, who does not seem to have been mentioned in OWT so far. She was a youngish woman, with an outstanding figure, and must have had problems teaching Biology to adolescent boys. (To be continued - ed) FROM PAUL WILLIAMSON 1957-62 In 1876 Edward Burgess, Quaker and architect, submitted plans for the Wyggeston Girls' Hospital School. The original benefactor was William Wyggeston. This was built on land adjacent to the Lunatic Asylum, this establishment moving to University Road to a site now occupied by the University. The girls were there from 1878-1928, when CBS took over. They stayed until 1965. Edward Burgess also designed Charnwood Street School and the Silver Arcade. Age Concern moved to the building in 1991 and named it Clarence House. They made a canteen by extending the gymnasium, and created a chapel and a library. The entrance foyer was converted into a reception area. Does anyone remember John Offord? A good runner, at CBS the same time as me. He had ginger hair. I owe him an apology, as I suspect does Keith Duguid, thus solving a forty-year-old mystery for this man! I, along with

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 35-3 another boy whose name escapes me, was milk monitor in 1960 or thereabouts. We drank three pints or more each day. I was a milkman, and delivered to Humberstone Junior and Primary schools in 1969-70, and worked for both the Co-op and Kirby & West. People now pay to join a gym and get fit, but milkmen obtained the same result for free! FROM MARTYN LESTER 1968- 75 I have only just found the web site, and have yet to do more than an hour or so's skimming of the names database and a selection of other items. (This was written May 2004 - ed) I look forward to working through the back newsletters and so on at my leisure. Although my mother reported to me the existence of a web site more than a year ago (I think she heard through the parents of another old boy) I have struggled to find it until now. I must have been using the wrong search engine. As you say, my era seems surprisingly thin as regards membership to date; in fact I don't recognise any names as being from 1968's first years. I never expected to see my old classmate Alastair Campbell on board (he does persistently give the impression to the media that he went to a comprehensive school, for some reason), but I'm a little surprised to see none of the other 87 boys from my intake. Apart from one or two masters, the only name that I immediately recognise is that of Glyn Curtis, my cousin's pal from the year above me. Doubtless one or two more will ring bells in due course. I shall work my way through the site before bombarding you with any recollections or memorabilia, to ensure that I don't duplicate what you already have. I have retained relatively little souvenir material of my schooldays, but I'm sure there will be something worth sticking under my scanner. I think I still have all pupils and staff in a panoramic photo from 1968, for example, and possibly a couple of prints from school plays and Green Wyvern activity of the early 1970s. (This paragraph was written July 2004 - ed) In OWT 34, Jeff Chapman wonders if he has recalled the school dramatic productions of 1957 and 1958 correctly. Although this was long before my era, I can confirm that his memory is in good shape. I have recently acquired a programme from 1973's A Man For All Seasons (a production that I appeared in), which listed previous school plays from 1951. Forgive me if the details have been published before (I have yet to catch up on all of the OWT back issues), but it occurs to me that the list would be of interest to old boys of those two decades. They were: 1951 The Government Inspector; 1952 The Devil's Disciple; 1953 King Henry IV, Part One; 1954 Julius Caesar; 1955 Macbeth; 1956 King Lear; 1957 King Henry IV, Part Two; 1958 Romeo and Juliet; 1959 A Midsummer Night's Dream; 1960 King Lear and St Joan; 1961 Richard II and Tobias and the Angel; 1962 School for Scandal; 1963 Cymbeline; 1964 Androcles and the Lion; 1965 The Government Inspector; 1966 The Tempest; 1967 The Ghost Train; 1968 Becket; 1969 King Henry IV, part One; 1970 Serjeant Musgrave's Dance; 1971 The Alchemist; 1972 Waiting For Godot. 1974 saw an eventful production of Macbeth, for which I won my second Headley prize for Drama (the only sphere in which I ever managed to trump my infuriatingly clever classmate Alastair Campbell), and in 1975 Alastair and I were provisionally cast as the leads in The Real Inspector Hound, but sadly this production was abandoned at an early stage. I hope that list will evoke memories in OWT readers... and perhaps a few reminiscences that they may wish to share? FROM PHIL MARSHALL, WEBMASTER, GREEN WYVERN WEB SITE I have come across your excellent Wyverians site this morning (July 10th 2004 - ed) I did not attend the school myself but do have an interest as I have been a member of the Green Wyvern Yachting club for 35 years, so have been in contact with many City Boys. The GWYC is still in existence and there are many Wyvernians who still sail. I happen to run the GWYC web site (www.gwyc.org.uk) and this has enabled members from many years ago to stay in contact. Wyvernians may well be interested in the galleries section of the site where

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 35-4 there are dozens of photos, some from the 1960s and also the archive section which has articles from the book that was published to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary in 1997. One of these is a report of the first cruise in April 1947 which may jog a few memories http://www.gwyc.org.uk/archive/gw1947.htm I have put a link on the site which should attract some new people to your site, and if you wish to link back or use any material please feel free to do so as long as there is accreditation. FROM GARETH BOWDEN 1961-68 Many thanks for the latest OWT. As always there were several items that brought back memories, one in particular being Malcolm Davies' recollections of the Atticus Society. My move to the 6th form coincided with the move to Downing Drive. I well remember the Friday afternoon Atticus Society meetings. The society was run, and the guests chosen by, a semi- elected committee (i.e. the sixth formers were elected but there was a non-elected teacher to veto the more bizarre ideas). During my time I can recall a talk by the local organiser of Amnesty International. This was a fledgling organisation at that time and his description of the work they did really hit a nerve. I am still a member! There was another speaker, however, who, whilst he failed to recruit me to his cause, has left a lasting impression. If I remember correctly he was a Mr Pegg, and represented a naturist club which had a base in Charnwood Forest. He gave a fairly dry, factual account of the history of the British naturist movement and illustrated his talk with slides of fellow members including his wife (Doreen, I think) enjoying the Leicestershire outdoors. Some slides were of people performing various mundane tasks, including cooking. We were told that frying sausages was not recommended for naturists. He was kind enough to offer to field questions and dealt with them with quiet good humour. The sixth formers were polite and I don't recall any sniggering, however everyone (including Mr Pegg) laughed when he inadvertently asked "Just bear with me a moment". There was a rumour going round that EJWB had vetted the slides before the event, but at least he was broad-minded enough to allow it to proceed. FROM DR A A BURROWS 1957-68 (See OWT 34 - ed) I do not wish Tim Martin to go to his grave in ignorance so here is the official definition of 'mole' : The mole is the amount of substance of a system which contains as many elementary entities as there are carbon atoms in 0.012 kilogram of carbon-12. The elementary entities must be specified and may be atoms, molecules, ions, electrons, other particles, or specified groups of such particles. For further enlightenment the number of elementary entities referred to is (6.02252 + or - 0.00028) x 10 to the power 23 (i.e. 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000). He obviously regards most of the other stuff he was offered as being irrelevant to his life , so perhaps this will help. FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 I started at City Boys in the Autumn Term of 1967 and left upon the completion of my ‘A’ levels at the end of the Summer Term in 1974. I can remember being taken to Downing Drive in the car by my father on the first day when I was wearing both a cap and short trousers. Needless to say, the cap was never worn again and a pair of long trousers was purchased as a matter of urgency!! The expressions: “teacher, class, playtime and playground” so familiar at Junior School, would henceforth be replaced by the expressions: “master, form, break and yard”. For the next seven years I travelled to and from school from my home in Roundhill Road by bus, usually on Route 31 which in later years became a School Special Service. The fare was originally 3d. although we had to pay the adult fare in later years. School dinners were a bit of an adventure for me as I had always gone home for dinner during my time at Mayflower Junior School. I remember I used to like the stews although, for some reason, the

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 35-5 dinner ladies sometimes used to put crisps in the stew mix, the end result being that the crisps were not crisp! “Rat” pie was another favourite of mine along with most of the other meat dishes such as sausage pie with baked beans and mash. My favourite pudding was flapjack with custard. Another good one was the Chocolate Tart topped with Rice Krispies where the Krispies would float to the surface when hot pink blancmange was poured over the top! How many times did I queue up next to the partition of the main hall, collect my cutlery, pop the utensils into the top pocket of my blazer, collect my dish of very hot pudding, press the dish with my left hand into my chest to avoid getting burnt (causing many a custard stain on my blazer!) and collect with my right hand the main course (having firstly helped myself to gravy from the jug) before finally heading off to find an empty seat. A plentiful supply of glasses would be on the table where those green jugs of water would also be liberally scattered. Occasionally those same glasses would be used for mint sauce! Even more occasionally those glasses would be filled with a chocolate milk shake if the “pudding” was cheese and biscuits, when we would also have the luxury of a tray! For many years, school dinners had been fixed at 5/- per week although the price started to creep up during my time at City Boys. The week before decimalisation, I remember being ordered to bring the following week a 50 pence piece so that we would receive 6 pence change in the new decimal bronze coinage. Interestingly, Leicester City Transport decided that their buses would operate for a further week using only pounds, shillings and pence to give people extra time to get rid of their old coins! I used to enjoy acquiring extra exercise books for my own use. Now, in order to obtain a new book it was necessary for the master of the subject to sign his name on the inside of the back cover of the old book to indicate that the book was full. The old book would then be taken to the sliding window of the secretary’s office whereby the secretary would (upon seeing the master’s signature) cut off one corner, return the book to you and issue you with a new exercise book . At the start of each new school year you were normally issued with new exercise books anyway. I therefore decided that I would gain a supply of extra exercise books using two methods. Firstly, I began forging one or two master’s signatures on exercise books which had yet to be filled. I remember I was particularly good at the signatures of Ken Witts, Bob Millward and Bob Gregory. After I had used this method a few times I started to get cold feet, because of the forgery aspect. I therefore tried a second method. Using an exercise book which had already (legitimately) had the corner cut off, I simply covered the exercise book with brown paper and represented it at the office, complete, of course, with a genuine master’s signature! Over the years I managed to obtain about 30 books, comprising the regular exercise books (with staples), the larger exercise books (with stitched pages and red tape down the side) and the small blue vocabulary books - all using both of these methods. I still have a small supply of unused books! 2005 CBS REUNION Because of the uncertainty over the future of Clarence House, Brian and I decided to book earlier than usual for 2005 and see how they reacted. This was before we knew about the public meeting, as discussed above. Our booking was taken with no problems, and the event will take place on Saturday March 19th 2005. In view of the information we now have it seems certain the reunion will follow the usual format, but more information will follow before or after Christmas. Paul Williamson has kindly offered to raffle his full set of 42 half- hour Only Fools And Horses video tapes and donate the proceeds to Wyvernians funds. He says the retail value is £200, or £75 on the second-hand market. If anyone knows of a suitable speaker please let me know - some people have said it would be a good idea to listen to someone well-known, preferably with a connection to CBS. We could hopefully pay reasonable travel expenses if required, but the fee normally charged by after-dinner speakers is out of our reach.

NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF CLARENCE HOUSE The following information was sent to Paul Williamson by R Culley, Thurmaston, Leicester, in response to Paul's request for information in the Leicester Mercury. The land between Hill Street and Clarence Street was formerly used as a Lunatic Asylum run by a Dr Hill. A Roman lead coffin was discovered while excavations for the new building were taking place. Surplus funds accumulated from a charity of William Wyggeston in the 15th century were used by the Charity Commission in 1873 and funded a grant of £2,000. Total cost of the building was £7,162. The scheme which founded the Wyggeston Hospital Boys School provided for a girls' school under the same foundation, with five ladies acting in co-operation with a governess. The school, to be known as The Wyggeston Hospital Girls School, was designed by Edward Burgess and provided for 200 scholars using the same curriculum as the boys. The school was opened on Tuesday, June 18th 1878 by Canon Vaughan, Master of Wyggeston Hospital. The Latin motto over the gatehouse reads 'Give charity, and behold the world is yours'. The first Head was Miss Ellen Leicester, who had four assistant mistresses and 150 pupils. The number of staff and pupils grew rapidly, and by 1928 - when the new premises on Regent Road were opened - the school had 683 pupils. In 1928 the building was taken over by the City Boys school, the Headmaster being the Rev F Gater BA, B Sc, and he was succeeded by Mr R W Crammer in 1931. In 1965 CBS moved to more spacious premises at Downing Drive, and the building was taken over by Charles Keene College as an annexe. Leicester City Council purchased the premises in 1982 and leased them to Age Concern for use as a Resource Centre for older people, and they renamed the building Clarence House. FUTURE OF OLD WYVES' TALES This edition, No 35, will use up virtually all my stock of material. I have a couple more things from Malcolm Davies, and the balance of the item from Harold Coates. Chris Jinks has sent some marvellous character sketches of masters, 40 in all, and these will make great reading. Some of the subjects are still alive, and they will hopefully find their entries in this Who's Who? to be enlightening as well as humorous. Otherwise, that's your lot. I AM HAPPY TO PRODUCE OWT, BUT IF YOU DO NOT SEND ME ANYTHING TO PUT IN IT THEN IT WILL DISAPPEAR. THAT WOULD BE A GREAT SHAME, BUT THE ANSWER LIES IN YOUR HANDS. DON'T LEAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE. IT IS SURELY NO BOTHER TO SEND AN E-MAIL. NO PAPER, PEN, ENVELOPE OR STAMP TO FIND, NOT EVEN A VISIT TO THE POST BOX REQUIRED. FROM PAUL WHEATLEY 1962-67 I was at City boys from 62 to 67, managing to persuade my mum that leaving at 16 would do me no harm. Eventually I became property director for a major retailer so all worked out OK. There are a lot of memories of Bill Sykes. My main ones are that his catchphrase was " you're too damn rowdy", and that in my last year at Elbow Lane a number of the class, must have been 3B, took it in turns to hide in the cupboard during French lessons. This must have gone on for at least 8 weeks and I don't think anybody was caught. I distinctly remember a lad called Wagstaff trying it during Wally Wardle's geography lesson and being caught. He was expelled later. I had the distinction of being the first "fag" to be given a detention (by Mr Franklyn) I was given 200 lines for something or other, did them at home all night and promptly forgot to take them in the next day (what a prat), hence the detention. In the next five years I only had one more and that was by Remington, who caught a load of us (including Laurie Ford) playing shove halfpenny on a desk and put us all in. Some teachers rarely get mentions in the O W . We had Geoff Elliott for two years as form master, and in my memory he was good. Any idea where his career went?

FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 - SCHOOL TEACHER PROFILES AND ANECDOTES (A small selection - ed) Anderson, John Digby This ginger haired man with bright blue eyes and pointed features could almost have been the inspiration for several “baddy” puppet characters from Fireball XL5 or Stingray. He taught me History in 2 Alpha and 5L. His handwriting was all over the place and I always resented the fact that he once scrawled the word “Messy” over one of my pieces of homework. We never did see eye to eye! He once admitted to us in a lesson that he had been a spy during the War ! He owned either a white or pale blue Volkswagen Beetle, and I remember my Dad once accidentally reversed into it back in the days when you could park in the Town Hall Square! Atkins, John Mr Atkins joined the English Department in 1969 and soon acquired a brand new Hillman Hunter. Now whether this shiny specimen possessed a rather excitable clutch or not we shall probably never know, but Mr Atkins drove into the car park every day, brought the car to a halt a yard or so from the wall and then got out and pushed it to its final resting place a foot from the wall. If he was worried about bumping into the wall, why on earth did he not park on the other side against the kerb near the Physics laboratories ?! Atty, Norman Replacing Brian Scott, Norman was a Yorkshireman who loved his cricket (but hated the Kent and England opening batsman, Brian Luckhurst!). Although Norman’s lessons were enjoyable, he taught us all very little - a fact backed up by the results of the ‘O’ levels. His favourite phrase was “The point is” while pointing his left index finger up in the air. He was on his way the following Christmas, probably because of the poor results or for his alleged liaison with a female French Assistant at the time ! Baxter, Tony Probably the best subject master who ever taught me. Because his handwriting was so neat (all the more remarkable with his being left-handed), I always felt that it made me want to present my work in an equally neat fashion. The lesson would usually not start until there was absolute quiet. I can almost hear him saying to the form as a whole : “No, you’re too noisy” - not in a nasty way, but more in frustration as he would turn his head away until quiet was restored. He always commanded the utmost respect and was an expert in getting the point over. He drove a Morris 1100. Bell, Ernest John W I very rarely came into contact with the Headmaster, and remember him chiefly for taking morning assemblies. There was a regular prayer or blessing which used the phrase “Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts”. We used to look forward to that section as he always used to build himself up to the phrase by contorting his mouth into what seemed like a brief wide grin ! He always used to park his Rover 2000 underneath the stone steps leading up to the front of the main building. At the end of each term we used to have a final assembly, where everyone seemed to be in an incredibly jovial mood. Just prior to one of these legendary occurrences I can remember Ian Meadows, from my year, getting a saw and removing the acorns from the top of the Ernie’s chair/throne which boasted lavish red upholstery. The acorns, however, were then placed back on top (without any glue) so that when Ernie arrived on stage and moved his chair, the acorns fell off ! A few years after I left school I came across another ex-pupil, who was one year older than me, by the name of Dave Lilystone. He had been expelled by Ernie for continued absenteeism (due, I believe, to family problems). However, Dave was soon to get his own back in very bizarre circumstances. During the school summer holidays of 1974, Dave was employed as a gravedigger. Ernie died in the summer of 1974. The rest writes itself !!!!!! Interestingly, Dave eventually became an English teacher in Saudi Arabia, and during the Gulf War of 1993, he was also charged with the task of setting off the warning sirens in Dharan whenever Saddam was aiming his “scuds” in that particular direction !

AND FINALLY... It is strange that Paul Wheatley should observe that some teachers are hardly ever mentioned, if at all, as the same thought had already occurred to me. My list would include Mr Franklyn (though he is referred to above) I think he taught English, but I remember him mainly because he owned a blue and cream Fiat 1500. Foreign cars were an exotic rarity in the early sixties, so this model (which was always parked in the small yard opposite the entrance to the canteen) was of great interest to we boys. Then there was 'Ras' Berry, who I recall as a dapper man with a pencil moustache. My only recollection of Ras is the fact he taught me that jail was actually spelled gaol. And Mr Lowe, a large jovial type who introduced us to Penguin books and encouraged us to read things like Day Of The Triffids. I remember my disappointment that at the end of the story the Triffids still had the upper hand, as I felt sure a hero would come along and solve everything in the last few pages. Who remembers 'Mick' Gooday? He was a gentle man - did he teach scripture? Or perhaps it was French. He left around 1960, and it was rumoured he went to be a missionary in Africa. Jokes circulated about him being eaten by cannibals. And I am surprised there has not been more mention of Mr Franey, who I remember with affection. In 1963 my sister was taking part in a schools music festival one weekend, I think at Guthlaxton school in Wigston, and the family naturally went along. I observed Mr Franey there, and at school the next week plucked up the courage to mention that fact to him when I saw him at the bottom of the main staircase. He seemed pleased I had done so. My final memory is not a pleasant one. I think it was my last year at CBS, and I was in 5F. That was a very small class, and its members were - to put it politely - not exactly the cream of the academic crop. We just wanted to leave school ASAP, so perhaps we were not the ideal group for a timid student teacher to deal with on his own. Exact details are hazy now, but he was given a pretty hard time once it had been ascertained he was a soft touch. How I felt for him when, in desperation, he lost his temper and said, 'I'm warning you. I'm not a man to be trifled with.' After a second somebody sniggered, and that was the end of the road for him so far as that lesson was concerned.

OWT 36 OLD WYVES' TALES 36 - SEPTEMBER 2004 THE WYVERNIANS NEWSLETTER EDITED BY DENNIS J DUGGAN, ROCK COTTAGE, BROOK STREET, WELSHPOOL, MONTGOMERYSHIRE. SY21 7NA TEL 01938 555574 07985 405365 [email protected] EDITORIAL The appeal in OWT35 for more articles resulted in some submissions, and I have thanked the contributors individually. But after this issue we shall be back to square one, with very little left in stock. Unless you keep the stories coming I shall have to make a choice: simply accept the fact there is nothing left to say (which we all know is not the case) and let OWT come to a dignified end, or begin copying items from back issues of the school magazine. It is up to you, and your further contributions/feedback will be very much appreciated.** We have one new member, Edward (Ed) Harry Featherstone (1959-65) whose very interesting CV will appear in this issue or the next, depending on space available. If I have not already told you, please note the 2005 reunion has been booked for March 19th. It will be held at Clarence House as usual, unless there are any dramatic interventions from the council in the meantime. ** Since I wrote this back in mid-September, some more excellent items have come in. OWT35 contained a report on the public meeting held to discuss the future of Clarence House. I did not make it clear that Dr Arnold Burrows was present at the meeting, and it was he who provided the information. My apologies for not making that omission. FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 A sporting event inflicted on us annually was the Swimming Gala, held at Spence Street baths. It took place in the evening, but we did not have the afternoon off as compensation (I don't like to disagree, but I seem to remember we did in fact have the afternoon free, but I may be wrong -Ed) That was a damnable liberty, as we were still given homework which had to be handed in the following day. So the timetable was as follows: exit school about 4pm, catch bus home, arrive 4.45. Have tea, rush through homework, leave home 6pm, catch bus to town then take the connection to Spence Street. Bus passes were invalid at that time so had to pay bus fare - most unfair. Sit through utterly boring evening in a greenhouse - both atmosphere-wise and because Abbey House won most of the events. The gala finished around 9pm, so not home until about 10, when it was straight to bed so as to be up in time for the following day's school, which was always a Friday. There, form masters made their enquiries regarding the various absentees from the previous evening's function, these usually being the same bunch who were missing from Prize Day and Founders day etc. Over the years I won no prizes, nor took part in any sporting events. Nowadays I could be an ambulance chaser, that is one who tries for compensation for injuries received. One half term I suffered some tendon damage to a knee. I caught my toe on a raised part of a path and fell awkwardly. Shortly after, there were the trials and qualifying events for sports day. The relevant staff were given a letter explaining the situation, but it was ignored and I was forced to run in various elemination races. First was the 100 yards, and after I limped in last Mr X (name withheld as he is still alive - Ed) had the nerve to accuse me of not trying. I explained I was not supposed to put any strain on the joint, but he and Jock Gilman said that did not matter. The next trial was the 200 yards, and by the time I limped in the next lot had started down the track behind me! By this time my knee was swollen to 2.5 times the size of the other, but I was still ordered to run the 440 yards and make myself available for the 880 yards and the mile. I just managed to make it home, and next day the by now balloon-sized joint was taken to the

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 36-2 surgery. The doctor was not pleased his instructions had been disobeyed, and I spent the next few weeks strapped up. A nasty letter was sent to E J W Bell. Nowadays that would have been followed by one from a solicitor, asking for compensation. My knees give trouble to this day, having been damaged several times over the years. FROM HAROLD COATES 1944-51 Mention has been made of the school caretaker, Mr Grundy, who lived in the small cottage at the front gateway. In OWT33 Peter Jackson, a classmate, remembers him ringing the bell to signify lesson changes etc. I'd almost forgotten that, recalling only Mr Grundy's rather over- bearing manner when recording latecomers. He seemed to delight in this little bit of authority, and would often keep one longer then necessary by insisting on a quiet and orderly queue before recording the names. Mention has also been made of school plays. I was involved with two, both at the old Co-operative Hall, Belgrave Gate. In the first, Captain Brassbound's Conversion, in 1950, I had a small part involving one sentence. Incidentally Joe Melia played one of the major roles. I still have a Mercury Evening Mail photo of this. In the second I helped paint the scenery and acted as a general stage hand. This was the 1951 production of Gogol's The Government Inspector. I remember an incident during final rehearsals. This involved a character, played by Paul Harrison, falling into a room after eavesdropping at the door. To make his entry more spectacular, it was decided he should fall and actually take the door with him at the same time. It had been found he could do this without harm if he stayed close to the door as it fell, but this was the first time it had been tried at the Co-op Hall. The fall worked perfectly, and Paul was unhurt, but everything and everybody was covered in an enormous cloud of dust - I don't think the stage had been swept for years. It took about half an hour for it to settle and for people to recover, and even longer to sweep the stage and damp down so there would not be a repeat during the performances. In OWT30 Geoff Williams recalls a visit to Desford Reform School. The contact here was through the son of the Desford Head, who was a pupil at CBS. Mr Curtis took a combined swimming/gymnastic team to the school, and I do remember the outdoor pool. On one visit we were given a bell tent in which to change. This was erected near the pool by the Desford boys, and coming out bare-footed we ran straight into a large patch of thistles. That delighted the Desford boys, who seemed to think we 'stuck up' grammar school types needed taking down a peg or two. FROM PAULWILLIAMSON 1957-62 (This item is copied from a cutting sent to me by Paul. It appeared in the Leicester Mercury 'Moments In Time', Edition 15, June 26th 2004. The names have been blanked out, presumably for family reasons, and Paul wonders if anyone can identify the person concerned. The cutting dates from around August 1975 - Ed) A 21-year-old Leicester volunteer teacher has died suddenly in South Africa, just a few weeks before he was due to return home. The Foreign Office reported the death of Mr ... to his parents, Mr and Mrs ... on Thursday. But they were unable to give any details and Mrs ... said today, 'We don't know whether he's had an accident or been ill. We just can't find out anything at the moment.' Mr ... had been out in South Africa since last November teaching at the Maria Ratschitz Mission Farm at Wasbank, Northern Natal. The last letter his family received was dated May 12th. It arrived a few hours before the police notified them of their son's death. Mrs ... said, 'We didn't want him to go, but he was determined. Once he made his mind up to help someone he would go and do it.' Educated at Hazel Street School and City Boys' School, Mr ... took a degree in history at Queen's College, Cambridge, and graduated last year. In Leicester he was a member of the local branch of the Geographical Society and Westleigh Rugby Football Club. (There is more, but it is irrelevant here - Ed)

FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 (Continuing Chris's series of character sketches - Ed) Bryan, Mac Mac arrived in 1969 to take over from Peter Miller in the Art Department. He was a very easy going individual who was mad keen on Rugby. He could never bother with the administration work in dishing out detentions so he always used to say “Detention - next time”. The “next time” utterance could sometimes follow several minutes after the word “Detention”!! Burrows, Arnold (Dr) Doc Burrows taught me Chemistry in 1A before he left for pastures new in 1968. I always remember that he was very keen on the practical side of the work, but I do recall his extreme embarrassment when he smashed a very expensive large glass flask on his front demonstration desk in the Junior Chemistry Laboratory - possibly when playing about with some phosphorus ! I can also remember watching a short film about the distillation of crude oil, shown using a sort of cine-film projector, although you could watch the film over and over again without having to do anything with the spool on the machine! He drove a two-tone dark and light green Wolseley 1500 Mark II. Butterfield, Headley Although only a comparative youngster, life always seemed a bit too much for Headley and he just could not be bothered. He was supposed to teach me Business Studies in the sixth form, but I do not ever recall touching on the subject at all!! Clayden, Tony This young blonde-haired man with a drooping ginger moustache was mad about Yorkshire cricket, and he particularly idolised Geoff Boycott. He reminded us a little bit of John Farrington, who played for City on the right wing at the time. He taught me Economics for 4 terms in the sixth form, and I can remember him always comparing the demand for certain products with others, such as guns and butter or Mars bars and underpants! Cleverley, David This diminutive man with swept-back hair (to make him look a slightly taller 5 ft 1”!) arrived as I too arrived at City Boys in 1967. He taught me Maths and Music and was also our Form Master in 1A. He and one of his friends had purchased Season Tickets in the Double Decker Stand at Filbert Street for the coming season. However, both had subsequently decided that they would be doing other things on Saturdays, which meant that both seats were up for grabs for each home match. Part of many Maths lessons were therefore spent deciding which pupils would use these tickets on a rotation basis, although we did have to pay for them! He was nicknamed “Big C” for obvious reasons. Crowder, Roy This “Scott Walker of The Walker Brothers” look-alike arrived in 1970 to teach us English in 4á. He had a pock-marked face and an extraordinarily clear voice, for which the volume could be increased comfortably when pupils were being too noisy. Diack, “Dicky” This foreign Maths teacher only taught me for three weeks, during the summer of 1968. This was the one year when all the schools in Leicester broke up as normal for the Leicester Holiday Fortnight at the beginning of July, but then went back for three weeks before breaking up for a further six weeks holiday. Although nobody actually moved schools during these three weeks, it was decided at City Boys that we would all move up a year since, of course, all examinations had been completed well before the Leicester Fortnight. I therefore moved up from 1A to 2á and the timetable for the next school year applied. However, the masters who were due to leave in the summer did not leave until after these three weeks, therefore many subjects were taught for three weeks by the old masters and by the new masters from September onwards. Dicky’s famous punishment was “A hundred lines”! Ellis, Donald C Dicky Diack’s replacement was this very gentle man from the sleepy village of Knossington, in his late fifties who (with hindsight) did not deserve to receive the outrageous treatment from his pupils during his solitary year stay at the school. His nickname was “Abram” since it was considered that he looked as old as Abraham in the bible ! Lessons

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 36-4 were a complete riot with paper darts being thrown all the time that he was writing on the blackboard. He would then suddenly turn round in amazement, opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish. He would then say, “You weren’t listening, were you” although he pronounced it “wherent” and “where”! Detentions and extra work were handed out almost at will - indeed at the start of each lesson a section at the top right hand side of the blackboard would be headed up “Detentions” or “Extra Work”. It got to the stage where we used to prepare the blackboard for him in that format prior to his arrival, although we would spell it “Extra Wairk” in line with his other pronunciations! Pupils sitting near the window would often complain of a glare from the sun on the blackboard. This was only a front to get Abram to try to lower the Venetian blinds to a point where the blackboard could be seen properly. He wasn’t too clever when it came to lowering the blinds. Usually we would end up operating the blinds so that one blind would be lowered on one side and the adjacent blind would be lowered on the other side, thus arriving at a shape similar to a protractor! I can remember that Abram used to drive a two-tone dark green and cream Triumph Herald (GNR 537 D) and then bought a brand new royal blue Volkswagen Beetle (FFP 977 G). His biggest mistake was having a bash at trying to teach school children. FROM JOHN BLAIKIE 1955-62 I note with some pride the entry from Dr. Burrows regarding the group containing Messrs Capp, Atton, and Herrick. Being a member myself I would add Bruce Adams to the list of exceptional ones. Like myself and others (Hamilton, Herrick, Worth, James, McManus) Bruce declined Dr. Burrows' Chemistry for the wonderful experience of 3 years of "Double Maths" under the expert tutelage of O.F.T Roberts. Does anyone know anything of Bruce since 1962? Jeff Chapman's entry brings back great memories of the Annual School Play and the joys of Shakespeare. Which unfortunate lad with unbroken voice was it that starred as Juliet (was it Flowers?) Sheridan's School for Scandal being the last one I experienced , as a stage hand, in 1962. George Wrzesien! Now there's a name I remember, but since none of us could pronounce it he was always "Versheshin" to us. I can still dredge up a mental picture of him in 1960ish. George, where in heavens sake do you do all that gliding and surfing? My good friend Mr.Cope continues to clearly display his political leanings. Brian, I'm sorry but no one could describe Keith Hill as massively normal. I met him briefly on my first visit back to UK, in late 1973 I believe, and if I remember rightly we shared a train from London Rd station to London. He was a tutor at that time, I think. He was describing how he was the biggest problem encountered by his Tutees? (especially the females). No doubt Mr.Cope will be enjoying England's current success with the willow. Getting plenty of coverage of that down here in Australia on cable. They must have a good chance of wresting the Ashes from the long standing grip of the colonials next year. I have to add to your last entry concerning memories of the first day at CBS. To be honest I don't think I remember anything after getting there, but I do still have a strong mental picture of walking down Worthington St to the Bus stop on Melbourne Rd with my brand new satchel/briefcase (which I still have and use!) and catching a brown double decker for fourpence down to Humberstone Gate. I vaguely remember standing around in Lee St yard until ushered into the tender care of Wally Wardle. After that as they say "the rest is history" FROM NEVILLE JACKSON 1942-47 Others have mentioned the thickset `Bull` Smith who taught chemistry, very well I seem to recall, although it was not one of my best subjects. The Chemistry Lab was located on the first floor of a two-storey block on the north side of the rear playground. The ground floor was occupied by the Physics Lab. Prior to a chemistry lesson boys would queue, single file, on the stone stairs leading to the locked door of the lab. These stairs were in two sections

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 36-5 with a one hundred and eighty degree bend halfway up; those at the top end of the queue could not see what was going on at the bottom end. Normally when `Bull` arrived, he ascended the stairs, key in hand, with a recognisable measured tread which resulted in a developing silence within the queue. Occasionally, a `wag` at the lower end of the queue would ascend the stairs attempting to imitate `Bull` Smith`s measured tread bringing about a cessation of chatter at the upper end, much to the amusement of the lower queue. I recall that on at least one occasion, `Bull` followed the perpetrator of such a ruse without the boy realising. I think that, surprisingly, `Bull` appreciated the joke, as only minor retribution was administered. `Bull` Smith had a quaint way of giving instructions; for example – “Bring forth gas jars, two in number”. A good part of my time at the School was spent during the war years. A number of masters were on active service, resulting in (for the first time?) lady teachers appearing. I recall only one name, that of a Miss Mercer who taught English. At some stage I remember her telling us that she was leaving to get married, and would live in the Lake District . There were two other ladies, whose names I cannot recall; one, to me a young woman, taught English and Biology. An older lady taught mathematics, giving me my first taste of Algebra. Perhaps others can recall names. Another name that has appeared in Old Wyves Tales is that of H. H. (Bill) Sykes. He taught Music and French. One of his favourite ways of opening a French lesson was to burst into the room clutching pieces of paper, which he distributed quickly with a staccato uttering of the words Verb Test. Obviously this manoeuvre was designed to catch boys unprepared. Having perused part of the Memorabilia CD I discovered a copy of the 1948 Prize Giving programme. This lists the names of boys who gained their School Certificates in 1947, the year I left the School. Among the names listed I recall some that I remember being in my Form (5b). I have not met any of these people at the reunions I have attended. Does anyone know of their fate? The names are: David Asher, Roger Castleman, Arnold Charity, Pete Coles, V. Eabry, Dave Freeman, John (A.J.) Larrad, Brian Lawrence, Geoff Lee, Norman Measom, Colin Parr and Mick Pauly. FROM ARTHUR TURNER 1954-61 In reply to Malcolm Davies's assertion that all the super athletes seemed to be in Abbey house things must have changed from my time ( 54-61 ) when in most sporting contests Abbey House seemed to wrestle with Charnwood for the " wooden spoon ". FROM HORACE COATES 1944-49 A Brief History of The (Old) Wyvernians' Swimming Club The club was formed after an inaugural meeting in July 1949. The inspiration for the club came from Mr. C.H. Curtis (Games Master) who in the four years he had been at City Boys' raised the School to be the pre-eminent swimming school in Leicester. The first officers elected were Horace L. Coates as Hon. Secretary and Mr. C.H. Curtis as Hon. Treasurer. The Club held its first 'Club Night' at the Spence Street Baths in September of that year. The Club was affiliated to the Leicestershire Amateur Swimming Association and to The Royal Life- Saving Society, and for a number of years entered teams in the Relay Races and Water Polo Leagues. Its most notable competitive achievement came in 1951, when it was the First Winner of the "A.Marks" Inter-Club Championship. This was in competition with much larger and long-established city and county Clubs. The team consisted of JUNIORS: Brian S Mc Nally - 2 Lengths Freestyle and Diving; Paul D.J. Harrison - 2 Lengths Breast-stroke; Roger M. Pears - 2 Lengths Back Stroke. SENIORS: Raymond. G. Cayless - 100 Yards Freestyle; John A. Hunt - 100 Yards Backstroke; Harold F. Coates - 200 Yards Breaststroke; Paul D.J. Harrison - Diving. )

NB Horace L. Coates and Geoffrey A. Bott completed the team by competing in team races. The Club was two and a half points ahead of the Leicester (Men's) Swimming Club, until that time the most prominently successful city club, who had been widely expected to win this championship. From 1953 onwards, apart from its competitive activities, the club gained a reputation for giving Diving Displays. The first of these was a Gala held at Spence Street Baths, which was part of the City's Celebrations for the Queen's Coronation in 1953. These displays continued for a number of years, the club being invited to perform at Galas held by other city clubs. The displays included not only dives by individuals, but flights of dives, comic dives and stunts which were intended to be amusing. By the early 1960's the club was experiencing several difficulties, the major one being the recruitment of new members from the school. The club attempted to offset this, firstly by accepting female members and later by becoming an Open Club with membership no longer limited to past and present members of The City Boys' School. The title was then altered to The Wyvernians' Swimming Club. During the years of its existence the following were deeply involved in the running of the Club:- Horace L. Coates - for most of the Club's life he was Hon. Secretary. Harold Evans, Malcolm Carvel, John Moule, Ray Cayless, Brian Coley, Brian Mc.Nally (and his father Mr. McNally) and Harold F. Coates and Mr. H. Coates. The club ceased to exist in the early 70's having completed not quite 21 years. One of the Aims of the Club had been set down to be "to continue friendships made whilst at school! If on only this one point the club was a success. N.B. Mention should perhaps here be made that no-one is allowed to even dive into the water at any of the Leicester Swimming Baths now - only Loughborough College having proper Diving Facilities - I am not aware of any other in the county but I could be wrong - I usually am theses days. I hope this is of interest to some of you, and that it rings some 'bells' from "the good old days" FROM ROGER GOWLAND 1957-64 (This is in response to my query in a previous OWT - Ed) Who remembers 'Mick' Gooday? Dennis - just a quickie - M J Gooday taught me Russian while I was in the sixth form so he must have still been at the school during 1961/1962. A great bloke! FROM KEITHWRIGHT 1948-54 I cannot recall reading in "Old Wyves' Tales" of one of Wally Wardle's lessons which must have been visited on a succession of enthusiastic first formers; so here goes. He required every member of the form, each provided with an opisometer and school atlas, to measure the length of the shore line of mainland Britain. Various results were sung out, one at a time, after a great deal of diligent activity. All were (eventually) scotched as gross underestimates, as, of course, the scale of an atlas map is incapable of taking into account all the small inlets and promontories which combine to greatly add to the length of the island's periphery as measured by the above means. (I suppose this exercise could equally have been used to demonstrate inter - observer error, with averages, means, distribution curves and the like, but I digress) I looked up "Shoreline length of Great Britain" on Google at this stage of my writing - probably a mistake. One offering - Minerva mathematics states it "tends to infinity"*. Its computation depends on the shape of the island being a fractal - which has connections with the mathematics of Chaos Theory. However for anyone planning a long walk without walking round each grain of sand, or training a few trillion micro organisms to swim in relay round every particle at the edge of this sceptred isle, another offering obtained from Google was 2454.8 Km of accessible shoreline, comprising 78% of the total; but snag, the inaccessible length may be, for obvious reasons, underestimated, so a total of 3,147.2 Km

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 36-7 could be shy of the real distance. However to add to your increasing confusion at this stage, an old friend of mine, who completed the South West Coastal Path walk last year, would want me to point out that in his opinion at least, the given mileage for that walk is an underestimate. He claims that this results from assessment in 2 dimensions only, i.e. by aerial photography, which can take no account of the many climbs and descents involved . Well should we use 2 D or 3D means of assessment? I suppose 2D is alright for swimmers Thankfully I don't think W W got round to that, and if he knew about fractals, which had been invented at the time, he didn't let on. I declare the answer a lemon. * I am sure that R R Pedley would have come down heavily on any pupil who sought, albeit indirectly, to grade an absolute, but "extremely large and probably not calculable" doesn't quite have as good a ring about it, whatever language buffs might feel. FROM TIM MARTIN 1966-73 I would like to thank Dr. Burrows for his splendid definition of a mole. It is now a little clearer, although it is also now much clearer as to why I did not understand it at the time! FROM DR ARNOLD BURROWS 1957-68 I write to 'get in' before a horde of O.W.s all communicate with you to draw attention to Doc's inability to translate 10 to the power 23 into a string of noughts. On checking the original I find that I tapped the nought key once too often; the correct long form is of course 1 followed by 23 noughts : 100 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 (Doc and I would like to thank all those who pointed out this error - Ed) FROM CLIFF DUNKLEY 1949-57 In OWT35 our editor mentioned that some members of staff are hardly ever mentioned in reminiscences, and cites Mr Franey as an example, thereby motivating me to try to repair the omission. Gordon Franey (always known, for reasons that are unclear, as George) was a boyhood hero of mine. He struck me as a person of immense breadth of knowledge and culture, provoking some of us into aspiring to a similar state of civilisation. Does anyone still possess a copy of that duplicated list of books which he used to give out, all of which ought to be read if one was to claim to be a well-read person. And who, if any, can say, hand on heart, that he has read them all? I always looked forward to English lessons, even though I hated having to write essays, spending a large part of the weekend prevaricating before forcing myself to sit down and address a blank page in the exercise book. During the early years of my time at CBS George dressed very formally in dark grey suits and a top-of-the- range gown, made from Russell Cord. He could be observed cycling home to Springfield Road in a trench coat and brown trilby, with the famous battered leather case tied to the back of his trusty steed. It was quite a surprise to see him appear one Speech Day in a sleek black Hillman Minx STV 250 - strange how such things can be called to mind fifty years on. By the way, when did the toothbrush moustache he sported in the 1951 staff photo disappear? I was once privileged to visit his home in Springfield Road - three storeys lined everywhere with bookcases; the complete works of Scott, Thackeray and Dickens in the sitting room, along with a grand piano. Like several of the masters in those days (Bob Roberts being another example) George would give up his free time to coach for Oxbridge entrance examinations. Most aspirants for an Oxbridge place in English sat the Cambridge examinations, but such was - and remains - my detestation of the late Dr F R Leavis and all his works that I resolutely refused to have anything to do with that place (managing eventually to get into Oxford) George's inclination to the Cambridge approach, and his dislike of teaching formal grammar, seemed odd, until one discovered that his Oxford degree (St Edmund's Hall 1927) was in fact in History and not English. I think his approach might have been different if he

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 36-8 had undergone the Oxford English syllabus, of which a minimum of one third was language- based: Old English (Anglo Saxon) Middle English and History of the English Language. Mrs Franey, who taught music at Collegiate, disliked living in Leicester (how I know the feeling!) and the two of them, with daughter Rosalind - now a significant figure in the media - moved to Oxted in leafy Surrey, with George teaching at, and commuting to, Romford Technical High School. After retirement they moved again, this time to the Cotswolds (Randwick, near Stroud) Unfortunately George did not live long after retirement, dying in 1972 of a heart attack aged 66. Perhaps this introductory sketch will motivate others to add their reminiscences, particularly in relation to the school plays produced by George every year. My own experience was limited to two half lines, as Publius in Julius Caesar. AN APPEAL FOR HELP On August 31st I received an e-mail from one Bernard Turck. The gist of the message is as follows: I was in Leicester in 1959 as part of a student exchange scheme with France. I stayed with Trevor Cross, who was school captain. He had a twin brother, Michael, who was also a pupil at CBS. I have lost contact and would like to trace him again. Can anyone assist me? (If you know where Trevor or Michael are, please let Bernard know at [email protected] Also please let me know as well - Ed) FROM GEOFF MANCHESTER 1961-66 I can recall a couple of encounters with the Headmaster, E J W Bell. One day, during the first lesson, my chair became broken and I was instructed to take it to the caretaker's room. I think that was somewhere off the main entrance hall. As I was carrying the chair down the stairs I somehow managed to get my leg entangled with those of the chair, and I let out a yell or shout. I turned the first corner of the stairs and met my headmaster, who was glaring at me from below. He pointed at me, saying, 'You, boy. Making a noise when we have guests in the hall above - into my study.' I was ushered smartly into his room and received three swift whacks from the cane. I did not protest, or say anything, because judging by the expression on his face I believed that to do so would have increased the dosage. Unjustified though I thought it was I decided to take it on the chin (or posterior!) On another occasion, during assembly, it was announced that my form (5L I think) was to stay behind as we were to be seen by the Head. He made a short speech about how we represented the school, even when outside it, and basically he wanted us all to 'speak correctly'. We all turned to a specific page in our hymn books and he gave a demonstration of how it should be spoken. Unfortunately, as I was at the end of a row and nearest to him, I was selected to have-ago. With the Headmaster's coaching I made several attempts at reading the passage, in particular pronouncing the word good as gedd. I don't think I was too successful as he abandoned the proceedings without anyone else trying, and I never heard the exercise was repeated. Perhaps my New Parks accent proved too much of a challenge to him? FROM GEOFF MAISEY 1958-65 Like Peter Jackson (OWT 32) I went to Coleman Junior before moving on to CBS in 1958. This was the year of the post-war 'Baby Boom' and CBS, like all other schools at the time, had to increase its annual in-take to accommodate the higher than usual number of new entrants. Even so, I just scraped in, joining Chris Howe in 1C! The contrast is still memorable, moving from the cosy, family-like atmosphere of the Junior School, to the strict, seemingly severe character of CBS. I remember on my first morning meeting Percy Packer, a 2nd Year Sixth former and Prefect, who seemed to be completely swathed in yellow braiding and looked to me to be a fully grown man in a schoolboy's uniform. Also, like Peter, CBS was chosen primarily because Wiggy was snobbish and no place for the likes of me,

Alderman Newton's played rugger and I had no idea how to get to Gateway. Another daunting thing was that the teaching staff were all male,they were called Masters and addressed you by your surname, if at all. However, the initial shocks passed, and we settled down to school life. Various anecdotes spring to mind: Founders Day was mentioned in one of the back issues of OWT and an incident involving Bill Sykes comes to mind. This relates to the constant but unruly practice sessions of the School song in the Music periods leading up to Founders Day. By this time we had progressed to the 4th year and were far more experienced in 'ragging' Masters. Bill was seated at the piano in the Hall and was playing the chorus. We had been singing the first verse well enough, but when it came to the chorus we decided to add the embellishment of a greatly prolonged ssssssssssss at the end of semper te amamussssssss. 'Cut it out with yer ssssssssss.' came back the reply, as Bill ploughed his way through the brown canvas chairs to get to anybody he could reach. 'We'll try it again, but properly this time.' Sure enough, at the end of the chorus, out came 'amamusssssss' again. Bill went wild, knocking chairs everywhere. 'Ten lines of French trans for tomorrow' To this day, I do not know which 10 lines or who should have done them. Happy days, with scant regard for Bill's health or well-being. When Founders Day came, we trooped of to the cathedral, having sworn that we would sing properly, especially as Ding-Dong had got wind of what we had been up to. However, we didn't need to liven things up ourselves, as Bill inadvertently did that for us. During one of the dull speeches, there was an almighty rumbling sound which reverberated throughout the cathedral and caused anxious looks from all the staff. Bill apparently had fallen asleep at the organ with his foot resting on the bass pedal! Having worked in France, Germany and the Benelux for a number of years, I am grateful for the efforts of Messrs Gimson and Orton to drum basic linguistic skills into my head. However, it wasn't always thus! I remember sitting outside 'Ben' Orton's domain, waiting my turn for the mock French GCE oral exam. For reasons that now appear vague, I had agreed a pact with Mick Drew and the late Grahame 'Yorkie' York, that none of us would do any prior preparation, I think because we felt it would be much more fun to see who could get the lowest marks between the three of us. Sitting beside them, the conversation was all about what was to come. I confessed aloud that I wished now that I had done some revision. Mick said that he had a done a bit the night before, and Yorkie admitted to the same! It was too late now, as the name Maisey boomed out. I walked in and sat opposite 'Ben', who immediately started speaking in rapid French. I caught enough to be able to answer 'Oui' to each question, but after 10 minutes of this, 'Ben' said in English 'You can't keep saying 'oui' in the real thing, otherwise they'll think its the only word you know. I can't really say that was very productive for either of us, Maisey.' 'Non', came the reply. An exasperated 'Ben' shouted 'Next, to which I replied 'Prochain'. 'No, you clot, I mean next victim.' It still puts me into a cold sweat to recall it! The second incident involves Yorkie again. I remember that we were not allowed into any of the form rooms when it rained, but on this particular day the two of us decided we would do exactly that. No sooner had we arrived than we heard footsteps heading our way, and dived into the walk-in stationery cupboard just in time. The footsteps entered the room and we felt sure we would be discovered. But instead, the upright piano that was permanently in the room suddenly started up, with someone practicing the scales. Oh no, we could be here for ages, we thought. This amused Yorkie, who started to laugh uncontrollably. He stuffed a handkerchief into his mouth, which would have done the trick had we not heard the voice of 'Slimmo' Gimson singing through the scales in accompaniment to the piano. 'La la la la la la LAAAA.....'. Yorkie made a valiant, but short-lived attempt at being quiet, but convulsed, spat the handkerchief out with a huge bellow of laughter. The stationery door was flung open and 'Slimmo' asked how long we had been in there. 'All the time, Sir' was the reply, to which we were invited to stay after school for an extra hour! By the way, if Clarence House is being converted into flats or a hotel, does anyone have a pictorial record of the interior? And wasn't

Wally Wardle's catch phrase 'Waiting...' which he boomed out as WAY-TING while holding his hand to his forehead? One thing that still puzzles me today - did the Masters know what their individual nicknames were at the time? I can only imagine that they did, but would be interested to know for sure. Does anyone know the 'translated' version of the chorus to the school song? I can offer the first two lines: We want freedom, free beer and cigarettes, and mixed bathing at Vestry Street... Does anyone have the next two lines for posterity? If not, maybe we could have some (clean) suggestions? FROM GEOFF CORT 1954-61 (EMBROIDERY4U) As our company will be out of action for about a month before Christmas, I wondered if you would like to put a note in the next OWT to warn anyone who might be thinking about regalia as a Christmas present. Below is the notice we have sent out to other customers: Dear Customer, Please note that this company will be closed for machine maintenance and staff holidays from 20th November to 18th December, 2004. Orders for Christmas delivery should be received by us no later than Monday, 15th November. Production will be resumed during week commencing 20th December but Christmas postal delays will then make delivery uncertain for any but local orders. Could we, therefore, please ask for your co-operation by booking early any items required for pre-Christmas delivery. AND FINALLY... Jock Gilman has received several mentions in OWT recently, and I must say that when I was at CBS he was something of an enigma even to my naive eyes. To start with, he seemed to me a most unlikely gym teacher. I recall a portly frame and stately movements, neither of which gave him an athletic appearance. Furthermore he could often be seen smoking a pipe - nothing wrong with that, but even in 1959 surely smoking and sport made strange bedfellows. And to be honest I cannot recall Jock actually doing anything remotely physical, either in the gym or on the pitch. His role was mainly restricted to the initial organisation of a games period, and once things were in motion he left us to it. For a short period at Grace Road he employed a megaphone, which relieved him of the slight effort involved in shouting. And many of us have told how we employed a forged note to excuse us from games or swimming. With hindsight it is inconceivable that Jock was taken in by these pathetic missives, which purported to come from our mothers. Yet in 99 cases out of 100 he simply scanned them at the staff room door before initialling them. My theory is that Jock was so laid back he simply could not be bothered with the trouble which would ensue if he investigated these notes too closely - though that was not always the case as you will see in a future OWT. During my period at CBS we believed that Jock had an interest in a used-car company owned by his brother, and his apparent lack of interest in teaching sport was because of his pre-occupation with motoring matters. He certainly turned up in a different car every week, which seemed to confirm our suspicions. There were also rumours he sold the occasional motor to one of his colleagues. I wonder if one of these surviving colleagues could throw any light on the mystery - it is all so long ago there can be no repercussions!

OWT 37 OLD WYVES' TALES 37 - OCTOBER 2004 THE NEWSLETTER FOR PRE-1976 WYVERNIANS Edited by Dennis J Duggan, Rock Cottage, Brook Street, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire. SY21 7NA Tel 01938 555574 07985 405365 Web Site: www.wyvernians.org.uk Webmaster: Tom Horton - [email protected] EDITORIAL What do you do with your OWT? I would be interested to know if you read every word or just scan it for items of particular interest. Do you print it out, delete it or keep it on your PC? If you receive it by post, do you file it or throw it away? Have you any comments on the contents or format?Following my urgent appeal in OWT36 for more material I am pleased to say there was a good response. The problem has been alleviated, but the improvement will be only temporary unless you keep those articles coming. If you are one of the regular contributors then thank you. If you have not yet sent something do please consider doing so. Check your entry on our web site (address above) If you are listed, is the information correct? Some people have changed their e-mail address and one or two amendments might have slipped through the net - my fault if so. If you wish to have your name and details added or amended please contact our Webmaster (address above) We have now reached Issue 37, and one thing has become apparent to me. Some teachers crop up time and time again; they plainly made a huge impression on their pupils. The memories of others seem to have faded, so perhaps they were not such 'characters'. Of course, that is not to say they were not good teachers. I recently mentioned Mr Franey, and this month have two others for you to think about. One was Spike Thornton, who taught me History (I was a pupil from 1959-64) He was a very tall, slim, slow-moving individual usually dressed in a sports jacket. Lessons with Spike were leisurely affairs, but his laid-back manner tended to lull one into a false sense of security because he did have a temper. A strong memory of him takes me back to Lee Circle. I sat at the back of the room, right in front of the gas fire. I can see Spike now as he prowled between the rows of desks. 'When you are older, it is a great compliment to a girl if you tell her she has Titianlike hair' (or words to that effect) Strange why I recall that so vividly, because I have never had the opportunity to use the phrase! And who remembers Luigi? Without looking at my reports I cannot remember his real name. I recall a rather scruffy type of chap, pretty easy-going. Did he do French? Mike Ratcliff has also mentioned him, and the piece will appear in another edition. FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 Received OWT33 this morning (This was written August 1st - Ed) and note you indicated a possible spelling error by the use of the word sic. I can assure you, after 13 trips to Malta, that Mdina is correct. It is known as The Silent City. Malta has been occupied by many peoples from the Stone Age on, and the language shows this, having elements of Latin, Phoenician (East Med) German, French, Italian and Spanish. Indeed, the Maltese for Good Morning is Bonju. The spoken language is Semitic/Arabic in nature, but written using the Latin alphabet. This leads to some wonderful anomalies. The area surrounding Mdina is Rabat - pure Arabic for a town or city. Naxxar, pronounced Nasshar; Qawra, pronounced Owra; Buggiba, sounds

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-2 like Budgiebar. Then you have St Andrews and St Georges. The local name for Gozo is Ghawdex, pronounced Hawdesh. The capital is Victoria, known locally as Rabat. Dry valleys are almost a straight crib from Wadi. There is one word which causes much amusement to UK visitors; the Maltese word for rain is Xitta, pronounced Shitta - enough said, Guv. Large numbers of the towns and cities have Arabic names. The craft centre on the old airfield is Ta Qali, which sounds like Taa Arli. End of lesson. These days History is more interesting to me in full size rather than what we were taught from books. At the last reunion my uncle mentioned the difficulty of identifying people from a particular era. Coloured spots on the badges might be a good idea. This would be self-indicating; if mine was red all I need do is look for red, blues would look for blues etc. Sports facilities were a problem for city centre schools. We used Grace Road and Rushey Fields. Other grammar schools had similar systems. I believe Gateway used Beaumont Leys. This included their cross-country course. Unlike ours, which went over a rubbish tip, theirs went through the City Farm (aka the sewage treatment works) Having spent over 25 years in the business - no pun intended - I know this had large areas where raw untreated sewage and sludge were spread. As you can imagine, this had an odour all its own, It was also mixed with the droppings from chickens, cows, pigs and other animals. Some tended to transfer to the race participants, but there were no shower facilities. The 16.15 bus to Braunstone Frith was a popular one, and the top deck was usually filled with homeward bound and boisterous grammar school pupils. But on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Gateway sports afternoons, most elected to stay downstairs or wait for the 16.35 Midland Red, because the atmosphere up top was a little rich. What the Health and Safety Executive would make of such a thing these days is open to discussion. Hobbies and pastimes. The simple things in life were good and reasonably cheap. Train spotting expenses were a pen, notebook and an Ian Allan ABC. Spotting car number plates was popular. The last two letters denoted where the car was first registered and this involved some geography, as it might be necessary to look up an unfamiliar town or county to find its location. Again, Ian Allan produced the necessary book. There was also rivalry between boys if an element of competition was introduced by looking for number plates in numerical order - 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. Because of family outings over the year I spotted most plates, exceptions being some Scottish, Irish and Q plates, which were temporary imports. Spotting visiting vehicles from overseas also encouraged geography. With the advent of the Brussels-brain-dead-inspired plates this simple pastime is no more; cars are now Eurozoned instead of registered by city or county. Most of Leicestershire is Fens and Forests, using FA to FY. This covers parts of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. Rutland is in the Anglian region, AA to AY. Hinckley is Birmingham. It is no longer a challenge to find where vehicles came from. Such simple things, but they kept you occupied on trips, as indeed did The Pub Game. Before a journey, those involved drew a tag on which was written a subject: Royalty, animals, transport etc. Once the trip had started you noted pub names, so if your subject was Royalty then The King's Head counted. The Black Horse could be counted by two people - an animal and colour. A bonus was available if you spotted an unusual one. These were normally reopened hostelries, where the old name was replaced by something very odd (It is surely difficult to imagine any child taking part in these pastimes now - Ed)

FROM ROBERT LEAKE 1959-66 Referring to Paul Williamson's query about an unknown teacher who died in 1975, I am afraid I cannot shed any light on the matter. The reference to a local Geography Society would have been the Leicestershire branch of the Geographical Association. As Treasurer and Chairman of that body I have membership details from way back, but sadly there are not enough clues to provide a name from that era. It is possible he went along to the odd meeting without subscribing, so we would have no reference to him. FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 (Continuing the series of humorous character sketches - Ed) Gilman, John (“Jock”) Here was a rotund figure who seemed to do very little in the way of PE instruction. I can remember on many occasions for Games periods choosing Cross Country (without reference to Jock at all) and we would merely run out of school, along Chatteris Avenue, right into Newhaven Road and then up the path to the woods where we would stand around having a chat for the rest of the period. I doubt if Jock was really concerned since he always seemed more preoccupied with other outside business interests, which he used to oversee from his office! Gregory, Bob It was great to see him again at the 2004 reunion, as he taught me German for three years and was our 4á Form Master in his final year at City Boys. He had a great habit of lifting up one desk lid from the front row of desks and leaning on it with his chin. As he wandered round the front of the room during the period he would then lift up another, so that by the end of the lesson most of the desk lids on the front row would all be up! He also liked to take hold of the window pole and press it against his nose in Kenneth Williams fashion while he was talking seriously. I have always remembered parrot-fashion the German case endings he taught us, such as “der, die, das, die, den, die, das, die” and surprised him at the reunion by quoting them all to him. He used to drive an old green Morris Minor convertible. In the early 1990’s I do believe I saw him in charge of a small party of historians going down the steps to the canal on Western Boulevard. Haddon, Michael J “Mick” took us for French in 3á and I can remember him saying “Pay Attention” in a very staccato way so that it sounded more like “Pettention”. He never fancied pronouncing the “r” sound like the French do, and instead rolled the “r” in the Noel Coward mould. He drove a Morris 1100. Hancock, Robert E Nicknamed “Bob The Gob” for his loud voice, he actually referred to his nickname as “B The G” during his Final Assembly leaving speech. He always had a very high opinion of himself, and liked to see his pupils suffering in the gym sessions he oversaw. I can once remember him being in charge of monitoring the queue into the dining hall (a crucial job!) and totally losing the thread of what he was trying to shout at the queue - it ended up something like “Stop pushing, you won’t get into dinner any time longer” which was total gibberish. He drove a Morris 1100. Holden, Chris Nicknamed Jed by Ian Penfold of our 3á, this name stuck throughout his years at City Boys. The man simply could not keep his pupils in order, a fact which frustrated other masters - particularly those who were trying to teach in Room CC (the little annexe to Room C, the history room). The “D” list (detentions) usually boasted one entry from Jed, often for “impertinence”. He used to come to school on his bike. The last time I saw him was in the early 1990’s in The Great Western public

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-4 house in Wolverhampton, just prior to a football match between Wolves and Leicester City. Hutchinson, Fred Fred always wore the same jacket during the whole of my time at City Boys. When he wanted the attention of the form, he always used to call out “Circle” which meant that you used to stop what you were doing and all gather round for some advice. He used to give everyone simple nicknames like Joe or Sid or Bert. The nickname “Sid” was to stick for Ian Meadows in our form. “Sid” would later graduate to Cambridge and become the winner of the 1985 BBC Mastermind competition. Incredibly, Fred was till teaching at City Boys in 2003, by this time in his 70’s !!! Lawrence, David A proud Yorkshireman, Dave taught me Physics for the first four of my years at City Boys. The subject did not really do a great deal for me so I usually finished well down the class. For some reason, Dave nicknamed me “Jimmy Jinks” and I was therefore known as “Jim” by many of my school friends. I always used to look forward to the start of the lesson to witness Dave cleaning the blackboard. As his right hand gripped the board duster, all three sections of the rolling blackboard would be cleaned vigorously with the left arm pumping away in sympathy with the right arm. Dave had one of the those voices (very nasal) which everyone wanted to imitate. Recently, one modern impressionist announced that he was looking forward to the new “Super Sixes” cricket competition being broadcast - not for the excitement of the cricket. but just to hear TV commentator Richie Benaud saying the words “Super Sixes”. In much the same way, you would look forward to whenever Dave said “Ticker Tape Timer” which was some sort of machine he used on the front desk in a Physics experiment relating to velocity. He also regularly used to say “Right, start a nyooeew page !” FROM JOHN PASIECZNIK 1971-76 I actually stayed on until 1978, but CBS ceased to be a grammar school after 1976. During the war, my Ukrainian-born father and Polish-born mother fled to England. They married in Leicester in 1950. As an aside, although I did not attend the school in Humberstone Gate my 77-year-old mother is now a regular at Age Concern, Clarence House. I was born in 1960 and attended Mellor Junior School, Belgrave. I have no recollection of taking the 11+ but knew I was different when we ripped open letters after school, addressed to our parents. My friends were going to Rushey Mead Secondary Modern, but I had a choice of four grammar schools. How exciting! I rejected Gateway (too much emphasis on science) Wyggeston (too much Rugby) Alderman Newton's (strange green blazers and too close) That left the 'new' City Of Leicester Boys' school, on the other side of the city. My mother purchased my uniform from Graeme Gardner, Belvoir Street. I made the journey from Belgrave to Evington on two buses. I will never, ever, forget the first day's pep talk and feel-good sentiments to the new boys from EJW Bell. He made us feel very special, and I knew I had made the right choice. More memories of HB, JJOH, WMM, JRA, DJS, FH and other masters later. FROM ALAN MERCER 1959-63 Please keep the OWT going, they are so interesting. You need not worry if there are less items than usual. You asked about Mr Gilman. Yes, he did sell cars to the staff and mine cost £12. The brakes needed to be applied well before they were needed! His garage was on Welford Rd, conveniently on the way to Grace Rd. Another teacher who had a second job was Fred Hutchings (I hope I have the name right)

[Hutchinson - Ed] who taught woodwork. He was also a point-to-point jockey, and it was not unusual for him to arrive on Monday morning with some limb in plaster. Thank you for your work. FROM DR ARNOLD BURROWS 1957-68 John Blaikie has stirred in me a very painful memory; he refers to "Bruce declined Dr Burrows' Chemistry". I enjoyed nearly all of my time at CLBS , with two notable exceptions. The first was the loss of several good chemists when 4 Alpha split into 5S and 5L , and the second (much more excruciating) was the loss of several good chemists to Double Mathematics a year later. It was only when I became a Headmaster that I realised that both could have been avoided by better organisation of the subject allocation. However , it was in the time of John Blaikie in 5S that O.F.T.R. and myself ran a little contest as to who would produce the best average mark - Mathematics or Chemistry. The result in his year was Mathematics 67.8 and Chemistry 67.8 (Physics 59.3 , Biology 51.0). I should explain that Ordinary level results were originally expressed as percentages, but about the time referred to the marks were expressed in units of five and although this was heavily criticised as being decadent no one realised that it was the forerunner of much worse! Thus it was that one of the pupils referred to by J.B. scored 95 in Chemistry (the highest mark possible since the sheet only had two columns!). My satisfaction when the same pupil scored 90 in Mathematics was very short-lived when he opted for Double Mathematics. We did not 'meet' again until the inaugural Wyvernian Dinner held in the S.C.R. at Merton College Oxford on 5th March 1965. Let it be noted that Messrs Roberts and Remington were both present at that dinner. The 'unfortunate lad' who played Juliet in the school play (and ever afterwards enjoyed that nickname) was David Jones - who also went to Oxford but was not present at the aforementioned dinner. The remarks about Mr Gilman overlook one important fact - that he can be seen taking part in the School v. Staff soccer match on one of the school films (I do not remember whether he was the referee!). He was famous for his car dealing , and managed to sell me a Rover 2000 in exchange for the Riley 1.5 (Chris Jinks please note). He acquired the Rover from a well-know county garage and I was greatly surprised to see that it had only 18000 miles on the clock. It was only after the car had spent more time at the repairers than on the road that I realised 'clocking' had taken place at some stage (a fact actually suggested by the manufacturer to whom I complained). The grand finale to this episode was when the gearbox dropped out - at midnight in the middle of Nuneaton. I wonder how many pupils were aware that Mr Gilman had one of the very few telephones in his room or that after he retired from the school he opened a motor showroom in Evington? Turning to the next reunion on 19th March. When we were looking forward to the reunion of 2003 I asked that all those who had studied Chemistry with me in the Sixth Form should make a special effort to attend - and happily many did so (one of the sources of the evening dinner at The Malt Shovel, Barkby). I am now making a similar request to all who swam in the school teams for which I was responsible 1961 to 1968 - and the lifesavers as well! I hope to meet you all once again. (Contact Doc at [email protected] or I will forward messages and letters on your behalf - Ed) FROM IAN CRICHTON 1962-69 Many thanks for OWT36. I can't add anything that hasn't already been mentioned in the previous 35, but PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, don't pull the plug on this excellent

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-6 epistle. I am sure I am not alone in looking forward to the trips into nostalgia, and I would quite enjoy reading some snippets from old magazines if you ever find yourself devoid of ramblings from old codgers like myself. FROM MIKE WALKER 1949-56 During my first year at CBS the gym teacher was Half-Pint Curtis. Mr. Curtis was a keen teacher and gymnast and had been instrumental in assembling the most formidable swimming team in the region [the names Coley, Cayless, and Coates spring promptly to mind}. He was replaced in my second year by a broad- shouldered, barrel-chested, slimwaisted, well-muscled athlete called Jock Gilman. Jock must have found life at CBS too easy, for by the end of that year his barrel chest had already embarked on its long slide south. We had in our form a highly intelligent, likeable rogue called Dave Snutch, who could be pretty devious when he felt like it[and mostly he did feel like it] Snutch also possessed considerable inertia, and gym was his least favourite subject. So one day Snutch presented himself at Jock's gym lesson armed with forged sick note in hand and fake bandage on leg. The streetwise Jock,sensing the familiar odour of a rodent, expressed the view that the bandage should be removed so that the true extent of Snutch's leg wound could be fully appreciated. Accordingly Jock appeared to take pleasure in deftly unwinding the bandage, pausing occasionally to observe Snutch's reactions. Finally, the bandage having been removed, Jock observed to his immense surprise that Snutch's shell-pink lower extremity appeared [aside from excessive fat deposition] to be at the pinnacle of health. Jock then demonstrated his knowledge of mechanics by applying to Snutch's rear the exact foot-poundage required to drive him headlong into the very heart of the changing area. After that I cannot recall anyone using the fake bandage ploy, as the forged sicknote alone was judged more reliable. FROM ROY THODY 1945-50 In reply to Neville Jackson (1942-47) I think the Roger Castleman he refers to was a great friend of mine. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant around 1953. Unfortunately he died in August this year after heart problems. A sad loss to all who knew him. FROM LAURIE FORD 1962-66 A previous edition of Old Wyves Tales had the story of my first year at City Boys. I thought I would continue the story of my City Boys career. Not least before I forget it!! In the second form I graduated to 2B. This turned out to be a real bonus for several reasons. For some reason I started to perform better. From a form order position in the 20s I moved to the academic heights of the top ten. Secondly the form room where we were based had its own yard which was exclusively for our form’s use. Thirdly the form room had cupboards down one side of the room. This proved to be the focus of many an amusing escapade. For further details read on (and also note my old friend Paul Wheatley’s contribution in OWT 35). Masters that taught us that year included Sadie Thompson, form master & scripture; Scotty for English; Dicky Diack for Maths, a nice man who was given a really bad time by some; Bob Dennis for Science; Chas Howard for History & Wally (I’m waiting….) Wardle for Geography and Bill Sykes for music and, I think, French. As before we had to journey to Humberstone Gate for Art (Charlie Varley), woodwork (Bunny Hutchinson) and swimming/PE. Major highlight that year were the Christmas concerts at Elbow Lane & Humberstone Gate. I wrote about this in a previous edition (see OWT 30) but

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-7 a small group of us were Freddie & the Dreamers in those concerts miming to the hit ‘You were made for me’ Additionally there was the school play of that year, Cymbeline which was performed at (I think) the Little Theatre, and of course starred Michael Kitchen. I referred to the form’s private yard. This was a particular privilege as it was exclusively for the use of 2B. Though small it was quite big enough for a decent game of cricket. However, the downside was that as it was a privilege, that privilege could be withdrawn. This was a threat that was used from time to time. I have a vague memory that we were banned for a short period but I can’t be sure. The main amusement of the year was at the expense of poor Bill Sykes. As mentioned there were sizeable cupboards running down the length of the left hand side of the class room. The class jester, Wagstaff (Waggie) regularly spent the entire lesson in one of those cupboards undetected, though the focus of the whole form on those cupboards gave Bill cause for suspicion. I’m sure that following Waggy’s example some others tried out the cupboards for size. It all seems fairly poor behaviour now we are sensible and grown up. However, compared to some of the stories you read these days it was relatively harmless stuff, though I guess a bit disrespectful to Bill. I used to enjoy the journey home from school. Would frequently wander to the bus stop via Central Station, and a nearby scrap yard where you could scrounge interesting things like old milometers!! How sad was that. Anyway, the upshot overall was that I greatly enjoyed my second year at City Boys. I was settled, had friends, was at a good school and was receiving a good education. Is this nostalgia talking. Possibly – but fond memories, or I wouldn’t have written this. FROM ED FEATHERSTONE 1959-65 Joined from Caldecote Junior School which sent about 80 pupils to Grammar School that year. Junior XI Football, Swimming Team with Doc Burrows - winners of the Midlands Schools Gala. School Cadet Unit, Naval Scholarship 1964. Joined Dartmouth Naval College 1965. Guest at the Coronation of the King of Tonga 1967. Entertained Ernie Bell at the Headmasters' Invitation to Dartmouth 1967. Flying Training Lossiemouth 1970. Front line flying appointments 1970 to 1981 including 3 years with the RAF. Falklands War in the HQ Assault Ship HMS FEARLESS 1982. Frigate Second in Command 1983-85. MoD Lynx Helicopter Desk Officer in Operational Requirements 1985-87. Operational Requirements Manager for the NATO Frigate Project 1988-90. Gulf War Surface Controller at RAF High Wycombe for the Gulf War 1991. Took early retirement as Commander in 1991. Partner, Collis Bird and Withey Bookbinders Islington 1991 - now. Elected Liberal Democrat Councillor Islington 1998. Selected as Parliamentary Candidate for South West Herts 2001. Reselected Parliamentary Candidate for the next General Election. Still in touch with Paul Healey but none of the others of my year. Hope that is enough. (Enough? You seem to have crammed more into your life than the rest of us put together!! - Ed) FROM GEOFF MAISEY 1958-65 A Post Card From Leicester (with apologies to Clive James et al and thanks to Grit for the Latin) The torrential rain had given way suddenly to almost tropical sunshine as I emerged from the back of the Haymarket Centre on to Charles Street. I had not been to this part of Leicester for a long time but, just across the road, was the old school building. Feelings of nostalgia swept over me. Maybe there was just enough time to go over and look round. Through the main gate, and the courtyard looked very different. The bike sheds had been replaced by ornate gardens that would have

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-8 presented Ernie with some interesting parking problems with the old Rover. I passed through the main doors and was surprised by the familiarity of the scene, despite the lapse of 40 years and modifications carried out by Age Concern. Up the staircase, and to the left was the entrance to the main Hall. As I approached the doors I could hear the sound of a record player echoing down the stairs. Immediately I was transported back to the days of Nosebag's musical appreciation periods, where he bravely played classical music on the school gramophone to the entire fourth year. He would close his eyes and sway to the music, oblivious to the audience, who would be variously attending to shoe laces or fumbling for handkerchiefs, heads buried behind the brown canvas chairs, choking with laughter. I tentatively pushed the door open to see a number of people waltzing to a big band record. The gramophone was perched precariously on a stack of brown canvas chairs - surely not the same ones. 'Would you like to dance, love?' I noticed that Iris was blond, bright-eyed and about thirty years my senior. Forty years ago a question like that would have left me red-faced with embarrassment, but although taken aback I gathered my thoughts and was about to decline the offer when my wife replied, 'No thanks, we don't really have time. We're only here to look round. He hasn't been back for forty years.' In my earlier panic I had not realised the invitation had been aimed at both of us. Relieved, I looked round and was surprised that, to me, the Hall looked bigger than I expected. Perhaps I was prepared, having read warnings in previous OWT's that most found it smaller than remembered, or maybe it was because it was full of dancers making their way slowly round the floor. We moved on down the stairs and up the other side. Was this really the room where Grit had imposed 'Civis Romanus' on us, sweeping into the room with the words 'Civis, please' all those years ago. It didn't take much for the feeling of dread to return. He had a habit of looking across the room, diagonally to his right, before selecting someone from his left to translate. We got to know that if he was looking straight at you then you were probably safe. It's a chapel now, which somehow seems an appropriate memorial to the sacrifices carried out within its walls. At this point the building took on a confusing look of different doors and reshaped offices, and I found it difficult to identify the rooms that had played such a part in my past. Where was the room where Arthur Sweet attacked Carl Oden's boil? I well remember the occasion. For some reason, entirely out of character, Carl had been talking noisily despite a prior warning from Arthur, who was patrolling the room with a large tome in his right hand. He was deputising for the hapless Froggy Freeman, whom we had despatched to his sick bed once again after a riotous English period the day before. A boy called Keenan had danced a pirouette under Froggy's outstretched arm as he vainly tried to restore order by pointing silently towards the back of the room. However Arthur was an unknown quantity to us, and the rest of us had settled down quietly to do the preset work. All but Carl, that is. Arthur approached, swinging the tome in his right hand as he walked. 'Oh no sir, not on my neck, sir, I've got a boil and...' The thwack was audible in The Fountain pub, and Carl's boil was unceremoniously lanced. I wanted to find the room where the incident had taken place, to see if any of it was still embedded in the wall. Moving on I came across what must have been the gym, now adapted for use as the Age Concern restaurant, where body movement was a little slower than I remembered. This must have been the parquet flooring that Jock told us to avoid by running across benches, over planks or crabbing round the wall bars during games of Pirates. We didn't know at the time that Jock's disappearances were related to second-hand car sales. We thought they related to second-hand women! Or maybe the desire for a crafty

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-9 smoke. I knew the old canteen block would no longer be there, but the memories came back nonetheless. Like the day of the cross-country run, when I had tried to persuade Johnny Offord it was better to line the stomach before a run - preferably from bangers and mash and chocolate tart - to sustain you through the ordeal rather than pick at a salad, as John always did. Needless to say John came in an easy first and I trailed in much later, crippled with indigestion and, from the rear, sounding like a liner lost in fog. And where was the woodwork room, Bunny Hutchinson's domain, where the topic of the day always seemed to be preceded by, 'Now, gather round' and revolved round Bunny asking who won the boxing last night because he had missed TV coverage again. And where was the lab where Doc called me one of his 'bucket chemists' as I emptied the entire contents of a storage jar onto the bench, with none of it going in the small test tube clutched in my other hand. And how was it my parents always seemed able to recall their schooldays as if they were yesterday, whereas I could hardly remember which room was which? However I was pleased with the incident in the main Hall with Iris. As I said, forty years ago a question like that would have rendered me bright red and lost for words. Worse - in those days just catching sight of a pretty girl on the No 35 bus home was enough to leave me with no appetite for days. But I had a wife now, and a car. I had come a long way in forty years. FROM NORMAN BARNETT 1931-34 I have read with interest the correspondence relating to the present location of the war memorials. When I was at CBS the memorial related to the 1914-18 war. Each Armistice Day a service was held, including the silence at 11am. Poppies worn that day were used by the Art mistress, Kath Hutchens, to make a wreath which was then placed on the memorial for the rest of the term. The later memorial, to those killed in World War 2, includes the names of a number of old boys of my era. Those whom I remember most clearly are as follows. Ken Hughes. We both started at CBS in September 1931. There were four forms in the entry, and the division was at random. Ken and I were both in 1c until Spring 1932, when I moved to 1a. Our main contacts were related to House activities in Quorn (colour blue) later renamed De Montfort to avoid connections with fox hunting. After leaving CBS our next contact was in August 1939 at the TA training camp of the 2/5 Bn Leics Regiment. In October 1939 we were again separated when I was transferred to 1/5 Bn. In 1940 the 2/5 Bn was engaged in the fighting withdrawal to Dunkirk, but sadly Ken was killed on Sunday May 26th. He was buried in the military annexe of the cemetery at Carvin, near Arras. I have visited his grave on occasions and still remember him fondly, with his h.....heavy st.....stammer. John Moss John and I moved to Form 3a in September 1932 after an unusual reorganisation of Forms 2 and 3 (In 3a we were younger than some boys in 2a) Our form room was known as The Dungeon. It was located at the far end of the gym and had only two windows. These looked out over the alley to Lee Circle. Among my memories of 3a and 4a, 1932-34, are the attempts by John to avoid oral work by explaining, 'Please, sir, I can't speak too much. My voice is breaking.' We heard later that John had been killed on 'Air Operations' Ben Bingley I had little personal contact with Ben, who was three years ahead of me. I remember him as an athlete - particularly in the high jump. His performances were usually accompanied by encouragement from the rest of his form members. 'COME ON - pick up t'legs, Ben.' I also remember him taking his matric oral French exam sitting in a large easychair in the gym, with his leg in plaster. We were instructed to leave our dungeon - sorry, form room - quietly and quickly. Ben Bingley was also

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-10 killed on 'Air Operations' I became an engineering student apprentice in 1936, and renewed contact with many former school friends at the College of Technology. It all changed again in September 1939. FROM JOHN RATNETT 1941-46 Your correspondent NEVILLE JACKSON, in OWT 36, asks if any other Old Boys can remember the wartime introduction of women teachers. I think this has been discussed in an earlier OWT, but in any case I can jog his memory. He has already mentioned Miss Mercer who taught English. Miss Smith, a very attractive young lady, not much older than sixth formers, taught Biology for a number of wartime years. Miss Matthews, a somewhat older lady, taught Maths in the senior school. She was memorable for the plaited "buns" which she had over her ears, and for her shaky signature which consisted of the barely recognisable initials MFM. Her voice was similarly shaky. Another wartime introduction was the elderly Herr Doktor Majut, who taught German, and because of his limited knowledge of English he taught German in German! He was a charming Gentleman when you were able to get through his modesty and reserve. FROM RON HALFORD 1942-47 At last a voice from the past-someone from my years and the same 5b- thanks to Nev Jackson. Re Nev's query regarding the names listed, I can only shed a light on one, i.e. David Asher, who sadly passed away in October 1991 following an unexpected heart attack. He still lived in Leicester at the time of his death. Strangely enough it transpired that my wife used to be part of his "gang" in their very early teens, but contact was lost between us for the next 40 years. I well remember "Bill" Sykes. In today's rather sad world I could have had him in court for assault! In my very early days of French one item of homework included translation of the famous phrase"the pen is on the table." Out with the dictionary - no problem with "pen","on" and "table". No trace of "is" but eventually decided the source was "etre". My proudly submitted homework therefore was "la plume etre sur le table". Bill was not impressed with my linguistic skills, and three hard whacks with a wooden ruler on my palm was the admonishment. It worked, I eventually managed a "credit" in the School Cert. My only other expertise was the manufacture of "box bombs" from a large square of paper, filling same with water and throwing them out of the window onto innocent passers-by in Hill St. From memory that was the name of the narrow lane at the side of the school with "The Fountain" pub on the corner. Geography tends to get a bit cloudy. We left Leicester in 1988 and retired to Pembrokeshire. Again on names - still searching for my leaving Bible which has the signatures of all 5b and all masters at the time of leaving in June 1947. Only retired 16 years ago, and some of the cartons packed and brought from Leicester still remain unpacked in the loft. Hope this, together with Nev's contribution in OWT36, prompts more reminiscences. Must say, the "net" is great development - I've just made contact with an old RAF colleague from National Service after 53 years. AND FINALLY... Most of us travelled to and from school by bus, and these vehicles were of interest to most of us. In 1959 the Leicester Corporation fleet consisted of (experts please feel free to correct me here!) Leyland Titan PD1's, AEC Regals (or was it Regents?) and a few Daimlers. A regular on the 4.15pm No 87 route to the Monsell was Leyland Titan fleet No 160, reg FJF199. This was a luxury model, with tan leather trim, the

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 37-11 only one of its type, and I always wondered why it was different to its sisters. Some years ago I made the enquiry via the Mr Leicester page of the Mercury, and the answer was the bus was made for a motor show in 1948. Sadly this fame did not save it. After being relegated to driver training, No 160 was scrapped c1973. Shortly after I began at CBS the new Titans (PD2's?) began to appear, along with some Daimlers. They had a more modern look, especially at the front end, but still had the rear platform, a conductor, and again the driver sat all alone in his cab. By the time I left in 1964 the rear-engined buses still basically familiar to us today, e.g. the Olympian, were appearing on the Leicester scene. The BMMO Midland Red buses always seemed much more luxurious than the brown and cream Corporation jobs. They often had folding doors to keep passengers warm (though you could not then jump on and off at will) and cloth seats. They somehow seemed smoother and quieter, and the conductors used a machine which printed the tickets - totally different to the system used by their Corporation rivals. Many of us had bus passes, and some conductors scrutinised these like Russian border guards whereas others barely glanced at them. Trouble sometimes ensued if one had stayed at school until 5pm or later, for whatever reason, because technically the passes were not valid after a certain time. It was always a wise precaution to carry a few coppers just in case - it could be a long walk home!

OWT 38 Old Wyves' TALES 38 – December 2004 THE IRREGULAR NEWSLETTER FOR WYVERNIANS EDITOR: DENNIS J DUGGAN, ROCK COTTAGE, BROOK STREET, WELSHPOOL, MONTGOMERYSHIRE. SY21 7NA TEL 01938 555574 07985 405365 www.wyvernians.org.uk EDITORIAL We have gained a couple of new members since the last OWT, both via our web site. Last time I looked we were approaching 10,000 hits, so people are looking at it! Webmaster Tom Horton is to be thanked and congratulated for his efforts. Because Tom is my nephew he never asks for money, but we do send him the occasional small cheque in appreciation of his imaginative work and efficient management on the site. Stephanie and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Because of the sheer numbers involved we regret it is no longer practical to send a card to each and every one of you, and we hope you will understand the position. Work on cataloguing the Wyvernians collection has not progressed since April of this year. It is a job that needs doing, so you might ask why is it still in abeyance. Well my main excuse is lack of time, but if I am honest that is not the real reason. The job is tedious in the extreme, and my attention span is very short, so I keep putting it off. And that sums up my attitude to life, including my time at CBS, and explains why I ended up in a dead-end job rather than fulfilling any potential I might have had. But I have been pretty happy, and you can't put a price on that! APPEAL FROM AGE CONCERN You might be interested to know that Wyvernians is sponsoring the Age Concern Christmas Dinner to the tune of £75. This is a token of our appreciation for their help and co-operation with our annual reunions. The dinner is for all their Day Care clients, and is being held on December 18th 2004 (No doubt some of you will be there as diners) Age Concern are looking for helpers on the day, between 11.30am until about 2pm. Duties will include serving the food, clearing plates etc etc. If anyone is prepared to assist with this worthwhile cause please contact Brian Screaton on 07770 413228 or 0116 286 7581 (Editor's note December 6th - we have received a letter from the Chief Executive of Age Concern, Mark Mclaugh, part of which reads '...thank you very much for this generous donation, which will go towards helping Age Concern, Leicester, to continue to support the older people of the city...') CBS REUNION 2005 We have finalised arrangements for the next reunion earlier than usual. During the summer there was some uncertainty over the future of Clarence House, and this prompted Brian and myself to ensure our reunion could in fact be held there. I am pleased to tell you it will be business as usual for us next year, so make a note in your diary for Saturday March 19th 2005. I will send out detailed invitations after Christmas, but basically we will kick off at 11am. We are providing our own 'honesty' bar as last year. Cost will be £9.50 with a hot lunch (no cold option) or £5 for entry only. Guests of either sex are welcome. If they require lunch it is £9.50; if not then entry to the reunion is free. We shall also be having a raffle, so please consider

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 38-2 bringing a suitable prize. eg tin of biscuits, bottle of wine, box of chocs, pot plant etc Full details in the official invitations early January. FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 As you might guess, by the time we arrived at CBS our belief in Santa Claus was a myth blown away by catching Dad sneaking into our room when we should have been asleep. Up to that point we were mystified how Santa could be in every toy shop and store in Leicester, Coventry, Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham etc. By mid- November the larger stores had displays and a grotto. By far the best of these was Lewis' (definitely - Ed) All the windows along Humberstone Gate were suitably decorated, as was the interior of the store. A large section of the floor holding the toy department was magically transformed into a fantasy land, complete with Santa's grotto. Here, for a small sum , children could talk to Santa and receive a present. Nowadays political correctness probably means that by the time Santa receives the necessary approval Easter eggs would be on sale! There was also a large sign which read 'Children Must Be Accompanied'. Ho hum... That did not deter myself and Michael Barratt, relying on the good old school uniform, from visiting the area right up to the 6th form. I might add this was purely to admire the displays, though in our last years at CBS we also admired the young ladies dressed as elves and fairies. They say you stay young if you think young, and it seemed to work in those days. Regrettably there tends to be fewer of these displays now. (Malcolm's original letter goes into detail as to why he thinks this should be, but OWT is perhaps not the place to debate the issue. I have contacted Malcolm to explain why his item has not been published in full - Ed) FROM PAUL WILLIAMSON 1957-62 I was passing what used to be the Co-operative Hall recently, and it occurred to me it might make an alternative venue for our reunions should Clarence House ever become unavailable. The Hall is on Belgrave Gate near the Burleys Way roundabout. It is now called Leicester Square, and is available for weddings, banquets etc. It is where Michael Kitchen made his debut as an actor - was it 1959. Did he leave in 1964? (I do not have Michael's dates, but from reading the school magazines I can say he was at CBS before 1959. Does anyone know? - Ed) Another possibility is Spence Street baths, which is now a Leisure Centre. They might cater for such functions. FROM STEPHEN RADFORD 1954-59 Just a few thoughts come to mind which you may find informative and amusing. Neither myself or twin brother Andrew were particularly outstanding at anything, and sport was certainly not a passion! Our parents seemed to think that we should stand or fall as individuals, so we were put into different classes. I ended up in 5G, and I recall Mr Bufton saying to my parents at a parents evening it was the worst class he had ever taught! Very few teachers could control the class apart from Mr Witts, Mr Lawson and Mr Newton. There may be others but they don't come to mind. Mr Sykes always had a very hard time and would get absolutely livid to no avail. It was generally our intention to dodge sporting activities as much as possible, so it was always good when it rained. We would pray that it would continue all day so as to totally stop the afternoon activities. Football at Grace Road was something to get through as quickly as possible, and therefore we would avoid changing, if we could get away with it, by simply putting our football jerseys over our usual clothes, making

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 38-3 us look a little overweight. There was also a reluctance to get bruised for no good reason, and consequently a tackle was to be seriously avoided. Obviously all this made us very popular!! Another ploy was to hide behind the pavilion and this succeeded for a few weeks before we were found out! When it came to cross- country at Rushey Meads this obviously wasn't a popular activity either, but we came up with a good ploy. The refuse dept lorries dumped their loads in the vicinity, and drove along the very track on which we were running. These lorries had a running board at the back and the men didn't seem to mind our hopping on ,which reduced the distance we had to run considerably. I remember on one occasion Mr Gilman was at the finishing line when my brother and I came in practically first, looking remarkably fresh with not a spot of sweat on us thanks to the lift we'd obtained. Mr Gilman looked at us a little suspiciously, I remember, but never twigged how we'd got to the finish so quickly. Perhaps thought we were more athletic than he had first thought and that he'd misjudged us! FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 (Continuing the series of humorous character sketches - Ed) MAWBY, JOHN He taught me French in 2 alpha and had a very distinctive face, with bulging eyes behind his fairly thick spectacles and buck teeth. Occasionally he removed his spectacles and pretended to hypnotise a pupil. When he became angry he used to say, 'I'm sorry, 2 alpha.' For many years he drove a white Triumph Herald (6224 RF) which I think had a red roof. MILLWARD, ROBERT WILLIAM Bob arrived at Easter 1968, having taken over from Bob Dennis. Bob became famous for his 'plimsoll against the buttocks' punishment in every lesson. I contrived to get punished in this fashion twice within one minute - both times for chatting. Despite this trait Bob was incredibly popular with his pupils, and regularly went off at a tangent during his lessons. Instead of dishing out 100 lines Bob would ask you to do just ten, but the sentence would be something like 'On Monday mornings I really must remember to bring my all- important biology text book as I need it for my all-important biology lesson.' Sometimes he would ask someone to write an essay with a fascinating title, and suggestions sometimes came from the pupils. Bob originally wore a blonde wig, then came a slightly less shiny version. One day, to much hilarity, he finally abandoned the wig, and on that day a suggestion for the punishment essay was put forward by Tim Watson. It was 'The Case Of The Disappearing Wig.' Bob wasn't too impressed by that one! O'HIGGINS, JOHN JOSEPH This bald Irishman, who regularly had dollops of calamine lotion on his face, was totally obsessed with literature and took great delight in quoting long passages of anything at all during French lessons. He sometimes wore the stems of his spectacles above his ears, once claiming it made him hear better. Many members of staff thought he was very eccentric (Chris used another expression - Ed) and kept away from him. In the main quietly spoken, John could rapidly change to an Ian Paisley sound-alike. ORTON, ERIC S Eric taught me French in 1A, and I consider him to be the second- best subject master (just behind Tony Baxter) He always made lessons lively, and as a result of his teaching methods I was lucky enough to be awarded the first-year prize for modern languages. He taught me again in 5L, and ensured I came away with a good 'O' level grade. Even those in 5L who had hitherto hated French perked up under his teaching. For some reason his nickname was Ben. The next year saw

Eric taking over as Deputy Head. It was then perceived he seemed to become more serious, so he acquired a new nickname -VIM. That stood for 'Very Important Master' The following year the name was changed yet again, this time to Granny, because he appeared to be more fastidious in his dealings with everyone. Eric's demeanour became annoying to Ian Penfold, a boy from our year. Under the pseudonym of Granny Orton he wrote to the Leicester Mercury letters page, choosing an Orton address at random from the telephone directory. I cannot recall the subject, but feel it had a moaning theme. Needless to say, the Mercury was forced to publish a disclaimer a few nights later. For many years Eric drove a cherry-coloured Vauxhall Victor, circa 1958 PALMER, M D This small, distinguished-looking man taught me history in 1A. His voice sounded exactly like that of the legendary cricket commentator Brian Johnstone, albeit more staccato with a very slight occasional stammer. His punishment was to kick the backside of the pupil in front of the whole form. PYM, JOHN Nicknamed Pygmy, this small bald, ginger-bearded character very much resembled Clement Freud, though his head was more rotund than the latter. He taught me French in 4 alpha, and seemed incapable of relaxing with his pupils. I later learned he found serious situations difficult to cope with, because they made him want to burst out laughing. For this reason he would never attend morning assembly. His lessons were boring, so one day, before Pygmy arrived, the whole form (except a handful of cowards) decided to boycott the lesson. It was a nice sunny day so we all went on the playing fields and hid down the side of an embankment, this being adjacent to the rear gardens of the houses on Chorley Wood Road. When the bell went to signify the end of the period we trooped back to the top yard and merged with the other pupils for the start of break. Naturally the whole form was summoned to the hall for a grilling by Mr Remmington. It seemed that while 4 alpha were unaccounted for the biology-preparation room had suffered some damage. That, however, was a total coincidence. Remmo dismissed our claims that we went AWOL as a demonstration against Pygmy's teaching methods, and ordered us to stay behind and move some desks from the hall. These had been used for an exam. FROM PETER BELL 1930'S I have in my possession a cutting from the Leicester Mail, or Leicester Mercury, dated 1938. It shows myself and three other boys having collected our gas masks. I think two of the boys are Clive Gunnell and William Hardy. William had to put up with a lot of stick because of the Bovril advert. 'Will he be hardy? Yes, if he drinks Bovril.' I also remember the classrooms being shored up with RSJ's. Of the teachers, I remember Dr Crammer, the headmaster, and John Lomax, who taught English. There was one other teacher; his name escapes me, but he was always referred to as Bill Shag. He was bald as an egg, and taught stinks (chemistry) He drove an Austin Heavy 12, circa 1932, and one day this was parked in the front yard near the dustbins. That, together with a coil of rope left by the scaffolders, was too much of a temptation. The chaos when he drove off was most satisfying. My time at CBS was brought to an end when, having called a woman a naughty word, I did not write out the 18th Psalm as lines. I was asked to leave, and transferred to Gateway. I did win one prize, the Headley Prize for Public Speaking (Junior) It was the Concise Oxford Dictionary, which I use to this day.

FROM DON HURD 1945-52 In response to Dennis Duggan's appeal in the last issue of OWT I have decided it is time to put together my scattered memories of my days at the school. I have failed to do so up till now partly because I thought they were not interesting enough, but mainly through procrastination. I attended the school from 1945 to 1952, starting in Form 2a and graduating through the years to 5a, followed by 3 years of 6th form. I have 3 photographs (which I shall send to the Wyvernians museum) One of them is the staff of the school and from that I can dig up memories of various teachers. Mr. Crammer was headmaster when I arrived, and was replaced by Mr. Pedley (who is in the picture) by the time I left. I have very little memories of either of them. I think I was pretty law-abiding and have no memory of being hauled up before the headmaster for discipline. (I think Mr. Pedley was disappointed that I did not want to go to Oxbridge). The second master during all my time was Mr. Bufton. His son Ivor went up through the school with me. I think he was captain of the soccer team. Right in the front row of the picture is Mr. Pace. He taught Geography. I can remember him as a quiet man who seemed able to keep order and interest without raising his voice. I credit Mr. Pace with steering me into my life career, because he awoke in me a love of geography which led me to an economics degree at London and a career in Town Planning in London and Canada. Right in the middle of the back row is "Spiv" Beaumont. Does anyone remember him ? He taught us history and encouraged me in that subject. In the front row is Bull Smith, who taught chemistry. I remember him plodding up and down the Chemistry Lab dictating notes in a deep voice: "We took two glass jars - - - a reaction was observed." Two men I vividly remember were "Bob" Roberts (Maths) and "Bill" Sykes (Music), both in the picture. There are 25 men in this picture and sadly I can only recall the names of about 14 of them. In addition to the ones mentioned above there are Messrs Goddard, "Flash" Gordon (Failed to teach me Latin - not his fault) Wardle, Brewin, Howard, Jeeves and Flo Willan. I will leave further memories for a future posting. Turning to pupils I have two pictures, one of the 6th Arts class and one of the Prefects, both 1952. The prefects' picture is autographed, but I cannot read some of the signatures and cannot tie names to all of the faces. To add to the confusion the number of signatures does not tally with the number of people in the picture. Those I can identify are Needham, Freer (he was school captain), Winterbottom, Bateman, Bufton (aforesaid), Lebutt, Cornfield and Groocock. Are any of these chaps still around - if so I would love to hear from them - I believe they can get my e-mail address from the Wyvernians website (It is [email protected] Don Bateman is known to me, but he does not receive OWT. Allan Cornfield receives it by e-mail - Ed) Finally some memories of school life. I remember the entrance hall, with the prefects room on the left and an alcove outside it where the 6th form fellows who weren't prefects used to gather - I think because they had no classroom. Morning assemblies in the Hall, Christmas concerts in the same place with skits by the prefects pillorying the masters. I remember school dinners in the gym during the war . I remember going by Corporation bus to Grace Road on Wednesday afternoons for soccer or cricket - I was hopeless at both - and my worst memories - swimming lessons at Vestry Street - I hated it. And who can forget Prize Day - to this day when I hear 'Jerusalem' I am transported to De-Montfort Hall on a hot day. I still possess the Headley prize I received in 1946 - a battered copy of The Concise Oxford English Dictionary with the school crest on the cover. To conclude I will bring things up to date. In brief, I went from the school to 3 years at London University, 2 years National Service, 11 years working in planning in London, emigration to Canada in 1968, 23 years planning in

Newfoundland, leading to early retirement. Along the way I married an Old Wyggestonian and now have four grown children and seven grandchildren. I spend my time with genealogy (main names researching are Hurd, Cort, Scott, Wale), gardening and grandparenting. I hope to post more memories and thoughts in the near future. FROM MIKE RATCLIFF 1958-64 Thank you for OWT 36, which as usual made me smile and brought back many memories. There was one teacher we used to refer to as Luigi, I cannot remember his surname, who took us for liberal studies when we were in the science 6th form. Being scientists it was thought we needed a change from Doc's molecules and needed exposing to a bit of culture. It was first period after lunch, which made a splendid start to the final afternoon of the week. I remember Luigi discussing European geography and passing round picture postcards of various scenes - though he was miffed when he found we were getting more pleasure from reading the personal messages on the back. One week he had been shopping during his lunch break and came to the lesson with several portions of continental cheeses, which he proceeded to cut into small cubes for us to try. I had never been keen on English cheeses and was wary of trying this foreign stuff, but when I did I really enjoyed the range of flavours and textures. I still like (most) continental cheeses and sometimes think of that lesson and how it broadened my tastes - literally - and a teacher who took the time to do something different. FROM DAVID LINNELL 1955-62 I vividly remember one hot day in an upstairs classroom. The building next door was being demolished and a workman was standing on the wall, several floors up, swinging a pick-axe at the bricks between his feet. He never fell off, but the performance was compellingly watchable and certainly no aid to concentration on lessons! As a boy I had bouts of asthma. Football was OK because I could get my breath back regularly. The wet-weather alternative – cross-country running - was torture as I puffed along, fighting for breath. Even worse I didn’t know the area in which we ran, and had a recurring dread of losing sight of the rest of the runners and becoming totally lost. Whenever possible we spent wet afternoons in the school library, ostensibly cataloguing books but often playing a form of 'shove football' on a library table, with two pennies and a sixpence (as the ball),and chalk-marked goals either end. Mr Bell appeared horrified when I applied to go on to the London School of Economics, and tried hard to dissuade me from entering this den of Socialism (in fact by the 60's, it was more a den of conservatism, but old attitudes die hard). In an earlier newsletter Malcolm R Davies (1959-66) recalled The viper is coming gag at the Christmas concert. I remember taking part in one concert in a Memory Man act with (I think) Howard Marchant. Howard was on stage with a pile of books on a table (covered by a floor-length cloth) in front of him. He passed them out into the audience, and asked anyone to tell him the name of the book, and a page and line number, and he would recall the text of that particular line. At the end of the act he left the stage to applause, 'accidentally' pulling the cloth off the table as he went and revealing the secret of the trick – me! I was under the table with a pen & paper and a duplicate set of books, thumbing rapidly through each time and passing him the texts to surreptitiously scan and read out.

FROM KEN KELHAM 1953-58 During our tenure at Lee Circle I remember being taught German by a Mr Stuart. I can't remember his first name, or his nickname, but he visited The Black Lion at lunchtimes. In the class we had a boy named Woods, who one day managed to receive the ire of Mr Stuart and was sent out of the room to the passageway. The door had a semi-opaque glass window, so unless you were very close you could not be seen. Mr Stuart continued with the lesson until sniggering began. He could not see the door from where he stood so continued to teach, but walked to the back of the classroom. Sure enough the inevitable happened. Two fingers curled up from the edge of the window and formed a V sign. Mr Stuart launched himself into the passage and we heard some almighty whacks. That solved the problem, as you can imagine. I received only two detentions at CBS, though both were memorable. My first was when Larry Lawson caught me bashing this lad in the playground. I was not a fighter, but you will be enlightened shortly. I went to the detention room, very nervous about what might happen to me. After about ten minutes in comes Larry. He said, 'Kelham, why did you hit that boy?' I said, 'He was continually bashing my sister,' and Larry replied, 'Off you go.' And off I went after spending all of ten minutes in the sin bin. My opinion of Mr Lawson rose dramatically after that episode. The next detention was from the RI master. His name escapes me, but it was not Sadie Thompson. As a young lad I was always into stinks and smells, and had my own chemistry set - with many additions. One of these was calcium carbide, a substance which, when dropped into an inkwell, produces a gas called (I think) acetylene. Whatever, it ponged something awful, but it did wonders for the ink which I sold at three lumps for a halfpenny (Why? - Ed) and did a roaring trade. Unfortunately someone split, and I was visited by the RI teacher who berated me for making money out of my fellow students and gave me a detention. But that was not the end of the story. The snitch was known, and several lads from his class and mine egged me on to give him a bashing. So next day we all marched down to the playground and located the offending person. We found him curled up in a corner, awaiting his punishment. I am not a fighter, and seeing this lad in a pitiable state of fear and remorse I just couldn't do it. I'm not sure what I said, but I felt he had suffered enough. Here is more to add to the 'Joe' Gould file. Some of his pet hates were words such as nice, and got. When spoken by students in his class they were definitely 'verboten'. Sammy the slipper was quickly put into action if some poor sod slipped up. To this day I still make a conscious effort to avoid those two words. One day he asked everyone to hold their breath as long as possible, I gather to help with not taking a breath in the middle of a sentence. Well when one boy started to turn blue he called it off, and went on to tongue exercises and deep breathing. From the accounts of the many tales before this one, few people enjoyed cross country running. It just so happened that for the first two or three years, when we were selected on talent for the soccer teams, I finished up in the 'scraps' as they were delicately called. Initially during the Winter we played a little soccer game between ourselves, but then we were introduced to the cross country course across the road from Grace Road grounds. After a few weeks of regular runs we had the School Cross Country Race. There had been a lot of rain the previous days and it was to show up in the stream we had to cross. I remember being in third place well behind Johnny Duff, who was a superb runner, and challenged Malcolm Yardley in schools cross country later. When I arrived at the stream Johnny and friend were struggling to cross it and suddenly were in trouble, not being able to swim. I managed to pull them both out as I was a reasonable swimmer, and we all took off to finish the race.

Needless to say I came third behind those two, still pooped from pulling them out. The rest of the runners made a slight detour over a bridge. When we left Grace Road and went to Rushey Fields I think I was in 5S, and Doc Burrows was our class master. That year I was considered one of the favourites and I heard Doc bet his shirt on me to win. This would have been fine had I not just come back to school after a touch of pneumonia (two weeks in bed) We were all milling around the start and Jock gave me the eye and I took off with everyone doing the same. I lasted a mile, died and came tenth. I often wondered how much it cost the Doc. IDEA FROM BRIAN SCREATON We have complete use of Clarence House for the reunion, including the Everard Room. That will most likely be redundant, and Brian has hit on the idea that we could use the room for Wyvernians who might like to give a talk about their time at CBS. If you are prepared to do this, please let me know. FROM ALAN PYKETT 1959-66 In my previous article I described my first day's arrival at the Lee Circle annexe. That was September 8th 1959. I closed by saying we made our way to the general science lab for morning assembly, where we met the formidable figure of Wally Wardle, head of the junior school. I guess we then went to our class rooms to be given the timetable by the form master, in my case Bob Dennis. For me one of the more awe-inspiring aspects of grammar school was having a different master for each subject, and seeing them in their flowing gowns. I naturally have no record of the timetable, but our subjects and relevant teachers were: English, Chalkie White; Maths, Ken Witts; French, Bill Sykes; History, Chas Howard; General Science, Bob Dennis; Scripture, Sadie Thompson; Art, Charley Varley; Geography and Woodwork, Wally Wardle; last but not least, PE, Jock Gilman. The only part of the timetable I remember, and that is with no pleasure, was the last lesson on Monday mornings. It was swimming at the 'luxurious' Vestry Street baths, and as one who could not swim at the outset (and still couldn't four years later) it was a great relief when it was over for another week. Then I could catch the No 66 home for dinner, which was always cold meat and pickles on a Monday, followed by steamed pudding. I'll close this episode by repeating an item mentioned before. Early homework in all subjects was covering text and exercise books. I sub-contracted the task to my mother (no fee involved) and she did a superb job. She is now 97 years old. (Editor's note. I queried Alan's reference to Mr Wardle taking woodwork, and the question led to further correspondence) I thought you, and possibly others, would pick up on the woodwork teacher. It was definitely Wally for the first year, as confirmed by reports in my possession. Bunny Hutchinson took us for the second year, then we were spared the ordeal from the third year. Another reason I remember Wally is the sarcastic comments he made about my twisted lampholder, and I had to pay for the privilege of taking it home! It is possible that Wally only took 1B for woodwork (I was in 1 alpha, then demoted to 1A - Ed) On another matter, referring to an item by Malcolm Davies, you are definitely correct to say we had the afternoon off when swimming galas and prizedays were taking place the evenings. The school could not have forced us to attend in the evenings after a full day in the classroom, so Malcolm is quite wrong there!

EDITOR'S NOTES All items sent to me will appear in OWT unless you clearly mark it not for publication. Please bear that in mind. The vast majority of items come as a standard e-mail message, and it is a simple matter for me to copy and paste into OWT and alter the font and size etc. Sometimes an item comes through as a Microsoft Word document sent as an attachment, but as my PC operates on the Lotus system that gives me a slight problem. I can open the attachment, but all I can do is look at it, as all the editing controls are greyed out. So if possible please send contributions as an ordinary email, as otherwise I have to retype it. Only a small point, but it would help me. Note also that I print articles pretty much word for word, though I correct spelling mistakes and do some very minor editing if I consider that will make the item read better. I do not correct names, facts, figures or dates, even if I think they might be incorrect. FROM PAUL HEALEY 1960-65 I attended CBS from 1960-65, when after 'O' levels I am afraid that Ernie Bell thought it best if I looked for alternative accommodation (Very intriguing! Do you feel able to enlarge on the matter? - Ed) FROM TONY WAKEFIELD 1951-56 During my 5th form year at CBS some of my classmates mentioned a 4th former by the name of Bernard (Curly) Almond as being big, tough and probably a 'handful.' As I knew Curly from my junior school days, and we used the same bus route, I wasn't in awe of him and told my classmates they were wimps or whatever the 'in' word was in those days. A couple of days later Jock Gilman told me to report to the gym that lunchtime as my 'friends' had arranged a boxing match between me and Curly, obviously hoping to justify their wimpishness by seeing me get a thumping. As it happened I got in a lucky punch which cut Curly's lip and the bout was stopped, with both contestants walking away the best of friends. The year after leaving school I joined the RAF and Curly joined the Royal Marines (where else) after I served 2 years in the Gulf. I met up with him again in Leicester while we were both on leave. He was going to Aden with the Marines for about 6 months. I met him again after his return, and on his telling me how rough it was in Aden I, as an old sweat of 2 years, gave him a hard time about not being out there long enough to get his knees brown, get his kit unpacked etc. It wasn't long after that I heard he had suddenly dropped dead and I felt terrible that I had kidded him so much about his overseas service, which may have contributed to his death. I was told he had died from pneumonia, but I never had it officially confirmed and it sounded a bit strange to me, but not being a doctor I wouldn't know. Incidentally I don't think many pupils knew Curly's real name; he was always known by his nickname for obvious reasons. FROM JOHN OFFORD 1958 – 63 I would advise Paul Williamson (OWT 35) that I did not have ginger hair. It was brown, now turning grey! However he was right about the running, though I really looked forward to playing football. One of the reasons I went to CBS from Caldecote Road (Rice Bowl finalists 1958) was the football. I am sure Gary Lineker had the same idea when he left Caldecote Road some years later. However CBS were always arranging cross country races against other schools at Rushey Mead, and one Thursday it clashed with a form football match at Grace Road. Without telling anybody I went to Grace Road , only to be sent off at half time when they realised I

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 38-10 was at the wrong venue (in their opinion) I did play for the Junior XI, alongside Mel Knight (prolific goalscorer) Eric Bann (Tigers lock) and Bob Hastings (trial with Arsenal) and was the only one in the team to wear glasses. During the week we were due to play Linwood I was informed by John Lawson that the school were not insured if anything happened to my glasses and so I played the match without them. I recall Linwood had similar coloured shirts and it was not an easy game for me. John Lawson knew I was upset when I decided I would have to pack in the football, but I do owe him a great debt when he encouraged me to make running my number 1 sport. Bob Dennis was the athletics team manager and he also gave me a lot of support. When I left school at age 16, EJW Bell wrote on my final report, 'A great pity he is leaving. I would like to have seen him earn a Blue for running.' Funnily enough he was probably right, but I did not think I had the academic ability to stay on and I wanted to go to work to earn some money. With more time for training , athletics soon became a major part of my life and eventually I was good enough to represent GB as a junior in 1967, England as a senior in 1973 (both in the steeplechase) and then England and GB as a marathon runner in the 80s, going all over the world (fastest time 2hrs 13mins 52 secs). Thank you John Lawson. Like others I did not like the swimming lessons at Vestry Street (probably because I couldn't see without my glasses) and often presented a note from my mother, who obviously had sympathy for me. I did take part in the Beginner's Width at one Gala and practically walked across to finish last. Jock Gilman was not amused, but I got my own back at Grace Road on Sports Day when some of the swimmers did not run very well. I thought he was a second-hand car salesman, as the games-day bus to Grace Road always picked him up from a garage on the Welford Road. Most people have memories of Bill Sykes. I was in his school choir, but could not read a note of music. I later became head choirboy at Holy Apostles Church, often rushing to Saturday weddings and singing with my CBS football kit under my cassock. At 2/6d a wedding I wasn't going to miss them by going home first to have a wash! Bill was played up quite a bit and responded by charging about seeking out the culprits. I remember him being quite ill in the City General Hospital, and Stuart Busby and myself were chosen to take him a basket of fruit. He was a very good musician and on reflection did not deserve the treatment he received. Other memories include the lunchtime stale cake run to Charles Street and back then selling most of the bag at a profit, which then went on a visit to the tuck shop. School dinners were awful - even stale cakes tasted better. Lee Circle was where it all began - I am sure Bob Monkhouse opened Tesco when the multi-storey car park replaced our huts. Elbow Lane had the garden , but the school dinners did not improve. Wally Wardle was the Head at EL and he ruled with an iron hand. Wasn't a good idea to upset him. The school trip to Krefeld and Castle Bischofstein confirmed that I could speak German much better after a few drinks - didn't seem to work for French. I still visit Grace Road in the summer to watch the County, and although most of it has changed almost beyond recognition I can still imagine the running track round the cricket square and that is good enough for me. It is great to go back to the annual reunion and meet up with teachers and friends and be able to go round the school. We are lucky to have a group of people who are willing to keep the memory of the Wyvernians going and they deserve our support on March 19th 2005, especially as Leicester City are away from home. FROM MICHAEL BROUGHTON 1941-46 I was talking to Keith Boat in Leicester market this week (item written October 7th - Ed) and he told me he intends to go to next year's reunion. It will be nice for me to

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 38-11 have another contemporary there. I read with interest Harold Coates' remarks about Mr Grundy, the very well-known bell ringer who loudly notified the change of period. I do not think I have seen any reference to Mrs Grundy, also resident in the front gateway cottage, who provided lunches during the war. They were served in the entrance hall. One ordered them at the door on entering school and they were always very good to eat! I think they were phased out when the British Restaurant opened in Lee Circle, but the meals there were not nearly so nice. There were quite a few cyclists in those days, and I can remember Mr Grundy mending a puncture for one pupil so he could make a quick start on his trip home for lunch. FROM JIM JOYCE 1951-59 Another blast from the past hit me when I read Geoff Maisey's epistle. I wrote the translated version of the school song while having a beer in the Wyvern Arms with Terry Fryer, the school captain. We were brainstorming ideas for the 1958 Xmas school concert (our last year, and Geoff's first). It was performed by a group of 6th formers dressed in long white nightshirts and white caps (the nearest we could get to evening wear!) and utilised a reading sheet for all to join in. I was told that Ding-Dong Bell was watching from the rear of the hall and stormed out, but didn't witness this happy event. Unfortunately I too cannot remember the next two lines, but I'm sure that I could if given some suggestions!! I would be interested to know whether the song carried on into the future, or died a natural or contrived death. FROM BRIAN McAULIFFE 1955-63 I think I would like to introduce a bit of vulgarity into the reminiscences. An incident from the school year 1956-57 springs to mind. I was in the 2nd year, and the Junior School was still in the buildings in the middle of Lee Circle car park before the multi- storey was built. Apparently courting couples (if I can use a suitably old-fashioned term) used the car park for intimate activity, and used condoms were not infrequently left hanging on the fence encircling the school building. Our class (and presumably all the others too) was spoken to by the Head of the Junior School ( Wally Wardle? - I can't remember) and information was sought about which boys had been responsible for bringing some of these items into school and left them around the place. Deathly silence from the boys. No informers were present. Then one boy put his hand up and said 'Please sir, I found one in my cap'. How we all kept silent I don't know (although I, for one, didn't really know what the teacher had been talking about!). Well, one boy couldn't control himself and burst out laughing. The teacher went mad - pulled the boy out to the front and loudly accused him of being the perpetrator, calling him a 'filthy sewer rat'. What a great phrase. I may be sad (to use a modern term) but after nearly fifty years when I think of it I still chuckle . Incidentally, I'm sure the word "condom" would not have been used in the fifties. I wish I could remember how the teachers described the offending items. FROM MEL KNIGHT 1958-65 I had my moments with Wally Wardle. You may remember my Cannon banger exploding on his leg in an early issue and then there was the occasion, still in my first year, when he summoned me and ask quite sincerely, 'Are you sick?' He was referring to my reasoning to preferring a female French penfriend to a male one. I have to admit it was somewhat influenced by a picture I had seen of Brigitte Bardot with just a towel draped across, but nevertheless I was not punished. After that I steered clear of him for a couple of years until he marched into Elbow Lane. There

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 38-12 he really was in control . The wearing of a school cap became an obsession, so when I tossed the cap of my good friend Mick Seal (still my dentist) high into a tree the subsequent investigation brought me before before him. The expressions on his face as he delivered his presentation of the undeniable facts of the crime still make me smile. He ended by saying that he was not sure whether I should be classed with the recognised villains or that I was an idiot. He then made the mistake of letting me reply. His eyes rolled from side to side as I explained that I was the victim and after about five minutes he conceded that he may have misjudged me. I told him that if I were to sit at the front of the class it would be seen I was as conscientious as the next boy, a proposition to which he readily agreed. Two days later, and installed at the front next to my pal Bob Hastings, Wally was taking us for Geography and Bob suddenly emitted a huge hiccup and turned away. Wally looked up " Get Out, Knight!" I was not punished, and never crossed swords with him again. But I have to admit I enjoyed my tussels with him, and to be honest I think in a strange way he enjoyed my lengthy pleadings. Now just a little tale regarding Mick Gooday related to me by my father back in 1958. At that time he was the enthusiastic master of the first year soccer team when I played, and in one away game he was becoming increasingly frustrated with the refereeing decisions of the 'home' teacher. He stormed over to my father and exclaimed, 'The next game will be at our place and I`ll be refereeing!' After a few paces he turned and said, ' Of course I shall be fair.' FROM SIMON TURRELL 1963-70 Your request for further information regarding the former CBS pupil who died in South Africa in the early 70's caught my eye. I think it must refer to Steve Dyer. I was with him in the 6th form during 1969-70. Poor Steve did indeed die in South Africa at a tragically early age. From what I can remember the cause of death was an undiagnosed heart complaint - ironic, as he always seemed to be a picture of health. Steve was a keen film fan, and we spent many hours in the Town Arms pub discussing the latest releases. AND FINALLY... The name Bunny Hutchinson has cropped up many times in OWT, but few of these references mention the actual lessons. Bunny, as we all know, taught woodwork. His domain was accessed via the cloakroom to the left of the main stairs, and I recall it as being quite gloomy with a low ceiling. The room contained several wooden work benches, each fitted with a vice, and these benches had a cupboard to store tools. A glue pot bubbled away, mostly unattended, and health and safety was unheard of. Untrained boys, some possessing only minimal amounts of dexterity, blithely hacked away at innocent pieces of wood using razor-sharp saws and chisels. I well recall one incident when an unfortunate boy sawed a slot in his leg as he used the limb to steady a piece of wood. Bunny nonchalantly examined the wound, which was bleeding copiously, and after a bit of basic first aid summoned a prefect to accompany the casualty to the LRI via Corporation bus. The standard project was to construct a table lamp, and this consisted of a square base to which was attached a vertical column of wood. To accommodate the cable it was of course necessary to drill a hole right through this piece, and to small boys who had never handled tools that was quite a major operation. Hard to believe that some of us took a whole term to finish the job, and then with varying degrees of success. I think we did both art and woodwork for the first year or so, then had the option of choosing (or perhaps

OWT 39 Old Wyves' Tales 39 – January 2005 The Irregular Newsletter For Pre-1976 Wyvernians Edited By Dennis J Duggan, Rock Cottage, Brook Street, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire. SY21 7NA Tel 01938 555574 07985 405365 E-mail [email protected] Web Site www.wyvernians.org.uk EDITORIAL It looks as if there will be another good turn out for the reunion this year, and it is still early days. A good number of cheques have already come in, along with an approximately equal number of apologies. Tickets will be sent out a couple of weeks before the event. If you have not yet responded to your invitation I hope you will consider doing so, even if you cannot/do not wish to attend. Some 300 invitations went out by e-mail, and over 150 by snail mail. Those without an e-mail address listed only hear from me once a year, and the replies reveal that a few have joined the Internet community in the last twelve months. A couple of people sent a supply of SAE's as they wish to receive OWT. This service is currently free, in that Wyvernians pays for the ink and paper. Contributions to the cost of printing are welcome, and my thanks to those who have done so. The letters also revealed news of three deaths and these always cause me great embarrassment, since I know that receiving such correspondence does upset some people. In some ways the situation is inevitable, because few people think to notify me - indeed most are probably unaware of my existence! One widow returned the invitation, in its original envelope, with the words 'My husband is dead' scrawled across the top, and I confess that hurt. On the other hand I received a charming letter from the grandson of another deceased Wyvernian, even though he was in the midst of arranging the funeral. He said how much his grandfather had been looking forward to the reunion, and wished us well for the future. Bernard Turck's appeal for the whereabouts of Trevor Cross was successful, thanks to information supplied, and I am pleased to report that Trevor has now joined our ranks. Please note that all items submitted will appear in OWT unless marked 'Not For Publication'. Articles are printed pretty much word for word. I might make the occasional minor grammatical amendment, or correct spelling mistakes, but names and facts are not changed even if I know (or think I know!) they are incorrect. These days my memory is as faulty as the next person's. FROM MALCOLM R DAVIES 1959-66 Bunny Hutchinson was the woodwork teacher, and also a point-to-point jockey of some success. In those days, up to the second year, you were expected to take both art and woodwork. It is true that inexperienced (or should that be inept) souls were let loose with sharp chisels, planes and saws etc with minimal supervision, and also true that some unfortunate piece of factory-planed timber would be treated to further remedial planing on the bench. The almost inevitable result was that an almost level piece of wood became uneven in all directions. Factory-cut lengths developed a fair degree of tilt at both ends after being cut to size. Needless to say my table lamp never reached the stage where cable, bulb or switch could be fitted and by the end of term its best use was for lighting the fire of a morning. Occasionally Bunny had a punishment session. My experience of it came about via a comment I made on the top deck of the bus taking us from Rushey Mead playing fields one afternoon (I had

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 39-2 managed to avoid sports that day by some ploy or other, and went for a cup of tea somewhere before rejoining the bus for the return trip) I made a comment about horse riding, and as a result Bunny grabbed my collar and escorted me to the woodwork shop, along with some other individuals. We were made to bend over the bench, and three swift strokes from a whippy lath of wood were applied. It stung like the blazes, but as there were no visible marks no complaint could be made. Crafty! By the third year we could choose between art and woodwork/metalwork. I went for art; not because I had any particular talent, it just seemed a good idea at the time. During the next three years Charley Varley did occasionally give me a half-decent report. Two memorable events: I was caught using a yo-to before class, and was hauled forward to be told, 'Your father has phoned. You have a new baby sister.' My reply: 'Damn, I wanted a brother.' I received lines for using the word damn - not wanting a sister did not come into it. The second was the start of a good friendship with Kenneth Waller, until his untimely death aged 21. During one art lesson we were at the sink situated at the back of the room. The bulk tins of paint were kept below this sink; one filled up the small containers from this supply then returned them to their place. This lesson was memorable. I had a bulk tin of blue poster paint, it would be about two pints, which I was intending to put under the sink. Ken had a tin of red (with a lid) but my blue did not have a lid. Someone jogged Ken, who fell onto me, with the result that my tin fell to the ground. As you know, action and reaction, equal and opposite. Bang! Tin hit the floor. Bloop! Paint shot upwards, turning Ken and myself into a pair of Ancient Brits. Blue faces, hands, trousers, shirts etc. Charley was not amused because of the wasted paint, nor were our parents who were faced with somewhat high dry-cleaning bills.David Linnell mentioned the demolition men. This was the time when the old Leicester Motor Auction premises were demolished, and the small playground next to it was thus out of bounds. These premises were familiar to me because my father, who was in the motor trade, had often taken me there to see a succession of cars, motor bikes and lorries go through. The buildings were next to others and, as stated, were demolished brick by brick, course by course. Nowadays Health & Safety would have something to say on the matter - men standing on walls, no safety helmets, harnesses, or steel-capped boots. The men walked along the top of the wall, knocking out bricks as they went, and when they reached the end turned round and repeated the performance. Very safe unless you stood below the wall. The auction house was replaced by a library (I think) and a Sainsbury's store. About this time the multi-storey car park was built at Lee Circle, and this incorporated a Tesco store. Nothing changes. Build a supermarket, then build one opposite for competition. FROM IAN CRICHTON 1962-69 Many thanks for OWT 37. I am running out of superlatives to describe your regular jottings, but regarding your opening question I read EVERY word, print them off and file them in binders which I regularly refer to (I'm now on Volume 3). I particularly like the influx of information from your older readers, which seem to be on the increase, because at the time we never gave a thought to those that had trod the weary path before us. I cannot claim to fully comprehend the item about the buses, although never a day passed without me using at least one to get to school, but I couldn't help thinking what you would do if you were offered one to go with your ever growing collection of City Boys memorabilia.

FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 (Continuing the series of humorous character sketches - Ed) REMINGTON, BILL Remo was an expert at giving the appearance of being busy - always with a piece of paper in his hand. Because he was Deputy Head I rarely came into contact with him. I do remember he was once the designated invigilator (have any of us used that word since leaving school?) during one of my 1st form summer exams, and I had finished the paper with ten minutes to go. Having already double-checked my work it seemed appropriate I should produce my little red plastic radio, which only picked up the medium wave band. But that let me hear the cricket, which at that time was broadcast on Radio 3. I began to listen, with the volume at the lowest possible level, when Remo spotted me and asked sternly, 'Are you listening to the cricket?' I quickly turned the radio off and returned it to my bag as I replied, 'Yes, sir.' Remo paused for a second or two before asking, 'How are they doing, then?!!' RUDGE, ALAN Arriving at Easter 1974 to teach us Economics, this man was one of the fastest readers of text out loud I have ever encountered. He drove a yellowish- gold Morris 1300. As far as I know he still teaches at the school. RUSSELL JOHN P If ever you wanted to pick someone to play a Dick Emery-type vicar, complete with teeth, this would be the man to fit the bill. He even had the correct spectacles as well! He arrived in 1973 to teach - yes, you've guessed it - Scripture. TONG, SIMON S This distinguished young man had straight hair with a sort of quiff, though not a greasy one, at the front which he smoothed with a wavy motion of his hand. I suspect his hair would have been even longer had he not been heavily involved in the school Army Training Cadet Force. He taught me English for two years, and the lessons were always entertaining. The spelling tests were particularly enjoyable (20 questions) as the same words, such as separately, committee, accommodation, asphyxiation, pterodactyl, often appeared. There would also be a bonus question at the end which had nothing to do with spelling. For example, what is the technical name for the shell of a tortoise? Answer: a carapace. He also used to set us essays which had to include certain items or events, which he wrote on the blackboard. I particularly recall one: 3 Airedales, 4 Wensleydales, midnight in Wormwood Scrubs. He originally drove a very smart silver Humber Sceptre, but later substituted it with a brand new two-tone blue Ford Escort Estate, which started to rust in no time at all. He was very wary of school dinners, and had a particular hatred for Rat Pie and Chocolate Splodge. In the 5th form I studied Twelfth Night for 'O' level, and we were lucky to have the opportunity to travel by coach to London to see the play performed in one of the theatres. The name of the theatre escapes me, though I recall the coach picked us up opposite Euston Road. We were pleased to be able to buy an alcoholic drink in the interval, and thought that would be the highlight of the night. But as soon as we returned to the coach on Euston Road we found ourselves being attacked by a gang of thugs. At first we could not understand why they were throwing bricks at the coach, but soon realised the black and gold school scarves worn by some of us were the problem. That evening there was a UEFA cup final at Wembley between Tottenham Hotspurs and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the latter were playing in a black and gold strip. Hence the fact some Spurs supporters were attacking us. I distinctly remember Simon Tong ordering the driver to depart immediately. When the driver asked if everyone was aboard, SST's immortal words were, 'I neither know nor care!' The coach sped off through a red light, and fortunately there were no casualties.

WAITE NOEL This tall, thin and rather old-fashioned looking man arrived at Easter 1969 to teach Chemistry. For some reason he was nicknamed Scratch. He drove a Morris 1100 with the registration OHM, which was probably more suitable for a Physics master. SARSON, DAVID J At one time he drove a white Triumph Herald, and I believe he is currently Deputy Head of the school (As Mr Sarson is still in circulation I felt it best not to print Chris's somewhat personal comments, true as they are - Ed) SPOONER, ROY E Although his name was Roy, for some reason this chap was nicknamed Ray. I once remember him rolling up the blackboard to reveal a statement in large capital letters: RAYMOND SPANNER IS HANDSOME, which caused him some embarrassment. He was at CBS for three years teaching History and Humanities, though the last of them was blighted by his absence caused by pleurisy. FROM LES OSWIN 1935-39 In OWT 36 Neville Jackson (1942-47) asks about Colin Parr. He was the nephew of my late wife, and died about fifteen years ago. Does anyone remember Roy Tickner, who was at the school c1934-38, and does anyone know how his TV career developed? He was a year ahead of me, a beefy boy with a face which must have helped him as an actor. He was cast as a sergeant in the series Danger - UXB, about the army bomb disposal squad. Anthony Andrews was the young officer. He also appeared as a police sergeant in a couple of programmes, one of which was a short series, in which he demonstrated his skill as a comic actor. He was a credit to CBS, and I hope there are other memories of him. FROM KEN KELHAM 1953-58 To finish off the cross country tales I recall, whilst I believe in 5S, Mr Gimson (Jimmo) had the duty of looking after the cross country team at events. He looked as though he would rather be somewhere else. At the under-18 schools championship there were over 200 boys competing from all over Leicestershire. To start we had to cross this massive field and the exit at the end was a gate. You can imagine 200 boys trying to get through. I was in second place fortunately and had no problem, and was sticking like glue to the boy ahead of me. We had two laps of this course to do and Mr Gimson was situated toward the end of the lap. I still have two visions of his face, one as he idly scanned the boys as they headed by (total boredom) and two when he saw me in second place. His face lit up with approximately one million candlepower, as they say, priceless. Now to something a little more savoury, school dinners. I was one of the many who paid their 1s 3d per week for the privilege of dining on the weekly culinary delights. Monday through Thursday were normally reasonable, but Friday was boiled fish with mashed potatoes and peas. The fish was tasteless, with those hidden bones, the potatoes were so gummy that it's a wonder we were able to open our mouths again after partaking and the peas were 50 percent green sludge and 50 percent macerated skin ( I know it's not a word but it does describe it) Is it any wonder that some of us lads missed Fridays and went to the bake shop for 6d worth of day-old cakes and doughnuts at the risk, I might add, of receiving a detention for wasting our parents' money and the school's food. Hey ho, a small price to pay if caught. I'm not sure what year we were in a classroom at the top of the school, but I do know Nobby Clark was teaching geometry and the book was three inches thick. I say this because when Nobby wielded this book it's a wonder some of the lads didn't received crushed vertebrae in their necks. Willie

Wilkins was one of his favourite targets, and when fully roused Nobby threatened to hang Willie upside down out of the window. He was certainly capable of doing it, especially as Willie was probably only 80 lbs soaking wet. This same room was where Gould administered Sammy the Slipper and Wally Wardle pinched so much skin and twisted it (The back of the neck and the back of the arms and legs) During my middle years at CLB I was not much for the Arts. However, one day I saw posted a field trip to Stratford-on-Avon to see Mid Summer Nights Dream at the Theatre. I put my name down not reading all of the conditions. Well on the day we were to go I turned up with my brown bag with lunch in it and raring to go. Unfortunately the conditions listed were brought to my attention. There were a limited number of tickets, and consequently numbers of boys allowed to go, and I wasn't on the list selected. For some reason another boy turned up late or some other happening, and it was between him and me. We both were terribly disappointed and both of us said that the other boy should go. All the teachers chuckled and off we all went. A most pleasant experience, with one master sitting in another spot in the theatre when we viewed the play ( I believe Mr Whitbread made the sacrifice) so all the boys could sit together. One of the most fun sessions was when we had Bill Sykes for music. He would receive an inordinate amount of razzing and danced up and down the aisles, clipping many boys' ears and muttering under his breath "blockheads" etc. The year escapes me, but the BBC had a music competition where the person entering had to compose a lengthy piano recital and send it in. Well at one of our music sessions Mr Sykes told us of the competition and played the piece he had sent in for us, which he said he had memorised in 8 hours. A truly magnificent effort which I will never forget. He won the competition, obviously a brilliant man at his craft and still having to suffer the woes of teacherdom amongst us fine gentlemen (tongue in cheek) FROM GEOFF WILLIAMS 1943-48 Just read OWT37 and send you, herewith, two short observations. Norman Barnet (1931- 34) mentions the form room off the gym, the"dungeon", which had just two windows overlooking Mill Lane (sic) high up in the wall. This was the 5b form room in 1948, my last form room, but by this time the back wall had been pierced by four very tall windows. It is still very much the same today, except one of the windows is now an emergency exit, and of course is all part of the present day restaurant. John Ratnett (1941-46) mentions three women teachers: Miss Mercer, an older lady Miss Matthews, and a Miss Smith who taught biology. But if my memory serves me correctly her name was in fact Miss Jones, a very glamorous young lady who was very much aware of the effect her face and figure had on impressionable young lads. Miss Matthews, as I recall, was a rather testy older person, old fashioned in dress and hairstyle. She gave me my first detention at CBS for inattention in a maths lesson. I distinctly remember the reason she wrote in the detention book was "Playing rattle-rattle with setsquare." FROM ROBERT LEAKE 1959-66 Thanks again for OWT 37. What do I do with the old OWT? I tend to scan it for names or items of particular interest. It then automatically gets stored in the computer records. So it is filed away but I regret that I never have time to reread an edition because the next one usually appears before I get round to it. I sometimes print the odd item for an 80+ year old former student, Ron Whitby. He has not wanted me to put his name forward to you though for regular information. In the same category is my brother David, who "is not interested" but does read the copies

I forward to him. He left the school in the year that we both started [you, Dennis and I] so his dates were 1954 - 1959. I notice that more non-CBS stuff has appeared this month: what with Ian Allen ABC books and car number spotting, to your descriptions of Leicester City Transport. No, that's not a criticism as I enjoyed reading those memory jerkers. FROM CHRIS JINKS 1967-74 Your comments on, and request for information on, Leicester City Transport buses was like a red rag to a bull. Although I have little interest in modern buses I was, during my days at junior and grammar schools, something of an LCT anorak. But first, whilst on the subject of vehicles, I feel it my duty to apologise to Doc Burrows for having made the outrageous suggestion his Riley 1.5 had Wolseley badging. It was certainly not my intention to deprive him of a walnut dashboard, hooded headlamps and an extra 15.5bhp - to name but a few distinguishing features. I wonder whether he would have considered trading in those extra features for the famous illuminated Wolseley badge on the grille. I also wonder whether Doc ever compared notes with Don Whitbread, who definitely owned an example of the latter model. Back to the subject of buses, and I note the bulk of OWT contributors seem to have attended CBS from the late fifties to mid sixties. All LCT buses built before WW2 had been withdrawn by summer 1958, so it seems appropriate to take a few snapshots of the fleet from late 1958 on. The oldest buses then in the fleet were 12 AEC Regent II dating from 1946 (9 bodied by Weymann and 3 by Park Royal) Also from 1946 were 21 Leyland Titan PD1, distinguished by the rear destination blinds being sited below the route number rather than alongside it. Then we had 65 AEC Regent III, dating from 1948 (34 bodied by Brush, 31 by Metro Cammell) Also from 1948 were 30 Daimler CVD6 (20 bodied by Willowbrook, 10 by Roberts) Until their withdrawal all the above remained in the old livery of maroon with cream relief. The correct term was Imperial Crimson, but I guess maroon trips off the tongue easier. We then come to our editor's favourite bus. In 1949 LCT began taking delivery of 64 Leyland Titan PD2/1 models, plus an extra one (Fleet No 160) designated a PD2/12. This boasted increased dimensions, and an extra four seats upstairs. Some of these buses remained in service for almost 20 years, and 47 were eventually painted in the new livery of cream with three maroon bands. Happily one, No 154, has been preserved and has the original maroon livery. From May 1958 we began to see the first of the Leyland Titan PD3/1 models, bodied by Park Ward, Willowbrook and Metro Cammell. This set the trend for the next decade, when there was a huge intake of Titan PD3A/1 types. These were bodied by East Lancashire, Metro Cammell and Park Royal and ultimately replaced all the early post-war vehicles, including the PD2's. Other double deckers to be seen in the early sixties would have been 6 Metro Cammell-bodied Daimler CSG6/30, together with 10 Park Royal- bodied AEC Bridgemasters which seemed to float as you boarded. Bridgemaster No 214 was the very first bus to wear the new cream livery, and appeared in the Lord Mayor's procession in May 1961. The first 3 Leyland PDR1/1 front entrance buses - commonly known as Atlanteans - arrived in 1963. Sadly one-man operation began to take over during the late sixties, and bus journeys would never be the same again. Costs may have been reduced, but journey times increased significantly. To me a bus is not a proper bus unless it is a double-decker. However LCT did have some single deckers. Back in late 1958 you would have seen 5 AEC Regal 1 models, these being acquired from Devon General in exchange for some of our own AEC

Regent 2's, plus 5 Leyland PSUC/1 from 1956. These were commonly known as Tiger Cubs. FROM BRIAN COPE 1954-62 The Cope/Dougherty/Atton contingent will be staying over at The Cheney Arms, Gaddesby, Nr Melton Mowbray for the 2005 reunion weekend. Anyone interested is invited to join us for a meal in the evening; we believe the pub can cater for up to 15 a la carte diners. If you would like to come along please contact me at [email protected] by the end of February at the latest. (For those without an e- mail facility Brian can be contacted via me - Ed) FROM TONY MATTHEWS 1959-66 Thanks for the current offering. In response to your query about what people do with their OWT. I always scan through the whole letter looking for dates and names I know - including teachers etc. I then read anything in my own time at school in detail. Sometimes I extract text to show to my sons. This gives them a flavour of a kind of education that is totally foreign to them. They are 30 and 27 and went through a middle school system with the inevitable "bussing" in Bedfordshire. I sometimes read the contributions by students in the 40s/50s to see what differed - if anything. Loved your reflections on the buses. If I was after 5pm I always walked round to catch the Midland Red L2, as I had to pay anyway by then, but normally I used the No 19 from outside Lewis's (is that still there?) I could get the 12.19pm and get home for dinner and back. I agree the Midland Reds were very much more comfortable, although my Uncle Peter drove a corporation bus from the end of the war to his retirement so I am glad he never knew I preferred the Midland Reds! Thanks for all the hard work. It is appreciated. FROM JOHN BLAIKIE 1955-62 Thanks for the last two OWTs. In answer to your questions in OWT 37. I print it because then I can read it at work or on the bus . I don't usually keep it on the PC. I do tend to scan for entries from people I know but I do also browse some of the others (at least sufficiently to know if I want to read it all). I guess it would be no surprise to find that entries where individuals are talking about their peers (students and teachers) from one era would not necessarily be of equal interest to those from another. Now for material for entry to OWT 39. Firstly let me apologise for causing Dr.Burrows painful memories of students lost to the chemical cause. He would certainly be happy that the likes of David Atton, Robert Neill, and Jim Taylor did not stray to OFTR's Double Maths fold. Let me also add my voice to that of Alan Mercer in support of OWT continuation, even allowing for a gradual decline in material. Let's face it, there were a finite number of experiences and a greying contributor list means fading memories. The subject of cars was covered in OWT 37. Whilst we did not purchase the following car from Jock Gilman it may be remembered by some of our era. It was a 1934 Standard (12 I seem to remember) and was purchased for 15 pounds (only a $ sign on my keyboard) from a barman at the Bond St Working Men's club (Chief Steward Mr. R Neill. Father of Robert, Ian, and Alex). It was initially black, but transformed into "supercar" of many colours. I distinctly remember joining Ray James (and John Worth perhaps) in adjusting its cable brakes whilst sneaking out from the annual swimming event at Spence St Baths. Unfortunately on a subsequent trip to Oxford it decided to disgorge its big end. The occupants did push it into a farmer's yard and thought we had convinced said yokel to keep it for spares. Alas he

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 39-8 was not the simple farmer we hoped, and a subsequent letter saw us required to tow it back to Leicester. Now for one newly-dredged memory. Some budding literary genius decided to ply his trade using a knife on one or more of the toilet doors (the ones on the way out to the back yard on the ground floor). The composition was of such profanity that EJW Bell had the doors removed and placed in the store shed near the front bike racks. To make sure that we appreciated the serious nature of the crime he arranged that all prefects view said work of art. I joined a group and went to view the offending objects. Being somewhat cramped in that shed it was a little difficult to get a clear view unless at the front of the queue. Whilst we were shuffling about and trying not to snigger a voice from the back (Turner I'm sure it was you) expressed his need to be suitably appalled with a hearty "move down the bus please"! PS. For the sportingly inclined. Melbourne will host the 2006 Commonwealth Games. We currently have 2 large empty bedrooms and would be happy to see some of our old friends. (John can be contacted at [email protected] - Ed) FROM TOM WILLIAMSON 1946-51 A note to say how much I enjoy reading OWT, although most of the contributors are not of my era ( 1946 - 1951 ) Through Wyvernians, and the good offices of Bernard Harrison, I have been in touch with Peter Harrison, Bernard's elder brother, who was known as Buggie during his schooldays, though Lord knows why! Peter had a distinguished career as a teacher and headmaster, and he is now retired in Cornwall. It was marvellous to hear from him after 52 years. I was also in contact with Frank Hutchings, who had a full career in the RAF as a senior Methodist padre. On one of my visits to the UK Frank took me on a tour of Cranwell RAF college, which was his last station. Frank and his wife Christine came out to visit us in Namibia in 2001, and they really enjoyed their first visit to Africa. Unfortunately Frank has since died. Two other chums of mine were Jack Chaplin and Bert Tyrer. I would be interested to get any news of them. I last saw Jack at Southampton in 1959, when he came to see us off on a voyage to Cape Town, en route to Northern Rhodesia where we used to live. Jack was then a schoolmaster, I think specialising in Maths. In September 1953 I met another friend, Tich Miles, at Leicester station. We were both on our way to Oswestry to start our National Service in the Royal Artillery, and we were very pleased to think we would be together. However the Army had other ideas, and despite our protests we were put in different squads and I did not see Titch again. I remember that he was an outstanding gymnast and mathematician, and wonder what became of him. For the record, in my day we called Mr. Wardle The Count, and Mr. Whitbread was Gritty not Grit FROM RAY TAYLOR 1938-44 I read OWT with interest, particularly the contributions which coincide with, or overlap, my time at the school. Referring to John Ratnett (1941-46) in OWT37, concerning women teachers in wartime, he in turn refers to Neville Jackson (1942- 47) who mentions three ladies. Neither seems to remember very much! Well I can recall five, and will put them in chronological order. 1) Miss Read, a young girl who taught English. She came to us in September 1940, when I went into 3B. 2) Miss Matthews, an elderly lady whose appearance is correctly described by John Ratnett. She took me for maths in 3B and wore half-lens spectacles. She had a very shaky hand, and her circles on the blackboard looked more like oranges. 3) The young woman who taught Biology was Miss Richardson, not Miss Smith as John thought.

She came to the school in September 1941, and Mr Reese seemed to pay her a lot of attention. 4) Miss Mearns, who spoke with a broad Scottish accent. I cannot say which part of Scotland she came from. She took me for English in 4B. 5) The one most Old Boys seem to remember is Kathleen Mercer, who arrived in September 1942 and taught me English in my School Certificate year. I knew her quite well, as my sister (10 years older than me) was with her in the 6th form at Wyggeston Girls during the mid-thirties. She lived in Kirby Road, off Hinckley Road, and her father had an allotment No L26. My father had L20, so I often saw her working on the allotment. My father was secretary of the Braunstone Avenue Allotment Society for many years, including the war. 6) I seem to remember a Mrs Wynn, who appeared about the same time, but cannot fill you in on her because she never taught my class. I left CBS in March 1944, having spent six months in the 6th form (Science) as I was not 16 until January 1944. My father had to pay a levy of a few shillings, as I should have stayed until the end of the Easter term. I recollect the printers of the school magazine were called Ratnett, and wondered if there was any connection with the above-mentioned John Ratnett. FROM TERRY BRIERLEY 1943-48 Thanks for the latest newsletter -as welcome and interesting as always. You ask for the fate of these. I read from the screen first and then print one hard copy. I loan this copy to Norman Cundy, who reads and passes it on to Dave Pyke, both School contemporaries (1943-1948) It is then returned to me and I file and often refer to it. My two sons passed the 11+ and enjoyed the City of Leicester whilst it still retained some of the City Boys' ethos, which the teaching staff and headmaster tried valiantly to maintain in their new environment. The point of this is that where reference is made to masters who made the transition from Humberstone Gate to Downing Drive, like Messrs Baxter, Wardle (the Duke- -never Wally), Flo Willan et al, the copy is then passed to my lads to read for interest. You can see your admirable efforts get a wider circulation than you perhaps thought. FROM DAVID PARKIN 1964-70 Michael Kitchen was in the same year as my brother, who was born in 1948, so he must have joined CBS in 1959. FROM ADRIAN PILGRIM 1959-67 In brief response to your query about Michael Kitchen's dates at CBS, I am quite certain he started in 1960, not '59. He was in the Alpha stream and so missed out a year on the way to O Levels. He and I were both in 5L, and I clearly recall that was the first year we were in the same form and that he was one of a sizeable intake which combined with the A stream which I had been in. My first year at the school was in 1 Alpha, and I know he was not at CBS during that year (1959-60) but had come up the school together with John Wilcox, who lived on the same road as I did and who is a year younger than I am. As to the date he left, I do not recall him still being at school in the year 1966-67, which was my last year - I spent 3 years in the 6th form. I therefore assume he left in the summer of '66. In response to Mike Ratcliff, who could not recall the surname of Luigi, it was Bourne. FROM JOHN WILKINSON 1949-54 Just to let you know I scan OWT then read every word of items I can relate to . This is usually based on the years I spent in Clarence House, teacher's names & sport. I

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 39-10 keep all OWT on my PC from the beginning for reference. I enjoy reading your personal reminiscences & comments. It's amazing how well you turned out, considering the effort you put in avoiding attendance at City Boys'! Keep up the good work. FROM ARTHUR TURNER 1954-61 Does anyone know the whereabouts of John Edward Neal, known as Nellie? He was a goalie with Bradgate, and good at art. FROM STEWART SMITH 1936-41 I file my OWT's, though being a late starter the earliest one I have is No 19. Most, in fact nearly all, of the items refer to names, activities and happenings much later than my era, but are nevertheless interesting to skip through. FROM MICHAEL DALY 1963-70 The mention of Bunny Hutchinson reminds me of an incident at Humberstone Gate when we were in 2B around 1964. Kevin Brennan, a class comedian, called Bill Lock, a star of the swimming team, something unkind like Nappy Rash, whereupon he received a chisel in his backside for his trouble, much to the undying mirth of all for years to come. Kevin as I remember, also featured in a memorable spat with Mr Scott (history?) one day at Elbow Lane. Kevin was sitting in the very front desk (near the teacher) of our classroom, the one in front of the Science lab which was accessed through half-glass doors at the rear. After a prolonged rummage in his desk with the lid up for most of the lesson, probably eating his sandwiches and drinking school milk thirds, Mr Scott had had enough! Without further ado I remember him picking up the desk with said Brennan still trapped under the lid, walking to the door which he kicked open, throwing boy and desk outside, quietly closing the door and continuing his lesson without breaking flow or smile. What a performance, and certainly worthy of a City Boys Oscar or similar. Am I right in thinking that Mr Scott went on to be a Vicar out Uppingham way? Although I was not present in the Biology lesson of the year below us at Downing Drive, I was assured by Roger Edge or Geoff Campion that Flo Willan excelled himself one day during human biology. They insisted that whilst drawing the male sexual organs on the blackboard for them to copy in their exercise books he said, in that funny tongue in cheek voice of his, 'Now draw your testicles nice and large just like mine' and 'my penis reaches the top of the board so yours should reach the top of the page!' Surely the only teacher who could say such a thing without realising what he was saying? And yes Jock Gilman was still apparently peddling second hand cars during our time. Speaking of collecting cars I remember Pete Miller, Art teacher, later tutor at Blackpool Art College, coming to school at Downing Drive in a series of hearses he had collected. Once safely in the Art room he would spend most of his time locked in his store cupboard / office chain smoking cigarettes contentedly. A truly nice man who never taught us A Level art types very much, not that I was able to draw or paint anyway. In those days we all had bus passes and travelled enmasse on Leicester Corporation buses co-opted for the school run. Many were the cheerful misdemeanours. One I remember was the day we pressed the bell whilst the Conductor was on the pavement and the driver happily drove all the way to Charles St with us playing the role of Conductor and pressing the bell when someone wanted to get off. I often wonder what his mate said to him when they met up later. One regret is that I bunked-off school, as usual, one Friday afternoon and therefore

©2012 Wyvernians – www.wyvernians.org.uk Old Wyves’ Tales – Volume 4 (Issues 30-39) 39-11 missed a famous Atticus meeting in the hall, with John Cleese regaling the sixth form; never mind, I didn't see the Beatles play live either. AND FINALLY... How did you spend your dinner hour? We never called it lunch, did we? During my era, 1959-64, the majority of us had school dinners. With the school being in the city centre, and most of us living in the suburbs, there was insufficient time to travel to and from home and have a meal. Also many boys had parents who both worked all day. Dinner time was a generous 1 hour 40 minutes, from 12.20 - 2pm. Meals were taken in the canteen, a separate building adjacent to the main building, in two sittings. I definitely preferred first sitting. Can anyone recall if we alternated sittings weekly, or each term? Or did we stick to the times allocated at the beginning of the school year? My own memories are hazy. I feel sure I spent most of the time in the library, though on a hot summer day I suppose I might have hung around in the playground. Being neither clubbable or sporty I avoided any group activities apart from the JCU (Junior Christian Union) and I only joined that because I liked Alan Mercer. I have a confession to make on that subject. At the end of one term Mr Mercer gave us a project to work on over the holiday; we had to tell a well-known bible story in our own words. Now it happened that by a coincidence my sister had been given a book of bible stories, and I copied the one about Jonah and the whale almost word for word. I won the prize, which was a book, and still have it. What activities went on during the midday break? I would be interested to know. Dennis Duggan - Reunion Organiser

Index ~~~1~~~ 1942, 33-9, 34-7, 36-4, 37-6, 1951, 30-4, 32-8, 33-5, 34-3, 1846, 32-7 37-10, 39-4, 39-8 35-3, 36-2, 36-5, 36-7, 1873, 35-6 1942-47, 33-9, 36-4, 37-6, 38-9, 38-11, 39-8 1876, 33-7, 35-2 37-10, 39-4, 39-8 1951-56, 30-4, 38-9 1877, 33-7 1943, 30-7, 31-5, 32-10, 39- 1951-57, 32-8, 34-3 1878, 35-2, 35-6 5, 39-9 1951-59, 33-5, 38-11 1878-1928, 35-2 1943-1948, 39-9 1952, 32-6, 35-3, 38-5 1902, 31-6 1943-48, 30-7, 39-5, 39-9 1952-57, 32-6 1914-18, 37-9 1943-50, 31-5 1953, 33-6, 34-3, 35-3, 36-6, 1919, 32-7 1944, 32-8, 32-10, 33-3, 33- 37-6, 38-7, 39-4, 39-8 1927, 36-7 7, 33-9, 35-2, 36-2, 36-5, 1953-58, 38-7, 39-4 1928, 35-6 39-9 1953-59, 33-6, 34-3 1930, 31-7, 34-3, 38-4 1944-48, 33-7 1954, 31-2, 31-7, 32-8, 34-6, 1931, 35-6, 37-9, 39-5 1944-49, 32-8, 33-3, 33-7, 34-7, 35-3, 36-5, 36-10, 1931-34, 37-9 33-9, 36-5 38-2, 39-6, 39-7, 39-10 1932, 32-9, 33-4, 34-6, 37-9, 1944-51, 35-2, 36-2 1954-57, 32-8 38-4 1945, 30-6, 30-7, 31-3, 31-4, 1954-59, 38-2 1932-34, 37-9 32-7, 33-4, 37-6, 38-5 1954-61, 34-7, 36-5, 36-10, 1932-37, 32-9, 34-6 1945-1974, 32-7 39-10 1933-38, 30-5 1945-49, 31-3 1954-62, 34-6, 39-7 1934, 30-5, 39-7 1945-50, 37-6 1955, 30-4, 31-2, 32-10, 33- 1934-39, 30-5 1945-52, 38-5 6, 34-2, 34-5, 35-3, 36-4, 1935, 32-9, 33-4, 39-4 1945-53, 31-4 38-6, 38-11, 39-7 1935-39, 32-9, 33-4, 39-4 1945-74, 30-6 1955-56, 33-6 1936, 32-4, 32-9, 34-4, 37- 1946, 31-3, 31-4, 33-6, 38-5, 1955-60, 34-2 10, 39-10 39-6, 39-8 1955-62, 30-4, 31-2, 34-5, 1936-38, 32-4 1946-51, 31-3, 31-4, 33-6, 36-4, 38-6, 39-7 1936-41, 32-4, 34-4, 39-10 39-8 1955-63, 32-10, 38-11 1936-42, 34-4 1947, 32-3, 33-8, 35-4, 36-5, 1956, 31-5, 31-6, 32-3, 33-2, 1938, 31-2, 31-5, 34-5, 38-4, 37-10 34-4, 35-3, 38-11, 39-7 39-8 1947-54, 32-3, 33-8 1956-57, 38-11 1938-43, 31-2, 31-5, 34-5 1948, 30-4, 30-6, 30-7, 32-3, 1956-59, 33-2 1938-44, 31-2, 39-8 32-7, 32-10, 36-5, 36-6, 1956-62, 32-3 1939, 31-5, 31-7, 32-5, 33-4, 37-11, 39-5, 39-6, 39-9 1956-64, 31-5 37-9 1948-54, 30-4, 32-7, 36-6 1957, 30-1, 30-5, 31-3, 31-4, 1939-44, 32-5 1949, 30-6, 31-4, 31-7, 32-2, 31-5, 32-10, 33-2, 33-4, 1939-45, 31-5 32-4, 32-6, 32-8, 33-5, 33-6, 34-2, 34-3, 35-2, 1940, 31-2, 31-4, 31-7, 32-5, 34-7, 36-5, 36-7, 37-6, 35-3, 35-4, 36-2, 36-6, 37-9, 39-8 39-6, 39-9 36-7, 37-5, 38-2 1940-44, 31-4, 32-5 1949-50, 32-2 1957-62, 30-1, 31-3, 31-4, 1940-45, 31-2 1949-54, 32-4, 39-9 33-6, 34-2, 35-2, 36-2, 1941, 30-3, 30-6, 31-5, 32-2, 1949-55, 32-2 38-2 32-4, 34-7, 37-10, 38-10, 1949-56, 31-4, 33-5, 37-6 1957-64, 30-5, 36-6 39-5, 39-8 1949-57, 32-6, 32-8, 34-7, 1957-68, 33-4, 34-3, 35-4, 1941-45, 30-3, 34-7 36-7 36-7, 37-5 1941-46, 31-5, 37-10, 38-10, 1950, 31-7, 32-4, 32-7, 32- 1957-82, 31-5 39-5, 39-8 11, 33-7, 34-4, 36-2, 37-4 1958, 31-4, 32-2, 32-4, 33-5, 1941-65, 30-6 1950-55, 32-4 33-6, 34-3, 34-6, 35-3, 1950-57, 34-4

36-8, 37-7, 38-4, 38-6, 1964, 30-6, 33-10, 34-7, 35- 1993, 35-7 38-9, 38-11, 38-12, 39-6 3, 37-7, 37-11, 38-2, 39-9, 1995, 32-6 1958/59, 32-4 39-10 1996, 33-5 1958-59, 33-5 1964-70, 39-9 1997, 32-6, 35-4 1958-61, 34-6 1964-71, 34-7 1998, 37-7 1958-63, 31-4, 32-4, 33-6 1965, 32-2, 33-7, 34-1, 34-3, 1958-64, 38-6 35-2, 35-3, 35-6, 37-5, ~~~A~~~ 1958-65, 32-2, 36-8, 37-7, 37-7 Abbey, 32-9, 34-3, 35-1, 36- 38-11 1966, 30-7, 31-3, 32-2, 34-2, 1, 36-5 1959, 30-2, 30-8, 31-1, 31-5, 35-3, 36-7, 39-9 Abraham, 36-3 32-1, 32-4, 33-2, 33-3, 1966-67, 39-9 Abram, 36-3 33-6, 33-7, 33-10, 34-1, 1966-73, 30-7, 31-3, 34-2, Adams, 30-5, 36-4 35-1, 35-3, 36-1, 36-8, 36-7 Adelaide, 30-1 36-10, 37-1, 37-3, 37-4, 1967, 30-1, 35-3, 35-4, 35-7, Aden, 38-9 37-7, 37-10, 38-2, 38-6, 36-3, 37-3, 37-7, 38-3, Adrian, 33-2 38-8, 39-1, 39-5, 39-6, 38-10, 39-3, 39-6 ADRIAN, 39-9 39-7, 39-8, 39-9, 39-11 1967-74, 35-4, 35-7, 36-3, Africa, 35-8, 36-2, 38-12, 1959/60, 31-5 37-3, 38-3, 39-3, 39-6 39-8 1959-60, 39-9 1968, 30-2, 30-5, 32-2, 33-2, African, 34-1 1959-63, 37-4 35-3, 36-3, 37-5, 38-3, Airlines, 30-2 1959-64, 37-1, 39-11 38-5 Aladdin, 33-4 1959-65, 30-2, 33-7, 36-1, 1969, 30-5, 35-3, 35-7, 36-3, Alan, 30-3, 31-1, 32-1, 32-7, 37-7 38-12, 39-4 34-2, 35-2, 38-8, 38-13, 1959-66, 30-2, 30-8, 31-1, 1969-70, 35-3, 38-12 39-7, 39-11 32-1, 33-2, 33-3, 34-1, 1970, 32-6, 35-3, 36-3, 37-7 ALAN, 33-3, 33-7, 37-4, 38- 35-1, 36-1, 37-1, 37-3, 1970s, 35-3 8, 39-3 38-2, 38-6, 38-8, 39-1, 1971, 31-5, 35-3, 37-4 Alastair, 32-3, 35-3 39-5, 39-7 1971-76, 31-5, 37-4 Alchemist, 35-3 1959-67, 39-9 1972, 35-3, 36-8 Alex, 30-5, 39-7 1960, 30-4, 30-6, 32-3, 33-7, 1973, 31-7, 35-3, 36-4, 38- Alfred, 34-4 35-3, 35-8, 36-6, 37-4, 10, 39-3 ALFRED, 34-4 38-9, 39-9 1974, 31-6, 32-7, 33-5, 35-3, Algebra, 36-5 1960-65, 38-9 35-4, 35-7, 39-3 Alistair, 33-7, 34-7 1960ish, 36-4 1974-1980, 33-5 Allan, 37-2, 38-5 1960s, 35-4 1975, 32-5, 35-3, 36-2, 37-3 Allen, 33-7, 39-6 1961, 32-5, 33-6, 35-3, 35-4, 1975-76, 32-5 Alpha, 31-4, 32-2, 32-9, 35- 36-6, 36-8, 37-5, 39-6 1975-80, 32-5 7, 37-5, 39-9 1961/1962, 36-6 1976, 30-1, 31-1, 32-5, 33-1, ALUN, 34-7 1961-66, 36-8 35-1, 37-1, 37-4, 39-1 Alzheimers, 32-6 1961-67, 32-5 1976-81, 32-5 American, 30-4, 31-2, 32-7 1961-68, 35-4 1977, 30-7, 31-5 Anderson, 35-7 1962, 30-5, 32-5, 33-5, 33-7, 1978, 37-4 Andrew, 33-2, 38-2 35-3, 35-6, 36-4, 37-5, 1981, 32-5, 37-7 Andrews, 37-2, 39-4 37-6, 39-2 1982, 35-6, 37-7 Androcles, 35-3 1962/63, 32-5 1983-85, 37-7 Andy, 30-5 1962-66, 30-5, 33-7, 37-6 1985, 37-4, 37-7 Angel, 35-3 1962-67, 33-5, 35-6 1985-87, 37-7 Anglian, 37-2 1962-69, 37-5, 39-2 1988, 37-7, 37-10 Anglican, 34-3 1963, 30-5, 33-10, 35-3, 35- 1988-90, 37-7 Anglo, 36-8 8, 38-12, 39-6, 39-10 1991, 32-4, 35-2, 37-7, 37- Anstey, 33-6 1963-70, 38-12, 39-10 10 Anthony, 39-4

Apostles, 38-10 Belgrave, 36-2, 37-4, 38-2 Braunstone, 33-2, 37-2, 39- Arabia, 35-7 Bell, 30-3, 30-5, 30-6, 31-6, 9 Arabic, 37-1 33-5, 34-1, 34-2, 34-4, Brealey, 31-2 Arli, 37-2 35-1, 35-7, 36-2, 36-8, BREALEY, 31-5 Armistice, 37-9 37-4, 37-7, 38-6, 38-9, Breaststroke, 36-5 Arms, 38-11, 38-12, 39-7 38-10, 38-11, 39-8 Breast-stroke, 36-5 Arras, 37-9 BELL, 38-4 Brennan, 39-10 Arsenal, 30-4, 38-10 Belmont, 32-4 Brett, 30-5 Arthur, 31-4, 32-5, 33-2, 37- Belvoir, 32-4, 34-4, 37-4 Brewin, 30-5, 38-5 8 Benaud, 37-4 Brian, 30-2, 30-5, 30-7, 31- ARTHUR, 34-7, 36-5, 39-10 Benelux, 36-9 1, 31-2, 32-1, 32-5, 33-1, Asher, 36-5, 37-10 Bernard, 32-2, 32-8, 34-3, 33-5, 34-3, 34-8, 35-5, Ashes, 36-4 36-8, 38-9, 39-1, 39-8 35-7, 36-4, 36-5, 36-6, Atkins, 35-7 BERNARD, 31-4, 31-5 38-1, 38-4, 38-8, 39-7 Atlanteans, 39-6 Berry, 35-8 BRIAN, 30-2, 32-10, 33-7, Atlantic, 32-6 Bert, 32-5, 37-4, 39-8 34-6, 38-8, 38-11, 39-7 Atticus, 34-1, 35-4, 39-11 Bill, 30-4, 30-5, 30-8, 32-3, Bridgemaster, 39-6 Atton, 30-5, 34-3, 36-4, 39-7 32-5, 33-7, 34-1, 34-5, Bridgemasters, 39-6 Atty, 35-7 35-6, 36-5, 36-9, 37-6, BRIERLEY, 39-9 Auspost, 30-1 37-10, 38-4, 38-5, 38-8, Brigitte, 38-11 Austin, 38-4 38-10, 39-5, 39-10 Brisbane, 31-2 Australian, 30-1 BILL, 39-3 Britain, 32-3, 36-6 Auto-Magic, 30-2 Billy, 30-5, 32-7 Brits, 39-2 Autumn, 35-4 Bingley, 37-9 Broad, 32-8 AUTUMN, 32-2 Biology, 32-10, 34-2, 34-4, Broadhurst, 31-3 AWOL, 38-4 35-2, 36-5, 37-5, 37-10, Brook, 30-1, 31-1, 37-1, 39- Aylestone, 33-9 39-8, 39-10 1 Bird, 37-7 BROOK, 32-1, 33-1, 34-1, ~~~B~~~ BIRD, 32-5 35-1, 36-1, 38-1 B.Sc, 30-7 BIRLEY, 32-4 BROUGHTON, 38-10 BAGLEY, 31-5 Bischofstein, 38-10 Brown, 34-3 Bailey, 32-2 Black, 37-2, 38-7 BROWN, 32-3 BAINES, 32-5 Blackbird, 33-6 Brunswick, 34-3 Bann, 38-10 Blackpool, 32-4, 39-10 Brush, 39-6 Barclay, 34-5 Blaikie, 37-5 Bryan, 30-4, 30-5, 32-7, 36- Bardot, 38-11 BLAIKIE, 30-4, 31-2, 34-5, 3 Barkby, 30-8, 37-5 36-4, 39-7 Budgiebar, 37-2 Barnet, 39-5 Blount, 32-4 Bufton, 32-7, 33-4, 33-7, 34- BARNETT, 37-9 Blue, 30-1, 38-10, 39-2 4, 38-2, 38-5 Barratt, 38-2 BMMO, 37-11 Buggiba, 37-1 Basher, 30-5 Bond, 31-4, 32-8, 34-5, 39-7 Buggie, 31-4, 39-8 Bateman, 38-5 Bonju, 37-1 Bull, 32-4, 33-4, 36-4, 38-5 Battle, 31-7 Bookbinders, 37-7 Bull-Nose, 32-4 Baxter, 34-5, 35-7, 38-3, 39- Boss, 32-1 Bunny, 33-8, 37-6, 37-9, 38- 9 Bott, 36-6 8, 38-12, 39-1, 39-10 Beak, 32-8, 33-3 Bourne, 33-8, 39-9 Burdett, 33-5, 33-9 Beatles, 39-11 Bovril, 38-4 Burgess, 33-7, 35-2, 35-6 Beaumont, 37-2, 38-5 Bowden, 32-5 Burke, 33-5 Becket, 35-3 BOWDEN, 35-4 Burleys, 38-2 Bedfordshire, 39-7 Bradgate, 32-6, 32-9, 34-3, Burrows, 30-2, 30-3, 30-5, Beetle, 35-7, 36-4 39-10 30-7, 30-8, 32-1, 32-4,

33-9, 36-1, 36-3, 36-4, Chatteris, 37-3 Cornfield, 38-5 36-7, 37-5, 37-7, 38-8, Chemistry, 32-4, 33-9, 34-2, Coronation, 36-6, 37-7 39-6 36-3, 36-4, 37-5, 38-5, Cort, 30-7, 32-1, 38-6 BURROWS, 30-8, 33-4, 34-3, 39-4 CORT, 36-10 35-4, 36-7, 37-5 Cheney, 39-7 Cotswolds, 36-8 Busby, 38-10 Chesil, 32-8 Coventry, 38-2 Buswell, 31-4 Chess, 31-6 CRAIG, 32-5 Butterfield, 36-3 Chester, 34-3 Crammer, 30-6, 31-5, 32-8, Chinese, 30-3 33-4, 33-9, 34-4, 34-5, ~~~C~~~ Chorley, 38-4 35-6, 38-4, 38-5 Cadet, 37-7, 39-3 Chris, 30-5, 33-9, 35-6, 36-3, Cranwell, 39-8 Cairns, 30-2 36-8, 37-3, 37-5, 38-3, CRICHTON, 37-5, 39-2 Caldecote, 37-7, 38-9 39-4 Cross, 36-8, 37-3, 38-7, 39-1 Cammell, 39-6 CHRIS, 35-4, 35-7, 36-3, 37- Crowder, 36-3 Cammell-bodied, 39-6 3, 38-3, 39-3, 39-6 Crowther, 31-6 Campbell, 32-3, 33-7, 34-7, Christine, 39-8 Croxton, 30-3 35-3 Chuck, 31-4, 33-6 Crunchies, 33-6 Campion, 39-10 Civis, 37-8 Culley, 35-6 Canal, 30-1, 33-1 Civvy, 32-10 Cundy, 39-9 Cantab, 32-2 Clark, 39-4 Curly, 38-9 Cape, 39-8 Clarke, 32-4 Curzon, 34-3 Capp, 34-3, 34-6, 36-4 Claus, 38-2 Cymbeline, 35-3, 37-7 Capri, 30-2 Clayden, 36-3 Cynthia, 34-3 Carl, 37-8 CLBS, 33-4, 33-5, 34-3, 37-5 Carpenter, 32-4 Cleese, 39-11 ~~~D~~~ Carps, 33-4 Clement, 38-4 D.H.Lawrence, 34-6 Carter, 32-9 Cleverley, 36-3 Daimler, 39-6 Carvel, 36-6 Cley, 31-1 Daimlers, 37-10 Carvin, 37-9 Cliff, 31-4, 33-4, 33-9 Dakotas, 30-5 Case, 38-3 CLIFF, 32-6, 34-7, 36-7 Dalai, 30-5 Castle, 38-10 Clive, 37-7, 38-4 DALY, 39-10 Castleman, 36-5, 37-6 CLIVE, 31-5 Dandenongs, 30-1 Cayless, 36-5, 36-6, 37-6 Coates, 30-7, 33-7, 35-6, 36- Dansette, 33-7 Ceasar, 32-1 5, 36-6, 37-6, 38-11 Dartmouth, 37-7 Chalkie, 38-8 COATES, 33-9, 35-2, 36-2, Davies, 30-2, 30-3, 30-8, 31- Chambers, 30-4 36-5 2, 35-1, 35-4, 35-6, 36-5, Chancery, 33-4 CoLBS, 31-3 38-6, 38-8 Chaplain, 33-5 Coleman, 32-8, 36-8 DAVIES, 30-2, 31-1, 32-1, Chaplin, 39-8 Coles, 36-5 33-2, 34-1, 35-1, 36-1, Chapman, 35-3, 36-4 Coley, 36-6, 37-6 37-1, 38-2, 39-1 CHAPMAN, 34-3 Colin, 32-5, 36-5, 39-4 D-Day, 32-10 Charles, 31-4, 33-9, 34-1, Collegiate, 36-8 Dean, 32-6 34-5, 35-6, 37-7, 38-10, Collis, 37-7 Decker, 36-3 39-10 Co-op, 33-4, 35-3, 36-2, 38- Democrat, 37-7 Charley, 38-8, 39-2 2 De-Montfort, 38-5 Charlie, 30-3, 37-6 Co-operative, 36-2, 38-2 Desford, 30-7, 36-2 Charnwood, 32-9, 32-11, Cope, 30-5, 36-4, 39-7 Detentions, 36-4 33-3, 34-3, 35-2, 35-4, COPE, 34-6, 39-7 Deutchland, 34-4 36-5 Cope/Dougherty/Atton, 39- Dharan, 35-7 Chas, 30-4, 32-10, 33-7, 33- 7 Diack, 36-3, 37-6 8, 37-6, 38-8 Cord, 36-7 Dick, 39-3

Dickens, 36-7 Euston, 39-3 Gater, 35-6 Dicky, 36-3, 37-6 Evans, 36-6 Gateway, 36-9, 37-2, 37-4, Digby, 35-7 Evington, 31-3, 31-6, 37-4, 38-4 Ding-Dong, 36-9, 38-11 37-5 Geary, 34-6 Donald, 36-3 Geeves, 30-5 Doncaster, 32-6 ~~~F~~~ Geoff, 30-5, 30-7, 32-1, 35- Doreen, 35-4 Falklands, 37-7 6, 36-2, 36-3, 36-5, 38-11, Dougherty, 30-5 Fall, 32-7 39-10 Dovelands, 33-7 Farrington, 36-3 GEOFF, 30-7, 33-6, 36-8, 36- Downing, 30-2, 30-7, 31-3, FEARLESS, 37-7 10, 37-7, 39-5 32-3, 32-4, 33-4, 33-7, Featherstone, 36-1 Geoffrey, 36-6 33-8, 34-1, 34-8, 35-4, FEATHERSTONE, 37-7 Geographical, 36-2, 37-3 35-6, 39-9, 39-10 Fencing, 30-7, 31-6 Geography, 30-6, 31-6, 33- Dr.Burrows, 39-7 Fiat, 35-8 8, 34-2, 37-3, 37-6, 37-10, Drew, 36-9 Filbert, 36-3 38-5, 38-8, 38-12 Drummond, 34-2, 35-1 Fisher, 32-4, 33-3, 34-5 George, 36-4, 36-7 Duff, 38-7 FISHER, 34-7 GEORGE, 32-4, 34-6 Duggan, 30-1, 31-1, 32-1, Fitzpatrick, 30-1, 31-3, 31-5 Georges, 37-2 37-1, 38-5, 39-1, 39-11 FJF199, 37-10 Gerald, 31-5 DUGGAN, 32-1, 33-1, 34-1, Fleet, 39-6 GERALD, 30-6, 31-6, 32-7 35-1, 36-1, 38-1 FLEWITT, 33-2 Gerard, 33-2 Duguid, 33-6, 35-2 Ford, 35-6, 39-3 Gestapo, 31-4 Duke, 30-3, 30-4, 39-9 FORD, 30-5, 33-7, 37-6 Ghawdex, 37-2 Dundee, 30-7, 31-3 Fords, 33-8 GIBBS, 34-4 Dunkirk, 31-7, 37-9 Fountain, 30-3, 37-8, 37-10 Gilfedder, 30-5 Dunkley, 31-4, 33-4, 33-9 Foxhunters, 31-3 Gilman, 30-8, 31-1, 32-7, DUNKLEY, 32-6, 34-7, 36-7 Franey, 32-8, 33-6, 35-8, 36- 32-11, 33-8, 34-2, 36-1, Dutch, 31-7 7, 37-1 36-10, 37-3, 37-4, 37-5, Dyer, 38-12 Frank, 30-5, 30-7, 32-1, 32- 37-6, 38-3, 38-8, 38-9, 4, 33-6, 39-8 38-10, 39-7, 39-10 ~~~E~~~ Franklyn, 35-6, 35-8 Gimson, 32-9, 36-9, 39-4 Eabry, 36-5 FRCO, 32-2 Ginns, 33-7 Earl, 30-4 Fred, 34-6, 37-4 Gladbach, 34-4 Economics, 31-6, 36-3, 38-6, Freddie, 30-5, 37-7 Glenton, 30-5 39-3 Freeman, 36-5, 37-8 Glyn, 35-3 EJWB, 33-4, 35-4 Freer, 38-5 Goddard, 38-5 Elbow, 30-5, 31-7, 32-5, 32- Freestyle, 36-5 Godot, 35-3 11, 33-2, 33-6, 33-8, 34-7, Freud, 38-4 Gooday, 35-8, 36-6, 38-12 35-6, 37-6, 38-10, 38-11, Friar, 31-3, 34-1 Goons, 33-2 39-10 Frith, 33-2, 37-2 Gordon, 31-4, 32-8, 36-7, Ellen, 35-6 Froggy, 37-8 38-5 Elliott, 32-4, 35-6 Fryer, 33-5, 38-11 Gould, 30-5, 38-7, 39-5 Ellis, 36-3 Gowland, 30-2 Eric, 38-3, 38-10 ~~~G~~~ GOWLAND, 36-6 ERIC, 38-3 Gaddesby, 39-7 Gozo, 37-2 Ernest, 34-2, 35-7 Gaitskell, 34-6 Grace, 30-5, 31-1, 32-5, 33- Ernie, 32-7, 33-5, 34-3, 35- Gallowtree, 33-9 3, 33-5, 33-6, 33-8, 34-8, 7, 37-7, 37-8, 38-9 Gardner, 37-4 36-10, 37-2, 37-4, 38-2, ERNIE, 32-6 Gareth, 30-1, 32-5 38-5, 38-7, 38-9 Escort, 39-3 GARETH, 35-4 Graeme, 37-4 Eton, 34-7 Gary, 32-5, 33-7, 38-9 GRAHAM, 33-5

Grahame, 36-9 HEALEY, 38-9 Irish, 37-2 Granby, 32-4 Helder, 31-7 Islington, 37-7 Grauniad, 30-4 Hendrik, 31-7 Issit, 30-5 Green, 32-8, 32-10, 33-9, Henry, 32-3, 34-3, 35-3 ITMA, 33-4 35-3 Herald, 36-4, 38-3, 39-4 Ivor, 33-7, 38-5 GREEN, 35-3 Herrick, 30-5, 34-3, 36-4 Gregory, 31-4, 34-7, 35-5, Herts, 37-7 ~~~J~~~ 37-3 Heulwen, 33-1 Jackson, 36-2, 36-8, 37-6, Grit, 37-7, 39-8 Highcross, 31-3 37-10, 39-4, 39-8 Gritty, 39-8 Highfields, 33-3 JACKSON, 32-8, 33-3, 33-9, Groocock, 38-5 Hilda, 34-3 36-4, 37-10 Grundy, 33-3, 36-2, 38-11 Hill, 33-4, 33-7, 34-6, 35-6, Jaguar, 32-10 Gunnell, 38-4 36-4, 37-10 JAKE, 30-4, 31-2 GUNTER, 32-3, 33-8 Hillman, 35-7, 36-7 James, 30-5, 31-4, 32-7, 33- Guthlaxton, 35-8 Hillsborough, 33-10 2, 36-4, 37-7, 39-7 Gutteridge, 33-7 Hinckley, 31-6, 37-2, 39-9 Jane, 32-6 GWYC, 35-3 Hindus, 32-7 Jasper, 31-1, 32-1, 33-8 HINE, 30-3, 34-7 Java, 31-7 ~~~H~~~ Hitler, 32-9, 34-4 Jeeves, 38-5 Haddon, 37-3 Hockley, 35-2 Jeff, 35-3, 36-4 Halford, 33-9 Hoffnung, 33-2 JEFF, 34-3 HALFORD, 37-10 Hoggart, 34-6 Jessop, 34-6 Haliborange, 33-3 Holden, 37-3 Jesus, 32-6 Hallam, 34-7 Holland, 31-4 Jimmo, 39-4 Hamill, 31-5 Hope, 37-7, 37-10 Jimmy, 33-7, 37-4 Hamlet, 32-3 Hopkinson, 32-7 Jinks, 35-6, 37-4, 37-5 Hancock, 30-4, 37-3 Horseman, 30-4, 32-7 JINKS, 35-4, 35-7, 36-3, 37- Hardy, 38-4 Hotspurs, 39-3 3, 38-3, 39-3, 39-6 HARMER, 32-4 Housemaster, 33-4 JJOH, 37-4 Harold, 32-4, 32-6, 35-2, 35- Howard, 30-4, 30-5, 32-10, Joan, 35-3 6, 36-5, 36-6, 38-11 33-7, 33-8, 37-6, 38-5, Jock,sensing, 37-6 HAROLD, 32-4, 35-2, 36-2 38-6, 38-8 Joey, 32-4 Harris, 34-7 Howe, 36-8 Johnny, 30-5, 32-7, 37-9, Harrison, 32-2, 32-8, 33-2, Hughes, 33-10, 34-7, 37-9 38-7 36-2, 36-5, 39-8 Humber, 39-3 Johnstone, 38-4 HARRISON, 31-4 Hunt, 36-5 Jonah, 39-11 Harrogate, 31-3 Hunter, 35-7 Jonathan, 35-2 Harry, 32-7, 36-1 Hurd, 38-6 Jones, 32-7, 35-2, 37-5, 39-5 Hastings, 30-1, 33-6, 38-10, HURD, 38-5 JOSEPH, 38-3 38-12 Hutchens, 37-9 Josh, 32-9 Hawdesh, 37-2 Hutchings, 37-4, 39-8 JOYCE, 33-5, 38-11 Hawksworth, 32-7 HUTCHINGS, 31-5 Joycean, 31-4 Haymarket, 37-7 Hutchinson, 33-8, 37-4, 37- Juliet, 34-3, 35-3, 36-4, 37-5 Hazel, 36-2 5, 37-6, 37-9, 38-8, 38-12, Julius, 35-3, 36-8 Headley, 35-3, 36-3, 38-4, 39-1, 39-10 JUNO, 32-10 38-5 Headmaster, 30-6, 31-5, 33- ~~~I~~~ ~~~K~~~ 9, 34-4, 34-5, 35-6, 35-7, Iliffe, 32-5 Kalgoorie, 30-1 36-8, 37-5, 37-7 Imperial, 32-1, 39-6 Karssen, 31-7 Headmasters, 30-6, 37-7 Indians, 33-10 Kath, 37-9 Healey, 37-7 Iris, 37-8 Kathleen, 39-9

Kay-Shuttleworth, 32-7 LINNELL, 38-6 Matthews, 37-10, 39-5, 39- Keats, 31-3 Linwood, 32-7, 38-10 8 Keenan, 37-8 Little, 37-7 MATTHEWS, 39-7 Keene, 35-6 Llanfair, 33-1 MAWBY, 38-3 Keith, 31-3, 32-9, 33-5, 33- Lock, 39-10 Maxwell, 31-4 6, 33-7, 34-6, 35-2, 36-4, Lomax, 38-4 Mayflower, 35-4 38-10 Lord, 39-6, 39-8 Mayhew, 33-7 KEITH, 30-4, 32-7 Lossiemouth, 37-7 Mc.Nally, 36-6 KEITHWRIGHT, 36-6 Lotus, 38-9 McAULIFFE, 32-10, 38-11 KELHAM, 38-7, 39-4 Loughborough, 35-1, 36-6 McGonagall, 31-3 Kenneth, 37-3, 39-2 Luckhurst, 35-7 Mclaugh, 38-1 Kerrial, 30-3 Luigi, 37-1, 38-6, 39-9 McLaughlin, 31-3 Kersey, 33-4 Lynton, 33-2 McManus, 36-4 Kevin, 32-4, 39-10 Lynx, 37-7 McNally, 36-6 King, 31-3, 33-5, 33-10, 35- McNulty, 30-5 3, 37-2, 37-7 ~~~M~~~ Mdina, 33-2, 37-1 Kirby, 35-3, 39-9 M.Sc, 30-7 Mead, 37-4, 38-9, 39-1 Kirkby, 32-6, 33-9 Macbeth, 35-3 Meadows, 35-7, 37-4 Kitchen, 33-7, 34-7, 37-7, MacManus, 30-5 Meads, 38-3 38-2, 39-9 Maisey, 36-9, 38-11 Mearns, 39-9 KITCHEN, 33-6 MAISEY, 36-8, 37-7 Measom, 36-5 Knight, 38-10, 38-12 Majut, 37-10 Mech, 30-5, 32-4 KNIGHT, 32-2, 38-11 Malcolm, 30-2, 30-3, 30-8, Mechanical, 32-4 Knighton, 32-10 31-2, 35-1, 35-4, 35-6, Melbourne, 30-1, 30-5, 31- Knipton, 30-3 36-5, 36-6, 38-2, 38-6, 2, 33-7, 36-4, 39-8 Knossington, 36-3 38-7, 38-8 Melia, 36-2 Krefeld, 34-3, 34-4, 38-10 MALCOLM, 30-2, 31-1, 32-1, Mellor, 33-6, 37-4 Krispies, 35-5 33-2, 34-1, 35-1, 36-1, Melton, 30-3, 39-7 37-1, 38-2, 39-1 Memorial, 33-4 ~~~L~~~ Mallett, 33-5 MEMORIALS, 33-9 LEAKE, 37-3, 39-5 Maltese, 37-1 Mercedes, 30-2 Leamington, 31-3 Maltesers, 33-6 Mercer, 31-1, 32-1, 33-8, Lear, 35-3 Mann, 32-5, 32-10, 33-7 36-5, 37-10, 39-5, 39-7, Leather, 33-3 MANSER, 34-5 39-9, 39-11 Leavis, 30-4, 36-7 Mansfield, 33-7 MERCER, 37-4 Lebutt, 38-5 Marchant, 38-6 Merry, 38-1 Lesley, 30-4 Maria, 36-2 Merton, 34-3, 37-5 Leslie, 30-4 Mark, 36-3, 38-1 Mesopotamia, 32-7 LESTER, 35-3 MARKHAM, 31-3, 33-6 Metro, 39-6 Letts, 33-6 Marn, 30-3 Michael, 32-5, 33-7, 34-7, LETTS, 31-7 Marney, 30-3, 32-5 36-8, 37-3, 37-7, 38-2, LEWIN, 31-3 Maroubra, 30-1 39-9 Lewis, 34-3, 38-2, 39-7 Mars, 36-3 MICHAEL, 38-10, 39-10 Leyland, 37-10, 39-6 Marsham, 33-3 Mick, 30-1, 31-3, 32-4, 32-7, Leys, 37-2 Martin, 35-4 35-8, 36-5, 36-6, 36-9, Liberal, 37-7 MARTIN, 30-7, 31-3, 33-5, 37-3, 38-12 Life-Saving, 36-5 34-2, 36-7 MICK, 31-3 Lilystone, 35-7 MARTYN, 35-3 Mike, 30-7, 32-1, 32-3, 32-4, Lincolnshire, 31-1, 37-2 Mathematics, 32-2, 37-5 32-9, 32-10, 37-1, 39-9 Lineker, 32-5, 33-7, 38-9 Matlock, 33-3 MIKE, 32-2, 34-2, 37-6, 38-6 Linnell, 39-2 Miles, 39-8

Mill, 35-5, 39-5 NORMAN, 37-9 Pedley, 30-4, 30-6, 31-6, 36- Miller, 36-3, 39-10 Nortel, 31-2 7, 38-5 Mills, 30-1 North, 31-2, 31-7, 35-2 Pegg, 35-4 Millward, 35-5 Norwich, 32-5 Penfold, 37-3, 38-4 MILLWARD, 38-3 Nottinghamshire, 37-2 Penistone, 32-6 Minerva, 36-6 Nullabor, 30-1 Penny, 33-6 Minor, 37-3 Nuneaton, 37-5 Percy, 31-4, 36-8 Monica, 35-1 Perth, 30-2, 32-2, 34-5 Monkhouse, 38-10 ~~~O~~~ Pete, 36-5, 39-10 Montfort, 32-9, 33-4, 34-3, O.F.T, 36-4, 37-5 Peter, 31-3, 31-4, 33-3, 33- 35-1, 37-9 O.F.T.R, 37-5 5, 33-7, 34-3, 36-2, 36-3, Montgomery, 33-1 Oakham, 32-5 36-8, 39-7, 39-8 Morris, 32-4, 35-7, 37-3, 39- OBITUARIES, 30-5 PETER, 31-3, 32-4, 32-8, 33- 3, 39-4 OBITUARY, 31-4, 32-5, 33-5, 3, 33-6, 38-4 MORTON, 33-5 34-6 Pettention, 37-3 Mosquito, 30-3 Offord, 35-2, 37-9 Philips, 31-4, 34-5 Moss, 37-9 OFFORD, 38-9 Phillipines, 30-1 Moule, 36-6 Ogden, 32-7 Phillips, 34-3, 34-6 Mountains, 30-1 Olde, 31-1 Philps, 34-6 Mowbray, 30-3, 39-7 Oliver, 30-8 Phoenician, 37-1 Mr.Cope, 36-4 Olivier, 32-3 Phoenix, 30-8, 33-10 Munchen, 34-4 Olympian, 37-11 Physics, 30-3, 32-10, 33-2, Murmansk, 32-6 Ormerod, 34-2 33-9, 34-2, 35-7, 36-4, Muth, 32-9, 32-10 Ormondy, 34-4 37-4, 37-5, 39-4 Orton, 36-9, 38-4 Pilgrim, 33-2 ~~~N~~~ ORTON, 38-3 PILGRIM, 39-9 Nappy, 39-10 Oscar, 39-10 Pinchbeck, 30-5 Nason, 30-5 Oswestry, 39-8 Pirates, 33-8, 37-8 Nasshar, 37-1 Oswin, 32-9, 33-5 Poolians, 30-1 NATO, 37-7 OSWIN, 32-9, 33-4, 39-4 Powysland, 33-1 Naxxar, 37-1 Owra, 37-1 Prefect, 30-4, 33-4, 33-5, Neal, 39-10 Oxbridge, 33-6, 36-7, 38-5 34-2, 36-8 Needham, 38-5 Prefects, 38-5 Neill, 30-5, 31-2, 31-3, 39-7 ~~~P~~~ PROF, 33-7 Nellie, 39-10 Pace, 30-2, 30-5, 30-6, 30-8, Publius, 36-8 Nene, 32-6 38-5 Pyke, 39-9 Nestle, 33-1 Packer, 36-8 PYKETT, 33-3, 38-8 Neton, 30-1 Paisley, 38-3 Neville, 37-6, 39-4, 39-8 Palmer, 30-7, 34-2 ~~~Q~~~ NEVILLE, 33-9, 36-4, 37-10 PALMER, 38-4 Qali, 37-2 Newarke, 30-8 PARKIN, 39-9 Qawra, 37-1 Newcastle, 30-4, 31-2, 32-7 Parr, 36-5, 39-4 Quaker, 35-2 Newhaven, 37-3 PASIECZNIK, 37-4 Quorn, 37-9 Newton, 30-5, 32-8, 33-3, Pasley, 33-10 36-9, 37-4, 38-2 Patel, 30-4 ~~~R~~~ Nissen, 34-8 PAULWILLIAMSON, 30-1, Radford, 31-4 Nobby, 39-4 33-6, 36-2 RADFORD, 38-2 Noel, 37-3 Pauly, 36-5 Randwick, 36-8 NOEL, 39-4 Pears, 36-5 Ratcliff, 30-7, 32-1, 32-3, Norman, 35-7, 36-5, 39-5, Pearson, 34-5 32-10, 37-1, 39-9 39-9 PEBERDY, 34-4 RATCLIFF, 38-6

Ratnett, 39-5, 39-8 Russ, 32-4 Smith`s, 36-5 RATNETT, 31-5, 37-10 Russell, 33-2, 36-7 Snowy, 30-1 Ratschitz, 36-2 RUSSELL, 39-3 Snutch, 37-6 Raymond, 36-5 Russians, 32-10 SONNY, 32-6 RAYMOND, 39-4 ~~~S~~~ Spangles, 33-6 Read, 39-8 SPANNER, 39-4 Reed, 31-4, 32-5 S.C.R, 37-5 Spence, 36-1, 36-5, 36-6, Reese, 39-9 Saddam, 35-7 38-2, 39-7 REEVES, 33-5 Saddington, 31-4, 33-6 Spencer, 30-5 Remington, 30-5, 33-5, 35- Sadie, 33-8, 37-6, 38-7, 38-8 Spike, 37-1 6, 37-5 Saff, 32-6, 32-7 Splodge, 39-3 REMINGTON, 39-3 Saff**, 32-6 SPOONER, 39-4 Remmington, 38-4 Saffron, 32-7 Springfield, 36-7 Remmo, 38-4 Sammy, 38-7, 39-5 Squire, 34-2 Remo, 39-3 Sandra, 33-10, 34-7 Staff, 33-4, 33-5, 34-4, 37-5 Richard, 31-3, 31-4, 31-5, Santa, 38-2 Stamford, 31-5 32-8, 33-5, 33-10, 34-6, Sarson, 39-4 Stephanie, 31-2, 32-1, 33-1, 34-7, 35-3 SARSON, 39-4 38-1 RICHARDS, 32-4 Saudi, 35-7 STEPHEN, 38-2 Richardson, 39-8 Saviours, 33-5 Stephens/Stevens, 33-9 Richie, 37-4 Saxon, 36-8 Steve, 30-5, 33-6, 38-12 Rijkwerf, 31-7 Science, 31-6, 32-7, 33-8, Steward, 39-7 Riley, 37-5, 39-6 37-6, 38-8, 39-9, 39-10 Stewart, 31-6 Rimmington, 30-4 Scott, 34-8, 35-7, 36-3, 36- STEWART, 39-10 RIMMINGTON, 30-6, 31-6, 7, 38-6, 39-10 Stingray, 35-7 32-7 Scotty, 37-6 Stokes, 30-1 RIMMINGTON(cont’d, 30-6 Screaton, 30-7, 31-1, 32-1, STOKES, 31-3 Robert, 30-1, 37-3, 39-7 32-5, 33-1, 38-1 Stone, 37-1 ROBERT, 33-5, 37-3, 38-3, SCREATON, 30-2, 33-7, 38-8 Stratford-on-Avon, 39-5 39-5 Scripture, 33-8, 38-8, 39-3 Stribling, 34-5 Roberts, 30-5, 31-4, 32-2, Scunthorpe, 31-5 Stroud, 36-8 33-5, 34-5, 34-6, 36-4, Selvidge, 30-5 Stuart, 38-7, 38-10 36-7, 37-5, 38-5, 39-6 Selwyn, 30-4 Sturdee, 33-10 Rock, 30-1, 31-1, 37-1, 39-1 Semarang, 31-7 Suez, 30-1, 34-6 ROCK, 32-1, 33-1, 34-1, 35- Semitic/Arabic, 37-1 Suresh, 30-4 1, 36-1, 38-1 Shakespeare, 31-1, 32-3, Swann, 32-4 Roger, 30-2, 36-5, 37-6, 39- 36-4 SWANN, 32-4 10 Shakesperean, 31-2 Swimming, 34-8, 36-1, 36-5, ROGER, 34-4, 36-6 Shilton, 31-3 36-6, 37-7 Rolf, 32-9, 32-10 Sidney, 30-1, 31-2 Sykes, 30-4, 30-5, 30-6, 30- Romanus, 37-8 Simon, 39-3 8, 32-2, 32-3, 34-1, 34-5, Rome, 32-3 SIMON, 38-12, 39-3 35-6, 36-5, 36-9, 37-6, Romeo, 34-3, 35-3 Sixth, 36-8, 37-5 37-10, 38-2, 38-5, 38-8, Romford, 36-8 Skegness, 31-1 38-10, 39-5 Rosalind, 36-8 Slimmo, 36-9 Ross, 32-4 Slipper, 39-5 ~~~T~~~ Roundhill, 35-4 Smith, 30-5, 30-7, 31-3, 31- Tansley, 34-5 RUDGE, 39-3 5, 32-1, 32-6, 33-4, 33-5, Taylor, 34-5, 35-2, 39-7 Rugby, 36-2, 36-3, 37-4 33-9, 34-3, 34-6, 34-7, TAYLOR, 31-2, 33-7, 39-8 Rupert, 32-6 36-4, 37-10, 38-5, 39-5, Tempest, 35-3 Rushin, 32-7 39-8 Terry, 33-5, 33-7, 38-11 SMITH, 32-4, 39-10

TERRY, 39-9 Volkswagen, 35-7, 36-4 Whitgift, 33-5 Terschelling, 31-7 Wiggy, 32-8, 36-8 Thackeray, 36-7 ~~~W~~~ Wilcox, 39-9 Thatcher, 32-6 W.E.R, 32-2 Wilkins, 39-5 Theatre, 30-8, 32-8, 33-10, Wadden, 31-7 WILKINSON, 39-9 37-7, 39-5 Wadi, 37-2 Willams, 34-3 THODY, 37-6 Waggie, 37-7 Willan, 30-5, 32-10, 33-3, Thomas, 30-6 Wagstaff, 35-6, 37-7 34-2, 34-4, 35-2, 38-5, Thompson, 30-2, 31-4, 32-8, Wairk, 36-4 39-9, 39-10 33-5, 33-8, 34-3, 37-6, Waite, 34-2 Willemsoord, 31-7 38-7, 38-8 WAITE, 39-4 William, 31-3, 35-2, 35-6, Thornton, 37-1 WAKEFIELD, 30-4, 38-9 38-4 Tich, 31-4, 39-8 Wale, 38-6 WILLIAM, 38-3 Ticker, 37-4 Walker, 30-3, 36-3 Williams, 34-3, 36-2, 37-3 Tickner, 39-4 WALKER, 32-2, 37-6 WILLIAMS, 30-7, 32-8, 39-5 Tiger, 39-7 Waller, 39-2 Williamson, 31-3, 31-4, 32- Titan, 37-10, 39-6 Wally, 30-5, 30-8, 32-1, 32- 1, 35-1, 35-5, 35-6, 37-3, Titans, 37-11 3, 32-9, 33-2, 33-4, 33-8, 38-9 Titch, 39-8 34-8, 35-1, 35-6, 36-4, WILLIAMSON, 31-5, 34-2, Titianlike, 37-1 36-6, 36-10, 37-6, 38-8, 35-2, 38-2, 39-8 Tobias, 35-3 38-10, 38-11, 39-5, 39-9 Willie, 39-4 Tommy, 31-5 Wanderers, 39-3 Willow, 34-3 Tong, 33-2, 39-3 Ward, 34-7, 39-6 Willowbrook, 39-6 TONG, 39-3 Wardle, 30-5, 30-8, 32-1, Willson, 33-7 Tonys, 33-5 32-3, 32-9, 33-2, 33-4, Wilson, 32-6 Took, 37-7 33-8, 34-8, 35-1, 35-6, Wilton, 33-7 Trebor, 31-7, 33-5 36-4, 36-6, 36-10, 37-6, Winfield, 35-1 TREBOR, 33-5 38-5, 38-8, 38-10, 38-11, Winner, 36-5 Trevor, 31-3, 36-8, 39-1 39-5, 39-8, 39-9 Winter, 35-1, 38-7 TREVOR, 31-3 Wasbank, 36-2 Winterbottom, 38-5 Triffids, 35-8 Water, 36-5 Withey, 37-7 Triumph, 36-4, 38-3, 39-4 Watson, 38-3 Witts, 30-8, 32-7, 33-6, 34- Tudor, 34-7 WAY-TING, 36-10 2, 35-5, 38-2, 38-8 Tudors, 34-7 Welch, 30-4 Wolseley, 36-3, 39-6 Turck, 36-8, 39-1 Welch**, 30-4 Wolverhampton, 37-4, 39-3 Turner, 39-8 Wells, 31-2 Wolves, 37-4 TURNER, 34-7, 36-5, 39-10 Wembley, 31-5, 39-3 Wood, 32-5, 38-4 Turning, 37-5, 38-5 Wensleydales, 39-3 Woods, 38-7 TURRELL, 38-12 West, 35-3, 36-7, 37-7 Woodwork, 33-8, 38-8 Tutees, 36-4 Westleigh, 36-2 Woolworths, 33-9 Twelfth, 39-3 Weymann, 39-6 Wormwood, 39-3 Tyrer, 39-8 Wharf, 31-4, 34-3 Worthington, 36-4 Wheatley, 35-8, 37-6 Wrangler, 32-2 ~~~U~~~ WHEATLEY, 35-6 Wright, 32-4 UEFA, 39-3 Whitbread, 30-5, 32-1, 34-1, WRIGHT, 30-4, 32-7 Uppingham, 30-2, 39-10 39-5, 39-6, 39-8 Wrzesien, 36-4 Whitby, 39-5 WRZESIEN, 34-6 ~~~V~~~ White, 34-3, 38-8 Wycombe, 37-7 VALENTINE, 34-2 WHITE, 32-6 Wyggeston, 30-3, 32-8, 33- Vauxhall, 38-4 Whitelam, 30-5, 33-6 4, 33-7, 35-2, 35-6, 37-4, Versheshin, 36-4 Whitey, 32-6 39-9

Wyggestonian, 38-6 ~~~X~~~ ~~~Y~~~ Wylie, 31-3 Xitta, 37-2 Ying, 33-2 Wynn, 39-9 York, 36-9 Wyverians, 35-3 Yorkie, 36-9