DECEMBER, 1966 LANDSCAPE 5. C. Marshall 6 Lit. II. STOCKPORT GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Patron THE PRIME WARDEN OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GOLDSMITHS

Governors LIEUT-COL. J. A. CHRISTIE-MILLER, C.B.E., T.D., D.L., J.P., Chairman F. TOWNS, ESQ., Vice-Chairman THE REV. CANON R. SIMPSON S. D. ANDREW, ESQ., J.P. H. SMITH, ESQ., J.P. D. BLANK, ESQ., LL.B. COUNCILLOR L. SMITH, J.P. SIR GEOFFRY CHRISTIE-MILLER, J. S. SOUTHWORTH, ESQ. K.C.B., D.S.O., M.C., D.L. THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR COUNCILLOR A. S. EVERETT OF STOCKPORT MRS. R. B. HEATHCOTE ALDERMAN T. J. VERNON PARRY J. C. MOULT, ESQ., J.P. PROFESSOR F. C. WILLIAMS, C.B.E., COUNTY COUNCILLOR H. E. R. PEERS, D.Sc., D.PHIL., M.I.S.F., F.R.S. O.B.E., J.P. COUNTY COUNCILLOR MRS. M. ALDERMAN R. SEATON WORTHINGTON, B.A., J.P. H. SIDEBOTHAM, ESQ., LL.M. WG-CDR. J. M. GILCHRIST, M.B.E. (Clerk to the Governors)

Headmaster F. W. SCOTT, Esq., M.A. (Cantab.)

Second Master W. S. JOHNSTON, Esq., M.A. (Oxon.)

Assistant Masters J. H. AVERY, M.A. S. M. McDOUALL, D.S.L.C. W. D. BECKWITH F. J. NORRIS, B.A. H. BOOTH, B.Sc. H. L. READE, B.Sc. J. B. BRELSFORD, B.A. D. G. ROBERTS, B.A. M. T. BREWIS, B.A. D. J. ROBERTS, M.A. E. BROMLEY H. D. ROBINSON, B.A. D. B. CASSIE, B.Sc. A. P. SMITH, B.A. M. A. CROFTS, B.Sc. J. T. STANLEY, D.A. J. G. DURNALL, B.Sc., F.R.G.S. D. I. STEELE, B.MUS., F.R.C.O., J. G. GOSLING A.R.M.C.M. A. R. HAWKES, M.A. J. M. SWALLOW, M.A. W. HERMAN, M.A. M. S. WHALLEY, B.Sc. J. U. JACOBS, B.A. B. R. WILSON, B.A. A. JOHNSTON, M.A.

Junior School R. D. REEMAN, B.A., Master in Charge Mrs. D. COLCLOUGH Mrs. E. M. THOMPSON C. H. JOHNSON Miss J. THORNELEY Miss J. McGOWAN

Bursar: WG-CDR. J. M. GILCHRIST, M.B.E.

Prefects C. J. HOLLAND, School Captain T. A. CLARK, R. M. TAYLOR, Vice-Captains. C. A. ARMITAGE T. J. LINGARD K. M. BEARDSELL I. PARRY J. N. BOARDMAN M. A. TAYLOR N. A. BRADLEY G. J. TOMLINSON J. R. BROCKLEHURST A. K. TUTHILL L. R. FORT S. G. WHITEHEAD A. M. GRUNDY V. WILCOCK N. F. JONES CONTENTS

EDITORIAL DE OMNIBUS REBUS . G.C.E. RESULTS UNIVERSITY PLACES. ORIGINAL ARTICLES RICHARD III GREECE 1966 GERMANY'66 NORTH WALES 1966 IN THE SUMMERTIME .... DEATH OF A GROUSE .... FORM 371 THE MANOR HOUSE .... SNOW SUNSET AFTERTHOUGHT THROUGH THE HARECASTLE THE VALUE OF COUNTRY LIFE ODE TO A STEAM TRAIN .... THE ROUGH BOYS 1966 MR BECKWITH'S THOUGHTS OF 3A 'CROSSfE) TALK THE TEACHER'S IMPRESSION . THE PINK PIG . THE KITE A DESERTED AERODROME WORDS T.S. G.S. S.S. P.S BENELUX ON A SHOESTRING THE SOCIAL SIDE THE LIBRARY THE DEBATING AND LITERARY SOCIETY THE DRAMATIC SOCIETY. THE CHOIR THE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP GROUPS 550 SQUADRON A.T.C. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY THE RECORDER CLUB THE VENTURERS' SOCIETY THE ORCHESTRA THE ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY THE CHESS CLUB . THE SCIENCE SOCIETY . THE SAILING CLUB . THE GYM CLUB SPORTS AND GAMES RUGBY LACROSSE . BASKETBALL HOUSE NOTES ARDEN NICHOLSON VERNON . WARREN FORM NOTES SIXTH FORM . JUNIOR SCHOOL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM LONDON FROM DURHAM THE OLD STOPFORDIANS' ASSOCIATION The Magazine of the Stockport Grammar Editor No. 103 R. M. TAYLOR DECEMBER, 1966

EDITORIAL The theme of many sermons nowadays does not concern itself with sin, the flesh, and the Devil, those top-ten favourites of yesteryear, but with apathy. From the results of a survey recently carried out, it was revealed that the vast majority of the British populace does not care twopence about the state of the Royal Family; the Monarch might be hanged from the nearest tree, or given a working salary of £1 million a day, but the British nation just would not be interested. In the eyes of the world a character does not exist any more: Malcolm Muggeridge and Quintin Hogg are eccentrics and worse, because they try to be different, and to make their presence acutely felt. The progress of our age is so efficient that the individual becomes absorbed in the crowd, loses his identity but unfortunately has nothing to fall back on, because of his lack of interest. You become a social outcast if you do not run a Ford or a Jaguar, if you do not live in a Wimpey-built house, if you do not clog that house with trailing plants which at any moment threaten to strangulate the passer-by. This ardent desire for conformity has its obvious conclusions. There is very little independence and almost complete stagnation in the politics and philosophy of this country; the voters are quite prepared to listen to reports of daily slanging matches in the Lower House between party leaders, who have all forgotten their wonderful promises about a new dynamic Britain retailed with such abandon less than a year ago. Outspokenness has almost become a crime in politics, and for Left Wing Socialists to protest against American bombing in Vietnam, it really is too much; why, they are having the audacity to argue with their leader's wishes. I was surprised His Haroldness did not excommunicate them from the party. The more the members of a governing party protest against the leadership, the better for the country as a whole. It is when we see young people affected by this ennui that the situation as- sumes alarming proportions. The majority of young men and women leave school at the age of fifteen to undertake a job which satisfies neither their talents nor their pocket. There is a reaction to all this, as they become the unwilling dupes to advertising, Mary Quant, Carnaby Street, yet this is a mild reaction, if we compare it with the second Battle of Hastings, the prevalence of drug addic- tion, the rise in the rate of illegitimacy and so forth. You cannot go round telling teenagers that these are harmful to them. They know where they stand, they know they are being mere fools, and yet it is done for "kicks". The bomb may come, and poof ! This is the extent to which society has made youngsters feel needed, and the fault is society's alone: cynicism and mockery, which are states Page One of mind that should be the farthest moved from a teenager's mind, have a vast shareholding in that mind, and sour and devalue the property with alarming rapidity. The sense that nobody cares has become all-pervading, and stands directly in the way of responsibility in later life. But what is the connection between this sententious moralizing and a school magazine ? It is at school that we are provoked into and nourish our interests, and particularly at secondary school. If the atmosphere is the correct one, conducive to a steady flow of new ideas and different conceptions, then all is well. If you are interested in aeroplanes then join the A.T.C., go to Ringway; if you want to play the tenor-saxophone, then for heaven's sake nag and pester until you have achieved your aim. Education does not consist of turning out boys who always wear their caps, keep their shoes clean, do their homework, gain their 'O' levels: it has a wider significance that in a school like ours can only be gamed by giving as well as taking. If ever you are fortunate enough to visit Greece, you will see in the ancient precincts of Delphi or Olympia or elsewhere three of the roots of Greek life, the theatre, the stadium, and the temple, within close proximity: there is education, the culture of mind, body, and spirit. It is a precise mixture of all three, wherein an excess of one does not preclude another. We are moving into an age when men will relax more than they will work. But if the potential masters of the next generation are not made sufficiently interested in life, then the stagnation and intellectual frustration engendered will have the most calamitous practical results. R. M. TAYLOR.

DE OMNIBUS REBUS The School officers for the term have been : House Captains: Arden—C. J. Holland. Nicholson—N. A. Bradley. Vernon—T. A. Clark. Warren—T. J. Lingard. Captain of Rugby: C. A. Armitage. Captain of Lacrosse: V. Wilcock. Captain of Cricket: T. J. Lingard. Librarian: J. C. G. Pickering. Secretary of the Debating and Literary Society: S. G. Whitehead. Secretary of the Dramatic Society: R. M. Taylor. Leader of the Christian Fellowship Group: J. N. Boardman. Secretary of the Choir: D. K. Blackburn. Secretary of the Photographic Society: J. N. Warren. Secretary of the Chess Club: R. E. Martin. Secretary of the Recorder Group: R. M. Taylor. Secretary of the Venturers' Society: T. A. Clark. Secretary of the Arts and Crafts Society: P. A. Longson. Secretary of the Science Society: D. M. Wilson. Leader of the School Orchestra: D. Gracey. Flight Sergeant of 550 Squadron, A.T.C.: J. N. Boardman. Editor: R. M. Taylor.

STAFF We were sad to hear of the death of Sergeant Merrey on September 16th. His fine qualities and his great contribution to the School were described by Mr. W. S. Johnston in an article he wrote two years ago last July when Sergeant retired. Our wish that he would enjoy a long retirement was not fulfilled. Boys and staff attended the funeral service which was conducted by Rev. J. F. Ellis, an Old Stopfordian who remembered Sergeant well. We shall always think of Sergeant with affection and we offer our sympathy to Mrs. Merrey and the family. Page Two We also report with regret the death of Miss Mary Lees who helped in the Junior School for several years. We welcome new members of the staff. Mr. M. T. Brewis is an Old Boy of Manchester Grammar School and a graduate of Bristol University, where he also took his Certificate of Education. He has come as assistant Classics master after teaching for four years at Chet- ham's Hospital School, Manchester. Mr. J. U. Jacobs is visiting us for a year from South Africa. He was a member of Africaanse Hofir Seunskool, Pretoria, and graduated at the University of Pretoria in English and Latin. He has taught at the Roosevelt High School, Johannesburg, and will probably return there next year. Mr. C. H. Johnson is the new form master of Junior A. He specialises in Mathematics, which he also teaches in the Senior School, and he is responsible for the Under 13s Rugby. He was at Silcoates School, Wakefield, and was trained at St. Luke's College, Exeter. Mr. S. M. McDouall, of Wandsworth College, was a contemporary of Mr. Johnson at St. Luke's College, Exeter. He is in charge of Physical Educa- tion and under his eye there appears to be unceasing activity in the gymnasium. He also teaches English. Mr. M. S. Whalley is now our senior Biologist. He comes to us from the staff of Moseley Hall Grammar School, Cheadle, where he was also a boy. He is a graduate of the University College of North Wales and has also taught at Queen's College, Barbados. Two mistresses are teaching part-time in the Senior School this year. Mrs. B. M. Clarke, M.A. of Bristol University, is a Classicist and formerly taught at Southampton Girls Grammar School. Mrs. J. Entwistle, B.Sc. of Manchester University, formerly Senior Science Mistress at Fylde Lodge High School for Girls, is a Biologist.

BUILDINGS The new gymnasium has been much appreciated this term. In addition to its normal use for P.E. periods, it is regularly occupied out of school hours by the newly formed gym. and basket ball clubs. Even if you come in the dead of night you are likely to find lively masters playing with a shuttlecock. The dining hall was extended during the summer holiday and new furniture has been generously provided by the Sir Alan Sykes Trust. Now two hundred and forty boys can be seated at the same time and in greater comfort than before. There are plans to extend the kitchens also, probably in 1967. The old gymnasium has been in regular use as well as the new. Its most recent inmates have been the gentlemen of the stage staff, who have been able to spread themselves over Richard III as never before. It is hoped that in 1967 it will be possible temporarily to move the library into the old Gymnasium and to install purpose-built furniture that will eventually be placed in the Hallam Hall.

EVENTS Sir Owen Wansbrough-Jones, K.B.E., C.B., Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company presented the Prizes on 14th July. The Prime Warden and Wardens of the Company invited the Headmaster as their guest to the Livery Dinner on November 2nd. In the summer holiday Mr. Stanley conducted a party to Greece and Crete and Mr. Herman and Mr. A. P. Smith led a party to Germany. On September 18th the first service of the year was conducted by the Vicar of St. Mary's Parish Church, Canon R. Simpson, one of our governors. At half-term Mr. Whalley took a party of biologists to Trearddur Bay. Page Three Between November 7th and 12th the Dramatic Society performed Richard III. On November 13th the Remembrance Day Service was conducted by Rev. J. F. Ellis, who was then curate of St. George's Church. On November 19th a Christmas Fair was held in support of the Building Fund. This was organised by the Ladies Committee and Mr. Reeman and was ooened by Mrs. C. Rakestraw. A large number attended and over £425 was raised. On December 19th the Christmas Dance will take place. On December 20th the Carol Service will be held in St. George's Church. On March 16th the Founder's Day Service will be held in St. Mary's Church. The preacher will be the Bishop of Stockport.

«THE SCHOOL IN THE SIXTIES' The second edition of the School History by Mr. Benjamin Varley was printed in 1957. Mr. Theodore Horn, who was senior Classics master until his retirement in 1959, has kindly written a pamphlet, 'The School in the Sixties', to bring the story up-to-date. With characteristic lucidity and terse- ness Mr. Horn has described the changes of the last few years and given us a picture of the School of today. We are grateful to him for this careful and interesting chapter hi the history which will be distributed early next term. POSTCRIPT The editor had no hand in the choice of the play photographs. In fact he objected to the choice. D.J.R.

G.C.E. RESULTS—ORDINARY LEVEL The following boys have passed in three or more subjects : Lower V.: S. Barlow S. W. McCracken. R. C. Dukoff-Gordon. D. P. J. Oswald. A. F. Gee. J. Parkinson. C. H. Gribble. J. Shufflebottom. M. P. Hadfield. J. S. Woollven. D. T. Jerdin. P. M. Freeman.

V. Science H. A. Appleby. C. B. Harrison. W. Ardern. J. I. Hayes. N. J. Boyle. J. Hingorani. M. J. Brereton. L. C. James. W. K. Burgess. G. H. Kime. R. T. Carver. D. W. Lord. N. Chadwick. P. M. Maher. B. D. Cliff, A. R. Murphy M. I. Cousen. N. B. Russell. T. M. Dinsdale. D. L. Thorpe. R. W. G. Gamble. R. N. Trim. D. Gracey. M. A. Vickery. C. J. Grimths. D. M. Wilson. Page Four V. Literary : M. G. Ankers. A. P. Kirton. G. O. Ashmore. R. E. Martin. W. B. Ball. C. Perrin. M. J. Camm. P. Plumpton. R. L. Clare. A. P. Rainford. B. J. Daines. J. N. Richards. P. M. Dodd. D. P. Thomson. M. H. Fink. D. J. Walsh. R. H. Grimshaw.

UNIVERSITIES—1966 Bangor F. R. Heath Electrical Engineering Bath L. C. Coulthard Architecture Birmingham P. H. Davies Law Bristol H. Davies Biochemistry P. K. Eyres Mechanical Engineering A. W. Garroch Aeronautical Engineering Cambridge: J. P. Calvert (Gonville and Caius College) Medicine E. J. Lomas (Emmanuel College) Exhibition in Mathematics J. W. Maher (Pembroke College) Scholarship in English A. F. Scholfield (Clare College) Engineering M. D. Winton (Christ's College) Mathematics Durham: P. W. Taylor (St. Cuthbert's College) Modern Languages R. G. Townsend (University College) Mathematics East Anglia: A. N. Heslop Biochemistry Hull: D. W. Cairns History A. J. Shipsides Modern Languages Leeds: R. J. Humphries Mechanical Engineering A. A. Mayne English M. T. Rogers Law Leicester: W. B. Whalley Geography Liverpool: F. J. Ardern Civil Engineering J. L. Battersby Mechanical Engineering H. Bolland Architecture D. A. Clare Veterinary Science B. P. Garner Veterinary Science D. Higginbotham Civil Engineering S. H. Lowe Medicine S. H. Mattinson Dentistry B. L. Pidgeon Music J. D. Searson Medicine Page Five London: M. Bourke (University College) History R. Fox (University College) Mechanical Engineering G. M. Gow (Queen Mary's College) Chemistry Loughborough: G. E. Shaw Mathematics Manchester: M. E. Brigham Electrical Engineering M. K. Gandy Geology Newcastle: M. A. Clarke Metallurgy Oxford: J. Charlton (Keble College) P.P.E. P. A. Ross (Lincoln College) Scholarship in History Sheffield: D. J. Edge Civil Engineering A. Hartland Biochemistry A. J. Hartley Metallurgy N. J. Wayne Law

Southampton: T. C. lies Mathematics Swansea: R. J. Heery Geography

COLLEGES—1966 S. J. Booth (Borough Rd. London) A. Jones (Westminster, Oxford) D.R. Buckley (C. F. Mott College^ Liverpool) G. S. Kelsey (Brighton—Art) G. S. Fenton (Sandhurst) D. V. Oldham (Cranwell) R. Holt (West Ham Technical College)

Other Sixth Form Leavers G. P. Andrew (Librarian) C. D. Openshaw (Banking) S. S. Heywood (Engineering) N. E. Stansfield (Engineering) W. C. E. Howe (Accountancy) J. Schofield (Banking) P. McLellan (Stockbroking) M. A. Wilson (Accountancy)

Awards and Prizes 1966 Stockport Major Scholar: Stockport Exhibitioner: Alexander W. Garroch Robin M. Taylor Derbyshire County Awards: (with Distinction): D. S. Edge J. D. Searson. C. J. Holland : Ogden Prize of the Geographical Association (Manchester) Page Six RICHARD III When the curtain rose on Richard III it was impossible to repress the wish that some of our larger and financially better-endowed playhouses would more often delight our eyes with scenery as delicately executed as Mr. Stanley's "A London Street", which fully deserved the applause its elegance won for it. How- ever tricky first impressions may be in personal relationships, there is much to be said for them in the theatre. In the view of the present Laureate, this is a fine play, the verse having "often a fiery sweep and splendour" and the remorseless avalanche of Richard's progress to the height of power and from thence to a tyrant's death, was put be- fore our eyes with competent and relentless speed. How far Richard was as bad as Shakespeare paints him is matter for historians; our concern is with Shakes- peare's creature alone. Taylor seems to have encompassed a lifetime at Stockport; from Lydia Languish, through the regeneration of Prince Hal, to the very pit of corruption in Richard of Gloucester. It would be interesting to know the pro- fessional actor's view of Richard as a demanding part. To the layman it seems to stand high in Shakespeare's roles for the unremitting efforts it requires both in sheer length and in variety of mood and temper. Taylor met these demands with great courage and success and a convincing assumption of royal authority. His performance was always interesting, often subtle, and achieved an outstanding success where it is most demanded (and that very late in the play's course) namely, in the tent at Bosworth. Whitehead, as his willing dupe, Buckingham, was a worthy partner, both in the eager fertility of his invention and the un- willing dismay with which he made his submission when Richard was chosen to wear the crown. The ladies in this play have a poor time of it and Mr. Masefield asks, who were the boys in Shakespeare's day who played the two Queens and the Duchess? We can only answer that since they can be found today, it was no doubt possible to find them then. Warren's Queen Elizabeth was a convincing portrayal of a noble woman tried beyond any honest person's just deserts. White, broken arm notwithstanding, invested Margaret of Anjou with the purgative fire of a Greek Fury and Gribble gave us a dignified picture of grief-stricken age. Lady Anne is not given opportunity to make much more of herself than Griffith made of her. In passing, it may be noted as curious that while the women are much more alive to Richard's evil propensities than are the men, they seem no less willing to do as he wishes. Hastings, a faithful adherent to the memory of Edward (Boardman), was played by Tuthill, who showed us how dangerous a quality was honesty even in days when religious faith was more deeply and truly held than it is today. Materially speaking, not being "with it" was as much a crime then as it is now. Holland, on the other hand, as First Murderer and Tyrrel, showed us the other side of the coin: the men ready expediently to serve whoever held power—true mercenaries if ever there were such beings. The Church is not very effectively represented in this play by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely, played respectively by Ellis and Mattinson, who both brought convincingly ecclesiastical dignity to their parts, a task not made any easier by the hazards of moving in voluminous, albeit gorgeous robes in a very restricted space Wood and Downes as those two sad historical children "the Princes in the Tower", played the scene with their wicked uncle with a proper royal pride and courage making it a new matter of wonder what disproportionate effects Shakes- peare could achieve with the utmost economy of means. I recently came across the comment that the brief scene in Macbeth between Lady MacDuff and her son has a very modern flavour and believe that its modernity is matched in the scene under discussion. One of the admirable traits of this play, as a play, its singlemindedness, makes it a difficult play to review. There is no secondary plot, there are no real diversions. Richard goes his evil way, toppling his victims and making the enemies who ultimately topple him. The nearest thing to a side issue is Clarence's dream. This is an unrivalled piece of verbal music and sus- tained imagination. Blackburn's complete submersion of himself in the laby- Page Seven I

SIR EDMUND'S DREAM (H. Bolland)

Page Eight rinthine horrors of that famous nightmare produced a performance that was intensely gripping and tragic and must have won the sympathy of every audience who saw it. Bradley, who played Richmond, the avenger, who brings these long years of trouble to an end, has a fine resonant voice that reminded me of Mr. John Clements in his younger days, admirably suited to the bringer of defeat to des- pots. His fight with Richard on Bosworth Field was so realistic as to awaken some apprehension for the real-life safety of both contestants if not at the actual moment then at some future performance. The lighting staff again performed prodigies and I think excelled themselves in the darkness before, and the dawning of, the day of battle. The sound engi- neers provided us with fitting tuckets and what is today called "mood music" and once again the guiding hands of Mr. and Mrs Johnston conducted their young players safely over the shoals and past the reefs that beset the way of all those who would navigate the perilous but treasure-laden waters of Shakes- pearean tragedy. STEPHEN BAGNALL GREECE 1966 At five minutes past midnight on Friday 15th of July, the party of 33 set off from the hallowed precincts by North Western coach to arrive at Victoria Station, London, at 7 a.m. The Channel having been crossed, the happy band boarded the train for Milan, where, to their chagrin, members discovered that there were no couchettes, but protest was in vain and an uncomfortable night was had by all. From Milan a train conveyed us to Ancona on the coast where the good ship M. V. Miaoulis lay at anchor, blissfully unaware of the impending doom. Three glorious days were passed on the voyage, which included a short stop at Corfu. The Piraeus was reached on the 19th, and a party was commissioned to carry excess kit to the house of Mr. Stanley's friend, Mr. Saliveros. This ac- complished, the party boarded the ship Heraklion for Crete. A coach took us some way along the North coast of Crete and then inland, depositing us at Lakkoi, a small village in the White Mountains. The first day's hiking took us up a long mountain road to the plain of Omalos where we camped that night. The next day saw us descending the spectacular Samaria Gorge which des- cends some ten miles down to the South coast. About a quarter of the way down, we stopped to take advantage of the rock pools to remove the dust from clothes and bodies. Most of us camped near the bottom of the gorge, but Mr. Stanley and a few others stopped at the "farmhouse" at Samaria (about halfway down). It was here that Mr. Stanley, waking in the middle of the night to see a mouse an inch from his nose, naturally mistook the creature for an elephant and uttered an appropriate ejaculation. There were also tales of burning bushes and peasants, but their validity is suspect. Progress was made along the coast in an Easterly direction until we stopped at the haven of Plakias, lingering there for two days. Here, some of us partook of a meal which was served by a drunken proprietor who insisted on handing out free bottles of wine and overcharging the bill. From here the nomads journeyed by land and sea, finally visiting the two historical sites of Phaestos and Knossos. These are the two important remains of ancient Cretan civilisation; the former overlooking a wide plain, and the latter set among green pine trees. On the 3rd of August we left the Cretan capital of Heraklion and sailed for Athens. Once in the Piraeus, we collected the equipment left at Mr. Saliveros's and boarded the coach that was to convey us around the mainland. We also collected Messrs. Dean and Bullimore who had supposedly been on some island while we were tramping round Crete. We reached Mycenae at about lunch-time where we slept the night upon a cafe roof. In the afternoon we visited the ruins of ancient Mycenae and sang a certain song deep down in the depths of the secret well. The next day we set off for Pylos, on the South West coast of the Pelo- ponnese, stopping to see the ancient theatre at Epidayros where we were treated to Bullimore's oration of the philosophy of Euripidean. Late that afternoon Paxe Nine im High By joining District Bank yon will be doing just that—aiming high—for the young men who join us are regarded as potential candidates for Managerships and other senior posts. Training takes place at work and at the Bank's own Staff Training Centres, including the District Bank Staff College, Bonis Hall. School-leavers in their first year of service at the bank are allowed daytime release to assist them with their studies for the examinations of the Institute of Bankers.

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Page Ten the coach rolled into "sandy Pylos" and left us in the square. Some of the more energetic members set put for Methone farther along the coast, but the majority stayed on to see "El Cid" at the local cinema. The next few days were spent walking along that part of the coast where Mr. Stanley found the place of his dreams, an untouched coastal village which boasted an excellent beach and an endless supply of free grapes. The pressure of our time-table, however, called us on and so we left the delights of Pylos for those of Olympia. Olympia is a paradox, consisting of the charm of the un- spoiled site of the ancient games and the commercialism of the tourist-stricken village. Nevertheless it is an extremely interesting place and had an official camp-site of which we took full advantage. Leaving Olympia, we headed North towards the Gulf of Corinth and Delphi, arriving at the Gulf a few minutes before the boat was due to leave. The crossing was uneventful and we reached Delphi, "the navel of the world", late in the afternoon. Delphi is set above the Pleistos Gorge in the foothills of Parnassus, and affords spectacular views on all sides. Unfortunately the first rain of our journey fell here but it provided an excuse for a fire and a sing-song, so all ended well and we set out for Athens on August 15th. There is little one can say about Athens; so much has already been said. So suffice it to say that it fully lives up to its reputation as one of the world's loveliest cities. We stayed at the Athens Y.M.C. A. hostel which was conveniently situated in the centre of Athens, and three enjoyable days were spent visiting the museums, the rums, and the bars. Messrs. Dean and Bullimore displayed an expansive wardrobe to the envy of all the other gentlemen in search of respectability. Thereturn journey was without incident and, to alast chorus of "Pasadena", the bus turned into the school drive at 1-45 a.m. on August 22nd. Thanks must go to Mr. Stanley for an excellent and most enjoyable holiday, to Haworth for his able assistance, and I suppose to Dean and Bullimore for keeping party spirits high at all times. ODYSSEUS. WALKING TOUR IN GERMANY 1966 Our party—thirty-one in all—left school by coach for London in the early morning of Friday, July 22nd. From London we took the Dover train and ar- rived at Stuttgart via the Dover-Ostend ferry at 7 a.m. on Saturday. There we ate a very good breakfast of crescent rolls and coffee which gave us high hopes for the standard of food to be served during our holiday. After a stay of about six hours in Stuttgart we took a local train for Kirch- heim, and arrived at the youth hostel there in time to be shown to our dormi- ories and prepare for the evening meal. Next morning we set out on foot for the first time. The sun beat down mercilessly out of a cloudless blue sky, and after little more than three miles walking we were glad to lie down in the shade of a small apple orchard. How- ever, we soon set off again and made good progress towards our goal, Teck Castle, for the path, though steep, soon entered a dense, cool pine forest. The Teck is built on the top of an unbelievably steep hill, and when we eventually reached the castle we were sweating profusely and thankfully laid down our rucksacks to eat our packed lunches in the shade of some trees and enjoy the view. Ranges of pine-covered hills, which we were shortly to climb, stretched out before us into the distance. We spent an hour at the castle, then set out in the fierce noonday heat to cover the remaining ten miles to the next hostel. The route was mainly over hard roads, and we arrived at the Wiesensteig hostel with mixed feelings about walking tours. Monday, our free day at Wiesensteig, was soon over, and we left on Tuesday bound for the town of Urach. After a five mile walk along forest tracks through indescribably beautiful wooded valleys and past the Filsursprung, a cold, clear spring, we arrived for a cooked sausage lunch at Donnstetten. Here the masters and sixth-formers succumbed to temptation by boarding a shiny yellow postbus —destination Urach—that had halted right outside the inn. Page Eleven Urach, with its half-timbered houses and fountain, is a very picturesque town, and when the bus arrived we strolled through its narrow streets or ate ice- cream until the rest of the party arrived in small tired groups. We found the youth hostel and settled in for the night. On the following day we made a coach excursion to two magnificent castles —Burg Hohenzollern and Schloss Lichtenstein, with a halt on the way to take in the old university town of Tubingen. On Thursday, we walked, hitch-hiked, or rode by bus to Miinsingen, and on the following day went on to Blaubeuren where we visited the monastery and the Blautopf, a charming pool of remarkably clear blue water. Travelling by train, the party reached Ulm on Saturday morning. After shopping for souvenirs we watched the football final, England v. Germany, on the local TV screens. Next day we looked at Ulm Minster—a magnificent build- ing which possesses the highest church spire in the world. The old part of the town, the fishing quarter, lies between the minster and the river Danube. It still retains its mediaeval character and charm. Tall gabled houses overhang the narrow streets and streams which flow into the Danube through holes in the perfectly preserved town walls. The train from Ulm to Cologne, where we spent the last night, runs through the most beautiful part of the Rhine valley, past the famous Lorelei rock, immortalised in song. The river flows between tiers of steeply sloping vineyards, which are dominated by small romantic castles on almost every hill- top. From Cologne we took the train to Ostend and arrived after a calm crossing for an evening meal in Leicester Square. The coach journey home was lightened by what can only be described as an Eisteddfod of traditional school ballads from the back seats of the coach. At about half past three in the morning we reached school. Youth hostel coffee in Germany is very bad, but the food is wholesome, if monotonous, and the sleeping accommodation is clean and comfortable. It is surprising that this beautiful part of Germany, the Swabian Alb, attracts so few tourists, as it is an ideal place for a holiday. In conclusion, I would like to offer the thanks of the whole party to Mr. Herman and Mr. A. P. Smith for giving us such a memorable holiday. A. HOLDER.

MARINE BIOLOGY AT TREARDDUR BAY Mr. Whalley took a last, longing gaze around the school he had come to love so much, and then, with a sigh of anguish, clambered into a mini-bus, crammed with the elite of the Biologists, armed to the teeth with copies of Collin's "Guide to the Sea Shore", polythene bags, and specimen bottles. Four hours later, they trundled out into the peaceful solitude of the Anglesey wilder- ness, and without pause for refreshment, they hastened to the deserted shore. For the rest of the afternoon they scoured the seashore with painstaking de- liberation. No rock was left unturned by the probings of numbed fingers. But, on the return, alas, the first misfortune had befallen Bradley. His beloved tin of Cossack Hair Lacquer had been removed from his belongings as a spiteful prank by someone jealous of his long flowing locks. Saturday morning, though bleak and cold, found the members of the party either making sand pies or swimming in the sea. The latter group was easily recognisable for the rest of their stay by their rich blue colouration. In the afternoon, they toiled again, plunging their hands deep into ice-cold rock pools for hidden specimens which lurked in the murky deeps, only to find their fingers providing refreshment for hungry crabs and sea-anemones. Page Twelve They left the shore, laden with the rich fruits of their toils, bearing rare specimens of seaweeds, worms, and starfish—all of no apparent worth to the layman—but of priceless significance to the chosen few of this world. The journey home proved (uneventful — ?) and so ends the saga of the biological expedition, the results of which now lie pickled in the sacred precincts of the Biology laboratory. N.F. J. N.A.B. IN THE SUMMERTIME . . . 'Why, oh why, have they left us ?' The cloisters said to the quad. The stone flags breathe a sigh of dust, And weeds begin to grow. Silence stalks the corridors bare, The organ is whispering a note. The great doors close their varnished weight, A sparrow flies trapped in the Hall. The same taps drip as ever did, The stools stand quietly at ease; The polish shines unscuffled by feet, No milk, no bells, no cars. Dogs now race across the school field, Desolation is seen from the train. But still the Head can be reached, At Plymouth. JHON. DEATH OF A GROUSE The pointer suddenly stiffened and slowly and mechanically leant forwards, raising its head and straightening its tail, pointing unerringly to an invisible covey of grouse. I gently stroked the falcon's breast so as not to alarm her when I unhooded her. As soon as the hood was off she darted a glance at the pointer and then, like a general surveying a battle ground, she sized up the surrounding moorland. She was an old hand at this game and noted every gully and hum- mock, the direction of the wind and position of the sun, calculating the direction, the speed, and the height at which the grouse would fly. With an under-arm bowling action I threw her into the air. The long, slim wings flickered and she rose higher and higher, towering above me in tight circles until she seemed no bigger than a sparrowJ and wisps of moorland mist and cloud came between us. The reason for this was that a falcon kills its prey by hurtling down from a great height and striking the quarry with its foot, so that the higher she went, the greater the speed and force she could put behind her blow to the fleeing bird. I looked at her through the binoculars for a few seconds. Yes, she was watching the dog intently and poised like an athlete at the start of a sprint. A quick word sent the eager dog bounding towards the grouse, and a party of three whirred away, keeping as low as possible to present a more difficult target to the peregrine. This they did by instinct, probably having never seen a peregrine before in their lives; peregrines are now almost extinct in Britain, except in some remote coastal areas and the highlands of Scotland. The chase was on ! The falcon sped after the grouse but never went any lower, her object being to get just in front of them and several hundred feet above them. At this point the falconer has to run as hard as he can to keep up with the flight, a difficult procedure as he has to watch the falcon and grouse, and avoid twisting his ankle on an outcrop of rock or heather or falling headlong into a peat bog. The falcon decided the moment had come for her stoop, her dive on the quarry; the powerful wings drove her even faster and then she suddenly Page Thirteen flicked her body so that she was hurtling down like a divebomber, her body almost vertical, towards the ground. Her wings still beat the air, striving for more and more speed, and then she drew them in until their leading edges were parallel with, and about two inches away from, her sides, rather like rocket fins. Indeed she was in all respects like a guided missile, her brain her homing device, her feet her warhead, and her wings and gravity her power. Faster and faster she came and attained the full power of her stoop. My eyes could hardly focus on her before she was a score of yards farther down, so fast was she dropping. The bells on her legs do not ring, the peas in them being forced against one side by the pressure of the wind coming through the slit in the bell, but they make a fantastic roaring noise, due to the wind in the slits. Her jesses (straps of leather attached to each leg for the purpose of holding her when she is sitting on the fist) and tail feathers rattle together and sound like far-off machine gun fire; her whole effect must be very demoralising to the poor grouse.

The falcon is nearing the grouse at a lightning speed, and you suddenly realise that she is about to deliver her "payload" with her extended foot. You clench your fist and urge her on. Surely she must hit it, it's too late for it to escape now. No, there's a flurry of feathers but the grouse seemingly miracu- lously side-slips to escape for a while. The falcon zooms on for perhaps ten feet and then suddenly bounces upward like a rubber ball hundreds of feet above the grouse, a process known as "throwing up". She'll have to look sharp now before the grouse reaches cover or manages to get out of sight using his wonderful camouflage. However the falcon does not go as high as she did for her first stoop, and is soon thundering down again. The other two grouse have by this time flown out of sight, and the single bird presents a less confusing target, one that the falcon can aim at with more precision. But again she misses.

A third stoop fails, the falcon throws up just as before, but hangs back, strangely letting him get ahead of her. The old girl's got her favourite trick up her sleeve ! Like all falcons that have had a good many flights at quarry she has her own particular method of dealing with a difficult customer. When the grouse is about fifty yards ahead of her and she is at a good height she puts in a slanting stoop at an imaginary target about ten yards behind and twenty yards below the grouse. This stoop is her fastest yet and she puts all her effort behind it; she knows it will probably be the last chance she gets. The wind screams against her feathers and she would have looked a terrifying spectacle to a grouse directly in line with her stoop; but the one she is after thinks she is going to miss by miles, and at the same time notices an inviting haven, a narrow gully hewn out by crofters digging for peat for their fires. Ah, safety !

But in the twinkling of an eye the falcon throws up from beneath her imaginary target and thunders into the grouse from below with all the force given by the impetus from her stoop. The bang as she hits him can be heard for miles and feathers flutter all around. She hit just when he was least expecting it; he might have avoided such a move on the first or even the second stoop, but he'd got used to avoiding one particular thing; he had no reason to expect a change in tactics.

She throws up once again in case he is only injured but, as usually happens, he was killed instantly and dropped like a stone onto the heather. She lands a few feet from the body and waddles awkwardly and clumsily towards it, and then bounds onto it and begins to "break into" it (pluck and tear the skin to get at the flesh). I dash up breathlessly and take her up. A sharp knife is produced and I split the skull of the grouse to let Her Royal Highness delicately pick out the brains as a reward. The brains are as far as the falcon is concerned the most delicious part of the body. The rest of the corpse is then put in the hawking bag to be used as her main daily meal in the evening. She is then hooded and pre- pared for the next flight, or taken home. P.R.H. 4B.

Page Fourteen FORM 371/Q/S4. VENDOR TYPE 47BA Procedure for recovery of excess fare, said excess fare having been inserted, by accident, correctly, in an automatic, Northe Westerne, type 47BA, omnibus Ticket Vendor, and being more in value than 3/6 (three shillings and sixpence). 1. On discovering that you have inserted excess fare, note the type number of the Ticket Vendor. 2. Apply in duplicate to Northe Westerne House for Form 371/Q/S4 for correct type number. 3. Fill in the questionnaire to be found on Form 371/Q/S4 in triplicate. 4. Send Form 371/Q/S4 to Northe Westerne House observing : a. Form 371/Q/S4 is for correct type number. b. No claims for amounts less than 3/6 (three shillings and sixpence) can be considered. Questionnaire. 1. Age.? 2. Name ? 3. Address ? 4. Occupation ? 5. Are you an owner-occupier ? 6. What was the date upon which excess fare (see notes above) was tendered ? 7. Give town, route, and number of omnibus upon which you were travel- ling at the time. 8. Was this said omnibus constructed prior to 1929 ? 9. Are you married ? If not, state reason why. 10. If the answers to questions 1, 5, 7 and 9 are positive give the serial number of the automatic Ticket Vendor in question. 11. If, on the other hand, the answers to questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are negative, do not give serial number of Ticket Vendor. Answer all 12 questions. Answer all 12 questions in block capitals, using Indian ink. If, within three months, you have not received Form number 936/431/37/1 Q/S4 requesting further details of quantity paid in excess (under the conditions stated in the notes above) send in Form 2/Q/S4, dealing with overdue refunds. To obtain Form 2/Q/S4, send in Form 1/Q/S4, dealing with Forms dealing with overdue refunds (in triplicate). A.C.C.W THE MANOR HOUSE The Manor House at Barracay, Was once so clean and strong, But now its walls are in decay, And will not stand for long. The owner now has gone away, Away to sunny Spain, Away, away from Barracay, And won't come back again. The grey tiled roofs are crumbling through, The panes are grimy grey, The chilling wind comes whistling through The House at Barracay. N. C. HIGSON, 2A. Page Fifteen SNOW It came in the night, Silently, like an unseen foe. Filling every crevice, and blotting out the land. We woke—to find the snow. The wilderness of white Now met our happy gaze, We looked in wonder at the mass, And found not words for praise. We played in happiness for days, And built snowmen on the lawn, But eventually the thaw did come, And the green-sun spring was born. R. HIGSON, 2A. SUNSET The lake shines in the sun's last rays. It shimmers in the breeze. And all around its outer shore, Stand ever-darkening trees. The birds are silent in their nests, Save for the hooting owl, Who watches from his lofty perch, As beasts go on the prowl. The sun sinks slowly in the west. The sky around is red. The blazing sphere dips out of sight, And all the Earth is dead. M. A. WOOD, 3A. AFTERTHOUGHT The day terminated in milky-grey darkness. I climbed up half-an-hour after dark To the little wood, To the churchyard above the village. I walked silently among cracked abodes, The last resting-pkce of Mrs. Jones the witch, And fancied that I heard bones cracking, Six feet under the soft brown earth. My nerve broke suddenly, I began to run, Blundering, crashing through the wood, Until I emerged hot and sticky on soft earth. And now the afterthought is burning in my mind. Why did I run from shapeless shapes without a form? Why was the graveyard dark, forbidding ? Why was my conscience troubled so ? If I climb up to the churchyard, Again at break of afternoon, The shapeless forms are leafy branches, Sombre graves of sexton's stone. REES4B THROUGH THE HARECASTLE

It looms up like an eyeball, A black pupil, grey iris— Slowly we enter. Engine chugs louder—louder. The towpath's dull and dirty. Forward. The roof encrusted, with black and brown. And damp. The towpath's gone! Nothing left but the walls, The meaningless walls. Whooo ! Whoooo ! Harecastle Ghost ? Train in next-door tunnel. Roof's dropped down, Only six ins. clearance ! Numbers appear, 26 .... 27 .... 28 hundred yards. From the roof drips drop, What's that? A long downward streak of light, Thicker, It's doors opening. We're out. TOBIN 3A.

THE VALUE OF COUNTRY LIFE

A hiss, a snort, a rattle, a jerk, The crowded train pulls out of the city station— The carriages almost splitting at the seams, The train picks up speed On its journey to the country. The city scene—roofs, chimneys, a low mist, Hanging lazily over the buildings. A station passes, Then another, And the train slowly empties, Until I am alone in the dingy compartment. Now we pass the last few houses Of the suburbs, and reach Slowly into the clean country air. The country scene—wide open fields, With statue-like cows, And chequer-board patterns of bordering hedges, Looking, for all the world. Like a large still painting. Of country Life. CAPP 4B. Page Seventeen ODE TO A STEAM TRAIN Thundering through the coal black night. Dazzling all watchers with its piercing headlight; The sleek express train charges along, Piston rods whining their staccato song; In the rocking carriages, passengers sleep, While the train speeds on faster, a schedule to keep. DINSDALE 3A. THE ROUGH BOYS 1966 They were rough boys, tough boys, always picking rights. Their clothes were far from clean, and the dirty looking sights Were always up at nights. They threw mud, drew blood, didn't care a hang. Shouting, swearing, the latest hits they sang, Only knowing slang. They smoked and they joked at the corner of the street, Long hair, tight jeans, cheap shoes upon their feet And not enough to eat. McNEILLIE 2A. MR. BECKWITH'S THOUGHTS OF 3A Whilst half awake at school, They often break the golden rule ; Their thoughts float off in little streams, They're in their world of sleepless dreams. They own a "Jag", they meet the "stars", They dance with girls, while loud guitars Twang in the romantic air; Farewell to sorrow and to care, As they feel at home with unreal friends, Until another lesson ends. JONES 3A. 'CROSS(E) TALK When it started it was called Baggataway, (We check people's 'crosses in the same old way.) It was played by Red Indians as a celebration. (We've scored 61 goals without invitation.) At first there were only eight men a side. (We shoot well, they don't usually go wide.) By 1899 there were twelve in a team. (We've won every game wherever we've been) It was 1905 when the ladies started. (We were checked on the head and Oh! it smarted). There's a magazine called "International Lacrosse". (We've played under Kitchen, he's our boss.) GUY, IIA. Page Eighteen THE TEACHER'S IMPRESSION "He was a bad boy, a drab boy, Always chewing gum, A lean boy, a mean boy, In lessons he would hum. He often fibbed, he often cribbed, He often snored in class. One day he brought a ball to school And broke three panes of glass. Although detained and often caned, It did not change his ways. At dinner-time he flicked his peas And rattled all the trays. He wriggled, giggled, moaned and groaned, Stared, glared and borrowed ink. He threw boys' caps in puddles, and With stones he made them sink. He never swotted, never blotted, Caused disturbances in prayers, Like stamping on his neighbour's feet And pulling out his hairs. But 'though he was so very bad, I can't deny, 'I liked the lad !' " McCAIRN 2A. THE PINK PIG Like a small parcel Of blubber, Bouncing up and down, Like an animated rubber. Snorting mournfully, Lying on the ground, Nobody loves her, No-one's around. A forlorn little pig Is a sorrowful sight, Miserable and sad, Sobbing heavily all night. HOLDEN 4B. THE KITE The kite was a beautiful thing, made up of brightly coloured paper; and was a joy to look at as well as to fly. As it flew through the air all the colours seemed to be mingling into one brilliant hue. It became a cherished belonging for the short time I had it. I took it to school one day to show to my friend John. He liked it very much and asked me if I would let him fly it after school. I said that I'd let him, providing he didn't tell the other boys. He heartily agreed and told me he would come after school as planned. During the morning the wind strengthened and blew through the trees. "The kite will fly well in this !" I said to myself, eagerly awaiting the end of school. Page Nineteen After what seemed like years, the bell rang. I took my kite and raced out of the school into the playground. John was waiting for me all right but behind him were a gang of boys, grinning and giggling with anticipation. They walked slowly towards me. "Let's have that kite !" said the foremost one. "Won't!" I shouted defiantly. "We'll get it anyway !" laughed another boy. Then they rushed in a wave towards me. They jumped on top of me and tore the kite from my hands. With two boys sitting on me I watched a boy dip the lovely kite in a muddy puddle. He brought it out again^ dripping mud and water. Then another giggling boy threw the kite into the air. I watched it spellbound, as it soared gracefully above our heads. Even in its mud coating it looked noble and free, like an un- conquerable bird. Then the boy let go of the string. "Oh, what a pity! Aren't I clumsy letting go of the string like that!" he screamed sarcastically. The other boys roared with laughter. The kite soared higher and higher and higher All the boys had gone. Only John remained. I stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry, really I am, I didn't really mean to tell them, I mean " He petered off and looked away from my searching eyes. "Oh, well/' I said. "It's nothing. Nothing really matters. Nothing, nothing." BARR 2A.

A DESERTED AERODROME I stood on the runway and gazed down its deserted length. It was laced with cracks from which weeds were sprouting. Tufts of coarse grass were over- growing the margins of the concrete from derelict fields alongside. To the right was a line of deserted huts, old and decaying from disuse. I wandered over to the nearest one, just a dirty shell now. It was windowless, rusting, its inside nothing more than a heap of mouldering earth. I saw the dark, looming shape of the flight-control tower silhouetted against the setting sun through a gap in the wall. I walked out and facing me was the hangar, roofless and empty. Alongside was a solitary pole, on which hung a tattered wind indicator. As I moved for- ward, I nearly stumbled into a dark pit, littered at the sides with bust-open sandbags and empty ammunition boxes. This must have been the machine-gun emplacement guarding the aerodrome. I shut my eyes and a different scene sprang into view. The tarmac now is crowded with gleaming Spitfires. Figures of blue and grey crowd over the wings and fuselage of each machine. The rattle of trolleys fills the air. Shouts of hurry ! hurry ! rise above the din. The mechanics work coolly and efficiently in the heat of the excitement, but the coolest of all are the pilots, reading and smoking. The hooter goes. Scramble ! There is more bustle and noise than ever. The engines burst into life, the mechanics add the finishing touches, the aircraft taxi round the runway in line astern and zoom off into the sky. The mechanics stand like statues gazing at the aircraft as they disappear into the blue. Their thoughts go with the pilots on their dangerous tasks, but they know in their hearts that, alas, some may not return. My eyes slowly opened to survey once again the scene around me. I wan- dered away across the tarmac but stopped as my foot trod on a small object. I bent down and picked it up. It was a battered R.A.F. cap badge and I slipped it in my pocket as a souvenir of a scene which left me with mixed feelings, for what had appeared in my mind's eye and filled me with a sense of pride, I hoped would never again be repeated. VITES 2A. Page Twenty WORDS School Boy Girl Anna Banner British Bulldog Mate Great SCOTT!! ! and so to school ? SHARP 3A.

THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE STOCKPORT GRAMMAR SCHOOL SCIENTIFIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY The Society has had a somewhat turbulent though very informative Term. Our first Meeting took place on the 20th September, when the Secretary and President (who prefers to remain anonymous) were elected. The second Meeting took place on the 27th September. We were very lucky to obtain as our Speaker Professor Donaldson from Camford University, who gave a very interesting talk on sampling procedures in Physics. He con- cluded with his proof of the famous unproved theorem "All odd numbers are prime". The bare bones of this were: "Consider the sample of natural numbers one to thirteen. Of these only one odd number is composite. Therefore six sevenths of the odd numbers are prime. This result is statistically significant. Therefore all odd numbers are prime". The Mathematicians amongst us then began to argue violently with the Physicists, pretending that this almost self evident prpof was invalid. Professor Donaldson was injured in the resultant furore though not before he enriched our Scientific vocabulary greatly. The third Meeting took place on the 4th October. The ghost of Doctor Rhine addressed us on the subject of E.S.P. We were not convinced one way or the other. Our fourth Meeting was on the llth October when Professor Daniel O'Shea addressed us. He took as his theme the Hypothesis "All dogs are black," showing that this was equivalent to the statement that all non-black objects were not dogs. Then, producing a bag containing 2,900,000,000 par- ticles of red powder he stated that the existence of each of these supported his hypothesis, and hence all dogs were black. The Secretary of the Society then pointed out that Professor O'Shea had taken as the basis of his magnificent piece of biological fieldwork half of a logical paradox which is now "going the rounds", and that his red particles also supported the hypothesis "all dogs are blue." The Meeting again dissolved into heated debate. Professor O'Shea eventually escaped though not before we had enriched his Scientific vocabulary greatly. Our fifth Meeting took place on the 18th October when Professor Llewellyn- Jones of Bognor Regis University addressed us on The New Mathematics. From his profusely illustrated lecture I draw examples. a. In dividing a2 — b2 by a — b one can say: "a into a2 is a minus into minus is plus, b into b is b. Therefore the answer is a + b." b. A new way of finding the area of a triangle ... just add the three sides together, e.g. right triangles with sides 12,5,13 and 6,8,10. Page Twenty-one Once again, fighting broke out in which Professor Llewellyn-Jones was killed by a blow from one of his profuse illustrations. We are sure he will enrich Doctor Rhine's vocabulary considerably. Date of next Meeting 29th October. A.C.C.W.

BENELUX ON A SHOE STRING It all began last January. Parry and I wanted an inexpensive summer holiday on the Continentj Mr. Norris suggested the Belgian Ardennes and Luxembourg. Here we would be able to combine our camping and walking, sightseeing and also use our French. We collected books, articles, tourist literature etc. and eventually mapped out an itinerary which would, in a month, take us from Ostend across Belgium to Namur, and the South Ardennes and into Luxembourg; thence to walk north to Liege. We would use sometimes the youth hostels, sometimes our own tent (depending on the weather!). Having bought tickets and maps, and altered the itinerary many times, we then had to sit back and wait impatiently for the pile of pennies to grow. Thus on Tuesday, 19th July—some 7,920 pennies later—we crossed the Channel to Ostend and experienced for the first time the Continental Youth Hostel. Here we met an English University student who intended to hitchhike into Italy across Southern France to Spain and on to Morocco—our holiday hereafter seemed somewhat insignificant! The hostel was in Mariakerke, some 2 miles along the coast from Ostend itself. Ostend we found quite attractive; although a modern holiday resort it is essentially a picturesque fishing harbour—overlooked by the twin steeples of the church of SS. Peter & Paul. We enjoyed our first night in a hostel and the follow- ing day proceeded by bus to the ancient town of Bruges, the capital of Flanders, and the centre of the lace-making industry. Here the cobbled streets and nar- row canals, over which brood the cathedral spire and the famous belfry, still retain their old world charm and are not yet spoiled by the tourist invasions. We camped here two nights and then pressed on to Brussels by train through pleasant Flanders landscape—an absolutely flat expanse of agricultural land, its greens and browns broken only by farmsteads, canals, dykes and rows of poplar trees bowed under the winds from the sea. We saw as much as we could of the capital—the Congress Column, with its undying flame, the Royal Palace with its poor imitation of the British Horse Guards changing guard, the famous statue of the "Manikinen-Pis," the Grand Placeythe central square flanked on one side by the Hotel de Ville, its spire towering 330 ft. above, and on the other 3 sides the mediaeval Guild Houses. The village of Waterloo lies some 20 miles due south of Brussels and here are museums, memorials and monuments. The field of battle is marked by "La Butte" a conical mound of earth surmounted by a huge stone lion—erected on the spot where the Prince of Orange was wounded. Of this field whereon 75,000 men lost their lives the poet wrote:— "Waterloo ce plateau funeste et solitaire, Ce champ sinistre ou Dieu mela tant de neants Tremble encor d'avoir vu la fuite des geants !" From Waterloo we hitch-hiked for the first time to Rochefort in the South Ardennes (about 100 kms.); a similar lift next day saw us hi St. Hubert. This village possesses a fine 15th century church of almost cathedral proportions with an 11th century crypt. Luxembourg was our destination on the following day Page Twenty-two and our journey through Neuf-Chateau, Temigny, and Arlon brought us to the City of Luxembourg where we stayed in the Youth Hostel for two nights. (We found this hostel, as all the others, exceedingly clean and comfortable.) The city is over 1,000 years old. As the "Gibraltar of the North" it was one of the strongest fortresses in the world, possessing 16 miles of underground defences built in the 16th and 17th centuries. Now the city perches harmlessly over the gorges, its church spires forming a jagged backcloth to the noble grandeur of the 5 massive viaducts and the single-span Pont Adolphe. In the Ville-Haute can be seen many ancient buildings, memories of the gallant past, in startling juxtaposition with the modern architecture, the Government build- ings and central offices of all the International Trade Councils. The Ville-Base is the poor quarter and here-^-as ever—the old folk contentedly lean over the wall watching the ragged urchins kicking an old football-bladder around a brick- strewn waste patch. The city of Trier lies only a few kilometres over the German border, and an American couple offered us a lift in their car through Grevenmacher—the centre of the Luxembourg wine industry (we didn't stop !)—and across the R. Moselle into Germany. The Latin inscription in the market place says that Trier stood 1,300 years before Rome, but its story really begins when it was refounded in 15 B.C. by Augustus. A strategic point in the Empire, it became the seat of Roman administration and, during the reign of Constantine, knew an age of un- paralleled splendour and prosperity. Its impressiveness can still be seen in its remains. The Porta Nigra, the last remaining of 4 great gates of great, roughly hewn, sandstone blocks, looms dark and foreboding over the bustle of city life below. Nearby are the Baths where the underground passages can still be seen and further on the amphitheatre, the fifth largest in the Roman Empire, built in A.D.100. We were very much impressed by all we saw, and blessed by a brilliant hot sun we were afforded plenty of scope for photography. Echternach—across the Moselle again, in Luxembourg—was an effective contrast; quiet, peaceful and small, surrounded by the wooded hills of the region known as "Petite Suisse". For the whole of the following week we walked from hostel to hostel through Beaufort, Bourglinster and Hollenfels (where the hostel was a converted chateau) thence to Ettlebruck, Vianden, Clervaux and Esch-sur-Sure, all pic- turesque villages lying snugly in valleys with rivers flowing swiftly by. At Esch-sur-Sure we camped for three nights. Here we made the acquaint- ance of several boys and girls who came from various parts of Holland. They persuaded us to change our plans and thus we set off for the North bound for Amsterdam. We were fortunate in being given a lift in a farm waggon all the way to Liege—it was a bumpy ride and 3 hours and several bruises later we were set down on the outskirts of Liege. Following a night's camping we travelled across the Dutch border through Maestricht and Venlo to Nijmegen (where we stayed the night at the Youth Hostel), then on to Arnhem across the famous bridge spanning the Waal. From Arnhem—a very pleasant clean city with no visible traces of the epic battle of the Second World War—we proceeded West to Amersfoort, Utrecht and The Hague. Here we stayed almost a week with Dutch friends (Indonesians) with whom we explored the city—again clean, modern, and well-planned—the administrative centre of the country. In Amsterdam, the old lives side by side with the new; the city still retains its character and atmosphere, yet keeps pace with the modern world. Within the network of picturesque canals, on which the city stands, can be found a refuge from the fervent bustle of city life. This then was Benelux. We travelled back from The Hague via Rotterdam and Ostend exactly one month after setting out. In that month we had seen a variety of places, eaten a variety of meals, and mixed with many people of different race, colour, and creed. It was a very happy and successful experience—a holiday to remember, but most of all we shall never forget the warmth and hospitality freely given to us by everyone we met, wherever we travelled. S.G.W. VI Lit. (ii). Page Twenty-three ! - JP«!»T5«|

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Page Twenty-four THE SOCIAL SIDE THE LIBRARY Librarian: J. C. G. Pickering. Assistant Librarians: W. B. Ball. M. H. Fink. G. H. George. P. A. Longson. A. R. Murphy. I. Parry. S. G. Whitehead. The making of books is, proverbially, an endless task. Endless, too, is the work of the Library staff. Receiving, lending, and recovering are tasks which know no finality. New books, arriving regularly from the Booksellers, must be catalogued, impressed with a variety of rubber stamps, and covered with plastic film as a protection against unwashed hands and rough treatment. How bright and attractive are the latest books to arrive: expensive text- books, translations of the classics, Maigret books (en francais, bien sur), and works of fiction. If Librarians borrow a popular book before it reaches the shelves, I am sure they are only satisfying themselves that it is suitable for general release ! Who would have thought that the re-planning of the library to enable the larger volumes to be housed in the deeper shelves would have caused such an upheaval? Something approaching chaos prevailed for a few days, but our patrons have now discovered their way around the re-arranged lay-out which leaves more room for the latest additions. This year a fines list has been published weekly: much time and expense would indeed be saved if books were returned within the stipulated period. The conscience-probing appeal of my predecessor produced the return of not a few books 'overdue' from Old Stopfordians. The prompt return of any other out- standing books which may have been borrowed within the last nineteen years will be appreciated. To Messrs. Ball and Fink, who have worked so willingly and hard, and to all the other Assistant Librarians of the first and second year Sixth, who have adopted so readily my suggestions for increasing the efficiency of the Library, I tender my sincere thanks. I am especially grateful to Mr. A. P. Smith, the Library's business mana- ger, who has been so understanding and tolerant of my ideas and methods: his interest and support have been a great incentive and encouragement. J.C.G.P. Page Twenty-five THE DEBATING AND LITERARY SOCIETY Vice-President: J. N. Boardman. Assistant Secretary : J. N. Cannon. Secretary ; S. G. Whitehead. Treasurer : J. C. G. Pickering. They have all gone away and only the dead dull ashes remain. Their fires burn in far other towns, but their memory lives; we few remember the great days when the Deblit reigned supreme and all bowed at the mention of its dread name. These days will return; the ashes are still smouldering, and as hoary winter advances, freezing the morning milk, the patriots will come once more, seeking the warmth and jollity of the Great Society. We shall meet again. Jhon. DRAMATIC SOCIETY It is difficult to give sufficient emphasis to the fact that the Dramatic Society is a transient being. The odd crit, the old tag from a costume or some other momentp, and a few old photos are all that remain to the schoolboy who drowns himself in the play, not merely for a week of terrific strain and satisfaction, but for months before, and who has been at one with something he will never be able to re-live hi full, however hard he try. Since every play seems to the outsider to be managed by about half a dozen elder boys, people fondly imagine that when these few boys leave the school, the society will collapse; and yet, like some for- gotten girl, it always reappears in the garish glory of lights and Leichner. Next year's play will always be better than this year's, despite pessimistic groans to the contrary, because it will be filled with the now, and not be just a memory. I must again thank all who shared in that week of sublime pandemonium, a week of memories unforgettable, unforgotten. To those of us who will move on, memory is all, but the/ons et origo, the Johnstons, will remain to entertain years to come. They are the heart, they pump the life blood: may that heart continue to thrive. R.M.T. CHOIR The summer term ended with the usual concert in which a small group of 'Gleemen' sang some seven items. Included from the previous year were: Cavalier Song, Northern City, Fairest Isle, and, by special request, the Great Meat Pie. New items were : Shenandoah, Balthazar's Song (with an arrange- ment by Mr. Steele), and Linden Lea. Paul Griffith's enthusiasm was the driving force behind the formation of an even more 'select' group of four voices which gave an excellent performance of several well-known songs from Gilbert and Sullivan. The Carol Service will take place on Tuesday, 20th December, in St. George's Church. After a fair amount of chaotic preparation before and during the play week, practices have at last begun. My first impression of the treble section, once more under the enthusiastic leadership of Geoffrey Downes, is that it promises to be one of the best we have had for many years. There seems to be an abundance of good trebles and so, patiently—and regretfully—Mr. Steele has had to prune the numbers somewhat. Although, at the tune of writing, the programme has not yet been finalised, it is probable that several popular carols from the last two Carol Services will be retained, and the odd item from five or more years ago, like the Grasmere Carol and the Burgundian Carol, will be reintroduced, as well as several entirely new carols such as 'Child of God' and 'Come ye Now*—Mr. Steele's own compositions—and 'Puer Natus In Bethlehem'. CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP GROUPS The meetings this term have been remarkable in that almost all our speakers have been young men visiting our school for the first time. Walter Houston is studying at Oxford before becoming a minister. He put forward a very interesting and convincing theory that the conversion of Saul could be ex- plained more readily as God working through man's psychology than by the term 'miracle'. Bob Gosling is an art student, and he found himself talking not Page Twenty-six only to our own members, but also to a contingent of our friends from the Stockport School Group. They visited us again to hear Gordon Bailey of Gospel Outreach, who spends his time speaking and teaching in schools through- out the country. The Rev. S. J. Webb is the new minister at Davenport Metho- dist Church. He posed some very searching questions on the subject of 'Living', and helped clear our thoughts in the discussion that resulted. We have not, however, neglected those speakers whom past experience has shown us always to have something new to offer. The Rev. Tom McCann of Hyde visited us again, and was, as usual, plain, helpful and humorous. Before Christmas we expect another old favourite, Canon Hodkin of Manchester Cathedral, and another visit from the Rev. Harold Bembridge of the East Manchester Group Churches. I should like to thank all the speakers for giving up their time for us, and also to thank Mr. Gosling and Mr. D. J. Roberts for their support and assistance. They can always be relied on to get a discussion off the ground. I hope more members of the school may become aware of our meetings, and I have been delighted to see so many Junior members attending and appreciating the Senior meetings. Constant support from Longson, Marshall and Birchall has made it possible to hold short meetings on Monday and Friday lunchtimes, an innova- tion which we hope may continue to develop. For the Junior Section of the group, this has been a very successful term, with over twenty at each weekly meeting. Our thanks go to Mr. Gosling for the use of his room, Mr. Durnall for the two films which he showed us, and Mr. Steele for kindly arranging the choir practices so as not to conflict with our meetings. Over a hundred people attended the last film, and this must surely be a record. J.N.B.

550 SQUADRON A.T.C. Commanding Officer: Flight Lieutenant E. Bromley. Equipment Officer : Flying Officer J. G. Gosling. Civilian Instructor: W. D. Beckwith. In July last Mr. Western left the School to take up an appointment at the Mather Training College in Manchester and so the Squadron lost its Command- ing Officer. We do thank him most sincerely for all the hard work he put in on behalf of 550 Squadron and he takes with him our very best wishes. Mr. Bromley has now taken over and already the effects of his enthusiasm and drive are being manifested. He has been promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and receives our heartiest congratulations. The Squadron strength in September was 22. Two very successful re- cruiting parades and film shows were held as a result of which nineteen new members were enrolled bringing the total strength up to 41. With only two officers this presented a problem. Mr. W. D. Beckwith, who thought a few years ago he was "retiring" after 25 years' service with the A.T.C., found he had only been "moth-balled" and we welcome him back into service as a Civilian Instructor. In October, a Display and Parents' Evening was held in the Hallam Hall, some 97 people including cadets being present. Flight Lieutenant Bromley welcomed the parents and outlined to them the Aims and Objects of the A.T.C. and the facilities provided for the Cadets. Films were shown by Flight Lieu- tenant Hadfield, aStaff Officer from Cheshire Wing,and afterwardstea and bis- cuits were served by the Cadets. It was a most interesting and enjoyable evening appreciated by all present and our thanks are due to Mrs. Hawksworth and the ladies who helped with the refreshments. The Link Trainer, carefully "nursed" by Flight Lieutenant Bromleyover the years, has now been removed, as it was an obsolete model for which spares were no longer available. Work has now started on converting the former "Link Page Twenty-seven Room" into the A.T.C. Headquarters and Cadet Club. Cheshire Wing has agreed to supply some furniture and when finished the new Headquarters should prove a valuable acquisition to the Squadron. On Sunday, November 13th, members of the Squadron were presentat the Remembrance Service in the Hallam Hall. It was very pleasing to see Pilot Officer Philip Bromley, a former Flight Sergeant, who joined the R.A.F. on leaving school and who has now gained his "wings." The Rifle Range in the cellar was highly commended when examined by R.A.F. Turnhill and as the squadron has several good marksmen it has been decided to hold a shooting contest, Cadets v. Fathers, sometime before the end of term. Twenty-one cadets have flown in Chipmunks at Woodvale and three cadets have been gliding at Burtonwood this term. Already our thoughts are turning towards the Easter Camp in 1967 and an application has gone in for 30 Cadets from March 29th—April 5th. Flight Sergeant Boardman, whowona "FlyingScholarship",has completed his training at Barton Airport and been awarded his Civilian Pilot's Licence and receives our heartiest congratulations. Owing to the increase in numbers several Cadets have been awarded their "tapes" and the N.C.O.'s are now as follows :— Flight Sergeant: Boardman. Sergeants: Tomlinson and Dukoff-Gordon. Corporals: Graves, Mennie, Jerdine and Ratcliffe. The Squadron has got off to a good start and may its progress continue. "ERK."

PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Last session ended traditionally with the Speech Day Exhibition which was well up to standard. The competitions resulted as follows : Best Print: 1st, Whalley VI S3; 2nd, Calvert VI S3. Best Colour Transparency: 1st, Pickering VI LI; 2nd, Stansfield VI S2. Thanks are due however to all boys who submitted prints and slides for judging by Mr. T. Cook and Mr. Stanley. With the loss_ of the two stalwarts Calvert and Whalley, the Society has had rather an uncertain start this year. These two boys, with their enthusiasm and skill, have carried us along for two or three sessions. We have begun however, and we expect that photographic talent will show itself as the year goes on. The officials for this session are : Secretary : J. N. Warren, V.Lit. Treasurer : N. F. V. Grimshaw, VI.M2. Committee: D. Kay, VI.M2., I. Parry, VI.L2., J. N. Cannon, VI.L2. After the Annual General Meeting, a selection of the colour slides taken in and around the school by John Calvert was shewn. These slides, together with some black and white prints, form part of the school "pictorial archives" for which the Society assumes some responsibility. Kay is supervising this aspect of the Society's work this year. Finally our thanks go to our President, Mr. Cassie, who once again will be helping us along. Our meetings are open to all members of the school, and we would be pleased to welcome more at our regular gatherings. J. N. WARREN, Hon. Sec. Page Twenty-eight NEW EXTENSION TO THE DINING HALL RICHARD III (7- T. Stanley} RICHARD III (J. T. Stanley} (D. Kay) THE OLD GYM AND THE NEW (J. N. Warren) RECORDER CLUB The Recorder Club aestivates. Then all is quiet and still, as Pan reclines in sylvan glade to dally not with pipe but with nymph. Yet autumn provokes the musician, when the breeze shimmers and sighs, sobs and sidles, to imitate and emulate such sensual romance. But all is denied: the eager flautist must endure trifling drama, and the players outheroding Richard, to be followed by the annual pageant of crystal chant. Fear not, fellow flautist: as the spring turns a young man's fancy to his recorder, so the Great Earth Mother will take you in her arms, bless you, and lay you down in a harmony of fruition. At a time when The Times, that other pillar of English conservatism, is being threatened, the world is kind to us: a worldwide tour, reaching to the limits of Outer Poynton, is envisaged for next term. Meantime, for the good of your tonguing and the damnation of your neighbours, practise, my brethren. R.M.T. VENTURERS' SOCIETY The preoccupation of the secretary with examinations and an unusually full sports programme have reduced the society to dormancy, but one trip is projected this term and the annual midnight hike will be arranged during the Christmas holidays. T.A.C. THE ORCHESTRA The summer concert this year was well supported and, unless the applause was a mixture of relief and sympathy, it was favourably received. As usual the programme included instrumental solos, some fine singing, and several orches- tral items. East played a Chopin nocturne with sensitive musicianship, and a novelty to these concerts was "The Iceberg", for trombone and piano, in which the difficult solo part was well played by Wilcock who, after initial nervousness, delighted the audience. The singers' contributions in the first half included four songs by the Gleemen, beginning with a lovely setting of "Shenandoah". The orchestra warmed up with its standard opening item, "Theme for a Ceremony", and continued with a suite of three waltzes by Schubert. Scullard was the soloist in the first Mozart composition the school orchestra has tackled in this series, "Variations on 'Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman'." The simple tune, familiar as "Baa-baa black sheep," was decorated by the pianist and commented on by the orchestra. The music of Wagner has never before been presented by the orchestra, and the first half culminated in a very brief (four bars, I think) excerpt from "Gotterdammerung", and the sound produced by the thirty- strong ensemble, augmented by the organ, might have caused surprise and envy in Vienna—l)ecca please note. Fortified by coffee and biscuit, the audience returned to hear the rousing coronation march from "Le Prophete", during the performance of which the brass section blew itself purple. A technically difficult piano solo, the "Golli- wog's Cakewalk," was impeccably played by Rhoderick, then in IIIA, and the same Form supplied the soloist, Royle, in a Sonatina for Piano and Orchestra by Kuhlau. Mr. Steele's contributions to these concerts are invariably of major pro- portions, but he is rarely seen in the capacity of a soloist. This year he received due prominence when he played the virtuoso trumpet part in Leopold Mozart's "Toy Symphony". He played it on a Regal, which appears to be a portable, wind-driven, keyboard machine, looks like a flattened piano and sounds like an oboe. Acute observers will have noticed the remarkable versatility of this instru- ment and its blower. The other toys in the symphony, (nightingale, cuckoo, quail, drum, triangle and rattle) were played with consummate artistry by mem- bers of the orchestra who had learned the appropriate techniques specially for this occasion. Page Twenty-nine Both before and after the interval, a consort of singers brought a welcome lightness to this classical programme with items from Gilbert and Sullivan operas. A gentle Pastorale by Guilmont was the organ solo this year, played with admirably-judged registrations by Pidgeon. In common with another great series of concerts, it has become traditional to end the programme with Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory," and this year it was played with honest sentiment and whole-hearted fervour by a fully-com- mitted orchestra. That the concert was a success was due to the loyal support and hard work of the nucleus of players, and the noble assistance of members of the staff, two daughters, and one wife. Particularly welcome was the return, complete with violins, of S. Bettaney and K. Greenall, Old Boys and founder-members of the orchestra when it was re-formed in 1962. This year our numbers are sadly depleted, but there must be another concert next July, even if the programme has to be less ambitious. Please book early. R. O'STRUM. ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY Hon Treasurer: P. L. Curtis Hon. Secretary : P. A. Longson. Once again the society has been well attended. There have been regular weekly work meetings since the beginning of term, interrupted only by the school performance of Richard the Third. The Art section of the society seems gradually to be gaining popularity, although, as usual, most members spend their Thursday evenings in the woodwork room under the watchful eye of Mr. Bromley ! Activities range from the most humble table lamps to the most ambitious yacht. The Society is hoping to visit one of the B.B.C. television studios in Manchester before too long. PETER A. LONGSON. CHESS CLUB Hon. President: W. Herman, Esq. Secretary : R. E. Martin. Treasurer: D. Kay. Captains: Senior Team: R. E. Martin; Junior Team: S. Knowles. Although we lost Mr. Jackson last term, the Chess Club is still flourishing under the capable hands of Mr. Herman. The members are very keen and a knockout competition is keeping their enthusiasm high. The Senior Team has had a moderate start to the season, playing some very strong teams. We are hoping for better results in future matches. The Junior Team has only played one match so far this season and has yet to show its full potential. There is plenty of enthusiasm and this promises well for the future. Once again we all thank Mr. Herman for his support and encouragement, and Mrs. Hawksworth for providing the match teas. R.E.M. Sunday Times Competition Seniors : v. Chadderton G. S. (home) —lost li—4J (Critchlow 1; Martin J) Stockport League Seniors: v. King's School, Macclesfield (home) —lost 3—4 (Martin, Clare 1; Carver, Kay i) v. Manchester G. S. (away) —lost i—6J (Hughes i) Page Thirty Juniors : v. King's School, Macclesfield (home) —won 4—3 (Knowles, Webb, Mellor, Jones 1)

Friendly Match Seniors : v. Sir John Deane's, Northwich (away) —won 6—2 (Martin, Critchlow, Hughes, Fell, Knowles Ij Burgess, Kay J)

THE SCIENCE SOCIETY The Autumn term has seen only one general meeting of the Science Society. This took the form of a film show, with films on chromatography—a new form of chemical analysis—and electricity super-grid construction. The Science Society, though relatively young compared with some of the other school societies, is aiming to broaden its scope of activities. There have been several suggestions concerning the nature of a scientific project which, by next term, should be occupying a team of sixth formers for one or two sessions a week. In general the aim of the society is to extend the scientific interest of its members beyond the restricted limits of the 'A' level syllabus, and in this res- pect the following year provides great promise. D.M.W.

THE SAILING CLUB In place of the normal December paragraph here are some notes on the history of the Sailing Club. In 1952 two masters, Mr. Brown and Mr. Granville, sailed for a week together on the Norfolk Broads. Finding the company limited, the next two years they took twenty odd boys and Mr. D. J. Roberts with them. In 1955 they looked for waters offering greater scope and by great good fortune made contact with the Island Cruising Club, Salcombe. Two small parties visited Salcombe that year and were given very good holidays and excel- lent tuition. Since then at least one School party has visited Salcombe each year, more recently accompanied by Mr. W. Smith and Mr. Reade. A number of boys have also gone on their own. Some have continued the link after leaving School and become instructors and staff members of the I.C.C. During these eleven years the I.C.C. has grown and increased both its fleet (accommodation craft, cruising boats, and sailing dinghies), and its shore facilities. The organisation is first-class and boys are always given a very happy holiday and good instruction in sailing. In the winter of 1955/6 Mr. Brown and Mr. Granville with the help of boys built a G.P.14 from a kit in the wooden garage which subsequently housed the A.T.C. Link trainer. This dinghy, named by Mr. Horn Sentina, an attractive feminine name until you know it means 'bilge-water', sailed first on Combs and later on Toddbrook. Before the formation of Toddbrook Sailing Club she was kept at moorings on Toddbrook and reached in an ex-R.A.F. inflatable dinghy which leaked and had to be regularly topped up by the occupant while in pas- sage. When Toddbrook Sailing Club was formed, the School Club was kindly allowed to become affiliated and it has enjoyed the facilities there since. With the help of parents a second dinghy was bought in 1960. Festina is a very strong clinker-built boat from the Orkneys. She is kept at Salcombe and is a good boat for teaching, both stable and lively. There are stories of her be- having very sanely in a force eight wind. Page Thirty-one The Club has always appreciated the support of Mr. Philpot and Mr. Scott, both sailors and boat owners. Mr. Roberts, Mr. Reade and Mr. Crofts are now the masters associated with the Club. Sentina owes a new lease of life to Mr. Crofts and his fellow shipwrights. But the Club itself needs no new lease of life. It is young and vigorous. D.J.R. GYM CLUB Secretary : J. S. Partt. Assistants : Mattinson, Tomlinson, Richardson, Partt. Founded only in September this year, the Gym Club already has a flourish- ing membership consisting mainly of first, second and third formers. Two meetings are held per week in the school's new gymnasium, one at Tuesday lunch-time for the benefit of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth forms, and the other on Friday afternoon after school, for the first and second forms. At both meetings assistance and instruction are given in various gymnastic feats such as headsprings, handsprings, flysprings, somersaults and vaulting; competence and abilities are improved, and diverse talents are cultivated. The correction of faults has been aided by photographs taken at one meeting by Warren, which clearly showed some of the curious positions that some people can achieve. My thanks, and those of the whole Gym Club, go to Mr. McDouall who started the Club, and has coached and encouraged us so successfully. J. S. PARTT.

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RUGBY FIRST XV Captain : C. A. Armitage. Vice-Captain : T. A. Clark. Pack Leader : Hayden. September 24th v. William Hulme G.S. (Away). Lost 3 — 14. As there was a lack of co-ordination throughout the team, the first-half proved to be disastrous. The second half, however, showed that the team could fight as a united force. October 1st v. Woodhouse Grove. (Home). Won 9 — 6. This was a well fought game with School being 9 — 0 up at half-time. Throughout the second half we were without a scrum-half who had been injured in the first minute, and played the rest of the half with a broken hand. Flaying with 14 men, we just held on to a well deserved victory. October 8th v. Leek H.S. (Away). Lost 0 —6 . A very poor game with School being very lucky to lose by only 6 points. There was no 'fight' in the forwards or the backs until late on in the second half when the whole team came to life. Unfortunately, it was too late to make any difference to the score. October 12th v. Newcastle. (Away). Lost 5 — 20. Another poor game—there was a general lack of enthusiasm and Newcastle deserved to win. Due to injuries sustained in the match, School lost the pack leader and scrum half for future games. October 15th v. Manchester Grammar. (Away). Lost 0 — 3. This was easily the best game of the season so far. The forwards worked very well to contain the rather wild pack of M.G.S. The defence throughout the whole team was magnificent —M.G.S . getting their 3 points from a penalty. October 22nd v. Marple Grammar School. (Home). Lost 0 — 9. School continued to play as in the previous week with a determined effort from the whole team, the forwards playing an excellent game with the backs tackling well. However a well drilled Marple side managed to score three good tries. November 19th v. Cheadle Hulme. (Away). Draw 3 —3 . School dominated play in the line-outs and scrums and had a superior set of backs. However, we lacked the final drive to score tries. School wasun- fortunate not to win. Page Thirty-three I should like to thank Mr. Durnall and Mr. McDouall for their help in training the team and making it into a fit, united fighting force. I should also like to thank R. M. Taylor for his continued support and industrious work on the touch line. C.A.A. SECOND XV September 24th v. William Hulme G.S. (Home). Draw 9—9. In this first game of the season, the trend of the game was obvious from the start, that lack of possession from the tight and loose scrums meant a contest between our better set of backs and the opposing heavier pack. Although School managed to get near to the line on several occasions, the score of three tries to three penalties speaks for itself. October 1st v. Woodhouse Grove. (Away). Lost 5—16. During the opening minutes school showed little initiative or enthusiasm and allowed Woodhouse to score twice. The forwards then took control of the game but were unable to score. In the second half a good try was scored by the captain but the team then allowed Grove to score twice before the end. October 12th v. Newcastle H.S. (Away). Lost 5—28. Like the First XV this was a very black day for the 2nd XV. Lack of co- ordination throughout the side meant an easy victory for Newcastle. October 15th. v. Manchester Grammar School. (Home). Lost 3—5. Spirited play by the School forwards meant that School was pressing hard on the M.G.S. line. School were rewarded by gaining a penalty to put them 3—0 in the lead. However in the second half the School allowed M.G.S. to score a converted try to win. October 22nd v. Marple G.S. (Away). Lost 3—9. In spite of an injury-depleted team, the 2nd XV played good rugby and in the first half pressed hard on the Marple line. In the second half, however, the School defences were breached by Marple's excellent threequarter line. November 19th v. Cheadle Hulme School. (Home). Lost 0—6. Having been reduced to fourteen men early in the first half, the School never admitted defeat and were unlucky to lose. We should like to thank Mr. Durnall and Mr. McDouall for their help in training the team. Thanks are also due to the Masters who have accompanied the team to its various matches. C.A.A. COLTS XV Played Won Lost Drawn For Against 6 3 3 0 51 30 The teams matches so far this season have been :— Away to William Hulme. Lost 19—3. This was a much closer match than the score suggests, and with a little more luck and coolness the team could have been more successful. Home to Woodhouse Grove. Won 19—0. Despite the early injury and subsequent loss of our captain, the team played exceptionally well to win easily. Away to Leek. Lost 3—0. Again without our captain the team fought hard but with no co-ordination between forwards and backs. The game became quite scrappy and a mistake allowed Leek to score a try. Home to Newcastle. Cancelled. Home to Manchester. Won 3—0. A textbook try in the early stages was the only score in a match dominated by defence. Page Thirty-four Home to Marple. Won 26—0. The result of this game is self-explanatory. The team played fine rugby— passing well and tackling ferociously (even on each other at times !). Away to Cheadle Hulme. Lost 8—0. On a pitch in terrible condition the team had the edge on the opposition until two unfortunate mistakes towards the end of the match allowed Cheadle to score. The usual team and reserves were :— Bennett, Bestley, Fell, Freeman, Fulton, Garner, Gardner, Guy, Graves, Holden, May, Mills, Preston, Proctor, Robins, Samways, Sharley, Thompson, Towers and Walsh. Our thanks to Mr. Hawkes and Mr. Brewis for their help and advice. Also we should like to thank Anderson for being Touch Judge. P.J.H.

BANTAMS XV The team has spent most of its time on the field desperately defending. Only M. A. Wood, at full-back, has tackled consistently enough to break up an attack. In front of him the backs have little chance to show their paces as only rarely have the forwards gained any possession. This is the basic weakness of the side, and victory will remain a distant dream until the forwards learn to support one another and play as a pack. B.R.W.

U13 XV Captain : P. Hillson. Vice-Captain: D. Farmer. Record 24th Sept. v. William Hulme's. Home. Won 5—3. 8th Oct. v. Leek H. S. Away. Won 6—0. 15th Oct. v. Manchester G.S. Home. Lost 3—11. 22nd Oct. v. Marple G.S. Home. Won 11—9. A promising start is perhaps the best way of summing up the season so far. Although the nucleus of the side is now established we are still getting 'un- knowns' catching the selectors eye—the team as a whole is benefitting from the competition of the enthusiastic reserves. The team is fortunate in having a good deal of natural talent in that it is well balanced with some strong running three- quarters and tall forwards—perhaps the only deficiency being weight which the forwards offset by mobility. In our first game of the season we met a very good William Hulme's Team. Although groans welcome a Mr. Whalley fitness session it was this aspect of the game that won the game for us. The school,under pressure for forty minutes, rallied in the last ten and scored a goal in reply to an earlier try by William Hulme's. In the other games, although we lost to Manchester G.S., one feels the boys are beginning to play their part in a team effort rather than as a set of individuals. We now have the Captain injured and, as always, there is room for improvement in every department of the game; nevertheless, we go to press with high hopes for the rest of the season. Boys having played: Hillson, Heywood, Williams, Povey, Turner, McNeulie, Jepson, May, Hyslop, Webb, Woodall, Farmer, Tipton, Wilson, Scott, Johnson, Evers, Norris. C.H.J. Page Thirty-five LACROSSE 1st XII Captain: V. Wilcock. Vice-Captain : J. N. Boardman. The season commenced with the Cheshire six-a-side competition at Disley in which we were unsuccessful in our two games against Cheadle I and Cheadle II. v. Old Stopfordians (Home). Lost 17—6. This was a reasonable result against a strong Old Boys' side. The attack made use of the extra man at the start and gave us a 3-2 lead in the first quarter. The defence as expected had difficulty in preventing individual efforts. Scorers : Parnell 2; Daines, Fort, Jackson, Woollven. v. Heaton Mersey "B" (Home). Won 19—10. A really fine team effort in which everyone played well. The attack moved constructively and gave us a 9—2 lead by half-time. The defence showed great determination with the return of Boardman. This was the highest score by the First Team for three years. Scorers : Fort 7; Parnell 6; Woollven 3; Daines, Tomlinson, Wilcock. v. Old Stopfordians "A" (Home). Won 17—9. How nice to beat the Old Boys. The attack, in which Parnell was out- standing, played well despite occasional lapses when they appeared unable to score. The defence covered well but could not prevent the breaks from behind goals. Scorers : Parnell 8; Fort 4; Daines, Martin, Partt, Tomlinson, Woollven. v. Cheadle Hulme (Home). Won 14—2. The opposition were weakened by the inclusion of four reserves, but nevertheless the result was a good one. The attack kept possession well for long periods and their handling was excellent; they also made good use of the man behind goals. As the score suggests, the defence had little to trouble them. Scorers : Parnell 5; Fort 4; Tomlinson 3; Pant; Woollven. v. Sheffield University (Away). Lost 16—7. A reasonable result against a strong 2nd Division side. The attack were unable to break through a packed defence; on the other hand our defence was too open at times. Scorers : Woollven 3; Parnell 2; Fort; Jones. v. Cheadle "B" (Away). Won 6—3. School had almost all the possession in this game, but the attack could find few loopholes in what is probably the best defence in the division. The defence marked their men well. Scorers : Fort 3; Woollven 2; Martin. v. Old Hulmeians Extra "A" (Home). Won 9—5. Again school had the greater amount of possession, but they were up against another experienced defence. Careless mistakes in front of goal ruined some easy chances of scoring, and poor passing led to easy interceptions. Scorers : Parnell 4; Fort, Woollven 2; Boardman. v. Manchester University (Away). Lost 15—8. This was a pleasing result against a 2nd Division side. The match was played in miserable conditions of darkness and mud. Again we played against a packed defence, and Fort, who had a field day, was the only one to break through it successfully. University made great use of shooting at an unsighted goalkeeper, which yielded them almost half of their goals. Scorers : Fort 6; Daines, Woollven. The start to this season has been very encouraging indeed. The attack have been scoring freely, ably spearheaded by Fort and Parnell, and the newrecruits in defence—Gee, Welchew and Jones—have soon established themselves as Page Thirty-six regular first learners, by following the example of Boardman who is a tower of strength in the defence, and Daines who has also forced to some success. Dairies, Martin, Partt, and Tomlinson all played a number of games with us last season. Special mention must go to Gee whose transition from attack to defence has been a great asset to the defence, and also to Martin and Woollven whose accu- rate passes have laid on many of our goals. The real reason for our success up to now has been the great determination which the whole team has shown in every game. The spirit of a school team can never have been better and now we look forward to a successful run in the Stockport Cup, which we won 2 years ago. V.W.

LACROSSE 2nd XII v. Old Stops. Lost 12—3. Lindsey, Andrew, Wilson. An enjoyable match against a much stronger Old Boys' side which proved little more than a practice match for both teams. v, Heaton Mersey. Lost 18—2. Richardson, Jackscn. A very disappointing display: the defence was poor and the attack even worse. But for the quality of Griffith's goalkeeping the score could have been much worse. v. Heaton Mersey Guild "A". Won 13—8. Richardson 3, Freeman 3, Jackson, 3, Lindsey 2, Gracey, Townsend. The defence settled down quickly and the attack seemed to have new life, with the return of Freeman. A splendid fourth quarter took the score from 8—7 to a convincing 13—8. v. Manchester Grammar. Lost 9—8. Lindsey 3, Gracey 2, Freeman, Jackson, Richardson. A keenly contested match, a notable feature of which was Lindsey's exhibi- tion of how a forcing defender should play. A draw would have been a fairer result; but a goal in the last seconds took Manchester ahead. v. Oldham and Werneth "A". Lost 11—2. Townsend, Muchall. Owing to illness, there were a number of changes to the team, and we even had to enlist the help of an Old Stopfordian in order to field a full team. The game was enjoyable and did much to show us where our main weaknesses were. v. Cheadle Hulme School. Drew 8—8. Jackson, 4.. Richardson 2, Freeman, Lindsey. After a good first quarter in which we built up a three goal lead, defensive lapses allowed Cheadle Hulme to draw level by half-time. Neither side could gain superiority in the second half, producing an exciting finish, with the result in doubt until the last second. v. Woodhouse Grove. Won 10—3. Jackson 3, Gracey 2, Richardson 2, Townsend, Freeman, Lindsey. A convincing win that was due to teamwork. The attack played excep- tionally well, and the Woodhouse Grove team did little to worry a settled defence. We would like to thank Mr. A. P. Smith for his continued support and encouragement. Our thanks also to Mr. J. S. Muchall and Trim for their help at short notice, and to our supporters who have turned up regularly and have always been ready to give advice. J.W.L.., D.F.L. Page Thirty-seven LACROSSE The U.15 XII has done better than expected and won two of the three games played. Several players show distinct promise and the side should improve further. P W L D 3210 Unfortunately the U.14 XII has had two games cancelled. The first game against Disley was won very convincingly 24—3. In the second match Marple Hall Grammar School sent an U.15 XII. School played very well but found the older boys too strong for them. At full strength the side is very good and should do well. P W L D 2110 The U.13 XII has done particularly well, winning all its matches most convincingly scoring 61 goals to 12 against. Last year's U.13 XII lost the Centurion Trophy by the odd goal and the present team is on the trail again having won the first round defeating Stockport Junior Technical High School 19—1. P W L D 4400 Twenty-six new boys have taken up the game and already several show promise of being outstanding players. A game has been arranged with Man- chester Grammar School and the team is very enthusiastic about this and hopes to start the right way by winning. Lacrosse in the school is flourishing at the moment and I would like to express my thanks to my colleagues, Mr. A. P. Smith, Mr. D. B. Cassie, and Mr. B. Brelsford, for all their help, to the Old Boys and parents who have helped with the refereeing, and to those who have given their support. All the players and supporters would like to thank Mrs. Hawksworth and her staff who cater for us and whose services are much appreciated. J.G.G. BASKETBALL Basketball has been introduced this term, mainly due to the efforts of Mr. Whalley and Mr. D. G. Roberts. Under their excellent guidance, vigorous practices have been held every week throughout the term, and these have at- tracted a large following of enthusiastic, if not accomplished, exponents. Two matches have already been played this term, and further fixtures have been ar- ranged for the future. The team has been chosen from the following: Woollven (capt.), Gee, Jones, Freeman, Brocklehurst, Lawrence, Wilcock, and Hingorani. 18th Oct. v. Hyde G.S. (Home). Lost 80—12. In this, the first match, the team was completely overwhelmed and over- awed by the fast, slick play of the Hyde attack. School had no reply to these strikes, and it was only in the last few minutes, that the team succeeded in pene- trating the Hyde defence. Scorers : Woollven 7; Gee 3; Brocklehurst 2. 14th Nov. v. King's School, Macclesfield. Lost lf>—17. Early in the first half, School gained the initiative, and quickly netted three baskets. However, our opponents, using superior height and skill, overran the School defence throughout the rest of the game. Scorers : Jones 6; Woollven 4; Brocklehurst, Gee 2. The scores in these two matches reflect the inexperience of the School players, but if the team can stabilise the defence, the spearhead of the attack should reap success in the future. Our thanks must go to Mr. Whalley for his coaching and constant en- couragement, and to Mr. D. G. Roberts and Warren for their competent scoring. N.F.J. Page Thirty-eight JL+ ARDEN HOUSE House Captain: C. J. Holland, i Vice-Captain: M. A. Taylor. Committee: S. G. Whitehead, J. A. Rowland. The Summer Term's house activities were brought to a successful conclusion with Arden winning the Fallows Shield for the first time in many years. The Tennis Cup and Frank Brown Cup (the 'Swot Pot") were added to the Lacrosse and Rugby trophies, and an honourable second place gained in the Cricket Competition—thanks very largely to the efforts of the Junior XI. Third place (one point behind Vernon) was a disappoint- ing result in the Athletics Sports but Arden pro- duced two Victores Ludorum: Rowland (Grade I) and Taylor (Grade III). Unfortunately, the loss of many members of the Upper Sixth Form has seriously weakened the House this year, and the problem is exacerbated by the deficiencies of the present Fifth and Lower Sixth Forms. However, Arden has acquitted herself tolerably well up to now. The House XV, while retaining only two members of last season's splendid pack, have a strong set of backs and have won two of their three matches. The team was obviously fortunate to encounter Nicholson before the latter's great revival and despite Bradley's loquacious promptings, Arden won comfortably, 17-0. In a scrappy game, Warren were also beaten. The score, 6-0, does not reflect Arden's true superiority during the match. The limitations of the House XV were exposed in the match against a very strong Vernon side. Weakened by the absence of the team's most experienced forward, the pack lacked age, weight, and stamina. However, Arden did well in the first half in holding the score down to 0-5. In the second half, although the backs defended stubbornly, the pack, with the exception of Brocklehurst, lost their drive. Both Vernon's final tries, although spectacular in appearance, should have been prevented by the covering of the forwards. It is to be hoped that the team, which owes much to the speed and ability of Taylor and the more rustic approach of Newton, can improve on its performances next term. The part of Pack-Leader is acted with great verve by Whitehead (the one with the tight tights). The Bantams frighten the House-Captain more than they seem to frighten the opposition. However, their defeat against a strong and experienced Nicholson team (by 0-15) was not without its brighter moments and consider- able practice may yet produce a successful team. The side is captained by Page Thirty-nine Rowland, a sportsman of undoubted ability who would, however, profit from a little more concentration. Above the generally scrappy nature of the Nicholson match stood forth the polished play of Hillson at full-back. Such was the stan- dard of his performance that it evoked the lavish praises of Mr. Norris, which is praise indeed. The Lacrosse XII contains numerous school team players and so far has won both its matches comfortably (19-5 against Nicholson, and 21-3 against Warren). It should retain the House Lacrosse Shield—which is becoming something of an Arden monopoly. The inclusion of the afore-mentioned Row- land (of the Third forms) and Kitchen (of the Second forms) in the team against Warren in no way detracted from the performance of the side—a factor which augurs well for the future. The selection of the side is in the capable hands of J. N. Boardman (who also plays when he can spare the time). His work is aided and abetted by Messrs. Jones and Fort. Before I pass the reader on to the demented ramblings of the Nicholson House Notes, I must first express my appreciation for the support of the (again) large House Committee and the never failing advice and help of Mr. W. S. Johnston and Mr. D. J. Roberts. C.J.H.

NICHOLSON HOUSE House Captain: N. A. Bradley. Vice-Captain: R. Hully. House Committee: M. G. Ankers; J. W. Lawrence. A reshuffle in the mastering populace of the school has brought a new deputy house-master to our midst. My first task must therefore be to wel- \:t $ t 'I '»'/ come Mr. D. G. Roberts to the ancient, tradition- V V lined portals of Nicholson House and to \ / wish him success in his new position. Our best \ $ * */ wishes must go to the 'retiring' Mr. Robinson N. / who has now moved to the rival Vernon ^+^S House—he has given us willing and well- appreciated support for many years now. As far as house affairs go, in consequence of the glorious resurgence of the hitherto dormant might of Nicholson's omnipotence, moral victories of gargantuan magnitude have been plucked from the field of strife to arrest the precipitous descent of our prestige and to refute the ubiquitous auguries of doom. Humiliated, eclipsed, shorn of their glory and disregarded by the all- embracing gaze of the deities, the engine of Nicholson's minions ran out of fuel in the putrescent ooze of the rugby field—but the spark for victory still nickered and finally burst into incandescent conflagration: the 1st XV's incess- ant Herculean labours have at last borne fruit to furnish the richly merited laurels of victory. In the first two matches, our efforts were great but victories did not mate- rialize. Against the far stronger house of Vernon, the score was kept down to a respectable 30-0 by those who played. The result against Arden was 17-0, but this makes the superiority of that house seem much greater than it actually was, most of the points being scored in the closing instants. Against the house of Warren it seemed that once more the dice were loaded against us, but by supreme effort the Lilliputian Holden, a tenderfoot in the art of 1st team activities, staggered in convulsive paroxysms of jubilation to the try-line, there to deposit the ovoid bladder for the physical manifestation of our wildest dreams. The score was swiftly augmented by Bradley who propelled the leather ellipsoid with subtle exactitude over the posts for more points. Warren were now languishing in the deep abyss of despair, but one of their rare aggressive thrusts cracked the kernel of our defence for one millisecond and snatched three fortuitous points. Page Forty At the ululating trill of the Pandean Pipe which signalled the restart, the Nicholson engine was once more cranked into irrepressible motion and, with the virulent accuracy of an Indian cobra, spindle-shanked Ankers, sounding an Aeolian G in the wind, penetrated the unmapped frontiers of alien demesne to ravish the ephemeral spores of success and implant in the verdant herbage the lush puff-balls of victory. Then, that stalwart veteran, Clare, his face a bloated mask of zealous determination, shakes the verdigris from his leathern buskins, and floats in phantasmagoric splendour through the cohorts of the foe. At the line, he, festooned in the spectral shreds of his ragged vestments, halts and, gesticulating in wild frenzy as he salutes the Immortals, leaps in ecstasy towards the azure heavens, plunges the oleaginous spheroid into the glutinous alluvium and so augments even further the already irrefutable tally of successes. Exerting its languishing energies, the dying bull of the house of Warren, incensed by the echo of the last trumpet sounding over the musty arena, bel- lowed, and in a final defiant charge trundled to scoredom though pricked by the picadors of our defence. The result of our toils was thus a 12-6 victory, the stars of the game being Holden, Ankers and that Trojan Clare. In the Bantams, ably captained by Walsh, we have once again swept the board clean and have acquired a fine victory. Arden, possibly the strongest of our opponents, was completely rampaged by the supreme dominance which we shewed. On a really heavy pitch, ultimate superiority by our forwards gave the 3's a good yield of passes which were made good use of by our fast-moving three-quarters Hughes and Jolly, who rampaged through a by no means feeble defence with needle-sharp penetration to harvest a considerable score. The team is filled with potential stars which will in the future enrich the 1st team and so give the house its high reputation again. Such a boy is Povey whose work at scrum-half has particularly impressed me this year. As far as the 1st Lacrosse team has been concerned, the results have been much the same as in rugby. Much more experienced sides have inflicted severe defeats upon us, but nevertheless, morale remains high and we are anticipating a well-earned victory against Warren house, but the magazine goes to print before this result can be recorded. The team has been captained well by that tower of strength, that light in the mist, Lawrence and he has been capably sup- ported by potential stars such as Freeman and Richardson. Amongst them, they have kept the flames of hope burning brightly. The whole of the house committee is now preparing for the winter Swim- ming Gala upon which great hopes rest. There is much substance contained in the lower school which could easily give us rich profits and in the upper school, stalwarts such as RatclifTe are always at hand and should provide useful material which, if tapped correctly, could well bring us success. Swimming practices are already taking place so that the talents which these boys possess may blossom into an even greater potential. A feature which is particularly worthy of mention this year is the spirit shown in the house. Neither the 1st Rugby nor the 1st Lacrosse teams are strong and there has been an interweaving of players on both sides which is pleasant to see. Andrew, for instance, has when asked turned in the "Cross—his particular speciality—and willingly mucked in with the rugby players to give added strength. The spirit has also been shewn by Bailey who, after a lapse of some years, made a glorious return to the rugby field when asked. Hully too, although disabled so that he could not play, came and gave glad support on the touch line as did his cool classmate Kirby. It is things like this which make it a joy to captain the house. Our thanks must go to Mr. Norris again and to newcomer Mr. Roberts, both of whom have given enthusiastic support on the touch-line and have offered useful advice throughout the year. For this, I would like, on behalf of the house, to give them sincere thanks. N.A.5. Page Forty-one VERNON HOUSE

House Captain: T. A. Clark. Vice-Captain: V. Wilcock. Committee : J. C. Towers, R. Brooks. A fair wind blows through Room 5; Vernon moves forward with all sail set. It is perhaps too early to attempt any forecast of our eventual for- tunes but the present position is most encourag- ing. The senior rugby XV has given three excellent displays. Warren were the first unfortunates. The Ver Non Semper Viret match was played on an uncomfortably warm September afternoon and our opponents., though not lacking in talent, ran out of steam to the tune of 11-0.

The conditions which prevailed when the team encountered Nicholson were quite different, but on a surface which degenerated to a quagmire our adversaries were overwhelmed 30-0, a creditable score in view of the difficulty in handling. The last match of the term against Arden not only gave us a fine victory but was also, so I am told, an entertaining game to watch. Unaccountably this particular fixture engenders passions which do not appear during other matches and Vernon sharpened their game accordingly. Excellent play by the whole team reduced Arden to a standstill and the final score of 20—0 did act flatter us. No less successful, the 1st Lacrosse X dispatched Warren, 16-5, a match remarkable chiefly for the ineptitude of the opposition's checking and went on to subdue a talented Nicholson side 10-2. The team incorporates four rugby players; Wilcock is to be congratulated for so positioning them that the effect of their deficiencies was minimized. There remains the Arden match which will tax our resources but which it is quite within our capabilities to win. The Bantams XV suffered a defeat 20-8 by Warren. The Vernon per- formance, with but few exceptions, was distinguished by a disinclination to tackle. However the fine style with which the eight points were scored leads me to hope for a considerable improvement next term. As always the success ofthe house is the result of the combined efforts of its individual members and I would thank all those who have given of their time either to play or to support, especially the committee Towers and Brooks. We enjoy the unusual distinction of counting amongst our number the captains of both the school 1st Rugby and 1st Lacrosse teams. I thank both Armitage and Wilcock for their leadership of the corresponding house teams and the latter for acting as a most efficient deputy. We were unfortunate to lose Mr. Weston, our assistant house master, at the end of last term. However, occult manoeuvres, devised by Mr. Johnston, effected the transfer of Mr. Robinson from Nicholson. We have thus gained a fully trained house official for a nominal fee and to him and Mr. Johnston the house owes its thanks. T.A.C. Page Forty-two WARREN HOUSE Captain: T. J. Lingard. Vice-Captain: J. A. Battersby. Committee: R. L. Hayden, A. Rainford. Although the year has been disappointing so far, there are certainly no grounds for criticism of \ the Warren teams. In Rugby, the first XV has been weakened by injuries, and in lacrosse, through a dearth of older players, both rugby stalwarts and younger members of the House have had to be introduced. Nevertheless, neither team has been wanting in enthusiasm or effort. Tenebo To date the 1st XV has played three matches, and unfortunately we are still pointless. The opening game was lost by 11—0 to a powerful and confident Vernon team. Although the Vernon side, which was far more ex- perienced than Warren, applied almost unrelenting pressure the score did not rise alarmingly. This was due to the indomitable and courageous tackling by every member of the House team. The following fixture against Arden proved to be a very close affair. Warren suffered an early setback when our line was crossed; nevertheless our spirit was not dampened in the least and, indeed, it was only late in the second half that Arden managed to score again. For long periods the play was concentrated in mid-field, and there was the ever-present feeling that, if Warren could score, an upset was in the making. Alas ! fortune did not favour the brave. The clash against Nicholson proved to be an anti-climax for Warren. After the two previous commendable and encouraging performances we were sur- prisingly defeated by 12-6. The forwards, missing the thrust of Hayden, failed for the first time, and several lapses enabled Nicholson to forge ahead. However, an excellent move culminated in Gardner's scoring our first points of the season. Perhaps our fortunes had turned; but lack of possession hampered the House in the second half, until Timms managed to score an outstanding try. Constant pressure in the last five minutes did not reap fair rewards, and the final whistle was the death-knell for Warren's hopes. Against formidable opponents Hayden and Locke are to be singled out from the forwards, while Higgin, Battersby and Timms produced inspired bursts of brilliance.

Our ray of sunshine this term has been the Bantams XV. They are to be saluted for their wonderful achievement of winning a match, at last, for the House against Vernon. Taylor S. J., by running the whole length of the pitch, soon opened the scoring. Indeed, throughout the game he ran powerfully in a similar vein to score a total of four tries. The rest of the team seemed to be in- spired by the grand start, and through persistent pressure the score mounted until the game terminated with Warren winners by 22-8. Wood M. A., at full back, was outstanding and Farmer and Buck seem good prospects. The victory was marred only by Challiner's breaking his collar bone. The lacrosse X contains a lower school element which augurs well for the future. Parker and Walton have represented the House in both matches, whilst Rees and Clark have each played once. In addition, however, there has been a sprinkling of rugger stalwarts which has meant that the House has lacked ex- perience against teams which contain predominantly 1st and 2nd XII players. Page Forty-three Partt has led the team admirably and every member has shown considerable verve and enthusiasm, but this has not been enough when matched against the skills of Arden and Vernon. Consequently, Warren were overcome by 20—3 and 16—5 respectively. The margins of defeat would have been more sub- stantial, had it not been for the 100% efforts of all concerned. Remembering our run-away victory in the summer gala, in swimming Warren's hopes for success would appear to lie in the future. Our U.12, U.14, and U.16 grades each contain one or two swimmers of great ability. It is only in the open grade that we lack the necessary talent to effect another success in the winter gala. However, I am confident that our younger swimmers will more than compensate for this weakness. Warren have the honour of housing five bronze personal survival medal winners, which is more than any of the other Houses can provide. The bearers of the certificates are Mcllvride, Heywood, Singleton, Shackleton and Jones. The Inter-House cricket competition should, barring miracles, provide an opportunity for a Warren victory. We possess a wealth of talent and experience in this field of sport and I am extremely optimistic of our chances. In conclusion I should like to bestow my sincere thanks upon the com- mittee for their support, and upon Mr. A. R. Hawkes, who has ably filled the gap left by Mr. Jackson, and Mr. A. P. Smith, for his sound advice and en- couragement. T.L.J.

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Page Forty-four fern

SIXTH SENSE FOR SIXTY-SIX "You have time to spare and nothing to do; Take up your pen write something new. If I'd had my gun I'd have shot him down dead, But I just told him what he could do instead." 'Yes, sir. If you would like to come this way, I'll show you the Hall, first. Here we stand in the place of prestige, beneath the organ and nearest the doors, superior and aloof... These are the two Sixth Form bases. From the outside they look like the rest of the School, they have the same veneer of tradition, but inside they are bright and fresh, the only rooms in the School which have a good view of the outside world ... Just in front of us is the new gymnasium, and just round the corner is the pavilion, the buildings where we are concerned with re- leasing our pent energy and feelings. Notice we separate our mental endeavours from our physical by several yards of reinvigorating fresh air ... 'Along this side of the school, tradition is upheld. That is the Governor's Room, and here, the Library. Here the enduring societies of the school hold their meetings—the debaters declaim in the Library, the visiting preachers in the Governor's Room. There too, the glory and pageant of the actors are stored when, for a brief space, another world is created and a tradition enhanced ... 'It is strange how we have set our scientists apart from the rest of the School, here in the Science Block. Is the Library as alien to them as the labora- tories are to us ? We do not know. We rarely see them, except to air our differences, neglecting what we have in common. Raleigh was a poet and a chemist—that's not on our syllabus ... 'Our forefathers believed that a school that ate well, worked well. The dining-hall was thus the first new building for many years. Now we believe that a school which eats together, will work together, so we have extended the dining- hall ... 'Yes, I was a Junior, before the Head's house was built, when the dining- hall was our classroom, when there was no Junior T. I remember the fire in the kitchens, and all the buildings being built. It was a house, you know, that's why it's so homely and friendly. . . 'I think I've shown you just about everywhere. No, we have not got any postcards, only the Appeal booklet. Goodbye!" Thirteen years, and not one wasted. Turn again, the Founder was Lord Mayor of London. We have the rooms with a view of the outside; no wonder the Sixth sing with joy every morning, and decide how to rule the world while work waits. There is no world but us. We live in a world of our own. Write something new about something so old ? It's already been said, it's already been told. But I threw down my gun and picked up my pen; It's been said before, but I can say it again. Jhon. Page Forty-five JUNIOR SCHOOL We have been delighted to welcome Mr. Johnson to the staff. He has come to take charge of Mathematics and to be form-master of J.A. His keenness and enthusiasm in the classroom and outside are much appreciated both here and in the Senior School where he is doing great work with the under 13 XV. We also welcome Mrs. Entwistle who is taking J.T. and J.A. for Science. The acquisition of a new room downstairs has greatly added to the facilities for teaching Science and other subjects where visual aids are available. The football team has met with moderate success, winning two matches and losing three but there is a strong nucleus in J.A. and the long-term prospects are excellent. We have been indebted to Mr. Roberts who has given a great deal of time to coaching and we hope that next term the results will improve. The main feature is the wholehearted enthusiasm by both players and spectators among whom are many ex-Juniors casting envious eyes at the round ball. We continue to be indebted to parents who help us with transport and to Mrs. Hawksworth and her ladies who provide the teas. J.T. FORM NOTES Form-Captain: D. C. Tomlinson. Vice-Captain: C. D. N. Morris. We are now in J.T. and we all like it very much. We are meeting many new teachers in J.T. : we have Mrs. Entwistle for biology, Mrs. Thompson for art, Mr. Wilson for geography, and Mr. Roberts for football. In Geography, we have studied Holland, and in particular the canals, Amsterdam, and the Zuider Zee scheme. We have seen films of many different parts of Holland, and made notes about them. We also have seen two films on fishing, and one superb one on Scotland. In English we are revising parts of speech and punctuation, and putting all about them in a note-book with the help of Mr. Reeman. In arithmetic with Mr. Johnson we have been doing algebra, the metric system, area, volume, square roots and many more things besides. We are now doing a lot of revision for the Christmas exams. In Biology, we have made an aquarium and we are all taking it in turns to feed the fish. Also we are learning about the life of a salmon in full detail. In Gym we are learning to do forward and backward rolls, swinging on ropes and doing many types of headstands and handstands. Also we play many different kinds of games, such as pirates. In Woodwork, most of us have finished our 11-plus folder, and have started to make a Christmas present which is a wooden toast-rack made to hold 4 pieces of toast. The football season has begun and the school captains have been chosen. Dawson and Waine are joint captains and we all think this is a very good choice. In History we are studying the Civil War in project form and there are 9 groups comprising of three people in each. In music this year some boys have been chosen as reserves for the Christ- mas Carol Service. This year, librarians and gardeners have been chosen from J.T. JA FORM NOTES This year we have a new Form-master Mr. C. Johnson whom we like very much and we hope he likes us. We also welcome a new boy, J. Greenfield. Mrs. Fox now takes us for swimming every Thursday. Mr. Bromley takes us for handwork and certainly makes us work. Mrs. Scott takes us for history on Thursdays and Saturdays, which we enjoy. For biology we have Mrs. Entwistle and we are learning to identify trees. Page Forty-six Mr. Johnson takes us for arithmetic and we have done fractions and decimals. We watch "Primary Mathematics" on television every Monday. In our form we have three newspapers. The editors are: D. J. Lomas, C. F. Dunn and J. S. Barr. We are also starting a chess club, whose organisers are I. R. Stockfis, and P. J. Robinson. Mr. Johnson has started a four-a-side football league. Several boys are on the school team which has been very successful. We have our own football team "Stockport Rovers." They have played twice this year against St. George's choir, and 1st High Lane cubs. This year we elected vice-captains for the houses: T. P. Harrison for Nicholson, C. F. Dunn for Arden, J. H. W. Hill for Warren, and P. J. Robinson for Vernon. We have all seen the school play "Richard III" and enjoyed it very much. We have a team of shifters which prepare the benches and hymn books for prayers in the music room. JUNIOR B Form Captain: R. J. Coleman. Vice-Captain: S. C. Lowe. Now we are in Junior B, we have no new boys but Hughes has been in America for two years and has now come back. We have been measuring our classroom and it is 24 ft. 8 ins. by 14 ft. 10 ins. We also made some computers which gave us an easy way of finding information. Round the room we have pictures of Norman Knights and the battle of Hastings, and the pictures of the Bayeux Tapestry. Some boys have had accidents this term, the worst being Ensor when he fell out of an oak tree while gathering acorns. He broke his wrist and had to write with his left hand most of the term. Then Radford fell off the bus near the School gate, he was staggering up the School path when a Senior School Master rescued him and took him to the Infirmary to be stitched up. After that Peters had a nasty fall on the play-ground which made a lump on his fore-head. Most of us like Swimming on Thursday afternoons. Kociuruba is very good indeed but most of us can swim; there are only nine non-swimmers. We also enjoy gym with Mr. Johnson and we have the apparatus out. We do hand-stands and head-stands and climb the ropes, and we play cross-legged football. We play real football on Friday and we think the showers are much better than the footbaths we had in J.C. On November 8th we saw the school play and we enjoyed it so much that we practised a lot of special sword thrusts the next day ! In Handwork we have made a wallet, a notebook, and a calendar; some of us have made little gonks out of conkers. We are all going to the Christmas Fair as many of our mothers have stalls and we have grown bulbs for the Junior school stall. We are looking forward to the Carol Service on the last evening of term. JUNIOR C Form-Captain: J. Beesley Vice -Captain: S. J. Oakes The boys in Junior C are enjoying their new activities. Football is most popular. We find it most difficult to learn to play as a team, but we all join in with enthusiasm. One or two members find the mud most attractive. We enjoy using the new gymnasium, and are most venturesome on the apparatus which we find there. Page Forty-seven Mr. Steele's room is quite exciting. A number of boys have brought instru- ments to school, including a clarinet which was 200 years old, brought by P. G. Kay. Four boys have piano lessons, and two have violin lessons. R. S. Bateson took part in Whaley Bridge music festival where he played the piano and ob- tained high marks. We are now watching out for various types of birds which may come to our gardens to feed in the winter. S. J. Oakes breeds budgerigars and he has told us how he trains them. Most of us have joined the libraries near our homes, and we are keen to bring to school books about Early Man or people living in other countries. We have a wonderful view from our form-room window. The breadth of sky en- courages us to watch the clouds and keep our weather chart up-to-date. We have enjoyed reading the newspapers published by J.T. and J.A., and have howled with delight at the jokes and sharpened our wits on the quizzes. Encouraged by this, the first edition of the J.C. Special, edited byC. H. Cooper, has appeared. A second paper, the J.C. Express, edited by C. P. Holliday, is also circulating. We had a good time producing two plays just before half-term. We would like to thank mothers and sisters for lending costumes. We also enjoyed watching a play produced by Junior B. Miss Thornely said she had no idea that she had so many pretty girls in her form. We now look forward to seeing Junior B's puppet play,the Carol Services and the Christmas Party. J.D. FORM NOTES We are working hard and enjoying school. Now we can all read, we use our form library regularly. Most boys enjoy writing and drawing their own stories, some can now write two pages. One lesson that we all look forward to each week is the television programme; we are watching the series "Finding Out" and the lesson on the History of the Railways was watched with great interest and en- thusiasm. Our weekly visit to the Clay cellar during the first part of the term was very successful, and some boys managed to make life-like models of yachts, animals, and gnomes, but there were a few casualties when they were painted. All boys in J.D. enjoy using the apparatus in the new gym and two boys can climb to the top of the ropes; our favourite indoor game is dodge-ball. Earlier in the term we joined the rest of the Junior School for a Harvest Festival service; the fruit and flowers we brought were sent to old people in hospital. At the service we also collected toys for poor children. We are now busy rehearsing for our Nativity play and all J.D. are looking forward to the other Christmas festivities, particularly the fancy-dress party. J.E. FORM NOTES There are 22 boys in our form. We came in September and enjoy school very much. There are so many new things to do and learn that it is difficult to choose our favourite lessons. We look forward each week to P.E. in the new gym where we climb, jump and swing. We also enjoy Music and movement and band. We have been weighing and measuring sand and water and using rods and cubes to discover mathematics. Our new reading books are beautifully illustrated about the adventures of Old Hob and his family of Animals. We write our own News and illustrate it with gaily coloured pictures. Earlier this term we made models of witches for Hallowe'en and a Guy for November 5th. We are now getting ready to make decorations and looking for- ward to the Christmas festivities. We wish everyone a very Happy Christmas.

Page Forty-eight LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LETTER FROM LONDON

University College, Gower Street, The Editor, London, W.C.I. The Stopfordian, Stockport Grammar School, Stockport, Cheshire. 14th November, 1966

Dear Sir, Night is falling fast upon the city. As I write this letter, I see the buses and outward-bound commuters thronging the rainy Bloomsbury streets as the even- ing rush-hour begins. Above me the Post Office Tower looms into the sky, a brilliant mass of winking red and yellow lights. The roar of traffic lulls my brain as I try desperately to reproduce on paper my experiences of the past few weeks in this mad, frightening, awesome, fascinating city. Here it is, teeming with life, in its streets, squares and parks, always holding the prospect of something new and exciting and just as eager to swallow up the unlucky ones. In London the university and the city itself are inseparable. University College lies within easy reach of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street and the West End, the British Museum, Hyde Park, and St. Pancras railway station, where John Betjeman is often to be seen stroking the stonework of this rather flamboyant manifestation of Victorian neo- Gothic. University College is also vast; containing nearly 4,000 students it has been more or less rebuilt since the war, when the Blitz laid it in ruins. Even today, the presence of prefabs and irregular walls on several buildings cannot completely hide the scars. There is no better place than London in which to demolish forever one's adolescent illusions. The writer must confess that he entertained ideas of rising early on Sunday mornings and taking a quick stroll along the Thames Embank- ment before breakfast. He is now quite accustomed to limiting his constitu- tional to Fred's paper-stall on the North Circular Road, somewhere near Enfield. Alas, the joys of the Metropolis are half an hour's ride away on the Piccadilly line, and the fare will cost you l/9d., ducks, and no back answers. The tube trains are, indeed, an essential part of London life. Everybody tries to pretend that he is the only person on the train, or rather, that everyone else is invisible. It is a well-known fact that people buy newspapers not to read on the train, but to hide behind. However, it does no harm to take reading- matter on the tube. If you don't you are soon reduced to staring at people's feet (never their faces !), and after you have been threatened with a raised eyebrow or a suspicious glare, you only have the advertisements to fall back on. The aim of every commuting student is to own a season ticket, which he waves airily in the ticket-collector's face. Too much arrogance in this direction usually results in acrimonious shouts of: "All right, Rothschild, 'and it over. Could be yore 'ealth card, for all I know". London is often referred to in certain commercial circles as "the swinging city". Although this epithet will usually send a true Londoner into an epileptic fit, he will grudgingly admit that the old place has changed a little. The age of the mini-skirt and the discotheque, of Carnaby Street and Golden Egg Snacker- ies is with us, though for how long is anybody's guess. Male boutiques abound everywhere, each frequented by its own hard core of beribboned proselytes. Page Forty-nine Soho by night is a mass of strip clubs, cosmopolitan restaurants, and gimmicky clip-joints. There is even an all-night chemist in Piccadilly which caters for drug-addicts who need a "fix" at short notice. Oxford Street resounds with brash pop music floating out from the discotheques. Alcoholics and beggars lurk in the alleyways of Waterloo Station. The event of the month, however, is Bonfire Night in Trafalgar Square, when the fountains are alive with bathers and the police are on double time. There's no doubt about it, it's all happening. So, if you will now excuse me, I shall conclude and entrain for the suburbs. London is slowly claiming my entire existence; already I am reckoning on where to stand in the lift so that I can be first out for the train, and counting up my change for the bus ride afterwards. Noise, crowds, rush, excitement j this is my life. And I love it all. Yours faithfully, AUBREY BEARDSLEY.

LETTER FROM DURHAM The University, Durham. The Editor, The Stopfordian, Dear Sir, If you wish to sacrifice atheism for atmosphere, and comfort for a medieval castle, then Durham is the place for you. Here, in the Oxbridge of the North, students eagerly await the first sign of snow, in the hope that they will be stranded, unable to attend lectures. Shivering behind our newly-grown beards, we are always on the look-out for a hot time. Parties abound. Dances, debates, and films occupy every night, leaving the debauched student very little time for academic pursuits. Unfortunately, Stopfordians are rather thin on the ground in this seat of learning. Despite this, they are scoring triumphs in various fields—"Ah, Durham ist such a wondrouse, romantik, place" W. S. Hakespeare. It has been rumoured that Richard is a likely winner of the "most luxuriant beard in Durham" contest, and also that Peter has passed his Preliminaries in snooker, with Billiard subsidiary. The ancient city of Durham is now assuming a more modern aspect, as a number of ambitious new building-schemes come to fruition. Most impressive of these is the newly-completed Dunelm House, standing on the banks of the River Weir, which provides a centre for many student activities. The new sports centre, science and arts blocks rank alongside it as fine examples of modern buildings. Although more resembling a country town than a city, Durham has an acute traffic problem owing to the narrowness of its streets. As a result each student is only allowed two cars ; however, hovercraft are not, we must repeat, NOT encouraged, because there has been trouble with the boat club. But many students prefer to walk, this being the most convenient way of getting from lecture to lecture, women's college to women's college, doctor to doctor. In short, there is something for everyone in Durham, or at least, within easy reach. Football at Sunderland (There are rumours that Mr. Bill Johnston has just taken over as manager there), a wide range of theatrical, musical, and intellectual happenings—and the beer's dirt cheap ! Yours etc., DUNELM. Page Fifty OLD STOPFORDIANS' ASSOCIATION President: D. Boyle, Esq., 39 St. Lesmo Road, Edgeley, Stockport. Hon. Secretary: W. A. Kershaw, Esq., "The Firs", Kitts Moss Lane, Bramhall, Cheshire. Hon. Treasurer : B. Tomlinson, Esq., 46 Cavendish Road, Hazel Grove, Cheshire. Subscriptions : Life Membership £5 5s. Od. Annual: £1 Os. Od. (due 1st March in each year). Magazines for Life Members: 10s. per annum.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE In this short message, I hope to give you some idea of what a pleasant experience it is to be President of the Old Stopfordians' Association. It is well known that in some Associations the President's duties consist of taking the Chair at the Annual Dinner and the Annual General Meeting, but, with the Old Stopfordians, he is brought into every aspect of the life of the Parent Association, the Sports Clubs and of the School itself. Already, since my election last May, I have enjoyed splendid evenings with the Golfing Society at Prestbury, the Lacrosse Club at the Deanwater Hotel, Woodford, and the Football Club at the Royal Hotel, Hayfield. On the 21st October, the Head- master and I were guests of the London Branch of the Association at its Annual Dinner at the Euston Tavern. By a happy coincidence, the Lacrosse Club played at Cambridge University on the Saturday, and Mr. Scott and I were able to attend the game. It was an excellent weekend, and I very much appreciated the hospitality of the London Branch and of Mr. and Mrs. Goddard. Many of you will be aware that Mr. Goddard was very actively concerned in the formation of the London Branch, and he must be proud of the progress it has made. School functions to which I have been invited include Speech Day, Sports Day, the Swimming Gala, and more recently, the Play and the Memorial Service. I now look forward to the Carol Service on the 20th December and Founder's Day on the 16th March. The link between the School and the Old Boys' Association grows stronger year by year, and it is vitally important to the pros- perity and development of both. I can assure the Governors and the Headmaster that the Old Stopfordians are most grateful for the way the facilities of the School are placed so unreservedly at their disposal. The Association's Barbecue on the 10th September brought nearly 400 Old Boys and friends to the School, but there was plenty of room for many more 1 The proceeds were in aid of the Pavilion Fund, which is still making steady pro- gress. Further efforts will be necessary but we are now in the position when we can seriously consider seeking quotations for the erection of a suitable building, an asset long desired by the Football and Lacrosse Clubs. Arrangements have been made for the Annual Ball, which will be held at the Town Hall, Stockport, on Friday, 13th January, 1967. There is no need to be superstitious about the date—the Committee has taken every precaution and worked tremendously hard to ensure that everyone has a wonderful evening. Their efforts deserve success, and I look forward to the support of every Old Boy who can possibly attend. Page Fifty-on« Whose hat?

Does it belong to a pilot ? a navigator ? an engineer ? a logistics expert ? a personnel manager ? a ground defence commander ? an air traffic controller ? a teacher ? or someone else ?

The fact is, a lot of people just don't Schools Liaison Officer for an informal realise how many different careers chat. Or, if you prefer, write to Group there are in the R.A.F. today—or how Captain M. A. D'Arcy, R.A.F., Adastral many different ways there are of House, (2sFMi),London, W.C.I. Please starting. This is a pity—because in give your age and say what qualifica- this age of Global Air Mobile Defence, tions you have or are studying for, and with swing-wing aircraft, vertical take- what kind of work in the R.A.F. off and all the rest, the opportunities most interests you. are far too good to be missed. If you are interested in becoming an Make your career in,..—^ R.A.F. officer, ask your Careers Master for some leaflets—or get him to arrange for you to meet your R.A.F. The Rbyal Air Force

Page Fifty-two Before the Ball, however, we can anticipate the pleasures of the Festive Season. To all Old Stopfordians then,!to their families and to all connected with the School, my very best wishes for a wonderfully Happy Christmas and for Health and Prosperity in the New Year. DAVID BOYLE.

THE BARBECUE Our Annual Barbecue was held at the Grammar School in September, and our grateful thanks are due once again to the Governors and Headmaster for their permission. This event has now become a social gathering by general demand, and the profits are exclusively put towards the Old Boys' Pavilion Appeal. This year we raised over £150 on the evening, as a result of a great deal of hard work by the President and Committee. The Tombola and Bingo had the usual crowds waiting to spend their money. The Sideshows contributed more in cash than ever before, and our share of the proceeds from the two Greenall Whitley bars showed that Old Stopfordians' had greater thirsts than ever before ! The President had suggested that chicken should be on the menu, in addition to all the usual barbecue fare. This proved to be a very popular choice, and all had sold out by the end. One of the best exponents of dance music in the North West—The Savan- nah Jazz Band—played in the Hall, assisted by the School Beat Group. The result was a lively four hours of dancing, with jazz enthusiasts content to listen to the expertise of the Savannahs, ably lead by Mike Pembroke. A wonderful evening, and our thanks are due to all the Old Stopfordians who took part, those who organised, and those who came along. Wives of the Committee Members, lead by Mrs. Elsie Boyle, worked very hard, and Mrs. Hawkesworth from the School organised the coffee. A special thank you to the members of the clearing up squad on the Sunday morning, an unpleasant job always done well.

THE PAVILION APPEAL Old Boys generally were circulated in July with news of the Appeal. Many sent donations, which were gratefully acknowledged. Again we ask those who still have not given, to send us a cheque or cash to swell the total. We are building for posterity, and all Old Stopfordians should contribute. As a result of efforts in 1966, the Appeal now stands at £2,500. This has allowed the Sub- committee responsible to ask for professional guidance from Old Boys who are architects and civil engineers. Help has been given in this direction by Brian Bouskill and Tom Bedford, co-opted on to the Sub-Committee, and giving invaluable advice. 1967 is going to be a vital year in bringing our aim into a reality; we ap- proach the new year with this in mind.

MEMBERSHIP This has increased during 1966, in both old and young Stopfordians. Life membership applications have been received from Old Boys who were at School forty years ago. Most boys leaving School join the Association, and a thriving membership is guaranteed. Page Fifty-three ANNUAL CRICKET MATCH This match against the School was stopped by rain, which robbed the Old Stopfordians' team of a convincing win. Salt's batting was particularly worthy of note. W. A. KERSHAW, Hon. Secretary. OLD STOPFORDIANS' A.F.C. Hon. Secretary: Ian M. Duncan, 37 Thornhill Road, Heaton Mersey. Not a very good season so far. Of the games played by our first team we have won only two and lost the remainder, leaving us next to the bottom of the League Table. In most matches the team played very well up to half time, but dropped away in the second half, which may suggest that fitness or the lack of it has something to do with our lowly position. It is to be hoped therefore that more of pur players, especially first team players, take advantage of the training sessions in the gym on Monday evenings. Apart from the League Competition we reached the third round of the Cheshire Amateur Cup, defeating Mirrlees A.F.C. in the second round after a bye in the first, only to be defeated later by Middlewich Athletic. For the first time for a number of years we are turning out four teams each Saturday. The fourth team consisting mainly of our younger players, found the going very hard at first, but the team is now settling down with improving results. We have been working hard preparing the Harrison Towns Field for play, and with new goal posts kindly donated by our Vice-Chairman, Mr. Jack Bown, the field is now looking in good shape and we hope to have our first game there in the next week or so. In conclusion, we take this opportunity of wishing the masters and boys of the School and all members of the Old Stopfordians' Association a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. IAN M. DUNCAN. OLD STOPFORDIANS' LACROSSE CLUB For this new season we have Derek Morton and Tom Gare in charge of the 1st team and Norman Hulse and John Birtles in charge of the 'A' team. David Rakestraw takes over as secretary in place of Geoff Thomas who, regretfully, has now left the district. Results have, so far, been disappointing, although our playing strength has not been so good since the middle 50's. Both teams will be fighting very hard to finish high up in their respective divisions. In the past few years, we have been greatly indebted to the School for supplying emergency reinforcements. I would now like to think that senior members considering retirement will first give the School a helping hand on Saturday afternoons, before finishing with lacrosse for good. I must stress that we want new members all the time. Competition brings improved results, and we would like to run a third team. We had a very successful annual dance at the Deanwater in September— our next social event, apart from the Association Dance in January, is a jazz dance at the Woodford Community Centre on February llth. HUGH WILCOCK, Hon. Publicity Secretary. Page Fifty-four OLD STOPFORDIANS' GOLFING SOCIETY 1966 has been a good golfing year for the Society, and the meetings have all had full support from the members. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a rendezvous for the Autumn Meeting for, as you will appreciate, Golf Clubs do not welcome visiting parties on a Sunday. Cavendish Golf Club at Buxton would have us, but, in view of our past experience of the very wet condi- tions at this time of year, it was decided not to proceed and we will possibly in- corporate the competition for the Rowlinson-Thorniley Goblets into the Spring Meeting 1967. The full details for 1967 are now being arranged and members will be circularized in the near future. G. H. INCHLEY.

THE LONDON BRANCH The Old Stopfordians' (London Branch) Annual Dinner on 21st October was another enjoyable occasion as a result of Mr. L. S. Goddard's excellent preparations. It was a great pleasure to meet once again Old Stopfordians, young and old, who had come from as far away as Plymouth (Surgeon Com- mander R. H. Broughton, R.N., 1932-40), Leicester (R. E. Smart, 1919-28) and Cirencester (J. A. Tomlinson, 1949-63). Linking Greek Street and Buxton Road were, as ever, B. H. Imrie (1916-22) and L. R. Imrie (1913-19)—joined this time by F. Sowerbutts (1913-18), who has now retired from I.C.I, but as a former President of the Institute of Colour Chemists is preparing for a world tour in 1968. R. H. S. Booth (1914-20), a retired banker, agreed to become the Hon. Sec., while we expect to see more of R. P. Booth (1938-44), who is with Barrett's Sweets, in our own district. P. L. Evans (1943-51) is planning to continue his water purification in South Africa. K. H. Straw (1929-38) was down from semi-retirement in Oxford, and E. J. Cockroft (1928-32) from Culham. A. G. Jackson (1936-46) is an industrial author, and J. H. Clent (1921-25) distils essence. Dr. G. C. Hipwell (1939-51) could not be present at the last minute—a pity, because he qualified in Sydney, served at an eye hospital in Victoria, was head of a combined service surgical team in Vietnam in 1965, and now specialises in ophthalmic surgery at the Royal Eye Hospital. He is married, with three daughters. Trying to tie up traffic lights with computers, we gather, is G. Mitchel (1930-37). D. J. C. Lingard (1937-44) was re-elected to the Committee that never meets if he can help it, as was R. W. Lees (1927-36), a business consultant who will henceforth be the magazine correspondent for these notes. The Great Stores were present in the persons of J. Bewley (1946-57) who buys cloth and clothing for St. Michael, and M. F. Tavernor (1931-39) who progressed through Harrisons, to Debenhams, to Bobby's. I.C.I, came in with the presence of A. Creighton (1933-40) now an electrical designer, who, as Chairman of the Harpenden Photographic Society, provided the screen and showed the Head- master's slides of the School amid reminiscent asides from the audience. R. B. Faulkner (1929-32) is an engineer with I.C.I., too, while F. G. Gledhill (1930- 36) is with United Africa. Scientists at the dinner were P. G. T. Fogg (1941-48) at Northern Poly- technic, J. C. Case (1946-47) and J. S. Clarke (1942-47) at Alleyn's. G. D. Birtles (1935-43) is a fair impersonation of Mr. Heath. The medical profession was well represented by the brothers Broughton— Dr. W. E. (1929-36) is senior medical adviser to Shell International. We also enjoyed meeting J. A. Berten- shaw (1955-58) and younger Old Stopfordians. C. H. Walton (1939-49), back in England, felt The Stopfordian should give more news of O.S.—and this is what we wish, too, if they will tell us more ! Page Fifty-five FLEMING

Local Agent for the "OLD STOPFORDIAN" COLOURS

CRESTED TIES CRESTED SQUARES

POCKET BADGES (Original Gilt Wire Badge)

COAT OF ARMS (on Oak Shield)

CRESTED CUFF LINKS and TIE SLIDES CAR BADGES

10, UNDERBANK STOCKPORT

Tel. STOckport 2890

Page Fifty-six Dr. O. R. J. Lee (1924-32) is a management consultant (three years in Australia) and D. Kerr (1925-30) a commercial barrister. Speeches were made by Mr. Goddard, the Headmaster, and David Boyle (1921-26) who tried to prove that the President of the O.S. did a full-time job. The date of the next Dinner is October 20th 1967. FUTURE EVENTS ANNUAL BALL : This will be held at the Town Hall, Stockport on Friday 13th January 1967 from 8-00 p.m. until 2-00 a.m. with music by Jim Armstrong and His Orchestra. Tickets, obtainable from all Committee Members and Clubs, are one guinea. Three bars will be operated by Greenall Whitley. The President and Mrs. Boyle look forward to seeing many Old Boys and their partners at this, the most important event in the Old Stopfordian Calendar. ANNUAL DINNER : At the Grammar School on Wednesday, 15th March 1967. Applications for tickets are always oversubscribed, therefore the Secretary should be advised of requirements early in the New Year. No-one needs reminding of the past convivial evenings with their abundance of witty and stimulating speeches. FOUNDER'S DAY SERVICE : Thursday 16th March 1967 at St. Mary's Parish Church at 10 o'clock, with your President being invited to read one of the lessons. The Bishop of Stockport will give the address. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Some remain unpaid and should be sent, without delay, to the Hon. Treasurer. All were due on 1st March 1966. MR. ROBERT MERREY All Old Stopfordians will mourn the death of Mr. Robert Merrey, Sergeant at School from October 14th 1946 until retiring on July 16th 1964. He passed away on September 16th 1966, aged 67 years, at Stepping Hill Hospital. Prior to joining the School staff, Mr. Merrey was a member of the Derby- shire County Constabulary. He will be remembered by many Old Boys. W.A.K. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Mathematical Institute, University of Edinburgh The Editor, The Stopfordian. REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS AGO. Dear Sir, As another with a one-term acquaintance with the Greek Street School I am moved to write, not in the very slightest, to demur to the somewhat incrimi- nating mention of my name but tentatively to question the exactitude of your correspondent's recollection. For I believe his version of the dictation has undergone a sea-change of excision and permutation. Let me propose an emendation so:— 'An embarrassed cobbler met a harassed pedlar gauging the symmetry of a peeled pear with unparalleled and ingenuous scrupulosity.' Yours sincerely, W. L. EDGE (1915-23). P.S. The two versions also disagree in the spelling of one word. As I happen to be addressing in your person the Secretary of the Dramatic Society, may I claim in support Antony and Cleopatra V, 2,319 ? Page Fifty-seven WEDDINGS ASTINGTON—WILDE : John, the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Astington of Stockport, to Janet, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. Wilde of Warrington. MORGAN—FAIRBAIRN : On Saturday, 13th August, David R. Morgan to Jacolyn Ray Fairbairn. DEATHS J. J. HILDRUP— Who lived at Failsworth, Lancashire, died suddenly on July 19th. A. HINDLEY— Who formerly lived at Blacko, Nr. Nelson, passed away this year. S. W. PENNEY— Who lived at 32 Colwin Road, Bramhall, died November 3rd 1965. FRANK PEARSON WALTON— On 30th June, 1966 at Eastbourne, Sussex. He was a keen Old Stopfordian and was a member of the London Branch. CAPTAIN EDWARD HAY, T.D. (and clasp) Ted Hay, who died on May 24th this year, was at S.G.S. from 1910 to 1912, where he collected a science prize and a host of friends. He played cricket for the School and at football was a full-back of considerable merit—and comfort to shaky halves in front of him ! He later played full-back for Davenport. He was on the earliest S.G.S. mountaineering holidays. These Lake Dis- trict trips, rare in those days, were initiated by the Rev. B. N. Adams and Mr. A. South, who reigned over the 'Lab'. By the calendar too young for World War I, when he enlisted in the Stockport Territorials (6th Cheshires), and too old for a combatant unit in World War II, he saw plenty of service in both. In the first, as an officer in the Cambridgeshire Regiment, he was three times wounded; in the second he was taken prisoner when the Germans overwhelmed Crete and spent four years in Prisoner-of-War camps. Between the wars he was in Manchester business, often in West Africa, and after the second war in business in the Wirral till his death. A singularly kind and gentle man, he leaves a family and many friends the better for him. A. St. G. WALSH. NEWS OF OLD STOPFORDIANS D. Brierley (1945-55), has been appointed Chief Assistant to Peter Hall, Director of the Royal Stratford Company. J. H. Davies, (1951-6), is an Assistant County Land Agent and Valuer at Huntingdon. W. G. Deacon, (1949-61), a mining engineer, is back in Britain after two years in Zambia. He has taken up a mining appointment in Cornwall. J. F. Ellis, (1945-53), who has been Curate at St. Chad's, Ladybarn, and St. George's, Stockport, is Vicar of St. Thomas's, High Lane. I. M. Green, (1950-63), is teaching for a year under V.S.O. at Mfantsipim Secondary School, Ghana. D. E. Hatton, (1956-63), is a graduate trainee with the Wiggins Paper Group. C. H. Holt, (1949-60), is teaching Chemistry at Cambridge High School for Boys. Page Fifty-eight C. J. K. Mantell, (1956-63), has been given a year's contract with the Liverpool Repertory Company. W. A. Nield, (1929-32), has been appointed Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Office. David R. Morgan has taken up an appointment under the Ministry of Overseas Development, at St. Andrew's Secondary School, Minaki, Tanzania. W. I. Thompson has taken up an appointment as Deputy Treasurer to the Scunthorpe Hospital Management Committee.

OLD STOPFORDIANS' UNIVERSITY RESULTS 1966 The following results have reached us since our July issue went to press. Birmingham J. B. Davies, B.Sc., Hons. Chemical Engineering, Class I. Leeds J. H. Astington, B.A., Hons. English, Class II (ii). D. R. Eyre, B.Sc., Hons. Biochemistry, Class II (ii). R. S. Ireson, B.A., Hons. Geography-History, Class II (ii). W. N. Moss, B.A., Hons. English, Class II (ii). Liverpool J. K. Wigley, B.Sc. London A. W. Popple, B.Sc., Hons. Physiology, Class I. Loughborough University of Technology P. B. Wagstaff, B.Tech., Mechanical Engineering. Manchester I. A. Hamilton, LL.B.3 Hons., Class II (ii). C. J. K. Mantell, B.A., Hons. Drama, Class II (i). Oxford J. G. Holland, D.Phil., Geochemistry. J. G. Bissenden, B.A., Natural Science (Chemistry), Class II. I. M. Green, B.A., Modern History, Class III. B. C. Lane, B.A., Natural Science (Chemistry), Part I. S. A. Lee, B.A., Chemistry, Part 2, Class II. A. Lewis, B.A., Chemistry, Part 2, Class II. C. J. Saunders, B.A., Modern History, Class III. Sheffield J. L. Salt, B.A., Hons. History, Class II (ii). D. R. Withington, LL.B., Hons., Class II (ii). Other University News J. H. Astington, (1956-63), after graduating in English at Leeds, has been awarded a Graduate English Teaching Fellowship at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. R. B. Smith, (1957-64), having passed his 2nd M.B., has been selected to stay on at University College, London, to study for the B.Sc. Hons. degree in Anatomy before continuing his medical training. Page Fifty-nine Swain & Co., Ltd. High Street, Stockport.