2020 No. 41 Covid-19 has led to many people taking stock, with possibly a lot more time on their hands than usual, and this has happily led to a good many responses this year! Don Nicol (E4245) aka the Sphinx, opens this year’s At age 90 I find myself in a retirement complex, sound Bagpipe: The Sphinx arises from my being a rather silent in mind (though some might dispute this) but attached and impassive boy. At College, all boys were known by to a walker for bad balance. Like so many SA families, a nickname, usually very appropriate. Masters used our my offspring are scattered around the world. Two surnames; Christian names were not used at all. grandchildren in London, two in SA and three in Sydney. I always enjoy the Bagpipe, it awakens so many With best wishes to all Old Andreans. reminders of our schooldays. I did Law at UCT and was admitted as an Advocate but chose a career in business instead. I worked in management for an international corporation and this led me to working and living in 5 different countries - SA, Mozambique, New Zealand, the UK and Australia. I remember the days when groups of us were sent out for the day with sausages, coffee and condensed milk for a picnic in the bush. A runner would go ahead to book a place near a stream so that we had water 3 Espins - Left to right: Peter Tisdall (E52/56), Eric for the billycan. We cooked Brotherton (E53/57) and Brian Smith (E51/56) the sausages on a stick which The photograph is of three 1956 Espin prefects who invariably caught alight and charred meat was the meal all ran in the first race of the day on Sports Day that for the day…a simple primitive outing. The carefree days year. The race was the 220 yards’ sprint. All three gained of youth. Athletics Colours in that race which was won by Peter Saturday pocket money led straight to the tuck shop Tisdall in the record time of 23.00 secs. Brian Smith was for cream buns and creme soda. next followed by Eric Brotherton. Visits from parents were rare because it was wartime “Alastair Williams was somewhere in the mix but I and petrol was rationed. When they did come there was can’t remember where - they were all behind me!” – a grand meal at the Grand Hotel, which I understand is Peter Tisdall. He too gained his colours. The record was no longer in existence. never broken because in later years the distance changed Highlights of the year were Sports day, the House to 200 m. The previous record was held by Peter Searle Feast, Saturday rugby matches and the School dance. (E50/54). (Mac: all Espinites - must have spent many No shortage of exercise. I represented Espin in athletics nights running from the cops!) Brian Smith wrote: “Last and boxing and the school in U/16 rugby in 1945 (my year I attended a College luncheon in Wilderness where I Matric year). We had hot water for baths only twice a met up with Peter Tisdall and Eric Brotherton. The three week – on Wednesdays and Saturdays. of us earned our athletic colours in the open 220 yards Then there was the matter of education…we were in 1956. I just though it remarkable that all four of us are privileged to leave College well prepared for tertiary over 80 and still going strong.” challenges (Mac: such as beer drinking, and women....) Colin Brayshaw (A4853) writes: I have just turned and at UCT I was in the company of a score of Old eighty five and still enjoy playing golf. Andreans. After retiring as head of Deloitte on turning sixty I had 1 a second career as a director of Colonial Wars, which I’d been invited to join in the of companies over the next 1990s. I had transferred later on to the newly established twenty years. During this British branch of which I was the registrar/genealogist. period I was a director of some Membership entailed researching and thirty JSE listed companies. documenting every step of my Now I am fully retired and American ancestry going only involved in a few family back 350 years. I trusts for old clients. spent a week visiting I do find some days of lockdown Colonial Williamsburg very long as I guess do a number and Jamestown, as of people! well as the rural Bryan McGee (D/M 55/58) sent us this: county where my On the first of August, four OAs of the 58/59 vintage direct ancestors with their spouses met at the home of Johnny and Carolyn owned plantations in Coke on the Holkham Hall estate (www.holkham.co.uk), the 17th century. The restored and on the north Norfolk coast, where Johnny took us on reconstructed area of 18th century a conducted tour of the ancestral Hall and 25,000 acre Williamsburg is stunningly authentic in estate where, until his recent retirement, he ran the every aspect. The attention to detail, especially of the agriculture for his late brother Eddie Coke (M50/54), the employees & volunteers who carry out the actual daily 7th Earl of Leicester, and later for his nephew Tom, now life activities of our forebears, was convincingly accurate the 8th Earl. - nothing Disney-like about any aspect. The entire We were all at the 1956 - 1960 Leavers Reunion' in colonial area was homely and friendly and immersed November 2018 at College. me in the past. The same was true of my visits to the reconstructed forts at the two very early settlement sites at Henricus & Jamestown. The museums in Richmond & Jamestown were both educative and enthralling in the diverse ways in which they told the stories of the settler periods and earlier times, including clear expositions of slavery. My overall experience during my carefully planned visit exceeded my L-R Bryan McGee (Mu), Johnny Coke (Mu ), Michael expectations. I now have Murray (Espin), Ross James (Mu) in front of the North a vivid picture of how my earliest Virginian ancestor and Entrance to the Hall. his family lived when he was in command of the 1640s fort at Middle Plantation (now Colonial Williamsburg) as well as of his prosperous planter descendants. The Society of Colonial Wars dinner in Richmond was a white tie and tails affair, complete with miniature medals, port and cigars. The members were courteous and friendly and were reflective of the upper reaches of Virginian society. They take their history seriously and have excellent records of, and research into, every aspect of their British ancestries. We toasted HM The Queen after the Bryan McGee, Michael Murray, Johnny Coke and Ross President. My James. The column to commemorate 'Coke of Norfolk', fairly intensive the great agricultural pioneer is in the distance range of activities Anthony Bateman(X56/59) writes: I’m sending Bagpipe over seven days a write-up of my visit to Virginia in 2019 as it might be was made easy of interest to any OAs who, like me, are descended and pleasant by from someone who had held a public office or served the helpfulness, as an English or militia officer in the American colonies friendliness and before 1776. I had timed my visit to coincide with the fall old-fashioned convention of the Virginian branch of the General Society Southern 2 courtesy of all whom I met. Virginia is a beautiful place anchor or in a port. It was too intense after that. But I had to be, especially in the fall, and I strongly recommend the advantage of being able to retest all day long as we others to experience it. were together most of the time. Doug Sutherland (X55/59) sent us this fascinating The book I self-published about these four years is story: “Throw off the bowlines” and is available by contacting After the 1976 Cape to Rio Race on the yacht me on [email protected]. Dabulamanzi, I went to Argentina and ended up buying John Cruickshank (E54/57) writes: Don’t think I’ve the yacht Gaucho. Gaucho became our home for my ever ‘Piped about’ the past 60+ years! After leaving wife Marianne and our three children Rob (8) Andy (6) College, a brief and Jackie (3). job Production When after 4 years we returned to South Africa we Planning at had many stories to tell of our adventures. So many Rex Trueform times, I used to hear that I must write a book. Clothing factory That is easier said than done. in Cape Town. What finally prompted me to get going last year was Reputedly it when looking through various papers as retired people was the largest in the do, I came across all the letters both my father in law world, but sadly no and mother had kept which we had written to them. longer operating! I studied part Letters are an instant “photo” of what happened and time and full time at the UCT so many memories were rekindled. There was more Commerce Department. After documentation in the form of both my daily journal and a couple of years, I joined the yacht’s log plus I remembered that a photojournalist the Norwich Union Fire had visited Gaucho when we were in St Thomas, a U.S. Insurance Society, again sadly island in the Caribbean. He was putting together a book no longer operating. During this era called “DOWN BELOW – aboard the world’s classic saw several OA’s at UCT and in Cape Town.