THE PETERITE VOLUME 412 1994-95 JOHN BROWN 1931 -1995 THE PETERITE 1994-1995 No. 412 Contents PAGE PAGE Commemoration 2 Athletics 64 Prizewinners 7 Cricket 65 House Reports 8 Tennis 70 Senior Common Room 20 Fencing 72 Chapel 22 Boat Club (Unisex) 72 Drama 23 Oxford Cup 74 Music 24 Cambridge Cup 74 Physics Awards 29 GIRLS' GAMES Clubs and Activities 30 Hockey 76 R.A.F. Camp 32 Swimming 78 A Tale of Two Heads 34 Cross-Country 80 R.N.P. Valedictory 37 Netball 81 Travel 38 Squash 83 Words and Pictures 44 Tennis 84 Colour Section 49 Athletics 85 SPORTS - BOYS' GAMES Rounders 86 f Rugby 55 Library and Archives 87 Cross-Country 61 Competitions 90 Hockey 62 Old Peterite News 92 Squash 62 Snapshots 98 Swimming 63 Photographs by D. S. Newman, D. J. Spencer, C. W. Hall, Lucy Robertson, M. J. Grant, Yorkshire Evening Press et al. Cartoons by Guy Roberts. Editor: D. S. Newman. LATE NEWS We regret to announce the recent death of Mr. Peter Croft. Next year's Peterite will contain a tribute to him. 1 COMMEMORATION Below we print the text of the Headmaster's leaving Baker. He added that this would be her first appearance address: at Covent Garden. Immediately a man in the audience shouted out, "And about time too." It would be You will not be surprised to know, and I must ask for impertinent of me to echo him but I do want to say what your tolerance, that I am in a somewhat reflective mood a special honour it is for us to have such a celebrated guest this morning. Today, except for some finishing touches with us. We give her and her husband a very warm during the holidays, marks the end of my thirty-five years welcome. in teaching, my seventeen years as a Headmaster and the Dame Janet will be addressing us in a few minutes. decade when I have had the opportunity and privilege to I guess that she will have more of substance to say than lead this school. You will sympathise with me as I question that other Speech Day guest of honour who, having done whether I have been abje to emulate the status and the task several times before, said to the Headmaster, achievements of the great Headmaster's of the past. There "What I do is congratulate the prizewinners, admit I never was for instance Dr. Busby, Headmaster of Westminster won anything, place the responsibility for future world in the 1640's. When asked why he had kept his hat on peace squarely on their shoulders and ask for a half- while showing King Charles II round the school, he holiday. Okay?" replied, "It would not do for my boys to suppose that Usually at this point I have a further visitor to thank, there existed in the world any greater man than Dr. namely the preacher at our Minster service. This year, Busby." Or nearer our time in the earlier part of this my last Commemoration, I particularly wanted to invite century a boy asked Allington, the famous Headmaster Steven Harvey to address us and am very glad that he of Eton, "Is there any difference between a Headmaster and God?" Allington paused and then replied, "Yes there accepted. I knew from hearing over the years his excellent is, but so long as you are a member of this school the contributions day by day in Chapel that his sermon on difference need not concern you.'' I fear that as I look this special occasion would be good, and so it was. I thank back I do not possess quite this degree of confidence. Steven for this morning; I thank him also for all that he Indeed as I stand here in my finery I wonder whether contributes to the community of the school. I recently Margot Asquith's comment on Lord Kitchener may be came across a Headmaster's definition written in 1932 of somewhat nearer the knuckle: "He was not a very good what makes a good school chaplain. Allowing for the general but he made a good poster.'' And as to reflecting dated references to 'boys' and 'public school' it hits the on what I have achieved during my Headship that useful target: motto of Pope John XXIU may not be too far off the mark: "See everything, ignore a good deal, improve things He has got to be a young-minded man who is where possible." But before the reminiscences I have the a figure in the life of the school, not someone pleasure of paying respects and compliments to our apart, a grim ecclesiastical figure, different from distinguished guests. other men, but a man the boys have come to like It is always a great honour to have the Lord Mayor and respect in other spheres of school life. He with us at Commemoration. This school, founded in 627 has got to be ordinary, natural, genuine. But A.D. and, in those well-quoted words of A. F. Leach, religion must be the chief interest of his life; thers "Older than the House of Commons, older than the is no doubt about that, for no one so quickly and universities, older than the Lord Mayor, older than the correctly sums up a man as the public school boy. House of Lords, older even than the throne or the nation itself', is part of the fabric of the City of York. To have There is much in that which speaks of Steven Harvey, its First Citizen with us is a special privilege, and we thank and we all thank him for both his sermon and for his you, Lord Mayor, and wish you very well for your term continuing ministry within the school. of office. I also wish to acknowledge the contribution to the Dame Janet Baker modestly describes herself in Who's service this morning of Andrew Wright, our Director of Who as a 'professional singer'. In fact we are greeting Music, and his choir and instrumentalists. Schools, I today one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos of all time and believe, should heed those lines in The Merchant of one with close York links: a pupil at York College and Venice: now Chancellor of the University of York. I hope that Dame Janet will permit me to describe the occasion The man that hath no music in himself twenty-five or so years ago when I went to Covent Garden Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, to hear The Trojans by Berlioz. Just before the Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; performance the curtains twitched and a man in a dinner The motions of his spirit are dull as night, jacket emerged to tell us that Josephine Veazey was And his affections dark as Erebus; indisposed and that Dido would be sung that night by Janet Let no such man be trusted. six bronze awards and four commendations. Also half of the twelve applying this year for Oxford and Cambridge have secured offers (conditional of course on their A- Level results). It is in the area of games that I have to tread with particular care; there are many toes to avoid. However, I think it right for me to note: our hosting of the six-school cricket festival last summer; a very positive rugby season, the best for a number of years with a successful 1st XV tour of North Wales, an outstanding 2nd XV record of twelve wins and strong junior talent coming through; the girls' netball won all its matches; the girls' squash and swimming were particularly strong; and the Boat Club, giving exercise and pleasure to many pupils, has as ever won a good clutch of trophies. Musical highlights have been the Mozart Requiem, the Chamber Choir's tour of Spain and Gibraltar, Graham Kershaw's performance of the Hummel trumpet concerto and an excellent concert Czechmate which was a fine showcase of so much of our varied and gifted musical talent. Cabaret in December was surely one of Ian Lowe's very best productions and much enjoyed by all of us who made our way to the Kit Kat Club of the Memorial Hall. Then there have been Careers Forums and Careers Open Evenings; a sixth form Thank you, Andrew, for what you do through the Challenge for Management course; a third year music to move us and to lighten our spirits. And our good Technology Day; Science Society lectures and wishes to you and your performers when you embark next demonstrations; visits by Lady Antonia Fraser, the month on your East European tour. Archbishop of York and David Woodhead of National A feature of Headmasters' prizegiving speeches is a ISIS; and holiday trips to the French Alps, Florence, the report on me year about to end. Those of you who have First World War battlefields and, with the Mountain and heard me before on these occasions will know that I arti Outdoor Club, to Snowdonia and the Highlands. There not overfond of lengthy recitals of exams passed, matches have been many individual achievements with R.A.F. won and mountains climbed. The audience's boredom is flying scholarships and Army sixth form scholarships not the only factor in my mind; there is also the hazard won, and we note Rachael Ogden's various athletics of offending those whose achievements and endeavours, triumphs and Matthew Dodgson's selection for the if not necessarily overlooked, have at least not been Yorkshire Under-18 Rugby Tour to South Africa.