The Suttonian 1952 (Christmas Term)

THE

SUTTON IAN

CHRISTMAS TERM 1952

CONTENTS PAGE

Editorial ..

3

School Officials

4

School Notes

4

Valete

5

Salvete

6

Chapel Notes

6

Library Notes

6

Our Contemporaries

7

C.C.F. Notes

7 ••

Scout Notes

11

Upper School Scout Camp at Ripple

11

Summer Camp, 1952

12

Cinema Notes

12

Hunting Society ..

13

Clubs and Societies

13

Lectures

15

..

"God's Own Country"

15

Austrian Alps, 1952

19

Holiday Parties, 1953

21

Rugby Football ..

21

..

28

Shooting Notes

Provisional Fixture List

28

••

29

0.S. Cricket Week..

30

O.S. Dance ..

31

The Marden Fruit Show

31

Oxford Letter

31

O.S. Notes

Correspondence

.

32

THE SUTTON1AN CHRISTMAS TERM, 1952

No. 219 (No. I of Volume XXVIII)

Editorial

THE plan, announced on Speech Day, 1952, with the approval of the Governors,

for the conversion of Lambe's House into a Senior House has this term come

into action. Bennett and Holdgate Houses will gradually become the most junior houses, whilst Lambe's "grows up," a process which will be completed in two or three years. Already Lambe's has begun to develop new characteristics and qualities ; encouraged by its elder brothers in St. Margaret's and Westminster, a few of whom went down the hill to help to pilot the house along its new course, Lambe's can confidently look forward to the day when it can hold its own with the other senior houses.

But the change taking place in Lambe's is not the only one. Over the last few years, the number of day boys in the School has steadily increased. This term they number almost sixty. They are, therefore, of a size to begin to compete with the senior houses. Consequently, a plan comparable with that referred to above has this term come into action for the day boys, whose house has now been named Founder's House. It has never lacked house spirit and will prove worthy of its new name.

In a few years' time, therefore, we shall see inter-house competitions taking the form of four-sided contests. The spread of competition must surely be to the general advantage. We extend our hearty good wishes to these two houses as they make their way towards taking their place by the side of St. Margaret's and Westminster.

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THE SUTTONIAN

School Officials Head of School : J. R. Wood School Prefects :

C. R. G. Cullen P. D. Hull P. R. Anderson House Prefects : Westminster : St. Margaret's :

T. R. Hills D. S. Prentice P. Moise G. N. Clapp P. C. Greenshields J. G. L. Wall P. J. Mair

R. B. Aisher T. J. Aisher M. J. Bartlett R. M. Hancock J. L. Melvin P. H. Hugens

Founder's :

L. J. Daniels G. A. L. Hoad

M. A. Maberly M. Tyrie

Sports Committee :

The Headmaster (President) R. L. Kay, Esq. J. R. Wood P. R. Anderson E. A. Craven, Esq. C. R. G. Cullen N. P. Bentley, Esq. J. W. Thomson, Esq. T. J. Aisher Rugby Football :

C. R. G. Cullen (Captain) P. R. Anderson (Vice-Captain) J. L. Melvin (Hon. Sec.) Fives : J. R. Wood (Captain) Shooting :

T. R. Hills (Captain) D. S. Prentice (Hon. Sec.) Library Committee :

The Headmaster (President) L. N. Harvey, Esq. (Librarian) C. R. G. Cullen (Hon. Sec.) A. Pyne C. R. G. Shaw R. M. Beechey J. R. Wood W. J. K. Davies M. J. Bartlett Secretary of Societies : J. R. Wood Magazine Committee :

M. J. Bartlett (Editor) E. M. I. Moir R. M. Beechey E. M. Hollingsworth J. G. L. Wall C. E. Slater

School Notes J. R. Wood has been appointed Head of School and Head of Westminster.

C. R. G. Cullen has been appointed a School Prefect and Head of Founder's.

P. D. Hull has been appointed a School Prefect and Head of St. Margaret's.

P. R. Anderson has been appointed a School Prefect.

D. S. Prentice, P. Moise, G. N. Clapp, P. C. Greenshields, J. G. L. Wall and P. J. Mair have been appointed House Prefects in St. Margaret's.

R. B. Aisher, T. J. Aisher, M. J. Bartlett, R. M. Hancock, J. L. Melvin and P. H. Hugens have been appointed House Prefects in Westminster.

G. A. L. bad, M. A. Maberly and M. Tyrie have been appointed House Prefects in Founder's.

R. M. Biggs, C. D. Gerty, M. E. C. Rayner and A. T. Stimpson have been appointed House Monitors in Lambe's.

J. R. Wood, M. J. Bartlett, A. Pyne, R. M. Beechey and W. J. K. Davies have been co-opted to the Library Committee.

E. M. I. Moir, E. M. Hollingsworth and C. E. Slater have been co-opted to the Magazine Committee.

J. L. Melvin was elected Hon. Secretary of Rugby Football for the season 1952-53 at a meeting of the Sports Committee.

Football Colours have been awarded to : P. R. Anderson, J. L. Melvin, C. J. Rayner, T. J. Aisher, J. R. Wood, R. T. Blake, E. J. Evans, B. H. Lockhart, B. G. Keeble, A. H. W. Jones, T. E. Ridgewell, D. S. Prentice, T. R. Hills, M. J. W. Duncan.

2nd XV Colours have been awarded to : M. J. Bartlett, H. N. Dahlstrom, P. D. Hull, M. A. Maberly, J. H. Thyne, R. A. Griffin, P. H. Hugens, I. M. McIver,

THE SUTTONIAN R. Overy, M. D. Grundy, P. J. Mair, J. G. L. Wall, I. G. Cottle, E. D. Harrison and R. B. Aisher.

Colts XV Colours have been awarded to : A. F. Pearcy, R. C. Britton, P. N. Goddard, A. Nash, R. G. Stubblefield, P. A. Aisher, I. R. McNish, J. B. L. Green, A. J. Perkins, J. P. Gleave, J. J. Evershed, J. S. Andrews, D. A. Frost, J. G. Winter, J. R. Hedges, J. R. S. Bailey.

The School now owns a Ferguson tractor and a gang mower, which have been presented through the generosity of E. P. Day, Esq., 0.S., and Mrs. J. Darrah.

The latter's gift commemorates the late J. C. Kay, 0.S., killed in the First World War. We are deeply indebted to R. Wickham, Esq., 0.5., a Governor of the School, for the gift of the new rugger posts on the Old Upper.

We should like to congratulate Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Simmons on the birth of a daughter.

We should like to welcome M. J. R. Cooper, Esq., and A. J. Foulkes, Esq., who have joined the Staff this term.

A. J. Foulkes, Esq., is Assistant Housemaster to R. A. Graham-Smith, Esq., in St. Margaret's.

We welcome P. H. Hugens, from Westminster School, Simsbury, Connecticut, who is here with us for a year on an English Speaking Union Scholarship.

We also welcome J. L. Caliot, from France, who is staying with us for a year.

The Captain of Rugby Football wishes to thank all masters and boys who have helped with the games this term.

The Editor wishes to thank all contributors to this term's magazine.

5

Val ete D. S. PRENTICE (L. and M.-1946).-1946, Junior Cricket XI, Choral Society ; 1947, Under-14 XI, R.L.S.S. Intermediate ; 1949, R.L.S.S. Bronze Medallion, Colts XI; 1950, Cert. " A " (War), 2nd XI, R.L.S.S. Bar to Bronze Medallion, Shooting Colours (Open Range), R.L.S.S. Bronze Cross, House Swimming Team ; 1951, House Shooting VIII (Miniature Range), Shooting Colours (Miniature Range), L/Cpl. in C.C.F., 2nd XI Cap, 1st XI, Tennis VI, 2nd XV Colours, House XV, House XI; 1952, Hon. Sec. Shooting, Cricket Colours, Cpl. in C.C.F., House Shooting IV (Open Range), Capt.

House Cricket, G.C.E. (" 0" Level), House Prefect, Sjt. in C.C.F., Football Colours.

T. J. AISHER (L. and W.-1945).-1946, Under-14 XV ; 1947, Under-14 XI; 1949, Colts XI, Colts XV Colours ; 1950, Junior Athletics Team, 2nd XI Cap, 2nd XV Colours ; 1951, School Athletics Team, House Athletics Team, 1st XI Football Colours, House XV, Cert. " A " (War), L/Cpl. in C.C.F. ; 1952, Athletics Colours, Cross-country Colours, Public Schools Athletics, White City, Hon. Sec. Athletics, Capt. House Athletics, Cricket Colours, G.C.E. (" 0" Level), Cpl. in C.C.F., House Prefect, Sjt. in C.C.F. P. D. Hum. (L. and M.-1946).-1949, Colts XV Colours, Junior Athletics Team ; 1950, Cert. " A " (War), L/Cpl. in C.C.F., Under-16 XV, School Drill Squad, House Tug Team, House Athletics Team, House XV ; 1951, Cpl. in C.C.F., 2nd Cross-country VIII, Inter-House Drill Squad, 2nd XV Colours, Sjt. in C.C.F. ; 1952, House Prefect, School Athletics Team, C.S.M. in C.C.F., G.C.E. (" 0" Level), School Prefect, Head of House, 1st XV. P. J. MAIR (L. and M.-1947).-1947, Junior Soccer XI; 1948, Junior Cricket XI; 1949, Under-14 XI; Capt. Under-14 XV ; 1950, R.L.S.S. Intermediate, Colts XV Colours ; 1951, House Athletics Team, Colts XI, 2nd XV Colours, House XV, 2nd VII Kent Schools Sevens, Inter-House Drill Competition ; 1952, Junior Athletics Team, House Swimming Team, Cricket Colours, House Prefect, Cert. " A " (War).

P. C. GREENSHIELDS (B. and M.—l948).-1950, Inter-House Drill Competition ; 1951, Choral Society, Cert. " A " (War) ; 1952, C.C.F. Signals Classification (Maresfield), L/Cpl. in C.C.F., Dramatic Society, G.C.E. (" 0" Level), House Prefect, Cpl. in C.C.F.

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THE SUTTONIAN

R. L. CATCHPOLE (By. and W.-1949). -1952, Cert. " A " (War), G.C.E. (" 0" Level).

B. W. KNELLER (By. and W.-1947).-1952, G.C.E. (" 0 " Level). Goes to Pitman's College, Croydon.

J. C. KNox (By. and W.-1951).-1952.

Salvete Bailey, G. B. Bateman, R. A. R. Block, C. R. Catt, P. A. Grimwade (son of B. W. Grimwade, 0.S., 1928).

Sr. MARGARET'S.-S.

WESTMINSTER.-P.

H. Hugens (U.S.A.),

J. L. Caliot (France).

BENNETT.-S. D. Biggs (brother of R. M. Biggs), P. A. B. Birch, B. D. Bone, J. Box, R. D. M. Clifford, R. J. Edmonds, G. J. A. Hardy (son of G. T. Hardy, 0.S., 1917), G. K. Horner, A. W. Jones, R. J. M. Radford, J. L. R. Salzman.

HOLDGATE.-R. J. Barber, J. R. J. Barrow (brother of M. D. J. Barrow), D. M. Child, A. J. Cruttendon, D. F. Fenton, B. G. Fulljames (brother of J. S. Fulljames, 1951), P. R. Paris (son of P. J. Paris, 0.S., 1924), A. H. Pasfield, B. R. Pennington, I. J. Robertson, K. P. Tonge, R. H. H. White.

LAMBE'S.-R. J. G. Archer, M. Bayat, B. S. Bloodworth, S. J. Brown, J. R. M. Jeffryes, H. W. Saunders.

FOUNDER'S.-G. R. A. Argles, R. D. Brand, A. K. M. Bristow, J. G. Denning, M. P. Groves, J. E. Harvey, R. E. L. Hewett, P. D. Jordan, B. W. Megilley, T. O'Brien, D. Pares, D. J. Purnell, P. L. Selfe, T. 0. R. Shaw, A. J. Slee.

A. T. J. Smith (grandson of C. S. Smith, 0.S., 1891), W. H. A. Wade, P. D. Williams.

Chapel Notes We have welcomed as preachers in Chapel this term the Revd. C. M. Ruston (Chaplain of Jesus College, Cambridge), Captain the Revd. C. H. Rae, 0.B.E., R.N. (Rtd.) (Vicar of Burham), the Bishop of Rochester (the Rt. Revd. C. M. Chavasse, 0.B.E., M.C., M.D.), and R. L. Kay, Esq., M.C., M.A.

Collections have been taken for the Sutton Valence Parish Church, the Lynton Flood Relief Fund, the Chapel Fund, Earl Haig's Fund, the Church of England Children's Society and the Kent County Association for the Blind. Each of these has been well supported despite the extra number of collections. This is a great encouragement.

An additional encouragement has been the increased regular attendances at the celebration of Holy Communion this term.

The customary Carol Service is being held on Sunday, December 11. The choir are also joining the Parish Church choir to sing in the village church in the evening The lessons will again be read by a member of the domestic staff, a member of the choir, the choirmaster, the Head of the School and the Headmaster.

Library Notes At the end of the Summer Term a longoverdue task was undertaken—the compiling of a subject catalogue. For this we are indebted to R. F. Budd, whose energy and enthusiasm enabled him to carry out this work single-handed, and to whom all users of the Library are grateful. The Committee thank :— Lt.-Col. E. H. Hillersdon, Chairman of the Sutton Valence Committee, for "The Wild Green Earth," by B. Ferguson ; "Ill Met by Moonlight," by W. S. Moss ; "Mexican Empire," by H. M. Hyde ; "Eastern Approaches," by F. Maclean ; "Rommel,"

by D. Young ; "They Went to Portugal,"

by R. Macaulay ; "Time in the East," by E. John ; and "Jungle in the Clouds," by V. W. von Hagen.

Aidan Craven, Esq., 0.S., for " The Second World War, Vol. V, Closing the Ring," by Winston Churchill.

E. E. Bailey, Esq., for "The Short Stories of Saki," by H. H. Munro.

THE SUTTONIAN The Haagsche Cricket Club for " A History of the Haagsche Cricket Club, 1878-1938."

The Chairman of the U.K. Provident Institute for "Pioneers of British Life Assurance," by H. Withers.

H.M. Inspectors of Schools for " The Short Stories of Somerset Maughan," in 3 volumes.

The following books have been purchased from the Library Fund :— " The Apple and the Spectroscope," by T. R. Henn ; "The Earlier Tudors," by J. D. Mackie ; "The Rise of American Civilization," by C. and M. Beard ; "The Oxford Junior Encyclopeedia, Vol. X " ; "Careers Encyclopmclia,' edited by G. H. Chaffe ; "Jane Eyre," by Charlotte Bronte ; "Stalky and Co.," by Rudyard Kipling ; "The Old Curiosity Shop," by C. Dickens ; "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain ; "The Big Fisherman," by

7

Lloyd C. Douglas ; and" Poets of the English Language," 5 volumes, edited by W. M. Auden and N. H. Pearson.

Our Contemporaries The Magazine Committee wish to gratefully acknowledge the receipt of the following Magazines and to apologise for any inadvertent omissions.

The Aldenhamian, the Blundellian, the Cranbrookian, the Dovorian, the Georgian, the Fettesian, the Laurentian, the Maidstonian, the Mill Hill Magazine, the Roffensian, the Rossallian, the St. Dunstan's College Chronicle, the St. Edmund's School Chronicle, the Tonbridgian, and the English Public Schools Association Journal.

C.C.F. Notes

G

ENERAL HERBERT'S report on his inspection of the Contingent last term was received too late for inclusion in the Summer number, and so relevant extracts are reproduced below. In general, the report is regarded as satisfactory, and it is reassuring to know that a Contingent of this size is regarded as one worth a visit by such a well known officer, and produced such favourable comment. So much for the past ; as for the present, conditions are such as to promise a very bright future.

This term has seen the record entry of some sixty Recruits whose enthusiasm and efficiency on the square have promoted comment from more than one visiting officer.

The present generation of N.C.O. displays a far keener sense of responsibility than did most of his predecessors of post-war years. The standard of competitive shooting is being more than maintained. And the Gun has been repainted.

ANNUAL GENERAL INSPECTION, 1952

By Major-Gen. E. 0. Herbert, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., Commanding Home Counties District 1. Turn-out.—Good. Three different types of headdress now on issue do not help.

(Author's Note : Since then blue berets have been issued to the entire Contingent less Recruits, who wear Berets, Khaki.)

2. Leadership standard shown by cadet N.C.O.s.—Good.

3. Tactical training.—Suffers from the usual difficulty of ground common to most schools. Help in setting schemes to overcome this difficulty and avoid false lessons is necessary. The basic principles appear to be understood down to a satisfactorily low level.

4. Post Certificate "A" training (to include advanced arm and technical training).— Good.

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THE SUTTONIAN

General remarks on training (including drill, weapon training, map reading and N.C.O. cadres).—The drill is quite good without being good enough to catch the eye. The marching needs a little more " snap " ; the position of attention is a little weak. It may be due to " house " platoons. Words of command were well given. Shooting is very good and the instruction good. In other subjects instructors must avoid ramming things down the throats of their classes as matters of "faith," and make sure things are really understood. This is not to suggest that it is bad, but merely lacks polish and could be improved in manner and approach.

6. Arms, equipment and clothing (to include comments on condition, storage and accounting).—The accounting and state of clothing and equipment are satisfactory and noticeably above average.

Conclusion.—A good Contingent. An enthusiastic Commander. Capable officers.

Keen cadets. With some improvements in tactical schemes and a good attendance at camp, the Contingent should maintain progress and reach a very good standard. There is no doubt that considerable improvement has been effected in the last two years.

After the Inspection, the main interest for the remainder of last term was centred on Camp. In the end it was a small, select, and generally happy band of warriors, a mere twenty-six in number, who assembled on St. Martin's Plain on the first day of the Summer Holidays. Providence was kind to us over the weather : the only bad day was the occasion of our return to School on the Saturday to assist with the Village Fête; and we were agreeably surprised on our return to Camp to find that our tents were still waterproof. This half-holiday excursion aside, our programme was varied enough. On the Wednesday, our first full day of training, we spent some useful hours on Hythe Ranges : as we were able to fire through our details rather more expeditiously than the Contingent with whom we shared the range (and whose Firing-point Drill was so meticulous as to border on the comic opera), we were able to fit in a bathe in the sea while our rivals were picking up their empties.

The following day was spent in the Dibgate area on an internal section scheme in the morning based on wood-clearing operations (somewhat complicated by the unexpected arrival of a local troop of Boy Scouts) and a platoon battle in the afternoon, when we took the defensive against Bishop's Stortford. This was a minor triumph in that the then Cadet Biggs, of the outpost section, admirably deployed by Sjt. Lockhart, succeeded in sniping the Section Commander of the enemy's Point Section. This situation so nonplussed the enemy second-in-command that his section was immobilised for the rest of the battle, and the remainder of the platoon were repulsed with heavy loss. And so home to a deservedly sustaining meal before embussing for a night-firing demonstration on Hythe Ranges.

On the Friday, instead of a battle against Eastbourne as originally planned, we were caught for camp duties and fatigues, which gave us some opportunity for practising within the Camp area for the Inter-Contingent Drill Competition, as well as affording us some insight into the domestic running of the modern army. The 0.C.'s insistence, as orderly officer of the day, upon turning out the Picket and the

THE SUTTONIAN

9

N.A.A.F.I. in Blues, not only created some stir in the Serjeants' Mess, but also some wild rumours concerning the Russian Military Mission.

The somewhat damp day of the FĂŞte has already been mentioned. We got wet once in the morning watching a mine-laying and lifting demonstration by the School of Military Engineering, and after an early lunch embussed for Sutton Valence to provide a guard-mounting demonstration, and otherwise take part in all the fun of the fair. It was unfortunate that the weather was particularly inclement at the time of our demonstration ; but it was a mercy that the sun came out at about five o'clock and dried us out a bit : we could wear our best (and only) battle-dress with some show of decency at the morrow's Church Parade.

This occasion, namely the Drumhead Service, turned out to be a most impressive if simple event, and probably, of all the happenings of that crowded week, the one which in retrospect will remain in our memories as outstanding. Not that at the time there seemed to be any outstanding features : well known hymns, orthodox prayers, a simple address ; but they all seemed right and in harmony with the occasion, the setting, our underlying purpose : "the ideal and power of service."

After the march past the Deputy District Commander, homewards to lunch, we had imagined the Sabbath Day clear ; but the 0.0. had different ideas. We were made to undergo an inter-section competition over the obstacle and assault course.

This in the event provided considerable amusement, especially when the Serjeants performed a turn on their own, and a number of unbecoming and possibly libellous photographs were obtained as a result. The hazards of the course were subsequently found to have been somewhat aggravated owing to the fact that, through some misleading information from the Camp P.T. Adviser, the R.V. for the start was mistaken for the finish, which meant that all the obstacles had, so to speak, to be taken in reverse. That Cpl. Cullen's section not only won, but performed the course well within standard time, is a fact well worth recording.

On the Monday we had our fullest and most strenuous day. In the evening we were due to enter for the Inter-Contingent Drill Competition, before going through the last night of Camp routine of handing in and checking stores. In the mornihg we were down to watch the main demonstration of the whole Camp Programme, the modern Anti-Tank Fire-power of the Infantry Battalion, devised, written and staged

by General Herbert himself. A high-powered Directif had been received to the effect that Contingents would not take their Drill Competition Squads off the Demonstration for surreptitious practice in the Camp Area. For our part we would have been unlikely to have done so, or no one would have seen the Demonstration at all, as, having to find a Competition quota of twenty-one, with Lines Orderlies and minor casualties, almost our entire complement was engaged in the Competition. We duly embussed for the Demonstration Area that morning and were debussed, if the verb exists, in the Demonstration Area. We were then conducted by guides on a three-mile route march round the Demonstration Area so as to reach our places on the stand without too closs a view of the Demonstration Area. It was a good and expensive demonstration, but it involved almost as long a march back to the buses. We were rather weary when we reached Camp for a late dinner, and had little time to prepare

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ourselves for the Competition. The fact that we had dared enter with almost our entire strength as against Contingents who could pick and choose (for all other Contingents with less than fifty in Camp withdrew from the Competition) excited mixed feelings, depending on general temper, of ridicule or pity, or, if it be understood, a grudging admiration. These feelings evaporated suddenly when we appeared

on the Parade Ground before the judges, and, out of seven Contestants, to have defeated Eastbourne College, Emmanuel, and another Contingent which shall remain nameless, we consider we deserved the praise of permanent staff and C.C.F. Officers alike, when they so generously complimented our efforts. For this minor triumph, again, we are indebted to the efforts of C.S.M. Pyne, F. G., who was promoted Local Second Lieutenant immediately after the Competition. By returning home the following morning independently, the Contingent avoided not only the Army Commander, but the inconvenience of having to board a special train at 5 o'clock (a.m.).

In conclusion, only those with experience of the Army administration will appreciate the fact that the O.C. has just been presented with a bill for Barrack Damages from the Camp Commandant of Fingrinhoe in Essex.

This Term, once again, we are concentrating on Certificate "A," for which a Board is being held on November 21. It is hoped that the results may yet be inserted.

We have been honoured to receive an invitation from the Depot, the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, to find a detachment to take part in their Passing-Out Parade on November 12, not only to watch the Ceremonial but also to take part in the subsequent march through Maidstone ; and so, so to speak, the Corps goes marching on.

PROMOTIONS To C.S.M. : Sjt. Hull, P. D. (with effect from August 4, 1952).

To C.Q.M.S. : Sjts. Hills, T. R., Wood, J. R. (with effect from September 23, 1952).

To Sjt. : Cpls. Cullen, C. R. G.; Aisher, T. J.; Prentice, D. S.; Clapp, G. N.; bad, G. A. L.; Melvin, J. L. (all with effect from September 23, 1952).

To Cpl. : L/Cpls. Osborn, R. E.; Bartlett, M. J.; Evans, E. J.; Warland, P. W.; Rayner, C. J.; Greenshields, P. C.; Moise, P. (all with effect from September 23, 1952); Cottle, I. G.; Duncan, M. J. (with effect from November 10, 1952).

To L/Cpl. : Cdts. Hancock, R. M.; Davies, W. J. K.; Millard, P. A. L.; Norman, B. C.; Cardwell, P. J.; Gaunt, J. R.; Lockhart, B. H.; Light, R. A.; HolfOrd, M. A.; Biggs, R. M.; Blake, R. T.; Maberly, M. A.; Brockhurst, R. B.; Pyne, A.; Wall, J. G. L. CERTIFICATE " A " The following were successful in the Certificate " A " Board conducted at School on Friday, November 21, 1952 : —

Part 1.—Cadets Coles, K. W.; Croft, J. D.; Daniels, C. H.; Douglas, R. N. H.; Ellis, W. E.; Eltringham, D. F.; ffoulkes-Jones, D.; Gartside, D. W.; Gerty, C. D.; Goddard, P. N.; Grundy, M. B.; Haynes, J. H.; Hedges, J. R.; Herbert, P. J. T.; Keeble, B. G.; Lyle, J. A. D.; Lynch, J. L.; McNish, I. R.; Morris, R. E. ; Pearcy, A. F.; Powell, C. S.; Rayner, M. E. C.; Vant, M. C.; Waite, D. W.; Wilcockson, J. M.; Winter, J. G.

Part 11.—Cadets Anderson, P. K.; Bateman, J.; Beechey, R. M.; A/L/Cpls. Biggs, R. M.; Blake, R. T.; Brockhurst, R. B.; Cadets Capon, D. J.; Dahlstrom, N. H.; Funnell, J.; Gladders, I. M.; Griffin, R. A.; Harrison, E. D.; Hole, J. J.; Hollingsworth, E. M.; A/L/Cpl. Maberly, M. A.; Cadet McIver, I. M.; A/L/Cpl. Mair, P. J.; Cadet Moir, E. M. ; A /L/Cpl. Pyne, A.; Cadets Shaw, C. R. G.; Strange, B.; Thyne, J. H.; Tyrie, M.; Vinson, P. L.; A/L/Cpl. Wall, J. G. L.; Cadet Wiggins, C. P. P.

THE SUTTONIAN

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Scout Notes EPTEMBER usually brings a flood of new recruits to the Junior Troop and this

year has been no exception, the number being thirty-five, of whom thirty had never been Scouts before. This term, however, has been exceptional in one way, in that all these new Scouts, together with a few laggards from last term, had passed their Tenderfoot tests and were invested before November 7, and many of them are on their way towards the Second Class Badge.

The weather has been very reasonable on Tuesday and Friday afternoons and we have been able to fit in some treasure hunts and an atomic" wide game between the routine meetings of games and test-passing in the gym.

The following promotions were made at the beginning of the term : to be Patrol Leaders : M. A. H. Ayres, K. A. Crawford, A. J. Cruttenden, R. A. C. Dandy, D. P. Douglas, P. R. Faulks, J. A. Harrison, N. Harrison and W. F. Pierce.

Our thanks are due to Mr. Cooper and Mr. Foulkes for their invaluable help with the Junior Troop this term.

The Upper School Scouts have also increased in numbers and now total forty.

Meetings have been restricted this term by lectures and films, but we have had one excellent Sunday hike to the North Downs by way of Leeds Castle, returning via Hanietsham and Ukombe.

C. R. G. Shaw was appointed Troop Leader at the beginning of the term and the six Patrol Leaders are : R. M. Beechey, M. A. Maberly, C. J. Rayner, E. M. I. Moir, D. J. Capon and R. M. Batten.

We congratulate R. M. Beechey on becoming a Queen's Scout in October.

Upper School Scout Camp at Ripple

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E did not venture so far afield this year, our camp being held near Deal. The G.S.M. and eleven Seniors spent from September 15 to 20 camping in the grounds of Ripple Lodge, about 2 miles from Deal. Ripple Lodge belongs to Mr. Jackson on whose land at Ringles, Headcorn, we used to hold our week-end camps. The party travelled by train, car and bicycle from their homes. On the first day we walked down to Walmer, bathed in a rough sea and then visited Walmer Castle. From here we walked along the cliff top towards Dover as far as St. Margaret's Bay and then made our way across country back to camp.

The party set out by car and bicycle on the second day via Sandwich to Pegwell Bay to see the Norse Ship " Hugin." We returned to Sandwich and then on to Sandwich Bay, where some of the party bathed.

The third day saw us setting out for Dover by bus. We paid a visit to Dover Castle and after a picnic lunch we set out to walk back along the top of the White Cliffs. When we got to St. Margaret's Bay the party somehow got split into two parts, which made their own ways back to camp. We spent the last day working for Mr. Jackson by cutting down trees for him. In the evening, after swimming in the

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Royal Marine Baths, we attended a party given jointly for us and for one of their members leaving to join the Navy by the Walmer Scouts. We had a very enjoyable evening and learnt some new games. At the end of the party Skipper was made an honorary member of the Walmer Troop.

On the Saturday we broke camp and went our various ways—the car party being the last to leave after finishing the job started the day before.

We were unfortunate in not being able to arrange a visit to the Betteshanger Colliery, but in spite of this we had a very pleasant camp, and we are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Jackson for the hospitality they gave us and also to the Walmer Scouts for a very enjoyable evening.

Summer Camp, 1952 UR annual camp was held in Rockwood Meadow, Cranbrook, again this year, during the first week of the holidays.

We were very glad to have Mr. Byrde with us again to act as Q.M. and we were also pleased that Mr. Nicholl was able to spend the week-end with us.

There were thirty-four Scouts in camp, split up into one Upper School Scout patrol and three junior patrols, with R. M. Beechey as Troop Leader and E. M. I. Moir as "Doctor." The Patrol Leaders were D. J. Capon (U.S.S.), C. M. W. liempson, D. A. Frost and J. P. Day. The standard of camping was high and the U.S.S. patrol after a shaky start convincingly won the patrol competition.

We were lucky with the weather except on the Saturday, the day of the Village FĂŞte, and we were able to carry out our usual programme of activities, including shelter building, two patrol journeys, the building of a robust raft, and the passing of numerous tests and badges. The night game was another incident in the crowded life of" Prince Charlie."

Parents' day was on the Sunday this year and we were pleased to see so many families prepared to risk a cup of camp tea ! J. A. Gardner (0.S.) dropped in to see us over the week-end and any other 0.S. ex-Scouts would be most welcome if they cared to follow his example another year.

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Cinema Notes Poor co-operation between the Post Office and our booking agency enabled us to get very few of the films originally ordered in August. However, we managed to show a film every fortnight.

Our first film show, on September 27th, was a mixed collection secured at the last minute from a firm in Chatham.

Frequent breakdowns helped to pass the evening.

Subsequently the following films were shown during the term : " State Secret," "The Big Store," " Goodbye, Mr. Chips," " Four Just Men," " Trio."

The Projectionists have continued to give their customary service this term.

We are sorry to lose P. D. Hull, who has led the team this past year, and we wish him good luck for the future.

Lastly, our finances by the end of the term should be strong enough to tackle the problem of the acoustics in the hall.

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Hunting Society President : The Headmaster.

Vice-President : F. T. W. Blatchley-Hennah, Esq. Chairman : C. R. G. Cullen.

Hon. Secretary : A. Pyne.

Clerk of the House : J. Melvin.

Guardian of the Gavel : E. J. Evans.

term started well with the traditional "Boomerang Session," which was THEenjoyed by all, and had the additional advantage that .new members were enabled to deliver their first speeches in a rather more congenial atmosphere than in a full debate But the high promise of this meeting was not fulfilled, and one debate was cancelled owing to the lack of speakers.

A General Meeting was held to rearrange the programme of debates so as to offer a wider appeal to members. Various questions concerning the Society were discussed and voted on.

It seems a pity that certain members who speak well from the floor of the House are reluctant to tackle the more arduous but rewarding role of principal speaker.

The meetings this term have been :— " The Boomerang Session."

"This House deplores the breaking of the 'Sound Barrier '."—defeated by fourteen votes to two, with one abstention.

R. L. Kay, Esq., presented a paper "On Visiting America."

"This House is in favour of self-government for Scotland "—defeated by seven votes to four, with two abstentions.

The debates to come are :— An open debate : "This House believes in the efficacy of corporal punishment and would welcome its reintroduction into our penal code."

Proposed by : G. Day, Esq., and N. P. Bentley, Esq. Opposed by : The Rev. W. E. Purcell and M. C. W. Thomas, Esq. "This House considers that motor cycles on the road are a menace."

"This House considers that it would have been better if the Plymouth Rock had landed on the Pilgrim Fathers than the Pilgrim Fathers on the Plymouth Rock."

This House considers that sons aie preferable to daughters."

Clubs and Societies HE School Societies have not been so active this term for two reasons : there have been film shows on every other Saturday evening, and there has been no Society afternoon each week this term.

The Photographic Society has several keen new members and is contemplating the introduction of some new "angles " of photography for next year's exhibition. Some interesting indoor photography has been carried out, and valuable experience has been gained.

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Members of the General Models Society have done a good deal of modelling and the standard of modelling has gone up considerably. Next year's Speech Day exhibition ought to be a good one.

Although the loss of Thursday afternoons has prevented active work by the Archwological Society in clearing the Castle Site, a detailed survey and plan has been prepared for the Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments. The outbuilding at the rear of the Keep can safely be described as an arched gate-house with a flight of steps leading to the first floor of the Keep. Unfortunately the " Upper Chamber" is nothing more romantic than a" Garde-robe." Mr. Reginald Tuke has kindly presented a Roman bronze coin which he dug up at the site about forty-five years ago.

After a very successful Speech Day Exhibition the Natural History Society has not had a very active term. No major task has been undertaken and members have spent the time clearing up the gallery.

The activities of the Astronomical Society increased greatly with the darker evenings, and the observatory and telescope have been put to full use. The meteorological section has taken a large step forward and after a lapse of two years daily observations have begun to be taken again. The results of these observations and a daily weather forecast are posted in the School Block every morning.

Jazz enthusiasts have met in Westminster where the Jazz Society's gramophone has been installed. Several members have brought back records, and opportunities have been given for members to compare some present-day jazz with the New Orleans originals.

A Stamp Society has been formed under the chairmanship of Mr. Craven.

Several meetings have been held and it is hoped to get some outside speakers at some time in the future. It is suggested that Old Suttonians living abroad might like to help the Society by cutting out stamps from their mail and sending them either to Mr. Craven or the Secretary. This would help greatly and keep any 0.5. who did this in touch with the School.

The Conjuring Club is now sufficiently well established, after two years of existence, to be well known in the district, and is therefore in great demand to give shows. Although the membership dropped at the end of last term there are two promising new members.

The British Field Sports Society has now broken its affiliation with the Natural History Society and is an independent society under the Presidency of Mr. Cooper.

A programme has been worked out incorporating several days' fishing and a day's beagling.

The Horticultural Society, with a small membership, has not been at all active this term.

The Chess Club has been revived and meets on Wednesday afternoons. A tournament is in progress.

Table tennis enthusiasts from both Westminster and St. Margaret's meet in their Houses on Saturday evenings when there are no films.

Both the Golf Club and the Aeronautical Society have been inactive owing to there being no Society afternoon on which to meet.

The Choral Society is not starting rehearsals until next term.

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Lectures

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HIS term we have had lectures on some very varied subjects, and we are grateful to the lecturers for coming down to talk to us.

G. A. Calver, 0.S., set the ball rolling with a talk to the Fifth and Sixth forms in the Almshouses on "Earning a living in the Middle East." Mr. Calver gave us a clear impression of conditions out there and also added a few words about his own job, that of a bank manager.

About a fortnight later the Fifth and Sixth forms again assembled in the Almshouses for a talk by Sir Ronald Nesbitt-Hawes, of the English Electric Company.

Sir Ronald described in detail the opportunities afforded to a boy leaving school for gaining an apprenticeship with his firm and others like it.

On Saturday, November 1, Mr. John Kearton lectured, with the aid of a splendid selection of coloured slides, to those members of the school who were not torchbearing in the Headcorn Crazy Night Procession. His subject was" Cherry Kearton's Jungle Story." Cherry Kearton, Mr. Kearton's uncle, was a big-game hunter with a difference : the difference being that he shot animals with a camera instead of a gun.

Some of the shots that Cherry Kearton did take were truly remarkable, considering the rather primitive camera he was using. Mr. Kearton also told a number of hairraising stories to round off a very interesting and colourful lecture.

H. F. de C. Lucy, 0.5., gave a most interesting and descriptive lecture to the Fifth and Sixth forms on "Life in Malaya." Mr. Lucy has been a rubber planter out there for the last twenty-five years and recently took part on a broadcast by the B.B.C. on Malaya. He told us of a number of incidents in which he had been involved, and of how he had killed a bandit with a 12-bore shot gun, a shot which earned him ÂŁ300. At the end Mrs. Lucy spoke a few words on "What it is like to be a rubber planter's wife." We should like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Lucy for a very lively and stimulating evening.

On November 14 Mr. A. C. Sanderson gave the Fifth and Sixth forms an inside view of the Bank of England. Mr. Sanderson's very interesting lecture must have answered a good many problems in the minds of his audience.

A few days later Mr. S. H. C. Woolrych came down to address the Sixth form on "The Council of Europe." Mr. Woolrych described the formation and work of the Council, and we are indebted to him for a most enlightening and explicit talk.

"God's Own Country"

By P. B. LEONARD (English Speaking Union Scholar at Choate School, Connecticut, 1951-52) NCE upon a time I was travelling in a ship and I had just waved farewell to small figures grouped at the end of the Ocean Terminus, at Southampton.

Quite suddenly, the ship was moving slowly up the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty a shadowy figure on the left, and on the right that almost legendary skyline, its feet in a shroud of early morning mist from which sprang, high aboye, its finger-tips of steel and concrete. The sun, a crimson globe without heat or rays, hung as if

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suspended between two of the fingers. I smelled the smell of mist from the muddy river and smoke from the sooty tugs. There was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach induced, perhaps, by the smell or by hunger or by apprehension, I am not sure which, probably a combination of all three. I went below and had breakfast.

Again, quite suddenly, it was late morning with the shade temperature well into the nineties. I was sitting on an up-ended suitcase in a barn-like customs hall of steel girders and glass, wiping the sweat out of my eyes and working'my shoulders in an effort to unstick my shirt. I wondered vaguely how long I had to be boiled.

After three hours I was done to a turn, it seemed, and a customs officer in shirt-sleeves stuck some green stamps on my luggage after a short "anything to declare" routine.

I staggered out into relatively fresh air, blinding sunlight and several more degrees of heat. Bewildered, I stood and blinked at the stream of multi-coloured cabs that flashed by, interspersed by humming trucks and purring chrome-toothed limousines.

A tributary of cabs swung away from the main stream and poured incessantly into the yard in front of the pier. I plunged into the comparatively cool dimness of a pink and brown specimen which promptly shot back into the stream and headed for the centre of New York City.

Such was my entry into God's Own Country. It may seem dramatic, but for me it remains a very real impression.

Many times it has been said that the most lasting impression of the United States is the hospitality of its people and I am saying it again now. Everywhere I went I found the same generous welcome and the great faculty they have for making a visitor feel completely at home. They are the most sincere people I have ever met. This hospitable atmosphere I found, not only in the homes I visited, but also at the Choate School, in Connecticut, where I spent three exciting terms. Masters and boys alike went out of their way to help me and put me at my ease. It was through this generous treatment that I was enabled to see forty of the forty-eight states within four months of vacations. Before setting off for the wide open spaces, however, there is plenty to be said about Choate. It is a private school modelled on much the same lines as a British public school. Duties carried out by prefects at Sutton Valence are assigned at Choate to the sixth-formers, allocated to each house or corridor. Organising and controlling these duties is the Student Council, elected by the boys, each form being represented. Erring students are corrected by the Student Council with the advice and sanction of the Headmaster. Punishments take the form of extra work assignments or the curtailing of freedom in out-of-school hours. Having mentioned work assignments, I shall explain them in more detail.

Every boy in the school is assigned a particular job or to a work-crew, which he performs weekly or daily, depending on its nature. Examples of these jobs, for instance, are the dish-stacking crews in "Zombie-land," as the kitchens are affectionately called, or, for the individual, putting out the mail. I thought this part of Choate life rather interesting, because not many people would imagine the boys of one of the wealthiest private schools in New England doing this sort of thing, and it is my personal opinion that these " work-crews " are of value, not only for the work done, but in that they strengthened the team spirit so essential to a successful school.

As for the scholastic side at Choate, I found the atmosphere in the classroom more relaxed and informal than that of its British counterpart, but whether or not

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this atmosphere is conducive to as high a standard of work is a question on which I would rather not commit myself. I will say, however, that the members of the Faculty were first-class in every way, and a boy who had the ambition to reach a high standard of education could do so.

Now I shall try to give a kaleidoscopic impression of some of the extra-curricular activities at Choate. In sport and athletics they have a wonderful team-spirit and a tremendous will to win, although perhaps in all they lack a little of the quality of sportsmanship which we have over here. The organised cheering is very effective and to the visitor quite amusing, with the antics of the cheer-leaders and the assistance of the school band. Then there are the occasional tea-dances when a group of girls from one of the near-by schools is invited over for the afternoon to mark one of the more important matches of the term.

Turning from sport, there are more social activities which are very delightful.

The Glee Club concerts, when the tuxedoed members of the club entertain the club of a neighbouring girls' school for an evening at Choate or are invited out to exchange programmes of songs and to dance. Then there are those two wonderful week-ends in the school year on which fall the winter and spring festivities. Those are the days when the juniors are sent home and their houses become the temporary abodes of the girl-friends, " blind-dates " and " steady-dates " alike. The murmur of the dining hall at meal times has a higher, sweeter pitch, and in the evening that same hall is cleared and transformed by soft lights and sweet music, gay dresses offset by the boys' black evening wear. Then comes a Monday morning to end all Monday mornings. The dining hall murmur is reduced to a low grumble, and there is a suspicion of perfume in the library.

Such was and is the Choate School and I am grateful for the interesting and happy experiences I had there.

At this juncture I would say what a grand opportunity this Anglo-American schoolboys exchange is, under the auspices of the English Speaking Union. I hope many more boys from Sutton will take advantage of it. The value of experience gained by it is measureless and gradually it will lead to a better understanding in this country of the United States, our greatest ally.

To travel ten thousand miles by car in three weeks is no mean feat, even by American standards, and for me they were the most fantastic three weeks of my whole life. My two Choate room-mates and I left New York at 5 o'clock one June morning— objective, San Francisco. We went through Pennsylvania, densely populated and highly industrial, the farmlands of Ohio, and on to the central plains. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska were fiat, flat, flat, where later in the year seas of corn and wheat would stand, but were then almost bare, oppressive with heavy heat and air thick with dust.

A most magnificent and awe-inspiring electric storm one night cleared the air, and soon after we turned almost due north on to the rolling plains of South Dakota, across the wide Missouri. We passed through the Badlands, an area of sandstone thrown up by some freak of nature, pinnacled and shaped by wind and rain and baked by the sun, a dead, eerie place with a most penetrating silence. We were in the true West at last and wound our way through the Big Horn Mountains, the first range of the Rocky Mountain chain. Travelling south now, though still edging westward, we visited the

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volcanic Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, with its geysers and mud volcanoes.

Then there were three glorious days on a ranch, deep in the Wind River Range, at an altitude of ten thousand feet, days spent in riding the spirited cow-ponies and fishing the teeming lakes and streams for trout. Salt Lake City, Utah, was our next stop, one of the cleanest cities I have ever seen, set in a circle of mountains, and to add to all its wonders was the blinding glare of the great salt-flats as we headed for Reno, Nevada.

Reno, "The Biggest Little City in the World," is the home of gambling, where slot machines for nickels or silver dollars can be found anywhere, in hotels, gas-stations, barber-shops, drug-stores, let alone the arcades, saloons and casinos. The next day, after leaving Reno, light-hearted but still with the normal amount of loose change, we crossed the Golden Gate into San Francisco. I am convinced that, with the possible exception of New Orleans, San Francisco is the most fascinating city in the United States of America ; its little old cable cars creaking and swaying up and down the fantastically steep gradients of its hillside streets, clanging their bells vociferously at the intersections, warning the slick, powerful cars of the modern age to make way for the old-timers ; Nob Hill, surmounted by the great luxurious hotel, and ringed about with fine old aristocratic mansions ; Chinatown, with its little dark shops, their names and business in crazy characters, its narrow streets lit by yellow lanterns with pagoda tops, the graceful curves of the roofs with their upcurled eaves, and in it, around it, and through it all, the magic of the Orient pervading, heightened by the distant sounds of weeping, wailing music ; and finally, the harbour, its exit guarded by the famous Golden Gate, its width crossed by the massive girders of the Oakland Bay Bridge and, set in the middle, that grim gem of Federal Law, Alcatraz, the permanent, relentless residence of the "four time losers."

We took the coast road down to Los Angeles, the sprawling city of the film industry, the cranks, the millionaires, ordinary men and women, and the most startling examples of modern architecture, not to mention a regular swarm of Jaguar XK 120's. Two days we spent relaxing on the beach in sunshine after an overdose of California " Dew " on the way down. (A note here, lest there be any confusion with "mountain dew," an alcoholic beverage distilled by the hill-billies of the Alleghany Mountains, which has a most devastating effect on the uninitiated. The California brand is, quite simply, rain, although no true Californian will admit to this natural phenomenon.) Back we went eastward, through the baking heat of the Arizona Desert, and New Mexico—to be exact, at one time the temperature reached 110 degrees in the shade. Arkansas we crossed, the weather getting cooler all the way, and then in Memphis, Tennessee, for the Fourth of July celebrations. Soon it was New York again, then up to the coast of Maine for five weeks of sailing, water-ski-lug, dancing and Maine lobsters.

Quite suddenly I was in a bright yellow cab heading for the Cunard Pier in New York. The skyscrapers were shimmering in the heat. My shirt was sticking to my back as I was checked through the barrier of the customs hall, and I plunged gratefully into the cool shadow of the ship. Manhattan was fading and I thought not of the skyscrapers, but of the kindly farmer in Ohio, the drawing-room recital on a Stradivarius violin in Salt Lake City just after the wild glory of the ranch. I thought of the rotten shacks of the negroes and poor whites along the road in Georgia, of the lovely French Quarter of New Orleans and the tawny Mississippi ; that was the

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Southern trip at Easter. I thought of the happy, family Christmas in Charleston, West Virginia, and the glimpses of Harlem and the New York slums from train windows, and I thought of Boston station at 1 o'clock in the morning and Grand Canyon at dawn.

There was the land of infinite contrasts slipping away astern. I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I went below to have tea.

Austrian Alps, 1952 holiday had been described in the preliminary circular as a "high-level THErucksack tour on austerity lines with third-class travel." Perhaps the sybarites were deterred by this description ; the rucksacks were undoubtedly heavy, the routes though high were not always level, but the alpine huts were far from comfortless and the rigours of third-class travel were mitigated by third-class sleepers and adequate meals on the "Austrian Special" which took us from Ostend to Innsbruck and back. Moreover, this degree of austerity allowed a larger surplus of personal spending money than is enjoyed by the average tourist.

The party, consisting of M. J. Bartlett, V. C. Crundwell, M. S. Everest, J. Melvin, T. E. Ridgewell, P. J. Stubblefield, M. B. Toler, D. M. Traherne and J. G. Worsfold, and led by N. P. Bentley, assembled at Victoria on Thursday, August 14. Little was seen of the Channel as the boat was uncomfortably crowded, and less was seen of Belgium and Germany as we travelled through the night, but the later stages from Ulm to Innsbruck through Augsburg, Munich and Kufstein were full of interest and increasingly colourful. Innsbruck was reached at mid-day in hot sunshine. It was a national holiday and the city was thronged with country folk in national dress, many of whom, including our driver, were in merry mood when we finally got a bus to take us to Gries am Selrain late in the evening.

Our headquarters for the first four days were at the Dortmunder Hut at Kuhtai, at a height of 6,500 feet, on the watershed between the Selrain and Oeztal valleys.

For the purposes of the holiday we were all members of the Austrian Alpine Club.

These A.A.C. huts are at heights varying from 5,000 to 10,000 feet and are surprisingly comfortable. They are almost without exception beautifully situated ; good hot meals are provided ; if lucky, one sleeps on a bed ; if not so lucky, on mattresses.

One meets there jolly people of many nationalities and it is a great satisfaction to linger there high among the mountains and not to have to descend into the valley after the day's climb.

Our object in staying here was to acclimatise and get into training before going on to the higher levels. In spite of poor weather we had three good expeditions, including an ascent of the Pirchkogel (9,286 feet) and a lovely day up the Mittertal with a traverse of the Acherkogel, which provided impressive views of the Tyrolean Alps and a useful initiation in elementary rock climbing.

From Kuhtai we moved on into the Oeztal, completing the later stages of the steep descent in a tractor and trailer. This was one of several hair-raising jeep or tractor journeys, which are now a feature of travel in the higher Austrian valleys.

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After one night among the fleshpots of Solden we proceeded to Obergurgl, the highest parish in Austria, and began the first of our two-day tours. Our objective was the Ramolhaus, an A.A.C. hut standing high on a shelf at a height of 9,847 feet.

Unfortunately the weather deteriorated as we climbed and we finally reached the hut in a heavy snowstorm. Our efforts were rewarded, however, by the wonderful scene which confronted us early next morning—a scene of snowfields, mountains and glaciers.

In the distance were the Dolomites and below us the wide sweep of the Grossergurgler Glacier, and the chalets and pastures of Obergurgl far down in the valley. After a morning spent scrambling on the snow-covered rocks we continued over the Ramoljoch and for the first time reached the 10,000-foot mark. As the track across the snowfield and over the saddle had been obliterated by the fresh snow, we employed a guide to take us over the Ramoljoch, but dispensed with his services when we were over the ridge and we shot down the Spiegelfern under our own steam, but not always on our feet. This descent brought us to Vent, a lovely, secluded village far less frequented than Overgurgl. Here we stayed the night and celebrated our first successful snow and glacier tour at the friendly Hotel Kleon.

The following morning was warm and sunny and we were glad to set a leisurely pace for the Breslauer Hut (9,341 feet), which lies just under the wide snowfields of the Wildspitze. We ate our lunch here and continued along the high-level track to the Vernagt Hut. The going was easy and without the distractions of climbing we were able to enjoy to the full the superb views over the whole range of the Oeztaler Alps. We found the Vernagt Hut full of noisy French folk and for the first time had to be content with mattresses. No doubt because of the mattresses, we were up early next morning and by 6 o'clock had set off without rucksacks to climb the Hintergraslspitze. The mountain was clear of snow and gave us a good rock scramble. The summit (10,800 feet) was the highest point reached during the holiday, and here we perched to survey a world of snow-capped mountains and glaciers. We were back at the hut for a second breakfast by 9 a.m. and then made our way slowly down the valley back to Vent, through green pastures and by tumbling streams.

We ate a big lunch at the Kleon and commandeered a jeep to take us down to Solden, with seven in the leaping jeep and three plus rucksacks in the swaying trailer. This ended our stay in the Tyrol.

Our last four days were spent at Gaschurn in the Vorarlberg. Gaschurn is a charming village at the top of the Montafontal in a valley of alpine pastures, pinewoods, chalets gay with flowers and the gleaming Silvretta at its head. In spite of the comforts and charm of the valley we tore outselves away to tackle what pro ved to be the most strenuous and certainly the most enjoyable tour of the holiday.

The sun shone, the route was interesting and the scenery superb. We climbed to the Saarbrucker Hut, arriving in the early afternoon, and for the first time were able to bask idly in the sunshine at a height of 8,500 feet and enjoy the mountain scene and especially the changing colours as the sun set. The following day was equally fine. Our route lay across a series of ridges and snowfields and led us for a short distance across the frontier into Switzerland, until we reached the Plattenjoch (9,300 feet), a saddle on the Swiss-Austrian border. From here we dropped down the Garneraferner Glacier to the Tubinger Hut and ended the day with

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an almost perfect walk down the long valley to Gaschurn. Somewhat weary but well satisfied, we celebrated the successful completion of our programme with a dinner de luxe at the Hotel Rossle.

The homeward journey began with an orgy of shopping at Bludenz. (Incidentally we travelled from Bludenz to Innsbruck with J. K. Reuterdahl, 0.S., 1924, who was returning to duty at the British Consulate in Vienna with his wife and daughter.)

It continued with an orgy of a far different sort when, on the night train from Innsbruck, we found we had a surplus of dinner tickets. After wading through the menu once we stayed on to wade through it again, to the great consternation of Herr Oberkellner. From these and other details it will be gathered that we returned in high spirits and with hearty appetites, and that a good time was had by all.

Holiday Parties, 1953 THERE will be walking and elimbing parties in the Lake District, with Grasmere as our centre, from April 18-25, 1953, and in Austria and Switzerland from August 18—September 3. Any O.S. who would like to join either of these parties should communicate with N. P. Bentley at the school.

Rugby Football School v. London Scottish " B " XV School : 1 goal, 4 tries ; London Scottish : Nil. The first match of the season, played in sunny weather on a hard ground, gave us a most encouraging start to the year.

Not only did we have a satisfactory win, but also the manner in which it was achieved showed that, given a reasonable share of the ball, the backs have considerable scoring power. The light pack of forwards will, however, have to concentrate most seriously on getting the ball from as many loose scrummages as possible, since it is probable that they will be outweighted in many games.

Against the Scottish we rarely got the ball in the first half, but whenever we did so the backs, well steered by Cullen at stand-off half, usually made ground.

Our score in this half was an excellent try by Anderson, after most of the backs had handled the ball.

During the second half we scored four times, due almost entirely to the fact

that the pack concentrated more seriously on the loose scrummages and gave the backs many more chances than in the first half. Four good tries were scored.

Two by normal three-quarter movements and two by forwards backing up. One of these tries was the result of a fine movement started by Cullen on our " 25 " line and finished by Moir after at least ten players had handled.

By the end of the game we were well on top of a rather tired Scottish fifteen.

School v. Dulwich College Second XV Played at Dulwich on Wednesday, October 23, and won by the School. The scores were : Sutton Valence, 2 goals, 1 penalty goal and 2 tries ; to 1 penalty goal and 5 tries.

This was a most exciting game, played on a treacherous and slippery surface, a condition which is extremely rare to the School side. It is worthy of record that the lead changed with every score in the game, and the greatest difference at any time was two points.

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The Dulwich pack was considerably the heavier, and in tight scrums at any rate the Sutton forwards were always at a disadvantage, and although Thyne usually got his foot to the ball it rarely came out on our side. Perhaps this was not too great a disadvantage since, although the handling was good, the slippery surface slowed down most movements and it was rarely that the three-quarters got really under way.

The deciding factors in the match were, first, Anderson's speed on the right wing— he scored two tries, the former after a good run following a heel from a loose scrum, the latter after a long dribble using long kicks and outpacing any defenders to the touchdown. The second factor was an injury to one of the Dulwich forwards, about five minutes from the end, which reduced the discrepancy in weight in the scrum and enabled us to leave our " 25 " where we had been hard pressed.

Slowly we battled to our opponents' end and the issue depended on the last kick of the game, a penalty taken by Aisher.

He was successful and a two points deficit changed to a one point lead as the final whistle blew.

The two teams, who had both played so well, then left the field to remove a thick layer of Middle Eocene from their hands, hair and knees.

Scorers for the School were Anderson (2), Cullen and Rayner 1 try each, Aisher a penalty goal and Keeble 2 placed goals.

School v. King's School, Rochester The School was beaten at home by King's School on Wednesday, October 29, by 21 points to 16. Despite the closeness of the score let it be said at once that our visitors thoroughly deserved their narrow win. Their lively forwards and robust centre triangle gave us many anxious moments and much hard saving to do.

The first few minutes showed Sutton in the ascendant and once on each wing we were within a few feet of a try. Soon the tempo of the game changed and the Rochester forwards became the dominant factor. Very rarely did Sutton get the ball in any type of forward encounter, and when we did, our scrum half was completely neutralised and few chances came, and these very slowly indeed, to our more polished but less vigorous back division.

The arrival of the ball usually synchronised with that of a Rochester tackler.

The actual scoring was very even.

Rochester had a lead of 8 points after about fifteen minutes' play, but this lead was reduced by half-time, and shortly after this Sutton led by 11 to 8. Rochester again attacked and led by 13 to 11, then Sutton by 16 to 13. Rochester's final spurt gave them two more tries to which we had no response.

The Sutton forward play was most disappointing and one felt that, had the pack been able to withstand their immediate opponents and give Mair a better chance at the base of the scrum, the home side could have won. As things were in the game, however, Rochester dominated the play in front, and this, combined with their good tackling and straight running, gave them their win.

School v. Cranbrook The School won by three tries and two goals (19 points) to one try and one dropped goal (6 points), on November 5 at Cranbrook.

The weather was fine for the match, but the ground was much stickier than the School had been used to. This may have provided the excuse for the sluggishness of the forwards, but not for the sluggishness of the heeling. In fact, these

THE SUTTONIAN

23

School v. Maidstone Extra " A " XV

given a chance by Cullen on the right, and, rounding his opposite wing and the full-back, scored under the posts.

Aisher, despite a second chance, missed the kick.

With the help of the wind Maidstone attacked for most of the second half— perhaps ps preased would be a better term— and scored from a penalty with a good dropped goal and with another dropped goal five minutes from the end.

Just on "no side," however, Anderson converted defeat into victory by gathering a bouncing ball in his own "25" and scoring an excellent solo try under the posts. He himself converted with an easily taken kick.

The forwards in this game put up a much better performance than heretofore, and at the end of the game were decidedly better than at the start. Blake and Evans did lots of good work and Aisher on occasions got to his target—the Maidstone stand-off. There is still a lot of room for improvement in scrummaging, but perhaps this will continue now that they are on the upgrade.

Cullen at stand-off half was his usual efficient self, and a glorious cut through by him led to our first try. Lockhart made an excellent full-back, some of his catching and kicking being reminiscent of his elder brother last year.

On the Upper on Saturday, November 8, the School won an exciting game by the last kick of the match. A goal and a try to a penalty goal and a dropped goal-8 points to 6—a score which does justice to both sides.

Sutton had the benefit of a fresh northerly breeze in the first half, but Maidstone kept play in the School half for most of the time. Much give and take left no score till about five minutes before half-time, when Anderson was

St. Margaret's beat Westminster on the Upper on Wednesday, November 12, by two goals, one penalty goal and a try-16 points : to three goals-15 points —in an excellent and exciting game.

The prophets were once again proved wrong in their ideas that Westminster —who possessed the complete School three-quarter line—would certainly win

two factors lost us the initial moral advantage of our record so far and the results of last year's matches.

Playing with the wind and the slope in the first half we were able to score 13 points. As usual, the pace was set

by Anderson, who, although marked by a more tenacious opponent, led the way with a fine try. Rayner had earlier scored on the other wing. Anderson scored again himself before half time, and two of these tries were converted.

Against the slope in the second half things didn't go so well, and in one period of pressure the Cranbrook fly-half, who up till then had been subdued by Aisher, dropped a goal. Wood, however, produced an excellent burst of speed to score a well deserved try. A further breakaway by Cranbrook brought them a try. But it was left to Anderson to round off an excellent game with his third try.

As has happened too often, the backs were left to take their chances and they scored all the points. Aisher and Blake did fine work among the forwards, but their efforts were more in the nature of spoiling than of supporting attacks, and they should have been given more help.

House Match

21

THE SUTTONIAN

and probably do so by a considerable margin. That they were so proved was due in the main to the St. Margaret's pack of forwards—few of whom had been playing for the first fifteen recently— who were at the top of their form in scrummaging and spoiling and prevented a Westminster pack with five first fifteen members from getting enough of the ball to give their backs enough chances.

Behind this pack Keeble played excellently, and Cullen at stand-off half supplied the penetration and individuality to keep the Westminster side wide awake.

The actual play was as fierce as usual, and in a short while Anderson picked up in his own " 25 " and scored a runaway try in his typical fashion, beating some and outpacing others of his opponents.

He kicked the first of his three goals.

St. Margaret's returned to press steadily towards the Westminster line, and from about the " 25 " Cullen got away and passed to Lockhart, who scored a good try wide out. He also converted this with an excellent kick. Shortly after this Keeble put St. Margaret's ahead for a short time with a penalty goal.

Anderson was all the time giving St. Margaret's a lot of trouble,but couldn't score till a few minutes before half-time, when he ran in twice. The first try rounded off a good passing movement in which Wood made a good opening.

The second was a solo effort from about half-way. He converted both tries, making his personal score 15 points.

St. Margaret's had the advantage of the breeze in the second half and kept on pegging away to reduce their 7 points deficit. Westminster, on the other hand, frittered away numerous chances when their stand off and one of the centres were too often tackled in possession.

Occasional breaks away by Rayner and Anderson were stopped by Cullen and Mair, and time went on.

With about ten minutes to go, St. Margaret's put in an attack, and Cullen, spotting an opening between stand off and centre, streaked through it and scored wide out. Lockhart, with a beautiful and smoothly taken kick, hit a post and the ball just failed to go over (15-11). St. Margaret's were now thoroughly roused, and aided by fumbling in the Westminster centre, scored a try in the pack, Goodchild being the actual scorer. Keeble kicked a goal with a toppling ball and gave his side a 1 point lead which they held on to quite comfortably for the remaining few minutes.

In a game where reputations count for little, chief praise must go to the whole St. Margaret's pack, with Hull, Powell and Prentice standing out well. Behind them, Keeble and Cullen were a little better than their opposite numbers, although Craven, at scrum half for Westminster, played a very good game indeed. The Westminster backs were, on the whole, disappointing—Anderson and Wood apart—while the forwards were right off form and did not subdue their opponents as they should have done.

They relied too much on the skill of their backs without giving them enough chances to exploit it.

Looking back on the match, perhaps the most deciding factor was Cullen at stand off half. Not only was he always probing the Westminster defence, but several of his tackles on both the Westminster wings were devastating in the extreme and saved several desperate situations for St. Margaret's.

At the close of the match, Mrs. Anderson presented the cup to Cullen, and certainly he was the right man to receive it.

THE SUTTONIAN School v. King's School, Canterbury In this game played on the Upper on Satuxday, November 15, the School side suffered a crushing defeat- by 38 points to 8.

Despite the magnitude of King's School's win the Sutton team played as well as it has done at any time this year, but right from the start our visitors held the whip hand and scored regularly, while our two scores in the first half were both due to individual breaks away by Anderson. The score at half-time was 16-8, but in the second half King's School ran riot and scored a further 22 points.

There seems little point in describing the actual play in which we were inferior in age, size, speed and experience ; everything except pluck. It was the old story of the good big 'un and the good little 'un all over again.

School v. Dover College On Wednesday, November 19, the home side won this game at Dover by two tries to nil, and one must say at once that they deserved to do so, if only on account of the way in which they adapted themselves to the conditions.

An easterly gale with driving rain made playing—and watching—conditions deplorable, and the only favourable thing that can be said of them was that the wind was up the hill and not down it.

Winning the toss, Sutton had the gale behind- them in the first half, and they tried to play dry-weather football with a really slippery and extremely cold ball.

This error of tactics lost them the game.

Passes were dropped, players slithered and movements usually petered out some distance back from their place of initiation. The correct tactics should

25

have been kick and rush, dribble and fall, and no attempt to pass the ball from hand to hand should have been made.

The Dover side made several dangerous excursions into our half of the field by forward rushes and the Sutton players should have taken note of this. Half time came with no score.

During the second half Dover pressed almost continuously, but failed to score until the last few minutes, when they scored two tries.

The result was a disappointment to us, but Dover certainly deserved to win with the conditions as they were and the game played as it was. Few Sutton players came out with enhanced reputations: Lockhart at full-back, perhaps, and Blake in the pack was about the best forward on the field. He improves with every game and it is a pity that some of the larger members of the pack are unable to follow his example and really get down to hard work all the time.

School v. H.M.S. Worcester This match was played away on Wednesday, November 26, and lost by two goals and a penalty goal to a goal and two tries (13-11).

As in the Dover match, we kicked off with the wind and failed to make the best use of it. The forwards were desperately sluggish for the first ten minutes, and weak tackling in the centre let Worcester in for a try. This was converted. An infringement just inside our twenty-five gave them another opportunity and they scored a penalty goal. It was not until Cullen picked up the ball in the loose and threw a pass out to Henderson, who ran fully eighty yards, that we replied. The kick in front of goal was not converted.

26

THE SUTTONIAN

With the score 8-3 against us, the second half, playing against the wind, held dim prospects. But the forwards, especially Blake, now showed much more drive. The ball went down the line to Anderson, who ran strongly, and then back into the centre with the finest passing movement seen this term, and resulted in Keeble scoring a try under the posts and Anderson converting.

Two interceptions were disallowed and Worcester scored again under the posts and converted. A final try by Anderson brought the score to 13-11.

mark gave Tonbridge an advantage.

Although the Sutton backs came close to scoring, the Tonbridge backs actually completed their movements and scored thrice more.

The School missed Anderson on the wing, and he must have been quite pleased to lie in a warm bed in the Sanatorium with a running commentary laid on by Wilkin and the C.C.F. An injury to Aisher didn't help us. Blake, as always, was indefatigable in the pack but, he apart, we were well mastered.

Keeble and Cullen played fair games while Lockhart had a good game at full-back.

School v. Tonbridge School 2nd XV

This game was played on Saturday, November 29, on Bloody Mountains, as the Upper was not in a fit condition for play. The result was a win for Tonbridge by 1 goal and 4 tries to nil.

The atmospheric conditions for this game were deplorable. A stiff northeaster laden with sleet made the task of the players difficult and the lot of the few spectators who stuck it out to the end a most unenviable one.

At the start of the game, Sutton, with the wind and the slope, looked most dangerous. But as so often this season they flattered only to deceive, and the heavier Tonbridge pack began to dominate the game in mid-field for most of the first half. Despite the conditions, play was remarkably good and several three-quarter movements were well carried out even with icy fingers and a slippery ball. Tonbridge scored two tries towards the end of the half and changed ends with the comparatively comfortable thought that the sleet would be on their backs for the next thirty minutes.

Play was even for the most part, but the extra weight and quickness off the

School v. Cranbrook

At Sutton Valence on Wednesday, December 3, the home side won by 11 points (2 tries and a goal) to 9 points (3 tries).

There was a strong, cold north wind for this match, which affected the handling to a certain extent. It did not excuse the fact that we were 1-3 down at halftime, having had the wind in our favour.

A good try by Anderson wide out had started the scoring, but Cranbrook replied with two tries from forward scrambles.

The slow heeling of the forwards had helped an increasing tendency for the backs to run across the field, and the good effort was further spoiled by three occasions in which a three-quarter had only the full-back to beat, and failed to do it.

The second half proved no great improvement on the first until Ridgewell broke away from a loose scrum, starting a movement which ended in Anderson scoring. But the last try was the best piece of work seen the whole afternoon, if not the whole term. Cullen cut in and came through to pass in to Blake, who passed it out to Rayner. The ball

27

THE SUTTONIAN then came back to Blake, who passed to Wood, who sent Anderson in to score beneath the posts. More than 75 yards were covered, and each pass had been well timed. Keeble converted what was to prove the decisive goal. Cranbrook fought back and scored finally, but failed with the kick, after which the final whistle blew.

2nd XV v. Cranbrook 2nd XV This match was played on Bloody Mountains on Wednesday, December 3.

The School won by 1 goal, a penalty goal and a try to nil.

Conditions underfoot were perfect for this game, although a strong, cold north wind blew straight down the ground.

Sutton had the benefit of this wind in the first half, but did not make very good use of it. Passes were thrown too high and blown astray time after time. Also too little use was made of the wind in touch finding. The home side pressed throughout the first half and were rewarded by all their scores. Cranbrook had defended most stubbornly and one felt that they might well win the match during the second half. Sutton's defence improved greatly during the second half and we fully held our own, almost getting to the Cranbrook line on several occasions.

The forwards in particular showed more life, with Gerty-playing experimentally in the back row-being outstanding. He was well backed up by Overy. Of the backs-cold hands did not help themMcIver and Wiggins seemed the best, and Wall made several good run's.

The game startly promptly and finished in time for us to get over to the Upper to see the last glorious five minutes of the senior game, and also to congratulate ourselves on having had a much cleaner and better ground to play on than our elder brethren.

2nd XV v. St. Lawrence College 2nd XV. Home.

Won 11-3. „ 29 v. King's School, Rochester, 2nd XV. Away, Won 18-9.

Nov. 5 v. Cranbrook School 2nd XV. Away. Lost 6-11. „ 8 v. Maidstone R.F.C. " B " XV. Home.

Won 20-6. „ 15 v. King's School, Canterbury, 2nd XV. Home.

Lost 8-30. „ 19 v. Dover College 2nd XV. Home. Won 8-0.

26 v. H.M.S. Worcester 2nd XV. Rome.

Cancelled. „ 29 v. Tonbridge School 3rd XV. Away. Lost 0-21, Dec. 3 v. Cranbrook School 2nd XV. Home. Won 11-0.

Oct. 25

An "A" XV Oct. 18 v. Maidstone R.F.C. "B." Home. Lost 8-11.

Colts XV Oct. 25 „

29

Nov. 5 „

15

„

19

„

29

Dec.

3

v. St. Lawrence College Under 15. Away.

Won 8-5. v. King's School, Rochester, Under 15. Home.

Won 23-3. v. Cranbrook School Under 15. Home. Won 14-8. v. King's School, Canterbury. Away. Won 3-0. v. Dover College Under 15. Home. Won 12-0. v. Tonbridge School Under 15. Away. Won 5-0. v. Cranbrook School Under 15. Away. Won 16-5.

Under 14 XV Oct. 25 v. St. Lawrence College Under 14. Away.

Lost 3-5. „ 29 v. King's School, Rochester, Under 14. Away.

Won 19-8.

Nov. 1 v. Sevenoaks School Under 14. • Home.

Lost 3-6.

5 v. Cranbrook School Under 14. Home. Won t) 20-9.

13 v. King's School, Canterbury, Under 14. Away.

Lost 3-9.

Dec. 3 v. Cranbrook School Under 14. Away. Won 35-0.

THE SUTTONIAN

28

Shooting Notes

A

LTHOUGH we have only shot four matches so far this term, it is evident that our shooting this season is going to be of a high standard. We still have all of last year's "Country Life" team and the scores obtained this year have shown improvement on their last year's standard.

On August 31 Hills and Blake shot at the Kent County Home Guard Meeting, open range. Their scores, Hills 132 and Blake 130 out of 150, were good, the former managing to get into the Prize List.

On September 28 Hills shot at Bisley in the London and Middlesex Annual Meeting, open range, and with a score of 97 out of 105, and another of 82 out of 100, in pouring rain, won £3.

This term Hills has been shooting pistol. The Kent Pistol Captain heard of his victory at Bisley last term, and thought he was probably up to County standard, and he is therefore taking part in the Inter-County League Championship, after being chosen on the results of his trial shoots.

The team were extremely pleased by the encouragement of the Governors, who sent a letter congratulating them on their success in the pistol and rifle competitions during Ashburton Week last term.

Our results so far this term :— Glasgow Academy Oundle School ..

Aldenham School Taunton School

Oct. 25 „ 25 Nov. 1 8

For

Against

667 667 686 657

609 632 600 603

Won Won Won Won

Provisional Fixture List for Lent Term January : Sat. 31

February : 7 Sat. Sat,

14

Wed. 18

Sat.

21

Wed. 25

Thurs. 26

1st XV. v. Wasps R.F.C. Extra" A" XV. Home.

2nd XV v. Wasps R.F.C. Extra" B " XV. Home.

Cross-country v. Kent County Constabulary. Maidstone.

Cross-country v. Blackheath Harriers Home.

Fives v. St. Paul's School, 1st and.

Under 16 IVs. Home.

Under 14 XV v. Yardley Court. Home.

Cross-country v. St. Dunstan's College.

Home.

Fives v. St. Danstan's College. Home.

1st XV v. Saracens R.F.C. Gypsy XV. Home.

Under 14 XV v.

Yardley Court.

Tonbridge.

Steeplechases, " A " and "B." Steeplechases, "C," Juniors and Under 12.

February : Sat. 28

Fives v.

Home.

Oxford University Beavers.

March : Sun.

1

0.S. Fives v. Oxford University Beavers.

Wed.

4

Fives v. Eastbourne College let IV and Colts Pair. Eastbourne.

Cross-country v. Dover. Dover.

Fives v. Jesters. Home.

0.S. Fives v. Jesters. Home.

Fives v. Alleyns School.

Baton Race.

Sports Heats Start.

Fives v. Old Suttonians. Home.

House Fives Match.

Sports Finals—First Day. Inter-House Relays—First Day. Inter-House Relays—Second Day. Sports Finals—Second Day. Athletics Match v. King's School, Rochester. Home.

Home.

Sat. 7 8 Sun. Wed. 11 Thurs. 12 11 Sat. Wed. 18 Sat. 21 Wed 25 Thurs. 26 Sat. 28 Mon. 30

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THE SUTTONIAN

O.S. Notes F. W. P. Bentley (1950) has gone into residence at Exeter College, Oxford.

J. Roper (1949) is at present serving with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment, M.E.L.F. 27; he passed second in an N.C.O.'s Cadre Course of seventeen before succumbing to typhoid. In Fayid he has met J. Binks (1930) and J. D. Bidmead (1950).

B. R. Stapley (1945) is teaching at the Royal Masonic School, Bushey, as organist and assistant to the Director of Music.

R. M. Warwick (1931) writes from Bimbi, Marmer, via Rockhampton, Queensland, to say that he has lost most of his Tamworth pigs and Jersey cows through drought, but is restocking with Shorthorns. He now has a family of two sons and two daughters.

F. R. Williamson (1950) has gone into residence at Pembroke College, Oxford.

H. A. Yetton (1936) is on leave from Malaya ; his address is c/o Mrs. W. C. Bristo, Archway House, Playford, near Ipswich, Suffolk.

G A. Calver (1937) has gone to Tripoli to open a branch of the British Bank of the Middle East.

M. St. J. Candy (1952) passed in Intermediate Chemistry at the Imperial College Special Examination in September.

B. R. Carey (formerly Wohlgemuth) (1917) got his B.A. 2nd class at London and is now working with Marconi's, at Chelmsford, as assistant to the Contracts Manager, Aeronautical Division.

A. Hobson (1952) is taking his premedical course at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.

D. W. Lattimer (1929), after several years in Kenya, has returned to Malaya,

where his address is c/o Colonial Audit Dept., Kuala Lumpur.

H. F. de C. Lucy (1925) has left Malaya, where he has been rubberplanting for twenty-five years, and gone to manage a Sizal estate in Tanganyika.

His address is Rudewa Estates Ltd., P.O. Kimamba, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika Territory.

Lt. Cdr. P. Miller, R.N. (master 1933-38), is on a signal course in H.M.S. Mercury, East Meon, Hants.

E. W. Pritchard (1907) has retired from the Consular Service, but is working in New York. Address : 405 East 54th Street.

L. E. Porter (1927) is also in business in New York. Address : 145 East 54th Street.

Cdr. H. J. Lee, R.N., D.S.C. (1935), is now working at the Admiralty.

P. Simmons (1930), 223 Domain Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, writes to say that he will be very pleased to see any O.S. who come out his way. F. P. R. Turk (1944) is an assistant housemaster at Campbell College, Belfast.

Births MONCKTON.—On August 27, 1952, to Jean, wife of Dr. George Monckton (1938), a daughter.

ROGERS.—On September 24, 1952, to Peg, wife of C. E. Rogers (master 1932-40), a daughter, Susan.

SILLARS.—On August 29, 1952, to Doreen Yvonne, wife of Flt.-Lt. R. B. Sillars, R.A.F. (1940), a brother (David Charles) for the twins.

MEADE.—On November 5, 1952, to Shelagh, wife of Capt. C. J. G. Meade (1940), a son.

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THE SUTTONIAN

Marriages RICHARDSON–B R,D.- –in August, 1952, A. A. Richardson (1941) to Pauline M. Bird, of Alveston Manor, Stratfordon-Avon.

WHEATLEY–SHELLEY. — On October 5, 1952, at Chalbury, Dorset, Sir M. J. Wheatley (1898) to Mrs. Eileen Shelley, widow of Mr. K. J. Shelley, of Trentham.

TURK–ARMITAGE.—On August 16, 1952, at Galgate, near Lancaster, P. R. Turk (1944) to Dorothy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Armitage, of Galgate.

LEE–RIPMAN.—On June 27, 1952, Cdr. H. J. Lee, R.N., D.S.C. (1935), to Diana Sara Ripman.

Obituary Note We extend our deep sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Waller whose son Peter (1951) was killed in a motor-cycle accident on August 2.

O.S. Cricket Week, 1952 On August 9 the advance party of Edward Pierssene and Mr. Pim descended on and took possession of the Sanatorium in the name of 0.S. cricketers. At various times during the following week stragglers kept on arriving and certain deserters left, until at about 10.30 a.m. on Monday, August 18, the rearguard of four made a strategic withdrawal and Cricket Week, 1952, was over.

Between the dates mentioned our annual festivities continued their even way, and apart from one unfortunate day, when it rained hard—the day we should have played the villages—we had

a full week's cricket with some successes and some failures, both as a side and also individually. O.M.T. took away our unbeaten record on the first day in no uncertain manner. They also took away certain other souvenirs of Sutton Valence, mostly of a consumable variety.

On Monday, August 11, we had a visit, and a most pleasant match, from Kelly College Wanderers, whom we defeated.

It was fun to have Rex Tompsett as an opponent and we hope that he will come again next year. Several of our batsmen hope that he will bowl again, too.

The game against Cranbrook Lynxes was an exciting one. They won, after a declaration, off the last ball of the day, a gentleman called Delves spoiling the game (for Sutton) by smiting our bowling to distant parts of the field in a quite unpredictable manner.

We had the better of a drawn game at Cranbrook on Wednesday, while Thursday saw us defeat the Queen's Own fairly comfortably. This game was followed by another win at Ashford—a pleasant experience.

There was no play on Saturday, but on Sunday the Dragons gave us a fright by taking our first three wickets for less than ten runs. We recovered for a while, but were finally beaten after declaring.

So ended Cricket Week, 1952, with three wins, two drawn games, four losses and one game abandoned.

We had several new helpers this year.

The most prominent was Paul Anderson, who scored a large number of runs and appeared to enjoy himself whenever he was awake. John Gray got a number of runs and wickets and several others had their moments. We missed Robert Kay

THE SUTTONIAN and hope that his trips to America and elsewhere will in future be made at other times of the year.

The Headmaster was not only kind enough to allow us the freedom of the School, and we thank him for it, but he also played for us on several occasions.

The catering was, as usual, on a communal basis. The married ones cunningly did the cooking and left the washing up to those foolish enough to get up late. Edward Pierssene was a most useful gatherer of mushrooms, while the other Edward, Edward Craven, was in command of the commissariat.

Next year's 0.S. Cricket Week will be held from August 9 till August 16.

Do come if you can.

O.S. Dance A dance on similar lines to the one held in 1951 took place at the end of the cricket week in August this year. Whilst the function was thoroughly enjoyed by those present, it was not as well supported as the previous occasion and this resulted in a loss being sustained.

The lack of support was, undoubtedly, partly due to the very bad weather conditions as only twenty minutes' cricket was possible in the afternoon, and the number of spectators almost negligible.

The dance committee again wish to thank the Headmaster for permission to hold the dance and those Old Suttonians and School Staff who gave their support.

It had been hoped to make this an annual event but this will not be possible unless more Old Suttonians give their active support.

IAN F. KAY.

31

The Marden Fruit Show This apple and pear show, which is one of the biggest in England, is held annually at Marden. Many O.S. and parents of boys exhibited, besides acting as stewards at the show. Amongst the winners were : Alfred Day and Son, Ltd., S. T. Tipples and Sons, Ltd., G. C. Smith and C. K. Bartlett. The lastnamed gained no fewer than seven prizes in the open classes and for the second year in succession had the best Bramleys in the show.

Oxford Letter Sir,—Since the Oxford contingent of the O.S.A. has increased fourfold since last year, a meeting, in the form of a sherry party, was held in the third week of term in Bill Bentley's rooms in Exeter.

Those present were : J. M. " Bod " Scott-Wilson--known hereafter as the "Very Senior Member"—F. W. P. Bentley (Exeter), J. W. Lewis (Worcester), and F. R. Williamson (Pembroke).

Business before the house resolved itself into a unanimous decision that this letter should be written and that the 0 S.-at-Oxford tie should be viewed.

This had been unearthed from the lair of Messrs. Castell, The Broad. Apparently twelve of these ties had been in store since before the war, and in spite of the disparaging remarks passed on it, this tie is now worn by at least half our members.

The Very Senior Member has added the local Bar Billiards Championship to his long line of distinctions. He denies all knowledge of being married, but is awaiting avunculation. He also runs.

Bentley has taken to the river for his mode of exercise and is to be seen every afternoon paddling up and down the

32

THE SUTTONIAN

Isis. He is representing his College in the Novices' Fours at the end of term.

"Sit mihi pas audita loqui "—he is reported as already being in possession of a Bulldog's bowler hat.

The member from Worcester has been playing rugger for his College during the brief intervals in his study of mathematics. Unfortunately, Oxford has engulfed him, and he was last heard of living in a converted stable in Walton Street. " Wilf " Williamson spends his life in a whirl of parties of every description, and occasionally attends his law lectures.

When fit, he plays rugger for his College XV. He is usually seen, when dressed, in a green overcoat, khaki scarf, agricultural hat and mounted on a scarlet bicycle with blue wheels. It was thus attired and mounted that he arrived at Pembroke on the first day of term.

Approaching the College at imprudent speed his brakes failed, and shooting through the lodge gates he rammed into a stone pillar . . . The porter set him on his feet, and on being informed that Wilf was a product of S.V.S. was heard to remark, " ! Shades of BlatchleyHennah I" In conclusion, I would remind all past and present members of the School that

we should be delighted to see them any time they are in Oxford.

I remain, Sir, Your humble and obedient scribe, PROMETHEUS. PS. The only news from "the other place" has been the discovery of a copy of Aeneid Book VI with the following inscription within :— This book belongs to Sutton Valence School.

P. A. Fairley, 1946.

Foyle's 2/9.

Facilis est descensus Avemo."

Correspondence To the School Staff, School Fellows and Old Suttonians.

I appreciate very much the good wishes and gifts made to me on my retirement.

I leave with many pleasant recollections of School life and work ; trusting Sutton Valence School will continue to grow and flourish.

Goodbye, and thank you all.

Yours sincerely, J. H. RICHARDS.

The Annual Dinner of the O.S.A. will take place on April 23, 1953, at the Windsor Castle Hotel, Victoria.

The O.S.A. suppliers are Messrs. G. H. King, Ltd., 3 Gabriels Hill, Maidstone They can supply O.S. blazers at £9, 0.S. cricket caps at £1 is., O.S. wool ties at 9s. 6d. and silk squares 32s. 6d.