Friday 6 April 2012

A little housekeeping

As much as I'd love to post comments about the sexual depravities inflicted on certain pupils by by certain members of staff, I can't really put them up here - even if they are true!

Tuesday 24 May 2011




INTRODUCTION

Enjoy, if you will, the thoughts and memories of an 11/12/13-year-old (that's me, Charlie Flindt, 1969-1975) as he faithfully (or perhaps not) records eight terms at Marsh Court Preparatory School. A relentless daily routine of pre-breakfast music practice (if he wakes in time), breakfast, chapel, scrip/geog/hist/latin/maths/eng/science, lunch, rest, then 6 days-a-week sport (football/rugger/cricket), the new Broadbent-introduced Thursday alternatives (fencing/clay shooting), supper, mucking about, talking late, getting caught.

Shed a melancholy tear at the homesickness, the illness, the boredom, the stream of golden ducks (perhaps that was just me), the maelstrom of violence when we crossed the Test Valley to play rugger aginst Stockbridge Secondary Modern.

Relish the 'bates', the camps, the canings, the crashes (an inexplicably large number of these), and the constant countdown to the next sweets/half term/ end of term. Who can forget the thrill of crossing-off, then trunks out, then feast'n'films...then going home?

If you have forgotten the nitty gritty of prep school life in the early 1970s, perhaps this blog will remind you.


A bit of background might be useful. If memory serves me well, in 1973 Marsh Court was still in a state of change. Mr Wright's years in charge had come to an end (although I'm sure 'Boris' refers to him in the first term of 1973 - he seems to vanish without any fanfare at all at some stage) and Mr Broadbent was beginning to drag the school out of a 1940s time warp. Daring innovations included wearing 'mufti' for half-holidays (suede shoes!), Saturday leaveouts, alternative sports on Thursdays, plays and musicals, a separate choir for chapel - I think we even had our own bit built up in the rafters at the back. The chapel itself was given a complete makeover - a raised stage, big red curtains, a fancy altar, an electric organ. And when it came to technologcal advances, who could forget the electric shoe-shine machine that was installed to end the tradition of the staff (Portugese?) cleaning our shoes for us. Whatever next? The school seemed to be bursting at the seams: the old kitchens (ground floor, on the left wing as you entered the courtyard) were converted to class rooms (I remember EGB telling me about the cockroaches that poured out from behind the kitchen units as they were pulled out.) Class rooms were built up in the roof space above Swordfish, accessed my a murderously steep wooden staircase. Previously, all that could be found in the attic was Watty's train club (right up the other end) and Mr ffaulkes' air rifle range (above Rhino). The school bought a pavillion (after New Place had shut?) and put it in the moat as a music school. Many happy hours spent down there oiling my trombone with Mrs Stevenson. Mr Broadbent also downgraded the Headmaster's Office, moving it down to where the First Form used to get reduced to tears on a daily basis by Mrs Wright.

I'm sure I remember Mr Watkinson being less than thrilled by all the changes, and the friction being obvious to even the most dim-witted 12-y-old. Watty still had his specialities: the weekly statement of your pocket money (miss your appointment at your peril), the film projector (I tried being projectionist for one night; I got so involved in the film I nearly wrecked the machine - I forgot to keep the arcs at the right length or whetever it was), the old-fashioned train club, the school photograph (no matter how much he said "Keep still", someone always scratched.) I seem to remember the ever-present threat of phenomenal and random violence - but I must surely be mistaken.

Anyway, read on.....

UPDATE: Well. more of query, really. Can anyone shed some light on the 'mysterious events of Spring 1971'? More than one comment I've had through this blog has referred to it - something to so with Messrs Gross, Sudken, Wright and Broadbent and the takeover? All very dark and exciting! I missed the whole thing at the time of course, being an angelic 9 y-old.

Spring Term 1973

10/1: Back to school. I should be in 5b, with any luck. I am. I am on 4th table and in Buffalo. Do a bit of talking on 1st night.
11/1: Fire practice. Have lessons, maths, french, latin, maths. Play rugger and win 8-4. Play with Wallace's engine after supper.
12/1: Have latin with Boris and do a test. Play a super game of rugger. Have singing with 'Steed'. Make my model.
13/1: Film: 'Blue Murder at St Trinian's'. Talk to Helen [Older sister - had job as assistant matron.] after supper. The film was very good. Get my first scrap metal for my trade. Not much.
14/1: Have super fun in half-hole with Colli, Mant and Lucas. Play with Seward's tape recorder. Talk at night.

15/1: Do some taping after supper as well as HMS Pinafore. Have scrip with Boris. Have game of rugger. Have a draw 4-4.
16/1: Play rugger. Get kicked 3 times on chin. Have power cut after supper. Everyone gets full marks in Latin.
17/1: Have been at school a week. Have worst day ever at school. Find I have no pocket money. Get -21 in latin. Join train club.
18/1: Do washing up after supper. Do not do music practice in morning. Have music lesson wierd 11/.15 [?]. Read poetry.
19/1: Have power cut from games to hobbies. Fly my plane after sup. Do painting. Slide in rest.
20/1: Was bored after supper. Watch Wales v England. Wales win 25-9 boo. Do music practice with Morris.
21/1: Dig tunnel with Gilchrist in half-hole. Mr Greenstreet comes back after lunch. Helen's off day. Tomorrow half-hole.

22/1: School's 25th anniversary. Have free sweets. Have half-hole. Have terrible rugger. No hobbies, Have birthday cake.
23/1: Helen's off day. Mr Watkinson is ill. We were sneaked on by Gazelle. Smash in Wainwright [!]. Have rugger.
24/1: 1st XV vs Harcourt. Fencing. Mr Nelson crashes. Have fencing in half-hole. Lose match 30-4. Sweets. Cooper smashed in. Helen gives me a mars bar yum.
25/1: Have very good latin. Get clean sheets. Have good fun in rugger. Biro busts.
26/1: Lose pyjama top. Hurt my toenail. Have horrible rugger. Hurt a leg muscle. Wallace gets very badly hacked.
27/1: Films. It was very good. Am on 'stay in'. Helen's friend comes in army jeep. Examine jeep with Colli, Gore, Easton and Pearson.
28/1: Go out with Colli. Bring back 3 packets of jelly.

29/1: Eat all the jelly. Do not do music practice. A very boring day. Mr ff is in a bad mood. Not much else.
30/1: Had scripture test. I am finding keeping this diary up to date [sic] Am off games.
31/1: 1st XV v Northaw. Win the match 14-10. Am off games. Get two models. Give one to Colli. Do not have bad latin.
1/2: Say white rabbits. Have super rough and tumble with seniors. Do washing up. Shoot.
2/2: Am on games. Very boring day. Won game of rugger 12-6. Sawyer's birthday. Has super cake.
3/2: 1st XV v Cheam. Get thrashed 62-4. Am lock. Have super rough and tumble.
4/2: Helen's off day. Have good fun in half-hole. Give Helen sign. Write long letter home. Boris blows lots of people. Term has gone very quickly.

5/2: Have terribly unfair game of rugger. Have ice cream for lunch.
6/2: Am feeling very bad. Had Boris for scrip. Correct the test. Had 1st XV v the rest. We got thrashed.
7/2: 1st XV v West Hill. Am in the flat. lose match 16-6. Come down after supper. Went up in break. Read Hobbit.
8 - 11/2 Half term

12/2: Did not wake up in time for music practice. Get caught having pillow fight. Get caught again. It snows a bit. Is very cold. Get blown in scripture.
13/2: There is a fairish layer of snow. Am on stay in. Helen's off day. She forgets to bring back tank, but she brings back file. Snows at night late.
14/2: 1st XV and Colts v West Downs. Colts lose 6-0. Welch scores own goal [in rugby?]. 1st XV lose. Snows a little at night.
15/2: Not much. Am off games because of cough and cold. Get file on Wed.
16/2: Tomorrow there is a good film. It has been cancelled for Sunday.
17/2: 'Above us the waves' - film. The film is cancelled till tomorow. Tidy up my tuckbox. Have good science.
18/2: The film was about subs trying to sink the Turpitz. Shoebridge reads diary. Go on games.

19/2: Paint cannon for Pinafore black. Have Boris for scrip. Helen goes home.
20/2: Have Pinafore. Watty makes a recording. Helen's off day. I hope she buys me a model.
21/2: 1st XV v New Place. Get a note to PJ. Helen brings me Panzer IV. Is exactly half term, get half term grades.
22/2: Not much at all. I hope Gore can come out with me on Saturday.
23/2: I did not have my music lesson on Wednesday. Do not do music practice today or ysterday.
24/2: 1st XV v Harcourt. Get beaten 84-8. Go out with Gore. Buy a model. Bring back suede shoes.
25/2: Muck around. 17 people left. Have pathetic programmes. Paint model.

26/2: Have scripture with Boris. Have quite a boring science lesson.
27/2: Tomorrow I have got latin with Boris. Do CE paper in latin.
28/2: Have latin with boris. Have to come in in half hole. Last day of Feb.
1 - 4/3 Eaten by dog

5/3: Nothing much. Scrip with Boris. Do latin research. Double science. Read about electricity.
6/3: Do Pinafore. Have scrip with Boris. Win rugger. 10 days until Pinafore.
7/3: Have Pinafore on half-hole. Muck around, otherwise have rugger.
8/3: Do washing up. Play soccer. Lose 4-2. Do research. Helen's off day.
9/3: It was very hot. Have singing. Time goes very slowly. Played rugger. Not much.
10/3: 1st XV v Cheam. Score 50-12. Go out. Find barracudda. Cooper has athsma attack.
11/3: Dad comes and brings more baraccuda and Helen's alarm clock.

12/3: Go right through Pinafore. Scenery is not up yet.
13/3: Go right through Pinafore. Not much more. Tomorrow music lesson.
14/3: Cheam 7s. Win one match 8-0. Do dress rehearsal. Good. Help paint scenery for Pinafore. My music lesson.
15/3: Have 1st performance of Pinafore. It went very well. Ugh, make-up. Mr Juneau is away. Double art.
16/3: Do Pinafore in front of parents, Mum Dad and Elizabeth come. Went very well.
17/3: Film: 'The Great Race'. Was fab film. Do Pinafore. Mum comes AGAIN. Did not go so well. Have gang warfare.
18/3: Helen's off day. Row with Deocris and Specks [?] in half hole and eat drum [??]

19/3: Have match. Have rugger. Score try. Have scrip, science test. Not much.
20/3: Have scrip with Boris. Have scrip test. Not very easy. Have a boring day.
21/3: 1st XV v Farleigh House. Lose 9-3. Have test in latin. Do not do very well.
22/3: Finish tests. Really really hot. A week till we break up. Cross off by cutting out.
23/3: Really hot. Grade 2 tomorrow. last Friday. Tomorrow shooting match. Boy oh boy.
24/2: Concert. Am taking grade 2. Miserable day. Last Sat. Shooting match cancelled. Mum, Ian, Liz to concert.
25/2: Last Sunday. Boris crashes with brain [?]. Very funny. Last sweets. Soon end of term.

26/2: Last Monday. Trunks out. Have 2nd to last scrip. Have not got end-of-term feeling yet.
27/2: Last Tuesday. Very soon end of term. How super. Not much more. Last scrip.
28/2: Last Wednesday. Have really good fun in latin with Boris. Feast and films.
29/3: Break up.

Summer Term 1973

25/4: Back to school. Am in Swordfish. Am on 5th table and in 5b. Am homesick for bullocks. See Helen. Find it hard to get to sleep.
26/4: Have fire practice, lecture, etc. Eat two curly-wurlys and a mars. Have maths prep.
27/4: Have french prep. Have cricket. Timetable goes up.
28/4: Muck around in half-hole and after supper. Rains in cricket. Field. Bowl. Am pleased to see rain.
29/4: Have great fun in half-hole with Collison playing with dust. No 'search the scriptures'.

30/4: Have 'search the scriptures' with DW. Helen goes home. Have to do music prcatice.
1/5: Forget to say white rabbits. Have scrip. Muck around. Get 2 wickets in crick.
2/5: Have great fun in half-hole. Have double Latin. Ugh. Have nets in half hole and after supper.
3/5: Have car club, fencing and new system. Play around. Play with God [?]
4/5: Have two Frenches and two englishes. Play cricket. Am out for golden duck.
5/5: Muck around in half-hole. Watch FA Cup at preprep. Weed garden. Play HE [?]
6/5: Muck around in half-hole. No 'search the scriptures'. Have chapel.

7/5: Have 'search the scriptures'. French prep. Muck around. No music practice.
8/5: Do music practice. Have cold. Have cricket. Helicopters fly low. Yesterday find holes in fence.
9/5: Am off games with cold. Miss half-hole. Garden after supper.
10/5: Have good fun. Am off games (fake). Muck around. Do prep. Talk a bit at night.
11/5: Hear about match. Cannot go out tomorrow. Practice for match. Two french and two englishes.
12/5: Practice for match. Helen went home. Win match. Out for golden duck. Mum and Dad come.
13/5: Go out.

14/5: Have scripture. Do search the scriptures. Muck about with hoops after supper. Circuit training. Hurt leg. Cricket.
15/5: Have cricket - two wickets. Altogether 8 wickets. Have scripture. Have practice after supper for match v Cathedral School tomorrow.
16/5: Dad's birthday. Got him Colditz books. Match v Cathedral School away. Phone Dad. He comes. Score 2 runs. They beat us. Have swim.
17/5: Same old day. Rains after supper. No nets. Have fencing. Time goes past very fast. Have games.
18/5: Feel very hot in circuit training. Score 11 runs in cricket not out! Swimming pool being painted blue.
19/5: Have games. Muck around. Usual day. Time is going very fast indeed. No prep.
20/5: Harris gets hurt during stone-throwing. Have to come in in Wed's half-hole. get blown. Write letter.

21/5: Have scrip with Watkinson. Have geography instead of hist - or vice versa. French prep.
22/5: Have scripture again. Have vocab in French. Get full marks! Latin prep. Do vocab.
23/5: Have to work after lunch and in half-hole. Win match in 1st XI, lose in Unders. Am not in match.
24/5: Have 2 englishes. Have fencing. Master gets in bate. Remember double [?]. Make tea.
25/5: Make more tea. Clean sheets. Stay up late. Time goes very fast. Have cricket.
26/5: Taste tea, Yum. I have music lesson. Have done well. Soon half term. Get letter.
27/5: Have rain after tea. Fool around in half-hol. Do garden. Get a lot more garden with gallon.

28/5: No music practice. Have maths test and scrip test. Have huge thunderstorm. 5a window broken. Indoor games, french prep.
29/5: Have fun. Maths test results. Terrible. Do very well in scripture test. Get 26 out of 30.
30/5: Have half-hole. Tomorrow we go home for half term. Feel happy. Hot. Swim. Fool around.
31/5 - 3/6 Half term

4/6: Back at school. Double science, latin 2nd lesson. Have fun in games.
5/6: Am in and out for 0 in cricket. Swim. Reasonably warm, I suppose. Feel homesick.
6/6: Swim in half-hole. 1st XI v Harcourt. Win. Get sweets. Kill slug. Play tennis after supper.
7/6: Do fencing in games. Swim. Pool is very very warm. Wallace swims [illeg].
8/6: Swim in games. Do backstroke, crawl. breaststroke. [Illeg] throws bog paper in third form bogs.
9/6: Match v West Hill school. Beaten. Mum comes. Look forward to lie-in tomorrow and half-hole.
10/6: Get caught. Have to come in after chapel and sit in hall. Am let off. Have fun with Maidment.

11/6: CE boys go away. Do biology. Cut open fertilised eggs. Have small test. Play cricket after supper.
12/6: Do music practice. In english we were allowed to do an essay in first lesson, in second we read story. Play cricket after supper.
13/6: Match v Pilgrims. They got 104. Us 14. I was top scorer with 4 runs. Fool around in night. Have to go to Miss Hanlan feeling hot. Moon is full.
14/6: Have fencing in games. Am stifling hot. Am off swimming,. Have two frenches. get blown by ff.
15/6: 2 frenches and 2 englishes. have game. Play cricket after supper. Have latin. Eric and Poppy's birthday.
16/6: Go out. Bring back Mars bars.
17/6: Have swim in morning. Have 3 swims altogether today. Play on mats in half hole. Have 5p sweets. Have good tea. Wear suede shoes.

18/6: Have scripture. School Photograph. Have 2 science. Do 5 and 8 and a half day old eggs, do some 10 day old eggs. Urgh! Horrid lunch.
19/6: Have scripture. Have choir practice. To Chichester July 3rd, to King's Worthy July 1st. Have cricket.
20/6: Sweets. Half hole. Rain today and yesterday. Paint model. Indoor games. Time goes zizz.
21/6: Do washing up. Two englishes. Fencing in afternoon. It is freezing in pool.
22/6: Two frenches, 2 english, sing. Great fun. I finished my book yesterday. Helen came back yesterday.
23/6: Last maths latin french science before exam. Going out tomorrow. Have half hole.
24/6: Go out.

25/6: EXAMS!!! Have english, history, maths 1, scripture and latin. Sleep like a log.
26/6: More exams. Science, maths 2, hist, english 2. Only one more exam. Choir practice.
27/6: French exam. Last exam. Go to Fawley power station. Very good fun. Have little hats.
28/6: Fencing. Do a picture for Helen. Dive in swimming. Super in. Helen buys me a rubber and 2 books.
29/6: Tomorrow a super week starts. Two french, two englishes, choir practice. Swim. Not much else.
30/6: Fathers Match. Swim in morning. Dad v bad. Music lesson. Boys win. Tomorrow choir practice.
1/7: To King's Worthy. Go in minibus. Swim in morning. Have meal after. Cope gets drunk, Morris.

2/7: Go to 2nd highest place in Hampshire. Have great fun. See Isle of Wight. Go nature trail.
3/7: To Chichester. Leave at eleven. Buy books master [?].Mum comes. She brings me two books. Read 'Walker RN'.
4/7: Half hole. Sweets. Very boring day. Wear suede shoes. De Coster, Pearson, Cooper caned he he he he he he he he he. [sic]
5/7: Match. Home. Fencing. Ugh! Lose match. Very hot. Signs of thunderstorm. Very hot. Super swim.
6/7: Match away. Storm, Bit of lightning. Match cancelled. Thunder. Rain. Swim. very warm.
7/7: Have fun in half-hole. Time goes very fast. Music lesson. Linder gets in a bate with me. Wear suede shoes.
8/7: Swim in morning. Swim after and before tea. Sweets. Rock cakes and honey for tea. Yesterday go with Gilchrist.

9/7: Practice for athletics match. Have bioloy x 2. Do plomertoserus worms [?]. Shnyde goes away. Do athletics after supper with Mr Barwick.
10/7: French vocab orally. Mr Maidment crashes on Mr Juno's bike after supper. Do long jump. Phone Mum. Helen's off day. Carlssen a senior.
11/7: Go to Pilgrims for athletics match. Come second in long jump: 12 ft 9 inches. Relay team second. Mum comes, she brings grub. Lose trousers but Pollock finds them. Bottom itches badly. [Sorry, couldn't edit that out!!] Tunnels rejected [?]
12/7: Have fencing. In finals. Swimming match. Dive for can in swimming. Strawberries for lunch. Watty in good mood. Call each-other by 1st names. Beat Barnes and Brown in fencing match.
13/7: Practice hard for concert. Have singing. Steed makes me play hymn - I don't. Have crawl swimming heats in break. Come last. Do two lengths. Leagues.
14/7: Leagues in games. Concert; Ian, Mum and Dad come. Play 'Tin Soldiers' with Amos. Swim for about 44 mins. Biro [Bro?] should come tomorrow.
15/7: Have no swim in morning. Have (in order): chapel practice, letter writing, chapel, swimming, sports, lunch. Stooch whip [butterscotch Angel Delight] for lunch. Yum. Rain. St Swithun's day.

16/7: Have a fake fire drill at 8.50pm. Fire engine comes. Have hose pipe display. Have leagues in games. Write write bear. [?}
17/7: Finish leagues. Do a lot of packing. We are all very excited. 2nd to last night. Muck around.
18/7: Have Marsh Courtier. Have got one thing in Marsh Courtier. Watty gives us sweets. get shut down 22.00
19/9: Break up.

Monday 23 May 2011

Winter Term 1973

19/9: Back to school. Am in 5a, 7th table in 1st game and Sable. Do a bit of talking.
20/9: We had fire practice and all that stuff. I got a new boy to clear his trunk. Find I have not diary.
21/9: I am doing quite well with the lessons. I worked quite hard. I had first hist and geog lesson. Unload stationary.
22/9: Do washing up with White and Morris. Am home sick a lot. Time is going slowly. 3 weeks till birthday.
23/9: First half-hol. Go with Colli and Lyons. Mr Farr clobbers me with stick. Play in pavillion. Do other things.

24/9: Make timetable. Have the horrible Monday morning feeling. Nearly settle in properly.
25/9: Do some good saves in football. Let through only 1 goal. Wallace gets annoyed with me.
26/9: Have an athsma attack last night. Sawyer and I were awake late. Off games. Join train club. Start Dam Busters.
27/9: Morris and I wrote our play instead of the other play. Was off games because of cold.
28/9: Have singing. Have the normal day at school. Do music practice. Don't know when I have music lesson.
29/9: Have music lesson with new music mistress. Soon be my birthday. Become a senior.
30/9: Have good half-hol and sweets. Go to thanksgiving service. First day as senior.

1/10: Great day! Mr Murray-Twin [?] came down in a helicopter. I went riding with Gallon. I had quite good fun riding. We only went round and round.
2/10: Yesterday it was Shoebridge's birthday. It is not too long until mine. Lots of bad lessons.
3/10: Match v Northaw. I was right back. Lose 1-0. See 2 old friends. 4 days until my birthday.
4/10: Did skating after supper. 4 days until my birthday. Do VI form play: 'Business of Good Government'.
5/10: Do skating after supper. Have lost damn those poachers [????]. 3 day til my birthday.
6/10: Tomorrow I will go out and get my present. Have good games and films.
7/10: Go out. Get a radio, roller skates, paints. Mum and Liz make cakes. Time goes fast.

8/10: My birthday. Will be 12. Have three loads of bumps. 39 altogether. Ride. Have super cake. get 3 cards.
9/10: It was quite a good day. We finshed off my dalek birthday cake.
10/10: I hope to get a letter from Pepita soon. 3 escape attempts. Have sweets. Mum comes.
11/10: Have letter from Pepita. Boy it was cold [Weather, or Pepita's letter...we'll never know!. ] Do fencing. Do something to my hand.
12/10: [Almost illeg]Have a bandage put on my hand. Rotten lesson. Watty's 25th anniversary.
13/10: Have match v Twyford, away. Mum, Dad and [?] come. Lose 5-3. Mr Campbell picks on me.
14/10: Have the usual boring day. Have half-hole. Jackie Stewart [illeg].

15/10: Morris' birthday tomorrow. Do riding. Go for a small hack.
16/10: Morris's birthday. Have super cake, but Morris is ill all day.
17/10: Match v West Downs. Cornish scored a goal. Lose 6-1. Mum and Dad come.
18/10: Find out Helen is coming to do assistant matron. Usual bung.
19/11: Helen comes. This week has gone the fastest. Helen gets into a bad mood. Have singing.
20/10; 2nd day for Helen as assistant matron. Match v Farleigh House. Get leg hurt.
21/10: Helen goes home. Lawson. Have usual great half-hole.

22/10: Am off games because of hack. Do not do music practice. Have a power cut. Do not ride.
23/10: Go on a sort of trial in goal. Do very badly. Have sing song in Vb.
24/10: Have to stay in for half-hole with Mr Farr. Have 5-a-side football.
25/10: Do play. Have rotten fencing. Week going fast. Have stooch whip [butterscotch Angel Delight].
26/10: Have a really bad day. Have PE with Mr Farr. He gets in bate.
27/10. Mum's birthday. 1st XI go to watch Winchester. Have lecture on Royal Navy and Marines. Do extra PE.
28/10: Have last Sunday before half term. Have lemon curd. Quite boring day.

29/10: Have two english lessons. Ride. Other boys build the bonfire for Nov 5th. Have sweets, for Shnyde lost keys yesterday.
30/10: One more morning until half term. Gut! Have the same old day. Nearly half term.
31/10: Hallowe'en. Go home tomorrow, go home tomorrow, 'ray! Have super football, go to train room.
1/11-4/11 Half term

4/11: Go back to school. See Mr Broadbent. Am tired. Welbroke-Smith homesick.

5/11: See fireworks out the window at night. Wake up at seven thirty, do not do music practice.
6/11: Wake up at 7.30 again - cannot do music practice. Have 1st XI trial. Match tomorrow.
7/11: Match v Hawtreys. Am in goal. See Boden. Get 93% in Maths 2 paper. Mum comes and brings watch.
8/11: Have double science. Quite a good day for lessons. Have fencing. Get sweets from fencing master.
9/11: Have worst day for lessons in the week. Have good singing. Morris gets in a bate at night.
10/11: Have a really bad day. Have rotten games. Hack Shoebridge. Let in 4 goals, one being a penalty. Films.
11/11: Not many people went out. Have a new master arriving. Find firework. Get half term grades.

12/11: Have 2 englishes. Not a bad day. Have a very good riding lesson. Lose my hat.
13/11: Have a terrible art. I finished my picture, but Leve [?] kept telling me to finish. Have match trial.
14/11: Have a match v Pilgrims. We won 3-2. Dawes scores 2 goals, Wallace 1.
15/11: Have fencing. Get sweets. Humpty dumpty burp.
16/11: Two latins and singing. Have a really bad singing. Going out.
17/11: Go out. Bring back Flying Scotsman. Match cancelled.
18/11: Go up to train room. Colli went out.

19/11: Get booking. Go up to train room. Off games. Have nightmare.
20/11: Have music lesson. Am still off games because of my cough. Match tomorrow. Do my tunnel in art.
21/11: Match v Twyford. Lose 3-2. Mum comes. Have great rough and tumble. Play bad eggs.
22/11: I was off games and I missed fencing thank god. Go home in two days time. Have science.
23/11: Am off games. Cannot play bad eggs. Have to miss 'Trial by Jury' and do [illeg]. Mr Juneau walks out on us.

24-27/11. At home again for some reason!
27/11: Soon to be exams. Tomorrow Tuesday. Soon be end of term.
28/11: Have art. Paint my railway tunnel green. Finish it. H-G [Mr Heald-Gledhill?] gets Farmers' Weekly.
29/11: Match v West Hill. Lost. Snow. It snows. Tomorrow exams.
30/11: Have English 1,Maths. Get 82% in maths. Have latin, english.
1/12: Have French and maths 3. Have match. In goal. Lose 6-1. Have magician.
2/12: Chipperfield's birthday. Go to Mr Juneau's and do a dress rehearsal and have a super tea. Have fun making posters for play.

3/12: Have Lord of the Flies. Go over English paper. Have science. Go over paper.
4/12: Have good art. Play rugger. It is a draw. Terrible scrum. Get lots of sleep.
5/12: JABS. Hurt a lot. In a week we have got the feast.
6/12: Had rugger both today and yesterday. Last double science. Start crossing off.
7/12: Last singing. Last Friday. Have my music exam. Tomorrow play. Am main part, King Herod.
8/12: Have play: Business of Good Government. Go down ill. Mum, Dad, Liz and Helen and Steve Linden come.
9/12: Am ill in bed all day. Miss carol service. Mum and Dad come. Sleep in Mts Broadbent's bed all day, and Nicola's at night.

10/12: Had a really bad sleep in Nicola's bed. Move into sick dorm with David Lyons. Do a lot of legs. [?]
11/12: Come down. Start packing. Have a fuse blown. All dark till 9.00 pm.
12/12: Have feast. Have films and go to bed late. Am off games. Do not go for the long walk.
13/12: Break up.

Spring Term 1974

9/1: Go back to school. Am Captain of Hartebeest. Am vice-captain of {illeg]
10/1: Have a jolly good first day. Write home to Mum and Dad. Talk a lot at night. Have a large thunderstorm.
11/1: Have singing with Mrs Stephens. She is a silly old bag. Have rugger, win 16-?. Term is going fast.
12/1: Film: 'The Man from Laramie'. The film was very good. Have first german lesson.
13/1: Join Morris's camp and play rugger with de Pury. Have sweets. Have chapel.

14/1: Have another game of rugger. Win 48-0. Get duffed in. Fall out of a footbath. Have nearly been at school a week.
15/1: Have different rugger. Win, but I have forgotten the score. Maths prep. Nothing much happened.
16/1: Have a power cut from ten-to-two until half past nine. Have choir practice. Have huge half-hol.
17/1: Have german. Have fencing and lots of sweets. Some people make scenery.
18/1: Have rugger. Score two tries. Lose 32-8. I score all our points. Have dictation in English. Have singing.
19/1: Watch Wales v Scotland. Wales win 6-0. Do a lot of recording with Barnes.
20/1: Write home. In half-hol build camp with Morris, Easton, Walsh, Reading and Gilchrist.

21/1: Go to Chinese Exhibition in London. Miss the Planetarium because of cafe. Go by train.
22/1: School's 26th anniversary. Have Penguins. Have rugger training film. Have English prep.
23/1: Have expedition planning with Mr Cain. Listen to my radio. Read Asterix.
24/1: Have fencing with Mr Dodman. See [illeg]. Play pontoon with White.
25/1: Have singing. Have a good game of rugger.
26/1: Have short films about Canada. Have half-hol in games. Get letter. Tomorrow I am going out.
27/1: First exeat. Go out and bring back an anorak for expeditions. Have super lunch. Am nearly sick.

28/1: Do not do music practice. In art I finshed my rugby picture. Have rugger. Score a try. Win.
29/1: Have rugger. Score a try. Have 2 latins. Win rugger. Win 22-8.
30/1: Play with Sawyer's chemistry set. Get Morris's steam engine. Good half-hole and sweets.
31/1: Have fencing. Only six people fencing. Tomorrow first match. Have double science.
1/2: 1st XV versus Stockbridge Secondary. Get neck tackled and hit in groin. Lose 6-4.
2/2: Sawyer's birthday. Play Northaw and win 10-8. A really good start to the season.
3/2: Go on expedition. Go to Stockbridge Common. Play football. Take up all half-hol. Get sweets.

4/2: Have very bad game of rugger. Draw 0-0. Have art first lesson.
5/2: Have team trial. Am open side wing forward. Tomorrow full moon. Playing West Hill.
6/2: 1st fifteen versus West Hill Park. Lose 10-0.
7/2: Have double science and german. Do fencing. Collison is not doing fencing.
8/2: Have science and singing and music lessons. Tomorrow match and films.
9/2: Gallon's birthday. 1st XV vesus West Downs. thrash them 30-6. Have film: 'Italian Job'.
10/2: Expedition is off because of bad weather. Go down to Stockbridge church.

11/2: Have art first lesson. Have the usual boring day. Am off games.
12/2: Have 2 latins of all the bloody awful things. Have scrip. Am still off games.
13/2: 1st XV versus Farleigh House. Win 20-9. Score a try. Wallace converts my try.
14/2: One week till half term. Have fencing and get some super sweets. Get two Valentine cards.
15/2: Today had single science. Also we had sing. Have 'Trial by Jury' practice with Cannon Hayman.
16/2: Go out.

17/2: Am on stay in because of sore throat and stiff neck. Miss chapel because of lying in bed.
18/2: Find Parker pen. Lose Mr Campbell's book. Have a really pathetic game of rugger.
19/2: Have choir practice. Have 2 latins (how horrible). Not very much longer till half term.
20/2: Under 13 v Northaw. Win. Have sweets. Tomorrow half term at last.
21/2 Have double Science and german and geog. HALF TERM

25/2: Back from half term.
26/2: Get well settled in and have a game of rugger, not much else.
27/2: Ist XV vs New Place. Win 19-6. See PJ in New Place team.
28/2: Barnes, Collison and I all get silver medals in fencing. Election day. Double science.

March 1 to 6: eaten by dog.

7/3: Trial by Jury dress rehearsal. as usual, Reading thought it was bad. But quite a lot of people thought it was good. Have fencing.
8/3: Trial by Jury. It went jolly well. Mum came with Mrs Shaw, who really enjoyed it. Less than 3 weeks until the end of term.
9/3: Trial by Jury. Best night of all. Mum comes again, but this time with Dad. 19 days until the end of term.
10/3: Go out with Mr Caine to Mr Campbell's house and move wood. Then go to Cain's caravan and have food.

11/3: Have a really good game of rugger. We had art first lesson. Am on light duty. 2nd to last whole week.
12/3: Score two tries in good game of rugger. Worst day for lessons. 2 latins and music lessons. Have maths prep.
13/3: Only two weeks until the feast. Have Cheam 7s. Am reserve and linesman. Lose two, 14-0 and 14-0, but win the next 30-0.
14/3: Have French 1st lesson. Have german, science. Do copperplating with the 'lead tree'. 2 weeks till the end of term.
15/3: Have singing. Play in chapel. Mave my music lesson. Watty blows me sky-high and picks on me.
16/3: 1st XV versus Farleigh. Win 12-10. Have film: 'Cockleshell heroes'. Get barley and beans.
17/3: Have sweets. Mr Broadbent is in bed with something. Muck around with Mr Cain in half-hol.

18/3: Mr Broadbent is still ill. Have art. Mr watkinson makes us paint a picture.
19/3: Have 2 latins and have music lesson. Have good game of rugby. Have shower.
20/3: Have sweets. Have to come in for half-hol for extra rest. Have game of football. Tomorrow crossing off.
21/3: Start crossing off. Finish map in CS. Have last fencing lesson. Only do a bit of music practice.
22/3: Have last singing and science lesson. It is last Friday. Have last music lesson. Tomorrow concert.
23/3: Have concert, Play a waltz by Grieg. Mum comes. Last Saturday. Have last geography.
24/3: Have last sweets. Have half hole. Eric Lyons (ma) comes. He is staying until the 28th.

25/3: Last Monday. Do not music practice. Not much at all really. Soon end of term.
26/3: Go to oculist and have eyes tested. Have got perfect sight, 6/6. Not much else.
27/3: Have feast. Last Wednesday. Lots of funny films. Sit next to snotty watty.
28/3: End of term. Go home at 9.45am. Put chairs away. Go home with Simon Collison.

Special bonus March Court related function:
Mr Cain took a group of boys to North Wales (specifically to Pentre-bach, near Betws-y-coed, SH812566 (how sad am I?!)) in the ex-New Place minibus on an expedition. It started badly and went downhill from there...
30/3/74: Go up to Wales in minibus. Take Union Jack. Get bad hiccoughs. Exhaust falls off.
31/3: Go to Betws-y-coed. Have lunch of cheese sandwiches. Throw a lot of stones.
1/4: Say white rabbits. Climb 700ft mountain. Go rowing in reservior. Have good fun
2/4: Climb Snowdon. Mr Cain is getting on my nerves. Have splendid views.
3/4: The minibus crashes. Go swimming at Bangor. Very warm water. Phone home. [There was some trick using the payphone in the hostel, which meant free calls, but I can't remember what it was.]
4/4: Ian's birthday. Dad phones me. There are terrible arguments. Holiday is getting uneasy.
5/4: Good Friday. Come home in a Godfrey Davis car. [Hired by Mr Cain to get us home, having trashed the minibus. We all squeezed in and zig-zagged our way back across Britain, dropping off one boy here, one boy there. Highlight was seeing Gallon's beagles at his house. Lowlight was Mr Cain, by then exhausted, driving the car over a low wall in the dark in our farmyard after we'd topped up his fuel from the farm tank.] Go 92 miles on motorway.

[Still, it was a great adventure!]

Sunday 22 May 2011

Summer Term 1974

24/4: Back to school. Form Upper VI and Hartebeest.
25/4: We had the usual fire practice and Geog, Hist, Maths and Latin. Have moved down in dorm.
26/4: First day with full lessons. Had cricket for the first time as I had fencing yesterday.
27/4: Have an absolutley superb half-hol. Play british bulldog and piggyback fights.
28/4: Sweets are now 5p (VAT).Have indoor half hol, but after tea we played british bulldog.

29/4: Have first Monday and german 1st lesson. Have scripture with Broadbent. Time is already going very fast.
30/4: Today was the first Tuesday. Yesterday Mum came to Harrods and brought my trombone. Have grog.
1/5: Have now been back a week. I forgot to say "white rabbits". Yesterday Mum went to Winchester prison.
2/5: Have fencing again. Buccanan is the only newcomer. I have to look after him. 2nd Thursday.
3/5: Have reading in English and have a bad singing lesson. Batted for 11 not out.
4/5: Throw a ball in and hit wicket. Have 2 golden ducks. Have good day.
5/5: 2nd Sunday. Have a really good game of 'kick the can' and 'courtyard be [?]'. Also I did a bit of gardening. Got to sleep late.

6/5: Have german 1st lesson. Do music practice. Have scripture and other lessons. Play cricket.
7/5: Have choir pratice again. I am getting rather sick of it, twice a week.
8/5: Have 5 pence sweets again. Now we spend 10p a week on sweets. Time is going really fast.
9/5: Have fencing. Have been at school for 2 weeks now. Have 3 sweets.
10/5: Have singing. Tomorrow we have got our first match. I might be in it. Time is going fast.
11/5: First match, and as usual I was out for a golden duck. We lost anyway. Mr Fawtral [?] was in a bad mood in Latin.
12/5: A bit of the school went out. Already this is the third Sunday. Listen to Top 20 in lower 6th.

13/5: Monday morning; have german first lesson. Mr ff sets us some work. He is going tomorrow.
14/5: Mum sends me a birthday card to send to Dad. Lots of boys go to Versailles.
15/5: Send Dad's card off. have sweets. Today we had a match and we won by 4 runs. I was out for 0.
16/5: Dad's birthday. Top forms go to Canford to see displays. Go into sick dorm with athsma.
17/5: Am in sick dorm all day. Gallon comes and joins me. Swimming pool is clean.
18/5: Go out and come back into school life. Bring back suede shoes, bat, ball, gloves, sellotape. Am happy.
19/5: Already 4th Sunday. Time is going so fast. I can't keep up with it.

20/5: In german we did the work that had been set for us. Also in french we did the same.I did a Marsh Courtier cover in art. Yesterday Shoebridge went for his scholarship. Barnes went today.
21/5: Have scripture. Am still off games. Have science. Go to sick dorm again. Am feeling very bad. Wallace is in bed but not in sick dorm.
22/5: Mesquita moves in with me. That night he snored the loudest I have ever heard anyone snore. It was shocking. I had to go into the other sick dorm to sleep.
23/5: Stay in other sick dorm with Wallace. Read comics and listen to radio. It is really boring. Miss fencing.
24/5: Listen to senior singing class in flat. Have tea with Nicola and Mr and Mrs Broadbent.
25/5: One week since I went out. Stay in bed and get up after lunch. Go into flat and watch television.
26/5: Go downstairs just before lunch. Have really good fun in half-holiday. Soon half term.

27/5: Did not wake up in time for music practice. Have german and french, do M Courtier covers in art.
28/5: I got up for music practice but I could not find music so I played dot cricket. Soon we are going home.
29/5: Mum comes to match and we lose. First swim of term. Can't be fagged to swim.
30/5 - 3/6: Half term

3/6: Back to school. Go to Winchester and buy a pen and a Sven Hassel book. get my hair cut and go to new dentist.
4/6: Back at school. Am terribly homesick. Tomorrow I have got music lesson. Have good biro.
5/6: Have a match against West Hill Park. It is a draw. get two runs and am out caught.
6/6: Have fencing. Garner [Corner?] bust a blade stupid fool. Have fenced for 5 weeks. Match on Saturday.
7/6: Tomorrow we are playing a match. If Mum and Dad got my letter they should come.
8/6: Match versus New Place. Win. Am out second ball. Very annoyed. Mum and Dad come.
9/6: Have good fun in half-hol. Have sweets. First sunday after half term.

10/6: I had german for first lesson. Do not do music practice. Do a train in art.
11/6: Tomorrow we have got a match versus Pilgrims. I hope to be in it. Have bilge about sex.
12/6: 1st XI vs Pilgrims. See See Slater, Thornton and 2 Busherers. Score 5 runs. Thornton is going to Bradfield.
13/6: Have fencing outside. It was very warm. We had a super swim. French prep. Have trombone lesson.
14/6: Hane singing. Do Capt Noah. I think it is a waste of time. Do athletics in games.
15/6: Go out. Bring back chewing gum
16/6: Eat some of the chewing gum. Yesterday we had a terrible storm. We also had one this following night. Have sweets.

17/6: Get most of the Common Entrance results. Only one to fail so far is Rees. White got his results on Sat (he passed). Simon Collison has not got his.
18/6: Prepare for match. Have 3rd instalment of our biology lessons. Have choir practice.
19/6: School photograph. Have match. 1st XI and Colts vs West Downs. I had only got 1 run when we declared.
20/6: Have fencing. It is really good fun nowadays because I help teach. 4 weeks until the end of term.
21/6: Am going out tomorrow. I hope Ian is as well. Have singing. 1 week until we are going to RSCM Radley.
22/6: Go out. Ian is at home. Give him my matchboxes. Bring back hat.
23/6: Tomorrow we have got the exams. I wore my hat on the half-hol.

24/6: EXAMS!!! I am doing the Winchester Entrance. Have Latin 1, maths 1, Science. They are not too hard.
25/6: Have much more exams. Still doing Winchester entrance. Have a two day cricket match.
26/6: Have Maths and Divinity, which was really easy. Get caught out of bed.
27/6: Go to Radley to sing. Mum comes in the coach. See the organ. Have a super service. Grade 4 on monday.
28/6: As I was caught out of bed, I was not allowed to swim. Have to do washing up.
29/6: Fathers' match. It nearly rained. So we had loads of preparations. But it was a great match.
30/6: Have 8p sweets. I bet it knocks down my pocket money a bit.

1/7: Have Grade IV music exam. I think I did quite well. Miss the first 2 and a half lessons.
2/7: Have double biology. Clear out the lab store and put all the benches back in the playroom. 16 days to go.
3/7: Have sweets and half-holiday. Do long jump and triple jump with Wallace and White. 15 days to go.
4/7: Have 1st XI match versus Marlborough under 14. We got 107 for 5 declared, they got 19 for 1 when rain stopped play.
5/7: Have super day. Swim. Do music practice. Only one more Friday. Only 13 more days of boredom to go.
6/7: 12 more days of boredom to go. Swim in morning. Choir go to Kng's Somborne. Have loads of group 2 mentally handicapped people come.
7/7: 11 more days. Have sweets. half hol, swim. All yesterday's things happened today. Have great fun.

8/7: 10 more days. Gosh, I'm getting happy. Make Freddo frog. Have handiwork instead of maths.
9/7: Have double science. Have no French, which is a relief. Do music practice. 9 days until end of term.
10/7: Do not wake up in time for music practice. Have sweets and music practice. Only a short swim. Have great games.
11/7: Crossing off. Swim. Only one more week until the end of term. Last science and classical studies.
12/7: Have last singing. I think Ian breaks up today. Last friday. Yesterday had swimming and fencing.
13/7: Have 'informal concert' or 'termly bore'. Play 'Tin Soldiers' again like last year with Mrs Stevenson. Play trombone.
14/7: Swim in morning. Last Sunday. 4 more days until freedom. Swim in half hol.
15/7: Last Monday. I have not got the end-of-term feeling yet. I hear I am going to France with Cave.
16/7: Have last Biology lesson. Do anything we like ; I cut up a worm. Phone up Mum about France.
17/7: Finish leagues. My league came last equal with Gallon. I came 2nd in 200 metres.
18/7. Break up.