PETERHOUSE
NOSTALGIA
PETERHOUSE
NOSTALGIA
The past year has brought all too close to us the tragedy of the present war, not only in the death of young Petreans in the service of their country, but also in the brutal slaughter of women and children of their families. Great men - poets, philosophers and divines -- have written much to comfort those bereaved in war; to remind us that to die for one's country has its own special immortality; to urge those that survive not to leave unfinished the work the dead strove to advance; to make us recall that death is not, in fact, the end. Their words do comfort and do inspire, but still the sense of loss is there, and still the sense of inadequacy - how can we console those nearest to the dead with mere words? We cannot. But we can at least do all that is possible to ensure that those brave men did not die to no purpose and that the hideous power that urges its servants to murder women and children shall not prevail.
But we shall not truly win if we suppose the war a matter of men and weapons only; it is far more than that, a war for men's minds and souls. We shall not win if we fall into the trap of savage retaliation, however great the provocation; for if we do so fall, the enemy wins. We shall win only if we keep constantly before us the high ideals that a school like ours teaches; to do less would be to dishonour our dead.
The staff
Rector
B R Fieldsend
Senior Master
J M W Davidson
Assistant Masters
P Brodsky
D A Clayson
J M Coates
R B Cox
D H F Etheridge
R G Exelby
P J Ginn
J W Greenacre
A M Hammond
T Haskins
J C Hodgson
D I S Jacklin
C S E Johnson
E S Katso
A Kennedy
G Martin
G A C Morton
S Pratt
D F Shaw
A P Singleton
P E War
I R Walker
C R C Owtram - Bursar
Mis T M Wilson- Rector's Secretary
A E Benzies - Accountant
Sister W Upshon - Sister in charge of Sanatorium
Sister D Lowe - Assistant Sister
Mrs D Bekker - Caterer
Miss A Butterworth - Matron
School Prefects
Ellis : J R Vant
Paget : N G Rogers (Head of School)
G N Baines (Second Prefect)
Grinham : J D B McKay
Malvern : A S Travers
Founders : P S Rautenbach
Welcome to the 22nd Peterhouse Speech Day. It is a great pleasure to have you all here as our guests today. I enjoy Speech Day - or rather I enjoy it all except the next ten minutes which I find a most unnerving business. Yet it is my duty to report to you on the year nearly finished and I must do so. Once I have sat down there is something you can really look forward to: Mr. Justice Beck who sits a difficult putt's length away from me on my right -- from which you may guess that he is a notable golfer. But he is much more than that: a Rhodes Scholar, a most distinguished lawyer from a distinguished legal family and as you will realise when he speaks to you a man of humanity and humility, a man whose life is founded in a firm faith but one who does not have to take the world too seriously. I had always believed that my brother was the only Judge of the Rhodesian High Court who had looked at things, as it were, from the other side of the fence - by which I mean from the inside of a gaol. Now I learn that Mr. Justice Beck has a similar record and when I tell you that in both cases it was one night in an Italian gaol right at the end of the war you can probably guess the circumstances. But it really is a great honour to have you here, Sir. We are all extremely grateful to you for joining us today. We welcome you and your wife most warmly
As usual this report of mine is happily curtailed by the Record for the Year which your son should have given you already. If he has not, please find out why not, and see that he does so as soon as the Prize Giving is over. Nevertheless there are things which I must amplify.
Staff
First I turn to the staff. Before I talk of individuals I want to pay tribute to the Peterhouse Staff as a whole. We live in difficult times. Life is not as easy as it was. There are more uncertainties, more worries and holidays are not what they were, now largely given over to Police Reserve duties. Yet you will find that the Staff is right behind everything that goes on at Peterhouse. Many subscribe to the Petrean Trust which was formed to help us weather our financial difficulties. I believe that a school's worth depends almost entirely upon the creation of the right relationship between teacher and pupil. It is the secret of everything we do. The subtle blend of formality and informality, of relaxed trust and discipline and of mutual respect is what informs our teaching in the classroom, our taking of games, our participation in projects, expeditions and societies. If you want an example of the creation of such a relationship you have only to look to the staff of this school. I am very grateful to them and you ought to be too. It is sad then that we have to say goodbye to four of these staff who leave at the end of this year.
First, George Morton retires. He has spent 18 years at Peterhouse. We shall not only miss him hut also his wife, Jean, who has devoted herself to creating and developing the Peterhouse Nursery School - a school which serves the young children of farmers and many from Marandellas as well as from the staffs of Ruzawi, Springvale and Peterhouse. Both the Mortons' sons have been educated at Peterhouse, both are very successful young men. If one regards it as a man's first duty to create and hold together a close knit family you will see an outstanding example in George Morton. We shall miss them all.
And then Ian Walker and his family leave us for New Zealand. They have been here for ten years - the whole of their married life. One will remember Ian Walker for the hard work he has done in the introduction of Nuffield Physics not only in this school, but in Rhodesia. It is sad that his spell as housemaster has been so short for his close concern for, and interest in, all boys in his house have been features of his work here.
A third member of the staff who leaves us is Alan Clayson. He joined the school in January, 1973, and has taken an active part in a multitude of school activities. Recently he has been Head of the English Department. He and his family return to England.
Finally Robin Cox's two year contract comes to an end in December and he returns to his old school - Bishop's. It has been good to have had a young man like him on the staff and he has done a great deal during his time here - most notably, but not exclusively, in the hockey world.
You will be pleased to know that I have found all the necessary replacements and they are more than adequate. The one is George Dock, a bachelor, whom our staff met on the hockey tour of Cape Town this year. He comes to us from Paul Roos Gymnasium. The other is Michael Carter - an old boy who was once second prefect at Peterhouse. So we are happily staffed for next year.
It is a great personal blow to me that my secretary, Miss Wilson, also leaves at the end of the year. I suppose the school will manage to run after she has left though I do not really know how for she does much more of the running of it than I do.
Housemasters
There will also be some changes of housemaster. This is a most demanding but also a most satisfying job though the satisfaction a man finds is not always that which he imagined before he took it on.
I can remember when Fred Snell told me that I was to be appointed a housemaster. My first feeling was one of excitement. I had a few weeks to get used to the idea. I say myself using the time between breakfast and morning school to drop a word here or there that would change a boy's life, make him see his duty more clearly and say years later with his arm propped on the bar of the Royal Salisbury Golf Club or sipping his sundowner in Singapore "I always remember the old man saying to me " Or I saw myself with a pipe in a book-lined study looking up from a well-thumbed first edition and with a single glance deciding which boy was lying brazenly, which because he was frightened, which to save a friend, and which speaking the truth. And when I had emerged with credit from every dream situation I could remember from Ian Hay to Stalky and Co., one of my future colleagues woke me to the real facts - they were very different. For the greater part of the year a housemaster finds himself father of 50 or 60 adolescents and most of you who have had the experience of being a parent to two or three of these intractable, unpredictable and lovable young beings will realise that 60 is more than a handful.
And what of the housemaster's wife? Wives marry schoolmasters because they love them, poor dears, not because it is their burning ambition to be the universal mother of a pack of adolescents for two-thirds of the year. Yet housemasters' wives do as splendid a job here as their husbands.
George Martin retires from Malvern after 12 years. He and his wife Rosemary have done everything that any pair could do. Happily they are not leaving Peterhouse and we shall continue to benefit from their humanity, sincerity and real concern for every member of the Peterhouse Community. Their place in Malvern will be taken by Michael and Barrie Hammond.
I told you a, little while ago that the Walker family was leaving for New Zealand at the end of the year. Ivan and Candy Jacklin will take over in Grinham in the New Year. I know that both these men have the dualities (and the wives) to make a success of their responsibility and to maintain the high tradition of housemastering which has developed in the school.
And now what of the effect that staff have had on your sons?
Exam results
First the examination results: the 'A' Level pass rate in 1977 was 71 per cent. - much the same as it has been for the last five years with the exception of 1976 when we had an outstanding year. Five scholarships were won: Jonathan Allin who left Peterhouse a year or two ago has won an Anglo American Scholarship, Ashwin Rana has won a Val Duncan Scholarship, Nicky Davidson, one of the first girls to come to Peterhouse, won a Beit Scholarship, Richard Lowe and Craig Lind won Government Scholarships. We win a number of scholarships out of all proportion to the size of the school and this is something to be proud of.
The 'O' Level pass rate of 63 per cent. was almost exactly the same as the previous year and though nothing to get very excited about was not unsatisfactory.
Prefects
Life at school of course is not only work, though I am sure the boys will tell you that too much of it is. Coupled in importance is perhaps the atmosphere of the school. This has been a good year. Neil Rogers has been first class as Head Boy - one of the best I have known and he has lead his team of school prefects well.
Consequently the atmosphere of loyalty, courtesy, order, self discipline and respect has been notable. I am grateful to them all. They have seen that this is a good place in which your sons can grow up.
Sport
The war has interfered with our sport. Matches have had to be played at odd times and playing a 1st XV Rugby match at 1 pm is like getting dressed up in a dinner jacket before lunch - it just does not feel right. Cricket times have had to be curtailed. Some schools this term have refused to run the terrorist gauntlet between Marandellas and Salisbury even at midday and have cancelled their matches with us. Nevertheless we have managed to honour all our fixtures and more besides. We also have a new bus to honour them in thanks to the initiative and generosity of a member of the Executives Committee. So there can be few boys who have found themselves deprived of the pleasure of playing in a school team. And very well many of them have played, too. Read all about it in the Record of the Year.
The war
Schoolmasters (and parents too) sometimes forget that a school is not an end in itself. What is important to the chef (and his customers) is the quality of the casserole that emerges from his kitchen -- not the kitchen itself and its shining and polished ingredients, through of course these factors may have a very real influence on the product. In the same way it is our job to educate young people to take their place in the world outside the school and the real criterion of a school's success is not the rugby team of the ear but the old boy who having made full use of every one of his talents in Cecil Rhodes s words "esteems the performance of public duties as his highest aim". Peterhouse old boys have a proud record in this respect. It is sad that "the brazen throat of war" has this year accounted for the lives of five of these splendid young men. All connected with Peterhouse grieve the loss of Harry Nagar, Martin Betts. Tim Peech, David Friedman and Oliver Young - sad losses to their parents, to their families and to this country.
The future
And what of the future? Times remain very difficult indeed. The school is smaller than it has ever been. We make a substantial loss. It is a brave (or do J mean a brash) man who can claim to predict with certainty the future of Rhodesia and any crystal ball is pretty murky. We need faith, and I pay tribute to the Peterhouse Governors and Executive Committee for the faith they have in this school. It was Teddy Roosevelt who used to have a picture of a camel on his desk with the caption "This horse was designed by a committee" It is a happy story and entirely libellous in the Peterhouse context. Our Committees work as one man and they all work to the same end. They work to keep Peterhouse financially afloat. I must pay special tribute also to the generosity of The Beit Trustees who have shown themselves determined to see that the Independent Schools in this country do not go by financial default during this difficult period. And by the same token I also pay tribute to the generosity of those firms in Rhodesia who have supported so generously the Petrean Trust. The consequence is that we are financially secure through 1979.
"We stand on the brink of very great change in this country" I said that a year ago. We are still teetering around on that brink. But the certainty of change is now very much nearer as is the certainty that the Independent Schools have an essential part to play in the future. I am not going to talk about that again today. Instead I should like to turn for a few minutes to more academic matters.
Independent schools
It appears we shall have a variety of schools next year: State Schools both high cost and low cost, Community Schools and the Independent Schools. It seems clear to me that none of these schools will exist, or indeed ought to exist, in Zimbabwe (or whatever we shall call ourselves) if they set out to be little enclaves of whites or even Rhodesian schools moving forward by looking in the rear view mirror and hankering after a colonial and paternal past. If schools are to serve this country and build a new nation healing the scars of war they must identify themselves with the aims and aspirations of that nation. This means change and we must not be frightened of that change.
The Independent Schools, and Peterhouse in particular, have already gone further than most in this respect. We lead the way. We are non-racial: we are lucky enough to have an old boy on the staff who is himself a Shona and can teach the language which we have made compulsory for all boys in the C Block, we are giving thought to gearing our history and geography syllabuses (or do you prefer the more fashionable "environmental studies") towards Africa and our country in particular. But rest assured that we shall not allow novelty and innovation for its own, or even for political, sake dominate our planning. We shall avoid change simply for the sake of change or in order to follow the will-o-the-wisp of fashion.
However, I do not subscribe to the views of those who say we must stand firm. You do not achieve anything by planting leaden feet in the ground and bending a little with the wind. If you do this, you stagnate. We must approach change courageously and imaginatively.
Educational issues
For a moment let me take this issue of educational change out of our own parochial and political scene and look at some of the changes that have been seen in schools this century. Maybe there is something we can learn from them. So I take the changes in three school subjects.
The first is English. At the one extreme is English taught like Latin grammar practically based on the great Kennedy, paring, analysing, even declining; on the other hand English taught to give untrammelled reign to free expression, imagination and emotion unfettered by the niggling restrictions of grammar or spelling, which sometimes gives rise to the employer's complaint that a school leaver cannot even write a business letter. And the next is Science: on the one hand Science presented-by chalk and talk, learning by heart and never daring to question things like Boyle's Law as if it were one of the instructions Moses brought down with him from Mount Sinai and on the other hand Nuffield gone mad when the only body of fact you may acquire is that discovered by yourself.
And the last is religion. Where on the one hand we have seen formal, traditional liturgies replaced entirely by formless, wholly voluntary, extempore school worship. There they are then. Extremes at both ends of the pendulum. It was Manzini who said that the way to truth lies in the balance between tradition and innovation. But this does not mean the middle point of the pendulum swing. It is often the best picked from either end of that pendulum swing that is worthwhile.
As I see it we need two essential elements in our education: hard discipline and spiritual freedom. And so in our English and our use of language we need both the discipline of writing as exactly as we can express the meaning we wish to convey, but we also need the ability to break free in expressing ourselves with passion and emotion even if we trample on some grammar in the process. In our Sciences we need both a deep knowledge of the discoveries of others and the imagination to discern connections and forces others have not seen.
In our religion we need both a dogmatic framework, a structure, a rule, as well as a soul open to the breath of the unpredictable spirit.
And what have these educational maunderings of mine to do with Peterhouse and Zimbabwe. It is this: change is necessary and so is the past. We must hold on to the very best of the traditional - our high standards, our entrance examination, our external examining bodies; and we must embrace enthusiastically the new which may be very different. To hold on to the best of both extremes is a very different matter from watering down each to a dull, middle of the road mediocrity cautiously discarding outdated bits of the old and taking on conservative bits and pieces of the new.
Our country needs and Peterhouse intends to produce young people, black and white who know the discipline of hard work and hard thought but who also understand their country and are prepared to respond to the stirrings of the imagination and rise to the challenges of a new, possibly different, but very exciting future.
At the beginning of the year we reverted to holding one compulsory full school service on a Sunday. This has generally been the Eucharist and has proved helpful for continuity of worship and singing. Many members of staff have been willing to preach at these services and we have benefited from this variety. We shall miss Mr. Cox from the chapel scene, and long remember his own personal testimony of healing and conversion to Christ.
In the first term of the year, for the morning service, we experimented by asking members of staff to take the service in any way they wished. Mr. Singleton prepared the lessons and the staff proved amply able to comment on the passage read. This was so successful that the system was used again in the third term.
In the second term Mr. Hodgson was on leave and we enjoyed he fresh ideas that came to us through the inspiration of Mr. Etheridge, who mastered the rudiments of organ playing with remarkable speed; also valuable service was given by Charles Bell on the organ.
The Bishop of Mashonaland confirmed 13 boys in second term.
A one day 'mission' was undertaken by 'Youth With a Mission' in the second term; this culminated in a service in the Music School at which 25 boys made a commitment of faith in Christ.
We have enjoyed listening to visiting preachers: Mr P McCoun, the Rev. K Horton, the Rev. John da Costa and Dr. Kevin Martin.
Early in the year both the Climbing and Art Clubs organised weekends at Peterhaven. In each case permission was sought from parents and the police were closely consulted before the parties left. However the deterioration of the security situation later in the year has led the Rector to rule that for the time being no further school parties may go to Peterhaven during term time. The cottage is in good condition and staff have continued to use it during the holidays. Timothy the faithful caretaker, is still there. We are planning extensions to the gas lighting system.
Three plays were staged over the year, Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts in the first term, An Italian Straw Hat - the staff play - in the second and Albert's Bridge in the third.
The Reverend Richard Holderness's musical play about the life of Stephen Foster, writer of such well-known songs as 'Oh Susanna', 'Swanee River' and 'Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair', was presented with one of the largest casts the school has seen - 57, no less. Many of these were girls from Nagel House, including Antoinette Way who had the demanding part of Jane McDowell. There were, too, six boys in the Orchestra. The music was, of course, Foster's, but it was arranged and orchestrated by Mr. Hodgson.
Mr. Holderness based his first musical history of Foster's life on the biographies of Milligan (1920) and of Howard (1953) and information given to him by Mr. Fletcher Hedges who was Curator of the Foster Hall Collection at the University of Pittsburgh. It was not, however, until 1969 that he came across Howard's biography, so that the play, first produced at Ruzawi in 1964, was rewritten to include the fresh material. In this new form it was produced in Scotland by the Angus Amalgamated Opera Company in 1970.
The fact that Foster wrote many of his songs about real people and places was, I am sure, not known to many; nor was it generally known that Edwin Christy founder of the famous 'Christy Minstrels' not only used some of Foster's songs but published and sold them under his own name. Both these themes are central to Mr. Holderness's plot, as too, of course, is the tragic life-story of Foster himself. Foster was not the only creator of popular music who has died tragically and in abject poverty of drink. His struggles to overcome this weakness, and the love and concern of his 'darkie' friends provide some moving scenes.
The star of the school's production was Christopher Johnson. He was quite superb not only as an actor but as a singer. He was ably supported by Antoinette Way, but her performance was not as good as his. Philip Mpambawashe as Joe Aiken (Poor Old Joe) was also outstanding, though I found his diction at times difficult to follow. Mercy Meda as Susanna, the Foster's maid who had a lot to do with his upbringing, gave fine performance. Like the African girls in the chorus, too, she simply 'was' her part and played it with obvious enjoyment.
The choruses and by-play were well managed, though I for one found that the same tunes tended to come rather too often. Mr.Etheridge's sets, which made use of silhouette back-drops and the minimum of props were right for the production which required as much space as possible on a smallish stage.
In all it was an enjoyable performance and it is pleasing to record that the National Theatre Organisation gave its award for the best musical in its National High Schools Theatre Festival to this production.
THE CAST
Joe Aikin - Philip Mpambawashe
Susanna - Mercy Med
Uncle Ned - Guy King
Stephen Foster - Christopher Johnson
Eliza Foster - Kathy Prescott-Decie
Morrison Foster - Alastair Travers
William Foster - Gavin Udal
Jane McDowell - Antoinette Way
Richard Cowan - Reeve Jobson
Dr. Andrew McDowell - Charles King
Edwin Christy - Fedor Scholvinck
Mattie McDowell - Olivia Anderson
Marion Foster - Nicola Haskins
Bones - Charles Pickering
Tambo - Bren Sandford City
City Councillors - James Mackay, Simon Bell
Orchestra: Conductor: John Hodgson
Stephen Atkinson, Philip Rodington, Ian Campbell-Morrison, Stephen Crawford, Richard Gibson, Leonie Holderness, Stephen Morgan.
For the Staff Play Mr. Clayson chose Eugene Labiche's farce Un Chapeau de Paille d'Italie done into English by himself. The play was first performed in Paris in 1851 and though not regarded as a great literary work it is (always excepting Moliere's plays) generally regarded as the first really successful example of modern farce. In its original form it was of the vaudeville genre and was interspersed with songs. Wisely (in view of the musical ability of most of the players in our production) the singing was cut out, though there was one magnificently drunken dance scene.
The quality of the acting varied with the experience of the actors. Mr. Jacklin who had the demanding and exhausting lead (exhausting because most of the time he was rushing about in a muck sweat) has appeared in 20 plays. Mr Davidson thinks his score is the same but cannot remember any of them except "The Grass is Greener": this is because when he was supposed to be canoodling with a lady on a sofa he had an attack of stomach ache which somewhat cramped his performance. Mr. Katso considers his finest performance was as an anonymous soldier in "Richard III" in which he had to die twice. In between there were 24 members of staff and wives whose experience ranged from that of Mr. Martin - who was offered the lead in "The Browning Version" for the South African National Theatre - to that of Candy Jacklin whose best performance was that of Third Water Baby in "The Water Babies" Besides these four boys also took part. The remarkable thing is that with this motley crew Mr. Clayson managed to produce a sparkling performance, to remain more or less sane, and to keep the players firmly under control.
It is impossible to mention all the players in a short review but one can single out first Mr. Jacklin. His part was one that required split second timing and a multitude of entrances and exits; the whole play indeed hangs upon this and a great deal of the credit for the slick performances given is his. Though not much depth of character portrayal is called for he has to go through a bewilderingly kaleidoscopic series of emotions as the highly unlikely events unfold - ecstasy, despair, rage, sheer fright and triumph - and these he carried off superbly. Mr. Davidson as the long suffering Nonancourt was totally convincing, in particular when he was slightly bottled. Mrs. Hammond and Mr. Johnson gave a hilarious performance as the illicit lovers and the passionate cry "Anais!" will long be remembered, as will his desperate attempts to dislodge the fatal hat from the top of a lamp post. (I cannot possibly explain how the wretched thing got there it would take too long). Mr. Katso played Achille de Rosalba. (I can explain the presence of an African in Parisian High Society - he was, of course, the black sheep of the family). His suave drawl and devotion to the higher culture were a delight. Mr. Martin as the wronged husband prepared to defend his wife's honour (or, at any rate, his own reputation) to the death if necessary was equally excellent. All the other players under the prodding of Mr. Clayson and doubtless inspired by the ones I have mentioned performed actually better than the immortal Sarah Bernhardt. If this sounds like praise too fulsome it should be remembered that this was the first play she was ever in: not only did she 'freeze' on the opening night but threw a tantrum as well.
One of the difficulties in staging this play is the necessity for a number of set changes - five no less. Given the rather limited resources of our hall, Mr. Pratt produced some remarkable effects. To convert a bachelors apartment into a Baroness's drawing room into a Parisian square - plus two other sets - was some achievement. It also means that the stage and lighting crew are extremely busy too. Congratulations to them and to the many members of staff and other boys who helped behind the scenes.
THE CAST
Fadinard (a young Parisian of private means )
- Ivan Jacklin
Nonancourt (a nurseryman; his father- in-law) - John Davidson
Beauperthuis (a bourgeois: husband of Anais) - George Marti
Vexinet (deaf uncle to Fadinard) - John Coates
Tardiveau (milliner's clerk) - Mike Hammond
Robin - John Greenacre
Emile Tavernier - Colin Johnson
Felix (servant to Fadinard) - Robin Cox
Achille de Rosalba (a young dandy) - Edmund Katso
Helene - Candy Jacklin
Anais (wife to Beauperthuis) - Barrie Hammond
The Baroness - Bridget Coates
Clara (a milliner) - Wyn Upshon
Virginie - Panna Haskins
A Corporal of the Guard - Bruce Fieldsend
A Lackey to the Baroness - Bob Owtram
A Maid to the Baroness - Jacqueline Clayson
The General - Steve Pratt
The Ambassador - Paul Brodsky
The Bishop - Phil Ward
The Professor of Music - David Etheridge
The General's Wife - Elaine Johnson
The Ambassador's Wife - Lesley Ward
The Bishop's Cateress - Dorrit Becker
National Guards : Bob Owtram, Phil Ward Edmund Katso
Wedding Guests : Christopher Hammond, Nicholas Hammond, Stephen Morgan,
Tommy Haskins
Mr. Jacklin's production of this play was a delight. Much of this, naturally, was due to the genius of Tom Stoppard, who wrote this piece - a radio play originally. This fact accounts for the rather episodic construction of the play and lack of 'curtains'. Staged in our open air theatre this was fine; the rapid movement from The Bridge to Albert's home to the Redsitter he and his wife take and to Paris were readily acceptable. But undoubtedly our experience of radio plays and cinema has made this acceptance possible; on the live stage It was a novelty.
The play is about a bridge like the Old Forth Bridge which has to be painted every so many years and takes that long to paint anyway, so that no sooner have the painters finished than they have to start over again. What happens when the powers that be decide to save money by reducing the painting team to one - Albert - is the central theme of the play. Things do not just happen to the bridge but to Albert and all his circle.
It is extremely funny without falling to the level of farce; at the same time it poses several real human problems but avoids the rather gooey introspection that affects so much contemporary theatre. When Albert delivers his monologues which he does at considerable length, one is fascinated; naturally from way up where he is the world looks different, and it is this diffe.r~nce which he comments on so intriguingly down to earth, as it were, are his employers, his family and the financial wizards who one way and another are responsible for his position and for the catastrophe that finally befalls the bridge. They provide the contrast.
Albert was played by Christopher Johnson, and played with the same polish as we enjoyed in his performance in Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts. Other seasoned players were Peter Lay, Charles King and Jonathan Forrest who were, as usual, excellent. Among the newcomers outstanding were Charles Reeve' s Dave - a dumb-dumb - and Robert Barclay who made a charming Kate.
In all plays lighting demanding business, particularly so in out door ones where difficulties too numerous and ghastly to mention have to be overcome. Charles Pell and Geoffrey Chalk are to be congratulated for their success in this area. Sound effects from squalling infants to a thousand marching feet were super and the set, which I thought at first was some sort of surrealist sculpture, turned out in the end to be a most convincing bridge. I would have liked to see a more complete collapse at the end but, after all, a good many boys actually had to clamber up and down and a premature collapse might have been a truly painful experience.
THE CAST
Bob - Nigel Gambier
Charlie - Trevor Cliffe
Dad - Morrison Sifelani
Albert - Christopher Johnson
The Chairman - Charles Pickering
Dave - Charles Reeve
George - Nicholas Hammond
Fitch - Peter Lay
Mother - Mrs. Jacklin
Kate - Robert Barclay
Father - Charles King
Fraser - Jonathan Forrest
Julie - ChristopherHammon
Pierre - Patrick Blumeris
Robert - George Perkins
Accordionist - Nicholas Hammond
Painter - Grayham Beazley
Cyclists : Richard Bradshaw, Guy McGhie, Timothy Martin, Adam Watson.
The club has continued to expand and has enjoyed considerable support from the boys. During the first term were given a VW Beetle by the Imperial Tobacco Company for which we are very grateful. This proved to be an idea! car as although it was a potential runner there were sufficient repairs needed to keep the boys busy. The tasks carried out on it have included rewiring, fitting new headlights, repairing the clutch and brakes and tuning the car. By the end of the third term the VW was often heard making test runs around the school. Other tasks tackled this year hzave included servicing and repairing lawn mowers, re-assembling a motor bike, repainng a typewriter and completing several small jobs on our Opel. Next year we hope to add a starter motor to the VW and improve its exhaust system and tyres. We still need to increase our range of tools and we wouId like to find many more projects for the boys to work on.
In 1978 we had five matches; two against Churchill, one against Cranborne, one against the staff and, of course, the Inter-House. We lost both the Churchill matches but managed to close the gap between the scores considerably in the second one. We only just lost to Cranborne, and we beat the Staff. In the Inter-House Founders won both trophies. We would like to thank Mr. Ireland Jones for the kind gift of a telescope.
After a trial run at the end of 1977, the art of swordsmanship drew the interest of a large number of boys at the beginning of the year. Though run as a 'society' many would like to see fencing established as a minor sport and it was largely the 'Tuesday Ist half' image that caused some reduction of attendance in the last term.
Three matches were held, our debut being against combined Prince Edward/Allan Wilson team, who defeated us by ten bouts to six, with four seniors taking part. In the Michaelmas term we took three seniors and three Juniors to Salisbury, but mixed the teams on arrival. We beat Prince Edward by six bouts to three, but lost to Allan Wilson eight to one. During the Easter term of 1979 we hope to entertain these two schools on our own piste, as well as holding an inaugural match against Mabelrein Girls High School.
Christian Vind and Lothar Nessman were awarded 'Credits' for their services to the Club.
Activity in the first term centred round the school's production of Richard Holderness's Musical 'Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts' in which girls from Nagel House and various members of the Choir and the school took part. The school orchestra provided most of the music for this production.
In the second term Mr. Hodgson was absent on long leave and we have many people to thank: Mr. Etheridge and Mr. Singleton for looking after the music in the Chapel, Charles Bell for accompanying some of the services, Miss Langley for teaching the piano pupils and Christopher Johnson with Charles Pickering, the two Senior Choristers.
In the third term the Choir took part in the annual Marandellas Schools' Christmas Concert, and in a most successful School Carol Concert. Dr. Malcolm Hayes gave a memorable Flute Recital at a meeting of the Music Society. Our thanks go, too, to Mr. Webster for teaching the Woodwind and Brass pupils.
The Society has been involved in the development of a series of bird-baths and feeding stations which can be used for bird photography. The baths and tables have proved very popular with the boys as there is a continual stream of bulbuls, weavers and sparrows coming to feed, drink and bathe. Thus the aspiring photographers always have suitable subjects. There have been some very good portraits and they will improve with practice.
Despite not being able to visit Botswana we have been able to continue with our expeditions. Thanks to the help given by Mr. Peter Milstein of the Transvaal Division of Nature Conservation and Dr. Alan Kemp (a Petrean) of the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, we have been able to visit the Transvaal. In December we went to an area near Barberton to prepare a report for the Transvaal Division of Nature Conservation. A full report has not yet been completed, but the over-riding memories of this trip are of early risings and mid-day heat.
Only a brief report of our last trip to Makalali in December 1977, appeared in last year's magazine, and the following is accordingly reprinted from the Society's magazine 'WAGTAIL'.
Once again we had a mixed group consisting of 15 Peterhouse Boys, 10 Nagle House girls and one girl from Marandellas High School. Unfortunately we found that we had a number of members who were more interested in the members of the opposite sex than in the work of the expedition. This had an adverse effect on our work.
We had gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that we would have a camp which could function in wet weather. In the event we need not have worried. We had a shower as we arrived and one just after we had packed up The weather was exceptionally dry and hot. We were forced to rise at first light and found that by 1100 it was too hot to operate. A swim, lunch and an hour's rest restored our energy so that we could go out in the late afternoon.
The collections were all reasonably successful without our finding anything which was particularly unusual. The farm we visited was a fairly typical area of lowveld bush and woodland. Along the river we found thickets and there were open areas which had been cleared for cropping or mining. The old mine shafts offered opportunities for collecting bats and swifts. The trailer being towed by the truck developed gearing trouble. The engineers led by Ken Nortje managed to change these in the field after we had managed to order a set of new bearings from Johannesburg. They also successfully repaired a number of other breakdowns including the master cylinder for the brakes of one of the landrovers. It was in great part due to their skill and efforts that we managed to get home on the Friday evening.
I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Philip Lategan for allowing us to visit their ranch and for all their hospitality while we were there. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Williams once again allowed us to use their home as a base and cheerfully put up with the invasion both on the way down and theway back. They also did a lot of organising prior to our arrival and we are most grateful for all their help. Once again we are indebted to many people and firms for help in mounting the expedition.
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Last updated 17 September 1999
