Category: Schooldays

Longer reminiscences by Old Boys

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Memories of Ronnie Barker

by Tony Phelps (c.1946)

Tony Phelps writes:

“I met Ronnie on the (non-professional) stage in Oxford in 1946. That was the year when I returned from war service.

Having acted a bit during the war, I joined a drama group calling themselves the Theatre Players, somewhere in East Oxford. Ronnie Barker was a member, and we acted together in a thriller called “A Murder Has Been Arranged” in early 1946.

We then began rehearsing “The Blue Goose”, with Ronnie as a small-town mayor (a part he fitted perfectly even as a 16-year old) and me as a round-the-world yachtsman. Unfortunately I had to leave the cast as I got a job in London before the play could be produced.

I met him only once more, when we bumped into each other in the Charing Cross Road, by which time he had already started in repertory.

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“The Forum Presents”

by Malcolm Williams (left 1960)

“The Forum Presents” is mentioned twice on the “News of Old Boys”, once by Malcolm Williams (left 1960) and once by David Green (left 1953). How many versions of the Forum Presents were there? 

Malcolm Williams has responded very quickly:

Thank you for forwarding the note from David Green. The sixth-form entertainment was revived in either 1958 or 1959. I am not too sure of the date now. I remember taking part in a sketch about Speech Day which involved us all taking on the idiosyncracies of various masters. We did ask if we could borrow their gowns but this request was refused. Nonetheless we still took them from the common room before the show and returned them afterwards.

There was another show just before Easter in 1960, the highlight of which was a ballet sketch to music from The Nutcracker. This had to be encored every night. I myself took part in a performance of the last part of Sophocles’ play, Oedipus Rex, which I was studying for A level and by sheer coincidence that part of the play formed part of the exam later.

“Der Forum” band of 1954

David Cooper writes: Memory plays tricks. My initial list of members of the band bears little resemblance to the list I discovered in a photo album in the attic recently.

The “Group” consisted of Brain Moores, “Jos” Jocelyn, Ron Tapping, Gerry Jenkins, Bill Beckett, Phil Gammage, Derek Heape and Pat Willis (conductor).

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The Annexe-Morgue-Dispensary

by John Corbey (late 1940s)

John Corbey (late 1940s) writes:

“The Annexe was adjacent to Gloucester Green, facing Worcester College Gardens. During the war it was designated for use as a mortuary, if there had been deaths in the area around Gloucester Green due to enemy action. It had been a dispensay at some earlier date, and was well situated for its new purpose, being close to the fire station and the entrance to the bus station. Luckily it was never required aa a mortuary.

The School probably began using the ground floor as an annexe some time after VE Day in 1945. Certainly during 1946 and 47 4B and 5B “enjoyed” maths lessons there under the tutelage of Ben Atkin.

The Fire

I am not sure of the precise date of the Fire. Ben had the key to the room where our maths lesson was to take place. Ben was late and there were some thirty of us gathered in the entrance hall awaiting his arrival. Just off the hallway was the door to the locked cellar, but idle hands and a penknife soon removed the screws and access was gained to the cellar.

There was no electric light, but daylight filtered down through a grating, and a dozen of us explored the many rooms below. Most were almost empty, but in the furthest cellar were a number of exposed X-Ray plates. One of our number used a cigarette lighter to ignite one of the X-Rays, which smoldered, rather than illuminate the area. Ben eventually arrived, the X-Ray was stamped out (apparently) and off we went to yet another “boring” maths lesson.

Later that day news spread round the School that the Annexe was on fire, followed by an announcement that it was only smouldering. The Head demanded to see all those who had been in the cellar that day. No one confessed to having cause the smoulder and Freddy decreed that we would all receive six strokes.

I was first and painfully took my punishment. I think Colin Britton followed me. Anthony Wilson then decided to confess that it had been his cigarette lighter. After giving us all a stern lecture, he told me that my name would be removed from the punishment book. In a way, however, I had been equally culpable and deserved the punishment. The marks took at least a week to disappear.

Postcript

The Annexe then became a servicemen’s cafetria where one could get a cup of tea and a sandwich long after the Stowaway, Ross Cafe and similar haunts had closed for the night. The cafetria ceased to function in the mid fifties.

These are my memories of the event after some sixty years, and both Brian Amos and Colin Britton can confirm the details.

(Ed. To add another view to this story, read this reference to the fire in the Annexe by a boy who was in the same class but not directly involved.)

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The School Song

by John Gaskin (c. 1955)

John Gaskin writes:

The precise origins and authorship of the School Song (see Newsletter 4) were never known to more than a tiny handful of people: F C Lay and Jimmy Soulsby are long since dead, and it would be a pity for the knowledge to perish unrecorded with me.

I don’t remember what put it into my mind, but when Len Tombs and I jointly embarked on the production of “The Forum Presents” for May 1955, the thought occurred to me that we had no unique school song – “O quanta Qualia” was more or less functioning as one, but it was not OURS.

At that time (and until his death) I had been much befriended by the lately retired Jimmy Soulsby (Solar) who seemed to me then, and still seems to me fifty years later, one of the wisest and most understanding human beings I have ever known. He was also a talented musician and versifier.

I asked him to help with a song. He did. The music and established words are his. I was merely responsible for some of the verses sung at its first performance at the end of The Forum Presents on 4th May 1955.

Solar also wrote the finely worded review of the whole show for the July edition of the School Magazine. His diffident but prescient mention of the Song is worth recalling.

“The verses were too light and topical to wear well, but the chorus was compact and deftly woven with all the essential elements, faults and virtues alike, of a successful rallying slogan. Nobody can tell beforehand whether such a thing will catch on. They may or may not have found a new School Song; they have, beyond doubt, given expression to the urgent need for one.”

Lyrics of the School Song

The school motto “Labor Vincit Omnia” (’tis work that conquers all) was carved above the prefects’ door, and became the basis for the school song that every boy knew by heart:

In tranquil days of long ago 
Under good Victoria’s rule 
Their faith in Oxford’s youth to show 
Our grandsires built a school. 

“Labor Vincit Omnia” 
Tis work that conquers all. 
This gem of ancient Roman lore 
Was carved above the prefects’ door. 

“Nemo Repente Sapit”, too, 
Was there beside it in full view, 
Reminding those of slower pace 
That perseverance wins the race. 

Labor Vincit Omnia 
Labor Vincit Omnia 

Ed. For alternative songs see this reminiscence and this one

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Malcolm Williams’ Rare Poetic Talent

by Richard Coleman (1953-60)

Richard Coleman (53-60) writes: 

“In my memory Malcolm’s most singular claim to fame came during an English lesson in 2A.

Jock Sutton obviously thought that the country’s total preoccupation with the coronation had gone too far and urged us to write a poem celebrating the conquest of Everest. Malcolm stood up to read his piece:


Everest

Only two men have reached the summit.
Hilary and Tensing dunnit.”

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The School in Wartime

Writer unknown (1941-45)

When originally published Mike Chew apologised that he had temporarily mislaid the name of the author of this item, but would acknowledge its provenance in due course, which he never did. “Sua culpa”, as he said at the time.

“Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the latest COSA Newsletter I was trying to remember the various masters during the period 1941 – 1945. Old (very old) school reports gave me the following.

Continue reading “The School in Wartime”
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COHS in Wartime 1940-45

by Brian Gumm (1940-45)

Brian Gumm (1940-45) writes:

Looking back over some sixty years or more, my recollection of the COHS in war time was surprise that the process of education proceeded in a more or less orderly fashion with few interruptions due to the war raging across Europe. This I am sure was not the case, but through the eyes of a schoolboy it was the usual round of lessons, homework etc relieved by some of the exciting things going on around us.

Continue reading “COHS in Wartime 1940-45”
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