We are indebted to Roy Parsloe and Alan Trinder for this montage
Scarves
School caps and ties
COHS in the early 1950s
by Colin Tustin (1951-56)
Colin Tustin (1951-56) reminisces:
– Tumbling Bay. In summer the whole form walked down the canal towpath at Hythe Bridge Street and then under the railway bridge to the area where we were taken across the river by a rather disgruntled boatman in his punt.
On getting across, the first thing to check was the water temperature which was written on a small blackboard in the changing huts. The highest temperature I can recall was 57 degrees Fahrenheit, which was pretty cold, but we had to get in anyway.
The non-swimmers were taught how to swim in the shallow end while the swimmers used the deep end to practise diving for a metal plate which was thrown in to be recovered from the bottom of the pool.
Although Tumbling Bay was used during the school term, the swimming sports took place at Longbridges off the Isis towpath at Donnington.
– Who remembers Mr Lee (Flea) and his “Lambaster”, a curved piece of metal about a foot long which was used to rap your knuckles. He was also an expert shot at throwing his wooden blackboard cleaner at anyone who was not paying attention in his class.
– Changing into vest and shorts to be weighed and measured by Tiny Rowlands in the Geography Hut, the results going on the school report.
– Each form being lined up in the playground for cap parade, and anyone without his cap would be put in detention.
– Going to see ‘Julius Caesar’ in the Ritz cinema and having to write an essay on it afterwards. Also seeing the Queen’s Coronation film in glorious technicolor.
– Freddy Lay giving the school an extra halfday holiday in January 1954 because Headington United were playing Stockport in an FA Cup match on a Thursday afternoon.
– Reference Jim Fleetwood’s comment in Newsletter 6 – Nosmo was the commonly used name for the school caretaker, certainly while I was at the school.
Cigarette Cards
Writer unknown:
I was fascinated by Nigel Molden’s story of the cigarette card with the COS insignia. I would guess that it dates from the time before the word “High” was added to the title, which I would place some time in the 1920s or early 30s.
It would be interesting to know something about the timing of, and reasons for, the changes from Oxford High School to City of Oxford School.
On the matter of the School’s high profile, I remember there was a photograph in the School library showing the School taking part in (and, I assume, winning a race in) the Public School Sports some time in the 1920s.
Schoolyard Cricket
by Colin A Tustin (1951-56)
Colin A Tustin (1951-56) writes:
“During the break between lessons schoolyard cricket was played, usually by six players (each side had a bowler and two fieldsmen.
- A school satchel was propped up against the wall for the stumps, and a text book was used as a bat.
- A table tennis ball was used by the bowler who bowled underarm from a distance of about six feet to the batsman who batted in a crouched position.
- A run was scored each time the bat hit the ball and each player batted once in the game.
However, because break wasn’t very long, the game would be spread over a number of lesson breaks before a result was reached!
(Ed. You might like to cross-refer this with the early piece by T E Lawrence from 1904… )
Introduction of Rugby into the School
by John Everett (1927-36)
John Everett (1927-36) writes:
“I joined the School (aged 7) in September 1927, when the main sport was Association Football and the School had a strong 1st XV. This continued to be the case until the early 1930s, when Mt T H Fallows, a mathematics teacher, decided to try and introduce rugby.
Continue reading “Introduction of Rugby into the School”First Eleven Cricket
Extract from the School Magazine for July 1960:
Captain: P V Strongitharm;
Vice Captain: K Moore;
Hon Sec: R Weaver.
Played 10 Won 2 Drawn 6 Lost 2….
The best piece of batting was Jefferies’ 54 out of a total of 93 in the Past v Present match…..
Moore and Burke have proved an excellent fast opening attack……Burke’s 6-9 against Mr E J Wright’s XI was a superb piece of sustained fast bowling, as was Moore’s 6-16 against Salesian.
(Vol LII iii July 1960 No 169)
The School Play
1949
A production of “Journey’s End” by R C Sherriff, produced by Mr George Wright, was performed with the following cast:
Continue reading “The School Play”A H G Kerry (1896-1908)
December 1945
A H G Kerry (1896-1908), after whom Kerry House took his name, has retired from Eton where he has been House Master for many years.
He was captain of the Oxford University Amateur Football Club in 1911-12 and gained an international cap in 1921.
(Vol XXXVIII. i, December 1945 No 126)
PS from Mike Chew: I understand he later took a teaching job at Millfield School in Somerset.
Playground Cricket
by T E Lawrence (1896-1907)
T E Lawrence (1896-1907), writing in the OHS magazine, July 1904
This is the earliest piece of writing that can definitely be ascribed to Lawrence, although a companion piece titled ‘Playground Football’ and signed ‘Goalpost’ had appeared in the March 1904 issue of the O.H.S. Magazine, and was written in a very similar style.