The Autumn 2001 newsletter
President's Message - September 2001 -
It's been a strange month, obviously world wide and also personally. I am not going to dwell on the events in New York or its repercussions. We all have our own thoughts and have and will talk about it a great deal. I'm not going to dwell on an injury and subsequent operation to my left hand - it will heal in time but the jury is still out on a full recovery.
Iit just goes to prove that in the time it takes for a large speaker to crush a hand, or the span of a few ghastly hours it takes to fly a plane into a building, everything changes.
But the phrase "life will go on" is the mantra. At least personally I have my health, unlike thousands of people in New York and elsewhere, so if my career has to change, then so be it. If there is a war as a consequence of the terrible actions in America, then so be it - life will go on.
And Collyers and the Old Collyerians will go on. The school and college have stood and educated many thousands over hundreds of years and it still looks forward to staying and educating for hundreds more.
It: has been fun and interesting being President for the past year. I wish I had had more time and less distance from Horsham to have done a lot more. I thank the Committee for tolerating me, and for keeping the tradition going.
So this is a call to arms. Actually a call to eat and drink with old friends at the OCA dinner. Come along and celebrate how life changes, but still goes on.
Rupert Parker
The full newsletter, sent to OCA members in printed format, contains more - in this case membership information, a Latin Crossword, and some other 'jottings' to which the webmaster's scanner objected. So if you want the full story, Join the OCA.
SCHOOL PLAYS
An article in the Spring 2000 newsletter initiated the recollection of many-a-tale about the realities of life In front of and behind the curtain.
Clive Neville's letter in the Spring 2001 newsletter 'sparked' Alan Hawksworth to write of fond memories of his supporting role as one of Dan Twidle's 'electricians'...
The Drama Club
It rolled back the years to read Clive Neville's account of his Drama Club days. He and I were contemporaries. I never aspired to Clive's thespian heights, even managing to escape a part as a cloud in "The Ascent of F6". However, I was involved in all the other productions he mentioned. While Clive was strutting his stuff with Gareth Perry and others, I was one of Dan Twidle's electricians (I use the term loosely).
I well remember being sent up into the roof during preparations for one masterpiece to fix a spotlight and in doing so I stepped on to the unprotected ceiling of the School Hall below. A largish area of plaster cracked and gave way a fraction of an inch, but to my relief my foot did not go through. Every day for the rest of my time at Collyer's I stood in morning assembly only too aware of the slightly sagging plaster high above and immediately over P A Tharp's head. Mercifully it was still there when I left in July 1954!
Clive's article prompted me to raid my archives (a cardboard box in the loft) and I have in front of me a photograph of those days, taken on the set of "Androcles and the Lion". It shows stage manager John Rees (maths master par excellence) surrounded by the back- stage team. The other electricians with Mr Twidle were John Glaysher and David Leggatt: the latter being a physicist understood most of what we did! After National Service and university David and I both went north, he to Rugby to work for AEI and I to Nottingham to work for Boots. I am still here; where is David, I wonder?
Returning to Clive's article, my archives yielded the programmes for "Julius Caesar' (Clive was Decius Brutus), "Androcles and the Lion" (Michael Dinnage was the Lion) and "Macbeth". I also found the relevant "Collyerians", which did indeed declare every play a tri- umph, although some more qualified than others! Certainly no holds were barred on individ- ual performances. The long critique of "King Lear" (sensibly anonymous perhaps) was less than complimentary about one performer (who shall be nameless) saying unkindly that "his bustling entrances early in the play were grotesque and the speaking of his lines was halting, unintelligible, or else too rushed to be audible"! In this context the critic's assessment of Clive's performance as "a sensitive and intelligent interpretation" was praise indeed. Sparing his blushes, suffice it to say that this was totally consistent with the views expressed on his other performances over the years.
My own low key contribution to the Drama Club was more than compensated for a school generation later, when my brother, Roger, took a number of leading parts in the productions of his day - but that, as they say, is another story.
Alan Hawksworth (1946-1954)
Clive's letter also prompted Francis Holford to recall a number of school plays in which he was involved... and the unusual lengths to which they went to impress contemporaries from the girls' high school...
Dear Editor,
I received the newsletter this week and, as usual, found myself experiencing waves of nostalgia. It was the contribution on the school plays under Miss Lees' direction which brought back so many old memories.
My first play was Macbeth in which I was Angus a Thane -I even had a few words to say. Johnson's portrayal of the central character was highly acclaimed and Dan Twidle's cunning recreation of Banquo's ghost caused considerable speculation as to how it was accomplished.
The next one I was in was King Lear. I was only a servant in that and had one line to say about which I was very embarrassed. The highlight for me was the dress rehearsal to which the girls' high school was traditionally invited. At the point where Rutland tears out (Lear's eye and says "Out, vile jelly. Where is thy lustre now?", a cow's eye which had been procured from Horsham market was hurried by him into the front row of the audience, to gratifying squeals of horror.
My last effort was in Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme in which Colin Clayton found his true vocation as Monsieur Whoever. I doubled as the dancing master and later as part of the percussion when Monsieur was crowned as some sort of Turkish sultan.
I have photographs of Macbeth and Le Borgeois Gentilhomme, if anyone is interested.
On a sadder note, I saw the announcement of Peter Bromham's death. I was an exact contemporary of his and he was by far and away the brightest boy in our year. We were alt convinced that he had a photographic memory but he was always incredibly modest about his academic achievements. He and I were the only two in the full Classics set in the Sixth Form - he because he was brilliant and I because I thought a class of two was my best chance of some decent A levels. It brings back memories of the two of us reading Homer in Mr Tharp's study and, of course, the ever-revered Mr Bennett.
Thank you for your latest edition.
Yours sincerely
Francis Holford (1950-1955)
Old Collyerians and new technology
A growing number of members and non-members are contacting the OCA after being reminded of old friends through the website, Why not pay a visit to the site, and remember to point any Old Collyerians you contact in the direction of the OCA website, And if you move quickly, you could even invite old friends as your guests to the Reunion Dinner?
JOTTINGS
Carol Sutton wrote with great sadness to give the news of the death of her husband Paul Sutton ( 1933 - 1941). Paul passed away on 4th July. Only last year while looking after Paul at home, Carol happened to read the OCA Newsletter and discovered that another OC, Jack Coombes lived only about three miles away from them in Plymouth. Carol mentioned this to Paul who told her that his father had taught Jack to play the organ. Through a friend who attends Plympton St Maurice Church, where Jack still plays for services once or twice a month, Carol got in touch with Jack, who promised to play the school song for her one Sunday, as she had never heard it despite having been told all about it. Surprisingly, despite his father being a com- poser, Paul never managed to learn to play the organ properly - his mother once told Carol that he was impossible to teach! Paul did inherit a love of Gilbert & Sullivan from his father, and a selection of the overtures were played at his funeral.
Coincidentally, Jack Coombes (1929-1936) also wrote to the OCA committee secretary. While at 82, Jack said he no longer drives, but thanks to his dear wife who acts as chauffeuse, he was able to attend the last OCA dinner. Jack said, " It gave me a lot of pleasure to play the School Song, particularly as the composer, W.Stanley Sutton taught me the piano and organ for about 7 years. In fact I still play the organ on a regular basis at Plympton St Maurice Parish church and in spite of my eye problems I can still read the music, provided that it is not too way out! In spite of my 82 years plus, I think I am still considered to be reasonably compos mentis!"
It was actually the 'School Reports' article in the last newsletter that had prompted Jack to write. He said, "It reminded me of one of my own which probably bears repeating. In 1934 Mr.C.S.Locke joined the staff to teach mathematics to the Upper School. He was a brilliant mathematician and teacher, but for some reason he and I did not hit it off from day one (probably my fault!) At the end of the Summer term he wrote on my report -
'His original extremely vague interest in this subject seems to be getting even vaguer with advancing years."
However, I think I had the last laugh, as when the Oxford School Certificate results were published in August of that year, I was awarded a credit, much to the surprise of C.S.L. and myself. We got on much better after that, but I believe he didn't see eye to eye with P.A.T. on certain things and he left rather abruptly in 1937 (I had left by then), to pursue his career elsewhere. I never heard of him again. In those days one either failed or passed the O.S.C. - there were no certificates giving details of a student's results in the individual subjects unless he passed the whole exam. I believe that five passes including one credit were required for a "pass" five credits including Maths, English and a language to obtain London Matriculation Exemption. Hard times indeed!
In the OCA Archives
A number of interesting items have recently been donated to the archives.
Felicity Chivers has given a photograph of the Collyer's vs OCA Founders Day cricket match, c1950, including John Chivers. George Cox was OCA Captain.
College Principal, Michael Marchant felt that the OCA archive was the best home for a book given to him by a Canadian lady visiting the college. Her grandfather A.J. Charman won the book, Memoirs of Sir Henry Havelock, as a prize in 1900. Michael also passed on an original copy of the full words and music of the school song. At the July committee meeting,
Archivist Nick Weller reported that a number of interesting items had been donated from the possessions of the late Geoff Miller. These included, a Collyer's cap, sports day programmes, OCA Year Book 1947/8, programme for the Mikado 1938, Collyerian magazines from 1936 to 1940, and a picture of staff member, Fredrick James Fisher.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the above mentioned Fredrick James Fisher ( 1939 to 1947)7 None of the committee know anything of this man, but there must be some of his contemporaries out there who know what he taught, and maybe some stories of his time at the school.
E-mail us from our web, or write to one of the committee.
From the Secretary
Around the time of the last Winter reunion and autumn newsletter, the Piano 2000 presentation was the hot news of the time. If you recall, the idea for the piano fund arose originally from the fact that, with no suitable instrument available in the student common room at the college, the diners had to sing the school song without the benefit of accompaniment. Although the a capella rendering bore a certain charm, the general opinion was that the song needed the robust backing of a good piano in order to bring back memories of Stanley Sutton, Jim Hodgson and the various other music teachers at the old Collyer's. But it's not only the music department staff that changed in the intervening years. The co-educational college, which replaced the single-sex grammar school, renders some of the song's lyrics inappropriate.
We received several suggestions as to how the words could be brought up to date, which, thankfully, did not involve too much re-writing and consequent re-learning. From one brave man (Derek Santer) we even received an additional verse. We also received a fair number of opinions that the song should be left alone. However, all these efforts were overshadowed by the reminder that there were in fact more verses than those customarily betted out at the dinner. Our former President Howard Matthews was the first to remind us of this fact, that we all should really have remembered, and his recollection was backed by several copies of the words and music which surfaced from various sources, including one of the original song sheets which was passed to us by the current principal for the archives.
So the committee took a typical committee decision - to do nothing. We felt that the song is more than adequate for the OCA's purposes, and the college at present has no real need for its own version. No doubt at some time in the future when the majority of the former grammar school boys are reunited with their former teachers in the great classroom in the sky, and the OCA is run by ex-college students, the revisions to the song will be dusted off and reconsidered.
One of the successes of new technology has been a web site called 'friends reunited', which seems to have caught the imagination in a way that individual school and alumni organisations have not managed to achieve. A number of our former colleagues have found us through joining Friends Reunited, and we hope this trend continues. Recruitment is a constant problem for the OCA so the venture is most welcome to us.
Finally, this is the last time I plan to be writing these words in the newsletter. As the intention is to move overseas some time during the next year, the time has come to stand down at the AGM and leave the way open to a new secretary. I am fully aware of the fact that I have not been able to address the job in the way it deserved, with so many other calls on my time. I have been in the rather ridiculous situation of not being able to attend the majority of AGMs and Winter Reunions as the traditional date coincides with an important industry event in Amsterdam which I have to go to at least every other year (2001 being no exception). So please think about taking over the job - it's not difficult, there's not much that can go wrong, although during my tenure I seem to have succeeded in finding everything that can. Maybe a fresh face will attract a better hand when fate next deals to the OCA. I will do all I can to make the handover simple.
All the best to the OCA, wherever the future takes it. - Bill Thomson.
Richard Collyer Lodge and Chapter
The Richard Collyer Masonic Lodge is almost as old as the OCA having been formed in 1927, white the Chapter is a mere junior having been formed in 1958. Both are very active organisations and meet regularly at Horsham Masonic Hall. The Lodge members would be delighted to hear from any old Collyerians who would tike further details or who might be interested in joining. Full details may be obtained from the Secretary of the Lodge:
Robert Phillips, Lodge Farm Cottage, Chesterton, Oxon, 0X6 8XA
4th Centenary Fund
This is our own registered charity, established at the 4th Centenary of the founding of Collyer's, used to assist anyone who is or has been at Collyer's in the furtherance of their education. The only source of income is from Old Collyerians. A collection is made at the Annual Dinner and Fund Treasurer, Roger Peay is always pleased to receive donations:
Roger Peay, 34 Forestfield, Horsham, Sussex, RH13 6DR (Tel: 01403 258605).
Please send contributions for the newsletter to a member of the committee, or e-mail us from or direct to .
Summer Re-union
This year's Summer Re-union was a pleasant sunny evening back in May at the Horsham Cricket Club. About ten members came and went during the evening. The Committee is looking for ideas as to how we might give the next Summer Re-union a wider appeal. Any suggestions as to venues and possible re-union 'activities' would be welcome.