Archived News/Activities

- Page 01 - Dec 2001 thru Mar 2002 -

Derek Smith (JRGS 1959-66) recalls an aspect of Latin lessons in the Sixties...

#142: "5U... huh, the 'U' stands for Useless."

#136: "You're going to have the lowest set of marks on record. It's not funny, Byford; it's absolutely calamitous."

#304: "I am having to talk above too many ill-mannered louts like Lambert."

#253: "My patience is fully exhausted in you, Smith. I make full allowance for the fact that you are a stupid idiot."

#260: "I'll not have that revolting exhibition of bad manners from you."

#232: "As usual, we had the customary string of idiotic errors."

#118: "Byford, I'm getting sick and tired of your lack of manners."

#219: "I hear that our group is to be joined by three more buffoons of your sort, Smith."

#157: "I don't see why those who are trying to work should be penalized by ill-mannered louts - yes, that's what you are: ill-mannered louts."

#163: "Here we have another utter idiot."

#63: "And some hapless examiner will have to mark your trash."

#279: "Idiotic grinning... there are no words to describe you, Byford."

And I notice that at the front of the book I've written: "Acknowledgments to G. Harrison and P. Graham for their help." Indeed, I seem to remember that one of Paul's favourites was:

"This is quite pathetic, 3M; quite pathetic."

As Derek concludes: I still laugh a lot when I read them, but I can usually manage only about 50 or so at a time."
We understand that Derek has many more of these; check back later!

Derek adds: Do you remember the occasional Friday afternoon lesson in some upstairs annex somewhere when members of 5T used to come through our lesson to get to theirs in the room beyond? Thing was, they did it one at a time to cause maximum disruption. I can still picture Mr. "Beaky" Cornwall on one occasion throwing his Latin poetry book down onto the desk in disgust. Ah, good times.

Paul Graham (JRGS 1959-66) adds: Thanks again for sharing these. Just great you kept that book. Don't remember the 5T episode though. Was it when we were in 3M? I'm sure we reverted to Mr. "Rhino" Rees in 5U (Gallic Wars, Poetry etc).

John Byford (JRGS 1959-66) adds: Remembrance of Latin lessons is a blur: at one extreme the rowdy Mr. "Beaky" Cornwall lessons and at the other the sheer terror of Mr. "Rhino" Rees. I think Paul is correct about Rhino in 5U, Caesar having left Gaul and old Labienus hanging around for the odd skirmish with Asterix and co.
   I suspect we must have been in 3M when the boys of 5T pulled their party trick; but I do remember "Beaky" throwing books about when he was particularly p*ssed off with something. Thinking about it again didn't he leave Ruskin after two years, cutting his teeth stuff? Many years later I met someone who had been taught Latin by "Beaky" at his next school - apparently he was as tough as anyone at the school, clearly having learnt his lesson at Ruskin.

Mel Lambert (JRGS 1959-65) adds: I recall the episodes well. I think that our Latin class in 3M/5U was divided into two groups; those with Mr. "Rhino" Rees that had a shot at O-Level, and the "duffers" (myself included) that showed some interest in the dead language - it could be pretty stimulating - but who could not/would not pass the exam.
   The classroom we used was one of the two newly constructed areas built above the science corridor that ran alongside the quadrangle, with Mr. "Harry" Green's Biology Room and greenhouse at the far end. For some odd reason, access to the second half of the room - it was divided, I recall, into a couple of more compact areas - was through the main door. "Beaky" went pink whenever his lesson was interrupted - the 5T Lads were pretty large, and could have taken him out with both hands tied being their backs - so it was an difficult situation. (I recall Prince Charles described in the media as being "incandescent with rage" when he discovered that his brother was making a documentary about the young prince at a Scottish university. Nice phase that, and one that I think applies to poor Mr. Cornwall. Ah, memories.) The second area served as a Chemistry Lab.

  Norman Day (JRGS 1960-66) finds a membership card for a Secret Society...

 Terry Haselden (JRGS 1959-64) reports on a JRGS Alumni Meeting in Croydon...

Terry Haselden writes: I am not sure if anyone will recognise us after 37 years. It was 34 years since the three of us last met - we all went on holiday together to the Norfolk Broads.
   We met at Post House on Purley Way. Colin was just over for two weeks from New Zealand, where he now lives.
   A great evening was had by all, with lots of laughs and memories.
   Colin Taylor and I were at Ruskin from 1959 to 1964; John Holden stayed on until 1966.
   The JRGS site is great. I am glad it is bringing us all together.

 Clipping from Croydon Advertiser, scanned by Dave Anderson (JRGS 1964-71)...

  
Click on either image to
view a full-size version.

This press cutting dates from April 1st 1970 or 1971, and relates to an incident when some wags placed a 'For Sale' ad in 'The Times.' The school was described as a country house with extensive grounds and grounds man (Percy Eagleton!). I don't have the actual ad - I bet someone does - but here is a scanned version of 'The Croydon Advertiser' story.
   I also plan to get hold of the ad in The Daily Express for the new houses that went on the school site. I remember cutting it out but never thought that the Internet would become such a great platform for these items of memorabilia! If I can't find it I guess an appeal on the site could turn one up. Or maybe a trawl through the 'Express' archives could do it. It was in the property pages of the time, but when exactly was that? The mid-Nineties? Maybe the developers kept a copy?
   Keep up the good work with the site. I was so keen to leave the school but now, 30-odd years on, the memories are just magic!

Just in case the scanned image is too hard to read, here is the text:

Windmill 'sale' was a tilt at school

Several people in pursuit of a windmill at John Ruskin Grammar School had the wind taken out of their sails when they found it was all hoax by sixth-formers.
   The windmill at the Shirley school, built in 1854, went up for sale on Thursday of last week in the columns of "The Times" newspaper.

   During the day, the headmaster, Mr. J. C. Lowe, received four telephone calls.
   He believes that two were genuine, and two were from sixth formers making sure that he had seen a copy of the newspaper.
   "We have an exceedingly nice group of young men in our sixth form this year, and I thought this was a very clever and very tasteful Aril Fool," he said.
   "If schoolboy pranks were always as harmless and in such good taste as this, every headmaster would be delighted."
    The boys placed another advertisement in the personal columns of "The Times" wishing the school staff a happy April Fool's Day.
   Mr. Lowe has cut out the two advertisements and they will be preserved in the school archives.
   Although built in the mid-th century, a beam in the windmill dates back to [illegible]. It was erected on the site of a previous windmill.

And the school ties, they keep a coming...

As he writes: On the label it proudly says "pure Terylene." Takes you back doesn't it?

Maurice Whitfield (JRGS 1959-66) has found an image from infants school...

Elsewhere on this site you can view the entire December 1958 School Magazine, but this image from page 5 caught our eye.
Back row: Mr. Warne, Mr. Tryon, Mr. Nunn, Mr. May, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Sharrock and Mr. Dobson.
Front row: Mr. Wright, Mr. Woodard, Mr. Lowe, Mr. Graham and Mr. Smith.

One can assume that Mr. Wright and Mr. Smith were padded up to open for the Staff XI, and that Mr. Tryon (in the white coat) served as an impartial umpire

Martin Preuveneers (JRGS 1958-65) adds: This photo of the staff cricket team brings back a memory. One summer evening, probably in 1959, I recall watching the staff team who played the school first team. Mr. May went into bat and after a few balls took a massive swipe at the ball. In doing so the bat, which was one of Mr. Smith's prize first-team bats, hit the ground and the handle broke off. Mr. May returned to the changing rooms to pick up another bat. On the way he passed by Mr. Smith who sat silent, motionless, and red faced in his deck chair.

John Cobley brought along his Prefect's Tie (left) and his 15 Society Tie
to Martin's house in Alameda, Northern California, close to San Francisco.

Your webmaster reports on Alumni Meeting at The Sandrock, Shirley...

A full list of archived News/Events Pages can be found here.

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