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AOSA ANNUAL
REPORT 2001 - NEWS OF OLD SCHOLARS |
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Thanks to Clifford Morgan, Biddy Stainsby, Dorothy Newby, John
Readman, Margaret Cumbor, Joyce Spinks, Roy Openshaw, Arthur Grainge; the District Secretaries and
all OS who sent in news by ‘snailmail’ and e-mail for the Annual Report for the year 2001. I am
very grateful to you all – please carry on with the good work. News deadline for the 2002 Annual
Report – Christmas 2001. PLEASE. Gill Jackson. 
Sadly, the year 2000 brought news of the deaths of our two oldest old scholars, ELLA CRAGG (1916-19) who lived in London and MAURICE CLAYTON (1917-19) a doctor from Coventry, who was, for many years, that city’s Medical Officer for Health. ROBBIE RIDDLE’s (1919-23) ‘walking round’ photograph
on Page 28 of the Annual Report for 2000 occasioned a considerable amount of interest. COLIN
McLAURIN-JONES (1921-23), an ex-Rawdonian, was able to name most of the young people shown in
it: - ‘the centre pair are Marjorie Buckley later Kirby and Mark Jackson. On the far right are
Gwen Wells & Fred Northern. In the background, Mary Spark, boy not recognisable. On the left
hand side there are two girls together, the one on the right is Doris Burton later Blakeway, known
as ‘Big Fishy’, she had a sister known as ‘ Little Fishy’. The girl behind those two is
Evelyn Nicholson.’ When I returned the photo to Robbie, he was delighted with the news and
commented… ‘I was pleased that Colin Jones (he adopted the name McLaurin after he left school)
was able to identify the various characters, for although the faces were remembered, the names were
long forgotten except dear Marjorie Buckley who sat next to me in class and who frequently supplied
the right answers for me.’
Thanks to COLIN McLAURIN JONES (1921-25), it has been possible to identify many of the scholars in Robbie Riddle's `Walking Round' photo of the Annual Report for 2000. For one of my generation (1950-55), it was particularly poignant to see a young Evelyn Nicholson among the faces he names. Colin said that it was always an interesting part of Sunday, guessing who would be `walking round' with whom. He also remembered Cobbler Jackson…`Every Monday morning Cobbler Jackson complete with sack would be standing by what was then the library on the boys' playground. If we wanted any repairs doing he would take out his pencil, give it a good lick and put a cross on the sole or heel of the shoes and say “put 'em in't poke lad.” If we needed some boot polish, known as toddy, he would go through the same motions with his pencil and against your name in his book he would mark a great big round dot. In the summer term there was nearly always some cricket going on, and in between customers he would take the bat and put up a very good show.' Colin and his wife, Naomi, have been made Honorary members of the Cotswold Naturalists' Field Club, based in their home village of Painswick. This was in recognition of the work they did as 'field officers' over a number of years. Colin still paints for enjoyment and he and Naomi are still involved with the distribution of ‘meals on wheels,’ something they have done for many years. While doing his research into Past Presidents of the Association (the results will be on-line on our website later in the year) – DICK DENNIS had occasion to write to JOHN DOUGLASS (1923-29). John sent Dick a most interesting reply: ‘ARTHUR DOUGLASS (1901-04) was my father’s brother, my father was THEODORE DOUGLASS who was at Ayton from 1899-1900. Arthur Douglass’ term of office (1924-25) as President took place during my time at Ayton, he was then a teacher at Bootham School. He arrived from York for the ceremony on a motorbike, I remember him telling me with great glee that he had learned to ride it in 20 minutes! When Friends opened a new school in Wanganui in New Zealand around 1930, he was appointed Head Master and remained there until he retired.’ BEVAN PUMPHREY (1924-26) moved house last year, and, with his wife, is living in Tenterden in Kent; other members of Jacqueline's family also live near by. I hope that Bevan, thanks to the intervention of his relative MARTYN GAUDIE, now has the new address for his friend ERIC CHART in Australia, who also moved last year, and that the two are back in touch. Had the flats in Richardson Hall been less expensive, Bevan might have purchased one ‘just' for 'auld lang syne.' - His mother was born in the Nutshell and GEORGE and RALPH DIXON (our two earliest Headmasters) were her great grandfather and grandfather respectively. Accompanying Bevan's letter was the text of an address which he gave on 13th May 2000, at the Royal Overseas League in St. James' Street, the occasion being the final reunion of the Grenfell Association:…. ‘ I was 18 years of age, a sixth form boy in my last term at Leighton Park School, Reading, when, in the summer of 1930, I went into the town to hear "the Labrador Doctor" speak of his life's work for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, appeal for funds and encourage doctors and nurses to join him’…. ‘at the end of his talk, I stepped up onto the platform and asked him if there was anyway in which I could help. "If your parents are agreeable, come and see me in my study at Magdalene College," he told me. Supported by a helpful Headmaster and an enthusiastic father, I duly presented myself. "Done anything you shouldn't, lately?" was his first question. " Strictly against all school regulations and without my parents' knowledge, I learned to fly at nearby Woodley airfield and persuaded my instructor to take me over the school and do aerobatics over the buildings as low as safety would permit," I replied. "Excellent," he said, and then after many other questions, "I will recommend my selection board to accept you."’ The rest of the address was a detailed and truly fascinating account of Bevan's life in Newfoundland and Labrador as a 'volunteer without pay or WOP' with Grenfell and his team in the early 1930s and of the return visit which he was able to make in 1987. |
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Go to: Late Teens - 1920s - 1930s - 1940s |
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