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AOSA ANNUAL REPORT 1999 - NEWS OF OLD SCHOLARS |
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Thanks to Clifford Morgan, Gillian Haslam, Douglas Horne, Joe Tillott, Dick Dennis, Anne Baines, Biddy Stainsby, Wendy Smith, Arthur Grainge, the District Secretaries and all O.S. who sent in news for the 1999 Annual Report. I am very grateful - please keep it coming. News deadline for the Annual Report for the year 2000, Christmas 1999 - PLEASE. Gill Jackson.
I heard from her daughter, Moira, in March of the death of my friend, GWEN MACMILLAN (HOBART 1919-20). I visited her only the once at her home in Seaford, West Sussex; we found that we had many areas of common interest. Gwen’s letters were full of memories of the happy year she had spent at Ayton and of her long friendship with EVELYN NICHOLSON (1922-25) which began when they were both students at Durham University. In late January 1999, I had a letter from ROBBIE RIDDLE (1919-23) who, at 92, must be one of our oldest O.S. - he was concerned because he had not received the Annual Report. I rang to reassure him that I was working on it as we spoke and that it would be delivered to the ‘punters’ in May. He was also relieved to learn that the Association was still alive and well. Robert was last back at Ayton in 1990 when he saw BERNARD COATES (1921-58) who he said was looking rather fragile and was probably feeling his age - a nice comment from one who was then already into his 80s. Robert wanted to know what had become of the site and the school grounds and was reassured by my description of the builders’ plans. Robert remembers ‘walking round’ on Sunday morning after Meeting and passing notes to the girls (in his time the walks were confined to the playgrounds as the paths by the Beck were reserved for the use of staff). He remembers JAS LANCELOT BAKER (1907-1920) the Senior Master in his early days and a ‘real martinet’; he recalls that HERBERT DENNIS (1903-05 & 1913-39) was not averse to wielding the cane from time to time, which did surprise me. Robert also recalled that, in the dining room, the children used to move round a place each day - a custom which still prevailed when I was at school in the 1950s. The prefects moved from table to table each week, so there was a ‘different girl to flirt with’ and breakfasts were lumpy porridge with bread and marg! - It was a privilege talking to him. |
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