Laurie Salkeld

July 19th 1919

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A visiting headmaster, who attended our end-of-term Prize-Giving commented that there was “something delightfully friendly and unbigwiggish about it, and I loved the variety in your prizes and the variety of things they were given for…”

He rightly observed that I enjoyed the occasion, and given this encouragement, I am including here extracts from my speech:

“Hum has been for the past two years in entire charge of the Boarders, and I make some recognition of his efficiency and help by associating with me in the Headmastership. We are now joint Headmasters – with different spheres of responsibility. From our experience so far, I have not the slightest doubt that this arrangement will be most satisfactory in every way. With our other old hands, Mr [GC] Vassall, Mr Wallace and Mr Haynes to run the outdoor life, and with Mr Bye, who has come back with honour of war and runs the Junior House, and with GC still as our enterprising and most efficient Editor of the ‘Draconian,’ all should be well with the School.

I may also say here that my daughter [Kit Lynam/Marshall] has come back from her war work in France and Italy after nearly 4 years and that she is to marry Captain Cyril Barclay (Durham Light Infantry) and that they are to come to Oxford, and that we hope he will eventually join the Staff.

Thirty boys and girls are leaving this term, but we have already more than enough new boys down to take their places next term. It is always a sorrowful task to say goodbye to those who are passing on from us, especially to those who have been with us for a long time…

I wish all you boys and girls who are leaving every happiness and success in the future. I thank you for all the good you have done in the School by example and leadership and the credit you have won for us. It may be by winning scholarships or winning School matches or in other ways…

I have nothing special to say to the Parents, but I must thank them for this: that so very few wished to send their boys back on the 18th instead of the 24th September, whilst the vast majority welcomed the extra days in honour of the Great Peace.

These Scholarships have been gained this School year (in order in which they were gained):

D Wiggins, Exhibition, King's School, Canterbury.
E Frere, Scholarship, St. Leonard's School, St. Andrews.
M Carritt, Scholarship, Sedburgh.
C Clark, 1st Scholarship, Winchester.
J Brunyate, 2nd Scholarship, Winchester.
D Hunt, Scholarship, Malvern.
P Vernon, Scholarship, Oundle.
P Mair, Scholarship, Oundle.
B Sheard, Scholarship, The Leys.
H Milford, Scholarship, Sherborne.
E Webb, Scholarship, Charterhouse.
L Salkeld, Scholarship, Rugby.

E Webb is not taking up his scholarship, having passed the interview and qualifying examination for the Navy. Stella Joy was top for Roedean. They must have an uncommonly high standard or else be short of cash, as I am sure Stella was worth a Scholarship.

This, though not quite as long a list as last year’s, is a record for any school in containing 1st and 2nd at Winchester.”

In the top form of 18, half were awarded scholarships.

July 4th 1919

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Following a most successful Sports Day for the Junior Department, it has been the turn of the rest of the school.

A fine day and some excellent performances gave the spectators a very pleasant afternoon on the last Wednesday of term.

Laurie Salkeld’s high jump of 4 ft. 5 in., Michael Carritt’s hurdling, and Cyril Gadney’s all-round performances are worth special mention.

Laurie jumped in beautiful style.

Laurie Salkeld

The school hurdling has improved tremendously. The regular practice they have had made a deal of difference. Michael Carritt won with a time of 17 seconds, with D Hunt second and K Horsley third.

Michael Carritt

Other results included:

Broad Jump (Open): Ist – C Gadney (14 ft. 7 in.), 2nd – W Kaye, 3rd – G Hardman.

Hop, Step & Jump (Open): 1st – C Gadney (30 ft. 6 in.), 2nd – L Salkeld, 3rd – G Hardman.

100 yds. (Open): 1st – C Gadney (12.2 seconds), 2nd – B Sheard.

Cricket Ball (Open): 1st – V Forrester (65 yds.), 2nd – F Grove.

We also had 100 yd races for under 9/10/11/12/13/14 year-olds, a Bicycle Race (6 laps), Girls’ Races & High Jump, a Tortoise Race, a Three-Legged Race, A Donkey Race, a Team Race (Boarders v Dayboys, in which the Dayboys went all out to win by 3 or 4 yards) and senior and junior Obstacle Races.

We hope that this year’s practice of timing the races will be continued.

July 3rd 1919

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REPORT ON ENGLISH LITERATURE PAPER

As promised, here are the findings of Frank Sidgwick, who kindly marked the English Literature paper set for the top forms.

Marks were out of 150 and ranged from 124 down to 11. The top four were:

  1. Ellie Frere (124)
  2. Laurie Salkeld (100)
  3. Stella Joy (98)
  4. Hugh Gaitskell (91)

I note that George Hardman (44) would have been 5th, but his marks were halved for writing a silly poem.

In addition, Frank Sidgwick supplies the following observations:

“This paper was set by the Skipper, and I consider it fairly difficult.

Question 1 was well done except for the Lorelei and Kotik…

Question 2 unfortunately contained the word ‘illustrate,’ which two or three took to mean that a pen-and-ink sketch was required. Shylock is very unpopular; he was ‘a wolf in carnation,’ and ‘Shylock was medium in height… he was a very bloody man.’

Question 3. The quotations were fairly well known, except the last, which no-one got quite right, and the Swinburne one. It is news to me the ‘When shall we three meet again?’ was said by Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer, as they were being bound to the stake in Broad Street!

Question 4 was as interesting as it has been In former years. I congratulate Stella Joy on having grown out of a liking for ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel.’ F. Childe apparently dislikes Hans Andersen because he thinks he was a German. He ought to be made to apologise in public for this error and for the prejudice. Somebody else dislikes another book because the characters in it ‘always make Fo-pahs.’

Question 5. As before, Shakespeare (27) leads the way with the Bible (23), followed by Tennyson and Kipling (15 each), useful books (natural history, botany, cooking, etc), Dickens and volumes of ‘Punch.’ One precocious youth demands Boccaccio! Two really sensible boys put an Atlas on the list.

The poems [a love song for The Merchant of Venice’s Lorenzo to sing to Jessica] were most depressingly bad – except the six best, which were not nearly as good as I expected. There was this however:

The moon is bright - come, a little kiss! -
There's no one near - let me bend, so! -
It would be an eternal bliss
To your own dear loving Lorenzo.

Our marker concluded that the handwriting was generally bad (and Brunyate’s disgraceful!)

 

August 1st 1917

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Term time is always eventful and at the end of it there are always a number of small items of interest that are worth recording.

We had a record number of boarders (75) this term. However, I have heard it suggested that the number of boarders is too large – let me say that it is only by having a large number that I have been able to hang on without raising the fees and without in any way cutting down the food of the boarders and day boarders.

We have had potatoes regularly, no meatless days and plenty of bread – the only rationing has been in sugar and each boy has had first his eight and latterly his six ounces per week besides cooking sugar, also golden syrup and always jam.

One result of our boarding numbers was that six of the older boarders have been sleeping out, some of them occasionally in a tent and they were good enough voluntarily to surrender the pleasures of dormitory life.

Early morning bathers with boarders’ tent in background.

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Earlier in the term, the School came to the rescue of one Lieut. DH Clynes, who interrupted a drawing lesson “on the banks of the Cher” by falling into the river out of a punt. He was rescued, dried, re-clad and refreshed, and to mark his gratitude he presented a Swimming Cup. The competitors swam in their clothes and the race was won by Max Adamson.

* * * * * * *

It was not only soldiers this term who were in the wars. Little Laurie Salkeld, whilst winding up the caravan engine, got a backfire and broke his wrist. Francis Wylie, too, got run over by the roller when rolling the pitch, but most fortunately escaped severe injury and is now all right again and so is Laurie.

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Mr Archer Vassall (GC’s brother) has written to us from Harrow on behalf of the Food (War) Committee of the Royal Society. He has asked that in the autumn the boys collect horse chestnuts (the nuts, not the husks) and take them to the Station Master at the nearest Railway Station, who will forward them free of charge to the correct destination.

Horse chestnuts will set free grain for food, as they can be used for a process in which grain has now to be employed.