hello langer_sftuj !
welcome to the list.
Could you give us just a little detail on your peter pips experience? We have to be sure that you really exist as some computers have been trying to join 
best regards,
jim wishart, list manager
A place for ex students, or their families, to meet up with other ex students from Peter Symonds' School, Winchester, to share memories, stories and photos
Hi Jim - I suspect that langer-sftuj is the invention of a rampant computer mother board somewhere in Russia . . . but I will use this opportunity to reflect on past events.
ReplyDeleteI have just been reading back through the archives and enjoyed a mild chuckle at some of the recollections and exploits. A couple of things that crossed my mind . . . .
maybe some one has previously mentioned the words "COOK SMELLS" in white paint on the quad next to the Library - it had been mostly cleaned off but when wet with rain the message became very apparent. The Library itself was a very restful space and in my junior years I used to go there at lunch times and look through the shelves of volumes which recorded the events of the Great War in pages and pages of B&W photo's. . . .
The old school hall which doubled up as the out of hours badminton court - where Randy Renton (my House Master) used to coach us for half an hour or so in the evenings before popping off to the Jolly Farmer, with instructions for us to carry on and practise our drop serves - I think the hall was known as Norlfolk Hall ?? - it used to have an enormous painting by PJ Opie hanging on the wall -( its probably worth a bit by now - that is if its still there). . . .
Ref the Class of 71 reunion - Dave Thirst gets a mention - after finishing 'A' levels he and I snuck out in the dead of a Friday night, removed the house name plate from the front gate of H/M Ashurst's house, went into town and climbed the Buttercross in the main street and placed a pair of black gym shorts, my school tie and H/M's name plate close to the top. I rember 'freezing' every time a police car drove past - but my strongest memory is that with every handhold as we dipped our fingers or toes into the next crevice to get to the top, it would be full of 200 years of slushy pigeon poo. Very satisfying to go into town the next day though to see the Fire Brigade up their extension ladder removng the shorts and name plate - but the tie which was wrapped around the very top remained there for a month or so . . . .
Whyke Lodgers and Kelso-ites would remember the Sunday night games of chase throught the school grounds in the dark hiding up in trees pretending to be a branch and the disappointment at being discovered . . .
Also the Sunday night movies for the boarders in the 'New' Hall - the first time I saw the 'Guns of Navarone'. . . . . for some reason W/Lodge suppers after the movie always consisted of a hard banana, stale cake or two rich tea biscuits and cup of tea!
Whyke Lodge was the only house that didn't have TV for the inmates - the prefects were allowed to sit in the Renton's living room and watch Top of the Pops with J Saville and his two tone hair but the minions used to loiter or walk very slowly through the hall way trying to sneak a view around the open door before being 'moved-on'.
Cheers Mark S
Hello MarkS, Great contribution! I wish my memory was better , ho hum. I have taken your advice and removed langer_sftuj as a member. Randy Renton I do remember. He was quite encouraging with the one subject that I was quite good at, Art, or pencil drawing particularly. I took a couple of weeks copying a photograph of a Sea Fury landing on an aircraft carrier, 'Good' he said. regards, jim
ReplyDeleteShame on you Mark... Surely everyone remembers langer_sftuj and his younger brother whogivesaflying _sftuj I seem to remember they were first years when zeke was a brand new plimsole...
ReplyDeleteOh... and it's "Wyke" not "Whyke"
ReplyDeleteSeem to recall that the hall was "Northbrook" Hall? Remember the painting - also that we used to get our morning milk in there!
ReplyDelete"Rog."