12 April 2008

past masters

Enough patience - will try to remember the people who surely must have had an influence on my life and maybe spark someone else into another lapse of nostalgia (doesn't The Oxford English define it as the pasttime of the aged)

Primary importance Jack Northeast - As an Art student he had zero effect on my abilities, but after PS I worked at New Scotland Yard and during a lunch break in 1954 and again after NS in 1957 I sat in the Embankment Gardens and then wandered round an open air art exhibit, pictures signed JLN caught my eye and I timidly asked the artist about them, he looked up and replied WEell young Scott what are you doing in London. I have never ceased to be amazed at the ability of masters to remember nonentities like me.
Smithy (junior maths) & Watts (English) neighbouring rooms bottom and middle left of main hall, both sporting fans and indeed gave ne the fright of my young life when they mentioned "investing" in my FA Cup sweep, they won too! maybe thats why the scheme only last one year. Arsenal seems to ring a bell.
Gladwell (my earlier thoughts called him Bedwell) German botttom right of main hall I excelled at something finally and then failed O level yet passed French at which I was and still am mildly weak, despite this school trips to Osnabruck and later Lucerne obviously were a benefit, I later married a Wienerin and one of my sons now has flat there and speaks fluent German (& Japanese) (something about WW2 keeps my mind reeling)
Middle right of main hall. Harry boy - gruff, intolerant but enough to frighten senior maths into me.
That leaves the two rooms nearest the head's end latin on the right was that Priestly or Cooksey and on the left Priestland(?) brilliant but an enforcer his English General knowledge are one of the firm memories I have of PS that and his discipline for talking in class, two culprits at the front of the class dealt with in a single movement of his arm from left to right and right to left, very effective.
Upstairs to Divinity & Doc never got much divine influence but the centuries old walls showing in a modern field of crops was a revelation, but never knew who took the photos for him.
Who taught me French, Science not even vague memories. Whoah nearly forgot Tom Pearce what did he teach, apart from supervising our class plot on the border past the Fives courts and going down to St Cross to watch the cricket at weekends. To get to school Monday to Saturday I caught the 8 am from Eastleigh to Winchester (non stop) miss it and had to get the slow at 8,20am and run up the hill to get on time.
That should be enough for now hope it stimulates some memories and 55 years late I have decided to join OSS.

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