Part 12 - Strathallan School

Transcription

Part 12 - Strathallan School
The
Strathallian
Vol. 6, No. 12
D ecember, 1961
F IR S T R U G B Y X V
P layed 18; W on 15; D raw n 2; L ost 1; F or 215; A gainst 27
THE STRATHALLIAN
THE
MAGAZINE
OF
STRATHALLAN
SCHOOL
PERTHSHIRE
T e l e p h o n e
V o lum e
Six
N
o.:
B R ID G E
D e c e m b e r ,
OF
EARN
2 3 2
1961
N u m ber
T w elve
School Authority
Captain o f the School
H. G A L T (C ap tain o f N icol)
Vice-Captain o f the School
B. A. W IN G A T E (C ap tain o f R uthven)
School Prefects
R. J. R ankin (C apt. o f F reelan d )
M. W . Shaw (C apt. o f S im pson)
J. G . M . M cK inlay (N )
I. C. B orland (F)
E. A . L aw son (R)
A ppointed M arch 1961: J. M. O. L ang (N )
T. R. T a y lo r (R)
A ppointed M ay 1961:
R. E. A llcock (R )
I. S. G ra y (N )
P. G . Law son (S)
A. M. P ate (R)
P.. S. Peters (R)
R. F . R idland (S)
School G aines Captains
Rugby ........
........... H. G alt
. . . T. R. T ay lo r
C r i c k e t .......
A thletics ...
. I. C. Borland
B o x in g .................. B. A. W ingate
C ross C o u n try ... E. A . Law son
F e n c in g .....................R. J. R ankin
F i v e s .................................. H. G alt
T ennis ..
H o c k e y ....................M. W. Shaw
Sailing ..................... R. S. Peters
S h o o tin g .................E. A. L aw son
S w im m in g ....J . G . M. M cK inlay
M. W. Shaw
Editors o f “The Strathallian'’
E. A. L aw son and D . G . L inton
4
The Magazine of Struthallan School
Editorial
T he E d itorial is notoriously the m ost difficult part of the School
M agazine to write. It m ust serve to some extent as an obituary
notice on the year under review, and to some extent as a notice
of the year ahead. It should reflect the outstanding events of
school life, but m ust keep them in perspective, reviewing them
only against the m ore im portant, m ore perm anent rhythm and
routine of school life. In o u r interest for w hat is exceptional, we
m ust not forget o u r dependence upon w hat is regular, and in our
pleasure and pride at the School’s greatest achievements we must
not become conceited or com placent.
This has been a m ost successful year on the games field, and
we believe that the achievem ents of our ablest cricketers, rugger
players, hockey enthusiasts, athletes and swimmers, dem onstrated
in impressive victories against other schools, or in the breaking
of records on the track o r in the pool, reflect the high standards
in games throughout the school. It is less easy to assess achieve­
ments in the classroom , and some consternation was felt at our
transfer to the O xford and Cam bridge School’s Exam ination
B oard, but fortunately o u r results fully justified this policy.
The past year has seen a further proliferation of school societies,
and certainly no boy can have any excuse for being bored!
Many of our seniors are returning for the School year 1961-2,
and we can reasonably hope th at the coming year, our Golden
Jubilee year, which will see the opening of our new Chapel,
will prove even m ore successful than its predecessor in academ ic
and athletic fields. We shall soon be able to think more of con­
solidation, and less of establishing our position, and this is
perhaps the time, on the threshold of our half-century, to pause
and to take stock of o u r position.
T he public schools have long been criticized by the political
left-wing for producing a privileged caste, and certainly there
could be little moral justification for a system in which, in return
for the paym ent of expensive fees, public schools guaranteed to
parents that their sons would be given training which merely
ensured that they w ould quickly obtain com m anding and wellpaid positions in life. T he com m unity life we experience in a
boarding school is a preparation for the responsibilities and
obligations of life in the outside world, not for the enjoyment of
privileges. But the m oral lessons of honesty, responsibility,
religious observance and charity tow ards others will only dom i­
nate o u r later lives if we associate with pleasant things the cir­
cum stances in which we learned them ; the boy, small, tim id, not
good at games, who com es to hate his school, will not be likely
to adhere to the m oral principles he was taught in what for
him was a place of torm ent. S trathallan is, we believe, a happy
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
5
school — certainly m asters with experience of other public
schools have found it so — b u t there is probably still room for
improvement. Juniors do not necessarily feel less respect for the
senior who speaks to them courteously, rather than gruffly,
and the petty tyrannies occasionally practised by a few
juniors upon each other should be eradicated. In a world
threatened by the hydrogen bom b, we cannot begin too early
to learn to acquire the virtues of toleration and sym pathy for
our neighbours.
Staff Notes
A t the end of the year the School lost two m asters — M r. R. G.
Hall and Dr. D. L. Farm er. We shall miss Mr. H all’s all-round
versatility; he has taken an active interest in archaeology and in
all things musical. He has always given useful help on the rugger
and cricket fields. We wish him every success at M onm outh.
Dr. F arm er leaves us to go to Stowe. He has lived up to his
name and has successfully cultivated the intellectual soil of the
School. He is a man of m any talents and besides being interested
in all things academ ic he has been in charge of the Duke of
Edinburgh A w ard Scheme, has ably edited the School m agazine
and has taken a great interest in the D ebating Society, as well as
in climbing and ski-ing expeditions. He will be greatly missed
by those involved in all these activities and also for his teaching,
particularly of Sixth Form History. We wish Dr. F arm er also
every happiness and success at Stowe.
During the year we have welcomed to the Staff five new
masters. Mr. P. E. Grigsby has come to take charge of the
Biology D epartm ent. Mr. K. C. Jackson teaches Physics and
M athem atics and helps with the Choir. Mr. D. S. Rym er, who
teaches Geography, has also taken charge of the School’s
dram atic productions. Mr. R. C. Studholm e has joined the
Departm ent of M odern Languages and Mr. N. D. Thom son,
M athematics Scholar from C hrist’s College, Cam bridge, has
come to teach M athematics. We are also very pleased to have
the services of Mr. J. M ouland Begbie as o u r violin teacher.
Mr. Dan Grant
W e were all very sorry to learn of the unexpected death of Dan
G rant after so short an illness. He had been G roundsm an at
Strathallan for four years and the excellence of the wickets, the
hockey grounds and rugger pitches bear testim ony to his skill
and care — the m ore so when we consider the constant use we
make of them. He was cheerful, obliging and ready to help at
all times. We shall miss his open-air countenance, twinkling
eyes and pawky sense of hum our, and we offer Mrs. G rant and
her family our sincere sympathy in their loss.
6
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
H e followed the fortunes of all the team s w ith interest and
the successes of individuals w ith pleasure, and it seemed appro­
priate that, during the com m ittal in the village churchyard, the
sound of bat against ball could clearly be h eard coming from the
Paddock.
C.P.H.
Speech Day
T he A nnual Speech Day and Prize-giving was held this year in
the Perth City H all on June 3rd, and the School was honoured
by the presence of L o rd Strathclyde. A fter the H eadm aster had
reported on the School’s progress during the year, and had
deplored the reluctance of local E ducation A uthorities to take
advantage of the public school places repeatedly offered by the
schools fo r pupils from state schools, the C hairm an of the
Governors, M r. R. S. Johnston, Q.c., broke the unwelcome news
th at the rise in rates and m asters’ salaries would necessitate a
substantial increase in fees if the school’s standards were to be
m aintained.
L ord Strathclyde congratulated the prize winners, and also
exhorted to perseverance those who had tried hard without
m anaging to enter the list of prize winners. He told them of his
fam ily m otto — “ A b O bice Suavior” — which he translated as
H ighland D ancing on the L a w n on Speech D ay
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
7
“Things w orked for taste sweeter” . L ord Strathclyde continued
by rem inding his audience of men like Sir W inston Churchill,
who, though never distinguished at school, had achieved great
success in later life.
L ord Strathclyde insisted that the developm ent of character
required effort, perseverance and courage, and said that the man
of character was one who could be trusted, did not lie, was
straightforw ard and clean in his talk and in his habits, and
played the gam e by keeping his promises, not letting down his
friends and not following a popular lead if he believed it to be
wrong - in short, the kind of m an one would like to have with
one when one went tiger shooting in deep jungle! O ur country
was now im poverished by two w orld wars and shorn of her
form er Em pire, but L ord Strathclyde believed th a t we could
still give a m oral lead to the rest of the world as long as we
retained the qualities which had long been characteristic of our
nation.
T he A ddress was followed by a concert by the C hoir and
O rchestra, during which the violin playing of P. Pradipasen was
especially com m ended. It is to be regretted, though, that some
parents left the H all before the conclusion of the concert.
On the afternoon of Speech Day, the program m e followed
the now -custom ary pattern, with perform ances by the Pipes and
Drums and the H ighland Dancers on the Lawn, exhibitions in
the laboratories and w orkshops, dem onstrations of sailing on the
pond and tea in the House com m on-room s. The Sunset Parade
com pleted the day, during which we had welcomed to the School
the great m ajority of the parents of current Strathallians.
Speech Day Prize W inners, 1961
T he Sm ith C up fo r the C ap tain o f the S c h o o l................................... H. G a lt
Prize fo r the best all rou nd achievem ent
in w ork in the S c h o o l..............................................................P. G . L aw son
H ouston Prizes fo r all-round m erit:
H . G alt. E. A. L aw son. A. M . Pate. R. F . R idland. T. R.
T aylor.
I. C. B orland.
J. G . M. M cK inlay.
R. J. R ankin.
M. S. Shaw. B. A . W ingate.
E nglish .............................................................. D . M. L aw son
Classics ....................................................................... I. A . G ow
French ........................................................................ I. S. G ray
M athem atics Essay ....................................... I. H. W . Jones
Biology .............................................................. H. G . M orton
Physics ..................................................................... R. H. Scott
C hem istry .............................................................. R. S. Peters
G erm an .............................................................. D. M. Lawson
M usic ................................................................... H. G . M orton
A rt ............ A lan G . Jo h n sto n (S) and D . W. E. A gnew
8
The M agazine o f Slrathallan School
O ther Prizes, 1960-61
D ux o f School, 1960
P rize f o r best G .C .E .
Prize fo r best G .C .E .
P rize fo r best G .C .E .
IV A , 1960
V A, 1960 .
V B, 1960 .
.......... P. G . Law son
P. G . M. R eynolds
. G . O. T o u rlam ain
. D. A. K. M urray
F O R M P R IZ E S , 1960-61
IV B— R. W ilkie; IV C — J. B. M a rtin ; III A -N . F . M acM illan; III B
T. R. F aw cett; III C— T. G . P iper; II A — C. W . C aldw ell and C. A. H.
G reig; II B— A. J. G ask ; I— A. R. Sharpe.
C U P S, 1960-61
M elville C ricket C u p .....................................
Sim pson
A rgentine T ro p h y fo r Ju n io r C rick et ......
Sim pson
Sw im m ing C u p .............................................................N icol
T ennis C u p .......................................................
R uthven
Sailing C u p ................................................................ N icol
M usic C u p ........................................................
R uthven
C o rp s Efficiency C u p .....................................
Sim pson
T ennis Singles C u p .............................. P. Pradipasen
Senior Piping ............................................ P. M. F isher
Ju n io r Piping ........................................... B. G . Stuart
Solo D rum m ing .................................... W. R. D uncan
Shooting (In d iv id u a l)............................. P. M. F ish er
Ju n io r Shooting C u p ... R. W ilkie and L. D .C .S iedle
C ricket Prizes;
Batting Prize .......................................................... H. G alt
Bowling Prize ........................... A. J. H arvey-W alker
Field in g Prize ................................... R. W. A rm strong
Prize fo r 100 Runs (v. G len alm o n d ) ... T. R. T ay lo r
2nd X I C ricket P rize ......................
J. M. O. L ang
The follow ing successes were obtained in the G.C.E. ‘A ” Level
Exam ination in July, 1961:
G eo g rap h y
A llcock, R. E.
B orland, I. C.
M aths fo r Science, Physics
C hem istry
C ornish, C. M. T.
English, H istory
D ow , R. C.
M aths fo r Science, Physics, C hem istry
F raser, E. A.
English. M aths fo r Science
G ow , I. A.
French, E nglish
G ray , I. S.
H istory
H utton, B. W.
H istory
Jo h n sto n , A. G . (80)
English
L ang, J. M. O.
L aw son, D. M.
French. English
English, H isto ry
L inton, D. G.
M aths fo r Science
M cG ill, J. M.
English
M cK inlay, J. G . M.
C hem istry, Biology
M orton, H . G.
C hem istry, Biology
Parker, J. L. W.
M aths fo r Science, Physics, C hem istry
Peters, R. S.
C hem istry
R ankin, R. J.
G eo g rap h y
R idland. R. F.
M aths fo r Science, Physics
R obertson. I. M.
M aths an d H ig h er M aths, Physics, C hem istry
Scott. R. H.
C hem istry, Biology
Shaw, M. W.
M aths fo r Science, Physics
Stark, R. C.
Physics, C hem istry
W atson, G . M.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
9
The follow ing boys obtained live or more passes in (he G.C.E. “O”
Level Examination in July, 1961:
Agnew, D. W . E .; A rm strong, R. W .; B arron, V. A .; B eattie, D.;
C halm ers, R. S.; C lark , D .; C lem ent, J. G .; D o n n a n , J. G . M.;
D uncan, W. R.; F erguson, J. C.; Fisher, P. M .; F ran k lin , D.; G o rd o n ,
D .A . R.; H ardy, M . H.; H en d rie, J. S.; H itching, A . V .; Jenkins, T . A . F.;
Joy, P. G .; L ogan, J. S.; M cD onald, G . A .; M cL achlan, W . E .; M artyn,
D. H.; M elville, J. B.; M o rriso n , A. H.; M u rray , D . A. K .; N elson-C ole,
A . A.; P ate, W. S.; Peacock, J. G .; Pickard, E.; Priest, C. R.; P rophet,
J. M.; R eynolds, P. M. G .; R o b so n , W . S.; Russell, I. A.; S hepherd,
P. J.; S m ith, A , I.; Sm ith, D . A .; T a itt, M . P.; T h o m so n , A . R.;
T o u rla m ain , G . O.; T ullo ch , P. J.; V alentine, F . P.; V ickery, P. R. G .;
W eatherston, P. M cD .; Y oung, J. S.
SALVETE
N ew Boys, 1960-61
September, I960
A th erto n , J. C. (F); B alfour, G . W. (R i); B onella-F erguson, J. S.
( R 1); B row n, J. D. A, (R ); B urnett, A. J. (Ri); C aldw ell, C. W . (S);
C h ap m an , J. B. S. (Ri); C oldw ell, A . J. S. (N ); C ro o k , C. J. (F); C um m ing, A. M. (S); D angerfield P. H . (S); D arlin g K . J. (F); D avidson,
H . I. G . (S); Ferguson. D. L. (F ); F isher, J. A. (R i); G a lb ra ith , J. P. (S);
G arden, R. W. (R); G a rd n er, A. W. (R i); G ask , A . J. (F); G ran d iso n ,
G . P. (F); H andley C. (Ri); H o rv ath , V. G . (F); H o u sto n , I. A . (Ri);
K irkby, R. I. (S); L am ont, I. K. (F); L ogan, A. W. (R i); L ow den, G . R,
(N ); L yszkow ski, A. D. L. (R i), M acE w en, M . W . (R i); M cG hee, P. M.
(F); M acF arlan e, D. S. (N ); M ackay, E. P. (R ); M cL ean, S. C. M. (Ri);
M acM illan, N. F. (S); M o rriso n , D. R. (F); N eil, R. J. H . (R i); Ogilvie,
I. R. (F); O rch ard , P. A. (R i); P aterso n , M . B. N . (R i); P a tte rso n , J. M .
(S); Petty, W. M. (R ); P o tt, N . F . M. (F ); Pow , J. M. (F ); Reid, W . G,
(N ); R obertson, J. D. S. (N ); Shanks, J. T. (R i); S harpe. A. R. (Ri);
Siedle, L. D. C. (R ); Speirs, W . J. (F ); Steven, I. W . (F ); T ay lo r, I. (S);
T aylor, R. A. (N ); T rusdale, T. N . W. (R i); W ilson, N . L. (R i); Y oung,
B. C. (F).
January, 1961
C arruthers, 1. T . (R); M acM illan. A . G . (R i); M adjd, M. G . (R);
M oore, A. D. (R); Reid, C. D. (N ); Sm ith, J. N. (F).
April, 1961
Biggart, D. D. C. (Ri); C arver, C. G . (R i); D rysdale, R. (R ); G reig.
S. F . H. (Ri); M clnroy, A. S. (R); P radipasen, P. (S); Sm ith, R. J. S.
(R i); Stew art, W. C. (Ri); S tuart, A. J. (Ri); W allace, G . G . (N ); W ilson.
W. D. (N).
VALETE
Leavers, 1960-61
December, 1960
B lackw ood, J. B. .
G allow ay, W. R. .
H ayw ard, N . O. U.
H eron, N . L. .
.
jH o llo w ay , A. H . .
c/o Jarvis, 19 H illington G ardens, G lasgow , S.W.2.
30 G le n p ark A ve., T h o rn lie b an k , G lasgow .
S tra th e arn , K ilm acolm .
D erycolin, K ing Ave., M orpeth, N o rth u m b erlan d .
c/o H all, M essrs. H oneym an & C o., 12 W aterloo
Street, G lasgow , C.2.
March, 1961
M acEw en, R. .
.
K iltane, 5 M elville T errace, Stirling.
o
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Ju ly , 1961
A gnew , D . W. E.
♦A llcock, R. E. .
A rm strong, R. W,
Beattie, D .
B osshardt, H. J.
Brown, G . C. .
tC arsw e ll, J. F.
C o lq u h o u n . A, B.
tC o rn is h , C. M. T
tC raw sh a w , C. H.
C ree. I. S.
D uncan. R. G .
+ F raser, E. A . .
♦G alt. H. .
tG o w , I. A.
♦G ray. I. S.
H orvath. V. G .
H ouston, A. M.
+H u tto n . B. W.
tjo h n s to n . A. G .
fJo n e s, I. H . W.
K e n n eth , R. A.
K io n n ero d , L. E.
♦Lang. J. M. O.
♦ Law son, E. A.
♦ Law son, P. G .
L eask, J. C.
Linn. J. W.
M cD onald. G . A.
M c F a rlan e , R. J.
tM acfie, W. A. M
M cG ill, J. M. .
M cG regor, J. .
♦M cK inlay, J. G . M
M c N a ir, G .
M arsh all. J. R.
M enzies. D. W.
M ontague, H. M.
M orrison, A. H.
tM o rto n , H . G .
M urray, D. A . K
+ P arker, J. L. W.
♦ Pate. A . M. .
Paterson, N . D. L
Priest. C. R. .
P rim rose, W. G.
♦R ankin. R. J. .
♦ R idland, R. F.
+ R obertson, I. M.
R ow ton. N. J. N.
♦Shaw, M . W. .
S inclair. D. B .
Sm ith. D. A. .
♦ T aylor. T. R. .
V alentine. F. P.
tW a tso n , G . M.
♦W ingate, B. A.
W oolley, I. G.
Y oung. J. S. .
H olly h u rst, P leasington. B lackburn, Lancs.
Starley b u rn . B urntisland, Fife.
T ow n h ead , G a teh o u se-o f-F leet, K irkcudbright.
Birkdale, N ew T ro u n R oad, L esm ahagow .
42 G o rv o ck H ill. D unferm line.
T h e G eorge H o tel, Crieff, P erthshire.
V icto ria C ottag e, A uch term u ch ty .
M ilton o f R uthven, M eigle, P erthshire.
C lac h an C ottag e, B alfron, G lasgow .
14 B ath T errace, T y n em o u th , N o rth u m b erlan d .
3 Q ueen’s A venue, Perth.
K ingsley H otel, B rodick, Isle o f A rran.
8 B ennochy A venue. K irkcaldy.
35 S pottisw ood Street, E din b u rg h .
G reenw ays, Jo h n S treet L ane, H elensburgh.
Iona H ouse, E arlsferry , E lie, Fife.
6 L aurel G ard en s, G le n ro th e s, Fife.
D r. R . A. H o u sto n , 7 K ew T err., G lasgow , W.2.
8 P ark Place, D unferm line.
“T he C a irn ” , C rosshill Street. A irdrie.
C o lo n say H otel, Scalasaig, Isle o f C olonsay.
B olgorth. D o o n fo o t. Ayr.
c/o M cF arlane, 88 N orthfield C res., E d in b u rg h 8.
13 M ossgiel R oad, N ew lands, G lasgow .
17 H a ze l D rive, D undee.
Russell V illa, M cthil. Fife.
9 H ig h Street, W ick, C aithness.
60 C o rro u r R oad. G lasgow , S.3.
259a G lo u c este r R oad, C helten h am . G los.
2 T o rrin g to n A venue, W hitecraigs, G lasgow .
47 C ra n w o rth Street. G lasgow . W.2.
H orsew ood R oad, Bridge o f W eir, Renfrew s.
R ow an C o u rt, L o n g fo rg an , P erthshire.
36 C a lderw ood R oad, N ew lands, G lasgow , S.3.
B lar-u-A ire, B lairm ore, A rgyll.
D alreoch, D unning, Perthshire.
B alnagow an, A lloa, C lackm annanshire.
T he Ferns, H aw th o rn Ave., Lenzie, D u nbartonshire.
D alm ore, W orm it, Fife.
6 Sw an R oad, K irkcaldy, Fife.
B orgie H ouse, C astletow n, C aithness.
7 M irrlees D rive, K irklee, G lasgow , W.2.
R eedie F a rm , K irriem uir, A ngus.
125 F in n a rt Street, G reenock.
R av en sth o rp e M a n o r, B oltby, T h irsk , Y orks.
39 M ansew ood R oad. G lasgow , S .3.
1 I D irleton A venue. N o rth Berwick.
84 R avelston D ykes, E d inburgh 12.
M andala, Old G reenock R oad, Bishopton.
56 Springfield A venue. A berdeen,
c/o M cT aggart, D e an b u rn , D enholm , N r. H awick,
R oxburghshire.
G lendevon F arm , Perth.
T h e W hins, Bentinck D rive, T ro o n , A yrshire.
22 Jo h n sto n e Street. G reenock. R enfrew shire.
Sunnyridge, G lasgow R oad. Perth.
“ Q ueen sferry ” , Park R oad. K ilm acolm .
G a rm o re , Bonhill R oad, D um b arto n .
M oonrakers, 42 L ew arne R oad, P o rth , N ew quay.
C a irn h ill, T h e C rescent, Busby, G lasgow .
SC H O O L P R E F E C T
t H O U SE P R E F E C T
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Chapel Notes
T h e follow ing preach ed in C hap el during th e session:
T h e H ead m aster, T h e C h ap lain , Rev. R . B. G o rrie, Rev. C anon
D errick-L arge, Rev. D. M . D u n can , Rev. J. G . D ey, Rev. R o b e rt D o llar,
Rev. D r. M . E. M acdonald, Rev. D r. Jo h n F ra se r, R ev. E . S. T ow ill,
Rev. C. C. H. M . M organ, Rev. Prof. E. P. D ickie, Rev. D r. A dam
Burnet, Rev. D r. L e o n a rd Sm all, Rev. D r. W. A . Sm ellie, R ev. A. B.
R obson, M r. R. A . L. B urnet, M r. P. R. Spurgin, M r. C. P. H ew son and
Dr. D. L. F arm er.
CO NFIRM ATIO N
T he follow ing boys w ere confirm ed th is session into the C hurch of
Scotland:
C ornish, C. M. T.; W atson, G . M .; L aw son, P. G .; N elson, E. A .;
Birnie, G . W. V .; K idd, D . M .; T u rn er, D . I.; M cG ill, J.M .; M unro,
D. W . M.; C ree, I. S.; P eters, R. S.; R oberson, I. M .; M o rto n , H . G .;
Stark, R. C.; M arshall, J. R.; L inton, M . J.; Sleap, P. G . F.; W oolley,
1. G .; S tuart, B. G .; B enson, C.; N a irn , A .; Agnew, D . W . E .; T ulloch,
P. J.; Ross, K . 1. R.
T he follow ing boys w ere confirm ed this y e ar into the E piscopal
C hurch o f Scotland:
Bucher. A. R.; K eith. M. H. P.; K enneth, R. A.; W edgw ood. P. G .;
C raw shaw , C. H .; H arvey-W alker, A . J.; P ick ard , E.
G .D .B .
C H APEL FUND
D O N A T IO N S (from 1/8/60)
Dr. Barclay
Rev. G . H. B uchanan
Mrs. C arpenter
D. C ook
Prof. R. C. Cross
M . D urlac
Miss A. Filteres
G rah am , Sm art & A nnan
M rs. H ardw ick
I. W. H ollow ay
Dr. J. M. Jolly
J. C. M cD ougall
J. H. M cF arlan e
D r. E. V. M ackay
H. M cK ee
D r. M cK enzie
Mrs. M cLellan
M rs. Pickard
J. E. R idland
A. R obertson
W . M . Shanks
Shooting C lub
Jo h n M. Som erville
J. N. S trachan
A. S. T h o m so n ’s T ru st
Mrs. A. T ro tte r
A. D. W hyte
NEW C O V E N A N T S (from 1/8/60)
W. M. A nderson
C M. C ornish
S. S. Ferguson
R. A. C. H annay
C. P. Hewson
A. J. H ouston
K. M. K incaid
D onald R. C. M acK enzie
D r. A. A. Pow
Jo h n C. Shaw
W . J. W alk er
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
[d . l . f .
The Construction o f the Chapel
[d . l .f .
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Pictures o f Progress
■4
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Music Notes
T he w ork of the C hoir during the first two term s of the year
was dom inated by rehearsals for “E lijah ” . T he perform ance of
this oratorio was a big undertaking. M any of the choruses were
difficult from the point of view of note-learning, and many were
tiring on the voice, particularly in the case of the tenors, who had
to sing for long stretches n ear the top of their range. This, and
the fact th at all too few of the choruses dem anded quiet singing,
resulted in m uch rehearsal being spoilt by poor quality of tone.
However, as the date of perform ance approached, the standard
of singing greatly improved. M r. K enneth Jones, who sang the
part of Elijah, was not able to be present at the final rehearsal in
the church, b u t at a special rehearsal fo r him and the chorus on
the m orning of the perform ance his presence w orked wonders.
The C hoir responded to his fine dram atic singing and sang as
they had never sung before, and were in the best of form in the
evening.
This year the C hoir has been strong in tenors again; indeed,
if it had not been so, the perform ance of “E lijah ” would hardly
have been possible. However, this year nearly all of them will
be leaving, and we w onder w hat new ten o r voices will be forth­
coming next year.
A list of anthem s sung by the C hoir is given elsewhere.
Pieces sung at Speech Day this year included some Scottish songs,
the most effective of which was probably the Eriskay Love Lilt
arranged in the Glasgow O rpheus C hoir tradition.
T he O rchestra reached its zenith this year on Speech Day. It
not only played with verve but also with good intonation. This
was shown by the tape recording m ade at the final rehearsal
which in past years has usually been anything but flattering to
the Orchestra. T he standard of sight reading is improving, and
the first readings of new music are becom ing a fairer represen­
tation of the com posers’ intentions.
At the concerts during the year we have had some very good
ensemble playing from P. Pradipasen (violin) and H. G. M orton
(piano) in the last m ovem ent of D vorak’s Sonatina, and from
I. A. Gow (clarinet). M r. S. W. J. Penny (viola) and H. G. M orton
(piano) in the first movem ent of M ozart’s clarinet trio.
It is an encouraging sign for the future to see a num ber of
first-form ers already playing com petently in the O rchestra. There
is also a junior string orchestra from which new members of the
O rchestra are recruited. B ut the O rchestra badly needs some
’cellists, for they are the foundation of the bass line. Cannot
some first- o r second- form ers be persuaded to learn the ’cello?
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
>5
There have been two recitals at the school. Florence H ooton
gave a very enjoyable ’cello recital on O ctober 26th. Reginald
Paul (piano) and Sidney Fell (clarinet) were to have given a joint
recital on F ebruary 9th, but unfortunately, as a result of an acci­
dent to his eye, Sidney Fell was unable to come. R eginald Paul,
at very short notice, gave us a solo recital on the piano.
The Sadlers’ Wells O pera C om pany has been to D undee
twice in the last year, and boys have been to see “ T he B arber of
Seville” and “T he M arriage of F ig aro ” . It m ay be th a t this will
have been the last opportunity fo r seeing opera in D undee, for
the G aum ont Theatre, the only theatre w ith a sufficiently large
stage, is now no longer considered to pass the fire precautions
regulations.
Parties of boys have also attended concerts by the Perth
Choral Society, the Perth Sym phony O rchestra and the Scottish
National O rchestra.
Mr. S. W. J. Penny left us at C hristm as to join the violin
section of the B ournem outh Sym phony O rchestra, and we were
very fortunate to obtain the services of M r. J. M ouland Begbie,
until recently leader of the B.B.C. Scottish O rchestra, to teach
the School’s string players.
Anthems sung in Chapel in the past year have b e e n :
T h o u visitest the e arth (G reene); L ord, fo r T h y ten d e r m ercies’ sake
(Tye); T h o u w ilt keep him in pe rfe c t peace (W esley); T u rn T h y face
from m y sins (A ttw ood); G lo ria in excelsis D eo (H aydn); H ear, L ord
(T chaikow ski); T he H eavens declare th e C re a to r’s glory (B eethoven);
T h e E arth is the L o rd ’s (S tanford); H e th a t is dow n need fe a r no fall
(V aughan W illiam s); L ead m e, L o rd (W esley); L ift th in e eyes (M e n d el­
ssohn); F o r H e shall give H is angels charge o v e r th ee (M endelssohn);
T hen shall y o u r light (M endelssohn); L au d a te N om en D o m in i (Tye);
G o d be in m y head (W alford D avies); Sanctus fro m th e R equiem M ass
(M ozart); G ive e ar u n to m e (M arcello); L et us no w praise fam o u s men
(V aughan W illiam s); N u n c D im ittis in G (S tanford); Blessed be the
G od (Wesley).
Among the carols sung at the Carol Service on 14th Decem­
ber, w ere :
B reak forth, O b eauteous H eavenly light (from the C h ristm as O ra ­
torio, Bach); T h e angel G a b rie l (arr. V au g h an W illiam s); U n to us a
boy is born; Sussex C a ro l (arr. V a u g h an W illiam s); A s Joseph was
a-w alking; A virgin m ost pure; D ans C et E ta b le (arr. G ou n o d ); Psallite
U nigenito (Praetorius).
The following have passed A ssociated B oard M usic E x a m s.:
D. R. W ardhaugh: T ru m p e t. G ra d e IV.
R. C. S tark: C larin et, G ra d e III.
W. B. M elville; O boe, G ra d e III.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
“ Elijah”
m any weeks of hard but rew arding practice, a per­
form ance of M endelssohn’s “ E lijah ” was given on 27th M arch
in the M iddle Church, Perth. T he church was filled to capacity
by a large and appreciative gathering of boys, parents and
friends.
A fte r
K enneth Jones came from London to sing E lijah; the part of
O badiah (tenor) was sung by John C orbett of Perth, who will be
rem em bered for his fine singing in the school perform ance of
“ Sam son” . A udrey G unn and Irene Stewart, the latter now of
Sadlers’ Wells, sang the soprano and contralto parts.
T he choir m ade a rath er hesitant start, but were obviously
so im pressed by the resonant tone of K enneth Jones’ voice and
by his dram atic conception of the character of E lijah, that they
soon began to respond to the vigour of the music, and to give a
truly arresting perform ance. T he choir was a t its best when
singing the m ore vigorous choruses of the priests of Baal. This
is perhaps not w ithout significance!
M r. Jackson played the fiendishly difficult accom panim ent on
an unfam iliar organ outstandingly well.
B ut prim arily the responsibility fo r a fine performance
belonged to o u r D irector of M usic, Mr. West. It m ust have been
a great satisfaction to him th at the choir rose to the occasion
so well.
IN FO R M A L
CO N C ER T,
1. O rc h e stra :
2. V iolin S o lo :
(R. C. Dow )
13ih DECEM BER
I960
M inuet and T rio from
th e “ L o n d o n ” S y m p h o n y ............... H a yd n
L oure ................................................................. Bach
3. T w o O boes, B assoon
and Side D r u m :
B ourree. R igadoon and M arch ........ H andel
(J. M. O. Lang. R.C.S..
N .D .T ., A. C. d ’A ngibau)
4. T w o Pianos (8 h a n d s):
(H . G . M o rto n , G .W .,
S.W .J.P., R .G .H .)
M arch in E M ajor ............................... Schubert
5. T w o Pianos (4 h a n d s):
(S.W .J.P., G.W .)
6. O rc h estra :
S am ba from “ S caram o u ch e” .............. M ilh a u d
7. (a)
C h o ir:
(b) T en o rs and B asses:
D ans C et E ta b le ............................ arr. G o u n o d
H oly N ight ..................................... F ranz G ruber
T w o Pieces from
“ N orw egian Suite" ............. arr. H ansen
Som erset W assail
Jillian o f B erry
.... Traditional
P eter W arlock
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
8. C larinet, V iola and
P ia n o :
(I.A .G ow , S.W .J.P.,
H. G . M orton)
M inuet and T rio
fro m the C larinet T rio
9. T w o P ia n o s:
(S.W .J.P., G .W .)
Jam aican R um ba
10. O rc h estra :
S katers’ W altz
17
M ozart
A rth u r B enjam in
W aldteufel
Dramatic Society
“ She Stoops to Conquer ”
T h e sum m er term is an extremely busy one and, in the past,
dram atic perform ances have been lim ited to hastily-rehearsed
efforts by seniors who h ad a few weeks to spare after their “ A ”
level exam inations. It is possible, however, to find a few boys
whose spare tim e is not entirely taken up with the num erous
sports, o r w ith w ork fo r exams, and it was for the benefit of some
of these, and in order to create a nucleus of juniors with acting
experience, th at the perform ance of “ She Stoops to C onquer”
was undertaken.
Having thus intruded into the sum m er term , the theatre also
advanced onto the gym nasium floor, where an open stage was
constructed. This had the obvious advantage of increased size
and easier access. The consequent freedom of m ovement, some
well-chosen properties, efficient scene-shifting, and effective inci­
dental music played by the school orchestra, which was hidden
on the original stage, all helped to m aintain a good pace in a play
which might have been inclined to drag. T he lighting was
rem arkably good in view of the difficulties raised by the absence
of footlights and the danger of dazzling some part of the sur­
rounding audience. In some of the m ore form al scenes the actors
had difficulty in playing to all fo u r corners of the building, but
at other times, notably in “T he T hree Pigeons” , the play gained
much life by being brought into the midst of the audience. It
was unfortunate that, after so m any problem s had been solved,
the unanticipated flood of late arrivals should ruin the prologue
on the last night.
It is difficult to imagine any move m ore certain to delieht a
Strathallian audience than the casting of Allcock as Mrs. Hardcastle, and upon this firm foundation was built a well-balanced
cast, and the hope of bringing to light some undiscovered talent
was realised. Benson’s ability to play a debonair foo was a
pleasant revelation. B orland’s ebullience as L um pkin was
equally good, especially as, in the course of one year, he had
developed from the leading “ lady” of “ R uddigore” into the
18
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
[d . l .f .
T h e C ast o f “S h e S to o p s to C o n q u er”
principal male character of this play. Swindall played the
mischievous M iss H ardcastle adm irably. It was unfortunate that
this heroine should find it necessary to stoop literally, as well as
figuratively, to W isem an, who was less a t hom e in the role of the
earnest young suitor than as the unreform ed greasy profligate of
the early p art of the play. W ith this p air rath er unbalanced, and
with M orrison looking stunning b u t acting as if slightly stunned,
the rom antic scenes, always rath er difficult in a school play, were
the w eakest p art of the perform ance, despite B enson’s sincerity.
The considerable effort put into playing alm ost all the sup­
porting roles was very encouraging, and helped to m ake the
evening enjoyable and the whole venture very worthwhile.
D.B.
CAST
T O N Y L U M P K IN ..................................................... B. M. S. Borland
M RS. H A R D C A S T L E .........................................................R. E. A llcock
M R . H A R D C A S T L E .................................................. R. M . H arriso n
K A T E H A R D C A S T L E ......................................... V. A. N . Sw indall
C O N S T A N C E N E V IL L E ......................................... D. R. M orrison
F E L L O W S ........ B. M . R itchie, A. L. W ingate, F. B. M cK eever
B ET B O U N C E R ................................................................. D. W . L ogan
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
19
L A N D L O R D ............................................................... C. H . C raw shaw
C H A R L E S M A R L O W E ....................................... J. G . P. W isem an
G E O R G E H A S T IN G S .......................................................... C. B enson
D IG G O R Y ........................................................................ F . B. M cK eever
R O G E R .................................................................................. A. I . W ingate
P IM P L E ................................................................................ W . W . Q u arry
SIR C H A R L E S M A R L O W E ......................................... J. W . W alk er
T h e m usic was a rran g ed and directed by M r. G . W est a n d p lay ed by
H. G . M orton (piano), P. Pradipasen and R. C. D ow (violins), P. H.
D angerfield (viola) and J. M. O. L ang (oboe).
P roducer ........................................ M r. D. S. R ym er
M ake-U p ...................................... M rs. D. Bland, M rs. P. G rigsby, K . R.
W ilson, I. M. R obertson and P. H.
Dangerfield
Stage D irecto r ............................. P. G . Law son
Stage M anagers .......................... P. M. G ra n t and P. G . W edgew ood
A ssistants ...................................... M. A. G ilm o u r and A. A. M acG reg o r
E lectricians ................................. D. F . G ard en , I. F . Jo h n sto n and
B. L. G ilm ore
P rom pter ...................................... M. J. D. R yder
W ard ro b e ...................................... Miss M. E. C ooper
“ Four Men in a Boat”
“We were a ghastly crew”— Coleridge, “ A ncient M ariner.”
some of o u r colleagues at School, we did not hanker for
the thrill of sliding down high hills through cold and wet snow
on our back ends. No, we thought, a cruiser on the N orfolk
Broads would be just the thing to set us up nicely for the
exams. It was a holiday all right, but w hether it could be passed
as peaceful is a point open to debate.
Unlike
Even before we got there we had our troubles. R . C. Stark
and E. A. Fraser were to meet C. H. Craw shaw in Newcastle at
the unearthly hour of 2 a.m., but owing to the vagaries of
British Railways this train had apparently evaporated on its way
between Glasgow and Edinburgh. By the tim e this was dis­
covered, Crawshaw was out on an ornithological expedition and
was only just found in time to be deposited on the substitute
train. No rest awaited the four travellers here either, fo r next
door was a piper, and a gentlem an of little talent but exceptional
perseverance, with a guitar. Despite all this they arrived safely
in Norwich, with bags over their arm s and under their eyes, to
be joined by the author from Chester, who had rem arkably
enough survived not only an all-night ’bus journey, but a subse­
quent train journey in the com pany of some five hundred “ Ban
the Bomb” marchers on their way to Braintree, with his views
on the bomb still intact at the end of it.
20
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
If we got into such a mess when someone else was driving
w hat we were travelling in, it can be im agined w hat happened
when one of us four was at the helm of the thirty-three-foot boat
“C aotain 1 1 ” . As soon as we started off, propitiously on All
Fools Day, it rained: and three of us sitting in the cabin, Stark
driving, discovered the stores to be lacking in bread. So Stark
brought us into the shore. He accom plished a three point landing
on the bank, a log, and the bows of another cruiser, with a
finesse w orthy of a stock car driver. N o r were these our only
m arks on the Broads. T here is still probably a b oat house owner
wondering who took three feet of nice new paint off his doors
and also a boat yard ow ner wondering who clipped his tubular
steel bridge. This is not to mention the V shaped nicks on some
farm er’s m eadow at C oltishall, of which more will be said later.
In all fairness it m ust be added that the au th o r did most of the
driving, but w hether he was the best is a question into which he
does not wish to enter in any detail. Craw shaw , for instance, in
snite of the fact that there were three perfectly serviceable
fenders on the b o a t’s sides, insisted on using your au th o r’s ankle
for one; for him an incident highly am using, but fo r the victim
a very painful one. F raser’s skill, acquired on a scooter in K irk ­
caldy, enabled him to foil with ease the blundering attem pts of
yachtsm en to sink us, and although we had the R iver Police
nosing around us for two days, we were assured that thev were
no friends of his. In spite of all this sort of thing, we only saw
one boat under water, and this was a yacht that had capsized.
O ur losses were not su b stantial: C raw shaw ’s ieans blew over­
board and in spite of a search by foot and by dinghy, were
never seen aeain. R .l.P . We rescued a gym shoe from a watery
grave and collected a aood deal of m ud from the sides of rivers
and broads. We perform ed various acts of mercy, including
pulling a yacht off a m ud bank on a falling tide durina a cloud­
burst, with Stark at the helm — a feat of courage on the part of
all concerned.
The navigation, on the whole, was eood and we accomplished
it with the aid of two m aps: one which showed general stores,
nubs and post offices: and the oth er which showed how to eet
there. T he accuracy of the latter was proved at Coltishall. Here
the river forks, both stream s being navigable, at least according
to our mao. We took the right, as it seemed wider, but our
Progress was soon arrested by a wire fence across our path.
L oath to use the reverse and to go down backw ards, the driver,
who shall be nameless (and who is unfit to be called anything
else) reversed, rath er in the m anner of a Glasgow ’bus driver, to
the detrim ent of the banks, a m ere fifty feet anart. On going
forw ard, a deep cut alwavs appeared in the bank and when we
were in reverse the dinehy was pushed halfway un the bank,
ruining the flowers growing in the m eadow behind. However, we
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
turned and went dow nstream , leaving but five wounds on the
bank. M ost rational beings would have learnt their lesson, but
we were swiftly driven up the left hand fork w hich ended in a
large mill pond filled by two stream s of w ater from it. This,
according to our better m ap, was navigable, for these cruisers
only draw ab o u t six inches of w ater, and so, of course, we ran
straight onto a sandbank form ed by the two stream s. A s we had
the stream with us we soon got off and were going backw ards
downstream , when the m an in charge of the m ill told us to turn
in the m illpond. T his we tried to do, and prom ptly ran aground
on the oth er side of the sandbank, w hereupon it began to rain.
The m iller was a tow er of strength and when he had switched off
the water, when Stark was over the side in his trunks pushing,
when Craw shaw and F raser were on the bank pulling on all our
ropes joined together, and when the engine was in reverse, we
glided off w ith ease, so easily in fact, that we just avoided piling
up on the concrete front of the mill. We had been w atched for
the forty m inutes which it took us, by a group of am used spec­
tators from cars on a nearby road, who all apparently enjoyed
the entertainm ent. Tides only had to be contended with twice
on our travels, but in both cases we were negotiating four low
bridges against a stream of boats rushing along with the tide, and
barely made headway against the stream , while the rain poured
down and had to be wiped off the windscreen at frequent inter­
vals with the same dishcloth which was later dried off in the
oven, only to be rem em bered when it had become a deep brown
in colour, tastefully em broidered in black round the edges.
Despite gloomy predictions, we ate very well while on board
and not even half of it cam e out of tins. We ate stones of
potatoes and as these took half an hour to cook on our stove
and as one m em ber of the crew preferred his the colour and
texture of billiard balls, meals were frequently staggered. One
memorable day, the smell of our bacon, sausage, and egg was
actually praised by the owner of the hotel where we m oored for
the night. We spent less than we had expected on food but, how ­
ever, the num ber of jars of m arm alade consum ed was fantastic,
chiefly because one of o u r num ber regarded bread simply as a
shovel off which to eat it. O ur chief com plaint was th at we were
able to get only the Daily M irror and we sadly missed the
fluctuations in the stocks and shares. W e used altogether some
660 gallons of water, m ost of which were obtained at consider­
able risk from a leaky old pum p at W roxham ; a danger of which
we warn future visitors.
The N orfolk Broads abound in w ater, rushes, students and
“pubs” , and during the week we saw plenty of all of them.
There were students everywhere. We saw them reading
manuscripts on top of boats and, w ith untrim m ed beards,
playing pontoon while their b o at gybed down the river. The
22
The M agazine o f SlratItalian School
“pubs” also were varied. T here was one, the walls of which
were handpainted in a w onderful pan o ram a of Norfolk
scenery, and there was another w ith a juke box. T here was one
with kegs for tables and one w ith the b ar counter in the shape
of a b o a t’s bows. T here was one w hich ran out of beer and
there was one where all the teenage high society of the district
m et for a drink before lunch in their speedboats. A ll were
different and all interesting, their only com m on factor being the
ubiquitous dartboard.
T he N orfolk countryside abounds in characters. T here were
the “ beatniks” , who appreciated neither Stark’s very pro­
fessional piece, “ Smoke gets in your eyes” , nor our harm ony
version of th a t old school favourite, “ O h, you canna go to
H eaven” ; the m an who drove ten ton trucks in the w inter and
served in a hotel during the sum m er; the m an in the pork pie
hat who nonchalantly w ent ab o u t in his yacht, only to have his
precious piece of headgear swept overboard by the boom to its
eternal ruin; the ap parition we saw in H orning in a very con­
servative hat, well tailored coat, pink jersey, black jeans, and
grey gym shoes; the “p u b ” ow ner who said he could tell when
ocean going coasters were com ing up the river by the colour
of the silt in the river half an h our before they passed him.
A ll these features com bined to give us a holiday which we
will not forget quickly and which, although very seldom
peaceful, was thoroughly enjoyable and which none of us
would either hesitate to repeat or recom m end.
D. G. Linton.
Crucifixion
T he drooping thistle leant against the rugged cross,
T he G odly blood did flow onto its purple head,
This flower, deep in the soft dry moss
D id hear those trem bling w ords “ T he Saviour’s dead” .
T he heavens went black and they rent in fear.
“Lo! H e is d ead ” , the centurion cried.
T he m other now w ept fo r her Son so dear.
T hen did the thorny and jagged crown
F all to the earth beside the plant,
T he prickly thistle drooping silently down,
Did hear the eerie wail and m ournful chant.
T he tw isted flower did witness death so lowly,
The death of a G od, a trustw orthy friend.
Its w ithered leaves were dipped with blood so holy,
T his shrub was witness to a sorry end.
T. T. C arruthers (II a)
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
La Coquette
M oi, je suis poete,
Toi, tu es coquette.
T u me faisais tant de caresses,
Tu me disais tant de tendresses,
Tu m 'as si bien embrasse,
Cruelle, tu m ’as casse.
Oui, casse en deux sens,
E t mon coeur et mes chances.
Helas m a cherie !
A ciel, m a mie !
Adieu, ma vie !
Tu chuchotas tes voeux,
J ’avais espere mieux;
E t c’est pour §a, m a mie, que je t’ai bien cherie;
M araude, tu m ’as’ fait une supercherie.
E t de moi, tu t’es lasse,
E t pour toi, je suis casse.
Pourquoi ai-je laisse m ’eprendre ?
H e la s ! Je devrais done me pendre.
Helas, ma cherie !
A h ciel, m a mie!
Adieu ma vie !
“ W and Solm”
Has Modern Scientific Discovery Made Religious
Faith More Difficult ?
M odern scientific discovery has affected religious thinking in
two ways. First, it has tended to m ake m ankind concern himself
more with m aterial things, labour-saving m echanical devices, for
instance, m otor-cars, radio, television, gram ophone records. To
those who do not think deeply, com plete satisfaction can be
found in those m aterial benefits, and their m inds find no cause
to look further for spiritual enlightenment. On the other hand,
to those who have the ability to see further than the surface,
scientific progress helps to reveal m ore fully the wonders G od
has placed at our disposal, the ordered world of physics and
chemistry as opposed to the disordered world of m an, an awe­
inspiring impression of the vastness of the universe, an incredu­
lity that G od form ed thinking life on the tiny speck called E arth,
a lust for knowledge when o u r ignorance is realised, a cultural
appreciation from archaelogical discoveries, from the arts, and an
intense desire for peace when we appreciate the wonders of
Nature and the om nipotence of the Pow er which created it all.
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Scientific discovery has had the effect of drawing people
together into urban com m unities, both by the m aterial advan­
tages in the way of devices and m achines which m ake life easier,
and also by necessity, as the initial drift to the cities at the time
of the Industrial R evolution showed. This artificial, albeit com ­
fortable and reputedly enjoyable life, has deprived a large pro­
portion of the hum an race of the solitude and harm ony which
N ature provides, and which is necessary fo r the clear contem ­
plation of life. Such an atm osphere inspires and imbues, as
Jean-Jacques R ousseau testified : “Je ne suis a moi que quand je
suis seul: hors de-la je suis le jouet de tous ceux qui m’entourent” .
G reat men of letters have owed their inspiration to this sense of
com posure. G oethe tells u s: “ I was spiritually uplifted by the
realisation th at only in isolation can one produce som ething truly
great. M y achievem ents owe their origin to solitude” . A section
of G rillparzer’s tragedy, “ Des M eeres und der Liebe W ellen” ,
could be translated as fo llo w s:
“ T he great m an ’s deed, the p oet’s sacred song,
T he seer’s vision, H eaven’s influence and im print,
Com posure w rought it, recognised it,
A nd th at which knows it not, and mocks, is called
D istraction.”
T here are, then, two alternative extrem es, distraction and
com posure, w ith m any stages of confusion and despair between
them. W hat is the curtain o r veil which hides the truth from
m any? It is the handicap of hum an weakness, of selfishness, of
petty jealousies, avarice, lust, ignorance, inconstancy, all the
factors w hich lead to social unrest, rash judgm ents, hate, war,
loss of the essential liberte, egalite, fraternite. Physical war is
m an’s greatest crime, the crim e in which he m ost violates G od’s
com m andm ents and m ost betrays his Saviour.
T o discover Christ, we m ust not look am ongst the workings
of m an, but follow the way pointed by W ordsw orth and T enny­
son am onst others. W ordsw orth found inspiration in the
countryside, in country people, and especially in young children
and old people. He believed th at children, having just come from
G od, reflected His nature, and old people, approaching once
again His house, assum ed a new affinity with Him. Tennyson
w rote once, on appreciating a serene, starlight night am ongst the
Scottish H ighlands:
“ T he peaks are high, and the stars are high.
But the m ind of m an is higher.”
Sir W alter Scott once received this letter from a friend who
had visited Loch M aree for the first tim e :
“ T he first day of C reation was not m ore beautiful. July was
in its full glory, a few thin silvery clouds rested on the clear blue
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
25
sky; and the sun shed a flood of light on the bright surface of
Loch M aree which reflected every rock and every tree th at hung
over its glassy surface. N o one can know the full value of
sum m er who has not know n it in a land of m ountains. N o one
can feel th at who has not felt it am ong such hills, the joy with
which the sun can fill the m ind” .
T o those who have experienced this sort of think themselves,
religion needs little furth er explanation; the profundity of effect
is sufficient to throw all aspects of life into true perspective. Once
peace and awe have been genuinely know n, life cannot help but
be enjoyed and religion cleaved to. B ut the m ajority of men
never have the learning, the fertile m inds, the opportunity to see
the light in this way. It is the concern of those who have been
convinced to conceive a way of presenting religion attractively
to those whose lives are governed entirely by things m aterial.
We hear a lot about the standard of living, and a com m unity
considers it is doing well if it figures prom inently on a standard
scale. U nfortunately, this is no m ore than a m aterial guide, and
a community can become com placent in view of its satisfactory
standing on this scale, while in fact m oral and religious standards
rem ain wanting. H ow can we hope to win the confidence of the
autom atons of our tim e? F aith and exam ple can go a long way.
In the hands of the officers of the C hurch and of the schools lies
the future of the race. T he essential catch-phrase for teachers,
disciplinarians, ministers, is to be, “fair, firm, and friendly” .
Scientific progress and a m aterial scale by which to judge our
standard of living cannot be dism issed im m ediately as distasteful:
science is essential if we are to clothe and feed all hum anity on
this insignificant planet of ours; also, once a general high stan­
dard of living is attained, social strife will dim inish, petty
jealousies will disappear, and the better things of life can be
begun to be appreciated. It is not, how ever a case of waiting
until the requisite m om ent and m aking a sudden start; society
m ust be tem pered patiently and skilfully at all tim es, so that the
transition to m oral thinking and religious appreciation will be
gradual, for it is against human nature to accept sudden and
widely-effective changes. N otable exceptions to this are the
instances first of Paul’s conversion on the road to D am ascus, in
which enlightenm ent came as a blinding flash and was com plete
in an instant, and second, of the sudden conversions of m em bers
of Dr. Billy G raham ’s congregations. N either is it a case of
informing people w hat they should do and of adding new aspects
to their lives; a large part of the necessary w ork lies in telling
them what they should not do and elim inating certain aspects of
their lives.
W ithin the field of scientific progress, the discovery of nuclear
fission and the invention of nuclear w eapons were probably the
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T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
greatest helping h an d religion had been given for a long time.
People sat up and took notice; for long enough, they had
m anaged to twist the facts and reconcile w ar with religion, but
this threw the whole prospect into a different light. In a book p u b ­
lished recently called “ The G reat Decision”, the m oral problem s
facing the W estern leaders concerning the use of the atomic
bomb in 1945 are enum erated and discussed. These problems
were m anifold and varied: use of the bom bs would curtail the
war by eighteen m onths and save over a million allied lives, a
speedy ending of the w ar would avoid the em barrassm ent of the
Russians transferring their forces to the Pacific, and the spread­
ing of Com m unism , the A llies knew th a t the E m peror was pre­
pared to surrender unconditionally as proposed in the Potsdam
conference but that the fanatical arm y leaders had him in their
power; there were doubts as to the wisdom of attacking large
civilian targets when, in San Francisco, at the drawing up of the
U.N. charter, the U.S.A. was advocating censure of nuclear
weapons in future wars. T here were also the questions of the
Russian attitude after the war, and the facts that, although the
existence of Russian spies concerned with A m erican research
was known, it was not known w hether they were capable of
producing a bom b of their own for later use. Also, only a very
few officials, chosen by Franklin Roosevelt, knew of the projects,
and President T ru m an was only told after his taking of office.
He then had less than six m onths in which to assess this problem
which m ight alter the course of hum an history. The problem
then, was equally a m oral and a m ilitary one, and here lies the
culm inating interest to this build-up— the people whose opinions
carried m ost weight on the m oral side were the scientists of the
Einstein school who were w orking on the project. It has been
said recently by an em inent scientist, th at the study of the pro­
founder depths of physics, astronom y, and several other sciences
resolves itself into a study of theology. This brings us back to
the idea of the contem plation of the o rd er God has created
inspiring w onder and appreciation of Him. It is perhaps also
significant th at this exam ple and its profound im plications were
concerned w ith war, m ankind’s greatest sin, and the means of
securing peace — his greatest aspiration.
A nother book which deals with science, war, religion, nature,
peace, is the “ Sledge P atro l” of D avid H ow arth, perhaps better
known for “ T he Shetland Bus” . T he story is of opposing Danish
and G erm an m eteorological parties on the east coast of G reen­
land, each supplying their respective navies with weather fore­
casts for the all-im portant A tlantic routes and the W estern
A pproaches to E urope. E ach party knew it was its duty to
prevent the oth er station sending such im portant information.
Many of the Danes, as well as some Norwegian hunters who
lived in the area, had been fam iliar with the A rctic in peacetime,
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
27
and had long before been enthralled by the charm which life
amongst raw nature in the form of ten-thousand-foot m ountains,
breath-taking cliffs, frozen fjords, day-long blizzards, eternal
twilight, sub-zero tem peratures, exerts on the soul. Such a life
in such an atm osphere teaches a m an love, respect, and the
meaning of peace and solitude. In this atm osphere, w ar becomes
meaningless, nature draw s m an to his fellow in an attitude of
good-will and helpfulness, and the leaders of the two parties
eventually becam e reconciled to one another when they had to
survive a three-day hazardous journey together. In th a t part of
the w orld, conversation is reduced to w orkable necessities, men
think along the lines of deepest profundity and a supernatural
telepathy unites them irrevocably. T o the Eskim os who lived on
the coast, the idea of killing another man was so totally alien
that they never grasped it. These exam ples throw interesting
light on o u r subject.
N ature undoubtedly incorporates som ething of the sublime,
the Divine. V ictor Hugo’s lyrical poetry m entions the inspiration
to be gained from N ature and its alliance to G o d :
“ Dieu nous prete un m om ent les pres et les fontaines,
Les grands bois frissonnants, les rocs profonds et sourds,
E t les cieux azures et les lacs et les plaines,
Pour y m ettre nos coeurs, nos reves, nos am ours.”
Tennyson also found G od am ongst the w ilder spots, am ongst
raw nature, and once w ro te :
“ But G od is with me in this wilderness,
Those wet black passes and foam -churning chasm s—
And G od’s free air, and hope of better things.”
A friend of W ordsw orth’s once concluded an impassioned
letter describing Loch Lochy with the simple w ords “ W hat rest!”
I hope I have proved successfully by now that the technical
knowledge with which scientific progress may preoccupy the
mind does not necessarily m ake religious faith m ore difficult.
Indeed, it may often im pose a sense of order where before there
was none, and an ordered m ind is a necessary prerequisite to
religious understanding. If scientific progress does not m ake
religious faith any m ore difficult, does it m ake it any less easy?
No, because the basic prerequisite of peace of mind is always
available to everyone in the silent contem plation of nature. This
silent contem plation can be a way to prayer, indeed the two are
very akin, and once prayer is started and com m unication with
God begun, then m uch of the battle has been won. In the light
of this, it may be asked where the C hurch’s problem lies. It lies
in the infertile, untrained, prejudiced m ind of a large proportion
of mankind, which through tim e has become so used to m aterial
considerations, that it no longer even recognises the works of
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The M agazine o f Strathallan School
G od with which it was once instinctively so akin. The words of
the hymn illustrate this point:
“ A m an who looks on glass,
On it m ay stay his eye,
O r if he pleaseth, through it pass,
A nd then the H eaven espy.”
And finally, to sum up all that we should strive for, the
Indian poet, R abindranath Tagore, gives us the following lines:
“ W here the m ind is w ithout fear
and the head held high;
W here knowledge is free;
W here the world has not been broken
into fragm ents by narrow dom estic walls;
W here w ords com e from the depths of truth;
W here tireless striving stretches its arm s
tow ards perfection;
W here the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forw ard by Thee into
ever widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom , my Father, let my
country aw ake.”
E. A. Lawson.
The Lay of the Lost W aistcoat
A notice in the S um m er term requested the owner o f a camel's
waistcoat fo u n d in the Labs, to collect it from the Bursar’s office.
You will see exquisite costum ery adorn Strathallan School,
W here it’s clear sartorial excellence has ever been the rule;
Y ou’ll see great fiery m antles w rapped around great learned men,
But camels clad in w aistcoats are quite beyond o u r ken.
Now waistcoats are of many shapes and m any different hues,
T hey’re left around quite carelessly, especially in ZOOS.
A nd yet it’s quite beyond us, be it gaudy, gay or drab.
How any cam el could contrive to leave one in a lab.
A nd if he left his w aistcoat, is it therefore fair to guess
T h at the camel m ust be wearing his pro p er Sunday dress?
We hope his knees are knobbly and he’s fairly stoutly built
F o r we m ust confess we long to see a camel in a kilt.
So keep a careful scrutiny on day-to-day attire,
You are sure to see some garm ents calculated to inspire;
You will see a lot of people looking som ew hat quaintly dressed.
You may even see a cam el with a w aistcoat round his chest!
N.D.T.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
W in te r Sports
H ow many of us have dream ed of a w inter sports holiday in the
Swiss Alps! F or twenty-seven boys— including seven m em bers
of the Pipe B and—and three m asters, this dream becam e reality
in the Christmas holidays of 1960-61.
After a long and tedious journey to L ondon, a short flight in
a Swissair Caravelle, and a long train journey from Z urich, we all
arrived on the platform in A rosa station. O u r first impressions
were rather startling.
T here was so m uch snow that even cars
became partially enveloped.
T he friendly inhabitants of this
small town high up in the Swiss A lps stared with am azem ent at the
party of schoolboys standing shivering in their kilts on the platform .
A fter a long climb up the hill through the tow n, past extremely
expensive-Iooking hotels, we arrived at o u r hotel cold and tired.
T he waitresses received us warm ly and gave us hot soup. Indeed,
it was the most welcome plate of soup m any of us had ever had.
The weather that day did not look particularly prom ising but sub­
sequently it cleared up. O ne of the first things th at became
apparent to all of us was th at everything was very expensive. A
“ Coca-Cola” norm ally costing Id . in this country cost about l / 6d.
in Arosa. N or was it long before m any of us found ourselves
[d . l .f .
T he Ski-ing team ‘‘on the ro cks” in the T en n a n t T ro p h y C o m p etitio n
(See ‘‘S k i-in g ’’, page 53)
3°
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
with ju st enough m oney left to send a telegram hom e asking for
some more.
F o r m ost of us the accom m odation was rather disappointing.
As the hotel was very small there was only enough room in it for
the m asters and five o r six of the m ost junior of the party. The
rest were housed in a “ L ager ” or A nnexe.
This consisted of
twenty-two bunks partitioned in fours with only two blankets and
pillows. T he prospect of spending just under a fortnight in these
rather cram ped surroundings was n o t inviting. As it happened,
the evenings in the “ lager ” w ere m ost enjoyable with perhaps a
sing-song or some other inform al entertainm ent.
A t 8.30 every
m orning the “lager” was a hive of activity, everyone rushing to
get to the horse trough first— o u r only w ater supply near at hand!
A fter breakfast we set off for the “ ski-skule.”
T he ski slopes were m arvellous— better than anything ever likely
to be seen in Scotland. Despite the w onderful snow our attem pts
were painfully com ical, at least for the first day. T here w ere four
main ski-runs, the C arm enna, the Tschuggen, the Pratchli and the
Hornli, all of which were equipped with lifts. We spent all the
time we could ski-ing and exploiting possible variant runs, m ost of
which ended in slight errors of judgm ent.
T he skill of members
of the party was so prom ising that it was decided to enter sixteen
skiers for the bronze m edal exam ination— all sixteen passed. Mr.
Studholm e’s valiant efforts at teaching us some of the rudim ents
the ski-instructors om itted were recorded on film, as were the
efforts of the Padre and Mr. B arker to stay on their feet!
The pipe band, four pipers and three drum m ers, m ade the trip
historic in the life of A rosa. M ost of the natives and indeed the
visitors had never heard or seen a pipe band.
New Y ear’s Eve
1960 will be rem em bered by alm ost all the party. We paid a visit
to each of the large hotels, V alsana, C arm enna and Eden, where we
played reasonably well.
We were left with lasting impressions of
these hotels which were recorded on film by one of the tow n’s pro­
fessional photographers. The enthusiasm with which our playing
was greeted was rem arkable. T he lights in m ost of the hotels were
dimmed and the drum s rolled as we entered and took up our
positions in the m iddle of the dance floor.
M any of the British
visitors talked to us a lot and m any of us got to know the younger
visitors rath er well. O u r last perform ance, to which all the local
inhabitants were invited, w as given in o u r hotel on the Sunday
before we left.
We actually m anaged to teach them the “ Gay
G ordons.”
For those who found ski-ing too tiring, the town itself provided
plenty of interest.
T he shops w ere beautifully decorated and
cram m ed full of everything a visitor would w ant to buy in the way
of souvenirs. M ost of these articles were very expensive. Musical
boxes, the traditional souvenir of Switzerland, were extremely
expensive.
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
The hospitality we received from the m anageress and waitresses
of the hotel was m arvellous.
Many of us got to know them very
well and they shared in the enjoym ent of such a party. They were
extremely sorry to see us go; alm ost as sorry as we were to leave.
After such an enjoyable holiday we would all like to thank Mr.
Bosshardt who organised the visits to the hotels by the band and
organised the accom m odation; Mr. Barker who bore the brunt of
the financial responsibilities and Mr. Studholm e and the Padre who
helped to m ake the trip so enjoyable.
A. G. Johnston and P. L. M arsland.
[P.M.G.
St. P eter's Square, R o m e
La Dolce Vita
A C ombined party from Strathallan and G lenalm ond left London
by train on the afternoon of the 11th A pril to begin a fortnight’s
holiday in Italy. T he party of eighteen was under the guidance
of Mr. Craig who, together with three of the boys, was unfortunately
held up in the Customs at Basle and consequently missed the con­
nection to Florence. T he rest of the party continued to Lucerne
where they joined us an hour later and, w ithout further m ishap, we
completed our journey.
We gradually becam e used to the Italian food and wine,
although the national dish of spaghetti was considered by some to
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
be m ore of a challenge than a food, and throughout the trip some
very am using incidents w ere to be seen at mealtimes.
W hile in Italy we travelled by luxury coach, spending a few days
in Florence, R om e, Vico E quense, Rim ini and V enice but visiting,
en route, such fam ous places as Pisa, the V atican, Pompeii, Assisi
and R avenna, the hom e of the renowned Byzantine mosaics. U n­
fortunately, a great deal of the scenery was missed by several of the
party who found it necessary to catch up on lost sleep during the
journeys.
Interests varied from A rt galleries, photography and historic
buildings to those which necessitated the use of alka-seltzers from
time to time.
W e w ere unfortunate with the w eather, which rather spoilt the
enjoym ent of Rim ini and Venice.
H ow ever, thanks to the rain,
the “ M erchants of V enice ” m ust have profited greatly by the sale
of their magnificent glassware.
It was a m ost successful and enjoyable trip and we are all very
grateful to Mr. C raig fo r his extrem ely efficient organisation
throughout our stay in Italy.
G. Birnie, P. M. G rant, J. M. McGill, D. I. Turner.
Table d’Hote
F or those intending to visit France in the future 1 feel I m ust
record these experiences— but they should not let them worry them
too m uch, as their stom achs w ill probably revel in the change!
O u r first sight of the beach restaurant, where we were to work
for a fortnight, was im pressive— the sun was shining as it only
does on the M editerranean Coast, and the parasols and m attresses
laid out on the concrete plage for those people prepared to pay to
enjoy the sun provided a colourful contrast with the deep blue of the
sea. T he actual restaurant was a converted fisherm an’s hut; with
its open-air verandas, cooking range actually in the restaurant for
all to see their food being prepared, authentic oak beam s and rough
hewn walls, it provided a w onderful atm osphere to eat in; parti­
cularly at night when the cool nocturnal air was split by the rays
of m any coloured lights, and the ladies were serenaded by soft music
from two m andolins.
However, any rom antic notions we might have had were quickly
squashed as we were led behind the scenes and introduced to a
large basketful of potatoes and a couple of potato peelers.
A lthough the actual cooking was done in the restaurant, the pre­
paring of all the food was done behind the scenes in a small openair courtyard.
T here were two large tables both sheltered to a
certain extent by parasols; a thunderstorm however soaked every­
thing and perhaps that w asn’t a bad thing for it is doubtful if the
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
33
tables would have been washed at any other time.
T he dish­
washing was done in a small shack, fo u r yards by three yards, with
a leaning corrugated iron roof, and a broken dow n dish-washing
machine, taking u p a considerable am ount of room .
T he dish­
washing equipm ent consisted of two deep sinks side by side, one to
wash and the second to rinse. T h e w ater was heated by open gas
fires under the sinks and one had the option of steam ing alive or
washing the dishes with cold w ater. T h e w ater was only renewed
each session of three hours, and by the end of a session and after
3,000 odd dishes one had four inches of sludge at the bottom of
the sink and half an inch of grease at the top.
U nderstandably with that handicap and the fact that the w ater
was luke-warm by that time, the dishes were not being particularly
well cleaned. However, one doesn’t notice such trifles when the
plate is covered with food.
The food was indeed som ething special. W ho can tell w hether
the flavour came from the peeling of the vegetables on the bench
on which the fish were gutted, o r the rolling of the potatoes across
the dirty concrete floor as a tired peeler missed the pot? Perhaps
it was the patter of the tiny feet of the m yriads of bluebottles which
found refuge on the exotic foods being prepared, which im parted
the flavour. It m ay even have been the scent attached to the food
from the dustbins kept below the table— as the day progressed the
sun became hotter, the dustbins fuller and the stench m ore
nauseating. One cannot of course forget the chef, quel hom m e—
he appeared not to have discovered the benefits of civilisation; use
of cutlery was completely foreign to him, the hands are m uch
quicker, and he was a busy m an with little tim e for his own meals;
nobody had told him that w ater can be used fo r w ashing both
hands and clothes as well as for drinking, so how could you expect
him to know? In spite of all his faults no one could say that he
did not put the very sweat of his brow into his work. I am sure it
did wonders for the spaghetti. I am sure th at no custom er could
have grudged the £5 bill for his dinner if he had know n w hat work
and . . . things w ent into his food.
Relations with the staff were on the whole good and in spite of
difficulties occasionally arising out of language troubles, we m ade
m any friends. T here were things to be said for not knowing the
language and they m ade up in part at least for our frustrations at
not being able to m ake ourselves understood. W hen we thoughf we
had done enough w ork for the day, then it becam e very hard for
the regular staff to m ake us understand w hat was wanted. ‘ Je ne
vous comprend pas ’ we found useful on such occasions.
O ne
morning, however, we had the m isfortune to choose a badly dis­
turbed bottle of beer for lunch and by an even greater m isfortune
the stream of beer, when the bottle was opened, hit the chef, as he
walked past the table. H e was livid and shouts of, ‘ P ard o n ,’ ‘ Je
vous dem ande pardon,’ m ade things apparently worse. We were
34
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
probably lucky that the first thing he could lay his hands on to
throw at us was a tom ato and not a knife. Possibly a stream of
fluent French could have cooled him down; our pidgin French cer­
tainly d id n ’t.
We had unintentional m isunderstandings too.
It
was the custom of the chef to prom ise us chips for lunch to get us
to do extra w ork, and one m orning tow ards the end of the stay he
broke this promise. We im mediately took this to one of the ground
staff with whom we had becom e very friendly.
H e determ ined to
put things right for us and strode off to see the chef. Following
som e distance behind we found him on the point of a stand-up
fight with the chef— th e w rong chef.
W e thought we were never
going to m ake him understand his mistake.
Tn spite of our m isunderstandings and opinions of French sanitary
conditions, we thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. W hat is m ore we
would go back, such is the lure of the sun and the M editerranean
and the fascination of the French people and their customs.
A. M. Pate.
Le Prix d’Un Echec
L a st E aster holidays, having failed to gain enough ‘ O ’ Level
passes to please an institute of C hartered A ccountants o r my father,
I was duly packed off to F rance for a fortnight. It was arranged
very kindly by M r. Studholm e th a t I m ight stay with friends of his
who were on holiday in N orm andy.
I arrived and was showered with questions about Strathallan
and my hom e— in French! F o r a fortnight I never spoke a word
of English. A fter the first three days I felt that I would end up in
an institute, but not a C.A . one. Slowly things began to improve,
and I soon understood w hat other people were saying, though they
understood little of w hat I was saying.
W hile I was there I visited the beaches of the British and A m eri­
can landings on D -D ay and saw m any G erm an fortifications which
were still standing.
I returned to Paris with the fam ily and, after four days, flew
hom e having learned a considerable am ount of French. Going by
myself was a great advantage as I was unable to talk to anyone in
English, and I can recom m end this m ethod to anyone who wishes
to im prove his knowledge of the French language and people.
A . G. Johnston.
The Royal A ir Force Selection Board
A fter spending a few days at the A ircrew Selection Centre, Royal
A ir Force, H ornchurch, I proceeded with the sixteen other pros­
pective Cranw ell candidates to the R oyal A ir Force Selection Board,
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
35
D aedalus House, Cranwell, for subsequent tests. This system of
selection was adopted by the R oyal A ir Force during the Second
World W ar and has been in use since then, as a m eans of picking
the future officers and leaders of the R oyal A ir Force.
This is a four-day course in which each m em ber is tested in
both written and practical tests which in a sense bear absolutely no
resemblance to the Royal A ir Force or flying at all! It is simply
a test of personality and leadership.
The w ritten tests, which w ere done on the afternoon of the first
day and completed on the m orning of the second day, consisted of
elementary m athem atical problem s, general knowledge of sport,
politics and the arts. Also, essays had to be w ritten about one­
self from one’s own point of view and, in addition, as a severe
critic’s opinion of one. F o r once, everyone was rath er cautious
about being too big-headed! In all these tests speed of thought
was essential, for the tim e factor was never in one’s favour.
The practical tests were both am using and troublesom e. E ach
team (there were three team s of five or six in our intake) had to
partake in such brain-teasers, which were really quite different from
the supposed ‘outdoor activities,’ as posted on the daily program m e.
The purpose of such exercises was to get oneself, the rem aining
members of the team , a pole or a length of plank, a coil of rooe and
an H-bom b (an old oil-drum in this case!) from the start over
num erous obstacles and then onw ards to the finishing line w ithout
touching the ground at any time.
O ne was allowed to touch
obstacles painted white but it was strictly forbidden to touch any­
thing coloured black.
T he obstacles, which provided one w 'th a
perm anent headache, ranged through planks, triangles of wood,
oil-drums and wire-netting contraptions resem bling rabbit hutches!
In such exercises, under the beady eye of two team officers, the
course had either to be tackled by the team as a whole with everyone
making suggestions, or under the leadership of a chosen individual.
Each m ember of the team was given the opportunity of leading his
team, and each time the leader was changed the obstacle course
was changed also. There were num erous indoor exercises such as
debates on current topics, chairm anship and solving situations with
which either oneself or o n e’s team was confronted.
T he social
aspect of our stay was very noteworthy. D aedalus H ouse consisted
of num erous two-piece bedroom s and the food was excellent. W e
were treated like potential officers, having a private b ar and a
television room!
This stay of four days certainly gave us a m ost enjoyable break
from school and work, and provided us with an unique experience.
B. W. H utton.
36
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Gilw ell Park
T he L eadership in Scouting C ourse at Gilwell P ark is run, not
necessarily fo r Scouts, b u t for Public School boys who are
interesting in Scouting.
T he aim of the course is to develop the leadership of those
partaking, as well as giving them an insight into the organisation
of a Scout troop. A t th e beginning of our w eek’s course, we,
R. S. Peters and H . J. L ochore, were shown techniques in the con­
struction of a cam p kitchen so that we could im prove our existing
sites. T h e foil cooking dem onstration given by one of the Scouters
proved a great success and after the sam pling of his wonderful
cabbage we w ere all confirmed vegetarians!
A part from the actual instruction in observation, pioneering,
axem anship and knotting, we were given projects involving the use
of m ost of the skills which we had been taught. M any of the
practical tests which we had to carry out, such as the felling of
trees in E pping Forest and the construction of m onkey bridges,
overhead runw ays and signal towers, proved m ost enjoyable and
instructive.
As the w eather rem ained good for m ost of the week, our
activities w ere m ainly out of doors, although some of the time
was spent visiting other Scout troops and taking part in their evening
program m e.
The Chief Scout, Sir C harles M cL ean, visited the cam p after the
W indsor P arade and joined us in a very informal campfire, at which
R . S. Peters had the honour of “ piping him in.” W e were also
introduced to L ady Baden-Powell, several Scout Com m issioners and
last, but not least, to the L ord M ayor of London.
A t the end of the course we w ere presented with our certificates,
together with a photograph of all those who attended the course,
both boys and Scouters.
T h e fact that everyone enioved the
course, as well as learning a great deal from it, is a good indication
of its success.
r <5 p eters
Disc Brakes To DunlopiIlo
T ink er , tailor, soldier, sailor . . . . to each of these men the nam e
‘ D unlop ’ has a different significance. A soldier probably
associates D unlop with com m ando soles or rubber tyres, while
the sailor im m ediately imagines a subm arine escape immersion suit
tvoe-D with autom atic inflation. Personally T would hate to be
clashed with the soldier or the sailor while neither the tinker nor
the tailor appeal to me. I feel, however, that I have an even more
intim ate knowledge, than even they can boast after m y interesting
and instructive introduction at F ort D unlop, in Birm ingham , to the
rubber industry.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
37
During my w eek’s visit to the factory, I m ust adm it that I
failed to see the production of either com m ando soles or, for that
m atter, the sailor’s im m ersion suit, but w hat I did see gave a deep
and clear insight into the com plicated workings of big industry.
This vacation course, organised by the Public Schools A ppoint­
ments Bureau, is designed to introduce potential industrialists to
big business. This was im pressed upon us the m om ent w e entered
the 300 acre site of F o rt Dunlop.
All around, huge buildings
loomed over us, housing vast roaring m achines w hich com bine to
m anufacture 400 tyres per hour. T he com plicated w orkings and
functions of these m ass-producing autom atons were explained to
us in the next two days of our stay, w hich included detailed tours
of a power-plant big enough to supply a large town. A glimpse of
an engineering shop, which alone housed 300 employees, com ­
pleted our visit for that day. T he following m orning, we looked
over the R esearch Centre, where we saw how all the theoretical
chemical m um bo-jum bo we learn at school is practised in m odern
industry: from here cam e the first D unlopillo, from here cam e
Semtex tiles, here, first of all, disc brakes were conceived. Finally
we travelled to Coventry, w here we toured the production plant of
the tyre-rim m anufacture. In this plant grotesque and complex
machines, controlled by a single solitary technician, showed us
twentieth-century autom ation at its m ost advanced stage.
T hroughout o u r stay in Birm ingham for this course, D unlop
accommodated us in a first-class suburban hotel which was within
easy reach of the m ain factory buildings; all in all, we w ere looked
after admirably.
So now, having com pleted the course, when I see a D unlop
tyre, I am satisfied that 1 know m ore about com m ando soles and
immersion suits than either the soldier or the sailor.
E . A. Fraser.
Mars Thincsus Housesteads, 1960
T here were only two tents in the cam p when we arrived.
T here
were several orderly holes in the ground round about.
A s we
approached, two bearded herm its, apparently M r. Birley and M r.
Hall, came out of a tent and welcomed us. W e had come to help
them find a temple to M ars Thincsus, which they knew was “ som e­
where around.” T he holes were n o t ordinary holes; they were
part of a carefully planned excavation.
The next m orning we w ere told to dig a m easured plot. Every
area of turf that was taken off was m easured and any walls found
were accurately m apped; every piece of pottery found went into a
box, duly labelled indicating the hole from which it cam e, and how
deep in the earth it was found. M uch to the surprise of the m ore
experienced excavators, we beginners found a rough wall after
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
about a foot. In a trench two feet away they had to dig six feet
before finding anything. We followed this wall throughout our
stay and eventually it led to an unusually high wall of nine courses
—illustrated here. M eanwhile the other excavators were finding
m ore walls and from these we could tell that they probably form ed
the courtyard of the temple.
W hat are the rew ards of carrying barrow -loads and barrow ­
loads of soil o u t of the earth?
T he rew ards are the treasures
hidden beneath—walls and rem ains of the R om an occupation. We
found countless pieces of pottery, including some very fine pieces
of red, decorated Sam ian ware; several pieces of R om an leather;
even old nails, needles and beads. B ut perhaps the best finds were
coins. A t C arraw burgh a well was drained and 13,487 coins were
found. Close to our cam p there was a spring, so we decided to
drain it. A fter some hard labour by M inistry of W orks’ pumps,
we dug o u t m any bucketfuls of gravel, and started searching
through it for these elusive coins. Eventually we found about a
dozen— a pretty good haul.
W e did n o t find the temple, but after we left, the beginnings of
a curved wall signifying a tem ple were found. All we had dug out
was filled in and the spot w here we are going to begin digging this
year is m arked by a beer can, although how that got into the cam p
we have never been able to understand.
I. A. G ow and G. W. V. Birnie.
E xca va tio n s at H ousesteads
[d .l .f
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
39
Remember—The Days O f Thy Youth
T h e middle of May saw the completion of an enterprising and
novel project which had been in progress for the best part of two
years, namely, the com m itting to celluloid of various aspects of
life around the school. T he purpose of this was to have a lasting
record of the experiences and sentim ents of those happiest days
of one’s life. In the role of director, m anager, photographer, and
editor of the project was B. A. W ingate. T hroughout the period
of filming, 550 feet of 8 mm. film were used, the final version after
cuts m easuring 480 feet. Sporting topics included sailing on the
Tay at Lairwell, 1st XI cricket, I960, Sports Day, 1959 and 1960,
three fights from the 1961 Boxing Finals, rock climbing in a nearby
quarry in June, I960, the 1961 1st X V . recording three of its
fifteen victories— against G ordonstoun, W atson’s and the Old Boys
—various shots of the 1961 Senior C ross-C ountry final, and the
Hockey X I beating G ordonstoun. O ther scenes showed the 1960
Sunset Parade on Speech D ay, the C hapel at various stages of con­
struction, panoram ic views of the pond and other fam iliar scenes,
picturesque effects with the sun and the stream in the valley and a
m idsum m er sunset.
T here were shots of people on their way
across to classes in the m orning, the school prefects out walking
on a Sunday in autum n 1960, and a lively dorm -fight in R uthven
followed by the im plied chastisem ent of the ringleader and his
reactions! A nother touch of hum our came from th e skilful cap ­
ture of masters in poses illustrating their idiosyncrasies!
Choosing a title provided some difficulty: a suggestion was,
“ Young, Strong and Free at Strathallan,” but after m uch delibera­
tion, “ R em em ber . . . the D ays of thy Y outh ” w as decided on as
the most suitable.
In its final form , the film consisted of two reels and ran for 40
minutes.
A bout half the school becam e film stars — some
unknown to themselves, others consenting reluctantly, others
revelling in the idea.
A lthough short sequences had been shown
from time to time to those concerned, it was not until the final
version was ready that a public showing was given. O n Sundays
11th and 18th June, 1961 the School w as invited to the Science
Lecture Room to view this epic—for the forfeit of a shilling. The
reactions to seeing oneself or one’s friends on film w ere of a light­
hearted nature, and seemed to indicate general approval.
A ppropriately enough, the C hapel Fund received the m ajority
of the takings, and is now £5 to the good.
p a Lawson.
Vital Statistics
T he statistics given below are som e of the m ore significant ones
selected from the results of a questionnaire given to all m em bers
of the Senior School, on Sunday, 12th M arch.
A nsw ers were
40
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
subm itted on unsigned sheets of which, after discounting absentees,
a total of 250 papers were considered. T he papers were divided
into four different age groups with approxim ately equal num bers
in each.
In the School one finds 35 only children, with each pupil having
an average, four-fifths of a brother and three-quarters of a sister.
T urning to the cinem a, we find that it is m ost popular with the
fifteen and sixteen year olds.
T he reverse is also true, and we
find th at m ost of those th at scarcely ever go are in the thirteenfourteen or seventeen-nineteen age groups.
F rom the cinem a to smoking, a habit in which about half the
school indulge.
H ow ever, in the thirteen-fourteen age group
there are 77% non-sm okers, the rest having an occasional smoke.
Moving to the fifteen year olds and over we discover only 43%
do not sm oke, while some 26% sm oke ‘ habitually.’
It is perhaps good to see that 51% of the pupils at Strathallan
hope to go to university, even although a lot fewer actually go.
Lastly, let us turn to a m ore im portant subject — politics.
Strathallan is 78% Conservative; 5% L iberal and 2% Labour; with
the rem aining 15% not voting.
P. G. Lawson.
Perth Theatre Visits
D uring January, Perth R epertory T heatre founded a Schools
Club, which included all schools in the area, and enabled them to
attend weekly m atinees at the T heatre on Tuesday afternoons at a
special rate. This gave the School an opportunity to participate at
a convenient tim e a t small cost (2 /6 including transport) in a
scheme aided by the A rts Council of G reat Britain.
A lthough the youthful audiences were not always as attentive
as those of us from Strathallan who attended, parties of between
30-75 boys were enabled to enjoy good productions and set a high
standard for the rem ainder of the audience in appreciation of
those plays they saw.
The plays selected for our visits covered a wide range, from
thriller to classic. U ndoubtedly the m odern play “ One More
R iver” by Beverly Cross was the m ost outstanding of the pro­
ductions we saw, but was lim ited to senior boys only.
T he plays attended (and num bers attending) were as follows:
“ A Shred of Evidence” by R. C. Sheriff (72).
“ H arvey” by M ary Chase (45).
“ One M ore R iver” by Beverly Cross (33).
“Juno and the P aycock” by Sean O ’Casey (39).
“ Jane E yre” adapted by M ichael M acL iam m oir (60).
D.S.R.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
4'
School Library
“ T h en / saw that w isdom excellelh fo lly , as fa r as light excelleth darkness."
— Ecclesiastes 2, xiii.
W isdom is becoming increasingly m ore accessible to the
School by virtue of the steady swelling of all sections of the
Library. In excess of a hundred new books have been added to
the shelves throughout the year, while records of W ordsw orth’s
poetry and Sheridan’s “ School fo r Scandal” have been added to
the Shakespeare records which the English D epartm ent already
possesses.
Books have also been donated by several people, for which
grateful acknow ledgm ent is hereby m ade.
Purchases of new books include the follow ing:
G rove’s D ictionary o f M usic and M usicians, Vols. 1 to IX ;
The W orld o f M athem atics (Newm an), Vols. I to IV ; R ev o lt of
the Netherlands (Geyl); A tla s o f the Bible (Grellenberg);
Bayonets to Lhasa (Flem ing); Puritanism and R evolution (Hill);
Victor Hugo (M aurois); E conom ic G eography (H untington); A n
Illustrated H istory o f M usic (Pincherle); T h e Sciences were never
at War (De Beer); A nger o f A chilles (Graves); B eyond the
Dictionary in Spanish (G errard); Orde Wingate (Sykes); Dawn
of L ife (Rush); Introduction to 17th C entury and 18th Century
France (Lough); The Archaelogy o f W eapons (O akerholt); C o m ­
panion to German Studies (Bithell); R o m a n Im perial Civilisation
(M attingly); Great Philosophers o f the W est (Tomlin); and
D ocum ents o f the Christian Church (Bettenson).
A lthough the L ibrary is being used m ore, and the w ithdraw als
book now fills m ore rapidly, the wisdom of the readers seems to
lack any vestige of order or tidiness. A school is one of the few
places where libraries can be used entirely a t will, and it would
be appreciated if a response to the im plicit obligations were
shown before possible restrictions are considered m ore seriously.
E. A. Law son and R. E. Allcock.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Scheme
P rogress this year has perhaps inevitably been a t a slower rate
than last year, as it is now necessary for boys to com plete the
First Series tests before advancing to the Second Series. Nurse
Ingram prepared sixteen boys — alm ost all Freeland House
juniors—for the Red Cross Junior exam ination, and all passed.
It is hoped that enthusiasm next year will not be limited to boys
from one House!
42
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
D uring the year E . A . Law son, G. W. V. Birnie, and J. C.
Leask completed the Second Series (Silver A w ard) tests, while J.
M. S. Flem ing, D. L. Ferguson and K. J. D arling passed the First
Series (Bronze A w ard).
A fter the School Exam s, at the end of
the Sum m er Term , a cavalcade of juniors hiked across the Ochils
from Strathallan to D ollar, under the supervision of I. M. R obert­
son and G. M. W atson, and m ost only need to complete their work
on their hobby to obtain the Bronze A w ard. M ost spectacular of
our activities, though, w ere the three-night hikes accomplished
by R. S. Peters and D. M. Law son from D alnaspidal via R annoch
Station, K ingshouse and Glen Etive to Bridge of Awe, and by H.
J. L oc’h ore, G. W. V. Birnie, A. M. H ouston and P. M. Fisher
from K irkm ichael to A viem ore, via Loch Tilt, Inverey and the
L airig G hru. Peters and L ochore com pleted their Public Service
training requirem ents by attending at E aster a Leadership in
Scouting C ourse at Gilwell (on which a report appears elsewhere
in this magazine), while Birnie attended a similar C ourse in
September. W e expect to have at least three holders of the Gold
A w ard by C hristm as, and are hopeful of receiving a visit from Sir
John H unt, the Secretary of the Scheme, early in the New Year.
N ext year the A w ard Scheme will com e u nder the adm inistra­
tion of the C .C .F ., and will be m ade generally available to boys
who will receive a general pre-service training in their first year
E arly M o rn in g on a D u k e o f E d in b u rg h ’s A w a rd H ik e
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
43
in the School. Senior m em bers of the Scheme will be responsible
for training these recruits in subjects such as m ap-reading and
camping, as their practical service w ork required by the Third
Series regulations.
During this last year 1 have been grateful to the H ousekeeper
and the Sanatorium Staff for arranging provisions and instruction
respectively, and to E. A. Law son for superintending the training
of the First Series candidates.
D. L. F.
Letters to the Editor
D ear Sir,
Lately 1 have read in (he Press of a newly instituted scheme for
teaching students in senior secondary schools to drive.
The
figures for the scheme, based on the confident belief th at the earlier
a youth is taught to drive, the m ore com petent he will become,
have as yet to be published, but the success of the scheme is re ­
flected in the praise and passes which have been gained by it.
Strathallan, I think, is an ideal place for such a scheme, and
when the teething troubles of expense, tutors and organisation had
been overcome, we should find it a successful and worthwhile
addition to the school curriculum . T he first year of this would
be expensive for all concerned but when it was well founded, T
think the fee fo r it would quickly fall below th at of the driving
schools.
The success of such a schem e relies, as usual, on the parents,
but by supporting such a schem e they would be doing their sons,
and the safety cam paign as a whole, m uch good.
Y ours faithfully,
D. M artyn.
Dear Sir.
Education is not just a process of passing exams, b u t is
intended to prepare the young m an for life, to enable him to cope
with his future worries and to assum e his position in adult society
as easily and as naturally as possible.
Strathallan, I consider,
achieves these objectives in all but one point.
In my opinion, ball-room dancing is a social grace essential to
any young man.
It is one of those attributes which, like the
ability to drive a car, or play golf, m akes the road to success
slightly less arduous. Q uite ap art from the enjoym ent obtained
from dancing, it becomes virtually obligatory at some stage to
attend the W orks D ance, and the am bitious am ongst us will soon
realise that to dance well w ith our em ployers’ daughters is a sure
44
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
way to prom otion. T h e odds in the M arriage D erby, too, are
shortened (and the choice of girls widened) in favour of a ball­
room trained beau.
M any other public schools run dancing lessons. W hy should
Strathallians be penalised in after life, or be driven to expensive
dancing studios? Surely the advantages outweigh the difficulties
— the recruitm ent of a suitable instructor, the availability of a
large room with a polished floor, and the absence of any ladies
with whom to practise? T he M usic R oom could perhaps be used
during A ctivities on one or two nights per week, and a dancing
teacher could come out from Perth, I feel sure.
A s for boy
dancing w ith boy — well, this problem is m et in all boarding
schools, and has in any case to be tolerated for the existing
C ountry D ancing lessons.
Finally, m ay I m ake an appeal for the revival of the now
defunct annual dance w ith the Beacon School?
Y ours faithfully,
R . E. Allcock.
Debating Society
T he society had its m ost successful year w ithin mem ory; a higher
degree o f organisation w as achieved than heretofore, and the
standard o f speaking am ong the m ore experienced m em bers shows
improvement.
Even so, too m any m em bers all but read o u t their speeches,
while m ost m em bers w ho attend m eetings seem incapable of
m aking a relevant or even a coherent speech. M ore boys should
com e to meetings prepared to say som ething intelligent, or at
least intelligible.
A t the first m eeting of the W inter T erm , a committee was
elected, with M cK inlay heading it as secretary, and it subsequently
drew up a constitution, running to over three sides of foolscap, to
regulate the activities of the society. D r. F arm er has again been
President and Chairm an.
In the first debate, E. A. Lawson and W. R . D uncan proposed
that, “ Clothes provide the greatest class barrier in Britain to-day,”
with J. G. M . M cK inlay and E. Pickard to give the other side of
the argum ent. T he strict relevance of the proposition had even­
tually to concede the day to the hum orous, albeit less valid points
put forw ard by the opposition, by 27 votes to 51. In this debate,
the experience of the principal speakers contrasted w ith the maiden
speeches of their seconders.
On 5th N ovem ber, an appropriately explosive subject was de­
bated in the motion that, “ Life und er C om m unist R ule would be
preferable to a third W orld W ar.” A llcock and L inton were in
favour of co-existence, while death and glory appealed more to
The M agazine o f SlratItalian School
45
Rankin and Crawshaw. A llcock, as the only experienced speaker,
made the crucial point of the evening in differentiating between
Communism and Soviet Socialism. A s in the previous debate, wit
won the day, and A llcock’s sobriety had to yield by 49 votes to 78
to R ankin’s hum orous declaim ing of “ persecuted apathy.”
L ater in the m onth, a party from G lenalm ond w ere the guests
of the society. T aylor seconded one of the visitors in proposing
that, “ The British take their sport too seriously,” while the
opposition was led by M cKinlay. A lthough football pools, tran s­
fer fees, and dog racing all received careful scrutiny, relevance was
only conspicuous by its absence, the point having been so lost by
the time the motion was put to the floor, th a t an em barrassing
silence ensued, followed by an early count. T he motion was
defeated by 86 votes to 64.
An “ A ny Questions ” session in the L ibrary did m uch to
enliven the society’s followers. T he panel consisted of M cKinlay,
Lawson, Rankin, and Pate, who were called upon to give opinions
on a variety of subjects of unprecedented scope. G alt asked about
the effects of President K ennedy’s religion, H allow ay about the
Polaris subm arines in the Holy Loch, the q u ip from the last w ar
being trotted out: “ T he A m ericans are over-fed, they’re over­
paid and they’re over here! ” T he shearing of poodles cam e in
for com m ent, as did teddy-boy fashions, the ideal way of relaxing,
love in candlelight, and the relevant m erits of soccer and rugger,
these questions com ing from Taylor, W ingate, A llcock, Johnston,
and Nelson-Cole.
T u rn er finally asked fo r opinions of H er
Majesty’s H onourable O pposition, the decision being, th at the
British L abour Party of the m om ent was a headless m onster, but,
unlike the m ythical H ydra, did not have the pow er of reproducing
itself ninefold!
This m eeting was a great success and was
thoroughly enjoyed by all.
In the Spring term , it was debated that, “ Scientists are the
curse of culture,” with M r. Thom pson and G ray proposing, and
Mr. Studholme and Fraser in opposition.
U nfam iliar with the
society, Mr. Thom pson did not tem per his speech to his audience
and the other speakers w ere handicapped in their even m ore
radical attem pts to capture attention. T he m otion was heavily
defeated.
Enthusiasm was at a low ebb after this debate, and it was
deemed politic to close activities fo r the year.
In conclusion, m uch is to be desired in the standard of d e­
bating. It must be learnt, that the value in m aking a reasoned,
serious speech far outweights th at of winning the debate through
petty hum our.
The present shyness of m em bers of the floor
must be dispelled if progress is to be achieved, and a greater
measure of concentration am ong all but the m ost practised
speakers is still to be desired.
E. A. Lawson.
46
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Shakespeare Society
T he idea of a School Shakespeare Society was form ulated by Mr.
R ym er tow ards the end of the Christm as T erm , and such a body
cam e into being early in the N ew Y ear. M em bership has not
been fixed, but has m erely em braced all those invited to meetings.
T he Society’s attentions have not been devoted solely to Shakes­
peare, one of its aims being to introduce one play representing the
field of contem porary or m odern theatre each term , as the pro­
gram m e of meetings shows, the following six w orks having been
read since the society’s inception: “ Tw elfth N ig h t” (Jan. 25th),
“ T he Tam ing of the Shrew ” (Feb. 22nd), “ T he Queen and the
Rebels ” — a m odern Italian play by Ugo Betti (M arch 15th),
“ O thello ” (M arch 19th), “ One W ay Pendulum ” —heralded in the
Scotsm an as, ‘ an outrageous com edy of eccentricity in suburbia,’
by N. F. Simpson (M ay 25th), and finally, “ R ichard I I I ” (July
21st). T he accom m odating hosts on these occasions have been the
H eadm aster and M rs. H oare, M r. and Mrs. Burnet, Mr. and Mrs.
Grigsby, M r. and M rs, M cLellan, Mr. and M rs. W orm ald, and
M r. and M rs. Bland. T he num bers present have norm ally ranged
from twenty to thirty, with the exception of “ R ichard I I I ,” where
the large cast pushed the figure to over forty.
T here have been
alm ost seventy different readers altogether, including twenty-two
m em bers of staff and ladies of the household, twenty-seven people
having read m ore than once, some on as m any as five occasions.
The prim ary value of the society has, of course, lain in the
literary content of the w orks read and in its aims to prom ote dis­
cussion of them , but it has also served to bring together, outside
the routine and restrictions of day to day activities, the senior
mem bers of the School and the m asters, their wives and the other
ladies of the School.
F o r the reading of “ O thello,” three guests from the Dundee
R epertory C om pany were invited to the meeting, to take the parts
of the principal characters, O thello him self being read by Mr.
Gawn G rainger, lago by M r. M ichael C ulver and D esdem ona by
Miss Lilias W alker.
T heir polished interpretation of the parts
raised the standard of the reading as a whole, and provided a
valuable shot in the arm for the society at that early sta<re in its
career. W ithin the closer confines of the School, M rs. B urnet’s
voice has given others pleasure and a splendid exam ple, particularly
as M rs. G room kirby in “ O ne W ay Pendulum .”
W here scripts have been unobtainable wffhin the School, as in
the non-Shakespeare plays, o r in short supply, copies have been
obtained from the British D ram a League, L ondon, which serves
dram atic bodies of all sizes in this way.
On M onday, 10th July, twelve of those who w ere at the reading
of “ O ne W ay Pendulum ” were invited to w atch the B.B C. tele­
vision production in the saloon. T he characters turned out as we
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
•47
had imagined them , but the action, and in particular the facial
expressions, did m uch to heighten the com edy, though it was widely
considered a poor television production.
Mr. R ym er has directed activities generally, as well as giving an
introduction to each play at the start of an evening, and acting as
narrator, while the secretaryship has been in the hands of E.
A. Lawson, who will be handing over to G. W. V. Birnie for
1961-62
The standard of reading within the society has im proved from
meeting to m eeting and the type-casting necessitated at the outset
is now relied on less, a num ber of the m ore accom plished readers
managing to appear satisfactorily fa r rem oved from their norm al
selves. Since only a third of those who have read will be leaving,
the standard should continue to rise throughout the society’s second
year.
E. A . Lawson.
Modern Languages Society
T h is year M r. Studholm e put forw ard the idea of a M odern L a n ­
guages Society. This was eagerly taken u p and at the inaugural
meeting over which Mr. Studholm e kindly presided, E . A . Law son
was elected President, T. R . T aylor, Secretary and J. G. M.
M cKinlay, a Com m ittee M em ber.
The first function of the Society was to entertain L a T roupe
Francaise who gave the School a talented perform ance of, “ Le
Medecin m algre lui,” by M oliere and “ L ’Anglais tel q u ’ on le
parle,” by T ristan Bernard. T he cast spoke the French slowly
enough and exaggerated the acting a little so th at m ost boys were
able to understand the story and derive considerable am usem ent
from the evening.
O ur next meeting resulted directly from having established
contact with ‘ L ’lnstitut Francais d ’E cosse.’ This organisation is
designed to help schools boasting societies of this sort and it lends
out films and pam phlets, and sends posters to its m em bers. O ur
first contact with them was to borrow two which w ere shown to an
appreciative audience of nearly 50.
T hey were: ‘ A lerte en
M ontaene,’ and ‘ Plein air.’ the first dealing with m ountain rescue
and the second showing the form s of o u td o o r life th at are m ost
popular in France, such as canoeing, cycling, and camping.
F or our next meeting M cK inlay entertained us with a slide show
of Paris, and Pickard followed u p this by showing the slides he had
taken during a tour of Italy which a party from School had
undertaken.
Mr. Studholme entertained us by plaving some of his French
records, and undoubtedly the m ost popular was ‘ U ne Demoiselle
sur une balangoire,’ but we also heard Georges Brassens, Juliette
48
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Greco, M arie-C laude Pichaud and Jacques D ouai. U nfortunately
he did not have a record of Edith Paiff’s but an enjoyable time was
had by all.
Mile Q uere from the Franco-Scottish Society was our next
guest and she gave us a very interesting talk in French on the nature
of French Universities, and the very large num ber of clubs they
boast, so th at we wished we w ere at G renoble or L a Sorbonne.
By fa r o u r m ost enjoyable and entertaining evening was an
am using and instructive lecture on wines, kindly given by Mr.
M illigan aided and abetted by his wife. T o give us some practical
experience he brought u p some bottles and all those present had a
taste of two red wines, one vin rose and tw o w hite wines. W e con­
sidered this should be a fundam ental part of our education! O ur
thanks are d u e to M r. F airbairn for arranging this lecture and to
Mr. and M rs. M illigan who entertained us in a very refreshing
m anner.
Mr. F airbairn kindly invited the m em bers of the U pper V lth
and some m em bers of the staff to his house one evening for a play
reading session. T he play und er review was ‘ Pauvre Bitos,’ by
Jean A nouilh, and this was of especial benefit as it was an ‘ A ’
Level set book.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Society to
thank Mr. Studholm e for all his interest, encouragem ent and effort,
and I feel confident that the Society will prosper under his influence
next year.
T. R . Taylor.
The Science Society
A t the beginning of the W inter T erm , the H eadm aster very kindly
consented to becom e President in place of M r. Breuer, to whom
we are very grateful for the interest which he showed in the society
during its first year
It was decided that a m em ber of the science staff should be
represented on the com m ittee and should be nom inatd VicePresident. This year M r. Jackson held this post and we are very
grateful to him for the interest he has taken in the affairs of the
society.
This year our program m e followed m uch the same pattern as
last. T he films shown were of interest not only to m em bers of
the sixth form , b u t also to the younger m em bers of the society.
The upper form s were again responsible for the lectures and
dem onstrations.
Lectures w ere given by R . S. Peters, D. A.
Smith, R. C. Stark, R. J. R ankin, R . E . Allcock and I. A. Gow
on subjects varying from the spinning of terylene in M adras,
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
49
various m athem atical models, to continental drift.
D em onstra­
tions were given by J. L. W. Parker, E. A.. Fraser, C. M. T.
Cornish and I. M. R obertson on subjects from the production of
nylon and terylene to coloured light.
In the E aster Term , Mr. Thom son gave a lecture entitled, “ A
Fourth Dim ensional F an tasy ,” in which he illustrated his points
with models and diagram s. He succeeded in convincing everybody
present that the fourth dim ension was possible and even showed
us how a four dim ensional cube could be represented in three
dimensions.
U nfortunately we were unable to obtain any outside lecturers,
although, as the result of enquiries in this direction, on July 20th,
a party of 16 mem bers visited the G rangem outh plant of British
Hydrocarbons Ltd.
This visit was very interesting, and enabled
those m em bers of the party who had studied organic chem istry to
connect the theory with the actual industrial processes.
On the whole this year has been one of reasonable success for
the society with a large increase in the num ber of the lectures and
dem onstrations com ing from members.
I. M. Robertson.
Young Farmers’ Club
W e were sorry to lose M r. G illespie at the end o f the Sum m er
Term, but his place has been m ost adequately filled by M r. Grigsby.
At the beginning of the year, few m em bers rem ained, but m any boys
were keen to join, and a few had to be rejected. U nfortunately, our
usual visit to the F at Stock Show at E dinburgh was cancelled, b e­
cause of the outbreak of F oot and M outh disease. T h e two m ain
highlights of the year, the H ighland Show and the P erthshire rally,
took place a t difficult tim es of the term and we w ere unable to
attend either of them as a club. However, two stock-judging team s
went to the Perthshire rally, and finished second, a com m endable
achievement.
There were many m em bers wishing to go to the Fife Sugar Beet
Factory, Perth Bull Sales and on a visit to a local farm , b u t u n ­
fortunately the num bers had to be cut dow n to suit the travel
arrangements. Throughout the year, guests, m asters and boys gave
m any interesting lectures on varied topics, with the occasional film
to supplement the programme.
The Committee feel that this has been one of our most success­
ful seasons.
D. W. M. M unro and I. S. Cree.
D
5°
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Film Society
T h is year has seen the foundation of the Society under the pat­
ronage of M r. G ray.
T he object of the society is to prom ote
interest in films of cultural, scientific and artistic m erit, by means
of exhibitions and discussions.
Due to a shortage of funds, the choice of films was limited.
However, the following films were shown during the year: “ The
Wages of F e a r,” “ T he Red B alloon,” “ D ow n am ong the Z -m en,”
“ U lysses,” and “ T he L and of R o b ert B urns.”
“ T he W ages of F e a r,” directed by H enri-G eorges Clouzot was
notable for the suspense produced by a com bination of brilliant
direction and photography. “ The R ed B alloon,” was undoubtedly
of great artistic m erit but was only appreciated by a few. Artistic
m erit in “ D ow n am ong the Z-m en ” was a t a very low ebb and
even its scientific designs seemed dubious. “ Ulysses ” was clearly
only an entertainm ent film, but was a resounding financial success.
The Society was fortunate to obtain from the British T ransport
Com m ission, “ T he Land of R obert Burns,” an extremely wellm ade docum entary.
It is hoped that during the ensuing year more showings and far
more discussions will be held. L ast year there were seventy m em ­
bers in the fourth form s and above, to which the Society is limited.
However, it is hoped that this num ber will be substantially
increased.
L ast year’s com m ittee for the selection of films and for running
the Society consisted of: President—J. W alker; Secretary— D. G.
Linton; H ouse R epresentatives— P. G. F . Sleap, J. C. Ferguson.
A. H. M orrison, G. W. V. Birnie.
J. W. W alker.
Philatelic Society
T he difficulties m entioned last year, of finding first a safe place to
keep philatelic treasures, and second a convenient m eeting place
which did not require the carrying of said treasures through d a rk ­
ness, wind, rain or snow, have prevented any renewed interest in
the Senior School. Riley H ouse has had a dozen adherents of the
hobby throughout the year, and weekly meetings have been held in
Mr. R ym er’s room for discussion and exchange. A them atic dis­
play was organised for Speech Day, and filled most of Riley Com ­
m on-R oom . A ll m em bers of the club contributed, and over six
hundred stam ps on forty sheets were on view, illustrating such
themes as, “ tran sp o rt,” “ anim als,” “ m aps,” and “ historic
buildings.” Special sheets showed, “ Penny R ed s,” the first succes­
sors to the fam ous, “ Penny B lack,” and which are now over a
hundred years old, “ Peculiarly Shaped Stam ps,” showing diamonds
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
5r
and triangulars, and specimens with m icroscopic differences, illus­
trating the m inor variances which mean so m uch to the devoted
collector.
E. A. Lawson.
Photographic Society
T he Society prospers and we are now out of debt for the first time
since the purchase of the enlarger. W e would like to thank M r.
Hewson very m uch for his years of valuable service to the society
and express our appreciation of Dr. Farm er’s hard work in his
stead.
T he P hotographic Society visited P erth E n g in e Sheds
We have been comm issioned by the School to m ake a film
covering as many aspects of life here as possible. W e are pleased
to record the progress of this project which is due fo r completion
in time for the Jubilee next year.
An excursion to Perth E ngine sheds was arranged early in June
and those who attended had an interesting and profitable afternoon.
Very few members contributed prints to the annual Speech Day
Exhibition, but P. M. G ran t and J. W. W alker displayed some
successful exhibits.
A. N airn.
52
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Bridge Club
A f t e r a year of dorm ancy, the Bridge Club was reform ed at the
W inter Term .
M r. Y oung m ade his sitting-room available for
activities each M onday evening and gave instruction on a num ber of
aspects of the game. M em bership am ounted to 22, with 7 members
of the sixth form , 7 of the m iddle school and 8 of the third form,
giving an even spread throughout the School. A ttendances dropped
when, mid-way through the Spring term , lighter evenings fostered
other interests. Less than a third of the m em bers are leaving, so
interest is likely to be revived with the advent of W inter.
E. A. Lawson.
Pentagram Society
M r . T h o m p s o n form ed this society at the beginning of the year to
construct m athem atical models. T he m em bership was at first both
substantial and enthusiastic but, as frequently happens, it dwindled
as the year went on.
In the Spring T erm , to encourage larger turnouts the Society
asked parents, whose professions were connected with m athematics,
to address the Society, and we would like to thank very m uch those
who braved the cold of w inter to speak to us, nam ely Mr. Jenkins,
who spoke on the A ctuarial Profession, and Mr. Brown who talked
about banking.
T he Society, with the m uch appreciated aid of some of the more
senior m athem aticians of the School, conducted a statistical survey
which is reviewed elsewhere.
It is hoped that in future m ore boys will take up this interesting
and instructive hobby.
R C. Stark.
Archery Club
m em bership now stands at 15, an increase on last year.
Meetings have been held regularly throughout the Sum m er Term ,
on M ondays and T hursdays in activities, L ittle A cre having been
the scene of all our shoots. Mr. Spurgin has been in charge and
Mr. B arker has also helped to supervise. A com petition was held
by way of encouragem ent, H orvath em erging the w inner. Though
interest is sustained, the standard of perform ance rem ains rather low
as yet, and leaves room fo r im provem ent in the future.
C lu b
G. M. W atson.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
53
Ski-ing
T h e r e were num erous outings to G lenshee throughout the E aster
Term, and it is satisfying to note that twenty to thirty boys were
able to go each w eek-end, as opposed to the previous nine or ten.
Owing to the w ider interest in the sport am ong m asters and lady
members of the household, m ore cars have been available than in
other years, and it was not uncom m on for a m otorcade of five or
six vehicles to m ake the journey.
As in the past fo u r years, a team was entered for the T ennant
T rophy on the first Sunday in M arch.
T hose who represented
the School were: R. M. Smith, I. G. W oolley, R. C. Dow, A . R.
Bucher, H. J. B osshardt and Dr. M cKenzie, who com bined the
roles of coach and com petitor, while Miss A lison Smith and Miss
Eileen Farquharson kindly helped us out by filling the two ladies’
places in the team. O ur opponents in the first round were D undee
‘ B ,’ and a close and exciting race ensued, in which we were
narrowly defeated, despite having hoped to do better. T he Trophy
was eventually won by G len Coe, fo r the second year running.
The popularity of the sport continues to grow in the School, and
those who had been in A rosa at New Y ear were able to show their
paces. The usual accum ulation of Old Bovs and present pupils
descended on Glenshee in the week following New Y ear, while the
familiar broken-down L and Rovers in which Strathallians seem to
travel, have also been seen in G len Coe.
E. A. Lawson.
Pipes and Drums
T h i s year we have again had a large band with twelve pipers and
seven drummers. The year has not held such a full program m e
as last year, the only outside event, apart from the com petitions,
being a fete at Bridge of E arn at which a few m em bers of the band
played. However, the band as usual played on Speech D ay and
General Inspection Day. Seven m em bers of the band also had a
most enjoyable holiday in Switzerland at New Y ear, playing at
various hotels.
The band com petition at Glasgow, on 9th Ju n e was unfor­
tunately only attended by three bands including Strathallan. But
we again succeeded in winning the banner presented by the G las­
gow Highland Club. This year, fo r the first tim e, we were also
in the prize list in the individual piping— Fisher taking first place
in the junior group and Scott second place in the senior group.
A t the E ast of Scotland Schools com petition, which was held
at Fettes, on the 30th June, we w ere n o t so successful, and were
placed eighth. However, R oy and W ardhaugh a re to be con­
gratulated on their fine efforts in winning the individual drum m ing
54
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
and bugling respectively— the first tim e Strathallan has reached
the top at these com petitions.
T hanks go to Pipe M ajor Sinclair, and also to M r. H enderson,
whose experience has proved of invaluable assistance to the band
and learner pipers.
This year there has been at times a certain lack of interest;
however, with a m ore experienced band and a m ore determined
effort next year, the band should have a good year.
W inners of the School Solo com petitions;
Senior Piping— Fisher; Junior Piping— Stuart. Senior D rum m ing
— D uncan; Jun io r D rum m ing — B. R obertson.
L e a rn e rs— D.
Beattie.
R. H . Scott.
Combined Cadet Force
General Inspection this year took place on June 2nd, when
the visiting Officer was Brigadier, J. L. Proudlock, D.S.O. The
parade was he!d in the m orning and the visitor inspected training
before lunch.
It was a good turn-out, though some of the
m arching at the tail end of the m arch-past left something to be
desired. In this, however, we are not alone, for in a recent speech
at the A nnual D inner of the C adet Force A ssociation, the O.C.
of one school sa id : “ Even a C ontingent’s own Officers sometimes
find it hard to believe that the soldierly, sailorly or airmanly
figures at the senior end of the C ontingent have developed on a
diet of one parade a week, out of the strange little objects in the
R ecruits’ platoon, tiny blobs of boy in a great sea of battledress.”
The Sunset Parade on Speech D ay was m ost impressive. This
is a cerem ony which is peculiar to ourselves and one of which
we are justly proud.
T he Band w as first-class, the bugling
excellent, and the conduct of the parade and the turn-out of all
concerned was extrem ely creditable.
The Band have perform ed well this year; they won the Glasgow
com petition again; Roy took first place in the D rum m ing and
W ardaugh the first place in Bugling in the E ast of Scotland com ­
petition, and Shaw was third and G arden fourth in the individual
dancing. All concerned are to be warm ly congratulated.
Mr. H am ilton’s quarry disappeared this year, so we could not
continue to use it any m ore, but night scheme w ork was intro­
duced and proved a great change and quite exciting.
Rockclimbing has also been continued where possible on Sunday, and
one cadet at least com bined this with a bathe!
The Assault
course rem ains testing, and the record is now held by U /O W ingate
at 41^ seconds.
In the Signals only two cadets gained classification, T urner and
Shepherd, but Sgt. Macfie is now an A .S.I. Both parts of ‘ Cert.
A ’ were successful, and in spite of the O .C .’s gloomy forecast,
The
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
55
for the first tim e ever four cadets, C ranston, W. R. D uncan,
M cLachlan and W eatherston passed with credit in the A rm y
Proficiency Certificates. Several boys are attending R .A . courses
in the holidays, and two the J.S.C .B . course at Frim ley Park. A
num ber of cadets do a great deal of w ork with stores, etc., but
Cpl. D unbar must receive a special m ention fo r his excellent work
in the Armoury.
Four Officers and 85 cadets were attached to the 24th Signals
Regiment at Catterick C am p from 21st— 28th A pril, when they
were responsible for our accom m odation and feeding at cam p.
We should like to extend our very grateful thanks to the C om ­
manding Officer and his Staff and particularly to M ajor W. A dam
for welcoming us so kindly and looking after us so well. Perhaps
it does not really describe our contingent very well, but the same
O.C. as quoted above described C .C .F. Officers at cam p in these
terms: “ M any know us as eccentric and som ew hat touchy
schoolmasters of assorted ages, shapes and sizes, who appear
annually at camp, disguised, rem arkably unconvincingly, as officers
in the armed forces of some unidentifiable, but obviously im pove­
rished minor power. Officers equipped with a sm attering of para­
military knowledge and an unquenchable thirst. Behind these
majestic figures— always assum ing that they can walk fast enough
to stay in front—follows a curiously variegated arm y dressed in
denims whose scanty allocation of buttons fails to conceal a variety
of colourful underw ear.”
It is with very great regret that we learn that M r. M cLellan feels
that the time has come for him to give up his appointm ent as O.C.
the R.N. Section. It has been a very flourishing and sm art section
under his guidance and we shall miss him. I take this opportunity
of thanking him for all his help and hard w ork, and it is good
that he will still be here to give us the benefit of his opinion, even if
he will be wearing civvies on Friday afternoons. We welcome M r.
Rym er very sincerely, who is taking over from him, and we wish
him every success in the Corps. Mr. Birley will be taking over
as 2nd in Command.
As usual at the end of a year we say good-bye to a lot of
senior N .C .O ’s and cadets. We thank them sincerely fo r their
service and example, and trust that they have benefitted from their
time in the Corps.
T. C. G. F.
C.C.F. Arm y Camp, 1961
C a m p s —Kames,
Culty, C atterick— an attractive alliteration has
been built up over the years. F o r 1961 we can now add picks,
ponchos, precipitation and puddles. But as guests of the 24th
Signals Regiment from 21st— 28th A pril, these depressing features,
56
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
plus our incredibly strenuous days (and nights!) on the Yorkshire
m oors were m ore than com pensated by the m odern military
luxuries of well sprung beds, huge meals with piles of chips, two
stoves per hut, and chips, superior m etal w ardrobes for any rainbow-hued ‘ civvies ’ brought to cam p, and chips, m odern m otor
coaches for transport, and still m ore chips. 24 Signals Regiment
had 1,000 surplus rations before we arrived. W hen we left their
books balanced— just!
In reply to the C atering Officer’s polite
enquiry at tea one evening, “ Isn’t this your second tim e through? ”
a cheery cadet was heard to exclaim: “ No, Sir— my third! ”
A pproxim ately 90 cadets were privileged to enjoy cam p, almost
double last year’s attendance, although there w ere still the last
m inute com m unications from parents: “ Johnny is ill/indisposed/
lost, etc. etc. . . . and therefore unable to com e to cam p.” (Johnny
invariably turns up hale and hearty on the first day of term,
w ondering how cam p went.)
Some eyes were still heavy with sleep on Saturday m orning
when Reveille (the sweet sound of C.S.M. G alt’s voice) rang out
at 6.30 a.m .; but even greater was the shock for a few weary
signallers looking out of their windows to see 90 prancing youths
doing P.T . on the square, at 7 a.m . before breakfast, to Mr.
H enderson’s happy rhythm . B reakfast, bedm aking, parade, it
seemed as if a whole d ay ’s work had been done and it was only
9 a.m . Then the m otor coaches drew up and we began in earnest.
T he first day provided the hottest w eather and the longest
m arch.
O u r m ap-reading exercise com prised a 12-15 mile trek
across the m oors, which was not w ithout incident. Sgt. Borland
decided the O use was no problem to cross, so why look for a
bridge? Boots and socks off, he boldly led his men through the
swirling waters. It is very likely that by now some fisherman near
Y ork, or even H ull, has caught a left boot with an anklet and a
Strathallan rugger sock neatly rolled inside. H e should not be
alarm ed, the owner is not drow ned. This was just K eith’s way
of showing that he does not like walking! H e had a com panion
on the short return walk to the base, an experienced cam per who
took the m ore drastic but less expensive m ethod of falling in.
C adet M cLellan looked rather odd later in a pair of Mr. Birley’s
gardening trousers, but he was dry. It was with some relief that
G reta Bridge or R eeth were reached, but if that was an example
of a whole day’s training, C am p was not going to be too tough!
O n Sunday after a late Reveille, a t 7.30 we enjoyed a strenuous
day of rest. Mr. Birley took one coachload north to Housesteads
R om an fort, w here they inspected the site of his excavations, and
were quite relieved not to be called upon to extend them. The
rem ainder visited Y ork. The day began there with M attins at the
M inster; activities for the next two hours are unrecorded, b u t the
party regrouped for an entertaining tour of the Castle Museum,
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
57
and on the return journey paid an interesting, though somewhat
rainsoaked visit to Fountains A bbey, where we w ere tem porarily
joined by a faintly fam iliar figure in blue jeans— a fugitive from the
R.N . Section.
M idnight brought the census, a very com plex affair, and a
great strain on the Officers, who as well as sorting out the parti­
culars of the cadets, had to attem pt to conceal from prying eyes
the entries that they had m ade in the ‘ age ’ column!
On Monday m orning we had an Escape exercise, which p ro ­
vided plenty of exercise, but very few escapes, thanks to the
energy of the ‘ frontier force ’ of perspiring but persisting N .C.O .s.
T he afternoon was spent on the Field Firing Range where we all
fired .303 and some were able to revel in the joy of knocking down
falling plates with the LM G. Cpls. D unbar and H ardy guarded
the ammunition like watchdogs, and the only casualty sustained
was one leg injured by one of the plates. Evening found us in
the Land of Nod, though no-one was snoring, for this sleepy
sounding locality was in fact a narrow twisting valley in which we
conducted a night exercise, the juniors first in pitch darkness, with
a good deal of confusion, followed by the seniors who fared
better with a moon to assist them . U /O W ingate led his troops
to within a yard or so of the enem y w ithout their noticing them ,
which was a singular feat.
Attack! A ttack! A ttack! Down, crawl, observe, sights,
fire! Double here, double there, run, faster, come on, for inspec­
tion port arms, enemy there, and the loud explosions of thunderflashes with the less effective sm oke screens, filled in T uesday with
section and platoon exercises. F o r relaxation in the evening an
X I played the Signals R egim ent at hockey, and after an excellent
game drew 1— 1 rather to the surprise of the R egulars, who fancied
their chances against schoolboys, but age does tell. A shooting
team under C. S. M. Law son was narrow ly beaten, w ithout the
use of slings.
Wednesday, our ‘ piece de resistance,’ was a long day, and in
fact did not seem to end till T hursday lunchtim e. Mr. H enderson
ran an entertaining ‘ potted s p o r ts ’ in the m orning, during which
the contingent was visited by G eneral G oldsm ith, the C om m ander
of Catterick Area.
A t lunch time, the real reason for the picks and shovels that
had been idly lying in the stores hut becam e apparent; the
‘ Shavians ’ and the ‘ G altics ’ were off to dig in, prior to opposing
one another in m ortal com bat throughout the ensuing night.
When the grim fact that we were all to spend the night in the very
holes that we were attem pting to scratch out of the unyielding
earth became clear, activity was frenzied and various. Roofing
materials of all kinds, from corrugated iron to old d am p cardboard
were found, and Cpl. R idland with an eye to com fort, was delighted
5«
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
with the discovery of an old rub b er cushion from a wrecked tank.
Trenches vied with each other for quality and spaciousness, and
L /C p l. D u n b ar’s was the undisputed and envied prizewinner, until
the roof caved in ju st as the rain was beginning! A t times it
looked as if Birnam W ood had moved South, but it was only Cadet
B. L. G ilm ore with a tree over each shoulder.
M any hands, including even the Officers’, m ade light work, and
our tem porary lodgings were soon com pleted, w ithout even dis­
turbing a grouse, which sat on her clutch of eggs, only a couple
of yards from the G altics’ H.Q. She was duly m arked with a
stake for safety, and rem ained a silent spectator of the whole
operation.
T hen back to cam p for tea, and a really superb display of
m otor cycling by the R. Sigs. Display T eam , whose incredible
acrobatics and form ation riding on slippery ground were a sight
to rem em ber, culm inating in a pyram id ride, and a leap through
a ring of fire by the leader of the team, C aptain Taylor.
A ll too soon were we back at the trenches, putting the finishing
touches.
T he rain cam e on; the m ist thickened.
Trenches
claim ing to be m asterpieces o f constructional engineering developed
mysterious leaks. D arkness fell and torch discipline tightened,
which m ade walking precarious. Boggy patches and tree roots
arranged themselves in one’s path. Sentries w ere posted at hourly
intervals and a hot meal was brought out into the field. M any
sheep were heard and tracked as enemy patrols. The rain lashed
dow n, the mist swirled about and 3 a.m . was bleak. The well
camouflaged trenches were stood on by sentries, the bad ones let
in the rain. Visits to either position were carried out by soaking
officers through the night. Loud snores were heard from Sgt
B orland’s trench, so some-one slept. O ne side had chosen the
am azing password of ‘ Izzy W ozzy,’ to which there is an obvious
reply, but the O.C. declined to give it when challenged by Cpl.
Mackenzie. L /C p l. M orton and C adet Nelson-Cole were the
lucky H .Q . Signallers and spent the night in Mr. Birley’s car with
the heater on. They have told the rest of the contingent that the
Officers’ capacity for ‘ Pepsi-Cola ’ is enorm ous, but it is a strange
tale that hasn’t any followers. T he odd cadet did get a snatch
of sleep and dozed off with a river running over him, or through
him, it really didn’t m atter, but morale ran high and Cpl. Ross
was seen to smile.
Daw n was reluctant that m orning and m ade a poor job. The
G alties were roused by their valiant leader, in order to m an their
defences. He m ade an im pressive sight on that w atery morning
in a pair of saturated denim s, and a towel around his neck, grin­
ning happily in the knowledge that he couldn’t get any wetter.
A t last the enem y appeared, and went to ground rapidly at the first
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
volley of shots.
eerie but fam iliar
but spectacular
intrepid troops.
59
Then through the m ist of the m orning cam e an
sound, as piper Stuart led a definitely non-tactical
assault in extended line by C.Q .M .S. Shaw’s
T he all-night scheme was over.
Thursday was spent in m aking u p the sleep deficit, drying
m ountains of wet clothing, cleaning kit for the journey back, and
clearing up our q u arters in preparation for an early start on
Friday, which entailed reveille at 0500 hrs., and a train to be
caught at Richm ond at 0735.
O u r hom e from hom e at
Strathallan on the Earn finally hove into sight about 3.30 in the
afternoon.
Thus ended C am p 1961.
M emories are short, cam p only
affects those who are there, and school routine soon captivates
one’s full attention again and cam p is a thing of the past. Y et
all who were there will tell again of the night they slept u p to
their necks in m ud, with thunder and lightning raging all the
night, and if the count were taken in ten years’ tim e, one wonders
how many would claim to have done their sentry duty from 3 a.m.
to 4 a.m ., the grim watches of the night.
T. C. G. F.
Senior N .C .O .s in the A rm y Section.
U nder Officer: W ingate.
C .S.M .s: E. A. Lawson, G alt, Shaw.
C .Q .M .S .: Borland.
Pipe M ajor: Scott.
Sgts.: Allcock, Cornish, Lang, Macfie, R idland.
The following passed the A rm y Proficiency Certificates:
Anderson, Blake, Clement, C rabb, C ranston. D onnan, W. R.
Duncan, G arden, G arvie, T. I. G ray, Hitching, H orvath, H ouston,
Leask, Logan, M cLachlan, Melville, M orrison, Peacock, Robson,
Russell, A. I. Smith, B. G. Stuart. W alker, W eatherston.
Royal Naval Section
T raining throughout the year has been of a varied nature.
21
cadets out of a strength of 41 having passed the advanced exam ina­
tions, few of them were required as instructors and a constructive
and non-repetitive program m e had to be devised fo r them . This
included exercises com bining initiative and powers of com m and,
and a course in M eteorology led by Sgt. Allcock and Cpl. Ridland.
Instruction of junior classes has been carried out well, though
the exam ination results were disappointing. Senior cadets have
also proved very efficient on the adm inistrative side. T he tedious
practices for the A nnual Inspections, occupying too m uch of the
summer term , yielded dividends for the section, for we were
publicly com plim ented on our turn-out by the Inspecting Officer.
6o
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
In addition the section put on the sm artest display yet seen on
the Sunset Parade on Speech Day.
A nnual training was first-rate— with one exception.
Ten
senior cadets spent a week a t sea in H.M .S. W izard with the
D artm outh T raining Squadron, in July, and six m ore w ent to
B ritannia R .N . College, D artm outh, where the training was
thorough, com prehensive and alm ost too brisk!
H.M .S. Excel­
lent lived up to its nam e for a larger group of junior cadets,
and training included sailing, gunnery and flying. The disappoint­
m ent cam e to those senior cadets who were due to join the 2nd
Frigate S quadron for a week at sea at E aster— on the day that they
were due to travel south it was discovered that their ship was in
dock with only a skeleton crew and no plans had been m ade for
them ; there was no point in going under these conditions, and it is
hoped that som ething m ore satisfactory will be laid on by the
A dm iralty next year.
M r. R ym er is being com m issioned as Sub-Lieutenant, and will
be relieving Mr. M acLellan as C.O.
A ppointm ents and prom otions:
Coxsw ain: R. J. R ankin.
Senior P.O .: G. M. W atson.
P .0 .(1): D. M. Law son, J. G. M. M cKinlay, T. R. Taylor,
R . S. Peters, R . N. H arrison, I. M. R obertson.
L /S (l): I. A. Gow, E. A. Nelson, A. C. d'A ngibau, J, J.
W. D avidson, J. L. Y oung, D. M. Stewart, A. N airn.
Advanced Proficiency:
P. M. Fisher, D. W. M. M unro, A. N airn, D. W. Stewart,
A. P. D. W ilkinson. I. G. Woolley, W. G. Primrose.
Proficiency:
C. Benson, G. C. Brown. D. C lark, P. M. G rant, J. H.
N airn, T. A . F. Jenkins, J. A. Kilgour, R. J. M acfarlane,
D. H. M artyn, E. Pickhard, N. J. N. Row ton, P. G.
W edgwood.
R. J. R.
Fraser Gunnery Range
T en cadets from Strathallan Royal N avy Section arrived at Fraser
G unnery R ange after a very tedious journey.
F raser is connected w ith the w orld-renow ned gunnery and
drill establishm ent, H .M .S. Excellent, to which we paid frequent
visits.
T here were m any highlights in our training program m e, which
included flying at H .M .S. A riel, training on a Battle Teacher,
Bofors G un Drill, a visit to the W ardroom at H.M .S. Excellent,
supplem ented by shore leave.
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
61
O ur flights from H .M .S. A riel was m ade in a Dove aircraft,
renamed a Devon by the Navy.
As we took off, we had a
magnificent, panoram ic view of Portsm outh H arbour, with the
countless w arships lying idly in the w ater. We flew over to the
Isle of W ight, and across the Solent to Southam pton, before
returning to base. T here was a great deal of low cloud, and
visibility was poor, but it was a great thrill for the m any of us
experiencing our maiden flight.
A popular event of our course comprised the firing of 4 0 /6 0
m.m Bofors guns. Each cadet had twelve rounds, which were
fired out to sea, but alas, only at im aginary targets.
T he most exciting feature of all was our trial on the Battle
Teacher, which consisted of gun drill on a stripped down rather
“ antique ” Bofors. We had to m an it, fire and load it under
battle conditions. The floor rocked and rolled, a howling gale,
lightning, and deafening gun fire were reproduced.
We were,
however, saved the usual soaking given to T rainees, produced from
troughs of water suspended from the ceiling. Twenty rounds had
to be loaded during the trial, which was timed with a stop watch.
The lieutenant present com plim ented us afterw ards on being the
fastest school guncrew since 1923.
We left F raser G unnery Range with no regrets, though the
discipline was strict and the training hard. T he food was good
and our knowledge of the not so silent Senior Service im proved
tremendously.
M. J. D. Ryder.
R.A.F. Section
In the Autum n Term , the Section, accom panied by a few of the
Naval Section, visited T urnhouse on Field Day. P oor w eather
conditions existed and although powered flying was carried out,
it was not possible to glide.
The exams, held in D ecem ber showed prom ising results. All
candidates bar four passed the A dvanced Proficiency, and there
were no failures in the O rdinary Proficiency.
This Easter the Section had been due to go to G erm any for
Camp, and so it was rather disappointing to learn a few weeks
before cam p that due to re-organisation of N .A .T .O . forces, it
was impossible to go. However, we w ere fo rtunate enough to
get other camps in its place. Seven cadets w ent to R .A .F . M anby
in Lincoln. Nine cadets w ent to H .M .S. C ondor at A rbroath,
where they all attained their A and B gliding certificate. D uring
the last few Sundays of the Sum m er Term some cadets have been
able to do further gliding there.
62
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
T o com pensate for the loss of the E aster cam p we have been
offered another one in G erm any this Summer.
This year we welcome Mr. Barker to the Section.
N .C .O .s at end of Sum m er T erm :
W arrant Officer: P. G. Lawson.
Flight Sergeant. P. L. M arsland.
Sergeant: D. M. Kidd.
Corporals: B. W. H utton, D. G. Linton, K. R. Wilson,
J. S. Hendrie.
P. G. Lawson.
R.A.F. Manby
S even of us shared this station in the plain of Lincolnshire with
cadets from the E dinburgh A cadem y and King Edw ard V!
G ram m ar School, Lichfield. We found them very good com pany
and were firm friends of both by the end of the camp.
As
happened last year, we arrived a little jaded a t eight o’clock,
some of us having travelled for twelve hours to reach the camp.
We had a very interesting series of lectures on the role of the
Station (which com prises a flying school with two supporting
training squadrons) on subjects such as aviation medicine, some
advanced principles of flight, and several films on guided weapons.
A ll of us had at least three flights in V alettas or Varsities: once
to N ortholt, once to Coltishall and at least one flight in a Varsity,
practising circuits-and-bum ps, a slightly tedious and nerve-racking
experience. A t Coltishall we clam bered all over Javelins and the
Lightnings of the first fully operational Lightning Squadron, and
were given a lecture and film on their construction and tactics.
W e also visited Cranwell and, after four cadets had passed the
R .A .F . Swimming Proficiency test, we looked round the college,
which proved an interesting experience.
The good standard of .303 shooting was m aintained; Cpls.
H utton and L inton being classed as R .A .F . m arksm en and Cadets
G ordon, H endrie, Smith, Strachan and Priest as C orps marksmen.
O ur recreation was excellently catered for in the N .A .A .F .L
and cam p cinem a, and at the week-end we enjoyed an outing to
Skegness on the L incolnshire coast.
O ther cam ps have been referred to as holidays, but all of us
at R .A .F . M anby considered it m ore of a holiday cam p than
anything else.
D. G. Linton.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
63
Gliding Course, 1961
A s an alternative to A nn u al C am p this year, nine m em bers of the
R .A .F. section w ent to H .M .S. C ondor, the R oyal Naval A ir
Station at A rbroath, for a w eek’s gliding course.
We m ade o u r devious ways to A rbroath, arriving virtually
unexpected at lunch tim e on the 1st A pril. A fter w aiting around
the G uard R oom for about half an hour the duty officer found
som eone who knew about us. We duly m arched off to our
‘ cabins.’
We were billeted in pleasant quarters, along w ith naval cadets
from Chippenham in W iltshire, at the farthest end of the cam p
from the airfield. A fter a rath er unusual briefing ab out the lack
of discipline required, we gladly m ade our way to bed.
A t what seemed like daw n on the 2nd of A pril we were
rudely awakened and ordered dow n to breakfast in the “ galley,”
ten minutes m arch away. We now had a chance to see our fellow
gliders. There were three from E dinburgh schools and the
rem ainder were A .T .C . cadets from A berdeen.
Throughout the course we were ‘ disciplined ’ by a staff cadet
and a Flight Sergeant from Daniel Stew art’s. T he routine was
the same every day. E very possible m inute was spent in the air
or in a mad rush on the ground dodging landing gliders and re ­
trieving solo flights from the other side of th e airfield.
There were two types of glider. T he Sedbergh is a two seat
trainer which we only used fo r experience and aerobatics. T he
seats in this are side by side as opposed to the K irby Cadet M ark
3 whose two seats are one in front of the other.
The gliders were w inch-launched to heights varying from 500
to 1,000 feet depending on wind conditions, speed of winch, and
pilot’s ability. T he winch cable was retrieved at 50 m .p.h. in a
Land Rover (official m axim um speed 5 m .p.h.).
By the end of each day we had com pleted as m any as 300 to
400 launches. T he speed of launching was alm ost doubled by
the presence of the C.O. (Fred W hite) who was a very raucous
character.
H e held the course together and although he bit
everyone’s head off as often as he could, he never m eant to be
a ‘ bull.’
After five days of solid gliding, everyone had passed the course
and we had all done three solo flights. W e w ere set free two days
earlier than the stated time, and reluctantly m ade our way home
It was an extremely enjoyable course, if a trifle strenuous. All
64
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
thanks however m ust go to the organisers and instructors who
helped us to keep u p the good nam e of the course, which has
had but two fails in the m any years it has been operating.
We nine now have our British Gliding Licences and two of the
cadets passed out with very good gradings.
P. L. M arsland.
H O USE
N O T ES
Freeland House Report 1960-61
T h is year we are losing the services of Dr. D. L. Farm er, who has
been a H ouse T u to r in Freeland fo r the three years of his stay at
Strathallan. As reported elsewhere, he is taking up a post at
Stowe, and we shall miss his enthusiasm and efficiency, and the
encouragem ent he gave to so m any activities.
We welcome Mr. R. C. Studholm e, under whose influence our
perform ance in M odern Languages is already improving.
We have had messages of goodwill from Mr. H eron at Brecon,
and were glad to hear of the birth of his daughter in M ay.
This year Freeland has been the smallest and youngest House,
but we have contributed our share to the success of the School
in work and games. We have had seven ‘ A ’ Level candidates
this sum m er, of whom five are returning for at least another year.
In Rugger House M atches our team s did not distinguish them ­
selves, but m em bers of the H ouse contributed to the success of
all School Team s. O u r H ouse Captain of R ugger scored 17 tries
for the School, and, by the end of the season, we had four members
of the House playing regularly for the First XV.
In Hockey o u r chief rivals were Simpson and we were lucky
to share the cup with them. We had fo u r m em bers of the House
playing regularly for the First X I by the end of March.
In cricket A. G. Johnston was our only regular representative
in the First X I, but about half of the Second X I cam e from
Freeland, so that we should be able to im prove our record in
H ouse M atches in the future, as only one of our full-time
cricketers is leaving. O u r first cricket victory for several years
was our defeat of N icol by 9 wickets in the final round of the
H o u se M atches.
Athletic achievem ents are recorded elsewhere but the perform ­
ance of the H ouse is very creditable, especially considering that
we only had 13 boys in the senior age group.
Particularly
m eritorious individual perform ances w ere recorded by I. C. B or­
land. J. G. M. D onnan, A. N airn, H. J. Bosshardt, I. R. Ogilvie
and K. J. Darling.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
65
in the Swimming Sports the H ouse was placed second, the best
individual perform ances being by A . M. H ouston, w ho shared
the senior cham pionship, and by Kal. M atthew , who w on several
junior events and now holds a num ber of School R ecords.
T he H ouse Shooting Team recaptured the Shoofing C up from
R uthven, w here it has resided for five years, and P. M . Fisher
topped the School averages in the Perthshire League thus retaining
the individual cup.
R. H. Scott has been Pipe M ajor and both individual p'ping
cups have been retained in the H ouse, being won by P. M. Fisher
and B. G. Stuart.
R. J. R ankin has been C aptain of H ouse, C aptain of Fencing,
and Coxswain in the R .N . Section.
H e has also been H ouse
C aptain of Hockey.
1. C. Borland also a School Prefect has been C aptain of
Athletics and C.Q.M .S. in the A rm y Section of the C.C.F.
House Prefects have been as follows:
H. J. L ochore— H ouse C aptain of Rugger.
R. H . Scott,
P. L. M arsland
C. H . Craw shaw — H ouse C aptain of Swimming.
B. W. H utton.
A. Nairn.
A. G. Johnston has been H ouse C aptain of Cricket and Fives.
G. Brown has been H ouse C aptain of Sailing, D. M . K 'd d
House Captain of Shooting, and N. J. R ow ton h as been H ouse
Captain of Tennis.
We have had visits from a num ber of past m em bers of the
House and R . W. W. Paterson, G. B um s and J. F. D yet, who
have been playing hockey fo r Glasgow University, played against
the School’s summer team, the m atch being m uch enjoyed.
Nicol House Report, 1960-61
T he H ouse has been very fo rtunate this year in having a good
balance of Seniors, M iddles and Juniors, w ith the result that we
were able to give a good account of ourselves in a wide variety
of competitions. As had been the case fo r several years, a strong
lead came from H. G alt in every aspect of H ouse life, H e, and the
other leading athletic lights of the School, approached the H ouse
competitions in just the right way; plenty of determ ination and
skill was shown in w hat were essentially light-hearted encounters,
and the really all-out effort was reserved fo r School matches.
66
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
We did not succeed in winning any of the three m ajor com ­
petitions, com ing third in the rugby, second in the cricket, and a
very poor last in the Athletics. We appeared to have at least
a share in the cricket cup firmly in our grasp, but Freeland had
other ideas and won their only match by a com fortable nine
wickets. We had played specially well to beat the m uch strongerlooking R uthven, but were hardly recognizable as the same side
when we m et Freeland. A thletics does depend to a large extent
upon having a few star perform ers in the Finals, and this year
o ur talent was m ainly in Juniors and M iddles, a good augury for
the future.
However, our harvest of other cups has been the biggest
ever, and testifies to the all-round strength of the House. Those
who grouped themselves behind the H ouse Shield fo r the photo­
graph some years ago, when we had no cups at all, will be
delighted to hear that we had a line of ten this year, and the
num ber actually rose to thirteen at one point late in June. F or
a few days it was possible to relegate the H ouse clock to the top
of the piano, and even when it returned it had to push its way
in!
A m ong its com panions are: the Fives C up, the M inor
League Rugby, the Cross-country C ud , the Swimming Cup (for
the fourth successive year) and the Sailing Cup.
N ext year, Mr. Fairbairn takes over the House with Mr.
R ym er as his H ouse T utor. I am very sorry to end my ten years
association with Nicol, but am confident that the House will con­
tinue to prosper in years to come.
Head o f H o u se: H. Galt.
School Prefects'. J. G. M. M cKinlay, J. M. O. Lang. T. S.
G ray.
H ouse P relects: J. J. W. D avidson, E. A. Fraser, D. M.
Stewart. R. N. H arrison. R. C. Dow.
Ruthven House Report 1960-61
“ T here were captains by the hundred and
baronets by d o z e n s ”—Gilbert.
T he H ouse retained a good m any seniors this year and in con­
sequence several had to w ait for both studies and authority. As
the year progressed, m ore prefects w ere appointed, though not
liberally, until finally there were six school and seven house pre­
fects, just evidence of our seniority, ft had been anticipated
th at having so m any would be unwise, but this was not so and
they proved themselves a very responsible team . M r. Barker
took over as H ouse T u to r from M r. Bland, and he has taken a
lively interest in our affairs.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
67
In games, School interests overshadow ed those of the H ouse,
especially in cricket where R uthven provided half or m ore of
each of the 1st, Colts, and Junior Colts X Is, though failing to
win m ost of the housem atches, and again in ruffby we provided a
disproportionate num ber of team m em bers. A lthough there was
always a good spirit in House activities, it was seldom applied
vigorously, and it has become obvious that the H ouse does badly
when not up against the odds, and well when least favoured. This
was certainly evident in the winning of the Sports Cup, by
tremendous determ ination— the first victory since 1932— Carswell
and A. J. Fleming being outstanding.
Until the last month of the year we had won no cups outright
despite our seniority, but our face was saved by the gaining of
seven cups (individual and team) in rapid succession. It was
particularly gratifying to win the M usic C up which, despite
M orton’s talent and enthusiasm has so long eluded us.
We have been proud to see so m any m em bers of R uthven take
a leading part in every aspect of school life— too m any to mention
individually here. O ur best wishes go w ith B. A. W ingate, who
has captained the House very successfully for two years; to E. A.
Lawson, A. M. Pate, R. E. Allcock, H. G. M orton. J. L. W.
Parker and T. R. T aylor who hope to go u p to university; to
I. M. Robertson and J. F. Carswell who start professional
careers; and to R . A. K enneth, J. M acG regor, H . M . M ontague,
A. H. M orrison and N. D. L. Paterson as they go their various
ways. House C aptain next year will be R . S. Peters.
H o u se C o lo u rs w ere a w ard e d to:
J. L. W. P ark er, R. S. P eters, J. A . B ruce, W. S. P ate,
I. M . R obertson, A. J. Flem ing, W. R. D u n can ,
A. C. d ’A ngibau.
H o u se C a p ta in s o f Sports:
R ugby: B. A. W ingate, A. M . Pate.
C ricket: T. R. T ay lo r, A. M . Pate.
Hockey: A. M . Pate, D. M ackenzie.
A thletics: E. A. L aw son. J. F . C arsw ell.
Sailing: R. S. Peters.
Boxing: B. A. W ingate.
S hooting: J. A. Bruce.
C ross C ountry: E. A. Law son.
Sw im m ing: J. M acG regor.
Fives: A. M. Pate.
T ennis: A. C. d ’A ngibau.
Music: H. G . M orton.
School P refects:
B. A. W ingate, E. H. L aw son, T. R. T aylor,
R. E. A llcock, A. M . P ate, R. S. Peters.
H o u se Prefects:
D. M. Law son, I. M . R o b ertso n , J. L. W . P a rk e r,
J. F. C arsw ell, H . G . M orton, J. A. Bruce,
D . M ackenzie.
68
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Simpson House Report 1960-61
H o u se C a p ta in :
M. W. Shaw.
V ice-C ap tain :
P. G . L aw son.
School P refects:
R. F. R idland.
H o u se P refects:
W. A. M. M acfie, C. M. T. C om ish, I. H. W. Jones,
G . M. W atson, G . W. V. Birnie, A. G . Jo h n sto n , I. A. G ow .
T he new boys include brothers of G. S. Caldwell, of W. R. and
J. B. G albraith, and of I. R . A. M acmillan.
Leavers: A ll the prefects except Birnie; R . W. A rm strong; J.
C. Leask; C. R. Priest, and F. P. V alentine.
G am es results: E qual 1st in Senior rugger, 1st in Ju nior rugger,
2nd in M inor league. H ouse R ugger Captain. M. W. Shaw. 1st
in Senior cricket, 1st in Ju n io r cricket. H ouse cricket. C aptain:
A. J. H arvey-W alker. Hockey: E qual 1st; C aptain: M. W
Shaw. Fives: 2nd. Cross-country: 4th. Boxing: 1st; Captain:
G. M. W atson. Shooting: 4th. Sailing: 3rd. Athletics: 3rd.
Swimming: 3rd. Corps Efficiency Cup: 1st; trained by M. W.
Shaw.
This has been another successful year in w ork and games.
M em bers of the H ouse include the School Dux (P. G. Lawson),
the winners of the M athem atics Prize (1. H. W. Jones), the
Classics Prize (I. A . Gow) and the A rt Prize (A. G. Johnston),
two sharers of the H ouston M edal (M. W. Shaw and R. F. Ridland)
and three from prizes. In games we have the V ictor Ludorum
(R. F. R idland), th e Individual Tennis Cham pion (P. Pradiposen),
and the M iddle Swimming C ham pion (D. A. Cranston). M. W.
Shaw has been a very popular and successful H ouse Captain. He
has noticeably inspired the gam es team s to m ake the m ost of their
available talent and we shall miss him. P. G. Law son has been a
valuable V ice-C aptain and H ouse Secretary. E. A. Nelson has
been Senior C om m oner and J. M. Prophet, C hairm an of the
Ju n io r Com m ittee. H ouse colours w ere aw arded to Shaw, R id ­
land, Macfie, C ornish, N elson, H arvey-W alker, A rm strong, Leask,
Strachan, and M acdonald.
N ext year’s H ouse Captain will be G. W V. Birnie.
69
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Rugby Retrospect
T he 1st X V had a very successful season, losing only one
m atch, and conceding 27 points for 215 gained. This was due
to an all round enthusiasm from both players and coaches, and
also to the fact th at a successful team form ation was found
m uch earlier in the season than usual, w ith the result th at
only twenty-two people played for the X V as opposed to last
year’s thirty-seven.
Mr. Bland is to be thanked for his sustained effort through­
out his first season as senior coach, as is M r. Breuer, whose
methods paid dividends for the 2nd XV.
A. M. Pate and R . F. R id lan d are to be congratulated on
playing for the winning Scottish schoolboys’ X V against the
English team at R ichm ond or. January 2nd.
This year’s team was based on a very strong pack
capable backs, so that, w ith three backs and five forw ards
have played for the fifteen returning, we look forw ard
confidence to next season in the knowledge th a t the team
be built on the same pattern again.
and
who
with
will
1st X V co lo u rs w ere a w ard e d to:
A rm strong R. W ., B lackw ood J. B.,* B orland I C., C arsw ell J. F.,
F raser E. A., G a lt H. (C aptain),* G ra y I. S., H a rriso n R. N., H ollow ay
A. H.,* L ochore H. J.,* Pate A. M. (V ice-C aptain),* R id la n d R. F.,
Scott R. H., Shaw M . W., T a y lo r T. R., W ingate B. A.*
* P revious colours.
2nd X V co lo u rs w ere aw arded to:
Benson C., C raw shaw C. H., D u n b a r C. C. K ., L ang J. M . O.
(C aptain), L aw son E. A., M acD onald G . A., M acfie W . A . M ., N elsonCole A. A., Peters R. S., R a n k in R. J., R o b e rtso n I. M ., R oss K . I. R.,
Y oung J. L.
H. Galt.
School v. Perfh Academy.
27th Sept. (H). W on 9-0.
In the first gam e o f the season, the school p ro d u ced bu rsts o f good
rugby w hich w ere sufficient to b eat a side w hich p layed h a rd tho u g h
never brilliantly. T h e gam e began badly f o r the school a n d a penalty
kick was missed in fro n t o f th e p osts by th e A cadem y, but fro m th a t
first m inute until ten m inutes short of half-tim e the school played very
well. T his play was rew arded by a penalty goal a n d a try. T h e penalty
was converted by Pate fro m the touch-line on th e “ 25” a n d th e try
was o f the text-book variety, p roduced by a break fro m th e “ 25” by
Shaw, ro u n d the blind side, w hich p u t L o ch o re over in th e c orner, a fte r
an excellent run. T he school ow ed m uch of its dom in atio n o f this p a rt
o f the gam e to the back row o f the scrum , nam ely P ate, H arriso n and
H ollow ay. T hese th ree successfully foiled all b u t a few o f the
A cadem y’s attem p ts to have the ball out. On the o th er h a n d o u r ow n
half-backs, Shaw and C arsw ell, form ed an efficient and reliab le link
betw een th e fo rw ard s and th e backs. S hortly be fo re half-tim e the
school app eared to flag a n d w ere lucky to avoid losing th ree points
70
T h e M agazine o f Strathallan School
w hen a n A cadem y p e n alty fa ile d to go o ver only a fte r h itting the
cro ss-b ar a n d th e u pright.
In the second h a lf th e A cadem y pack gained possession from
practically every tight scrum , freq u e n tly against the loose head, but
failed to m ak e a n y th in g of th is a d v an tag e save fo r one fine ru n w hich
was a rre ste d o nly a few y ard s fro m the school line. In the loose,
how ever, th e pack rallied well u n d e r G a lt’s leadership an d latterly gave
the backs a n excellent service. T hey in th e ir tu rn handled well and
L o ch o re scored to r a second tim e a fte r a m ovem ent in w hich every
back h a n d le d the ball en ro u te fro m th e scrum . F o r the final q u a rte r
o f a n h o u r the school w as o n th e A cadem y line but failed to score
fu rth e r because o f ten acio u s tackling by the opposition. T h e school’s
ow n tackling was effective in d esp eratio n , tho u g h chancy in th e general
ru n o f play.
Team: M acfie W. A ., D u n c an W. R ., G ra y I. S., S cott R. H.,
L o ch o re J. H ., C arsw ell J., Shaw M . W ., P a te A. M ., H ollow ay A. H.,
H a rriso n R . N ., G a lt H ., R id la n d R. F., T a y lo r T. R., B lackw ood J. B.,
R o b ertso n I. M .
School v. G lasgow Academ y.
5th O ct. (H). W on 6-5.
A fte r th e first gam e o f th e season in w hich th e school backs
h an d led fa st a n d surely, th is gam e was in striking co n trast. T h e gam e
w as won by the fo rw ard s, in th a t the tw o tries w ere scored by them and
th a t th e o p p o rtu n ities fo r scoring w ere p ro d u c ed by them . A lte r the
first ten o r so m inutes the ball ceased to go o u t to the th ree -q u arte r
line, because experience h a d show n th a t th e backs w ere n o t handling
well a n d th a t the A cadem y backs m ark e d closely and tack led hard. T he
scrum w orked its w ay u p th e to u ch -lin e until it was w ithin striking
ran g e o f the o p p o sitio n line, th en failed to cross it because of the
A cadem y’s excellent tackling. Ju s t sh o rt o f half-tim e the pack began
m oving th e ball a ro u n d am ong them selves and th eir sustained efforts
w ere rew arded by a try w hich R o b e rtso n to u ch ed dow n. T h e kick was
n o t co n v erted a n d a t half-tim e th e school w as th ree p o in ts ahead.
T h e second h a lf w as com posed o f the sam e m ixture o f touchkicking a n d unsuccessful th re e -q u a rte r m ovem ents, a lth o u g h L ochore
w as u n fo rtu n a te n o t to score a fte r a good ru n . T h e tack lin g of the
A cadem y w as very fierce a n d it was eventually a push-over try w hich
gave th e school its second th re e points. T h an k s to R id lan d ’s jum ping
in the line-out, the school w as a b le to w ork th e touch-line. T he
A cadem y’s u n relen tin g defence w as finally tran sla ted into atta ck when
a n e at pick-up on th e ir “ 25” led to a try b en eath the school posts. T he
kick w as converted. T h e fu ll-tim e score was fa ir com m ent on the
evenness o f the gam e.
Team: M acfie, L ochore, G ra y , Scott, D u n can , C arsw ell, Shaw , Pate,
H ollow ay, H arriso n , G a lt, R idland, R o b ertso n , Blackw ood, T aylor.
School v. Edinburgh A cadem y.
15th Oct. (A). L ost 3-0.
T h e gam e was played in ideal conditions: the g ro u n d was h ard , the
ball dry. T h o u g h b o th sides tried to open the gam e n e ith e r was
successful. W e failed because o u r backs w ere n o t sufficiently pow erful
to ru n th ro u g h theirs; a n d th ey fa iled because the back ro w o f our
pack covered so effectively. In th e first h a lf th ere w ere a g re at m any
p enalty kicks fo r b o th sides, b u t n e ith e r m anaged to c onvert any of
them , tho u g h several w ere q u ite possible. O ne kick by P a te actually
b ounced off th e posts and w as cau g h t by Scott, travelling fast, w ho
n a rro w ly failed to reach the line. R id la n d w as getting m ost o f the
ball in th e line-outs a n d th an k s to o u r sup erio rity th ere we w ere able
to w o rk th e tou ch -lin e, so enjoying te rrito ria l a d v an tag e fo r the first
The M agazine o f Strut Italian School
half. A p art from Scott o u r backs did not look like scoring, being
w eakened by the fa c t th a t L o ch o re ’s sh o u ld e r w as dislocated th e first
tim e he touched the ball, despite w hich he finished the gam e.
T h e second h a lf was sim ilar to th e first in th a t n e ith e r side was
ever m uch on top. T he A cadem y backs w ere m o re p e n etratin g in
atta ck th an our own, but failed to re ac h o u r line because o f som e good
tackling. A rm strong at full-back w as p a rticu la rly effective, w ith a very
quick side-step and a safe kick. T h e A cadem y p e n alty w as a re su lt of
a lot of scrappy play in o u r tw enty-five. A lth o u g h th e school could
have w on this gam e, h a d o u r kicks gone over, th e re su lt w as a fa ir one.
Team: A rm strong, L ochore, G ra y , Scott, D u n can , C arsw ell, Shaw,
Holloway. Pate, H arrison. G alt. R idland, L aw son. Blackw ood. R o b e rt­
son.
School v. Dollar Academ y.
26th Oct.
(A).
W on 3-0.
H aving just lost to E d in b u rg h A cadem y by a p en alty goal, w e beat
D ollar by the sam e m argin. T h e gam e w as play ed o n a very heavy
pitch, w hich m ade h an d lin g difficult. D espite this, b o th sides trie d to
keep the gam e open w hile in the o th e r’s half. As u su a l th e school was
slow to start, allow ing D o llar several openings in th e first fifteen
m inutes. W hen, how ever, th e side aw oke, th e play was very spirited
and we enjoyed territo ria l advan tag e fro m th a t tim e
on.
U rged on by G alt, th e p a ck p e rfo rm e d well, a n d th an k s to our
line out superiority we w ere ab le to w o rk th e touch-line w hen in
defence. W hen the th ree q u arte rs trie d to ru n th ro u g h the D o llar backs,
their attem pts failed w ith o u t exception because th e o p p o sitio n tackled
very hard. T he penalty w as p u t over fro m in fro n t o f the posts by
A rm strong. In his po sitio n o f full-back, A rm stro n g pro v ed th a t lack
of inches was n o t necessarily a disadvantage. His side-step w as a source
of m ystification to m any, a n d his to uch-kicks w ere p erfectly safe.
]n the second h a lf the school pack d o m in ated the gam e. A lthough
we attacked alm ost relentlessly, th e D o lla r defence contin u ed to hold
out. W ingate all b u t scored fro m a cross kick, but his being b ro u g h t
down yards fro m the line typified the in ability of o u r backs to
penetrate com pletely, a n d the doggedness o f the D o llar defence.
T he absence o f L o ch o re on the w ing w as fe lt keenly, as he is the
only school back w ith the pace to ru n outside the o pposition. A n
attem pted d rop goal by C arsw ell in th e last few m inutes ju st failed.
Team: A rm stro n g R. W ., W ingate B. A ., G ra y I. S., S cott R . H.,
Macfie W. A., C arsw ell J. F., S haw M . W ., H o llo w ay A. H., P a te A. M „
H arrison R. N., R idland R. F ., G a lt H., L aw son E. A., B lackw ood J. B„
R obertson f. M.
School v. Edinburgh W anderers Colts.
29th Oct. (H ). W on 8-0.
T he m atch was p layed on a very sticky p itch a n d fo r th e entire
first half the fo rw ard s b a ttled a ro u n d in the m ud w ith o n e an o th er.
T he backs h a d little o f th e ball a n d th e fo rw ard s w ere fighting m uch
too h ard to have tim e to score. T h ere w as n o fe a tu re o f th e first h a lf
which was m em orable, b u t th e school p a ck did h o ld its ow n against
m ore experienced players.
T h e second h a lf w as in sh arp c o n trast. Soon a fte r half-tim e the
school backs were given a good service a n d they m ade Very good use
o f it. A lthough the con ditions w ere ag ain st open rugby, th e b ack s’
handling w as so good th a t soon th e school w as vastly su p erio r to the
side w hich had seem ed so sim ilar to it in th e first half. W ingate, in
particular, was show ing g reat skill in m anoeuvring in the slippy m ud.
He m ade one astonishing break, dodging and changing d irection a t
72
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
speed, a n d finally p u t M a c D o n ald over u n d e r the posts. T h e kick was
co nverted by A rm strong in his now fa m ilia r “in ch -to -sp are” m anner.
T w o o th e r tries w ere disallow ed, but by this stage the school was
rig h t on top. T h e ball w as being flung a ro u n d am o n g b o th forw ards
a n d backs, a n d it w as o nly surprising th a t th ere w ere n o t m o re scores.
A rm stro n g did, how ever, p u t over a p e n alty kick. In the last fifteen
m inutes rep ea te d attack s on W a n d e rers’ line failed because of strong
tackling, th o u g h several tim es o u r backs w ere bro u g h t dow n inches,
literally inches, fro m th e line.
Team: A rm stro n g , M a cD o n ald , W ingate, Scott, M acfie, Carsw ell,
Shaw , H arrison, P ate, H ollow ay, R idland. G alt, L aw son, Blackw ood,
R obertson.
School v. M orrison’s A cadem y.
6th N ov. (A). W on 21-0.
T h is gam e w as played u n d e r p e rfe c t c onditions and th e school’s
ru g b y was m ost w o rth y o f them . A s the result show s, the school
w on conclusively, b u t the gam e w as n o t the procession w hich such a
score m ight indicate.
T h e backs h an d led cleanly, ra n fast, a n d generally show ed a form
w hich h a d h ith e rto re m a in e d unnoticed. W ingate and Scott w ere both
outstan d in g , especially W ingate, w hose change o f direction in attack
w as devastating. So m uch did he w eave th a t it w as greatly to S cott’s
credit th a t he backed him u p so thoro u g h ly .
T h e first try w as scored by P ate fro m a loose scrum on the
M o rriso n ’s line a n d th e kick was c onverted by the sam e individual.
T h e second resulted fro m a break by S cott w hich w as a rrested on
the line. T h e ensuing set scrum led to a push-over try w hich was not
converted.
By half-tim e the backs had trie d alm o st every exercise they had
ever learn t. Scissors, dum m y-scissors, d ro p goals— all w ere attem pted,
th o u g h n o t all w ere successful. M o rriso n ’s w ere u n fo rtu n a te to lose
th eir open-side w ing fo rw a rd th ro u g h injury.
In th e second h a lf w e p layed in to the w ind and by kicking high
into th e o p p o sitio n ’s tw enty-five and collecting the kicks, we were
seldom in o u r ow n half. R id la n d d o m in ated the line-out a n d the
en tire pack d ictated th e loose play.
S haw scored fro m beh in d th e scrum on the blind a n d A rm strong
p roduced one o f his nerve-racking conversions.
A second push-over resulted fro m a ru n by M a c D o n ald w hich was
stopped on the line. O nce again A rm stro n g executed the bare m inim um
f o r collecting the a d d itio n al tw o points.
T h e last try w as scored by M acfie, o n the wing, w hen we had three
m en over.
T h e m em o ry left by this gam e w as one o f fast, clever rugby, in
w hich the school backs w ere on top. T h e pack w ere very fa st on to
th e loose ball a n d w ere m o nopolising th e set scrum s— even against the
loose head.
Team: A rm stro n g R. W ., M acD o n ald G . A., W ingate B. A., Scott
R. H ., M acfie W . A., C arsw ell J. F., Shaw M. W ., H arriso n R. N.,
H ollow ay A. H ., R id lan d R. F., G a lt H., B lackw ood J. B., F ra se r E. A.,
T ay lo r T. R., P a te A . M .
School v. W est o f Scotland Colts.
12th N ov. (H). W on 14-0.
T h e gam e was p layed on L ittle A cre on a dull a n d heavy day. T he
rugby, how ever, w as fa r fro m dull. B oth sides opened the play w hen­
ever possible a n d th e result w as fast, open rugby. T h e c onditions m ade
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
73
such play difficult and inevitably hand lin g e rro rs w ere m ade. F o rtu n a te ly
the school was both faster to cover its ow n m istakes and fa ster to tak e
a dvantage of the C olts’ m istakes th an w ere th e C olts, so in a hard fo u g h t gam e we cam e out on top.
T h e long-aw aited re tu rn o f L o ch o re w as celeb rated w ith a hat-trick
by th at winger. E ach tim e he scored he beat his m an on the outside
by sheer speed and as a result all th ree o f his scores w ere in the corner.
Because o f this none o f his tries w ere converted, th e ball being very
heavy.
In th e pack every p lay er w as a t som e p o in t conspicuous, b u t both
P ate and G a lt w ere perm anently noticeable. P a te p ractically scored a
solo try from a kick-off, but he w as ju st pip p ed in his dive fo r the
loose ball by a desperate fu ll back.
T h e backs handled well, considering the state o f th e ball, and
W ingate’s outstanding ru n n in g w as finally rew ard ed by a try beneath
the posts. T his was co nverted by A rm stro n g , w ho p lay e d his usual
safe game. T he school p layed w ell to tak e fo u rtee n p o in ts off a side
w hich was very stu b b o rn in defence, th o u g h w eak in attack.
Team: A rm strong R. W ., H a rriso n R. N ., W ingate B. A., Scott
R. H., L ochore J. H., C arsw ell J. F., Shaw M . W „ H ollow ay A . H.,
Pate A. M., M acD onald G . A., R id lan d R. F., G a lt H., Blackw ood
J. B., F raser E. A., T ay lo r T . R.
School v. Allan G len’s.
19th N ov. (H). W on 25-3.
T he gam e was played on L ittle A cre, w hich w as very m uddy, and
a forw ards’ gam e m ight h a v e been expected. T h e school backs,
how ever, handled well a n d ra n fa st despite th e conditions.
In the first m inute th e school w as aw ard ed a penalty in fro n t of
the A llan G len ’s posts, a n d A rm stro n g co nverted the kick to give us an
im m ediate lead. T h is lead w as quickly increased by a fu rth e r th ree
points w hen G ra y scored follow ing a very slick th re e -q u a rte r m ovem ent.
T his try was n o t converted. A few m inutes late r G ra y scored again,
this tim e in the co rn er h aving beaten his m an on the outside. T his
try was converted fro m th e “ 25” by Pate. T h e A llan G le n ’s fo rw ard s
had little chance to recover, because th e next score cam e directly fro m
the kick-off. Scott drib b led the ball fro m the half-w ay line, w ith the
assistance of the pack, a n d to u ch ed the ball dow n in the corner. T hus,
by the end of fifteen m inutes, the school was fo u rtee n points ahead.
T here was no fu rth e r score be fo re h a lf tim e, a lth o u g h th e school
backs looked dangerous several tim es.
T he second h alf fo llow ed m uch th e sam e p a tte rn as th e first had
done. T he school once again sta rte d very h a rd , a n d enjoyed territo ria l
advantage fo r the rest o f th e gam e. A sh o rt p e n alty in the o p p o sitio n ’s
“ 25” allowed L ochore to go over in the corner. T h is was not converted.
A few m inutes late r L o ch o re rep ea te d this p e rfo rm a n ce , once again
scoring in the corner, beating his m an on th e outside. T h is try w as not
converted either.
O ur final score cam e fro m W ingate. T his w as the best try o f the
game. W ingate broke a ro u n d the “ 25”, linked u p w ith Scott, w ho,
having run alm ost to the try line, passed back to W ingate w ho touched
dow n beneath the posts. A rm stro n g c onverted th is try.
F o r the rem ainder of the gam e the school d o m in a ted the play, but
in the final m inute a p e n alty w as aw ard ed to G le n ’s in fro n t o f o u r
posts, giving them th ree points.
Team: A rm strong, L ochore. W ingate, Scott, G ra y , C arsw ell. Shaw,
Pate, H ollow ay, M acD onald, R id lan d , G alt, T aylor, F raser, B lackw ood.
74
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
School v. G ordonstoun.
26th N ov. (H). W on 50-0.
A n y re co rd o f this gam e m ust inevitably be som ething o f a
catalogue. T h e side played well, b u t no real o p position was provided
a fte r the first tw enty m inutes. C arsw ell was h u rt playing a t stand-off,
so G ra y occupied th a t p o sitio n fo r m ost o f the game.
L o ch o re w as th e first to score, but as h e did so in the corner, his
try w as n o t converted. W ingate follow ed w ith a typical dodging break
w hich ended in the co rn er, so once again there was no conversion.
O ne o f the finest tries o f th e gam e follow ed. G ray , R idland and
L ochore flashed u p th e pitch, passing am ong them selves, until L ochore
finally reached the try line. T h is was n o t converted.
T his re p o rt is a lre ad y developing into a m ere list o f those who
scored. T h e rem ain in g eleven w ho did w ere: P ate, Shaw , A rm strong,
G a lt, L o ch o re (2), Scott, B orland, F ra se r, W ingate, T aylor.
A rm stro n g c onverted fo u r o f these tries. If the m athem atics o f the
re p o rte r are a ccu rate, th en th e to ta l sh o u ld be fifty exactly.
T h is w as c o lo u rfu l, open, fa st rugby, b u t very one-sided.
Team: A rm stro n g , C arsw ell, W ingate, Scott, L ochore, G ray , Shaw,
B orland, P ate, H ollow ay, R idland, G alt, T ay lo r, F raser, B lackw ood.
School v. G lasgow University (Wed.).
30th N ov. (H). W on 11-3.
T his gam e w as p layed in a q u agm ire nam ed L ittle A cre. T he
U niversity side was the strongest w hich the school h a d m et fo r some
tim e a n d it w as th ere fo re all th e m o re c red itab le th a t the school w on in
those conditions by playing open rugby. B oth G ra y an d L o ch o re on
the w ings p layed well. T h e first th ree poin ts cam e fro m a try in the
c o rn er by L ochore, his speed taking him outside his opposite num ber.
T he try w as n o t converted. S hortly a fte r this G ra y h a d a n excellent
solo b reak in w hich h e kicked over the fu ll-b a ck ’s head and chased the
kick. Ju st as th e ball crossed the try line, h o tly p u rsu ed by G ray , it
rolled into touch. A lth o u g h n o t rew arded, the break was a very good
one.
F ollow ing this good shot, th e m ud seem ed to tak e a grip o f the
school. T h e opposing stand-off created a very fine break-aw ay, although
this score was m ade easier by p o o r school tackling.
A revival to o k place ju st b efore h a lf tim e and was m arked by a
n eat try in the c o rn er by Shaw , w ho chased a loose ball follow ing a
kick by R idland.
In the second h a lf th e school really w oke up. T h e ball was by
this tim e very heavy, so th e gam e becam e m o re of a fo rw a rd s’ one.
E ven so the backs h a d som e good runs, n o tab ly L ochore, who
practically got over in th e in evitable corner. F ittin g ly the score in this
h a lf was by a fo rw ard . H ollow ay picked u p a loose ball just sh o rt of
the line, and to u ch ed it dow n b en eath the posts. A rm stro n g converted
the try. L atterly the light w as so p o o r a n d the m ud so thick that
players h a d difficulty in recognising frien d fro m foe. In these conditions
fu rth e r scores w ere, n o t surprisingly, n o t fo rthcom ing.
Team: A rm strong, G ra y , W ingate, Scott, L ochore, R an k in , Shaw,
B orland, P ate, H ollow ay, R id lan d , G a lt, T ay lo r, F ra se r, Blackw ood.
School v. Aberdeen Grammar School.
3rd D ec. (A). D rew 0-0.
T h e gam e w as p layed on the first d ry pitch th a t the school had
com e across since playing M o rriso n ’s A cadem y. W h eth er this was
responsible fo r th e p o o r play, o r w h eth er th e absence o f P ate, L ochore
a n d C arsw ell w as felt so strongly, it is difficult to say. W hatever the
reason, th e side w as n o t a shadow o f its previous self. T h ere w as n o t
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
75
the drive th a t h a d been a p p are n t before; th e hand lin g was scrappy; the
forw ards w ere n o t playing w ith the vig o u r th a t had c h aracterised their
play in rccent gam es. As individuals the players in the side w ere not
outstandingly p o o r; th ere was just no team play. A berdeen played very
hard, and were given several o p p o rtu n ities fo r scoring, w hich they
either threw aw ay, o r w hich w ere th w a rte d a t the last m om ent by som e
desperate defence (possibly because o f th e low sta n d ard o f play).
N elson-C ole, playing on th e w ing, w as o u tstan d in g in this, his first
gam e. H e tackled surely and h an d led w ell. Scott in tercep ted a pass in
o u r own “ 25” and p ractically scored fro m it, b u t like so m u ch o f the
day’s rugby, he fo u n d him self to be a lo n e at th a t end o f th e pitch.
T w o penalties w ere m issed fro m u n d e r th e posts, w hich w ould have
won the gam e, but the fa c t th a t th ey w ere m issed was typical o f the
day’s proceedings. I t was a disap p o in tin g day, fo r w e could so easily
have won, as of course co u ld A b erd een G ra m m a r.
Team: A rm strong, N elson-C ole, W ingate, Scott, H arriso n , G ray.
Shaw, Borland, H ollow ay. M a cD o n ald , G a lt, R idland, T ay lo r, F raser,
Blackwood.
School v. Glenalm ond.
10th Dec. (A ). W on 6-3.
T his gam e began fo r th e school as th e last one h a d ended. T he
first half was a repeat p e rfo rm a n ce o f th e m ess w hich w as enacted at
A berdeen. T h ere was a lot o f bad h a ndling a n d carelessness, tw o
penalties being given aw ay in the first five m inutes, o n e o f w hich was
converted. W hen th e school finally fo rce d its w ay in to the G le n alm o n d
“25" the advantage w as cheaply lost w hen the o p p o sitio n w as allow ed
to sell a dum m y scissors u n d e r th e ir posts, a n d to m ake off dow n the
pitch unim peded. T h e scrum w as obviously stro n g er th a n th e G le n ­
alm ond one, yet it w as w orking a t h a lf pressure.
T he second h a lf w as m ercifully n e are r th e side’s earlie r form .
R ight from the sta rt we Were in th e G le n a lm o n d h a lf, and a fte r the
first tw o quick heels o f the gam e P ate w ent over fro m a set scrum close
to the G len alm o n d line. T h is w as n o t converted. T h e score seem ed to
revive the side f u rth e r a n d th e gam e w ent m o re a n d m o re fo r
S trathallan. R id lan d w as a t his best fo rm o f the season; he d om inated
the line-outs and ap p ea red in th e m ost unexpected places to bring dow n
breakaw ay backs. T h e service fro m th e line-out was to a large extent
responsible for the su p erio rity w hich th e school established in th e last
tw enty m inutes.
T he w inning score cam e fro m a p e n alty w hich P a te p u t o ver from
35 yards out, in fro n t o f th e posts, ten m inutes fro m the end. T h e last
ten m inutes w ere defensive fo r S tra th a lla n , fo r th e school w ere anxious
not to th ro w aw ay the chance o f a victory o ver G le n alm o n d fo r the
first tim e in ten years. A p e n alty fo r G len alm o n d in th e closing
m inutes w ent just wide, giving the school a win by th e n a rro w m argin
o f 6-3. T h e result need n o t h ave been so close if th e side h a d n o t
been d orm ant until h a lf tim e.
Team: A rm strong, L ochore, W ingate, Scott, G ra y , C arsw ell, Shaw ,
H arrison, Pate, H ollow ay, R id lan d , G alt, T ay lo r, F ra se r, Blackw ood.
School v. St. Andrews University.
25th Jan . (H ). W on 9-0.
T he first gam e o f th e S pring term w as played on a re m a rk ab ly dry
pitch. T he handling early in th e gam e b ore w itness to the fa ct th a t
there had been a m onth o f h olidays betw een this gam e and th e previous
one. T he school was fo rtu n a te to tak e th e lead right a t th e sta rt w hen
a penalty was aw arded directly in fro n t o f th e o p p o sitio n ’s posts.
A rm strong was responsible fo r the th ree points resulting fro m th e kick.
76
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
T h e school was in an attack in g position fo r m uch o f the first half,
but failed to score because o f m essy h a n d lin g and bad passing. T he
p ersistent presence o f the school inside th e U niversity “ 25”
was
e ventually rew arded by a n excellent try fro m L ochore. He scored in
the co rn er a fte r a fine ru n in w hich he beat one m an by speed and
tw o by “ jin k in g ” . T h e try w as not converted.
In the second h a lf the h a n d lin g w as better, a lth o u g h th ere were
several occasions w hen a p lay er w as obviously n o t sure w hat to do
w ith th e ball. T h is resu lted in som e indecisive play, but was not
punished because th e o p position w as suffering fro m the sam e com plaint,
only to a greater extent. T h e fo rw a rd s w ere on to p in th e loose, and,
as in the first half, enjoyed te rrito ria l advantage. T h is led to a try
fro m a line-out, in w hich R id la n d b arged his w ay to the line.
Team: A rm strong, L ochore, W ingate, Scott, G ra y , C arsw ell, Shaw,
C raw shaw , F ra se r, T ay lo r, G a lt, R idland, B orland, H arrison, Pate.
School v. Daniel Stewart’s.
28th Jan . (H). D rew 0-0.
T he gam e w as p layed on Big A cre, w hich w as beginning to cut up,
m aking play ra th e r m essy. T h e school occupied the o p p o sitio n ’s half
o f th e p itch fo r m ost o f th e gam e, b u t ju st could not score. T he
S tew art’s backs w ere m o re p o w e rfu l th a n o u r ow n, a n d it was fo rtu n ate
th a t o u r pack was stro n g er th an theirs, fo r if the S tew art’s th ree -q u arte r
line h a d seen m ore o f the ball they w ould p ro b a b ly have been able to
do som ething w ith it. A s it w as, o u r ow n th ree -q u arte rs tried tim e and
tim e again to break th ro u g h the S tew art’s defence, but they h a d neither
the speed to ru n ro u n d them , n o r the pow er to ru n th ro u g h them . The
fo rw ard s p layed well, giving excellent service fro m set a n d loose scrum s
a n d fro m line-outs. A t the end o f the first h a lf th e Stew art’s end o f the
pitch w as ch u rn ed to a th ick m ud, w hereas the S tra th a lla n end was still
green. By th e end o f the gam e b oth ends o f the pitch w ere in a messy
state.
In th e second h a lf the school tried to keep the ball in the forw ards,
giving it to th e backs only w hen w ithin a few yards o f the line.
Several tim es th e school cam e close to scoring, but the S tew art’s defence
held o u t staunchly. T h e final w histle cam e as a release fo r S tew art’s
an d a d isap p o in tm en t fo r the school.
Team: A rm stro n g , L ochore, W ingate, Scott, G ra y , C arsw ell, Shaw.
C raw shaw , F raser, T aylor, G alt, R idland, B orland, H arrison, Pate.
School v. Panmure.
1st Feb. (H ). W on 12-5.
T h e gam e w as played on Big A cre, w hich w as very sticky. T he
pack sta rte d w ell, b u t soon discovered th a t the opposition, although
slow er, w as heav ier th a n them selves. In the loose the school was on
top, but in th e set scrum s P a n m u re w ere getting m ore o f th e ball.
T h e c o nditions w ere scarcely in fa v o u r o f th ree -q u arte r m ovem ents,
and g ro u n d h a d to be gained by fo rw a rd rushes a n d touch kicking.
T h e first try was scored by P ate, a fte r the m an n er o f H opw ood.
He picked th e ball u p fro m a set scrum a n d barged the fifteen
rem aining yards to th e line. T h e try w as n o t converted.
T h e second try w as one o f the finest o f the season. G ra y gathered
the ball in the school “ 25” , ra n u p th e
to u ch line, kicking over the
heads o f the w inger a n d fu ll back, a n d w as b ro u g h t to re st a few yards
sh o rt o f the line. A set scrum w as called, a n d the ball w as passed out
to G ra y , fittingly, w ho scored in th e corner.
In th e second h a lf th e play w as m o re open. T h e school backs
executed several good m ovem ents, resulting in L o ch o re scoring in the
corner, having beaten his m an on th e outside.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
77
A few m inutes later, L o ch o re bro k e dow n the w ing again, passed
inside to W ingate, w ho dum m ied p ast tw o m en a n d scored in th e
corner.
T o w ard s th e end P an m u re successfully slow ed the gam e dow n to
their ow n speed. A fter occupying the school “ 25” fo r several m inutes,
they w ere rew arded by a penalty try, w hich w as converted. O nly w hen
th e ball w as being th ro w n a ro u n d the p itch w as th e school re ally on
top.
Team: A rm stro n g R. W ., L ochore H . J., W ingate B. A., Scott
R. H., G ra y I. S., C arsw ell J. F., Shaw M. W ., C raw shaw C. H., F ra se r
E. A., T ay lo r T. R„ G a lt H., R idland R. F ., B orland I. C.. H arrison
R. N „ P ate A. M.
School v. Kelvinside Academy.
11th F eb. (A). W on 9-5.
T his gam e was played on th e sam e day as the S cotland v. W ales
In tern a tio n a l, and w hether th e te a m ’s th o u g h ts w ere a t M urrayfield or
not is n o t know n, but they w ere n o t fu lly a t B algray. T h e p itch was
slippery and dam p, b u t even so the hand lin g w as very p o o r. T h e c o n ­
ditions led n atu rally to a fo rw a rd s’ gam e, b u t o u r usual strength in
this d ep artm ent was spoilt by bad han d lin g . A fte r m uch m essy play
the school finally scored by pushing th e K elvinside p ack fo r som e ten
yards before touching th e ball dow n. N o t long a fte r this a sim ilar
score was achieved and th e gam e show ed little sign o f im proving. T he
school backs handled po o rly —ad m itted ly w ith a w et ball— b u t never
looked like scoring. T h e K elvinside backs w ere allow ed to play better
than ours, through p o o r tack lin g on o u r p a rt.
A fter h a lf tim e th ere w as no im provem ent. A p a rticu la rly m essy
piece of hand lin g allow ed a loose ball to be to u ch ed dow n across o u r
line by K elvinside. T h e try w as converted.
T he only good m ove by S tra th a lla n , a long passing m ovem ent,
led to a try by G alt. T h e side never looked a t ease, a n d it w as one of
the dullest gam es of th e season to w atch.
Team: A rm strong, G ra y , W ingate, Scott, L o ch o re, C arsw ell, Shaw.
Craw shaw , F raser, G alt, R idland, D u n b a r, P ate, B orland, H arrison.
School v. G eorge W atson’s.
25th F eb. (A). W on 12-0.
T his gam e provided a n excellent clim ax to th e season. T h e team
played as well as they h a d ever done, a n d the m istakes w hich had
conceded points to p o o re r team s e arlie r in th e season w ere not in
evidence.
F o r once the team started well. F ro m the first w histle the fo rw ard s
were thoroughly hostile a n d th e backs h a n d le d well. T h e W atso n ’s
team was a good one, a n d the backs fo u n d difficultiy in pen etratin g
th eir line. M uch o f the play was, how ever, in th e W a tso n ’s “ 25” , so
when a penalty w as aw ard ed to th e school, P a te w as in a position to
convert it. T he sight o f a p e n alty passing betw een th e posts so
encouraged the pack th a t they fo u g h t yet h a rd e r fo r possession.
A lthough tough, the play w as clean, a n d the S tra th a lla n pack were
well on top in the loose. A fine th re e -q u a rte r m ovem ent allow ed G ra y
to go over in the corner, a fte r a good run in.
In the second h a lf the W atso n ’s side began w ith renew ed energy.
An early attack was repulsed and S cott kicked effectively fro m the
school’s “ 25” tim e and again. T h e W atso n ’s a tta ck depended o n a high
kick ahead, w hich th ey h o p ed to follow , b u t due to th e heroic efforts
o f N elson-C ole, w ho in v ariab ly ap p ea red b eneath the descending ball,
this form o f attack never pro d u ced a n y score.
7»
tine
this
w ay
hu rl
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
S tra th a lla n grad u ally w orked the ball into the enem y’s h a lf a n d a
in tercep tio n by G ra y allow ed him to score a surprise try. From
tim e on th e school never looked back. T h e fo rw a rd s forced their
to w ard s the W atso n ’s line, a n d P ate snatch ed u p a loose ball to
him self over fo r the final score.
Team: C arsw ell, N elson-C ole, G ra y , W ingate,
Shaw , C raw shaw , F raser, G a lt, D u n b a r, R idland,
Borland.
P 18
W 15
D 2
L I
F o r 215
L ochore, Scott,
H a rriso n , Pate,
A g, 27
2ND XV REPORT
R ESU LTS
Opponents
F.
A.
P e rth A cadem y (A ) ....
22 0
14 6
G lasgow A cadem y (A) ...... 3 14
F ettes (H ) ................................ 17 8
33 0
L o retto (H )
3 3
Opponents
M o rriso n ’s A cadem y (H ) ..
A llan G len 's (H ) ...............
A berdeen G ra m m a r (H ) . ..
D aniel Stew art’s (H )
G len alm o n d (H ) ................
F.
A.
12
6
3
23
17
6
3
0
5
5
T h i s year was one of the best experienced by a 2nd X V for
some time. A change in the captaincy half-way through the
season did not in any way hinder the developm ent of the side.
A lthough the team was always slow to start, when it did settle
down, there was little that could stop it. T he forw ards, who were
particularly strong in the loose, always played as a pack, and the
three-quarters, although the handling and passing were not
always up to the desired standard, generally attacked and
defended constructively an d well. A great variety of tactics
was successfully used by the latter, who were ably backed by
the forw ards in all their enterprises.
J. M. O. Lang.
UNDER 15i RUGBY
RKSULTS
Opponents
F ettes (A ) .........
L o retto (A ) ......
M o rriso n ’s (H )
M erchiston (H ) .....................
A.
9
9
12
0 3
Opponents
F. A.
G le n alm o n d (H ) ................... 3
A berdeen G .S. (H ) ............. 8
R an n o ch School (H ) .......... 32
0
0
0
22 boys played for the X V at various times during the year,
but the following becam e the accepted team :
Bell L. P. G .; G arvie, S trach an , K eech, G ra y ; D aw son, P ate;
C lem ent, Russell, W ilkie, A nderson (C apt.), K eith, D uncan, P ro p h et,
H itching.
This has not been a good year for the Colts, and our 0-9
defeats at the hands of Fettes and L oretto were m ore clear-cut
than the score suggests. However, tow ards the end of the
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
79
season the team m ade am ends for their earlier lethargic dis­
plays, and if they never dem onstrated any real skill, they m ore
than made up for it by courageous defensive tackling. Full-back
Bell, converted from wing forw ard, w ould have been prepared
to crash head-on into anything th at moved, whilst am ongst the
forwards. Prophet constantly ranged about the field looking for
trouble and captain A nderson soon discovered that his extra
pounds could knock most opposition aside. B ut the outstanding
player was probably scrum -half Pate; his service was always
im m aculate and in spite of poor protection from his forw ards
he survived the season w ithout serious injury.
Two lessons have been learned this year— that w ithout a
sound defence no side can w in— and, as we proved with
Aberdeen G.S., rugby can be played on water.
R.E.B.
Cricket, 1961
M r . A lexander left a t the end of last season and his influence
and know ledgeable guidance were greatly missed. His place,
however, was adm irably filled by M r. Tom Lodge, whose
judgement, experience and cheerful advice have been invaluable.
This was one of the best seasons the School has ever had;
Merchiston were defeated for the first time, G lenalm ond were
soundly trounced and only the rain saved Fettes from defeat.
The main strength in the side was consistent batting— on no
occasion did every batsm an fail. G alt deserves particular
mention for he m ade 527 runs in the season, setting up a post­
war record. The team scored over 200 on four occasions and in
scoring 2,369 we beat the existing school record for the total
num ber of runs, 2,221, scored in a season. In addition, Taylor,
Armstrong and Pate all m ade over 300, and Johnston was over
250.
The bowling rested alm ost entirely upon the shoulders of
Harvey-W alker, D avidson and Flem ing, all having some good
individual perform ances, notably Flem ing 6 for 15 against
Glenalm ond, Davidson 5 for 21 against M erchiston and
Harvey-W alker 4 for 21 against Perthshire. T he m ain w eak­
ness, however, in the team was the lack of a fast supporting
opening bowler to partner Fleming.
In addition to the above-m entioned records, the following
were created or equalled:
2nd wicket— 69— A. M . P ate and T . R. T a y lo r (F o rfa rsh ire)
3rd w icket— 106— R. W. A rm strong a n d H . G a lt (P e rth A cadem y)
4th w icket— 92— H. G a lt and R. W . A rm stro n g (D o llar A cadem y)
The Magazine
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F IR S T C R IC K E T X I
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
5th w icket— 131— T. R. T ay lo r and A. G . Jo h n sto n (G lenalm ond)
6th w icket— 52— A. G . Jo h n sto n and A. J. H arv ey -W alk er (Stockport)
T aylor’s century against G lenalm ond provided a fitting
clim ax to a w onderful season and it was particularly nice for
him to be able to cap a fine season’s captaincy with this feat.
THK CH AR ACTER S:
T. R. Taylor. Has been a very e nthusiastic skipper. H e m ight well
have been expected to score m ore runs b u t his unselfish n a tu re coupled
w ith his efforts to keep ahead o f the clock have m eant th a t his w icket
has been sacrificed on num erous occasions.
A . M. Pate. A good opening b at a n d w icket-keeper. B ut fo r
fre q u e n t lapses o f c o ncentration he w ould h ave d o u b led his ru n s and
his effectiveness as a w icket-keeper.
H. G alt. T he chief ru n getter, he has h a d an excellent season,
getting his runs quickly and well.
A. J. Harvey-Walker. C an alw ays be relied u p o n to bow l w ell and
has batted well on occasions. His u n d erstan d in g of th e gam e should be
a great asset to the team next year.
J. J. W. Davidson. H as shared the new ball w ith F lem ing and
taken a lot o f w ickets. H e has fielded keenly a n d very well.
R. W . Armstrong. H is b a ttin g has been very good a n d directly
responsible fo r the tea m ’s good to ta l on several occasions. A keen
fielder.
D . M ack en zie. W ith o u t being brillian t he has been a v ery useful
m em ber of the side. H e has batted well, fielded soundly a n d bow led
on occasions.
A. G . Johnston. H as scored his ru n s w hen m ost needed. His
fielding has been good a n d he sh o u ld be a key m an in the side next
year.
A. J. Flem ing. He has opened the bow ling and has bow led c o n ­
sistently well th ro u g h o u t the season. His b a ttin g has im proved.
D. N . Straehan. He cam e in to the side a fte r the first tw o o r three
games. H e has done all th a t has been asked o f him — a keen fielder.
Played
1st XI ...............
2nd X I
Colts X I
14l's ...................
1 3 fs ...................
13y’s seconds
Drawn
Abandoned
16
8
1
6
i
8
9
5
5
5
7
0
2
1
2
1
(7)
2
2
i
7
9
1
(50)
Won
(30)
Lost
1
—
—
—
(ID
(2)
THE GAMES
School v. M erchiston Castle School. A t F o rg an d en n y . 10th
T ay lo r w on the toss a n d chose to bat on a so ft w icket.
M ay
O ur early batsm en failed and we w ere struggling a t 40 fo r 6,
largely due to a spirited if som ew hat fo rtu ito u s 30 by G alt.
82
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
A rm stro n g b a tte d steadily, h o ld in g u p o n e end, a n d he was relieved
by H arvey-W alker, w hile Jo h n sto n , h ittin g th e loose balls, im proved
o u r position u n til he w as o u t ju st be fo re lunch, w hen we w ere 86 fo r
7. A fte r lunch H arvey-W alker scored a few m o re ru n s before Storey,
M erch isto n ’s m ost successful bow ler, dism issed th e rest o f th e side.
F ro m this innings it w as o bvious th e side h a d h a d little practice.
M erch isto n w ere set a ta rg e t of 115 ru n s w ith am ple tim e to m ake
th em , b u t against F lem ing a n d D avidson they w ere soon in tro u b le, and
tea w as tak en a t 20 fo r 4.
S torey also pro v ed him self the m ost successful batsm an, a n d they
struggled to 71.
D avidson bow led w ell fo r S tra th a lla n , tak in g 5 fo r 20, b u t it was
obvious fro m this th a t the fielding had to be im proved.
School
A. M . P ate, b S torey .............. 0
R. W . A rm strong, c Sloan, b
B ax ter ........................................ 7
T. R. T ay lo r, c M o rto n , b
D avidson
............................... 2
H.
G alt, c Baxter, b Storey ... 30
D . M ackenzie, c M o rto n , b
Storey ........................................ 0
D . M . Stew art, c Sloan, b
S torey .......................................
0
A. J. H arvey-W alker, n o t o u t 26
A. G .
Jo h n sto n , b B axter ... 37
J. J. W . D avidson, c a n d b
S torey ........................................ 5
D . R. A n derson, b Sw an .......... 8
A. J. Flem ing, ru n o u t ............. 0
E x tra s
............................................ 0
T o ta l
M erchiston Castle School
A. G . W ilkinson, c H .-W alker,
b D avidson
.......................... 1
R. D. G ra y , c Jo h n sto n , b
D avidson
.............................. 4
R. H. L am b, run out ................. 9
R. H. B axter, c P ate,
b F lem ing .............................. 5
D. C. M orton, c P ate,
b D avidson .............................. 0
I. A. Sloan, c A rm strong, b
.............................. 2
D avidson
J. C. Sw an, c M ackenzie, b
H arvey-W alker ..................... 3
P . A. B urt, b F lem ing ............ 7
C. J. Storey, c T aylor,
b D avidson .............................. 19
K . A. K . B row n, lbw,
b H arv ey -W alk er ................. 0
J. G . D avidson, not o u t ....... 5
E x tra s
............................................ 6
115
B owling: C. J. Storey 5 fo r 34;
R. H. B axter 2 fo r 16; J. G.
D avidson 1 fo r 26; J. C. Sw an
1 fo r 11.
T o tal
71
B owling: A. J. F lem ing 2 fo r 24;
J. J. W . D avidson 5 fo r 20; A. J.
H arvey-W alker 2 fo r 21.
School v. Edinburgh Academ y. A t N ew Field.
13th M ay
E d in b u rg h A cadem y w on th e toss an d decided to b at on a perfect
battin g w icket. T h eir first tw o w ickets fell fo r 15 runs, b o th tak en by
D avidson, w ho bow led steadily th ro u g h o u t the gam e. Sands m ade 80
an d K uenssberg, battin g splendidly a fte r a d o u b tfu l start, dom inated
the w hole innings, m aking 130 n o t out. T h e A cadem y declared with
220 fo r 4, leaving S tra th a lla n b arely th re e h o u rs to m ake the score.
O u r first tw o w ickets fell quickly, b u t a fte r a succession o f steady bats
by A rm strong, T aylor, G a lt and M ackenzie, S tra th a lla n fo rced a draw
w ith 130 fo r 7 on the board.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Edinburgh Academy
G . R. B ond, c Pate,
b D avidson .............................. 3
J. M . Sands, st Pate,
b D avidson .............................. 80
W. T. C. B rotherstone,
b D avidson .............................. 2
M . C. D. K uenssberg, not out . . . 130
M. S. L. Ellcock, run o u t ........ 0
E xtras
........................................... 5
T otal fo r 4 wkts. (dec.) 220
Did n o t bat: R e;d, M asterto n ,
C alder, Cairns, H enderson, Liston.
Bowling: D avidson 3 fo r 73.
School
A . M. P ate, b C airn s .................
R. W . A rm strong, st Sands, b
M asterto n
...............................
A. J. H arvey-W alker, c Sands,
b L iston ...................................
T . R. T ay lo r, c K uenssberg, b
R eid ............................................
H . G a lt, c C airns, b L iston ...
D. M . Stew art, c Sands,
b M asterto n ..........................
D. M ackenzie, c B rotherstone,
b M asterto n ..........................
A. G . Jo h n sto n , n o t out ........
J. J. W . D avidson, n o t o u t ...
E x tra s
............................................
83
4
36
0
26
28
2
16
7
0
11
T o ta l fo r 7 w ickets 130
D id n o t bat: A nderson, Flem ing.
Bowling: M asterto n 3 fo r 24.
School v. G lasgow Academ y.
A t F o rg an d en n y .
17th M ay
G lasgow A cadem y w on th e toss an d w ent in to b at on a fast
wicket. They batted slowly an d w hen th ey declared a t 125 ru n s fo r
7 wickets, there w as o nly an h o u r a n d a h a lf left o f play.
We batted well and fast, th e openers scoring 64 ru n s betw een them ,
and the rem aining ru n s w ere left to T ay lo r, w ho scored quickly,
M ackenzie and H arvey-W alker, th e la tter scoring th e w inning ru n on
the third last ball o f th e game.
T h ro u g h o u t the A cadem y’s innings o u r fielding w as bad, th e w orst
display of the season.
Glasgow Academy
J. C. Bull, b Flem ing .................
G. T. G . Y oung, lbw,
b Davidson
..........................
D. M. G ibson, c M ackenzie,
b H arvey-W alker .................
W. A. W atson, st P ate,
b A nderson
..........................
I. D. T. V allance, ru n o u t ...
A. R. A. Scott, not o u t
........
C. A rchibald, st P ate,
b H arvey-W alker .................
M. M . K ennedv, lbw,
b H arvey-W alker .................
R. D. Clem ent, not out ............
E xtras
............................................
8
51
2
6
18
23
7
0
3
7
T o ta l fo r 7 wkts. (dec.) 125
D id not bat: C. J. O rm erod,
A. N . G . Brown.
Bowling: A. J. H arvey-W alker 3
fo r 36: D . R. A nderson 1 fo r 19;
A. J. Flem ing 1 fo r 29; J. J. W.
D avidson 1 fo r 28.
School
R. W . A rm strong, st W atson,
b Y o u n g ...................................
A. M . P ate, b Y o u n g .................
T . R. T ay lo r, Ibw. b B row n ...
H. G alt, b K en n ed y .................
A. G . Jo h n sto n , b K en n ed y ...
D. N . S trach an , c W atson, b
K ennedy
...............................
D. M ackenzie, n o t o u t ............
A. J. H arvey-W alker, n o t o u t
E x tras
............................................
31
32
24
9
0
2
15
9
5
T o ta l fo r 6 w ickets 127
D id n o t bat: D . R. A nderson,
J. J. W . D a v id 'o n , A. J. F le n rn g .
B ow l'ng: M . M . K ennedy 3 fo r
44; G . T . G . Y o u n g 2 fo r 6.
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
School v. M orrison’s A cadem y. A t D allerie. 20th M ay
T a y lo r w on th e toss, a n d p u t his side in to bat. T h e openers,
A rm strong a n d Pate, b a tte d strongly, m aking an opening stand o f 107
runs. A fte r an h o u r and tw enty-five m inutes, th e opening partn ersh ip
was split u p w hen A rm strong, w ith 55 runs, w as bow led by H avard.
T ay lo r cam e in a n d scored a qu ick 21 ru n s n o t out, before P a te was
dism issed w ith 49 runs. A t this p o in t we declared, leaving M o rriso n ’s
just u n d e r tw o h o u rs to m ake th e 138 runs.
M o rriso n 's batted very slow ly, a n d a fte r 20 m inutes 3 wickets had
fallen fo r 12 runs, b u t b e fo re the next w icket fell th e score was bro u g h t
u p to 39 runs. T h e tail-enders b a tte d safely, adding only a few ru n s to
the score, a n d a fte r an unsuccessful struggle by o u r bow lers, stum ps
w ere draw n, M o rriso n ’s h aving a m ere 49 fo r 8 o n th e board.
D avidson a n d H arv ey -W alk er bow led steadily th ro u g h o u t the game.
School
R. W. A rm strong, b H a v ard
A. M . P ate, c C lark , b H a v ard
T . R. T ay lo r, n o t o u t ............
E x tra s
............................................
55
49
21
13
T o tal fo r 2 w kts. (dec.) 138
D id n o t b at: H. G a lt, A. G.
Jo h n sto n , D. N . S trach an , D.
M ackenzie, A. J. H arvey-W alker,
D . R. A nderson, J. J. W . D av id ­
son, A. J. Flem ing.
B ow ling: A. H av ard 2 fo r 18.
M orrison’s Academy
R. Reid, b F lem ing
............... I
J. Philips, b D avidson ............ 7
A. F erguson, st Pate,
b D avidson
.......................... 3
J. G ra h am , c A rm strong, b
D avidson
.............................. 21
J. G ilru th , st P ate, b H arveyW alk er
................................... 15
T. D . F. M ason, b D avidson 0
A. K . C lark , n o t o u t ............... 0
A. H a v ard , c M ackenzie,
b H arvey-W alker
............... 0
M. D unsm ore, c A nderson, b
H arvey-W alker ..................... 0
B. A. Stalker, n o t o u t ............ 0
E x tra s
............................................ 1
T o ta l f o r 8 w ickets 49
D id not bat: A. M. Pevie.
B owling: A. J. F lem ing 1 fo r 12;
J. J. W . D avidson 4 fo r 21; A. J.
H arvey-W alker 3 fo r 9.
School v. Stockport Grammar School.
A t Forg an d en n y .
23rd M ay
S to ck p o rt G ra m m a r School w on the toss an d p u t us in to bat.
O u r first tw o w ickets fell fo r 16 ru n s, b u t a fte r a succession of
good innings by T aylor, w ho w as well cau g h t by Bissenden, G alt,
M ackenzie, Jo h n sto n , H arv ey -W alk er and S trach an , th e score w as taken
to 209 ru n s fo r 6.
W ith 209 ru n s on th e b o ard we declared, leaving Sto ck p o rt 2 ho u rs
40 m inutes to m ake th e runs.
A t 44 fo r 2, D. T o rk in g to n joined F inney, an d betw een them they
m ade o ver 100 ru n s b efore Fin n ey was ru n out.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
85
D. T o rk in g to n w as dism issed w hen th ere w ere 180 on th e board,
leaving S to c k p o rt 20 m inutes to m ake 30 ru n s. T h e closing overs of
the m atch w ere extrem ely exciting and w hen stu m p s w ere draw n
S to ck p o rt h a d 209 ru n s fo r 8 wickets.
D avidson bow led steadily th ro u g h o u t the m atch, taking 3 w ickets
fo r 70 ru n s. S tra th a lla n aided S to c k p o rt in th e ir quest fo r ru n s, and
u n fo rtu n a te ly a few catches w ere dropped.
School
R. W. A rm strong, c A tkinson,
............ 4
b G . T o rk in g to n
A. M. Pate, b Berry
............ 6
T. R. T ay lo r, c Bissenden, b
A tkinson
.............................. 29
H . G alt, b Bissenden
............ 30
D. M ackenzie, c M artin, b D.
T orkington .............................. 24
A. G . Jo h n sto n , c Salt, b
A tkinson ................................... 48
A. J. H arvey-W alker, n o t o u t 32
D . N . Strachan, n o t o u t ........ 16
E xtras
............................................ 20
T o ta l fo r 6 w kts. (dec.) 209
D id not bat: D . R. A nderson,
J. J. W . D avidson, A . J. F lem ing.
Bowling: G . R. T o rk in g to n 1 fo r
48; D. W. B erry 1 fo r 34; D . P.
A tkinson 2 fo r 43; D. H . T o r­
kington 1 fo r 22; J. G . Bissenden
1 for 27.
Stockport Grammar School
G . Bissenden, st P ate, b
T ay lo r ........................................
A. J. L eary, c Jo h n sto n , b
D av id so n
...............................
R. Finney, run o u t
.................
D. T o rk in g to n , c T ay lo r, b
H arvey-W alker .....................
G . Salt, b D avidson .................
G . R. T o rk in g to n , run out ...
E. G . P a rk e r, c M ackenzie, b
D avidson
..............................
H. M ills, n o t o u t .....................
J. M a rtin , ru n o u t .....................
D . W . B erry, n o t o u t .................
E x tra s
............................................
J.
22
9
59
73
1
20
5
1
1
5
14
T o ta l fo r 8 w ickets 209
D id n o t bat: D. P. A tkinson.
Bow ling: J. J. W . D av id so n 3 fo r
70; T. R. T ay lo r 1 fo r 23; A. J.
H arvey-W alker 1 fo r 48.
School v. Daniel Stewart’s College.
A t Inverleith.
27th M ay
D aniel Stew art’s C ollege w on th e toss an d p u t us in to b at. O ur
first three wickets fell fo r 21 runs, but G a lt an d M ackenzie slightly
relieved the pressure, tak in g th e score u p to 45 runs, b e fo re G a lt was
bowled by Porteous. Jo h n sto n relieved G a lt, an d w ith good battin g by
both Johnston and M ackenzie the score w as tak en to 95 runs, w hen
M ackenzie was bow led by Shannon. W hen Jo h n sto n w as o u t, H arveyW alker, batting extrem ely w ell, an d S trach an , b ro u g h t th e score to 163
runs fo r 6 wickets, w hen we retired.
We left them an h o u r an d tw enty m inutes to m ak e th e runs. T h eir
openers, J. M. M. L ow and D. A n derson, b atted well, m aking 80 runs
betw een them , before Low w as ru n out. A fte r this th e w ickets fell
rap id ly and it was 92 fo r 4 tw enty m inutes later w hen stum ps were
draw n.
O u r fielding was p o o r, b u t in spite o f this, D avidson
steadily, taking 2 w ickets fo r 31 runs.
bow led
86
T h e M agazine o f Strathallan School
School
R . W . A rm stro n g , c R o b e rtso n ,
b C lerihew ...............................
A . M . P ate, e R o b e rtso n , b
S h a n n o n ...................................
T. R . T ay lo r, c Spence, b
C lerihew ...................................
H . G a lt, b P o rte o u s .................
D . M ackenzie, b S h an n o n ........
A . G . Jo h n sto n , c R o b ertso n ,
b C lerihew ...............................
A. J. H arvey-W alker, n o t o u t
D . N . S tra ch a n , n o t o u t ........
E x tra s
............................................
2
4
6
20
30
36
12
12
11
T o ta l fo r 6 w kts. (dec.) 163
D id n o t bat: D . R . A nderson,
J. J. W. D avidson, A . J. F lem ing.
Bow ling: G . B. R. S h an n o n 2 lo r
60; L. W . C lerihew 3 f o r 42;
B. M . P o rteo u s 1 fo r 13.
D aniel Stewart’s College
J. M . M . Low , run o u t ............ 43
D . D . A n derson, c P ate, b
H arv ey -W alk er ..................... 37
B. R. D o n ald so n , c Jo h n sto n , b
.............................. 3
D a v id so n
K . B. T ay lo r, b D avidson ....... 4
L. W. C lerihew , n o t o u t ........ 0
D . M . R o b ertso n , n o t o u t ....... 2
E x tra s
............................................ 3
T o tal fo r 4 w ickets 92
D id n o t bat: G . B. R. Shannon,
G . K . M. Low, N. K elly, B. M.
P o rteo u s, D . Spence.
Bowling: J. J. W. D avidson 2 for
31; A. J. H arvey-W alker 1 fo r 12.
School v. Fettes C ollege. A t Fettes. 30th M ay
T h e sta rt o f th e m atch w as delayed fo r tw o h o u rs by a steady
drizzle, w hich ren d ere d th e p itch very w et an d slow.
T ay lo r w on th e toss an d elected to bat. A rm stro n g a n d P a te got
S tra th a lla n off to an excellent sta rt, p u ttin g on 73 fo r the first wicket.
P a te was o u t fo r 49, b u t T ay lo r p layed a very useful innings before
G a lt and M ackenzie cam e to g eth er and add ed 75 fo r the fo u rth wicket.
G a lt m ade an excellent 60, w hile M ackenzie was u n d efeated w hen the
innings w as closed, w ith 42. T h e S tra th a lla n batting th ro u g h o u t the
innings w as good, but th e bow lers w ere n o t getting any help out o f the
w icket. O u r to ta l w as am assed in 2 h o u rs 40 m inutes, a n d F ettes were
left 2 h o u rs 10 m inutes in w hich to get th e runs.
School
R. W . A rm stro n g , st T em p le­
to n , b K irso p ..........................
A . M . Pate, b K irso p .................
T . R. T ay lo r, c Jolly, b Affleck
H . G a lt, c H ellew ell, b Affleck
D . M ackenzie, n o t o u t ............
A. G . Jo h n sto n , b Affleck ........
E x tra s
............................................
27
49
26
60
42
2
12
T o ta l fo r 5 w kts. (dec.) 218
D id n o t bat: A . J. H arvey-W alker,
D . N . S trach an , J. J. W . D a v id ­
son, D . R . A nderson, A . J.
Flem ing.
Bow ling: J. D . Affleck 3 fo r 55;
C. K . J. K irso p 2 fo r 36.
Fettes College
B. J. M o rriso n , c S trach an , b
F lem in g ...................................
J. M . H ellewell, b F lem ing ...
H. M . Jolly, b F lem ing ............
R. A . L ind, c Jo h n sto n , b
H arvey-W alker .....................
M . M . L acey, n o t o u t ............
P. J. S nodgrass, c Jo h n sto n , b
H arv ey -W alk er .....................
J. H . H enderson, c A rm strong,
b F lem ing ..............................
C. K . J. K irsop, not o u t ........
E x tras
............................................
28
15
6
29
54
1
1
0
4
T o ta l fo r 6 w ickets 138
D id n o t b at: C. T. H. B atchelor,
J. D . T em pleton, J. D . Affleck.
Bowling: A. J. Flem ing 4 fo r 38;
A. J. H arvey-W alker 2 fo r 41.
T h e F ettes innings started q u ite well, but F lem ing g o t tw o quick
w ickets, m aking F ettes two dow n fo r 33. A t this stage a S trath allan
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
87
victory seem ed possible, b u t som e dogged b a ttin g prev en ted this. T h e
batsm en never attem pted to get the ru n s again st th e a cc u rate a n d h ostile
bow ling of Flem ing a n d H arvey-W alker. T h e m o st successful F ettes
batsm an was Lacey, w ho hit th ree tow ering sixes in th e closing stages.
Flem ing w as S tra th a lla n ’s best bow ler, tak in g 4 fo r 38. A lth o u g h
S tra th a lla n got the better of this draw n gam e, it m ig h t easily have been
a victory if all the catches h a d been held.
School “ A ” X I v. Forgandenny C.C. A t S tra th a lla n . 1st Ju n e
S trath allan w on the toss a n d chose to b a t w ith a changed batting
order.
H arvey-W alker and D av id so n h it a n opening stan d o f 109 in 52
m inutes. D avidson’s share being 59. H arv ey -W alk er w ent on to am ass
a score of 80. T h e tem po o f the b a ttin g decreased a little as th e late r
batsm en cam e in, b u t the to ta l p rogressed to 212 w ith 7 w ickets dow n
before the innings was closed.
T he visitors’ batting w as n o t strong e nough to m ake m uch headw ay
against the well directed a tta ck o f th e S tra th a lla n bow lers; T ay lo r and
D avidson w ere p articu larly effective. T h e m ost successful F o rg a n d e n n y
batsm en w ere M ackie, w ho
m ad e
a
dogged 15, a n d
W illiam s, who was un d efeated w ith a
v a lu a b le 23.
T aylor was th e best S tra th a lla n bow ler w ith 7 w ickets fo r 9 runs,
while D avidson bow led steadily, taking 2 fo r 24.
School
A. J. H arvey-W alker,
c T ulloch, b W illiam s ........ 80
J. ]. W. D avidson, c K em p, b
W illiam s
............................... 59
A. J. F lem ing, ru n o u t .................... 1
D . N . Strachan, c H am ilto n , b
W illiam s .................................... 31
W. S. Pate, b T u llo ch ............ 1
J. B. Scott, n o t o u t .................. 17
W. C. R oy, b W illiam s .....................5
A. G . Jo h n sto n , b W illiam s ...
0
T. R. T aylor, n o t o u t .................. 15
E xtras
............................................ 3
•—
T otal fo r 7 w kts. (dec.) 212
D id n o t bat; D . M ackenzie, P . L.
M arsland.
Bowling: D . A. R. W illiam s 5 fo r
57; W. T ulloch 1 fo r 41.
Forgandenny C.C.
M ackie, c M arslan d ,
b
D av id so n
................................ 15
D . K em p, b T a y lo r .................... 6
A. Baillie, lbw , b T ay lo r .........
0
P . H am ilton, c D avidson,
b
T ay lo r ........................................ 1
A . Peter, c M arsland,
b D av id so n
........................... 10
D . A. R. W illiam s, n o t o u t ... 23
J. R o b e rtso n , lbw , b T a y l o r ...
0
D . Oldfield, b T ay lo r .................. 2
R. Y oung, Ibw, b T a y lo r ......... 0
W . T ullo ch , b T ay lo r ................... 0
J. B arrie, b H a rv ey -W a lk e r
... 16
E x tra s
..............................................
8
_ . ,”77
T o tal
81
B ow ling: T. R. T a y lo r 7 fo r
9;
J. J. W . D avidson 2 fo r 24; A . J.
H arvey-W alker 1 fo r 13.
T.
School v. D ollar A cadem y. At F o rg a n d e n n y .
7th June
S trath allan w on th e toss a n d w en t in to bat.
T he first tw o w ickets fell f o r 36 ru n s, P a te being lbw off R itchie
and Johnston caught, also off R itchie.
Soon after th e fa ll o f th is w icket, th ere w as a heavy d o w n p o u r of
rain, w hich stopped play fo r an h o u r.
O ur third w icket fell a t 72, w hen T ay lo r w as bow led by K ing.
G a lt cam e in, and w ith A rm stro n g h a d a p a rtn e rsh ip w o rth 92
runs before he was bow led by S tew art; a t this p o in t we declared.
D o llar A cadem y h a d tw o h o u rs ten m inutes to m ake th e runs.
T h eir first tw o w ickets fell fo r 8 ru n s, b u t a stan d fro m R itchie and
M r.
88
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
K irk w o o d took the score to 44 before K irkw ood was o u t lbw off
Flem ing. T h e rest of the w ickets fell quickly and the A cadem y was
all o u t fo r 70 runs.
D avidson bow led very well, w ith useful su p p o rt fro m HarveyW alk er a n d Flem ing.
School
R . W . A rm stro n g , n o t o u t ...
A. M. P ate, lbw , b R itchie ...
A . G . Jo h n sto n , c M acA ree, b
R itchie
...................................
T. R. T ay lo r, b K ing .................
H. G a lt, b Stew art .....................
E x tras
............................................
56
21
0
21
56
10
T o ta l fo r 4 w kts. (dec.) 164
D id
n o t bat: D .
M ackenzie,
A. J. H arvey-W alker, D . I. T u r­
ner, J. J. W. D avidson, D . N.
Strach an , A. J. Flem ing.
Bowling: W . M. B. R itchie 2 fo r
53; J. Stew art 1 fo r 5; E. T . I.
K ing 1 fo r 41.
Dollar Academy
J. E. R. M acA ree, c H arveyW alker, b D avidson ............ 6
P. G . K irkw ood, lbw,
b Flem ing .............................. 14
A. P. M . H ill, c S trach an , b
D avidson
.............................. 0
W. M . B. R itchie, c T aylor, b
.............................. 23
D avidson
R. F . Baly, c A rm strong, b
H arvey-W alker ..................... 12
E. T . I. K ing, b H .-W alker ... 5
J. Stew art, b D avidson ............ 0
J. H. C ooke, c H arvey-W alker,
b D avidson
.......................... 0
W. S. Y oung, n o t o u t ............ 3
M . W. H all, b D avidson ........ 0
D . M . T aylor, c G alt,
b F lem ing .............................. 2
E x tra s
............................................ 5
T o ta l 70
Bowling: A . J. F lem ing 2 fo r 20;
J. J. W . D avidson 6 fo r 23; A. J.
H arvey-W alker 2 fo r 22.
School v. Perthshire C.C. A t F o rg a n d e n n y . 8th June
T h e visitors w on th e toss a n d elected to bat. Y oung a n d K errigan
hit up 84 fo r th e first w icket, w ith the latter being particu larly
aggressive, h ittin g tw o sixes in one over fro m D avidson. T h e lively
pace contin u ed th ro u g h o u t th e innings until the visitors declared at
135 fo r 6.
Perthshire C.C.
R . W . Y oung, b F lem ing ........
M . K errig an , c G alt, b H arveyW alker
...................................
J. S. Sym on, b D avidson ........
A . Preen, c D avidson,
b H arvey-W alker .................
J. C am pbell, c an d b H arveyW alk er
...................................
K. M cC orm ack, b H arveyW alk er
...................................
J. Brown, n o t o u t .....................
J. T . L odge, n o t o u t .................
E x tras
............................................
28
53
12
12
9
2
I
13
5
T o ta l fo r 6 w kts. (dec.) 135
D id n o t b at: A. D ew ar, R.
W ilson, R. R. T hom .
Bowling: A. J. H arvey-W alker 4
fo r 21; A. J. Flem ing 1 fo r 38;
J. J. W. D avidson 1 fo r 48.
School
W . A rm strong, b C am pbell 9
M. Pate, c Y oung, b W ilson 3
R. T ay lo r, lbw, b C am p b ell 9
G a lt, st Brown, b K errig an 22
M ackenzie, c Y oung, b
C am pbell
.............................. 0
A. J. H arvey-W alker, ru n o u t 0
D. I. T u rn e r, n o t o u t ................ 11
J. J. W. D avidson, b C am pbell 3
D. N . S trach an , n o t out ....... 4
E x tras
............................................ 2
R.
A.
T.
H.
D.
T o tal fo r 7 w ickets 63
D id n o t bat: J. B. Scott, A. J.
Flem ing.
Bowling: J. C am pbell 4 fo r 15;
R. W ilson 1 fo r 6; M. K errigan
1 fo r 13.
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
89
T h e S tra th a lla n batsm en w ere soon in difficulties again st som e very
tight bow ling by th e P erth sh ire side, C am p b ell in p a rticu la r being
extrem ely difficult to score off. G a lt was o u r steadiest b atsm an a n d he
was never a fra id to go fo r his shots. N o o n e else m ade m u ch o f a
show a n d it w as fo rtu n a te fo r S tra th a lla n th a t b a d light stopped play
h a lf-a n -h o u r b efo re tim e. C am pbell was P e rth sh ire ’s best bow ler w ith
4 w ickets fo r 15, w hile H arvey-W alker to o k 4 w ickets fo r 21 fo r
S tra th a lla n .
School v. Loretto. 10th June
S tra th a lla n w on the toss a n d elected to b a t o n a w icket w hich was
so fter th an had h ith erto been experienced.
T h e school started disastrously, losing A rm stro n g a n d T a y lo r to
ru n -o u ts in the first over. P a te a n d G a lt set a b o u t re sto rin g the
situation but P a te ’s w icket fell ju st b e fo re th e first b re ak fo r rain.
W hen we cam e o u t again M acK enzie, H arv ey -W alk er a n d Jo h n sto n
all w ent quickly, but T u rn e r h elped G a lt in a useful stand be fo re he
was run o u t fo r 18. A t this stage the ra in cam e on again a n d th e gam e
w as ab andoned with the school 78 fo r 7, th an k s to a m asterly and very
restrained innings by G a lt fo r 42 n o t out.
School
W. A rm strong, ru n o u t ... 1
M . Pate, c M ellis, b M ellis 3
R. T aylor, ru n o u t ............ 0
G alt, not o u t .......................... 42
M ackenzie, c D ea,
b Flem ing ..............................
7
A. J. H arvey-W alker, c G rigor,
b Flem ing ............................... 0
A. G . Johnston, c W ood, b
M ellis .......................................
3
D. I. T urner, run o u t ............ 18
J. J. W. D avidson, n o t o u t ... 0
E xtras
............................................ 4
R.
A.
T.
H.
D.
T o tal fo r 7 w ickets 78
D id not bat: A. J. Flem ing, W . S.
P ate, D. N . S trachan.
Bowling
O M R W
G . H . A. M ellis
21 3 39
2
J. J. S. A. Flem ing
16 8 19 2
M A TCH A BA N D O N ED
School v. Strathallian Club.
17th Ju n e
T he Old Boys w on th e toss a n d p u t th e school in to bat.
A rm strong was o u t w ith only 17 ru n s on th e b o a rd b u t Pate,
T aylor and G alt, all batting extrem ely well, to o k th e score to 176 fo r
6, w hen the team declared.
T h e S trathallians w ent off to a bad start, losing th e ir first six
wickets for 23 runs. B alfour a n d P hilip to g eth e r to o k th e score to 75,
at w hich point the side w as all out.
Flem ing, D avidson and H arvey-W alker bow led steadily.
9o
T h e M agazine o f Strathallan School
School
R. W . A rm strong, c B alfour,
b Jam ieso n ...............................
A . M . P ate, Ibw, b C lark ........
T. R. T ay lo r, c D u n sm o re, b
R ossie ........................................
H . G a lt, n o t o u t ..........................
D . M ackenzie, b Jam ieson ...
A. G . Jo h n sto n , ru n o u t ........
A. J. H arvey-W alker,
b Jam ieson ...............................
D . I. T u rn er, n o t o u t .................
E x tra s
............................................
T o ta l fo r 6
D id n o t bat: J.
D . N . S trach an ,
Bowling
O
M. S. Jam ieson
9
34
51
64
0
0
1
7
10
w kts. (dec.) 176
J. W . D avidson,
A. J. Flem ing.
M R W
132 50 3
Strathallian Club
J. W . D insm ore, b Flem ing ... 4
1. D . E. Sim, Ibw, b Flem ing 0
D . C. D uncan, lbw,
b D avidson
.......................... 13
M. D. Rossie, c H arvey-W alker,
b D avidson
.......................... 6
G.
B alfour, c S trachan, b
H arvey-W alker ..................... 17
M.
S. Jam ieson, b D avidson 0
F . J. C. L illy, lbw, b D avidson 0
R.
E ason, b H arvey-W alker ... 6
J. G . C larke, b D avidson ........ 1
J. P hilip, n o t o u t ..................... 20
C.
P. R oselle, st P ate, b
H arvey-W alker ..................... 0
E x tras
............................................ 8
Bowling
A. J. F lem ing
J. J. W . D avidson
A. J. H .-W alker
T o tal 75
O M
R W
8 3 15 2
11 3 38 5
4-3 0 14 3
School v. Perth Academ y. 24th Ju n e
T h e school started badly, losing th eir first tw o w ickets fo r 22 runs,
b u t A rm stro n g an d G alt, b attin g steadily, to o k th e score to 126 before
A rm stro n g was cau g h t by W eb ster off M cP h erso n fo r 56. T h e school
d eclared w ith 208 ru n s fo r 5 w ickets on th e b o ard , a fte r a notable
innings by G a lt w ho scored 103 n o t out.
O u r bow ling in this m atch w as good, especially th a t o f Flem ing,
H arvey-W alker and T ay lo r, w ho had little difficulty in dism issing the
A cadem y fo r 99 runs.
School
R. W . A rm stro n g , c W ebster,
b M cP h erso n .......................... 56
A. M. P ate, lbw, b D uigan ... 9
T . R. T ay lo r, b D u ig an ............ 4
H. G a lt, n o t o u t .......................... 103
D. M ackenzie, c M iskelly, b
M cP h erso n ............................... 2
A. G . Jo h n sto n , b M c P h e rso n 25
J. J. W . D avidson, n o t o u t ........ 1
E x tra s
............................................ 8
T o ta l fo r 5 w kts. (dec.)
208
D id n o t bat: A. J. F lem ing, W . S.
P ate, A. J. H arvey-W alker, D . N .
S trachan.
B ow ling O M R W
I. M cP h erso n
8 1 65 3
Perth Academy
D. D uigan, c G a lt, b D avidson 6
M. M iskelly, c T aylor,
b F lem ing .............................. 0
S. I. M acgregor, c P ate, b
Flem ing ................................... 16
I. R o b e rtso n , b T ay lo r ........... 43
J. W ebster, c P ate, b F lem ing 1
K. Fergusson, Ibw, b T ay lo r 4
1. M cP h erso n , c P ate,
b H arv ey -W alk er ................. 4
A. Scott, b H arvey-W alker ... 0
B. R aw linson, c G alt,
b H arvey-W alker ................. 9
D . G allow ay, st P a te A. M.,
b H arv ey -W alk er ................. 8
P. W . S. F lem ing, n o t o u t ... 0
E x tra s
............................................ 8
T o tal
Bowling
A. J. F lem in g
T . R. T ay lo r
O
8
4
M
4
1
99
R W
13 3
11 2
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
School v. Forfarshire. 5th Ju ly
F o rfa rsh ire w on the toss and b atted on a b e au tifu l fa st w icket.
F lem ing, bow ling very well, soon had th e o peners dism issed, one
o f th em th a n k s to a fine catch by JHarvey-W alker a t back w ard short
leg. H ow ever D yson, th eir new pro fessio n al, m ono p o lised one end,
w hile w ickets fell fairly reg u larly a t the o th e r end. H e pro ceed ed to
p ro d u c e som e fine off-side shots a n d w hen the side d eclared h e had
104 n o t out, o u t o f a to ta l o f 168 fo r 6. T h is is one o f th e m ost
en tertain in g innings seen a t F organdenny.
S tra th a lla n h a d nearly tw o ho u rs to m ake the runs, but A rm stro n g
was bow led w ith th e first ball of th e innings.
P a te and T ay lo r set a b o u t resto rin g the situ atio n a n d a stan d of
69 cam e in 45 m inutes before T a y lo r w as o u t w ith 28. G a lt seem ed a
little out o f touch w hen he cam e in but P a te contin u ed to score freely
a t th e o th er end. H e was o u t fo r 72 a n d left G a lt a n d Jo h n sto n h a lf
an h o u r to get 40 runs. T h is w as accom plished in gran d style, w ith
G a lt n o t o u t 48.
T his was one o f o u r best displays to date, th e fielding being
outstanding.
Forfarshire
I. C. R eoch, c H arvey-W alker,
b Flem ing .............................. 6
J. G . Lindsay, lbw, b F lem ing 2
J. D yson, not out ..................... 104
J. P. A llardyce, lbw,
b D avidson
.......................... 7
R. M eston, c A rm strong, b
H arvey-W alker ..................... 18
C. E. A llardyce, b H .-W alker 3
G. H erm iston, b H .-W alk er ... 21
E xtras
............................................ 7
T otal fo r 6 wkts. (dec.)
School
R . W. A rm strong, b Scrim geour
A . M . P ate, c R eoch, b D yson
T . R. T ay lo r, b J. P. A llard y ce
B. H. G alt, n o t o u t .................
A . G. Jo h n sto n , n o t o u t ........
E x tra s
............................................
T o ta l fo r 3 w ickets
168
D id not bat: J. D . H enderson,
R. L. F orem an, J. A. Scrim geour,
W. Christie.
Bowling O M R W
A. J. H .-W alker
10-5 1 43 3
0
72
28
48
16
7
171
D id
not
bat:
H arvey-W alker,
M ackenzie, D avidson, Strachan,
Flem ing, Bucher.
Bowling
O M R W
J. P. D yson
12-5
52 1
School v. Kirkcaldy C.C.
19th Ju ly
K irkcaldy w on th e toss an d chose to b a t o n a w icket th a t w as
slower th an had been en co u n tered fo r several weeks.
Flem ing an d D avidson opened w ell an d K irk cald y w ere soon in
tro u b le at 10 fo r 4. T hen G a lt w as u n lu ck y n o t to be credited w ith a
slip catch and K irkcaldy recovered to m ake 110.
T he school w ere left am ple tim e to m ak e th e ru n s b u t failed
m iserably against som e h ostile an d accu rate fa st bow ling by Fisher,
who took 8 fo r 23 in 20 overs. T ay lo r, Jo h n sto n an d M ackenzie were
the only m em bers o f th e side to offer m uch resistan ce an d betw een
them they m ade well over h a lf o f th e 78 ru n s scored.
T his w as the first defeat o f th e season a n d it is iro n ic th a t w h a t
had hitherto been o u r strong po in t failed d isastrously on this occasion.
92
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Kirkcaldy
S. R o b ertso n , b F lem ing ......
0
M . W . Innes, st P ate,
b F lem ing .............................
1
S. R o b e rtso n , b D avidson ... 9
J. C ow ie, c Jo h n sto n ,
........................
0
b D avidson
J. A lexander, c P ate,
b D avidson
........................ 49
A . M . F ish er, b H .-W alker ... 22
M . C olville, b T a y lo r ..........
8
T . D ick, b H arvey-W alker ...
1
R. D . F . B arrie, lbw ,
b H arvey-W alker ...............
4
G . G ilb ertso n , n o t o u t ..........
4
G . D . H illey, c D avidso n, b
H arv ey -W alk er ...................
9
E x tra s
..........................................
3
T o tal
School
R. W. A rm strong, lbw,
b F isher ................................. 0
A. M. Pate, lbw, b H illey
... 0
T. R. T ay lo r, c G . R obertson,
b Fisher ................................. 23
H. G a lt, c C ow ie, b F ish er
... 0
D. M ackenzie, c Cowie,
b F ish e r
.................................. 8
A. G . Jo h n sto n , c lnnes, b
G ilb ertso n .................................. 29
A. J. H arvey-W alker, b F ish er 7
D. N. S trach an , not o u t ........... 3
J. J. W . D avidson, b F ish er ... 0
A. R. Bucher, b F isher ............ 0
A. J. F lem ing, b F ish er ....... 4
E xtras
............................................... 4
110
Bowling: F lem ing 2 fo r 22; D av id ­
son 3 fo r 51; H arv ey -W alk er 4
fo r 29; T ay lo r I fo r 5.
T o tal
78
Bowling: Fisher 8 fo r 23.
School v. Trinity College, Glenulmond
G len alm o n d w on th e toss an d surprisingly put S tra th a lla n in to bat.
A rm stro n g and Pate got off to a very useful b u t slow sta rt an d the
spinners w ere alread y on w hen A rm stro n g w as out fo r 22. T aylor
joined P ate, b u t th e school lost a fu rth e r two w ickets before lunch,
w hich was tak en at 99 fo r 3.
School
W . A rm stro n g , b D esm ond 22
M. Pate, b D esm ond ........ 31
R. T ay lo r, b D esm ond ...104
G a lt, c an d b H a rd y ........ 15
M ackenzie, b K ennedy ... 14
G . Jo h n sto n , n o t out ........ 51
J. H arvey-W alker,
b T h o rb u rn
.......................... 2
E xtras
............................................ 12
R.
A.
T.
H.
D.
A.
A.
T o tal fo r 6 w kts. (dec.)
D id n o t bat: D. S trach an , J. J.
D avidson, A. J. Flem ing, W .
Pate.
Bow ling
O M R
D. F . D esm ond
251
G lenalm ond
1. M. K ennedy, b D avidson ... 9
D . H. C. H am pshire,
b F lem ing ............................... 0
D.
B. S. H ardy,
c P ate, b
F lem ing .................................... 9
D. F. D esm ond, b D avidson
3
D. M . D. Mills,
c and b D avidson ................ 6
G . W. E. M illigan, b Flem ing
1
C. W . T h o rb u rn , b D avidson
9
M. H. S. Lewis, c T aylor, b
F lem ing .................................... 14
T. M . W hite, b F lem ing ........ 0
D.
A. I. R itchie,
c Pate, b
F lem ing .................................... 0
J. C. C. Jeffrey, n o t o u t ..... 6
E xtras
............................................. 2
W.
S.
Bow ling
W A. J. F lem in g
28880J.3 J. W . D avidson
T o ta l
O M
9-1 3
9 1
59
R W
15 6
42 4
A fter lunch M ackenzie, a fte r hittin g th ree successive fours, was
bow led fo r 14. Jo h n sto n now jo in ed T ay lo r w ith th e score a t 115 fo r
4. T hings w ere evenly b alanced at this stage; how ever Jo h n sto n , batting
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
93
very sensibly and well, stayed w ith T ay lo r a n d the stan d realised 129
before T ay lo r w as bow led fo r 104. Jo h n sto n w ent o n to get 51 not
o ut and the school declared at 251 fo r 6, o u r best score against
G le n alm o n d to date.
T his left G le n alm o n d tw enty-five m inutes battin g b e fo re tea, in
w hich tim e they lost 3 w ickets fo r 21 runs. A fte r tea F lem in g and
D avidson c o n tin u ed to bowl well a n d G le n alm o n d w ere ignom iniously
p ut o u t fo r 59, F lem ing taking 6 fo r 15.
T his w as easily the school’s best display so fa r, w ith som e fine
batting, m ainly from Jo h n sto n and T aylor, som e very h ostile a n d good
bow ling fro m Flem ing and D avidson a n d som e keen fielding.
Batting Averages
No. of
innings
H.
D.
A.
T.
A.
R.
A.
J.
D.
D.
A.
G a lt
...........................
N. S trachan .............
J. H arvey-W alker
R. T ay lo r ..................
G . Johnston ..............
W. A rm strong .........
\1. Pate ......................
J. D. D avidson .........
M ackenzie ..................
R. A nderson .............
J. Flem ing
..............
Runs
14
527
6
68
11
16
14
15
15
5
12
1
3
199
389
254
315
317
Most in
an innings
Times
not out
103*
31
80
104
51*
56*
72
54
42*
68
158
Average
4
4
4
2
3
1
52.7
34
28.4
27.8
23
22.5
2L1
17
15.8
1
2
8
8
8
5
4
1.7
* Not Out
Bowling Averages
T. R. T aylor
A. J. H arvey-W alker
J. J. W. D avidson ...
A. J. Flem ing
Overs
Runs
Wickets
Average
38
138.1
224
150.2
97
377
603
402
11
33
41
26
8.9
11.4
14.7
15.5
Catches
A. M. Pate (w icket keeper) 11; A. J. H arvey-W alker 6; A. G .
Joh n sto n 6; R. W. A rm stro n g 5; D. M ackenzie 3; T. R. T ay lo r 6;
D. N. Strachan 3; H. G a lt 4; J. J. W . D avidson 3.
TOUR MATCHES
A very enjoyable to u r w as h a d in th e south o f E ngland, alth o u g h
the team was not a t fu ll stren g th fo r
all its gam es. R esults w ere as
follows:
School v. Blundell's. (A). Lost by 6 w ickets. School 163 fo r 7
dec. (G alt 78). B lundell’s 164 fo r 4 w ickets.
School v. All H allows. L ost by 6 runs. All H allow s 167. School
161 (Pate 77).
School v. Hardye’s School. W on by 149 runs. School 226 fo r 9
dec. (T aylor 58). H ardye’s School 77 (H arvey-W alker 6 fo r 29).
UNDER 14i CRICKET
Results: P lay ed 7; W on 5; D raw n 1; L ost 1.
v. G lasgow Acad. (A). W on by 154 runs. S tra th a lla n 185 fo r 9
dec. (G ibson 52, Brown 62). G lasgow A cad. 31 (S hanks 3 fo r 16,
G ibson 3 fo r 8).
94
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
v. D undee H .S. (A). L ost by 6 w kts. S tra th a lla n 46. D undee H.S.
48 fo r 4 w kts.
v. Loretto (H ).
(B row n 5 fo r 24).
W on by 42 runs.
S tra th a lla n
90.
L o retto 48
v. Rannoeh School (H). M a tch draw n. S tra th a lla n 125 fo r 6 dec.
(G a lb ra ith 34). R a n n o ch 66 fo r 9 (G ib so n 3 fo r 17, Shanks 3 fo r 19).
v. Perth A cad. (A). W on by 75 runs. S tra th a lla n 100. P e rth A cad.
25 (B row n 6 fo r 13, R eid 4 f o r 4).
v. Q.V. (A). W on by 30 ru n s. S tra th a lla n 104 fo r 7 dec. Q.V. 74
(G ib so n 3 fo r 18).
v. G lenalm ond (H ). W on by 143 runs. S tra th a lla n 176 fo r 4 dec.
(S hanks 86 n o t out, B row n 57). G le n alm o n d 33 (R eid 5 fo r 9).
This has been an unexpectedly successful season, for when
the more experienced batsm en and bow lers failed there was
always a reserve of talent to call upon. T here was no consistent
batsm an, though Brown, R eid and Shanks have the technique
b u t lack concentration, and the score was often m ade to look
m ore respectable by the hard-sw ung cross-bat of wicket-keeper
G albraith. A ll m em bers of the team could bowl, but few were
usually needed, and of those the m ost prom ising were pace
men Brown and R eid, and spinners G ibson and captain Shanks.
The only regrettable feature has been the slack fielding—some
of our opponents’ small scores could have been halved by a
more lively display in the field.
Team : S hanks (capt.), J. D. A. B row n, G ibson, W . G . R eid,
G a lb ra ith , C a rru th e rs, N . F . M acm illan, L am o n t, C. D . Ferguson.
M acln ro y , D avidson.
K irkby, M ackay, C oldw ell a n d C lark also p layed in som e m atches.
JUNIOR XI
R esults: P layed 9; W on 7; L ost 2.
R uns fo r: 1,003 fo r 69 w kts. a t 14.53 p e r wkt.
R uns against: 521 fo r 85 w kts. a t 6.13 p e r w kt.
C atches a n d S tum pings: 31.
23.5.61, v. D rum tochty Castle (H). W on by 85 runs. S trath allan
109 (S. L. M ackenzie 27, J. P . C a p p o n 17). D ru m to c h ty 24 (W . B.
M elville 6 fo r 9, S. L. M ackenzie 4 fo r 12).
30.5.61, v. Lathallan (A). L ost by 5 w ickets. S tra th a lla n 82 (I. C.
Ross 20, S. L. M ackenzie 16). L a th a lla n 90 fo r 5 w ickets.
7.6.61, v. D ollar Academ y (A). W on by 98 runs. S tra th a lla n 124
fo r 5 dec. (S. L. M ackenzie 33, W . B. M elville 24, J. P . C ap p o n 21).
D o llar 26 (S. L. M ackenzie 5 fo r 12, W . B. M elville 3 fo r 13).
10.6.61, v. Belm ont H ouse (A ). W on by 1 w icket. B elm ont H ouse
93 (S. L. M ackenzie 6 fo r 41, W . B. M elville 4 fo r 40). S tra th a lla n 96
fo r 9 (T. N . W . T ru sd a le 32).
27.6.61, v. Ardvreck (A). W on by 60 runs. S tra th a lla n 137 fo r 9
dec. (I. C. R oss 29, W . B. M elville 40, J. P . C a p p o n 26). A rdvreck 77
(W . B. M elville 6 fo r 39, S. L. M ackenzie 4 fo r 31).
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
95
4.7.61, v. Ardvreck (A). L ost by 2 w ickets. S tra th a lla n 114 (W . B.
M elville 37, I. S. P rim rose 28, C. A. H . G reig 22). A rdvreck 115
(W. B. M elville 5 fo r 50).
8.7.61, v. Craigflower (H). W on by 6 w ickets. C raigflow er 59
(S. L. M ackenzie 5 fo r 26, W. B. M elville 4 fo r 30). S tra th a lla n 69 fo r
4 (J. P. C ap p o n 31, W . B. M elville 20 n o t out).
13.7.61, v. D alhousie (H ). W on by 116 runs. S tra th a lla n 132 fo r
5 dec. (W. B. M elville 50 n o t o u t, J. P . C a p p o n 45). D alh o u sie 16
(W . B. M elville 7 fo r 3).
18.7.61, v. Croflinloan (H ). W on by 119 runs. S tra th a lla n 140 for
7 dec. (W. B. M elville 60 n o t out, S. L. M ackenzie 34). C ro ftin lo a n 21
(W . B. M elville 6 fo r 11).
Hockey
SP R IN G TERM
year the w eather has been clem ent and o u r fixture list
has been unabridged with a consequent increase in the school’s
enthusiasm for the game. The 1st X I h ad a full program m e in
March but the Colts and Junior Colts who finish their rugger
early in the term are still short of fixtures.
The five colours who returned provided a sound basis for
the team and in most m atches we were able to dom inate the
mid-field. The penetration in the circle, required to win
matches convincingly, was however only occasionally able to
match this.
T
h is
1st XI M atches
School v. F ettes. W on 5-4
S trathallan w ere a b it slow to settle dow n in a fa st gam e p lay ed on
a firm Fettes pitch a n d w ere tw o goals dow n v ery quickly. H ow ever
the school recovered a n d as a re su lt o f good attack in g play, P a te
netted tw o fine goals ju st be fo re half-tim e.
In the second h a lf th e constructive p lay o f S tra th a lla n gave Scott
the o pportunity to score, b u t th is w as sw iftly c o u n te red by a good goal
from the edge of th e circle by a F e tte s fo rw ard . P a te scored again,
only to have F ettes equalise fro m a sh o rt corner. W ith tw o m inutes to
go, Carswell follow ed u p a shot to score th e w inning goal.
Team: K. I. R. Ross, A . N airn , R. F . R idland,* R . J. R ankin,* H.
G alt,* D . M ackenzie, J. F. C arsw ell, M . W . Shaw,* A . M . Pate,* R . H.
Scott, I. S. G ray.
School v. Aberdeen G.S. D raw n 2-2
T he good stick-w ork o f the visitors c o n tra sted w ith th e intelligent
and accurate passing o f S tra th a lla n . Scott opened th e scoring, b u t
A berdeen’s equaliser soon follow ed, a fte r som e good dribbling. P ate
scored to give the school a lead a t h alf-tim e.
T he strong attacks o f S tra th a lla n , w ith G ra y p ro m in e n t, proved
fruitless in the second h a lf again st th e visito rs’ defence a n d th ey scored
their second goal from a sh o rt corner. In spite o f renew ed attack s by
S trathallan the gam e w as draw n.
Team: K, 1. R. Ross, A. N a irn , R. F. R idland,* R. J. R ankin,* H.
G alt,* D . M ackenzie, J. F . C arsw ell, M. W . Shaw,* A. M . Pate,* R. H .
Scott, I. S. G ray.
96
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
School v. Loretto. L ost 0-2
P layed a t L oretto, this, o u r first gam e again st them , was m arre d by
the n u m b er o f ineffectual sh o rt co rn ers a n d th e absence o f o u r regular
centre fo rw ard , P ate. T h e fa c t th a t the team had had no practise since
the house m atches w as evident in th e lack o f cohesion a n d the low
sta n d ard o f play.
L o retto scored th eir first goal fro m a p en alty bully, largely because
the School goalkeeper w as u n su re o f th e pro ced u re, and S tra th a lla n
m issed several fu rth e r chances to score. L o re tto finished th e gam e by
scoring a second goal to secure victory.
Team: J. A. Bruce, A. N a irn , R. F . R idland,* R. J. R ankin,* H.
G alt,* D. M ackenzie, J. F . C arsw ell, M . W . Shaw,* D . N . Strachan,
R. H. Scott, I. S. G ray .
School v. Piets. L ost 1-2
T his gam e, played a t R a eb u rn Place, w as a n excellent lesson on
a tta c k fro m th e Piets a n d on defence fro m S tra th a lla n . T h e school’s
backs, in p a rtic u la r L ang, w ere n o t d e te rred by the fa st pace set by
the oppo sitio n , n o r by th e ir sh o rt corners.
T h e Piets scored a goal in each h a lf
a n d Scott scored fo r
S tra th a lla n off a d efender in th e second half.
Team: C. H . C raw shaw , J. M . O. L ang, R. F . R idland,* R. J.
R ankin,* H . G alt,* D . M ackenzie, J. F. C arsw ell, M . W. Shaw,* A. M.
Pate,* R. H . Scott,* 1. S. G ray .
School v. G ordonstoun. W on 2-1
T h e tw o team s w ere w ell m atch ed in a gam e p layed at S trath allan
on a h a rd pitch, a n d in w hich th e visitors stopped th e ball better. In
spite o f good passing th ere w as no score by half-tim e.
T h e m oving o f G a lt in to th e fo rw ard s to give m ore finishing
pow er to th e attack s destroyed S tra th a lla n ’s c o -ordination a n d as a
result the visitors opened the scoring a fte r tw o m inutes o f th e second
half. P a rtly because o f G a lt’s re tu rn to centre h a lf a n d p a rtly because
o f the in ju ry o f one o f G o rd o n s to u n ’s backs, S tra th a lla n w ere ab le to
score tw o goals th ro u g h P a te a n d G a lt to w in the m atch.
Team: C. H. C raw sh aw , A. N a irn , R. F. R idland,* R. J. R ankin,*
H. G alt,* D. M ackenzie, J. F . C arsw ell, M . W. Shaw,* A. M. Pate,*
R. H. Scott,* i. S. G ray .
* Denotes colours
J. M . O. L an g a n d A. M . P ate p layed in the final Scottish
T rial.
C o lo u rs w ere aw ard ed to: J. F. C arsw ell, I. S. G ray , D . M ackenzie,
R. H. Scott.
Spring Results
1st XI v.
v.
v.
v.
v.
v.
2nd X I v.
C olts X I v.
v.
M asters X I (H ). W on 10-0.
F ettes C ollege (A ). W on 5-4.
A b e rd ee n G.S. (H ). D raw n 2-2.
L o retto (A). L ost 0-2.
Piets (A). Lost 1-2.
G o rd o n sto u n (H ). W on 2-1.
A berdeen G .S. (H ). W on 4-1.
W atso n ’s 2nd X I (A). W on 5-0.
F ettes (A). W on 7-1.
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Sim pson
R uthven 2-0;
beat S im pson
F re e la n d
97
H ouse Mulches
beat F re e la n d 3-0; N icol beat R uthven 3-1; F re e la n d beat
Sim pson b e at N icol 5-2; F re e la n d b eat N icol 2-0; R uthven
1-0.
a n d Sim pson shared the cup.
SU M M E R TERM
T he hockey this term has been very good and the teams
have w orked very hard. The club fixtures have provided useful
experience against high class players and the 1st X I has gained
m uch from them.
T h e follow ing played reg u larly in the S um m er E leven: S. H.
C raw shaw , P. G . Joy, A. N airn , J. F . C arsw ell, I. S. G ra y , R. F.
R idland, R. J. R ankin, M . W. Shaw.
T h e follow ing have also played: J. A. Bruce, E. A. F ra se r, D . M.
L aw son, H. J. L ochore, G . A. M acdonald, D. M ackenzie, A . M . Pate,
K. I. R. Ross, R. H. Scott.
C olours aw arded to: P. G . Joy, A. N airn .
1st X I v.
v.
v.
v.
v.
v.
v.
2nd X I v.
v.
Summer Results
J. F . D y et’s X I (H ). D raw n 0-0.
G le n alm o n d (A). W on 2-0.
E d in b u rg h A cadem y (A). D ra w n 1-1.
G ro v e A cad. F .P . (H ). W on 4-3.
E d in b u rg h A cadem y (H ). W on 3-1.
M organ A cad. F .P . (H ). L ost 2-3.
G ro v e A cad. F .P . (H ). L ost 3-4.
E d in b u rg h A cadem y (A). W on 7-0.
E d in b u rg h A cadem y (H ). W on 5-0.
Athletics
A s usual a large num ber of boys have taken athletics as a full
time sport this term. T he results of the Cham pionships prove
that a high standard h as been reached by a few boys and we
feel that the general standard has continued to im prove. R . F.
Ridland has been chosen to represent the Scottish Schoolboys
against the English and W elsh Schoolboys, as a result of his
Discus win at the Scottish Schoolboys C ham pionships.
30th M ay. School v. Fettes C ollege (A w ay)
Fettes C ollege 61 p oints : S tra th a lla n 60 poin ts
Event
100 yards
220 yards
440 yards
880 yards
1 m ile
..
..
Long Ju m p .
High Jum p .
S h o t .............
Discus
Javelin
R elay
G
1,
1,
1.
1,
1,
1,
1,
1,
1,
1,
1,
F ; 2, L o ch o re; 3, C arsw ell; 4, F
F ; 2, L o ch o re; 3, C arsw ell; 4, F
F ; 2, F ; 3, R an k in ; 4, D u n c an
F ; 2, L aw son; 3, F ; 4, N elson
F; 2, B orlan d ; 3, D o n n a n ; 4, F
L ochore; 2, F ; 3, A llcock; 4, F
A llcock
R idland; 2, F ; 3, F ; 4, R o b ertso n
R id lan d ; 2, F ; 3, F ; 4, B osshardt
B osshardt; 2, L ochore; 3, F ; 4, F
F ettes; 2, S tra th a lla n
98
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
U n fo rtu n a te ly we h a d n o t been asked to tak e a relay team and it
was this event th a t decided the m atch against us, a lth o u g h o u r hastily
gath ered fo u r c an n o t be blam ed.
Inter-Schools A thletics Match at Dunblane
T h e school again cam e th ird o u t o f th e five schools com peting,
gaining the follow ing first places:
S enior 1 m ile— B orland
Ju n io r 100 y ard s a n d 220 y ard s— Ogilvie
T h e school gained th e follow ing second places:
S enior 440 y ard s— R an k in
S enior S h o t a n d D iscus— R idland
M iddle 880 y a rd s— D o n n an
M iddle H igh Ju m p — T o u rla m ain
M iddle Shot and Ja v e lin — B osshardt
S enior Ja v e lin — M ackenzie
T h e school w as rep resen ted a t the Scottish Schools’ Championships
by th e follow ing:
S enior 440 y ard s— R ankin
S enior M ile— B o rlan d (5th, standard)
S enior Steeplechase— B o rlan d (2nd)
S enior S hot— R id la n d (3rd, standard)
S enior D iscus— R id la n d (1st, stan d ard )
M iddle 440 y ard s— D uncan
M iddle M ile— D o n n a n (4th)
M iddle D iscus— B arron
Ju n io r 100 y a rd s— Ogilvie
Ju n io r 440 y ard s— W ilkie (4th)
School v. Trinity C ollege, G lenalm ond
Senior
Event
Time or Distance
100 y ard s
... 1, C arsw ell; 2, G ; 3, G ; 4, L o ch o re .................. 10.5 secs.
220 y ard s
... 1, C arsw ell; 2, G ; 3, G ; 4, G ra y ............................. 23 secs.
440 yards ... 1, B orland; 2, G ; 3, R an k in ; 4, G ..................... 53.8 secs.
880 y ard s
... 1, B orland; 2, G ; 3, G ; 4, D o w ............. 2 m in. 3.8 secs.
H igh Ju m p ... 1, G ; 2, R o b e rtso n ; 3, A llcock; 4, G ....................... 5' 2 \"
L ong Ju m p ... I, G ; 2, G ; 3, C arsw ell; 4, L o ch o re ........................... 18' 7"
S hot ............... 1, R id lan d ; 2, G ; 3, G ; 4, R o b e rtso n ...................... 42' 8"
D iscus
... 1, R idland; 2, M ackenzie; 3, G ; 4, G .................. 127' 8"
Javelin
... 1, G ; 2, M ackenzie; 3, G ; 4, R id lan d .................. 132' 2"
R elay
... 1, S tra th a lla n ; 2, G le n alm o n d
points
S tra th a lla n 51
G le n alm o n d
49
M iddle
100 yards
... 1, G ; 2, G ; 3, O gilvie; 4, R yder ........................... 10.5 secs.
220 y ard s
... 1, G ; 2, D u n c an ; 3, G ; 4, O gilvie ....................... 23.8 secs.
440 yards
... I, G ; 2, D u n c an ; 3, G ; 4, W ilkie ....................... 53.4 secs.
880 yards
... 1, G ; 2, G arv ie; 3, G ; 4, W ilson ............. 2 m in. 9.5 secs.
1 m ile
... I, D o n n an ; 2, G ; 3, G ; 4, B enson ........ 4 m in. 53 secs.
H igh Ju m p ... 1, G ; 2, G ; 3, T o u rla m a in ; 4. W alk er .................... 4 ' 9 |"
L ong Ju m p ... 1, G ; 2, G ; 3, S tra ch a n ; 4, W alk er ....................... 17' 10"
S h o t ..............
1, B osshardt; 2, B arron; 3, G ; 4, G .............................. 40'
D iscus
... 1, G ; 2, G ; 3, B arron; 4, M anners-W ood ...................I l l '
Javelin
... 1, B osshardt; 2, G ; 3, N a irn ; 4, G ...................... 138' 1"
R elay
... I. G le n alm o n d ; 2, S tra th a lla n
points
S tra th a lla n 46
G le n alm o n d
64
T o ta l p oints
S tra th a lla n 97
G le n alm o n d 113
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
SC H O O L S P O R T S .
99
15th July
T hese results should be considered in th e light o f the fa ct th a t it
rained th ro u g h o u t the a fternoon.
S enior
Event
First
Time or Distance
100 yards
... C arsw ell, J.
F . (R ) .......................... 10.9 secs.
220 yards
... C arsw ell, J.
F . (R ) .......................... 24.5 secs.
440 yards
... C arsw ell, J.
F. (R ) .......................... 52.8 secs.
880 yards ... D ow , R. C. (N ) ..................... 2 m in. 3.3 secs.
1 m ile ... B orland, I. C. (F) ........................ 4 m in. 30.5 secs.
H urdles
... R idland, R. F . (S) .......................... 11.3 secs.
High Ju m p ... R idland, R. F . (S) .................................... 5' 3"
L ong Jum p .. C arsw ell, J. F . (R ) ................................. 18' 6 |"
D iscus ... R idland, R. F . (S) .............................................. *136'
Javelin
... M ackenzie, D (R ) ................................. 132' 5"
S h o t ..............
R id lan d , R. F . (S) .............................. *42' 9"
R elay
... Sim pson
T ug of W ar R uthven
M iddle
100 yards
... F lem ing, A . J. (R ) ............................... 11 secs.
220 yards
... F lem ing, A. J. (R ) .......................... 24.3 secs.
440 yards
... F lem ing, A . J. (R ) ...................... *54.4 secs.
880 yards
... D o n n an , J. G . M . (F ) ... 2 m in. 10.6 secs.
1 m ile
... D onnan, J. G . M . (F) ... *4 m in. 47.6
secs.
H urdles
... D u n b a r, C. C. K . (F) ...................... 12.2 secs.
H igh Ju m p ... H arvey-W alker, A . J. (S) ....................... 5'
L ong J u m p ... Flem ing, A . J. (R ) ................................. 18' 4 |"
D iscus
... N airn , A. (F) ...................................... 123' 4"
Javelin
... N airn , A. (F ) ...................................... 131' 4"
Shot .............. B osshardt, H. J. (F) ........................... *38' 10"
R elay
. R uthven
Ju n io r
100 yards
... Ogilvie, I. R. (F ) ............................... 11.4 secs.
220 yards
... Ogilvie, I. R. (F) ............................... 26.1 secs.
440 yards
... W ilkie, R . (S) .................................... 57.4 secs.
880 yards ... W ilkie, R. (S) ................. *2 m in. 14.2 secs.
H urdles
... Flem ing, A. J. (R ) ...................... *12.2 secs.
High Jum p ...
M atthew , K . (F) ......................................... 4 ' 7"
Long Jum p ... Ogilvie, I. R. (F)
17'
Discus
... L am o n t, 1. K. (F) ...................................... 95' 1"
Javelin ... B row n, J. O. A. (R ) ........................................ 115'
Shot ..............
Ogilvie, I. R. (F) .................................. 33' 9"
R elay
... F re e la n d
100 yards
...
330 yards
...
H igh Ju m p ...
L ong J u m p ...
R elay
...
Riley
T in d a l ................................................. 13.2 secs.
T in d a l ....................................................... 48 secs.
T ru sd ale ...................................................... 4 ' 1"
T in d a l ......................................................... 14' 8"
Big D orm .
V ictor L udorum :
Senior — R. F . R idland
Ju n io r — A . J. F lem ing
H ouse C ham pionship:
1st, R uthven; 2nd, F re e la n d ; 3rd, Sim pson; 4th, N icol
■
SPH m HH
[d . l .f .
R id la n d breaks his ow n S h o t Put record
[ d .l .f .
a n d B o rla n d defea ts D o w in the Senior M ile
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
Io I
Swimming
I t has become almost traditional th a t each year’s school
magazine contains one cryptic p arag rap h which tells the reader
just how little has been achieved in the year past. F o r once,
this dismal procedure is unnecessary. A lthough the pond was
out of commission, for one reason or another, for five of the
twelve weeks of term , much m ore has been attem pted and
achieved in Strathallan swimming than for m any years.
The greatest single step forw ard was the acceptance of an
invitation to com pete in the Public Schools’ Swimming F ree­
style Races in London. W ith the invitation cam e a list of both
the best and worst times of team s w hich h ad com peted in the
previous year. W hile realising th a t the winning times were
unlikely to be threatened by our entering, we piously hoped
that we would not be as slow as the w orst of the times quoted.
To guard against this, the prospective team began a strenuous
training scheme. As several m em bers of the training group
were in dem and for other activities, our training h ad to be done
at times when no other sport could conceivably have any claim
on these boys. This being so, much of the training was done
before breakfast and every night the “lights-out” of those con­
cerned was postponed to allow training to be done then. A part
from all this, all m em bers of the team did a m inim um of three
“circuits” each week, often more. T he result of this training
was that the team set out for L ondon as fit as training con­
ditions would permit. T he pond is not w ithout its lim itations,
for the tem perature seldom rose above a spartan 62°. There
was never a training session w ithout at least one m em ber
being below par w ith a cold, and one boy actually broke a
finger against the side of the pond because he could not see it
as a result of the state of the w ater. These were difficulties with
which we hope future team s will not have to contend. A s has
already been said, the team set off for the South as fit as
possible.
The actual race was swum over 352 yards, each swimmer
completing 88 yards. T he standard was very high, and the
school was not dism ayed to come 22nd out of 42 com petitors.
F o r a first year, the result was not disgraceful, and the school
was invited for the following year on the spot. T he team
K. A. L.: M cKinlay, J. G. M. A. M. C um m ing was first
reserve.
As a result of the intensive training of the few, m any
became interested in swimming. This new interest was,
unfortunately, frustrated when, just after the team ’s return
from London, the pool was put out of use as a result of a
w ater shortage. The w ater was too dirty for swimming in, and
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
102
there was no clean w ater to replace it. Fortunately, however,
the w eather was sufficiently unpleasant to m ake it possible to
refill the pool after three weeks of dirtiness, and to make
possible, after long uncertainty, the holding of the Swimming
Sports.
T he heats and finals were successfully accom plished in four
days, during the last week of term .
Despite the difficulties and lack of training facilities pre­
ceding the finals, only two of the existing twelve records were
not broken. This am azing spate of
record-breaking was partly
caused by the m em bers of the L ondon relay team and partly
by others encouraged by the perform ances of these boys.
THE
RECORDS:
Ju n io r 25 yards back stroke: M atthew — 14 secs.
M iddle 50 yards back stroke: R e ec h /K eith — 37 secs.
S enior 75 yards b ack stroke: R id la n d — 56.4 secs.
Ju n io r 50 yards breast stroke: M atth ew — 38.5 secs.
M iddle 75 y ard s b re ast stroke:
R esisted breakage
S enior 100 y ard s breast stroke:
L in to n — lm . 22.35 secs.
Ju n io r 50 y ard s free style: M atth ew — 29.2 secs.
M iddle 75 y ard s
free style:
C ra n sto n — 47.1
secs.
S enior 100 yards fre e style:
M cK in lay — 65.5 secs.
J u n io r 100 y ard s
free style:
M atthew — 68.5
M iddle 200 yard s free style:
C ra n sto n — 2m.
S enior 400 yards fre e style: R esisted breakage
secs.
50.1 secs.
T he house com petition saw N icol retain the cup for the
fourth successive year. T he points were as follows: 1st,
Nicol— 95; 2nd, F reeland— 67; 3rd, Sim pson— 65; 4th, Ruthven
-
18
.
T he Standards com petition h ad to be abandoned when the
pool becam e too dirty.
T he Ju n io r C ham pion was M atthew , who won every event
available, breaking every record in the process. C ranston won
the M iddle C ham pionship, and the Senior one was shared
between L ang, H ouston and M cKinlay.
T hroughout the year, the whole attitude tow ards swimming
has changed. T here is now m uch greater keenness, and as a
result, m uch greater enjoym ent is being derived by those who
undertake genuine training. A s three of the team who went to
London will be at school for three m ore years, it is hoped that
they will one day secure the B ath C up for Strathallan. We
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
103
w ould like to thank Mr. H enderson for his encouragem ent and
supervision throughout the training, and for his patience with
the team while in London.
The following gained their Swimming C olours: C ranston,
D. A.: M atthew, K. A. L.: Lang, J. M. O.
J. G. M. M cKinlay.
Cross Country
“W hen it’s pouring with rain, and y o u ’re bowling along, w et
through, there’s a satisfaction just in know ing y o u ’re out there
and that others aren’t”.
So says Peter Snell, 800m. gold m edallist at the Rom e
Olympics, and so too, are saying an increasing num ber of the
mud-bespattered figures who sweat it out over the highways
and byways of lower Strathearn. Even those who realise that
they are destined to w atch the receding backs of other runners
are beginning to say with R oger Bannister:
“I find in running—win or lose— a deep satisfaction th a t I
cannot express in any other w ay” .
The effect of this change of spirit, first m entioned in last
year’s report, has been noticeable in several ways: once again,
the courses have been altered to take in m ore country and less
road, this time by cutting out F reeland F arm and the road
leading past it, and running instead along the grassy track
beyond the northern edge of the m ud-flats and past the far
corner of the pond. T he variety of the training runs under­
taken is another sign of the changing times: C raigie H ill Golf
Course, Perth, Forteviot, the River M ay, C ulteuchar Hill,
Kilgraston, Bridge of E arn , M oncrieffe Hill and C raigend have
all been brought w ithin range on m ore than one occasion. In
this way, runners do not becom e bored by practising over the
competition courses every day, and are better prepared to give
of their best on the im portant occasions.
The adventuresom e spirit is by no m eans exhausted, as is
testified by repeated suggestions th a t the courses should finish
with a splash through the narrow s of the Pond, followed
by a lap of Big Acre! This m ay never com e into being,
unfortunately, for it is likely th at from next year new courses
will be found on the opposite side of the m ain road, giving
access to such delights as a p articular p art of D rum finn, well
known to most regular runners, which rises for 250 ft. at a
gradient of 1 in 2! H aving such variety of terrain to train over,
it is only right th at we should recognise our good fortune, and
design more exacting courses for juniors, middles and seniors.
104
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
O ur com petitive season started early this year, with the
N ational Cross-Country C ham pionship at H am ilton Park Race
Course, Glasgow, on M arch 4th. We entered teams of eight,
w ith the first four hom e to count, for b o th the Y ouths’ 3-mile
event, and the Boys’ 1^-miles, with the following results:
Youths
B orland
22nd
D ow
32nd
H a rriso n
42nd
N e lso n
47th
B oys
D onnan
Benson
G a rv ie
P ate
143 pts.
T ea m place 4th
164 pts.
T eam p lace 7th
26th
40th
46th
52nd
Since there were in the order of 150 runners in each race,
and this was our first venture in this line, the results were
generally satisfactory.
On A pril 14th, we were hosts to m iddle and senior teams
from G lenalm ond. They were unfortunate, in th at they could
only raise depleted team s of four, and we were able to record
a double win:
Seniors
D ow
1st
B orland
2nd
H arrison
3rd
N elson
5th
M iddles
D onnan
Benson
G arvie
R entoul
11 pts.
G le n alm o n d — 4, 10, 11, 12— 37 pts.
1st
2nd
4th
7th
14 pts.
G le n alm o n d — 3, 5, 6, 8— 22 pts.
A pril 22nd saw the running off of the Inter-H ouse and
individual C ham pionships, the H ouse T rials having been run
on the 8th and 9th A pril. T he system introduced last year, of
each house entering trained team s of eight in each age group,
is here to stay, and considerable enthusiasm was again detected
in the keener houses. T he idea is gradually being accepted
around the school, th a t training is worthwhile. N icol won the
Seniors, R uthven the M iddles, and Simpson the Juniors, two
other seconds giving N icol first place overall. T he individual
results were as follows:
D ow
N elso n
H a rriso n
Seniors
1st (N ) 26 m in. 47 secs.
2nd (S)
3rd (N )
B orland h ad to retire w ith stom ach cram p after three miles,
while lying in second position.
M iddles
P a te
1st (R ) 24 m in. 31 secs. D arlin g
G ra y
2nd (N )
M acM illan
G a rv ie 3rd (N )
B orland
Juniors
1st (F) 14 m in. 54.5 secs.
2nd (S)
3rd (F)
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
These were the fastest times recorded over the various
courses during the season, but since the courses had been
changed, they do not bear com parison with previous years.
M ention might be made of M acM illan who, although fast
enough, could not run at H am ilton Park through being too
young.
Three days later, on Saturday A pril 25th, we entertained a
team of six from G ordonstoun. They h ad stayed overnight, so
although it was a m orning race, there was tim e to w alk right
round the course beforehand. It is a pity th a t this is not feasible
more often, for a visiting team is enabled to give a m uch
truer account of itself, having seen all the hazards. We ran
team s of six, with five to count, and m anaged to record a win
for the home runners:
Borland
H arrison
Nelson
Lawson
Dow
1st
3rd
4th
5th
6th
19 pts.
G o rd o n sto u n — 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11 th — 37 pts.
F o r the first time, a fixture was arranged for the summer
term; on M ay 25th we ran an eight-a-side m atch with Perth
Academy, again a t hom e, w ith six to count. M aybe it was th at
the visitors had just received their “highers” results before
coming out th at afternoon, or m aybe we could not resist the
hat-trick for o u r three school m atches, b u t in w hat was
probably the closest and hardest fought of o u r races, we again
emerged victors:
B orland
N elson
K idd
Law son
D onnan
Benson
1st
5th
6th
7th
8 th
10th
37 pts.
Perth A cadem y— 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 13th, 14th— 45 pts.
The annual end-of-season run from G lenfarg was under­
taken by Lawson, Borland, Nelson and K idd, on Thursday, 8th
June. Mr. Studholm e drove the party to G lenfarg, and the
return six miles over the hills were com pleted in 50 minutes.
As a grand-finale, Tuesday, 27th June, saw the eleven miles
to M ilnathort covered by Law son, B orland, K idd and D onnan
in 1 hour 20 minutes. A fter taking the bus to Bridge of E arn,
the final run up to Forgandenny brought the total distance for
the day to just over thirteen miles.
C ross C o u n try T eam
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
107
We can look forw ard w ith some confidence to next season,
as only one of the eighteen runners who represented the school
this season is definitely leaving. More colours than usual were
aw arded at the end of the season— a reflection on our successes.
Dow was re-aw arded his colours, and B orland, H arrison, N el­
son and K idd were aw arded theirs for the 1960-61 season.
H erb E lliott attributes his success and determ ination in
training in part to “ vigorous exercise in m orale-lifting country” .
We have none of his sand-dunes and A ustralian bush to train
through here, but is it not m orale-lifting to pad over paths of
pine-needles? Brush through rhododendron bushes? E xplore
the countryside in a N ovem ber m ist, or a D ecem ber gloom?
Tread the unbroken February snows? Lie gasping in the earth ­
works of a 2,000 year old fort w hile a biting wind from the
Cairngorms whistles overhead? H ear the crisp crackle of the
heather underfoot in spring? Dive under a w aterfall still fed
by melting snow to cool off? Run stripped to the waist in the
sweltering days of sum m er to rest eventually 1,000 feet above
the school and adm ire a view stretching from D undee and the
Tay Bridge to the C rianlarich hills and Ben L om ond, by the
Bonnie Banks and from the Lom onds of Fife to the vague
outlines of the C airngorm s?
Such experiences surely endorse the lines from “ Julius
C aesar” :
“ . . . Now bid me run,
A nd I will strive w ith things im possible;
Y ea, get the better of them . . .” .
E. A. Lawson.
C R O SS-C O U N T R Y RESU LTS 1961
v. Glenalm ond. Seniors w on 11-37. M iddles w on 14-22.
v. G ordonstoun. Seniors won 19-37.
v. Perth Academ y. Seniors w on 37-45.
N ational Cham pionships (Open)
Y ouths (Senior) 4th (o u t o f 16); Boys (Ju n io r) 7th (o u t o f 20).
Boxing
year saw a new lease of life in the “ noble a rt” under Mr.
Henderson’s vigorous enthusiasm . V ast charts illustrating the
draws in each weight group were posted, so th at one could see
at a glance who was to fight whom : the elim inating bouts were
streamlined in m any ways, nam ely th a t R . J. R ankin took on
the role of M.C. and M r. H enderson himself was a referee in
the ring; small extras, such as sponge and bucket, saw dust and
a canvas floor covering were introduced— and, of course, the
atm osphere altered too.
T h is
io8
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
M r. H enderson took on the responsibility of coaching basic
principles to all houses on their respective boxing evenings— a
m am m oth task— w ith the result th a t some “ house spirit”
previously cultivated through house coaches was lost; but this
was only tem porarily, since as the finals drew nearer, house
coaches again found opportunities to polish up their rem aining
com petitors. T he general level of com petence definitely rose
during the year.
T he finals were held on the night of Tuesday, 14th M arch,
and once again the final result was already decided before the
evening began, Simpson taking the honours this time.
N evertheless, the finals have never before been fought with
quite so m uch sheer guts and courage. T he results were as
follows:
Weight
B antam
F e a th e r
Light-w eight
L ight-w elter
W elter
L ight-M iddle
M iddle
H eavy A
H eavy B
L ight H eavy
Winner
R. J. H . N eill (Riley)
C. D . F erg u so n (N )
J. M . G ilm o u r (N )
A. Shanks (R)
C. H . M an n ers-W o o d (F)
W.. S. P a te (R )
G. A . R. C a rv er (S)
D. A . C ra n sto n (S)
D. R. A n d e rso n (F)
M.. I. M . D aw so n (R )
Kunner-up
J. B. S. C h ap m an (Riley)
A. J. S. C oldw ell (N )
H. ]. G . D avidson (S)
N. F . M acM illan (S)
P. M . W eath ersto n (S)
J. D . S. R o b e rtso n (N )
T. I. G ra y (N )
F. R. Bell (S)
F. B. M cK eever (F)
I. P. G . Bell (R)
T he points gained in the Inter-H ouse Com petition were:
1st, Sim pson— 95; 2nd (equal), R uthven and N icol— 66; 4th,
Freeland— 60.
B. A. W ingate.
Sailing Club
the W inter we h ad two m ajor tasks in re-decking one
of the C adets and fitting a new panel in one of the Enterprise
chines. M ost of this dam age cam e as a result of the boats being
left dow n a t the T ay over the holidays, when they were used
for an adventurers’ course. As m ost m em bers p u t in a lot of
effort and h ard w ork during the W inter and E aster m onths, all
the boats were in the w ater by the first week of the Summer
Term.
D u r in g
It was agreed to sail the C adets on the School Pond for the
earlier p a rt of the season, so th a t the new m em bers would be
given plenty of practice at capsizing in safe waters. U n­
fortunately for the novices, gales persisted during the first three
weeks of term and although m any of them took a dip in the
pond, the experience gained was taken in good spirit.
W ith the m ore experienced sailors on the T ay, we were able
to hold a num ber of practice races before the Perth R egatta,
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
109
when we were knocked out in the first round by G lenalm ond,
who had 40 points to our 39—a very close race. The G len­
alm ond boys sailed successfully through another two rounds,
but were beaten by Perth Sailing Club in the final. O ur fixture
with the school at L och Freuchie saw a m iserably calm day,
and as a result, we took over three hours to com plete our one
and only race. The points a t the finish were: S trathallan 21
G lenalm ond 21.
T he winds were alm ost gale force for our annual fixture
against Fettes, but in spite of the conditions, Y oung sailed well
to gain a first in both races. A ltogether, out of the two races in
Enterprises and Cadets, we had three firsts, three seconds and
two capsizes, the points at the end of the day being:
Strathallan 2 9 \—Fettes 2 3 |.
The School came second in the Perthshire Schools Races
on Loch E arn and was unlucky in that, after leading in two of
the races round the five mile course, defeat was suffered both
times in the last leg to the finishing line.
The result of the Inter-H ouse Sailing Com petition was:
First—Nicol: Second— Freeland: T h ird — Simpson, and last—
Ruthven.
The School will be represented by R . S. Peters, J. L. Y oung
and G. C. Brown in Schools Races at Clynder and it is hoped
that the team will im prove on last y ear’s perform ance when it
came 28th out of the 42 schools entered.
Colours were aw arded to J. L. Y oung, G. C. Brown and
R. N. Harrison.
R. S. Peters.
Shooting
A t the beginning of the season, ten shots returned who had
represented the school previously, b u t they took some tim e to
settle down, as early results show. In the third year of our
fixture with C heltenham College, we lost the cup won last year,
the opposition scoring 783, to defeat us by 5 points. R . S.
Peters was the only riflem an to score 100. A new fixture was
that accepted with Glasgow A cadem y, in which we lost heavily
by 20 points, with only 727, shooting on British N ational
targets.
As happened last year, the Staniforth C up com petition
caught us unprepared early in the season, and we were placed
68th out of 113 team s, w ith 750. M uch of the early p art of the
W inter Term was spent com pleting the K ing George V Trophy,
in which all m embers of the C.C.F. shoot. A s we were
struggling to get this com pleted in tim e, by N ovem ber 30th, the
1 IO
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
results of the 1959 shoot arrived. O ur R .A .F., R.N . and Army
sections cam e respectively 10th, 12th and 28th, out of 41
entrants in the L ord R oberts T rophy, and in the Im perial
Challenge Shield Com petition the R.A .F., R.N., Freeland.
Simpson, R uthven and N icol sections were placed respectively
13th, 22nd. 60th, 71st, 86th and 89th, out of 124 entrants. We
qualified for 5 silver and 1 bronze m edal; 39 cadets qualified as
Em pire m arksm en, and 13 as First Class Shots. A Ffennell
Shield still rem ains in the care of the R .A .F. section, while the
Arm y and R .N . sections are also entitled to a Ffennell Shield.
These placings refer to team s in the U nited K ingdom ; those
for the whole E m pire have yet to be published.
Shooting in the 5th Division of the Perthshire League began
early in N ovem ber. Scores early on were bad, our lowest
sinking to 462, b u t latterly we were on the 490 m ark regularly.
The regular team was; Fisher, K idd, M orton, H arrison and
Bruce, w ith Peters and H ardy also having shot. We won 17
of our 18 matches, losing only to Blair A tholl early in the
season. O ur 34 points gave us a clear lead of 8 over our
nearest rivals and secured for us the 5th Division Trophy. O ur
aggregate score was 8,675 out of 9,000, and our team average
481.9. Individual averages and places in the division were as
follows: Fisher 97.3 (2nd), K idd 97.1 (4th), M orton 97 (5th),
H arrison 96.9 (7th) and Bruce 94.9 (15th). “ Possibles” were
gained twice by M orton, and once each by Fisher, Kidd and
H arrison. Fisher again wins the Individual Cup, his average
being the highest the school has yet recorded. He was also
placed 4th in the Scottish Short R ange C ham pionship.
In the Burton Cup, com peted for by Perthshire League
shots w ith an average of over 95 for the previous season,
Fisher was unfortunate to lose 97-99 in the first round. In the
Brough Cup, for those with averages under 95, we entered seven
shots, of whom H arrison survived the six rounds to emerge a
deserving w inner, with scores of 95, 95, 98, 100, 98 and 99.
In the H ighland D istrict Com petition, our team of ten
scored 1,934 out of 2,000, sufficient to give us third place, for
which we earn £2 10s., plus an additional £4 for being the
best, albeit the only, C.C.F. entry. O ur result was also singled
out for p articular praise from the G.O.C. H ighland District.
Represented by M orton (198), Kidd (198), Fisher (197) and
Bruce (193) in the M ajo r Section of the Jun io r W inter C om ­
petition, we gained 9th place out of 99 team s. K idd did well to
score a “ possible” . In the M inor Section, we took 14th place
out of 54, w ith 750: Siedle (192), W ilkie (189), M ackay (187)
and Clem ent (182).
In the Spring C om petition we cam e second out of 59 in the
M ajor section with 788: Fisher (198), M orton (198), K idd (197)
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
111
and H arrison (195). Fisher and M orton both h ad “ possibles”
on their first targets. In the M inor section we cam e 16th out of
36 with 742: W ilkie (193), Siedle (193), M ackay (183) and
Grosset (173).
In the Junior Sum m er Com petition, the School was placed
second in the M ajor Section out of 40 team s competing. For
this com petition, com petitors have to be under 18 on the day
of shooting, which m ade D. M. K idd ineligible. In the M inor
Section of the same com petition, open to com petitors under 15,
the School team were placed first, winning the Harvey Hadden
Challenge Trophy. This year there were only 20 team s com ­
peting. The scores are printed below:
M ajor Section: P. M. Fisher 199, R. N. H arrison 198. H. G.
Morton 197. J. A. Bruce 194 788.
M inor Section: L. D. C. Siedle 197, E. P. M ackay 194. W. J.
Speirs 193, I. W. Steven 183 = 767.
The Inter-H ouse C om petition was shot on D ecem ber 9th,
and resulted in a win for Freeland by the com fortable m argin
of 14 points, thus ending R uthven’s five-year m onopoly. The
scores were:
Freeland: Fisher 99. Kidd 98, H utton 95, Q uarry
Nicol: Harrison 94, W ooley 94, Beattie 94, Stewart
Ruthven: M orton 97, Law son 95, Bruce 95, Peters
Simpson: Hardy 95, Clem ent 92, W ilkie 91, Ridland
95 = 387.
91 = 373.
85 = 372.
86= 364.
A t C.C.F. cam p, a representative eight shot against our
hosts, the 24th Signals R egim ent. T he custom there, unlike
here, was to shoot w ithout slings and this factor brought about
our defeat.
On Founder’s Day an inform al shoot with the O ld Boys
showed that many of them had retained their form rem arkably
well and the school had again to accept defeat.
Old Boys: Boxwell 97, Wilson 93, Logan 93, C am pbell 93,
Gibb 88, T. P. S. R obertson 85 = 549.
School: Bruce 94, Ross 93, M orton 92, H arrison 92, Peters
89, Lawson 85 = 545.
Of the standard of shooting throughout the year, it must be
adm itted, that although good scores have been recorded,
inconsistency is too often our downfall and it must be the aim
of those returning to elim inate this factor.
S c h o o l S h o o tin g
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
" 3
Im provem ents in the range this year have comprised the
installation of a fan-driven electric heating system, the purchase
of new shooting jackets, and alterations to the doors, so that
six people can shoot com fortably at a time.
Of the twenty people who have shot for the school this year,
only three are leaving, and only one of these is from the
Perthshire League five. Next season, then, should see an all­
round improvement.
E. A. Lawson.
Fencing
of last year’s team returned, but failed to live up to
expectations, perhaps because of the ever expanding School
calendar, which em ployed m em bers of the team in other
activities.
A
ll
Only Cornish was able to enter for the Scottish Foil
Cham pionships in which, in view of the high standard of
fencing, he acquitted himself well.
In the com netition for the Thistle Shield, a trophy recently
presented for Inter-Schools Fencing, Strathallan cam e second
equal with D ollar A cadem y to M erchiston, who were clear
winners.
A win against E dinburgh U niversity rounded off an un­
spectacular season on a successful note.
M aitre Feathers paid regular visits for week-end coaching,
and again experienced the difficulty of raising enthusiasm in
beginners in the all-im portant basic principles which m ust be
mastered before com petitive fencing can take place.
Ridland, Parker and Cornish were aw arded colours for
seasons 1959-60-61.
R. J. R ankin.
RESULTS
School v. Edinburgh University (H om e)
Foil (M ax.
3 wins): R an k in 2; R id lan d 3; P a rk e r 3. W on 8-1.
Sabre (M ax. 2 wins): R a n k in 0; R idland 0; C o rn ish 2. L ost 2-7.
R esult: W on 10-8.
School v. M erchiston Castle (Aw ay)
Foil (M ax. 4 wins): R an k in 1; R id la n d 1; C ornish 1; P a rk e r 1.
R esult: L ost 4-12.
Foil (M ax.
H
School v. D undee Y .M .C .A . (H om e)
4 wins): R idland 3; P a rk e r 4; C ree 2;W ilkinson 1.
R esult: Lost 7-9.
ii4
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
School v. D ollar Academ y (A w ay)
F o il (M ax. 4 wins): R an k in 3; R id lan d 3; C o rn ish 0; P a rk e r 1.
R esult: L ost 7-9.
School v. M erchiston Castle (T histle Shield M atch) (A t D ollar)
F o il (M ax. 4 w ins): R a n k in 1; R idland 1; C ornish 1; P a rk e r 1.
R esult: Lost 4-12.
School v. D ollar Academ y (T histle Shield M atch) (A t D ollar)
F o il (M ax. 4 w ins): R ankin 4; R id la n d 3; C ornish 2; P a rk e r 0.
R esult: W on 9-7.
Fives
T he team h ad an average year, but was upset on two occasions
by P ate’s absence sitting exams.
T he following were the results:
v.
v.
v.
v.
v.
M erchiston (H om e). Lost
Fettes (A w ay). L ost
G lcnalm ond ( H om e). Lost
Edinburgh University (H om e). W on
Old Boys (H om e). W on
A.
M. Pate and H. G alt represented the School in the
Scottish Fives C ham pionship at Fettes at Easter, but were
beaten in the first round.
They also lost 7-11, 6-11 to A lleyn’s in the British Public
Schools’ Fives Com petition at W hitgift School, Croydon.
T he im provem ents both to the lighting system and to the
surface of the courts should increase the popularity of the game,
which has risen considerably this year.
C olours were aw arded to A rm strong and N airn, and
re-aw arded to G alt and Pate. G ray and D avidson form ed the
third pair. H alf the team — A rm strong, N airn and Davidson—
are likely to be here next year.
H. Galt.
Tennis
h e Tennis Club h ad a reasonably successful season. We lost
to Stew art’s College, Glasgow A cadem y and Fettes, but
m anaged to beat M orrison’s A cadem y and G lenalm ond.
T
D uring the season we h ad the services of Mr. W oodcraft, a
young professional from Dundee, and his coaching was found
useful by boys at all levels.
G D.B.
STRATHALLIAN CLUB
O ur President:
Ian M acE w en, E sq.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Strathallian Club
1961
H on. Office-Bearers, Office-Bearers and M em bers o f Council, Etc.
H on. President
W . N . S. H o a re , E sq., S tra th a lla n School, F org an d en n y .
T el.: B ridge o f E a rn 232.
President
*Ian M acE w en, E sq., 1 M elville T errace, Stirling.
T el.: S tirlin g 3315, S tirling 4072.
V ice-President
*W. G . R ow an, E sq., 8 B urnside R oad, W hitecraigs, R enfrew shire.
T el.: C e n tra l 6776 a n d N ew to n M e a rn s 3044.
H on. Secretary and Treasurer
*Iain A. H e ad ric k , E sq., B .E , 48 W est R egent Street, G lasgow , C.2.
T el.: D o u g la s 1554 a n d N ew to n M earn s 2971.
Retiring 1961
*N eil F . M aguire, E sq., 2 L arch R oad, D u m b reck , G lasgow , S .l.
T el.: Ib ro x 1795.
*E. W . L in to n , E sq., 45 M o n re ith R oad, N ew lands, G lasgow .
T el.: C en tral 8711 a n d L angside 4734.
*Dr. R. A. H o u sto n , 7 K ew T e rra ce , G lasgow , W.2.
T e l : W est 0164 a n d W est 2304.
Retiring 1962
*T. M . N icol, E sq., 32 M o n re ith R oad, N ew lands, G lasgow , S.3.
T el.: C entral 8258 a n d L angside 8886.
*W. D . B lanche, E sq., Jedderfield, N e id p a th R o a d E ast, W hitecraigs,
G lasgow . T el.: C ity 5931 a n d N ew ton M earn s 1822.
*T. R. G illies, E sq., 3 H a m ilto n D riv e, C am buslang, L an ark sh ire.
T el.: C am b u slan g 529.
Retiring 1963
*M . R. M itchell, E sq., 27 B ailie D riv e, B earsden, D u n b a rto n sh ire.
T el.: B earsden 4389.
*R. H . P a tte rso n , E sq., I l l B entinck D riv e , T ro o n , A yrshire.
T el.: C ity 3754 a n d T ro o n 1248.
*W. M . N a irn . E sq., 45 K in g sh ill D riv e, G lasgow , S.4.
T el.: C e n tra l 3652 a n d L angside 4324.
H on. Auditors
D . M . P au l, E sq., C .A ., 16 C am p b ell D riv e, Bearsden.
T el.: C ity 5931 a n d B earsden 4682.
R. A. W ilson, E sq., C .A ., 34 B lairtu m D riv e, B urnside.
T el.: B rid g eto n 2454 a n d R u th erg len 248.
Trustees for the Club (Retiring 1961)
J o h n M . T u rn e r, E sq., C .A ., 90 M itch ell S treet, G lasgow , C .l.
T el.: C entral 8433 a n d K ilm a rn o ck 329.
J. T u rn e r Jo h n sto n E sq., C.A ., 60 St. B rid e's R oad, G lasgow , S.3.
T el.: S o u th 2074 a n d L angside 0799.
Club M em ber on the Board o f G overnors o f Strathallan School
(Retiring School A .G .M ., 1961)
*T Irv in e, E sq., 20 W in d so r A venue, N ew to n M earns.
T el.: N e w to n M e a rn s 2152.
N o te 1— * In d ica te s d istrib u tio n list fo r C ouncil M eeting N otices.
N o te 2— W h ere m o re th a n one telep h o n e n u m b er is given,
business n u m b ers a p p e a r first.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
117
Council Sub-Committees for 1961
(In each case the President, V ice-P resident a n d H o n . S ecretary and
T rea su re r a re m em bers ex-officiis)
Editorial Board
W. G . R ow an.
Sports
N. F. M aguire (C.), W. D . Blanche, T. R. G illies, M . R. M itchell.
Dinner
R. A. H ouston (C.), R. H . P a tte rso n , W . M . N a irn .
Dance
T. M. N icol (C.), E. W. L in to n , N . F . M ag u ire, M . R. M itchell.
G o lf Section
Secretary
Ian M acE w an, E sq., 1 M elville T erra ce , Stirling.
T el.: S tirling 3315 a n d S tirlin g 4072.
Angling
Secretary
Jo h n H all, E sq., 9 T h o m R o a d , B earsden.
T el.: Ib ro x 1141 a n d B earsden 4767.
Curling
Convener
J. T u rn e r Jo h n sto n E sq., C.A ., 60 St. B rid e ’s R oad, G lasgow , S.3.
T el.: S o u th 2074 a n d L angside 0799.
O u r President
A t the A nnual G eneral M eeting of the Club Ian M acEw en was
unanimously elected President fo r the year 1960-61, an honour
well-deserved—considering the am ount of tim e he has given to the
Club, especially in the Golfing section.
M arried with two daughters—elder now w ith the A ustralian
Embassy in W ashington, D.C.
B rother of Dr. A. Cam pbell
MacEwen (1922-1927),
Attended Strathallan, 1922-1929. Vice-Captain of the School,
1928-29. Captain R uthven H ouse and Cricket, 1929. Rugby
Colours, 1928-1929.
Chairman of the fam ily business, M essrs. D. & J. M acEwen
and Co., L td., Stirling, W holesale and R etail G rocers, Provision,
Wine and Spirit M erchants, established 1804, now one of the
oldest family businesses in the trade. D irector of the associated
company, the M acEw en (Stirling) G rain Co., L td .,— and of
Messrs. Duthie, Shaw & Co., L td , H otel and C atering Suppliers
— Member of the Scottish Provision T rade Association.
Ian was a founder m em ber of the Strathallian G olf section in
1957. Is the present Secretary and T reasurer. H is prowess in this
sport extends to being runner-up in the W est of Scotland C ham ­
pionship in 1952. Past C aptain of Stirling and C allander Golf
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Clubs. Past President of the Stirlingshire G olf U nion—This,
as you can see, is his main hobby— though he has been known to cut
his lawn occasionally!
H e volunteered for service in the R .A .F . in A ugust, 1940—
qualified as a W ireless Direction-finding operator. Commissioned
as flying C ontrol Officer, 1943— served in England, Scotland, Ire­
land and Wales. L atterly as flying C ontrol Liaison Officer at
G roup H .Q ., Inverness.
The C lub is extrem ely lucky in having such a robust, jovial
and energetic President and we wish him every success in his
year of office.
A.G.M . and Annual Dinner
T he Tw enty-seventh A nnual G eneral M eeting of the Club was
held in the Station H otel, Perth, on Saturday, 3rd D ecem ber, 1960,
when the President, M r. J. T u rn er Johnston, C .A ., took the chair.
T he attendance of m em bers at the meeting was not as good as
usual, perhaps owing to the fact that the usual meeting room was
not available. T he form al business of the m eeting was carried
through expeditiously and this was followed by the usual custo­
m ary discussion on the place where the next A nnual General
Meeting and Dinner should be held. Views in favour of both
Glasgow and Perth were expressed along with a suggestion that the
D inner might be held in the town from which the year’s President
comes. It was agreed that the final decision should be m ade by
the new Council.
The Station H otel once again provided a first-class dinner
and thanks to Mr. L. S. Scott and his C om m ittee, the dinner
arrangem ents ran smoothly.
U nfortunately, M r. J. M. M cNicol who was to have proposed
the toast to the Club and the School was indisposed and could
not attend. His place w as nobly taken by Mr. Ian McSkimming,
C .A ., a close friend of the President who has been known to
accom pany him often on the golf course. T he President thanked
Mr. M cSkim m ing for accepting a t short notice his invitation to
propose the Principal Toast.
Mr. M cSkim ming paid tribute to the founder of the tradition
and to his successor and to the boys who have all contributed to
the wonderful scholastic establishm ent— Strathallan. He referred
to the history of the School from its inception at Bridge of Allan
in 1913 and to the death of H arry R iley as a relatively young
man in 1942. Mr. Riley had built a sure foundation on which
his successors could follow.
It had been difficult to obtain a
successor but the G overnors had persuaded Mr. H oare to accept
the post. T he School, under M r. H oare, has progressed well
and to-day it has taken its place am ongst the best Boarding
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Schools. Mr. McSkimming referred to the em inent Q.C. and the
humble Ironm onger as examples of the variation in the end pro­
ducts. The em inent Q.C. was, of course M r. R. S. Johnston the
Chairm an of the Board of G overnors and the hum ble Ironm onger
his brother the Club President, Mr. J. T urn er Johnston, M anaging
Director of a leading firm of Plum bers M erchants.
They
represent the highest tradition of the School.
The Strathallian Club was form ed in 1929 by the earnest wish
of a few Old Boys and M r. H arry R iley was its first President.
The Club now has over 1,000 m embers.
In replying to the toast on behalf of the C lub, M r. J. T urner
Johnston, the President, thanked Mr. M cSkim m ing for proposing
the toast so ably. Mr. Johnston saw few faces at the present
Dinner who had been at his first Dinner twenty-nine years ago
when just out of School, he had been asked to propose the health
of the Founder who was then the Club President. H e was very
proud to be replying to that sam e toast now.
Applications for m em bership of the Club are increasing in
num ber and this is largely d u e to the influence of M r. H oare.
We look forward to the day when the m em bership is such th at the
Club accounts will show a profit.
Mr. Johnston paid tribute to the w ork of the D inner C on­
vener and the Council throughout his year of office.
Mr. H oare replying on behalf of the School, congratulated
the President for allowing him to be on his feet before 10.15 p.m.
He thanked Mr. M cSkim m ing fo r his very com plim entary rem arks
about the School and himself.
H e was overwhelmed by the
capacity of the Club m em bers for taking punishm ent in the way
they were prepared to listen to his speeches. H e felt that his
speech was quite unnecessary as the inform ation was contained
in the Magazine. This observation was greeted with strong dis­
approval from all present.
The fete had been a most successful undertaking and the
result of enorm ous effort on the part of parents, staff, old boys
and pupils. It had raised the sum of £3,160 for the C hapel Fund.
A collection had been taken in the C hapel at G lenalm ond and the
sum of £12 donated to the fund. U p-to-date, £24,000 had been
raised out of the am ount required of £33,000.
Mr. H oare then dealt briefly w ith the scholastic and sports
achievements of the pupils, inform ation which was listened to
most attentively by his audience. H e felt th at there was no room
for complacency however, as there was m uch renovation and
improvement still to be tackled. He considered that the School
had a very practical and enthusiastic body of G overnors and
everything possible was being done to ensure that Strathallan holds
its place am ong other schools.
I 20
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
W. D. Blanche, one of the younger m em bers of the Club,
proposed the health of the guests in a m ixture of scathing and
com plim entary rem arks delivered in a m ost am using speech. A t
one stage, the m em bers were nervously anticipating him concluding
his toast with H ighland honours but the day was saved when he
concluded by saying that the only thing that saved the hall from
a shambles was the lack of stone fireplaces.
T he reply on behalf of the guests was ably given by M r. J.
G. R obertson.
Follow ing the speeches, M r. Ian M acEw en was invested as
President in traditional fashion and he presented an Ex-Presidents’
medal to Mr. Johnston. M r. M acEw en in his first rem arks as
President, thanked M r. T urn er Johnston m ost sincerely for all
that he had done for the C lub during his year of office.
Report of “ The London & South of England Branch
of the Strathallian Club”
T he Branch A nnual D inner was held in the Criterion R estaurant,
Piccadilly, on Friday, 17th M arch, w ith E . Sinclair in the chair.
Only eleven m em bers of the branch were present, but we were
pleased to welcome D r. W. C. Smith from M anchester and G. K.
Rom e from Glasgow who were in London for the C alcutta Cup
m atch at Tw ickenham on the following day. T h e H eadm aster
was also present and it is always with great interest and pleasure
that we, in the South, hear the latest news ab o u t Strathallan and
Strathallians from him.
T here are m any Strathallians in and around L ondon just now.
T. W. Higginson is at present appearing at the “ Old Vic ” and
hopes to go shortly to U .S.A . for a six m onth repertory season.
W. T. M acpherson has recently attended an I.C .I. industrial
course, E. J. Inglis has recently joined the branch as he is now
working in E dm onton, but several of our m em bers have left for
work overseas. Innes A nderson is pursuing his insurance pro­
fession som ew here in N orth A frica, D. B. Pirrie is in Venezuela
with the L ondon B ank of South A m erica and D. B eath is in the
Paris branch of the H ong K ong and Shanghai Banking Co-opera­
tion. A lso w ith this bank b u t at present still in London are
R obin G ray and J. C. S. R ankin. D. M . Sinclair, in shipping,
and H ayw ard, training in accountancy, are also in the City while
just across the river T. H arrison is doing a course in D entistry at
G uy’s H ospital. We understand that he is a leading m em ber of
the U nited Hospitals Sailing Club.
We hope to welcome m ore Strathallians to the South soon.
M. M cLellan is shortly expected back in England after serving
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
12 1
with the 5th Field R .A . Regiment in Hong Kong, and several others
will start their courses at Oxford or Cam bridge in October.
All Strathallians and their friends who are in London are
invited to our informal gatherings, held on the first M onday
evening of each month in the “ C aptain’s Cabin ” off H aym arket.
Anyone wanting further details about the B ranch should com ­
m unicate with the Secretary, K. R. H unter, 9 3/97 G ow er Street,
London, W.C. 1.
Dance Report
O n Friday the 20th January, 1961, the Old Boys’ held their
Annual D inner Dance in the Banqueting H all of the C entral Hotel,
Glasgow.
The w eather was dism al, fog reducing visibility to less than
50 yards in some parts of the City, but despite this, 200 people
all took their places at dinner. T he gloom outside was soon for­
gotten and the evening turned out to be m ost enjoyable— all
thanks to our D ance Convener, T om M. Nicol and his enthusiastic
Committee.
U nfortunately, owing to a bereavem ent in his family, our
President and his wife, M r. and Mrs. Ian M acEwen, were unable
to be present, but fortunately our V ice-President and his wife,
Mr. and Mrs. W. R ow an took over at very short notice and acted
as host and hostess to the principal guests— Mr. and Mrs. W.
Hoare.
The Kit K at Band, under the personal direction of Mr. Charles
Harkins, kept the dancers on the floor and “ In the m ood ”
throughout the whole evening. T he dance ended at 1 a.m . on
Saturday m orning with everyone of the opinion that the evening
was one of the best they had ever attended.
This coming season’s D inner D ance is being held once again
in the C entral H otel, on Friday, 19th January, 1962.
G olf Section, 1961
A t the A nnual G eneral M eeting of the G olf Section, held on
Sunday, 23rd O ctober, 1960, the following Office-Bearers were
elected: —
C aptain: R. H. Patterson.
Vice-Captain: G ordon S. Lowden.
M embers of Com m ittee: M essrs. R. P. T hom as; Dr. H . E.
Walker.
Hon. Secretary and T reasurer:
Terrace, Stirling.
Ian M acEwen, 1 Melville
I 22
T he M agazine o f Strathallan School
The Section have been m ost unfortunate with the weather
during this past year. O n each occasion their outing has been
ruined by gales or heavy rain-storm s. O ne of the worst was
last O ctober during the A utum n Meeting, a t the Panm ure Golf
Club, Barrie, when several of the m em bers struggled against a
howling gale, together with driving rain. T he scoring, n o t sur­
prisingly, was rather high. T he w inner turned o u t to be G ordon
Low den with a nett score of 79, which won him the Johnston
Trophy.
O nce m ore, at the Spring Meeting, a gale was blowing. This
was held at Gleneagles, on Sunday, 26th M arch, when all com ­
petitors had to contend with gale-force winds. T he winner of
the Reid Salver was Russell T hom as with a nett 78. T he runnerup was W. J. W alker with a nett score of 82.
Just to com plete the season’s activities, a Sum m er Meeting
was held at Gleneagles, on Sunday, 18th June. Once more,
although the w eather was fine, a gale was blowing and scoring
was naturally high. T he w inner turned out to be Dr. D. McCall
with a nett score of 74, which won him the Bogie T rophy, runnerup being Dr. H. E. W alker with a nett 75.
T he C lub entered a team for the Evening Tim es T rophy, and
were represented by Russell P. T hom as and Ian M acEwen. A fter
winning their first two rounds, they ‘ m et their m atch ’ when they
played the D epartm ent of H ealth for Scotland, and were finally
beaten 3 and 1.
T he Club are once m ore entering for the Queen Elizabeth
Schools C oronation T rophy, which is being held at Barnton,
commencing, on Saturday, 30th Septem ber, but, at the time of
going to press, the nam es of those representing the Club are not
known.
T o round-off the Season, an A utum n M eeting is to be held
at Gleneagles, on Sunday, 22nd O ctober, on the King’s Course,
at 10 o ’clock.
Angling Section
C aptain: J. S. G rosset. V ice-C aptain: J. D. Glen.
H onorary Secretary: J. H all.
S eason 1961 will be rem em bered not only for its blustery, wet
and disagreeable conditions but also for its m om ents of trium ph.
W ho would forget the Gillie’s countenance and gait as he carried
ashore A rdeonaig’s first fish of the season, a 151b. salmon landed
by Tom m y Philp. A nd then in Ju n e there was jubilation when
David Biggart won the Scottish N ational C ham pionship at Loch
Leven, thereby qualifying fo r next year’s Scottish Team and
joining ou r C aptain in the ranks of Internationals.
The M agazine o f StratItalian School
123
Com petitions at Loch Leven, Loch Awe, Loch V enachar and
the D aer Reservoir were well attended and the only regret is that
conditions were so bad for the Loch Leven m eeting with the
School.
Lindsay Young, hotly pursued by Willie N airn
throughout, was a worthy winner of the G rosset C up for the best
aggregate of brown trout in the season.
Plans are presently under way to put a boat on L och Tay
for use of m em bers and it is hoped that it will be available for
the beginning of next season. T he section’s m em bership is a
happy blend of experience and youthful enthusiasm which augurs
well for the future but new m em bers are always wanted and
should contact J. Hall, 9 T horn R oad, Bearsden.
University News
ST. A N D R E W S U N IV E R S IT Y
S trathallians are becoming very rare in the University, there
now being only six of us left, and we would very m uch like to see
some m ore Strathallians com e u p to St. A ndrew s to study in the
near future.
Last year in U nited College, St. A ndrew s we had R . J. M.
Philip, B.Sc. (1950-56) finishing his course in H onours Physics;
J. M. M clnnes, B.Sc. (1953-57) reading for honours in chemistry;
and R. Hellon (1952-58) reading for the degree of M.A.
In Q ueen’s College, Dundee, R. J. Kinvig (1953-58) was
finishing his Law degree, and he will be sadly missed by the
Cabaret Society next year. R . B. C lark, B.Sc. (1952-57) is now
reading for a degree in dentistry, and he also gained his com ­
mission in the Tay Division R .N .R . A lso C. P. Roselle (1954-59)
appeared on the D undee scene to read Engineering and he has
won a place in the U niversity R ugby X V.
Also in D undee at the College of E ducation was E . A. D avid­
son, M .A. (1951-56) who was w orking fo r his D iplom a of
Education.
Strathallian Club
D r . W. C. S m ith , better known to m ost as “ Bill,” has had a
very unfortunate m otor accident, which has put him out of action
for some considerable time.
W e understand that he is p ro ­
gressing slowly and we are sure that all who know him will wish
him well.
124
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
The Honourable Sir George Baker
S trathallan is very proud to record that on 3rd February, 1961,
the dignity of knighthood was conferred on George Gillespie
Baker, O .B .E ., Q .C ., subsequent to his appointm ent on 9th
January, 1961 as a Judge of the High C ourt of Justice.
Sir G eorge cam e to S trathallan from Glasgow A cadem y in
1921. H e took part w holeheartedly in all usual school activities.
It is believed that w hile at school Mr. Riley suggested to him that
he should go in for law and becom e a judge. H e said th at he
would, and it is typical of the m an that he did exactly w hat he
set out to do. H e was Senior Dux and a School Prefect in his last
year, 1927. In the sam e year he was adm itted to Brasenose
College, O xford, as a C om m oner but after winning the Bridgeman
Essay Prize was m ade an H onorary Scholar in 1929. He took a
B.A. with First Class in H onours School of Jurisprudence in
1930 and passed the B.C .L. E xam ination in 1931. He began a
distinguished career at the English Bar in 1932, being awarded a
H arm sw orth Scholarship of the M iddle T em ple in that year
and quickly building u p a large practice. As a Junior he was
R ecorder of B ridgnorth and of Smethwick, a m em ber of the
G eneral Council of the B ar, of the Law Society’s Legal Aid
C om m ittee and of the L ord C hancellor’s High C ourt Rules
Com m ittee. H e took “ s ilk ” in 1952 and was appointed R e ­
corder of W olverham pton in the same year, an office which he
held until his appointm ent to the Bench. In 1956 he acted as
C om m issioner appointed to hear objections to the proposed Egg
M arketing B oard, his R ep o rt being published as a Blue Book.
He gained judicial experience as a Com m issioner of Assize on the
N orth E ast and W estern Circuits in 1958. T he culm ination of his
career at the Bar and a recognition of the outstanding qualities
he displayed cam e in N ovem ber, 1960, when he was elected by his
professional brethren a Bencher of the M iddle Tem ple.
His w ar service was no less distinguished. Leaving a lucra­
tive practice, he joined the Q ueen’s Own R oyal W est K ent R egi­
ment as a private in O ctober, 1939, subsequently serving as 2nd
Lieut, in the C am eronians, Staff Captain and M ajor to A .A .G .,
W ar Office, and as Lieut. Col. A .A .G . Allied Force H.Q. North
A frica and Italy, and to 15th A rm y G roup. He was prom oted
Colonel in charge of A dm inistration in January, 1945 and latterly
served as a m em ber of the British W ar Crim es Executive. H e
was aw arded the M .B .E . in January, 1943, and the O .B .E. in June,
1945.
H e m anaged to com bine a practice at the B ar with a valuable
contribution to the political life in the south, being a m em ber of
Paddington Borough Council from 1933 to 1939, Chairm an of
The M agazine of Strathallan School
T h e H o n o u ra b le Sir G eorge B aker,
i 25
o .b .e .
Library (1936-1939) and D eputy C hairm an of the Legal and
Parliam entary C om m ittees, 1938-1939. As a national politician
he was, however, rejected by the electorate of Southall, H ayes and
Harlington in 1945!
H is services to Strathallan as a M em ber of the Board of
Governors from its inception until 1957, including one year as
Chairm an, when his guidance and counsel were so unsparingly
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
given, are rem em bered with gratitude and appreciation by all who
served with him. T he best wishes of all connected with the
School are extended to him at this tim e for a long and happy
career as one of H er M ajesty’s Judges.
R. S. J.
W e have been asked to print the follow ing notice:
T H E PU B L IC SCH O O LS CLU B
100 Piccadilly, L ondon, W .l.
All past m em bers of the School are eligible for membership.
Premises
100, Piccadilly is situated opposite the G reen Park and, in
addition to its Club R oom s, has thirty Bedroom s for the use of
members.
Ladies’ A n n exe
This adjoins the Club and has a separate entrance in White
Horse Street. T here are a D raw ing R oom , D ining R oom and
Cocktail B ar, where lady guests can be entertained.
Squash C ourts
A rrangem ents have been m ade for m em bers to use the courts
of a nearby Club and the Club takes part in the Bath Club
Inter-Club Squash R acquets Com petition.
Rates o f Subscription
T here is no entrance fee and the annual Subscription Rates are
at present as follow s: —per annum
Junior M em bers (aged 1 8 -2 3 )...
...
...
The above subscription entitles Junior
m em bers to full m em bership and the use o f
all the Club amenities).
£4
4 0
Tow n M em bership
...
...
...
...
(W here a m em ber has joined the Club under
the age o f 23, he m a y continue as a Tow n
m em ber until the age o f 27 at a Special S u b ­
scription o f £12 12 0).
C ountry M em bership
. .
...
...
£21
0 0
£9
9 0
Overseas M em bership
...
...
...
£3 3 0
A pplication for entry form s and any other particulars should
be m ade to: —
T he Secretary,
T he Public Schools Club,
100, Piccadilly, London, W .l
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
127
T H E C A L E D O N IA N CLUB
9 Halkin Street, L ondon, S.W .l.
(Members are required to be of Scottish descent, or to have been
born in Scotland and lived there for at least ten years).
Premises
Situated near Belgrave Square and adjacent to H yde Park
Corner, London; has m any room s including D ining R oom ,
Smoking Room , a L ibrary, the Stuart R oom —for private
parties— a Cocktail Bar, and 25 bedroom s for m ale members.
Rates o f Subscription
There is no E ntrance Fee for young men between the ages of
18 and 24, and annual Subscription Rates are at present as
follows;
SECTION E
18— 24
years of age—Town
M em bership—
C ountry M em bership—
25— 30 years of age—Tow n M em bership—
C ountry M em bership—
Overseas M em bership (under 30 years of age)—
£6
£5
£16
£9
£1
16
15
16
9
11
6
6
0
0
6
Application for entry form s and any other particulars should
be made to: —
The Secretary,
T he C aledonian Club,
9 Halkin Street, London, S.W. I .
Old Boys’ News
John A nderson (1940-46) of Hopson R oad, N orw ich, V erm ont,
U.S.A ., has transferred from H arvard M edical School to D a rt­
mouth Medical School where appointm ent is that of Research
Associate in Pathology.
Initiated into A m erican football by
D artm outh College boys, who also play a good game of rugger.
K. D. B allantyne (1954-58) represented Scotland in the In te r­
national A thletics contest in Cardiff in July, 1961, and he repre­
sented Edinburgh at M urrayfield in A ugust, 1961, in the one mile
event.
A. D. K. Cam pbell (1955-59) has reached the interm ediate
stage at the R .A .F . College at Cranwell, and is entering his 6th
term under training as a G eneral D uties /N avigator. He is in
the College Rifle V III, and represented his squadron at hockey,
shooting and cross-country.
128
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
Neil F. C lark (1953-58), S.D .A ., has graduated S.D.A. from the
W est of Scotland A gricultural College and is spending two m onths
on a Danish farm for experience in Agriculture.
A lastair J. W. Clayton (1946-49), M.B., Ch.B., is doing his
N ational Service as a doctor in the R oyal Canadian A ir Force
at Trenton, O ntario. H e holds a three year commission and is
due to finish in June, 1962.
J. D. Crichton (1941-45), C .A . W e offer our congratulations
on his appointm ent as assistant chief accountant, with Spillers
Ltd.
Peter Davidson (1948-1954), C .A ., completed his C hartered
A ccountancy exam inations and has recently taken up an appoint­
ment with a firm of C hartered A ccountants in Edinburgh.
T hom as J. Dodd (1935-39) is serving a three year tour of duty
with the U nited States Forces in France with his family. H e would
like to hear from Strathallians, and can be contacted through the
following address; M ajor T hom as J. Dodd 0526448, H eadquarters
V erdun Post, A .P.O . 122 (United States Forces), New Y ork, N .Y.
A lastair G ilm our (1952-56) is com pleting his N ational Service
in the R .A .O .C . and is then taking a managerial position in a
L aundry in L ondon. A lastair gives us news of the following old
boys— E u an G ilm our (1948-52) is w orking at Vickers A rm strong
A ircraft C om pany, as an electrical engineer and is married with
one daughter.
Cam pbell Duncan (1948-52) has taken on a
do cto r’s practice in A yr. John D uncan (1952-56) is now serving
in the arm y in G erm any in the R .A .S.C .
G raham G. H. G ordon (1955-60) has just completed his first
year as a C hartered A ccountant apprentice. H e tells us that
Peter Smith (1956-60) is enjoying his work in the Colonial Service
in N orthern Rhodesia.
Ian D. Henderson (1926-30), M .B., Ch.B. We congratulate
him on his appointm ent as Deacon of the Incorporation of Barbers
in Glasgow, 1960-61.
Ronald W illiam M clnnes (1956-60) is taking a course in
R adio Com m unications and W ireless Telegraphy, at the Glasgow
W ireless College.
Ian R. A. M acm illan (1953-57), M .A ., com pleted his M .A.
course last year, and is entering his final year of his Bachelor of
Laws degree. He is H onorary Secretary of the A berdeen U niver­
sity R .F .C ., and C aptain of the A berdeen U niversity L aw n Tennis
Club. H e gives us news of two S trath allian s:— J. M . McTnnes
is entering his honours year B.Sc. at St. A ndrews.
W. T.
M acpherson recently attended a three m onth course under the
auspices of I.C .I. at Munich.
The Magazine o f Strathallan School
129
Alan C. M illar (1949-54) is with the 1st B attalion the Royal
Sussex Regiment at present stationed at the Palace Barracks,
Holywood, Belfast, and his wedding was on the 7th Septem ber in
Holy wood.
I.
B. Milne (1932-39), B.Sc., M .I.S.E., has recently transferred
to full membership of the Institute of Civil Engineers. H e tells
us that he sees Charles Y ule of H untly from tim e to tim e who is
with Philips & Co., radio engineers in C roydon.
R. A. Peacock (1933-38) in his capacity as C hairm an of the
Scottish National Committee of the English Speaking U nion took
the Chair at the English Speaking Union Luncheon in E dinburgh,
at which Lord Harewood was the principal guest. We understand
that in the meantime J. A lastair M ontgom erie (1928-32) is looking
after the Glasgow Branch.
Alexander D. Ritchie (1951-54). We congratulate him on his
appointment as Director of M ann, Ballantyne & Co., L td., In co r­
porated Insurance Brokers. 183 W est G eorge Street, Glasgow,
C.2., and at Craven H ouse, 121 Kingsway, L ondon, W .C .2.
Stuart R. Roselle (1954-60) has just started an engineering
course at the University of Connecticut.
Maurice D. Rossie (1950-56) is a navigator in the R oyal A ir
Force, stationed at W ildenrath, G erm any.
H e tells us that
Donald C. Rossie has returned from T rinidad and now has an
appointment with British H ydrocarbon a t G rangem outh.
Ian K. R. Smith (1953-59) has concluded the two year course
for the Intermediate E xam ination of the Institute of British
Photographers, and is a trainee film cam era operator at T u rn er’s
Industrial Film Unit, Newcastle.
ENGAGEM ENTS
D A V ID S O N - Peter (1948-1954), B ankhead. Levcn. F ife, to M iss M oyra
A nne M cK enzie, elder d a u g h te r o t M r. a n d M rs. K e n n e th M cK enzie,
T h e P rio ry , K elso.
M A C M IL L A N —Ia n R. A. (1953-57), 7 R u b islaw D e n S outh, A berdeen, to
M iss Jo a n S inclair of A berdeen.
M IL L A R — A lan C. (1949-54), 26 Q ueen Street, H e len sb u rg h , to M iss M ary
Blanche N ash, d a ugh ter of M r. a n d M rs. G . C. N ash, O rc h ard H ill,
H olyw ood, Co. D ow n.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
M A R R IA G E S
B R O O K E R -M IL B U R N — H . I. C. (1951-55), to M iss N o ra A nne M ackay,
a t the D o rn o c h C a th e d ral o n 26th Septem ber, 1960.
C L A Y T O N — A la stair J. W. (1946-49), to
W o lv erh am p to n , in July, 1959.
M iss
M aureen Crooks,
of
G IL M O U R — A la stair (1952-56), o n 10th Septem ber, 1960.
H A D D O W — C o lin D. (1950-55), on 10th June, 1961, to M iss Jean M ilner.
B IR T H S
B R O O K E R -M IL B U R N (1951-55)— A t R aig m o re H ospital, Inverness, on
7th A ugust, 1961, to JVIr. a n d M rs. H . I. C. B ooker-M ilburn, a
dau g h ter, D enise.
C R IC H T O N . J. D . (1941-45)— O n 6th Ju n e, 1961, to M r. and Mrs. J. D.
C rich to n , a dau g h ter, Sheila M argaret.
D O D D , T h o m a s J. (1935-37)— O n 25th July, 1960, a t F o rt H o o d , Texas,
to M a jo r a n d M rs. T h o m a s J. D o d d , a dau g h ter, M e rri K athryn.
H A L L , Jo h n (1941-44)— T o M r. a n d M rs. Jo h n H all, 9 T h o rn Road.
B earsden, o n 13th M arch , 1961, a dau g h ter, E liz a b e th D orothy.
P O T T IE , A la sd a ir D . (1945-52)— T o M r. a n d M rs. A. D . P o ttie, on 19th
M ay, a son, G ra h am .
S H A W , Jo h n C. (1943-49)— O n 14th Ju n e, 1961, to M r. and Mrs. J. C.
Shaw , a dau g h ter, S h irley Jane.
Y A T E S , D a v id (1943-47)— O n 20th M arch , 1961, to M r. a n d M rs. D.
Y ates, a son, D avid.
DEATHS
D O N A L D , T o m (1917-24)— O n 28th F e b ru a ry , 1961. T o m D o n a ld w as a
successful L a n d A gent, A u c tio n e e r a n d V a lu e r in K ilm a rn o ck , and
also a fa rm e r. H e w as a keen s u p p o rte r of the C lub a n d w e extend
o u r deep sy m p ath y to his w ife a n d children.
The M agazine o f Strathallan School
O ur Contemporaries
W e acknowledge with thanks the receipt o f the follow ing m aga­
zines and apologise for any om issions from the list:
The Aberdeen G ram m ar School M agazine, The Breconian,
The Britannia Magazine, T he Cam pbellian, T he Corbie, The
Crawfordtonian, T he Edinburgh A cadem y Chronicle, The
Fettisian, Allen G len’s School M agazine, T he Glasgow A cadem y
Chronicle, The G lenalm ond Chronicle, T he G ordonstoun R ecord,
The Herioter, The H illhead H igh School M agazine, T he Leys
Fortnightly, T he Log of the N autical College, Pangbourne, The
M erchistonian, T he M onm outhian, T he M orpeth G.S. M agazine,
The R .A .F . College Journal, Scota Regia, Stew art’s College
Magazine, The Thunderer (R .N .E .C ., M anadon), The W atsonian
and The Wish Stream (R .M .A . Sandhurst).