OPA Newsletter July 1971
New Series No. 20
July 1971
THE OLD PHAROSIANS’
NEWS LETTER
President: J. W. MENTER, Sc.D., F.R.S.
Secretary :
H. R. Slater, Esq., Meadow Cottage, Beauxfield, Whitfield, Dover.
Treasurer:
Rev. W. F. Kemp, The Rectory, Denton, Canterbury, Kent.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Over the years I have been grateful to the faithful chroniclers of this Newsletter for keeping me in touch with people and events associated with the School. The duties of office as President have given me the additional pleasure this year of first hand contact with the living school, its masters past and present and many Old Boys.
I am glad to report that I have found all of these in good shape.
Notwithstanding the uncertain future of the School to which the Headmaster referred in the last Newsletter, there is an unmistakable sense of purpose and dedication among the staff to the educational needs of today’s generation of boys and a desire to ensure the continuity of the best traditions from the past into the future. A school such as ours with its Old Boys’ Association forms an important stabilising influence in the swirling tides of iconoclastic change which surround and sometimes threaten to engulf us.
An important part of that sound tradition for me has been the emphasis on extra-curricular activity, whether in the laboratory, on stage or at camp. From a desire to ensure the future of the first of these, in which I have a special personal interest, I proposed to the Headmaster and your Committee that we should establish a Science Project Fund as a memorial to the late W. E. Pearce. I wrote in greater detail to you all individually seeking your support and hope that you will draw it to the attention of any Old Boys who are not on our mailing list. I am pleased to say the immediate response has given much pleasure to the Headmaster and myself.
Inevitably the passing years take their toll of well loved masters and Old Boys as the February Newsletter recorded. I cannot conclude without special reference to the sudden loss earlier this year of our Vice-President, Eric Pudney. He served the School and the Association with devotion over many years and will be sadly missed.
J. W. MENTER.
Our apologies if you were a little late receiving the last Newsletter. This was due to various circumstances beyond our control.
NEW MEMBERS
Ordinary
D. T. Wraight, 4 Harpswood Lane, Hythe, Kent.
N. Halt, 138 Markland Road, Dover.
P. J. Sweet, West House, Mill Lane, Eastry.
J. Summers, 8 Orchard Road, Eastry.
D. Russell, 7 Frith Road, Dover.
Life
D. K. Slater, 55 Minnis Lane, Dover.
B. Skelton-Ford, 36 Foulds Close, Wigmore, Gillingham.
J. R. Morecroft, 162 Poverest Road, Petts Wood.
Dr. M. G. Hinton, 53 Old Church Road, Uphill, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.
The President spoke to School Leavers on the 21st May and the following joined the Association, Graham Lusted, Trefor Davies, John Philpott, David Prescott. Many others are likely to join when examinations end.
EDITORIAL GLEANINGS
It was a pleasure to call on Mr. and Mrs. Norman Sutton on the 26th March and congratulate them on their Golden Wedding Day. Norman was making a good recovery after his recent illness.
Many Old Boys will regret to learn of the passing of Miss F. D. Beets who was in charge of the School Canteen 1955-69.
Ray Russell is to be nominated by the Committee for the Office of President at the A.G.M. During the past fifty years Ray has been a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of the Association and its activites. He is President of River Gardeners’ Association and Secretary of the Whitfield Association.
During “re-organisation” there will be rumour and counter-rumour regarding the future of the School. All Old Boys should endeavour to ensure that the memories and labours of past years do not disappear in dust.
W. J. Ratcliffe, 17 Risebridge Road, Gidea Park, Romford, Essex, has been appointed Secretary and Treasurer of the Jubilee Trust Fund.
Mr. Archie E. Coulson is to be the Guest Speaker at the Annual Luncheon on the 18th September, 1971.
Eric Pudney bequeathed £100 to the School.
E. H. Baker, 24 Downs Road, Maidstone. (Tel. 62107)
OLD BOYS’ DAY-18th SEPTEMBER 1971
The Committee have decided that this year’s functions will follow the procedure of 1970 and they look forward to the attendance of a large number of Staff, Old Boys and their Ladies. The cost of the Luncheon will be 75 pence. Reservations to the Secretary (Kearsney 2033) by Wednesday, 15th September, 1971.
11.00 a.m. Bar opens in the Dining-room.
11.30 a.m. Annual General Meeting in the Geography Room.
(Coffee will be available for the ladies in the Dining-room 11.30-12.30).
1.00 p.m. Annual Luncheon.
2.45 p.m. Soccer Match. Old Boys v. School.
4.45 p.m. Tea.
AGENDA OF A.G.M.
1. Read the notice convening the Meeting 2. Minutes.
3. Matters arising.
4. Treasurer’s Report.
5. Secretary’s Report.
6. Election of Officers.
7. Any other business.
H. R. Slater (Hon. Secretary).
NEWS OF OLD BOYS
Sir C. Jarrett (1920-28) has retired from the Civil Service. He has been appointed Chairman of the Tobacco Research Council and of the Dover Harbour Board.
Dr. M. G. Hinton has been appointed Head of Weston-Super-Mare Comprehensive School. His son Christopher has obtained a scholarship to Hertford College, Oxford to read History, whilst David is to remain a pupil at Sevenoaks.
The following information has kindly been supplied by a member of the family regarding three brothers who attended the School during the second decade of this century. E. S. (Stan) Virgo was a pupil at Ladywell. He was a surveyor in the mining industry for 48 years, mainly in Nottinghamshire. A keen cricketer both as player and umpire. He passed away in December 1966 at his daughter’s residence at Pembury. Arthur L. Virgo followed his brother at D.C.S. During his career with the National Provincial Bank he was Manager at the London New Bridge Street, Southwark and Baker Street Branches. He died at Worthing in May 1970. Reginald Virgo made a career with the same Bank and was a Manager at Swindon and Eastleigh. He retired to New Milton in 1963, but unfortunately did not recover from a brief illness in 1964.
B. Crush (1948-56) is resident engineer on the Dover Corporation swim pool construction. following work on the Ramsgate Hoverport.
B. W. Taylor (1922-29) has retired as Headmaster of Deal Warden House Primary School.
R. J. Richards (1949-57), after a period with Courtaulds, has been elected to a Fellowship at Downing College where he will lecture on Control Engineering. He is married with one daughter.
S. Bell (1955-60) has been appointed Head of the Middle School at Trimley St. Mary, Felixstowe.
E. H. Baker (1922-30). Area Finance Officer at Maidstone has retired after 41 years service with the Kent County Council.
F. A. Cockfield (1924-33) has been appointed chief tax adviser to the Treasury. He was a managing director at Boots Ltd.
R. Cork (1957-63) has obtained his diploma in public health inspection.
B. R. Hoppa (1952-57) has been appointed deputy treasurer of Battle Rural District.
L McInnes (1936-43) is joining Powell Duffryn Technical Services, Hertford, afrer 26 years with the N.C.B.
T. A. Sutton (1940-47) is Vice-Chairman of the New Dover Group.
D. Langley (1956-61) is a medical laboratory technician at Buckland Hospital. He is a prominent voluntary worker with the St. John Ambulance Brigade.
E. Bussey (1921-26) Kohe Kohe Street, Meremere. North Island. New Zealand, recently visited Dover.
A. Mono (1956-63) has been commissioned a pilot in the R.A.F. He was six years with the Kent Constabulary.
A. L. Bartlett (1964-70) has been enjoying life at Hendon Police College prior to joining the Kent Constabulary.
Roger Cuff (1950-55) is President of the South Coast Rowing Association.
D. G. A. Sanders (1918-27) Potters, Worth, Sussex. recently retired as Education and Training Officer of the Metal Box Company, and is now chairman of the Southern Counties Region of the UNA. He recently re-married. His son achieved an M.Sc. degree at Reading University in 1970.
W. F. Kemp (1923-30) teaches Divinity at the School on a part-time basis.
E. W. J. Moseling (1922-30) would like news of Paterson, Crofts, Martin and Hopkins.
I. Elder (1964-70) writes from Warwickshire that he has gained a local award of £50 for an educational work study in the South of France this summer holiday. He asks to play in the Soccer match.
J. Bloomfield. We regret to record his death at the age of 21 years on 13th May, 1971 at Vera Cruz, Mexico. He was a 2nd Officer in the Merchant Navy.
J. M. Saunders (1922-28) 1 Riversdale Court, Hawthorn 3122, Victoria, has recently written to Bill Moore. He is Director of Personnel with the Australian Division of General Motors Corporation. He has two daughters, one a law graduate at Melbourne University, the other in her final year in Arts and Social Studies. Jim had a distinguished career in the Army; won the Prize Sword at Sandhurst, joined the East Surrey Regiment and later the Royal Ghawali Rifles, becoming the youngest Lt. Colonel in the Indian Army.
R. Haydon (1929-37) British High Commission, Private Bag No. 10, Zomba, Malawi, writes that if the School is ever re-named he would suggest “Prince George’s School”.
NEVILLE MOORCROFT (1915-20)
This most kindly of men had a life-long affection for the School, where the news of his sudden passing on the 17th May, 1971, at Shepton Mallett, was received with sorrow.
Between the wars he was a marine engineer. In the second world war he served with R.E.M.E., and the end of hostilities found him back in Dover uncertain how to pick up the threads of life.
By a happy chance he met W. E. Pearce who invited him to return to School as Laboratory Technician. W.E.P. produced a flow of new ideas and Neville embodied them in metal and wood with much ingenuity and admirable craftsmanship. He never seemed pressed for time; he always took opportunity to help anyone who asked. Both he and his son, John, were Masters of Pharos Lodge.
Neville was a man of many friends; it is inconceivable that he should have any enemies.
K.H.R.
THE MAY BALL
The poet Gray’s “Ode on the Spring” ends with this line “We frolic while Us May”. Some of us can recall ice-cold New Year’s Eve Dances. Now we come without an overcoat and fill the Hall with fresh green beech leaves.
A lot of the success is due to AI Oark who looks at the assembled company and with great understanding plays music that keeps most of us moving. He plays music; the young of today seem to want a blacked-out cellar and an artillery barrage.
Some Old Boys who live in Dover come every year, and always there are one or two from far-away places. Most of the teaching staff come with their wives; and a great many parents bring their friends and make up parties round the room. Drop a line to the School if you would like early notice of next year’s date.
K. H. Ruffell.
MR. A. E. COULSON
Arch Coulson is retiring this Summer after forty-three years at the School-the last survivor of the Whitehouse era.
He recalls pleasures of the ’30s when with W.W.B. and T.E.A. he would leave at 4.15 p.m. daily for the golf course behind the Castle. Then came the war years in Ebbw Vale and Abergavenny when he was a Company Commander in the L.D.V. and he was in charge of the School Cadet Corps from 1939-50. He became Head of the Maths Department when Mr. Froud retired in 1939, and in recent years he pioneered the extension of Mathematics into Computer Science. He has recently written two Maths text-books, and his work has been appreciated by the award of an Honorary Lectureship in the University of Kent.
To him and Mrs. Coulson we offer our very best wishes for a happy retirement in the years that lie ahead.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday, 18th September Old Boys’ Day.
Friday, 12th November Guest Evening.
9th, 10th, 11th December School Play. “Androcles and the Lion “.
16th December Carol Service at Charlton Church.
21st December End of Autumn Term.
1972 29th March End of Spring Term.
Thursday, 11th May School Concert.
The next issue of the Pharos may be obtained from the School – Price 30p including postage.
If you have not paid your subscription, please send a remittance to the Treasurer.
Denis Weaver Ltd., Printers, Dover
Some Old Boys who live in Dover come every year, and always there are one or two from far-away places. Most of the teaching staff come with their wives; and a great many parents bring their friends and make up parties round the room. Drop a line to the School if you would like early notice of next year’s date.
K. H. Ruffell.