Newsletter of The Old
Thorntonians Association (Clapham)
“Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.” John Ruskin (1819-1900)
No
7
November 2008
Fourth
Reunion – Saturday 20 September 2008
This year’s attendance was around 50. In addition to
the now customary display of photographs and other memorabilia, those present
were able to view the memorial plaque commemorating the 54 pupils who lost
their lives during the Second World War. As readers will be aware, the plaque
has been commissioned by the Association and funded entirely by donations from
its members and other OTs. The
Governors of Lambeth College have kindly agreed to have the plaque - replacing
the original, lost when the school closed in the late 1980s - installed in the
new sixth form centre, due to open during the 2009-10 academic year.
The next reunion will be on 19 September 2009.
Annual General Meeting
Another date for your diary: the next AGM will be held on Saturday 7
February 2009 at The Windmill, starting at 2pm. The agenda and supporting papers will be circulated nearer the
time.
Membership
It’s pleasing to report that total membership has
increased to 104, including one Associate.
Website
Two recent additions: a short colour film, taken in 1966 by Mike Prendergast (1959-66),
and, courtesy of Peter Wells (1954-60), the May 1957 school photo.
Obituaries
Alan Bickers (1953-8): died 13 September 2008. Classmate Peter Hunt (same years) writes that Alan had moved to Australia about 38 years ago and is survived by his wife Pam and their sons. Let Ted Hayward know if you would like to be put in touch with Alan’s family.
George Dustow (1932-7): died 7 June 2008. Second XI cricket team, 1936, and Matriculation prize winner, 1937.
John Esmonde (1948-55): died 10 August 2008. His death was widely reported in the UK press. Bob Catlin (same years) recalls: “He and I were contemporaries. We started at HTS in the Autumn of 1948 and left in Summer 1955. We were both in the Science stream – in the Sixth Form John did Biology subjects, I did Maths and Physics, and we shared Chemistry. John was a great sportsman: he was Captain of Swimming, and as Captain of Fives he was forever in the Fives court. He was in the Cricket and Soccer first elevens. He did well in Athletics and always won in his weight in the annual Boxing competition. He was also a member of the school Gymnastics team, and I’m pretty sure he was Captain of Macaulay House. In fact, John was into everything, probably more than I can now remember after 50-odd years. He even did a bit of acting in school plays. We were both prefects, he because of his good behaviour – and me because of my bad! He was popular with everyone: with his contemporaries because of his cheerful, good nature, and with the rest of the school because of his sporting prowess and leadership qualities. Outside school John showed a strong humanitarian conscience. He wanted me to help with the Spastics holiday project, but I always had to work through the school holidays. He also had the idea of working with the animals at Bertram Mills circus (at Earl’s Court) but was unsuccessful in his application. He did have a massive German Shepherd that he took for walks on Clapham Common; it frightened the hell out of everyone! In summary, if you want to get a feel for what John Esmonde was like, just look at the Esmonde/Larbey character Tom Good in the television series The Good Life.”
Clive Young (1943-8) has provided the following additional information about Mike Willett, who died on 24 January 2002 (obituary in issue no 4): he was a professional county cricketer with Surrey, scoring several centuries during his playing career, 1955-67, including 126 (his highest) in 1961 and 1964, and clocking up a total of 6535 runs. Lived at Bookham, Surrey, on his retirement.
OT/OC Meeting at Chichester
Five OTs (Don Appelbe, Les Garrett, Peter Gash,
Terry Sharp and Doug Ward) had a convivial “mini-reunion” at Chichester High
School for Boys on 11 July 2008. They
were joined by a number of Old Cicestrians who also pupils at CHSB during the
war years and were accompanied by John Childs, Deputy Head. Terry Sharp, who organised the event, would
be pleased to give any interested readers more information; he can be contacted
on 020 7223 5102.
From Steve Kingshott
(1951-5), following up, in part, Derek Yandell’s piece on 1351 Squadron in
issue no 6: I think that Mr Wilson, nickname Tug, had a finger or thumb
missing, and I remember him flying with me in an Anson out of Kenley
c1953. A number of people on one
particularly rough flight were very airsick, including Tug. I only remember Bob Bramble for his wielding
of the slipper, but I do remember doing my Morse code, now sadly abandoned. And
also the Link Trainer, which taught me my basic flying skills. Dear old Flt-Lt Williams was OC; he was one
of my favourite masters and I remember his Japanese General Sohcahtoa (sine,
cosine and tangents). Did any of them,
I wonder, have any real experience or training in the job? Hopefully someone “out there” will know and
inform us. I do know those uniforms
scratched like mad, but like many others I did “soap in” the trouser
creases. Others, I understand, stitched
them. There was a school trip to Paris
and Switzerland (Lausanne) in 1953. I
made some money selling cigarettes, alcohol and fruit (on the coach
trips). I also learned poker from the
children at the Lycée (school) and helped to introduce it to HT, but managed to
avoid the caning on stage in the hall when a number of players were caught
during a lunchtime game in the field. I
still think I was the best chess player in my final year, having beaten Leslie and Morgan in the heats, but
if anyone disagrees I’d like to hear from them!
From James Hiney
(1941-4): Sammy Read took the whole
Fifth Form out into the wide open spaces of ChiHigh [Chichester High School for
Boys] playing fields to teach us the
“speed of sound v speed of sound” problem.
Four of us were despatched with stop-watches to stand a measured
distance from the rest, including himself with a shot-gun. When we saw the puff, we were supposed to
start the watches and switch off when we heard the bang. I forgot to “stop” in the excitement of the
moment, but fortunately he asked for my “reading” last of the four!” BUT what terrible consequences would
descend on him these days, if he did
anything like that? One’s mind is past
boggling!
From Mike Overton (1945-50): I can beat John Simmons on the Irish story,
I’m sorry to say. [See issue no 4, page 3.]
When I took my mock History GCE (as it was then) in 1950, one of the
questions was: “Outline the main
cause(s) of the Irish discomfort in the
19th Century”. Allegedly, one of the
boys (not me, I regret to say, and the
main suspicion centred on a boy named Bill Bailey) answered: “Eating biscuits in bed”. If you think about it, that makes more sense
than the potato anecdote!
From the Pages of The
Thorntonian
Summer 1937:
THE THORNTONS
The
first known reference to the Thornton family is probably in connection with the
transcription of the “Thornton Romances”, which was made about 1400. In 1563 this family received, through Robert
Newton, of East Newton, Yorkshire (North Riding), a grant of a crest and coat-of-arms. The three thorn bushes in the crest are a punning reference on
the name Thornton. There are references
to three Thorntons who were successively rectors of Birkin and to their
devotion to Church and Crown during Stuart times.
In
the Gentlemen’s Magazine for November, 1790, there is a notice of the
death of John Thornton. Part of the
notice is here reproduced: “On November
7th, 1790, at Bath, John Thornton, Esq., of Clapham, Co. Surrey. He was the greatest merchant in Europe,
except Mr. Hope, of Amsterdam; and generally one half of his profits were
dedicated to the poor…” A poem, “In
Memory of the Late John Thornton, Esq.”, was written by William Cowper. It is reproduced in Vol. X of Southey’s
edition of Cowper’s works. John
Thornton had four children: Samuel,
M.P. for Kingston-upon-Hull and Surrey,
a director of the Bank of England for 56 years and Governor in 1800; Robert, M.P. for Colchester; Jane, who
became Countess of Leven; and Henry, M.P. for Southwark. These three sons all formed part of the
majority which, under Pitt’s leadership in 1784, triumphed over the coalition
between Lord North and Fox. The
youngest son, Henry Thornton, from whom our School takes its name, was born in
an old red-brick mansion on South Side, Clapham Common, part of the estate now
being the property of an important Roman Catholic community. John Thornton offered the shelter of a home
to his nephew, Williams Wilberforce, M.P. for York, and so began that
association of personages known as the “Clapham Sect”, which has stamped the
surroundings of a suburban village with abiding dignity and rendered some of
its residents famous among their
contemporaries.
Henry
Thornton represented Southwark in Parliament for thirty-three years, 1782-1815,
and was recognized not only for his prominent abilities, but also for his
effective, yet unostentatious, participation in all the philanthropic movements
of his day, especially in connection with the emancipation of slaves. His character, as drawn by Sir James Stephen
in his “Essay upon the Clapham Sect”, shows him to have been a man of high
principles and imbued with a sense of responsibility for the welfare of others,
and it is therefore appropriate that the memory of such a man should be
perpetuated in the name of a school.
Henry
Thornton’s constituents in Southwark subscribed to have his portrait painted by
Hoppner. This was exhibited in the
Royal Academy, and a copy of it now hangs in the School Hall. The family later moved to Battersea Rise
House, and in the “oval chamber”, designed by the younger Pitt, many famous
political gatherings have taken place.
Henry Thornton died in Wilberforce’s house in Kensington Gore.
The
last member of the Thornton family who has influenced our School is Percy M.
Thornton. He was Member of Parliament
for Clapham from 1892 to 1910, and residents of Clapham during that time will
remember him as a familiar figure riding on Clapham Common. During this time the Battersea Polytechnic,
in which our School began, was founded under the chairmanship of Mr. Edwin
Tate. Both Mr. Percy Thornton and Mr.
Tate took a keen interest in our School in its early days.
J.
Hart-Smith
Autumn 1959:
Valete
MR. C.E. JEREMY
Even
in scholastic circles, where occasionally boys of a school return as masters, there
is not often one so closely identified with the life of a school as C.E. Jeremy
has been. Indeed, he has often said
that it was the school’s first headmaster, Arnold Smith, who opened to him the
vista of a full life, and gave him inspiration, and from this contact stems his
philosophy of life, his consideration for others as individual personalities,
and his devotion to Henry Thornton School.
A pupil of the original Battersea County School from 1909 to 1913, he
returned to it as History Master, and is this year retiring after a unique
association of fifty years.
My
earliest personal recollection of him was in 1928, when I heard him read the
minutes at my first Staff Meeting before we came to see our new building on
South Side. Even then he was remarkable
for his clear articulation, and lent dignity to the mundane arrangements he was
recording. Soon we were to note his
wide and accurate range of historical knowledge, his love of the parliamentary
system and its customs, but he was also, particularly, the liaison between the
School and the Old Boys. He it was who
scanned the Honours lists, the Degree pass lists. He kept us in touch with the fortunes of the boys we had taught. How gladly we greeted those who returned to
us – often in uniform during the war; our work was worthwhile.
It
was fitting that in 1939, when we held the Clapham exhibition [see
also following extract], he should be in charge of an absorbing
display of books, records and pictures connected with Old Clapham; some from
that famous Clapham character, John Burns.
Evacuation
to Chichester followed, and it was characteristic that he took over the task of
billeting our boys – a task fraught with difficulties and much unrewarding
toil, but many a small boy had cause to thank him for his patient perseverance.
On
our return he took over the Economics Advanced Course, and continued his close
association with the Old Boys, and eventually became Deputy Headmaster, and
during the interregnum was in charge of the School. As Second Master many of us have to thank him for the courteous
ear he turned to us in our difficulties, his unfailing tact and
considerateness. Indeed, though he can
on occasion be forthright and firm, his forbearance and exquisite manners have
endeared him to all. To colleagues and
to boys, past and present, he is, and always has been, the gracious symbol of
the School. No one can replace him for
he is its past and its present, and we must in our turn wish him happiness in
his future. No more will he entertain
us with his oratory at House Teas, or farewells to members of Staff, and it was
most appropriately at the House of Commons in April, at a dinner in his honour,
that he recalled for us some of his experiences, for he loved the British
Constitution.
Farewell
and thanks to a great Thorntonian, and a loveable man.
W.J.C[ooper]
Spring 1939:
EDITORIAL
Events this term have
been very largely overshadowed by the forthcoming Clapham Exhibition of 1939,
which is to be held on Friday, March 31st, and Saturday, April 1st. Suggested at first as a School venture,
dealing with Science in Industry, it has now been ambitiously designed to
include the whole of the educational and industrial activities of Clapham. The scope of the exhibition is indicated by
the programme, which is a volume containing many pages on Clapham and its
interests, past and present, and giving details of exhibits. Models, paintings, scientific experiments,
handicraft work done by both girls and boys from neighbouring secondary and
elementary schools, will be on view. Demonstrations will be given by
manufacturers, showing the many processes in different industries. There will be special features covering the
different aspects of Clapham life, including, it is hoped, a School Lacrosse
match on the field.
The unparalleled
expansion of modern London tends to hide, in a welter of indistinguishable
streets, the individuality and importance of each particular district. But it is thought that the Exhibition will
indicate to some slight extent the importance, both past and present, of
Clapham, and will encourage its inhabitants to be proud of the great men and
great industries with which its name is associated. [Selected
extracts from the Exhibition programme are displayed on the Association’s
website.]
Spring
1932:
Correspondence
To the Editor of “The
Thorntonian”
Dear Sir,
This
letter is written in response to the request to your readers that they should
send you their suggestions or criticism of our School Magazine. There can be no doubt that one function of
the Magazine is to give an accurate and comprehensive account of all the School
events: these accounts should not be confined to a mere statement of, e.g., the
result of a cricket match, but should include a brief description of the play. I cannot
find in the issues of “The Thorntonian” for last year any accounts or
even records of cricket matches played, nor any record of the names of the boys
who were awarded their First XI colours.
I
am firmly convinced, however, that in addition to being a chronicle of School
events, the Magazine should be a medium for the expression of original
thought. Such expression need not be
confined to literary contributions, but could be made manifest in accounts of
School activities.
I
was pleased to see that the last issue contained an innovation in the shape of
an “Editorial”, but it was not what an Editorial should be. It should either be expressive of the
Editor’s personal opinions, or a reflection of what is felt on important
questions connected with the School.
Yours, etc.,
VICINUS
School
Captains
As
promised in the previous issue, here’s the list, which Ted Hayward has been
able to compile, with a few gaps, from 1929-30 to 1972-3. Please advise him of any corrections, or
additional entries for the years not shown. Names marked with an asterisk refer
to appointments at Chichester High School for Boys, during the wartime
evacuation; those not confirmed are preceded by ?.
|
1929-30 |
A
G Ranson |
1930-1 |
L
W Dennis |
1931-2 |
G
Bishop |
|
1932-3 |
G
Bishop |
1933-4 |
E
C Stokes |
1934-5 |
R
Highman |
|
1935-6 |
R
Miller |
1936-7 |
E
O Rowlands |
1937-8 |
A
E Smith |
|
1938-9 |
R
S Hope |
1939-40 |
?R
Haines |
1940-1 |
*D
Bishop |
|
1941-2 |
*M
Clarkson |
1942-3 |
*E
C K Wilson |
1943-4 |
L
W Watkins |
|
1944-5 |
M
J Challons |
1949-50 |
?J
P Poole |
1950-1 |
R
G Morfee |
|
1951-2 |
D
F Yandell |
1952-3 |
R
G J Wood |
1953-4 |
G
E Pennington |
|
1954-5 |
G
E Pennington |
1955-6 |
B
D Knott |
1956-7 |
S
W M Hughes |
|
1957-8 |
W
E Newton |
1958-9 |
D
J Lovelock |
1960-1 |
A
M Rose |
|
1961-2 |
A
D Dinkin |
1962-3 |
A
Hicks |
1963-4 |
M
Graveney |
|
1964-5 |
P
Barkley |
1967-8 |
L
Marlow |
1969-70 |
D
McNeill |
|
1972-3 |
S
Bryant |
|
|
|
|
Clapham
Common – Wartime Deep Shelters
Issue
no 6 included an appeal from Alyson Wilson, of The Clapham Society, for
reminiscences from any OTs (and
friends/relatives) who had used these shelters during or after the Second World
War. Since the part of the Society’s
September meeting about the shelters which attracted most attention was the
tape recordings of memories, she has now asked for recorded memories of those
who recall Clapham during and just after the war. Do you remember the air-raid shelters, the allotments, prefabs
and gun emplacements on the Common, or bomb damage in the streets? If so, would you like to make a short
recording (definitely no longer than 10 minutes) on an audio tape or CD to be
kept for the Society’s archives, and possibly used at one of its future
meetings about that period? If so, please contact Alyson at: alysonwilson.sw4@virgin.net; 020 7622 6360; 22 Crescent Grove, London, SW4 7AH. [A summary of the Deep Shelters story appeared in the November
2008 Society newsletter, available online at www.claphamsociety.com, and in due
course the full talk, with pictures, will appear in its Local History series.]
_____________________________________________________________________________
The Editor welcomes
contributions for future issues. Please
post or e-mail them to Ted Hayward, 31 Linfields, Little Chalfont, Amersham,
Bucks HP7 9QH; ted.hayward@btinternet.com