SMOKING BY MASTERS

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Kit Bartlett
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SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by Kit Bartlett »

Can any one recall masters smoking in boys' presence in the classroom or in their house?
I seem to remember that there were a number of pipe smokers amongst the staff.
Kit Aitken in Coleridge A used to give advice to visiting Old Blues of which the following
were gems.
"Don't smoke in the Day Room", "Don't introduce your girl friend to a master by her christian name" and wisest of all "Don't come down too often".
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by eucsgmrc »

I don't remember masters smoking in our presence, but that certainly doesn't prove that they didn't do it. We were so used to adults smoking, and so used to the smell of smoke in public places, that we simply would not have noticed. I do recall that some masters had a reputation for smoking, and we noticed how yellow their fingers were stained. I just can't say whether or not they did this smoking where we could see them.

Kit Aitken was far more aggressive in his suppression of smoking than of drinking.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by postwarblue »

I recall Chinky Buck in the senior domitory of Col B having a general chinwag with some of the boys while smoking a cigar and tipping the ash into his trouser turnups.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by Mid A 15 »

I don't remember any master that taught me smoking in the classroom although I can remember seeing "Phallic" smoke outside it.

TH Keeley and BS Gregory would both smoke about the House sometimes when they were Maine A Housemasters as I recall.

My one other Housemaster, RJ Lorimer in Mid A, didn't smoke as far as I'm aware and I cannot recollect offhand any junior housemasters** from either Maine A or Mid A smoking in our presence.

** That said I've had a sudden flashback of Chris Read the Maine A Junior Housemaster and Metalwork teacher smoking a pipe in house.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by J.R. »

Neither housemasters of Col B smoked, as I recall.

The most prolific smoker had to be 'Phal' Matthews, the science teacher.

The head, C.M.E.S. was a pipe smoker, usually lit as he stalked around the school.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by LongGone »

J.R. wrote:
The most prolific smoker had to be 'Phal' Matthews, the science teacher.
There were buckets of sand outside the lab (I assume for firefighting) that were packed with butts, as he always finished a cigarette before coming in.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by jhopgood »

CJ Miller, Housemaster Ba B, smoked a pipe, which he normally extinguished before coming in for evening prayers.
Once smoke started from his jacket pocket, where he had put the pipe, and another time from the top of his head, after he had scratched his head, pipe in hand.
Matthews used to disappear at half time during double periods, and we kept an eye on him as he always went to the toilets in the Art School car park. Many a prank was played whilst he was there, and Webber missed the second period as he was stuck in a cupboard under a sink. Matthews must have been used to this type of thing as he made no comment, even when Webber appeared when the final bell rang.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by Foureyes »

When first in the Upper School I started to learn to play the piano and the flute, but gave up after two terms. The more important reason was my total lack of any musical talent, but the other was that the master, named Terry (surname not Christian name), used to smoke a lot. He never smoked whilst I was in the room, but clearly did so in the breaks and as the music rooms were tiny the smell was quite overpowering and very unpleasant.
Concerning pipe smoking, I believe that it was a 'manly thing' in those days. Whan I was researching for my book 'Freedom We Died For You' I assembled numerous photgraphs of Old Blues who had died in the war and noticed how many formal shots were taken with the subject holding a pipe - particularly among junior RAF officers.
That reminds me that my senior housemaster - Archbold - used to smoke a pipe (and, as it happens, he had been in the RAF during the war) and he certainly smoked in his study with boys present, but never, as far as I can recall, outside it. All discussions with him were punctuated by frequent pauses as he lit his pipe, sucked on it, tamped the burning tobacco with his finger, etc, etc, and all other elements of the pipe-smoking ceremony.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by Kit Bartlett »

Dare one ask how P.G. Matthews gained his nickname?
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by J.R. »

Kit Bartlett wrote:Dare one ask how P.G. Matthews gained his nickname?

I seem to remember the 'Phallic' came from the noise he used to make when deeply inhaling cigarette smoke. sharply breething in through almost clenched lips. A sort of ph-hiss !
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by LongGone »

J.R. wrote:
Kit Bartlett wrote:Dare one ask how P.G. Matthews gained his nickname?

I seem to remember the 'Phallic' came from the noise he used to make when deeply inhaling cigarette smoke. sharply breething in through almost clenched lips. A sort of ph-hiss !

Well, there goes my old theory about the name! :wink:
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by postwarblue »

I always thought it was Fallic. He had some sort of astigmatism which meant that when pouring from one test tube to another the superimposition was imperfect. If the liquid being poured were nitric acid it paid not to be on the front row of stools. I saw him go for something in an inside pocket once and the result was amazing - a wodge inches thick of wallet, cheque book, letters, papers - I think that pocket was his office. The supporting sports jacket was of many colours, many more than at its original manufacture.

One of Mr Terry's affectations was blue-tinted sunglasses. When I was on the Col B fire brigade, after charging up the cloisters past The Oil's office, where unaccountably the high-charged fire cart would overset spilling all the brass branch pipes out with much satisfying noise, we would race to our 'fire' by the music block in the hope that when we ordered 'Water On!' Mr Terry's window would be open. Ah the simple pleasures of youth.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by Kit Bartlett »

Mention is made of P.G. Matthews' sports jacket worn in class.
I seem to remember that most masters dressed fairly casually. The dreaded D.S. Macnutt, who incidentally was a pipe smoker par excellence, generally wore a sports jacket.
As one who read the Greyfriars and other school stories avidly in his youth their masters were always shown in the illustrations with full mortar board and gown. CH Masters wore their gown in chapel if so eligible and on certain other formal occasions. Fred Haslehust never did and there was speculation at the time that he never took his final degree although I find this hard to believe.
Was there a time when CH Masters were ever thus fully attired throughout the day?
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by J.R. »

Kit Bartlett wrote:Mention is made of P.G. Matthews' sports jacket worn in class.
I seem to remember that most masters dressed fairly casually. The dreaded D.S. Macnutt, who incidentally was a pipe smoker par excellence, generally wore a sports jacket.
As one who read the Greyfriars and other school stories avidly in his youth their masters were always shown in the illustrations with full mortar board and gown. CH Masters wore their gown in chapel if so eligible and on certain other formal occasions. Fred Haslehust never did and there was speculation at the time that he never took his final degree although I find this hard to believe.
Was there a time when CH Masters were ever thus fully attired throughout the day?
Chris B.

Certainly NOT in my day. As you stated, the only time we saw masters in gowns was during chapel services, and I believe, speech-day.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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Re: SMOKING BY MASTERS

Post by sejintenej »

J.R. wrote:
Kit Bartlett wrote:Mention is made of P.G. Matthews' sports jacket worn in class.
I seem to remember that most masters dressed fairly casually. The dreaded D.S. Macnutt, who incidentally was a pipe smoker par excellence, generally wore a sports jacket.
As one who read the Greyfriars and other school stories avidly in his youth their masters were always shown in the illustrations with full mortar board and gown. CH Masters wore their gown in chapel if so eligible and on certain other formal occasions. Fred Haslehust never did and there was speculation at the time that he never took his final degree although I find this hard to believe.
Was there a time when CH Masters were ever thus fully attired throughout the day?
Chris B.

Certainly NOT in my day. As you stated, the only time we saw masters in gowns was during chapel services, and I believe, speech-day.
In chapel they would wear the black gown but just very occasionally they would also wear the (?)hood indicating their degree(s). I seem to remember that on Parents Day, HM's visit in 1953 and perhaps OB Day and equivalent they would have the full get-up whilst outsiders were around
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