Thank you John Sandys for reminding me about the invitiation to the HM's house for 'family tea', when we were juniors - I'd forgotten that!
For my part, I had a great respect for DHN and both at CH, and during his tenure at Wellington, he was determined to get to know the names of every boy under his care, whether great or small. I believed that he had a very real concern and care for the pupils under his charge. Howard, you mentioned his support for the 1st XI...SandysJ wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 12:21 pm
David Newsome wanted to get to know pupils, he came and read ghost stories to the 2nd formers and invited boys for a 'family' tea.
This happened, for us, sometime after the clocks went back (it was dark by 5pm), in our first term. There were about 5 or 6 boys along with the Newsome daughters and after sandwich and cakes (I think home-made by Mrs N) we watched the Saturday afternoon cartoons. I had never been allowed Pink Panther at home, (and this was on a colour TV, rare back then) so I was suitably impressed by the new head.
It was different times then and David Newsome will always have my respect.
I remember him out on the touchline for 1stXV matches, or on the boundary of the cricket square, in all weathers, no matter what else was going on. He was a great supporter of the school teams and I know that that was very much appreciated, both at CH and, later, at Wellington.harryh wrote: ↑Fri Sep 30, 2022 11:18 pm Oh well....I thought David Newsome was a great man and a sincere Head Master. I have many memories of talking with him as a pupil - as a House Captain/School Monitor, and as captain of the 1st XI, to which he gave unswerving and greatly appreciated support. He was unfailingly honest and complimentary in all my dealings with him as an Old Blue.
In terms of his leaving CH under a cloud, much of what was said is largely correct - I don't believe that it was the merger of Hertford and Horsham that was at issue, more the timescale and the manner in which it was to take place. Having said that, DHN had already blotted his copybook with governors/almoners through his unstinting support of those without a voice. The only school he would have considered moving to, following the ruckus at CH, was Wellington College. He had been Head of History there during the 1950s (writing the history of the school during this time), before leaving to return to Cambridge where, as many mentioned, he was at Emmanuel College, where he became Senior Tutor, before the move to CH.
His tenure at Wellington helped to heal the wounds of his sad ending at CH and he retired from there in 1989, settling in his beloved Cumbria with Joan, his wife, until his death in 2004. At this point, I have to admit my own love for the man as he became my father-n-law, my having married Janet in 1981!