Geography Deps 1945 -1946

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Senility having struck -- I am not sure of all the names --- Help !
Here are a few Breden, Hann,Glennie,Gore, Coppard, Head, Kiethly, Evans (Centre Row , 1 from the left, as you look at it)
All these names are written in pencil and faded --- aren't we all !
(http://www.chforum.info/pictures/Neillt ... /Geography Deps 1945-1946.jpg)(img)[img](img]

Oh Dear ! I shall have to Email the picture to CH forum Admin (Again !0

[michael scuffil]

Tell me, Neill, were you taught by a young Michael Cherniavsky? He once said that his initial appointment at CH resulted from the formation of the Jogger Deps, which in turn was an early manifestation of a move away from CH's traditional "Oxbridge Scholarship or nothing" Grecians' policy. (It took another 10 years or so for this policy to get off the ground -- Flecker seems not to have been too interested.)

Chern was incidentally one of the most intellectual masters CH ever had. Under him, the History Grecians specialized in medieval history, which was unusual even in public schools at the time, and he later went on to be a professor at a Canadian university, whose standards he compared unfavourably with CH.

[J.R.]

I very vaguely remember 'Urn The Churn' in my early years there, but he never taught me.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I think this is my third attempt ---
(Click for larger image)


[JT: You don't need to understand it at all. You just needed to just copy and paste exactly what I sent you - you've re-typed this in, missed some bits out, and used round brackets for the square brackets. Get someone to show you how to copy and paste! I've corrected it for you....]

Thanks Julian ---- no I don't understand it -- I speak German, Italian, Afrikaans, some Arabic -- and a little English , but I regret to say that "Computerese" is beyond me ! As Manuel said "I know notin'"

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

No I don't remember "Churn"--- The main Science Master in my time was "Kappa" Sills --- so called, because he had had a Motor Accident and hobbled with his legs in a K form --- very cruel of us -- but I thought he was a good Scientist.
After the School produced "HMS Pinafore" - the following was current ---

"Never mind the why and wherefore,
I am Kappa Sills and therefore
You will learn a Psalm by Saturday
And say it after Tea.
For your Physics Prep on Wednesday night
Was N.---V.---G. ! (Translation for those who don't know the Tune --- each letter has a pause )

[jhopgood]

I very vaguely remember 'Urn The Churn' in my early years there, but he never taught me.

He was my housemaster in Barnes B in my first year.
Bit remote with a bit of a lisp as far as I can remember, but I really had little to do with him.
He was replaced by CJ Miller, who left to become headmaster at The Doon School in Dehra Dun, India.

[michael scuffil]

John

You may remember there was a bit of a scandal in Barnes B that resulted in the unworldly Churn being replaced by that no-nonsense schoolmaster Chris Miller, and I think no less than three monitors being imported from other houses. Churn then went off to live in Whites, the best bachelor pad on the estate.

My favourite Churn story: in 1960 there was an election for Chancellor of Oxford University. One candadidate was the Conservative PM, Harold Macmillan, the other was a well-known liberal grandee whose name escapes me. All Oxford MAs had the vote, but it had to be given in person. Churn (an Oxford MA) asked Seaman for the day off for this purpose. Seaman, also an Oxford MA, of more conservative tendency, replied: "Perhaps I shall come with you. Or on second thoughts, perhaps we should both stay at home." (i.e. either way, their votes would've cancelled out.)

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

About the election of Chancellor at Oxford ---
I actually heared a collegue say the following --- "He's a Balliol Man --- stout fellow !"
He could have been the most disastrous candidate ever --- But "Balliol Nan " was sufficient !
I gigled (Privately) for a long time !

[jhopgood]

John

You may remember there was a bit of a scandal in Barnes B that resulted in the unworldly Churn being replaced by that no-nonsense schoolmaster Chris Miller, and I think no less than three monitors being imported from other houses. Churn then went off to live in Whites, the best bachelor pad on the estate.

I didn't want to mention it as whilst we knew what had been happening, we had no details.
Curiously Miller had an unproved reputation for similar activities. I never liked him, which he even wrote on my report. This endeared him even less to me.
We had a campaign against him, together with a logo, which I think we got from some Tintin story. He never worked out what it was.
Not sure about no nonsense, but he was pretty hopeless with his pipe.
Once at evening prayers he put his lit pipe in his pocket, where it continued to smolder and eventualy emit smoke, and another, when he scratched his sparsely covered head, some tobacco fell out, creating a plume of smoke from his hair. He had even less hair after that.
I can remember Geoff Bostock coming in as House Captain, but can't remember the others.
I should have remembered that he continued teaching as Chris White was a History Grecian with him.

[michael scuffil]

Another of the imported monitors was Noel Kirker, whose departure from ThB meant that I became a monitor a little earlier than might have been expected.

By "no nonsense" I meant unimaginative -- though his catchphrase was "This is a nonsense!"