CLECHRON

EDITORIAL

The last edition of the Chronicle has been described bysome as surprisingly controversial; this may have been dueto the exciting and original articles handed in by Bedalians,but it was also due to the determination of the ChronicleCommittee to make the Chronicle into something more than atypical school 'rag1: for this reason we included sucharticles as "Abortion" and the highly critical "Parents' DayConcert 1977". Although some people would say that we madea mistake with the last, we did succeed in arousing a largenumber of people's interest - so much so that we receivedthree replies to the first article (only one of which isprinted, due to space limitations - but many thanks to theother two contributors) and one reply to the review - aswell as many criticisms and compliments.

It would be wrong to publish Chronicles purely alonglines of avoiding the usual introspective qualities ofschool magazines (articles such as "News in Brief" makethese unavoidable'.) and arousing people's interest andindignation so that they write replies, but we want theChronicles to be of some interest not only to Present andOld Bedalians but also to complete outsiders. Althoughthis edition's general tone is much more subdued than thelast, we hope it will still succeed in doing this.

P A R E N T S ' DAY C O N C E R T 1977

15th February 1978

The Editors,The Bedales Chronicle.

Dear Sirs,

In an otherwise excellent^hronicle, Idepressed by the review of the 1077 Parents'your last issue; saddened for tnose performesuch stunning performances over three nisubjected to the infantile "wit" of yoursurprised that this same reviewer -zS$I know to be somewhat greater than KQuld appear from thiswriting - should have sunk to such depths of eIf-indulgentand "clever, clever" criticisinT"

So many people have commentthis most unfortunate review as to make merebuttal of some of the views expressed iand (b) only descending to the level of ywrite merely to beg that, in future, theConcert should be treated with the sameness and depth as the annual School Playthe only record of major cultural eventSjit would be most unfortunate if, in futnot be found to write a piece of constrrather than trivial musings that exposepersonal shortcomings.

Yours etc.,

WILLIAM AGNEW

P.S. The Bach Concerto was in fact in C major and notD minor - "a minor but nagging pointj" I confess.

P.P.S. Will someone explain to me what "neo-classical. counterpoint" is? Perhaps your reviewer .' . . '

ly to me onel that anya )-unnef;essary

J

THIS IS A BHEf BUT NOT A TRUE, PLEASURE(ST JKOMEOf COS)

The present editors have decided to freethemselves from the genre of 'nudge in the groinat lunchtime' humour, which leaves us all blaseand indifferent.

Remember the words of Kant: "To coin new words is toadvance a claim to legislation in language that seldomsucceeds." We trust Patrick Nobes bore this in mind duringthe formative years of his most recent creation for thebenefit of the English language - 'fellowship'. Unsubstan-tiated rumours of the existence of an alternative word'HUMILITY' were firmly quashed by determined sympathisers ofMr. Nobes' Jaw.

However, little could be done to mitigate thedevastating effects of Rastafarianism (that exotic dope-taking cult) as it rapidly spread through the more liberal-minded ranks of the white population of Bedales. Could itbe that the bollards in the Bedales car-park are thegrotesque creations of a drug-crazed mind? Who can tell?

The latest major production from the workshop of David(run of?) 'de Mille' Simmons was "The Flies", a play,written by a Frenchman, set in Greece, starring a multi-national cast starring Tom Gibb. (In fact it was about theKazis occupying France.) Interesting stuff, especiallywhen capped by David Simmons kissing a certain anonymousfemale star . . .

In the other significant production of last term J.F.B.steamed home to yet another rip-roaring triumph with theCricklewood version of "The Ghost Train", starring a cast ofcomplete unknowns who created for themselves a niche in therailway-sidings of Bedalian hearts everywhere. Eerieclimaxes of the play occurred when Catherine Dryer becameobsessed with the flashing special effects of Tim Allen andHarry Pearson.

4

Throughout all these goings-on, the Quad was regularlydismantled and reconstituted by those great pillocks ofsociety, the Room Doers.

"LET THERE BE DARKNESS" . . . These were the wordsuttered by Patrick Nobes, the dark sorcerer. For a shockedthree days at the start of the Spring Term we were pluggedin inky blackness. The ostensible reason for this was atree in the transformer. Not surprisingly, a newgeneration soon arose from the ashes . . .

With anecdotes, gestures and comments Peter Brook inhis Civics made the avant-garde theatre seem the completeexpression of imagination in creative drama.

On the political front much interest was aroused. Ata pregnant whole school meeting the Bedales anti-apartheidgroup was born after the likeness of an orange. Fiveseconds was all it took for Patrick to reach a decision andOutspan oranges were banned. It was on the same night thatthe crusading Andrew Nisbet attempted to overthrow existingstagnant doctrines by claiming pub equality for eighteen-year-olds. Was he frustrated perhaps by an inexplicablelack of sixth-formers who were already practising what theirrepresentative preached down in Petersfield?

Who is the phantom wolf-whistling bird of the geographyblock? Your guess is as good as ours, but why has BertPerry been arriving consistently late for lessons? Whyhas he taken to climbing trees?

The art of humorous writing is not an easy one,especially when one of the authors is under the constantthreat of being forcibly repatriated by Margaret Thatcher.But remember: two birds in the hand are worth one in thebush - at least.

Alex Knights 4 Martin Markus 61

Madness laughs behind the moon; vacuum in society;Lock the door. My heart is coriaceous;Sold in sin and greased with God, we sit and converse,And the dark side of the moon grows cold with our words.Graven they sit in the light,Cheekbones high in the coming dusk. Set in ivory,The ebony and night of their eyes glow, and coruscate,The moon-gleam fades and their moulded lips fringeInto amber light, and merge with the mystic shadow.

Silent we sit in the silver waving grasses,Lost in the craters of our minds;Caress the velvet down with leather fingers, and curseThe old domain, our sin. Gently weave, in rhythmic pictures,The branches of time, and talk of love.

And shall the mad ones know the rotting of our souls?Can they see us through the glowing dusk and veiling shadow?Midnight is clear for those with eyes;The night-moon twilight; and moonpits lurkIn icy darkness on the borders of our fears.

Moonlike, pensile in the hills and mists, the light shivers.Grey dawn creeps down the mountain, to the foothillsOf consciousness. Bitter is the truth of death,And life hangs heavy on the wire of time.

Gently swing like madmen on piano strings,And wander in the vacuum and weightlessness of space;Gaze high at the moon, and dig its craters;Settle in its dust and make a home. Gentle is the gleamOf madness, as the glow-worm shines, silver and dazzlingOur hopes, pitted with fear and peaked with triumph.

Hang now, like murderers,High and stark against the midnight star,And gaze deep, deep into the pool of longing.Madmen and moths are we, and the moon our haunting grounds.

7 Charlotte Lanfear 61

\\From the beginning of the Spring Term the Drama board

in the Quad was mottled with drawing-pins and scraps ofpaper announcing rehearsals or castings for the three playswhich took place.- This wonderful chance for an outlet ofartistic talent was not, I believe, appreciated enough bycertain types who, rather short-sightedly, regarded theplays as harmful interference with work.

Drama of any sort is a beneficial experience for bothaudience and actors, and I believe it essential that itshould be developed at every available opportunity to givegreat satisfaction: that academic productions suffer ismerely irrelevant!

All the better that two of the plays last term wereproduced by members from the Lower Sixth, with casts takenfrom Blocks Three and Four. Whatever the standard, theyshould not be scornfully labelled unproductive and time-wasting. Anyway, both "Androcles and the Lion", producedby Dickie Olivier and Lucy North, and "Mirandolina",produced by Alex Knights and Martin Markus, were wellperformed and entertaining.

ANDROCLES AND THE LION, by Bernard Shaw

In this production two points were made to the audiencevery clearly: that persecution of Christians really didthem all a favour by speeding them on their way to Heaven;and that those who choose to keep the Christian faith areso different. This last was put across by admirable andcontrasting performances by Alexander Haydon and AngusFinney; the one with bold, brave proclamations and gesturesof devotion, the other meek and kind-hearted enough to savethe Lion, Jonathan Fox (in a bear-suit!), from the agony ofa splinter in his paw: this Christian act is what saves himin the end.

During the gladiators1 battles some of the littleChristian ladies sitting at the back of the stage lookedrather too smiley at the prospect of their nearing, gorydeath: they still found time to admire each other's stagemake-up, Roman nail-polish and ink-smudged hands. By theend of the play their performance had become convincing andthe audience sensed real relief when the Christians werenot, after all, fruitlessly sacrificed.

The other back-up roles were those of the soldiers,who were aided in setting the scene and creating atmosphereby their superb and very convincing costumes - a kind andgreatly appreciated loan from the National Theatre. Thesemen, Fergus Bremner, William Topley, and their Centurion,Stephen Battle, added the touch of reality needed to spicethe slightly flabby scenery. They were very welldisciplined, having to stand to attention all throughthe first part of Act Two, and when 'at ease1 I was mostimpressed by their silent talking amongst themselves. Onefault to mention: to talk so animatedly as they did doesdraw the attention away from the central stage where morecrucial scenes are being presented.

Nevertheless the standard of acting was high, withconfident performances from all, especially Tamsin Olivierportraying another type of Christian, Smedes Rose and JamesMorris as spoilt Roman gentle-men, Sophie Wheatcroft asAndrocles' nagging wife, Tim Weisselberg as Caesar,obviously unused to his laurel crown, and Daniel Green.And memorable performances by Charlotte More-Gordon, thebold and lovely Christian lady with whom the Roman Captain,Cameron McLennon, fell deeply in love.

Altogether it was, I think, produced and acted toa very high standard, and made a most enjoyable Saturdayevening's entertainment for all concerned.

MIRANDOLINA, by Goldoni

Thanks to the natural charm and stagecraft of RoddyWilliams and Anthony Pike, this little play turned out tobe one of the funniest things I've ever watched on stage.

The plot was not startlingly original nor the linesespecially witty: various 'regulars' at the inn whereMirandolina, Helen Porter, served, following her from roomto room to find her alone and demand her. Each man, RoddyWilliams and Nick Green, would state his claim thinking hehad the better right.

Then a stranger, Captain Ripafratta, played by AnthonyPike, visits the inn and becomes entangled in the web spunby Mirandolina. He claims to be running from female charmsbut, of course, Mirandolina proves him to be easy prey toher wiles - fainting, flattering - so he succumbs, perhapsunable to resist the temptations dangled in front of hiseyes from Mirandolina's rather low-cut dress. This too wasa source of the audience's mirth.

In the end Mirandolina surprised us all by choosingto marry the hitherto unimportant serving-lad, Alex Kniper- half her height and stature with none of the qualities theothers have been offering on bended knee. Unfortunatelythe reasons why she chose to make this sudden change whenshe had three other admirable gentlemen at her disposalwere lost to me, drowned in wave after wave of helpless andhysterical laughter from an over-appreciative audience.

However, concerning the actual production and actingtechnique, it became apparent that the producers had notthe stage experience required to stage a play with such afamiliar plot and make it unique. But taking this and thetime factor into consideration, all was bravely carriedthrough, and delivered and received with tremendousenthusiasm.

Rosalind Armitage-Smith 6

IN ANSWER TO MARTIN MARKUS1 ARTICLE ON "ABORTION"

IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION

While I dislike the idea of abortion as much as MartinMarkus I do not feel that the remedy is to make it illegal.I can well remember what happened before the Abortion Act- those who could pay high fees to obtain an abortion founddoctors ready and able to do it in hygienic circumstances.Those who could not pay high fees went to 'back street'abortionists, and paid dearly, occasionally by death andoften by infection. The fact that women were prepared totake such risks did not, in many cases, imply heartlessselfishness, but desperation. There are many reasons,emotional as well as financial, why a woman may not feel ableto go through with the immense experience of having a child.It is of little use for others to say that she must if herinner feeling is simply that she cannot; such feelingsoperate on a level often inaccessible to rational argument,and it is at least arguable that for a child to be born tohis mother's bitter resentment does society little service.It is exceedingly likely that he will grow up into an unhappyand disturbed human being who will sire another generation ofunhappy children.

Is there anything we can do if we care about the highabortion rate? Yes, give our support to the organisationswhich exist to give pregnant women the chance to talk abouttheir feelings, and perhaps, therefore, the strength to gothrough with childbirth. Avoid using words like 'murder'which can only further distress women who are often exceed-ingly distressed. Show compassion for the unmarriedmother, the woman in her late forties or early fifties whoaccidentally becomes pregnant, or the woman whose embryo isknown to be grossly handicapped. Care, about becoming ormaking pregnant, about effective birth control, good housing,nursery provision, babies.

Not being an economist I am not clear about thepotential dangers of a falling birthrate, but I cannot helpwondering if we should not be a more caring, as well as ahappier, society if there were fewer people in the countryrather than more. I am old enough to remember an Englandwithout serious traffic jams, without filth lining thestreets of its cities, without queues, and with much moreunspoiled countryside. The increase in population may havebrought us more money, but I cannot see that it has broughtus a good way of life. And why do we always talk as if itis the one ambition of the old to give up work and sit idleat home? Most old people would, I suspect, be a great dealhappier and healthier, as well as materially better off, ifallowed to work a reduced working day; is not the possiblereason for the relative longevity of old ladies as opposed toold men that they remain active in the home? Personally Iwould like a smaller population, all taking, so far as theirhealth and talents allowed, an active part in the community.

MONICA FURLONG

IMAGINATION

Wild horsesplay

in the shadows,White tails

likesilver

Sprinkled with

stabbedat the surface.

Caroline Shapiro 2

12

LOWE

ihe Russians are coming!!! The Russians are coming!I!1

was the excited if not somewhat apprehensive cry whichreverberated around the November walls of the Quad. Theprospect of a party of fifty Russian musicians and dancers,accompanied no doubt by sundry escorts (political and other-wise) certainly promised a welcome disruption in the Bedalesroutine.

SCENE:TIME:

The QuadFriday lunch

Bemused spectators mingle with arches attempting todisguise an obviously furtive scrutiny of lurid mini-skirts,dyed hair, crimpolene 'slacks', Siberian head-wear, stackshoes and other dated obscurities. However, it was notedthat certain eyes were not sufficiently keen to pick out theglowing tips of Russian cigarettes and the aromatic smog theycreated.

The rather appropriate musical production of "All theKing's Men", as well as some separate musical items, appearedto be well received and the next day, after the joys ofEnglish shopping and denims had been discovered, the atmos-phere grew yet more relaxed. A group of enterprising.Bedalians soon realized the forgotten merits of the feudalbarter system and hastily initiated a revival. We wereequally overjoyed with badges proclaiming the overthrow ofthe Romanoff dynasty as they were with those proclaimingdeities such as Paul McCartney and Jonathan Rotten. (N.B:The Beatles have just taken Russia by storm.)

The tumultuous applause, stamping and wolf-whistlingat the end of a truly remarkable and professional displayof national songs and acrobatic dances would never have donecomplete justice to both the skill and effort of the Russians

13

and the appreciation that we wanted to show them. Theycertainly took us by storm. The very eal and indeeddemonstrative exhilaration we experienced through thepositive participation in such a unique evening not onlydispelled every inhibition, but also showed Bedalians ina rare moment of genuine feeling. We were refreshingly'uncool'.

Rumour has it that Staff celebrations carried on intothe early hours: rumour also has it that an inebriatedrumba shook Males' Flat. No Staff comment was submitted

On a more disturbing note, the imposing presence ofParty members was felt throughout the week-end and served asa dampening reminder of a political situation so differentfrom our own.

However, perhaps the most vivid memories that we shallall keep of this week-end will be those of the singing anddancing in the car-park before the Russians' departure(delayed thanks to the inefficiency of our coach service).

The truth of William Agnew's apt remarkthat "Musicis the universal language" was indeed bdrndt^u^ by theintensely personal note struck

Kate ShorrockAntony Harwood

.11

>aJfors\TW& loutI look at the walls, at the windows (through -diem) and

at the mirror and I see your face - your body.

Not just your eyes - everything is agonizing me - apain like that of drowning or not knowing.

I will be standing in front of your door and not dareto ring the bell - will hear your voice and his voiceinside, laughing - and I will listen, look at the bell,hesitate, and walk off, giving up - like always.

The flowers are growing from the carpet, bright red.Some are eaten, some still alive - still alive, for howlong? - and I am amongst them.

Again I must think of you - who are you, a spiral,never ending love and sorrow, or just another child, waitingto die, like he died - forgotten, knowing the secrets whenno one will listen.

Wavemaker,red, blue and green,that links the hour with the vision of the town, like abird, drifting down into the valley.

I bow down, look carefully into the depth of your eyes,turn your face towards the light. You have got four eyes,I cry bitterly - two inside the others.

What eyes are those? Why have I not seen them before?

You shut your eyes, the eyes of a child, you switch offthe lamp, the white lamp, and you lie down.

The sea smashes against the cliff, I will not be ableto tell you, not now, not later.

They knock at the door, you are asleep - I don't answer- I am cold, sweating, afraid. They are a bit older thanme - are they a sound, a colour, a light - they are there.

So I live in a community which agonizes me, hurts me,and you are asleep - dreaming - probably of the snake weonce killed - eyes, staring - they put salt in my eyes andit hurts me to see - see you, sleeping.

In the same way, we, you, and me, loose our shadows,out of the dark - reflects her beauty - bright, narrow,strict.

15

You stand at the window, stare at the sky, the flowersoutside are old and dying - they smile at you - you who letthem die. But you made them believe it was me, they growround my feet, my legs, trying to suck me in - kill me, betthey are •fcqa oid too weak.

I~ToXI always

Is ithuge dark eyes,carrying their coffin - the^ youVi&est child, thjis smiling - death is ike the *«mno light is shining (de th is blind])^playing - eternity, notclouds block t

Pearls, teaThey are deadstand - they (smuch more:

honey and steel—

water - water.

men arechild,

•e blowing,are

imagine your body, th

magine.' The white/j^ck, thesmall hands.

ye fore they-^Tere ^;iven a name. Isthjtt^galled dyiagT'' I mean, they were mine.

A spider is crawling over my leg, it is poisonous,deadly - but it doesn't bite me. When it reaches the endof my shoe and crawls on the floor, I step on it, kill it.Had it bitten me, I would have died.

I turn the key, walk inside and create night bypulling the curtains close.

I lie down beside her - she kisses my forehead - we areone, but so different.

Her eyes are shining and I try to find the light thatreflects in them.

I open the window, and the eyes of the fish brighten, Icry, and the fish is sad - am I tired? He is sleeping.

But the bird never comes ba'c'k, never, never do I seehim again.

And the fishermen go out to fish - again - like everynight, and the woman and children walk to the little church,high up on a cliff, and they pray, like every night - andagain, some fishermen don't come back, but the women keep onpraying - believing, and the children wonder why.

16 ANON.

BAZAAR

(A Sonnet)

The clouded scene of an English village bazaar

Rustic natives wandered through the stalls;

The stranger found the setting too bizarre

Sunday tea and Indian trinkets appalled

His sense of habitual English rural life.

Elephants with genuine ivory tusks

Superciliously eyed the Vicar's wife

Who smiled behind a dream of piquant musk.

And from brass lamps Aladdin seemed to leer

At sandwiches and fragile porcelain plates.

The silken cloth was garish, bold and queer

It made the wooden stalls appear archaic,

The village green, with this exotic taint,

Was something so unusual it was quaint.

Susanna Wadeson 4

17

THE FLIES

By far the most difficult part of producing a schoolplay is choosing it. "The Flies", Sartre's interpretationof the Greek legend of Orestes, was chosen, I believe,because it involves a great many actors, there can beelaborate dance and movement, and there is opportunity forimaginative sets and lighting. These are obvious advantagesbut although Sartre's call for liberty and individual choicehad tremendous relevance when France was under Nazi occupa-tion it is not all that easy for a young audience to feel theemotions which must have been aroused by this brave call forfreedom against tyranny, and to understand the atmosphere inwhich this play was first performed. Sartre used a well-known Greek myth as a cover but his message to his fellow-countrymen was quite clear. It is hard for us to imaginewhat it must have been like to be ruled over by Nazi thugswhere resistance often meant torture and death. (I thinksome explanation in the programme on the Saturday night wouldhave been helpful.) Jean Anouilh has written a play"Antigone" in which he uses the same theme and I feel that itis a much better play. "The Flies" is full of very longspeeches and not much action, which makes it very difficultfor the actors to sustain the interest of the audience.

In spite of these difficulties David Simmons managed toweld together an enormous cast of actors, dancers andmusicians with great skill, and at times I found the playvery moving. The crowd scenes were extremely effective andthe intense concentration and involvement of all the actorswas impressive. The dancing was excellent and the Flieswere suitably revolting. The lighting could perhaps havegiven us more of a feeling of the hot and pitiless sun andthe shadows of the monstrous flies. An audience in ourhygienic northern clime hardly knows what a bluebottle lookslike and needs a little help.

Julian Armitstead's Orestes looked perfect. Here wassomebody who had the demeanour of a Greek hero and who hadobviously thought hard and seriously about his interpretationof the part. He is an excellent speaker and it was lovelyto hear every word. At times he looked a little worriedabout where to put himself but this is always a problem in aplay with very long speeches. Lucy North was a delightfuland sincere Electra - perhaps she looked a little modern, anattempt at a Greek hair-style would have helped - but it wasa very touching performance. We had some good timing andhumour from Simon Anholt as the cynical pedagogue. (Did hemodel his performance on anyone we know?) Clytemnestra(Debbie Holmes) was totally convincing from her firstentrance to her final ghastly screams. She has a verycompelling presence on stage and she also managed to lookvery middle-aged. Richard Olivier gave us a dignifiedAegisthus. He managed to convey the king's world-wearinessalthough he did look a little young to feel it! His abilityto be very still was contrasted with some of the other actorswho were very fidgety. Zeus is a very difficult part toplay. He represents a capricious false god who is rejectedat the end by Orestes. He is also a very melodramaticfigure who is contrasted with the admirable hero. JonathanKlein's performance had a kind of grim humour which was good,but he lacked vocal variety, and his voice became verystrident, a fault which communicated itself to the otheractors. The two soldiers, Alex Knights and Tom Gibb, gaveus some welcome light relief in a beautifully timed littlescene. They are a very promising pair of comics. I hopewe shall see them again.

It is a fearsome challenge for a producer to put on aplay in the Quad. There are so many hazards apart from thedifficulties of rehearsal. My feeling is the theatre inthe round works best. That large red fire extinguisheron the wall, the scurrying gnome-like figures in thegalleries, make it difficult for the audience to imagine theblazing heat of Argos. A bare circle of floor might haveconcentrated the action better. In spite of this DavidSimmons performed a remarkable feat in a short space oftime, and involved a great many people in a very worthwhileproject. Congratulations to him and to the cast.

KATE SLACK

REVIEW OF THE STAFF PRODUCTION OF

T H E G H O S T T R A I N

BY ARNOLD RIDLEY

This year's staff play came off with enormous successand not a little fearful knocking of knees. An impressiveCombined operations it was, under the directorship ofJohn Batstone, leading his motley cast into the ghastlyexecution of their various roles. A very effective set andsound effects shook the stage, complete with flashing lights,storming puffs and shaking windows (wonderfully dismantledby a fitful Catherine Dryer). All due praise to JohnArmstrong and Harry Pearson for this convincing display.

Looming slightly larger than life, that trulymagnificent quintogenarian, George Smith, put away theGauloises for a stunning two hours (or so) of true agilityand captured the stage with his rustic and sinister antics.It featured a spine-chilling disappearing act in which heturns into a sack of potatoes and reappears to swing hisghastly light to Bob Perkins' fine rendering of 'Rock ofAges'.

William Agnew fluttered his eyelids for the last time(alas!) on a Bedales stage as the collected detective who,stopping his unsuspecting passenger-train at some desolatecountry station on the pretext of regaining his hat, setsout to outmanoevre a deadly band of gun-runners, whoseconsignment of nasties takes them every year past thatstation in the legendary 'Ghost Train' - in fact no morethan a guise to frighten off the goodies.

Some novel pairings there were too. Ruth Whiting, theindomitable suffragette figure and her similarly overbearingtycoon spouse Alastair Langlands (unsuited as a baby's bottomto mohair . . .) were a formidable couple, their marriage inthe inevitable throes of disaster until, miraculously,happily, they overcome the nappy-rash with a touchingreconciliation after moments of waiting in the gloomy stationfor the ghost train's dreadful arrival - moments of tenseagitation and mutual revealment.

New to spice the stage with the glavour of the Orient,Simon Vickers and his (real) wife, Claire, played the partsof newly-weds,•still wet behind the ears, doomed in theirinnocence to heart-rending separation through financialdisaster. They are ultimately saved from the system bythe golden, benevolent fingers of Alastair Langlands.

A neurotic geriatric entered the stage, complete withparakeet (a stuffed vulture): easily succumbing to the tasteof alcohol she spent most of the play flat out on a table!But, more seriously, we were favoured with real professional-ism in her acting, a stylish rendering by Jo Rogers.

Catherine Dryer proved herself by no means overshadowedin her performance. She simply defies description. Enter-ing in a petticoat and a pair of legs she carried through herperformance to stunning effect, as the Simulatingly dementedlittle . . . bisschen . . . with a voice like polystyrene onglass. Little were we to know what lay beneath the facade.Fortunately for justice her evil plans to reveal the tigerbeneath the bloomers and shoot her way out (as a party to thecrooks who are captured) are thwarted by the reappearance ofWild Bill (Detective-Superintendent) Agnew who revealed histrue identity to the confused company in a final flurry ofrevolvers and eyelashes.

The convincing crooked villains, Bob Perkins (another'first time1) and Geoffrey Robinson, the 'German1 pseudo-doctor, but really no less than the infamous Herr MUller,were thwarted in their evil designs.

Finally the back-up goodies: Mark Williams - a dashingand unusually taciturn young officer with bristles - andConstable Nobes who plugged the doorway to great effect.

A splendid performance enjoyed by everybody who saw itand, one hopes, who acted in it. Congratulations to allthose involved, both on stage and behind the scenes, andespecially to the director extraordinaire, John Batstone.

Julian Armitstead 61

21

It was the long hot summer of 1976 which really startedeverything. What began with repairs to be made to the oldBursar's office buildings, the roofs of which had sufferedbadly with the heat of the sun, followed by the rains, hasfinally finished up with a brand new entrance area with apaved and planted 'pedestrian precinct', and two new blocksof buildings.

As always, many ideas and plans had been simmeringunder the surface. Several apparently unrelated factorswere causing difficulties in different areas of the school,and consultations produced a concensus of opinion on arelatively small number of items as requiring top priority.

An offset-litho machine had been purchased to keep thecost of producing the Chronicle down. The only place thatcould be found to house this had been a small office usedby one of the Headmaster's Assistant Secretaries and so theSecretary had to move into the already full Headmaster'sSecretary's office; the amount of work already passingthrough that office had been increasing dramatically overthe last few years. Apart from the telephone, a Gestetnerduplicator, the School Secretary, the Headmaster's Secretary,and now an Assistant Secretary, Joyce Caiger-Smith had beenworking in that room - standing up - for many years. Inthe Bursar's offices some of the rooms were larger than wereneeded, but it did not seem easy to see how anyone could betaken from the Headmaster's office to work in the Bursar'soffice without making further difficulties for the Head-master's Secretary. The logical thing therefore was to

22

move the Bursar's offices over to the Admin. Block, withall the administrative staff brought closer together, withtelephones, duplicating machines, reception facilities,etc., common to all sides. In addition, it would only benecessary to maintain one set of records for both officesinstead of two, and there would be greater and moreimmediate exchange of information between all theSecretaries, and far less time wasted walking between theoffices or telephoning between them.

On the teaching side, it had become apparent thatthere was an urgent need for one more classroom, and alsofor a further set of study units to avoid the awkwardnecessity of children having to share them. It was theMaths Department which had no study units attached to it,and the need for the extra classroom was greatest in thatdepartment. At the same time, the school was very closeto reaching a decision over the purchase of a computer forteaching purposes, and it became obvious that all thesefeatures could combine to produce an extension to NorthBlock for Maths purposes.

Over one thing, everyone was agreed - unique inBedales' history? - no more flat-roofed modular buildings.Anything new would be constructed in traditional brick,with a pitched roof. Jon Barnsley began producing outlineschemes and plans - and so did everyone else, it seemed.And during these discussions a new feature emerged. Theold main car park, with hard core showing through thecinders strewn over the top, was both unattractive andpotentially dangerous as children continually crossedover it to get from one classroom to another. So it wasrecommended that the whole site should be improved and madeinto a rather more respectable main entrance point to theschool buildings, and mature trees planted to replace thosefelled in the. building operations. As usual, Jon Barnsleymanaged to interpret the ideas put to him, and produce aplan for both sets of buildings, incorporating the best ofthe sensible suggestions and ideas put to him, but at thesame time diplomatically pointing out to other people thattheir ideas might well have some practical drawbacks!

With the 'Black Hole' and Boys' Flat conversion workfinished by the beginning of Autumn Term, attention couldbe concentrated on the other buildings. By Christmas theAdmin. Block extension was virtually complete, and it was,in fact, occupied before the end of January. North Block

23

was completed shortly thereafter and was in use for thesecond half of the Spring Term 1978. The groundworkcontractors moved in very promptly and completed the'slabbing' work and the new car park area just in time forthe beginning of Summer Term. The planting of the shrubsand trees then continued as quickly as possible, and atlong last we can say that the work is completed.

What has been achieved? We have gained 21 studyunits, meaning that everyone now has their own. The MathsDepartment has an extra classroom, and a 'machine room' isready to receive the computer that has now been ordered,and which should be available for staff for the Autumn Term1978. In the Admin. Block, Joyce Caiger-Smith at last hasan office of her own in which she can keep her papers, andinterview parents in privacy. There is a comfortablereception waiting area for parents, visitors to the school,etc. The Headmaster's Secretary can now work in peace withher Assistant, and without the continual interruptions ofvisitors, staff and telephones, to which she had previouslybeen subjected. The school's duplicating and photocopyingmachinery - including the offset-litho - is now housed ina central, glare-free room, and access to this is from boththe offices and staff work-room, so that a photocopier isnow available out of office hours. A new automatictelephone system, combining the lines previously going tothe Headmaster's offices and the Bursar's, allows far moreflexibility both within the school and for callers fromoutside, and, in addition, saves a great deal of time forthe operators. I think it reasonable to say that thereorganisation has led to fairer work-loads all round, and,I hope, has resulted in a better service being available topeople both inside and outside the school.

Finally, apart from the great visual improvement inthe 'patio' area, Middle School children can cross incomparative safety to North Block and vice versa, and theArt Department does not have its windows continuouslyobstructed by motor vehicles. We have also managed tokeep coaches away from the middle of the school with theirattendant noise and fumes, by providing a coach park nearthe Estate Yard. There has been some criticism; however,the overall impression has been very favourable indeed, andwhen I heard some Old Bedalians saying that they liked theresult, I felt that we were probably over the final hurdle!

R. A. ALEXANDERBursar

24

SONNET ON HIS UNREQUITED LOVE,

BY THE WRETCHED POET

Strange it is, that under beautyOft lies cruel nature, which,Within this guise, siren-like,Traps men and hides from themTruth of her love's lack;Until, led on unto the last,The cruellest blow is cast so fair,It drives the wretch unto despair.Say how it is, that fair of faceIs foul of heart and of intent:Yet seemingly, is neither these.Fair face conceals foul heart,And hides the dread intent with coy'st charm;Until the bond she choose to sever:—Women were deceivers ever!

'William1 Anholt

25

BREAKTHROUGH TRUST WEEK-END

I was very pleased but bewildered when I was offereda place in a group of people going to the Mary Hare GrammarSchool for deaf children. I was not sure how I was goingto react to meeting a large number of deaf or half-deafchildren for the first time. It was going to be a newexperience for me, and at first I was not too keen to go.When the day arrived for us to set off for the school, Ifelt extremely nervous as I was the only boy who was ableor wanted to go. However when I arrived I soon forgot allabout my nervousness and settled in well.

It did not take any of us long to understand that wehad to speak slowly and clearly and when asked a question ina group not to look at the person asking the question but tolook straight ahead. I must stress the very important rolethat Breakthrough played in helping us understand each other.

We all greatly enjoyed the entertainments and we lookedforward to each day's activities. I should like to thankDiana and John for taking us out to Dunington and giving usmilk shakes and knickerbocker glories.

One GJ. cne rather amusing incidents was on Saturdaywhen the Mary Hare Grammar School boys' gym master came upto me and asked, "What year are you in?" I replied, "BlockFour." "Then why were you not at games this morning?" Ithen went on to explain that I was a member of a visitinggroup from Bedales School and did not think that games werecompulsory for me.

All of us, and I especially, were sure that we wouldmiss our new friends from Mary Hare Grammar School and welook forward to seeing them all again. We all feel that itis very important for deaf and hearing people to integrateso that we are not so embarrassed and confused when we meetdeaf people on the streets. My view is that a 'long1 week-end is too short and I would have liked to stay longer - Ienjoyed every minute, as I know the others did.

Thank you very much Breakthrough Trust for all yourhelp, and thank you Mary Hare Grammar School for making usso welcome for the week-end.

Gregory Alexander 4

26

MIDNIGHT WITHOUT THE MANSION

You sting meWith the slick eelOf night's windTwist tall treesTo stormy worshipFlow like heavenRound my trunkDream-laden—

The searing cold of this loveIs distantA bed of nettles somewhereBathed in moon: £*" ~ ^

I am alone and moistThe freckled sky's creeping beauty is something

fertile hearts cannot overbear.

Ordered squares of light,Projecting inwardsLike a filmAre the tapestry that veilsThe hollow palm of lifeFrom the wrinkled brow of night.

And where am I, upon the chequerBoard?

Narrow pawn,Or cloister,Heavy vizier,Expanding queen?

—A good career,A mortgage paid,Respect,Aborted dreams.

And whistling by a pathI know,The windy lanceOf a subtle knightEludes my graspBy passing through me.

our painted walls,Madmen are pontificating;

long shall we make this day,Dr&Jied with veiling smiles,Shrouded by boredom,In reason's cage?Where shall we put the night tonighlTo gather dewFor morning joys?How shall we while awayThe fearful hoursPlaying FateWith scientifically loadP*Tdi|

*rorm inside the light^Yo/u say

JThisXn» it isTheVre is no room forHerIt ^improbableThatOverwrought

be like

What is the cJrSnceThat reasojvCnd hunfenityShould fidxT themselvesSeparated by bit^ig aij

mo i s tNo^^rain,

finding onytttK' grev riOf 1 wormOf ,/iope

-~.~ gh°JOf J>

foliar;Come and taste/the pain ofTremb1e, turn / andLeave the seQulcJi*c-1"T5"f~ white

the dervish stream.

I espyiroi

Flowers

28

mpilled keyholes of my r"

Petals da>&44ig in the storm,Deducing darks*8»4<devious paths,Each ended, each d e * & > f o r l o r n .

Touch me

Spirit whistlesTo the DruidOf the Sun.

ortress yiwellers - do you fearlipses,

Unscheduled cold,Deviation tn passing along the straight rLikV hasty) pawns?

—I am no leper,Bandit,Twisted soul,To hang upon the gallowsOf unsureness.

ouch her:Smooth,Unwindy,Smart and ripe,Fresher than thisVulgar breeze—

The most beautiful thing I ever sawWas a personWho believedA ventricleWas a solid wall.

Stung again;The whirlpool of this nightIs barbed,Armed with metal shreds of plantsSwept from where the bowed stalkIs bleeding milk,Feeding hot slugsWith thick white juice of li;Acupuncture of my eyesLike the blindedHollowed by theOf trivialButchered

polished marbleextinguished

ie nonchalance of the Indiantraffic-light,

Like an oozing sponge cast down

Love of whom is itThat makes me seekA bedTo dream in?I have not long to love:Forget slow grainAnd crushing bread,And float your hairScentedUpon distilled perfumesAnd night's hard breath;Cut your wristsUpon a lotusForget me notWhen I have fedThe chasmWhich is the mereMouthOf emptiness.

30

As a re stilt of the Whole School Meeting at the end oflast term the school decided to give all the Domestic Staffa surprise day off on May Day. Ms Heslop, undaunted inspite of the inevitable interruptions to her well worked outtimetable, remained enthusiastic and active throughout.Those interested in the idea and who were prepared to devotetheir 'private study1 periods to this, were rounded up inthe week preceding the event.

In consigning the jobs we found we had to include tasksranging from cleaning the loos and emptying the pig-swillinto dustbins to the more honourable task of hoovering thecarpets in the Admin. Block.

The day's operations were carried out smoothly: wecleaned all but the Library, Music School and severalclassrooms; these we could have managed had we been moredemanding of our volunteers. Admittedly all the mealswere cold and had been pre-cooked for us to prepare, so ourlargest concern in the kitchen was the clearing away andwashing-up.

Tom Gibb and his competent crew of NW7-ites rose at6.30 a.m. to prepare our breakfasts. They did admirably.Orange squash at break provided a refreshing change - ratherinappropriate for the dismal weather and so not appreciatedby most people.

At lunch-time we let people help themselves as theywent through the servery, though a careful watch had to bekept to prevent greedy Bedalians taking more than their fairshare! As a result people got what they wanted and therewas a general decrease in waste.

31

We overcame with ease problems like the insurance ofthe washing-up machines which had previously been astumbling-block to our enthusiasm to help out. Maybe withthe knowledge we gained and the example of Gordonstoun, whocope with all their domestic chores themselves, in thefuture we can contribute a great deal more to the domesticrunning of the school. And at least we will save every-body's time by improving our attitude that others should dowhat we could do ourselves.

We have now seen for ourselves how unrewarding some ofthe tasks are. It seems it would be well worth revivingold customs such as the now discontinued Domestic Staff'sChristmas Party in which Bedalians used to involve them-selves. Or ancient May Day rituals which celebrate therekindling of the summer sun.

Lucy Forman RiRosalind Armitage-Smith

32

THE HOCKEY SEASON

While the muscle-torsoed members of the football teamdeigned to classify Hockey as the epitome of a 'woman'sgame *, the Bedales Hockey Team went on to achieve an all-time Bedalian record in terms of performance, and left thosefigures of male virility who had so often attracted thecrowds tasting the bitterness of defeat and wondering whythey had not applied for a transfer.

The game itself took on a new dimension due to therain-sodden pitches and was temporarily transferred to thecold wasteland of the Sports Hall. There the ball skiddedalong at light-breaking speeds and the players followedbehind breaking both the lights and each other. Under theguidance of Jonathan Watson and our fungus-ridden Captain,Stuart Padwick, the team rapidly acquired the indoorskills, and with the advantage of such a close-hand facilitywe played our most memorable matches on this death-defyingterrain. Mayfield, Leighton Park, Petersfield, and ourmost accursed opponents, Churcher's College, all succumbedto the magic of our stickwork. However, this advantage wasoffset by an alarming increase in injuries. Klaus, forinstance, whilst tearing down the hall doing his famousgoose-step-cum-one-handed dribble, eyes glued to the floor,had a most spectacular collision and proceeded to spit bloodfor the next few days; and our most gallant Captain onanother occasion endeavoured to save a penalty corner byplacing his most treasured possessions in the way of the on-coming missile. He now sings soprano in the choir.

Even on the pitch we had a fearful reputation, sweepingfrom victory to victory, effortlessly displaying to the awe-filled opposition what the art of hockey was all about.Jonny Simons, our top goal scorer, dribbled with impeccablevirtuosity down the field (sometimes down his shirt), onlyto send a deceptive push in between the goalkeeper's legs.He was aided by Dickie, whose theatricals included aremarkable flair for the first-time hit into the top right-hand corner and for a varied use of the rhetoric which didnot always score so well with the referees. The Cummingscame as often as they could but despite this their

33

scientific technique anatomized the opposition (Bruce'sX-Ray Specs, were dazzling). Richard Hughes played left-half consistently (sometimes), and, despite allegations ofbrutality from the younger members of opposing teams, wasappropriately the only man who regularly appeared with hisshirt tucked in. He was helped out by Gavin, whoseflexibility allowed him to play in a number of positionsranging from inside-left to left-outside. David Hardingcharged like a tank down the right wing sometimes with theball, sometimes without, but often ended up unleashing avenomous shot into the goal. In defence Colin, with greatStrides, mastered the sixteen-yard hit, while Julian becameKing of the sweepers because he could see between every-body's legs. Yet whilst all the play occurred up thefield, Martin, our experienced goalie, was left to his ownintellectual musings down the other end. Thus it wasdecided that he should be allowed a few moments of action,and we very kindly sacrificed the Staff match for his sake- as well as Staff-pupil relationships.

As tne season drew to a close, we totted up theresults: won eleven, drew two, lost one (School circuit),forty-four goals for, fifteen goals against. In order toprove that we still retained some male status the HockeySquad played the girls' LaX team at their own game: it wasindeed an occasion not to have missed. Even after havingto learn the necessary skills in a couple of hours anddespite the vain efforts of Tina Potter, we thrashed thegirls twelve -nil.

Such was the action of all the matches that the 1978Hockey Squad played it was a shame that none of the high-lights were recorded on cellulose - but unfortunately theSchool's only pro - photograoher was playing right-half.

D. Lowell

34

Hiu.<

Last holidays a small group from the school were to befound 'bumbing' up, down and clinging perilously to variousmountains in Scotland. With words like "Anything iswithin your reach" and "Set a stout heart to a steep hill-side" predominant in her mind she shouldered apprehensionand set out to follow her more experienced companions.She had never walked up a mountain before, had never seen,let alone handled an ice axe or compass, and had to watchcarefully to see just what they meant by 'ascendableridges'. Even before they reached the mountain, they meta 'river crossing1, or so the map called it. There, underthe misty glory of the mountain, swinging ceaselessly inthe raging wind of the girl's imagination, were threecables stretched across a demon river. Martin swung hisway merrily across, stopping half-way for a suicidaltrapeze act, then it was her turn .... What followedwere, for her, the most frightening moments of the trip.It was easy, in truth, and a psychological mercy, forafterwards the fear was over and exhausted, now she couldsettle down to enjoy herself. That doesn't mean she neverfeared, but she never lost touch with the beauty andmagnificence of the mountains, so that she looked at thedeath-offering fall just one step away and instead ofnausea felt the wonder of death's presence and thesplendour of nature's gifts. And seeing the nearness ofdeath she revelled the words she had written on the journeythere:

"What if I were to die on this grey and silver day,when the waters haven't settled and the stars are cold. Isee brightly today, all my dreams have passed away, I seeclearly. When I looked last from the window the haze ofthe sun lit up the mirrored raindrops on the climbing rose.I will remember that in the rich blackness that is death.... Will an avalanche like silver thunder come andbury me? Will, then, grey hills engulf and drown me withtheir mists? Death brings visions terrible and swift.... The clouds are grey and silver, and the light isblack. For a time I thought I should die, but now lifehas come back."

_5 Charlotte Lanfear

THE BEDALES CYCLING CLUB

People who read Bedalian sports reviews simply for the"put anything in, so long as it gets a laugh" type of jokesincluded, may be disappointed by this particular report,though to anyone concerned with facts it may well prove arelief.

Last season saw the formation of the Bedales CyclingClub and its official recognition by the various authoritiesgoverning the sport. It was formed principally to give theincreasing number of keen cyclists something positive to aimtowards, notably outside competition at a divisional andnational level.

Despite considerable delays with such things as Clubjerseys, the members of the new Club were p rticipating inofficial road races by June of 1977 - and with no littlesuccess. On June 5th, Jonathan Talbot-Weiss or 'Whiskers'made history by being the first person to enter a road racein the now well-known black and yellow colours. The eventwas a short circuit race with about thirty-five entrants atMillbrook, Southampton, and the newness of Club was under-lined by the fact that Whiskers' jersey was a hastilymodified black Tee-shirt. Also in the same race wasJonathan Dwyer or 'Heff, who had been the first Bedalian (ofrecent times) to enter a road race back in May 1977 but inthe colours of Crabwood CC Southampton.

Whiskers was never in a position to win his first race.but did exceptionally well, despite a collision, to finishtwenty-first, only a quarter of a lap down on the winner.

With the Club's second event, difficulties were met within the shape of Bedales Bureaucracy. We had hoped that itwould be easily excusable to miss Tuesday Activities, but wewere wrong and negotiations fell through at the last minute.However, Ian Ripper and Charles Haydon, both enjoying thenew-found freedom of after '0' week, competed very «• cess-fully and, but for the lack of a back up term, ">-' . na"'won.

36

The season continued as it had begun for the Bedales CC:entirely successfully, save for the performance of our greathope, Nick Hughes, who was racing in the Schoolboy category.After an unfortunate puncture in his first event, Nick justcouldn't seem to hit the deck fast enough and he finishedthe season with the dubious honour of a 100% accident record.To be fair, it must be said that Schoolboy racing is moreerratic and dangerous to a newcomer than Junior racing. Thehigh point of the season was Whiskers' seventh place in oneof the roughest events on the calendar, netting him one poundin prize-money and the beginnings of a reputation hopefullyto be cultivated further in 1978.

1978 may prove to be better still if we can encouragemore people to take the sport seriously, particularly gamesstaff, who really ought to watch at least one race. We haveoutstanding talent in some of our Block 3 and 4 members whichonly needs cultivating to produce results. Who knows - wemay achieve a win in 1978.

Jonathan Dwyer 611

37

SPIRIT

Look up at

The endless pool above

Where a crow spreads black fingers

Out to glide,

As a reflection

Of the man beneath

Whose soul stares through the port-holes

In his head,

Twitching its foetal feathers

Against his bones

And within the brittle hands that grip

A white stick.

GUTTERSNIPE

The boy sits on the cornerLike a crumpled flowerFrom between the concrete slabsOf cracked pavement,With creases where the wounds hurt most.The hands of his soulGrip the edges of the windowThat are his eyes,And the creature fits another barFor every passer-by.He has locked himself into the cold casementThat kills emotionAnd leaves a bitter saltUpon his tongue,

And so the silent watcher sitsHardening his soul.

39

FROM STEEP TO ARRAS

A VERY PERSONAL IMPRESSION

At Arras, on the 9th April 1917, the wind was strong,westerly. A young pilot of the Royal Flying Corps washaving a rough time in his F.E. over the lines between Arrasand Lens. Only four days before, he had made his firstoperational flight, and sixteen days later he was to be shotdown in flames. (He survived.) But today, the 9th April1917, 'Archie' was giving him hell.

Edward Thomas died that day. Perhaps, before he died,he may have seen the 'planes above him being plastered withanti-aircraft fire and made a silent prayer for theirsafety. If the pilot had known that, below him, a poetwas about to die, leaving behind some of the most beautifulpoems in the language, he might have said a silent "Thankyou".

61 years later, we gathered in the Quad at Bedalesto celebrate the poet in a programme of words and musicbeautifully chosen by Rachel Field and William Agnew.It was a poignant evening. Here were young people, whocouldn't have had much idea of what Edward Thomas - or thepilot - went through between 1914 and 1918, reading poetrywhich came out of the bloodiest war in history.

Although Edward Thomas was not a 'War Poet' in capitalletters, the Great War brooded over this celebration.Thomas was writing about life, and the people and thingswhich were part of his life - petals, dust, trees- ordinary, unsentimental. Life had suddenly become veryprecious, and might be snatched away from him at any moment.We, listening, knew that it was.

Faure's "Elegie", for 'cello and piano, began theprogramme, solemnly and sombrely, from which we were pitch-forked into a quite hilarious reading from "Four-and-TwentyBlackbirds" by Basil Jarman and three of the boys from SteepSchool. Music by Finzi led into the central section of adozen or so of the 'Steep' poems read by Bedalians. Butfirst, there was a recording of two poems read by Thomas'swife, Helen. Although the quality of the recording wasrather rough, it was most moving to hear "Interval" and"The Path" read by the person whom Thomas must have had inmind when he wrote many of his poems. Of the readings by

MO

Bedalians themselves, I can't, or won't, pick out anyonein particular. I thought the voices and the personalitiessuited the poems admirably, and if one or two of the moredifficult ones didn't quite come off, the flavour ofThomas's poetry came through in abundance. Rachel'slinking commentary was done with great ease and charm andwas most valuable. A 'surprise item' was a reading by thepoet's daughter, Myfanwy, of "Out in the Dark". Again, itwas most moving to hear personal memories, and to have apoem read by someone who was so close to the poet.

We had forgotten the war for a moment. With extractsfrom Thomas's war diary, poignancy and sadness returned.These were read quite superbly by Edward Hill, unselfishly,and with a deep understanding. William Agnew's setting of"Thaw" caught the poem's sense exactly, the cold harmoniesand the jagged, icy rhythms giving way to the warmer musicof a coming spring. With a beautifully controlled readingof "Lights Out" by Paul Townsend, the programme came to anend, and I felt that Thomas, and the millions who died atArras, were not far away. Nor was the pilot.

Perhaps I was more moved than many in the Quad thatevening. The pilot was my father, and one of his grand-children took part in the programme.

TEPHEN HANCOCK

OEITUART FOR

AEf£fiKE£lN THE JUNE 1911 EDIHOMOF THB CHRONICLE.

WE, WOULD UKE TO KNOW THE,AUTHOR

CAN ANYONE;ENUGffitN US?

Whale plays, WhWl e callsWhale sings, WhVl e adoresMan comes, Man JjillsMan skins, ManBloodshed - isThe harpoon ex

whale frothdeep deep vnerves tort1

waters curdives andshoots higlcrashes to 6'the body is^

TheTheTheTheandandandNowThe whale is nd moreHe is dead, he ;is extinctand extinction 'is foreverand pain is ne^er-ending.Man has ruthlessly slaughteredThe great leviathan - perhapsBecause he is icalous.

ells.his the price of intelligence?odes in the whale's sideand turns red - the colour of deat)ice bellowsred, the pain greater than lifee, the whale screamsists and turnsinto the airhe sea - dead,no more

Jol lan Saxtoj

For the last eight years Steephurst has been a happyand secure place - largely because of one person: BillieCantopher, known by most as Mrs. C. During this time shehas acted as Matron, and in more recent terms as temporaryAssistant Housemistress.

I am sure that all who have known Mrs. C. will agreethat we have been more than lucky and that Steephurst willbe a very different place without her. She has inspiredconfidence into many; at the same time the girls haveenjoyed a relaxed atmosphere under her care. She lookedafter us with the utmost concern and affection.

Her sympathy and kindness will always be remembered,and we wish her all the best for a much deserved retirement,

A. Ley .11

THE COMING OF SLEEP

At last the darkness came.The noises of outside lifeBegan to fade.A warm cocoon of sheetsAnd blankets,Like the warmth of a womb;Pre-childhood visions returned.The bedclothes wrapped themselvesAround even more,Their softness and comfort showedNothing but tranquility.Strange visions,Muddled, entwined almost without meaning,Flashes of dead frozen autumn leavesOn the path, a feminine face, tears.I am here,But where?Confused, dazzled,Faster words, pictures, smells, thoughtsThen slower,Cushioned feathers,Softness.Bliss.And finally,Darker and Darker,The Sleep.Sleep is here;The journey, is ended.

Martin Redman ii

B E D A L E S C H R O N I C L E

OLD BEDALIAN SUPPLEMENT

Volume 62 No. 2

BIRTHS

To Hilary and JULIAN MARSHALL on mth March 1978, a son.

To Yvonne and DAVID SIMON on 16th March 1978, a daughter,Miriam Adela.

ENGAGEMENTS

HENRIETTA OPPENHEIMER to Adam L. Scott.

MATILDA OPPENHEIMER to Neil G. A. King.

Anne Elizabeth Allerton to DAVID ANTONY de SAXE.

ROSAMUND M. PEASE to John P. M. Chalmers.

HELEN VANESSA WAKE to Michael James Williams.

CAROLINE DAVIDSON to Clive Cookson.

DEATHS

KATHERINE SEWARD FLOWER (nee HILL), Bedales 1918-1922,on 16th January 1978.

ROSA LUCY CROSLEY (nee GOTCH), Bedales 1911-1915,on 7th March 1978.

MARJORIE P. M. HALLCHURCH (nee COOPER), Bedales 1913-1918,suddenly on 20th April 1978.

NEWS IN BRIEF

BILL MAXWELL is Chairman of the Railway Division ofthe Institution of Mechanical Engineers and board member ofengineering to London Transport.

CHRISTINE BARTLETT is going to China with a group

47

organised by the British Museum, touring museums andexcavations in Nanking, Shanghai and Peking in June.

Recreating Hth Century A.D. Roman potteries inAlice Holt Forest near Bordon, they are using a replica ofan Italian medieval potter's wheel constructed by FRED SEYD,having no evidence of a Roman wheel.

CLARE WAGHORN complains in a letter to The Times thatshe has been forced to buy a new VHF radio to avoid havingto listen to parliamentary broadcasts. "Could it be thatthe BBC are in league with radio manufacturers?"

The recently appointed Chief Assistant ControllerBBC for Scotland, is CHRISTOPHER IRWIN.

ALEXANDER SKEAPING gave a harpsichord recital of musicby Bach at St. John's, Smith Square, last January.

What happened in the after-dinner speech challenge whenGYLES BRANDRETH hoped to beat Nicholas Parsons' 428 minutesrecord?

Now that Michael Young has been made a Life Peer, hiswife SASfrA (nee MOORSOM) becomes.LADY YOUNG.

ROGER LLOYD PACK had his photograph in The Times witha review of Pinter's revival of "The Homecoming" at theGarrick Theatre, and TOBY SALAMAN "gave a marvellousperformance" in BBC 2's production of Mary O'Malley's play"Shall I See You Now?"

ROSY MASSIL is making an anti-racialist film withNewsreel Film Collective. She is active in various women'sand anti-fascist and anti-racialist movements.

There was an exhibition recently'of JOHN KITCHENS'paintings at the David Paul Gallery at Chichester.

ANNA SIMONS is hoping to crew on a boat trip throughFrance until she starts at university.

What sounds like "The Good Life" for JOHN OSBORNE: whoreports that he is acting as caretaker on an estate northof Nice where he can grow his own food - compost grown ofcourse I - avoid paying rates and live in a perfect climate.The only difficulty appears to be forgetting his schoolFrench and coping with the local patois.

48

PENNIE DENTON (nee PLAYER) commutes from her home nearStratford-upon-Avon to the Birmingham Polytechnic taking alibrarian course there.

SHEILA ROWELL (nee WHITTAKER) is now working as aLanguage Teaching Adviser at C.I.L.T. (Centre forInformation on Language Teaching and Research), 20 CarltonHouse Terrace, WC1. Any O.B's involved in languageteaching (including E.F.L.) would undoubtedly find theCentre useful.

THE O.B. TIE

The tie - navy with a Bedales rose - is now availablefrom Ben Bennett for £3.60 plus 25p postage and packing.

MURIEL LUKE HOOPER 1887-1977

As one of the few remaining O.B's who were at schoolwith Muriel Luke, I have been asked to write this memorialnote, which I do willingly.

When I arrived at Bedales in 1902 her age was fifteenand she was already half-way up the hierarchy - to be laterthe first Head Girl - I was ten, in the 'third class', therebeing no preparatory school. After four years at theschool she left in 1905, but returned as a physiotherapistin 1911 and remained on the staff for five years.

Though I never knew them well, the Luke sisters madequite an impression, especially the athletic Marjory (twoyears younger). This sister tended to be matey. I havea clear picture of skating with her on Woolmer pond onefrosty winter.

Some personal friends and others were lucky to read hermemoirs which she modestly attributed to 'a nobody'. Inher way she seems to have been quite tough and adventurous.What most impressed me was her account of events leadingup to her union with 'David1 Hooper, who was a well-likedteacher of Art and English at Bedales between 1904 and 1912.

She preceded, step by step, taking part in much jointconsultation with the Chief and Mrs Badley. Most importantwas the light she threw on dear 'Ma B1 when relaxed and 'offduty'. In her we all recognised a wonderful working andcreative partner of the Chief, but some of us felt that, attimes, she could be somewhat exalte. Not a bit of it.According to Muriel she must have been quite down to earth,with a keen sense of humour, and as we say 'missed nothing'.

Muriel gave generously to the School and many O.B'swere made to feel welcome by the Luke sisters when theylived in Steep village. I was fortunate in being able tovisit her at Liss a year or two ago in the company of Vyvand Sylvia Trubshawe. She seemed glad to talk to oldfriends about her experiences and life in the 'home' whereshe was installed. I was happy to receive a letter fromher shortly before she died.

Robert Best

KATHERINE SEWARD FLOWER 1903-1978

My old friend Katherine Flower, nee Hill, who diedon 16th January, was at Bedales 1918-1922. She was a goodathlete and gymnast and could run like the wind, but didnot seem to consider these accomplishments important. Shecould also draw well and was musically gifted. She waskind-hearted and shy; in appearance unfashionable andrather untidy, her manner vague and rather apologetic; buther conclusions and actions were not vague at all.

She studied horticulture at Reading and ran a marketgarden near Bredon, where I used to help pick the cropsduring the war. I have many happy memories of walking,cycling, and when appropriate, botanising with her on theDowns, in Yorkshire, the Lake District and Wales, in Romeand the Pyrenees. When we were particularly hot andexhausted she would take a recorder from her rucksack andsit on the grass and play it.

She survived her husband George, who lived to 97, byonly a year.

Nellie Hogg

50

ROSA CROSLEY 1898-1978

I only knew Rosa from 1938 when her son Mervyn and ourdaughter Karin were at Dunhurst, so I am unable to writeabout her days at Bedales and her early married life.

Rosa was devoted to Bedales, served on the BedalesSociety Committee for several years and edited the AddressBook for a time. She also helped me for fifteen years withsome of the clerical work concerned with running the O.B.Meetings.

In spite of losing her husband when still a youngwoman and her son Mervyn just as he was about to start hisarchitectural career, she never grumbled or becameembittered. She always faced her problems with a dryhumour which endeared her to her friends. During the lateryears of her life she was prevented by arthritis from anyactive participation, but she supported many humane causesand retained an interest in Bedales and all the news of OldBedalians.

Tania Barnsley

THE BEDALES ROLL

What for some time seemed impossible has been achieved:the new edition of the Bedales Roll has been completed.

This could not have been done without the invaluableassistance of a number of excellent helpers. As I had towrite the Introduction before the proof correcting began, "it does not include the names of several people who helpedDiana Keast with this formidable task to which she gave somuch time and care. These are Susan Foreman, AnnabellaHolmes, Joan King and Sheila Rowell, to all of whom I amdeeply grateful.

Please let me know of any errors. This informationwill be received sorrowfully but thankfully.

Paul Brown

51

O.B. MEETING; MAY 1978

The old summer O.B. Meetings conjure up memories oflazing in the hot sunshine and watching the cricket match,or our children enjoying the swimming pool. This yearthere was indeed a cricket match and swimming for the brave,but the weather left a lot to be desired. The new styleO.B. Meeting, combining the Summer Company Meeting and theEckersley Lecture, meant that different groups of O.B's whodo not usually meet were brought together.

The highlight of the week-end was the dinner, held atDunhurst; unfortunately there were no Block 6 eating withus as they were in the middle of exams. For the first timeoutside caterers provided the food, which was delicious, andthey did the washing up! Christopher Cash was presentedwith a cheque from the O.B's as a small thank you for all hehas done for Bedales during the 28 years he has been at theschool. This was followed by an entertainment.

At the A.G.M. on the Sunday morning we were told thatthe new School Roll is now ready. It was interesting tosee in an old book of O.B. Meeting reports that the firstRoll cost £5.17.6 published and delivered.

The concert which followed the A.G.M. was of the usualhigh standard. After lunch we were shown an old film ofBedales and Dunhurst made in the Twenties. What were thechildren dressed in Dutch costumes and disappearing one byone into a windmill up to?

Unfortunately I had to leave before Jaw which was tobe given by Kenneth Barnes. Although the weather was adisappointment everyone seemed to be enjoying the new stylesummer O.B. Meeting.

Jo Routledge

52

O.B. MEETING CONCERT

The midmorning Sunday concert was a popular and mostwelcome feature of the Meeting, providing a stimulatinghour of music as well as sanctuary from the deluging rainoutside!

It is easy to have the pleasure of being an audienceand conveniently to forget the work involved in conjuringup performers out of the quicksand conditions of an O.B.Meeting, and our thanks go to Julia Shaw (oboe) whoundertook this ungrateful task with such success.

It cannot be easy to find rehearsal time either, butany lack of incision was amply compensated by the dedicationto the music shown by the performers, who were a blend ofP.B's and very recent O.B's.

The mettle of the players, too, was at once apparentwhen Julia Wilson and Julie Smith opened the programmewith an unaccompanied work - two movements from a "Sonatafor Two Solo Flutes" by Boismortier. This was an assuredperformance enhanced by good tone and intonation andsensitive phrasing.

Ravel's "Piece eti forme de Habanero" followed, playedby Deborah Holmes, 'cello (also a P.B.). She is a strongplayer and gave an authoritative and dramatic account ofthe work with markedly good attack and sense of style.Ravel was partnered by Debussy - "Syrinx" for Solo Flute.This was played by Louise Glanville (O.B.) and was anaccomplished performance revealing playing of considerabledexterity and technical skill - a dexterity that at timesdid not permit the flexibility that is the essentialcharacter of this lovely work.

From Solo Flute back again to Solo 'cello. Thisproved to be one of the highlights of the concert. LucyWoolrych (described as the youngest O.B.) chose the well-known "Kol Nidrei" of Max Bruch. This is a demanding workof some length and one of sustained passion and dramaticfeeling - which was splendidly caught by this committedyoung player. She possesses a real gift of communication

53

as well as warmth of tone. She was greatly aided by asuperb accompaniment - the playing of the piano introductionwill linger long in the memory.

It seemed at this point that problems of availabilitywould produce a programme in Rondo Form (flute - 'cello -flute - 'cello), but the first notes from the Clarinet whichfollowed, literally shattered the illusion! Anthony Pike(P.B.) established his masculinity in a flash with anelectrical attack of the first movement of Malcolm Arnold's"Sonatina for Clarinet". At times the exhuberance led toa somewhat strident tone quality, but this was redeemed bysome lovely legato playing in the slow movement. Thethird movement had all the rhythmic brilliance it deserves.Greatly to be admired was the overall conception of thecomposition shown by this young player.

The penultimate item of the programme was by farthe most ambitious and demanding choice of work. LouiseGlanville - Flute - and Julia Shaw - Oboe - (O.B's), bothhighly competent individual players, played Gordon Jacob'sdifficult "Three Inventions for Solo Flute and Oboe".

The concert was concluded by the welcome introductionof a singer - Deborah Holmes, Soprano (P.B.), who, withthe piano, formed the Trio for "Three Songs" by Spohr.Special mention must be made of the limpid and musicianlyplaying of the Clarinet, dominating where it was needed andshaping phrases with great artistry.

The constant factor binding the whole concert togetherwas the piano accompaniment. It would indeed have beenhard not to play at one's best with such musicianship assupport. It was sad that the vote of thanks to WilliamAgnew had also to be a farewell, but the high standard ofthe playing was the finest tribute to his eleven years ofwork for the school, a tribute more eloquent than words.

Iris Lemare

HolmoakSteepPetersfield

1st May 1978Dear Editor

Old Bedalians and others may be interested to knowthat last Christmas, in my capacity as Chairman of SteepParish Council, I signed the deeds which made Steep Common- opposite the Church - the property of the Parish.

I won't bore you with the details beyond saying that ithas been an aspiration of the village to own the Common fora long time but the necessary negotiations have taken somethirty years! What may be of interest is the part playedin the final purchase by the Chief, who made a bequest tothe village in his will which paid most of the purchaseprice.

We hope to recognise his generosity by putting asuitably inscribed circular seat round a beech tree that wasplanted in 1910 to mark the Coronation of George V. Shouldanyone wish to help with the cost of the seat allcontributions would be most gratefully received by

Yours,

Rollo (Wicksteed)

TYGER-CAT

Eclipse of the moonScream of the sunOut of the darknessThe tyger-cat sprung -Spun up the universeInto a ballTore tracks at shooting starsWith crescent claw -For as he ran burningThrough forests of blackThe bars of his prisonMoved gold on his back

Amanda Craig

55

T H E B E D A L E S S O C I E T Y A N D OFFICIALS

1977 - 1978

PRESIDENT

VICE-PRESIDENT

CHAIRMAN

HON. SECRETARIES

HON. TREASURER

MINUTES SECRETARY

BEDALES MEETING ORGANISER

BEDALES ROLL EDITOR

O.B. CHRONICLE EDITOR

ADDRESS LIST EDITOR

CHRONICLE TREASURER

GRANTS TRUST FUND

HEAD BOY AND HEAD GIRL

GENERAL COMMITTEE

Mrs. Sheena Meier

C. P. Nobes

Jon Barnsley

Michael and Susan MorrisPennyfold, Steep,Petersfield, GU32 2DF

Norman Edwards104 Sutton Court RoadLondon W4 3EQ

Annabella Holmes

Jeremy Craven

Paul Brown2 Greenlands Cottages,Steep, Petersfield, GU32 1AG

Gonda StamfordCockshott Lane, Froxfield,Petersfield, GU32 IBB

Susan Morris

Tim Williams

Robert Alexander

Timothy Stilwell and Alison Ley

Sheila RowellLindsay WilliamsRichard HolderJessica IlbertJenny DandridgeGordon BrayStephen Loft-SimsonMichael SaundersAngela IllingworthPatrick ChapmanBelinda Harding

56