THE GATEWAY

11

I

Battle Abbey School Magazine

1952

11

"THE GATEWAY"

CONTENTS1. Foreword ...

2. Magazine Committee3. Editorial4. Prologue

5. Examination Candidates6. Heads, Vice-Heads, Bronzes, Etc.7. Cups

8. The Sixth Fonn Goes to London

9. School Play - A Performer's Viewpoint

10. School Play - A Spectator's Viewpoint11. Gym. Competition12. Lectures

13. Musical Jottings

Miss Sheehan--Dare

S. van Zwanenberg

E. MarchbankE. Andrew

Miss MoffatV. Euan;Smith

E. Gamble

. .. J. CU1'llhamP. Loog;Brown

14. Games

15. Art and Craft P. Cole

16. Old Girls' Day A. Cohen17. Sports Day F. Beaton

18. The Pied Piper J. McOnegal19. IIIrd Fonn Bird Watching

20. Hallowe'en Party ...

21. Winter Tenn Activities ...22. Easter Tenn Activities23. Council for Education in World Citizenship S. Moores

24. Clouds Anonymous

25. The Big Black Box - A Nonsense Tale C. Seyd26. Letter from Spain ... E. Andrew

27. Miscellaneous Poems :-

Memories of Battle Abbey AnonymousHistory of Battle Abbey AnonymousTo Greed V. Freeland

My Horse D. WhitefieldSpring in Hightown D. Whitefie1d

Modern Verse on "Visitors" ... A. Trevor"The Unfinished Poem," or "The Struggles of a Poetess" M. Stevenson

A Hunting Jingle E. Woodhouse

Neptune, King of the Sea M. LaneNight C. Seyd

28. Epilogue S. van Zwanenberg

I

"FOY EST TOUT"Brief, but full of meaning, is our school motto. The word" foy," a heritage

from medieval times, contained within its small compass much that is nowcalled "good faith," "mutual trust," "loyalty." Are these qualities also tobelong only to the past?

Over a large part of the earth, good faith and mutual trust have vanishedaltogether, and loyalty has become so twisted and confu ed a thing as to beunrecognisable. If we are to save them here, they must from time to time, beexamined and tested and their aim called in question. To what are we loyal?In what do we trust? And, more important still, who can rely on our "goodfaith"? If it had been impossible to make friends and neighbours wrongly sus­picious of one another it is unlikely that some of the unfortunate ountries nowincluded behind the "Iron Curtain" would have been there. Loyalty to meretradition, custom or systems of discipline will fail us, in chool life as el ewhere ;faith-real faith-in one another will not.

This year we have lived through an experience which can I \'e u in nodoubt that it is ideals and high qualities by which we truly li\·e. It wa notkingship, or forms of government, we had in mind when we gathered in theAbbot's Hall to take part in the broadcast funeral service of Kin George 1.but the beloved King we had lost. Could anything have pok n 0 u moreeloquently of good faith than the life which had just ome 0 an end?" Faith is all."

A. GowC. CheveleyV. FreelandF. BeatonC. BirtsP. ~oors

HELE

"THE GATEWAY"MAGAZINE COMMITTEE

Members :E. ~archbank, SecretaryE. AndrewE. GambleA. TrevorJ. CurshamV. Euan-Smith

HEEH.-\_ "-DARE.

Editor:S. Lindup

(with much kind" unofficial" help and many suggestions from ~s Hy

EDITORIALThis is the 1952 edition of "The Gateway." Last year its publi 3lion

lapsed for various reasons, but with the older "Gateways" to in pire u , wehave ventured to publish this one, and we hope you will enjoy it.

There is now a ~agazine Committee representati\'e of the enior Formof the school. This Committee-by means of persuasion and ta tful flattery and.also, the promise of anonymity, when this was desired by humble ontributo ­has been able to obtain a fair number of contributions. The e re ount in pro eand verse, the activities which have influenced our pattern of li\'ing in the Abbeyduring the 1951-52 school year; and the thoughts and fantasies-grave andgay-of some of our contributors. Is it too much to hope that in the 1953" Gateway" another class of contributor will be added-the class that concen­trates on articles of a distinctive literary quality, which indicate that the writershave drunk deeply of the Pierian Well of the ~use ? We sincerely hope so !

2

PROLOGUEOpening these pages, you will find

Articles of every kind,Written by girls and staff as well

And there's many a girl has a tale to tell.B.A. Mag's. just a friendly thing,

Its main aim is pleasure to you to bring;So I hope it's not misleading

To wish everyone" happy reading."S. van ZWANENBERG.

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEOF EDUCATION CANDIDATES, 1951

M. MackinnonA. MulfordM. RichardsD. ThackerA. Trevorp. WillsH. WhiteH. Wright-Cooper

* Advanced Level only.

GENERAL CERTIFICATEE. AndrewJ. BodlenderP. CrundallJ. CurshanD. Galloway

*A. GlendinningK. HallA. Horsfall

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEGENERAL CERTIFICATE

p. Bacon

S. BowackC. Buckle

. BulleyA. BurdittA. ChettleA. CohenC. CooperP. DickS. DickensV. Euan-SmithE. GambleA. GoadS. HarrisP. Jory

OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES, 1952C. KuglerJ. Lanep. Long-,BrownF. Lynn-RobinsonY. MacnamaraE. MarchbankV. MellardS. MooresE. PetleyA. WareingE. WhittonC. Yates-BellA. van ZwanenbergS. van Zwanenberg

3

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONOF TEACHERS OF DANCING

DANCING MEDALSSENIOR BRONZE:

p. Bacon; S. Bowack; A. Goad; Y. Macnamara ; S. Moores; A. Petley;

A. Trevor.

SENIOR SILVER:Y. Macnamara; V. Mellard'" ; S. Moores; A. Petley.

SENIOR GOLD:V. Mellard.

JUNIOR BRONZE:E. Barbour; S. Clarke; D. Crowder ; A. Eerdmans; V. Field; . Jenks ;

B. Lock; J. Lord'" ; J. MacOnegal ; 1. Thompson ; J. Turnbull . A. Ward;S. Wood.

JUNIOR DOUBLE BRONZE:A. Davenport; M. Lane; E. Palmers; A. Stancombe :,:.

JUNIOR SILVER:C. Birts ; V. Browse; A. Snowden.

JUNIOR DOUBLE SILVER:

C. Cooper.:,: Comrnended.

GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DRAMA.ELOCUTION RESULTS

WINTER TERM .-GRADE 3 PRIMARY:

E. Whitton ................ 72% D. Boyes .................. 2°0

EASTER TERMGRADE 4 GRADE 3

C. Buckle .................. 79% E. Palmers ................ 2°bP. Bacon .................. 76% J. Parker ................... 81°;,M. Morriss ............... 76% P. Harri .................. 8°0

A. van Zwanenberg ...... 76% A. Green .................. 3°6E. Whitton ................ 72% J. Tumbull . ............... 71 o~

S. Moores .................. 71% E. Barbour . ............... 69%

GRADE 2:

D. Crowder 70%

A. Koekkoek .. .. . 68%

4

GRADE 1:

D. Boyes 80%A. Barbour . 78%

J. MacOnegal . . .. . . 78 %

VICE~HEADS,

St. Mary's

A. Trevor *S. Harris *

J, BodlenderM. Mackinnon

St. Patrick's

H. WhiteA. v. Zwanenberg

E. MarchbankS. Bowack

E. MarchbankS. Bowack

E. Marchbank *S. Bowack *

ETC.

E. Andrew *J. Lane *

St. Ethe1dreda's

E. AndrewJ. Lane

E. AndrewJ. LaneS. DickensJ. CurshamC. Yates-BellC. BuckleV. Evan-Smith

BRONZES,St, Martin's

E. GambleP. Cole *

E. GambleP. ColeA. PetleyS. Lindup

E. Gamblep. Wills *

A. TrevorS. HarrisM. RichardsV. Mellard

HEADS,1951-52

ChristmasTerm

Head:Vice:

Easter TermHead:Vice:

SummerTerm

Head:Vice:Bronzes:

* denotes Acting.

GamesCaptains:Stars:

F. BeatonA. ChettleA. GoodP. BaconV. BakeyF. BeatonP. Paterson

S. LindupA. BurdittJ, MillerC. Soley

C. Yates-BellP. Long-BrownA. WareingS. Mooresp. JoryA. GowC. CheveleyJ, StewartC. Birts

C. CooperE. WhittonF. Lynn-RobinsonC. CooperY. MacnamaraA. CohenV. FreelandP. Moorsp. BakerV. Browse

CUPS AND AWARDSAt the end of the Summer Term, 1951, two new cups were presented to

the school. The Music Cup, to be awarded annually, and won in 1951 by JaneCursham, was presented by Mrs. Garstin and her son, Dr. Garstin. The Inter­House Posture Cup, to be awarded annually, was presented by Davina Thacker,Alison Horsfall, Anthea Mulford, and Penelope Crundall. It was won by St.Etheldreda's.

CHRISTMAS TERM, 1951Inter-House Conduct Cup .Inter-House Work Cup .Inter-House Netball Cup .Inter-House Shield .The Inter-Form Tidiness Picture, presented to theschool by members of the Staff, was won byInter-Form Activities Cup .

EASTER TERM, 1952Inter-House Conduct Cup .Inter-House Work Cup .Inter-House Lacrosse Cup .Inter-House Shield , .Inter-Form Tidiness Picture .Inter-Form Activities Cup .

SUMMER TERMInter-House Sports Cup

St. Etheldreda'sSt. Etheldreda'sSt. Martin'sSt. Etheldreda's

Form V.B.Form IV.B.

St. Patrick'sSt. Etheldreda'sSt. Etheldreda'sSt. Etheldreda'sForm V.B.Form III

St. Patrick's

5

THE SIXTH FORM GOES TO LONDON

On July 2nd, the Vlth Form spent a wonderful day in London, and MissGuinand very kindly escorted us there. We visited the Houses of Parliament,Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London; but, perhaps, one of the greatestthrills of the day was our visit to Big Ben.

We arrived in London at about eleven o'clock, and first went to the Poet'sCorner in the Abbey, before meeting Mr. Cooper-Key, our Conservative Memberof Parliament, outside the House of Lords. He took us round both Hou es, andexplained the manner in which Her Majesty the Queen will open Parliamentin the autumn.

The Upper House is beautiful, ancient, and ornate, and the Lower Housea fine example of modern craftsmanship. We were much impres ed by thebeautiful gifts, sent from many parts of the world, to mark the re-building afterthe blitz. These included some very fine doors, leading into the Chamber, fromCeylon, and the Speaker's Chair from Australia. We went through WestminsterHall, and Mr. Cooper-Key told us a little of the great part this lovely Hall h:J.splayed in our history.

After lunch, we were fortunate enough to be taken to the Big Ben Tower,where we were shown the complicated mechanism of the clock, every ection ofwhich was made by hand, and whose chimes ring out over the world. The \·iewfrom the balcony was magnificent, and as our guide was pointing out the variousbuildings, the clock struck tr.ree. We had to stand in silence in case th~ B.B.e."picked up" our voices, in which case the voices of the Battle Abbey VIthForm would have been broadcast all over the world!

The most exciting event of the day was our brief glimpse of Mr. Churchillwho arrived for the afternoon session of the House. We followed his :J.r intothe Speaker's Court and watched him alight from it. We were thrilled whenhe took off his hat, removed his cigar, and, with a slight bow, wished u GoodAfternoon."

We next went down the river to Tower Bridge, and from there to the Towerof London. Our first visit was to the room containing the Crown Jew I whichwere really magnificent, especially the Kohinoor Diamond-the larg t in theworld-which is in the Sceptre and cut in the shape of a heart. \! e next wentto the Armoury, and saw many instruments of torture and weapon of war alsothe cloak worn by General WoUe at Quebec.

By this time we were somewhat footsore, so we went by nderground toCanon Street and returned to Battle in the early evening. Everyone was anxiousto hear an account of our doings, and the excitement was uproarious when weannounced that we had seen the Prime Minister and he had bowed to us. Thusended a very happy day which we shall always remember.

V. EUAN-SMITH.

6

THE DRAMATIC SOCIETY

"QUALITY STREET" by J. M. BARRIE

A. PERFORMER'S POINT OF VIEW

The usual difficulty of the choice of a suitable play occurred when theDramatic Committee, at the end of the school year, decided to produce a playfor the Christmas Term. After much discussion, "Quality Street," by J. M.Barrie, was selected as the most suitable, and we proceeded with the preparations.

SOME MEMBERS OF THE CAST OF "QUALITY STREET."by J. M. B:mie.

The first thing we did was to approach Miss Gifford and, knowing how littlespare time she has, we diffidently asked her if she would very kindly accept re­sponsibility for the production. Our gratitude and relief when she assented canbe imagined.

Having chosen people to play the main parts, we left the rest of the arrange­ments until the following term. It was then-after a Dramatic Society meeting,which made several important decisions-that rehearsals began in earnest.

7

These were conducted in the presence of Miss Gifford, at every possiblemoment. As happens when rehearsing a play, we appeared to make very littleheadway, although each member of the cast was most conscientious about learningher part. Tempers sometimes rose rather high., as the time drew near, althoughrehearsals were generally peaceable.

Consternation as well as excitement increased, as the dates of the perform­ances approached. It was amazing how many unforeseen tasks became impelling,although these were mostly left in the competent hands of the stage managers.

The dress rehearsal went off with remarkably few hitches; the attractiveclothes we had hired, and the scenery, inspiring our performance.

Once we had overcome our first attack of " stage-fright," most of us reallyenjoyed acting "Quality Street," and I, for one, was sorry when the curtainfell for the last time.

ELIZABETH MARCHBANK.

"QUALITY STREET "- A SPECTATOR'S VIEWPOINT

At the end of the Christmas Term the Dramatic Society presented J. M.Barrie's well-known play "Quality Street." The play was well-chosen, as itwas light and entertaining; the story is both sad and amusing and has thetraditional happy ending.

The cast was wisely selected, and the performers ranged from the youngestto the eldest in the school. The leading parts of Miss Phcebe, Miss Susan andCaptain Valentine Brown, were played by Penny Cole, Elizabeth Marchbank,and Sally Dickens, respectively.

As a spectator, one not only enjoyed the story and appreciated the excellentacting and production-all a result of many weeks of hard work-but, also, thecolourful costumes and attractive scenery.

The dress rehearsal was attended by the school. It went very well, evenwhen Miss Susan failed to ma~e her entry on time, for the anxious performerscarried on an impromptu conversation about the weather, until the slightly-flus­tered Miss Susan emerged, and the play continued according to the script.

Unlike any previous occasion, it was decided to give a public performance.The advanced art pupils, Ann Trevor and Jane Cursham, who had helped MissSeymour to paint the scenery, made two large posters which were displayed inthe village. There was a large attendance at this performance and the afternoonwas a great success. The sum of £5 Os. Od. was collected for the Battle MemorialHall Fund.

The final and most enjoyable performance was on the last day, and to thisthe parents were invited; it was indeed an appropriate and happy climax tothe term. The cast presented bouquets to Miss Gifford, the Producer, and PennyCole as Phcebe. A vote of thanks was also given to all who had taken part inthe play or contributed in any way to its success.

The play was-undoubtedly-one of the outstanding achievements of theschool in the past few years.

E. ANDREW.

8

SCHOOL LECTURES DURING THE YEAR

In the Christmas term the Senior School was fortunate enough to be givena lecture on the Women's department of the War Office. Although Mrs. Lums­den was unable to tell us a great deal about the work, she made it clear that theprospects were excellent for girls leaving school. It seems that comparativelyfew qualifications are necessary, the most important being a reliable character,reticence, and discretion. This work offers excellent opportunities for travel, anda three months' probationary period is granted.

We had a very touching lecture in the Easter term on the work of the Leagueof Pity. One of the many revealing stories told was of a small boy who wastaken ill, and whose parents refused to send for a doctor. The family told alocal inspector of the League that they thought it better just to "let him die."Some time later his body was found on a slag-heap. '

This lecture made us realise the wonderful work done by the League of Pity,and the ever-increasing need for funds.

VERITY EUAN - SMITHand ELEANOR GAMBLE.

MUSICA.L JOTTINGS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, 1951, at 3 p.m.

RECITAL BYJESSIE ROSE, CECIL BAUMER AND DAVID JOLLY

To open this excellent recital Miss Rose and Mr. Baumer played" Preludein E," by J. S. Bach, and "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba," from Handel's" Solomon," arranged for two pianos.

Mr. Jolly, who has a pleasing baritone voice, sang a group of songs byMozart, Handel and Brahms, most of which were in the original German; allwere greatly appreciated. After his second group, of which the favourites were"Rose of England," by Ivor Novello, and" I Leave My Heart in an EnglishGarden," by Harry Parr Davies, Mr. Jolly gave us a delightful" Encore."

Unfortunately, no one now leams the 'cello in the school; our last 'cellistleft a year ago. But in spite of this the members of the audience were mostenthusiastic in their appreciation of Miss Rose's gifted playing, especially herinterpretation of the" Scherzo," by Van Coens.

Mr. Baumer's playing was of its usual brilliant quality, and we envied hisfaultless technique and sympathetic interpretations. We especially enjoyed hisown composition "Idyll," which is always a great favourite. The other threepieces were" Frisson de Fenilles," by Emile Saver" ; " Intermezzo in C Major,"by Brahms ; and" Novellette No. 7," by Schumann.

Finally, Miss Rose and Mr. Baumer played three pieces for two pianos, oneof which was" Capriccio," another of Mr. Baumer's compositions.

We felt we were indeed fortunate to have on our Staff two such giftedmusicians as Miss Rose and Mr. Baumer.

9

MARCH 27th, 1952March 27th, 1952

A small informal concert was given in the Library by the pupils of Mr.Baumer, Miss Rose and Miss Jones, at the end of the Spring term, and to thisa large number of both Staff and girls came. It was most gratifying to findthat there were a great many more interested in music than we had previouslyimagined, and we hope this interest will continue.

We offer our hearty congratulations to Eleanor Gamble on having passedGrade VI of the Associated Board Examination of the Royal Schools of Music.

On behalf of many, I would like to say how much we regret that Miss Rosehas left us, and also to thank her for her help and encouragement in the past.

J. CURSHAM..

A few enthusiasts went to three concerts in Hastings during the Winter andSpring terms to hear Cyril Smith, Eileen Joyce and Phyllis Sellick, each of whomplayed with the Southern Philharmonic Orchestra.

Last year for the first time, a Music Cup was awarded, "To the pupilwho has shown the greatest interest in music and accomplished the best work."This cup was presented by Mrs. Geraldine K. Garstin-who came to listento the competitors-and her son, Lionel K. Garstin, M.B., B.S. (Lond.). Thecompetitors were judged by Dr. Edith Bathurst, and the cup was awarded lastSummer term to Jane Cursham. Diana Macnamara was placed first in theJunior section.

On March 26th, Jane Cursham played in the Piano Section at the HastingsFestival, but, unfortunately, was not" placed," although her playing was verycreditable. Penelope Harris was entered for the Elocution, and tied for fourthplace.

P. LONG-BROWN.

GYMNASTIC COMPETITIONS

Our gymnastic competition this year was held on March 17th. Miss Roberts,the gymnast from Lillesden School, very kindly came to judge, and she gave ussome helpful criticism afterwards.

The standard was average; all the results being between 60% and 70%.The IV B's. did well to win the cup, which they certainly deserved after a goodyear's work.

PREPARING FOR 1953Now is the time to start thinking about next year's competition, and the

possibility of a very good all-round standard.A gymnastic competition should be the work of teams-in our case~ Form

teams-but with each individual contributing towards the final result. Don'tthink it is only your ability to sail through space in a perfect long-fly that counts!Far more important is the quality of your movements and what you put intoall your practices, that really matters.

" The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part;The essential thing in life is not conquering, but fighting well."

D. B. MOFFAT (Physical Training Mistress).

10

SCHOOLCHRISTMAS

1st XII. LACROSSEG. A. van Zwanenberg '"P. H. Whitec.P. S. Lindup ':'3rd M. S. MooresR.D. C. Yates-BelI '" (Capt.)L.D. P. Long-BrownC. F. BeatonR.A. Y. MacnamaraL.A. P. Jory '"3rd H. M. Mackinnon '"2nd H. 1. Lane ':'1st H. p. ColeReserve: V. Mellard

A. Petley

TEAMSTERM, 1951

1st VII. NETBALLG.D. A. van Zwanenberg '"D. S. Moores ':'C.D. C. Yates-Bell '" (Capt.)C. C. Cooper ':'C.H. S. LindupA. E. MarchbankG.S. M. Mackinnon '"Reserve: p. Jory

A. Petley

'" = colours.

EASTERLACROSSE 1st XII.

G. A. van Zwanenberg '"P. H. Whitec.P. S. Lindup '"3rd M. V. MelIardR.D. C. Yates-Bell '" (Capt.)L.D. p. Long-BrownC. F. BeatonR.A. A. PetleyL.A. p. Jory ,;,3rd H. Y. Macnamara2nd H. 1. Lane '"1st H. S. DickensReseITe: S. Moores

TERM, 1952NETBALL 1st VII.

G.D. A. van Zwanenberg '"D. S. Moores '"C.D. C. Yates-Bell '" (Capt.)C. C. Cooper '"C.H. S. LindupA. E. MarchbankG.S. P. JoryReserve: A. Petley

colours.

MATCH RESULTSCHRISTMAS TERM, 1951

Oct. 6th. Hollington 1st and 2nd VII's. Away 1st VII Won 14-132nd VII Won 11-7

Oct. 20th. Lillesden 1st XII and Under Home 1st XII Won 6-115 VII ........................ Undo 15 VII Won 12-8

Oct. 27th. Benenden 3rd and 2nd Un-der 15 XII v. Battle 1st and Home 1st XII Won 3-2Under 15 XII ............... Undo 15 XII Lost 22-2

Nov. 10th. Ancaster House 1st VII and Away 1st VII Lost 19-4Under 15 VII ............... Undo 15 VII Won 13-7

Nov. 17th. Convent of the Sacred Heart1st, 2nd and Under 14 VII's. Home Scratched.

No.v.24th. Raven's Croft 1st XII andUnder 15 VII ................ Away Scratched.

Dec. 1st. Ancaster House 1st XII andUnder 15 VII ................ Home Scratched.

Dec. 8th. Hollington 1st XII Home Scratched.

11

EASTER TERM, 1952Tan. 26th. St. Stephen's College 1st XII

and a mixed XII .. Home Scratched.Feb. 2nd. Lillesden 1st, Under 15 and

Under 13 VII's Away 1st VII LostUndo 15 VII WonUndo 13 VII Won 5-2

Scratched.

Scratched.

2nd XII Won 2-1Undo 14 VII Lost 20-10

Scratched.1st XII Won 4-1Undo 15 VII Lost 16-12

10-49-16-16-6

13-8

South Won1st XII LostUndo 15 XII Lost1st XII DrewUndo 15 VII Lost

Away

AwayAway

Away

Home

Home

Feb. 9th. Sr. Mary's, Baldslow 1st XIIv. RA. 2nd XII, Under 14VII v. B.A. Under 14 VII ...

Feb. 16th. South V. North., The DownsSchool, Seaford ..

Feb. 23rd. Bedgebury Park 1st XII andUnder 15 XII ..

Mar. 1st. Ancaster House "A" XII andUnder 15 VII ..

Mar. 8th. Ancaster House 1st VII andUnder 15 XII ..

Mar. 15th. Raven's Croft 1st XII andUnder 15 VII ..

Mar. 22nd. Convent of Sacred Heart 1st,2nd and Under 14 VII's ...

Mar. 29th. Inter-Schools Rally at St.Stephen's, Broadstairs .

SUMMER TERM, 1952May 10th. Ancaster House 2nd and

Under 15 VI's Home Scratched.May 17th. St. Leonard's 1st and 2nd

VI's .. ...... ...... ...... . ....... Away Scratched.May 31st. Lillesden 1st and Under 15

VI's Away Scratched.June 6th. PARENTS' DAY.June 14th. Old Girls 1st and 2nd VI's Home Won 4-2June 21st. Effingham House 1st VI Away Lost 59-58June 28th. Ravenscroft 1st VI Away Won 7-2

As the magazine is going to press at an early date, we regret the remainderof the results cannot be included.

1st VI1st Couple:

C. Yates-Bell * (Capt.), S. Lindup.3rd Couple:

J. Lane, A. van Zwanenberg.

2nd Couple:F. Lynn-Robinson, A. Ward.

Reserve:P. Newton.

THE BROADSTAIRS LACROSSE TOURNAMENTCANCELLED

It was suggested to the Lacrosse Team that they should play in the MertonAbbey Lacrosse Tournament. This was found to be impracticable, as it wastaking place a week after the end of term, when all members of the team couldnot be present. So it was decided that the team should enter for the BroadstairsTournament. This was on March 30th-one day after school broke up. Allarrangements were made, and we thought it would be most exciting to have thewhole school to ourselves for one day.

12

The school departed. We were wished the best of luck, and we saw theschool 'bus off from the gateway. A strange silence reigned in the Abbey, andour footsteps and voices echoed through halls and passages. We went to have ahearty second breakfast, and afterwards spent the morning in the library.

During the morning we went into the village for coffee, which everyoneenjoyed. In the afternoon we had a lacrosse practice on the games field. It wasvery cold and windy, and we wished we were not so scantily clad! Our hopewas that it would not rain the following day.

That afternoon we went into St. Leonards by 'bus to see the film "WhereNo Vultures Fly." It depicted wild animal life in Africa, and we thoroughlyenjoyed it. As we were returning it began to rain, and again, the same thoughtwas in everyone's mind.

When we woke up the next morning, we were dumbfounded to find therewas thick snow on the ground. As we had breakfast, frantic 'phone-calls weremade to Broadstairs, where it was found that snow lay quite as thickly as in Battle.

So arrangements for travelling home at an earlier hour were made. We said" good-bye" to all who were remaining at school, and made our' way in drivingsnow to the station, carrying suitcases and lacrosse sticks, and filled with regretthat the latter had been of so little use. As our arrival in London was earlierthan had been anticipated, many of us could not be met, and so one unfortunategirl, living in London, was landed with five of us for lunch!

Although we had not played in the tournament, we had enjoyed our stayin the quiet Abbey, and had had an experience we would not have missed.

JUDITH LANE.

ART AND CRAFTOn March 27th, 1951, Miss Seymour took V.B. and V.A. to the Royal

Academy to see the Holbein and French Impressionist Exhibitions. The weatherwas fine, so we had a very enjoyable 'bus journey to London, with a sandwichlunch" en route."

We first saw Holbein's work, and found the French Impressionists' worka striking contrast. The latter was not enjoyed very much, for though muchof the work was brilliant, we did not understand it.

However, the expedition was very interesting and enjoyable, and we ap­preciated the opportunity of seeing Holbein's masterpieces.

J. CURSHAM.

THE ART AND CRAFT EXHIBITION ON SPORTS DAYThe Art and Craft Exhibition on Sports Day was the best we have had for

a long time, as Miss Seymour was fortunately able to obtain permission to keepback the Craft of the School Certificate examination candidates until 6th June.This was of an exceptionally high standard, especially the design, the beautifulleather-work, and the artistic embroidery, all of which excited admiring comments.There was, also, much original and talented work in the Junior Craft section.The Art exhibition was very much appreciated by the parents, too. Of specialinterest was Jane Cursham's collection of paintings, which won her an exhibitionto the Byam Shaw School of Art.

PENELOPE COLE.

13

OLD GIRLS' DAY

Without" Old Girls' Day," the Summer term would have something lacking,and even though I have been here to witness many, they are still a great source

of enjoyment to me.

On Saturday, June 15th, at about two o'clock, the Old Girls began to arrive,and to everyone's horror, as the first cars came up the drive, the first drops ofrain fell! Immediately there was a minor panic, but, fortunately, it was onlya shower, and in about ten minutes the rain had stopped. The first few carsheralded the arrival of many others and very soon, the school seemed full. Aboutforty minutes after the first car had arrived, Miss Moffat thought we couldbegin the tennis match, but as fate would have it, as soon as we got to the courts,down came the rain. So back we went to the house, although a few brave sportytypes stayed under the trees, and went on talking, as if the sun was shining

brilliantly.

Presently it cleared up, and before anyone had time to change her mind,the first team was on the hard courts with the umpires and ball-boys in place;and so, one of the most interesting matches of the year began, with youth battlingagainst age for all they were worth, encouraged by the enthusiasm of the onlookers.

Although only one long set was played, it was some time before there wereany results. The Old Girls' first couple beat us 6-4 ; then we scored a grandvictory with our second couple beating the Old Girls 6-1. But alas, with thethird couple we were again beaten by two games 8-6. With the second team,we won each match, although in each game, both sides were very even.

In the middle of the matches, " Mose" came out, and was loudly greetedby the Old Girls; also in the course of the afternoon, Miss Sheehan-Dare, MissJacoby and Miss Gifford arrived and sat talking with various Old Girls. MissSeymour was also amongst the spectators.

When the second team had finished their matches, we all began to wanderup to the house, where tea was being served-in the library for Old Girls, teamand umpires, and in the dining-room for the rest of us. Because the train servicehere is rather inconvenient, many of the Old Girls, unfortunately, had to goafter tea. Luckily, a few remained, and those of us interested had a chance tospeak to them, and exchange news of Old Girls unable to come: but even theyhad to rush off after a while; and so, after a lovely day, we had to say" Good­bye" until next year, when I hope to be an Old Girl, too.

ANGELA COHEN.

14

SPORTS DA.YSports Day dawned-a bright and sunny day. During lunch it grew dark

and everyone stared anxiously out of the windows; as we started our secondcourse it began to drizzle, gradually increasing to real rain.

Soon parents began to arrive, having told each other that it never rainedon Battle Abbey Sports Day! It cleared in time, however, and we donnedour sports attire and went downstairs; a lovely "bakery" smell was waftedto us from sandwiches, scones and cakes, which we could see in the Abbot's Hallbelow.

We lined up, trooped down to the field, where we went obediently to ourpens and were given energy-giving foods, such as honey and glucose.

The sports began; more parents arrived; people rushed off to meet themand were dragged back by irate games-captains. About three o'clock it beganto rain again. Parents fled to the cover of trees, followed more slowly by girls,and the field wa~ quickly deserted, except for a few people under mackintoshes,who were frantically working out the scores.

The rain lasted half-an-hour and the ground became very slippery. Thismade running difficult in the relay races, and many people slipped during the"take-over," though there were, fortunately, no serious accidents. Owing tothe rain, the programme got rather behind-hand, and the hurdle race had tobe cancelled, which was a relief for the competitors but disappointing for thevisitors. The" Parent and Daughter" race was also omitted, and this time itwas the parents' turn to be relieved. Everyone was disappointed when theobstacle race was cancelled, for, judging from the queer-looking objects, it wouldhave been great fun for both spectators and competitors.

Before tea, the lower school presented a dance-mime on the cedar lawn­" The Pied Piper of Hamelin." This was produced by Miss Moffat, who alsoarranged the dances, and Miss Jones, who composed the music. It was verywell done and everyone enjoyed it immensely.

Tea was the next item on the programme, and this was served in the libraryand dining room. In the library there was an interesting exhibition of picturesdone by the girls, and in Miss Sheehan-Dare's sitting-room a handicraft anddressmaking exhibition.

After tea was the presentation of the Athletics Cup by Mr. Seagrove, whogave an interesting speech. He was introduced by Mr. Jacoby, who had verykindly assisted at the sports.

So ended Sports Day, which we had all thoroughly enjoyed, in spite of theinclemency of the weather.

FRANCES BEATON.

THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELINOn the Sports Day of 1952, instead of a Gym Display, the Junior School

mimed the "Pied Piper." The country dances were arranged by Miss Moffat,and Miss Jones composed the music, which was continuous throughout the per­formance. Carol Birts narrated a few lines of the poem between the acts. Al­together, there were three dances. The villagers came first, the women wearingplain skirts and embroidered blouses, the men with gay trousers and brightlycoloured shirts. When their dance had finished and they were all busily chatting,a rat appeared; the villagers were very frightened and rushed away to theirhouses, just as the army of rats ran in. The rats did a very appropriate littledance and then scattered into their various holes.

15

In the next act the scene opens with the Mayor and Corporation wonderinghow to rid themselves of the rats. Evelyn Palmers played the Mayor of Hamelin,and she and the Corporation made the audience roar with laughter at the waythey cleverly mimed their sheer desperation. In the middle of their mimingthe Pied Piper danced into the room. He was played by Molly Lane, who fittedthe part very well. The Pied Piper then told the Mayor that he could rid themof the rats, and after sounding three clear notes on his pipe, firolly led the ratsinto the river.

The last act was the scene of rejoicing, in which the children danced. Thegirls wore summer frocks, and the boys, different coloured shorts and shirts.Then came the tragedy: the Pied Piper came, and after arguing with the Mayorabout the money he hld been promised, he again sounded his three clear notesand danced off with all the children following him. The poor lame boy-SallyVan-der Vord-was the only one left behind, but on seeing the villagers, helimped down and told them all he knew about the children disappearing intothe mountain. The miming ended tragically, with everyone walking slowly offto their homes, mourning the loss of their children.

JUDITH McONEGAL (Aged 12 years, 6 months).

16

THE THIRD FORM BIRD WATCHERSSTUDY THE BIRDS

One very cold morning near the beginning of the Spring term, Penny Con­nelly saw some birds looking very cold and hungry. Detennined to feed them,she went into the kitchen with Sarah and Jane to ask for stale bread, which weall crumbled and scattered outside the window.

Luckily our first lesson after Prayers that morning was a Nature lesson.During this lesson, Elizabeth asked: "What is that funny little bird, please?"and pointed outside to where our little guests were hurriedly enjoying theircrumbs. Miss Shaw said we could stop our other work to watch them, so weall looked out, and she told us their names as they fed.

After the birds had been coming quite regularly for almost a week, we addedto the variety of their food by hanging a half-coconut on the fig-tree, as well asa large piece of fat. Later we used an inverted orange-box for a bird-table, onwhich we put their crumbs, bacon-rinds, smaller pieces of fat, and some waterin a soap dish (borrowed from the Junior Cloakroom). From now on the ThirdForm became scavengers and collected bacon-rinds and other scraps left overfrom any meals during the day.

It was soon obvious to us that certain birds preferred certain food, and wcwere anxious to find out their names and more about their habits.. One day anunusual bird, shaped like a Kingfisher, but only about five-and-a-half incheslong, appeared outside the window, and darted in and out of the tree. He wasbluish-grey on top, with slightly darker wings, tipped with white. A black streakwent across his eyes and under his chin. His under-feathers were fawn, becomingchesmut beneath his wings and tummy. At first we thought he was a White­throat-which is very rarely seen in winter-but later Miss Shaw identified himas a Nuthatch. He was extremely shy and timid, because they are rarely seennear human habitations, but as he became more used to us, he brought his mate,and the two of them came nearly every day until the weather became wannenough for them to find their own natural fooj, which is berries and ants.

The more common birds kept coming all through the tenn. We recognisedStarlings, Chaffinches, House-sparrows, Hedge-sparrows. Robins, Thrushes, Black­birds and three sorts of Tits-Great Tit, Blue 'fit and Coal Tit. The Tits werereal acrobats, swinging on the food tied in the tree, and able to eat in the mostcomplicated upside-down positions; the Great Tits often pecked at the othersto drive them off. The Blackbirds were always pugnacious, but although Robinsare said to be quarrelsome usually, ours were very gentlemanly. Nearer the endof the term a Pied Wagtail was added to our list.

As well as finding out their proper names, we soon gave them pet names.The fat Chaffinch was" Plum MacDuff," "Tiny Tim" was a Blue Tit; and theCoal Tit was named" Grubby." "Scrooge," the Blackbird, had a mate called"Marley," but Bill the "Whitethroat-who-wasn't" had to be re-named "BillNuthatch." The late arrival became" Waiter Wagtail" very easily.

As we collected so much information, and began to fill our nature bookswith notes, Miss Shaw suggested putting a large chart up on the wall, markedinto squares with different days and dates. On this we wrote in the names ofthe birds which came to the table each day, and we discovered that the Robinsand Sparrows were the most frequent visitors.

At the end of term we made a summary of the work done and which wehad so much enjoyed. We hope that the new Third Fonn can have as muchfun next year as we have had, " Watching the Birds."

17

THE HALLOWE'EN PARTY

By a Memb::x c,f V.A.

CHRISTMAS, 1951

It has always been the custom for V.A. to organise the Hallowe'en-cum­Christmas party, and in 1951 it was our turn to do so. Accordingly, we setabout discussing details, and in our first meetings we decided what form it shouldtake, and fixed the date for Saturday, December 5th; for which Miss Moffatkindly cancelled the match. Guests were to come either as a proverb, a famousland-mark, or a character from the classics. Our artists then designed the postersannouncing these details.

We decided to begin at 5.30 p.m. with the Judging in the Abbot's Hall, afterwhich the guests were to go to the library for a short play, and then after a fewdances and games they were to return to the Abbot's Hall for supper and theprize-giving. The library was to be decorated, and wc acquired a small Christ­mas Tree towards the decorations.

The time passed much too quickly. On the day of the party we were stillhastily making decorations and wrapping up prizes, as time and tempers grewshorter and shorter. We put the library and music room" Out of Bounds" tothe rest of the school, and by break-time the floors of both rooms were coveredwith blown-up balloons, and all kinds of decorations. Armed with a host ofdrawing pins, we marched into the library to put up paper chains. This waseasier said than done. But, after an age, in which we lost most of the drawingpins and the remaining shreds of our tempers, we managed to suspend them fromthe walls.

With harassed faces and weary limbs we ate our lunch, and spent the after­noon arranging refreshments, until we could scarcely move in the music roomfor plates of biscuits, meat and crisps, and bowls of fruit salad. Those whocould not get into the music room were busy arranging screens in the libraryfor the play, and attending to last-minute details. After tea we changed intogrey skirts and either red or blue jerseys, :md then prepared to meet our guestsin the Abbot's Hall.

We divided the competitors into junior and senior sections, and in thesesections gave a prize for the funniest, most original, and best-dressed person orpeople. There were six judges, who compared notes to decide the awards. Whenthe judging was over we persuaded guests to go into the library to see our play,which was called "An Arrest is Expected." This went very well, and afterseveral dances and games, including a Staff game which caused much amusement,we returned to the Abbot's Hall (or supper. To our delight our guests weremore than satisfied with the meal. Miss Sheehan-Dare then kindly presentedthe prizes for us, the Staff receiving a special one for their representation ofPicadilly Circus. Another group prize was awarded to the VIth Form represen­ting the immortal crocodile from" Peter Pan." After the prize-giving we alljoined in " Auld Lang Syne," and the party ended.

We then went sleepily to bed, sad, but at the same time relieved, that theparty was over.

A MEMBER OF V.A.

18

CHRISTMAS TERM CLASS ACTIVITIESFORM V.B.

Until nearly two weeks before the judging of the Activities Cup, V.B's.outlook had been lazy. A choice of entry was difficult to make to satisfy thewhole form and, indeed, we had not bothered our brains very much. However,the approaching event set us to work. Practically every member of the form wasknitting, embroidering, or at any rate making some article suitable to appearunder the title of " Arts and Crafts," so that was our choice. Most of the handi­craft contributions were finished in time, and those that were not, were carefullyarranged to show the process by which they were made. We placed our entrieson blankets on the window-sill of the Junior Sitting-room, and as the time wasnearing Christmas, we draped every available piece of tinsel and holly aroundthem. There were a number of bed-jackets, jerseys, blouses, gloves, tray clothsand Christmas cards, and though the effect was quite pleasing, we did not antici­pate winning second place.

FORM IV.A.

Although we had six weeks or so in which to prepare for the activities, theform kept the thought in mind that there was plenty of time, and so we foundourselves rather behind-hand.

The first thing to decide on (when we started) was the subject, the choiceof which was from ;-a display of handicraft, a doll's house, or a Christmasscene. We decided (four or five hours before the judging) on the latter, andto make a tableau of the stable at Bethlehem. Hurriedly we gathered togetherthe artists of the form, and set them the task of making cardboard figures. Theless artistic members industriously began to piece the outer structure of thestable, and the finishing touches were applied a few minutes before the judging.Needless to say, we were placed last.

FORM IV.B.

For the Winter term activity we had a choice between a doll's house, artand craft articles, a model village, or a Christmas scene. We voted, and thedoll's house was chosen. Quite a number of people wanted an art and craftexhibition, but we thought that if we did knitting, it would be partly for our­selves, and so not satisfactory as a form activity.

The actual body of the doll's house was made out of two orange boxes nailedtogether, and one of the Staff got us some wallpaper for the inside of the rooms.There were four rooms-a double bedroom, a single bedroom, a lounge and akitchen. The furniture was made out of matchboxes and cardboard covered withmaterial. The roof was also made out of cardboard painted red and black. Thefireplaces were painted to look like fires. The house was covered with whitepaper on the outside, with roses painted around the door. There was also atelevision aerial on the roof. The furniture was not very firm, but altogetherwe managed to make the rooms look comfortable and attractive. The day ofthe competition arrived, and we were full of excitement, especially when we foundwe had been judged the winners.

FORM Ill.

For the Christmas Term Activities, we decided to make a model village.We made it in an old box with clay for the ground. The trees were made outof cotton-wool, which we painted green. The houses and the Church were madeof painted wood, and the fences of cane, which we painted brown, and put roundthe houses. Finally we were placed third.

19

FORM PLAYS IN THE EASTER TERMFORM V.A. 2

" Q," by Stephen Leacock and Basil Macdonald Hastings.

It was three weeks before the day appointed for the judging of the formplays, when V.A. 2, in despair, wrote to Samuel French Ltd. for their catalogueof One-Act Plays. As the number of V.A. 2 was limited to four, it was difficultto choose a suitable play. However, after long hours of argument, the uniquename of "Q" caught our eyes. A letter was duly despatched, and a few dayslater, the script and licence to perform were received. After much discussion,the cast was decided as follows :-

Blight, the Butler .. .. .. . Christine Clevc1ey

Dora Dneiper Anne Gow

Jack Annerly Susan Lindup

George Gnouff Valerie Freeland

By this time there remained ten days. In feverish haste, we copied out ourparts. Rehearsals followed, but they did little to raise our downcast spirits.There were two days left, when a frantic search for clothes ensued. In this wewere very fortunate, and with very little trouble, our wardrobe was completed.On a rash impulse-that we afterwards regretted-we invited V.A. 1 to ourdress rehearsal, and of course everything went wrong.

At last the day had come, and as we were the highest form competing, itwas our lot to act last after supper. Finally, everything was ready. We hastilyscanned our parts for the last time, and with V.A. 1 whispering encouraging re­marks in our ears, we took the stage. It was all over, and our surpriseand satisfaction were complete when we found that we had been placed second.

FORM V.B.

" The ImpO'l'tance of Being Earnest," by Oscar Wilde.

After some lively discussion, Form V.B. decided to act" The Importanceof Being Earnest," as the Easter term's activity. A copy of the book was pro­cured, and parts were quickly written out on file paper by the nine people acting.Parts were learnt in every available spare moment, and by the end of a fort­night, most of the actresses were fairly confident.

Rehearsals of the three scenes were held nearly every night, either in thelibrary or in the Junior play room, and it was not until a few days before-hand,tbat the Abbot's Hall was used by the performers. The rehearsals were a matterof great interest to the whole form, although invariably there were many noisyarguments. The people selected to be scene shifters, prompters and make-upartists were most helpful in criticising the elocution and acting of the players.

Clothes came steadily in parcels from home, and from the acting cupboard,and many anxious parents wondered whether they would see their favouritecigarette case or high-heeled shoes again.

The dress rehearsals were very popular, as all the cast enjoyed paradingaround in flowing dresses or slightly moth-eaten dress suits, and more attentionwas paid to hair styles and make-up, than to the actual play. The dressrehearsals were not usually a great success, as the cast frequently went off intofits of laughter at a friend's appearance.

20

Time, however, did not wait, and it was with some dismay that the formdiscovered that the dreaded day was approaching.

On the last evening before the performance, a final dress rehearsal was heldin the Abbot's Hall. Unfortunately it was not a success, as the performers wereovercome by nerves, lost their clothes, scripts and memories, and the rehearsalwas given up in despair. The middle part of the play was left out, and thenput on after the end had been performed! However, the cast consoled them­selves with the saying: "Bad Rehearsal, Good Performance," and in this caseit turned out to be fairly true, although all members of the cast wondered whetherOscar Wilde-had he been there-would have been of the same opinion.

FORM IV.A.

When the news came that each form had to perform a play for the ActivitiesCup, IV.A. was very excited. Valerie Browse and Valerie Jenks, the Heads ofthe form, decided to perform" Pride and Prejudice." Parts were chosen andsome people were already learning their lines, when the awful news came, thatthe play was not to last longer than an hour. This was a great shock, for ourplay was much longer than the set time. So we decided to act "I'm SorryIt's Out," by Gertrude E. Jennings.

We rehearsed in nearly all our free time, and sent home for all sorts ofclothes. Our great problem was to find a bath-chair for Evelyn Palmers. Aftergreat contemplation, we decided to use a chair from the dining-room.

At last! the day came, and we had a rehearsal in the Abbot's Hall in themorning. The Form Captains and some of the form carried hundreds of booksfrom the Reference Library and put them on shelves, as the setting of the playwas in a library. The cast was as follows :-

Molly LaneElise Barbour

Evelyn Palmers.. .. . . . . .. . .. . ... .. . . .. . .. . . . . .. . . Lame Campbell

Judith MacOnegalBalaclava . Carol SeydInkerman .. Angela WardVisitor . . . . Gillian Clarke

Miss Jones .Miss Philips .Mrs. Crawford .Mrs. Crawford's Nieces

The rest of the form were all non-speaking visitors to the library.

We all enjoyed the rehearsing of the play and we hoped the audience en­joyed it as much as we did.

FORM IV.B.

Last term the Activities Cup was competed for in forms. We had to doa one-act play, or one act from a play of our own choice. None of us had anybright ideas as to which play we should do : we did consider" Little Women,"but there were too few characters in it.

We had not decided on a play until half-term, when our Form Mistressbought us a copy of " Peter Pan." We set to work at once, and chose LameThompson as our Producer. The cast was as follows :-

21

Peter Pan Shirley WoodWendy Anita EerdriousMr. Darling .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah MontgomeryMrs. Darling , . .. . . . . . . . . . . . Rosemary LarkinsNana Diana WatkinsonMichael . .. . . .. . . .. . . Susan BirchJohn Sally Van-der VordThe Lost Boys Carol Barnett, Jacqueline Lord,

Bridget Lock, Patricia Good­latte, Linette Campbell-Garratt

The Pirates Penny Whitehouse, Penny Smith,}acqueline Amery

The dress rehearsal went quite well, but not everyone knew her part. Whenit came to the actual day, we were in a fluster. People forgot their parts orhad stage-fright, and some were so nervous, they were laughing. There was noroof for the house we had built for Wendy, and the scenery was awkward tomanage. Before the play was O\'er, we realised th:lt we had no chance of winning,and our fears were true.

THE THIRD FORM WIN THE ACTIVITIES CUPMUCH TO THEIR OWN SURPRISE

When we first heard that the Activities Cup was to be awarded in theSpring Term to the form which produced the best play, we were quite certainwe had no chance at all of winning, and we hated the idea of acting in frontof the whole school.

As it happened, our Craft work for that term was puppet-making, and eachDivision was going to make up a play for the puppets to act in, anyway. Luckilywe were given permission for the puppets' plays to be counted as our activity,so we cheered up and set to work to make them as good as possible.

Choosing the best plays took some time. First we thought of " Punch andJudy," later of "Red Riding Hood" (because one of the puppets grew a longnose and reminded us of the wolf!). But at last Division I decided on " Cinder­eUa" and Division II chose" Aladdin." Each girl in the division made up thepart for her own puppet to " speak," while the rest of us criticised and suggestedimprovements if necessary. Our Form Mistress acted only as Secretary, andwrote down what we dictated to her, in case the parts should be forgotten.

The finished puppets were about ten inches high, and their costumes weremade from scraps of material collected from home or from the Staff. Thescenery was designed and painted by all of us, working together, and we thinkthe prettiest setting was the one for the cave in " Aladdin."

Our puppet stage had to be set up on the platform in the Abbot's Hall.The framework was made from a table and two small desks, and the whole wascovered with our locker curtains and a screen was used to hide our feet. Thepuppet-owners stood behind, and a little below the level of, the small stage thusmade, so that they could work their puppets and act as the unseen voices. Thehardest scene was the Ballroom in "Cinderella," because so many charactershad to be on the tiny stage at once, and it was very crowded below stage for thosewho worked them.

22

In the final rehearsal almost everything went wrong. Curtains fell down,parts were forgotten, and the "voices" kept squabbling and interrupting eachother. We felt very disheartened and nearly gave up trying. One of the Staffsaid that a bad rehearsal was often a good sign for the actual performance, butwe still had plenty of troubles on the great day.

Someone had to be given the job of holding the curtains in place; we weregiven the wrong cues; and several speeches had to be made up on the spur ofthe moment to fill in awkward gaps. Worst of all, the curtains were drawn toosoon in the chief scene while the Prince was still speaking, so the glass slipperwas never seen at all. Even the gramophone let us down, and when the WeddingMarch should have been playing, the only sounds were a sneeze and two coughs,which made the audience laugh. The gramophone worked properly in " Aladdin,"but poor Widow Twankey became rather tangled up in the feet of the slaves.

Perhaps the final shock of all was at the call for" Producer!" We were notexpecting this, and had no idea what to do. You see, we had all been producers!Imagine how amazed we were then, when the result was given out and we hadwon the Cup!

COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONCITIZENSHIP CAMP

THEIN WORLD

This camp was held at a small village called Chigwell, about ten miles northof London, and I first heard of it when notices were pinned up on the board inthe History Room.

Accommodation at "Grange Farm" was in tents, in two fields; one forthe boys and one for the girls. Each tent contained at least four beds, and waslit by an oil lamp. I was in a tent with two German and two Irish girls, calledEileen, Ann, Lisa and Inge. They were all older than I was, and very intellec­tual! In the growlds of " Grange Farm" were six tennis courts and a swimmingpool, and the buildings contained a games room, two writing rooms and a smallcounter, at which we could buy odds and ends.

In charge of the camp were four men and a girl, who also looked after thefinancial side. The cost for the whole ten days did not exceed £15. This in­cluded me:J.ls at a near-by cafe, and 'bus and train fares.

There were lectures on International Affairs, a few films and social even­ings, at which members entertained, and the variety of talent was amazing. Wehad an expedition to Cambridge, and saw the Colleges, and many expeditionsto London; to the West Bank, and Festival Gardens, Westminster Abbey andother places of interest.

One thing that struck me was that the German boys were horrified at therifle ranges for the public in the fair-grounds, and they refused to touch theguns. However, I supposed that this was because they were not allowed anyform of weapon in their own country-guns to them were symbols of years ofsuffering.

Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday at camp, and found it a verypractical method of getting to know and understand the people of other countriesand their ideas. There is no doubt that camps like this serve the valuable pur­pose of removing false conceptions of the people of other countries, and promoteinternational understanding and friendship.

S. MOORES.

23

CLOUDSClouds are magical things; they seem so fairy-like and mystic; perhaps

they are fleeting dreams, too lovely to be forgotten, so when the dreamer wakesthey fly to the heavens. They flyover the sky like great white birds, and theirflight is full of beauty and grace. Clouds move so silently, yet because of theirmystery, one expects them to be accompanied by strange, ethereal music.

Little can surpass flying on a rather misty day, right into the midst of theclouds, alone in a world of fantasy! The clouds assume grotesque shapes, ofgreat pre-historic monsters, of giant and fairy folk, of mighty wings, or of thecreatures of the deep. This experience enables one to realise the immensity ofthe universe and the infinite variety of its marvels.

In his poem, " The Cloud," Shelley picturesquely describes the lightness andbeauty of clouds :-

" I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowersFrom the seas and the streams.I bear light shade for the leaves when laidIn their noonday dreams.From my wings are shaken the dews that wakenThe sweet buds every oneWhen rocked to rest on their mother's breastAs she dances about the sun.

There has always been mystery associated with clouds, and they play anespecially large part in Celtic folk-lore. When clouds are very low and darkon the horizon, superstitious people become apprehensive lest harm should be­fall. Viewed thus, clouds are dark and sinister, inspiring awe in simple minds.This viewpoint is comprehensible as one gazes on a stormy sky with lightningrending the heavens in half, as it leaps from cloud to cloud in fantastic play.Great musicians have been susceptible to the mystic beauty of a cloud-filledsky, and Wagner portrays this in "Die Walkure," especially in the third act,when the warrior maidens are gathering in the sky and descending earthwards.

It is in countries where sandstorms are common that clouds are of strangelyvivid colouring, like veils of copper-coloured silk hung across the sky, or gorgeousOriental garments. When the clouds are full of sand, they sweep over the skylike flaming fans, and the dust falls, like myriads of minute corals.

Even the artist finds it difficult to paint exactly the rich sunset colouring ofclouds. As the sun sinks in glorious splendour, the clouds reflect its colouringand float like lakes of fire over the sky. Their shades become gentler and moreserene as the dusk begins to fall; until night descends in a flurry of bats' wings,and colour gives place to darkness, as the world becomes hushed.

ANON.

THE BIG BLACK BOXA Nonsense Tale

Professor Pea.kin was taking a short walk with his little mongrel, Poopoo,down the path whIch ran along by the stream. To make sure that Poopoo couldn~t run away, the Professor put him on the lead. Suddenly, Poopoo gave amlghty pull and the poor Professor fell flat on his face. As he was pulling him­self onto his feet, his attention was suddenly attracted to a dirty old box lyingin the stream. He drew it to the bank with some difficulty, picked it up andcarried it home.

24

The next day, he took out the box and began to clean it. By mistake, hedropped his brush into the box. To his surprise, when he went to pick it up,instead of seeing one brush, he found the whole box filled with brushes. Hecould not understand it, but he put the collection of brushes away and decidedto use the box to keep his money in. As a beginning, he put in one penny. Tohis amazement, when he next looked round, the whole box was filled with pennies!At that moment his wife came in.

" What are you doing with all that money? " she asked.

" I don't know where it came from," replied the Professor, in sheer despera­tion.

"What do you mean, 'You don't know where it came from!' It musthave come from somewhere," she said angrily, "You can't tell me that sillystory. Where did it come from? "

The Professor was very angry at this, and before he realised what he wasdoing, he pushed her into the box. Oh! What was his dismay, when helooked down and saw, not one wife, but twenty wives, all shaking their fistsat him!

" Oh! No! I can't bear it," he said, and picking up the now emptybox. he tore down the street as fast as his legs could carry him.

At last, he stopped by a little haystack, far away in the fields. Some of thepennies were still in the box, so he amused himself by throwing them in andwatching them multiply. After a short time, he hid some of the piles of moneyin the haystack; then, picking up the box and the remainder of the money, heset off back to the town.

As he was walking down the street, he saw a lovely little dog coming to­wards him. It was Poopoo. The Professor put down his box, picked up Poopoo,and patted him. After this greeting he put him down again, and Poopoo wentto sniff the box. To the Professor's dismay, he then jumped straight into thebox. Now the Professor had twenty wives and twenty Poopoos! Nothing couldbe done, so the Professor hurried along to the Estate Agents. He walked insidecarrying his box, and followed by his twenty Poopoos.

•, I want twenty furnished houses," he said, "I will pay you now.""Twenty furnished houses?" demanded the astonished man, "That will

be two-hundred-thousand sovereigns."" Ah! yes," said the Professor, in a matter-of-fact tone, as he took one

sovereign from his pocket. Putting the box down on the floor, he placed themoney in the box. Immediately, there were twenty sovereigns; then he keptputting them into the box until there were two-hundred-thousand sovereigns.

" There you are," he said, " now where are the houses? "" They're just up the street. Numbers ten to thirty," replied the delighted

man, when a quick test had assured him that all the money was genuine gold."Thank you. Good morning."" Good morning, sir. I hope you will find everything to your liking."The Professor set off down the road, towards his old house. He met his

wives with a cheerful, "Good morning, my dears." Then he put his box onthe floor and jumped into it himself. It broke, but nevertheless, there weretwenty Professors. The pieces of the old box went into the fire, and each Pro­fessor took one wife and one Poopoo, and went to live in one of the little houses.And they all lived happily ever after.

CAROL SEYD.

25

2G

A LETTER WRITTEN ON HOLIDAY IN SPAINHotel Aigua Blara,

Costa Brara,Spain.

April 9th, 1952.Dear Ann,

Here we are having the most wonderful holiday in a glorious spot; it reallyis like heaven on earth.

Firstly, I shall tell you a little about our journey through France from Dun­kirk. After a calm night crossing, we had a pleasant drive down to Orleans,where we spent the first night. The weather was good but the country was flatand uninteresting.

During the next two days, we motored southwards in perfect weather andthrough beautiful country. The trees were in full leaf; the crops tall and green;there were lovely orchards in full blossom and beautiful spring flowers, such asnarcissi and lilies-of-the-valley, growing wild. The peasants were all workinghard in their olive groves and vineyards. Here mules and donkeys are used todraw picturesque hooded carts; and horses and oxen the plough-one seldomsees a tractor.

We stayed the second night in Soulliac, and the third in Perpignan. Onthe morning of the fourth day, we crossed the Spanish border without anytrouble, and travelled southwards to Costa Brara, through Figuras and Gerona­the latter is a really beautiful old town. The houses of the Costa Brara-likethose of the Riviera-are very attractive, with flat roofs and gay balconies andshutters.

The roads from Geron:l to Aigua Blara were in an appalling condition­narrow, rutted, and winding. Consequently we were forced to crawl along atfive or ten miles per hour. I must explain that on the way down we have beenhaving picnic meals, thus avoiding wasting our precious currency on expensiveFrench food.

This spot is miles away from anywhere, just a little world of its own, bask­ing in sunshine and colour. It is composed of several beautifully kept villas, afew fishermen's cottages, and our wonderful hotel, which seems to be the centreof life. There is also a Roman Catholic chapel, which we plan to visit on EasterDay.

We are right on the sea, a deep Mediterranean blue, in a sheltered coveconstructed of large, smooth, rust coloured rocks-ideal for climbing. Thereare sandy beaches in little inlets where the fishermen keep their boats. Thesurrounding country is hilly, with small pine forests.

The hotel is large, tastefully furnished and very comfortable. It has itsown garage, tennis court, terrace, garden, etcetera. Everything is fantasticallycheap; the food is excellent and quite different from our English meals.

The proprietor is charming and speaks fluent English; a few of the peasantsspeak a little French. The fishermen and peasants all chew garlic, so it is ad­visable when conversing with them, to remain several yards away and up-wind!

Angela and I have a delightful room with two rocking chairs, and a balcony!Today we are going to explore, take photos, bathe, and visit the caves in thenext bay in a rowing bOlt. Up in the mountains there is a chasm which wehope to visit, too.

Tomorrow, one of the fishermen is going to take us to see the famous BlueGrottos which, I gather, are one of the many beauty spots one should visit.

It is 2 p.m., so I must away to luncheon. I do hope that you will have thepleasure of visiting this delightful spot one day.

Yours affectionately,Andy.

(ELIZAiBETH ANDREW).

MEMORIES OF BATTLE ABBEY

Though memories blurr and fade,When we are spinsters and old maids,I for one, can safely say:" I'll not forget dear old B.A."The Matrons creep in stockinged feetOn their long accustomed beat!The careless marks and" connys " tooFor pranks that we are wont to do.Assembling in the Abbot's HallFor prayers and when fire whistles caBStill asleep, we struggle down,Clutching rug and dressing gown.The concerts and the morning runDown the drive for the daily bun,End of term and Old Girls' Day,There's many a memory of B.A.William the Conq. in 1066An arrow in HaJ's eye did fixAnd at the winning of that fight,He built this Abbey on the site.In spite of History too true,And things that we do hate to do,Detention, lax and Sunday walks,Prep., BioI., and political talks,We're always very proud to sayWe went to school at old RA. ;So God bless all within its wall,And RA. girls the most of all.

ANON.

A MODERN VERSE ON H VISITORS"

The visitors who, should I say, walk ?­(Round the Abbey Grounds)No, I think shuffle is better-or stalk,Oh yes, they do, though it sounds(And looks I think) as if some own the place,While others shuffle along-minding the mounds.You know, when I watch them, I find no traceOf interest (in them)-but they resemble houndsChasing an unknown leader (Mr. Wood) in a race(To be at the front, of course!) At the approach they mightGlance up, but boredom soon scuds across every faceAnd the silly unseeing eyes say-same old stuff !And from then on is a question of inspecting one's shoes.I cannot go on, for it's" rot" and I know it,So with apologies and such to the modem poet.

A. TREVOR.

27

A HISTORY OF BATTLE ABBEY (1066-1952)The battle was raging, fierce was the fightWhen an archer shot with all his might;The arrow sped to Harold's eye,And now he lies beneath the sky.People came from far and nearThe wondrous story for to hear;Then William the Conqueror crowned himself King,Which still is thought a terrible thing;Then he a castle built so strong,Which lasted an epoch, very long.Then an honour upon the place befell,Elizabeth came with a tale to tell,That Drake had won 'gainst the Spaniards boldWho had plundered much of England's gold.She stayed in the Abbey many a dayEating and drinking, merry and gay;Then some of the Abbey's walls fell in,Time and age had got to win.Some said its life had just begun,Others that it was well nigh done ;Then out spake one with a loud, clear voice," Come, let me have the final choice!Now, what about a school," said he," Where girls can live and learned be ? "And thinking it over late that night,They came to think that he was right.So if you should happen to come here one day,We'll always be happy to show you the wayWhere Harold, the Saxon, brave and bold,Fought with his men in the days of old.

A 0 .

NEPTUNE, KING OF THE SEAOne morn the wind was blowing strong,It brought with it a mighty songOf seagulls' cries and wave-beat shores,Which sounded far across the moors.The sea was surging up and down,White horses galloped on its crownLike stallions whitened by the moon,Ruled by the power of great Neptune.He lives beneath the ocean deepWhere mermaids dance and fishes leap,And seaweeds wave and starfish lie,Far, far away from our blue sky.He carries with him where he goesA three-pronged fork, to 'awe his foes,By this all sea beasts know that heIs mighty Neptune of the sea.

M. LANE.

28

SPRING IN HIGHTOWNEach year before the coming of the spring,The fish were scarce, and in the meal-arks largeThe stock of meal was growing less and less,And 'mong the thralls the cheeks grew hollower.And then one morning from the southward wayA wind did blow, and in the air a strangeAroma made the dogs arise and runFrom their fireside lair, and ledBy Gorm, the old blind patriarch, theyTo the birch-wood's edge, a tour did make.A rending of the birch-ice followed,And from the sloping fell-side, snow did slipAnd leave bare, dripping rock and clammy brent.The river broke its frosty silence throughTo pour a grey-green flood towards the sea,The swans and geese began to northward fly.Then at last one day the world put onA dress of misty-green and steely-blue;And a thousand voices woke to tell the folksOf flashing streams and nesting birds,Who sang a joyful song to tell of daysWhen the sun is bright, and game is goodThe people of Hightown rejoice at Spring.

In iambic pentametre taken from John Buchan's "Path of the King."

D. WHITEFIELD (Aged 13 years) .

ORPOETESS"

.. THE UNFINISHED POEM""THE STRUGGLES OF A

One morning very earlyWhen shades of night disperse,I had an inspiration,And wrote some lovely verse.I set about my businessAnd wrote a line or two;Before I ate my breakfastI'd completed quite a few.Much later in the morningWhilst I was in the mood,I wrote a few more versesBefore my lunch was brewed.In my afternoon siestaMy mind was just a blank;But after tea, the verses flowedAs I sat upon the bank.That evening after supperJust as the sun had setI tried to end my poem;But it isn't finished yet!

MUFF STEVENSON.

29

MY HORSEOh, my horse is a horse that none can beat,He's blacker than jet, and the best must he eat;There's none in the world I'd exchange him for,No, I'd never exchange him for ten or more.Oh, to see him gallop's a feast for the eye,Nought can compare as he flashes byAs neat as a swallow, but far more fleet,Oh, my horse is a horse that none could beat.In the stable none could gentler be,He's sweeter than most, and risks all for me ;His manners impeccable, no fault is to find,Oh, there's never a horse in the world so kind.

D. WHITEFIELD (Aged 13 years).

A HUNTING JINGLE

The huntsmen at the break of day,Put on their coats of pink so gay,Prepare themselves for far away,For the sport of hunting is not play.With sheer delight the horses prance,Leading their rider a merry dance,They sense the excitement in the air,As the fox must be hunted out of his lair.The members of the hunt arrive,To make the day with fun alive,The horses full of spirit rear,Filling their owners full of fear.Then all are set and going faster,When at the fence there comes disaster:The Old Grey Mare has lost her rider,Look! He is on the ground beside her!On and on now streams the hunt,All the eager ones in front,When 10 ! the master spies the fox,Concealed most slyly in the copse.The hounds chase after their sly prey,But, he will all of them betray,By escaping'somewhere far away,And causing them too much delay.The fox is captured 'gainst his will,And all are present at the kill ;There is no cruelty in the killing,Although the fox is far from willing.After a happy and tiring day,The people part and go their way,The horses look forward to munching their hay,All content with the wonderful day.

ELISABETH WOODHOUSE.

30

TO GREED

Good Sir Percy Applekin(Who, by the way, was far from thin)One day got on his trusty steed,

And found a damsel, much in need.Her father wished his child to wedAn ugly prince, so Percy said," Alas, fair maid, what can I do ?For I am one, and they are two."The fair princess, who was to woo,Thought he was large enough for two.But having manners nothing said,So Percy, scratching at his head,Cried, " Come along with me, fair maid,But first, let us the larder raid."The princess wasn't very keen,She was quite sure that they'd be seen,But Perey was determined, soShe gave in, though wishing to go.The larder door was very small­He hardly could get in at all.The princess waited in her room,And hoped that he would hurry soon.But Percy, having drunk six pintsAnd found a lovely pot of " Heinz,"Had finished off a loaf of breadThen, looking round, our hero said :" Just one more drink, and then a cake,And then I'll see what I can takeTo keep me strong on my ride back,"He finished these and filled a sack,Then tried to get back through the door­But found he could do that no more!He soon got stuck, and, red in face,His shouting brought all in the place;And when at last they got him out,Ten men full strong put him to rout.The poor princess, she had to wedThe knight her father wished, named Fred.

V. FREELAND.

31

NIGHTby CAROL LEYD

All is quiet, and still and dark,But far away a sound we hearLike rabbits scratching at the barkOf ancient trees, all gnarled and queer.The moon, how silver, bright and still,She gleams from cloud to cloud, untilA great night owl wings fast acrossAnd casts queer shadows on the moss.The trees are dark, grotesque and thin,Weird skeletons with outflung arms,Rustling their leaves, as if withinWinds cast on them their mystic charms.Then one by one great streaks of lightAppear skywards to left and right;The night is gone, the day is here;And with the light we lose all fear.

EPILOGUE

Again another year has passed,Many pass in ; a few pass out ;But there'll always be to the very last,A B.A. Mag. to gossip about.It links old girls to the present RA.,And present girls to the past ;But now I think it's time to sayGoodbye, and close at last.

S. van ZWANENBERG.

32