FROM THE ARCHIVES
FROM THE MAGAZINE
ARCHIVES
Our annual delve into the past looks at what was
in the magazines 75, 50 and 25 years ago.
1943 – 1944
Government restrictions on commodities and paper
usage remained in operation, so although events such
as Commemoration did occur, albeit in a shortened
version, their reporting in The Pocklingtonian for
archive purposes was brief.
Headmaster Mr P C Sands tendered his resignation
to the governors, after thirty years’ service.
1968 – 1969
There was another increase in student numbers –
311 boarders and 269 day boys in total. The increase
was large enough to allow a total of three different
form groups in the first year, although this was not
certain to remain a permanent change. The day boys
were successfully organised into the four houses:
Dolman, Gruggen, Hutton and Wilberforce and for
occasions enhanced by larger numbers, Day boys
combined with the corresponding boarding house.
Economics was taught for the first time as a regular
subject in sixth form.
The school suffered the loss of Mr Eldred through
retirement, and of Mr Whitehouse who left with his
family to teach in South Africa.
The School v Old Boys Rugby match took place on
11 December; the Old Boys side ably supported
by four school 2nd XV players. After a reportedly
even match, the scores remained equal, until the
last few minutes, when D F Clifford (40-45) playing
on the wing for the Old Boys, scored a try which
was converted. The final score: School 8 pts v Old
Boys 13 pts. Mr Riseborough replaced Mr Crawshaw in the
Modern Languages department. Mr C J L Davies
was welcomed to teach economics and geography.
The school rugby season was as frustrating as it was
successful, with 21 different players appearing, owing
to illness or injury within the 1st XV. The team
scored in all their matches and in total, won three
and lost four matches for the season. Mr Allen stepped down from special responsibility,
to teach on a reduced timetable, and was replaced
by Mr Derbyshire as a Senior Chemistry Manager.
Prior to this, Mr Derbyshire served as the Dolman
Housemaster for 18 years and his role was taken
over by Mr Billington.
The 2nd XV and Colts XV were praised for their
genuine team work after the 2nds won both their
matches and the Colts three of its four.
The Athletic Sports Day was held on Thursday
30 March in most unseasonably cold, windy
conditions, but nonetheless gave rise to noteworthy
performances. In particular, B Allison (36-44)
broke A C Robson’s (27-32) record of 31ft 4
inches made with the 16lb weight in 1932, by putting
34ft 1 inch. Hutton gained the House Shield.
B Allison broke the Plunge-for-Distance record with
a plunge of 56 feet 1.5 inches. The previous record,
made by F S Kirby (23-28), in 1928, was 52 feet
6 inches
The Sixth Form Club was flourishing with many
new members. This was a lecture, discussion and
debating group, in which the sixth form pupils
took the lead. The Government’s White Paper on
Education, released in January 1944, was a hot topic
for discussion as was the motion put to the Club “If
Great Britain is to remain a great power, she must
undergo a religious revival”.
Prizegiving was held on 25 July and was an
opportunity taken to pay tribute to the work of the
retiring Headmaster, Mr Sands. The Headmaster,
in his report, reviewed the growth of the school
through four centuries and a quarter and made
reference to how the record of boys, old boys and
masters – both academic and military – during the
last war and the present one, indicated the vigorous
life of the school.
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In the Chemistry Department, Mr Stanton replaced
Mr Whitehouse, Mr Peak filled in for Mr Eldred in
the Junior School for the remainder of the year. Mr
Sharpe took over Mr Willis in the Art Department.
The sad loss of Mr Pay, who represented the Old
Boys he served, was recorded and greatly missed.
The Christmas carol service varied considerably,
introducing mime and a musical setting of a nativity
scene from the Wakefield mystery plays, in addition
to the usual routine of Nine Lessons and Nine
Carols. The play proved particularly interesting and
was enjoyed by visitors that came in larger numbers.
The school looked into repeating successful
performances in the previous term’s House Arts
Festival, plus a performance of Pinter’s Dumb Waiter,
performed by two experienced actors. The junior
play took on its own interpretation of the Faustus
legend.
For the first time, a House Seven-a-side Rugby
Competition was held in the Michaelmas term, in
which the boarding and day houses each put out
sevens teams at senior, U15 and U13 levels.
The First XV had its best season since J N Shaw’s
(54-64) unbeaten side. They did not equal that
team’s record but the performance was very
satisfactory. Mr Rumbelow was congratulated for
this success in his first season in charge.
A new games system was planned for the Lent term,
where boys could play a variety of games in turn,
including hockey, whilst rugby was in the off-season.
Planning was beginning to be completed and work
was soon to begin on the Design and Creation
Centre. On Old Boys Day, Viscount Halifax, Lord
Lieutenant of the East Riding, unveiled a plaque
to record the inauguration of the centre. He
commended the centre as a “thoroughly forward-
looking conception.”
The CCF travelled to Magilligan in Northern Ireland
which turned out to be a great success. Cadets
learnt how to set booby traps, use a mine detector,
assaulted a demolished block-house through the
sand dunes and went deep into the hills to practise
their map-reading and wireless skills.
A skiing trip to Austria was nearly thwarted,
ironically by heavy snow in the UK! After a few mad
taxi dashes across London, everyone made it in time
for the Channel crossing. There were apparently
a few “incidents” during the trip, one involving Mr
Crawshaw and Mr Hardaker, who while tobogganing
down the village street succeeded in running down
the village priest and breaking the toboggan on the
church wall!
1993 – 1994
Due to an increase in demand for girls boarding
places, the governors decided to extend Faircote
House. The extension opened in September 1995.
The boys’ boarding facilities, classrooms, and St
Nicholas Court were also enhanced.
Mr Derek Whilesmith retired after 37 years of
service to the school. Mr Richard Wintle left
the Junior School to pursue a further degree at
Oxford University. After four years of service, the
Business Manager, Miss Alison Sims, was appointed
Lecturer at Humberside University.
Mr Neil Thwaites, Mrs Stella Beaumont, Mr Andrew
Jackson, Miss Louise Mulholland and Miss Tory
Mawer were welcomed to the school. Mrs Christina
Attridge succeeded Mrs Parsons as the new School
Shop Manager and Mr Les Arundel stood in for the
duration of Mrs Peel’s maternity leave.
Miss Jackson and Dr Dyson were congratulated
upon their marriages. The deaths of teaching staff:
Mike Stevenson, Richard Harris, Bertram Crawshaw,
Head Groundsman Philip Giles and Groundsman
Eddie Brown were recorded.
The main school play was As You Like It by William
Shakespeare and the Junior Play was Christopher
Marlowe’s Dr Faustus.
The Lyndhurst choir followed up their success
in singing at the Finale of the NSPCC Annual
Conference in York by being invited to sing
Christmas carols on Classic FM at the beginning of
December.
The rugby XV won twelve games out of seventeen.
Daniel Clappison (89-94) scored 139 points and
Jonathan Stuart (87-94) played in the Yorkshire
U18 squad and in the North trial. The senior’s
sevens team won the Hymers trophy.
The U15 XI lost to King’s School, Macclesfield in the
quarter-final of the Lord’s Taverner’s Trophy.