No . 130 The Trusty Servant at varying levels in certain subjects ; Science was taught to all as three subjects up to the end of Middle Part ; English Literature , Greek or German became an option of choice for O level outside the div system . Most of the Heads of Department had some freedom to deploy their staff as they wished within the blocks and boys could study some subjects at whatever level their capability allowed , independent of the div they were in . Mathematicians did teach during the afternoons and also on Saturdays ( and this enabled John Durran ( 60-92 ) to have the most freedom to place boys in suitable sets and staff them how he wanted .) I seem to remember Colin Badcock ( Coll , 39-43 ; Co Ro , 49-76 ; Fellow , 77-92 ) wrote an article for the Trusty Servant about what I had done [ Ed – TS34 ]. I could get the basic timetable for the school onto one foolscap , multi-coloured Banda sheet !
It then merely needed an explanation of what subjects were in the blocks , and then much of it was over to the Heads of Department . In those days , the Undermaster had charge of almost everything ! Around this time , our son Philip ( F , 82-87 ) had the honourable distinction of undergoing the very last operation to be performed in the Win Coll San operating theatre when he had his tonsils removed .
Algebra Wars Professor Sir Bryan Thwaites ( C , 41-42 ; Co Ro , 51-59 ): I too hugely enjoyed Nick MacKinnon ’ s Algebra Wars ( TS128 ) which rightly concentrated on the Wykehamical connection with the SMP . Indeed , Culver Lodge was the scene of its founding meeting which I convened on 18 th September 1961 . But the true origins of the SMP go back some years before that and
its later development into both a national and international force was unprecedented , then and since . I therefore wrote an account of its early history which was published by the Cambridge University Press under the title The School Mathematics Project 1961-1970 : a decade of Innovation and its Sequel . I would be delighted to send a copy to anyone seriously interested . Email trustyservant @ wincoll . ac . uk if interested .
Tune Wars Sam Gordon Clark ( G , 57 – 61 ) writes : Have just listened to ‘ Domum ’ on your latest communication . Nicely sung with attractive visuals , but what on earth is that tune ?
The answer will be delivered by David Fellowes in full in the next edition .
Attention Old Freddieites !
During the summer refurbishment Morshead ’ s was burgled . In addition to the workmen ’ s tools and a bogle , the bronze bust was taken from what is now the snooker room . The only known image of it is the fuzzy reproduction , left . Embarrassingly the school has no record of its provenance , or even whom it depicts . A cursory survey of OFs has revealed that it resided in Mugging Hall in the 70s . The best guess is RLG Irving ( HoDo 1909-37 ), who introduced Mallory to mountaineering . Could it have been commissioned after his death in 1969 ? Alas , it has almost certainly now been melted down for its scrap value , but it would nice to know whom we have lost . Email trustyservant @ wincoll . ac . uk with any information .
RLG Irving
24