The Wykehamist
Correspondence
Dear Editors,
Anthony Kim addresses the evolution, and in some cases decline, of notions in the last issue of The Wykehamist, and confidently asserts that‘ Headman’ is no longer in use since the appointment of a female Headmaster in September 2023.
I can assure readers that the term continues to be used regularly, and quite unself-consciously, by many pupils and colleagues – most recently as the salutation in an email addressed to me this morning by an MP boy( who has no experience of a male Headmaster). Notions are, happily, more resilient than we might think.
Dear Editors,
Yours faithfully, EAS
I write firstly to congratulate you on resuscitating The Wykehamist. As someone involved in the production of several school publications( The Trusty Servant, The Wykeham Journal and the Trust e-Servant) I have considerable sympathy, not to mention admiration, for others who have to cajole contributors, edit poorly-written articles, dig out photographs to match the content and keep the whole thing within a multiple of four pages.
Your Editorial invited letters. I offer a brief reply to Anthony Kim’ s( E, 2021-) article on Notions.
At the end of the editorial he states:‘ We all need to be proud of … the words we use and aim to preserve them’, but he provides no preservative. May I make an observation, followed by a suggestion, based on my five recent years as a member of staff and my dimly-remembered six years as a pupil last century? Back then there was a Notions Test for new pupils that was held after their first fortnight. Exorbitant retribution against Tégès of Notions Test failures brought the Tests into disrepute and they have since been outlawed. What the unpopular Notions Test obscured was the universal teaching and learning of Notions that extended well beyond mere vocabulary. Without a Notions
Test, there is no Notions learning. So, my observation is: Notions Tests are bad, but Notions should be preserved. Mr Kim gave examples of Notions that have fallen out of use because the practice they describe is extinct( bibling, for instance), but Wykehamists and Dons still ride bogles and to the best of my knowledge, the fo( short for foricas) is as much a part of daily life as it ever was. But if nobody learns these Wykehamical terms, it is not a surprise if they fall out of use.
Which brings me to my suggestion: could Mr Kim and his editorial colleagues use these pages to educate their fellow Wykehamists, who do not have access to Charles Stevens’ s book of Notions? Ancient words that describe activities or people that are longer with us may be fascinating, but if‘ we all need to be proud’ then print some basic vocabulary on a regular basis and encourage people to speak it.
Wishing you the best of luck with future editions.
Dear Editors,
Yours faithfully, AJCN( F, 1976-81)
I should perhaps make a few comments on the last issue, given that I was rather involved in it, especially for someone so devoted to, and so associated with, Quelle.( Any conspiracy theories from a certain Freddyite about my becoming an autocrat and an assassination target are false, which is sad, especially since it results in a lack of drama.)
Anton Oliver( H, 2021-) with his threearticle haul is definitely to be commended- especially given that it is the first instance of this publication in his time at Winchester College. Therefore he is the focus of this letter.
His article on beer is a fascinating read, which provides both a history of the beverage and a step-by-step set of instructions on how to brew it. This, funnily enough, reminds me of another instance of alcohol production on the College grounds.
During the time when my father, Andrew Edmondson( Coll: 1987-92), was here, one chemistry don in particular( whose name I shall not mention, not because of
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