No . 135 The Trusty Servant
Vox Senum
Arnhem Tour 2022 James Fanshawe ( G , 66-70 ) writes : I enjoyed reading the account of the Arnhem Battlefield Tour 2022 by Hugh Barnard ( TS 134 ) and I am pleased to see that the visit was so successful . There is one specific connection to Winchester that does not appear to have the profile it deserved . Brigadier Pip Hicks CBE , DSO and Bar , MC , Mentioned in Despatches ( twice ) was the commander of the 1 st Airlanding Brigade and a Wykehamist ( K , 09-13 ). Having taken part in many military campaigns , including Operation Ladbroke , the Allied Invasion of Sicily , he was appointed to command the 1 st Airborne Division when Major-General Urquhart was reported missing . This was a very difficult period of military operations , and the infamous outcome has been comprehensively recorded and reported in various ways . Pip was my uncle and his son , Philip Hicks ( A , 42-46 ), was also a Wykehamist . After a brief career in the Army , Philip had to resign following an accident when he broke his back . He became a celebrated artist who painted the portrait of Sir Walter Oakeshott which hangs in School . He died aged 92 in 2021 .
Brigadier Pip Hicks ( K , 09-13 )
The Coronation , 1953-style Keith Jobling ( Q , 52-56 ) writes : I was a Quirister in 1953 having joined as the youngest ever member in September 1952 , aged 9 .
When the school was given Coronation Leave , it seemed everything closed down , with the exception of Quirister School and the choir . Although we were never told officially , the Quiristers ( and part of the Choir ) were on standby to cover the eventuality of choristers from Westminster Abbey , St Paul ’ s Cathedral and the Chapel Royal taking ill and being unable to sing .
Unknown to us , we had been learning new pieces under the direction of the Master of Music , Dr Henry Havergal , since the start of the year . “ Zadok the Priest ,” Parry ’ s “ I was glad ” complete with the new “ Vivat Regina , Vivat Regina Elizabetha ” and many others .
After School went on leave , we 16 Quiristers , the Q-Master , Mr H J H Weekes , the Q-school staff and , of course , the Music dons , Dr Havergal , Mr Raymond Humphrey and Chapel staff and school men who could not get away on home leave , were the only folks around .
We continued to work practising the music but we were entertained as well . A film projector was brought into Q-School and the meals were rather good too , with extra portions and special items .
We stayed until the weekend , when we were released to travel home on leave . On Coronation Day , I was fortunate to be invited to watch the whole ceremony on television by the parents of a friend in our village who was also a local chorister .
In the evening , there were celebration parties in the village and everybody went to see the lighting of the village beacon built on the highest hill by the local Boy Scout Troop .
A very memorable occasion overall , still remembered with pride .
Mark Stephenson lives on : Essays and their construction : a child ’ s guide to .
Following the theme started by Michael Nevin ’ s tribute in TS 131 and continued under Vox Senum in TS 132 , Howard Jacobs ( D , 65-70 ) has shared a seven-page essay critique by Mark Stephenson ‘ produced in exasperation at our efforts ’. The first two pages are specific to the set MSS was teaching . The remaining five more generic . All seven pages are available to anyone interested , but a few choice extracts read as follow :
‘ Since your essays suggest that you have few clear ideas about how to write , I shall start with some obvious remarks . If you think they are too obvious , skip them .’
‘ The Structure .
‘ An essay is a consecutive logical argument divided into paragraphs . Each paragraph makes a point or some points , follows on from its predecessor , leads on to its successor .’
‘ Therefore an essay has a skeleton and flesh . The skeleton is the argument , expressed as a system of logically related general propositions . The flesh is the factual illustrations .’
The rest of the Child ’ s Guide continues in the same clear and constructive fashion .
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