No . 137 MAY 2024
Porcinum Os
Our loyal ( and longer-standing ) readers will know that The Trusty Servant was the inspiration of Desmond Lee ( Headmaster , 54-68 ) and Harry Altham ( Co Ro , 13-49 ), and the creation of Colin Badcock ( Coll , 39-43 ; CoRo , 49- 76 ; GoBo , 77-92 ) and Ronnie Hamilton ( B , 23-28 ; Co Ro , 33-69 ). These two stalwarts of Winchester ’ s heritage would from time to time occupy an imaginary pantomime donkey outfit as a metaphor for the editorial process that accomplished The Trusty Servant . As CFB reminisced , ‘ with Ronnie as Front Legs and me paddling along as Back Legs , sounding from time to time the Deeper Note .’
There is officially only one Editor , but these pages are the work of two ( plus their contributors ) and we thought we would shake the dust off the old donkey costume and climb inside it from time to time to describe the current view from Front Legs and Back Legs .
As if the sacrilege of donning another ’ s costume were not bad enough , ‘ What have you done to the Trusty Servant ?’ I hear you ask . For a start we have been forced to change printing house . ( Edition 136 might have been the straw that broke that donkey ’ s back ). The process of choosing a new printer has opened up new possibilities , such as using paper that doesn ’ t have to be ordered months in advance ; that ( shock , horror ) can be printed in colour ; that is cheaper , to boot .
Then there ’ s the dawn of the Digital Age . We know ( or think we know ) how much The Trusty Servant is loved and we are always grateful when you tell us . Of course , because we post it to you , it does wonders for the apparent take-up rate . We have a much better idea when we email you , because Big Brother can tell if you have opened the email . The fortnightly communication you get from Win Coll Soc is Officially Popular – more than 60 % of recipients open it and there is a natural overlap between this old rag and the fortnightly email , so much so , that we will soon rename the email ‘ Trust e-Servant ’. We can also display many more photographs behind stories or events than can be accommodated in these pages . From now on , if you come across this logo in The Trusty Servant , further pictures and sometimes a longer article will be in the News Stories section of the Win Coll Soc website .
Finally , if our emails do not reach you and you would like to receive them , please check that your profile is up to date on the Win Coll Soc website .
That was Back Legs talking . More from him can be found , appropriately , in the back pages . It is usually up to the elegant Front Legs to write about the school and to harvest articles . Over to you , Front Legs .
As to how much we are loved , Back Legs , I was extremely amused by accounts at John Thorn ’ s memorial of ‘ reading the Trusty Sweater cover to cover before hurling it across the room ’! Long may you all continue to do so .
I ’ ve alluded before ( in TS 133 ) to my sadness at the current dormant state of The Wykehamist . In its absence , we are currently the publication of record for much that goes on in the school . Most of this fits in Wiccamica , which records the comings and goings in CoRo , a round-up of musical , dramatic and sporting activities for the last six months , and a smattering of pupil achievements . This is not just for future archivists and researchers , of course , but also because for some of you , these dons and pupils form part of your school experience , and we thought you might like to know what they are up to now you are no longer here to prove their existence .
Win Co Fo results and match reports loom large in the Wykehamists of yesteryear , and we ’ ve made a conscious effort to return them to the public eye , as they seem to escape the notice of the weekly Sports Report . The popularity of Nevin Pot ( see the back pages ) suggests that we are not alone in our enthusiasm , as does the fact that two of the three canvases are coached – with exceeding great joy – by OWs : College by Rupert Mercer ( Coll , 04-09 ) and OTH by Ben Cunningham ( K , 07-12 ).
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