Recollections of an Old (but young at heart) Oswestrian, circa 1952 - EPISODE 35, CLIMBING, CLUBS AND CONKERS

Taken from the upper branches of a tree on the Top Paddock

Like most young boys I loved climbing, and the tall trees at the far end of the Top Paddock drew me to them like a magnet. As I moved into my teenage years I also became something of a photographer, so a combination of these interests led to the creation of the opening picture, which captures an image of the laboratory where many club activities took place and includes some of the glorious conker trees lining the edge of the playground.

Alan Jones and 'Minnie' Manford outside the laboratory

Just a handful of clubs existed in the early part of the 1950's, but a burgeoning interest in club nights gradually led to the formation of many new clubs and societies over the years until they numbered in the teens. 

Although I was more interested in sporting battles than competition on a chessboard, I did in fact join the chess club when the Headmaster directed all the boys to join a club or society, and I later became an enthusiastic member of the photographic society with my trusty Brownie 127.         

One of the Masters,  Mr Jardine-Brown, volunteered his services as the photographic society chairman at one point, and he reorganised the society which had fallen into disuse following the departure of its founder,  Mr `Daddy' Winn, the Head of Holbache House and science Master, who had moved on to newfound duties at another school. I became Mr Jardine-Brown's right-hand man, and together we spent some considerable time and effort making the dark room, situated in the laboratory, fit for use, and the club went on to flourish as one of the more popular activities. 

The enterprising Bruce Morgan told me recently that he had started a nice little sideline, back in the day, supplementing his pocket money by selling some of his photographic masterpieces to boys throughout the school.

Grossglockner cirque and glacier

Lake Konigsee

During the school trip to Bavaria in 1958 I took a host of photos, three of which I have posted here including one of Tony Burton and Don Berry overlooking the Grossglockner, Austria's highest glacier. 

Tony Burton (left) and Don Berry (right)

A year or so later in 1960, Tony Furnival formed a sailing club and about 15 boys, including Tony Burton, Don Berry and my brother, spent several wonderful days under sail on Lake Windermere.

(left to right) David Pickup, Don Berry, Tony Burton

On the Saturday evening a few of us decided to go to the local hop, and I became embroiled in something of a fracas with local yobs who thought we were trying to make off with their girls. I arrived back on board ship sporting an impressively swollen black eye, much to the amusement of Furnival and Co., and later, lying through my teeth, explained to my parents that I had, of course, forgotten to duck under the boom.   

The gradual formation of a wide range of clubs came as a very welcome development for many boys who were not so keen on the more sporting aspect of school life, and it enabled their creative talents to flourish. 

Headmaster Frankland appointed Capt Womack as the first School Bursar, with additional responsibilities in helping develop the fledgling CCF, and he was also charged with forming the Boxing and PE Club whose home was the Memorial Hall. 

Capt. Womack and the 1st XV

One afternoon whilst coaching Roger Croft in defensive boxing techniques, the good Captain invited 'Crofty' to try and breach his defence. Roger duly obliged and, much to our delight, a single punch floored Mr Womack, who went down like a bag of wet cement, to hoots of laughter and comments such as, "A-ha, is that how you do it Sir?" To his credit, Womack saw the funny side of it, and with a wry grin rose from the floor like a phoenix from the ashes. Later on, with the arrival of Mr R Sale as Headmaster and the introduction of Rugby to the school, he would also play an important part in its development. 

Each year, the arrival of the conker season produced a flurry of activity under the magnificent horse chestnut trees on the playground as we all went in search of the champion conker. 

Hardening the conker was the key to success, as it was usually the hardest one that prevailed, and a variety of methods were used to achieve this end. One year my conker conquered them all, as I had discovered a secret weapon in the form of nail varnish, which usually only saw the light of day at the weekend and special occasions! 

Another slight problem was where to keep our prized conkers, since by dint of an edict from Mr Williamson, our trouser pockets were sewn up and, as a consequence, we also had nowhere to keep our pocket money. It seemed the powers that be were concerned that we would be spending too much time fiddling about with our small change instead of concentrating on our studies.

No. 3 - pockets must be sewn up

Contemplating the final photograph, I feel that Mr Williamson would definitely have frowned on the stance of Lt. Gen. Sir Oliver Leese, with hands thrust deep in his pockets in such a slovenly manner. Perhaps he might have had a quiet word with the general, indicating that it was just  'not cricket', and a case of do as I say, not as I do was completely inappropriate and a poor example to his boys. 

Mr Sale showing how it should be done with the more correct stance