Monday September 28th

Two photographs of R.E.C. Gordon…Gordon arrived 3rd hour and had to be persuaded to come ‘up’ Library which he eventually did but seemed afraid of being caught. He has grown a moustache in 2 months which so fascinated me I could hardly keep my eyes off it.

We had a singing practice up-School at 4.40 which was less irreverent than usual owing to Gow standing at the table. It was too much for me, however, when Ranalow suddenly asserted himself: ÔÇ£Boys, Boys (dead silence) you don’t drop down a note in the second verse it goes like this: tum tumty ta tum tumpty te tatatum!!ÔÇØ Gow was all but laughing.

After tea the new boys ‘walked the mantelpiece’, a somewhat anxious time for me as I had to be there to catch them if they fell. They all got over. safely though there were some anxious moments. Sorley however fell right off just before he ought to have jumped on to the table. Fortunately Miles caught him full and I was there also so he wasn’t a bit hurt. I led the clapping and said it was sufficient, to cheer him up.

When I took round allowances I said to the 3-bedder something about it not being as bad as one expected and the ‘Philosopher’ replied in his precise way ÔÇ£Oh! No. Only I am so stumpyÔÇØ! Which reminds me that somehow (I don’t think by me as far as I can remember I have been particularly careful) his Philosophic turn of mind has leaked out and when he was about to ‘walk the mantelpiece’ there were cries of ÔÇ£Go on ProfessorÔÇØ etc!! He took it all in the true philosophic spirit.

I took Prep in semi-darkness owing to the Electric Light Globes having become black.

I found the 3-bedder out of bed when I got up at 9.30 and had to tell them that they must try and get in in time. Worked on down in Inner till 10 and then walked round Dean’s Yard for a breath of air. I am pleased today I seem to be establishing better relations with people, I am glad to say. Custom I suppose is too strong for the outerites for I heard an audible ‘cave‘ once when I opened Inner Door!

Posted in Music, School Customs | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monday September 28th

Sunday September 27th

A quiet day after the strenuous exertions of the week…Abbey at 10, usual crowd on the first Sunday of Term…Really I think someone might take the trouble to see that the preacher makes some special reference to the School on this, the first Sunday of the School Year. It seems to be asking so little and I should like it not only for myself, a word to those who are entering difficult and responsible positions, but also for the new boys, to show them, if nothing else, the very special connection of the School with the Abbey…

Posted in Abbey, School Customs | Comments Off on Sunday September 27th

Saturday September 26th

I am still feeling my way gradually and trying not to assert myself much just at present but have taken the somewhat lofty view of assuming that things will go on as usual and as they should, and showing intense surprise if everything is not quite right. Whitmore will have to be squashed I quite forsee, he seems to have a genius for happening to be doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. He and Hodgson were ragging about the first day when I led the way into lunch…

I went to tea in College with Benvenisti, Wood E and Heaton-Ellis…I sat on and talked to Benvenisti til nearly six about the pictures at the Franco-British and other things. This reminds me that I turned into the National Gallery this afternoon and looked at the new ‘Hals’ which is a fine painting but not to my mind to be compared to the ‘Laughing Cavalier’…

Posted in Art, Local History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Saturday September 26th

Friday September 25th

I was again first down to Breakfast and got through the meal helped somewhat by the morning papers which are placed in front of me on their arrival. Having eaten all I could (which sounds bad but means the reverse!) I paid a visit to Father and found him entertaining Sedgwick and Sorley. The ‘Philosopher’ is really very amusing, Father declares that when he fumbled with the butter dish he said ‘dash’ followed by ‘damn’!!! He is a most matter of fact young person and quite capable of it…

Third hour we went to J. S. who was more than usually delightful, we decided to read some of ‘Pope’ which started him off on the poetry of the century. He maintained that Dryden and Pope never quiet wrote poetry though they got very near to it…He poured ridicule on Dryden’s lyric poetry of which ‘the main idea’, as he said ‘ seemed to be to repeat one word like an Anthem of Alexander’s Feast ‘only the brave, only the brave etc’. He also remarked that Pope might have come to Westminster only being a Roman Catholic he was barred from doing so…

The Bell rang at twenty to one so that the new K.S.s might be admitted by the Sub-dean (Duckworth) in the Dean’s place. Duckworth always does these things well and his appearance is imposing since he wears the cross of the order of St. John of Jerusalem round his neck and full sleeved black gown. The new K.S.s knelt on the step by the table which Duckie said the following traditional form ‘Ego, Robinson Duckworth, huius collegiatae ecclesiae prodecanus, admitto te – , in discipulum scholarem huius collegie juxta statute ejusdem. In nomine Patris et Filli et Spiritus Sancti. Amen’…

The great event of the evening was my ‘walking the mantelpiece’. No boy is considered a boarder ‘up’ Grant’s until he has done so. I meant to have got it over last term when I first became a semi-boarder but somehow didn’t, so now I am a full-boarder I suggested this evening that I should do it before an audience of Chiswickites after the Hallites were safely ‘up’ to bed and out of the way. It is not over easy the mantle-piece is narrow and there is not much to catch hold of, a nail in the wall is helpful getting up and you go across without shoes. The difficulty is getting started, letting go of what seems your one safety (i.e. yr hand round the corner of the wall), once got going it is pretty plain sailing, the brackets have to be negotiated somehow and the pictures get in the way, but if you catch hold of the beams in the ceiling they give you a hand hold. At the end there is a fearsome leap on to the table, a deuce of a way down. I didn’t stop to think but leapt with much judgement and alighted on my ten toes all safe except for a slight skid for a minute on the table. The result was greeted with much applause…

Photograph of Grant's Dining Room

Posted in Literature, School Customs | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Friday September 25th

Thursday September 24th

By a superhuman effort I managed to be first down this morning and proceeded in to Breakfast. Said my first grace and did not, I fear, take Reed’s very characteristic advice when I asked him last term if there was any need for me to go down to Breakfast and Tea to see what happened, his answer was ‘No. All you have got to do is go in putting on as sour a face as possible!!’ Waded through a large plate of tongue and managed to keep conversation going.

From 9 o’clock onwards a renewed stream of arrivals and I was kept very busy finding ‘substances’ and introducing them to very shy ‘shadows’!…

At roll-call I took my seat on the monitorial for the first time and sat in solitary state in the end seat (where Reed used to sit) with on one in the four seats next to me. Gow came round and solemnly shook hands with all the Monitorial afterwards.

All the morning I made out lists in Library (seats in Hall etc) sitting alone in the Chess Room as being less full of reminisicences than the other rooms. But it is sadly lonely…

We had a meeting for old members of the school debating society at 5.00pm to elect members and officers. Barrington-Ward was elected President nem. con. Low was proposed as Vice President also Clark and myself (proposed by Benvenisti). Low was elected but Clark and myself has some votes. The same thing happened in elected the Treasurer, Gow, Bonner, Clark and myself were proposed and Gow was elected by a narrow majority from Clark and myself. For the Secretaryship Low proposed me while Bonner and Clark were the other candidates. The society did me the honour of electing me and I thereupon took my seat at the table and was presented with the Ledger (a ponderous tome!) We then elected three more for the Committee and Gow proposed that all debates on party politics should be omitted from the card which I found myself getting up and opposing much to my own surprise. I hope this means I am going to speak this year. Proceedings then terminated.

I was much touched by finding a letter from Reed wishing me good luck, it is, as I told him, these little things one so much appreciated and values and which people so often forget…

Photograph of F.R.J. Tomlinson

At tea Tomlinson sported like a hero, a large (and filling) Rabbit pie of his own shooting (note: ‘sported’ a Westminster ‘word’. In my time the Monitors and Chiswickites up Grant’s used to take it in turns to provide extras (eggs, sausages etc.) at tea: e.g. whose ‘sport’ is it tonight?’ ‘Tanner’s’ etc.)….

Going round Dormitories I found the Philosopher (Sedgwick) apparently philosophising in a bath with all his clothes on and the others out of bed. I was somewhat staggered but managed to say that they must try and hurry up, for which the Philosopher thanked me and hastily continued sponging! The others were all in. Went back and worked in Inner till 10 o’clock. Net result: 1 most superlative station List without a blot — 1 superlative fagging list — I find all unknowingly I have given myself 5 S’s!!! Sorley, Smurthwaite, Shore, Startin and Smith!! Got to bed really tired soon after tea.

Photograph of Tanner's Fagging List

Posted in Debating Society, Food, School Customs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Thursday September 24th

Wednesday September 23rd

Nothing is so difficult as making a beginning and I am thankful the first evening has passed successfully.

The first arrival was about 5.30pm in the shape of a new boy called Smurthwaite. I found him in the process of re-adjusting his ideas about a Public School. At present he is delighted with everything: the School, the House, the arrangement are all that they should be in his opinion. I took him down and showed him Hall and Chiswicks and told him he would be my fag and he seemed relieved at the mildness of my aspect and appeared surprised as he had pictured himself arising at 5.30am to make me cocoa (I can see myself at that hour drinking cocoa!). I only hope that he will not have to re-adjust his ideas again and that he may find everything in the future as pleasing as he does at present.

The next arrival was a Sorley a curious contrast, poor child, he is utterly lost and miserable and not knowing whether he is on his head or his heels. I hastily altered his ‘substance‘ from John J. (!) to Little Hobson. The John’s came next with so many pennies in J. John’s hands (? to pay the cab) that he had some difficulty shaking hands.

Photographs of five boys

Then until 9.30pm there was a constant stream of arrivals. New boys with Aunts, Mothers, Grandmothers…in attendance. Mr Sedgwick, a Cambridge Professor, told father that another Professor has said that his son was going to be a philosopher rather than an exact scholar and that he read the newspapers and was quite up ‘in foreign politics as they affected Modern History’!! (shades of Jeremy Bentham!). I am alarmed at the prospect of this 14 year old philosopher…

Posted in School Customs | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment