THE QUINTINIAN

The Magazine of the Polytechnic

Secondary School

NUMBER XLVIII

SPRING, 1941

Editor: C. E. ECKERSLEY

Assistant Editor: G. A. SAMBROOK

Advertisements Manager - - S. MERRILLS

 SCHOOL NOTES.

THE excellent résumés of School activities in the Polytechnic Magazine, which Mr. Sambrook usually sends each month, form a good chronicle of the main School events which many of my readers will have already seen. Of the events which were unusual, either because of the time of incidence or of the position of the School in Somerset, I think the Speech Day at the end of the Winter Term and the Christmas activities in the vacation are the most outstanding. It was unfortunate that on the Speech Day neither Sir Kynaston Studd nor Mr. Humphrey could manage to be with us, but we were glad to have Mr. Berry, the Chairman of the Minehead Council, Mr. Mansfield, the Town Clerk, the Rev. A. R. Slater, all of Minehead; and the Rev. A. H. Balleine of Dunster, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Worsnop on the platform. As so few parents were present my report was not given in its usual form, but I hope to write one for distribution later. Mrs. Gibbs very kindly presented the prizes and Mr. Gibbs, the Headmaster of the County School, made a very telling speech, which the staff and boys appreciated. Short speeches by Mr. Berry, the Rev. A. R. Slater, and the Rev. A. H. Balleine were just in that spirit which gave the whole proceeding a splendidly intimate character which we all enjoyed.

* * *

         During the Christmas holidays the boys had an excellent programme, which was made possible by the generous support of many Governors and other friends, as well as the Board of Governors. The L.C.C. fund in Minehead made a contribution of £5 through the Town Clerk of Minehead.

         Briefly, the events started with House teas and concerts before term ended. Then came the end of term concert with Mr. Hough and the big drum. The Senior and Junior parties, with big teas and plenty of games and entertainment, including a conjuror from Dunster, were enjoyed by all. Films from the Ministry of Information were a great success, as the films were well chosen. Snooker and billiard competitions, motor-coach trips, football inter-House seven-a-side competitions, cross-country runs and races, and "scavenge hunts," all made for a full programme.

         The scavenge hunt "list of things" included "a horse's hair." That explained a complaint I had from a farmer who had two horses in loose boxes at The Dene! I gather one of the horses had objected, strongly!

* * *

         The appeal for A.T.C. Flights and Squadrons was made early this term. This seemed to me to be a thing to encourage, and I had a wonderful response from Staff and boys. Most of the Staff were willing to help in any capacity, and finally the names of Messrs. Checkley, Elgood, and Beresford were submitted to the Air Ministry for commissions, and the rest of the Staff are acting as "civilian instructors." About 80 boys joined and Mr. Checkley, as O.C., is getting things going in fine style.

         The younger boys (under 16) interested in air activities are banded together in another new unit in the School, the Air Scouts - 40 keen boys. Again I have been fortunate in getting an equally keen leader in Mr. Sambrook, ably backed by Mr. Eckersley, Mr. Elgood, and the other "civilian instructors."

* * *

         The Cadets have been doing good things, too, this term. Messrs. Smith, Pratt, and Coleman, our officers, and Home Guardsman Merrills and others have put new life into a unit which was already feeling very well. Army instructors and Army demonstrations have been produced irom the district, and keenness is still the main characteristic of the unit.

* * *

         The Staff have continued to do their good works in their "free time". Lectures to the Rotary Club, &c., continue. Now the duties at Home Guard Headquarters have been reduced, and the time is given to fire watching. The place watched is the School, and the Staff Room is now inhabited 24 hours each day.

* * *

         We have been glad to have Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey again this term, and Mr, Griffith, our new Governor, had ample opportunity of seeing many School activities, including The Lodge, at Alcombe, and The Dene.

* * *

         We had an enjoyable time when the Craft School came to play the School at football. Socially, as well as from a sports point of view, we all enjoyed their visit. The match was played on The Dene ground, which has been an invaluable addition to our sports facilities this year, and the team were entertained to meals in the House. The School won, but the Craft School had had a long journey, which does not always help. But the main thing is we had a splendid game, and there was a real family atmosphere in the meeting. Unfortunately, the return trip we made to Winscombe was spoiled, as a sporting fixture, by heavy rain, but the hospitality and indoor games almost compensated for the lack of football. We were all very sorry that Mr. Holbrow's bereavement prevented him from being with us.

* * *

         I should like to conclude these brief notes with an appeal for information about Old Boys - where they are - what they are doing - information about all successes, either in war or business. There are some gaps in my Old Boys' Records, so please give me all the details you can. Remember, if you are an Old Boy, that you can give me the most accurate information, and please do not hide your light under a bushel! I always welcome news of openings in business houses, &c., suitable for the "leavers," and also am equally glad to supply this type of information to Old Boys. Above all, keep in touch with the School!

* * *

NATIONAL SAVINGS ASSOCIATION.

DURING the past term there has been steady and pleasing progress, both as to membership and amount subscribed per week. The number of members, however, is still but a small fraction of the number of boys in the School, and it is impossible to accept the point of view that all is being done that could be done, even when due allowance is made for the fact that boys are dependant for money on what is sent from home.

         When boys pay into the Association only what they have left out of their allowance, they pay in very little. When they adopt the plan of making National Savings the first call, and a regular call, on their pocket money, the amount to their credit soon mounts up without any serious diminution of what is necessary for real needs.

         When one has money in one's pocket it is only too easy to find something on which to expend it. Money invested in National Savings is money put into a place of safety, to be used at the moment for vital national needs, but available, along with the interest that has accrued, for the needs of the investor at any time.

         Or, as Vine (L5B) puts it:-

Boys of this fair country,

         It's no good starting to moan,

We've got to beat the Nazis,

         SAVE MORE! SPEND LESS! and LOAN.

"What do I mean by loaning?"

         Buy NATIONAL SAVINGS CERTIFS.

You'll help to beat the Nazis.

         And give the Wops some biffs.

* * *

DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

THIS term saw the official revival of the Dramatic Society, and we are all very sorry R. Elvery was not here to see its official re-institution.

         At the present moment rehearsals are going on in preparation for a three-act play, which we hope to "put on" in the near future.

         The enthusiasm of all the members of the Society is such as to give us every hope of further successes.

E. W. METHLEY, Sec,

* * *

THE BOXING CLUB.

THE main feature this term has been the Inter-House Competition. There were nearly 30 entries, and consequently the Tournament had to be spread over two days, on each of which some very enjoyable boxing was witnessed. In particular, the boxing of the light weights was beautiful to watch, while the 9st. competition proved very fierce and exciting. The final House positions were:-

                                      1.                Kerridge-Swan                            24    points.

                                      2.               [Hester-Lowe                 ]              6    points

                                                        [Russell-Matthew           ]

                                                        [Broodbank-Stevenson   ]

                                      4                [Lambert-Newman         ]              2    points

                                                        [Andrews-Hough            ]

* * *

         The competition showed much talent from new members and a great improvement in the standard of the boxers who took part in last term's Tournament. The Club has now the strongest team it has had for several years, but, unfortunately, there is some difficulty in obtaining opponents. It is hoped, however, that attempts to get a match with schools in Taunton will prove more successful.

R. A. BAWDEN.

L. G. METZ.

* * *

49 CLUB.

ALTHOUGH challenged by A.T.C. duties and examination preparations, the 49 Club has continued to flourish in the second term of its revival in Minehead. The attendance, though fluctuating at times, is wholly satisfactory.

         Papers have been predominant this term, but even so, most speakers provoked much interesting discussion. A paper by Jacobs on "Space Travel," reviewing its possibilities both in the present and future, proved interesting. Mr. Byrne's challenge to the modern tendency of standardisation was undoubted intellectually stimulating in that he questioned principles to-day accepted unquestioningly by most. Fuller reports of the papers by Dr. Matthews and Cockman are given in this issue, and Dr. Haskey explained some of the mysteries of the expanding universe.

         Three interesting interpretations of current events were supplied to members by Mr. Coates, Walker, and Manners. Mr. Coates analysed the rise of German Fascism, indicating how such a party came to command the unanimous approval of the German people. Walker drew the attention of members to the many anomalies in our social and political life. Manners reviewed the recent story of Trade Unionism and its significance in the war effort to-day.

         Finally, one interesting variation was provided by an evening when Mr. Eckersley called upon members to speak impromptu on subjects that he had supplied.

         The 49 Club has proved to be one of the many successful School activities in Minehead, and should remain a permanent feature of our stay here.

P. MANNERS.

* * *

         The following is a resume of a paper given to the 49 Club by Dr. Matthews.

THE AIMS OF SCIENCE.

THERE are many people with objections to science. In some their attitude is part of a general disapproval of all new things as being of necessity inferior to the products of the "good old days." Such people are, as a rule, not too keen on being deprived of modern lighting, modern medicine, modern transport, and modern sanitation, &c. It is a sufficient reply to them to point out that it is only by the application of the principles of modern sanitation that people can safely live together in communities. If it be argued that living in communities is wrong, then the more progressive people of the "good old days" were in error because, from very early times, scholars have assembled in Universities and Monasteries. Only by such inter-mingling of persons was the spread of knowledge possible. There is, however, a larger number of persons who think that, whilst all the products of science are not necessarily wrong, some of them are very definitely evil and, therefore, the scientist should be controlled so that he will discover only the good things and never the bad. Such people are almost invariably ignorant of the aim of science, which is to discover how Nature works. When a scientist is conducting his investigation into the mechanism of Nature, he cannot possibly say what will be the ultimate effect of any discovery he may make. Faraday, when surrounding magnets by coils, discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction. The facts that a man could subsequently be electrocuted by the application of that principle were no more his concern at the time than that lives would be made more easy by electric transport, or that lives could be saved by the results of X-ray examination. But both of the latter "good" things were equally implicit, with the former "bad" one, in the original discovery.

         The most strenuous objection to science is that it may be directed to making the prosecution of war more easy and to making the consequences of war more terrible, and there is no doubt that the application of scientific results may do just these things. It is, however, the community as a whole, acting through dictators or its selected representatives and financiers and newspaper proprietors, which makes war, and the scientist is no more worthy of special blame than is the soldier, sailor, or airman when acting in accordance with orders. He is, in fact, being diverted from his true function to become a warrior like the rest. Even so, most of the products of science which may be used evilly in war may be used to good effect if people are so minded. When an electric current is passed through brine, caustic soda and chlorine are produced. The former is an essential commodity which cannot be made cheaply other than by the method indicated. Chlorine was used in the last war as a poison gas for the first time, more than 100 years after its discovery, and it was productive of serious casualties; but chlorine is the best possible large-scale agent for making infected water safe arid potable, and it was the non-use of chlorine that was responsible for the casualties in the typhoid epidemic at Croydon a few years ago. Further, the only known decontaminator applicable to the destruction of mustard gas is bleaching powder, which is made only by passing chlorine over slaked lime! More evil results are likely to follow from a controlled than from a free science, just as more evil is likely to proceed from a controlled than from a free community i.e., from an autocracy than from a democracy. For the control is likely to be exerted by evil men aiming at power, profit, and self-glorification, and not at all concerned with that disinterested search after truth, which is the object of the genuine student of science.

* * *

RECONSTRUCTION AFTER THE WAR.

(A paper read to the 49 Club by G. J. COCKMAN, L.6.Arts).

THE housing problem, especially in London, will be acute after the war, and much reconstruction of Britain, both in town and country, will be necessary.

         Unfortunately, although 80 per cent. of the British are townsfolk, we cannot build good towns. We praise continental architecture, and deplore our own, forgetting that in the past we had better-planned towns than France or Germany. It was not until the Romantic Revival encouraged pseudo cottages, and the Industrial Revolution drove the masses into the suburbs, which became mere sleeping places, that our architectural abilities degenerated.

         The same re-organisation is necessary in the country as in the town. Landscape, not entirely a work of nature, used to be planned and aesthetic considerations (the love of the beauty of trees) as well as economic factors (the value of the timber) led to successful planning.

         Various suggestions have been advanced for the future planning; for example, the abolition of the city and its replacement by numerous small villages scattered over the country. It is argued that this was not adopted in the past because of difficult communications, the needs of defence, and the necessity for living near coalfields or industrial centres. To-day, with hydro-electricity and defensive decentralisation, it would seem that these considerations no longer apply. But the modern methods of mass production and the labour pool system make this decentralisation of industry impossible.

         The further spread of the suburb has been advocated, but this has all the disadvantages of the former suggestion without offering any real escape for the city dweller is forced to travel through many miles of monotonous suburbs before the real countryside is reached.

         The only satisfactory answer seems to be some form of centralisation, like the Linear City or the Satellite Town.

         In the Linear City plan England would be covered with highways forming a network of triangles. Along these. highways towns would be built, and within the triangles agriculture would be practised. In Soviet Russia there is a modification of this. Industry is stretched along railways and is backed by residential and recreation zones. A modified pattern for London would allow the historic centre to remain, from which would be offshoots with strips of country in between.

         The Satellite Towns are a more satisfactory answer. A central city is surrounded by satellite towns a few miles away, which are large enough for social activity, yet small enough to be within easy reach of the country. There would be five miles of country between the Satellite Towns, so a certain amount of centralisation would be maintained without going to extremes. The ideal size for a Satellite Town is a problem. For accessibility, to the countryside 100,000 is best, for economic purposes 100,000 to 200,000, for food supply 400,000. The size must therefore vary.

         Homes should be near employment and playing fields, and, though built in a limited space, should be planned to get the maximum amount of light and air.

         There will be three demands on the countryside

         (a) PLEASURE. - Regional parks, as in U.S.A., could be established. There could be a network of footpaths for hikers over the countryside which would permit long walks without the necessity of touching main roads. Co-operative farms and allotments for city dwellers should also be encouraged,

         (b) RESIDENCE. - A residential area for a small number of city workers could be set aside. For this small blocks of flats in private parks are advisable.

         (c) FARMING. - The future plan for agriculture may change the landscape of England. If grain is to be grown extensively there will be large fields and few hedges. If commercial afforestation is encouraged there will be considerable wooded areas, but if perishable food is grown the landscape will remain substantially the same, though possibly with more small holdings.

* * *

HOUSE NOTES.

ANDREWS-HOUGH.

Captain - I. REID.

THE Winter Term has proved almost void of Inter-House activities. However, the House has fulfilled its primary function of providing the machinery for the continuance of many social and academic aspects of Minehead life.

         At football the House has maintained a moderate standard. Norman and Herbert have retained their places in the School Ist XI. The Junior XI. have not perhaps fulfilled expectations in the Junior League, but their results have been satisfactory. They have the honour at least of having seriously challenged Russell-Matthews in their recent game.

         At boxing the House was unfortunate in having its two representatives, Manners, A., and Lewis, defeated. However, we may well look forward to better results on their next opportunity.

         In the martial aspect of School activities, the House is but moderately represented. However, Reid has recently received promotion in the A.T.C., whilst we have Troop Leaders in the Air Scouts.

         The House concert was a notable success. The tea was excellent, whilst the entertainment was most enjoyable. The appreciation of the House is due to all concerned.

         Although this term has yielded but few opportunities for members to contribute towards the efforts of the House, next term will certainly prove more fruitful of opportunities. The House officials, however, remind members of the necessity of training if good results, especially upon the athletic field, are to be achieved. The House may well look forward to success in the near future.

* * *

BROODBANK-STEVENSON.

Captain: S. T. FAITHFULL.

SPORTING activities have never been so restricted as during the past term. There have been no senior competitions at all, but the Juniors have just completed a very successful football season, finishing runners-up to Russell-Matthews in the Inter-House Competition.

         The success of. the team is largely due to the great keenness and enthusiasm displayed by all, and in particular by Tugwood, who has proved himself to be as good a captain as footballer.

         Our House concert, held at the end of last term, is now only a memory. Nevertheless, I think every boy will agree it was a splendid entertainment and a great credit to all who took part. In addition to the performers our thanks are due to the kind ladies who provided such a magnificent tea for us.

         The beginning of the term saw a distinct improvement in the House War Savings. Despite our New Year's resolution, we are now well below last term's standard, Remember that, although we only save in quite small sums, such savings are vital to the national war effort.

         We were all greatly overjoyed to learn that Mrs. Rowe-Smith has successfully passed the critical stage of her illness and is again in Minehead. We are now anxiously looking forward to the day when she will be with us once more in person.

         Finally, I should like to remind you that it will not be very long before our annual sports day is here. Mr. Stevenson and our Athletics Captain (G. Warren) are very willing to assist boys with their training, and it's up to you to seek their advice. Early training is essential for success, and I want to see every boy playing his part in making Broodbank-Stevenson winners of the Athletics Sports meeting.

K. H. CLARKE.

* * *

HESTER-LOWE.

Captain: W. J. WOODAGE.

THE House was very sorry to say "good-bye" to its House Captain, R. Elvery, who is now working in the N.P.L. on road construction, and is studying for his B.Sc. degree at the same time. We wish him the greatest success in his work and best of luck in his exams. We welcome W. Woodage as our new House Captain, and congratulate him on his appointment.

         Our Junior football team put up a creditable performance in the House Competition, and finished third.

         T. Smith is still waiting to see a bigger and better response to the National War Savings Campaign.

         I remind you that the annual Sports Day will soon be held. It is therefore essential that we should all start training as soon as possible in order that the "dark blues" may put up a good show.

         I hear that M. Lawton, who left us last summer, is now a member of the R.A.F., and is training for his wings.

         Our House tea and concert, held once again in conjunction with Russell's, was an outstanding success, and the House offers its heartiest thanks to the lady helpers for the work they put in.

E. W. METHLEY, House Secretary.

* * *

KERRIDGE - SWAN.

Captain: R. DIXON.

Secretary: D. JACOBS.

THIS Winter Term has not been very rich in House activities. We can, however, congratulate ourselves upon the sweeping victory at boxing. For this, I think, we have to offer our thanks to the guidance of Metz.

         Now that the Summer Term is upon us our thoughts naturally turn to the Sports. Every able-bodied member of this House should take part in the numerous events. Our House is rich in athletes at the moment, and, if other members will show enough enthusiasm to do a little training I see no reason why we should not win the day. The moors offer excellent opportunities for getting fit, and early rising hurts nobody.

R. DIXON.

* * *

LAMBERT-NEWMAN.

Captain : R. C. W. MOCK,

WE must first welcome Mock as our new House Captain on the departure of Gallop.

         I regret to inform the House of H. Pile's serious illness, and I am sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.

         There has been a great decrease in House activities during the past term, all, of course, due to difficulties of evacuation. For example, we have had only Junior football with which to contend, and in this our Junior team has not done so well as it might have done.

         Last term's House tea, held in conjunction with Kerridge-Swan just before the Christmas holidays, proved to be a success, and could not have been better. Everything was thoroughly enjoyed by boys of both Houses.

         Next term will see the Inter-House Athletics Competition, and so boys who are entering should be soon getting down to doing some training. Every boy in the House should enter for at least one event.

         I am glad to see an improvement in House Savings, but even now the movement would benefit with more members from L.-N. House.

D. RICHARDSON.

* * *

RUSSELL-MATTHEWS.

Captain: R. GRAHAM.

SINCE these notes were last written at the end of the Christmas Term, House activities have not been plentiful. The excitement of the Inter-House football matches was over by the end of December, and there has been little organised Inter-House football since. Our Juniors, however, have lived up to their reputation in several matches at The Dene and elsewhere.

         Our Christmas concert was a great success. It was attended by Dr. and Mrs. Worsnop and, although an air-raid warning robbed us of one of our most vociferous performers, I think we managed to give a good evening's entertainment. The tea which preceded the concert was exceedingly good, considering the difficulties under which the catering had to be carried out, and the thanks of the House. are due to all the lady helpers who so generously helped us.

         I note that the House is already beginning to train for the Sports, which event, I understand, is due in the early part of next term. Last year Russell-Matthews was second: what about first place in 1941? Much of the burden of this task will fall upon the Seniors, who must really put their backs into the j ob.

         We are now seeing the last of the football. The short Minehead summer is approaching, and cricket will soon be here. Let us hope that the sportsmen of the House will carry on into the summer the achievements of the winter.

W. A. BIDGOOD, House Secretary.

* * *

THE LANDING OF THE LIFEBOAT.

THE wind howled, the sea pounded against the sea wall as I cycled along Quay Street - I had to stand on my pedals in bottom gear. A mist hung over the sea and the spray flew high over the wall and touched the pavement on the opposite side.

         As I stared into the mist I saw something cutting it. "A boat in this weather," I thought. "What boat can that be ?" I stopped. Yes, it was a boat. I could dimly see figures; they looked like monks.

         In front of the boathouse I could see soldiers and civilians getting ropes, and a machine just outside the door of the boathouse was being looked over by its mechanic. Swiftly the boat drew in, closer and closer. I could see then that the crew were wearing yellow oilskins, and that the boat was the lifeboat. (The very word conjures up visions of British seamanship, valour, stormy seas, shivering survivors, the gratitude of a nation).

         When the waves carried the boat in further the men got ready, ropes were thrown, and the boat, coming in on a mighty wave, crashed into the pebbles, but, despite the combined efforts of the men and the tugging of the soldiers, the boat slipped back a little way. Men hurried forward with blocks; the sailors looked cold and tired. The boat was hitched by the keel to thick ropes, and the great mechanical strength of man's invention once more had a tug-o'-war with the forces of the sea. And what a tug-o'-war! The boat slipped, the waves pushed, then pulled ; the machine still went on. The soldiers were ready, two to a block, to carry the blocks from the rudder (as the boat passed over) to the keel. What a sight! The machine did not fail; there was no blood to be seen, no grateful survivors clinging to the sides, no shouting or bellowing. Yet there was an inestimable thrill in watching. I was too interested to bother about time, and I was determined to see that boat pulled out of the water. As the ropes strained they were slowly beating the elements. It was cold and windy; I was cold, and yet no-one seemed to take any notice of the weather.

         One by one the crew dropped over the sides as the boat was pulled further over the blocks, leaving one boy behind. He was blowing his hands and trying to take his oilskins off at the same time (a marvellous feat which would not work). I felt envious of him and wished that I had been out with those fine fellows.

         Slowly, but steadily, the boat mounted the waiting tractor (the boy still doing his circus work with the oilskins), and at last it stood on top like some model, a beautiful sight, with a background of gathering mist, pounding waves, and lifeboat-men with the look of seamen about them.

         The crowd began to disperse. I was left on my own looking at a symbol of sea safety and thinking of the many tales I had heard of these knights of the waters and of the glorious deeds some of them had done.

         There is nothing spectacular in this story, but the memory of that scene still gives me as great a thrill as if it were being enacted in front of me again.

S.W.B.-P., 5B.

* * *

THE GODDESS OF THE SUN.

LAST night I saw the Goddess of the Sun. I was walking round the bottom of the hill, over the stony beach where the cliff meets the water. The tide was coming in, and I was anxious to see the sunset before the sea could cut me off from the fallen rocks. I had been told that the sunset was particularly beautiful from there and that there would be a flash of green as the sun touched the water.

         Soon I reached the place which I was seeking. I had never been there before, and I was struck immediately by the stark grandeur of the scene before me, and I was filled with wonder. All around me were huge rocks, bold and impressive, fallen through the ages from the towering cliff above me, following the same path that some ancient stream had cut deep into the side of the hill years before. The sea, during the centuries, had fought those rocks, battering their rough surface into smooth shapes, softening their appearance. In little cracks and crevices glittered a million tiny pools, gems to enhance the rugged beauty of those gigantic monuments to Time, unconquerable, whom they had tried to defeat.

         The sea was made rougher by the new moon, pale and distant in the hazy sky, bowing reverence to her master, Sol, who, in all his splendour, was preparing to retire, leaving his vast domain to the rule of his servant moon until he returned once more, bringing with him another day.

         The spray, hurled high by the sea beating against the rocks, formed a misty veil behind which the sun, growing ever larger, turned the sky to blood, gashing it with a scarlet wound wherever a cloud did dare to trespass.

         Then the sea roared still louder, flinging its spray up and up, pausing while it sparkled with a thousand rainbow hues, replenishing it when, exhausted, it fell.

         The white foam gurgled and bubbled between the rocks, rushing in little cataracts over the stones, causing the pebbles of the beach to sigh at each caress.

         The trees on the hill stirred softly, graciously inclining their heads towards their ruler. No bird spoke, no beast moved, all was silent save the sea, which roared louder, louder ; hurling itself higher, higher - and then I saw her!

         Close to the sea behind the rocks she lay. Her hair copper-gold of the dying sun, her eyes the liquid green of the sea, her skin the delicate white foam. Sol himself was her crown.

         And then the sun, in a last display of magnificence, changed the sky to violet, to mauve, to purple, deepening it still more as he descended in all his majesty, never ceasing to fill the still and silent earth beneath him with colour and beauty until he sank into the waves - and there was a flash of green as the sun touched the water.

C. COHEN.

* * *

THE ART OF CREATION.

MAN is a complex being, and what little knowledge he can arrive at, to be practical, can scarcely be pure. Like the air that he breathes, he may rarify it until the one is unfit to be breathed and the other to be applied, Mathematicians have sought knowledge in figures, philosophers in systems, logicians in subtleties, and metaphysicians in the unknowable. It is not in any of these. He that studies only men will get the body of knowledge without a soul, and he that studies only books will get the soul without the body. He who, to what he sees, adds observation, and to what he reads reflection, is on the right road to knowledge, provided that in scrutinising the hearts of others he neglects not his own. I have started with a definition of man and knowledge, for man has a creative mind, but without knowledge man can create very little. Therefore, these two factors - namely, man and knowledge - are the basis of any human creation. But man is foolish. He is capable of creating music, art, literature, and culture, which are for the common good. But he is greedy, and he has turned these advantages into his own destruction in his lust for power and wealth. Man is very proud of his Hurricanes, his bombers, his poison gases, his diabolical devices of evil for the annihilation of innocent women and children. To-day, to most people, a, scientist is a man who can create wireless, engines, machinery, and all those other stupid inventions which draw us further away from Nature. Professors in every branch of science prefer their own theories to truth. The reason is that their own theories are private property, whereas truth is common stock. Men, brilliant chemists, who through the unnatural mixing of the elements obtain some new gas or explosive, are knighted for their "services to their country." But the gardener, who tends a plant throughout the year and brings forth a beautiful blossom or fruit, is looked upon with contempt. Men look down upon the daisy, the blade of grass, the hedgerow weed, but they look up with adoring, loving eyes upon their hideous and clumsy inventions. The really true scientist is the one who watches the blades of grass. The only real knowledge is truth, and creation is life. Yet the harder our "brilliant" men of learning pursue its secret and mystery the further they find themselves from it. Music, art, and literature are all creations. But the most brilliant, marvellous, and beautiful of all creation is life. But that is the gift of God. And God will keep that secret from all men.

J. P. WALSH, 5A.

* * *

THE SCHOOL GARDEN.

THE evacuation of 1939 found our School firmly established at Minehead, in the heart of an agricultural district, and naturally our thoughts turned towards the "land." Dr. Worsnop thought it would be a very good thing to introduce our town-bred boys to the delights of gardening and agriculture, as well for their instruction as for gaining some insight into the ways the people of this country got their living. He set to work and found us a piece of land untouched for 20 years-at the end of the hockey pitch. This was measured out and we made four large plots, each about 100ft. by 20ft. It was wild, uneven, bushy, and forbidding, but all these disturbing features could not deter us. Tools were bought, and in the third week of March, 1940, the Poly. boys who were keen to learn gardening made an attack on the four plots. By dint of hard labour, sweat, and a certain amount of persuasive driving on the part of Mr. Hough, the plots were thoroughly dug in about a month. Seeds were bought, and it was very gratifying to note the great interest the boys took in the subsequent settings and plantings. They were even asking "why?" and the answers to their enquiries taught them much. As the object was to teach as much as possible in a short time a great variety of different kinds of vegetables were cultivated.

         So the work went on, and at the beginning of July a prominent citizen of Minehead paid the garden a visit and described the four plots as "picture gardens." Such praise heartened and encouraged the workers.

         As the crops came to maturity there was a great demand for our goods, and we had no difficulty in disposing of our produce - which was really good (ask Mr. Lambert if you want confirmation on this point).

         Well, we ended our season with £3 10s. 6d. profit, after paying for our seeds. This money is being used this year to buy seeds, manures, fertilisers, and the other things necessary for our work this season.

         We are working on slightly different lines this year, as we are going to combine instruction with an intense drive in food production. Dr. Worsnop informs me that the 40 or so boys at the Dene Hostel have amazing appetites, so it will be our aim to produce a supply of various vegetables for their dinners next winter.

         To increase our production we are lengthening the plots.. It will not be out of place to point out that plots of garden do not lengthen themselves, and some hard "spade" work is necessary. We are confidently anticipating some real help in our efforts from some of those who will ultimately enjoy the food produced.

         Tilling the land and producing food are the most ancient occupations of mankind. To-day, as throughout the history of human life on this earth, man must eat in order to live, and before he can eat he must work and grow his food.

J.S.H.

* * *

THE DICTATOR.

THE Dictator is making one of his many speeches, and the huge room is filled with the sound of his raucous voice. He seems to be the devil incarnate as he gesticulates wildly. Now and again he stops talking, and those in front of him raise their hands and shout his title. They do not shout his real name, for that would be sacrilege. He raises his right hand once again, and the sound of his voice fills the room. But what is this? Someone has dared to talk whilst he is speaking. The great one himself orders the offender to report to the Lord High Executioner on Execution Day. The offender slinks back to his place and the Dictator resumes his speech. At last the all-powerful finishes his speech and his subjects file out of the room. Mr. Judd has just finished a physics lesson.

S. SCHLAROFF, 5B.

* * *

A HOLIDAY AT A GLIDING CAMP.

PERHAPS the most unusual holiday I ever spent was in August, 1939, when I received instruction, together with 39 other Air Cadets, at X------- Gliding Club.

         We arrived on Saturday, August 21st, and after spending Sunday getting accustomed to our new surroundings, we eagerly anticipated the gliding that was to begin on the Monday morning.

         The start was fairly promising, each Cadet being given a log-book, and allotted to an instructor, together with about 12 others. However, then came the disillusionment. Instead of being given instruction in the operation of the controls (which are very simple) and then a short flight, we were merely strapped in our "R.F.D. Primary's" and given aerilon instruction. while stationary.

         The next day we actually moved in our "R.F.D.'s," but even then we only had ground slides. For these we were strapped into the seat and launched at about 30 m.p.h. over the ground for 50 yards, with the stick forward, so that we should not take off. The sensations of accelerating from 0-30 m.p.h. in one second are peculiar, and not altogether pleasant until one is used to it. This feeling is increased by the glider, in which the pupil learns. To the uninitiated it looks a singularly Heath-Robinson construction, and appears at first to be merely an enormous expanse of wing, with a similarly enormous expanse of tail and fin connected to the wing with metal rods. It is, however, quite safe; in fact, practically uncrashable. Even although the pupil feels that he is suspended on nothing, there is no possibility of the straps which hold him in his seat giving.

         After ground sliding the pupil goes on to "short" hops, which mean a rise of about 10ft. in the air, and a return to the ground. The stick position is set by the instructor, and the glider will come back to earth on its own account quite safely without any assistance from the Cadet, beyond keeping the wings level and putting the stick forward on landing, in order to avoid bouncing.

         After several "short" hops "medium" hop stage is reached, when the pupil goes to about 20ft. He now has to control the ascent and descent. If he merely hopes that the glider will flatten out itself, as in the "short" hops, he will find himself stalling at 30ft., which usually ends in a broken Primary and a shaken Cadet. The stall is practically the only danger in elementary gliding. It is almost impossible to spin or sideslip under training conditions.

         The pupil then graduates to "long" hops, when he gets used to the feel of the Primary at perhaps 50ft. While doing "long" hops he is taught turns, and when fully proficient he is launched from 250ft., and has to keep up for 30secs. This merely means gliding evenly to the ground, since it is not possible to make a Primary soar. The Cadet has now qualified for his "A" Licence.

M. WHITMARSH, L.6.Mod.

* * *

END OF TERM CONCERT, CHRISTMAS, 1940.

TERM finished on December 20th on a note of riotous jollity, provided by the Poly. "White Coons" or "Hot Spots." For an hour and a half they gave us a rollicking entertainment. There were choruses, "Tiggerty-Boo," "Come join the Fun," "The Quartermaster's Stores" (with Metz as soloist), "Widdicombe Fair" (sung by Mr. Eckersley, with a "dramatic" chorus by the Hot Spots), and, as a grand finale, "The Soldiers of the King," in which Herbert, Metz, and Jackson each sang a verse; three of the Cadets gave the appropriate military background and the Hot Spots a full-throated chorus. There were cross-talk comedians, St. John and Mock, with wisecracks and jokes - old and new; there were parodies on old favourites, admirably done by Mr. Smith; the Eastern sisters (Shuttleworth and Jackson) gave a topical point to the Old School Tie, with ever-popular cracks at Masters:-

The Lodge is always full of bustle,

That's due to Messrs. Judd and Russell

        Wearing their old school tie.

The 49 Club congregates

When Mr. Byrne pontificates,

They'd be much happier we've no doubt

If they knew what 'twas all about,

        Wearing their old school tie.

         And at the Cadets:-

The O.T.C. is doing fine,

They even stand in one straight line,

And when young Houchin's grown a trifle,

He'll just reach half way up his rifle,

        Wearing his old school tie.

         Then there was Stocker's impersonations of Masters - "poor fishes" - that nearly brought the house down. But the culminating point was perhaps the "Magic Cookery" which Messrs. Hough and Smith perpetrated in Mr. Lambert's hat. To the making of the magic cake there went into the hat flour, mustard, sand, vinegar, sauce, an onion (!!) and an egg long past its best. Unfortunately (or wasn't it fortunately for the magicians?), it was at this moment that Mr. Eckersley appeared hurriedly to sing his solo and, as a result, the unsavoury mess had to be handed back, untransformed to cake, to Mr. Lambert. The producer, the author, the presiding spirit (with big drum), and chief comedian in all this was Mr. Hough. He was very ably seconded by Mr. Smith as chief "corner boy," by Mr. Checkley as accompanist, and by Messrs. Merrills and Walford, who did some lightning make-ups (46 faces in 45 minutes). To all of them the School is indebted.

* * *

THE 6th CADET BN. K.R.R.C. (POLY CADETS).

THE most important news is that we have now a new brother, and a big one, too. May we congratulate the A.T.C. and its officers on a splendid flying start? We do not hide the fact that we have suffered by their formation. Mr. Elgood goes - our loss, their gain. A few boys have also changed over. We expected this. We wish them all luck and do not begrudge them. Both forces have so many good objects in common. And, besides, we gain in all sorts of ways. There's no need for me to stress the value of healthy rivalry, the chances we shall have of comparing notes, and the fact that now that the A.T.C. is getting national support, we, too, may expect a larger measure of practical assistance from the War Office.

         In the Corps we have been fortunate in getting the help of Mr. Coleman, who will serve as Adjutant. Mr. Coleman has seen considerable service in the Army, and was until some six years ago Cadet Major in charge of the Poly. Cadets; so that it is with particular gratitude that we welcome his very kind acceptance of new duties.

         The Junior Platoon, now consisting of Cadets from the 3rd and 4th Forms, with N.C.O.'s from the Lower Fives, is in charge of R.S.M. Shuttleworth. Efforts are being made to fit the boys out in a grey uniform that will be smart and also inexpensive.

         R.S.M. Shuttleworth has already got his N.C.O.'s well trained, and, judging by the fact that few juniors wish to switch over to the Seniors before their time, this "arm" of our Corps is going to be a success.

         About 18 Seniors are hoping to take Cert. A some two weeks after the July exams. For these, in particular, we have been fortunate in getting special instructors, thanks to the kindness of Major Wilkinson and of Captain Maton, of the R.A.S.C.

         The improvement of the Seniors after one 40-minute period with Sgt.-Major Hughes, of the Grenadier Guards, was truly spectacular. When a handful of N.C.O.'s and Cadets, after a Saturday morning parade, spend another 11 hours practising slow marching, turning to right, left, and about, all on their own, then there's a new breath of life in things.

         We are having demonstrations of Bren Gun Carriers, with the Cadets "on board," of the equipment of an infantry platoon, and of field tactics carried out by Army officers and picked men ; but these would take too long to describe. The Cadets have got their teeth into this practical work.

         The R.A.S.C. has promised to arrange transport for our camps. Such a statement needs no further elaboration.

         We seem now to have solved our problem of finding suitable times for parades; and Bren, rifle, and map classes are held on Thursday and Friday evenings, and the recent attendances have been well nigh 100 per cent.

         You can be sure that, as O.C., I am deeply grateful for the staunch support the Officers, C/2nd Lt. Pratt and Mr. Coleman, the other helpers, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Merrills, and Mr. Rowe-Smith, and all the N.C.O.'s and Cadets are giving me.

H.B.S.

* * *

A.T.C.

IMMEDIATELY the formation of the Air Training Corps was announced the Headmaster readily consented to the formation of a School unit. The Senior Boys were very enthusiastic, and between 70 and 80 wished to enrol. Mr. Elgood and Mr. Beresford are taking charge of some of the instructional work, and act as officers. Mr. Checkley will be the Adjutant, and has put in a great deal of time and thought in making arrangements for classes and mapping out a programme for the months ahead. Highly appreciated help in technical instruction is being given by Mr. Turner, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Judd, and Mr. Rowe-Smith.

         The School unit was registered on February 1st as the Polytechnic Flight No. 622. Work was started immediately, and drill and instruction are going on steadily. Cadets and Officers are working hard to lay solid foundations for the future reputation of the unit, both in the School and in the R.A.F.

* * *

AIR SCOUTS.

SO many boys, not yet 16 years old, were keen on the Air Training Scheme that a strong troop of Air Scouts has been formed under the charge of Mr. Sambrook. This will prove a useful source of recruitment to the A.T.C., for its members are keen and already number over 40. Four Patrols have been formed - Eagles, Hawks, Swifts, and Woodpigeons - and are now meeting on two evenings a week.

         Most members have passed their "tenderfoot" and are concentrating on such work as morse signalling, wireless, and ambulance to qualify as second-class Scouts. They will then tackle a detailed and special syllabus to qualify as Air Mechanics, Air Navigators, or Air Apprentices.

         Mr. Eckersley has very kindly taken charge of the signalling class, and Mr. Elgood is giving up yet more of his time to lecture on Aircraft Recognition.

G.A.S.

* * *

SCOUTS - 2nd ALCOMBE (POLYTECHNIC) TROOP.

DURING the term the Troop has been able to settle down in its new headquarters and gradually work out some of the ideas which members had fermenting in their minds. The long-expected electric lighting has proved a very valuable addition because, although oil lamps gave an atmosphere to the place (in more senses than one!), they did not give sufficient light for some activities.

         Three whole-day outings have been held - two in January and one at half-term - and on each occasion we found snow on the hills. For this reason we had to give up any idea of games which entailed much standing about, and turned the outings into long tramps. These provided plenty of enjoyment, especially a pitched snow battle high up on the Croydon Hills among the fir trees, a "wide game" through Bossington Woods, and a climb up Selworthy Church tower (at the Rector's invitation!).

         On Sunday, 19th January, a good number, joined with the Sea Scouts, attended the Memorial Service for the Chief Scout, at Dunster Church. The Rev. A. H. Balleine conducted the service, and gave a very interesting address, sketching the life of Lord Baden-Powell and the growth of the movement, and bringing home. to us again the essential spirit of Scouting.

A.A.P.

* * *

SEA SCOUT NOTES.

SINCE the Notes in the last issue the most important event for the Sea Scouts has been the start of boating parades. We have, by kind permission of the C.O., been allowed to use the Quay, and this has enabled us to use the boats at times, which would have otherwise been impossible.

         We are very sorry to lose our Troop Leader, Peter North, who has been a staunch member of the Troop since its start, and the P.L. of the Kingfishers, P. Boyne, who are both leaving School this term.

         We wish both Scouts all the best for their coming years.

         In conclusion, I should like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Worsnop for all he has done to help the Troop.

J.S.

* * *

FOOTBALL.

The Term's Results.

Feb.          1.      - R.A.S.C. (away)                                    ...                  Lost           1-3

  "              8.      - Minehead Minors (home) --                  ...                  Lost           1-4

  "            15.      - Huish's School (home)                          ...                  Lost           2-5

March       1.      - R.A.S.C. (home)                                   ...                  Draw         5-5

  "              8.      - Craft Schools (home)                            ...                  Won          6-0

  "            15.      - Minehead County School (home)         ...                  Won        17-0

               22.      - Watchet (away)                                     ...                  Lost           0-4

April         5.      - Watchet (home)                                     ...                  Won          5-4

  "              8.      - Battery R.A.                                          ...                  Won          9-3

         It is impossible to write of this term's football with the same enthusiasm as we did at Christmas, for, generally speaking, the standard of play has deteriorated.

         It is true that we suffered a grievous loss when O'Brien left us. At the beginning of the term then, we passed through an experimental stage, when different combinations of players were being tried out. At this time we played our most disappointing match and lost against Huish's. Having won at Taunton the previous term, we had looked forward to this game with some confidence.

         Since half term the team has done much better, more cohesion among the players being evident. Most critics of the team are agreed that the home fixture against the R.A.S.C. produced our finest football this term. Our opponents were a capable and well-balanced side, several of the team having had experience of professional football in reserve sides. To have made a draw then was distinctly creditable to our boys.

         After the very good spell from March 1st to 15th, we looked forward confidently to the Watchet match. Again our hopes were dashed, for we witnessed a most desultory game, almost devoid of incident.

         It will be generally agreed that our most delightful fixture was that against the Craft Schools, who travelled from Winscombe, a large number of Masters accompanying the team. The Dene pitch was reminiscent of the good old days at Chiswick.

         The following results give our record for the whole football season:- Played 19, won 9, lost 8, drawn 2. Goals for 93, goals against 63.

         Our congratulations must be offered to Alex. Woodage, who, at centre forward, has scored 34 goals, a record we do not remember being equalled during our experience of over 20 years at the Poly. School.

J.B.L.

M.E.D.

* * *

LAST TERM'S COMPETITION.

THE number of entries was satisfactory and they proved very interesting to read. One version in verse was submitted, and was of quite a high standard. Other competitors, although writing prose, set the entries down as verse, and thereby lost points. The actual translation of the words of the poem did not appear to have caused any difficulty, except in the case of a few words like tressaille, on dirail, vasque, penombre. The last eight lines, however, offered difficulties in construction and hence, in word and clause order, so as to render the thought clearly and harmoniously and yet remain close to the text.

         No version approaching perfection was received. The best was submitted by G. R. Driffield, U5B2, to whom the book prize is awarded. The entries of Booker (who gave a verse rendering) and Pleeth, L.5c, are highly commended. The original poem and the winning entry appear below.

H.C.

Comme un poète errant au fond d'une avenue,

Le soir dans les bosquets lentement s'insinue;

Et si doux est le timbre amoureux de sa voix

Que tous les bruits du jour se taisent à la fois.

Le vent s'arrête au seuil obscur de la broussaille

Pas un oiseau sur les ramures ne tressaille.

Tout écoute ; on dirait le silence attentif,

Quand le. soir, approachant son visage pensif

De l'eau qui dort d'un noir sommeil en quelque vasque,

Regarde, dans le fond que la pénombre masque,

Ce que le jour défunt y fit tomber de fleurs.

Tel le poète, las de trop lourdes douleurs,

Contemple, vasque triste aux fleurs vite effeuillées,

Son âme où meurent ses illusions noyées.

* * *

Like a poet wandering at the end of an avenue,

Night softly steals into the groves;

And so sweet is the loving sound of its voice,

That all the noises of the day are silent at once.

The wind drops at the dim threshold of the bushes;

Not a bird moves in the branches.

Everything listens; 'twould seem that the attentive silence,

When the evening, bending his pensive face

Towards the water which sleeps a sombre sleep in some dell,

Regards on the ground which the penumbra hides,

The flowers dropped there by the moribund day.

Thus the poet, tired with too heavy grief,

Contemplates his soul, sad bowl with flowers so soon withered,

Where his drowned illusions die.

G. R. DRIFFIELD, UVB2.

* * *

LETTERS FROM OLD BOYS,

Yorkshire.

DEAR MR. ECKERSLEY,

         My presence in Yorkshire is due in the first place to my having been evacuated here with the Air Ministry in September, 1939. When the Ministry of Aircraft Production was formed, however, I joined them, and our new Minister, no doubt with an eye to a good headline, decided that we should all return to London last September, at the time when the raids were most intense. By the end of October, though, the worst seemed to have passed, and so we were re-evacuated early in November, much to the disappointment of those, including myself, who had to leave homes in London after having experienced the nightly blitz. However, I cannot doubt the wisdom of our return as our work here is allowed to proceed without interruption from sirens or gunfire. I think it would be very difficult to find another place in England as peaceful as this, although I hope there is such a place at Minehead.

         From what I can gather, though, Minehead is far from being peaceful on a Saturday afternoon when the School 1st XI. is performing. I was very glad indeed to read of the success that seems to be crowning most of the School's activities, although I could hardly believe my eyes when I read of the audacity of A.-H. in putting an end to the run of undefeated games of Broodie's 1st XI. I immediately sent word to Ron. Cole, under whose captaincy we started on our winning way in 1936. Cole, incidentally, has joined the Middlesex Regiment, and had two stripes to his credit within two months. When I last saw him he had been told, unofficially, that the third stripe was on its way. Norris, another of Broodie's old stalwarts, spent the early months of the war in France, but came home via Dunkirk, and was in Scotland when I last heard from him. I was very interested to read in "The Quintinian" that Sim was "Somewhere out East," as he told me in the last letter I received from him that he was expecting to go abroad again, and since then I've been unable to get in touch with him.

         Before I left London in November, I met Page, Payne, Todd, and Wynick on the day before the latter travelled North to start a pilot's course in the R.A.F. Naturally we yarned most of the time about schooldays, but, in addition, we managed to "launch" Wynick well and truly in his new career. I had a letter from him recently expressing profound satisfaction with life in the R.A.F., and when replying I sent him my copy of "The Quintinian," to make his life brighter still.

         I, too, am hoping to join the Poly. flying contingent, and would have done so long ago if I could have obtained permission to leave my present job. I intend every day to start some maths. swotting, but, unfortunately, my good intentions, like many, other things nowadays, have a delayed action. My chief concern at the moment, however, is not maths. but the recurrence of an ankle injury which I sustained during my last football season at School. I started the trouble again when running on a hard grass track last summer, and I've been unable to run properly since. Happily, the ankle now seems to be making some progress, and so I'm hoping to start running again soon. I played some football last season for the Air Ministry, but then gave it up in favour of cross-country running. I'm looking forward, though, to the next meeting between the O.Q.'s and the School, at Chiswick.

         Before I close I would like to ask you to be good enough to convey my congratulations to Faithfull on his being elected School Captain. I hope, also, that the School will carry on its good work and return to Regent Street soon with even greater achievements to its credit than when it left.

Yours sincerely,

E. A. DRAKE.

* * *

DEAR MR. ECKERSLEY,

         I am writing from an O.C.T.U. "somewhere in England," where I am trying to develop the qualities necessary in a 2/Lt. R.A. I started my life in the Army as a field gunner, changed to anti-aircraft, and now the higher authorities have decided that searchlights are in need of officers I have been switched over to that arm. I was always hopeless at current electricity at the Poly., and so I'm having a devil of a time swotting up circuits. Altogether it's much worse than Matric.

         I envy all you people at Minehead, and wish I could put the clock back 10 years to be able to tramp over Dunkery on half-holidays.

         With best wishes to all members of the School, past and present, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

G. J. SHERGOLD.

* * *

St. Catherine's College, Cambridge,

Tuesday, 11th March, 1941.

DEAR MR. ECKERSLEY,

         Work becomes very difficult in the last week of term, when one's thoughts are occupied mainly with preparations for that long-anticipated journey home.

         That end of term feeling is accentuated, too, by the fact that the most important sporting event of the term, namely, the Lent Races, was concluded last week.

         Although not so thrilling as the Mays, the Lent Races are quite an exciting affair. I expect you know how the bumping races are run, but, in case you don't, the arrangement is briefly this.

         Fifteen to 20 boats start at a time, not abreast (the Cam is too narrow even for two eights abreast), but in file, with a length-and-a-half of water between boats. Naturally, the first and last boats in the division are quite a long way apart, so the starting signal is given by a small gun placed on the bank at about the middle of the division.

         Once started, every boat strives to catch the one in front, and instead of passing, to bump it. When a bump occurs both boats drop out in order not to obstruct those following, and next day change places, so that the bumping boat goes up one place in the division, while the bumped goes down one. The races are held on three consecutive days, so that a boat can move up three places, or in the case of an overbump (which occurs when two boats drop out and the one following them catches the one ahead), three places in one day.

         The races naturally attract numbers of supporters to the bank, who follow their crews on bicycles, exhorting them to give "all they know" to catch the boat in front. In peace time lavish use is made by supporters of pistols, but now only handbells and whistles are used.

         But I'm devoting too much time and space to the Lent Races, when I ought to be supplying you with news of other O.Q.'s in Cambridge, though it's precious little I've seen of any of them this term.

         I find that Naglovsky is still here with the Bartlett School, but have not seen him to speak to. I have seen Nash several times, but he devotes most of his time to grim study in preparation for Part I. of the Natural Sciences Tripos in May and to University Socialist activities. Lewenhak I have only seen on the river, where he stroked the London School of Economics second boat to make two bumps in the Lents. I presume Lewis is still at L.S.E., but I haven't seen him at all this term. There is still, unfortunately, no news of H. F. T. Smith, but we shall let the School know immediately if we do hear anything of him.

         You may be interested to know that I have improved my acquaintance with Shakespeare this term by attending excellent performances of "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "Measure for Measure" (by the A.D.C.) at the Arts Theatre.

Yours sincerely,

LESLIE SMITH.

* * *

DEAR MR. ECKERSLEY,.

         I am sorry to have left my subscription to the Quintinian until this late date, but your annual "reminder" arrived at a time when I was in the process of being rushed off to hospital in the last stages of acute appendix trouble, and after nine weeks of fighting for existence, I had entirely forgotten whatever ideas I had ever held on sending my subscription.

         However, since the Quintinian is such a link with all my old friends, I sincerely hope you will be able to find a spare copy of the Christmas edition for my perusal.

         I think I can claim to have taken my fair share of narrow escapes this year, as I am now in the glorious position of being alive after surviving four fairly "close misses" with bombs during the blitz, two H.E. landing astride our house, one in the road and one at the end of our garden; then came an incendiary just outside our shed, and finally a high explosive bomb landed on my works just as I walked through it on my return from lunch.

         I am now half-way through my second year's course in National Certificate Engineering, and have so far attained 95 per cent. for maths. and 97 per cent. for engineering science, and during the whole of my first and second year course I have always been on top of my work, thanks mainly to the good old days of Regent Street, when Mr. Andrews and Dr. Haskey presided over our researches into these subjects.

         I should be sincerely grateful to you if you would convey my best wishes to your colleagues on my behalf.

         I expect there.have been many changes since my time, but I should particularly like to have the opportunity of meeting once more Messrs. Judd, Haskey, Turner, and Andrews, and in particular to see you again.

Yours sincerely,

G. PULLAN

(Fairey Aviation Co., Ltd.)

* * *

Theatre Royal, Windsor.

5th January, 1941.

DEAR MR. COLEMAN,

         Many thanks for your card and wishes, which I reciprocate most heartily.

         At the moment I am a permanent member of the above Rep., i.e., as permanent as war will allow me to be. I registered last September.

         My news is I'm now married! If Rep. weren't such hard work I'd love to slip over and see you, but there you are, learning and rehearsing a new play each week and playing three matinees and every night another play leaves very little time, as you can guess.

         Bill Jenks is in China with the International Red Cross.. Had I been single I'd have loved to have been with him.

         My best wishes to you and yours, and please remember me to Dr. Matthews and Mr. Russell.

Very sincerely,

BRUNO BARNABE.

* * *

R.N.A.T.E., Cornwall,

30th January, 1941.

DEAR MR. ANDREWS,

         I hope you are keeping in good health, and still teaching "singularly unintelligent boys" their geometry theorems.

         In this establishment, unless Jerry objects, I am to spend four years of my life. The majority of the week I work at a bench, although we get about eight hours school a week., We are taught to use all tools and machines used in engineering, and I am now able to make metal things which I never thought could be hand-made.

         Would you be kind enough to give my kind regards to all the Masters I knew, and also to all the old U.V.A.2's still there.

I would be very pleased to hear about the School, &c.

Yours sincerely,

DAVID W. MORRELL.

* * *

Lancashire.

20th February, 1941.

DEAR MR. ANDREWS,

         I don't know if you enjoy receiving mail from chaps that you once tried to school, but as I was in the country, I thought I would look you up and see if you had changed in seven years.

         I've only been in England for two weeks, and one of them was spent in London. Naturally, I had to go and see how the Poly. was taking it, but was really upset to find the Secondary School had evacuated, so I didn't see anybody I knew. The enquiry desk told me where you all were.

         You don't want to know my life story since I left school, but I am over here with the Royal Australian Air Force as a pilot officer, after being in Canada for three months. It took some time to get in the Service, and I did my elementary flying at home, then was chosen to go to Canada and do the Intermediate Course. We had a great time crossing the Pacific, and also a great time at Calgary, where we were stationed. All the leave we had we spent at Banff, and did quite a bit of skiing. Actually we didn't leave the camp much during the week-days as the temperature was often 10 degrees below zero, and the coldest we had it was 24 degrees below. Somehow we finished the course and were sent over here. At the moment I am doing a navigation course here and am staying at the hotel. The course is to take 12 weeks and then, if I'm lucky, I hope to fly flying boats. This is one time I wish I had taken more notice during your math. lessons.

         Well, I'm sure you don't want to be bothered reading too long a letter, but before I close I would like to say that I hope everything goes well with you and yours, and if I am ever near the School I most certainly will come and see you. Remember me to the rest of the Masters, especially my other House Master Mr. Hough. Tell him I now play the saxaphone; I'm sure he'll be pleased.

Yours sincerely,

ADAM T. GILLESPIE.

* * *

DEAR MR. ANDREWS,

         I was very pleased to receive your splendid letter and shall certainly keep it as a memory of the times we boys spent together with you from IV.B upwards. Having received my matriculation result, I was then able to arrange my future career. As I had done best in "technical" subjects, i.e., maths, mech. drawing, and mechanics, it seemed best for me to take up a career in "aircraft." So I am now apprenticed in Handley Page, Ltd., along with several other fellows. The first 3½ years of the curriculum are spent in the works among the actual production of aircraft. Every side of the production is touched upon this way. Then the last l½ years are spent in the drawing (or designing) office, unless, of course, the apprentice is not considered to be fitting for the part. Then he will remain on the production side.

         The first three years the apprentice spends two days in each week at the Northampton Polytechnic in Islington, or a supplementary course (i.e., metallurgy, aeronautics, &c.). So far I have enjoyed it, although at first the advanced trigonometry has seemed "tough." Still, I haven't quite got my teeth in it yet. At the end of the five years we apprentices are retained in the firm according to merit, and thus become key men in the trade (if we reach that stage!). We receive an increasing wage and, as there is no premium necessary, it is an ideal scheme. Matriculation being essential restricts the number of applicants.

         I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but Jeffery Betts is now in the Architectural School at our old Polytechnic, and he likes it quite well. I think he has chosen the right career for himself, too, as I believe I have for myself in aircraft.

Yours sincerely,

T. VOSS.

* * *

DEAR MR. ANDREWS,

         Once again it is Christmas, and I am writing my customary letter to you. Although I only write annually, I don't' want you to get the impression that I regard this as a painful duty; but I do not wish to burden you with a lot of unexciting letters.

         Since last I wrote there has certainly been a great change, although, fortunately, I have not suffered very badly.

         I do not want to bore you with a tale of woe, but, as a point of interest, I should like to say that I have had three close acquaintances with bombs. The first incident occurred about six weeks ago. My father and I were in the next road watching for any fires caused by incendiary bombs - local A.R.P. affair - when a stick of eight bombs was dropped, about 2,30 a.m., one bomb falling in our garden. Fortunately no great damage was done, and my mother, grandfather, and an aunt who were in the house were slightly unnerved by the experience, the bomb having fallen in very soft earth and exploded very deep down. The second occurred at work, when a bomb was dropped directly in front of the office, but, apart from smashing two cars and three windows, did no damage. The climax occurred when I was in a cinema one evening. A bomb burst in the front stalls, but I was between the middle and the back of the auditorium. The bomb could not have been very heavy because very little damage was done.

         During the next two or three months I shall have to register, as I shall be 20 in February. I have a strong desire to go in the flying crew, and am at present undecided whether to go in the R.A.F. or the Fleet Air Arm, assuming, of course, that I could pass the medical and other tests.

         Whilst on the subject of joining up, I should like to mention that F. G. Hale was enlisted in H.M. Navy on the 2nd December last as an ordinary seaman. Since then I have had a letter from him, and he appears to be having a fairly good time. Perhaps you could let me know about any of the Old Boys, as I expect quite a number have written to you and are now serving in the Forces.

         How have you been faring? I don't expect you will be sorry to get back to Regent Street, and teach Pythagoras to the accompaniment of the din of whirring traffic and vibrating road-drills.

         Please remember me to the other Masters, and I hope you will all return safely to London at the end.

Yours sincerely,

C. V. LEDDEN.

* * *

DEAR MR. ANDREWS,

         When I heard from my old form-mate, C. V. Ledden, how interested and pleased you were to receive his letters, I thought you might like to hear from another member of that same class which eventually reached matriculation in July, 1936, after having spent many, many hours in a cold second floor corridor muttering exasperatingly to themselves the theorem of Pythagoras. So, here I am; I, being one of those heaven-blessed few who seemed to he able to "enjoy" maths., and gather in all the maths. prizes.

         You may have heard about my experience at the hands of the Civil Service Commission last year. I passed the Executive Exam. and was placed before a medical board, which, unfortunately, refused me a position because of my hearing. Since, however, the hospital was unable to cure me, I had to forfeit my fees and the position to have been offered me. It was a bitter blow, but not entirely unexpected. I tried after various jobs, including that of a junior chemist, but in every case I was too near military age to be worth the expense of training. Eventually, a friend of mine used his influence to get me a job in a large engineering firm, and I have been engaged in making all types of instruments for the Navy, Army, and Air Force, including compasses, predictors, sound locators, searchlights, &c. During the last eight months we have been exceptionally busy, working overtime and week-ends, and, as regards remuneration, it is much better than the Civil Service. I am happy, too, at the job, where my knowledge of maths. and kindred sciences is very advantageous. Furthermore, I am doing my bit for my country in its time of need, and that's something.

         Recently, however, I met with an accident while cycling home from work in the black-out, and sustained a broken collar-bone, which incapacitated me for five weeks. I am better now and have returned to work.

         I expect that, even in Minehead, you have experienced some raids. I can assure you I've had my share of excitement during the heavy bombing of London, including being evacuated from our house at a few moments notice, with little or nothing, except the clothes I wore. We eventually returned to find our home intact.

         Do you hear from any of the old pupils? Except for Hale, Burton, and Ledden, I don't know what has become of them. Burton was awaiting a a call up," Hale is in the Navy, and Ledden is contemplating volunteering for the R.A.F. or Fleet Air Arm. I shall be registering next month, and would very much like to pilot a Spitfire or a Hurricane, but, there again, the medical would not accept me. So I must just wait and see.

         Mr. Lambert, in a letter to me, was lamenting the difficulties in teaching down in the country, without the well-equipped form rooms, laboratories, and library of the Poly. Things are probably more stable with you now, and you will have forgotten such pre-war pleasures. I wonder where the present pupils in your maths. classes learn such things as: - "In any triangle the square on the side opposite an acute angle is equal to the sum of the squares on the sides containing the acute angle, minus twice the rectangle contained by one these sides and the projection of the other on it." Remarkable how your method still enables me to quote such "delightful" theorems even after four years. I wonder if Ledden could?

         Please remember me to Messrs. Eckersley, Lambert, Broodbank (who will remember me as "Bill"), and Byrne (who will remember "Madera"), and please accept yourself my very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

I remain, yours sincerely,

FRED WOODROW.

* * *

DEAR MR. LAMBERT,

         You may be surprised to read that I have forsaken the Police for the other shade of blue.

         I managed, after great difficulty, to obtain permission to join the R.A.F. for training as a pilot, which means I shall still go back to my old job with my present rank. They placed me off duty and are making my pay up. Quite a number of "Met." Police are joining up, and there are three junior Station Inspectors in my crowd.

         I am afraid we all hung on in the beginning in the belief that we were doing the right thing, but after the "blitzes" of London all the Divisions which caught it worst seem to have a large number of men applying to join up. At present, and I suppose it will be so all along, the Commissioner will only release men for air crew duties or minesweeping in the Navy.

         We caught it badly when I was at B--------. Even the the edge of the station was hit. My climax was when, after cleaning up one lot of bombs, Fritz came back and dropped some more right alongside of us and five kiddies were buried with their mother and father. After working like hell for three-quarters of an hour I located one of them, and then later we could hear another crying. We got two kiddies out alive, the rest, including the mother and father, were dead. That finished me.

         My men made a terrible fuss of me, and everyone seemed to think I'd been a sort of hero. But my own particular men, who had been with me on the bomb damage, made it worse than ever. They gave me a wonderful silver cigarette case with an inscription which I still feel I didn't earn.

         But that's all over, and now I am an A.C.2 (the lowest thing that crawls). We are really entitled to call ourselves Cadets, as we are Cadet Pilots under training, but we prefer the A.C.2. I have just started my ground work, and I am going back to school for maths. Shortly we have a maths. exam. - about a month from now - and on that its 60 per cent. or out.

         The drill and discipline is easy, as I have been doing it all my life-from the School Cadets onwards. But it seems funny to be doing the dirty work after being a War Duty Officer for one of hardest-hit London Divisions. Still, I feel sure that I shall be all the more competent to handle my men after this. We have plenty of fatigues from cleaning windows to scrubbing floors, &c.

         Regards to all the Masters I know who are still there.

Yours sincerely,

GEORGE NICHOLS.

* * *

R.A. Mess.

DEAR DR. WORSNOP,

         Just a short note to let you know I am about to go overseas to the Far East, I think, though the actual destination is a little vague at the moment.

         Last November I was posted to a place in Cornwall and stayed just ten days, when I was posted to an administrative job in Kent. From there I moved with the unit to the East Coast, and now I am on an Eastern draft. The last few months have been quite interesting, as I have almost entirely been concerned with one or other of two branches - organisation and law. I have been a kind of permanent president of courts martial in the district, or, in cases concerning my unit, a permanent prosecutor.

         Please accept my best wishes for the School, yourself, and all the Staff. I hope the time will not be too far distant when we shall all be back at 309, Regent Street again.

Yours sincerely,

J. B. GALLOWAY.

* * *

DEAR DR. WORSNOP,

         It is such a long time since I wrote you last that I feel I must drop you a line, especially as I am now on embarcation leave.

         I was called up for service in July and was posted to a training regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps, which is the mother Corps of all Tank Regiments and Mechanised Units. I was stationed in the South of England and have had a rigorous 22 weeks' training. We have had specialised training in wireless, tank gunnery, infantry, and driving, and I passed out as a fully-qualified driver.

         During the last few months I have had plenty of opportunity to play games, and was lucky enough to be chosen to play both cricket and football for the Regiment.

         I have only come across one Old Q. in my Regiment, and he is W. Bannell, who was in Broodbank-Stevenson House, and left in 1928 or '29. He wishes to be remembered to all his old friends. The only other news of Old Q.'s I have is about W. Tracey, who, a short time ago, was stationed at Gibraltar.

         We expect to go some time next week, although, of course, we have not been told when and where to. Rumour says Kenya Colony, but you know what rumour is. We are all keen to get going. After all, we can't allow the R.A.F. to take all the laurels.

         I am always so glad to receive the Quintinian, and hope it will be possible to keep up its publication. If it could be posted to my above address in the future my people would send it out to me.

         I do hope the School is getting on well and is by now surely quite acclimatised.

         Please give my kindest regards to all my friends on the Staff, and I hope it will not be too long before we can meet again in happier times.

         Hoping you are quite fit and well, and that you have been spared some of the horrors the civilian population have had to go through.

Yours sincerely,

A. LAZARUS.

* * *

         To Lever (U.5Bii.), from D. SEGAL, who went to Hamilton, Bermuda.

DEAR PETER,

         School here is a lot more fun than at home, mainly because we do less work. Discipline is less strict, and the Masters don't mind a little bit of fooling occasionally to brighten up the monotony. I am writing this letter on the last weekend of our two weeks Christmas holiday, and what a Christmas - it's cock-eyed. Flowers out all over the shop, all trees have leaves; it's hot enough to sun-bathe. We went swimming on Christmas Day and New Year, Christmas is the big event around here. They make a pie called Casava pie. It takes about six hours to cook, is very sweet, and is supposed to make you sick when you take water with it. It wasn't so nice as I expected.

         It gets so hot here in the summer that they proclaim three months summer holiday, and in that time you are in the water about five hours at least every day. The water is so warm and buoyant that you can literally stay in for hours. We do a lot of under-water swimming amongst the coral; and some of the little inlets are beautiful. I suppose you know that there are no automobiles here, so everybody uses bikes, or carts with dissipated horses. It is nothing to pay £15 for a bike here. That's cheap for a new one. They are made in England, specially made, and are about five times as tough as the English types - that's because the roads are so rotten, full of ruts. The way they make a road here, or mend one, is a sight for sore eyes. They dig everything up, lay a lot of coral dust and stones down, and either wait for everyone to trample it down or use a 1896 steam roller to flatten it. The snag is that when it rains - and, boy, does it rain? - in buckets, all the coral dust is washed away and the road is worse than before. The islands are 20 or so miles long, so that rides aren't very long. No doubt the place is a lot of fun in peace time, but it has now become very important strategically, especially as an American base is being built here. There are two picture places, both smaller than the Odeon, and we get good programmes, and usually the Paramount News. People here are quite patriotic, although the place smells of Americanism from head to foot. Everything is beautifully dear. Cadbury's 2d. bar is 3½d., and 6d. things in Woolworth's cost about 1s. 6d. at least. This place is not a democracy, as half the coloured people don't vote. Some can't write their name, but they play at Parliament in the House of Assembly. They go in for a lot of sport here - football twice a week. They don't play like Arsenal, but we have good games.

There are no rivers here, and it seems funny to hear the Master explain all about them in contour geography. Also, we don't see snow. Winter here is very mild ; you can go about in shorts the whole time. Hamilton, the capital, is very tiny, but the harbour is very beautiful, and you see people coming in here from their islands in swank motor launches. The school-fellows are jolly decent and have got a real sense of humour.

         The coloured people here are better off than anywhere else in the world, I think. They are extremely well behaved and spoken, and they dress à la mode. You walk along a street and about 50 of them all say "Hallo" or "Good-bye."

         The Scotch soldiers from Dunkirk are convalescing here, and, boy, do they get merry sometimes? Same with our sailors. Four of them tried to pinch a ferry from the harbour because they missed their boat, We are in the path of the hurricanes. We haven't had one yet; but one just missed us. You've got to be careful where you swim unless it is in the harbour, which is nearly landlocked, because right out is a nasty abundance of sharks. We went one day, and when we got back we were told that a few had been seen round about there; we haven't been again. Give my regards to all Masters and boys, Messrs. Lambert and Stevenson. My best wishes for your matric., and the best of luck.

Yours,

DENNIS.

* * *

WE were very pleased to receive a letter from Mr. Hester, who, since his retirement, has been living at Worthing, where, he says: "We are comparatively peaceful. We get a number of 'planes passing over, but very few bombs have been dropped and very little damage done; but our old home in Birch Grove, Lee, has been completely destroyed.

         "I have often wished that I could come down and see you all, but the petrol ration won't allow. I should like to write to all my old colleagues, but time will not permit, for, though I am retired, I find the days pretty full up, and am never at a loose end."

         Mr. Dench, too, sent a long, interesting letter. He left his Acton home and, for the first nine months of the war, was at Bognor. Then, when the Military took over the town, he returned to Acton. "We spent three months in London. Our friends congratulated us on our good sense in returning. London was the safest place in England. Hitler wouldn't dare . . . &c. I got the garden in order. I also prepared our capacious coal cellar against emergency. Then came the blitz. We spent a long time in the cellar where, with an electric fire and deck chairs, we didn't do too badly. We came to Reading for a week-end on the very day when Hitler started the more horrid phases, so we stayed, and look like staying on. My son-in-law's (Mr. Baggott's) School, Tenison's, was evacuated here in September, '39, and we have a furnished house here entirely to ourselves . . . . . I like to think of Zummerzet lining up at our football matches and concerts. I think Minehead will miss the Poly. boys when the war is over . . . . I should love to be able to chat with you all, but that pleasure must wait."

* * *

NEWS OF OLD BOYS.

L. WYNICK is an aircraftsman and is in training in the North of England.

R. M. COOPER is a private in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry and is stationed somewhere in Oxfordshire.

P. D. KOELNER sent Christmas greetings from Berkshire, where he is a private in the Pioneer Corps.

The Secretary of the O.Q. Club says the O.Q. Room is no longer used by the Club. It is filled up with goods for the War Comforts Section.

K. R. W. SHEPPARD is an aircraftsman in the North of England. He has been accepted for training as a pilot and is now doing the preliminary five weeks' "disciplinary" training.

K. RAWLINS is in the service of the Finchley Corporation, but has applied for a commission in the Royal Marines.

D. BAIRD, who left in July, is in the P.O. at St. Albans as a "youth-in-training."

A. H. SMITH (5A - 1938) is training for pilot with R.A..F.

* * *

THE JUNIOR QUINTINIAN.

HIS FINEST EPITAPH.

JOHN SAUNDERS chose as his hobby the peculiar one of collecting inscriptions on gravestones and memorials. He was nearly as famous for these as George V. was for his collection of stamps. In his albums were thousands of photographs and copies of epitaphs and inscriptions in languages ranging from Egyptian hieroglyphics to English verses.

         When the war came John joined up to serve his country. He was given a commission in the Army. For months he waited with his comrades for his chance to come to grips with the Germans. In this period, in whatever spare time he had, he was busy gathering inscriptions for his collection, which now numbered about 23,000 items.

         On the fateful 10th of May, 1940, his chance came. When the Germans invaded Belgium and Holland, he was one of the first to move to the assistance of these invaded countries. He was there at the disastrous battles of Sedan and the Meuse, and fell back with the main body of the Allied Armies to the Somme.

         When the weary troops prepared themselves for a final desperate effort to stem the advance of the German tanks which were already massing on the other bank of the river, it was found that a bridge had not been blown up. It was an urgent business to destroy the bridge before the Nazis could establish a bridgehead, and so John Saunders went down into the mine-chamber and gallantly blew the bridge and himself up.

         On his grave was written the finest epitaph his collection could have contained:- "He gave his life for his country."

F. M. KATZ, 3A.

* * *

THE MISTAKE.

THE scene is a country police-station.

         POLICEMAN (talking to a butler): Tell me exactly what you know of the murder of your employer.

         BUTLER: It was my half-day when the murder took place. I have only been with him three days and haven't been given the key to the Yale lock in the front door. I came back about 11.30, after being in the town, and went round to the front door and knocked, but there was no reply. I then kept on knocking, but still there was no reply, so I looked through the keyhole and saw my employer lying on the floor in the hall and a knife in his heart. Then, of course, I came to you, and that is all I know.

         POLICEMAN: You murdered your employer. You made a little slip when you said . . . . .

         Find out the slip. It is somewhere in those few paragraphs you have just read.

L. JACOBVITCH, 3A.

(Solution on last Page).

* * *

THE CRASH.

THE great race had just started and the three cars were speeding along the track. The first bend was a very dangerous one, as on one side was a sheer drop. No. 1 took the lead at this bend with Nos. 2 and 3 hard after it.

         No. 1 had now finished its first lap with a lead of about half a length. It was now speeding up the straight, with the other two cars hard on his heels. They are now gaining on No. 1, and they all want to go round the bend together. Then No. 1 crashed through the barrier and went hurtling over the edge with its engines screaming. There is a terrible crash, and all that is left of the car is a heap of battered metal.

         Nos. 2 and 3 are also now heading for destruction, when the door opens and in walks mother, just in time to save the other two cars from going off the edge of the table.

J. R. MORRIS, 3A.

* * *

A WALK FROM ALCOMBE OVER THE HILLS TO HORNER WOOD, IN FEBRUARY

(ABOUT 13 MILES).

I PROCEEDED through Callins Wood and over the bracken waste of Hopcott Common to Wootton Courtenay. The air was keen, and part of the way covered with snow; not easy walking as it had drifted. The hills all round had a mantle of white. The path to Wootton Courtenay lies over open, hilly country, descending by a very rough track to the village. On the hillsides are beautiful woods of pine, fir, and larch, the home of the red deer and fox. The first sight of the village is a glimpse of its peculiar saddle-back church tower. Beyond is the sweeping range of Dunkery, which seems to frown down on you. But it can look lovely when covered in purple heather and bathed in soft sunshine. From Wootton Courtenay I took the lane to Luccombe, which has a beautiful church in the perpendicular style, and is surrounded by Cypress trees. Along the lane I noticed primroses in bloom (the first), also the hazel catkins. The hedges are green with many wild plants. I noticed the wild strawberry in flower, and could smell violets, but failed to find any. By the side of Luccombe Church I found a bridle path of steep gradient, which led me to Webber's Post. From here is obtained glorious panoramas of hill and moor, valley and woodland. I could see a faint tinge of brown and green in the wooded slopes, a sign that spring is at hand. I followed the road to Eastwater Combe, crossed the stream by the ford, up a path to Cloutsham Farm, the only sign of habitation for miles, to the high knoll known as Cloutsham Ball, a clear space rising out of the surrounding woods, and noted far and wide as the scene of the first staghunting meet in August. Down the snow-covered slope I went to the depths of the Horner Valley. The hillsides are very steep, and on one side are clothed to their summits with deep woods, and on the other scrub oak and furze grow.

         Winding through the combe over its boulder-strewn bed, the Horner stream dashes on its way to the sea. Following the stream to the little hamlet of Horner, where may be seen a water-mill still in use, I continued to the small village of West Luccombe, and then through a meadow to Newbridge, which is on the Porlock-Minehead road. Here I finished my walk, and made my way home by bus to Minehead.

G. WATTS, 4A.

* * *

THE NIGHT-HAWK.

Alone in the dusky twilight

          A hungry night-hawk sits,

Between him and the yellow moon

          A small young field-mouse flits.

Silently he leaves the bough

          Up into the starlit sky,

And watches the baby field-mouse

          With his glowing, beady eyes.

He claws the mouse behind its neck

          And then, without a rest,

He rises with his powerful wings

          And bears it to his nest.

P. NEAGUS, 4A.

* * *

DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A DOG.

I LAID down the novel I had been reading on the small table next to me, glanced at the clock on the mantlepiece, and poked the fire. My eyes then happened to rest on my dog that sprawled on the hearthrug at my feet. It looked up with dreamy, sleepy eyes and wagged its tail, slowly, in loving devotion and recognition. Poor creature, thought I, looking so contented and peaceful. How little it knew of the pleasures in this world it was missing. How little it knew of what a dull, non-eventful life it led!

         Take, for instance, the novel I had been reading. My poor dog did not know how much I had enjoyed myself as it had glanced up and seen me poring over numerous sheets of paper with meaningless black marks over it. How little it knew how pleasant and exciting it was following the escapades of Inspector James as he solved his numerous murder cases! How it wondered why I had got so excited as I read about a gun fight in a cafe and I had bounced in my chair and stretched my legs out, giving it a nasty jab in the ribs with my feet.

         As my thoughts wandered, I remembered the cinema. The cinema is a favourite haunt of mine, and I like to go nearly every week. My heart bled as I thought of my poor innocent dog, unable to attend that semi-dark hall of mystery and magic. How could it visualise a comfortable seat facing a fascinating screen where the mind is taken from the cold, unfriendly reality of the present day to a land of spectacular happenings, drama, devastation, excitement, luxury, and romance.

         Mealtimes, I think, are the most important events in a day. I take a deep interest in the food I eat, and feel sick as I think of the scraps and bones my canine pet devours. At breakfast time it eats the bacon rinds, while I eat an appetising fried breakfast. At dinner-time it gnaws a bone as I eat a dinner consisting of meat, gravy, and vegetables. At tea-time it drinks the remains in my tea cup as I have bread and butter, jam, and cake. At supper time it crunches dog biscuits while I have cheese, pickles, and cocoa.

         Despite the lack of delights I have mentioned, my dog, the airedale next door, the bulldog in the next street, and other dogs seem perfectly happy. If they do know of the pleasures you and I share they do not show it. Still, if dogs and other creatures have happiness, contentedness, peace, and liberty, what else do they require?

P. LATCHFORD, 4c

* * *

SAVED.

A COLD sweat broke out on my forehead. I knew my fate. I was to be flogged for assaulting a member of Der Fuhrer's notorious, hated, and dreaded Black Guards. They were coming, coming to take me, to whip me until I sank into oblivion. I knew it, after the fateful experience of Gerhard Muller. There was no pity or sympathy at Stadleheim. Ah! What was it I heard coming along the corridor of this ghastly, eerie hole? It - no, it couldn't be them. Or could it? Could it? My voice resounded like a mockery around the walls of Nummer Zweiund Zwanzig cell of Stadleheim Concentration Camp. Yes, it was them. The voice of the Kapitan echoed around the barren cells, "Links, rechts, links, rechts!" he shouted to his men. The time-worn lock of my cell door was unfastened. "Get up, Hund!" yelled the leader in my ear. "Ja, Herr Kapitan," I answered feebly, my heart sinking. Catching me by my scanty, threadbare clothes, they pulled me to my feet and marched me along the dim-lit, musty corridor. One of the prisoners muttered, "Unlucky swine," and gazed at me piteously. We were now passing the sub-lieutenant's office, and then the doctor's surgery. Only a few yards to my doom. Two yards, one yard - I couldn't stand it any longer and I uttered a blood-curdling scream, at which the nearest guard pushed me. I fell - I fell - I fell.

         There was a voice ringing in my ears, "Time to get up." I opened my eyes slowly, the birds were singing, and the sunlight came streaming in through the windows. I realised how fortunate I was to be in this wonderful country. All my mother cared about was telling me off for eating cheese for my supper.

G. S. GRABER, 4c.

* * *

THE LUMBERJACKS.

Walking in the valley,

         Through the forest trees,

A ringing sound came to me

         On the morning breeze.

And coming up the pathway,

         Was a horse and cart

Laden up with timber

         From the forest's heart.

Now I knew the sound came

         From the lumber men,

Working higher up there

         In Pentaworthy Glen.

And now as I walked nearer,

         I heard another sound,

'Twas the crash of fir trees

         Falling to the ground.

And as the axes rose and fell,

         They glistened in the sun,

Ever rising, ever falling,

         Until the day is done.

I lingered long to see their work,

         And as the sun went down,

I wandered down the pathway

         Back to Porlock town.

D. COWELL, 4c.

* * *

IF ONLY IT WERE TRUE.

RICHARD HASSET was gliding along Regent Street in his car, the latest Lincoln Zephyr. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, he saw that it was nearly five o'clock, at which hour he had promised to meet Jim Saunders and his wife at the Oxford Street Corner House.

         He arrived in good time and scanned the menu. "Special teas. Apple flan, with real Devonshire cream, 9d." "That's good," he said. He ordered three, with double portions of cream and good, strong tea. He was helping himself liberally to sugar, for he had a sweet tooth, when Jim and his wife came in. After tea they set off for the theatre, and on the way Richard bought a 5lb. box of chocolates as his contribution to the entertainment.

         After the show they all got into Richard's car for a moonlight ride. "How peaceful are these nights of a full moon," said Peggy Saunders.

         As soon as they got out of London Richard switched on the car's radio. They just heard the end of "Band Waggon", and then Bow Bells, the interval signal. "Oh, switch it off," said Jim, "I hate hearing church bells."

         Just then they had to pull in for petrol. "Fill her up," said Richard, "What with?" asked the attendant. "Oh, B.P. will do," replied Richard. "I do wish there were fewer kinds."

         Soon they were off again, the car's three powerful headlights lighting up the road ahead. They stopped for supper at a nearby inn, where they had thick juicy steaks and chips and a large piece of ripe Stilton. By now it was nearly midnight, and they had turned round and were speeding towards the city. The streets were thronged with gay crowds and at Whitehall, people were looking interestedly at the Horse Guards, the only soldiers anywhere about. Most of the buildings were a blaze of light, for no-one had their curtains drawn and there were floodlights everywhere.

         They could see reflected in the river the two enormous red torches on top of Shell-Mex House. They stopped by the Embankment, and Richard climbed on to the wall to get a better view of the maze of light which confronted them. Suddenly his foot slipped. Down he went. Down, down, down, until after an age he hit the floor with a resounding crash.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

         The "Alert" was sounding, the guns were putting up a barrage, he could hear the whistle of bombs and the low drone of 'planes. And through the window a beautiful full moon was shining.

A. MARSHALL, L5A.

* * *

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

DEAR SIR,

         I have been thinking over the problem of the night bomber, and it seems to me that the use of cannons in night fighters would be much better than machine-guns as the shells would not only travel further, but would inflict greater damage to the enemy aircraft. No doubt large number of the enemy have escaped because our fighters could not get within range during the time the bomber was in the searchlight beam. Blenheims would prove very suitable for night fighting as they have gun turrets of great manoeuvrability and, if fitted with cannons, would prove a very formidable weapon.

         Again, the best way to detect night bombers would be by sight and not by sound. This might be possible as some years ago there was a lot of talk about the amount of infrared rays in the exhaust gases of an aeroplane. Well, if our object glasses of the range-finders were fitted with special glass screen our gunners would actually be able to see their target. Other boys might disagree with my ideas; if that is so perhaps they could write, giving their views and suggestions.

Yours faithfully,

P. HAIG, L.5A.

* * *

THE PEARLS.

THE pearls Ginger Cardew was after were definitely "hoodoo." As long as their history could be traced it yielded stories of bloodshed for the ownership of them. Ginger had had them within his grasp once, when he had first stolen them from Mrs. Vandyke on board S.S. Laurentic, but the ship had been torpedoed and he was forced to leave them in their hiding place, a loose hand rail top in a companionway.

         Now his chance had come. He had obtained a diving suit and was now on the Laurentic in 35ft, of water. Frankly he was worried over two things. A police launch had been in the bay; why, he did not know, unless somehow the news had leaked out. The other worry was caused by a slipping joint that had showed itself in the life-line, but Curly, his pal, would look after that end all right. He was making for the companion-way when - what was that? A stop in the air supply! He yelled feverishly into the mouthpiece of the communication line, but not a sound came back. Perspiring freely, and his brain throbbing, he moved on to the deck. But he seemed more encumbered now in his efforts to move fast in that clumsy suit. All thoughts of the pearls were gone now, only that one thought remained he must get up, he must get up, he must -

         Had he known it, no-one was in that boat above him, for Curly was swimming towards the shore as unobtrusively as possible, getting away from the police launch, which was by now right up alongside the other boat.

         The life-line had gone - the loose coupling broken, and the air-line slipped slowly over the side.

. . . . . .

         Meanwhile, in New York, Mrs. Vandyke was talking to her solicitor. "It was a very good idea of yours to substitute imitation pearls for wearing on the Laurentic, otherwise the genuine ones would have been lost."

P. WHITE, L.5A.

* * *

PEACEFULNESS.

AS I looked out of my window I saw peace. The breeze rustling through the trees, now sprouting with new growth, seemed to whisper spring to me. The narrow winding street, around which all the houses of the little village clustered was in solitude. A stream wended its way in a course of glimmering diamonds; from a nearby wood the melodious song of a nightingale could be heard. The fields were just beginning to recover from their winter bareness. The stars played in the sky and the moon had an almost ghostly effect, casting shadows of the thatched cottages on the ground. The church clock struck ten, and the first stroke made my heart beat quickly - "Invasion." No; what evil it would be to destroy this peace and make it a battlefield.

D. W. WILTON, L.5A.

* * *

HOW FIGHTS BEGIN.

         Jim : Now, a vacuum is a thing that has nothing in it.

         John : Oh, yes it has.

         Jim : All right, funny, what has it got in it?

         John : Nothing.

         Jim : But you just said that it had something in it.

         John : I know it has. It's got nothing in it.

         Jim : But look here, man, if a thing has something in it it can't have nothing in it, can it?

         John : Yes, but it has got something in it. It's got nothing in it.

         Jim : But look. Take my hand. If it's got something in it how can it have nothing in it?

         John : Quite right, man. I see your point. But it already has something in it. NOTHING!

Here the fight came, and now Jim. and John have ten days at Pentonville in which to argue.

         MORAL - If you want a fight just argue about a vacuum.

R. HARRIS, L.5B.

* * *

FOOD FEVER (After Masefield).

I must go down to the pantry again, to the place which pleases my eye,

And all I ask is a knife and fork, and a steak and kidney pie.

And a roasted chick and a sausage long, these are mine for the taking,

Then a green mist comes upon my face, and I feel my stomach aching.

I must go down to the pantry again, for the call of hunger cries,

And when I've finished some choc. rolls I'll start on some mincepies.

And all I ask is a Bath bun, and some cakes that are home made,

And I'll finish up with some ginger-pop and a glass of lemonade.

I must go down to the pantry again, and then I'll be "in clover."

First bread and jam and then some ham, and when the whole thing's over,

All I ask is a peaceful sleep, here's what I get instead,

A nasty dream - result of cheese - and a violently throbbing head.

AFTERTHOUGHT (MARCH, 1941).

If I should go down to the pantry again, and don't forget we're at war,

All I'd ask would be just plain food, that and nothing more.

A loaf of bread, and four ounces of "'marg." or perhaps a little hot gravy,

For if we're going to win this war we must think of our Merchant Navy.

D. ESTERSON, L.5c.

* * *

AN EVERYDAY WARTIME INCIDENT.

"EVERYTHING ready aft?"

         "Ja, Herr Kapitan."

         "Half speed ahead - quarter - stand by - stop. Fire!"

         A torpedo had been fired from the U57 against a harmless Scotch merchantman.

         There was a rending crash as the missile struck its mark. All was confusion for a moment aboard the trawler, but the well-trained Scotch sailors soon summed up the situation and launched the lifeboat.

         As the U-boat came to the surface the skipper swore at the German officer in a broad Glasgow dialect. The submarine commander replied that he was going to shoot them down as there was no room for prisoners aboard his craft. But at that moment a distant hum was heard drawing nearer.

         The U-boat captain, realising that it was a Coastal Command bomber, ordered a crash dive, but too late. The Sunderland had begun to drop bombs before the submarine had fully submerged. The first salvo smashed through its armour plating and exploded amidships. A column of thick, black oil shot upwards as the U-boat slipped beneath the waves.

         The flying-boat wheeled over the cheering sailors, waggled its wings in salute, and set off to find a ship to pick up the merchantman's crew.

H. TAYLOR, L.5c.

* * *

A RIDDLE-ME-RE.

My first is in table, but not in chair.

My next is in lion, also in lair.

The third is in geese, also in hen.

My fourth is in nib, also in pen.

The next is in horse, but not in cow.

My next is in hoe, but not in plough.

The seventh is in basin, but not in jug.

The last is in mat, but not in rug.

The whole of me, as I hope you can see,

Is a very fast bomber which flies o'er the sea.

D. ESTERSON, L.5c.

(Answer on Last Page).

* * *

AUNT KATY'S KORNER.

MORNING, Boys!!

         Spring is coming, so before we go any further I'll burst into song. It's called, "My Love her hath a red, red nose." The same can be sung by the Poly. Choir free of Entertainment Tax, Income Tax, and without a gun licence.

Sprig gis cubbig. Heigh dig a dig a dig!

'Tis a bery pretty thig.

So bake the welkid rig.

As we do blithely sig.

Let's see do bore glub faces,

De barch wids blow like blazes;

So put on extra undies,

And two bore pairs of braces.

         It's surprising how many boys come to me for a few quiet, homely words of help. Now only the other day one knocked on my back door and asked to see me with that catch in his voice which told me unerringly that either he was a school goalkeeper or that something was up. When he'd settled down and refused a cigarette, as usual, the poor lad could contain himself no longer, and told me the saddest of sad tales. He'd been thrown over, forsaken; we can't mince matters - jilted! Oh, the cat!! I was so sorry for him, poor dear! He used to do her geometry homework, too! Really it made me feel quite upset. He was such a nice boy, and all just because there's been an influx of soldiers into the town. Oh, me! This war! I begin to wonder whether all this military training is worth while, after all. He's not the only one so scurvily treated either. Of course, I tried to console him, and told him there were lots of other nice girls, as I put my arms round his neck, and kissed away the tears that glistened on his eyelashes. But all this made him worse, so, in desperation, I got him a couple of Venn's 7d. pies, a few doughnuts, and my last 8d. bar of chocolate, and that seemed to make him better, and very soon he began to smile, shook me politely by the hand, raised his School cap, and was gone. Ah me!

         Here's another serious matter. I must really give you boys some advice in case of invasion.

DONT'S FOR POLY. BOYS.

1. - Don't speak to strangers.

2. - lf you see someone who looks like a Poly. Master don't go near him unless he has trouser clips on.

3. - If someone asks you to lend him your gas mask on Saturday morning, be circumspect.

4. - Parachutists may be dressed in anything. Look out for anyone dressed like that.

5. - If you are asked the way to the gas works say, "Sorry, I've got my homework to do."

6. - Get to know your local policeman. I'm sure he'd love to know you.

7. - If you are nearing School when the syren goes, see that you are nearer home than School.

8. - Keep the following handy in your satchel:- Roller bandages, splints, chewing gum (two pieces), a cigar, bottle of brandy (full), a flask for containing water. Your Master will show you how to use them.

9. - If at home when the invasion comes, stay there, and do some extra maths. or French homework. Remember, only skilled men will be of use in the world to come.

         A spot of *german will probably be useful in the near future, so this is my competition:-

         Render into good german (if there is such a thing):-

(a)     Scram, you german sausage, or I'll sock you one.

(b)    Stick 'em up, Buddy!,

(c)     Stand still while I cut your braces.

(d)    How do these bombs of yours work?

(e)     No, we don't smoke!

(f)     Got any foreign stamps?

(g)    Would you mind, please, assisting me with my german homework?

         Well, so long, boys. Keep smiling; soon be home now!

Your respectable

AUNT KATE.

         *Very small g's for this word, please, Mr. Editor - for about another six months.

* * *

SOLUTION TO THE MISTAKE.

         The mistake was that he said: "He looked through the keyhole." Just before that he said the "front door had a Yale lock," and you cannot see through a Yale keyhole.

* * *

ANSWER TO RIDDLE-ME-RE.

BLENHEIM.

Cox, Sons & Co., Ltd., Printers, Minehead and Williton

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