The Vanbrugh Chronicle
Vanbrugh Castle School
A NEWSLETTER
The boys of the Vth Form have made their offerings to the Chronicle this term, but there is not enough material to justify a separate magazine, so we are going to incorporate their news into my usual Letter to Parents and thus save time, paper and postage - expensive commodities nowadays.
The Staff
The resident members are:
| Mr.J.H. Corner M.A., Headmaster | Mr M.V. Morton, Second Master |
| Mr.E.D.Pafford, B.A. | Miss Rosemary Larke |
| Mr D.J.F.Bouteloup, B.A. | Mrs. Smith, Housekeeper |
| Miss Oldacres, Matron | Mrs.Berry, Matron |
| Mr.Robert Giles, Chef | Mrs. Trevor, Assistant Cook |
We are sorry to be losing Mr. Pafford and Miss Darke. Mr. Pafford is attending a year of teacher training and Miss Darke is off to teach in Gibraltar. Their places will be taken by Mr. Christopher Dyer, B.A. who has just undergone a year of training after teaching here until July 1970, and by Miss Tina Griffith-Jones who will be looking after our youngest boys.
Leavers
| Kempster | Kingham Hill (Foundationership) |
| Jackson | Kingham Hill (Foundatioriership) |
| Leghorn R | Kingham Hill (Foundationership) |
| Hughes G | Kingham Hill (Foundationership) |
| Barlow | Reed F S (Foundationership) |
| McConnell | Reed F S (Foundationership) |
| Galvin | Reedham |
| Start | Royal Wolverhampton |
| Quail D | Royal Alexandra and Albert |
| Webber | Royal Alexandra and Albert |
| Cadwell | Halifax Secondary School |
| Mulligan | Belfast Secondary School |
There are twelve, and all have been accepted by the schools to which they applied.
We all wish them the best of luck, and hope they will keep in touch with us.
Music Scholarship
Ian Jackson has won a valuable scholarship at
Kingham Hill for trumpet and piano. This is the third year running that we have won this scholarship, and we congratulate him and his two teachers, Mr. Naish and Miss Clark, on this achievement.
Health
We have had an empty sick-room for most of the term, thanks to the fresh air at the top of Maze Hill, the good food and the thorough care of the Matrons. According to the local press, head infestation has become almost a scourge in London schools, partly because of the long and dirty hair of many boys, and partly because parents are leaving hair washing to their children, instead of supervising it themselves. But thanks to the vigilance of our mothers and the school staff we have had a clear term. We must on no account relax our efforts.
Valuables
Mothers should beware of wasting their money on gifts watches and transistor radio sets, for very few of our boys are able to keep them from damage and even destruction. As I am held responsible for ensuring that every radio set is covered by a valid home licence, I would like the mothers concerned to send me a statement to this effect in September if their boys bring a set back here, or receive one later in the year, even if such a certificate has been sent before. Failing this, I shall be bound to re-direct prosecutions to the parents!
Visits to R.A.F. Stations
A dozen boys spent two happy days at
Cranwell in the Easter holidays. They were treated as important guests and thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality for which the Royal Air Force is renowned. During the term the two top forms were entertained for a day at R.A.F. Odiham and a dozen are going off on August 2nd for a fortnight's holiday at R.A.F. Bruggen in Germany, Three younger boys will be staying as private guests of officers and NCOs at R.A.F. Binbrook during August.
The Royal Navy
Because our boys sing in the choir of the Royal Naval College, we are treated as one of the family, and the College Captain arranged a splendid party for the whole school to celebrate our 50th birthday. A few weeks earlier he arranged for us to visit two submarines moored by Tower Bridge. We saw a film show in one of them!
The Band
It now consists of the following boys:
| McConnell | 1st clarinets |
| Hughes ii | 1st clarinets |
| Webb A | 1st clarinets |
| Craig Jones | 2nd clarinet |
| Mark Hughes | 3rd clarinets |
| Orme | 3rd clarinets |
| Harris | Euphonium |
| Jackson | 1st trumpets |
| Webb K | 1st trumpets |
| Buxcey | 2nd trumpet |
| Condon | 3rd trumpet |
| Barlow | Tenor Cor |
| Butler ii | Tuba |
They wish to thank Mr. Naish for all his hard work. It is really remarkable that almost one in four of our boys now plays a wind instrument.
The Choir
These are the boys who sing at the Naval College every Sunday:
| Barlow | Butler (i) | Walker N |
| Leghorn R | Nethercott | Davidson |
| Cadwell | Harris | Webb A |
| McCann | Wringe | Craig Jones |
| | | Olner |
The Naval officers constantly tell me how happy they are to see them in the Choir (for choir-boys are very hard to find nowadays).
The Walk for the Homeless
A sponsored walk was arranged by Mr. Pafford
for six of our boys; Jackson, McConnell, Start, Cadwell, Quail ii and Barlow. They started from a spot near Tonbridge and walked 15 miles to Biggin Hill. If all the sponsors have sent in their promised gifts, we shall be able to send a cheque of £200 to Shelter. Paul Start reported on the walk and mentioned that it was also a valuable biology lesson. The boys identified about thirty different kinds of fungi on the way!
An Old Boy's Message
The Secretary of the Old Boys' Association sent his greetings for our Speech Day and wrote "As former members of what must be one of the finest schools in the country, we are very conscious of the fact that we are privileged to be connected with the Castle. To many of us the School was the only home we knew during the formative years of our lives, and a better or happier home would be hard to imagine."
Films
Among next term's films we have Dad's Army and a number of extra films supplied by the Royal Air Force.
Susan Smith
Mrs. Smith's daughter is marrying Mr. Derek Firkettle in the Chapel of the Royal Naval College on Saturday, September 18th. Our choir-boys will be singing and our Chaplain will perform the ceremony.
The Reverend and Mrs. Graham Trasler
These two former VCS teachers stayed a night with us in the holidays. Theirs was one of the many marriages for which the School has been responsible!
Christmas Term
It starts on September 14 and ends on December 14. Will mothers please make a firm note of these dates.
Cricket
The school team have won three matches, lost three and drawn one.
| King's College School, Cambridge | Lost by 23 runs |
| Carn Brea 2nd XI | Won by 7 wickets |
| King's House School | Lost by 5 wickets |
| King's House School | Lost |
| The Hill, Westerham | Won by 5 wickets |
| Westminster Under School | Won by 5 wickets |
| Westminster Abbey Choir School | Match Drawn |
The teams were chosen from: Barlow, Cadwell, Jackson, McConnell, Walsh, K. Webb, Hughes ii, Black, Harris, Galvin, A. Webb, Nethercott, Hughes i and R. Leghorn.
J.H.C.
28 Jul 71
Note: Matron asks if mothers would please see that their boys return in September with
four pairs of underpants.