Wednesday 5 March 1975
‘Mrs T in assembly. Do all verses. Very good lesson from B. B made DC at last, give him 27 high bumps. French, went over work 20/20 for an exercise. English wrote my diary because I had finished other work. Latin carried on with the Carthaginians. Break. Maths Pythagoras. Area volume work. Geog: finished Cosmos. Pies for lunch. Melrose Match. Played very badly. Tried on ski clothes. Watched TV. Music bad on scales. Meant for my worst (to me) piece.’
KIA: This entry is packed with details, giving a glimpse into a full school day—assembly, lessons, sports, and evening activities. Here are some prompts to help you expand your memories:
KIA: Mrs T in assembly – You mention “do all verses,” which suggests a hymn or a psalm. Do you remember which one? Was there a particular atmosphere in assembly when Mrs T took it compared to other teachers?
JV: She was the Head of Music and took a professional view of what we did as a choir. There was a lot to do in the morning assembly: a hymn, lesson, prayers, announcements, and awards.
KIA: B’s lesson – You note it was “perfect.” What made it stand out? Was it the subject, the way he taught, or something unexpected that happened?
JV: It would have been more helpful if I had told you about the lesson. We boys read something out that was given to us. Years later, I recall reading something from the Old Testament to the Youth during morning assembly at the RGS.
KIA: B made DC (Dormitory Captain) and received 27 high bumps – That’s quite the initiation!
JV: We took a new DC into the DC’s den, our common room, grabbed a leg or arm each, and bumped him. Why were there so many bumps? I don’t recall. I would have gone through the same thing the year before.
KIA: French – 20/20 on an exercise – A perfect score!
JV: I maintain to this day that my French was terrible. It must have got worse, not a ‘C’ in my O’Levels. I didn’t understand what I was doing, instead, ‘because they were so’. I learnt rote.
KIA: English – wrote your diary in class – It’s amusing that you used English class to write it!
JV: I don’t recall. We’d have to stay in the classroom, so we’d have something to keep us occupied. I was hardly ‘writing’ so much as jotting down bullet points to jog my memory or to complete what was becoming a routine to ‘get down’ or save a note on what I’d done that day.
KIA: Latin – Carthaginians – Hannibal, elephants, and Rome’s greatest enemy.
JV: Memorable stories, like the fountain of Rome itself.
KIA: Maths – Pythagoras, area, and volume – This suggests practical exercises with diagrams.
I was good at math, and my different teachers taught it well. However, I did not use it much subsequently.
KIA: Geography – finished Cosmos – Was this about Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, or something else? If it was about space, did it inspire thoughts about astronomy or the universe?
JV: I haven’t the foggiest idea. It doesn’t sound like a Geography class to me.
KIA: Lunch – pies – School food could be hit or miss. Were these good pies or the dreaded ones?
JV: A pie and two veg. Usually mash or chips with peas or beans.
KIA: Melrose Match – “played very badly” – What happened?
JV: I’d be describing the team effort. Not much analysis here.
KIA: I tried on ski clothes. Were these for an upcoming trip?
JV: This would be our trip to Isola 2000 in the Alpes Maritimes. Mum brought clothes in the car to try on after the rugby game.
KIA: I watched TV.
JV: It was a communal TV, one of two, in the senior and junior common rooms. I don’t recall the rules about turning it on or changing channels.
KIA: Music – bad on scales, worst piece – You sound frustrated.
JV: I wasn’t technically proficient in music. I didn’t quite understand it. I went through the mechanics without natural aptitude or wasn’t being taught well. I had no support or interest at home. Why wasn’t art taught the way we learnt music?
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