May - Old Scarborians

42opposite to yours. I sidestepped history andgeography to concentrate alone in the hall onPhysics, Chemistry and Biology, the subjectswhere I had at least a miserable chance of success,eventually caught, interrogated and sentencedto eternal damnation by Biff Smith.In reply to your second email, I would have noobjection to you using my email for the purposesuggested, if you think any one would beinterested in reading it. When would you wantto submit it?David has asked me to slip in a few lines bythe end of January, I shall try for that deadline.It just seemed on the spur of the moment that aseries of email correspondences between twoold mates of fifty years ago would be a novelway of sharing a bit of ʺchewing the fatʺ.We have just decided that we want some wintersun and warmth so we are going to Lanzeroteon Thursday for a week.Bon voyage. Have a good ʹun.(Editor: Roger, why not become a member?Life membership is still only £10)SCHOOL PHOTO 1925by Peter Robson (1945-53)Peter Emms (1951-56) is a partner at Goodall’sEstate Agents in Scarborough. While surveyingan empty house which he had been commissionedto sell, he found a framed photographof the staff and pupils of the SBHS dated June1925. The first thing he noticed was that hisfather was in the front row of the assembledschool. Naturally, he took possession of thephoto and passed it on to the Old Scarborians’Secretary.The photo has the following handwritten inscriptionon the back:-.“This picture was in the possession of Joe Hopwoodfor 45 years in Simonstown, South Africa.It was given to Herbert W Dennis whenvisiting South Africa in 1974. Joe said it wouldgive far more pleasure to people in Scarborough,Yorkshire UK.Herbert Dennis had it published in the ScarboroughMercury in January 1975. It created atremendous amount of interest – letters camefrom all over the world – including one fromHarold Denton in Pietersburg. He is an accountantwho served his time with Robinson,Coulson and Kirkby in the 1920’s. Anotherletter was from Sep Brown in the Isle of Man –now retired from being Surveyor with StourportRDC – and lots more”.A second inscription in different writing is asfollows:-“ July 18 th 1985. Mrs Tom Laughton, widow ofthe late Herbert Dennis, kindly gave the photographto William Leslie Swinney, as he hadshown interest in the photo, as guest at dinnerduring Herbert’s lifetime”.Bill Swinney, who supplied many of us withour school uniform from his shop in AberdeenWalk, died a year ago and it seems reasonableto assume that the photo somehow survivedthe clearance of the contents of his home.It is a marvellous object in pristine conditionand an important addition to our archive.CONNECTIONSby Ron Hutchinson (1945-53)I was delighted in October 2002 to receive aletter from Peter Robson suggesting I join theOSA. Apart from being a VL class-mate, Peterand I had also been members, along with DonBarnes and Maurice Pennock, of a Table Tennisteam called the “Quads”. Attired in marooncoloured shirts bearing the logo “QUADS”, wehad played in the Scarborough and DistrictTable Tennis League.I suppose that technically I have “rejoined” theOSA, as I remember being a member while atuniversity, and on one occasion going to a dinnerat the English Speaking Union in London.After National Service in the RAF in Germany,and then 4 years at Queen’s College Oxford - acollege at which many Old Boys both beforeand after me have studied - I went into teach-