May - Old Scarborians

46Drabble & CoSolicitorsOld Rose Cottage409 Scalby RoadNewbyScarboroughNorth YorkshireYO12 6UATel: 01723 507508Fax: 01723 500540DX 61806 SCARBOROUGHwas soccer. At Oxford, he was elected a Centaur,the exclusive club for the top soccerplayers at the University. For his college, hewas not only captain of both soccer andcricket teams, but also played hockey andrugby.We knew he had some musical ability, becausehe produced the school’s Gilbert & Sullivanperformances. But I, at any rate, did notknow he played the piano, let alone that hehad a song, for which he had written bothwords and music, published while he was atOxford. And when he left with a good degreein English, the Principal of Jesus said he had‘definite literary and dramatic interests’.His first job was teaching English and Latin atAshby-de-la-Zouche Grammar School, andwhile there he played rugby, cricket and footballfor local teams, with some distinction tojudge by reports in the local papers.‘Grammar School Master’s Big Score ForAshby Town’ was one headline, when he got97 not out.He came to our school in September 1939, butmy first memory of him is seeing him bat forScarborough at North Marine Road, and beingimpressed by his refreshing and culturedstyle.When he taught us in the Sixth Form, some ofus thought at the time that his attitude was abit dilettantish. But, looking back, we couldnot have been more wrong. In addition to histeaching, he was deeply involved in theschool’s rugby, cricket and boxing, and he didthe Gilbert and Sullivan in alternate years. Atthe same time, he was involved in amateurdramatics in the town, and continued to playcricket. For a time, he ran his own Sundayteam, composed mostly of Scarborough CCplayers, but sometimes including his oldGreen Howards friend, Norman Yardley. Healso played a more bucolic kind of game, forGristhorpe, where he lived. But most astonishingof all, he got himself a law degree in hisspare time. Some dilettante!What we had regarded as an overly casual