Less flamboyant CH teachers

Share your memories and stories from your days at school, and find out the truth behind the rumours....Remember the teachers and pupils, tell us who you remember and why...

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michael scuffil
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by michael scuffil »

certain restrictions on publishing such information less than 100 years after death

You can publish what you like about someone who's dead. And truth is a defence against libel anyway. So if you wanted to add to the potted biography something like 'lazy and incompetent' or 'notorious paedophile' or 'Common Room Romeo' or 'frequently drunk', there's no reason -- except maybe taste -- why you shouldn't. Or you could write: 'The blandness of this entry is not unconnected with the fact that its subject is still alive.'
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J.R.
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by J.R. »

michael scuffil wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:52 pm certain restrictions on publishing such information less than 100 years after death

You can publish what you like about someone who's dead. And truth is a defence against libel anyway. So if you wanted to add to the potted biography something like 'lazy and incompetent' or 'notorious paedophile' or 'Common Room Romeo' or 'frequently drunk', there's no reason -- except maybe taste -- why you shouldn't. Or you could write: 'The blandness of this entry is not unconnected with the fact that its subject is still alive.'
I could say something about Albert Pierrepoint, once GB's senior executioner who had respect for the dead. I intend to agree with his view along the lines of...

"Never speak ill of the dead."
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
Alex
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by Alex »

More about Ian Sutherland: he was a pleasant young classics teacher and for a year or two in the fifties a junior housemaster of Barnes A, with EA Littlefield as senior housemaster. I imagine that they got on very well, since Littlefield’s passion was cricket. Sutherland left CH for Harrow School and I gather he died a few years ago.
rockfreak
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by rockfreak »

Mr Halliday was the red-headed art teacher, Michael. I remember him as a rather nice, friendly man who once told us not to be wishy washy in our paintings. Be bold, he advised. Sadly I never quite made it as CH's version of Mark Rothko.
sejintenej
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by sejintenej »

michael scuffil wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:52 pm certain restrictions on publishing such information less than 100 years after death

You can publish what you like about someone who's dead. . So if you wanted to add to the potted biography something like 'lazy and incompetent' or 'notorious paedophile' or 'Common Room Romeo' or 'frequently drunk', there's no reason -- except maybe taste -- why you shouldn't.
The classic put down that I heard was a report on a Navy officer: "I have seen this officer sober". Truthful, positive - and character destroying.
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
dondun
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by dondun »

JohnAL wrote: Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:16 pm There have been some excellent threads dealing with masters of the 1940s, 50s, 60s and other decades. Messrs Jesson-Dibley, Cherniavsky, Daunt, Page, Rider and Malins and Miss Todd come to mind. Apart from pleasing those who knew these masters, a potentially useful stock of relevant knowledge has been amassed. Such knowledge about others is almost certainly going to vanish in the next few years. All these larger than life, or particularly interesting, persons only comprise a small proportion of teachers at CH in those days. So why not run threads on some, or all, of the less flamboyant masters? There must still be Old Blues extant who knew them and can contribute amusing, informative and useful nuggets about them. Whether each one of the hundred or so teachers deserves his/her own thread is unlikely. But to set the ball rolling here are some names and notes. The wise editors can decide if some of these names (and others to be added by enthusiastic readers) are amassing enough comments to set up a thread devoted to that person. Errors can also be corrected by knowledgeable readers.

Noel Sergent, the senior hall warden for many years in the 40s and 50s. Nickname Man Sam, or Sam. Allegedly of dual UK, French nationality and had played soccer for France. Slightly deaf and only taught French to junior forms. Married. Oxford graduate.
William Armistead, Sen maths master, author of textbooks, married to a former Infirmary nurse. Lived in a house in the Avenue. Had two sons who were OBs and in MidA. Cambridge graduate
Morton Peto, sen Housemaster of MaB. Married to Olive. Cambridge graduate.
Olive Peto, taught English, Cambridge graduate.
George Deakin, OB, Engineer and head of Engineering Dept, which was disbanded when he left CH. Married and lived in a house in the Avenue. Had a long string of degrees/qualifications.
Eric Littlefield, replacement hall warden for Sergent and succeeded him as senior hall warden. Squadron Leader in WW2, in intelligence and taught German. Keen cricketer and coached 1st XI. Bachelor. In his will he left funds for the school cricket teams to use for new cricketing experiences. Long time sen housemaster Ba A. Oxford graduate. Nickname Pongo.
Colin Healey, ran in 1936 Olympics, taught classics, sen housemaster of PeA. Strict disciplinarian, Left CH for headship of Royal Grammar School, Melbourne, Australia. Cambridge graduate.
Russell Grice, taught physics, Cambridge graduate, keen on philosophy, did not last long at CH, since too fond of boys. Bachelor. Cambridge graduate.
Rhona Hurst, taught very junior forms only, a replacement during WW2, who remained till her retirement. Widow of a scholar.
Charles AC Hann, distinguished cleric and chaplain. Left CH to become Principal of Ripon Theological College. Nickname CAC. Oxford graduate.
David Chaundy, taught physics, Oxford degree in maths, jun housemaster of BaA. Keen on electronics. Bachelor. Keen dancer, taught Morris dancing and led Grecians’ Ballroom Dancing lessons. Left CH for Malvern College.
Ian Sutherland, capable cricketer, Cambridge graduate, left CH to teach at Harrow. Bachelor.
Gordon van Praagh, played double bass in school orchestra, keen Gilbert & Sullivan performer/director. Head of Chemistry & Science at CH. Text book author. Left CH for distinguished career in science education (theory and practice?) overseas, especially in Malaysia. Keen photographer. Bachelor. Cambridge MA & PHD.
Paul Beaven, chemistry master. One eyed as a result of an explosion, Major in WW2 and responsible for rifle range & coached shooting. Sen Housemaster Pe A. Married the widow of his brother, who died in WW2.

There are plenty more masters. Others can mention their names and hopefully add something about them too.
Eric Littlefield did run 1st XI cricket. He was fairly hands off leaving the coaching to the admirable Len Bates (ex Warwickshire}. I was in the team from 1957-9, a contempory of John Snow, who was fearsome and if I remember correctly was eventually banned from bowling fast in the nets. In my last year, i was appointed secretary, which involved arranging the following year's fixtures and designing fixture cards. Fortunately, the school paid for the postage. I can't see that happening in modern times. Does anyone know when this practice ended?
I was saddened to see that Bev Labbett,the wicket-keeper at the time had died.
brian walling
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by brian walling »

Re Gordon Van Praagh.The original poster's April 2017 notes told us:

Gordon van Praagh, played double bass in school orchestra, keen Gilbert & Sullivan performer/director. Head of Chemistry & Science at CH. Text book author. Left CH for distinguished career in science education (theory and practice?) overseas, especially in Malaysia. Keen photographer. Bachelor. Cambridge MA & PHD.

To this we could add a couple of points not much noted elsewhere. For his important work at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (= Malaysian University of Science) in Penang (where I now live), he was honoured by government here with the title of 'Dato', which you could liken to a Knighthood in UK. An important residential street near the University was also named after him and still carries his name today: Jalan Van Praagh (= Van Praagh Road). For me it's a little reminder of CH every time that I pass it.
Ma A 53-60
CodFlabAndMuck
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Re: Less flamboyant CH teachers

Post by CodFlabAndMuck »

michael scuffil wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:14 pm Died in harness: Archbold (after a skiing accident), Bullard (after being suddenly taken ill and rushed to hospital), Fryer, suicide after an interview with headmaster Derek Baker apparently concerning his pension arrangements.
Archbold was succeed as housemaster of LaB not by Barker, as someone stated above, but by Rae.
Reggie Dean was a Roman Catholic who never once appeared in chapel, even for leaving services. He had two sons, who were not sent to CH. Very heavy smoker (double lessons with him were always two singles, he needed the break for a drag).
Pat Cullen: born in China, son of missionaries. Cambridge graduate. Had a career of sorts in German radio before coming to CH. Junior housemaster BaB, senior housemaster ThB. Engaged briefly to an actress named Sarah Lawson (see Wikipedia), who appeared once (and once only) with him in chapel; she later (in fact very soon afterwards) married actor Patrick Allen. Pat Cullen made proper coffee at a time when this was unusual. Pipe smoker.
WPCDavies. Cambridge graduate. Taught biology. Junior housemaster of ThB. Member of British Lions team that toured South Africa in 1955 (and missed first month of Michaelmas Term as a result). Known as Beaky from large nose. Nice wife. Horrid bulldog.
No, at the time the story doing the rounds was that Baker forced him to vacate his house on the school grounds after he retired and the separation from the school proved too much. I believe he was living in King Edwards Close.
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