The last of the 'moving displays' was the Fashion Show, held in the Music Room. This was very well supported — so much so that it would seem that next time it will have to be held outside ! Visitors certainly filled the Music Room and obviously enjoyed the whole show.

Static displays of Art, Craft, Metalwork and Woodwork, together with work done for a History project, were held# in the Hall, whilst an exhibition of text books was held in the library.

It would seem that the new-style Open Day was a success. The Visitors certainly appeared to appreciate both sides of the programme; both the exhibitions and displays laid on for their entertainment, and the more serious business of seeing and talking to the members of Staff.

My first introduction to rock climbing came through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme about six months ago. When I first heard the now familiar announcement. "There will be climbing in the Madelena (sic) Valley on Saturday at nine thirty. Any one interested — come along" I was slightly sceptical as to the condition of the Maltese sand (sic) stone and the number of suitable climbs to be found on the island. In fact I first went along with the intention of showing first how easy it is to climb a face despite the fact that I had. never done any serious climbing previously. I received a rude , awakening.

The first few climbs were only pitches of nine or ten feet but I found myself stranded mid-way on more than one occasion while my self confidence rapidly dwindled and finally expired. However I was not the only one who found himself in this precarious position and once we realised our own capabilities, we progressed rapidly under the able leadership of our patron (Mr. Tomlinson).

Once we had mastered the technique of straight forward climbing we progressed to abseiling (sliding down a rope at high speed) and we shall soon tackle artificial climbing (using equipment which allows us to climb pitches impossible by normal climbing methods).

Although we shall move to Qormi or Dingli for our future climbing, in six months exploration I still have not exhausted all the possibilities in the Madelena Valley. That's a lot of climbs in a small area like Madelena.

Well, I enjoy climbing how about you? Ask any member of the Scheme for details of our climbing activities and remember our invitation, "Any one interested -- come along."

Last September a Charities Committee was formed to co-ordinate the efforts made in the school to support various charities.

Mr. Moyle (Chairman); L. Tierney (Secretary); S. Long (Treasurer); Mrs. Stout, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Pappin, J. Taylor, S. Prater, I. O'Brien, G. Roberts and' J. Moore.

Nearly £70 has been collected during the year and donations have been sent to the following charities: —

R.S.P.C.A.; Oxfam; Spastics; the Winston Churchill Memorial Fund; and the Trafalgar Day Appeal.

During the summer term we are supporting the Malta Society for the Mentally Handicapped.

The money has been raised by means of a collection taken after assembly every Friday morning. Spastic Seals were sold at Christmas. Mr. Lowe, helped by some children, made, dressed and sold a number of dolls at Easter. Mrs. Stout, and her cookery classes, made pickles and preserves which were sold on Open Day. It was hoped to hold a Jumble Sale during the Summer Term, but through insufficient support it had to be cancelled. A number of the articles sent in have been sold privately.

The members of the Committee would like to thank all those who have helped them in any way during the past year and ask for their support in the future.

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on November 30th 1874, the elder son of Lord Randolph Churchill.

Cliurchill had several attributes. Firstly he had a very distinguished and brave military record; secondly he was a natural leader: during both World' Wars he stirred confidence in the British Government amongst the public; lastly, although not particularly brilliant he rose to great heights.

Churchill first entered Parliament in 1'900 and for the next five decades he frequented the Lower House representing such constituencies asOidham, N.W. Manchester, Dundee and Etpping. He was a good author - - he wrote many books about his adventures in Cuba, India, Egypt and South Africa and volumes a^!bout both World Wars. Although Churchill was not a particularly exceptional politician in peace-time, in the war-years he was and still is, in my opinion, unequalled. He was First Lord of the Admiralty for the earlier part of the first World War and Prime Minister in the latter part of the Second World War; these positions bore a large share in helping the Allies emerge victorious.

When Churchill died on 24th January 1965 the whole world was in mourning. On the 30th — the date of his last journey — many foreign statesmen and officials paid their last respects to him.

When I was in Germany, I saw small children of six years old (which is the age at which a German child starts school) coming out of school with a witch shaped card-board hat, which is called a Zuckertiite. It was full of sweets. The children were given this because it sweetens their first day of school. They are also given a satchel. These are given to them by their parents.

ANGELA STUBBS -- 1A2.

Life goes on with the same monotonous routine, month after month, year after year. The nuns glide silently along the corridors, the only noise being the occasional "swish" of their long black habits as they go on .their way to their daily chores or to the little chapel at the end of the gym. In the holidays there is an atmosphere of unhurried bustle and quiet noise as the "penguins'"'" prepare the old country mansion with its numerous new buildings for the coming invasion of schoolgirls which will mark the beginning- of yet another new term. In the meantime there is a continuous hum of girlish voices as pupils combine study with recreation, closely supervised toy the "Mothers".

Being educated in a convent does not necessarily mean elocution, deportment and dancing lessons although deportment is compulsory for the 3rd and 4th years. These subjects are available as "extras" along with music and horseriding and tennis and swimming in the summer. The girls learn to make their own amusements, as the organized school activities, whether optional or obligatory, are not sufficient to keep a pupil occupied when she is not studying. The gym (it must be understood that this is also a general recreation room and assembly hall with a stage) is in full demand every night for record sessions, dancing (no boys — not even for Christmas and Leavers' Balls !) and for those under the age of 13 who have to be supervised.

Not only is there recreation and studying but also chores around the house. Someone has to make the beds, clean the shoes and clear and lay the tables in the dining room. A dish washer saves much washing up but the others are done by the girls — what they don't do the "Sisters" do.

For the prefects of course its a different story. There are all the privileges of running errands for the headmistress and her staff and taking over duties that the nuns don't have time to do.

As for becoming a young lady - - WELL - - you go for walks with long striding nuns (who seem to walk faster than you can for all the flapping of their long gowns) for hours on end and miles from anywhere. Of course going in "crocodile" formation is unheard of - - you "go-as-you-please" as long as you go ahead of the nun.

Then there is "stable-helping for the horse-lovers. Unfortunately only a limited number may have this privilege and as a result you are permitted to wear jeans and "wellies", miss the weekend walks, and spend your spare time grooming horses and cleaning out their stables.

So much for convent school life. The inhabitants are full of fun with the usual woes to keep the atmosphere of one big happy family. There are, naturally enough, those who are determined to hate the life of a boarder at a convent but no one can deny the fact that the nuns are as human as everyone else, joining in the games with the juniors, helping out with any problems and making sure that little girls have washed behind their ears !

Although crocodiles are usually thought of as living on the banks of slow, muddy rivers, same of the biggest crocodiles in the world, up to thirty feet long, live in the tidal estuaries and the salt mangrove swamps of the large islands of the Western Pacific and Northern Australia.

Crocodiles are hunted at night by two or three natives in a frail dug-out canoe using a spotlight and a heavy shotguns. The gun is not loaded with cartridges of lead shot, but with one solid lump of lead weighing several ounces. This is made by filling a convenient cigar-case with molten lead and, when it is cold cutting it into sections. The natives paddle silently through the mangroves, shining the light among the twisted roots and mudibanks,

When the light falls on a crocodile, its eyes shine bright red like two small stop lights. Keeping the light shining on the crocodile's eyes, thus blinding it, the natives paddle closer until the canoe is almost touching the crocodile. Then the man with the gun fires, aiming between the eyes, which is the only place guaranteed to stun a large crocodile,

The crocodile leaps convulsively and usually falls back into the water. The other native immediately hooks it with a large gaff, through one of the feet if possible, to avoid spoiling the skin, and pulls it to the side of the boat, where the reptile is hit on the head with a axe. just to make sure. The crocodile must be hooked immediately, or it will sink into the mud and be lost. Sometimes, however, in spite of all the rough treatment, the crocodile is only stunned, and comes to life again in the canoe ! The panic can be imagined.

When the crocodile is dead, the skin is slit on each side of the rows of hard, horny buttons on its back and then taken off. The inside of the skin is then rubbed with several pounds of crude salt and rolled up to be sent to the tanners. At this stage the sikin is like soft kid. In the more remote islands, crocodile hunters can shoot up to twenty crocodiles in a single night.

MARTIN BARRETT 4A.

I had never believed in Spirits or Ghosts before that day on the marsh, in fact I was a firm disbeliever in them.

It all started when I arrived home after 6 months away. I came from the station driven by an old man who seemed .to me to be full of gossip of the town. I remember driving through the familiar streets of .the little village. Yes it was all the same, it would never change to me. The neat cottages with their little front-porches gave such a comforting feeling to the village. We drove out of it and' up the hill to the old house in which I had lived most of my life. Its magnificent garden, though not large, was still there and I was really looking forward to seeing Grannie again.

The taxi stopped, I paid him and he went away. I was here at last. I breathed deeply and started to walk up the drive to the house. It was beautifully kept and up the white walls were growing roses and honey suckle. Suddenly I stopped in my tracks. There was something missing. What was it? I realised suddenly that my affectionate dog, Butch, had not come out to greet me as he usually did. A cold feeling swept up my body and my skin pricked. Where was he ? I dropped my cases and ran up to the front door. Grannie was there, the same little old lady I had always known, her round' steel rimmed glasses put firmly on her nose, which was long and slender. Her gentle grey eyes looked at me and as she hugged me she said, "Butch died, Mary, 2 months ago, of old' age. He died peacefully in his sleep, faithful to the last." I tried not to burst into tears In front of her. I tried to control myself, but as soon as I got upstairs to my bedroom I wept freely. Butch was the sweetest, shaggy sheepdog and he and I had been together as far as I can remember. Now, the first time I had been away he had died. I sobbed my eyes out but I had soon finished, had washed and was fresh again in front of Grannie.

Later on that evening I went out to all the familiar places and thought. I walked on and I found myself walking towards the marsh. I walked on over the hill and down the shaggy rocks onto the downs. I avoided the innocent little bits of grass waving gently in the breeze. It only needed me to put my foot on it and it would turn into a black and treacherous mire. I walked on knowing by instinct the path to take. I dreamt on about Butch, wishing he was here with me. I had so looked forward to seeing him and now he wasn't here.

Suddenly I found myself sinking. I had stepped wrongly. Where was I? It was nearly dark now and' I could only see a faint outline of everything. I grabbed hold of a bush and managed to jerk myself clear, but now where was I? I could not clear myself out of the marsh. All of a sudden, in front of me appeared Butch. At least it was a funny Butch as he was white, but I knew my own dog and I gasped. In a sort of mesmerised world I heard him bark and it was as if he asked me to follow him. I did so, and together we went over bushy potholes and lumps of muck, until eventually I found myself at the bottom of 'the hill and I only had to walk a little way before I was home. I gasped and flung myself on the dark grass beside Butch. I stretched out my hand to hug him. I remember his expression. It was sad but at the same time happy, and he looked at me as if to say good bye. Then I knew he was going. "Good bye Butch darling," I whispered. "You've always been faithful to me, now I know you will still be guarding me wherever I go." I shut my eyes for a minute to try and stop the tears, and when I opened them again, Butch was gone. I never saw his spirit again but I know he is always beside me, and often I imagine him trotting at my heels as he used to do.

After a successful season last year and the loss of most of the more-experienced players, the early season matches were largely experimental. By mid-season, with the arrival of several new upper-school boys, a settled team was in action and playing attractive football. Hurrell left about this time and was difficult to replace, but Roberts took over the captaincy and has worked hard and enthusiastically for the team.

Almost every match played has been against adult Service opposition and the Services have expressed, on many occasions, their appreciation of the standard of play of the School XI. The matches have been hard-fought, but friendly, and many useful contacts have been made.

Results have been disappointing as the team found difficulty in translating their midfield work into goals, whilst many "silly" goals were given to opponents by casual marking. The extra weight and stamina of Service XIs have often proved decisive in the closing minutes.

Victories were registered over Army and Navy teams, but losing to the Staff was humiliating — though some credit must go to a Staff side, which made up in craft for its shortness of breath!

Outstanding performances this season have come from Pittaway (a sound defender), Duff (a much improved forward), and Maple, who has played well in goal throughout the season. Lawrence, Gilham, O'Brien and Roberts have added experience to an XI which was beginning to blend at the close of the season .... Results apart, it was a full arid enjoyable season of soccer for all concerned.

NETBALL 1964-1965

This season has been a very successful one for the school netball team, despite the fact that several players left early in the year. All members of the team played well, with the result that we lost only one match.

On behalf of the team I would like to thank Mrs. McGillivray for arranging the matches, and for all the help she has given us throughout the year. Results:

G.S.: R. Hubble, C. Streets; G.A.: J. Price; W.A.: A. Henderson, J. Os-borne; C.: C. Smith, G. Hamley; W.D.: H. Rourke; G.D.: S. Stevenson; G.K.: L. Fairhall; Rec.: D. Doherty.

Colours were presented to G. Hamley, J. Price.

Only a few of last season's players remained to form the basis of a team facing the new Laws and stiff opposition. Inexperience and the filling of positions were major problems, but I feel that these were due to the belated start to the Rugby season.

In spite of these setbacks, the three-quarters took full advantage of the opportunities provided by a balanced pack which combined well in the set scrumages but on occasion lacked fire in the loose play and lines out.

Although full-back B. Clissold's tackling and handling were excellent, his kicking was not of the same high standard. The half-backs succeeded in forming a link between the scrum and the main attacking thrust which lay outside them. This came in the form of K. Lawrence and I. O'Brien, whose tackling abilities coupled with their offensive play made them formidable opponents.

In the forwards, J. Nicol and J. McCallum proved to be firm supports for J. Ferret, hooker and Pack Leader who by his tough and tenacious play in all departments, set a classic example to the rest of the pack. D. Burden and R. Woodcock, the second row pair, fought particularly well in the loose mauls and lines out and their play in the set scrums was supported by R. Knapman, a competent lock.

Finally I would like to thank Mr. Smith and Mr. Bowen for arranging matches and also Mr. Griffiths who gave the School XV a very enjoyable match against his 'select' XV.