School characters (1)

Charities

The school supports the Earl Haig Poppy Fund each year, and also the Malta Polio Fund. A collection of £14 15s. Od. was made for the former in the Autumn Term, and for the latter in the Summer Term. A number of 6th Form girls helped with the selling of flags for this fund.

At Christmas £11 was sent to B.F.B.S. for the "Wireless For the Blind Fund", in return for air-time. Chris. Lawton did a Tal Handaq record request programme.

The school also sent £10, at Easter, to "The Talking Book for the Blind Fund." This Fund provides recorded books, and tape recorders on loan from The Royal Malta Library in Valletta.

One of the highlights of the year was the "Miles For Development Walk" organised by the Social Action Movement. This took place on November 15th and the entrants walked for twenty miles across Malta. Thirty two Tal Handaq pupils joined the walk, and we were the only school from which all those taking part covered the whole distance. The amount collected from sponsors was £153. 5s. 10d.

We would like to thank those who have given either their time or money during the year.

                                                                                                                                                                             School Characters (2)

Annual   Prize  Giving

11th NOVEMBER 1970

If being first in the field is worthy of commendation then the annual prizegiving on Wednesday, 11th November, was a noteworthy occasion. For His Excellency Sir Duncan Watson, it was the first prizegiving at which he had officiated; it was also the first Headmaster's report given by Instructor Commander Law since taking up his appoint­ment at Tal Handaq; and it was the first senior prize-day attended by Instructor Captain H. Brierley in his capacity as Officer-in-Charge of Schools.

After the Flag Officer Malta, Rear Admiral D.G. Kent had welcomed the guests, the Senior Choir gave a rendering of "Linden Lea". This was then followed by the Headmaster's report.

Headmaster's  Report —

Mr. Chairman, Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, May I begin by echoing Admiral Kent's words of welcome and adding the school's own very warm welcome to Sir Duncan and Lady Watson on this their first visit to Tal Handaq. We are also glad to welcome the Heads of Services: Admiral Kent himself, known rather quaintly as the school's Competent Authority, and Mrs. Kent, and Brigadier Ward. We are very sorry that Air Commodore Winn is prevented from being here by operational commitments but we are delighted that Mrs. Winn has been able to come. The Heads of Services are not only responsible for producing the parents who produce the majority of our children but they and their Services give us tremendous support and assistance for which we are extremely grateful. I should also like to welcome Captain and Mrs. Brierley on the occasion of Captain Brierley's first Prize Day as Officer in Charge Schools although they, like my wife and me, are no strangers to Tal Handaq Prize Days. And finally may I just as warmly welcome all our other guests, whether you are here by virtue of your office or your parenthood. We are delighted to see you all.

It's a bit difficult for a new Headmaster to report on a year for which he wasn't mainly responsible, when any good things that happened were in spite of him not because of him, but the occasion does allow me to say certain things which, for one reason or another I shan't be able to say again. Tal Handaq is a very good school with a very high reputation. I can support the first of these statements from the report of Her Majesty's Inspectors who visited the school last Autumn and who said "Some teaching of distinction was observed" and "a significant number of the assistant staff are teachers of more than ordinary competence". They concluded that Tal Handaq is "a happy community in which good relationships flourish. The devotion of the Headmaster and staff to the personal and educational needs of the pupils who pass through it is evident and commendable".

I can vouch for its reputation from the comments of parents, both those arriving who all seem to have had glowing reports of us, and those departing, many of whom are kind enough to make a particular point of thanking us for helping their children to make so much more progress than in any other school.

These are, of course, tributes to a number of people, not least to my predecessor, Captain Malkin, whose dedication to and knowledge of the children in the school was tremendous in spite of the extra burden of his duties as Officer in Charge of all Service schools in Malta, Naples and Tripoli. I should like to couple a tribute to him with one to the equally dedicated staff which he handed over to me and I should like to take this opportunity of publicly thanking them for the support and encourage­ment they have given me in my early months.

I am sure they will all understand if on this occasion I single out one name for special mention, that of Miss Yule. She has been teaching here for 21 years and has been senior mistress for 14 of them, and there can be no doubt that one of the main events of the school year was the recognition of her service by the award of an M.B.E. in the Birthday Honours list. We are tremendously proud of her and I for one cannot envisage how I am going to get on without her when she leaves at the end of the year, as it now seems she really will do, after our two reprieves. She is the one bit of continuity we have in an all-too-rapidly changing population.

And lastly, of course, this reputation is a tribute to the children. You can't have a good school without good pupils and don't let anyone tell you there is anything wrong with Service children. The best are as good as you will find anywhere: the worst are ghastly, but I have to admit that other schools have more to put up with.

But I must tell you something about the past year, beginning with what for us is the vital topic of numbers. Last year's numbers, surprisingly enough, were consistently higher than those of the year before, starting at 785 and remaining above 750 for most of the year. This year we began with 740 but since the departure of the 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment we are already down to 700. By all the rules, it looks as though, by early 1972 we shall be down to about 630, at which level we hope we may stabilize again. Seven years ago we were over 1,000. (Now you begin to see why we are down to a Commander on this job instead of a Captain!) But seriously, I must warn you that smaller numbers mean fewer staff and a possible consequent restriction on the subject options that we can offer, although we are doing all we can to keep any such restrictions to a minimum. So far there have been no changes in curriculum or in the general planning of the school, which remain as des­cribed last year.

Coupled with numbers we need to look at examination results because, perhaps unfortunately, these tend to be what the academic standards of a school are judged by.

Last summer we had 50 'A' level subject passes (from 30 candidates) in an academic sixth form with about 22 pupils in each of the two years. This was about the same number of passes as last year but from 12 fewer candidates. The quality of passes was not quite so good, as we had only two Grade A's and five B's. As far as we know four of those who left went on to Universities and four to Training Colleges.

At 'O' level we must think in terms of a total fifth form strength of about 80, covering the whole ability range, equivalent to a grammar school fifth form of about 27, although we widen our 'O' level entry far beyond this.

We had 263 subject passes in June (24 more than last year, but the number of candidates was higher too) and 53 in the preceding November. As you can see from your programmes 26 candidates achieved five or more subject passes in the year. We haven't listed their total scores. Some may have passed more subjects in the preceding year.

In the C.S.E. examinations 88 candidates took 205 papers, only 11 papers being ungraded. Last year 43 out of 277 were ungraded so the success rate has improved,  but we only achieved  16 Grade 1   passes (equivalent to 'O' level) compared with 25 last year.

In summary, therefore, our exam results were up to standard in quantity but slightly down in quality, and I hope there are about 170 of you in front of me who are going to make quite sure that I don't say that again next year. Your aim must be to make your year the vintage year.

No mention of examinations would be complete without a word of thanks to the Director of Education for Malta, Miss Mortimer, for the help given by her department in organising our GCE examinations. At the last minute Miss Mortimer was unfortunately prevented from coming today, but we are very glad to see Mr. Mangion, one of her Assistant Directors. There is a tremendous liaison between the Deputy Headmaster and the Registrar of Examinations, Mr. Attard (also here today), and we really are grateful for the load that is taken off our shoulders.

Leaving the academic side I now turn to other activities, and I remind you that these are all admirably reported in the school Magazine where you can read about them in more detail. Copies are still available at the bargain price of 2s. 6d. each.

Firstly sport. Smaller numbers, particularly in the upper part of the school, make it more difficult to maintain our traditionally high standards but we haven't done too badly. We have fielded school sides in most sports and they have done remarkably well in the face of what is often the formidably heavyweight opposition provided by the adult Service leagues in which we are forced to play. Rugby is a case in point and our last year's team was a strong one. Perhaps their best reward was the success of the A team in winning the Plate Competition in the Malta 7-a-side. These are times when fitness tells.

Other sports in which we entered the inter-Service Leagues were Soccer, Basketball, Cricket and Ladies' Tennis. In Hockey the main event was the 6-a-side competition in which we entered no fewer than 6 girls' and two boys' teams. I can safely say it wouldn't have been the same without us.

In Athletics and Cross Country the competition is almost entirely Maltese, and of a very high standard. Gone are the days when we could sweep all before us in these events, but perhaps this is just as well. Nevertheless our teams acquitted themselves well and the main successes were by the Under 15 team in winning their section of the Alpine Sports Club Cross Country League and the Senior side in winning the Malta National Under 19 Championship.

In a small island, where opposition is hard to find, our own inter-house competitions assume greater significance and these were keenly contested in as many as 17 sports, a record number for us. The great majority of these games, at least in the major sports, are played on Saturday mornings and I am sure I am speaking for the boys and girls and their parents, as well as for myself when I say a big "thank you" to those dedicated members of staff who turn out on Saturday mornings to run these games.

Strenuous activity is not confined to the games field and our Duke of Edinburgh work has also continued. A party went to Sicily in the Easter holidays and completed the necessary expedition work for 1 Gold and 3 Bronze awards. Sailing has also continued regularly and now that the Enterprise dinghies, so kindly lent by the Garrison Sailing Club, have finally got too long in the tooth, we are fortunate in haying been able to make use of Naval Bosun dinghies. We are grateful indeed to H.M.S. ST. ANGELO and to the Garrison and Naval Sailing Clubs for the help they give us with this activity and without which we could not carry it on,

Other and less physically strenuous extra-mural activities have included those of the Literary and Debating Society, the very successful Christmas operatic productions of Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and Gilbert and Sullivan's "Trial By Jury" and an excellent Fashion Show. Those of you who attended the Summer Open Day will have seen, besides examples of activities already mentioned samples of the very-high-standard work done by our Art, Craft, Domestic Science, Needlework, Metalwork, and Woodwork departments and you will not have been sur­prised to see on display the shield we won for being the school with the best performance at the 1969 National Exhibition of Children's Art in Malta.

On the material side the main improvements during the past twelve months are the new car park, which many of you have used today, the new audio-visual room or cinema, which at long last, after some tribulations, is just about ready for use, and the extension to the Chemistry Lab, which was begun during the recent summer holidays and is now almost complete. But besides these more obvious projects the processes of modernisation, improvement and general maintenance go on the whole time and in this respect I really can't speak too highly of the work of M.P.B.W. and particularly of the always helpful, sympathetic and coopera­tive attitude of their staff under the leadership of the Depot Superintendent, Mr. Shepherd, whom we are particularly glad to see here to day. What difficulties there are, are certainly not of his making.

I must also mention Mr. Depasquale, our Site Foreman, who gets asked to do just about everything under the sun, but never complains. Credit for the present generally excellent appearance of the school must be shared between them and the school's own industrial staff who, under the guidance of Mr. Hayman, the school Warden, maintain the gardens, roadways and buildings in an astonishingly high state of tidiness and cleanliness, sometimes I'm afraid, working against considerable odds.

I hope a new Headmaster can be excused for being more interested in looking forward than back and I should therefore like to finish by saying a little about my hopes for and thoughts on the school.

Having been here before, I was able to give some thought to this job before I arrived, but even I was astonished when I realised certain facts. At the end of last term I discovered that over half the pupils in the school were about to leave at the end of term, to be largely replaced by new ones this term. I checked again yesterday and I find we are already in the situation when 292 of our 700 pupils have arrived in the school since the beginning of September. About 3 in every 7. What can you do in such a situation? One thing you can't do is to launch forth into a lot of original and advanced educational schemes, because you will never be able to carry them through for any individual child. But there is a lot that we can do.

Our aim is to prepare every pupil for the day he or she leaves us, whether to go to a job, a college or another school, and time is all top short, so we mustn't waste it. We must first, therefore, help the new pupil to settle down quickly and in this we all play our part, pupils and staff alike. New children are no objects of curiosity here but they are quickly accepted. One thing we take a pride in doing is adapting to the needs of the child who has been to innumerable schools — we had one in this term on, I think, her eighteenth.

We must then get to know the children and their problems, remembering that with Service children some schools may not have had the time or the patience to do this before. We need to notice quickly if a child is in the wrong stream or following an unsuitable course. We need to be in good communication with parents, particularly the parents of those who don't seem inclined to work, because education is as much their job as ours and we need to do it together. To this end we are already planning more open days this year, so that we don't have to discuss the whole school on one afternoon.

We need to provide even better and more continuous careers advice and to persuade children and parents of its importance. We have an invaluable annual visit from two U.K. Careers Advisory Officers, but parents seem curiously reluctant to meet them. We have an expanding school careers department but I am not convinced that it is used to the maximum. It is possible that parents and children don't like the advice they are given, namely that it is by no means to all young men and women over 16 that school still has something to offer. It is unfortunate that in Malta itself there is no alternative to school and we need to be at pains to explain this to parents before they come out here. Having nothing better to do is no good reason for staying at school, and those who do are probably missing irredeemable opportunities of joining industrial and other practical and vocational training schemes at home. Those who do stay here must be prepared to work; education is not something that they can soak up merely by being here and in Britain they will get no credit for an extra year at school unless they have something to show for it in the way of examination results at the end.

Finally, when our student leaves to join another school he is sped on his way by a system which we have improved. It provides advice to the parents on effecting entry to a new school with a minimum of delay and a carefully written transfer report to enable the pupil to embark at once on the right curriculum.

And what are our hopes for him when he leaves? We hope that he is a good ambassador for Tal Handaq, that he has developed some pride in his school. We hope that other schools will begin to notice the marks of Tal Handaq in those better manners, that pride in appearance, that enthusiasm which infects everything he does and that indefinable spirit with which he faces all difficulties. If these are the marks of Tal Handaq our reputation will grow even further, and good though it is in Service circles there is no doubt that at present insufficient is known about us, and indeed about all Service schools, outside these circles. You, the pupils and the parents, are the ones who can put this right. Our reputation is in your hands.

After the Headmaster's report the Junior Choir sang two songs. The prizes were then presented by His Excellency Sir Duncan Watson the British High Commissioner.

In his address Sir Duncan claimed that this was the first time he had been called upon to speak at a school prize day, and in vain he had tried to recall his own schooldays for some pertinent remarks. He referred to the way in which young people today were interested in changing the world, but he felt that it was wrong for them to strive to achieve a state of perfection which could not change --if everything was perfect, there could be nothing new each day.

He referred to the vast changes taking place in education, with its new terminology that could be puzzling to the layman. The discovery that Latin was taught in streams evoked in his mind a picture of his former Latin master sitting on a rock in mid-stream, with himself in bathing trunks, construing Virgil.

Sir Duncan concluded his address with the announcement of a future half day's holiday which was well received by those present.

After a song, "Lift up Your Hearts", by the school, the ceremony was concluded, and tea was served for guests and parents.

HELP TO SCHOOL Georgina Jeffries
HEAD GIRL    Rosemary Arden                                 HEAD BOY Evan Potts

 

Exam Results
GCE Results Summer 1970   ADVANCED LEVEL

CAMERON BEACON  M. CASSAR TOREGGIANI DAVID COSTER TERENCE FLATT ANTONY GILBERT STEPHEN HURST  DAVID KINGDOM  DAVID MORRIS DAVID NORRIS EVAN POTTS  RONALD TURLEY PETER WALKER PETER WARD ROSEMARY ARDEN  SUSAN DODSON  SUSAN FREEMAN PAT LONGLAND  JEAN MAIN LESLEY MOXON  JANE MOYLE SUSAN PEYTON  JEANETTE SOUTHWOOD HELEN SRINGHALL JANE STEPHENSON CAROL TURLEY SUSAN WILLEY	English History, British Constitution. Geography. Art. Zoology, Art. Geography. Mathematics, Engineering Drawing, Art. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry. Zoology. Mathematics, Physics. English History, Geography. Chemistry. Engineering-Drawing. History, British Constitution. English, French, History. British Constitution, Cookery. Mathematics. English, French. History. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry. History. English, History. English, French, German. Biology. Zoology. Geography, Zoology, Art, English, Cookery.
ORDINARY LEVEL
RITA AUGER CLAIRE BARRACLOUGH  DEBBIE BRADLEY MARY BRIDWELL ELIZABETH BROWN LINDA BROWNLESS  HELEN BULL HEATHER CAMPBELL  CAROLINE GARY ROSALIND GARY GEORGINA CUTLER LYNNE DANIELS BELINDA DUNNING  EILEEN FAGIN SHERYL FLATBUSH JUDITH FLETCHER JANE FINN  ANNETTE GARSIDE MARGARET GORDON PATRICIA GOODWIN	English Literature General, History British, and Foreign, Biology, Human Biology, Cookery. English Language, French, Music, Art. English Language, English Literature General. English Language, Cookery. English Literature General, Music. English Language, Human Biology. Art. English Language. British Constitution. English Language, French. English Literature General, French, Biology,Cookery, Art. English Language. English Language, French. English Language, French. English Language. English Language, English Literature Selected, French, Biology, Human Biology, Commerce, Cookery. Needlework. Needlework. English Language, English Literature Selected. English Literature General, Human Biology.
JANET GRIFFITHS LINDA GRUBB JULIA HANN  JANET HARVEY  ELAINE HOCTOR CAROLINE HOGG GEORGINA JEFFERIES HELEN KAYE PAT LONGLAND JEAN MAIN CAROLINE MALINOWSKA  MADELINE McKENZIE MARIJKE MAZURE DEBORAH MILLER  CYNTHIA MOTT CATHERINE MOYLE DERRI  PARKEY  LINDA PAUL  JANE POWELL  FRANCIS ROME ADRIA ROSSER  LYNN SARGINSON JULIE SOAR HAZEL SMITH THERESA SMITH JEANETTE SOUTHWARD PAULINE SUFFIELD JILLIAN THACKERY  JUDITH WALLIS  DENISE WHENMAN   SUSAN WILLEY  CAROL TURLEY  ROSEMARY ARDEN  SUSAN GRAY  TIMOTHY AGIUS-FERRANTE MARK ARMSTRONG  SEAN ARMSTRONG  CAMERON BEACON  PHILIP BIRD  CHRISTOPHER BRINE  DAVID BRINE CHRISTOPHER BROWN	English Literature General. English Literature General, French, History — British and Foreign, Art.  Greek Literature.  English Language, French. English   Literature   General,   Latin,   French, History -- British and Foreign, Chemistry, Biology, Cookery. English Language, French. Cookery. English Literature General, History — British and Foreign, Geography, Human Biology,Cookery. ' Greek Literature. Greek Literature. British Constitution. English Language, English Literature,Biology, Cookery. English Literature General, French, History,AdditionalMathematics,Biology,Needlework. English Language, French.  English Language, French.  English      Language,      English      Literature, History, Religious Knowledge, Cookery. English Literature, French, Art. Needlework. History, Biology, Human Biology.  English Language, English Literature, HumanBiology. Greek Literature. English     Literature,     Geography,     Biology,Human Biology.  Cookery. English Literature, French, History, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Cookery.  English Language, Geography, Cookery.  Greek Literature. English      Language,      English      Literature, Biology, Human Biology.  Needlework. Needlework, Art. English Literature, History, Pottery.  Greek Literature. Geology. Greek Literature. English Language, English Literature. English Literature General, History — British and Foreign. English Language, French.  English Lanuage, Commerce.  Greek Literature.  Geography. Mathematics. English     Literature     Selected,     Additional Mathematics. English Literature General, History — British and Foreign, Commerce, Art.
ROBERT CALLAGHAN  ROBERT CAMPBELL M. CASSAR-TOREGGIANI DAVID COSTER MICHAEL DENNIS ROBERT ELWELL THOMAS FISHER  MICHAEL FOX ANTONY GILBERT CHRISTOPHER GORMAN DAVID HARRISON PAUL HOLLOWAY IAN D'lVRY ISRAEL KARMON CHRISTOPHER LAWTON MARCUS MAZURE DAVID METCALFE TERENCE McCOLE KIM MILNES LAWRENCE MOGRIDGE GEORGE MOLDEN  JOHN MOLDEN ANDREW MORRIS	Metalwork, Art. English Literature Selected, Geology. English Language, Pottery.  English      Language,      English      Literature Selected, History — British and Foreign, Geography, Mathematics, Physics. English    Language,    Mathematics,    Physics, Woodwork, Metalwork, Engineering Drawing. Geography, Metalwork, Pottery. Pottery. English Literature Selected, History — British and Foreign, Mathematics. Mathematics,        Metalwork,        Engineering Drawing. Additional  Mathematics. Art. Metalwork, Pottery. English   Language,      English      Literature Selected, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Commerce. English Language, Geography, Metalwork. English    Language,    Geography,   Additional Mathematics, Physics. English Literature General, French, History-British and Foreign, Geography, Physics, Art.  English Language. Geography,      Mathematics,         Engineering Drawing. English      Language,      English      Literature Selected, History — British and Foreign, Art. English Literature Selected, Geography.  English       Literature       Selected,       French, Geography, Mathematics, Physics.  English Language, French. History — British and Foreign, Commerce.
CHRISTOPHER MORRIS RICHARD MUNDAY MICHAEL MURRAY PAUL RATCLIFFE EVAN POTTS PHILIP REYNOLDS ANTHONY SARGINSON DAVID SHEPHARD KLAUS SHORE ROBERT SMITH KEVIN STONE BRIAN THOMPSON GARY THOMSON JOSEPH VINCENTI  KEITH WOODCOCK MARTIN DONNELLY PHILIP WOODCOCK	Metalwork. English Literature Selected, History — British and Foreign, Mathematics, Commerce.  French. Greek Literature. English      Literature      General,      Additional Mathematics, Physics. History   —   British   and   Foreign,   Physics, Chemistry, Geology. English Literature Selected, History — British and Foreign, Geography. German, Engineering Drawing. English      Language,      English      Literature Selected, American History, Geography, Chemistry. English Literature General, American History, Mathematics, Physics, Art.  Engineering Drawing. English   Language,   History  -      British   and Foreign, Geography, Chemistry, Art. English Language, Physics. English      Language,      English      Literature Selected, History — British and Foreign, Mathematics.  Geography, Biology.  History - - British and Foreign.

 
                                                                              C.S.E.   SUMMER   1970

RITA AUGER MARY BRIDWELL  ELIZABETH BROWN HELEN BULL  VALERIE CROCKETT  JUNE DEWBERY  JACQUELINE DUNCAN  JANE FINN  SHERYL FLATBUSH  JUDY FLETCHER  ANNETTE GARSIDE  PATRICIA GOODWIN JANET GRIFFITHS LINDA GRUBB ANNETTE HARRISON  ELAINE HOCTOR  CHRISTINE HENDERSON  HELEN KAYE  LINDA LONGMIRE  MADELAINE McKENZIE  SHARON MILLAR  CATHERINE  MOYLE  DERRIE    PARKEY LYNDA PAUL  CAROLE PAYNE  SHIRLEY PHILLIPS JANE POWELL ELAINE ROBERTSON  EVELYN SARGINSON	French. Needlework, Spanish. Mathematics. Biology, Human Biology. English, German, French. Mathematics, German, Chemistry. English, Mathematics. English. Spanish. History, Mathematics, Biology. History, Needlework. Mathematics, Spanish. History,     Mathematics,      French, Human Biology. Needlework. Human Biology. Chemistry.  Human Biology. Spanish, Human Biology. English, Human Biology. Mathematics, French, Biology. Needlework. Biology, Human Biology.  Mathematics, Biology. Mathematics. Biology. English, Biology, Human Biology.  English,     Mathematics,     German,     French, Human Biology.  English. Mathematics, Biology.
CAROLINE SMITH  HAZEL SMITH THERESA SMITH  YVONNE SMITH  JULIE SOAR  ELENE STEWART PAULINE SUFFIELD JILLIAN WALKER  JUDITH WALLIS DENISE WHENMAN  TIMOTHY AGIUS-FERRANTE  IAN ATKINSON  SPENCER BERRY  OWEN  BEYNON CHRISTOPHER BROWN  ROBERT CALLAGHAN ROBERT CAMPBELL M. CASSAR-TOREGGIANI  GLEN DAVIS  IAN D'lVRY MICHAEL DENNIS  GERALD FERGUSON	Engineering, Needlework. Needlework.  Needlework. English, Mathematics, Human Biology.  English, Needlework.  English, Needlework. History,     Mathematics,     Biology,     Human Biology.  History. Mathematics, Needlework. Mathematics, German. Physics. History, Chemistry. English, Technical Drawing, Physics.  Woodwork,  History,  Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Metalwork. Physics, French. English,   Mathematics,   Technical   Drawing, Metalwork. Physics.  Mathematics. Mathematics.  English, Woodwork, Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Metalwork, Technical Drawing, French. Mathematics. Technical Drawing, Metalwork.
THOMAS FISHER JEFFREY FLATBUSH  TERENCE FLATT  STEVEN FLETCHER  CHRISTOPHER GORMAN PAUL GORMAN  PAUL HOLLOWAY  PAUL JANAWAY JAMES JONES ISRAEL CARMEN  LESLIE LAW  CHRISTOPHER LAWTON  DAVID METCALFE  KIM MILNES LAWRENCE MOGRIDGE  GEORGE MOLDEN  DAVID MORGAN  CHRISTOPHER MORRIS RICHARD MUNDAY MICHAEL MURRAY  COLIN PACE DAVID SHEPHARD  KLAUS SHORE ROBERT SMITH DAVID STEWART KEVIN STONE GARY THOMSON SIMON TORRENS KEITH WOODCOCK	English, Mathematics, Physics. Technical Drawing. English, Mathematics, Technical Drawing.  English, Physics, Chemistry.  Woodwork, Technical Drawing, Metalwork.  Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry.  English, Woodwork, Mathematics, Technical Drawing. English, Woodwork, Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Metalwork. French. English.  French. Mathematics. History, Technical Drawing. Mathematics, Chemistry. Mathematics, Technical Drawing, Metalwork.  Mathematics, English. Mathematics English, Woodwork, Physics, Chemistry. Mathematics, English, Physics. French, Woodwork, Chemistry. Woodwork. Woodwork, Mathematics, Chemistry. English,    Mathematics,    Chemistry,    History, Technical Drawing.  Mathematics. English,    Mathematics,    History,    Technical Drawing.  Mathematics. Spanish. Mathematics, Chemistry. Mathematics. Physics.

                               GCE NOVEMBER 1970 ORDINARY LEVEL   

SALLY ARBUTHNOT JUDITH BLAIR MARY BRIDWELL HELEN BULL DORIAN CHURCH SUSAN DALTON  JUNE DEWBERY  LYNN EDER CHRISTINE HENDERSON GEORGINA JEFFERIES  ROSANNE KNOX CAROLE PAYNE GILLIAN PIKE  DIANE SCURFIELD THERESA SMITH GAYNOR TASKER  ALEXANDRA LEES TIMOTHY AGIUS-FERRANTE JAMES BERRY  ROBERT BROADWAY  PETER BUTZKOY  ROBERT CALLAGHAN  GEOFFREY CORNISH IAN D'lVR THOMAS FISHER  ROBERT GAMBLE  DAVID HARRISON  DAVID LAMOURY  LAWRENCE MOGRIDGE DAVID MORRIS ANDREW PRESTON KLAUS SHORE NIGEL VICKERY PETER WALKER

English Language. English Language. English Language, Cookery. Biology, Human Biology. English Language. Human Biology. History. English Language. Cookery. English Literature, Human Biology. English Language. Art. English Language. English Language, Cookery. English Literature, Geography. English Language. English Language. Latin, Physics, Chemistry. Geography. English Language. English Language. Engineering Drawing. English Language. Engineering Drawing. Engineering Drawing.  English Language.  Physics, Commerce. Commerce. Geography. English Language. English Language. Physics, Woodwork. English Language.  English Language.

 

 
Poems and Essays

THE UNDER SEA WORLD It was like a black blanket spread over the sea,    And the murky grey water captured me. Life was different on the ocean floor So gentle and calm and peaceful once more. The storm had gone and all was quiet,                          No more noise and no more riot. The creatures walked the ocean bed And the different fish swam over head. The sea-horses galloped the blue sea waves, While the crabs  crawled   back to their desolate  caves. Beautiful flowers slept on the rocks. The sea lettuce shook as if combing its locks.                  Then out from a dark and distant rock Came a large octopus with a greedy look. A crowd of fish hurry on and pass by more Why don't they stop? I wonder why. Mother nature was kind to give us the sea. She gave it a lot of colour, don't you agree? Just then my body reached the Earth's shore, But I'll go down to the sea once more. Denise Read    1AF	ICE On a placid day in the far off north,      : The sea is edged with a lacy froth. The lace was hard The lace was bold The lace was white The lace was cold Its blue hearted soul, It's so far from me. It's under the water Fathoms away under the sea. It is twinkling and shining It's like sequins and gleaming Like the diamond, the saphire, Like string on each lyre. Laura Turley   1AF
THE EYES The eyes are the window to the soul, They are glazed and beautiful like glass, They are like a flower. The eyelids are the petals. Pray do not lose your eyes. THE AGE-GAP The hulking bully that is the age-gap hits with stunning blows again and again. John Cargill    1AF	WILD FILLY The   horse   shivered. Then she backed to the end of the rope, Almost strangling herself in an effort to get away from us. Coming forward very slightly, She reared and screeched in dismay.   She smelled of the dry bushland. A true member of the outback. Jane Morris   1AF
EYELASH Your eyelash like a winking feather, Your eyelash like a sprig of heather, Some blonde, some black, some brown, some fair To match the colour of your hair. To match your eyes, To match your size Your eyelash goes on up and down, There are two around your crown. Laura Turley   1AF	THE SNAKE A long green stick Suddenly springs to life. With a slither it is off After its prey, Weaving in and out Through the rocks. Then it stops: It has spotted its prey. With a quick dart It engulfs its prey in its coils. With one gulp Its prey is gone. Satisfied, The snake slithers off.
SILHOUETTES ON THE  HORIZON The dark outline of ships moved Steadily across the horizon. It was a comfort to know that we were not alone. The silence was over everything, except the steady hum of the engine. The loneliness of being the only one in the world, Made the 'officer of the watch' fidget, But soon light came and with it The throb of a ship at work. Steven Powell    1AF	A PORTRAIT OF AN EYELASH It is long and thin, And the colour is black, It gets in your eye and hurts. Long or short, And fat or thin, The size of it, Makes no matter, It's only there, to flatter. Sarah Sprechley   1AF
FEAR Fear of darkness, fear of heights, Fear of strange places or alone at night. Fear of insects, fear of snakes Fear of deep water in a shimmering lake. Fear of thunder, fear of storms, Fear of strange noises in the early dawn. A fear of crowds in a busy street A fear of shadows that we often meet A fear of fire and losing one's hair, A fear of doctors and of the dentist's chair. A fear of some kind is common to all. Fear concerns all species whether large or small. Jacqueline Calvert    1AJ A SNAKE A snake is a colourful band of skin, It slithers everywhere, It presents danger to human beings, So the people had best beware. For one bite of its fangs is fatal, Its attack is very fast. You'd better stay clear of a snake or else,  Its bite could be your last. Michael Rawlings	MY MORNING RIDE (in England) Groomed, saddled, and mounted we walk down the road. As we rock from side to side, His hooves clop along the road as I kick him: now and then The sun shines through the top of the trees, But the frost is crisp on the ground. My breath is like a cloud of mist, But inside I'm very warm ! But all of a sudden I hear voices in the distance, They come closer all the time. But then I see the answer, two girls riding at the gallop, Their ponies' hooves make a hollow sound on the grass, Something like thunder. They shout and scream to each other, And slowly their voices fade away, I then come to a ford and trot all the way through it. It splashes his hooves and all my boots, But who's to worry? I'm enjoying myself. Kerry Bowles 1AJ
THE KINGFISHER The Kingfisher sits on a long thin twig, Waiting for his dinner to come, When suddenly, "Splash", He's in the water. Look out! Here he comes with fish in beak, Now disappears in the darkness of a hole. I turn away, As quick as a flash, He passes me again, And sits on the same thin twig, Waiting ! Jane Henderson    1AJ	THE MEADOW The lush green grass swaying in the wind, The young frisky lambs playing, The mother sheep munching the grass, And the tiny birds singing. The trees with their fruitful buds, Gracefully were bending, Their arms stretching out afar, Waving  and swaying. While nearby the cows are nibbling At the luscious grass. The blue sky with white patches is Looking down below At the birds, the cows, the sheep and lambs, And to the singing birds Ann Martin   2A1

FIRE!

The match ignited the paper. At first, the flickering flame seemed to die away, then it flared up. The burnt paper shrivelled and dropped, charred and blistered, into the waste-bin.

The saffron flame writhed and twirled merrily. It danced across the paper, devouring it greedily. Then came the colours, glowing prettily, crimson, violet, blue and orange.

Suddenly the flames began to crackle loudly, and they glowed even brighter than before. Then gradually they subsided into a blackened heap of remains, leaving only a spiral of smoke wavering in the air.

Susan Perkins    1AJ

GALLEY SLAVES

The master called, the master roared, We'll have no slackening on board. So pull on hard, you so-called men, Or you'll be in the lions den.

The swell was high, the sea was rough, And all the slaves, they'd had enough. The master was pushed o'er the side, To die beneath the foaming tide.

Peter Campbell    1AF

 

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A BUDGIE

A budgie is really a miniature parrot and very amusing, especially when he talks. Most budgies get to love their owners and enjoy having a fly around the house about four times a week.

If you own a budgie you must know when and what to feed it on, how to clean its cage, and many other things. The first thing is to buy a budgie.

You can get budgies in many different colours including blue and white, pure white, yellow, and other varieties. I find blue and white the best. The male birds have a purple or dark blue strip of skin above their beak. The females have the colour of their feathers, a female yellow budgie will have a strip of yellow skin above her beak. Never get two budgies, because if you want your budgie to talk and you have two birds, they will talk to each other in their own language and will not learn to speak.

Always keep your bird's cage clean and healthy, and use sand-paper in the bottom of the cage to help to sharpen and trim their claws. Also put a bell and a mirror, and maybe a toybird in the cage to keep him company and a ladder for him to climb up and down on. A swing in the cage helps, for at night the bird likes to perch up high on something.

Feed your bird on the seed that suits him best. To feed your bird fill up his dish in the morning, and at night blow away the empty husks, and fill up again. Water should be changed twice a day.

Lisa Barlow    1AJ

THROUGH THE EYES OF A MIDGET

It appeared to be a huge opening, and the lower third of the open­ing was barricaded by a sort of oblong box attached to the sides. In the middle of the box was a space with what seemed to be a tray over the top of it. The tray formed a bridge across the space in the box. The whole thing was of a colossal size to me. Drawn by the sound of clinking glass and voices, I ventured through the space in the box, which seemed to be a counter. I gasped at what I saw. Two people were opening bottles and sorting them out. But they were not ordinary people, for to reach the peaks of their heads it would have taken about twenty-two of my doubles standing on each other's head. At the back of the opening, which was a room, were wooden shelves attached to the wall. On these were giant glass jars, which held colourful boulders wrapped in what I thought was transparent paper. One of the giants reached across, and taking one of the boulders, unwrapped it and ate it. Then she drank some liquid out of a bottle.

Suddenly a bell sounded shrilly.  In terror,  I  rushed  out and took refuge behind a flower. I was to be glad I had fled, for more and more of those giants queued up in front of the opening. What was it ? The question echoed in my mind. (A description of Tal Handaq Tuck Shop)

Susan Perkins    1AJ

FEAR I am awake, The floor is creaking, Then suddenly I see a dark shadow, Lingering near the window. The night is still and the moon is a soft shining sphere. I can see it gleaming through the curtains. The room is desolate except for me and the unknown person.  The door swings open on its hinges but there is nobody there. A ghost, a spook, or Mr. Nobody, but no-one knows. The wind gives a howl as if it knows how frightened I am. I hide under the pillow as if terror-stricken. I dare not move a muscle for fear it might come nearer. My conscience tells me to ask who is there, but my throat is Dry and my lips are numb. Susan Day    1AJ A WATERFALL The princely splendour of one towering in the air, The mighty pounding of water upon age-old rock, Shine, slithering slowly through cool sharp turmoil, Infinite nothing reaching out to fathomless depths, Nature's own creation, A Waterfall. Daun Lamoury 2A1	A FIRE The piece of paper was ignited. The flames rose up, blue at heart going yellow at the tips, devouring paper the longer they grew, twisting and turning upwards towards the sky. The forbidding flames wriggled through the air like snakes. Suddenly the flames subsided, withering away into red hot ashes. The waste of the devouring dangerous flames floated gracefully through the air, descending gracefully to the ground, turning into black shrivelled paper. Christine Earl 1AJ     "INSPIRATION" It was becoming increasingly Difficult to think. Through a thick haze, I could see People writing. A noise penetrated through my head. I realised it was the pounding of my heart. The walls of the room seemed to Close around me, Confined, stifling, an eternal hell. Sweat rolled from my hands And dropped in little beads Onto my paper, mingling with the ink. The haze became clearer The walls began to expand. I was writing in a spacious room. Suddenly, I knew the answer. Before I could write it down, A voice cut through the silence, "Pass your exam papers to the front!" Sharon Dreher   2A1
MY FRIENDS AND ME When I look back, At the friends I used to have, I realise that They don't mean a thing to me As what they did when we were old friends. I said I'd write, They did too, But you forgot them, They forgot you. As soon as you were out of sight You went blank in their minds. If you happen to meet them again You find yourselves great friends. This is how it ends, But manages to repeat itself over and over again. Jacqueline Murphy   2C1 THE WEIRD WORLD The weird wonderful wandering mist caught the wind and blew an inn sign swinging, swaying,  in the wind. The small, silent, still city was engulfed in mist. Weird and uncouth shapes rose and fell, The world was silent, Not a soul Was alive. P. Tumey   2C1	SHADOWS OF THE PAST Six centuries of age burdened the tree, And now in death it buckled to the knee. The wind made mournful noises as it went:  I heard this tale as if heaven-sent. The tree saw the Blackfeet fight on the land Bravely with the northerners hand to hand.  But they lost and saw their beloved ones killed And the crops destroyed on the land they tilled. And similar to a dream the voice did pause,  As if bringing from unfathomable stores More news of the tree — and the wait was long.  But then again continued in the song - And the tree saw the Indians slaughter The buffalo as they came to water, In huge herds down from the hills to the plains - Going on for ever like giant chains. But the tree could not see past the mountains From whence the white-maned clouds leapt like fountains, The voice trailed away, permeated By the shifting of the log-side embers. H.E. Bradford    3D
THE KITE A kite flies like a bird in the sky And it soars through the air like a bird And it goes from side to side like grasses blown by the wind. Tony Mulligan   2C3	HEARING One minute I hear children cry, Then a dog barks and a cat purrs; The church bells mingle in my ears, With the sound of angry voices. Suddenly a car screeches, a dog yelps; That's what you'll always hear. Billy Moss   2C3
THE DOG His tail wags feebly, As a person passes by, And the glassy eyes look upwards to plead. They plead for a pat, They plead for a friend, They plead for a home to have, But mostly they plead for life. Their tongues drag in the dust, As they feel they aren't wanted. From following a person they turn and wish. They wish for a pat, They wish for a friend, They wish for a home to have, But mostly want a life. Their body doesn't exist,  Save for skin and bones, They die a slow death. They die without a pitying pat, They die without a friend, They die without a home, They die without a REAL life. Linda McCole    3D	JOURNEY INTO SPRING Clouds  roll  away  into  the  distance. The sun begins to pour warmth Once again onto the earth. Life crawls back into being. Birds, all kinds of birds, Feed their new-born young. Coot, moorhen and dabchick — On water they live, While sand martins seek protection In their sculptured homes. Crows, blown across the sky Like burnt and blackened paper, Seek for something to satisfy Their appetites. Duncan Moore   3D DISEASE Lives filled with agony and pain,  As flesh and body are eaten away.  Like lice it feeds and starts to drain All life away to utter decay. As lice if taken off the scalp Hit again, and again, and again So mashes life to a bloody pulp. Oh disease! We beg you to refrain. It bites and sucks at tender organs Even cries of anguish fill the air, The heart and brain become tender, raw ones, And through all disease never leaves its lair Even though pain runs through every breath Disease only lets go for death. Linda McCole   3D
GOING FAST Trotting slowly down a lane, It looks as if it's going to rain. Then the rain begins to fall, So hard that it will soak us all. Faster! Faster! Come on  Nell, Got to get past Dead Man's Bell. Galloping down the little lane Getting wet from all the rain. Overtaking little streams Galloping faster than in my dreams. At last we're home and in the yard. Steaming and wet — for the rain fell hard. We're home and in the dry at last, But it was fun while going fast!!   THE BLACK CAT In the dark night it creeps,  Its green glaring eyes Floating, floating,  As if it had no body. In the light He's black as night He goes Searching, Searching, For he is hungry. During the day He loves to play, But sometimes he's a pest. There are lots of animals But   I   like  my  Black  Cat  best. E. Armstrong    3G   THE MANOR-HOUSE' The farmhouse was a victorian-style manor, The windows seemed like glassy eyes Staring out into the evening dusk. There was a certain beauty about the place, Which was made even more apparent by the stately surroundings. The fields around were now more still and silent, Than they were at any other part of the day. The tall ash trees to the left of the Rippling brook were swaying silently to and fro in the breeze, Whilst the clouds overhead performed their own special magic, Their shapes changing all the time and then moving swiftly by, As though moving to some unknown destination. To the right, the beauty was blocked out By a small cottage, An old reminder to many, of the olden days, When the house had once been full Of laughing voices and other happy sounds. And there it stands still, In all its great and splendid grounds. Looking more gaunt and frightening now, Than it ever did before, With just the rustling of the swaying branches,  And the rippling of the ardent brook, To remind it of the past. Susan Johnson   4th	WAR 1.    Guns blaze, men fall. No one cares, none at all. 2.   Some dead, some wounded, Loud cries, 'till  another  dies. 3.    Men  rise, men fall. Tombstones rise, for them all. 4.    Will war last? will peace come? No-one knows, No-one will. J. Sarginson   3D   PRISONER OF WAR 352 Squadron, Scramble !! I ran with my friends to the planes. We took off, to search and destroy the enemy. There I see them on the left Twenty planes in all. We change direction, Get them in our sights, Fire! That's one. I'll go after that one over there. "Nick! Behind!" My pal calls over the radio, But too late, my plane's on fire. Must bale out, fast. Loosen the hatch, press the ejector. Hurry! Hurry! At last, I'm away Out of the fight. There goes another one, and another. Good old 352!! Oof! I hit the ground with a bump. Suddenly I'm surrounded by them Oh God! Now what? They want me to get up. Wonder where they're leading me. I look up, we won! The boys are going home. Looks as if I'm going to that truck, Yes, I'm right. "Hi," Someone says, "Fancy meeting you here!" It was another of my Squadron. "Looks like we're together." The truck starts up. Why couldn't I still be fighting? I'd rather be dead than be a P.O.W. How many years will I be held captive? How long until I'm set free to go home? Or maybe I won't, maybe I'll be shot Then I'll never see England again. Susan Green    3D MY HOME Walking my Aunt's one-eyed corgi, Usually through the stream in the village; Losing the dogs in the park, And running breathlessly to catch them; Spending sixpence in the village shop, Or posting a letter barely able to reach the posting slot; All this and much more reminds me of my home. Beverley Lockett   4L

LIFE AND DEATH

(I think perhaps the main thing I would try to do in a nuclear war, in fact any war, would be to keep alive. 'Life and death' according to me, can be summed up in this short verse). Life is like a candle, A candle burning bright, But like a normal clock The life of man goes on, tic toe, tic toe Nothing can be changed, except from Day to night, The candle flickers out. And man is no more. The clock stops, No more tics and no more toes. The life of man is destroyed And perhaps the end of evolution.

Karl Bacchus   3E AGE

His hands were old and wrinkled, they hung motionless by his side. His fingers were thin and brittle and it seemed as though his every move­ment was like an eternity of pain. He hardly moved them now because they were weak and useless. His knuckles were large and smooth. The skin ebbed over them like a rough sea and his nails were white with age. Suddenly his hand stretched out and closed again as if he had clasped a handful of emptiness. His hands went limp, his mind went limp and then he was no more.

Rita Suett   3E

LOOK EVERYTHING IS WAKING  ...

Look everything is waking ... the traffic begins to roar. Lights flash on and off, babies cry and dogs howl. Smoke curls out of the chimneys like old men from their beds. Women in curlers run around the street looking for the late milkman.

Doors slam and men go to work. Some drive noisy cars, other walk through the busy street. Machines dang and bang as they begin to wake from a cold night.

Rita Suett   3E

THE MINERS' RETURN

Up the shafts they climb, Suddenly they appear, With faces covered in grime, And sweat.

Their bodies look worn, Hands covered in blisters and cuts. Greeted warmly, they limp To collect their wages. With twinkling, yet sorrowful eyes They take them.

Down the cobbled and dirty street, Over the hills, and into the valleys, All the time they dream, Of home, and bed. Sleep.

At last they reach home, Greeted affectionately, by their wives. They climb up staircases, and hop into the bath. Their eyes close.

Suddenly, they are awakened, It is morning. Back to the pits.  Tony Hicks   4K

THE ENGLISH GAME OF CRICKET

In cricket you have two sides, one side in, the other side out. Each player from the side that's in goes out in turn until he is out then he comes in and the next player in goes out. Then when the side that were in are all out the side that were out go in leaving the other side out. This goes on until the side in is out and the game ends. However there are such things as not outs, but these just complicate matters. The final scores are totalled and the winning team is the side which scored the most runs while in before it was out. That describes the basic rules of the Simple English Game of Cricket.

T, Robins   4L

MY BIRTH-PLACE The beauty that surrounded me, As I gazed upon the meadows, None could compare with other sights, And say that it was not better. This is the place where I was born, A quiet country dwelling With flowers strewn 'mongst every hedge And birds forever singing. On Sunday morns church bells did ring, I remember that distinctly, And saw the young and old alike, Slip reverently into their pews. And in the evening all was still, Only the wind, in the trees blew. The spooky ancient graveyard stood, And held its peace forever. Cyndy Smalldon   4L

MY HOME The quiet, peaceful church, The village pubs ready to burst on a hot summers evening, Vast green fields and the little bridge over the river, Stepping carefully across canal locks, Picking almonds from trees which grow along the embankment, Swans, ducks, cows, horses, dogs and cats, In village and field and on water. Conkers and scrumping, Finding potatoes left from the harvest, Riding bicycles down the Pikel, Watching donkeys or rushing for a bus or train, Hiding from the Station Master who looked like Humpty Dumpty, Deliberately forgetting to buy a train ticket, The busy main road which now passes by. Beverley Lockett   4th

"KING STREET" Our house was one of many others, The name of the road was "Kings Street", A long dreary place to live with not much Out of the ordinary to see, Just the same things every day. To pass the day with something new would be A conquest for one of us. Then one day a new family came To live with us in our homely way. We thought we'd share with them our Friendly thoughts and games. But we were to see before long, Our efforts were to be wasted in miserable Vain. Their ways were not like ours at all, The father was a cop. None of us liked the cops, because They got a lad from Kings Street once For beating up a V.I.P. And he hadn't really done any harm, Because the bloke was bigger'n 'im. The family didn't think much of us either. But with a name like Rigley-Smyth Can't say I blame them I s'pose. Ours were just ordinary ones like Smith or Jones or even the occasional Different one like Brown or Phillips. Still, the Rigley-Smyths didn't last long, 'Cause we soon saw to that. They took the hint and moved away to London. And we just went back to our old homely ways As if nothing had happened. We were content again — and that was all That mattered. Susan Johnson    4M The liquid of fire, portrays A poetry of great joy. The joy of smelling, hearing, touching and see. See the turbulent sea of delight, On which our knowledge merely laps. Laps like an ever rising tide. But so slowly. Ever so slowly. For ever and ever; slow-men. A. Worley    U6   With expectancy hovering slowly, An empty church awaits,  Warmed only by an organic melody, To pay her last respects to old Alt. One woman was an hour early. I wonder when she last visited Alf? Or perhaps she wanted to listen To a grandson's sad lament on the organ. The rack waits rigidly for its dead-weight. And another happier tune begins. Perhaps art has overcome misery. And I think of the last service I attended for the dead. Another woman has just come in. Annoyed at old Alf, because she wanted To do the flowers now, not wait. Three quarters of an hour is just enough she said and rushed. "We thank thee all our God" With hearts and hands and coffins. The wrong tune surely, but no one else is here yet, Not even Alf. Remembering the story of the son who attended His father's funeral in brown boots, I look down. He said he didn't mind. He also said he had lived too long, Alf. The son had given his black boots to the poor. But no one asked where they were, Just sneered and scoffed and said, "Not a proper Christian, he ain't." A. Worley    U6

FOLKESTONE Folkestone, the place in Kent; We lived there for three years. I used to like going to the beach, Even if it was pebbles, and just to paddle my feet. Every Saturday we would walk down the High Street, And stand outside gazing into the rock shop; Just one man rolling a giant stick of rock, With such skill. Further down the road were stalls of every kind. The school I went to was very pleasant, Everyone made you welcome; even the boys. I used to walk a mile to school and back, It did me good though, as I lost a bit of fat. Our house was new, with central heating, We even had a garden, back and front. The daily routine was school. Except, of course, Saturday and Sunday. On the weekend we would always enjoy ourselves. I wish we had never left Folkestone, To come to Malta. Lynda Bridgart   4J   DENTIST We'd go on the 'bus to Bracknell, Get off at the roundabout And walk down the pebbly lane to the waiting room. It was full of old and worn, but comfortable arm-chairs The large oak table was full of magazines. The paraffin stove gave out an odd smell — Always connected with dentists. The quietness of the people furiously reading, Fighting down the fear of what was about to happen. The white-coated nurse, calling the people in, one by oni Then, the dreaded moment comes, When my name is called. I walk unwillingly into the room, Full of frightening instruments of torture. The black padded chair, always too large. The white face of the dentist looms over me As he pokes around in my mouth With his evil-tasting instruments. At last I hear the longed for voice "That's all right, come again in six months." I dance out of the room, the opposite of how I entered. The people waiting look up in wonder, As I come out of there smiling. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Elizabeth Mason    4M SHERINGHAM Sheringham, a fishing village, On the English coast, Was a fascinating place for me at 10. I can recall walking for hours and hours, Along the rocky shore, Uncovering adventures by the score, And  enjoying every crashing,  roaring wave, That broke about the shore. At night the fishing boats set sail Casting strange shadows on the swirling sea, These heavy clumsy fishing boats, Seemed to me to be giant galleons, That sailed the seven seas. In this small fishing port, I found a heaven, In my younger days. Nigel Thorp   4M

Towards evening all cloud has cleared. Setting off alone in search of paths and peace, a tall wooden gate ahead obstructs the way and a kindly, fat female farmer offers a pod of broad beans in answer to an exaggerated face of lostness. The gate opens onto soft green seas of poppied grass, framed in low, friendly stone walls. But behind them, crouched men spring up on yet another netted, wretched sparrow. Mov­ing on, then sitting in the midst of the tall grass to soothe your angry feelings the quiet bliss of a pale blue sky and the distant silhouette of an ancient beautiful cathedral.

Nothing, nothing but this:— the tall grass and sky. But look again -Martians of television aerials crash down destroying the moment. Spring­ing up irritably you walk on again and slowly calm returns, but soon the careless path betrays you onto the hard, black, noisy main road. A bus and two more scream by, kids and horn and flags harshly blaring "Vote Labour". And more men glare and stare from behind their relentless metal monsters whose noxious parting gestures drown and suffocate all scent of life.

Ellie Hoctor LVI

INFERIORITY COMPLEX

Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Them Me.

Chris  Lawton     L6 Arts

SOLITUDE Shudder! It's cold, too cold. The damp freezing fog Deposits crystals of misery On his tattered mane. The cold clammy clog Seeps into his coat and Clings to his oily skin Like a warted frog. "My God!" he breaths in A cloud of vapour, as the Icy blanket bites his lungs. A car slushes past in The dark cruel night. Lamplight and neon-glare Shine off the bold tarmac And slushy pavements. The   whole grimy grim street Is deserted. The old man lives to die. Chris Lawton    L6 Arts LOVE Brutal  man  see  not your brethren, lying yonder in troubled mind. Feed him the food of life, light his heart with joy, so that you too may rejoice in his change of humour. Love rewards you not only with love, but with eternal life; Love, that you may be loved J. Vincenti    U6	TIMES CHANGE Aqua Vitae in a state of shock Damages the liver. Aspirins give Stones in the kidney. Potatoes, nicotene and coffee Give you cancer. Breathing makes you die. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow it's transplant. A. Worley    U6 THE LAST OF THE BOURGEOIS Lying face down between the high steel walls of the railway track, The grass came up easily, now, between the ribs,of the skeletons. It was all but an age ago when he came. With powerful strides up the embankment,to rest. "Just for an hour" he said, "or two". But the cheap wine was rough. Too rough for a man of his calibre. And a little bread from his battered bag made his meal, His last meal. The judgement day had come, and gone. Leaving him behind. The bourgeois working hard, at the office, failed to notice. All the world was his now. Successful beyond his wildest dreams, or-nightmares ... A. Worley   U6
THE VERGES OF SLEEP Restless, nervous, and uneasy, I lay awake. Dreaming up fantasies of the morrow. Surely things will change? Just one look, one smile. Like the turning of the tide, she must come back. Unspontaneous chain-reaction of thoughts flash through my mind, as quickly as the lights of a passing express, only to pass back to the persistent darkness of sorrow, That constant nagging of my mind. The distractions of the day are replaced by the quietness of dark, And so I sleep; awaiting the morrow, which never comes. J. Vincenti   U6   School Characters (3)         END OF SCHOOL And so I'm turned out, the final product, To be consumed within the world. For now I must leave, my place to be taken up by another To leave my farm where I have grown, Within whose walls I have learnt my mind. From whose facts, knowledge, and wisdom, were once pumped into my subjective mind. I look back on what I've been taught; I realise now that only now can I begin to learn, for now my foundation has been laid. My school-day memoirs come alive. So much has passed since I first walked in a naive and bewildered child. So many things have changed since that day. Looking around me, some five faces alone, Remain from that far off day. It is with mixed feelings I watch these last days pass; As the curtain falls about me, I wonder what lies ahead, And, with the feeling one gets on that last performance of a dramatic production, I look around and say farewell to all I've got to know. Farewell  ... Joe Vincenti    U6	CHRISTMAS DAY Flashing lights of red, white, yellow and green. Meaningless reflections of joy. Laughter, smiles, and happiness. Greetings thrown like confetti to be hurled back in spontaneous respon A Christmas Catherine-wheel of happenings spin around my little world 'When will this superficial age end such plastic mockery'. The wind picks up; so, up collar, and tramp across the wet sod. Alone; I watch the couples hustling by, huddled together, isolated from the cold and cruel. Standing at the corner of a bustling street, I feel caught in a node of wellbeing. With one last lashing of the wind on my hardened face, I slip into the pub. Roars of warm laughter greet my ears. A blanket of blue smoke envelopes my body. Red noses and empty glasses. ! stumble up to the hurried bar-tender, fingering for my last couple of pence. Heaving my exhausted mind up to the counter, my lips shroud the thin rim of glass. As the warm liqueur seeps down my cracked gullet, I stare into the heavy mirror, covered with uneven french chalk. Peering back at me is a barely recognisable figure, An unshaved reject of life. What has happened to me? those cracked lips and sunken cheeks. Searching my pockets, I long to drown my mind; To seek salvation in damnation. Nothing left but despair. "Get a move along there; Out; I'm sure your wives are wondering where you are. I'll get hell if you're not all out in a minute." Out, out; where must I go? Where can I go. In a deep daze I walk out with those transparent people. Into the rain, I loiter down the now dead street. Beyond all care, my worn-out coat becomes drenched in cold. The puddles flow into the thin soles of my shoes. Looking across the road, a dim light reveals a tomb-like alley; I must go and sleep; those precious moments of slumber in which she comes back to me. Then, by some supernatural force, I'm halted in the road. Looking around I become transfixed by the glare of my saviour; coming through the rain --to save me. Closer, closer, brighter and brighter. An almighty exhilarating screech, an ecstasy of pain. "Quick, get him up, ... top late ..." "Damned fool, fancy walking across the road like that. God help his family, poor things, being Christmas an' all' ". What family? "Can we have your name please?" J. Vincenti    U6

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'WHERE THERE'S MUCK, THERE'S BRASS'

I became a dustman for a very simple reason: I was broke. My 'demob' pay had gone, and there were four months to go before the University term — and my grant — was to start. So I found myself report­ing for work one morning at half past seven to the local Council yard, little thinking then that I was destined to do this every summer — and sometimes Easter -- for the next four years!

The foreman who had interviewed me a few days before had explained that his regular men were due to take their annual fortnight's holiday during the summer months — and I was to be their temporary replacement. This meant that I might be involved in any of the jobs in his department from 'Collection' to 'Disposal'.

I began by working on the 'tip' under the kindly surveillance of an old coal-miner whose health had been impaired by long hours of working underground in conditions to which he was obviously not suited. Our job was to sort out the refuse after each lorry had deposited its load. We would wait for the dust to settle, and then like Hillary and Tensing we would climb from the bottom, collecting metal, bones, jam jars, rags or anything else that could be salvaged. All these articles were then to be stacked separately — later to be sold by the Council, who shared the profits with us in the form of a monthly 'Salvage Bonus'.

I think it was in these first few weeks that I began to realise that I had not merely taken on a job, but was being educated in a way that no amount of study could ever provide.

In this world of ours there are countless benefits which we take for granted. We never appreciate electricity until there is a power cut, or the internal combustion engine until our cars break down.

We regard our dust bins in much the same way. Putting something into a dust bin is a final, irrevocable act — the end of the line. The result of this thinking is that things are put into dustbins with a gay abandon which is almost frightening, Students of Sociology ought, I am convinced, to do two months compulsory work on a refuse tip as part of their degree course. They would learn much about the people of the district.

One of the drivers used to keep a tin of 'Brasso' in his cab, and did a very good line of trade with the local pawnshop, selling the brassware which we had found, and he had cleaned. Another driver mended old clocks. It was amazing to see how many articles were salvaged which people had obviously thrown out as 'junk'.

At least there is nothing immoral in throwing out junk. But there is in tying a piece of cord round the neck of a ten day old baby and putting that in the dustbin. We made this awful discovery one wet and windy afternoon. The coroner's verdict was 'Murder by person or persons unknown'. So you see what I mean about people regarding the act of putting something in a dust bin as 'irrevocable'.

In between the arrival of the lorries, old Bill and I would have a minute! Seated on a couple of upturned dustbins, our empire of refuse all around us, we would light our 'Woodbines' and wash the dust from our throats with long draughts of cold tea — made without milk or sugar. Bill would then, between bouts of coughing, entertain me with anecdotes about life down the mine, and I would sit at the feet of Gamaliel, listening to his common-sense philosophy of life.

After completing my apprenticeship on the tip, I was transferred to the work of emptying the bins. I did a week with the 'light' gang, learning the 'Knack' of carrying the dustbins on a leather shoulder pad, and was then moved to the 'heavy' gang. The difference between the two gangs was this.

The light gang emptied the dustbins of all private houses and 'better' residential areas in the district. One man went on ahead of the lorry with a special trolley on which he wheeled the dustbins on to the pavement. They could then be emptied by two men together.

The 'heavy' gangs theatres of operations were the three estates of colliery houses. A coal-miner, even in summer, never uses a shovel to 'mend' his fire. He puts his coal on by the bucketful. Bigger fires more ash. He also sorts out his coal when it is delivered, and any lumps of bad coal — known locally as 'bats' - - he puts in the dust bin — irrevocably!

This of course meant that the bins were heavier, and often hidden under a mound of ash. Each of these bins had to be carried by one man, as the trolley could not be used — but as we got a penny an hour more, we did not mind. We were the elite of the dustbin world -- and I particularly remember feeling flattered when on my return from the University the following summer the foreman sent me straight out with the 'heavies'. I think I realised then that I had arrived!

My particular 'mate' on the heavy gang was an ex-Guardsman who had lost a lung in the Normandy campaign. For the first week he 'nursed' me, taking any bin that seemed by its weight to be glued to the ground. After that we took them as they came, and I soon learned how to duck under archways and open gates whilst carrying a bin and how to avoid trapping my fingers between the bin's handle and the steel side of the lorry when actually 'emptying'.

My 'mate' was splendid company. He was very intelligent, and an excellent conversationalist and raconteur. Politics, literature, music — there was no limit to the subjects we discussed as we did our rounds — and the hours flew by in consequence. I'm happy to say that he has moved on to better things since.

Rain, dogs and insects were our enemies. A dustbin left with its lid off in the rain for an hour becomes twice as heavy, and on being hoisted to the shoulder of the unfortunate dustman invariably treats him to a cold shower of a mixture of water, ash and tea leaves.

As a red rag is to a bull, so is a dustman to a dog. They came in all shapes and sizes — from Alsatians that looked like Timber-wolves to yapping Pekinese — and they all seemed to have one common aim — the annihilation of the enemy — us. The 'gang' were experts at dealing with this menace. They knew every dog in the district, and could tell you each one's peculiarities and tactics.

I remember going to collect a bin one day from a house with a large 'Beware of the Dog' sign on the gate. I was told by the gang that the dog was a Bull Terrier, but that as long as I advanced on him he would retreat. Under their critical eyes I walked down the path to be met by the dog. He retreated, certainly -- until I tried to pick up the bin. Then he advan­ced, with the hair sticking up at the back of his neck, and a sort of rumbling growl of patently enjoyable anticipation in his throat. He just stood with his head about a foot away from my hand — which had frozen to the bin handle — and waited for my next move. We remained like this for some time, whilst I made overtures such as 'Nice dog' - which he re­jected with growls that obviously indicated that he was a 'Nasty dog', and took my words as adding insult to injury.

I was saved by the timely arrival of the dog's coal-miner master, who heaved him bodily into a large Kennel-cum-cage in the yard, and consoled me with the words 'By gum, lad, it's a good job tha didn't move. 'E'd 'ave 'ad thy 'and off. 'E's a real lad, is yon'. I duly emptied the bin and returned to the gang, who had been watching the performance with great glee I only learned then that that was one bin that you never emptied alone.

But most of the dogs were friendly enough. One old veteran, a battle scarred mongrel who looked rather like a Labrador chopped off at the knees, used to meet me every week as we came into 'his' street. He would take my hand in his mouth and trot along as I went down the garden paths to collect. Woe betide any other dog who barked at me then. One day I saw him lay a young puppy flat on its back and apparently worry it before it knew what had happened. The puppy had foolishly yapped at us as we came up the path. Now it was lying with blood all over its throat, and I thought the old mongrel had killed it. However, on closer inspection I found that he had just nipped the pup's ears, and they, as they flapped, had left what looked like a gory, fatal wound across its neck. It didn't yap the following week.

Insects I have mentioned as our enemies. But on reflection I think we developed a kind of resistance to them, and were hardly aware of their presence. Wasps were there in abundance, but no-one was ever stung. Earwigs — known locally as 'Battlewigs' — seemed to have a particular liking to living inside the rims on the under-side of the bins — with the results that if a man was wearing an open-necked shirt one or two were bound to find their way inside it as he carried the bin on his shoulder. Every afternoon on my return home I had to go through a ritual 'de-lousing' ceremony. Without fail I would find a large number of earwigs — squash­ed or otherwise - - inside my shirt. Needless to say the ceremony took place in the garden — or in the toolshed if it rained.

Of the many funny incidents which happened, one in particular has always remained clear in my mind. In one of the colliery villages the back gardens of the houses were very poorly cultivated, and there were no dividing hedges. The bins were always overflowing, and we invariably had to take a shovel with us to clear up the mess, refill the bin, and empty it for a second time. To make our task easier, after returning the empty bin we would take a short cut across the back garden to the house next door.

I did this one morning in company with the foreman and my 'mate'. I was walking about a couple of yards ahead of them, and was just passing the back door of the house, when I was struck at the back of the neck by something hot and wet, which slid in sinister fashion down my neck. This sensation was followed by my being aware of the two who had followed me hooting with laughter, and the wife of the house standing on her back doorstep, cackling with glee. I had received at the back of my neck a bowlful of potato peelings which had been destined for the bin. As the bin was overflowing, the housewife had decided to save time by hurling them in its general direction, and I had intercepted them in orbit. 'I'm ever so sorry, duck (A local term of affection),' she said, between delighted chuckles; 'but then' - - trying to justify her actions — 'you ought to have used the front path you know'.

The other occasion I remember that amused the gang was when the lorry ran over my foot. I was chatting to the driver, leaning on the door of his cab, when someone shouted 'Right' — which was the signal for him to move on to the next gate. Without thinking he let out the clutch, and the front wheel of the lorry rolled gently but firmly over my foot. I hopped _around in agony for a few minutes while the gang crowded round offering advice and trying to hide the laughter in their eyes by pretending to be concerned. Luckily I wasn't hurt seriously, and we pressed on, highly amused.

 

                                                                                                                   
 

 

SCHOOL SPORTS REPORTS

RUGBY  REPORT

With only three players from last years team Mr. Jackson built up a reasonably competent side. Unfortunately the points wouldn't come, partly due to a great weight handicap in the scrum which resulted in a lack of possession. We were also very unlucky to lose our captain Dave Morris at the beginning of the season, when he damaged the cartilage in his knee. The end of the season came with the seven-a-sides. We got to the quarter finals of the plate competition losing to eventual winners H.M.S. LONDON 6-0 in a close and enjoyable game. Needless to say we all came away feeling very fed up that the season had ended.

Results:—

Played 10. Won 2. Drawn 0. Lost 8. Points for 46. Points against 143.

Colours    Bradberry, Davis.

Half Colours J. Vincenti, Woodcock, Metcalfe, J. Lavin,

 

STANDING : Molden, McCole, Sarginson, Fraser, Linehan, Tillson, Burns,Peters, Vincenti P., Owens.

SITTING:   Rogers,   Vincenti   J.,   Lavin,   Bradberry,   Woodcock,   Metcalfe, Gamble.

 

 

 

 

    P 14  W 4  D 2  L 8  F 30  A 51   Pts 10.  Peter Ward

 

BACK ROW. L to R: Keith Mariner, Bill Davis, Bruce Woodcock, Spence Berry, Peter Walker, Bob Gamble, Peter Toghill.

FRONT ROW. L to R: Preston Peters, Howard Linehan, John Lavin, John Molden, Les Law, Nigel Vickery, George Molden.

 

 

 

 

 

COLTS U16 SOCCER TEAM

Maltese Schools League 1970/71

Lyceum                           Lost 6 -1

De La Salle                      Lost 5-0

St. Aloysius                     Lost 4-0

Technical Institute           Lost 5 - 0

Naxxar                             Won 2 - 0

The Colts team was entered in the Maltese Schools League for the first time, and found themselves playing in a very high standard of foot­ball. Although they could often match the opposition with individual skills, the opposition were frequently much bigger than the Colts, and as a result, every match was a real struggle. Also, as the age limit imposed cut across two year groups at school, the Colts took a long time to get used to playing together as a team, and several changes, both in the players and their positions were necessary before a settled team could be found.

KEYSLEY, the appointed captain, gave them an early lead in the first game, but unfortunately neither he nor the rest of the team managed to score again until the last game, when a season's hard work and en­thusiasm was rewarded with a well-deserved 2 - 0 win over Naxxar.

Throughout the season, although the results were a little disappoint­ing, many individuals emerged with a great deal of credit. MARINER had a particularly fine season at centre-half, where his strength and reliability had much to do with keeping five scores just within the bounds of respect­ability. He was ably supported in his defensive role by LINEHAM, BIRD, MOYLE and ARMSTRONG. ROBINS in goal showed great courage against some strong opposition, until a dislocated thumb temporarily interrupted his career. WILKINSON deputised for the next few games and although somewhat unorthodox in his approach, still managed to stop considerably more than he let in.

STANYARD in midfield emerged as the team's most consistent player, and played well in every game, the forwards were given very little room to move, and although the attack, spearheded by KELSLEY, BOWER and BONAS tried hard, they rarely managed to penetrate the opposition's defence.

However, although the results were not as good as expected, the Colts gained invaluable experience both in their training, and tha actual games. It is hoped that this should lead to a much more successful sea­son next year.

 

SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY REPORT

On the whole, not our best season, although our Under 15's deserve credit for some very mature performances against stiff opposition.

The winter programme opened as usual with the Alpine League Races, in which our Under 17's, due more to failure to field a full team than anything else, finished well down. The under 15 team compensated by winning their section after an exciting tussle with the Lyceum.

In the M.A.A.A.'s Shuttle Road Relay race, both teams ran very well, with the seniors finshing fifth, and the Juniors one place higher, in their respective races.

Our under 15's took the honours again in winning the      

 M.S.S.F. cross­ country championships. Congratulations

in particular to            Donnelly (3rd
place) and Smith (5th place). The seniors team finished            fourth, a good
effort in a highly competitive field.

In the M.A.A.A. National Championships, our Under 17 team came fifth, while the Juniors were just beaten for the first place.

In the Annual School Inter-House Cross-Country Championships, Noonan won the Junior race in record time, Keysley the Colts, and Ward the senior race, Drake won the overall championships, thus ending the St. Vincent monopoly of the event.

Lastly, I would like to thank Mr. Ricketts for his support and encour­agement throughout the season.

Peter Ward

SCHOOL ATHLETICS REPORT

On the whole, not a very successful athletics season, with the stand­ard of programme generally lower than  last year.

The first event of the year was the Malta Schools Championship, which we had won last year and hoped to retain. This was not to be, however, and with the Senior team finishing third and the Juniors fourth, we could manage only fourth place in the overall aggregate.

Our results were rather more encouraging in the Malta Youths' Cham­pionships, held at the Marsa Stadium. We fielded only a small team, but everyone did well, in particular Gamble, Rogers and Downton, who be­tween them collected three first places and two seconds. Our team also set up a new national record of 51.1 seconds in winning the 4 x 100m. relay.

Finahy, I would like to extend thanks to Mr. Ricketts for his advice and encouragement throughout the season.

Peter Ward

              

 

BACK  ROW.  L to  R:  K.  Wortley,  I. D'lvry,   P.Ward, 

 S. Downton,   R.Thompson, I. Smith, D.  Metcalfe.

  FRONT  ROW:  L to R:  M. Smith, D.Noonan, T. Lambert,

B. Keyslay, I. Metcalfe, M. Robins, M. Moyle.

56

 

 

 

   

                                              Caroline Gary, Sally Arbuthnot, Theresa Smith, Ann Bacchus, Carol Turley, Debbie Wright.

At the end of the Easter Term we again entered for the Inter-Service 6-a-side Hockey Tournament.

We entered four girls teams, two boys' teams, a Ladies' Staff team and a Men's Staff Team. All the teams played extremely well, sometimes against some quite tough opposition. Tal Handaq Girls II team, consisting of Ann Bacchus, Caroline Carey, Debbie Wright, Theresa Smith, Carol Turley, Sally Arbuthnot and Janet Griffiths, won their section to go through to the final which turned out to be against the Ladies' Staff Team. With experience on the side of the staff but maybe (dare I say it) age against them, the final turned out to be a close thing, resulting in a win for the staff by 2 goals to 1. Both the winners and Runners-up receiving individual cups at the presentation.

M. Kearns

GIRLS'  BASKETBALL

A small group of enthusiasts this year decided they wanted to form a Girls' Basketball Team. The enthusiasm was definitely there but to begin with, the basketball skill was a little dubious !! However the girls worked hard at this and, chiefly by their own efforts, managed to acquire some, if not all of the necessary skills and techniques. The only opponents we were able to find were the girls from the Polytechnic and this team we played five or six times. Although we were never able to beat them, to­wards the end of the season, we were definitely improving to the extent that we were rapidly closing the gap in the scores. Next year may see the break-through; the enthusiasts came from the following:—

Ann Bacchus, Debbie Bradman, Maddy McKenzie, Sarah Braithwaite, Judy Fletcher, Rita Auger, Carol Turley, Jo Robinson, Chris. Henderson.

M. Kearns

SCHOOL SAILING                             SAILING    CLUB    IN    ACTION

School sailing this year has differed from previous years, because of the merger of the Malta Army and Naval Sailing Clubs. Training is now carried out in 'Bosun' class dighies at Hay-Wharf. Several new people have been introduced to the Sport and should soon be qualified helms­men.

The actual instruction is carried out by people who are already qua­lified, under the watchful eye of Mr. Roberts and Mr. Tatton. Teaching people how to Sail is not easy and many helmsmen have learned much in self control. This year, school helmsmen have made up more than half the Malta Army dinghy team. Tal Handaq helmsmen have also taken most of the top places in Regattas. The school now has over twenty helmsmen, which makes it possible to hold an Inter-house sailing competition for the first time.

This year we say goodbye and thank you to Mr. Tatton         

and Mr. Roberts who have devoted much of their time and skill to school sailing.

Martin Donnelly

 
Friendly games.

(a)      Luxol     (L)   28  -  45  (b)     Polytechnic    (L)   46  --  56   (c)     Polytechnic (L) 46  -  56  (d)  Exiles  (L) 32  -58   (W)   37 

  (e)  Polytechnic  (L)  32  -  44

 

HORSE  RIDING

The Combined Services Saddle Club is situated next to the Malta Mounted Police Stables, Racecourse Street, Marsa. Flight Lieutenant Bowen is the Stable Manager, and the Chief Pony Club Instructress is Mrs. Sheldon, who normally takes out the rides.

The Saddle Club caters for Tal Handaq riders on Thursday and Friday afternoons. The Fourth year ride on a Thursday afternoon and the Fifth and Sixth years on a Friday afternoon. In all there are eighteen riders in the School, which is quite a good number considering that riding was started as a School sport only last September. It costs 107- to actually join the club, and £2 per month to ride once a week. There are twenty-two riding horses in the Stables, of which approximately eighteen are also used for Polo.

We arrive at the Stables in time to help with the 'tacking-up'. This term means to put the saddles and bridles on the horses. The ride itself generally consists of walking and trotting around the race-track followed by about twenty minutes of basic schooling in the paddock. This helps us to maintain our balance and control the horse properly. The ride ends with a canter down the straight. Shortly we will be getting some jumping instruction. The height of the jumps has to be restricted because of the hardness of the ground.

When we return to the Stables after the ride we are asked to 'untack' our horses, water them and put them into their respective boxes. 

If it is raining, or the ground is too wet for us to ride, Mrs. Sheldon gives us lectures on Stable Management, this includes such things as; mucking out the stable, cleaning tack, grooming, and learning about the different points (parts of the anatomy) of a horse. We are also told how to recognise common illnesses, for example Colic, and how to treat them until a Vet arrives, if necessary.

On Sunday, June 6th, the Malta Horse Show will be held at the Marsa Although it is during the exams, it is hoped that some of us will be able to participate.

Linda Sherwood    Upper VI

This year has been one of enjoyment rather than fulfillment for Drake We have entered enthusiastic teams for all sporting events and in some cases this enthusiasm has met with success.

Our greatest achievement was the resounding success we had in winning the interhouse cross-country championship. The senior team in particular gave a fine example of team running when our six runners re­turned amongst the first 14 home. The juniors and Colts had previously run well and laid the foundation for our success.

The senior Rugby and Soccer sides were occasionally weakened at the beginning of the year due to lack of support. Those who did play, however, were all keen and gave a good account of themselves under the fine captaining of Les Law. It is good to see this Senior Soccer team play with quiet confidence without shouting and abusing each other.

The Colts Rugby and Soccer teams led by Boaz Keyslay have acquit­ted themselves excellently taking second place in their section of the leagues. In the six-a-side competition the Colts won their section and helped the house to second overall position.

The junior Soccer side, which has a large number of 1st year boys in it, played some excellent football and shows great promise. In Rugby too they have shown a lot of skill and although they lost two of their games it was by a very small margin in both games.

In the minor Soccer league Drake finished above the other house teams entered but were pipped for 1st place by a very good St. Andrews team.
 

Drake  House  Report  (Girls)

Drake has by no means been outstanding in any particular sport this year. The School year invariably starts off with a burst of enthusiasm from all sides and this year was no exception. We arranged Netball practices most weeks and we played the matches towards the end of the term.

The results showed how worthwhile the practices were, regarding the juniors, as they came second but the seniors were not so' successful and overall Drake House came third. I think the goal shooters deserve

a special mention because of their outstanding performance    the junior

shooters  being  Colleen  Rea and Judith  Housby and the seniors Sally Arbuthnot and Sue Dalton.

The Hockey matches also, provided a good Saturday morning's en­tertainment end, despite the inevitable moan about having to get up on a Saturday morning, the House put up a splendid show. The juniors fought exceptionally hard and were placed first in their section. The seniors, how­ever, were not so fortunate and only won one match. The final result was a draw between Nelson and Drake, but on goal average, Drake lost by a mere decimal of a goal. Our final position was second.

We are still in the midst of the badminton matches and so far Drake has not been very successful. However, we hope to be more fortunate in the coming athletic and swimming sports.

In general Drake girls have proved to be a very good house this year, and there has been no lack of enthusiasm and support. I should like to thank all those who did turn up to cheer the House during the various matches and also those who helped with the refreshments. These were financed from the Drake House Fund to which all (I trust!) contributed. The juniors were especially conscientious about this, and it was they who during the Christmas term made up from scraps of wool a blanket for the orphans. House literary competitions seem to be lacking this year, although it it hoped that they will be resumed during the next.

In particular I should like to thank Miss Turner and also Miss Gallacher whose support, enthusiasm and encouragement have been un­failing. A special mention must also go to Caroline Fox, our Games Cap­tain, end much of Drake's success can be attributed to her.

Finally Caroline and I should like to say goodbye and wish the house every success in the future.

Caroline Gary (House Captain) Caroline Fox (Games Captain)

Hawkins  House  Report  (Boys)

I would like to begin by thanking Tim Patterson, my Games Captain for undimmed enthusiasm throughout the year. Also my thanks go to A.C. Frost, C. Donnelly, Scott Tilson and Bob Gamble for arranging teams etc. for inter-house games.

Unfortunately, due to lack of response from the other houses, there have been no activities other than the standard games to report on.

SENIOR RUGBY

Hawkins had another successful season on the Rugby field. We were represented by six school players evenjy distributed between the forwards and backs. Davis was the "Shining Light" in the forwards and fully de­served his school colours at the end of season. Burns and Vincenti, our other school forwards, played with enthusiasm and consistency. Gamble, Woodcock, and Lavin made our back division the best in the school, and with strong, straight running posed many problems for the opposition. Callaghan also deserves mention for a fine season at scrum-half. In the seven-a-side, Hawkins distinguished themselves. Thanks to two tries by Lavin we moved into the final where Gamble, switched to scrum-half in the absence of Callaghan, scored three tries. Woodcock was undoubtedly our "player of the year" for his good work in defence and attack, and also his goal-kicking.

R. Gamble

COLTS RUGBY

This year's Colts rugby team had a fair year but we could have done better. Everyone put a big effort into each game, but a few unlucky breaks doomed us.

The game against St. Vincent, which was due to start at 10.15, started at 9.00, so we ended up playing three men short for the first part of the game.

There was some excellent playing from Chris Donnelly and Carl Bac­chus, third years who should prove a great asset to the Colts next year.

Sean Hutchinson, Clay Owens, and Scott Tilson, Americans un­familiar with the game, found it very exciting.

In all, it was a team effort and everyone did his part.

S. Tilson

JUNIOR RUGBY

Hawkins junior Rugby team had a very successful season without suffering one defeat. The first match was against St. Vincent whom we beat 9-0. The second match, against Nelson was won 22-3. Our final match decided the competition. After a good match against our opponents, Drake, we emerged the winners by 15-5. We also won our section in the seven-a-side tournament, again beating Drake in the final. The attendance was good and I would like to thank, on behalf of the housemaster, all the boys that participated.

A.C. Frost

SENIOR SOCCER

Here Hawkins played with inconsistency. With a fair amount of talent in the side we were still unable to make an impression. With three school players in Gamble, Lavin and Woodcock, we should have done much better. Stanyard showed himself to be a skillful and consistent half-back and if the rest of the side had shown such attributes we would undoubt­edly have done better. Congratulations to Burns for his brave efforts in goal.

R. Gamble

COLTS SOCCER

The team this year was full of enthusiasm but, alas, did not have sufficient skill to make an impression. The team was unlucky in only ob­taining one point for all its efforts. Two players who stood out in the matches were Tony Bobbins (goalkeeper) and David Theobald, the latter being our top goal scorer. Hoping for better things in the six-a-side, the team played with great vigour only to be narrowly beaten in both our games by one corner point.

C. Donnelly JUNIOR SOCCER

For Hawkins Junior football team, this season was not one of the happier ones, gaining only four points out of a possible twelve. This was due to the fact that the opposition was very strong. The four points how­ever came with two wins over Drake.

S. Fennel!

CROSS COUNTRY

in the inter-house cross-country we came fourth with 321 points. C. Donnelly, for the Colts, won a very hard fought second place in a time of 15 min. 15 sees.

BASKET-BALL

In the basket-ball championship, Hawkins won a well deserved second place.

ORIENTEERING

Hawkins' overall position in the orienteering was a disappointing fourth with 480 points. A special mention must go to Martin Donnelly who came third equal with 123 points. All but one completed the course.

Adrian C. Worley (House Captain)

Hawkins House  Report  (Girls)

GENERAL REPORT

At the beginning of the year, we welcomed Miss Wood as House Mistress. Since then she has helped the Hockey and Netball teams alike, encouraging players in senior and junior events. We were all very sad to say good-bye to Debby Bradley, formerly Games Captain. At the moment she is building up a basket-ball team in a school in the Canary Isles, whilst back at Tal Handaq Jo Robinson has taken over her job. I'd like to thank both Jo and Miss Wood for all their help, and the house for all their support throughout the year.

Jane Stephenson GAMES REPORT

The results of the inter-house team events were not as promising as the previous year; Hockey, after much hard work, brought us third in all, whereas we were first last year. In netball we came last - - (third last year), but although the Badminton tournament was not completed due to early exams., we were holding the highest score.

Finally I'd like to thank all Hawkins house for their constant co-opera­tion and enthusiasm all through the year.

Jo Robinson

Nelson  House  Report  (Boys)

JUNIORS

This year Nelson Juniors enjoyed a moderate degree of success, coming second in all three of the main events. In football the Juniors won three, drew one, and lost two. The outstanding players being M. Boyd, S. Ginn, C. Riggs and B. Jones. In the cross-country, Nelson indi­vidually came first and second, with D. Noonan establishing a new record time of 15.32 minutes, closely followed by M. Robbins.

The Rugby team won one, drew one and lost to the strong Hawkins team. In this, the best players were K. Jones and B. Kerry.

D Noonan

COLTS

Nelson Colts, though small in stature, and small in numbers showed that skill is paramount when it comes to winning games! The only section lost was the Soccer six-a-side.

The Rugby team played intelligently, keeping the game open and constantly feeding their three-quarters. Credit must go to the new boys John Anderson and Geoff Hart who played extremely well, and to Pete Southwick who was without a doubt Nelson's best player. We also won a seven-a-side with all members playing with spirit and determination.

The Colts won the Soccer league in great style, dropping onlv one point in six games. Nelson played with an excellent team spirit, with Phil Chandler and Billy Griffiths playing well in every game and Robert Bower being the league's top scorer.

Disaster struck the Colts in the six-a-side competition. Starting as firm favourites we soon lost our hold and finished a sorry third.

The Cross-Country was snother triumph for the Nelson Colts. Credit for this must go to Mike Smith and Mike Rowlings who ran particularly well.

A very good year for Nelson Colts mainly due to an excellent team spirit and a willingness to participate and enjoy their games.

Thanks Everyone!

Robert Bower SENIORS

The Senior football team had a moderately successful season taking second place on goal average. The house was served well by P. Walker, P. Peters, H. Lineham and J. Molden (Captain). It was in the six-a-side competition where the seniors excelled themselves, disposing of the stronger all-round Drake team in the final. T. McCole proved himself to be a capable goalkeeper

The Rugby team played well winning two games and drawing the other without conceding a point. Nelson had to be content with third place in the seven-a-side competition after a tough battle with Hawkins in the semi-finals.

Nelson kept up its good record in Orienteering by winning this event for the third time. Most of the credit for this goes to Dick Mason whose skillful map reading and determined running earned his first place.

Nelson came second over-all in the Cross-Country mainly due to the efforts of the Juniors and Colts.

The Table-Tennis cup was retained by an exceptionally strong Nelson team, who only lost one game out of twenty-seven.

The Basketball cup was won by a Nelson team who were strong in defence and quick in attack, and proved to be far superior to the opposi­tion.

SUMMARY

An excellent effort by all members of the house has resulted in our winning half the cups so far presented and being firm favourites to win the Inter-House Competition Cup. In conclusion I wish to express my thanks to all who have worked so hard to bring about such a successful year for Nelson. In particular my thanks to John Molden our games Cap­tain; his skill at various sports and his organisation of our Senior games has in no small way contributed to our leading position. To the House-Masters my thanks for their help and encouragement throughout the year.

Pete Walker (House Captain)

Nelson   House   Report  (Girls)

This year has been a highly successful one for Nelson girls. I would like to thank all those who have participated in house matches, support for house activities has been more than satisfactory. In particular I would like to thank Rita Auger our Games Captain. She has worked efficiently and her persistent efforts to rally support have not gone unrewarded. In the Netball Tournament, the Nelson team, won all their matches, with the exception of that against St. Vincent and their overall position was second.

The hockey results were even more satisfactory. The Seniors won two of their matches and drew the third, whilst the Juniors won two and lost the third. The results were extremely close but Nelson managed to hold first position on goal average. The Athletics and Swimming events are to come. Support could be better for the Athletics and I hope this point is heeded by all Nelson girls, particularly the Fourth years. House acti­vities this year have been centred around Sport. It is pleasing to note the contributions made from Nelson girls in school teams in Netball, Hockey and Basketball. Special notice should be given to those girls, particularly the Fourth years. House activities this year have been centred around Sport. It is pleasing to note the contribution made by Nelson girls, in school teams in Netball, Hockey and Basketball. Special notice should be given to those girls, particularly from the younger section of the House, who, in participating in outside activities such as the guides, have worked so hard in collecting for charities.

Literary appreciation this year seems to have suffered but perhaps, nearer the end of term, some efforts will be made to rectify the situation. I would like to conclude by thanking Mrs. Harland, our housemistress, who has displayed keen interest and has given great encouragement in all House affairs throughout the year. As this is probably my last year at Tal Handaq I will take the opportunity to express my hopes that Nelson will continue to do well in the future and wish good luck to all its members.

Ann Bacchus (House Captain)

St. Vincent House Report (Boys)

This has not been one of St. Vincent's better years, although I hasten to add that this has been due to no lack of effort or team spirit.

SOCCER

The inter-house competition proved to be our only major success of the year, and we won the overall championship, dropping only nine points out of thirty six. Our seniors in particular deserve credit for maintaining an unbeaten record in their six games. Barry, Molden, Vickery, Morgan and Ward all played for the school. We finished third in the six-a-side competi­tion.

RUGBY

After completion of the programme of nine games, St. Vincent were firmly established at the foot of the table. Any hopes of the Seniors finish­ing in a high position, were ruined by injuries to Bradberry and Morris, while our Colts and Juniors suffered from lack of experience. Bradberry, Morris and Vincenti played for the First XV. We improved our position by one place in the 'sevens'.

CROSS-COUNTRY

A string of successive wins came to an abrupt halt this year, when St. Vincent gained only third place in the annual cross-country champion­ships. This was despite taking the first three individual places in the Senior race, and courageous runs by Colts and Juniors.

BASKETBALL

I am sorry to say that we were unable to field our best side in any of the games, and as a result finished only third in the competition. In one match we took the field with only three men; a record speaking for itself!

ORIENTEERING

Tremendous enthusiasm was shown for this relatively new event, and we gained second place, equal with Drake.

CONCLUSION

As can be seen from the above results, St. Vincent have not been as successful as in previous years. However, with the Cricket, Athletics and Swimming sports still to come, there is plenty of time to make amends, and I am sure that we will.

Finally, I would like to extend grateful thanks to Messrs Jackson, Davies, Smith, Kitson, and Bonner, for their untiring support throughout the year.

Pete Ward (House Captain)

St. Vincent House Report (Girls)

House activities this year have been concerned mainly with sport. The teams were enthusiastic and they enjoyed participating in the various games which proved to be very successful in certain cases, especially the netball, and I hope this will continue in the future. This was not only due to the players themselves, but to the keen supporters who helped with refreshments and so special thanks to all concerned.

I would like to thank Carol Turley, our Games Captain, who with con­stant enthusiasm organised the teams and helped them to success, and many thanks to Ann Broadway deputy Games Captain, and Julie Soar deputy House Captain for their help.

Finally on behalf of St. Vincent, I would like to thank Mrs. McClure for her constant assistance and encouragement, which has helped the house considerably throughout the year.

Sue Gray (House Captain)

GAMES REPORT

Owing to much enthusiasm and hard practising by all our Netball teams we were able to reach first place overall, with first in the Juniors and Middle school and a third in the Seniors, after many close and excit­ing games. So congratulations to all teams. Alas, our Hockey was not quite so successful, coming third after many hard fought games. The inter-house Badminton mixed doubles are not yet finished but we seem to stand a good chance of being well placed.

In the future we are looking forward to and training for Sports Day and the Athletics. We also hope to have inter-house tennis matches in the foreseeable future. Lastly I would like to thank all St. Vincent girls for their constant enthusiasm, Sue Gray our House Captain for her continuous help during practices and also Mrs McClure for her encouragement and enthusiasm in organising the games.

Carol Turley (Games Captain)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIR SCOUTS

(1st Luqa (Home) Malta G.C.)

There are many scout groups in Malta, but the 1st Luqa Home Troop is the only Air-Scout troop on the island.

Our Headquarters is stationed at R.A.F. Safi. We have been given some large huts for our scouting uses. We are supervised by four scout leaders, although we are going over to a new system of the Four Patrol Leaders running the troop. The four patrols are Nimrods, Lightnings, Jaguars and Phantoms, all of which are recognised aircraft. The meeting starts at roughly 6.00 p.m. and finishes at 8.00 p.m. on a Friday night. From the new system of the Patrol Leaders running the troop we are trying to extend the meeting a little longer so we can do more scoutings.

UNIFORMS

We of course have our own special uniform. It is not a strict uniform, only a pair of school trousers, a blue shirt with long sleeves, a green and gold neckerchief which can be obtained from the Scout Shop at Floriana and the Scout Headquarters at Safi. An R.A.F. blue beret is included or, if that is not possible, a navy blue beret from the Scout Shop (Floriana). Badges are provided when the person joins the scouting group. Black or brown shoes can be worn. The normal subscription asked for is 1/- a week, which is used for equipment, scouting aids, badges from the U.K. and camping equipment etc. There is also a tuck shop where soft drinks are sold.

CAMPING

The Patrol Leaders arrange many exciting camps, hikes and exhibitions etc. We have just finished a very exciting Easter Camp which Lightning won on points and were rewarded with a shield which records the annual Easter Camp winners. Our G.S.L. (Group Scout Leader) is trying to arrange a summer camp for us in Cyprus (1971). If we do not go to Cyprus we will definitely go to R.A.F. II Qortin on Gozo. We are sure that before this camp there will be many camps layed on for us. We have a number of tents and good camping ground. The troop welcomes any newcomers who wish to become a part of the world-wide brotherhood of scouting.

Peter Terry            3F

Michael Ingram    3E

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

This year saw the revival of the Society which has been lying dormant for some months. It is now under the supervision of Mr. Getter. Membership is open to all years of the school and the members now range from the first to the fifth forms.

The simple but fascinating processes of developing and printing are taught to all members and they are encouraged to undertake these processes themselves. The school's darkroom is not enormous but it is ade­quate and all of the equipment needed is provided.

The society has not yet re-established itself completely but we are looking forward to next year when it should be thriving.

A. Haley    4L

BRIDGE CLUB  REPORT

A small but enthusiastic group of 5th and 6th Form pupils have re­cently been introduced to the intricasies of Rubber Bridge by Messrs. Jackson and Butler. Tuition and practice is given on Thursdays in the quiet of the Prefects Room after school and it is hoped that more pupils will accept the challenge of this great game when the club re-starts in the Autumn term. The only requirement is a knowledge of the mechanics of simple Whist, an enjoyment of card play, and a certain amount of low cunning !

THE ART CLUB

The Art Club is usually held every Thursday after school in Room 27Q and is organised by Mr. Singleton.

All sorts of materials are available and we can do any work we like.

Sometimes we have models for life drawing but this is mainly for the 'O' and 'A' level candidates. Anyone may go along but they must remem­ber to put their names down for the late bus.

R. Riley    4L

PAPERBACK CLUB

A school Paperback Club has recently been established with the object of introducing pupils to a wide variety of cheap, yet good quality paperback books, many of which are difficult to obtain.

Mystery Fiction, Animal Stories, Hobbies, Classics, Poetry, Humour, Quizzes, Sport, References, and Handbooks are among the various selec­tions offered.

Prices range from 3/- to 6/- and pupils may pay outright or by instalments if they wish; some prices are cheaper than ordinary retail prices.

Each member receives a news sheet each month, giving details of the books available, and various competitions which are held; in addition, for every five books purchased pupils receive one free book.

Books may also be purchased for parents, brothers and sisters if required.

Any pupil is free to take part in the scheme, and there is no obligation to buy any book at all if you do not wish to do so.

All pupils who are interested in this club are asked to consult Mr. A. Strong or any other member of the English Department, who will give further details.

MUSIC CLUBS

During the year the various musical activities have continued around the school. A recorder group was formed after Christmas, and now appears regularly at school Assembly. The senior and junior choirs appeared with some success at prize-day and have continued to meet during the term, although members of both seem to become rather absent-minded about regular attendance, especially when the weather is good. There is a small instrumental group which will have made its debut by the time this article appears.

One of the most welcome innovations in school music has been the formation of a folk-club, under the general supervision of Mr. Bonner. Some very pleasing music has been forthcoming, including original songs by members. Several sixth formers led the singing of three songs by Sydney Carter at assembly just before Easter, and it was felt that this sort of thing could well be done more often, given suitable material.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH

During the course of the Autumn term seventeen young people ex­pressed an interest in becoming candidates for the award scheme. Of these ten were girls and all in the fourth forms. With one exception all candidates are entering the scheme at Bronze level. There has been some difficulty in making arrangements for suitable courses to be estab­lished for candidates but most are now occupied in following activities in one or two sections of the scheme.

It is planned to carry out the expedition training and the expedition itself during the course of the current term. It should be emphasized that success in the scheme depends very largely on the initiative, enthusiasm and interest of the candidates themselves. Several members of staff are fully prepared to give help and advice where required but the "drive" must come from you — you who have entered the scheme.

FOLK CLUB

The folk club started at the beginning of the Spring Term, and after an unsteady start began to get regular support mainly from the junior forms in the school. It was helped during the first few weeks by some stir­ring performances from Dominic Wujastyk, Mark Bradberry and Janet Harvey, whose efforts prompted other members of the club to come for­ward and do what proved to be some excellent performances. Particular mention should be made of two separate groups of second form girls. The first group performed two of their own compositions, which were really of a very high standard and the second group produced some excel­lent arrangements of popular folk-songs.

We would welcome any new members next session, particularly those who are willing to add their vocal or instrumental talents to those already in the school.

OLD PUPILS PAGE

Unfortunately there are many former pupils who leave Tal Handaq and are never heard of again. This however is counteracted by the fact that many who have left a considerable time ago continue to give us news of themselves. Martin Fuller who gained a "First" at Exeter last year has been accepted by the Administrative Branch of the Civil Service.

With the increase of University places during the last decade there are quite a few former pupils reading for degrees at various Universities and Colleges of Education. Manchester appears to be a popular choice. Christopher Stevens and Peter Ross are in their final year there; David Radford in his second year - - his wife (Josephine Mogridge) is at a nearby College of Education - - Evan Potts is in his first year, reading Business Studies.

At Leeds, Linda Wigglesworth, after gaining three Grade A's at A level is reading Modern Languages -- also there, is Martin Powell who is fol­lowing a Business Course.

Wendy Coupe is in her third year at Homerton College of Education and has been accepted by Newnham College to take a degree in Chemis­try and Education - - Her sister Christine is working for A levels at Sut-ton High School.

Cameron Beason is in his first year at Southampton, while Linda Oiver has started at Swansea.

At Colleges of Education are Rosemary Arden, in her first year at Roehampton, Janet Baker in her last year at St. Osyth's College of Edu­cation, Clacton, Lynn Edmonds has finished her course at Bretton Hall and now married (Mrs. Stuart Reeves) and is teaching.

Bill Duncan who qualified at the same college is in his second year at an all boys school in Bermuda which he enjoys very much. He had pre­viously taught at Wakefield Grammar for a couple of years. He combines his teaching job with that of organist at the parish church. Pamela Gard, whose mother was for some time the school secretary, has been teaching Maths in a boys' school but is now on supply in the Bristol area as she intended to get married this spring.

Ewart Shaw is in Australia, he hopes to enter a University there.

Felicity Burge and Christopher McReady were married in July 1970 - they first met in the VI form. Felicity works with the B.B.C. on the Open University project and Christopher is an account executive with Bruning's Advertising.

Angela Salter (Gallop) has moved to Northamptonshire, she now has two small sons.

One of her contemporaries, Pamela Hinton has a six months' old little girl and Paula Goodale (Gilbert) has just had a son.

Rosemary Andrews is working in an hotel in St. Albans and is really enjoying her job, she tried several careers before finding the right one. She is near Rosemary Dearden who is teaching Geography in the Gram­mar School at Tring so they meet frequently and I am sure their Tal Handaq days are often discussed.

Linda Perry, after a year in a bank, has changed her job to the South­ern Gas Board where she is working with their conversion to Natural Gas. She gave news of Heather Coggeshall who is now working as a Short­hand-Typist for an Electrical firm in Fareham.

Susan Dodson is a management-trainee with Marks and Spencer. Malcolm Aldworth is studying surveying and his brother Roy is doing a three year course at Southampton Technical College in Boat Build­ing.

Some of our American pupils have sent us news — Debby Bradley is at the American school at Las Palmas and returns to Texas in the Sum­mer to start a University course in September. Patricia Goodwin is doing a nursing course at the University of New Mexico. Richard Ball is now in the United States Navy.

Michael Jones has joined the Police Force and Jane Savage is a Policewoman with the Cardiff Force — she thoroughly enjoyed the strenuous training course.

Allison Bigden, Patricia Longland and Rosemary Fisher are all doing Secretarial work in London. Helen Springhall called at Tal Handaq re­cently — she is working with I.C.I, near Reading.

Karin Parkin has been working with her step-father's firm in Holland but hopes to return to Malta if she can find a suitable post.

Both Claire and Nicola Barraclough have settled happily into their new schools at Farnham and Christine Wilkinson is at Guthlaxton Upper School, Leicester where, in spite of there being only 4th, 5th and 6th forms, there are forty prefects.

This is only a cross-section of the many activities and courses which our ex-pupils are doing but there is, in all their letters, a real affec­tion and feeling of nostalgia for their days at Tal Handaq which is evi­dence that The Services Secondary School is not such a bad place after all.

 

 

  School Characters (4)

SUB PREFECTS:

Ann Broadway  Diane Lawrence  Valerie Rees  Jean Stewart   Sue Gray  Diane Cornish  Rita Auger 

Caroline Malinowska   Adria Rosser  Linda Sherwood  Annette Harrison  Theresa Smith

 

 

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