Tal Handaq Magazine 1974 - Tal Handaq Nostalgia

Badminton was introduced into the House Championship this year and the result of this competition was a tie for first place between Tedder and Cunningham, both of whom beat

Allanbrooke and drew with each other. Dave Philips and Chris Dillon are both in the school team and are partners, Helen Male and Debbie Brankin added to the excitement of the game their enthusiastic playing.

So far then this has been a most successful year for boys of Cunningham house, having won no less than five up to the Easter break. Furthermore in three of those events we have move up from third place to take the championship This has not been achieved by an influx of new pupils throughout the school; it has been achieved by what is basically same pupils, who have played their sports with a new-found spirit and enthusiasm, which, if maintained, should ensure greater success in the future.

I would like to thank all those boys who turned up to matches and Dave Phillips our games captain, who manages to find a football team from thin air.

Finally I extend my thanks to the masters especially Mr Bonner, our House Master, who has given us his undaunted support throughout the year. Incidentally my sympathies go to Mr. Ricketts who tried to introduce streaking as an after school activity! His only comments are "Wait until sports day".I

THE SPONSORED WALK
On the morning of Saturday, the second of March I woke up and got myself reluctantly out of bed. I looked out of the window to see a bright sun staring me in the eye. I was pleased because it meant that the walk would not be cancelled because of bad weather. So I dressed in my red track-suit top, a pair of white shorts and a pair of long white socks. Before I put my socks on, I sprinkled my feet with talcum powder. After getting dressed I put on a pair of leather shoes and tried to get more sponsors, but only one sponsored me, bringing my total to the grand sum of 4© cents per mile! After breakfast which consisted of a small bowl of cornflakes followed by smoked haddock (plenty of protein — I needed it!) Mum, Dad, my two brothers and I, loaded ourselves into the car and set off for St. Andrews.
On arrival at 10 a.m., we clambered out of the car and walked over to our respective reception tables. There were tables for each of the four Service Children Schools and one for the brave adults who decided to take part. After checking in and receiving the route map, I started off on my first lap where I met Stephan Taylor and Shaun O'Carrol. Later on we met Andrew Dearlove. We started off running and all finished running together. We went running round the second lap, but on the third lap my 'legs felt the strain, and my feet began to hold me back. Andrew and Shaun left me and Stephan behind.
When Stephan and I got back, he had to go and have his lunch, and I met Andrew again and the two of us started running. We kept up our pace -until the third and worst mile. Andrew was to complete 8 laps (8i2 miles), which was the farthest walked. To pass the time as we ran with his dad, who was acting as a pacemaker and keeping us going, we chattered about other people and the way we felt. By this time we were very tired but enjoying ourselves. When St. Andrews came into view I decided to have a drink and a sandwich (or two).
About five minutes later we were running again. It was my fifth lap and Andrew's seventh. We ran round with his dad still urging us on, and eft the second mile we met Shaun and Stephan again, with whom we went round back to St. Andrews and dropped off the latter two. We soon reached the first mile post

and passed Cmdr. Law. We asked him how he felt — "Tj said. If all his sponsors paid up, he would collect £70. mile was utter torture for the gravel pierced the soles shoes. We ran the last mile to take the pain away, | faster we went the less the pain. We finally ran reception table and felt like collapsing. I had walked and felt (in my opinion) great achievement and enjoymi
More than 50 people walked 20 miles, four people wi miles, and one person Andrew Dearlove — walked Altogether, if everybody paid up, over £2000 would be c
That night, I bathed my feet and covered them in My poor dad had to pay out over £10 in sponsor money, was only to glad to do it. The money went towards bl homes for the mentally handicapped Service children. I that noboby minds paying out anything for such a worth!
(Footnote — Tal Handaq School collected £75(1 towal most worthy cause. A tremendous effort).
Victor Weekes 1A1

An undoubted highlight in the year's activities. How to recall it? 'We thought perhaps three or four different points of view, two young members of the cast, a young English lady from The Sacred Heart School and one older school viewpoint.

CHULALONGHORN SPEAKS ALL WILL LISTEN
Rodgers and Hammerstein's film debut — 'The King and I" was taken from the book 'Anna and the King of Siam'. The serialised B.B.C. version inspired our Tal Handaq production team. A group of able singers were urgently needed and Mr. B. Menhams began the auditions
The lack of rehearsal time spurred on our talented performers even to the extent of sacrificing lunchtime and after school hours. Mr. Singleton eventually emerged triumphantly from the pile of paint, props and scenery; not to forget Mr. Leonard, Mr. Jones and Mr. (Buddah) Ward. From the depths of the makeup
department, led by Miss Mckenson evolved the Amazons, covered from head to foot with a mixture of gravy 'browning, coffee essence, cocoa and water. I prince Chuluonghorn, had my hair dyed with the mixture and then covered with hairspray! The needlework department made our excellent costumes.
Then came the dress rehearsal..,but everything went smoothly with only a few minor alterations. The day ended with 3 happy notes...home, rest and No Homework! Thursday — the big night and as the buses arrived one noticed the bustle of activity, everyone trying to hide their nervousness. When I was due to speak I was sure that it would be followed by fits of laughter. Not so, and the tension inside me relaxed. As I say this, I am sure that I speak for everyone involved on stage. We were fortunate to have a good audience who clapped when they were expected to and laughed at the appropriate times. We all felt that Thursday had been a great success and were anxious to repeat the same outstanding performance on Friday
On Friday most of us were feeling a little bit conceited over the previous nights success. Towards the end of the show one of the wires that drew the curtain together snapped, with the result that the audience was left clapping for ages while a way to close the curtains was thought out. Luckily the problem was solved without any great embarrassment. Saturday went without a hitch, except in the schoolroom scene. A map failed to roll down when desired by 'Lewis'. The restraining knot was untangled by Anna (Miss Lattimer). She made the audience laugh by saying that it was just a big Siamese knot!
Monday and Tuesday went well and after Tuesday's perfor¬mance we had a party for all those involved. At the party, Miss Beckett was presented with a silver bracelet, Mr. Menhams received an alarm clock. After awhile we were told that the buses would leave in ten minutes. Once the buses had left, Tal Handaq was deserted after the last performance of 'The King and I.
G. Wollaston 2A1.

THE KING AND I
It all started with auditions. Audition after audition and moments of tenseness. Once you know you were in it the slog began. Time after time we were told not to be late again. Singing was our first concern and the acting came later.
Mr. Menhams was constantly saying, "Sing up, you've got to be heard at the back of the hall!" It was interesting but It was hard work. We went on stage next, with Miss Beckett as our producer. In this aspect of the production the things we heard were, "Oh do be quiet or we'll never get this right". "Come from behind the stage". "Don't touch any equipment". Week after week, day after day we practised and then the big night came. Most of the school pupil cast had butterflies in their stomachs and when we went on stage found It hard and a constant struggle not to laugh. Five nights we performed and for five nights we gave people an enjoyable evening's entertainment.
I thought it was just as successful as "Oliver!" and was phased to be able to perform in both.
Diana Lunn 2A1.

HOW I SAW IT
I never thought "Oliver" would have a rival, but I was wrong. Tal Handaq's recent production of "The King maintained their usual high and ambitious standard. I first night, and after the tentative start of all first nil picked itself up and literally danced along. On the main characters were well acted. Anna and the king were| lent — Anna especially had a vivacity that came ova naturally. Together their acting was perfectly co-ordinated particularly for "Shall we dance?" The choruses — children "adults" — did well too. They did not stand about aimlessly took an active interest in what was happening on stage. Everyone had been soundly rehearsed, especially on the musical admired those who sang solo for having the courage to do so. It was a shame that they were sometimes drowned orchestra.
The "Little House of Uncle Thomas" was a quaint highly imaginative miniature work of art that stood out as one highlights of the evening. The costumes, masks, symbolic) music, chanting and stage effects combined to create authentic oriental atmosphere. There must have been great operation between all school departments to integrate sound and movment in this scene, and throughout the the play. The scene-changing itself was very well managed and the bamboo screen an inspired idea.
Just one criticism; I noticed that several members had leading acting parts and that the orchestra consisted entirely of adults. I do realize that for some pupils a this musical would have interfered with examinations, however I felt that more of the major parts should have been by students or places found for them in the orchestra.
A word of thanks to all those people who made oceans of coffee and mountains of mince pies for the audience presumably for the cast too. We appreciated It!
Finally, I hope that you lot at Tal Handaq will continue provide such professional entertainment, and so on, etcetera etcetera, etcetera!
Vicky Lishman

A stranger to Tal Handaq might well have described 'The King and I' as an astonishing success but to those who saw 'OLIVER!' there was nothing astonishing about it, although the fact that it played to packed houses an five nights was a clear indication of its undoubted success. Comparisons between the two productions were inevitable and these seems no point in trying to avoid them.
'OLIVER!' was an ambitious production for a school which had never tackled a 'musical' before (although there is a long tradition of opera at Tal Handaq) but in many ways it was a 'natural' for a school to attempt. It is very English, both in its setting and its treatment, and a cast of ruffians and street urchins is not difficult to find in a comprehensive school. In fact from this point of view a school production has many advantages over a professional one and it would be surprising to see on a professional stage a Fagin's gang which was more convincing than the Tal Handaq one. 'The King and I', however, is a very different kettle of fish. It is a typically large-scale, American musical — anything but British in both its setting and its treatment. There is a small core of English parts centred on Anna but the chorus parts are very much harder for amateurs. There are not too many pupils at Tal Handaq with the natural bearing and attributes of princes and princesses, King's wives, priests, or even slaves, and when one realises that all the above are intended to be Siamese one begins to appreciate the problems. "The King and I then, was a very much more ambitious production than 'OLIVER!' and it is a great credit to the cast and production team that it undoubtedly 'came off'.
Inevitably much of the weight of this musical has to be carried by Anna and the King, and June Lattimer and Trev Ricketts were outstanding in these parts. Miss Lattimer, who had seemed so much at home as Mrs Sowerberry, showed her true worth and versatility as an actress by her performance a-s Anna. She was wholly convincing as a nineteenth-century governess (not only when she was giving a geography lesson!) and proved to have the added bonus of a lovely singing voice too. Her confidence and composure (in unravelling other people's knotty problems, for instance) were a steadying influence throughout the production and no praise can be too high for her. Mr Ricketts is well known on the Malta stage as an experienced man In this field and those who had seen him in 'South Pacific' as well as in 'OLIVER!' expected great things and were not disappointed. He excelled himself in a part in which it was much harder to be convincing than as Fagin. (His dilemma and 'puzzlement' came over extraordinarily well and his tremendous (and much improved) voice was more than equal to the very varied demands pf the role.
Ann Partridge and James Hobson sang well as the young lovers and gave us some lovely (and very difficult) duets. They were less happy on the acting side, however, Mr HObson being clearly less at home than in ecclesiastical surroundings and Ann looking lovely as Tuptim but walking rather like Nancy.
Anthony Keating and Graham Wollaston had demanding parts (for young actors) as Louis and Prince Chulalongkorn but they carried them off well in spite of an unfortunate tendency to gabble and occasional lapses from the hundred-per-cent concentration so necessary for this sort of performance. The important part of the Kralahome was by no means an easy one for (Hugh Ritchie but he sustained it well, and special mention must be made of Jean Boomer's outstanding performance as Lady Thiang. Jean's acting and singing talent proved to have developed enormously since 'OLIVER!'.
Other supporting roles were well played by Jeremy Jackson Sytner, Roger Slim (although these two might have been more naturally cast in each other's parts, with Jeremy as a diplomat and Roger as a sea captain), Peter MacGregor, Marguerite Frost (more pert than I hope she is in the classroom) and Stewart Chritton.
This particular musical was chosen, of course, because of the large numbers of chorus parts which could be played by school pupils and it is a great credit, not only to them, but particularly to Sylvia Beckett (Producer), Trev Ricketts (Assistant Producer), Barrie Menhams (Musical Director) and Mavis Turner (Costume Designer) that they were so effective. The procession of Princes and Princesses quite captivated the audience each night, as did the spectacle of the wives in their superb ball dresses. There is no doubt, however, that one of the high spots of the show was the very ambitious but highly professional ballet scene. It is almost invidious to single out one from such a polished team but Carol Hedges' performance as Eliza was generally agreed to be outstanding. Nor must one forget the vital and effective choral and musical support for this scene from the wives, and Barrie Menhams at the piano.

The band was so good that one almost took them for granted, Stephen Singleton's magnificent and authentic sets (constructed under the experienced direction of Brian Leonard) left us in no doubt that we were in Bangkok, Mavis Turner's costumes were sumptuous, and many others lent their support ot the dedicated work of the production team of Sylvia Beckett, Barrie Menhams and Trev Ricketts, who can be well satisfied with the work of all concerned.
What then is the verdict? As in 'OLIVER!', the sheer entertainment value was superb, probably as good as anything any of us have seen in Malta. I doubt whether many actually enjoyed it more than 'OLIVER!' if only because the latter seemed a fresher, more natural, less stylized and (above all) more British form of entertainment, but in terms of difficulties overcome by a school team I think 'The King and I' was probably a greater achievement; and on that note your cowardly critic will be glad to be safely out of the island by the time this magazine 1s published.
M.F.L.

THE FASHION SHOW

The Spring Fashion Show was held on the 0th of March and was an opportunity for the Home Economics Department to show the rest of the school and the general public a little of what goes on in the two Needlework rooms perched high at the top of the steep stairs of 12 Block. The show was held in the School Hall which was superbly decorated with skilfully produced appliques and collages.

The garments, numbering over a hundred, were made and modelled by the girls themselves from the first to the sixth form. Each of the articles displayed a good deal of flair and originality on the part of the makers. They ranged from the most casual outfits to elegant evening dresses.

Despite the fraying nerves of the participants beforehand, the show was very professionally performed to an appreciative audience of over 300. The earlier apprehensions of the girls could still be seen on the faces of our first two models, Sharon Wareing and Vicky Wilkins, the two youngest participants who were six years old. But they won the audience over with their charm and set the show off on a good footing. The show was ended on the same lines at 'last year, with a former pupil modelling her wedding dress -- with bridesmaids in attendance.

The show was compered by Christine Johnston and Jill Pelan. Obviously it could not have been such a success without the hard work of Miss Turner and Mrs Cole who organised and supervised the making and modelling of the dresses. We also want to thank Miss Hill and Miss Wilson who provided, with their willing helpers, some welcome refreshments.

Credit and thanks must be extended to staff, pupils and audience whose support helped to make this such a successful affair.

Christine Johnston.

SMOKING

Smoking is the loot cause of many premature deaths and disabling illnesses — lung cancer, bronchial and coronary diseases to name but a few, yet still people continue to smoke and others to take up this lethal habit. The definition of smoking itself, when looked at closely should, one would have thought, discourage even the least "intelligent", smoking being defined as the practice of drawing into the lungs the fumes of a burning vegetable substance. Ironically enough, smoking is thought to have had a ritual origin connected with funeral rites.

What can we do about it? The obvious answer is not to take up smoking in the first instance. However, a couple of years ago the Royal College of Physicians drew up a report in which several recommendations were made. These recommendations have as their goal the preservation of the lives and health of thousands of smokers who would otherwise continue year after year to become ill and die before their time.

Doctors, teachers and parents should set an example by refraining from smoking. The government must look beyond an easy source of revenue to the reality of the injurious effects of cigarettes on the health of the country. More restrictions on smoking in public transport and places of entertainment. The committee also made some recommendations which have already been implemented — warning notices on cigarette packets, and the tar and nicotine content of all marketed brands of cigarettes have been published.

Finally, to the man who finds after all this that he simply cannot do without his daily dosage of 'burning vegetable fumes, the committee recommends that, "smokers smoke fewer cigarettes, take fewer puffs, inhale less, smoke less of each cigarette, take the cigarette out of the mouth between puffs and to moke brands with low nicotine and tar content." Wouldn't it be easier and much more sensible just to give up smoking?

Julie Davies L6.

TOBACCO

Tobacco, I love you!

You bring me -peace, tranquillity and joy.

I love to wallow in smoke-filled halls, breathing deep.

Oh, Virginia Filter! I adore you in your Silk Cut garments of Red, gold and blue.

As I caress your smooth sheath, rolling you between hot,

Eager fingers, I dream dreams

I see Three Nuns come sailing by

On a reeking ship of the desert,

By darkest night, past Three Castles high

Perched upon purple clouds,

Stern grave guards of metallic tint surround these Embassies grim.

In the shimmering haze I see a cool mountain stream meandering

Lazily down to the mirrored surface of

Frenchmans Creek

A man comes riding on a Camel, through the Gold-Leaved Stub trees, —

His name? — Peter Stuyvesant, Ambassador from the king-size realm of Albany.

Dismounting swiftly from his faithful steed, he prances gaily Into the B. and H. store; his armour rattling,

He dishes out 10,000 coupons for a Years supply of Gold Spot,

Remounts his sturdy beast and gallops off into the wide blue yonder,

— Closely followed by Players No 1, 6 and 10 of the Old Hotburn village croquet team.

Then I awake from my reverie, my body wracked with coughs and
My mouth tasting like the bottom of a birdcage.
Gasping for breath, I stagger to the table
And with shaking hands I open the
Packet, strike a match and light another cigarette.

J.P.J.

The seventh Autumn meeting of the Malta Racing Club lived up to its expectations with some fine racing. After a warm night and drying winds the going was good to soft but this did not seem to effect the horses too much. The first race, a "Go as you please" was rather farcical in that it had to be re-run because of a false start. The red and white sashed Martello driven by his owner J. Galea took the first prize of six pounds by half a length from Lucky, with Wakwakina a further length in arrears. Seeing that Wakwakina was running from the plus thirty yards pen he did well to take third place in this five fur-long race.

This is a typical race on the one and three-quarter mile Malta race — track at Marsa something like this can be expected to happen every Sunday (weather permitting) from October until June. But unusual things can and do occur. Only today the shafts of sulky snapped like matchwood while the horse was trotting at full speed. Luckily the jockey was not hurt but the horse (much to the delight of the crowd and disgust of the people chasing him in an ambulance) did a whole circuit of the track before making a dash for home along a busy road. At other times the sulky has slipped clear out of the harness or some seemingly gentle bucks have deposited the fat middle-aged rider in the dust while the horse played havoc in the crowd. Such are the horses who dislike racing but others cannot wait to get going. No two are the same, like the races that they run in and the people who watch them race.

The Maltese are keen on betting on horses but the races are more of an opportunity for the home-loving community of Malta to meet and watch their favourites in action. I'm not saying they don't bet hut they use this as an opportunity to get together. You find all types there. From the stewards' wives dressed for Royal Ascot to the humblest of settlers, all there to make money and enjoy themselves. The old men make up a big part of the spectators flat-capped, cigar puffing, soberly dressed old men. Sometimes limping from their wounds, sometimes angry when they lose money but all happy to be alive.

The horse plays a large part in the so called rural life of Malta. From the roving young sportsman behind his racer to the humblest of grocers on his own cart, they all help to make Malta a horse lovers' paradise. And who knows, with the present fuel shortage we might see more of the horse In Britain now — half a mile to the carrot.

R.A.H. 3D.

GHAR DALAM

The formation of Ghar Dalam all started when Malta was joined to Europe. All it was at first was a surface with a tunnel under it. Water was going over the surface and through little faults in the rocks. When the water was dripping through the rocks it found its way into the tunnel.

The river was running on the surface and was cutting downwards towards the tunnel. The water dissolved the rock and it made a tunnel.

The roof collapsed and bones were sucked and washed Into the cave. They were pushed into the clay and had a, hard substance made round them.

The river continued to make the valley deeper until it reached the tunnel. When that happened different layers built up in the cave. Then the water level began to go to below the cave mouth.

Then the water flow ceased. Early man used the cave thousands and thousands of years after.

Later on after thousands of years had passed a Professor Issel discovered the cave, and excavated it.

Judy Flegg 1B1.

SEA
It was a cold, dark night, and the sense of fear was overwhelming. Even the eternal sea was disturbed. It was restless and the wind howled and raged whipping it up into an intense frenzy. The waves rose and fell irregularly and spray was flung high into the air. The utter blackness of the water was flecked by whiteness, forming an ever changing pattern. The waves beat mercilessly on the shore. The surge and pounding of the waves were deafening. They roared and hissed ferociously. It seemed almost as if they wanted to destroy the town's defences, the sea walls which were the very life thread of the low lying towns of Holland and it was of utmost importance that the sea was contained.
On such a night as this it seemed impossible that the sea's wrath could be stopped. The waters roared in and the wind grew stronger and stronger until it looked as if even the houses themselves would not be able to withstand the immense strength of the elements.
But now all is still. The storm has passed and the sea and wind have calmed. The after effects can still be seen but it is the gulf of silence that offends the ear, more so than the deafening roar of the sea.
Chris Harrison XJ6.

MAGISTRI (for the Old Ones)

For what are they,

These mentors of information,

That they should tell me what to do;

Why must I bow and scrape before them,

And listen to their boring orations

That send me to escape them in

The blissful sleep of ignorance?

They are archaic, yet not of many years,

Is it age or us that rusts them up,

Makes their minds and lessons slow —

// so,

Let me die young.

They treat me as a child, a fool

Who is 'mindless, without will;

Someone who must be told what to do,

And when to do it.

I cannot even answer them back as

I would like to,

It is uncivil, rude and

insubordinate I must hear and obey, Like some, flesh-covered Mindless computer with human faults.

They must have been young once. Was it five years ago

Or three thousand, That they should forget the angry Passionate flood of youth and rebellion

That bears us along in its sweeping tide, Before it is calmed by the creeping Passages of time?

O, Abba Father, do not let me Become like them: Dried-up remnants Of a once young generation,

Let me sip the wine of Eternal youthfulness.

J.Ross. (L6)

GUESS THE TEACHER

'Ocht Glory be!'

' When I was in Singapore!'

'I expect you to act like scientists!'

'While you are here, would you just ?'

'Eyes up girls, keep a steady rythmn!'

'The end of the world is nigh!'

I hope I'm not going too fast?'

'Cut the cackle!'

'What was the last thing I said?'

'Oooh! Super!'

'Where are the others?'

'What the hell do you think you are doing?'

:Et cetera et cetera et cetera '

'Now come along ladies, lets get down to something.'

'The lower 6th are lucky, they have me for two years!'

'Aah so boyo!'

'When I was your age, I used to practise for hours against the wall.'

'Seven minutes late, AGAIN!'

SCHOOL STAFF

FRONT ROW : David Taylor, Mavis Turner, Stephen Singleton,, Lt. Cdr. J. Cottam, Cdr. M.F. Law, Pamela Smith, Lt. Cdr. C. McCafferty, Brian Leonard, Trevor Ricketts.

SECOND ROW : Moira Clarke, Imelda Dickinson, Carmel Walsh, Maureen Whittle, Joyce Walden, Hilary Hill, Michael Caseley, Judith Stansfield, Sylvia Beckett, James' Hobson, Charles Aquilina, John Treeby.

THIRD ROW : Laurence Bezzina, John Naylor, Hugh Ritchie, Norah Ash, Margaret MacKay, Kenneth Winn, Merilyn Man-ley-Harris, Rosemary Leighton, James Glover, Elizabeth Cole, Carl Hancock.

FOURTH ROW : Jeffrey Bonner, John Clemens, Alan Latham, June Lattimer, Lewis Finnis, David Ditcham, Barrie Menhams, Robert Woolams, Ronald Ransom, Michael Newton.

BACK ROW : Frank Kitson, Robert Ward, Barrie Jones, Philip Allen, David Walker, Peter Wright.

ABSENT : Miss Mary Spray, Miss Helen Wilson, Miss Sandra Camilleri.

SCHOOL IN THE DISTANT FUTURE

School today is not too bad, but it will be very different in the distant future. Instead of catching a bus or having to walk to school, the children will have their own jets which will be strapped to their backs.

The appearance of the school will be much different. Each building will be like a giant bubble and you will be able to see everything that is inside it. The teachers will not be humans but they will be robots. Everything that they have to teach will be computerised into them. The school will start at 9 am and finish at 3 pm. There will still be assembly but instead of singing a hymn, they will sing a pop song.

After assembly the pupils will fly to their classrooms and wait for their robot teachers. The robots will be very efficient and very strict. Nobody in the class is allowed to talk. If they do, the robots quickly hand out punishment exercises. When it is done, it is put into the robots back and quickly corrected. Each child has its own computer and adding machine. They will not have pens or pencils.

In these bubble rooms, there will be neither desks nor chairs. All around the wall will be buttons. When they are pressed, stools will come out of the wall.

The pupils will not learn Geography or History as it will not be needed. The computers and the adding machines will be used in Maths so that it will much easier. The girls will not do such things as needlework or cookery. This is because there will be vitamin pills and their clothes will be made of plastic. There will not be any Science subjects either, as they will be too far advanced for it. There will still be Religious Education because they still believe in God. When they do art, it will be very different. The paint brushes will be on remote control and every drawing will be perfect.

This is how I think schools in the distant future will be.

Anne Burton 3D.

MY DREAM HOUSE

My dream house would be two unused lighthouses (built into each other) placed in the middle of a ten acre section in the outskirts of a quiet town. In the ten acre section I would have a two hundred yard swimming pool shaped in a modern design. As well on that section I would have tennis courts, badminton courts, squash courts and I would have a rugby pitch and a basketball court. For the other five acres I would have subtropical jungle with animals roaming freely in it.

Inside the house I would have eight bedrooms each equipped with a radio telephone and a colour television. In my living room I would have eight automatically operated seats which can move round the room towards the television room or towards the dining room.

The television room would have eight sets of television for different channels round the world. The bedrooms would all be different colours with G-Plan furniture. These rooms would take up the first four floors. On the next three would be games rooms — indoor rugby, football, tennis and general games. Then on the remaining six floors there would be two party rooms with two spare bedrooms. Then there would be the next two floors taken up with kitchens, on the top floor there would be a dining room with a superb view in every direction. All the rooms would have an intercom automatically operated.

Everything in the house would be automatic, — lift, telephone, can-opener, bed-maker, bottle-opener, drink cabinet, potato-peeler, music, television on and off and an automatic parking meter for my guests.

Ian McKenzie 3D.

SCHOOL

Boring lessons, teachers, rules, Homework, detentions, tests,

Ruler, pencil, rubber, stools, Bag, home, rest.

EXAMS

Revise, learn, swot, worry, Nervous, tension, strain,

Separate, quiet, silence, feury, Hurry, write, brain.

Sallie Home 3D.

SCHOOL LUNCHES

Ticket queue starve wait tasteless horrible old chips sausage beans plate greasy hard cold.

SCHOOL BUSES

Old wreck shaky bumpy wheels exhaust smoke seats hard cold lumpy pollution smell choke.

Craig Venables 3D.

Clubs

COMPUTER STUDIES

This year the club started off with a large number of members including two girls, but now the number has dwindled to three, K. Maidment, P. McGregor and Hedgehog. These three disciples of the computer have now learnt the basic stages of programming a computer and also have a vague idea of how It works. There is only one thing lacking in our computer studies course and that is a computer. We have made up lots of programmes for one and have an ample supply of punched cards. Mr Woolams has even designed one and drawn a picture of it for us to look longingly at. If you want to become involved in computers here is the sort of person that you really need to be; you need a logical mind, you need to be able to think things out and to be able to work in a set way. You also need to be fairly good at maths, but you don't need to be an expert or a genius. We would like to thank Mr Woolams who gave up a lot of his spare time teaching us and making up programmes, also the people who arranged films for us.

K. Maidment 6G.

　

THE RECORDER CLUB

In the Spring term, every Tuesday evening after school, the headmaster held the recorder club in the Music room. It was for people who could read music and play the recorder reasonably well. There were about sixteen members from the first, second and third years. We play lots of music from recorder books one and two. The headmaster made us work very hkrd at every piece of music he chose for us to play. He is a very good recorder player himself. Some of the noises we made trying to get the high sounds were not very beautiful, but at least we tried. Sometimes we were made to play a piece of music in parts, solo or in groups. We played a lot of different kinds of music. It was a good recorder club because we all enjoyed playing the recorder and were willing to learn any new notes. We could not have been formed without the headmaster's help or arrived at such a successful club.

C. Birchenough 3F.

THE PHYSICS CLUB

The Physics club got off to a good start this year with the members pursuing a wide range of activities, all associated with the subject of physics. Some members built demonstration apparatus, for example Neil Maidment built a ripple tank with the help of some of '73's 3F, and on his own he built a ring vibrator. Other members of the club made such things as shock coils and cartesian divers. "Hedgehog" went mad this year and started to produce things like an "expanded polystyrene cutter" and other mysterious devices. Two people in the club used this time as a chance to learn of "The Wonders of Electrickery". and so followed a course on basic electronics. These two pioneers of the scientific world were K. Maidment and D. Stapleford. K. Maidment went on to build a simple radio which worked after being taken completely to bits and put back together again. We would like to thank Mr Winn who gave up a lot of his spare time to supervise us. The Physics Club is open to all members of the school and t the time of writing it is held on Thursday evenings. New members are always welcome (this is the chance to build that new computer that you have been planning). If anyone is interested in joining please contact Mr WftUk

K. Maidment 6G.

CHEMISTRY CLUB

We were to have had a report from the Chemistry Club here
but, as you can well see from the illustration, the members were
rather pre-occupied when we called to collect it. Let this be a
warning to all who try to make their own Highland Brew

HELIX

There have been Helix dances nearly every fortnight over the last year, lasting until 11 p.m., and the response has been mixed. 'Alco' disco have provided the sounds for most of the dances, and they have helped to make the evenings a success.

As always during the holiday, the attendance is much higher than normal due to the large influx of overseas students. However, during the term, the numbers have steadily dropped until it has reached a stage where, if attendances do not pick up again soon, the committee will have no alternative but to close the club down, as at present we are running at a loss. The committee hopes the members realise there is a need for the Helix, and that they will ensure that the club's rules are not abused, as we will lose the premises otherwise.

Among others, our sincere thanks must go to 'Alco' disco, those members of staff, particularly Mr Ritchie, Mr Glover, Miss Lattimer and Miss Stansfield, whose supervision has been tactful yet authorative, and Mr Grixti, our Naafl Manager.

The Committee.

Philately is the world's most popular hobby. Therefore an dea long cherished by many has now crystallized into reality, he school now has a budding young stamp club. The original Idea for the club came from that shining temple of talent, the sixth form. Miss Leighton, herself a keen philatelist, was kind enough to offer to run the club in her room and, besides the .sixth formers present, provides an invaluable source of information for the mores inexperienced collectors.

The club's twenty or so members now meet on Mondays,

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to swap and buy stamps, discuss

i>ocial interests and issues. We also study the history of various

postal systems (e.g. the pony express), and arrange auctions and

competitions of various kinds.

This is a thriving, healthy and interesting hobby, and new members are always welcome to come along to any of our meetings in Miss Leighton's art room.

G. Simister, P. Branbin.

　　

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD SCHEME

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme offers young people a challenge. Those involved are encouraged to develop existing interests or undertake something new. Thousands of young people flnd not only fresh ideas, but also wider opportunities for enjoyment, excitement and satisfaction in their leisure time.

The Duke of (Edinburgh group at Tal Handaq, inspired by Miss Lattimer and Mr. Ditcham, planned an expedition project in September lOTB. Three girls and thirteen boys accompanied by supervisors set off, fully laden, for the campsite at Ta' Biegi, Gozo. After the rigours of our Easter camp we were under the impression that this trip would not be too strenuous, and looked forward to a lot of canoeing and rock-climbing.

The impression faded on the first morning when Mr. Ditcham handed out the maps and route cards. In fact, things were not so black, as after the day's march we had our first taste of canoeing and rock-climbing. We canoed on the inland sea and, in spite of a few capsizes and very little sense of direction, it was a very enjoyable activity. Our rock-climbing instructor, Mr. Joerning, took over and introduced us to the techniques of this exhilarating sport. After a lot of 'knee-trembling' and 'panic stations', we realised that it can be a very safe and exciting exercise if all the rules and safety principles are observed.

The days were fully occupied walking, canoeing, the rock-climbing, and continual practice gave us confidence. On the final morning we crawled out of our sleeping bags at 4 a.m. to climb to the highest point in Gozo to see the sun rise. This was not a very popular pastime. Nevertheless we learned a great deal during the expedition, and all agreed that it was a very enjoyable five days.

D. Brankin 5th year

CAT-MAN

The four walls and a peeling ceiling, Press down womb-like, On the skull-faced man, Slunk in an armchair by the empty grate.

A cigarette hangs like an ember, Of life between, Slack, cold lips.

The ashtray is empty, The floor is piled with crushed stubs of dead cigarettes. The man is dead too.

The room is his coffin, The ceiling, six feet over.　

Across the street the blare of Raucous life and drunkeness Swells the neighbourhood,

And a bray of laughter bays The moon a wolf's wake night After.

A life-time, lonely-time away From the cat-man in the Sunken armchair.

　J.ROSS L6



　

The traveller stands (rigid)

This is the crust which has lain unchanged, since the —

Dawn of time.

Those are the mountains which have remained monolithic

From the beginning.The terrain is alien;

i urn stone, rock and peak bares fangs of hostility.

He moves forward.

Unsure, unwilling; he knows not what to expect

As he scans the horizon.

Moving slowly, he makes his mark on this new world.

He stops.

Rays of blue light play across his helmet as he -

Reaches down.

These metallic circles do not belong;

They cling coldly to his hand.

He cannot release them.

Increasing, sudden pain induces paralysis.

He feels the organs of his body being shut down

Like a machine.

There is no sound now.

There is no volume control he can push to

Break the silence He is alone.

His eyes are closing clinking shut.

They lock.

The gears inside him grind to a halt. He visualises his heart (a corroded battery) His mechanised heart stops. Oblivion.

Steve Jones 6GMC.

A GOOD PIECE OF ADVICE

Four more soldiers were shot today, High velocity bullets — very large calibre. Smuggled from 'States the people say. Are the soldier's families happier?

Happiness is a state of mind,

But when your son, father, brother, uncle, nephew, husband, lover

Has just been kitted,

Where will you find

Happiness?

Have you ever seen blood on a pavement?

Wet, sticky — a lazy fly

Pale faces gasp in amazement — 'Shot in the guts by some wise guy.'

An Indian's hatchet, red mist like dew.

Brain exposed to the midday sun.

Don't kid yourself that violence is something new.

It's been around since the world's begun.

Hiroshima.

That's the big threat.

But it starts close to home.

Weak man and strong man, by moonlight ill-met.

Ransom! Anonymous — over the phone.

And it starts in your own world.

Bullying — petty grievences

Venom. Tongue curled,

Like a snake.

And now I tell yal

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Or else—,-...

One fine night the moon may search the earth for us,

And find nought but ashes.

P. G. MacGregor TJ6.

When I went to America this time, I arrived there by plane. I went straight to my Godparents house in Silt, Colorado. It is a mall town of about five hundred inhabitants. I arrived In the i¹':ill when the leaves on the trees were turning colour to red, to Gold and to orange.

There wasn't any snow on the ground and the weather was too cold for that time of year, except for the morning frosts. Later on in December and January there were two to three feet it snow on the ground.

The little town of Silt is peaceful and quiet. It has a main street with a grocery store, drug store, bar, three gas stations .nd a lot of houses.

I lived in a little country house about two miles from town across the river. In the front yard we had two old wagons that we hitched mules up to. The house had a large fence around it To the right and left of the house were two pastures for the horses. Further back, about fifty yards from the house, were our chicken-coops, with about a hundred chickens, while across the path from it was the grain shed, where we stored our grain and mule team gear.

At the back of the chicken-coop were our corrals, there was a corral for weening young colts, a breaking corral where we broke our broncs, then a branding corral where we branded yearling calves (stinky work because of the smell of burning hair) and the feeding trough for the mules and horses.

In our spare time we rode horses and motorcycles. But the thing I most liked to do was to hunt. We have a hunting season for big game, from October 31st to November 20th. The big game we hunt are Deer, Elk, Bear, Rabbit (small game), Antelope, Moose and Caribou. All have separate seasons for hunting.

The way people dressed in my home town is different to the way people dress here. We wear cowboy clothes, though some other boys wore bell-bottom pants and had long hair.

The sports we played were American football, basketball, baseball, Rodeo, wrestling, hiking, skiing. All of those sports were done at school.

The hippies are still going strong, but at the same time they are going out of style. The hippies are dirty, rude people. The long-hairs are young people that have long hair but are always clean and have good manners.

In school the students do not have to wear a school-uniform. They can wear anything they want to.

The winter sports that we like to do are skiing, snowmobiling and ice-skating and just plain sliding on the snow. Snowmobiling is fun. It is a machine that has two skis, a track and a four stroke engine that can reach a speed of about 100 m.p.h.

In the summer we have a lot to do. We ride motorcycles and go swimming and camping.

It is fun living in the United States.

Paul Bussell 4th year.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

"Spring has sprung!" said the Robin to the Mouse,

"Now's the time to clean your house,

Now's the time to hear birds sinff,

Now's the time to hear babies make a din."

To watch the lambs out in the fields

With their large wolly mothers as their shields,

To see the grass spring up so soon,

And see young flowers in full bloom.

"Winters gone!" said the scarecrow to the dog. No more rain, sleet, hail and fog, Gone the ringing bells and the kings of old. Gone the harsh wind that was so cold.

Gone are the holly and the twigs of mistletoe, Gone are the snowball fights and the statues made of snow, Gone is the carol singer with lamps and (carol sheets, Gone is the weather 'cold and comes warm heat.

"Summers soon!" said the barnowl to the bat Soon comes the time as on the beam he sat, Soon comes the time when sun beats down so low, Soon comes the time when the farmer starts to sow.

Coming is the time when flowers are in full bloom Coming is the time when Autumn will be soon, But then comes round Winter <and the wind is at fun blast, And Spring has sprung at last! at last!

Alison White 2A1.

THE SKY

In the morning when the sky is bright And the sun takes over from cool ^moonlight. And as the day life flag unfurls, The clouds float in gathered curls.

Then the sky -grows dark, And the wind turns cold, And the sky is split, with threads of gold.

And when it stops the sky grows, still And nothing more is seen, until, The -sunset glows with golden light, To usher in again, the night.

Susan Culverhouse-Steadman 2A2.

A MOUSE

Because I'm a mouse that eats and plays all day

I'm a mouse and I live in a house,

A small house with bars allround.

I can not get out for I'm a mouse.

I eat and play all day,

I sleep all night until light comes.

Then the time has come for me to play — day.

For I'm a mouse in a house.

Andrew Staplefowl 1C2.

A LIMERICK

I met a man from Mars.

Who has his feet in 'Jars.

He is dressed in Red.

He stays in bed.

And he spends his time eating Ma-rs Ba-rs.

Tom Witherow 1C2.

THE CAT

The cat is walking He's silently stalking His coat is ruffled His footsteps muffled His whiskers twitching His stomach is itching A meal is waiting Oh now he is hating.

Christine Elms 3D.

SID'S SNAKE

Sid's snake coils round and round Without making a tiny little sound. It coils round trees and bits of wood It would coil round people if it could. It tried to coil round Sid's legs once But he hit him smartly on the bonce.

Yvonne Wilson 1B1.

THE MAN

I saw a man go hop, hop, hop,

Up to the top of a hill top, top,

I saw a man go jump, lump, jump,

On to a camels hump, hump, hump,

I saw man go skip, skip, skip,

Into a pool for a dip, dip, dip,

I saw a man go for a walk, walk, walk,

Who always stopped for a talk, talk, talk.

I saw a man on a run, run, run,

Going to a van for a hot cross bun.

Debbie Humphreys 1B1.

　

The world is full of thieves, that is my belief, not villanous thieves nor even human thieves.

The daffodil steals the sunlight all golden yellow and bright, the meadow steals the dew drops to feed the springtime new crops, yes, the world is full of thieves.

The cuckoo steels other birdsnests but does he really care? the bees, they steal the honey but with grace beyond compare, yes, the world is full of thieves.

As one bird takes small sticks

another from loose soil pickstwigs and worms

all sorts of forms,

yes, the world is full of thieves.

Susan Burton 231.

SNOWING

Silent soft snow, snowflakes silky flow, sending sprinkles blow, spraying down below.

Silvery shining, like gold, Slushing slippery, looks old, shing snowballs, cold to hold, sulky snowmen, strong and bold.

Kathrin Howorth 4L.

HOW I DISCOVERED FIRE

My name is Elfon, I am a member of the Remaney Tribe. The whole of the tribe live in a series of caves in the side of a hill.

The leader of our tribe, Rolfion, had just died. We put him in "The Cave of the Next World", with the bodies of the other dead leaders. We had put him in the cave with his furs and weapons, so that he would have all he needed for his life in the Next World.

To find out who would be the next leader, we had a contest. The person who found the thing which will be most useful to the tribe would win the contest and be the next leader.

I went into the forest, to hunt some deer, but whilst I was looking, it started raining. I ran towards the nearest cave and went in it. I was watching from the cave, when I saw a thunder bolt strike a tree. The tree which was struck, suddenly started glowing a peculiar yellow-red colour. The yellow-red colour seemed to be eating the wood of the tree. I thought it was alive and did not want it to kill me, so I went up to it with a piece of wood, and offered the wood to it. The wood started to glow as well, so (I took it into (the cave to keep it warm and dry. When it was in the cave I put it on the floor, and put my hand towards it, and my hand got hot, then I put my hand in it and my hand got so hot that it hurt. I quickly drew my hand away from it. By this time it had stopped raining, so I went back to the tribe with the glowing piece of wood and went to show it to my wife. I went into the cave and called her name. She called back to me saying that she was at the back of the cave. I went to the 'back of the cave and was surprised to see that the glow from the wood lit up the walls of the cave. My wife was amazed to see what I had found, but suddenly the wood stopped glowing, and I was left with a piece of blackened wood. I tried to make the glow come back, but I could not.

The next day I was shaping a piece of flint with a stone when a spark came out of the stone and landed in some dry grass and made it glow. I took a piece of wood and put it into the glow, then the wood started glowing. I showed the piece of wood to the Elders who were judging the contest. I told them it could be used for making heat, giving light and the blackened wood which was left could be used for drawing. The Elders said this was one of the most useful things ever discovered, they also said I had won the contest and I was the new leader of the tribe. I named the glow 'IFire". Later on someone discovered that "Fire" could be used for cooking.

Sean O'Brien 1A1.

SCHOOLS OUT!

Four o'clock the school is out, Here the children run and shout. Across the road and on the way, Home again and out to play.

The next morning at half--past-eight, The children trundle through the gate. Wondering just what's in store, English, Maths or maybe more.

The dinner bell has rung at last. All the children run so far, To the dinner-hall they all go, Egg and tomato-No\ Nol No\

The dinner bell has gone once "more, All the children lined at the door. Here's the teacher with some books, Oh, more homework or so it looks.

Four o'clock the school is out. Here the children run and shout. Across the road and on their way, Home again and out to play

Alan Hill 2B2.

THE DARK SIDE

He sobbed of a bloody coup

In that fixed transparent window

Through his corporeal self;

Had compelled a loving child

To grow and seek alone,

And then, afraid Of hurt,

Anaesthetized, too violent by far,

His mind.

Then laughing, laughing at his folly

Cried, and wept,

And made small noises,

'Till foetus-like,   He was rapt, and wrapped himself about one knee. Linda Ross U6.

Netball is essentially a non-contact game ...

              In which sign Language can be used ...

Though it is rarely understood ...

              Players sometimes hide the ball ...

But generally co-operate ...

        You can win by planning ...

.. or praying ...

                             Or fouling ....

But throwing the ball

to spectators is

not allowed

   The public are protected

      behind wire mesh from

                    vicious people (who are always muzzled)



Victory is celebrated in the traditional way

THE WANDERER

I've been to many places With my service family, To Singapore and Hong Kong And once to Germany.

We've packed so many boxes We're always on the move I know that people envy us When they're stuck in a groove.

But, sometimes how I envy them, I'd love to settle down And never have to change my school My friends, my house, my town.

I liked the Hong Kong bustle And the shops were grand to see, But I must confess that M and S Is the only shop for me.

We swam a lot in Singapore In a sea so blue and gay But as for me I like the sea In Cornwall and Torbay.

I like the Maltese pasta

Their cakes I do adore

But when fish and chips pass through my lips

I could not ask for more.

And when we've finished travelling My life will be complete But now and then I wonder when I'll get itchy feet.

Gary Booth 3E.

　

A GO-KART

I built myself a go-kart On a bright and sunny day. I took it to the top of a hill Which led down to a bay.

As I started down the hill The wheels began to shake, ^rt was only then I realised I hadn't got a brake.

As the kart went faster

And charged towards the sea,

I knew that someone

Was going to get into trouble

And I know that that someone

Was me.

Timothy London 2B2.

DAY DREAMING

Next to the window I sit on my chair. What the teacher is saying I really don't care.

I just sit there gazing Out at the sky, Watching and dreaming, As the clouds go by.

Sarah Wollaston 1A1.

ICE

Ice is such a slippery thing It slithers from your hands It flies as if it were on wings Through cold antartic lands.

K. Willnott 1B2.

THE WIND

Hissing, howling through the night, Growling, winding winning its fiffht, Bustling, hustling innocent leaves, Buzzing constantly like a swarm of bees. Knocking pots in gardens green, Trying to push through the woodland screen Damaging badly the village church, While the village men begin their search, For the little children lost on the moor, Lost in the wind and the perishable thaw.

Diana Lunn 2A1.

THE SEA

I saw the sea

So rough;

Screaming, howling

Haunting sounds.

Whistling wind blowing against the rocks

Eating hungrily at the cliffs

Sea gulls screaming at the sea

But the sea presses on defiantly

Stopping for nothing in it's path.

　

THE CHEETAH

Cheetah, cheetah running hard Every inch and every yard, An Antelope that runs away Seems to toe the cheetah's prey.

Through the trees and through the jungle, Trying to catch this long-legged bundle, Now he's on the Antelop's skin, What a sight! He's going to win.

Now he rips his prey apart Reaching for its tender heart. What a lovely dinner he ate, He takes the rest back to his mate.

Steven Burton 1A2.
Fellow Passengers

At last I found an empty seat in a compartment, in one of the last carriages. After settling down with my luggage on the rack above my head, I had time to take note of my fellow-passengers.

There were six seats in the compartment, four of which were now taken. Those which were empty, were opposite me and next to the door. I was sitting next to the door, and had an excellent view of the other passengers in the compartment.

On the far right and next to the window, was a scrufflly dressed youth of about seventeen. He was reading a rather crumpled 'Musical Express'. He wore a dirty old pair of Levi jeans, which were faded at the knees and in between the legs. They were covered with an assortment of badges, and at the bottom were three whitish lines, from creases showing they had been let down several times. On his feet, which were only just visible, because his frayed jeans covered a good part of them, he wore what were once a pair of white plimsolls.

He wore a camel coloured, canvas jacket over I made out to be a yellowish t-shirt with a transfer of Joe Cocker on it. His jacket was covered in (badges and studs like his trousers. His hair was black, unruly, coarse and hung straggled to his shoulders. It was parted down the middle, and so much flopped over his face, that I wasn't able to see much of his complexion or features.

Across from this youth sat a very executive type of gentleman. He wore horn-rimmed spectacles, pin-stip suit, bowler hat, bow-tie. A black umbrella and a matching black and silver briefcase completing the tackle. He proceeded to read a pink paper called the 'Financial Times'. He looked as though he would be going to Mayf air or Knightsbridge.

Between him and myself sat a rather frail old gentleman, who caught my attention when I heard him cackle. When I looked towards him, his eyes looked as though they were on fire and about to pop out of his head! He was reading what I noticed to be a 'Men Only' magazine, and was gazing in a somewhat intriguing manner at the nude in the middle pages.

This man must of been about sixty-nine years old. He was totally bald, except for a few sparsely scattered grey hairs. He

had a sympathetic face, rosy red cheeks, sparkling blue eyes, and a clear complexion. He wore a pair of grey-flannel trousers, with turn-ups. He wore a big thick duffle coat, over a big polo-necked jumper. He must of been absent minded, because he still had his red carpet slippers on his feet.

After noting my fellow passengers, I began to read the 'Daily Express'. Seconds before the train pulled out on a journey of fifty miles to London, a rather thin woman and a small girt rushed into the compartment.

The woman looked about fifty years old, though I do not suppose she was more than thirty-five. Her appearance was that of someone who had just been shopping at a jumble sale. She was tattily dressed. She wore a very dowdy brown dress, on top of which she wore an off-white cardigan. She wore no tights and her legs were white and the skin flaky. Her shoes were out of the 'fifties' -- stiletto heeled and pointed toes, being navy 'blue in colour. Her hair, a darkish brown was tied in a bun at the nape of her neck. It was under-groomed, and was scraped back carelessly. She had a few spots, and the only makeup she wore was a bright red tarty lipstick.

The young girl, who I would say was about two and a half years old, seemed to be her daughter, though she did not look like the woman. She was a very pretty little girl. She had blonde curly hair and deep brown eyes, and a clear, pale complexion. She too, was scrufflly dressed. She wore a matted blue cardigan over a navy-blue dress. Both the dress and the cardigan were stained. Her socks reached her ankles and her shoes were scuffed and dirty.

The little girl was a great nuisance throughout the journey She persisted in running up and down the compartment, in defiance of her mother's intentions. They must of been returning from holiday, because the woman had a very recognisable cockney accent.

The executive gentleman, sitting along from me, was so disgusted with the behaviour of the little girl, that he left the compartment. I was thankful that my stop was not so far away, and I left the train relieved that I did not have to put up with those two any more, but at the same time, I felt sorry for those left in the compartment with them!

Deborah Johnston 3D.

MIRAGE

The sun beat down fiercely from a smouldering azure-blue sky. The slightest movement caused the winding track to 'become a dust-filled haze. The silence rose, oppressive like a cloud covering far and near. To the right a tiny moving figure, magnified, was a peasant. With bare feet and bronzed and wrinkled face he led his mule to the water trough. He sat down in the shadow of a tall palm tree and soon, mouth open, was snoring loudly.

All around the world slept as lie came panting over the crest of a small hill. His face was lined and haggard and dripping with sweat. 'His lungs wheezed and he stumbled, hardly able to move another step. But a quick hurried glance behind him hastened him on and, contorted with pain he came down to the sea.

The beach was a crescent moon of white sand out of which the cliffs rose steeply. The sand was fringed with palm trees and the blue sea lapped gently against it. The sea, a multitude of colours, palely transparent green, blue, and darkening in shade until deep water was reached. It looked cooly inviting and he ran, neither looking left nor right into the blue full depths until he disappeared completely from sight.

Philippa Knight U6.

IT UNDERSTOOD

The city lay shimmeringly beautiful under the clear blue sky High above, the sleek torpedo-shaped airbuses swam silently through the air, sunlight glinting on their clean metallic sides. The wide, tree-lined avenues were a-bustle as servoships and Androids in air jeeps going about their pre-programmed businesses. It was beautiful and as he watched from a street corner, Gerec Pentaden felt a lump come to his throat and tears roll down his cheeks. What, what was the use of it all? The most beautiful city in the universe, useless.

A voice made him turn on his heel. "Is something wrong Master?" 7 feet of glittering blue-eyed Android perfection tower-Ing above him. Another monument to human skill. "No" he answered sharply. "No nothing is wrong."

"I understand master." Yes dammit it understood; in its emotional logic banks. Suddenly he wanted to beat his head iigalnst a wall and scream in frustration. In Its cold machine mind the thing, it understood the feelings of the last of the Imman race.

Geoffrey Simister L6.

OUT OF THE SEA AT DAWN

It was early dawn when H was looking our of my bedroom

window. I saw the sea, it was very quiet and not a sound was

heard. There were rocks on the sea. All was still, except for

of the rocks, it was moving very slowly. I thought it might

be waves of the sea making it move, so I drew the curtains,

crawled into my bed and went to sleep. When I woke up next morning, I got out of bed and looked to see if the rock was still moving. Yes it was but it no longer looked like a rock, it looked like a huge iron sea serpent with a narrow tube coming out of its neck. It had a piece of round

glass on the end of the tube. It came closer and closer to the sea side. I shivered and told everyone what I saw. Then the serpent stopped and people came out of it, they came from the serpent's side and they were dressed in very peculiar clothes.
As night came the people were far into the jungle about a mile away. It was time for me to go to bed, so I went into my room, locked the door, looked out of the window and stared at the giant serpent. Then I crawled into bed.

As morning came, the first thing I did was look out of my window to see the gigantic snake, but the strangest thing was, that the serpent was gone far into the sea again.

Anna-Maria Gelsphorpe 2A2.

EXAMINATION RESULTS

LONDON '0' LEVEL G.C.E. PASSES 1973

Biology — J. O'Regan, P. Reiss, J. Thompson, M. Dennis, E. Smith.

British Constitution — D. Stapley.

Chemistry — P. Reiss, S. Hazel, D Sweet.

Commerce — G. Harris, J. Ross, C. Beer, P. Darmody, M. Dennis, G. Simister.

English Language — P. Donvin A. Edgell, J. Marshall, J, O'Regan, J. Pelan, J. Piper, P. (Reiss, J. Ross, J. Thompson, C Wilkins, P. Brooker, P. Darmody, M. Dennis, C. Dillon, R. Hazel S. Hazel, J. Jackson-Sytner, S. Jones, T. Latham, D. McVeigh, K. Maidment, J. Shepherd, G. Simister, E. Smith, D. Sweet, N. Thorp, P. Whiting, K. Yull.

English Literature — J. O'Regan, J. Pelan, P. Reiss, J. Ross, J Thompson.

Food And Nutrition — K. Beer, C. Burton, A. .Edgell, G. Edgell, S. Harour, J. Pelan, D. Ryan, C. Smith, L. Woodfln.

French — C.Easton, C. Johnston, J. Marshall, A. Packshaw, J Pelan, P. Reiss, S. Hazel, E, Smith, D. Sweet, P. Whiting.

Geography — J. O'Regan, P. Reiss, M. Dennis, E. Smith, D, Sweet, P. Whiting.

History — J. Ross, S. Jones, L. Moscrop, D. Stapley.

History (British Economic) — J. Pelan.

Human Biology — S. Harbour, G. Harris, J. Ross, S. Hazel.

Mathematics (C) - - J. O'Regan, A. Partridge, J. Jackson-Sytner, J. Shepherd, E. Smith, D. Sweet.

Mathematics (D) — O. Easton, P. Brooker, M. Dennis, C. Dillon, T. Latham.

Mathematics Advanced — S. Hazel.

Needlecraft — K. Beer, P. Donvin, A. Edgell, G. Edgell, J Marshall, J. Piper, G. Walls.

Physics — P. Reiss, L. Bridwell, P. Brooker, S. Hazel, K, Maidment, E. Smith, D. Sweet.

Technical Drawing — P. Brooker, P. Darmody, S. Dunn, 3. Hazel, A. Magill, C. Stapley, D. Sweet.

OXFORD '0' LEVEL PASSES 1973

History — J. Thompson.

Metalwork — P. Brooker, S. Dunn, M. Norman.

Art — A. Edgell, J. Pelan, J. Piper, J. Veitch, L. Bridwell R, Hazel, S. Jones, A. Magill, G. Simister, A. Smith, C. Staple D. Sweet, M. Norman, G. Martin.

Pottery — C. Easton, J. Pelan, J. Ross, C. Beer, P. Brooker C. Church, S. Dunn, S. Jones, M. Norman, N. Thorp.

LONDON .'A' LEVEL PASSES 1973

Biology — M. Lees, R. Lovell.

Chemistry — T. Agius-Ferrante, M. Lees, R. Lovell.

Economics — P. Sibbald, D. Stapley.

English — L. Stapley.

French — D. Hillyard.

History — P. Sibbald.

Latin — D. Hillyard.

Maths Pure — M. Lees, P. Sibbald.

Physics — R. Lovell.

OXFORD 'A' LEVEL PASSES 1973

English — D. Stapley.

Art — J. Jackson-Sytner, A. Packshaw.

PITMANS EXAMINATIONS

Shorthand March 1973 — S. McCallum.

Boofc Keeping (Intermediate) June 1973 — S. McCallum, A. Packshaw, A. Ryan (First class pass). June 1973

Typewriting (elementary) — K. Beer, J. Boomer, P. Donvin, G. Edgell, S. Griffiths, M. O'Brien, A. Packshaw, C. Wilkins, L. Woodfln.

Typewriting (advanced) —S. McCallum, A. Sellers, A. Rya" (First class pass).

Typewriting (Pitmans script) - - G. Edgell, P. Donvin, C. Smith, G. Walls.

C.S.E. EXAMINATION PASSES 1973

English — C. Burton, G. Edgell, G. Gall, D. Ryan, O. Smith, M. Smith, J. Veitch, G. Walls, L. Woodfln, M. Beaumont, C. Church M. Ncrman, C. Owens, I. Pond, P. Smith, C. Stapley.

Mathematics — J. Boomer, P. Donvin, A. Edgell, G. Edgell, G. Gal!, S. Griffiths, S. Harbour, J. Marshal!, M. O'Brien, J. O'Reg-an, A. Partridge, J. Pelan, J. Piper, P. Reiss, D. Ryan, C Smith, J. Thompson, G. Walls, C. Wilkins, M. Beaumont, C. Beer, J. Callens, C. Church, 6. Jones.. A. Magill, D. McVeigh, L. Mos-crop, M. Norman, C. Owens, I. Pond, J. Shepherd, G. Simister E. Smith, P. Smith, C. Stapley, D. Sweety, N. Thorp, P. Whiting.

History — (X. Beer, G. Gall, S. Harbour, J. Ross, M. Smith, L. Woodfln, C. Church, S. John, L. Moscrop, C. Owens.

Geography -- C. Burton, A. 3dgell, G. Gall, G. Harris, J. Marshall, D. Ryan, M. Smith, P. Brooker, J. Callens, C. Church, M. Dennis, S. Dunn, S. Jones, K. Maidment, D. McVeigh, L. Mcssrop, M. Norman, G. Simister, P. Smith, C. Stapley, D. Sweet, N. Thorp, K. Yull.

French — J. Piper, J. Ross, D. Ryan, M. Smith, J. Thompson C. Church, M. Dennis, C. Dillon, S. Jones, D. McVeigh.

German — J. Thompson, K. Yull.

Physics — C. Beer, L. Bridwell, P. Darmody, C. Dillion, S Dunn, R. Hazel, T. Latham, M. Norman, G. iSimister, P. Smith C. Stapley, P. Whiting, K. Yull.

Chemistry -- M. Smith, C. Church, S. Jones, G. Simister, E. Smith, P. Smith, N. Thorp. P. Whiting.

Biology — C. Burton, D. Ryan, C. Beer, C. Church, N. Thorp

Human Biology — K. Beer, G. Harris, C. Smith, M. Beaumont T. Latham, C. Owens.

'Commerce — S. Griffiths, s. Harbour, G. Harris, J. Piper, J Ross, D. Ryan, O. Beer, P. Darmody, M. Dennis, S. Jones, K Maidment, G. Simister, P. Whiting.

Civics — C. Burton, G. Gall, C. Beer, P. Brcoker. S. Dunn, T. Latham, L. Moscrop, M. Norman, I. Pond, P. Smith, N. Thorp

Technical Drawing — M. Beaumont, P. Brooker, S. Dunn, S Hazel, T. Latham, K. Maidment, L. Moscrop, c. Stapley, D. Sweet

Metalwork — M. Beaumont, P. Brooker, S. Dunn, K. Maidment, P. Nicholson, M. Norman, C. Owens, A. Smith, E. Smith C. Stapley, K. Yull.

Needlework (Dress) — K. Beer, P. Donvin, A. Edgell, G. Edgell C. Magill, J. O'Regan, J. Piper, P. Smith, J. Veitch, G. Walls, J Walls, L. Woodfln.

Home Economics — P. Donvin, S. Griffiths, J. Marshall. 84.

Old Pupils' News

This year we have received visits and news of many old pupils who have left Tal Handaq in the course of the last two decades. This suggests that, in spite of their short stay here, the school still exerts a great influence on its students.

Rosemary Andrews (1963,) has had a variety of jobs including Banking and the Civil Service. For the last three years she has been working abroad in Hotel Management. When last she wrote she was in Grindelwald in Switzerland. Her home is in Plymouth.

The Armstrong triplets (1971). Sean and Mark are now in Bristol and Ken Universities reading Economics and Languages respectively. Patrick is doing a year's horticultural course at l.eatherhead - - their local address is Lithys Hill, Hambledon, Hants.

Alison Bridger (1964) After doing a secretarial course has had posts in a variety of places and is now employed at The British Embassy, Kuwait.

Alex Brown (1962) After taking a degree course in Music in Manchester, he has become a professional singer and has performed with the Scottish Opera Company and Sadlers Wells. Hilary Burrell (1969) She spent some time at ,a college of Education but felt she was not cut out for formal teaching and after a spell as a nursing auxiliary and a House mother in a home for mentally handicapped children she now hopes to start a course of occupational therapy.

Rayner Brammel (1964) is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy mil has recently served in HMS Russell. He now has an appointment. as schools' liaison officer. His brother Clayton, who was atVerdala is now at St John's College Oxford.

William Duncan (1964) has for the past few years been music masterat the Saltus Grammar School Plymouth, Bermuda where the Music Department is very active. He hopes to produce Oliver this year. His sister Jacqueline is working as a bookkeeper in a business in Winchester.

Lynn Eder (1971) Spent her two A level years at Carmel College, Wallingford. She is now doing a concentrated secretarial course and hopes to work in London.

Caroline Pox (1971) spent some time doing social work near London but has now changed to secretarial work. Her parents live in Malta so she is able to keep in touch.

Pamela Gard (1983) is now married. She had formerly taught in a Midlands primary school. She now has a small daughter but manages to teach dressmaking two days a week at a girls' remand home. Her mother was school secretary for a couple of years.

Frances Hamblin (1971) Took her A levels for a second time at St John's School Episkopi. She is now at Queen's University Belfast reading English Philosophy and Psychology.

Gloria Jackson (119166) She is now Mrs Harrison and trained as a S.E.N. at Freedom Fields Hospital Plymouth.

Christopher McReady and Felicity Burge (1967) are now married and live at 78 Weymede, Byfleet, Surrey. He works in the personnel department of a large retail house.

Norman and Evelyn Morgan (1965-8) Norman is doing post graduate research in Chemistry at Liverpool University. Evelyn if teaching Domestic Science at Swanage County School. She gained the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in 1972.

Tony Overton (1953) He called at the school in February. After taking a degree at Cambridge he now works for Procter and Oamble.

Christopher Parry (1969) Took his A levels at Portsmouth Grammar School. He is now at Jesus College Cambridge reading History. He has a Naval Scholarship and ranks as a Midshipman

Martin Powell (1968) He is in his last year of a business course at Leeds University.

Graham Roberts (1964) Has an M.A. from Manchester University and is now a Lecturer in English at Wentworth College cf Education Yorkshire. His brother Jeffrey has been accepted for training as a pilot by British Airways while their sister Janet is a bilingual secretary in London.

Paul Radcliffe (1970) is at St Andrews University.

Richard Sanders (1961) is a Flying Officer in the RAF. He is married to Melanie Lusty who was here from 1951-3.

1973 LEAVERS

Deborah Hillyard is reading English at Bedford College^ University of London.

Timothy Agius-Ferrante is learning business management with a firm in Malta.

Linda Stapley is at the C.F. Mott College of Education.

Michael Lees is studying Law at Liverpool Polytechnic.

Phillip Sibbald is reading Economics at Liverpool University.

Richard Lovell is reading Bio-chemistry at Essex University.

Carol Easton is at Anstey Physical Education College of Education.

David Stapley is on a management training course with Barclay's Bank at Cheltenham.

Karen Beers is taking a course in Home Economics at Devon Technical College while her brother Christopher is working for a Diploma in Business Studies at Exeter.

David Freeborn is working on a farm and hoping to go to an Agricultural College.

Brian McVeigh is in the RAF and stationed at Brize Norton.

Amanda Packshaw is at a finishing school.

Stephen and Christopher Bond are at a Grammar School in Wittering.

Bill Mail is an Officer Cadet with the P & O line.

Ann Ryan and Jacqueline Walls are both married to RAF Servicemen.

We wish them all well.

HELLO — GOODBYE

Five new members of staff joined the school in September 1973. Miss Marion Spray came to us from White Acre School (Whalley, Blackburn) in Lancashire and teaches French and English and Games, Miss Helen Wilson joined us from the Grammar School for Girls Cleethorpes in Lincolshire and teaches Home Economics and Human Biology. John Clemens arrived via, Melbourne, London and Hong Kong to teach English and be guardian angel of the Library. Barrie Jones joined the Technical Department having temporarily left the green green hills which surround Trefforest Secondary School Pontypridd. Mike Newton left Southlands School Middlesborough to teach Mathematics In Tal Handaq and Coach the first XI soccer team. David Walker has joined us as Head of the History Department having left Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Mansfield.

As well as saying goodbye to a large number of pupils at the end of this Summer Term, we also bid farewell to some members of the staff.

Three little maids from Tal Handaq School have become matrons and all of them leave us this summer.

Mrs. Cole, (nee Fiddes) leaves Malta in September for Lincolnshire. At the time of writing Mrs. Manley-Harris is uncertain of her next port of call while Mrs. Whittle although leaving the school will be on the Island for another year.

Mr. Ransom hangs up his chalk and leaves full time teaching for good. He has been in Malta 7 years and in Service Schools for 15 years. An extremely popular member of staff he will be sadly missed by his colleagues and pupils. Unfailingly courteous and friendly he would find it very difficult to make an enemy. He hopes to return to Malaya his spiritual home for an extended holiday. No doubt he will be seen on many of the cricket grounds of England enjoying the beloved game. We hope he will spend many a happy hour writing those books which have been awaiting sufficient leisure for him to complete. Good luck Bon and (though you may not approve) God Speed!

Lastly we come to our three serving officers who will all have left the school within three months of each other. Lt. Commander Cottam who will have a last word on our next pages will not only be passing through the gates of Tal Handaq for the last time after five years as Deputy Headmaster but will also be leaving the service. After a well earned rest in his Hampshire home we hope he will be moving on to fresh woods and pastures new that will be congenial to him.

Lieutenant Commander McCafferty, the only member of our staff who did not leave Malta in the temporary withdrawal in 1972 now goes on to spend two years in Cornwall. This has been a momentous tour of duty for him. After the difficulties experienced early in 1972 the end of the year brought him the happiness of his marriage to a fellow mathematician, Jill Wood. At the end of last year they were blessed with the birth of a bonny wee son.

To our three Jack Tars, BON VOYAGE!

The year that has rolled away

Well, what do we, the Talhandalot, think of our lot? The better part of the day passed 190 times a year within the confines of our high-fenced enclosure (to keep us in or them out?). Making sunshine, yes we had expected that before leaving Britain 'Hi perhaps not the chilly wind gusting in over the Marsa from the north-east hurling teeming rain against badly fitting windows.

1973/74 Easter to Easter.

Winter '73 — 31/2 inches of rain. Winter '74 — 13' inches of rain.

Oliver had been put to sleep before the holiday but the melody lingered on to haunt the cloudless days of May and June. The school gardener retired and he had gone for ever from our little patches of colour before we realised what an important man he was — at least for those of us who believe that civilisation means Nature under control. Can't we copy and enlarge upon Mr. Naylor's non-sailing Wednesday afternoon gardening sessions? At least one gold ring has been found already and who knows what other treasures lie beneath our mouldering acres?

Brains were stretched and pummelled in examinations. Gallons of chilled coke were consumed each break time. Bodies were stretched and driven in a clockwork orange of a sports. It was that man King Fagin we had to thank for the excellent organisation Legs and arms became more sunburned. Fair heads were   bleached. The coast of Malta was ringed by a thick creamy foam kicked up by thousands of swimming bodies. Mrs Whittle gave us an exciting morning of competition at the galathe sun-drenched Robb Lido.

Goodbye Miss Gallagher, Mrs. McCafferty and Mr. Entwhistle and so many of our students young and not so young.

Back in a summer flash to a hall that began to ring to the strains of royal Siamese ditties. Parents evenings. Nights drawing in. Careers men visiting from England pointing hundreds of feet in the right direction.

Wood and canvass, paint and nails, needle and cotton, tongue and throat, heart and voice exploding all over the school on five nights in December. "The King and I". An Irish success. No more need be said. Perhaps next Christmas a party — at least for juniors?

A brand new year 1974 and there was a lull in the noise of the traffic on Malta's roads. And all because the descendants of Abraham were having one of their regular brotherly fights at the far end of our land-locked sea. But the Tal Handaq buses trundled on undaunted up to the heights of Rabat, down to sleepy Marsaxlokk or along the winding splendours of the creeks of Pieta and Msida. Our lovely winter moved gently into its annual springtime miracle of flowers. The dun coloured summer Malta became fresh and green in the rain. Every grain of soil was determined to get in on the act by sending out its own little display of wild flowers — yellow, blue and red.

Commander Law began to count the days off. Sport flourished. Another rash of examinations brought a week of anxious faces and tired fingers. Willing walkers raised an enormous sum to help mentally handicapped children. Our mothers of tomorrow revealed a taste in clothes which augurs well for our collective future. Young throats rocked St. Andrew's Barracks with their enthusiastic singing in the Junior Music Festival. The blare of "Jesus Christ Superstar" frightened the birds taking refuge in the eaves of Tal Handaq from the deadly pellets of Maltese gunslingers

Before we knew it, Commander Law had waved a last farewell, piped ashore by SIX cheers no less. And now...

The last word

Having waited many a long year for someone to ask me to write in the School Magazine, (for I am very shy at heart) and suddenly realising that this is the last chance, I've decided to cease being modest in the hope that the Editor, kind man that he is, will find a space for his, on the back page.

The only trouble is that one needs a topic, not the withdrawal or return for, interesting, funny, sad, frustrating though it was the subject is now part of history. The School history perhaps? No — our dear friend Miss Yule has written a better article than I could ever produce. School activities? Again no, that is covered 'by other contributors, so what is left, having rejected those and many more ideas? As far as I can see it only leaves something about ME!

Just in case somewhere within the .magazine there is a mention of me (how immodest can one get?) may I hasten to state that this is the authorised version and is possibly nearer the truth.

I have had the honour and pleasure of being the Deputy Headmaster for nearly five years, not because I am brilliant in the job, but because of the withdrawal mentioned above and the fact that in true British fashion it was thought that those who packed up should be the ones that unpacked.

The job has proved to be very interesting although at times frustrating and long. I nearly asked for photographs of myself, before and after to be put in, but unfortunately if placed in the wrong order, they might have been mistaken for an advert for hair restorer: it might even have made some of the longer haired boys jealous too.

What then is my job that has caused this change in me? Some might think it is to scold the naughty boys, others that It, is to act as the bus despatcher at 5 pm, but actually it is more than that. My job definition does not in fact make me a deputy headmaster at all, but states amongst other things that I am responsible for the daily routine and day to day running of the school, for the timetable, for the examinations and that In between, I teach.

Perhaps the major task is the preparation of the timetable, to decide who goes where, to whom, to learn what! Yes, I confess that I am to blame when you have to go from Block 8 to Block 27 between lessons, a long walk perhaps from Physics In Art? but look how healthy you have become, and fresh air between lessons harms nobody, and clears headaches. The final timetable is produced on a planning board (I still recall with horror the three year old who removed the pegs when the parents of an older brother and I were not looking but before that, much work is carried out by the staff with the object of providing the best course for each and every pupil bearing in mind his/her ability and inclination. I doubt if there is an ideal timetable for a school such as ours, considering that few pupils stay for more than two years, but we do our best, and so far we have avoided putting two classes, or two teachers in one room at the same time. One of the advantages over other schools is that we usually keep classes below thirty in the lower school and even less in the upper.
The Deputy Headmaster is also responsible for producing timetables for examinations and for the administration of public examinations. It is, of course, the responsibility of other members of the staff to decide upon the actual entries, and I would assure all parents that much thought is put into this, with any doubtful cases being decided in favour of the pupil being entered. In many cases double entries, i.e. entry for both GCE and CSE, have been allowed, but with the change in regulations this is unlikely to be possible next year. One always hopes that a pupil should not become too worried about examinations, 'but on more than one occasion the relaxation has become so great, that a member of the staff has had to be sent to ask Mum to get son out of bed. Yes, it has happened!
Examinations are very important, as many careers requireproof of ability, but one must never lose sight of the fact that a school should also prepare students to face the problems of adult life. A teacher of mine used to say "Pupils go to school to learn how to learn". I think that this is true, but in addition they must be helped to realise that consideration for others affects one's liberty of action, one needs to be trustworthy, reliable, loyal and confident and one must have self discipline. These points of character can be developed in many ways, by games, Duke of Edinburgh Schemes, even insisting on homework, or on ties being worn. There is no discipline problem in Tal Handaq but one of the drawbacks of the DHM's position is that he tends to see more of naughty pupils than of good. I've been told I shout at people. I do, but I hope I've always explained the reason for my annoyance at their behaviour. I was, just once, accused of treating children like animals — apart from the fact that I love animals — I suspect that that person never saw me consoling worried children or comforting a frightened, injured child in the Sick Bay.

Oh Yes, that is another job, reserve First Aider when our kind and willing helpers are off duty. Tribute should be paid to those ladies, but, at the same time, would pupils, if they must, have accidents, whilst the volunteers are in attendance, and not afterwards? An additional plea, please do not ask for an aspirin at the slightest twinge, or is it to avoid a lesson?

Another task for the DHM is to be responsible for the ordering of stores and books. The allowance of money per student is considered good but prices as always are rising, and the purchase of one book per pupil in the school, would mean a bill of £500 on average, and, considering that each pupil takes over eight subjects, perhaps you realise why staff get annoyed at those who ,damage books even by neglect, or who, thoughtlessly damage other school property. Perhaps they are the same people who leave personal belongings behind, for our Lost Property room is full of clothing awaiting collection - - when did you last mark your child's clothes, Mum?

The editor may well be running out of space by now, so I had better conclude this article, but not before saying that, as my tour finishes at Tal Handaq I leave with a sense of sadness and loss. I have enjoyed my time here, and will go away proud to have been a member of the school, proud of the pupils, most of whom are a credit both to school and parents, grateful for the help that has been given me over the years by the staff, (I name no names but refer you to the complete list on another page) and, in return, can only hope that in some small way, I have helped keep up the good name of the school, certainly I have always tried to put the school first, and perhaps I have even helped some people to become better and more educated citizens — I hope so!

PS I nearly forgot — my pet hate — the phrase — I forgot -used today, not as an apology, but as a legitimate reason for not doing work, being lazy, or otherwise not being responsible.

JACK COTTAM.