Extracts from "The Tower"

EDITORIAL

THE current sense of unease, which is as much part of 1968 society as was the attitude of smug contentment a few years ago, has already begun to permeate the pages of this magazine. The lives of most of us are today more comfortably bolstered by symbols of material wealth and advancement than have been the lives of all previous generations. Yet, discontentment grows, in certain social-sectors and age-groups it grows in an alarmingly rapid manner. 

On another page, our Headmaster poses the question "Where will all this change lead us?" The wisdom of Solomon could not answer that one. Yet desire for and apprehension of change are causing vast rifts in our society. Many of those who seek change - for the better, one idealistically hastens to add - are motivated by a feeling of genuine concern, as they become old enough to look about them. The observations of some result in bitter resentment and despair, and in the general articles of this magazine these feelings become apparent. The whole of humanity is observed, but it is the incongruities of this life, the multitudinous acts of in justice and cruelty and sheer neglect, that plague the peoples, not merely of our own country, but of the world, which fire the imagination of so many contributors. The carefree, halcyon days of youth, that dreamers tell of, have been superceded by a more strongly committed attitude in our young people. Concern for affairs of family, town or village yesterday, becomes, today, involvement in affairs of the world. 

Even at this age, many are preoccupied with death; some are morbidly obsessed with a fatalistic view of life. The drowning victim of a sinking liner; the casualty of war ; the maimed survivor of a civil disaster like Aberfan; the widow, lonely in her room, neglected and left to live out her life in solitude ; all find their way into these pages.

Neither are they to be dismissed as merely glib, meaningless figures of melodrama and pathos - an easy choice for young writers, some might say. Too many show every sign of sincerity and heart-felt pity. Let us not condemn too readily the perspicacity of the young mind.

From this point, it is easy to bemoan our fate and blame others; it is less easy to suggest improvements. Many of our writers have observed with terrifying exactness; few have offered solutions. Perhaps they feel the solutions are too ephemeral to consider, or that their influence can never be felt. While we are surrounded by the squalid and the evil, those with sensitivity, seeing no clearway through, will wring their hands and despair; others will attempt to use more revolutionary means. 

HEADMASTER'S COMMENT

IN the last century, when the idea of education for all was propounded, an old sceptic in the House of Commons voiced his doubts, by saying that, if a horse knew as much as a man, he would not be his rider. A deplorably short-sighted view. This early critic was rightly overborne and the Education Act of 1870 came into being. But, looking back with hindsight, what benefits have we derived from universal education, intended to presage a new age and to emancipate the masses? 

With education has come literacy, the pursuit of science, industrial development, our present material prosperity, and an increasing population. However, scientific progress, once embarked upon. cannot be halted or reversed. There can be no return to Victoria. We, therefore, have all the benefits of an evolving technological society, including longer expectation of life and the nuclear bomb. Our daily lives seem to be becoming increasingly complex. We appear to be organising (or trying to organise) everything we do - including the educational processes, in larger units and old institutions, which have served well in the past, are apparently beginning to show signs of strain. 

Does the individual matter as much as he should in this brave new world? Have we been emancipated? Quo vadis homo sapiens?

THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

This Society was formed on the 6th March and so is clearly still in its infancy. Even so, at our weekly meetings we have dealt with subjects such as the planets Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto, Radio Astronomy, How to observe Meteors; to name but a few. 

Our meetings have been well attended, averaging about twenty members. They are always very informal and members discuss problems and exchange ideas freely, regardless of their position on the school ladder. Members are encouraged to prepare talks on their favourite aspects of Astronomy and so far several have done so, very successfully too. One of the most novel meetings was when recordings of inter-stellar static, the source of Radio waves from Outer Space, were played. The member who brought them along had recorded them entirely with home-made equipment.

We are now in the process of compiling our own slide library and hope to have assembled a collection of 300 colour slides by the end of the year.

Remember, you don't have to be a mathematician or own a telescope to be a serious astronomer; or if you don't feel like get-ting frozen to death at nights still come along, you're bound to learn something. Our thanks to Mr. Timms for his guidance in our early stages. 

R.C.M.

F C WRIGHT,  Esq., BA

NEWS AND NOTES 

A WARM welcome is extended to the following members of staff who have joined us during the past year: Mr. Cahill, Mrs. Flinders, Mrs. Howard-Jones, Mme Jourdan, Mr. Mahabir, Miss Palmer, Mr. Sealey, Mr. Spence, Miss Webster and Mr. Williams. 

This year we are sorry to lose the services of Mr. Cahill, Mr. Daly, Miss Farnham, Mr. Fellowes, Miss Pettifer and Mrs. Howard-Jones.

We would like to congratulate Mrs. Adams, a former secretary who left us this year, on the birth of a son, Stephen Keith, and to extend a welcome to Mrs. K. M. Bradley, the new secretary.

We would like to extend belated congratulations to Miss Heaton-Ward and Mr. Austin on their engagement last year, and also to Miss Pettifer who became engaged to Mr. Wilson, a former teacher of the school. Congratulations also go to another member of staff, Miss Webster, who became engaged during the year to Mr. Roger Gee, a project engineer at Towcester.

We regret that Mr. Bamber has been absent for most of this year, but we hope to see him back at school once again next term. 

We are both pleased and proud to record that the approximate sum of £250 was raised by the school in our annual Christmas charity appeal which this year was in aid of the Society for Mentally-Handicapped Children. About £80 of this sum was raised by 6th-Lower girls, who completed a ten-mile sponsored walk.

"Does Britain need a woman Prime Minister?" was the theme of this year's inter-schools debate. Although the T.H.S. team did not win the shield, they made a highly commendable attempt against strong opposition from the Boys' Grammar School. Last year the school presented "A Penny for a Song" by local playwright, the late John Whiting. A full report of the play appears elsewhere in the issue.

On 8th March with all due ceremony David Hamilton visited the school with Anglia Television's Production Team to record "Try for Ten". During the evening cash prizes were won by the contestants, one of whom was our physics master, Mr. R. Austin. 

Last term Frank Sykes, a former Northampton Grammar School teacher, brought a group of young American students over from Cambridge School, Massachusetts, on an athletics tour of Britain. Their rugby match with T.H.S. was their first game in this country. Their skill and experience was very limited as this sport was new to them. However, everyone enjoyed themselves and they claimed to have learned a great deal from their confrontation with our 1st XV.

During the year the school has helped various organisations in the town with their flag days. A number of pupils have assisted with street collections on Saturday mornings.

We recently enjoyed a visit from Mr. Roger Boswell, B.Sc.(Eng.), who worked with us for a short time last year on the staff of the Maths. Dept. We learn that his work has now taken him to the U.S.A., where he is employed as a project engineer for a large American aircraft and rocket manufacturing company. He is at present engaged upon work connected with the Boeing 707 air-liners. How much more expensive is life in the States! How much more intense is the competition! Yet, how much greater is the financial reward!

We congratulate Paul Mabin of 6 U.M. and Norman Burns of 6 U.S. on winning respectively the 1st and 2nd prizes in the Mayoral Essay Competition 1968.

Since the last edition, the beauty of the willow-shaded fish-pond in our quadrangle has been greatly enhanced by the addition of an almost-elegant stone 'Pan' which brightens our daily lives during the summer months by its silvery cascade of water. Our thanks must go to Mr. Meakins and the 6th-Form art set for this novel artistic feature.

On Sunday, 19th May a mixed party of young people from Trinity High School and Kingsthorpe Youth Centre took part in a 20-mile sponsored walk as part of Christian Aid Week. Participation was entirely voluntary and the response was most pleasing. Every member of the party, we are pleased to note, completed the walk and the total sum raised was in the region of £100.

THE TORTURE

WE walked into the building, wondering what was going to happen to us. This was a new experience; we had been warned against going, but we had to see if what they said was true. An ominous shadow loomed before us in the doorway. He held out his hand. We wondered what he wanted. It was the pass we had been given earlier. We gave it to him and timidly walked in. We noticed a peculiar smell filled the air. We were told to takeoff our coats and hang them up, and to sit down somewhere and try to be quiet. After about ten minutes everyone went silent and a person, who I gathered was in authority mumbled something under his breath and all those around us mumbled something in response.

Then one of the victims sitting near me went and fetched it. At first we could not believe that anything could he so horrible. We did not think things like this were allowed any more. This was England, 1968, and surely such torture was against the law. When this was over another kind was brought and we were forced to suffer this. Then everybody came alive, putting things away and wiping up the remains of it. At last the person in authority came up to us and said we could be released.

On hearing such welcome news there was a stampede and we just grabbed our coats and got out of the building as soon as possible. As we were walking along the street talking about all we had been through, a fellow-sufferer asked me how I had liked my first taste of School Dinners.

LIBRARY NOTES

THE Library has been expanded by the addition of nearly three hundred books recommended by Staff and pupils and has been more widely used. The First and Second Year boys and girls are enthusiastic borrowers and have undoubtedly been encouraged by the introduction of Library Periods into the Time-Table where this was possible. Among the new books are small sets of works from which extracts appear in the Comprehension Textbooks used in Years 1-4 and it is hoped that our scholars will want to drink more deeply after such sips.

New societies in Archaeology and Astronomy have been encouraged by the purchase of sets of basic books for their re-searches. There have been several private donations of books from Staff and pupils and we also thank the Admiralty for the supply of a few books on the Royal Navy.

The Library Prefects have given useful service in routine duty and after-school sessions for the preparation of requisitions and our best thanks are due to them.

SKY DRILL

I WAS a little under fourteen when I joined the Air Training Corps. Little did I then think that, as a result, I should be fortunate enough to have achieved some air experience by the time I was sixteen.

Each year, my A.T.C. Squadron goes to camp and this is spent on a Royal Air Force station. I attended my first camp at R.A.F. Topcliffe in Yorkshire. Cadets have opportunities to fly in R.A.F. aircraft, and the duration of these fights vary - some may be quite lengthy. I was lucky, for I "logged up" eight hours' flying time.

It was exciting to fly alongside R.A.F. aircrew, to watch the detail involved in their flying drill, to look down on the countryside below, and to pick out the features of roads, railways, churches, etc. My particular flights took me over the northern counties of Scotland, to the R.A.F. station at Leuchars in Fife and over the North Sea. While I was over the sea, I got a good view of the oilrigs.

My second camp, in August 1967, was held much nearer home at Spitalgate in Lincolnshire. This station is a Service gliding school, both for R.A.F. and A.T.C. pupils, and thus, flying activities here were confined to gliding.
It was here, at Spitalgate, in the following November, that I had my greatest experience of all! That was the day I gained my gliding "wings". The test for this requires a pupil to make three solo flights. Preparation training required me to spend numerous weekends at Spitalgate. Needless to say, throughout each of the preceding weeks, I looked forward eagerly to those visits, and to each brief taste of R.A.F. routine. Gliding was not the only attraction. It was always fun to meet the other cadets who came to train, and to spend Saturday evenings together, whether in the camp canteen or in nearby Grantham.

But to the Day itself - the day I shall remember! It was a Sunday. I slept well enough the night before, but I could not help having some anxious thoughts for the following day. Would all go well? Would the weather be "gliding weather"? Would my confidence stay with me? Would my final "dual" flight satisfy the Chief Instructor (the Squadron Commander), before he would give me the O.K. to proceed on solo?
I need not have worried! All did go well! Although the wind turned out to be a little strong for ideal gliding, it was good enough. At eleven o'clock after my last " dual " with the Squadron Commander, I was ready! He stepped out of the craft, gave me final instructions, a few cheerful words of encouragement and a smile. Alone, I was at the controls, strapped in.
I signalled the launching crew that I was ready, and the glider sailed gently forward. Gaining speed every second, I gently pulled her off the ground by the use of the control column. Then I was airborne! What a feeling! But I must remember my drill-100 feet! Ah! - must pull back even more, to gain circuit height. I felt myself being thrust back in my seat and my eyes began to stream. 650 feet! I levelled out and released the cable. The craft - and the sky - were all mine.

Now, in contrast, all seemed to have gone quiet. Clouds appeared alongside me, thick and white. Childishly, I felt like reaching out and grabbing some of that white candy-floss to take back as a souvenir. Time to make my first turn. Gripping the stick more firmly, I manoeuvred the glider, until I could feel a wedge of cold air supporting the wings at an angle. I then swung those huge silver wings round. Did I do it smoothly enough to please my instructor? Soon I should know!

More turns, and then the airfield came back in view. It was up to me now to pick a spot on the airfield as my point of return, and I did so. Increasing my dive, the Lincolnshire meadows appeared to rise toward me. A shade more gentle forward-movement of the stick and I was within the boundaries of the airfield.

I gave the craft more rudder control to align myself for the landing. Using the control column, I levelled out. The craft suddenly gave a shudder - then another - and still yet another. Without doubt, the tailskid and wheel had met the earth again. I was down, happily down and experiencing the feelings of joy, exhilaration and success of such a moment.
I could do it, I had done it ! With this mood of confidence, I went on to complete the other two solos required to qualify me for my certificate. By midday, I had gained by "wings"! I was sixteen! A day to remember!

"A PENNY FOR A SONG"

  IN December of last year, the School Dramatic Society presented the John Whiting stage play, "A Penny for a Song". Three performances were given in the School Hall on the 7th, 8th and 9thof the month. All were well supported by parents and friends of the school, but how disappointing was the support given by pupils from the school. Their attendance was far below that which we had expected. Are we to conclude, therefore, that the attractions of television and other outside activities carry more weight than that of a live performance given by colleagues in school? This would indeed be tragic.

The play itself consisted of a subtle blend of comedy and philosophy. It seems to have been chosen specially because of its appeal to as wide a range of age-groups in the audience as possible. The theme was both amusing and stimulating, even if it lacked the more intricate characterisation for which the later Whiting plays are noted.

Full credit must be given to the cast, all of them boys and girls from the school. The sophisticated but tragic figure at the centre of the action, Hallam Matthews, was cleverly interpreted by Colin Atkins. The eccentric country squire, obsessed by a fanatical desire to save, single-handed, his country and reluctant fellow-countrymen from an anticipated invasion by that "Bete-Noire", Napoleon, was portrayed with vast energy and verve by Michael Stock. These two characters overshadowed all the others with commanding presence; the serious implications here were obvious.

Yet, though the other parts were of a less profound nature, they were brought to life most effectively. The henpecked Lamprett Bellboys and his domineering wife (Clive Fowler and Angela Rubython); the young lovers (Avril Bentley and Jeremy Raphael) ; the captain of Fencibles and his group of "irregulars" (Trevor Crane, Paul Mabin, Brian Roberts, Paul Miller), the dandy manservant, the maid and the sad, silent small-boy (Jeffrey Rouse, Sheila Irons, Neil Bage) all blended pleasingly into a well-formed whole.

All the comic antics were catalysed by the enigmatic figure, who spent the whole of the time in both Acts perched centrally onstage in a tree. William Rich performed this trying part of Humpage with great inventiveness and flair, always seeming to sense most cleverly the right moment to augment the humour in any situation by tricks and gestures of his own, and when to retreat into his amorphous shell, hunched up and gloomily silent.

Perhaps the one thing above all others which brought the play to life was the highly imaginative and artistic stage set. When one considers that a balloon carrying a man, a well, down which a character falls, a steaming fire-engine and numerous explosive charges all had to be incorporated into the action, one begins to realise the complexity of the work involved in planning, painting and construction. Great credit must go to the pupils who worked with Messrs. Adams, Austin and Price on these aspects of the production.

Of course, there is the special appreciation to the producer, Mr. Brewer, for his devotion and patience during the long, some-times trying hours of rehearsal. He was the co-ordinating force behind it all and never seemed to lose heart. 

BOYS'SENIOR BASKETBALL

UNDER the guidance of Mr. Williams the Senior Basketball Club was formed early in October of last year. The team played 8 matches in all, 4 against the Technical College, 2 against Wellingborough Grammar School, 1 against Northampton Gram-mar School and 1 against Spencer Dragons "A". Although the team did not win a match, each game was enjoyed and the young side, who will be together again next year, with the exception of one player G. O'Farrell, gained much valuable experience. As the season wore on the team became more accustomed to the game and their play showed a marked improvement.

A SHORT HISTORY OF ABINGTON ABBEY

NEARLY everybody who lives in Northampton will have heard of Abington Abbey, situated in Abington Park, but few, I suspect, will know anything about its interesting history.

How it ever became to be called an Abbey is a mystery, since it was never a religious building. It was, in fact, a manor house.
It is not clear who exactly built it, owing to the fact that the two possible builders had the same name. They were both John Bernards, son and grandson of Thomas Bernard, who himself had obtained possession of the estate from his father and his grandfather, Sir Nicholas Lytting Knight. Sir Nicholas was M.P. for Northants in the time of King Richard II. This confusion means that the Abbey was built, either within fifteen years before 1500,or in 1508.

The two oldest parts of the Abbey are the Elizabethan Staircase and a room at the foot of it completely lined with carved panels of dark oak.

In 1669 the house changed hands from the Bernard family to the Thursby family. Other land was given in the transaction in which the Thursby family paid £13,750.

Shakespeare is associated with the house on account of his granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall, being married to the last of the Bernards to occupy the Abbey. She is buried in Abington Church.

The Thursbys held the house for 200 years and in Abington Church, the family vault contains eleven coffins, all bearing that name.
The Abbey was then bought by the banking family, Lloyds. They never lived in the house, however, but lent it to a Dr. Prichard.
Dr. Prichard turned the house into "The Abington Abbey Retreat", a hospital for the treatment of mental diseases among people of the higher classes. The Statutes of the Abbey printed in1 847 states that:

"The objects entertained by its founders are to provide suit-able medical treatment, moral control, and adequate accommodation for insane persons of high respectability whose pecuniary resources have either become reduced by their ill health or are unequal to meet the contingencies of so onerous and painful an affliction as the loss of reason, either in themselves or in their families ".

The doctor's work was carried on by his descendants until 1892 when Lord and Lady Wantage (Lady Wantage being the granddaughter of the Lloyd who bought the property) gave the house and 20 acres of land to the town. The remaining 96 acres was bought by the council in two stages, in 1895 and 1903. The house was opened as a Museum together with the opening of the Park Bandstand on May 9th, 1899. Incidentally, on that occasion V.I.P. visitors had the pleasure of being served with tea and coffee in the oak room.

Apart from the addition of a cafe, the Abbey has remained in the function of a Museum right up to present.

FENCING

DURING the past school year it was possible for the first time in the history of the school for senior pupils to take the opportunity of receiving fencing tuition from a professional fencing master during the weekly games periods on Wednesday afternoons. Initially the lessons were very well attended and the pupils gained sufficient skill in the art of fencing to compete in a fencing tournament against the Northampton Grammar School, which resulted in a draw. Unfortunately owing to an increase in the cost of lessons, which had to be paid for by the pupils themselves, the numbers attending the lessons gradually dwindled resulting in the lessons being discontinued sooner than was originally intended.

Perhaps during the coming school year it will be possible for some arrangements to be made to offset part of the cost of the tuition fees that has to be contributed by the pupils. It would also be beneficial if the senior girls in the school were encouraged, indeed allowed, to take advantage of these lessons.

The fencing group would like to express their thanks to Mr. Grimshaw for arranging these fencing lessons.

M. J. STOCK.

A THUNDERSTORM

THE night was ominously dark and still. The air, although it was well past midnight, remained warm and sticky, so that there was little sleep to be had for either animals or humans. Inky clouds, which had been creeping, almost invisibly, across the sky for the past hour, had now totally obscured the stars, cutting out even their meagre light. From far away came a low rumble, like the growling of a watchdog. It was a warning: almost immediately a barely perceptible breeze arose, setting leaves rustling, growing stronger every moment, until branches shook and old buildings creaked and groaned in protest. Over in the west there was a flicker of lightning - so slight that if you were not looking in that direction it would have gone completely unnoticed - and several seconds later there came an answering grumble, louder and more menacing than before. Animals crouched lower in their holes and burrows, birds moved to more sheltered perches, children pulled the bedclothes over their heads, and their pets made for cover under the nearest table or chair. Rain began to patter down like foot steps in the darkness. Lightning flashed, more viciously this time, and the thunder followed, rattling overhead, signalling to the clouds to unleash their torrents. The rain did not allow the wind to carry it along, it fell like so many rods to earth, beating down all in its path, so that crops and wild plants were broken and flattened. The lightning began to play almost continuously, alternately bathing the ground in a ghastly blue light and plunging it into blank darkness. Interspersed in the blackness came crashes which seemed to make the very earth shake and tremble. Hail began to fall, like small, sharp stones, ripping leaves from trees and bushes, and knocking soot down chimneys. There would be a blinding crack and a tall building would crumble or a tree would topple to the ground, burning with blue sparks. Rivers and streams were tumbling along faster and faster, rising further up their banks, whirling along the broken debris. Where the ground could not soak up the water fast enough, small puddles were rapidly becoming lakes, inundating gardens, fields and roads.

As suddenly as it had began the storm abated. The lightning became less vivid, the thunder reluctantly rumbled away, the hail stopped, leaving just a soft mist of rain to float down. The clouds rolled ponderously into the distance revealing the last few western stars and the first, pale, gold fingers of a fine dawn. The rain ceased altogether and birds began to sing, the night forgotten, all that remained of it being a cool, fresh breeze, flattened plants, and a general wetness.

GIRLS' FIRST XI HOCKEY, 1967-68

This hockey season has been one of the best that the team has enjoyed for many years although the scores have fluctuated between losing to Corby Grammar School 9-1 and winning against Kingsthorpe Secondary Modern 9-0.
At Christmas the team suffered a bad set-back when the captain Marie Martin left school and it was no coincidence that the scores afterwards were not up to the previous standard. We welcomed Jane Medway and Ann Plowman at the beginning of the season and extend our thanks to Avril Bentley and Margaret Eves who have both been reliable players for the last few seasons.
S.C.

GIRLS' UNDER 15 XI HOCKEY REPORT, 1967-68

  Captain: V. Allen    Vice-Captain: M. Richards