2 emails received from Vivian Jenkins -------------------------EMAIL 1 - PETER FOWLER ---------------------------- GUIDE TO FINDING INFORMATION AROUND PETER FOWLER’S TENURE AS THE MASTER WITH THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF MUSICIANS THROUGH ‘PRESERVE HARMONY’ THE BI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF THE W.C.O.M. WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON-LINE. FIRST GOOGLE, ‘ARCHIVE’ & CLICK ON ‘PRESERVE HARMONY’ IN THE MENU. The archived issues of Preserve Harmony are laid out in rows. This guide information is in chronological order. 1st RIGHT – 5TH ROW. Issue 30. Spring 2005. Page 11 has an article by Peter about the 1964 World Premier of Menotti’s opera, Martin’s Lie at Bristol Cathedral; plus the 40th anniversary reunion at Menotti’s Edinburgh home and a photo of the original cast ‘boys’. I remember them well! 2nd RIGHT – 5TH ROW. Issue 31. Autumn 2005. Page 1 has a photo of Peter and Janet Fowler with the headline – The New Master, Peter Fowler and a WCOM article he wrote. Mrs Fowler accompanied the school choir on their tour of Germany and Denmark in 1964. Issue 31 can only be viewed page by page on my computer. 3rd RIGHT – 5TH ROW. Issue 32. Spring 2006. Page 4 has a photo of Peter celebrating his 70th birthday at Tallow Chandler’s Hall after a carol concert at St Michael’s, Cornhill. His son, Liveryman, Matthew Fowler is giving a speech. His other son, Liveryman, Timothy Fowler and his spouse and Peter’s wife. Janet are mentioned in the adjoining article. Page 5 has a photo of Peter and Janet. Pages 8 and 9 has photos of Peter Fowler’s installation (the official title!) as The Master at Draper’s Hall, together with an article about the St Cecilia (patron saint of music) batik he commissioned and presented to the WCOM on his installation. 4th RIGHT – 5TH ROW. Issue 33. Autumn 2006. Pages 8 and 9 have more photos of Peter’s installation. Page 15 has a brief account of The Master presenting celebrated conductor – the late Sir Charles Mackerras with the WCOM’s Silver Medal. Also below, same page is a photo of Peter with well-known young musicians including the delightful saxophonist, Amy Dickson. Page 16 includes a photo of Peter presenting the jazz medal to Troy Miller; next to photos of The Master and VIP’s at The Court Dinner and below this a brief Stop Press about The Master’s visit to China with Nicola Benedetti, the violinist; the City of London Sinfonia and Russell Jones, former Director of the Association of British Orchestras. 2nd LEFT – 5TH ROW. Issue 34. Spring 2007. Page 2 has an article by Peter Fowler headed, The Master’s Year in Office. There is a photo of Peter within the body of the text taken in 1965 with the caption – Maestro del Cora in Venice, 1965. Page 3 and Peter is pictured with the Top Brass at The Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall (taken in 2006). His article, The Master’s Year in Office continues and finishes on page 3. Pages 14 and 15 have a very entertaining account of the China visit mentioned in the Stop Press in Issue 33. The article is entitled, On the road to China with the Laughing Buddha. The title is in yellow print with the background behind the text in red. Issue 34 can only be viewed page by page on my computer. 1st LEFT – 4TH ROW. Issue 35. Autumn 2007. Page 10 has an article by Immediate Pastmaster, Peter Fowler on the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme that he visited when he was The Master; at the Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Issue 35 can only be viewed page by page on my computer. VIVIAN JENKINS 1959-1965 -------------------------EMAIL 2 - REDCLIFFE SCHOOL CHOIR 1959-1965---------------------------- From the operetta, Once Aboard the Lugger (A Lugger is a small 2/3 mast sailing ship) by Alec Rowley and Rodney E. Bennett in the Autumn of 1959, performed on the ‘Dining Room stage’ of the Parish Rooms, to the T.W.W. recorded cantata The Daniel Jazz by Bristol composer Herbert Chappell via trips to Europe: 1960 Germany; 1961 Holland; 1962 Germany (plus a short holiday in Belgium); 1963 Spain and 1964 Denmark and Germany was an exhilarating experience for young choristers. Mr Peter Fowler, who taught Music, History and R.E. (originally R.K. when I arrived at the School) conducted, sang solos and organised the concerts. Mr (later Dr) John Marsh, Deputy Director of Music at Clifton College was our regular accompanist and also performed piano solos. Once Aboard the Lugger was accompanied on a more fitting instrument – a harmonium - that had to be borrowed. With the whole cast on board the Nutcracker (the Parish Rooms Hall stage doubling up as the ship – or was it a boat; an abiding memory is of a large piece of painted scenery of the departure port being slid off stage giving the impression to the audience that the lugger and crew were sailing off on the high seas. On the 1964 Denmark and Germany concert tour Pat Prewett accompanied on the keyboard instead of Mr Marsh. Various St Mary Redcliffe masters were Stage Managers/Producers for plays put on by members of the Choir as part of the concerts including Mr W. Rex Oram – taught English - (Once Aboard the Lugger) performed in the ‘Dining Hall’ at Redcliffe School 1959; Mr Ronald Wilcock – taught General Science – (Brother Wolf) – Germany 1960; Mr Roger Watson – taught Art – (Robin Hood) – Holland 1961; Germany 1962 concert programme lost during a house move – not sure who the Stage Manager/Producer was; Mr Maurice R. Roe – taught English, Maths and was Careers master – (Tennyson’s The Death of Arthur) – Spain 1963; (Mr Peter Atmer, who taught Languages was Narrator for The Death of Arthur); Mr Maurice R. Roe (Shakespeare’s ‘Mechanical’s Play’ from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) – Denmark and Germany 1964. Another feature of the concerts was the Sword Dancing Display Team that existed until approximately 1963. Its genesis was as a number from Once Aboard the Lugger, where ‘sailors’ (SMR choirboys) danced around the windlass of the Lugger pulling wood ‘swords’ to raise the sails. The uniform for the ‘sailors’ were white shirts, ‘duck’ trousers and red sashes around the waist and a blue pill-box hat. (A suggested list of clothing for the trip to Holland document mentions the hats but I cannot remember the Team ever wearing them. They are also not wearing hats in the monochrome photograph that appeared in the 1961 School Magazine). Another dance routine the display team performed was Flamborough Head and at the end of the routine the ‘swords’ would be interwoven into a star shape – see photo in the 1961 Magazine. The European concert tour programmes had a wonderful drawing of St Mary Redcliffe Church on the front cover drawn by Mr Watson, (left Redcliffe School in 1967 to lecture at -----2----- Bradford Teacher’s Training College).The programme was inside and on the reverse was a list of members of the Choir however the idea of listing choir member names wasn’t considered until the Holland tour of 1961. (I have attached an enlarged version of the small photo of choir members (in the 1961 School Magazine) from the 1961 post Holland tour concert on the stairs at Bristol Museum Lecture Theatre. Also attached are the names of the choristers). Younger choirboys required an identity card for the European tours, rather than a full passport and I still have my card with photo affixed (probably from circa 1960) signed by Mr Stanley Lowes, Headmaster. We stayed whilst in Germany (1960,1962 and 1964) with students of the Middle-School in Bad Munder am Diester; a small spa town located between Hamelin (famous for the Pied Piper, who got rid of the towns’ rats) and Hannover, twinned with Bristol since the end of World War 2. Bad Munder is a small spa town situated south of the Diester hills in Lower Saxony. My abiding memory on the 1960 tour was meeting the Mayor in the Rathaus (Town Hall) and Mr Fowler exchanging a photo of Bristol and accepting one of our host town followed by short speeches likening shared musical harmony with political harmony. The choir then sang a traditional German folk song ‘Holahi’ (in English) on the Rathaus steps, with our conductor giving each choir section their note on a pitch pipe, small enough to fit in his jacket pocket. The connection between Bad Munder’s Middle-School and St Mary Redcliffe School was set up in 1957 when Mr Fowler met with Middle-School teacher, Herr Spangenberg possibly under the Bristol-Hannover exchange scheme (the first UK twinning scheme). Local German press articles about the Bad Munder Rathaus exchange of gifts and subsequent speeches, plus musical critiques of the Choir concert at the Kur Park in the town on a beautiful summer’s evening, were subsequently sent to the school on our return to Bristol. They were translated and roneod. I still have my copy. (There should be an umlaut over the u in Munder but I can’t find one amongst the technological wizardry on my computer!) Perusing the Bristol Records Office online catalogue one day; I came across what resembled the Rathaus picture or book presented by the Burgermeister of Bad Munder to Mr Fowler. I must check it out with a visit. On returning to Bristol after each concert tour; the Choir gave a concert identical to the tour concerts at the Bristol Museum Lecture Theatre (except for the 1960 concert which was held in the Mervyn King Hall). Mr Fowler conducted and sang solos whilst Mr Marsh accompanied on the piano and also performed solos. We adopted new choir regalia of crimson academic gowns edged with black tape for the 1961 Holland concert tour. An interesting anecdote (which may be apocryphal after all the intervening years) concerns how the choir learnt the Dutch National Anthem and a Dutch folk song, Ain Boer Wol Nor Zien Noaber Tou in the Dutch vernacular. I understand Mr Fowler took a portable tape recorder to the nearby Docks; found a moored Dutch ship and asked the Captain if he would -----3----- sing both tunes into the recorder. The choir’s rendition was based on the Dutchman’s singing and pronunciation! Mono L.P. recordings were made by the former recording company: Bristol & West Recording Society of the 1961, 1962 and 1963 concerts. I still have the 1961 and 1963 versions, plus a few crackles and hisses! The record company Saydisc produced a recording of The Daniel Jazz together with a composition by Mr Marsh called People Wherever You Are in 1964, which I purchased after leaving Redcliffe and still possess. Some of my most enjoyable lessons were music and history. I wonder how many former pupils remember that Mr Fowler whenever chalking information on the blackboard in his upstairs classroom in the Parish Rooms that had to be retained; wrote his initials – P.A.F. – after the work, reversing the F if it had to be retained (well that was my interpretation of it). Amazing how small details like that acquired during your formative years stay with you for a lifetime. Choir practice was held in a small rather dingy room downstairs in the Parish Rooms closer to the main Parish Rooms entrance than the way-in from the school playground. Apart from a single ceiling light fixture; a small window near the ceiling at the back; rows of uncomfortable wooden chairs and a piano; our ‘melodious voices’ were the only feature to brighten up the room! Mr Fowler found the light fitting useful I remember to plug his record player (before H & S) into to play recordings from his music college record collection to us novice singers to show us how the piece should sound, if it was new to us. I don’t know how Mr Fowler fitted all his extra-curricular musical activities around his teaching career, whilst I was at Redcliffe. This included setting up the Bristol Junior Youth Choir (we practiced weekly in a hall in Great George Street off Park Street, and opposite the Brandon Hill park)); being Associate Conductor to Mr A. Vaughan Davis (then Music Advisor to Bristol Education Committee) of the Bristol School’s Music Society Annual Colston Hall concerts; Musical Director of the G & S Bristol Savoy Operatic Society; a tenor in the BBC West of England Singers and for a short time was Director of Music at St Mary Redcliffe Church. He later became conductor of the Bristol Youth Choir, (after leaving Redcliffe) as I still have a souvenir programme of a 1972 concert that I attended, prior to their tour of the USA and Canada with the Bristol Youth Orchestra, conducted by Mr Ronald Smith; who took over from Mr Vaughan Davis as Bristol’s Music Advisor when the latter retired in 1968 to reside in South Africa. Other Redcliffe Choir highlights that I clearly remember were the Bristol schools carol concerts held in a tent pavilion located in the gardens that used to run down the middle of The Centre. (I understand from conversations with my parents in past decades that these gardens were known as Birdcage Walk). Also the spectacular coach drive along twisting roads and precipitous mountainous drops to Montserrat Abbey perched high in the Catalonian mountains during the 1963 choir trip to Spain (We were based at Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava). Our Choir sang in the basilica of -----4----- Montserrat Abbey to the Montserrat Abbey Choir and monks in a mini concert. We were most amused when Mr Maurice ‘Joe’ Roe, who wasn’t singing, was invited by the Abbot to sit in his chair to watch us perform; whilst the Abbot stood to the side. ‘Joe’ had on the right gear that day as he was all in black – black shirt, dark suit and back shoes! Perhaps he had prior knowledge. I also remember a brief impromptu football match between both choirs afterwards. Mr Fowler received a telegram (remember those!) during our Spanish visit from the Archbishop of Gibraltar congratulating SMR on being only the 5th foreign choir to have sung at Montserrat – a list including the famed Vienna Boys’ Choir. The concert also on the Spanish trip at the Palacio de la Musica in Barcelona, that I particularly remember; was the concert without an audience. At least at the start hour of 11am there were approximately two people in the auditorium and Mr Fowler was on the verge of abandoning our performance. After waiting 10 minutes, the place was packed, with no seats available. Is that an example of manana?!!! In 1965 Redcliffe choristers hosted in their own homes, choristers from the Stockholm Boys’ Choir (Stockholms Gosskor) on the Bristol leg of their UK tour culminating in a concert at St Mary Redcliffe Church. Their regalia, in concert, were the same naval outfits as for the Vienna Boys; although their outfit was white rather than blue for the Viennese. I still have the programme and critique of the concert by Bristol Evening Post music critic, Reginald Redman; who was also a composer and conductor of the BBC West of England Singers, which Peter Fowler sang in. Also a live recording in 1964 by the BBC one Sunday morning of the morning service from Bristol’s Central (Methodist) Hall (now split into apartments) in Old Market when Revd. Leslie Timmins was Minister. Redcliffe School provided the choir. Mr Timmins later appeared in our T.W.W. studio appearance also in 1964 of The Daniel Jazz cantata broadcast a week or so before Christmas. A B.B.C. Third Programme (later called BBC Radio 3) national choral competition at the Empire Theatre, Old Market called possibly, if my memory serves me right; Let the Peoples Sing. Redcliffe was up against the Bristol Youth Choir – both choirs representing the West Country. We narrowly lost! (The BBC had leased the theatre in the mid 1950’s from the Bristol Corporation, for radio recording and it was not until the 1970’s that it returned to a previous use as a cinema – albeit with a bit of a ‘seedy’ reputation). Mr Codrington (or it could have been his predecessor as Deputy Headmaster, Mr L.J. Harrison who retired to become a Curate at St Alban’s Church, Westbury Park) invited a group of choristers to be stewards (showing the audience to their seats) at the Yehudi Menhuin concert at St Mary Redcliffe Church as part of the Bath Festival when Mr Menuhin – later Lord Menuhin - was Artistic Director. Mr Fowler’s interview with the late Joseph Cooper, the concert pianist and former TV presenter of TWW’s Here Today - the local West and Wales news programme when the only studios for both areas was in Cardiff – and the classical music panel game Face the Music. It -----5----- was a great interview, but sadly Peter discovered he had left his house keys at his Cardiff hotel and had to make a return journey on the Aust Ferry to collect them. A female musical colleague was also being interviewed, but the name escapes me after so many decades but could it have been Molly Petrie, the mezzo soprano? Postscript – Face the Music a BBC show starring panellists such as David Attenbrough, Joyce Grenfell, Robin Ray (Ted’s son) and of course the ‘dummy keyboard’!! A shame the programme was de-commissioned. Singing at Speech Day, (prize-giving) held at Wills Hall, Bedminster; sometimes illustrated by Mr Ronald Wilcock’s cine film or slides of the past year of school activities and hosted by Mr Roe. The visit of the Bishop of Bristol, Rt. Revd Oliver Tomkins to preach at a School Assembly in the Mervyn King Hall. Not sure when. The Choir on a low raised platform possibly in front of the ‘4 P’s’ sang the 23rd Psalm to the tune of David Grant’s Crimond. To conclude the highlights; the choir was entertained royally at concerts in St Andrew’s Church, Avonmouth; Badminton Road Methodist Church, Downend and at Knowle Golf Club, when Mr Bob Williams (taught Maths) was made Club Captain. On a couple of occasions, when the Church choir was short on choristers, I joined the regulars. Canon Richard Fox Cartwright was then Vicar. I remember he made a visit to the USA during my time at Redcliffe and raised enough funds to refurbish the exterior of the building black with soot from coal fires and vehicle exhaust fumes. I think it was also at this time that the chapel of St John the Baptist within the Church became the American Chapel. Canon Cartwright later became Bishop of Plymouth. I see his name is still retained as one of the School Houses at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School. Postscript – having spent 40 years; post Redcliffe in the field of mental healthcare; I occasionally wondered about Canon Cartwright’s name FOX and whether he was related to the large Quaker dynasty of Foxes from Falmouth – one of whom - Dr Edward Fox - was instrumental in setting up the pioneering hospital at Brislington House in the late 1700’s/1800’s. It transpires that Canon Cartwright was a descendent of the family. I was in touch again with Peter Fowler in 2005, to offer my congratulations, when I discovered through the web, that he had been made The Master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians; one of the capital’s ancient livered guilds. I knew from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School he left to become Director of Music at Q.E.H. School and Music Master at Bristol Grammar School, followed by his appointment as Assistant County Music Advisor to Hertfordshire. He informed me he later moved to the Metropolian Borough of Solihull as Director of Schools (Music) and finally was Principal of the Arts Educational Schools in London where students are taught not only academically, but are also trained in dance, drama and musical theatre. A glance at the school alumni list reveals some very well-known names including Darcy Bussell, Martin Clunes, Bonnie Langford and Sarah Brightman. -----6----- He continued examining post-retirement in the late 1990’s at the Trinity School of Music, London and in 2005 when Senior Warden of the Worshipful Company of Musicians was appointed The Master, the head of the organisation and an honorary position for one year. (Attached is a guide to where you can find more information relating to Mr Fowler and the W.C.O.M., in the organisations ‘organ’ ‘Preserve Harmony’ ). I mustn’t finish this essay on the School Choir without mentioning another memorable feature of my time at Redcliffe when my peers with higher voices than mine were in the cast of the World Premiere of the composer Gian-Carlo Menotti’s opera Martin’s Lie on the 3rd June 1964 at Bristol Cathedral. Mr Fowler was Maestro del Coro (Chorus-Master). It was also the inaugural concert of the Bath Festival that year and the performance was filmed for CBS in America. I was in the audience. The New York Times musical critique of Martin’s Lie (which is still on-line) said of the SMR Students, “The children from the chorus of St Mary Redcliffe Secondary School took to the stage like natives of the place and sang with charm and feeling”. Mr Fowler continued his role as Maestro del Coro of the St Mary Redcliffe boys for the Menotti opera tagged with Benjamin Britten’s Noyes Fludde at Menotti’s Venice and Perugia Music Festivals during the summer of 1964. (Peter wrote an interesting article for the aforementioned Preserve Harmony organ – the spring 2005 edition – about the Bristol Cathedral World Premier and the SMR boy’s Italian experience which you can read on the Worshipful Company of Musician’s website). A 40th anniversary reunion most of the SMR cast members and their Maestro del Coro (Mr Fowler) at Mr Menotti’s mansion near Edinburgh was held in January 2005. Mr Menotti was at home for the reunion. Sadly Gian-Carlo Menotti died in 2007 aged 95. The aforementioned, Mr Roger Watson (taught Art) accompanied the boys in 1964 to Italy with Peter Fowler and wrote an interesting and informative account of their adventures for the School Magazine which didn’t appear in print until 1966. (I was on the committee of the Old Boy’s Society for a short while and I got free school magazines up until 1969). (A CD recording of Martin’s Lie was released on the Chandos lable in 1998 with the Northern Sinfonia, the Tees Valley Boys’ Choir and Soloists, under the direction of the late Richard Hickox; for former SMR choristers wishing to reacquaint themselves with the music of the opera). In 1961, a group of 6th formers led by the Head Boy and national swimming champion, Robert ‘Bob’ Thomas ‘buttonholed’ Sir David Eccles, Secretary of State for Education outside his London office to present him with a document signed by every pupil and members of -----7----- Staff, regarding the urgent need for a new school. A photo of the meeting in Curzon Street was in the 1962 School Magazine, with a wonderful caption – ROBERT HECKLES ECCLES. The scene was filmed by BBC Points West – or whatever the programme was called at that time. A Bristol Evening Post photographer turned up at the school around the time of the London visit and I remember Mr Lowes ushering in as many boys as could be squeezed in to the wash-room above Mr Stevens’s classroom, to demonstrate, pictorially, how cramped conditions were at Redcliffe School. Negotiations between the school, church, Bristol Corporation and the Government; must have been actively going on behind the scenes, but I can’t remember being aware at that time that the building of a new school was imminent. Which brings me to my final magical memory of Redcliffe School Choir on the afternoon of Saturday, 10th April, 1965; when the foundation stones for the new school were laid. It started with the Choir leading the singing at the preceding service in St Mary Redcliffe Church from the choirstalls. The service concluded with the Choir processing down through a packed nave singing Brahm’s ‘How Lovely are the Dwellings Fair’ from A German Requiem. The Choir continued to process out of the South Porch and along the south-east path and down a closed Redcliffe Hill to the future site of St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School. Sir Billy Butlin (an Old Red) then laid the foundation stone of the School Assembly Hall (with Mr Codrington checking the stone was level! – see a Bristol Evening Post photo taken at the time). Mr Gilbert S. James, Vice-Chair of the Redcliffe Schools laid the foundation stone for the Classrooms and Mr Philip N. Robinson, President of the Colston Parent Society laid the foundation stone for the Gymnasium, on behalf of Sir Foster Robinson. Mr (now Dr) John Marsh, our regular accompanist, (whose brother Graham Marsh was St Mary Redcliffe School Vice- Captain in the early 1960’s and a member of the school choir) was for many years Deputy Director of Music at Clifton College. He became Director of Music at the Lord Mayor’s Chapel on College Green in 1996. He had been a boy chorister at St Mary Redcliffe Church and was later Organist and Director of Music at St Mary Redcliffe Church until 1994 and for many years was also the Musical Director of the annual Bristol Evening Post Carol Concert at Bristol’s Colston Hall. Written AUGUST 2016 VIVIAN (‘Viv’ since reaching adulthood) JENKINS 1959 – 1965 CHATTERTON HOUSE NOT SURE ON THE ROLL NUMBER Also played chess in Mr Morgan’s lunchtime Chess Club. Mr Morgan taught Technical Drawing. P.S. For those Redcliffe boys who didn’t know me or remember me; I am male and I did attend Redcliffe and not Temple Colston! My Dad, a Welshman and a keen rugby player and Bristol supporter; named me after Vivian (Gordon James) Jenkins, the Welsh full-back who played for Wales and the British and Irish Lions in the 1930’s. My namesake went on to be chief rugby correspondent of the Sunday Times. -----8----- P.P.S. Apologies for the length of this essay. Mr Jeffreys – taught English and PE – might have had a few critical comments about it; or alternatively asked me to get the Report Book from Mr Lowe’s office – remember that!! Mr Hywel Jeffreys who I had high regard for, left in 1967 (according to the School Magazine for the same year) to become Headmaster of Cynlais County Primary School, Yftradgynlais. Belated congratulations to him! If you would like to read a little more information on his appointment; log onto the Cynlais Primary School, Ystradgynlais website. There is a menu on the right side of the screen and at the foot of the menu it says Cynlais School Headmasters. ‘Mr Jeffreys it says was appointed on March 28th 1967. He was still Headmaster at the official opening of the open-air swimming pool in 1974/75’. I will let you read the rest of the information from the local newspaper in the ‘larger’ box underneath. ADDENDUM Photos that might be of interest to Old Reds, that I know of; some of which are in the Central Library newspaper archive (but don’t have permission to display them) are as follows:- Mr Davies (taught history and 6th formers) speaking with Billy Butlin (who is sitting behind a desk) in a classroom (with pupils). The photo was taken in 1956 and is in Butlin’s biography which I own a copy of. Mr Fowler playing a piano with one side covered in graffiti and a few choirboys gathered around the piano. Photo was taken in the Mervyn King Hall – possibly in 1963. (BEP) Mr Mike Lawrence (taught games. Also played for Bristol R.F.U. – now Bristol Bears) He played in a centenary match of ex-players and was in the Team photo. I have the book detailing the history of the club (produced especially for the centenary) with aforementioned photo, and I have written permission from Bristol (General Manager) to display the photo including Mr Lawrence. The composer, Mr Menotti outside a restaurant in the Castle Green area; borrowing a school-tie from one of the SMR boys before his (then) forthcoming world premiere of Martin’s Lie at the Cathedral in 1964. It was de rigueur in those days for men to wear a tie in posh restaurants. Luckily there were a few choristers participating in the opera hanging around outside and I presume Mr Fowler (not in photo) was also enjoying a meal with Mr M., but inside. I don’t remember, why the boys were outside, but maybe it was age-related. (BEP) ADDENDUM PLUS I wonder what happened to all the framed photos of champion swimmers, rugger stars, boxers etc. that used to hang around the walls of the upper floor corridor. Did they transfer to the new school? I’m not sure which decade they extended back to, but I do remember the shoulder to groin ‘flannelette’ swimming costumes. VIVIAN JENKINS 1959-1965