Being January,it wastoo hotfor jackets!Thetrain wasdriven by Mr.Brandon and the distance of five miles took one and a quarter hours. During the years 1927 to 1930 inclusive,I was a day scholar at the School and lived with my Aunt at the Kearsney Post Office which was known as Tudor Hill situated approximately one mile from the School. I often think how very lucky 1 was as a young lad. There were not more than 75 boys at the School and my Aunt was a terribly kind lady,and I used to have this beautiful walk from Tudor Hill to the School through the beautiful avenue ofgum trees every day of my life. Two occurrences stand out still in my memory very clearly. My route to the Schoolfrom the Post Office wasthrough thegum trees,pastthe graveyard attached to the chapel then up the driveway to the School itself. DEATH OF SIR LIEGE. In 1928 the School founder. Sir Liege Hulett, died and we all attended his funeral,particularly I as he was my great-uncle. It had all been a very sad and grim day and there were literally thousands of wreaths all over the graveyard. That night I settled down to do my prep when I suddenly discovered that I had left one of the key books back at School. There was no alternative but to get on my bicycle and ride back to the School in the pitch dark night to get this book.The journey,ofcourse, meant I had to go past the graveyard all on my ownsome and I really think the spooks have lived with me ever since!The other occa sion was after rugger practice when, as you know, the sun sets rather early in winter in Natal. By the time I hadhad my shower at the School and was walking home, it was again almost pitch dark with a faint moon.I was walking through the gum tree plantation,the dis tance of which was about a quarter of a mile,and 1 was feeling rather tired and dreamy when suddenly there was a tremendous commotion right under my feet and my heart simply jumped into my throat. A rabbit that had been sound asleep had been almost trodden on by me. A third occasion which stands out rather vividly on the same route occurred actually in 1931 when I was a boarder. Early prep used to stop at 9 p.m. and then first-year matrics and marries, after a break, could continue with late studies. My directive was at 8.45 p.m. to put up my hand and ask to be excused to go to the toilet. Ken Balcomb was the prefect taking prep that night and he granted my request. The toilet, of course, was an excuse but the real object was to go hell-for-leather to my Aunt at the Post Office to collect milk,cake and sugar for tea. Aunt Dora had everything ready for me and I grabbed the parcels and ran back to School to try to get there just before the break in the preps. Everything went fine and I was running up the last 25 yards to get to the classroom where Basil Coventry,The Nightingales,and a few others were eagerly waiting when I tripped over a gum tree root and everything sprawled in the sand. I was beautifully skinned butI had absolutely nosympathy whatsoeverfrom any of my school mates. We were a very happy family in the old School as all who were there will endorse. Another commotion that happened, but it was before my time, was when Walter Hulett on oneofthe really hotdays as only the North Coastcan produce,couldn'tresist the temptation and decided to have a swim in the School's drinking water reservoir situated up in the lofts. Poor old Walter got blazes for this, but I think he felt his punishment was well worth the cool water. I was at Kearsney from 1931 to mid-1935. Messrs. Matterson, Oram,Reece and Medworth and Miss Ellis (later Mrs. Oram) were there during those years; Mr. and Mrs. Milner, Mr. Harrison(1931)and Mrs.Reece(then Miss Eraser)and"Shotaway"Campbellcame and went. The Prep School was added to about 1932. BEN MILNER.Mr. Milner arrived in 1934(I think it was-please verify) and introduced the subject of biology to the school,the form I was in being the first to take it. He derived his nickname of"Pickles" through his penchant for putting into formalin (for use in biology and botany teaching) any animal or insect that came his way. At one period the walls of the old Don Gilliat 1931-35 The Sixth Form 1971
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