Chronicle-1977

G.E. (Gerry) Griffin (23-27) reminisces: "I iirrived at Kearsney in 1923. and gee! was I homeisck. But 1 soon got over it . .. Everyone seemed to lie a Hulett... We used to pinch mangos from the groves below the school and developed sores; we pinched naartjies and kept Sister Edwards busy at sick parades. Halley Stott was very upset in the orchard one day;he thought he'd been bitten in the tail by a snake and performed like mad. It turned out to be a thorn. We found a cane-truck at the head of a nice decline. Having first placed logs of wood at the bottom of the hill, we all piled in and released the hand-brake. Crashed into the logs and Tom Beckett into an amatingulu hedge. Great fun. We found plenty of mambas, black and green, but they didn't stand a chance against sixteen-year-olds with stones. At that age we never missed. It's a long time since the rosy-faced Englishman pitched up. I can't remember the Latin he taught me, but I do vividly remember that flashing bat on the cricket field, and the hardworking forward on the rugger field.(I still possess that bat - J.E.R.) Remi niscences are lovely things." Gerry, now going 69. has taken on a job with the P.E. Transport Co as secretary of their eight Medical Aid Schemes. This, and music, keeps him out of mischief. A.C. (Jack) Gage (52-56) is still running an agency business in Lesotho. He is going skiing in Switzerland in January 1978 and hopes to run in the Comrades Marathon. R.I.(Doonge) Groom (70-73) is in his second year of B.Com. studies at the University of Natal in Durban. He would like to see Ian McClure next time he is in Durban. A.A. (Alan) Gold (64-69) has been appointed agricultural extension officer for Richmond. He has a B.Sc. degree from Natal University and intends studying for an honours degree in extensions methods at the University of Pretoria. T.R.(Tig)Groom (65-68) is at present teaching history at Kloof High School and studying for the B.E.D. degree by correspondnece through UNISA. The last time he took part in competitive athletics was in 1976 when he won the 800m for men in the Natal Senior Champion ships. Since then he has been running socially to keep fit. He hopes to go overseas in 1979 or 1980 to gain teaching experience in another country. G.M. (Graydon) Garbutt (3944) writes: "I have recently left Rhodesia to settle in the UK. I have taken up a position as chief agronomist to an agricultural management and consultancy firm growing tobacco primarily in South America and the Middle East with prospects in several other parts of the world. 1 am about to fly to Japan and the Far East then onto Brazil and back to London. It is extremely interesting to try to operate farms in different countries all speaking different languages and having different cultures and social security arrangements. Decision making is a most protracted exercise in these countries and takes a great deal of patience and pressure to achieve. Old Boys 1 have seen recently are Dave Hewitt, Brian Dykes,Wally Clarkson and Elton Kitchin whilst on security duty." C.G.(Chris) Garland(71-72)is a platoon commander of the trackers in the 2nd Battalion of the Rhodesian African Rifles and is at present involved in extensive anti-terrorist operations. He feels that they are militarily winning what they consider a war. He invites any Old Boys visiting Victoria to drop into the officers mess of the 2nd Battalion where he will always make them feel welcome. D.G. (Doug) Hudson (36-38), a Durban hotelier, was recently stabbed in the chest during a furious argument with a former employee. Last year he spent eight weeks touring the Continent and England/Scotland. A.S.(Zak) Hadjipetrou (63-67) is the proprietor of an Andrews Motel in Zambia and his pastime is hunting. M.R. (Mike) Halliday (67-72) distinguished himself recently by being selected to play at centre for the American Eagles rugby team which toured England during 1977. The following was a report on his achieve ment which appeared in "To The Point": HALLIDAY WINSTHEDAY It took a South African to see the American Eagles win two and lose four of the Six matches played, including an 11-37 defeat against a strong England XV at Twickenham in their first rugby union tour of Britain. fittingly perhaps, it was fiom the accurate boot of Mike Halliday, the South African, that the first-ever American points at Twickenham were scored. Halliday's performance at centre, in attack and defence, would have made him a candidate for an English national .side. Now living in America, he forms a fearsome club partnership with All Black Duncan Hales. There arc, reportedly, a few English players who continued to feel the after-effects of his crash tackles for some time. Eric A.(Hermie)Hermanson(53-57)writes interestingly of his participation as Project Co-ordinator for the Southern Ndebele Bible Translation being undertaken by the Bible Society of S.A.They have already translated the Gospel of Mark and are now working on the Acts of the Apostles. During the year he was involved in the rescue of a climbing colleague in the Drakensberg when part of the ledge fell away and his friend fell 30 metres, breaking both ankles and suffering other injuries. P.M. (Hendy) Henderson (55-57) is a forester with SAPPI Forests in Greytown. He plays tennis and golf. R.L. (Rob) Heenan (70-71) is a sugar farmer in the Umhlali area. He was selected to play for the Zululand squash side touring Swaziland and plays 2nd Division squaSh for Huletts. D.O. (Roch) Heuer (70-74) who is a learner quantity surveyor with ETA Construction was awarded the Pro Patria Medal with Cunene Clasp during his military service last year. Prof D.O.(David) Hall (47-52) is chairman of the UK branch of the International Solar Energy Association and professor of biology at the School of Biological Sciences, University of London King's College. After leaving Kearsney he held posts at the University of California and was a Fellow of the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. He became lecturer in Botany at King's in,1964,reader in Biology in 1966 and was appointed professor of Biology in 1974. He was secretary of the British Photobiology Society,a member of the British National Committee on Biophysics, secretary-general and vice-president, Comite Inter national de Photobiologie (C.I.P.), chairman of the International Photosynthesis Committee, and secretary of the Science Committee of the IV Congress, England. He is associate editor of 'J. Bioenergetics', 'Bioelectrochcmistry and Bioenergetics', 'EJnergy', Origins of Life', and the 'European Journal of Biochemistry'. Phew! When does he get time to live? And to think that it all started at Kearsney. Mr Clegg couldn't have known what an avalanche he created. E.C.F.(Claude)Hulett(22-26)writes "1 enclose a photo of 1922 choir, run by Mr Lister. The ones 1 recognise are Jack Hulett, Tim Jackson, Denzil Clark, Halley Stott, Lawrence Polkinghome, myself and Wilfred Bromily. My father took the photo and later in the day we went down to Stanger to sing in the Methodist Church. My father brought us back and we all had supper at Kitkley Vale (our home). Drove us in a brand new beautiful chromium adorned Willys Silent Knight. When we came out of the house to get back to school, the car had disappeared. We searched high and low and eventually someone traced its trail by torchlight and found it smashed up at the bottom of the hUl by the windmill; brake had shpped off. It was a complete write-off!" C.J. (Jiffy) Irons (67-72) is doing an H.D.E. degree at University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg after having com pleted his army training in 1973 and obtaining a B.Comm. degree in 1976. He spent 9 weeks at Maritzburg College doing his teaching practice and enjoyed the 72

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