of the very early Kearsney Days,and heen very useful in the preparation of the Archives. Although now retired, he still does some Maths coaching (Latin was his forte, and he took over for Mr Reece when the latter was on leave in 1932), and he has remained a selector for P,l!. and District junior tennis teams, something in which he has always been actively interested. He is Convener of the Selection Committee. J.G.A. (Alex) Coutts (31-35), now turned 60, has progressed steadily and successfully through all the grades of the Civil Service, Accounts and Auditors' Section, until now, on the eve of retirement, he has reached completely the top. He is Adviser to the Transkeian Auditor-General, and ranked Head of Department. He has been awarded the Transkci Independence Medal, in recognition of "meritorious, outstanding or devoted service rendered to the Republic of Transkci on the attainment of its independ ence". The medal was presented in a colourful cere mony in the Cabinet Room of the Bunga Building. Alex is finally retiring in April, to rejoin his married daughters in the Transvaal. A long and successful career, faithfully supported by his wife Glynn. Well done! V.L.(Vernon) Clegg (staff 44-61) who has been V-P at St Stithians since leaving Kearsney writes of a trip over seas. "Our flight took us first of all to Paris cold, snowy, showery, but very beautiful, and then on over the Pole to Anchorage in Alaska, - and after a tiring 10-hour flight touching down in Tokyo. We spent 11 wonderful days in Japan. Cherry blossoms were at their best and we enjoyed the efficiency of the Japanese. Taiwan (Formosa, or "the Beautiful Island") is all that it is cracked up to be. We found Hong Kong pulsating, awe-inspiring, and exciting. Then on to Thailand, and finally Israel, via Bombay and Teheran. The Holy Land is really worth a visit. Such a land of contrasts and history, and we revelled in the 8 days we were there. Our hotel was situated on the Mount of Olives, and we often strolled through Gethsemane - fascinating." Senator W.M.(Monty)Crook(28-33)is, we understand, thinking of "pulling out"(or may have already done so) and taking life a little more leisurely. His elder daughter is teaching in Durban and came up on Founders'Day to bring her father's good wishes. O.K.(Owen)Clarkson (44-47)called in on a round tour of Salisbury - Cape Town - Durban - Salisbury. He is naturally apprehensive of the future of Rhodesia but feels he cannot leave it. If he does, he leaves his possessions behind. To supplement his income from the Standard Bank he has taken up honey-making in a big way. He is proud of a musical family and still lyrical about the choir experience he had at Kearsney. J.A. (Tony) Chick (33-38, Bursar 70~), efficient and well-liked as a Bursar, seems to spend half his time on Bursarial matters and the other half trying to keep tag on the movements of Old Boys who keep changing their addresses without telling anybody.Please remember.Old Boys, that if a communication is returned "gone away", the School loses you until you put them right. We congratulate Tony on a well-deserved elevation to the post as President of the Old Boys'Club from 1977. D.(Denzil) Clark (21-27) Foundation Scholar and later Head Prefect, and long a stalwart in the Methodist Church, has handed over his Zululand sugar farm to his eldest son. He and his wife Joy live at Umdhloti Beach, a life of perpetual anxiety over the health of their second son, who has brain damage and spends his life in and out of hospitals. We offer our sincere sympathies and marvel at their ability to keep so cheerful under the stress. M.J. (Morris) Christie (29-35) has for many years been Manager of Mine Labour Organisation (N.R.C.) Ltd in Swaziland, and is now stationed at Siteki. He also has control of northern Kwazulu and parts of Eastern Transvaal. As he now nears the 60 mark he will be pulling out soon and coming to live in P.M.Burg. He is a specialist in marionette shows - so Kearsney must keep conlact! This year he completed his 11th Comrades Marathon, and has his number now in perpetuity, should he care to run again! C.C. (Colin) Christie (57-60) son of the above, is an inspector in the B.S.A. police, and has recently been commissioned. Stationed at Umtali he trains the Police Reserves and speaks of the wonderful spirit there. He lectures on terrorists, their weapons and tactics and not from mere hearsay for he has now twice been awarded a bronze baton for bravery. J.H. (John) Coombe (41-47) kept up a steady flow of choral work, with Listeddfodau, concerts and weddings, after leaving Kearsney. For a while he was a member of "Die Troubadours", who broadcast on the S.A.B.C., a period of baritone singing that helped to supplement his meagre salary as an articled clerk. Pressure of work ultimately forced him most unwillingly to give up his singing. G.L. (Lynn) Coggin (48-50), in spite of very heavy business calls, has remained active in Church, Listoddfod and Concert singing throughout the years. P.T.L.(Paul) Chappe (46-49) has long been with Duly Tractors, Salisbury, where he specialises in designing agricultural implements. F.J. (Julian) Carter (51-52) carried on with his choral work after leaving school, taking leads in The Desert Song and Sound of Music, and now has "three full scrap books of memories of Musical Comedy, Grand Opera, Pantomime, Choral and Solo singing". Business and other activities are now clamping down on his musical work, but he likes to remind us that he met his wife through choir work. Last April he was promoted to Natal Administrative Manager for the Liberty Life Association of S.A. He is also Assistant Divisional Commissioner (Information) for the Boy Scout Associa tion and Editor of the "Natal Scout Trail". Still finds time somehow to play bowls. L.G.(Lyonel) Capstickdale (31-32) won the Sir James Hulett Literary Prize at Kearsney in 1931 for an essay on "North Borneo", and his fluent pen has never let up from that day. His official title is "Chief Information Officer in the Department of Information", about as high in the Civil Service as a man can get, short of Cabinet Rank, There can be no better informed man in South Africa. Prestige Government publications, and articles in Panorama or S.A. Digest flow ceaselessly under his name: there were four articles in September Panorama alone. His work involves not only the .type writer, of course, but an immense amount of travelling and research. One begins to wonder now what else there is for him to write about. He always expresses vast appreciation for what Kearsney did for him. M.J.(Mike) Collins (47-50), who was Head Prefect in 1950 is Chief Executive ofC.L Caravans,Pinetown,and has been elected Chairman of the South African Caravaning and Camping Council ~ the official body represen ting all manufacturers, dealers and parks in a multimillion rand holiday and leisure industry. Dr R.B.(Robin) Dyer (62-66) has taken his first year M.R.C.P. in Edinburgh, and hopes to finish his course there. Meanwhile he gets around England, hunting up Dyer ancestors in Cornwall. R.M. (Robin) Dolton (47-52), Head Prefect, Rugby Captain and Choir stalwart, is probably now the school's best-known stage personality. He has acted and sung in Oklahoma, South Pacific, Robert and Elizabeth, in Shakespearean productions, had three years with "Jacques Brel is alive and well", and this year has played a lead part in Sound of Music, He and his wife have bought an 80-acre farm near Joburg and have established the first Appaloosa Horse Stud farm, V.G.(Vivian)Dicks(30-33)appeared on the TV in early August in connection with a devastating fire that destroyed thousands of hectares of property in the Natal Midlands, claimed 13 lives and thou.sands ofheads of livestock. The worst fire, he said, he had ever known 77
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