JAMES TROTTER REMEMBERS
Spring 1972 until the end (summer 1976).
blog.
I loved my rugby and remember receiving a spoon of honey in
Geoffrey’s study prior to heading out to the match.
The Old Malthouse rugby team which had a tall boy who single-handedly beat us
at home much to Eric’s annoyance. On the return match, I was given the job
of sorting him out and at every lineout drilled him in the ribs until he left the pitch.
I got extras for tea.
I remember not stopping while walking along the top of the cliffs on a Sunday afternoon
until we lined up two navigation masts.
I remember playing French and English on the huge field above Dancing Ledge as
we had a day off for Princess Anne’s wedding to Mark Phillips.
I remember putting the old blackout blinds up to watch the Five Nations rugby
internationals on a black and white TV.
I remember the only time I sat at the front right desk for one week having come
first in maths in Colonel Withers’ lesson. Never again. Back left more like.
I remember grabbing boys' cords around the knee and holding them tight as
they had been standing in front of the common room fire for too long and got
really hot.
I remember in Latin prep waiting until the break, filling Brin Sheridan’s pipe up
with plastic from the top of a Bic biro and watching him smoke it during the
second half.
I remember the goats and helping Thomas Warner milk them daily and in time
getting goats cheese.
I remember the sickening feeling of travelling from Darlington to King's Cross
and then across to Waterloo, before catching the 'Hogwarts' train down to
Wareham.
I hated Weekly Tears with a passion.
I remember England following on after a streaker (John Arlott's 'freaker') jumped over
the stumps next to Dennis Lillie in the 1975 Ashes Test at Lord's.
At Spyway, there was a streaking craze after lights out: up to the top wall and
back with all the boys in the dorm looking south, watching to see if they had
got away with it.
I remember being in the overflow sick bay in the spring term as flu ripped
through the school every year.
I remember beating Alexander Hayden’s team at tip-and-run at the end of my
first summer term. AH had to pick his brother first and I picked the
god-of-cricket Charlie Benthall. I still have the stick with the notches cut out
by Geoffrey recording the score.
Most of all I just remember being happy and loving our outdoor life.
