JAMES TROTTER REMEMBERS

Spring 1972 until the end (summer 1976).

     I have so many memories of Spyway, some mentioned before on this   

    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.