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Chalk, Richard Seymour, 1905-1985
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Masters of Westminster School

One copy annotated on reverse as follows:
"Memories of Masters, 1918-1924 (R.S.C.)
For Group, see ‘Record of O.WW’, Vol. III. Date given ‘c.1909’. As group includes H.L. Reed (sic) but not Q.T. Willett (Play 1909) date is presumably Election 1908 or 1909. (NB: - Photo by Gillmans, Oxford, not by Jn. Brown. Groups not his strongpoints.)
L. to r: -
Liddell; Burrell (‘BaaLamb’); Reed //
Etheridge, Tyson (‘Ti Ti’), Bursar;
Day; Hardy (‘Basil’); Wootton; Forbes; Mitchell (‘Mike’); Smedley (‘Snappers’)//
(Seated) Nall (‘Hoty’); Sargeaunt (‘J.S.’); Tanner (‘The Buck’); Dr. Gow (‘Jimmy’), HM; Fox (‘The Old Man’); Raynor (‘Peewee’); Huckwell (‘Bill’).
Ten had been on the Staff since Rutherford’s day. Except for the four youngest (marked*) all were still there when the War ended in Play 1918, my first term! Probably an unparalleled record of group service.
Under leadership of Dr. Gow, a magnificent team-particularly on Classical side. All devoted to the School, each a master of his subject, each (save one (above: B.F.H)) a striking individual character. Between IV and VII I sat under most and remember all with gratitude, respect and (with one exception) affection."

Second copy addressed and sent, with stamp affixed. Individuals annotated on front. Sent to "Miss M. Chalk, Kentisbeare Rectory, Cullompton, Devon". The correspondence reads as follows:
"Rigaud's House 11/2/19
Dear Mary,
Your cake is very much liked and admired. I am sending this Post-Card as a reward. I saw the King open Parliament today. I saw him and the Queen twice. There were a lot of soldiers there. Has there been enough ice to skate on in Devonshire? Several people have been doing it in London
Dick"
"

Monos

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'At close of School, following ‘Ire licet’, a School Monitor (in charge of the Door, ‘ostium’) and a Second Election KS capping the Masters. (The junior Master descending amid the IV Form was taken in my day to be W.G. Etheridge, but at this date I think it more likely A.H. Forbes).
As a Second Election from Play 1921 to Election 1922 I regularly performed my duty as Monos- tapping on the doors of VII and VI Form Rooms with the corner of my college-cap and announcing “Instat Quinta!” or (when Early School in Summer) “Instat Quarta!” –and on Saturdays or Plays “Instat Sesquiduodecima!” (This was an anachronism, this no longer being the correct hour).
Only once or twice (on O.T.C Field Days) did it fall to me to deputise for a School Monitor and take charge of the Door and take my place on the Monos Stone.'

Names on wall "Up School"

One copy annotated on reverse as follows, by R.S. Chalk:
'1918-1924
By the 1920’s the multiplication of names of O.WW up School was beginning to pose a real problem, as space was running short. They cost (I believe) only 5/- Each!
Towards the end of my time I heard Costley-White explaining to some distinguished visitors that in future permission to have names painted up School was to be confined to “Westminster Families”, i.e. families that had at least three members at the School at some date. I could claim a younger brother and, later, three cousins – but in any case all was decided by the Blitz (which obliterated hundreds of names, including 17 Phillimores and 16 Waterfields).'

Nearly a hundred years a Tuck shop

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'Suts in Yard (successor of this) was one of the most important features of our School life. Besides being a Tuck Shop it was also the Stationary Store and School Book Shop. It is a great pity the photo of Suts including the amazing MISS LUCY ROUD has not survived in this series, purchased from there. (It may however be seen in Record of OWW, Vol III).
A ‘Greaze up Suts’ could be a fearsome affair in which the smaller or weaker stood little chance. Never so much as in Play 1918, when stock was normally limited to ‘Thin Arrowroot’ but chocolate arrived twice the term! (Later, always in stock).
MISS ROUD was a truly wonderful character - small, gold-bespectacled, resembling a village store-keeper. During School hours, she made up all the Book and Stationary accounts (in a unique round hand) for 350 boys. In Breaks she dealt (generally single handed) with scores of chits for ‘Quartern’-‘nib’-‘pen’ etc. etc. and continuous vociferous demands (especially during a Greaze) for this or that item of confectionary. Her one, unfailing weapon was: ‘Shan’t serve you! Enough!”'

No. 3, Grant's, Rigaud's

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'1918-1920
These memories are confined to Rigaud’s, where I was a boarder for 6 terms, Play 1918-Election 1920. The formidable E.L Fox was House Master. There were 60+ boys, 50% being Half-Boarders (not Day Boys!). Boarders thought little of Half-Boarders! I loved my first house dearly.
In picture:
Basement – Changing Room (one bath only!)
First Floor- Hall (i.e. Common Room & Prep Room) accommodating +-50 boys. (Half-Boarders were kept out before 9am and driven out after 5pm. During those hours they had to answer ‘knocks’ on Upper Door when Monitors required a fag. (As other times, the junior Boarder present)
Second Floor:- Big Dorm (Monitors, Underites and the dozen or so senior Boarders). Leave to go ‘up Dorm’ was given once a week only.
Top Floor:- Sick Rooms (one generally used as an ‘overflow’ for Little Dorm). I spent 16 days of my first Term in the End Sick Room suffering from Spanish Flu in the epidemic of 1918 (E.D Harford, the ‘beau ideal’ of a Westminster, and Little Dorm Monitor died in this room on 19.7.1919)
Monitors had the privilege of disporting themselves on the rail-enclosed step outside the Front Door. It was a ‘tannable offence’ for any ‘Hallite’ to stop still on the steps even for a moment.'

North End of School

One copy annotated on reverse as follows, by R.S. Chalk:
'Dr. Busby’s Chair (for HM) and 24 seats for Monitorial Council. My seat in 1923-4 was No. 6 on HM’s right- at that time only 13 out of 24 seats were occupied. (Tho’ never a House Monitor I was allotted a place on the Council as First Classic)
The Shell recess of course obscured by the canopy behind HM’s Choir, bearing arms of former HMs. On either side may be seen some of the exquisitely blazoned arms of OWW on the panelling, an unforgettable feature of School.
The white objects on the seats are hand-tablets for Latin Prayers (the Council Chanted the Versicles, the rest of the School the Responses.) The old harmonium may be seen on the right. We invariably sang Psalms 67 or 123, in traditional ‘English’ pronunciation.
During my time two Masters’ Chairs dating from Henry VIII were presented and stood on either side of the Rod Table (in foreground).
The rods may be seen protruding from the drawer. I witnessed four ‘handings’ between 1921-4. Deeply impressive. Four swishes on back of hand only- but followed by tight house-tanning.'

Officers Training Corps

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'Memories 1918-1924
This is presumably Inspection up Fields in days before World War I. Such an annual Inspection, even after that War was an impressive affair- conducted by this or that distinguished O.W. soldier. The Band (I remember) played Handle’s March from ‘Scipio’, on each occasion.
By the end of the War, the Q.T.C. (invariably referred to as “The Corps”) was all-important in School life. I suppose 80% of boys were in uniform all days of the week - the majority of the remainder waiting till their uniforms arrived. Few senior boys had School uniform, and the sudden announcement in Lent 1919 (after the Armistice) that all must wear Etons or tails from next Term caused panic.
Unless exempted on medical grounds, it was quite exceptional for anyone not to be in the Corps. Nor without reason - all were due to be called up at 18. It was not unusual for a boy to leave School then be at the Front by the end of that year - in some cases, not to return.
The School’s War Record was a very fine one, not least as the result of high standards in the Corps - 220 names on the War Memorial, I believe - and each trained as an Officer before leaving School.
Numbers in the Corps declined in years after the War, but high standards continued. K.SS in particular took Corps very seriously.'

Pancake day in College Hall Kitchen

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'Memories 1920-1924
It was not until 1959 (as a senior OW) that I ever set foot in this ‘terra incognita’- reputed in our day to be a vast subterranean vault.
Under Mr. Flynn, College Butler (toothless and be-wigged) food in Hall, tho’ plain and unexciting, was plentiful-a welcome contrast to RR, with its single ‘barge’ at breakfast and tea and its dismal menu of lentil, stock-fish or rock-buns in Hall.
From 1922 Mr. Flynn was succeeded as Supervisor by the up-to-date and fully trained Miss Ridge. (To our joy the kindly Miss Flynn was retained in charge of “Flinnery”, ie the service-pantry). Under her, food soon became varied, imaginative and (despite the inevitable grumbles of fastidious T.BB) definitively good.
Pancakes had previously appeared on Shrove Tuesday, but now we had on occasions at mid-day Hall salmon, rabbit (dubbed ‘poor Puss’ by TBB), pickles with cold meat and even (in a heat wave) lemonade and strawberries. For evening Hall (tea) the great standby was ‘choufleur-au-gratin’, which could be found ready at any time by late-returning Watermen.'

Physics Laboratory

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'Soon after his arrival as H.M., Costley White decreed that all Under School Forms on the Classical Side should do a modicum of Science (Physics). Tho’ accorded a somewhat mixed reception, this was a wise measure.
I am thankful for the elements of Physics (Archimedes’ Principle etc) that I learnt while in CVI under the gentle and precise F.O.M. Earp (whom we classicists liked well).
Those first two periods of elementary Science on Wednesday mornings were a welcome relief to the hard grind in Classics under the relentless E.L. Fox.
The chief impression of Science was how easy it all was by comparison! Lectures were taken quite light-heartedly, and when experiments were being conducted, F.O.M.E. could naturally not devote attention to more than two boys at a time. Consequently my partner (Dennis Binyon) and myself had many a mild lark between his visits to our pitch!
It was noticeable also during Prep how little work scientists had to do compared with classics!'

Relics of the past found in Ashburnham House

One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows:
'My recollections of the macabre ‘relics’ (gathered, I think, from Pereira, a fellow KS who had originally been up Ashburnham) are as follows:-
During repairs to Ashburnham House, some years before our time, there were discovered the mummified corpses of a CAT and (its prospective victim) a RAT. How they had met their simultaneous fate none could day. (Were they ‘gassed’ during the Great Fire of Ashburnham in 1731?)
This I remember being told: ‘The Cat was wearing a silver collar.’ (In the photo this appear to be a silver plate on a leather collar. Had anyone thought of it, the hall-mark on this would have given an approximate date.)
About 1923-4 I remember reading (perhaps in ‘House Notes’ in the ‘Eliza’) that “the Cat and Rat had been duly returned to Ashburnham Upper’, amid some mock ceremony. I cannot imagine these ‘relics’ were treasured there for long.'

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