The CCF at RAF Ternhill in 1959

Michael:
I thought the attached photo of the Priceans who attended annual CCF
camp at RAF Ternhill in 1959 might be worth a place in your archive.

Names (as far as I can remember) are L to R,

David (Nobby) Crosby-Clarke Mike Smyth Blair Oliphant Tom Clague Gomer Skym John(?) Randall David Ellis Flt.Lt. Louie Chapman ??? ??? Kester Roberts ??? Ron Vinall ??? Sgt. Marcus Miller Camp fire fighter(!)


On a sadder note, I was shocked to read of the death of David J Roberts,
as I had a recent email conversation with him regarding Ternhill and his
long missive to the camp C/O after the event (copied below).

-----Original Message-----
From: D J Roberts [mailto:groveti@gol.com]
Sent: 14 July 1999 17:22
To: Roberts, Kester
Subject: Re: Prices


Sorry not to have replied earlier but this is the end of term so I'm
invigilating and marking like crazy so as to get away from bloody Japan by next Monday.
Well, when I was in the Sixth I did think I knew the name of every pupil, but to be honest I don't remember another Roberts (until my idiot brother A.N. arrived in about 1960) And since you would clearly have been in the

RAF unit - and at camp with me! - that's unforgiveable. Don't even remember being Roberts I...
Yes I do remember the letter which gave me great joy at the time - wish
xeroxing had been available then. I remember having a particularly good
time thanks to the Flt.Lt. i/c, and I just had to reciprocate in some
way.
Hope it amused him half as much as it did us!

It's a pity that our comparative memories would only be tested against one another in the short time available at OP meetings - and it would require zero editing or transcription by anyone... Problems of libel? Just give date of death if applicable...
For the moment I'll just add a few comments to your e-mail

Thanks for your letter

David Roberts

PS Do you member a boy called Mike Mallett? I don't, but he's a
cousin...
Maybe after my time.


*********************
I have just seen your E-mail recently circulated and your name looms out of my memory as Roberts 1. Greetings from Roberts 2, at Prices 1953-1959. Funny how Christian names never figured much in class then. My clearest recollection of you from that era was the missive you wrote to the Commander of RAF Spitalgate after our camp there circa 1957(?). Written on RAF issue bog paper, it occupied about 1 metre, and included our exploits in gliders ("we glew") amongst many other things. Didn't you also make head boy? You mentioned some familiar staff names: I'm attaching my memories of someof the staff which I circulated recently.


Ashton: George. Headmaster. Walked rapidly, streaming his black gown.
Slight stammer, instantly recognisable "Wor-wor- what's this, boy?"
SMELLED ABOMINABLY OF PIPE SO SOMETIMES YOU WERE AWARE OF HIM BEFORE HE GOT TO YOU. TAUGHT ME 'O' LEVEL MATHS IN MY FIRST YEAR AT A TABLE IN THE VI FORM ROOM - THAT CLOSE, VERY INTIMIDATING. VERY FORGETFUL AND RATHER
SLOW, AND HIS "WHA- WHA- WHA-" WAS I'M SURE A CONSCIOUS ATTEMPT BOTH TO
INTIMIDATE AND GIVE HIMSELF TIME TO CATCH UP.
HIS OXFORD COLLEGE COMMEMORATED HIM AS "A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL AS SWEET"...

Bristow: "Woody or Jewie". Woodwork + Technical drawing. Most considerate
and likeable gentleman.
I THOUGHT HIM A PEST WITH HIS BRUMMAGEM - AND HE REJECTED MY TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER! I THINK HE HAD A GRUDGE AGAINST ME SINCE THE SECOND FORM BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE FLICKING OFFCUTS ACROSS THE WORKSHOP FROM STEEL RULES SET IN OUR VICES, HE CAME THROUGH THE DOOR TO RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL THWACK IN THE BELLY FROM MY UNGUIDED ATTEMPT TO HIT BELLAMY,B.

Chapman: Louie. Good for Latin, and Flt. Lt. in the RAF section of the
CCF.
Seemed to have an Aus. accent, or was it an impediment? HE WAS AUSTRALIAN
AND AFTER WAR SERVICE FLYING TEMPESTS IN S E ASIA SOMEHOW GOT A LATIN
QUALIFICATION. HE WAS HOPELESS, AND IN MY A & S LEVELS I HAD HIM ALONE
AND WAS ALWAYS CONSCIOUS THAT HE WAS MAYBE A CHAPTER AHEAD OF ME IN LIVY OR WOTSIT. AND IT WAS EMBARRASING TO ASK HIM ANYTHING OUTSIDE LANGUAGE BECAUSE HE JUST DIDN'T KNOW...

Delap: Fred. A temporary maths eccentric. Advocated standing up to aid
concentration. Spent hours trying to define a ratio.
GOSH! FORGOTTEN HIM - HE DIDN'T TEACH ME, BUT WAS A FINE MATHEMETICAL
COMPANION TO THE WICK, GARTON AND WAS IT ISAIAH?

Foster: "Floss" . French and English. A subtle humorist, and warm
character. Sit-up-and-beg bicycle.

GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR AND MY SECOND FAVOURITE
MASTER. GREAT AT EXPLAINING NEBULOUS LITERARY THOUGHTS. QUIET LUNCHTIME

TOPER AT (WAS IT?) THE SUN WITH HYLTON, H-JONES ETC

Garton: "Gunga". Maths, botany. First master I had, form 2B, 1953.
Thinning ginger hair, reputation as a stickler but didn't seem too bad. The formclubbed together and bought him a Xmas present - box of Maltesers and a fly deflector for his car bonnet.
INCREDIBLY STILTED AND POMPOUS MASTER, AND EASILY GUYED IN CLASS.

Hilton: Tom. Chemistry. Often popped out of the lab for a fag and returned
to find a fog. Avuncular. Had one of the first sleek Vauxhall Velox's,
often seen outside the Sun Inn.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HAD HILTON AFTER THE 4TH - BUT I WENT INTO VI
ARTS THEN. HE HAD A BREADTH AND SENSE OF HUMOUR WELL ABOVE THE AVERAGE, AND ONCE HELPED ME ALMOST UNCONSCIOUSLY AT A VERY DIFFICULT TIME. HOPE I CAN SEE HIM AT THE NEXT MEETING.

Howard-Jones: "Taffy".  History. All seeing, on account of eyes which looked
in different directions. Could be made to laugh, e.g. when he described the
Kaiser in the Balkans having his sword drawn, "and what was he going to
do with it?" , Tregunna shouted out "cut rhubarb". This was when rhubarb
was the fashionable funny word. Drove a black Morris Oxford.
DIDN'T LIKE QUESTIONS OUTSIDE THE SYLLABUS - AND WAS NO LEADER OF MEN ON
FIELD DAY. MODEL FOR APTHORPE - HIS DRILL WAS LUDICROUSLY DIGNIFIED.
'BEST-OFF' MASTER - HAD A HOUSE OVERLOOKING THE CREEK. DIDN'T HE BUY AN
UPMARKET WYVERN AFTER TOM BOUGHT HIS STANDARD VELOX?

Howe: "Isiah", allegedly because one eye was higher than the other.
Taught RI. Slightly shabby appearance, but well liked.
MY CLASS WAS ALWAYS RATHER AFRAID OF HIS TEMPER, BUT HE WOULD EASILY GET
LED OFF THE SYLLABUS AND I REMEMBER A LOT OF FUN TIMES WITH HIM.

Iredale: "Dog" (inevitably). Physics. Seemed young and dynamic.
Motorcycled to school on a Francis-Barnett. Took photos of the form at work; proud
of his boys.
I THINK HE CAME IN 1957, AND I LEFT IN THE SUMMER OF 1958. SEEMED TO BE
A NEW TYPE OF TOUCHY-FEELY MASTERS (LIKE THAT PT MASTER (THOMSON?)). OLDER BOYS LOOKED DOWN ON HIM, I';M AFRAID

Royds-Jones: Ted. Known as "Wick" for his tales of engineering prowess
in Wick, Scotland. Doubled as the curate at the parish church of St. Peter
and Paul. My first lesson from him was RI, where he explained the meaning
of grace, but he mainly took physics. Often abandoned lessons with the
excuse "I must go and bury somebody" and cycled furiously off across the
school field. A true eccentric, but full of energy, appearing on "Jim'll fix
it" in 1984 to go gliding at the age of 80. Made me put my finger in a mains
socket to see if it was live (it wasn't) - claimed his fingers to too dry and
chalky to tell. Bulldozer knocked down the end of the temporary wooden
physics lab (the Wick hut) as he was lecturing.
WE CALLED HIM 'THE WICK' BUT I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE SCOTTISH ORIGIN OF
THE NICKNAME. USED TO CHANGE HIS TRUNKS (NO JOCKSTRAP) IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE SPORTS FIELD

Shaw: Bert. Deputy head. Latin and Geography. A bit on the firm side;
an establishment figure. Rarely seen without his chalk dusted black gown.
BURNT OUT CASE BY MY TIME, HAD BEEN A BIT OF A CRICKETER BUT HAD A GAMMY
KNEE, LAZY IN CLASS AND HATED QUESTIONS - I'LL NEVER FORGET HIM PUTTING
ME DOWN ONCE ON A VERY SENSIBLE QUESTION; NEVER ASKED HIM ANOTHER QUESTION.

HIS FAVOURITE TERM OF ABUSE WAS 'SILLY ARSE!'
TO BE FAIR WHEN I WAS ONCE UMPIRING AT SHORT LEG, HE CALLED OUT 'GOOD
CALL' WHICH BUCKED ME NO END - BUT HE WOULDN'T LET ME UMPIRE COLTS...
ONCE HE ASKED ME IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL HOUSE SOCCER TEAM WHY I WAS SUCH A DUFFER AT SPORTS (I WAS A PREFECT AT THE TIME). I SAID IT WAS PROBABLY
BECAUSE I HAD NO EXPERIENCE OF GAMES BEFORE PRICE'S, AND NOT ONE SECOND
OF COACHING IN ANY SPORT IN THE 8 YEARS I WAS THERE. HE WENT BERSERK AND
TRIED TO CUFF ME...

Siney: Bill. Tall, freshman. French lessons a speciality. Short fuse, but nice with it. Accidentally smashed his fist through the wooden partition alongside the roomful of noisy form 5B lads when attempting to restore order. Blushed furiously when revealing his first pair of glasses to
the form.
VAGUELY REMEMBER THE NAME...

Smith: "Smudge". Maths/ additional maths. Slight figure, grey hair,
walked with a limp supported by the wooden partition. Too kind for proper
discipline, except when pushed to the limit, when he announced that "if anybody else starts talking, Smythe will get a detention" .
NOTORIOUSLY SOFT MASTER, NEVER TAUGHT ME.

Thacker, HRT. English, and an enthusiastic grammarian. Used to brutally
bash boys' bonces with the largest book he could find.
MY ABSOLUTE HERO FROM IA TO THE FIRST YEAR SIXTH, GREAT TEACHER AND
AMAZINGLY WIDE KNOWLEDGE, AND SO FUNNY!  BUT HE WAS INCREDIBLY VICIOUS
IF SPURNED, AND WHEN I DECLINED TO ACT AS PACING HORSE TO OXFORD FOR AN
OLDER BOY HE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO INJURE MY OWN CHANCES THERE. LONG A HATE FIGURE...

Thompson: Willie. Young, fit PT instructor + English. Possessed a ginger
suit, and became known as a hairy angora trouser enthusiast (H.A.T.E.).
Gave Nobby and me "Good" for PT ability and diligence, despite us skiving
off every lesson during the whole of one term.
TOUCHY-FEELY FROM LOUGHBOROUGH SCHOOL OF PT (AND LAUGHABLY PROUD OF HIS CERTIFICATE). GOOD PREPARATION FOR ARMY PE SADISTS.

Gosh! I hope all these negative feelings coming out are therapeutic, for
me if not you.

Keep in touch

David Roberts

Apologies for the long message.
Kester.