BACK TO NEWSLETTER 2000 CONTENTS
I have good fun being a 'middle". My old friends have come up with me
and I made many new ones. Everyone has been forced to collect two pounds of
blackberries. I went out the other day and collected tons of mushrooms which
Sister allowed us to fry in the San. I have a hot shower every morning and we
have a good walk over to breakfast the other side.
I went farming and our party picked potatoes.
We had a lecture by Capt Quintin Hogg MP from the Conservative Party. He came and lectured us about it.
The wind has been blowing a gale in the last two days with several trees down. I played in the under fifteens match against Canford last Sat. We won 20-3.
I had a good ride last week on Minnie, a great big chestnut mare. We played Blundells First XV. It was eight all. We saw a good film last night, ' The Young Of Heart ".
I played in two Junior Colts matches last week against Bishops Wordsworth and Daunstys. We won both. I have got three pounds in my PO Savings Account. Could you please send some more.
I took War Certificate A Part One on Friday and passed. I read one of the best books I've ever read, "White Fang". Its written by Jack London and although quite old, is really very well written.
A boy invited me to go on a cycling tour of North Wales next summer. We pay 2 / 6d to join the Youth Hostel organisation. They charge 1 / - per day for bed, food etc.
The other day a friend and me went inside the village church and played "Boogie Woogie" on the organ and signed our names in the visitors book and dressed as choir boys and gave sermons...... we weren't caught!
On Saturday, I went with my friend to Eastbury House on Cranbone Chase. A greyhound ran to us wagging its tail. An old Man appeared and rudely said "what do you want?". We said we were from Clayesmore. He changed and asked us to tea. He showed us around. He had dozens of tame geese, white turkeys and South African ducks. He showed us the grounds, miles and miles and the geese followed us everywhere. He had six huge greenhouses with a vine as big as the one at Hampton Court. He ordered grapes to be picked. He called the butler and ordered tea. He told us the history of the house - how it was destroyed in 1703 and the ghost, a man in coattails who roamed the house. He asked us to come again.
On Saturday we had a good tea at Mrs Ridout's - a wizard little cottage at Tarrant Gunville. Some boys have got tame hedgehogs there which you feed by hand...
I went to Bere Regis with John Storrs for half-term. We went by car. I didn't know anybody except Capt O'Brien. At the party there were many games and prizes. Storrs got a bit drunk and his father and me had to drag him to bed. The next day we messed around in his father's surgery.
Yesterday we saw a very funny film at school 'The Boys From Syracuse'. It snowed again and the electric lights in our dorm failed. We have got 6 inches of snow and the boys are skating on the lake .... I enclose a programme of a play we saiv last night 'Candida". It was pretty feeble.
I am now dorm Capt. and don't have to go into line for inspection .... I went tobogganing on Tuesday and had jolly good fun, and on Saturday went to Blandford but there was nothing worth buying there.... It is freezing cold and we sit in our classrooms with our macs and scarves on. On Wednesday the temperature was 28 degrees of frost. Mr Appleby is getting me the book of Masefield poems...
About 30 boys were confirmed yesterday and we had dozens of Old Clayesmorians down to a match... I went for a lovely ride this morning through the woods. Yesterday I rode bareback without a halter and got chucked off. The Bird Club is fun. I have a pet jackdaw,