BACK TO NEWSLETTER 1997 CONTENTS
Editorial
It is necessary to begin with a sincere apology on behalf of the Committee for yet another long wait for the OC Society Newsletter. We are all very aware that The Newsletter is the ‘heart’ of our society and that without it, the rest is not very important. At the recent committee meeting, as the birth of the Newsletter still seemed to be some way off, I offered to try and get something off the press before Christmas. Please pardon the many imperfections of this edition.
Some years ago, when Hon Sec, I had to produce three editions of the Newsletter and in those days it was relatively simple as all I had to do was to get the information in some sort of order and give it to a professional typist. How things have changed. The Society now has its own "Power Mac" and I have to do the typing. I did not know very much about the possibilities that this sophisticated equipment offers but I did know that there was a ‘spell check’ and as I have never been able to spell (my excuse for that is a confused early education in Egypt and a Russian father) and my typing is even worse, I hoped this amazing machine would disguise these fundamental inadequacies. I anxiously began to type the tribute to Evelyn King which took me a pitifully long time. After the last word had been ‘saved’ I pressed the ‘spell check’ key only to be told by the machine that there was a fault with the soft ware and that this facility was no longer operative. Panic set in. I had bitten off more than I could chew and although it was 2.30am by this time, I had a restless and sleepless night. Next day, I discovered that a replacement programme would cost over £300 an did not dare admit to the Society that my spelling was so bad that this would be an essential purchase. "Loot" came to the rescue and for a mere £25 I was able to purchase an out of date Programme (but contemporary to the faulty one already in the machine). I hope it works. Clayesmore "Arts and Crafts" - printing has come up trumps. I am sure JHA would marvel at what this little machine claims it can do - and no ‘pied’ type! I hope all those hours spent in the freezing print shop setting up concert and carol service programmes will help me get this together. We shall see.
As it is two years since the last Newsletter was published, much in this edition is out of date. Nonetheless I have been very absorbed by the material I have had to type. You will read that the School has lost three of its ‘giants’ - Evelyn King, Dick Everett, and George Dobie along with a number of distinguished OCs. I was fascinated to read of the early days of Clayesmore at Iwerne and how the failing school was amalgamated with Craigend, revived, rejuvenated, and refocused by Evelyn King. I could not help drawing parallels with another Headmaster, under whom I served (happily enjoying a very varied retirement), who in his way, did as much for Clayesmore as Evelyn King. When Roy McIsaac took over the Headmastership of Clayesmore some rather drastic cracks had already begun to be noticeable. He too revived and rejuvenated Clayesmore and refocused the school into one of the first fully co-educational boarding schools. He also successfully negotiated the transfer of the Prep School to the Iwerne campus with Col. Edwards-Stuart, thus creating a financially viable establishment with sound foundations on which others are able to build.
This Newsletter relies on contributors.
Special thanks are due to J. Mackie, H. Teed, J. King, J. Elderkin, G. Chubb, S. Henly, J.
Salkeld, H. Thompson, and J. Grant, but for whom this edition would be very bare.
Finally, Please write to help fill the next edition which should be published next
December. There is nothing to stop us (except the lack of material) having two or three
‘News Sheets’ during the year.