Lift High The Cross

On Good Friday - Haileybury Crosses 

This photograph was given to me by Rev PH Rogers (staff 36 -50),
and was taken shortly after the rededication in 1936

RL Ashcroft wrote: Sir Herbert Baker designed the Cross at the same time as he designed the altar. I was myself present in his office in London when he took out a box of crayons and quickly sketched in colours the effect he wished to produce. 

The Cross of Sacrifice

The Cross of Glory

Calix Sanguinis Christi

Maundy Thursday is the day on which the church commemorates the Last Supper. It was with great pleasure that I saw the school newsletter Hearts and Wings today, and a piece in it announcing formally that the East India Communion Silver has been returned to the school.

Picture from Hearts and Wings
Archivist Toby Parker and Chaplain Rev Chris Briggs

The set was made by Rundell and Bridge in London in 1815, William Pitts being the craftsman who did the work. After the closure of the Esat India College the plate was passed to Coopers Hill Engineering College.

In his history of Haileybury up to 1909, Haileybury College Past and Present LS Milford tells the story of the set coming to the school.

On February 9, 1907, Mr. Croslegh (a great-grandson of Dr. Batten), whose father was formerly Chaplain at Cooper's Hill, came up to see the Master and suggested to him that he should put in a claim for the Communion Plate which had formerly belonged to the H.E.I.C. at Haileybury, and had been removed to the India Office on the closing of Cooper's Hill. The Master accordingly wrote direct to Mr. John Morley, who most kindly, without any delay, acknowledged the justice of the claim, and sent down the plate. An admirable photograph of it was published in the Haileyburian. Sir John Ottley records on the box that the plate was " made in 1816." 

The vessels were carried in and used for the first time at the Choral Celebration on Easter Day. 

Largest House?

They are trying to sell the largest house in Canada. It is in Haileybury Ontario. The full story is here. Yours for $25million!

Diary is too Full

There is to be another of the enjoyable and successful pub events, this time here in London on 19th May. Alas I shall not be able to be there. It is a complicated evening for me as I have a meeting of the Area Bishop's Council at which we shall be saying farewell to the Archdeacon's PA who has worked with me for the last couple of months, but who has worked for my predecessors over many years. The I shall be hot foot up to the Haringey Sea Cadets (SCC). I am their chaplain and it is the evening of the annual inspection of the Unit. The date was changed so I am not feeling too guilty about not being there for the opening parade, but must get there for the end.

As we were in 1983. 

I was a keen member of the RN Section of the CCF at school. By and large CCF and SCC do not mix. CCF has a 'wardroom ethos,' while the Sea Cadet Corps, while not a recruiting agency, does great work among young people who, should they join, would be more likely to enter the Navy as Ratings. I have often said that had God not got me, then the Navy would and thought for a long time that I might end up as a Naval Chaplain. That never happened either, but when the opportunity to become SCC Chaplain came up I jumped at it. Here in Haringey SCC is an organization doing some significant youth work, helping young people to gain more qualifications than they would otherwise, from Duke of Edinburgh awards to NVQs, as well as teaching discipline, outward bound and many life skills, respect and loyalty.

In 1984 there was a confusion about orders for uniform for the photo.
It was very hot and those in pullovers were not pleased with those of us
in shirtsleeve order!

Anyway, if you go to the pub event, raise a toast to the CCF and the SCC; and if you have some time to give to youth work why not consider what you could do?

New Guv's Test and Random Recollections

Gerald Wilson (M 1962) sent an email with some more memories of the New Guv's Test, as follows. Note his last paragraph about the memorial service at the National Memorial Arboretum on 7th May. If you can come then do be in touch with the Society. I'll write a note about it maybe tomorrow, but you can follow the tag on the bottom of this post to earlier posts about the NMA.

Gerald writes:

Your blog item on graces struck a chord.  I was asked to say grace for my wife's aunt's 90th birthday a couple of weeks ago.  I decided against the well remembered Latin grace from school and went for the more familiar English translation.  The Haileybury version was somewhat shorter than the one trotted out from memory by Sir Richard at the Foundress' Feast last week.

 

Looking back at the blog items about New Guv Tests I wonder whether beaks are "ticked" any more (a sort of diminutive Hitlergruess!)  Other questions I remember from the New Guvs test were on house colours, heads of houses, housemasters and beak's nicknames.  I remember Hiker (WG) Thompson, Blimp (BG Wennink), "Dick" Richards, "Pussy (EW) Williams, "Dangers" Daltry (pronounced with a hard G), "Bogue" Manning (apparently bogus was a favourite word), "Hanc" Nurden (Latin & Greek beak), Harry Hotplate (Hargreaves, chemistry beak), Herr Mueller (Mr Miller, who may have had a slight speech defect and sounded a bit German), RJ (for Mr Rhodes-James, also occasionally Rhodeo-Joe but not, I was told, in his house Melvill). 

The Boot?

 

Of course there was also the Boot for the Master, which was originally the nickname for Canon Bonhote.  Imogen Thomas's book records this as a corruption of his surname, though it was always said amongst the boys that it related to a predilection for corporal punishment.  The nickname was transferred to his successor Christopher Smith, who I experienced for 12 months.  Though a distant figure I remember him with affection and respect.  He knew the name of every single boy in the school and their parents.  My parents & I had met him once when I sat the scholarship at Haileybury in November 1961.  On entering Quad in September 1962 he instantly  greeted us by name.  When William Stewart became Master in 1963 he was known as "The Boot", though due to his loud voice and custom of addressing any boy within 50 yards (a stark contract to his predecessor's unassuming manner) "The Boot" was often transmuted into "The Boom". 

 

I wonder if you will be attending the Haileybury memorial service at the National Arboretum on 7th May.  I am about to put in a late booking.  I haven't been to the National Arboretum yet, but my first alma mater was St Christopher's School in Alrewas (long since closed, but the buildings were still there when I visited 10-15 years ago) so it seems an appropriate opportunity.