Handing Over

The AGM is later this morning and Chris Darnell (M 1965) will take over as President. For the last few years the AGM has included a ceremony, the handing on of the President's medal.

The medal was made by James Thompson (C 1953) when he was President in 2007, the Society's fiftieth year. The obverse of the medal shows the family tree of the alumni societies which came together to form the Haileybury Society.

I have worn the medal a lot as I seldom wear a tie. The Dean of S Paul's gave me permission to wear it during the liturgy for my installation as a Canon of the Cathedral last January.

It has been a huge honour to be the President of the Society and to wear the medal. I wish Chris great blessings in his year.

Last Archdeacons

James Thomson (C 1953) was not in the picture I posted on Thursday, but has sent me a picture to post. It seems I am not the first Archdeacon of Hampstead to have an association with Haileybury. 

James writes: the event was the laying of the Foundation Stone of the new St Paul's Primary School in Winchmore Hill (28 May 1960).  The Bishop is Bp Henry Montgomery-Campbell, on the Bp's right is The Reverend Francis Lampen, Vicar of St Paul Winchmore Hill 1950-1981 and on the Bishop's left is the Venerable H J Matthews Archdeacon of Hampstead whose Brother was Edgar Matthews at Haileybury - the father-in-law of JBW Thomas.


There is a great story about Montgomery-Campbell.  Mervyn Stockwood, Bishop of Southwark 'caused outrage in his early years as a bishop (amongst other things) by making it clear that he wouldn't wear gaiters. Stockwood told a story about meeting Henry Montgomery Campbell, Bishop of London (1956-1961) on Lambeth Bridge. Montgomery Campbell (in gaiters) muttered to Mervyn (in purple cassock, purple cloak, probably purple biretta, which he often sported) as he passed, 'Ah! The Bishop of Southwark incognito'. The source of this story is this extraordinary website.

"Wear it Out"!

Sir Bartle Frere and Henry Melvill are buried in the crypt of S Paul's cathedral where we gathered last evening following the installation.  There were lots of living Haileyburians as well. The Master; the Chaplain, The Rev'd Chris Briggs; the General Secretary, Robin Bishop; the Chairman of Council, Michael Gatenby (K 1958) were there as well as the two of my sons who are so far Haileyburians, my sister Anne (H & Aby 1984).

James Thomson, the Master of the London Charterhouse & Past President (C 1953) is sadly not in the picture but he was there. He was the originator of the President's medal which he presented to the Society in its 50th year. I slipped it on under my robes, but the magenta ribbon was showing and the Dean asked after it. He siad "Wear it out!" meaning on top of the robes so that it could be seen in church which I duly did. The Bishop was similarly indulgent. 

The Master, by the way, must be getting fed up with me. I went to a parents' meeting on Tuesday and saw him there, he kindly came to the installation yesterday, and tonight he was at the General Committee of the Society which I chaired. More about that meeting tomorrow.

The happy event which I hope to be able to report looks as if it may indeed come to pass, but be patient on that one. 

Toko

The internet is full of message boards on which weird and wonderful knowledge is shared. This is not new. A very odd nineteenth century journal which you can read here for free on line, and which is still published is called "Notes and Queries." Learned men send in questions and answers for what seems simple enjoyment of the odd and and quizzical. Its 1895 edition mentions a Haileybury slang word of which I had never heard before. On Page 14 the question is posed by Edward Belben (C 1884) who seems to be replying to an earlier comment by one M R Lloyd. On Page 98 it is answered.

" Toko " was a very general slang word at Haileybury ten years ago, and is probably so still. M R. LLOYD need not have gone back " at least sixty years " to find its use among the vulgar, including schoolboys." Why " including " ? It may be general in other public schools. Can any of your correspondents record it ? 

The correspondence is picked up with the explanation as follows:

In D. C. T.'s note on this subject a most amusing blunder is made in deriving toko from Gr. TOKOS. The word is really the imperative of the Hindi word tokna, to hammer; and to " give toko to " means to give a sound hammering or drubing to. The word was no doubt brought to England from the East by our soldiers and sailors who had 
served there. MELANCTHON MADVIG. 

It is unsurprising that a Haileybury slang word should be derived from Hindi. The signature on this entry shows that the business of odd pseudonyms for message boards is by no means something that came in with the internnet.