How amazing is this!!

New York's wonderful new mayor went to St Georges. Wow. I have been following him in the news and really admire him.

 

St Georges Cathedral

I spent a wonderful time in the cathedral, reminiscing about my choir days and listening to the sublime music sung by an opera singer who happened to be practising at the same time. So beautiful, it moved me to tears.  It reminded me of one of the first spiritual experiences I ever had - one that I had as a young choir boy here at the cathedral.

Some facts about St George's Cathedral

• Oldest cathedral in Southern Africa, founded in 1901 with the laying of the foundation stone by the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V).
• Designed by Sir Herbert Baker, the cathedral features classic neo-Gothic architecture and was constructed using Table Mountain sandstone.
• Known as the “People’s Cathedral” due to its central role in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu used the cathedral as a base for non-violent protest, prayer meetings, and political activism during apartheid.
• Famous for its Peace Marches, which began on its steps and drew national and international attention to the apartheid regime.
• Home to a renowned choir and hosts frequent concerts, contributing to Cape Town’s cultural life.
• Contains beautiful stained glass windows and intricate stone carvings, including a stunning Rose Window.
• A symbol of spiritual resilience and social justice, it remains an active place of worship and civic engagement.
• Located in the heart of Cape Town, near Parliament and Company’s Garden, making it a prominent historic landmark.

Nostalgic visit to St Georges and Midway, Bertram Crescent

A wonderful trip down memory lane.  St Georges, my old school, was unfortunately all locked up but I managed to take photos through the gate and fence. Then, by foot, I retraced my old cycle route from Mowbray to Bertram Crescent where I took some snaps of our old family home where I grew up. Then a short walk to the wonderful children's park that I often visited when I was young with its swings, seesaw and roundabout. 

St Georges (my old school)

Walking to Bertram Crescent through the Rondebosch Common

Midway, Bertram Crescent (my childhood home)

Our old park near Bertram Crescent

Teacher tributes

It feels sad knowing some of your teachers have passed away, especially ones you were close to.  It reminds you of your own mortality and the fact you're now significantly older than many of them were when they taught you!  

I saw tributes on The Old Georgian Union website for the following teachers.

Shirley Allan (Sub B teacher)

• Shirley Allan, passed away on 25 August 2015 in the UK. Shirley taught in the Prep School at St George’s for 24 years from 1974 - 1998. Over the years she set a firm foundation for many Georgians.

Brian Snaddon (Std 7 teacher)

• Brian Snaddon (Staff member 1985 - 1990) passed away 25th Aug 2011 in Cape Town.

Joan Suttle (English teacher, senior school)

• Joan Suttle (Staff 1986 – 1990) passed away on Monday, 29 April 2019. Our sincere condolences to her far-flung family, from many who benefited from knowing her at St George's.
  
  On 30 April of Mrs Joan Suttle who with her husband, Ray, arrived from Zimbabwe to teach at St George's towards the end of 1986. Ray taught Latin here for many years before moving first to Herschel then to Bishops to teach that subject.
  
  During her time at SGGS, Mrs Suttle - known to the pupils as M'am - taught English to Matric candidates. She always demanded the very highest standards of speech, expression and courtesy; her excellent work was reflected in our great success in public-speaking, debating and the annual Eisteddfod, and many will remember her production of 'Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' and her fortnightly sessions of public speaking in the Hall.
  
  In December 1990, after teaching here for nearly six years, she left to concentrate on her estate agency work, but continued to live at St George's while her husband taught Latin here; he also ran the cricket, the rugby and the squash."

Other teachers I know have passed

• Geoff Burton, Std 8 teacher  (from cancer)
• Ray Suttle
• Jenny Mallet, Std 2 teacher  (in the 1990's after diving)

St Georges 1983

I love Facebook!! It is keeping me linked in with all my old friends. Patrick just uploaded this old class photo from St Georges. Good fun identifying all the old faces.

Letter to Mr Suttle, my Latin teacher

Mr Suttle taught me Latin through my senior school years.  He taught us Latin translation (using brilliant texts he'd developed himself) and also inspired in me a lasting love of Roman history.  As part of our final year, we had to write 3 extended essays on aspects of Roman history and it gave rise to a level of enthusiasm and creativity in me that surprised and delighted me.  You can read one of them here.

Ray Suttle also taught us how to create and use mind maps as a way to study.  I immediately fell in love with this visual and practical tool and used it extensively in my final school year of study. I also used it at university and have used it often in my career.

Ray was elderly and suffered from gout which made him move very slowly.  Some of the boys called him "Speed Wobble" as a result. In his prime, he was the headmaster of a very reputable private school in Zimbabwe.  He was very highly respected for this leadership and scholarly excellence in the Latin field.  However, by the time he came to St Georges, Latin was rapidly falling out of favour, regarded as a dead language and no longer relevant for the modern age.  In our class, there were only three students who studied it. Everyone else opted for Geography instead.  It was the same story in all the younger classes at St Georges.  I think Ray felt this lack of interest very keenly.

In my final exam at school, I gained a distinction in Latin, thanks to Ray's excellent teaching.  This distinction, coupled with a distinction in Afrikaans, earned me a distinction overall which meant the world to me.

I left school, and went to the University of Cape Town on the slopes of Table Mountain to study 1st year Zoology and Botany. However, on a regular basis, I would return to the vicinity of my old school because I was a member of a youth group in the area.

One night, before going to the youth group, I suddenly felt inspired to write Ray Suttle a letter. It was a thank you note, written quickly on a blank piece of paper, but written from the heart.  I thanked him for his excellent teaching that had earned me my distinction. I told him how much I had enjoyed the classes and that I was finding the Latin really useful in my Zoology and Botany lessons. I also told him how much I benefited by using the mind-maps he had taught us.  

As I drove past the school on my way to youth group, I stopped off at Ray's residence on the boundary of school where he lived with his wife, Mam Suttle, who had been our English teacher.  It was late in the evening and getting dark. I dropped off the letter in his letter box and went on my way.

I forgot about it and 5 or more years went by.

Then one day I received a letter out of the blue.  I cannot remember how the letter got to me; maybe via my mum who bumped into Mam Suttle from time to time.  The letter was from Ray.

In the letter, Ray wrote something along the lines of "I remember that night so well, I heard a scurrying outside the door and went out to see someone disappearing off into the darkness. Then I found the letter.  I have to tell you, in all honesty, no letter has ever effected me more. It came at a time when I was feeling completely demotivated and flat in regards to my teaching profession.  I wondered if it was all worth it.  Your kind, heart-felt words meant everything to me.  They sank very deep. They gave me my mojo back.  They made all the difference in the world.  Thank you, thank you for your letter."

Reading these words moved me to tears. It was, and continues to be, my greatest teaching about the immense power of gratitude expressed from the heart. Inspired by this, I have written many more letters of gratitude over the years.  

Thank you, dear Mr Suttle, for yet another of your priceless lessons.

Mr Suttle introduced us to mind maps like this one ...

School Reports

Reports from my school years. As you can see, I was a very hard working student and I did well at school although it took its toll in the form of anxiety before tests and exams.

Vista Nova

Graeme has settled down exceptionally well at Vista Mara. He is a very hardworking conscientious pupil. His work is always beautifully done. He enjoys stories and remembers them well. It is a great pleasure to teach him. / J.A. Robson

Teacher’s Report:

Graeme has done excellent work throughout the year. He has been a delightful pupil to teach. I wish him well at his new school next year. / J.A. Robson



St George’s Grammar School


Sub B – 1978 Term 1

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme has settled into Sub. B very well. He seems to prefer being on his own in ‘free’ activity periods, either drawing or reading but happily integrates when he feels the need for company. He is a very neat worker and sets a high standard for himself. His arithmetic and story writing are good as is his reading which has improved considerably. He puts a lot of effort into his sporting activities always trying to do better. I am very pleased with Graeme’s progress. / S.A. Allen


Sub B – 1978 Term 2

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme must be admired for the way in which he has worked in spite of his problems with his legs in plaster and his wheelchair. He has worked with the minimum of fuss and has maintained his high standard in all subjects. Well done Graeme!   S.A. Allen.

Principal’s comments:

I’m most impressed with Graeme’s mature attitude. He remains quiet and conscientious with a good inspiration. He is able to mix easily with others. This has been good progress for Graeme.  C. Hodge

General Report:

Graeme is a mature, quiet boy with a good sense of responsibility. He is always helpful and polite and he communicates well with adults. He has shown great strength of character over his handicap this term. He has shown the minimum of fuss and has continued in as normal manner as he is able. Well done! Because he has a good organizing ability, he sometimes tends to organize others. He must watch this habit. He is an asset to Shaw House. / Jenny Mallett.


Sub B – 1978. Term 3

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme continues to work to the best of his ability and with the minimum of fuss. His reading, story writing and arithmetic are all of a very high standard and he is always keen to do more to improve them still further. He has become a little withdrawn this term and has preferred being on his own. Perhaps when he is able to take part in sporting activities once again, he will start mixing more readily with the other boys.  S.A. Allen.


Sub B – 1978. Term 4

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme is a quiet, neat, conscientious worker and is content with nothing but the best. He prefers his own company and this is happily accepted by the other boys who respect him for it. He has twice been elected Vice Captain and has coped quietly and efficiently with his duties. Well done Graeme.  S.A. Allen.

General Report:

Graeme has done extremely well considering he was virtually out of action for a term with both legs in plaster. Graeme is a quiet, polite boy who is as happy working on his own as in groups. He tries his hardest at sport and he never complains. He throws and catches a ball very well. He has good hand eye co-ordination and he bats well. He seems to tire easily in the swimming bath and although he can manage all 4 strokes, he struggles with the style. I look forward to seeing him in more Shaw House activities next year.  Jenny Mallett.

Graeme has had a fine year and is now ready to leave the kindergarten and enter Std. 1 where I hope that he will continue to give of his best.  J.A. Dods.


Std. 1 – 1979. Term 1

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme settled down quickly and easily to a new and longer routine.

He is a steady worker who always produces work of a high standard. His hand control is good and his handwriting is well formed and beautifully neat. It is a pleasure marking his books.

I am pleased with all Graeme’s work. His reading continues to be fluent and his stories are interesting and well written. He must take care with punctuation.

Graeme is attentive and co-operative. He finds new work a challenge and becomes totally absorbed in work which interests him.


Std. 1 – 1979. Term 2

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme is an industrious worker, always giving of his best in whatever work he does. He is very quiet and settles down easily to work. Graeme uses his spare time constructively and no amount you ask him to do is too much. I am very pleased with his results which reflect hard work and effort. It is a pleasure having Graeme in my class.  A.G. Basson.

Graeme continues to make good progress both in and out of the classroom.  G. Dods.

General Report:

Graeme is an extremely hard working boy. He tries hard in the classroom and on the sports field. He is a capable youngster and he is a popular member of the Std 1 class. He is quiet and he still prefers playing in small groups. He is always polite and helpful. Graeme has a fine sense of humour which bubbles out most satisfyingly! He has been a regular member of the Barefoot League where he always gives of his best. He runs hard and tackles well.  Jenny Mallett.


Std. 1 – 1979. Term 4

Teacher’s comments:

Graeme has had an excellent six months academically. I was especially pleased with his outstanding maths and science papers.

His new cursive handwriting is neat and well formed and he takes care to maintain this high standard not only in the writing lessons but in all his written work.

Congratulations on an excellent report. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching such a conscientious youngster. A.G. Basson.

This has been a first class year and he so richly deserved the Industry Award. Well done.  J.A. Dods.

General Report:

Graeme has taken part in both swimming and cricket. His greatest asset is his constant striving to better himself and to improve in whatever he is taking part in. Well done Graeme. In swimming, he has worked hard and his crawl style has improved one a width. He tends to lose all style when racing over a length but this will come with more practice. He is an enthusiastic cricketer with a good eye for the ball and he is always awake in the field. I am delighted with Graeme’s progress and he has had an extremely successfully year.  Jenny Mallett.


Std. 2 – 1980. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme’s interests cover a large spectrum. He is an extremely conscientious worker in the classroom, he plays hard on the rugby field and once he is confidence of his position, he enjoys it. He is enjoying his singing in the choir and he enjoys his Art and Drama lessons. Graeme is a responsible youngster and he is always polite and helpful. He has done well to keep his place in the U10 rugby team as there are many enthusiastic youngsters longing for a game. He drives well in rugby and he is learning to get the ball back to his backline. He must learn to be a little quicker to the loose ball so that St Georges wins the ball and not the opposition! Graeme has had a good half year.  Jenny Mallett.

Graeme continues to make very good progress in all aspects of school life. Well done.  G.A. Dods.


Std. 2 – 1980. Term 4

General Report:

Graeme is a mature polite and reliable boy. He needs to do well and he still becomes anxious if he feels he is letting anyone down. However, he is learning to control his natural nervousness and he is now able to look on the light side as well as the serious. He has had a very full year. He is a member of the choir and he has thoroughly enjoyed the involvement. He has played cricket and squash. He has chosen to go to extra cricket coaching with Mr Leary. We hope to reap the benefit of this experience in the U11 cricket squad next term. He is a beginner at squash. He has learned the basics and is thoroughly enjoying the competition and the exercise. Graeme has had a very successful year in Std 2 and I have enjoyed teaching him.  Jenny Mallett.

Graeme is to be commended for an excellent term’s work. He is a credit to his school. Graeme has been promoted to Standard three.  S. Anderson.


Std. 3 – 1981. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme is a well adjusted, hard working, amiable boy with an enquiring mind and a sensible disposition. Everything he does he does well. His behaviour is always good and when given responsibility he has taken it seriously and carried it out intelligently. In short, Graeme is a pleasure to work with.

His contribution to the choir is to be commended. He has shown himself to be an enthusiastic, loyal and hard working member and he is to be congratulated on his excellent performance in the recent Eisteddfod.

On the sports field, Graeme has done well. He has proved to have a keen sense of competition within the confines of a good sense of sportsmanship. His swimming and athletics performances were more than pleasing. He will have to work hard at perfecting his high jump technique so as to enable him to break the record next year. It is certainly well within his capabilities. His rugby is also pleasing. In the opinion of his coach he is one of the top three players in his team.

In short, Graeme has worked hard, played hard and is a pleasure to work with. An excellent report. Graeme is a credit to his school.


Std. 4 – 1982. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme is a mature reliable pupil but he still gets into a panic when things don’t run smoothly, but he is learning how to cope with this. He produced an excellent performance in the high jump in the athletics meeting winning the U12 section with a record jump. It seems that whatever sport he participates in, he always gives of his best – in swimming, athletics, squash or rugby.

He is erratic at squash, sometimes everything goes right for him but occasionally he doesn’t get his feet into the correct position. He has done well to play in the U13 rugby team and has developed into a good No. 2 line-out jumper. An enthusiastic choir member –as one can see he participates fully in all aspects of school life. Hopkins (House Master)

Graeme is to be congratulated on some excellent academic results. I note with pleasure the “A” aggregate for both term and exam results. He is a very interested pupil who strives for efficiency. Well done.  S. Anderson.


Std. 5 – 1983. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme’s main sport in the first term was swimming, but he had to compete in the U14 age group in the gala which he found difficult. He enjoyed the competition of the Gordon’s Gala in Newlands although the distance was too much for him. He is always a conscientious swimmer and trains hard at practices.

He has had a very good athletics season, concentrating mainly on the high jump and long jump and he won both events in the school athletics tournament. Again the hard work and effort he put into it and the help he gave others is very praiseworthy indeed!

He has been a good counselor and a regular member of the school choir and he recently won a diploma in the Eisteddfod for singing. Very well done!  K.M. Hopkins.

An excellent academic report. Well done! Graeme is a credit to his school.  S. Anderson


Std. 5 – 1983. Term 4

General Report:

Graeme has had an excellent year all round. He has done very well as a counselor and he gained rugby, academic and athletics colours. He played the main lead as “Huck Finn” in Tom Sawyer last term and did extremely well in a role that was very unlike his natural character. (I hope he hasn’t taken up the art of smoking)!

He has been swimming this term and although he tries very hard, he tires easily. He must practice his breast-stroke for the inter-house gala next term.

He has been a prominent member of the school choir this year and made an excellent prepared speech in the speech competition. Congratulations also on winning the award for the “Most Determined Rugby Player in the Prep School”. We are delighted to hear he is staying at St George’s and we wish him every success in his senior school career.  K.M. Hopkins

An excellent academic report. Well done Graeme! He has been promoted to Standard Six.  S. Anderson.


Std. 6 – 1984. Term 4

General Report:

Graeme is a very intense and determined young man in everything that he does. During the year in the sports arena he has played tennis and water polo.

He also represented his house in a number of the track and field events of sports day. On the rugby field he was a most tenacious flank.

He is making good progress as a swimmer particularly at breast-stroke.

He entered the Mini Maths Olympiad earlier this year and is a keen hamster breeder and stamp collector. S. Howard.

His examination results are most satisfactory. He is very near the top of this very able and highly competitive class.


Std. 7 – 1985. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme displays an impressive array of talents over a wide spectrum – athletics (high jump, long jump), plays rugby, has received academic commendations and is involved in cultural affairs. All very good.

He is a personable and likeable young fellow who has many things in store for him. An asset to Shaw House and the School.  B. Sneddon (House Master).

This is a most satisfactory report. He has worked and played as hard as he is able and has achieved considerable success in a number of areas. C. Connor (Headmaster)


Std. 8 – 1986. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme is a good example of an all-rounder. It is very pleasing to note his sporting attributes (U16 high jump record), his rugby, his participation in the Maths Olympiad, Eisteddfod and his success in gaining commendations for every half term so far. A credit to Shaw House. B. Sneddon (House Master)

Excellent examination results which reflect both his ability and effort. He has performed most creditably. In every way, an asset to the school. C. Cannon (Headmaster)


Std. 8 – 1986. Term 4

General Report:

Another pleasing year for Graeme with sound indications of a wide involvement in many facets of the school life.

He swims, has gained many commendations, took part in the Maths afternoon at UCT and did well in athletics and took a leading role in one of the school plays.

Many congratulations on his industry and acting prizes and keep up the good work.  B. Sneddon (House Master)

This is a very good report in every way, both academically and extramurally, he is to be congratulated on his effort and commitment. He is an asset to the school.  S. Canoon (Headmaster)


Std. 9 – 1987. Term 2

General Report:

Graeme gives of his best in all that he does here at school and this half year has been no exception.

It has been edifying to see him excel at sport (athletics), drama, integrated studies and of course his school work.

He is always courteous and well mannered and is an asset to St George’s. B. Sneddon House Master

One or two of his examination percentages were unusually low for him. He is intelligent enough to know what went wrong and will, I am sure, rectify the situation by the end of the year. In all other ways, he has had a good half year. S. Cannon (Head Master)


Std. 9 – 1987. Term 4

General Report:

Another good year for him. He has made steady progress in his school work, achieving a commendable 73% aggregate in the end of year exams. He did exceptionally well in his favourite sport, high jumping.

I trust that 1988 will bring him many rewards for all his efforts. B. Sneddon (House Master)

His academic results have again been most satisfactory and reflect his tremendous commitment to hard work. The small “sets” in the matriculation class next year will increase his chances of gaining excellent symbols at the end of the year.  C. Cannon  Head Master


Std. 10 – 1988. Term 4

General Report:

Graeme was called upon very early in the year to shoulder the load of House Prefect. I shall not forget his unhesitating acceptance of the position and his sincere dedication to the task. My sincere thanks to him.

He has above all been the kind of young man who really has pitched in to a lot of what this school offers. He has shone however, as an athlete using his springy legs to good effect is the high jump year by year.

His academic work has been impressive through the years I’ve known him. He has a wide ranging ability and I rejoice that he gained the Special Latin Prize. Good luck and God speed for the years ahead.  B. Sneddon (House Master)

The way he stepped into the breach and became Head of Shaw and his work as one of the School Prefects gained him the admiration of all.

As a person this year, he was articulate and thoughtful, amusing and concerned about the welfare of others. I have greatly enjoyed working with him and thank him for his contribution to school life. He leaves with my very good wishes for the future. S. Connor (Head Master)

Mr Cannon, my inspirational school principal and history teacher

 

Mr Cannon and his lovely wife, Wendy

Mr Cannon was my school headmaster from St 7 year (1984) to the end of school.  He was a wonderful, charismatic, and most of all, warm man who I felt far more connected to than the rather dour and strict Mr Dods who preceded him.

Most of all, Mr Canon was an unbelievable teacher and I was privileged to be taught history by him in the year he arrived.  He devoted half the year to an alternative syllabus where we had to glean history for ourselves using clues from archaeological finds and alternative viewpoints and witnessed accounts, rather like a detective does. 

The most memorable lesson I've ever had was him facilitating a session one day when Mr Hart, the deputy head, came into the class.  Mr Hart was very angry and said something along the lines of, "I saw you eyeing up my wife the other day, how dare you!!"  Or something to that effect (I'm not sure Mr Hart was actually married!)  

Anyway, Mr Cannon and Mr Hart proceeded to get into a mini scuffle in the classroom with Mr Hart pushing Mr Cannon up against the blackboard and more angry words were said.  Then Mr Hart exclaimed "You haven't heard the end of this!" and stormed out of the classroom.  

We were all shocked of course!  In a state of disbelief.  Wow, what had just happened?

Mr Canon straightened his tie and turned to us. Then he smiled and said, "Right class, what did just happen here?"

We realised that the little drama we had just witnessed had been put on for our benefit.  There was much laughter and a fair bit of relief.

Mr Cannon then asked us a series of questions as to what had been said, what Mr Hart had been wearing, what we had insinuated from the whole encounter.

There were many variations in our accounts.  We all remembered things differently and had made different conclusions according to what he had seen and heard.

Mr Cannon then grinned with great satisfaction and said, "Well class, if you can't all agree on something you all witnessed first-hand just 10 minutes ago, how in the hell can you believe in historical accounts?  How can you believe in history?

It's a lesson that has stayed with me all my life since then. It happened nearly 40 years ago, yet I still remember it and reflect on it.  If that's not powerful teaching, what is?

School years (1977 - 1988)

"I loved school. I studied like crazy. I was a Class A nerd." Maya Lin 

Memories of my first year (Vista Nova)

During my first year, I went to a school called Vista Nova for children with learning and other disabilities.  The reason for this is that I showed learning problems with things like telling the time and doing up my laces and so on.  In addition to school, I also had special remedial lessons from Mrs Roberson, a private remedial teacher, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

On my first day, I remember feeling pretty terrified, especially of the bigger, older pupils and I remember being horrified when I was told by one of them that another pupil had misbehaved and had been sent to the headmaster for "cuts."  I didn't realise that this was the school term for corporal punishment with a cane (which still would have scared me somewhat) and I took its meaning literally.

After a while, I started really enjoying school.  I made some good friends and I enjoyed the lessons and my confidence grew as I found myself doing class exercises more easily than most of the other pupils (obviously their learning disabilities were greater than mine.)

I remember one time when I got a little too confident and cocky in class and talked when I shouldn't have, I was made to put my hands on my head and keep them there for the duration of the lesson.  After a while, it was torturous on my poor arms and shoulders.  I didn't like the punishment much but it was far more tolerable, I thought, than the dreaded "cuts."

Every Friday afternoon before we went home for the weekend, we would all go into the school hall and watch a movie.  I loved this part of the week more than any other.  It is where my love of movies originated.

I have one particularly vivid memory from Vista Nova.  First of all, let it be known that my father used to be a dentist.  One day, when I was 6 years old, I was sitting in class listening to my teacher.  She was reading us a book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Suddenly Mrs Ford, another teacher who taught the older children, came rushing into our classroom.  She said in a loud voice, "I want Myburgh!"  Then she grabbed me by the arm and walked me out of the classroom and down the school corridor. I was terrified.  I didn't know what was going to happen. Maybe I had done something wrong!

She walked me to her classroom and made me stand in front of all the children.  Everyone was looking at me.  I didn't know where to look so I looked down at my feet.  Then she said, "Myburgh, open your mouth and show them your teeth!"   So I did. What else was I to do?   Then she said  "Students, look at his teeth.  These are the teeth of a dentist's son.   Look how they sparkle and shine!  You too can have teeth like this if you look after them."  Then she said "Thank you Myburgh - you can go back to your class now."   I ran out of the classroom, wishing that my dad was an engineer or a business man or fireman - anything but a dentist.


Memories of Prep School (St Georges)

My progress at Vista Nova was such that it was decided I was potentially ready for "normal" school.  My teacher's name at my new school was Mrs Allen and she was very sweet and affirming and I really liked her.

My reading and writing was far behind everyone else in the class so I had to do extra reading in the afternoons after school.  I was a driven little guy (why, I'm not sure, because my parents never pushed me) and I caught up within a couple of months.  And then I kept working and soon, in tests and mini exams, I was right at the top of the class.  And that is pretty much where I remained for the rest of my schooling.

It did take it's toll though.  Deep down, I felt inferior to the other kids because I had had to go to a "special school" to start with.  I thought the only way to do well was to work harder than the other kids - that I was inherently dumb.  And when I found myself at the top of the class, I felt that my teachers expected me to stay there.  All in all, it made me feel very anxious before any kind of test or exam.  I would start studying earlier than anyone else and I would feel extremely nervous on the day of the test.

It was this situation that inspired my poem: "Little Boy"

Little stick arms pumped to the sky
Little thin legs lifting high
Little eyes fixed in a hungry stare
Little pink feet dangling bare
Little teeth clenched through flaring lips
Little frame rising on contorted hips
Little boy launched in a furious leap
Little boy lands in a sandy heap
Little boy striving non stop since birth
Little boy desperate to prove his worth

My most memorable teachers in Prep School were Mrs Basson and Mrs Mallett.  Mrs Basson was a tall, regal woman who always took immaculate care of her appearance.  She also always wore a wig.  She was my teacher when I was 8.  Mrs Basson was famous throughout the school for her dreaded bat.  If you spoke in class when you shouldn't or didn't do your homework, she would take you up onto the mat and give you a solid smack on the butt with it.  It always made such a a rifle like crack when it made contact that the whole class would wince in sympathy.  I only had the bat once in my year and to be honest, it sounded a lot worse than it actually was.

Mrs Mallet was a large woman with a booming, strident voice and she always carried a big wooden ruler that she would rap against the wall to make a loud noise if she was angry or wanted everyone to be quiet.  But she never once hit anyone with it.  I was scared of her to start, but soon I began to realise that under the tough exterior, there was an extremely caring, affirming and wonderful person.  She was the kind of person you felt you could confide in and who would give you gentle words of encouragement.  But woe and betide if you misbehaved or made her lose her temper.  She had a very low tolerance for laziness or bullying or serial misbehaving.

When I was 9, I had Jenny Mallet as my teacher and I loved her class except for Fridays when we would conduct one of her dreaded mental tests.  Jenny would shout out "times table questions" in rapid succession and we would have to write the answers as quickly as we could in to keep up.  And you certainly didn't want to get more than a few wrong or you would be in big trouble.

Jenny loved sport and she coached Under 9 rugby (the barefoot league as it was known.)  I really enjoyed rugby though I wasn't very good at it to start.  According to mum, I used to stand on the field and suck my fingers.  Later on, however, I flourished on the field and I won an award for most improved rugby player.

Jenny taught swimming too and her strident voice would boom out across the pool as she stood, bouncing on the diving board, giving instructions to the swimmers.  The more excited or upset Jenny got, the more she would bounce and we often anticipated her bounces becoming sufficient to launch her large frame into the pool.  But it never happened while I was there.  However it was rumoured that a few years previously, Jenny had got so upset with a student who would not follow instructions that she had leapt off her perch into the water below with a mighty splash and dunked the poor chap.  This was a school legend and I very much doubt it ever actually happened.

One of my most vivid memories from school happened when I was seven years old.  I had to have an operation on my legs.  I went into hospital and came out with my legs in plaster paris.  I could not walk for 6 weeks and had to move around in a wheel chair.  When I was in class, I could not walk to the toilet.  So I used to pee in a bottle in class. Then, when I was finished, the bottle would be put on the floor beside me.

As soon as the bottle was on the floor, my teacher (Mrs Allen) would start to watch the students carefully.  She was looking for someone who was or had been naughty.  Then she would say "Right, Patrick, you haven't done your homework."  Or "Nicky, you're talking in class."  - "Go to the toilet and empty out the bottle!"  They would come over to me and take the bottle and look at me as if it was all my fault.   So for 6 long weeks, I was the class punishment.

The highlight of my school day was eating hot lunch.  This was prepared specially for the boarders but day boys who paid extra could have it too.  Being a sugar fiend, I loved dessert most of all, especially the chocolate instant pudding they served every Wednesday.  Some of us made a concerted effort to befriend the cooking staff so we could get extra helping of our favourite dishes.

Some teachers, especially Jenny Mallet, were very strict about us eating all our food.  This wasn't a problem for human garbage cans like me who liked everything.  But it was a real issue for poor pupils like Sean Peche, for example, who hated fish which was served like clockwork every Friday.  Sean hated Friday lunches and he literally used to gag his way through his fried fish under stern watch from Miss Mallet.

One day, Sean had a bright idea.  He ate his gem squash and then packed all his fish into the gem squash skin so tight that it had the density of a blackhole and then turned his squash upside down on his plate to hide it.  But hawk eye Miss Mallet was wise to rush ruses and she made Sean unpack the fish from his squash and she made him eat it and she wouldn't let any of us leave the dining hall to go play until he had finished every mouthful.  How he didn't throw up I don't know - he certainly came close several times.

Other memories I have of prep school:

• Getting a lift to school with the Rusconis.  This is how I met Julian, my oldest friend to this day
• Reading The Hobbit in class and loving every minute of it
• The day Patrick lifted his desk lid to find a large, steaming dog turd on top of his Latin books.  The phantom bogger as we called him struck a few more times with other students and then it stopped.  No-one ever caught him.  To this day, I suspect Andrew Miller.
• A ruby tour to Port Elizabeth where we triumphed in one game and were thumped in another
• Our annual rugby match against an Afrikaans school in Paarl.  The pupils there were brought up on boerewors instead of breast milk and they were absolutely huge.  Some of them had thicker arms than our legs.  It would take 3 of us (one on each legs and one round the waist ) to bring one down. Mum used to die a million deaths when she watch us play.  Especially when she saw the parents of the kids wearing the same rugby kit as their boys, standing on the sidelines waving their flags and screaming "murder them!" in Afrikaans at the top of their lungs.
• Going to Graaf Reinet with Robert (a school friend) to spend a holiday with Juffrou Nel (our Afrikaans teacher) to work on our Afrikaans language skills
• Winning many books at the annual prize givings.  We always got to choose our books which I loved
• Joining the St George's Cathedral Choir and attending on Friday nights and Sunday services.  I loved the choir and especially our choir master, Barry Smith.  Our choir was extremely good and we won many school Eistedford awards in the inter school competitions
• Singing carols at the Christmas Cathedral service, anticipating the school holiday to come
• When I was 9, appearing with the Choir on television.  I didn't actually get to sing though, only mime.  The older boys (Choristers) did the voice over and we had to mime the songs.  But of course, to make it look realistic, we had to know all the words by heart which took some doing.
• Excelling at long jump and high jump.  When I was 9, I broke the school high jump record which remains to this day; one of my proudest moments.  When I was 10, I won the high jump and long jump for not just my age group but the age above me too - which meant I got 4 mini cups as well as a large cup for earning the most points in my house.  
• Soaking in the tub after Saturday rugby matches, especially if we played in the rain
• Taking the part of Huckleberry Finn in the school stage production of Tom Sawyer. This was a major school production and it was many, many hours of work but I enjoyed every minute of it.  My most vivid memory was having to smoke a pipe on stage in one of the scenes.  I used my Gramp's pipe and he taught me how to smoke it!  Those were obviously the days when smoking had not yet been vilified.
• Our annual 10 km marathon run along the upper Table Mountain road and how bushed I always used to feel after it.
• Swimming the breastroke (my favourite stroke) in the school gala with such gusto that I would immediately get out of the pool and have to go and throw up in the toilets.  And while I was doing so, hear the retching of other poor pupils who had also overdone it in their races.

Memories of High School (St Georges)

I didn't enjoy High School as much as Junior School.  I got on the wrong side of one of the "popular" students (I later discovered I reminded him of his "goodie two shoes" brother who he disliked immensely) and being both popular and a boarder, he and his friends gave me a really hard time - not physically but emotionally.  Added to this the feeling I constantly had to be at the top of the class, and school became very stressful at times.

There were some good times, however, especially in the latter part of my high school years when the guys who bullied me matured along with the rest of us and stopped.

My favourite teacher in high school was undoubtedly Gordon Howard, my biology teacher.  He shared fascinating facts and stories with us, very often out of the prescribed syllabus.  We also used to discuss all sorts of interesting and controversial topics in class, many of them not biology related.  Gordon was an artist in his free time - he drew amazing pictures of lions and cheetahs and other wild African animals .  To get inspiration for his painting, he travelled to game reserves during the holidays to take photos.  He was a passionate photographer.  In fact, he was passionate about just about everything.  He also had one of the first personal computers (a prehistoric XT) and he was extremely excited about its potential - he was a visionary in that way.

It was Mr Howard who kindled my love of nature and the outdoors.  He also sowed the seed of my love in technology.  It was due to him that I decided to study Botany and Zoology when I left school.  It is partly due to him that I always have had a fascination with cameras and photography and that I'm now a passionate photographer myself.  The power that a good teacher can have is extraordinary.  It inspires me to try to be a good teacher myself with my class.

Another teacher I will never forget (but for entirely different reasons) was our Std 8 Maths teacher.  We only had her for a month as she was standing in for Mr Norton, our 82 year old teacher who needed to go into hospital for a heart complaint.  I don't remember her name but she was young, very pretty and Polish (which added to her exotic appeal.)  She used to wear a different coloured ribbon in her hair every day and each day, before she came into class, we would try to guess the colour of her ribbon.  The whole class had a major crush on her. We’d often behave badly in class with other teachers but we were like meek puppies when she was around.

One of my greatest joys in high school was acting.  Like my grandfather, I really liked to act on stage and I took part in several school plays.  Because our school was male only, I did have to play a few female roles and I reluctantly admit I was pretty good at it.  My highlight in this regard was playing the part of an elderly, prim and proper spinster on a plane who foils a hijack attempt.  I studied my grandmother's mannerisms for hours to get inspiration and I really gave it my all.  I was really chuffed when I won an acting award for the role.


Final Years

I decided to leap out of my stereotype as a female "actress" with avengeance  in my final year.  I applied for the role of Pharaoh in Joesph and his techni-coloured dream coat.  I had to cycle onto stage on a bicycle in a cycling suit with a padded crotch and grab a microphone and sing an Elvis Presley type song while gyrating my hips. I had a ball doing it and it made me popular through out the school which I hadn't experienced since Prep School.  The only embarrassment about the whole thing was having to perform on the 3rd night when my grandmother was in the 2nd row.  I made the gyration of my hips a little bit more subtle on that night.

During my last couple of years at school, I developed a really strong passion for bird watching.  This was first ignited by Tony Verboom, a very close school friend of mine, who took me off on one of his birding trips. We spent the morning in a local swamp, crawling on our bellies, getting knee deep in mud and thoroughly filthy in our pursuit of lesser spotted thing-a-me-bobs.  And I absolutely loved every minute of it, especially when a beautiful osprey flew over our heads.  From then, I lived and dreamed birds and cycled to the local birding spots every weekend in pursuit of new species (or ticks as we call them) in order to increase my  life list.  I also joined the Cape Town bird club and went on some great hikes with them.

They call us birds "twitchers" because when we see exciting new birds for the first time, we get so excited that our legs start to twitch and then our arms - so much so that it becomes hard to see through our binoculars.  I like to say I have only twitched a few times in my life: when I saw a Narina Trogan (in Mkuzi), a Pels's Fishing Owl (in Ndumu), my first sea eagle (in Nepal) - and when I saw Ally for the first time (in Kleinmond).

Since my school days, birding has continued to be a passion and I have travelled the world in search of new ticks.  My goal when I was young was to see 1000 birds in the wild.  In 2007 at the age of 37, I achieved this target.

In Standard 9, I went on school trip to the Okovango swamps in Botswana.  There were 9 of us packed into the back of a smallish camping van and we drove all the way up North to Botswana and Chobi and Victoria Falls.  There was one very memorable night when our wheel came off our car and we were left stranded in the desert.  I absolutely loved my time in Botswana and Zimbabwe and saw many new birds including "Jesus birds" than walk on water over water lilies, huge Marabou storks and brilliantly coloured Carmine bee-eaters.

Another thing I loved doing in my final years at school was paddle skiing down waves at the beach.  Mum and dad were very supportive in taking me down to the beach to pursue this new hobby.

Something I didn't enjoy quite so much was learning to drive which I found somewhat difficult and stressful at first.  During my first lesson with a driving instructor, the traffic light turned green but instead of moving forward, the automatic car I was driving started to vibrate thunderously without moving anywhere.  "What is happening?" I shouted over the din of the engine.  "You've got your feet on both the break and the accelerator!", the instructor shouted back.

Four weeks later, I did my practical driving exam.  And to my mortification, I failed.  Not because I didn't do a right hand turn properly.  Not even because I went through a red light.  I failed because I hit a pedestrian.  I was waiting for pedestrians to cross the road at a crossing.  It was in the middle of the city and their were many of them.  I was worried the examiner (who was sitting beside me in the car) would think I was unassertive.  So I edged forward - and hit someone softly on the back of his knees with my bumper.  So I didn't kill anyone - or even injure them.  But it was certainly enough for the examiner to sternly tell me I had failed and I should take him straight back to the depot.

Other Memories of high school

Here are some other vivid memories of high school

• Having lots of laughter and fun with Julian and Kaffin - and talking an awful lot about sex
• The time when our maths classroom started smelling.  Everyone looked for the source of the smell but no-one could find it.  The foul odour got worse and soon we were doing Maths on the lawn outside.  A professional was brought in to investigate and everything was cleared from the room.  The odour persisted.  So the professional unscrewed the black board off the wall and a large piece of foul, rotting fish slid down the wall.  No-one ever found out who put the fish there.  To this day, I suspect Andrew Miller.
• Mr Hart storming into our history class one day and having a raving argument with our history teacher (and headmaster), Mr Cannon.  We were all gobsmacked and watched with our jaws open.  Mr Hart then stormed out of the classroom.  Mr Cannon turned to us with a smile and said "Right, guys, what just happened here."  We realised it had all been an act.  We all had to give an account of what Mr Hart had been wearing and what had been said.  Many of us disagreed with each other on finer points.  Mr Cannon then said, "If you can't all agree on something that happened just two minutes ago, then how can you believe everything that the historians say."  It was a good lesson.
• My first computer - a Commodore 64 which I loved.  I got into programming and created a game that was thousands of lines of code.  Then one day, in the middle of it, the tape got corrupted and I lost everything.  I unfortunately stopped programming.  If I hadn't, who knows, I might have been motivated to study programming at university which I would probably have enjoyed a lot
• My first blue movie (given to me by Kaffin I  think when I was about 14) - I can still remember the shock  (and thrill) when I snuck it into the video recorder at home
• Watching Shakespeare Plays at the open air theatre at Maynardville 
• Swimming before school 
• Playing computer games like Commando, Beach Head and Pole Position - to play a game, you had to load the tape which took about ten minutes!  
• Sleeping on the patio at home
• Studying Latin with Ray Suttle and doing my final year projects (four 10 page essays on Roman history).  The project I enjoyed most was doing a reconstruction of what life would have been like on the day that Mount Vesuvius buried the city of Pompeii.  
• Preparing for my final year exams, covering the dining room table with my books
• Taking Jane and Wendy to my Std 9 and Matric dance.  Jane wore a bright yellow dress that went well with the painting of the bright yellow moon on the wall (the theme for the evening being the dark side of moonlight.)  But I didn't mind a bit - she looked great to me.
• Family holidays to Natal (Drakensberg and Midmar Dam) and to Mauritius.  I celebrated my 18th birthday in Mauritius.  Mum and Dad organised a special yacht cruise to mark the big day but I got so sea sick that I had fantasies of jumping off the boat into the ocean.  Just when I thought I felt as bad as anyone could possible feel, the staff brought out a buffet including smelly eggs stuffed with tuna.  I proceeded to feed the fish.
• A trip to the Kruger National Park and a private game reserve with my friend, Colin Strain, where I saw my first wild leopard.  Unforgettable.

My teachers

• Mam and Ray Subtle, Mr Burton, Mr Andersson, Mr Snaydon, Mrs Allan, Mrs Basson, Mr King, Mr Sturges, Mr Wolke, Jenny Mallet, Erla Nel, Acort Seally, Mr Cannon, Gordon Howard

My classmates

• Sean Peche, Nicky Eaton, Collin Strain, David, Liakat Haswary, Tony Verboom, Pierre Basson, Andrew Miller, Bobby Fabre, Leon, Christopher Peace, Rodney (Fish)

Me in school uniform

Doing homework

School Sport

Breaking the long jump record

5 km annual school run

 Choir (Std 1 - 5)

Playing "Huckleberry Finn" in the School Play (Std 5, 1983)

Sub B (1978)

Std 1 (1979)

Std 2 (1980)

Std 3 (1981)

Under 11 Rugby (Std 3, 1981)

Choir (Std 3, 1981)

Under 10 Rugby (Std 2, 1980)

Std 2 Staff (1980)

Under 13 rugby (Std 4, 1982)

Prep school teachers (Std 5, 1983)

Std 5 councillors (1983)

Under 13 rugby team (Std 5, 1983)

Std 10 (1988)

Prefects (Std 10, 1988) 

Related posts

• All journal entries labelled "School years"
• My spiritual journal (School years)
• Teachers
• My School Reports
• Essay written in matric
• Sub A essay
• School essays
• School plays
• Final year Latin project: Pompei on the final day  
• Childhood letters
• School Okovango Trip (done in Std 9)
• Fiction books read