b'THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRYReminiscences of former pupils and teachersAll the masters used the cane, but none,How the weather makes us long for a in my opinion, so often as the Headmaster! The classswim! complains the editor of the 1905 Bridge. might be proceeding evenly when suddenly a rapidImmediately the authorities began to build Grove Lane change would come about. For example, the wordBaths, which were opened in 1906. The school took Trinidad might be mentioned (though this was notearly advantage of the facilities offered and the editor a geography lesson) and Mr Guest would rap outannounces somewhat ambiguously that classes inWhere is Trinidad? The boy, not expecting suchcharge of masters go to the Baths once a week to a question, would stutter and say he did not know,receive instruction. whereupon Mr Guest would call him over and giveThe School Swimming Sports first held in 1908 were him six of the best on the hand. At times, whenenlivened by a series of novelty events. Competitors especially angry and perhaps in a bad mood, hewere asked to catch corks in their mouths, hit would cane the boy across the shoulders as well asballoons with sticks and throw a polo ball further he was retreating. than anyone else. In the interval the audience was L. C. Davies (1899-1905) entertained by the exhibition of a new-fangled strokethe crawl.The old butts in the school grounds were in regular use for rifle practice, and on wet days firingThe school playing field in Rookery Road was sometimes done in the long corridor in school,was extensively used, too much so for the very limited after hours. The noise was deafening. dressing accommodation available in one tumbledown wooden hut. If one wanted to wash after a hard game on C. G. Layland (19181923) a muddy ground one eventually got to a bucket of water already dirty after use by other members of the team. Toilet facilities could only be described as primitive.N. L. Smith (1913 -1919)8'