Page 65 - Phonebox Magazine November 2007

as a bunch of men with too much money and nothing better to do than walk through Epping Forest taking pictures of Beech trees and squirrels en route to The Robin Hood which meant they all had to be taken home by taxi. Yes, Mum still saw me as one of her little babies to be succoured and protected but Dad clung to the hope that I was to be a man. “Leave be, there’s some good interesting people in that crowd, he’s already told us he’s not going to go in for accountancy and Ron (the family solicitor) can’t interest him in law so let’s just watch him choose his own path”. In other words I was precisely at the age when caring parents fret long and loud about the future of their offspring, I heard their debates but was far too young to share their anxieties.
Photographic Society
The photographic society was one of the oldest in the country and had done a picture survey of the borough around 1901/1902, they determined to re-run that event in order to display an accurate showing of fifty years of change. I was put in charge of half a dozen of those old prints and had to re-take the shots from the viewpoint of each one. The resultant exhibition showed many interesting changes and even I had played my small part. Mother felt a little reassured because I had not been dragged off to The Robin Hood but there was a nasty shock in store for her. Our president, Mr.Marsh was a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and also of the Royal Zoological Society who ran the Regents Park Zoo. Now fellows could visit the zoo, together with parties of their friends, on Sunday when it was closed to the general public and this provided excellent opportunity for photographing the world’s wild life, we were piled into a coach and off we went for a splendid day out. During a splendid Sunday Lunch we were introduced to two pretty young ladies invited along by the aforesaid Mr.Marsh and all eyes turned to the innocent young schoolboy for what was to come. Off we went to the reptile house and I began to suffer serious novelties. At a nod from our leader the girls stripped off and clambered into a cage to
INK STAMPS
play with a python! I
think the guys around
took more shots of my
reaction than they did
of the python. Next call
was the flamingo pool
and the girls came too
– altogether more
seemly and yes, I’d
steadied my nerve and
we all got some good
poses. I had been
reared in what to-day
sees as a very prudish
world, nakedness was
almost unheard of
because it was frankly
a taboo subject and I had certainly not previously had any chance to know that bums and boobs were delightful to the eye, in short I was in a very novel position. Looking back I find this quite funny because Olney to-day sports half naked girls everywhere we walk. My prints came out very well, I think Dad had been tipped off for during the meantime I had said very little at home, only saying “You’ll see when I develop the pictures on Saturday”. Finished work was hung (clothes pegs) on a line across the landing to dry and I heard Dad call to Mum “Come and look at these dear”. Mum got very quiet about photography for several days to come.
Mum was more comfortable when I went off youth hostelling on my bicycle, my innocence was safer in places like Derbyshire, Dorset and Kent. I still have a print which Dad proudly mounted from those times, it is a view of Canterbury Cathedral through the City and apart from the traffic the same view is to be seen even now. Also deemed ‘safe’ was mug shots for friends who needed passport photos and with everyone wanting to head off to university a goodly few pennies came my way.
Schooldays
Schooldays cannot last forever, they were happy days but why do so many of the best memories relate to extracurricular activities.
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News from Lavendon School
Lavendon School were very happy to welcome new foundation children who started school in September. Here they are pictured with Mr Simon Bolger who was appointed Class 1 teacher at the end of the summer term. We also welcomed Marie-Claire Parsons who joined the teaching team at the start of the new term.
Lavendon School has had a very busy start to the new term. We have had many improvements made both inside and outside of the school during the summer holiday. These include a new library area and staff room being created as well as refurbishment of the reception area of school. The improvements are on going and will include a new playground area with new play equipment.
We are currently organising a visit to the Royal Albert Hall for Class 3 and 4 which will take place this month, the children will attend the Barnardos Children’s Concert and are very excited at the prospect of this visit. Although we are a small school we are once again intending to enter a team into the Milton Keynes Schools Cross Country Event
and our runners are busy training for this. Book Week was very successful with a large number of people attending. With lots of new titles to choose from we were able to offer an excellent choice of books.
The school’s annual garden party was one of these. Having ‘pass-ported’ most of my form mates and half the staff besides I was expected to set up stall in a tent and do the same for mums and dads, girl friends and cousins etc & etc; but I got out of that one. One of our class, Brian Ivens was just brilliant with pencils, crayons and brushes and he worked fast when called on to do so. I looked after his pencil points as he drew one-minute portraits, his were the skills I had always wanted most. He also drew wicked cartoons lampooning most of our teachers and several of these adorned the staff room. Some years later some cartoons in Punch triggered a familiar feeling between my ears so I phoned the publisher and yes, he had a ‘professional’ for his work, my friend had found a valuable niche.
Schooldays were gone and there was an interesting world out there. For sure I would see some of it, and a camera would usually be with me. In time I would become the owner of lots of very sophisticated equipment many miles removed from plywood and fretsaws, hammers and old tin cans but the proudest memories come from my ‘primitive’ period. I had learned plenty at school and I had learned that no camera will ever be as good as a steady artist’s hand. I’m growing old, oh how I wish I could paint! GB
We have now received admission packs for children who will start school in September 2008. Anyone who is interested in a place for their child at Lavendon School please contact the school on 01234 712680. We have some places available for out of catchment children, but numbers are limited. You are most welcome to arrange to visit the school at any time. K
Phonebox Magazine 65