From the Editorial by G. J. Larcombe: I should still like to receive contributions from a greater age-range of of boys. What about it some of you first year boys? Articles not specifically related to school work will be welcome. I am sure they will increase the interest provided.

From the Headmaster’s Review by C. F. W. Hicks: In the field of sports our Swimming Team was again outstanding, winning the District Championship for the eleventh successive year and also the Essex Freestyle Team Trophy. This team also competed in the All-England Final at Grimsby, and very narrowly failed to retain the Championship by one fifth of a second, in a time which beat our own previous English record. The team consisted of George Baines, David Braham, John Gardner, and Andrew Harrison are to be congratulated on a wonderful effort.

Contribution List – Click on items shown as links to jump to the entry

School Journey To Denmark by J. Wilson
Laziness by D. MacAulay
Lady Macbeth by P. Smith
“He Holds Him With His Glittering Eye” by S Beaumont
The Cat And The Bird by R. Gooding
Rescue by M. Haagman
A Most Unusual Journey by T. Burchette
Mayfield School by C. Schrapel
A Thrilling Game by A. Rogers
The Canoe by J. Bayfield
Running Away From Home by D. Neal
“Prince Benze” by D. Barnes
“Queen Anne” by D. Ensor
Underground Trip by W. Carrington
A Ruined Castle by J. Britton
The Autobiography Of A Shilling by D. Neal

Laziness by D. MacAuly
The head sat at his desk one day;
He said, “Now boys, no time to play!
The title of your work shall be
‘The result of laziness’,” said he.
At this, the form’s dull faces fell,
The subject set they new too well.
Tired Tommy Twinks, the laziest boy
Looked at his sheet, but not with joy.
The lesson ended, the master said,
“Now Tom, let’s have your essay read”.
Tom’s paper still was new and clean
No sign of writing could be seen.
“What’s this?” the angry master cried.
“The result of laziness,” Tom replied.

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‘He Holds Him With His Glittering Eye’ by S. Beaumont’
The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

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The Cat And The Bird by R. Gooding
The cat stalked stealthily through the bushes, to where an unsuspecting bird stood hungrily pecking at a large crust of bread, which some kindly person had placed there. The cat slowly came closer and closer, treading carefully between dry twigs and leaves, not making a sound. It came within a yard of the bird and lay down flat ready to pounce. For what seemed an eternity the tortoiseshell cat lay there motionless, wickedly watching the bird.
It was a warm still afternoon when the scent of the blossom from the surrounding shrubs lay heavily on the air. A large bee buzzed lazily to and fro amongst the flowers, adding a drowsy hum to the warm still air. A dozen or so ants were laboriously tugging the carcase of an earwig into their nest, but all this activity did not distract the cat, whose gaze was still rivetted on the bird.
Suddenly the cats body tensed, wriggled, then it sprang. The bird gave a shrill call and flew off to the safety of a nearby laburnum tree. In an instant the alarm was sounded, and all the birds around began chirping their warning cry. Disappointed, yet none the worse for wear, the cat strolled off through the bushes in search of further prey.

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A Most Unusual Journey by T. Burchette
On the June 8th, 1896, two men pulled away from Manhattan Harbour, America, in an eighteen foot ex-ships lifeboat, wearing bowler hats and working clothes. They planned to row across 3,200 miles of Atlantic ocean! They were Norwegian oyster fishermen and as tough as sailors come. What inspired these men to take such an unusual journey? It was the sum of 10,000 dollars, put up by R. K. Fox.
Everything had to be stored in watertight compartments or lashed down. In case they should lose any oars, five spare pairs were lashed to the gunwale. Sixty gallons of water were in a large tank.
On the 11th, the American coastline had disappeared and the men set course due south to the Gulf Stream which they new would take them towards Europe at the rate of about sixty miles a day. In the first month they saw only three ships. One was a German liner from which the passengers threw food into their boat. Another was a fishing boat on which they had a hot meal, their first for four weeks.
As they new that the route they were taking would bring them bad weather, they fitted the boat with a canvas cover, and on July 8th it was erected. A storm brought bad weather and by the 10th, the sea was swelling and rolling into huge waves. They thought it best to lash themselves to the boat with lifelines and it was just as well they did, because just as evening was falling, a fifty foot high wave came racing towards them! It hit them with such force that the boat was lifted right out of the water and turned over.
The lifelines still held and they swam back to the capsized boat. As if by some foresight of what was going to happen, the men had fixed hand grips to the keel of the boat. To these they clung desperately until their strength came back. Then with a great effort, they righted their boat. Most of their supplies had been washed away but they took another pair of oars and resumed their routine. Five days later they met a ship whose captain gave them fresh supplies and clean clothing.
On July 24th, a passing vessel gave them the welcome news that they were only four hundred miles from land. On 1st August, two weary men rowed into the harbour at St. Mary in the Scilly Isles. Here they stopped for sixteen hours. The men had rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, three thousand two hundred miles of it, in two months, or fifty-five days. Five days later they arrived at Le Havre, their proper destination.

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Mayfield School by C. Schrapel
At Mayfield School, down Goodmayes Lane,
You work the whole day through.
But all your work is not in vain,
There’s G.C.E. to do.
Mr. Bradley helps a lot,
at clauses he is great.
But you must be there on the dot,
Or feel it for being late.
Mr. Cutting in the lab.
Thinks my form is a task.
But one thing I can say for him,
At science he is first class.
Mr. Ivey, the vice-head,
Cannot put up with noise.
At teaching maths he’s very good
And gets G.C.E.s for boys.
So Mayfield School down Goodmayes Lane,
Helps every boy to learn.
And for the boy who’s not so bright
There’s help at every turn.

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