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50 Years Ago - 1959

From 'The Portmuthian' 50 years ago

The contents of 'The Portmuthian' shrank alarmingly at this time fifty years ago. Once again the Editor bemoaned the fact. For example, in two editions there were articles on soap. Well written-and the authors might be reading this now-but the choice of topic seems strange for such a magazine. Consequently our article will now embrace all three editions into one summary in an attempt to continue making it interesting and readable.

Let's return to soap, just in case your curiosity was roused. The first sought a soap which would not 'slowly and deliberately slip irretrievably beneath the greasy surface of the bath ... If each Briton has 2.5 baths a week and during this time spends 0.05 hours retrieving lost soap, then during one year no less than 300,000,000 man hours will be lost. If the average Briton earns two shillings per hour, this represents a loss of thirty million pounds'. In the following edition soap reappeared in an essay devoted to different types of shaving soaps. One fact we can learn from this was that 1959 saw the appearance of soap in a jar activated by a pump. This same year also saw the revival of the Photographic Group' The new dark room 'was loaned by Lt.-Cdr Butlin in a room which used to be the Boarding House'.

1959 was also the year the roundabout outside the School was built. 'Its vast grasslands constitute the largest of its kind in the City' and the writer contemplates the many uses PGS students could make of it. Perhaps it was built to carry the traffic safely to the opening of the Guildhall, for the magazine reports the Summer Term as being a 'Royal Term' The Duke of Edinburgh was cheered in May and the Queen performed the Guildhall Opening on June 8th. and remained a further day to attend the Royal Tournament. Another interesting article submitted by a 6th. Former mused over the bomb site that was opposite PGS. He looked into his crystal ball (perhaps to 2009?) and proclaimed 'Years before someone had tried to build on it but there was a public outcry This has been common land for as long as I can remember. Destroy the green belt of our City! Never, sir! We need our space to breathe. Where would we eat our lunch; what about the conkers?'.

The Scottish Country Dancing Society featured in all three editions. The annual party was judged a success because it made £4 profit. Sadly there were eight casualties 'Two cups, two spoons, three saucers and one tea cloth'. On another financial note, the 'White Elephant' –a new School imitative-raised £471 8s 2 ½ pence. The Colonel proclaimed: 'This is far in excess of our wildest dreams and probably means that such sales will become an annual event'.

Colonel Willis was assiduous in keeping lists of Old Boys who visited the School. In the same way, the Librarian gave not only the titles of books added by also named OPs who made donations. All such lists helped to swell the pages of 'The Portmuthian'.

It was 50 years ago that the School bade farewell to Mr.E.J.Parker and Mr. J.A. Davision. There is also recorded a warm obituary to Mr. H.S.Hawkey who died 18th. March. He taught at PGS 1906-1937. It must surely be appropriate here to mention one more illustrious name: Roger Harris. Roger was appointed to the C.C.F. as Sub-Lieutenant R.N.V.R. He began working with the Army and Basic Sections before taking over the Signals Platoon At the same time, Major W.H. Bartle (after ten years of 'unbiased leadership, effort and capacity') handed over command of the ..C.C.F to Squadron Leader J.G.Nowell.

The Prefects this term have been:

GRANT: R. R. C. Stokes* (Second Prefect), D. Lyons*, D. W. B. Thomas*, R. B. Pavey, E. J. Wakley, D. J. Butlin, J. A. Lee.
LATTER: F. J. M. Esson*, R. D. O'Neill*, C. G. D. Hoare, M. L. Looney, R. S. Smith, R. H. Lee.
SMITH: G. F. C. Denning*, G. S. Jerrold, J. B. Main, G. R. Gee, I. H. B. Smith, G. C. S. Collins, M. J. J. Long.
WHITCOMBE: D. J. Bridge* (Senior Prefect), M. L. Hawkins, A. J. Parker, M. G. R. Thompson, P. Sanderson, F. A. Lewis, R. D. Houghton, D. M. T. Mugford. *Denotes School Prefect.