Memories By Paul Hodge I know how difficult it can be to get copy for newsletters so here are a few of my St Michael memories

Memories By Paul Hodge

I know how difficult it can be to get copy for newsletters so here are a few of my St Michael memories (I am sure you receive a lot of these but I have enjoyed the remembering). How easily memories, names and nicknames (I've been called 'Hedge-Hog' or 'Hodgie' all my life) of events, peers and teaching and non teaching staff all come flooding back: • Cycling to my local railway station to complete a PLA (Passenger Luggage in Advance) form. British Rail collecting my trunk before the beginning of term from my house and delivering it to the Shooting Lodge. What a service! • Looking forward to the beginning and then most definitely to the end of terms. • Reading John Buchan's 'Prester John' with RPP in English Literature lessons for the College of Preceptors exams and enjoying it. Mind you I looked forward to and enjoyed my Latin lessons with RPP and years later did an evening course to get a qualification (sad or very sad)! • Boarding at the Shooting Lodge, Gresham House (only a term I am pleased to say!), Peddars, Brockhill and the Old Vicarage. I remember clearly all sorts of games and ragging' (most of it good natured) and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings at Peddars (Peter Smethurst's family raised turkeys?) The brown table books with weights and measures, longest rivers, highest mountains, kings and queens etc, a great little book for self improvement. Has anyone still got one? Evening cocoa and decent breakfasts at Brockhill with dear Miss Godfrey. Toast, tea and cornflakes during evening 'homework' at the Old Vicarage. Porridge with golden syrup and salt. Fish pie and beans. Chocolate pudding and chocolate sauce. I still eat anything and everything and far too quickly (remember you had to if you wanted seconds and I usually did!). Haircuts at the Old Vicarage. Optional bay rum for free! Von Ribbentrop's huge roll top desk from the Nazi German embassy at the Old Vicarage. Where is it now? Getting mumps, the cane and the senior prefects tie (not all on the same day). RPP screwing up his face, rubbing his nose, taking off his glasses and closing his eyes when he was concentrating on what to say and how to say it. The funny faces he would pull to make us laugh. The exploding volume of his fury both real and pretend (did we always knew the difference?).
The bronze of the 'Dying Gaul' in the dining room of the Old Vicarage. RPP discussing the Cuban Missile Crisis and other issues of the day and not talking down to us. Him ringing the bell in the dining room to announce the assassination of JFK and possible ramifications. The stunned silence that ensued. What seemed to be interminably long church choir practices. The psalms, hymns and anthems always sounded right on the day (at least they did to me). The Christmas carol service. Confirmation classes and the 'facts of life' explained (or not) by RPP. I also seem to remember interesting and sometimes controversial sermons from RPP. Am I right? RPP asking me a question about something or other that that I should be able to tell him. Me responding with 'it doesn't ring a bell sir' to be told in no uncertain terms and very loudly that 'Paul, you are not here to ring bells"! • The St Michael's transport operation. My favourite was the Chieftain double decker (who remembers journeys to London?), RPP singing loudly at the wheel, the crunchy gear changes, his foot flat to the floor. RPP's impatience with other road users. The crowded benches (three) in the Petrol and Diesel Commer vans. It makes blood run cold to think what might have happened if there had been a crash in either of these. 'Joy riding' in the cars or were we just learning to drive? I don't even remember thinking that this was either wrong or illegal (maybe in Norfolk it wasn't and still isn't!). Heavy macs, wellies, sou'wester. When and where we had to wear them. Those stupid boaters (at least mine was). Fond memories of Reverend Musio and History lessons. I could still tell you about the battles of Blenheim, Ramifies, Oudenard and Malplaquet and draw sketch maps! Dear Henry Taylor, I owe him. He stopped me chewing my fingernails in about three weeks when everything else had failed. I had to show him progress made at the beginning of each lesson (and he never forgot to ask me to show him!). I remember how he grew into the role of Acting Headmaster during a long illness by RPP and feeling pride in his achievement.
Then there was Dr O'Brady. He didn't stay long. What was he about? He was certainly too erudite for us at fifteen/sixteen years old though I think we would have appreciated him more a few years later! Leslie Charteris, lan Fleming, Sven Hassell, Mickie Spillane and Dennis Wheatley fiction. The World War Two non-fiction books we eagerly devoured. • The Sandringham Troop. The commitment of officers and warrant officers. Rifle drill, fieldcraft and map -reading. I was a lousy shot at both. 22 (Khaki rifle badge with star) and 303 (red rifle badge without star crown) and while ok with fieldcraft theory was a most untidy cadet. Many thanks to those who contributed towards ironing my uniform, polishing my brasses, blanko-ing (who now remembers blanko?) my webbing, sorting out my boots before and then hiding my obvious inadequacy and getting me through the Part Two of Certificate A on our trip to Norwich. I wouldn't have passed without you! •
I remember a trip to a USAF base (who remembers which one?), firing a .45 automatic (remember it jumping upwards unlike in the movies) and an M1 carbine, eating my first hamburger and being taught the rudiments of ten pin bowling. All very exotic. • Family Sunday lunches at the Golden Lion, Hunstanton (you could take a friend!). •The film shows in the Ingoldisthorpe Church Hall on Saturday evenings. Many of these films are still firm favourites. 'From Russia with Love' in the afternoon after a morning cathedral event in Norwich. The cinema at Hunstanton (Elvis films?). • A distinct preference for the Rolling Stones over the Beatles. The lifelong debt I owe to a couple of boys from Sierra-Leone (I forget names) in our room at Ingoldisthorpe who introduced me to the music of Sam Cook, Ray Charles, Dizzie Gillespie, Charlie Parker and others.

Cowboys and Indians and 'war games'. • Those long walks in all weathers (who remembers the cold winter of 1962/63? Very clear memory of walking in the snow from Ingoldisthorpe to Hunstanton and then the other way as well). Icebergs in the Wash. Warming hands at the stove in the old laundry building at Hunstanton. Magazines with titles like 'Parade', Tit -bits', 'Spick and Span', 'Health and Efficiency' (I can still remember the titles but who was it who had the courage to buy these magazines? I would have been far too embarrassed). Who remembers the more 'sophisticated' Harrison Marks magazines with the strategic airbrushing (chaps will remember the pleasant surprise when first confronted with the real thing). The poor reception on Radio Luxembourg especially listening through an earpiece under the bedclothes. I don't remember television but do remember radio classics like The Navy Lark', ‘The Goons', 'Around the Horn', Alan Freeman, Pete Murray. The wonderful! Horace Batchelor advert on Radio Luxembourg. I think we all worked out that Horace was not going to make our fortunes in spite of his promises. I have no memory of drugs and drug-taking at school but remember reading about them in articles about jazz musicians (we are not talking Acker Bilk here). Not really having a clue what these drugs were all about. Just thinking why would people take these drugs that made you sick and then in the long term usually killed you. Girls! I really didn't understand what they were about during my school years and had little to do with them. My loss! Football. I never could see the point and still don't (I dread events like the World Cup, nothing to talk about with male friends and colleagues). I preferred the cross country runs, well a run up the hill and then a gentle walk back.
I enjoyed cricket a little more (now a member of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, a couple of times a season I turn out for an 'oldies' team). Being involved in bugging the staff room at Hunstanton (all that effort for such little result, fuzzy and/or inane conversation recorded on
reel to reel tape. Do the tapes still exist?). • The Queen Mother coming to Heacham. • Packages from home with the 'Eagle', 'Beano', 'Wide World' etc. • Weekly bulletins from the EEC and NATO (what we would do to get post!). • I wasn't a bully and wasn't bullied but I do remember with little pride a few poor unfortunates who were given a hard time by a small minority. At the time we would have called it 'teasing'! • No memory at all of Science lessons. We had them surely? I don't remember 'British Constitution' lessons either but have a
GCE pass in this! My St Michael's friendships all withered except with the late John
Hollingworth who persevered all those years. A great letter writer. I am pleased that my memories of St Michael's School and the friends I had there are such happy ones.
Thanks RPP for giving so many of us a stimulating environment in which to grow up in. I regret I never found the time to thank you while you were still around.

Paul Hodge