WASPS AND ORGAN PIPES – George Robson. “Behind the pipes in the organ case in the chapel there is a small window leading out onto the terrace. Over many years the flap at the top became rusted but left the top slightly open.

Unbeknown to anyone, during the summer holidays in 1958 wasps had made use of the opening to enter the chapel and made their home inside the numerous organ pipes. With hardly anyone being about on the Terrace during the summer break, and the chapel not in use, no-one was aware of this intrusion. On the first morning of the new academic year staff and pupils congregated early in the day for morning service. Music master Donald Legatt flounced in with his gown flowing behind him and perched himself on the organ stool. He switched on the blower and the sound of air filling the pipes soon rumbled. Almost immediately literally thousands of angry wasps flew out of the pipes and into the chapel. To say there was consternation would be an understatement! The Chaplain, the Rev'd Moule, was fortunate for he had to take only very few steps from the altar to retreat into the vestry. But for everyone else it was a case of 'every man for himself'! Boys pushed masters aside to escape from the angry wasps and masters pushed aside boys. It was pure chaos!

Somehow during the rest of the day, the wasps were persuaded to vacate the chapel and the rusted window was - maybe with the aid of WD-40 (which I think existed even then) - shut tight. This is a memory which surprises me has not been commented on before, so far as I am aware. Maybe there are contemporaries still around who can also bear witness to this? By the way, the service was abandoned, and the matrons were kept busy during much of the day treating wasp stings!”

 

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