J. D. S. (Tim) Brown (G 53-59) has sent in some notes from his 1956 diary.

“21 Jan. First day back. Assembly was usual tripe but only 5 minutes of it. There were two new masters - Legatt and Wetheral. Film at night was Cardboard Cavalier and extremely funny. Play rehearsal for School for Scandal.
6 March. Ladies’ costumes came and we tried them on in afternoon as we were excused Corps. At 6.30 I went to Mrs Wykes for my make-up and wasn’t finished till 7.30. The (School for Scandal) dress rehearsal went well and I only forgot one or two lines. After a coffee, went to bed, very tired, at 11.30.
8 March. A very active day. Went to Whitehaven on 3.40 bus.
S.P. (Mr Parkinson) and Mr Kerr were on. I bought 3 cream cakes and had my hair cut at Bell’s. School for Scandal opened and went very well. The village audience laughed in all the wrong places. Rounded off the evening at 11.05 with one of my cream cakes.
9 March. The last performance with Grindal and School went really well. We had a cream cake feed in Hostel - bed at 11.30.
30 March. (Good Friday). Three-quarter day. After ante-communion we left on a bus for Buttermere whence Dumbo Simpson and I walked over two passes into Wasdale. It was a beautiful day. We had a 2/6 tea at the Wasdale Head Hotel and then walked along the lake to the bus for 5.30. There was Compline and another of the plays in the cycle of Man born to be King
31 May. Morning plunge cancelled. Len Hutton knighted in Birthday Honours. 3/4 Day so went with Bill Greetham and Peter Stewart by bus to Borrowdale. We walked to Watendlath with its nice village and tarn. We then lost our way but eventually found Blea Tarn and ate our packed lunch. We could see Thirlmere. A mist came over and we rushed down a steep slope to Stonethwaite where we had tea - 8d. each. Then to Seatoller where the bus left at 6.30.
30 June. Speech Day.  The prizes were given by General Platt, the liberator of Abyssinia. It was the best one yet. He had a word with all of us and thought I’d chosen a good book (Vol.1 of Churchill’s History of the English-Speaking Peoples) - chosen against the advice of ‘Snips’ Brown. The speeches weren’t too bad with Mr Mawson on again about the weather. The band was good, but it rained so there was no gym display. Fees to go up.
16 July. 2nd. 3/4 Day. As Bill Greetham was doing exams, I went with Chris Lord on my bike to Eskdale and had a very restful day. We went for a bathe in the river near Stanley Force and then had a sandwich lunch at the railway terminus - nice and cheap. Read, sun-bathed and bathed again in the afternoon.
3 Aug. (RAF camp). Train to Kings X then to Paddington which was full of reservists because of the Suez crisis. We were housed in tents at White Waltham. We were taken up in an Anson which was very enjoyable - my first ever flight.
6 Aug. Went to London Airport with Haigh. It was very interesting. Read my first paper for days - Suez news disturbing.
7 Aug. Shooting in the morning. Then on a Link Trainer. In the afternoon went up in a Chipmunk over Reading, and I had to take over above Henley, making an absolute mess of things. Film at night was The Barefoot Contessa.
4 Oct. First dancing lesson. Michael Tonkin was my partner - did a waltz and barn dance. The teachers were very amusing.
17 Oct. We left School at 10.15 in 3 double-deckers, with packed breaks and arrived at Sellafield about 1/2 an hour later. We went to the public enclosure and waited for 1 1/4 hours during which time we saw many important people arrive, also Richard Dimbleby. Mr R.A. Butler spoke from the dais followed by Sir Edwin Plowden, Chairman of the UKAEA. Then the Queen spoke. She was dressed in navy blue with a silver brooch and wore a white hat. She switched on the first full scale atomic power station in the world and I was very proud to be there. We left about 12.45 along crowded and decorated roads.
27 Oct. (On the Colts XV). Left School for Sedbergh with the 1sts at 8.05. It was very cold and frosty. We stopped at Thirlmere and they had us walking for about 1 1/2 miles along the road. The reflection on the water was magnificent as it was so still. The trees were just on the turn. The next stop was Ambleside where we had coffee and cake at a very nice café. Bought a paper - Hungarian revolt really dreadful - 10,000 believed dead including the footballer Puskas (this was false). After Kendal, we were on the moors for another walk. At Sedbergh we were shown around the school. The match was a rout and we lost 20-0. The firsts lost 39-3 in another rout. There was a good turnout of Old Boys - Crosthwaite, Binns, Mathias, and Hunter were there.
1 Nov. First of the new Field Days. Left after a mix-up in Chapel with Mr Moule. Went to Silloth, and had tea and buns, and then two flights in Ansons. We saw the school from the air with the poor Army people parading on the Terrace and then flew up Lake District valleys which was a bit frightening. We were given a good lunch. Opera at night was Barber of Seville performed by the Opera Players.
9 Nov. Uneventful journey to Rossall. It is huge (550 pupils). Everyone has a study. Classrooms not very good. Hugh-John Boulter and I went into Blackpool on a tram in the evening and bought rock. Back for 9.30 and slept on hard beds in the San.
10 Nov. After breakfast in the huge hall, David Ferry and I went into Fleetwood by tram. The Colts match was at 11 and all forwards played with fire and we won 9-3. It was our first win for a while. Gaul played well with 2 tries and ‘Marilyn’ Campbell also with 1. We were all very happy. The firsts lost 12-6.
14 Nov. Came out of school at 12.20 and after an early lunch left for Keswick. On the way I saw a poster ‘Lynch Eden’. The Colts match was very rough but we won 8-0 - it should have been 11-0 if I’d kicked the ball after a tackle. Scorers were Gaul and Graham with Campbell converting. We stopped in Cockermouth on the way back as Keswick was completely shut on a Wednesday.
15 Nov. Colts meeting with Nick Carter after lunch discussed the problem of taking spoons as souvenirs after a match. More dancing at night - quick step, Russian waltz and – yes - Rock and Roll.
16 Nov. J.C. Wykes won’t let us have a chapel collection for Hungary. Lecture in the evening was Education in the Gold Coast.
25 Nov. Chapel: J.C. Wykes waffled for 18 minutes. But we had our collection for Hungary which was a record £21.16.10 (equivalent to today’s £436).
6 Dec. Had a Hostel Concert rehearsal in the Memorial Hall after dinner but it flopped - too many factions at work! Last dancing lesson with competitions and the conga. Bell, Lister, Brown P.J., Southern and Hedley J.D. came to our Grindal study to listen to Les Misanthrope on the Third Programme. S.P. provided orange and biscuits and we had a good time.
12 Dec. The Choir did the first of their Hungarian Relief Carol Services at Cleator.
17 Dec. In Assembly, J.C.W. told us the Old Boys were despondent about our Rugger. The Hostel Concert went off well, especially Swees and the Grindal rope trick. Cleaned the study on the last day of term. Baldwin and Rhodes left us.”

 

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