Guild of Church Musicians

On page 71 Dad describes the news of the passing of his mother when we were are at East London. I am afraid I did not join him on the sea shore. Perhaps I felt he needed to be alone and what would I have said? Of course I missed Grandma and Granddad but they were distant figures. Dad wrote to York every Sunday evening and he maintained this correspondence with Auntie Nellie who stayed at 22 Park Grove.
On page 74 Dad describes the Guild of Church Musicians. It was unfortunate that there already was such a Guild in the UK. I became President of the Guild. Ronnie Jones and I were exact contemporaries as we learned the organ and we enjoyed organ crawls and later giving recitals at the City hall and the Catholic cathedral. Once a year we would visit the Delens in Pretoria. Pieter was Dutch Reformed and a great organ enthusiast. He had an organ and piano in his home and on one occasion "The Holy City" was played, His mother was unimpressed describing it as poor music.
page 78/9 gives Dad's take on St John's college. The maths teacher he confronted was Doggie Chamberlain who commented that he had no idea what went on in the Prep. I ended up having extra maths lessons with him on Saturday mornings and the result was a B in Maths in Matric. It is true that I hated having to watch rugby and cricket on Saturday afternoons. I would much rather be reading or playing the piano. Once I had said my "Adsum" at rollcall at half time I would slope off and Dad would pick me up near the A field. This exercise was supposed to instill school spirit - in my case it did not achieve its aim! 

1959

An article I wrote for St Mary's cathedral magazine 1971 about the chapel we attended for 8 a.m. communion

With Grandma and Granddad at Harewood House, Wearing St John's college blazer and a view of the school, Land's End.

page 61 27 June 1959 to Athens I was 13 and Ann was 3. St Peter's day in Rome., a royal wedding in Brussels, Zurich Zoo. 4350 miles round England visiting cathedrals and places associated with the family including Cheltenham and Daventry. Then we were off to the summer school at Addington Palace. I think Dad had been warned about possible homosexual elements at RSCM so decided to fill me in on the facts of life. Apparently I had read it all in a book aged 8 but forgotten most of it! The atmosphere at Addington Palace was very boarding school. I was told off for playing the piano in the dormitory which Dad thought crazy as we were there to make music! The main point made to me was to open my mouth. I do recall the Basil Harwood centenary evensong at Westminster Abbey. We enjoyed Beckonscot and then back to York. We went to Edinburgh and Carlisle. Sadly this was the last time I saw Granddad. Mum often said I had some mannerisms with my hands just like him. As we drove away I knew we would not see Grandma and Granddad again. They had presented me with a beautiful Bible. I had been confirmed by Bishop Reeves in St John's College chapel aged 12. He wore white gloves as he was allergic to hair oil. I thought he looked like the White Rabbit. We finished up in Paris and it is worth reading about Monsieur Le Grand page. 64. In Nice we starved. 

At Addington Palace with Francis Close in the middle and I am wearing my St John's college blazer. Not sure who is on the left I do not think it is Alan Hall

with UncleWalter and Aunt Emily

Nellie and Grandad

Monsieur Le Grand French teacher

England

climbing the minster with Nellie

 With grandma and Aunt Ada

.

Auntie Nellie the dog was not there in 1952

In 1952 we landed at Southampton and took  trains to York. I was quoted as saying how green is all was, why were there so many chimneys? and why did it always rain? Remember we lived in a flat with central heating and Africa was often brown and dry. My grandparents and Auntie Nellie were delighted to welcome us to 22 Park Grove. In fact Grandma went to considerable lengths to organise a 5th birthday party for me see above.  I announced that it should have been an ice cream cake and was duly packed off upstairs in tears. The importance of always being grateful was being drummed in! I recall another birthday party later on when I realised I had been given a second copy of a book I already owned but I think by then I had learnt to smile and say thank you! Nellie was indeed an excellent guide to York. We climbed the Minster tower and I look very smart in my coat with its buttons. I discovered TV which we did  not have in South Africa until much later - Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben. I did find it annoying to have to go to bed when it was still light. In Johannesburg it gets dark quite quickly.  Photo shows Granddad, Nellie, Uncle Walter, Uncle Jewitt Worley. In front Aunt Emily, Grandma, me being silly, Aunt Ada Worley. In the garden at 22 Park Grove.

It was still a time of rationing and Mum had brought tins of fruit. Eventually only guavas were left and Granddad said he would have those things with pips if nothing else was left! I suppose the family's world in York was a very small one and it remained so. I loved the city and especially the Minster. All that history and tradition. Above all I felt I was English. I was not South African. 

22 Park Grove York taken when we cleared the house after Nellie went into care