40s and 50s Memories
there, returned to the U.S. for graduate degrees
at Tufts University in Massachusetts. Then I
got married and moved to southern California,
where I have since spent most of my life
teaching economics at a "community college."
I had two children with my first wife. We were
divorced after 25 years, and for 14 years I was
single. I then remarried in 2002. I officially
"retired" in 2007, but until last year, kept
teaching part-time. Interspersed in these years
have been a number of Fullbright-sponsored
civic workshop assignments of 2-4 weeks to
Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Romania, college-
sponsored study abroad semesters in Costa
Rica, and summer tour-leading assignments
to the People's Republic of China. I am still a
passionate skier, but have never skied in the
Alps.
My wife and I are hoping to negotiate a home-
exchange in either France or England in
September-October, and would like to include
a visit to King's and, perhaps, reconnect with
some former classmates. And, of course,
we will always welcome classmates who find
themselves in southern California. We have a
guest bedroom.
R. J. PAGETT
Bishop Fox 1948
Robert Pagett left King's in 1948. He was a
member of Bishop Fox House under the care
of George W. Morgan his favourite teacher.
He followed the sciences, maths, physics and
chemistry and did well at School Cert. sitting
twice and achieving 14 passes, nine of which
were credits, and one a distinction.
He lists a number of friends, J. Hunter-Watts, H.
Selassie, j.a.desta, Brian Farrer (who has also
contributed to this collection), Michael Brown,
Aubrey-Cound and w.s.gamble.
He has written on his memories of both the
Junior School, his time at King's and his life
thereafter:
At the Junior School Headmaster John
Palmer and then J S Becket got me going on
mathematics. A happy, but probably naughty at
times, bunch of boys we were. To be summoned by name for talking after lights-out to receive a
gym shoe on the bottom was severe punishment
but not disputed in any way. Soon forgotten,
until we talked again! Masters were respected-
C W Wolfe, Miss Ewart (Arkela), Miss Carpenter
and Miss Pym all remain firmly in my memory.
Cub Camps in Dorset near a railway line where
we put pennies on the line to flatten them ! Mrs
Clegg-Hill , Matron, cared for our bumps and
bruises. To be detained overnight in the San at
least had the benefit of being able to listen to
Dick Barton on the wireless.
Moving to the Senior School was merely a
matter of going down the staircase along the
corridor and up the next staircase, and later to
Gatcombe. The 'gang' all moved up together
although to different Houses. Masters were
again respected greatly. We might have had
nicknames for them all but they were our "locos"
for about 250 days out of 365. J Newman, A W
Baines, A May, H K H King, J M Duncan and
J Massot and others provided the rest of the
team for RCU, GWM, HRP,and RT. All of them
were always there for help and advice, and to
join in with us with whatever we were doing.
GWM arrived in the Bishop Fox Common room
to hand out pocket money and to issue exeats ,
and then to take on all comers at table tennis,
always winning, but always holding on to the
cash box in his left hand. Perhaps he did not
trust us, which I doubt.
Saying goodbye to my rabbit c1940
Lying awake all night on 5th-6th June 1944 with
the aircraft and gliders flying overhead comes
to mind because the next day the choir travelled
by train to Gloucester Cathedral to sing at the
Festival of the Royal School of Church Music,
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