40s and 50s Memories
television crew were in attendance and when
we came to the principal lot, a valuable diamond
tiara, I could feel the sense of expectation.
However, well into my outcry, I was getting
no bids at all, and the situation was frantic.
Ever hoping that eventually someone would
make a bid I persevered, but I was aware of
the TV camera homing ever closer to my face.
The lot never reached its reserve price but
I felt I deserved an Oscar for a really valiant
performance.
For much of my career I was involved in education
for the professions, but mainly for surveyors and
fine art students. I was an external examiner
for two university courses. As far as my own
profession was concerned, that is of surveying
and surveyors specialising in furniture and
works of art, I watched the qualification process
change over the years. Up to the seventies,
qualification was generally achieved by means
of articles and on-the-job training coupled
with distance learning, ending with exams set
by the professional bodies themselves. This
then changed to the requirement for everyone
to have a university degree. The higher level
of professional knowledge developed over the
years undoubtedly required a greater depth
of study from students, but I have noticed with
interest the Government's recent promotion of
apprenticeships. I have long argued that whilst
university is right for some, there is an equally
valid qualification route for surveyors, just as
for other professionals such as lawyers and
accountants, to acquire their training through
in-house experience, with distance learning
supplemented with day (or part time) release
courses, followed as before by exams set by
the respective professional bodies.
It is a matter of regret that I (never knowingly)
ran into any OAs pursuing a career in the fine
art auctioneering world, but maybe writing this
will prove me wrong! At the same time it has
been rewarding to have kept in touch with many
of my OA contemporaries, and younger OAs,
as well as staff at the school. The highlight
of my time as Chairman of the Old Aluredian
Club was the dinner the Club gave for Clod
and Padders and their wives to celebrate their
eightieth birthdays. That was a memorable
occasion. I saw Clod on a number of occasions after that on the touchline of school rugby
matches and indeed even more of Padders right
up to his approaching 100th birthday. Padders'
recollection of OAs and King's generally was
prestigious. Like everyone reading these
notes now, I have the greatest respect for the
quartet who nurtured and guided King's through
the hard times of the war and post-war years,
the Weed, Clod, Popsie and Padders. Long
live their memory and may we wish ongoing
prosperity and good fortune for the School!
N. SCOTT
Bishop Fox 1946
Nicholas Scott was a Prefect in Bishop Fox
House. He played rugby for the 2nd XV and
was Editor of The Aluredian.
Going down from Cambridge in 1952 I took a
year off before joining the Colonial Service in
Kenya, missing out on going to the UN Trust
Territory of Tanganyika which had been my first
choice.
I did a lot of reading on African politics and
development before facing the Colonial Office
interview panel, and clearly knew a good deal
about Kenya and its politics. It was during this
year that I taught for two terms at King's and
helped with the junior scout troop. I reached my
first station in Kenya, the tea-growing area of
Kericho, in late 1953, a most fortunate posting,
to work with the friendly Kipsigis people, former
cattle herders but now enthusiastically taking
up agriculture, maize and coffee-growing under
government guidance in well-watered fertile
country. African tea growing was just starting at
this stage but by Independence ten years later,
with strong British Government support and
investment, it was a major part of the tea industry.
Here and in all my field stations I found myself
working with friendly district commissioners and
district officers mostly from UK universities. My
duties involved working closely with agricultural
and veterinary staff, Chiefs and Headmen, and
liaising with newly-formed local councils, also
at headquarters sharing in coping with requests
from the general public, helping checking
council accounts and African court records
and, under close supervision, hearing minor
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