M.M.S. Magazine - Summer 1957
On the passenger ship “Sandpiper," "Titch," the cook's boy, looked up from a novel he was reading as the door of the cabin opened. A burly seaman handed him the bag and proceeded with the words: “I got it for yer."
"Thanks," said Titch, as he took the bag. The other junior stewards in the cabin gathered round and looked on eagerly.
"What is it, Titch."
“It’s a snake," said Titch, as he opened the bag.
Out of the bag came a long, thin, sinewy body while half of the cabin inmates made hasty exits.
“Don’t be stupid," said Titch.
“It’s only a mole snake and it isn't poisonous."
“I hope you are right," said Logan.
The snake surveyed the new surroundings with growing interest. It was brown and had two bright beady eyes. It also kept up a continuous hissing. “We’ll call it Oscar," said Titch.
Oscar fared well in his new home. He ate whatever was given to him and seemed satisfied. All went well until one day the box in which Oscar was housed was knocked over and Oscar disappeared down the ventilation shaft. The captain had invited the chief officer to his cabin and told him to take a seat before his desk.
“Well, chief, we'll be home presently." The chief did not answer, so the captain repeated the statement and still he did not answer. The captain took a swift glance at him and his eyes followed the chief's gaze. Out behind the captain's chair came Oscar, looking at them with his bright, beady eyes.
“Do something, chief," the captain just stammered the words. The chief's hand made an involuntary movement towards a ruler and immediately the snake disappeared so it went on until the weaker sex of passengers were having hysterics and a seasick passenger collapsed on the spot when she saw Oscar. Rumour had got around that there was a twenty-foot viper on board; indeed, Oscar would have been truly nattered at the said descriptions.
At last Oscar turned up in the saloon just as the passengers were having lunch. They all rushed towards the corners of the cabin while Titch took hold of Oscar and took him up to the deck where he killed him quickly and painlessly with almost a tear. He felt like a murderer.
A. Schofield—100 yds. sprint.
S. Hammond—mathematician.
B. Sheard—cricketer.
I. Stewart—Form M.P.
J. Green—class comedian.
J. Sykes—needlewoman.
D. Aspey—better never late.
J. Elsworth—best actor.
J. Lodge—best writer.
R. Ellis—farming.
N. Crawford—metalworker.
I. Carr—dancer.
G. Gibson—modeller.
C. Lee—singer.
V. Lambton—boxing champ.
J. Irish—top girl.
S. Bentley—artist.
L. Elston—pigeon fancier.
S. Burton—philatelist.
E. Dickenson—class reader.
C. Froggat—athletic.
R. Haynes—swimmer.
S. Macdonald—swimmer.
K. Taylor—animal lover.
J. Eagland—arithmetic.
The old train chuffs in the station,
Awaiting to start for its destination,
The porters dashing to and fro,
The little boys waiting for the train to go.
The train pulls out and picks up speed,
The little boys playing while the old men read,
The coaches begin to rattle,
And in the fields the geese and cattle.
As the train goes speeding along,
The driver and fireman hum a song,
Out of the funnel comes thick black smoke,
Spreading around like a giant's cloak.
Nor far ahead is a long dark tunnel,
The driver is worrying about his funnel,
Will it catch on the low slanting bricks,
But no it comes out still full of tricks.
As the train goes rumbling along,
The coaches seem to chant a song,
Very soon the journey ends,
And we go off to meet our friends.
STUART WALKER, 2A.
- Thou shalt not run down the drive.
For this thou will suffer 1 demerit. - Thou shall not walk on the right hand side of the corridor.
Thou may be chastised with the rod of correction. - Thou shall not cast down litter.
For they will show no mercy. - Thou shalt not talk in the Hall, for it is a holy place.
For this sin thou shalt receive one clout delivered with great vigour. - Thou shalt not eat in Class.
For sure thou wilt be entered in The Book. - Thou shalt not wander through the Hall.
For many vile words will be spoken. - Thou shalt not go on the Field without thy kit.
For this thou receive, the slipper. - Thou shalt not commit disobedience in front of a Prefect.
For thou shall be put on a Black list. - Thou shalt not cheek a teacher.
For thou mayest receive a mighty rebuff. - Thou shalt not enter the Head's study on the red light.
Or thou wilt come to utter destruction.
As it burns in the brazier I watch its coloured flames as they dance so freely in the air. It makes your heart glow with joy. In the night it likes its feed of coal. The wisp of cool wind sends the smoke up in the air to join the darkening clouds. Its colours are those of a rainbow. I watch the flames and imagine figures before they vanish into the cool air also.
The library is an imposing building in the classical style. At the front there is a flight of steps, with a statue on each side. These represent Art and Literature. They were carved by G. Woodford.
Lending Dept. The whole of the ground floor. Open shelf Dewey system.
Reference Library. This is a large room full of desks placed wide apart. All the books are in shelves around the room and are all books of reference. Encyclopaedias, Directories, Text Books, Catalogues, Trade Magazines, etc.
News Room. This is in the basement and contains many daily papers. Some are local, some National and some foreign newspapers.
Periodicals. This room is full of long tables which have periodicals set out. They are very interesting reading and are general in subject, e.g., Punch, The Photographer, The Engineer, Musical Times, The Amateur Gardener, Good Housekeeping, The Sphere, Country Life, The Listener, Radio Times, Woman's Own.
Art Gallery. Here there is a permanent collection which can be seen at any time. Special exhibitions are given from time to time, e.g., modern paintings, sculpture, photographs, students' work.
Children's Library. Open shelf system. On the walls are beautiful friezes by R. Napier, RA.
Our Own Library. Our school library is on the second floor, and is run by a set of very efficient scholars, with a form master as the head librarian. The Library is open to the school mostly at lunch-time. It is then that books are borrowed and returned. We have the Dewey system.
Mirfield Library. The Mirfield Branch of the County Library was transferred in 1948 from Ings Grove House to more commoious premises at Eastthorpe Lodge, which the Mirfield Urban District Council kindly leased to the County Council for the purpose.
On the ground floor there are the Adult Lending Department and the Children's Room. On the first floor there is a Reference Room, a Periodicals Room and a Lecture Room; this latter room is used by local societies and groups for meetings and lectures.
The library is in full charge of a full-time qualified librarian, with the help of one assistant.
The way the birds fly,
High in the sky,
The Robin, the Sparrow, the Dove,
Those are the birds I love.
There are the Blue Tits
Who twitter and cry,
Like little babies in the sky,
Those are the birds I love.
The first to the Swan,
Who like the sun,
Shone with feathers of the purest white.
Those are the birds I love.
JEAN HALL, 2B.
J. Wharton—boxing champion.
K. Platts—sports captain.
K. Newsome—form artist.
B. Wood—long distance runner.
A. Scott—mathematician.
M. Webley—St. John Ambulance Cadet.
R. Marley—throwing cricket ball.
P. Norgate—chief train spotter.
R. Sharrat—M.P. for Battyeford.
P. Swift—Mental arithmetician.
D. Shaw—fast bowler.
M. Crawshaw—astronomer.
V. Smith—form reader.
T. Rukin—woodworker.
B. Taylor—biologist.
C. Wooler—needlewoman.
P. Rhodes—film fan.
A. Furness—best swimmer.
S. Hepworth—girl of courage.
K. Crowther—100 yds. sprinter.
D. Barnes—philatelist.
B. Thompson—high jumper.
P. McCullen—good hurdler
P. Brennan—conscientious monitor.
D. Walker—ornithologist.
D. Laverton—hurdler.
D. Brooke—mathematician.
D. Weston—top boy.
A. Winsor—best artist.
C. Entwistle—netball player.
C. Dawson—pet lover.
C. Wooller—athlete.
W. Parker—pianist.
J. Scholes—fond of nursing.
A, Wallace—philatelist.
M Taylor—rounders.
Christine Berry—The housekeeper.
Mary Clegs—The story writer.
Joan Garside—Looks quiet!
Beryl Flynn—Terrible twin.
Jacqueline Hirst—The dreamer.
Joyce McHugh—The voice of the form.
Winifred Ross—The dressmaker.
Ruth Senior—Terrible twin.
Brenda Spencely—Film-fan.
Christine Stocks—The great Dictator.
Marlene Thewlis—Free from care.
Mavis Webster—The Sergeant Major.
Margaret Whitely—Mathematician.
Gaynor Yates—Child nurse.
Norma Brown—Nosey Norma.
Christine Cotterill—The gardener.
Sandra Coupland—The mystery girl.
Josephine Eagles—Rock and roll-"er."
Judith Pell—The great pianist.
Eunice Weaver—The quiet one.
Margaret Gledhill—The peanut chewer.
Pauline Hinchliffe—The horsewoman.
Jacqueline Thompson—The talking parrot.
Christine Walls—Star athlete.
Barbara Beswick—The fortune teller.
Brenda Ineson—The book worm.
Mrs. Whitaker—Helpful mamma.
Miss Morgan—Ailment Aunt.
Miss Wilson—Call me Madam.