Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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20 1 X X XNXX s -- .1-4017 I f U 10' , Our unwfs fx.. 2 Q ..... 5 It .,.. is 1 : s:1'Ei ' IQI III I X .Q I The Haunted House QTEBF I 'I It stood alone--deserted, forgotten but with a proud, haughty air about it. Any former traces of beauty had certainly been obliterated by now, although it looked as if it might have been attractive about two centuries ago. The old pillars sagged, the wlndows were covered with dust and grime and if there had ever been panes in them it had not been in my lifetime. At night dim, mysterious shadows passed across the tiny attic window and the eerie glow of bats' eyes and their piercing screams were enough to make anyone's blood run cold. It was truly an old has-been. One afternoon as I walked home from school I felt a sudden urge to explore it. I dropped my books and yielded to tempta- tion. A few minutes later I found myself pushing through the dense underbrush cov- ered with burrs and scratches and wearing a badly torn dress. I began to wish I had not been so impulsive in my curiosity to explore the old mansion. However, deciding not to stop, after pushing this far, I gritted my teeth and went on. As I climbed the rotted staircase I grew hesitant, although I was still rather interested in my idea. I opened the door and crept softly and stealthily in. As I stood in the front hall I felt disappointed. Nothing had happened. SLAM! The door shut behind mel I jumped and swallowed a lump rising in my throat. Next I faced the long hall and at the end of it I could see a tall, winding staircase with loosely-nailed, rotted boards. As I climbed it my Hsixth sense seemed to warn me of danger. But just as I climbed the last curve in the steps I saw ahead of me the unmistakable form of a man with all two hundred and six bones visible! I screamed and ran, stumbling in my haste. Down the steps the skeleton came and out into the fresh, clean air I ran, leaving a puzzled and indignant framework behind me. As I left, a disappointed skeleton took off his costume, heaved a sigh and said dis- gustedly, Girls certainly can't take a joke, and as he left, added, Not even on April Fools Day! MARY-LOU SWANSON-Grade VI A Vivid Memory It was the I..ampton's first time in Eng- lang and they had all decided on the pre- vious day that they would all go and see the Tower of London. Tommy, Trish, and Tannis were all very excited. Isn't this nice? asked Tommy after they had arrived in the Tower of London. Not quite, said a guard near by. 'AWhere is it? Where is what? asked Tommy. What do you think? answered the guard. The three rings you stole. Two have the initials TL, standing for the Tower of London on the back. The third one is quite different. It has a block face with in one corner and in the other corner. Remember if your story isn't good, I can call the police just around the corner. Now, where did you hide'em? You must have the wrong person, laughed Tannis. I-low can I when you are the only ones here? asked the guard. I don't know, but it isn't we you are looking for. This time the children knew the guard

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19 The Town Of Stratford Stratford is a small English-looking town situated on the Avon River. Our first visit in the town was to the lovely Shakespearean Gardens. Divided into sections by small stone walls and pebbled pathways, the colourful garden was very attractive. After seeing the special exhibits and the film on the origin of the Theatre, we went to see the theatre itself. It is a circular building of dark brown wood, shaped like a tent. The surrounding grassy slopes and rockery near the entrance make the theatre most pictur- esque. One day we set out with picnic lunches to find a comfortable place by the river. Having found our spot, we settled down quite happily until a pompous swan decided to join us. After a few futile attempts to make friends with him, we finally chased him back to the river and went for a ride down the river in paddle boats or canoes. We enjoyed ourselves very much in this small town, and found it interesting, busy, and very pretty. DOROTHEA DEMPSTER Toronto Tour We arrived in Toronto on Thursday morning, and after settling ourselves at the Windsor Arms Hotel we took a short walk to see the University. ln the afternoon we rode on the subway and went to the Cana- dian National Exhibition. As it was very hot, we spent most of our time in the build- ings where it was cooler. After a smorgas' bord supper at the Exhibition grounds, we saw the famous Grandstand Show. On Fri- day we Went shopping,.and after an early supper, took taxis to the airport, talking all the way of the many new experiences we had had in those five days. LINDA LEACH The Stratford Evening On September 29th, a Shakespearean display in the Library made an appropriate background for an evening of Stratford re- miniscences. Each of the girls who had been to Stratford spoke on some aspect of the tour: her impression of one of the plays, the unique stage, the history of the Festival, or the town of Stratford. Mrs. Chown des- cribed the Shakespearean Seminar she had attended, and Mrs. Morgan showed a family film on the town of Stratford. Miss Oswald spoke of the Festival in its childhood when the plays were given in the tent. The pro- gramme was aptly concluded by the play- ing of an excerpt from the Merchant of Venice spoken by one of the greatest of Shakespearean actors, Sir lohn Gielgud. MARGED THOMAS Speaking of Art On Thursday, February 12th, grades seven, eight and nine heard a lecture by Dr. Lederman on the understanding of painting. She demonstrated by means of pieces of coloured paper, how the surrounding colours of an oil painting affect the picture itself. For example, when some red paper was held next to the painting, the students dis- covered that they were able to see many different colours of red that were hidden in the picture. Using a landscape of hot springs in Iceland as an illustration, Dr. Lederman explained that many artists drew figures in their paintings in order to accentuate the size of another object in the picture. After showing an impressionistic painting of a cathedral, Dr. Lederman said that an artist often left out many details hoping that each viewer would put in the details according to his own imagination. In the course of this interesting lecture, Dr. Lederman showed other famous oil paintings as a portrait of a child by Renoir, a landscape by Cezanne. and several works of Van Gogh. MARY BRUCE-Grade IX Fashion Show On Friday, December 7th, in a room in the Hudson's Bay Company, a tiny figure clad in n i g h t g o w n and cap announced. 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house . . Several other very young models in nightgowns then crept on to the stage, their eyes searching shyly for proud parents. After this introduction, a group of Iuniors in stylish skating and ski outfits whisked across the platform on to- boggans, and Seniors showed an interesting assortment of clothes for casual and after- noon wear. Finally, all the models together displayed an array of party dresses, filling the room with colour and-a festive New Year spirit. Accompanied on the piano by Ingrid Hundevad and Evadne Ward, two choirs on either side of the platform, supplied soft Christmas carols to add to the mood of the Fashion Show. SUSAN RILEY

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21 was serious, for he pointed the gun at Trish. Listen Mr., you - began Tommy when he was interrupted. My name is Iohn Newman-I mean Iohn Black. Tommy decided not to continue what he was saying for Iohn Newman or Iohn Black was now checking their pockets. He pulled out three rings. Tannis tried to explain to him that they had bought them in the morning at Birts, and that the initials stood for Trish, Tannis and Tommy Lampton. All right, said Trish, if you don't believe us call the clerk at Birts, and they will tell you we bought them. Iohn Newman did this, but said the lady said no one had bought any rings that she knew of. Then Tommy realized three things. Firstly the lady would not know about the rings because they had bought the rings in the morning and it was four oiclock now. The clerks change posts at noon. Secondly this man was the taxi driver who had driven them home last night and must have over- heard the children's plans. Thirdly Iohn Newman was the wanted criminal, and this is why he changed his name for disguise. Tommy explained this to the girls and they all chorused, HELP! The police came rushing around the cor- ner and everything was explained. The mor- ning clerk of Birts came down and showed the police the Lampton's bill. The police were very grateful and at last they heard Iohn Newman say, I surrender. The three Lamptons now left the tower to catch their plane to Ireland, but when the word England is mentioned, it brings a vivid memory back to their minds. SUSAN OSLER-Grade VI What the Owl Saw The owl which sits up in a tree, At night some interesting things does see, For when the night begins to fall Only the owl does see it all. He sees creeping animals, very sly, And maybe hears a coyote cry, A frightened rabbit hurries home, He fears the night when he's alone. A little deer comes slowly out, Watching to see no one's about, Slowly he goes down to the lake, A cool refreshing drink to take. The owl sees it all with his big eyes, But he's not the only one who spies, The moon and stars are watching too. As the animals sleep the whole night through. ANNE GARDNER-Grade VI Eskimo, Ho Ho! One day a little Eskimo boy went fish- ing in his new kayak. When he returned that evening, he was very cold.iThe next day he brought a heater with him. But alas! the heater burned a hole in the bottom of the kayak. The boat sank, along with the little Eskimo. Moral: You can't have your kayak and heat it, too. BEVERLY KNIGHT-Grade VI The Polka-Dotted Seal Once upon a time, up in the Arctic, there was a little island where a pack of seals lived. Among these seals was a polka- dotted one called Willie. None of the other seals ever played with Willie and they were very rude to him because he was so different from them. Even his mother and father were rather astonished at first when he was born, and because Willie was their son all the other seals were rude to them too. Every day Willie had to fight for his food but every day he became stronger. Sometimes he went hunting in the ocean far away from the little island and that way he knew a lot of hiding places where he could hide when the other seals came out to fight him. Life went on as usual for Willie and his parents until one day a fat seal came hobb- ling toward them as fast as he could, shout- ing as he ran, A band of hunters are com- ing, we must hurry and get out of here or they will kill us! Then Willie though of one of the hiding places that he had, not far away from the island. He called the seals together and told them about it. At first they would not trust him, but after a while they decided that they would have to go. Willie took the lead and all the other seals followed. Around the island and up through the Strait, swimming as fast as they could. Willie finally brought all the seals and their babies to one of his hiding places where they were safe from the hun- ters and where there was plenty of food. After a couple of days in the hiding place, the seals decided that it would be safe to go back to the island. Willie led them back again and when everyone was safely home, the seals praised Willie and made him their king. From that day on, the seals were always safe from danger and Willie and his parents were never sad again. DEBORAH FERGUSON-Grade VI