Brentwood College School - Brentonian Yearbook (Mill Bay, British Columbia Canada)

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Brentwood College Magazine H.M.S. Hermes, 824 Squadron, R.A.F., Kai Tak, Hong Kong, China, March 4th, 1935. Dear Mr. Ellis: Many thanks for the letter telling of the School ' s activities, as usual, it was most interesting. Since I last wrote I have changed my abode some- what and have taken to living in an aircraft carrier which is an amusing if cramped life. At present we are leased ashore doing anti-piracy work and loving it. Two weeks the Tung Chow, a British ship of 2500 tons, was taken by pirates who threatened to murder her load of schoolchildren if the Captain did not obey their commands. For- tunately they came south with her, and we managed to spot them before much dam- age was done. It is so difficult because we can ' t bomb or shoot until the pirates are clear of the ship, and they, of course, take hostages to prevent our killing them when they are leaving the ship. However, we frightened them to such an extent by just diving over the ship that they left, only killing two guards. China is not a good country for flying owing to the shortage of landing and forced landing grounds. If an engine fails, the sea is the only safe resting place and even sharks are liable to make it uncomfortable. An old Brentonian, Ted Curtis, is up at Canton, and I have heard Thorne is here, too, but haven ' t managed a meeting with either yet. Wishing the College the best success in work and sport. Yours sincerely, C. T. WEIR. Monument, Grant Co., Oregon, Dec. 7th, 1934. Dear Mr. Ellis: After numerous futile attempts to construct a properly worded letter I am going to plunge desperately ahead. I spent the summer hitch-hiking my way to Toronto. I started with the high and noble purpose of taking a walking tour up the Caribou to Banff, through the Rockies and down to Oregon. Alas ' for my good intentions, for I doubt if I walked more than fifty miles the whole summer. A brief resume of my trip would be as follows: Boat to Vancouver; bus to Chilliwack; walk (three miles); hitch-hike; camp; hitch-hike; sleep; freight-ride; eat; and so forth. A frightfully obscure scrawl isn ' t it? I will try to do better. By a combination of a lot of hitch-hiking, a little freight-hopping and less walk- ing I arrived at Golden. There I met an Ontario schoolmaster with whom I spent the rest of July and half of August, exploring mines, mountains and fossil beds. A little fishing and swimming filled in the gaps between mines. We visited four different hotsprings, saw innumerable mines, camped in a forest fire, visited Trail for a day and a half, and rested peacefully at Kaslo on the Kootenay Lake. Then we left for Toronto, loafing along, seeing this and that. We stopped at Chicago and saw the World ' s Fair. I stayed in Toronto for about three weeks and then Mr. Charley Woods, form- erly at the Normal School, Victoria, brought me back in a new Dodge. I had a very excellent summer didn ' t I? In good hands all the way. I have now adopted a passion for mineralogy, one of the few things I haven ' t pined for. Travel is also another besetting sin. I never received the Brentwood Magazine. Could this be remedied? I would be grateful if it could, as I do not wish to lose touch with the College. I hope numbers of the School have increased. That would give it a better rugby team would it not? Waiting anxiously for a reply, Yours truly, JOHN NEWCOMB. Page Twenty-six

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Brentwood College Magazine I am still at the London Hospital and have completed more than half the ap- pointments required for examination purposes. At present I am on a second medical firm and am enjoying the work very much. In August I commence Midwifery and so have to take up residence at the Hospital. Little of note has happened during the last year. In July and August I was up at Cambridge attending the course in Bugs and Drugs, and I was fortunate enough to pass the examination in these subjects in October. Apart from this I have had no examinations, but in January or April, 1936, I hope to start my finals — not a pleasant event to look forward to! For recreation I took up rugby again and played for the B XV. The chief drawback is that our ground is three-quarters of an hour ' s journey from the Hospital, and when playing away from home, in some cases, one has to allow about an hour and a half for the journey each way. Nevertheless, rugby provides a means of keeping fairly fit. I have also been playing a little squash on the courts situated on the roof of our new Hostel. London is at present quite a Gala City with flags and decorations in every street in celebration of the King ' s Silver Jubilee. On Jubilee Day, I was one of thousands who lined the route from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul ' s Cathedral where a Thanksgiving Service took place. Many had spent the previous night asleep on the streets in order to have a good position. The Procession was a most impressive sight and one which can occur in but few countries other than England. By standing on tiptoe I was able to see quite well the King and Queen, other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, Pre- miers of the Dominions, the Horse Guards, Artillery and the Life Guards, and many others. The welcome given to the King and Queen was amazing, and loud cheers could be heard at quite a distance as Their Majesties approached. No doubt many people in B. C. listened-in to the ceremony despite the early hour. In the evening everyone went mad though remained orderly, and huge crowds thronged the streets dancing and singing. Every night during the week thousands crowded London to see the many buildings illuminated by powerful, and in some cases, coloured lamps. On Jubilee Night, 1750 huge bonfires were lit on the higher parts of the British Isles, after the King had set alight the bonfire in Hyde Park by pressing a button in the Palace. I am afraid I have no news of Old Brentonians. I saw Stubbs a few times while he was at Greenwich in the latter months of 1934, but since he went to Portsmouth I have lost track of him. Weir is somewhere in China, hunting pirates I suppose, and Yarrow, Sharland and R. Lawson are somewhere in England, though where I don ' t know. The latter incidentally was in one of the Cambridge Trial Eights for the Uni- versity Boat Race. However, we all seem to lack the art of correspondence so I don ' t know what they are all doing. The termly reports as to the School ' s progress are an excellent institution to my mind, and I for one, read them with interest. I am glad to see that the prospects are brightening. May I suggest that in the School Magazine, the names of boys in team photographs should be printed under the photographs as we Old Boys do not know who ' s who, and consequently do not know about whom we are reading? With kindest regards and with every good wish to Brentwood and Old Bren- tonians, I remain, Yours sincerely, MAURICE D. YOUNG. Page Twenty-five

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Brentwood College Magazine 1519 Spring Place, N.W., Washington, D. C, October 2nd. Dear Mr. Ellis: A good many months have slipped past since the day I shared that delightful luncheon in Seattle with you and the other fortunate Brentwoodians. And as well as time a good many miles separate us now, as you see from the letter head. Shortly after I saw you last spring the seam-en went on strike as you know. There I was with a small bank account — it looked big at the time — and no immediate prospects in view. Practically on the spur of the moment I decided to come East, and did so, travelling by transcontinental stage. It took me only four and a half days to cover forty-two hundred miles. Remarkable time, don ' t you agree? Once in New York I succeeded in making a deal with the manager of a summer resort to be taken in on a partnership basis. A salary could not be guaranteed due to bad times, but the profits would be split only three ways, which sounded good at the time. On the day of reckoning, however, I found my losses exceeded my profits, as I owned a car which depreciated in value in the fall of the year. It was an experience, however, and they generally say that experience is a good teacher. Perhaps I ' ll learn more that way than I ever did in school — especially when I pay for it out of my own pocket, so to speak. I was greatly interested in the School Magazine this year, and feel that the Old Boys ' Section is a fine addition. I was particularly grateful for the addresses printed, for there are a number of my school friends with whom I should like to keep in touch. You are probably wondering by now what I am doing in D.C. I must confess that has me stumped too, but I have high hopes of a job soon. I have not been to see Mr. Roosevelt yet, but I shall do so at my earliest convenience — or his! General Johnson has been removed hence, so I know of at least one opening. And now, before I close, I wish to offer my sincerest congratulations to you and Mrs. Ellis on the birth of your daughter and I wish you both all possible success. Kindly remember me to any masters who were unfortunate enough to have me on their roll-call. I remain, Respectfully, JACK HYDE. Page Twenty-seven