Mike Nicholson's recollections of the NCP in the late-1950s/early 1960s are fascinating. These were my years and there is much in this account that I don't recall at all - though I do remember Potter blowing down the gas pipe for the Bunsen burners, to cause an air block!

 

I don't recall bad teaching - apart from one geography teacher - and those teachers I had were good enough to get me through enough 'O' levels to achieve my 1st Class Leaving Certificate.  Furthermore, during my 20+ years as a teacher myself, I regularly found myself using phrases or expressions learnt from those positively inspirational teachers Hoops, Charley Atkins and Steve.  And my belief in, and use of,  discipline was definitely learned from Don Holland (my housemaster in Hesperus) and Tiger Knights.  Their dictat was simple - break the rule and you're in trouble, don't and your safe.  They were unbending and absolutely fair.

 

I certainly have no recollection about sex education from Pat (apart from his views on VD - "Uck it off luv")  We received ours from Mini Beat who covered up the projector lens whenever images of naked females appeared. In fact, in our last year, a group of us went to see KIT (Mr. Topliss, Director of Studies) and suggested that this was not really an adequate education in this subject, to young men shortly going off into the world.

 

I do agree with Mike that there was no bullying.

 

They were good days.  I remember that our fencing team was champion team of the RN.  Chris Walker and I won Sabre and Foil championships at the Royal Tournament and I won the Public Schools Junior Foil.  Capt. Lewis' telegram read "Well done.  Now go on and do better."  I never did better, but 50 years on I'm still teaching fencing at a local club.

 

The one thing that I deeply resented was that Admiral Flush (Lt. Cdr. Rimmer - remember him?) promoted to Drum Major someone who had not earned his instrumental proficiency badge.  It had never happened before, but Rimmer obviously thought that having a 'yes' man in that position was more important than tradition or competence.

 

Mike mentioned the Mikado but failed to recall the superb performance by Steve (Koko) and Des Walker (Poo-Bar).