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November 22nd.-Feast of St. Cecily. The Rugger games, scheduled to be played after the Solemn High Mass, were cancelled on account of heavy rain. After a rather dreary day there followed a delightful evening. The Choir was in excellent voice and gave us a charming and varied programme with the help of Elgar, Handel, Schubert, Purcell, Mendelssohn and Tschaikowsky. Mr. John Brennan thrilled the House by his brilliant playing which was greeted with rapturous applause. His Grace the Archbishop of Birmingham expressed his delight at the excellence of the concert and also congratulated the House upon haying at last acquired a first-rate piano (a Bechstein).
November 261/1.-This afternoon the Cross Country match against a team of Cadets from a neighbouring O.C.T.U. was won comfortably by the School. The Cadets found the climb up to Pompey's Pillar rather exhausting.
November 241/1.-" Gray, the Man and His Poetry " was the theme of J. V. Hartley's paper this evening at a meeting of the Literary and Debating Society.
November 301h.-The Sixth Form XV v. the Fifth and Upper Fourth Forms Rugger match was played this afternoon. Won by the Sixth Form team by 6 points to 3, it was a titanic battle and provided one of the best practice games of the season.
December 1st.-The time of the first Rising Bell was altered from 6.20 a.m. to 6.5o a.m. this morning-another instance of the effeteness of the rising generation ?
December 2nd.-V. G. Weston entertained members of the Literary and Debating Society to a paper on his favourite topic, "Anglers and Angling." We have not heard whether any of his stories were notable for their altitude, but we gather that his paper was interesting to the laymen and gave them a new angle on this much misunderstood sport.
December 3rd.-The First and Second XV's travelled by various means of locomotion, on trains (local), and buses (yellow and red), to Newcastle High School to-day. The First XV won their
match by ii points to 3, while the Second XV were defeated by 6 points to ii. In the evening, Mr. John Brennan gave a Pianoforte Recital in the Hall. With consummate skill and delicate grace he played Scarlatti's Sonata, followed by Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The applause was so clamorous that Mr. Brennan was obliged to appease our avidity with Chopin's Valse in A Flat. We look forward to Mr. Brennan's Recitals with the liveliest pleasure.
December 7th.-The Sunday evening entertainment was a sketch, written and produced by F. P. Ryder, called " Mr. Mismark, J.P."
December 9th.-Two essays were read at a meeting of the Literary and Debating Society this evening : " The Convoy System " by J. J. Lyons, and " Robert Herrick " by W. A. Quinn.
December loth.-The First XV scored a runaway victory by 6o points to nil over an O.C.T.U. XV, which was apparently taken by surprise.
December 121/i.-Terminal Examinations began this evening.
December 15th.-Bowdon House XV defeated Milner House by 9 points to nil.
December 16th. Milner House gave us a Victorian Melodrama, called Gaslight, by Patrick Hamilton this evening. It was a new type of thriller and there was some good acting to be seen, although the play was perhaps a little lugubrious for the approach of the festive season.
December 171h.-The Carol Concert this evening was, as usual, a great success. Many new items were mingled with the traditional ones that we all enjoy so much, and the programme (which is printed elsewhere) was extremely well arranged. Mr. Brennan again entranced us with masterly playing of Liszt and Chopin. The final chorus, the Gloucestershire Wassail, was cheered to the echo.
December 19th.-The Christmas holidays began about daybreak.