After this I struggled to the coach and sank into my seat (more deeply than before I had had dinner). Then

we were taken to Derby. We were left at the Derby Playhouse Theatre and told to be there at six o'clock. We wandered around Derby a bit and then went into the Odeon Cinema. We came out at five o'clock, had a tea of fish and chips and made our way back to the coach. A great ending to a great day.

A C O'Malley Form 2

COTTON TO ROME, 1968

We found little difficulty in adapting ourselves to the Roman climate; though one must admit that the rain that was falling as we stepped out of the plane at Ciampino Airport was appreciably warmer than the rain we are used to. The same was not so true of Italian food, though we were offered the consolation that we could quite cheerfully tell those responsible for it just how unpalatable it could be and yet receive profuse thanks and gracious smiles. The language barrier did not prove too insurmountable an obstacle, and few made :my real attempt to tackle it at all; one could manage three or four essential Italian words and phrases and wave one's arms or go and try somewhere else otherwise. However, the similarity between 'pizza' and 'piazza' caused some little difficulty: the thought of trying to satisfy one's hunger with a public square could lead to problems. Some members of the party provided their own tea and successfully defied the local culinary experts to make coffee from it; both parties decided to discontinue their attempts to Anglicize the Mediterranean.

The problem of getting around was easily solved; having experienced Roman public transport, we chose the lesser of two evils and walked wherever we could. In this way we saw a few of the innumerable churches, treasures, fountains and squares of Rome. The 'pensioner that offered us reasonable accommodation is almost exactly half-way between St Peter's and the Colosseum, and its central position offered wonderful opportunities for sight-seeing on foot. Many days were thus spent wandering haphazardly from church to bar to church. We took the opportunity of being fascinated by Moses and being robbed by the Fountains of Trevi. The whole morning we spent in the Vatican ' Museum allowed us to see only a few of its treasures, whilst

the Papal audience at Castelgandolfo contrasted sharply with the anti-climax of our visit to the Mediterranean shore at Anzio, where the weather was very disappointing - probably the worst we suffered.

Despite the weather and the ridiculous tastes the Italians have in food, the overall impression was very favourable and the trip could be considered a success - so much so in fact that another trip of the same nature is planned for a future date, and seems to be well booked already. Supplied with the proper tablets, one cannot fail to enjoy Rome.

(The Rome party included: Frs P Pargeter and

•   T Conry, J J Killoran, R A Browne, R Clements, M Williams, N Baggott, M O'Malley, P Allen,

TALKS TO THE SIXTH FORM

Last year several talks were organised for the Sixth Form in their Common Room. They were a success, and more were arranged this year. The constant variety of speakers and subjects maintained our interest and most people enjoyed all of the talks and everybody enjoyed most of the talks. This general appreciation reflects the high standard of speaking.

The talks did two things: they made everybody better informed, and for some they provided valuable help in deciding upon a future career. There was an opportunity for Sixth-formers to hear and question people who had been successful in some walk of life. Those who had some interest in the speaker's profession not only acquired inside information but were able to form an estimate of the qualities of mind and character called for in that profession. Dr O'Brien's talk on the training and work of a doctor today and Mr Pugh's on the history of banking and the trials of being a bank manager showed us two demanding but attractive careers. Mr Ryan looked at management from the position of director of the British Institute of Management. He told us of the Institute's work and showed us another interesting career. Another interesting aspect of management was provided by Mr P Wright, an honorary Old Boy and good friend to the College, who gave a lively talk on the problems of Industrial Management.

Other speakers told us something about occupations that attract few applicants but interest all. Mr Hailes spoke of his responsibilities as Coroner for Stoke-onTrent and a distinguished Old Boy, Mr Eccles, of his long service in the Customs service. Mr Morton had spent many years as a local councillor and told us about the organisation and work of Local Government bodies. Mr Brocki's talk may have interested some in becoming architects, but his main intention was to show us the architect's approach to church design. This he did with the help of numerous, large, complicated plans.

The police are people we try to avoid, but at some time in our lives we cannot fail to come into contact with them. Inspector Barnes, the Police Schools' Liaison Officer, gave us the policeman's angle in such matters as motoring offences, drugs and demonstrations. While we hope that the advice he gave us may never be acted upon, we are sure that it may be useful for sonic.

One of the more unusual talks was given by Mr Smith, a Methodist minister. It was unusual for its rarity, for it was only the second time that a representative of another denomination has spoken to us. What he told us of the Methodist Movement, its origins and beliefs, was very interesting and valuable. The understanding that is gained from talks such as these can only lead to greater tolerance and good feelings between denominations.

Our most eminent speaker was Bishop Cleary who came to meet the Sixth Form towards Easter. The discussion got off to rather a slow start and only became animated when His Lordship had to leave. Other ecclesiastics included Fr Byrne of the Catholic Housing Aid Society. lie described the Society's work, not only in re-housing homeless families but also in offering advice to young couples. Fr Tigar gave the school a lecture, accompanied by slides, on Edmund Campion. In the evening he spoke to the Sixth Form on

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