The Calm Before the Storm

A view of School House as it was in 1952, taken from underneath the horse chestnut trees on the School playground

To date, very few details of the " Putsch " that took place at Oswestry School in the summer of 1961 have trickled down into the public domain, and I suspect that few staff members and current students will be aware of the dramatic events that lead to the departure of the sitting Headmaster after a brief, but turbulent, three years at the helm at Oswestry School, from 1958 - 1961.

No doubt, in the fullness of time, the true story will emerge in its entirety, but not until all the main characters involved have passed away. What I am at liberty to say is that although my brother Bernard and I were not directly involved in the unfolding scenario at Oswestry School in the twelve months prior to the rebellion, having already left boarding school in the summer of1960, we were kept abreast, by post, of the deteriorating situation as it unfolded in School House.  

L to R, Roger Morgan, David Pickup, Jack Greves, Jimmy Sharples and Bernard Pickup.

Very recently Old Oswestrian Eric Lloyd sent me the above photograph, which he took on November 12th, 1960, whilst still a pupil at School. 

It was the first time the four of us had returned for a reunion, having left at the end of Summer Term, 1960, and we were looking forward to a fun weekend rekindling old friendships. The above photograph shows we four Old Oswestrians in company with Roger Morgan, far left, who had just been made Head Boy, as we made our way across the Maes - y - Llan to watch the School Ist XI play Llanfyllin in a game the School won 1- 0.

Photograph of Dai Lewis refereeing a first game match.

Report of the Llanfyllin match taken from The Oswestrian magazine

It was inevitable that we would encounter Headmaster Frankland at some point during the weekend and, according to my Diary, he blatantly snubbed us as we wandered amongst School House boys who were there to support their team. He made it abundantly clear that our presence was not welcome, and one of the spectators revealed to me that the Headmaster had let slip earlier that he considered that myself, Bernard and Jack had been a subversive influence as boarders in School House. According to my Diary entries for Nov12th/13th which can be seen below we bumped into the Headmaster three times, and on each occasion we were subjected to the same counterproductive response.

Diary entry for Nov 12th, 1960.

 Diary entry for Nov 13th, 1960.

It was good to meet Roger Morgan again along with some of the Masters and boys whom we had known for many years during our time at School from 1952 - 60, and it was quite obvious from conversations we had over the two days that the atmosphere at Oswestry School was deteriorating rapidly. Even the School stalwart and deputy Headmaster Duncan G W Felton felt it was time to call it a day, having arrived at Oswestry School from Hereford Cathedral School in 1920,  along with his colleague, and subsequent Headmaster R Williamson, MA. 

Whilst at School, myself, Bernard, and Jack, as senior Prefects, were regularly summoned to the Headmaster's study to experience a " Spanish Inquisition - type  " grilling and, at best, our relationship with Major Frankland could be described as tetchy. 

Our last year together was 1960, and Headmaster Frankland was becoming ever more unpopular to the extent that on Valentine's Day he received several unpleasant Valentine cards containing deceased moths ( Major Frankland was known throughout the School as "the moth" ). The final straw came, I believe in the summer, when several photos of the Major taken over Speech Weekend and placed on the School notice board were defaced with drawing pins, including one taken of him as part of the First XI cricket team which can be seen below minus the offending drawing pin.

   photo 703  --  Photo of the School Ist X1 

I was immediately summoned to his study and tasked with finding the person(s) responsible for the vandalism of the photos. I genuinely did not know who had perpetrated this mindless act, but the Headmaster suspected that my brother Bernard, Head Boy Jack Greves, and myself were somehow involved in these pernicious activities, and other ongoing acts of violence against School property, and he was heard saying "My money is on the Pickup brothers ! "

 Following our departure from School in the summer of 1960 the Headmaster appointed Roger Morgan as Head Boy, replacing my friend Jack " Grevo " Greves, and in doing so he unwittingly jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.

As confirmed by an entry in my Diary he told Roger that he hoped he would make a better job of it than Jack Greves had done before him. At the same time Jeremy Parslew and others were appointed prefects and in a similar fashion were exhorted to perform better than the Pickup brothers had done in discharging their prefectorial duties.

This was only the calm before the storm, and it would not be too long before Roger and others would incur the wrath of Major Frankland in the increasingly unhappy atmosphere that was developing at School House. In fact Roger had the misfortune and dubious distinction of being expelled not once, but twice by Headmaster Frankland during the ensuing turbulent eight months before the governors announced that Mr Frankland would be leaving Oswestry School for personal reasons.

The END.