TASHY DID - A LIFE
1964
I now felt integrated into school life. I had become friends with several boys, one of whom is now a respected part of the history world and he persuaded
me to join him on the committee of the junior debating society he was setting up. In turn I persuaded him to listen to pop music, well once, and play tennis in
the lunch hour using a rolled up paper ball, your hands and a row of desks across the class. The “ball” couldn’t bounce, wouldn’t bounce, so there was a fair
amount of diving around. We usually played in pairs, two on each side of the “net”. He also convinced me to take part in a debate as the seconder of the
opposition to the motion “This house deplores fox hunting”. I have no idea what I said, I certainly had no views either way and was merely speaking as no one
else would but, surprisingly for such a liberal school, we won.
The cricket season came upon us and this was, of course, my first year of summer sport. Every Tuesday and Thursday we would go down to the fields and
either have a net or play a game. The best players would be in the school teams. Sixth formers played in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd elevens; juniors in the senior
colts, junior colts or under 14’s, age dependant. The rest of us would have games each week against one of the other three demes or houses. My years of
practice in the garden was paying off and I was having a pretty good season.
After one particular bowling performance, I had bowled 8 overs, 5 maidens and taken 8 wickets for 7 runs, my deme warden came up to at assembly the
next morning and said it had been suggested I might like to join the junior colts, did I want to? My initial reaction was no and that was the one I gave.
It was the wrong decision, I now know that, I should have thought more, but I was being asked to go out of my security zone. What I really did appreciate
was his understanding of me in that he actually came to ask rather than just do it. I was so lucky to be at that school with those teachers. My figures
at the end of the season were 54 overs, 17 maidens, 35 wickets for 105 runs and probably I should have retired then. We don’t discuss my batting but I
think in 21 innings I scored 21 runs. I make that a strike rate of 100, per innings that is.
After the summer break, I returned to school and another pivotal moment in my life. Two weeks into term and my gym teacher, Group “B” remember, took
me to one side and said I was wasting my time in this group and he was going to see if the other teacher would take me back to “A” group. Now he may have
considered it time wasting, I had a different view. I was able to be at the top without having to push myself and there was no chance of looking stupid
through lack of ability. We walked from one gym to the other and he duly told the other teacher who agreed to take me back. I have no idea if these two guys
knew about my problems a year or so back. I do know that the other teacher took me to one side and made a little speech which influenced me all through life.
He welcomed me back and said that he rarely took anyone back if he had moved them down. He said that the other guy felt I was good enough to return but he had
a different view and I thought this is not looking good. Then he said the difference was that he knew I was good enough, that I could do it but I’d have to
really work hard and I shouldn’t expect to succeed every time. If he told me off, shouted at me, it was because he hated people to under achieve and he
didn’t like being wrong.
Well, he may not have made my legs like bars of steel but he did teach me never to give in, never to accept failure and that if I didn’t think I
could do something I would often think of him and decide I could. And yes, he shouted, most memorably most weeks as he ordered us to march “out of the gym,
left foot forward, other left foot Rowland”. Some years later, in the small gym, he introduced a rule that, any team losing in volleyball would do 10 press-ups.
Despite three of the members in my team being 1st XV players, we had a bad day and did about 120 press-ups. The next day we heard another team member’s mother
had written a letter of complaint to the Head. That guy was in “B” group next week. With my wish for justified punishment, or even penalties, I had no argument.
In November, mother notes I came home from rugby, sat on the stairs, she came and asked how I was and I threw up all over her and passed out. Delayed
concussion again and I do remember being knocked over backwards and hitting my head while playing rugby that afternoon. The new me just had the one day off
school. I enjoyed rugby and normally played in the centre or on the wing. I had great speed and would have liked to play fly half or whatever it is called
these days. However, I couldn’t kick while running, to be honest I couldn’t kick while standing still either, so fly half wasn’t for me.
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