SENIOR SCHOOL
Old Boy visitor revisits his sporting glory
During a recent visit to the School for
the Old Boys 50 Plus Reunion Day, George
de Key Whitsed (Sc 1946-1948) enquired
about the athletics cups he had won in 1948.
In the House competition he won the 100
Yards Pinner Cup for Hurdles and the 100
Yards U16 Egerton-Warburton Cup, both of
which are still presented today and displayed
in the gymnasium. Athletes were presented
with smaller individual cups which they kept.
George also won the Champion Shot
in 1948.
the other days. George described the food as
“OK, with a lot of bubble and squeak”.
Prior to attending Guildford Grammar School
George attended the very small Doodarding
State School. At times there were only six
students attending and sometimes the
school was forced to close because of lack
of students. George’s place of residence was
Ejanding via Dowering which was close to
the family farm. His mother had died when
he was young and his father decided to send
him to Guildford Grammar School at the age
of thirteen. The school was chosen because
a large percentage of students came from a
farming community.
George’s father Claude wrote to the
Headmaster in 1948 informing him of his
intensions to remove his son from the School
to take up farming. He enclosed a cheque
for two pounds two shillings towards the
coming Athletics Sports competition as well
as a donation of ten shillings and six pence
towards the Fete.
George was very homesick when he first
arrived at the School and found maths very
difficult. His Housemaster, James Viveash
(Bim) Brown, caught him reading a comic
instead of doing his prep and he received
four cuts with the cane as a punishment.
8
George excelled at athletics while at the
School. Despite being small in stature he was
very fit and strong. His first try at hurdles in
the House competition saw him jump over
the barriers instead of hurdling them, but he
still managed to come first in the race.
George was a member of the victorious PSA
Athletics team in 1947 and also the 1948
team.
George
de Key Whitsed
Despite this early set back George found he
liked and respected Bim and found him to be
a very fair and kind Housemaster.
Fees at that time were 100 pounds per year
for a boarder. In his first year, George received
one shilling pocket money per week and later
two shillings. George spent the money on
either a tin of condensed milk or a block of
cheese. He remembers the milk becoming
very sticky by the time he finished the tin.
Baths were twice a week or a hot shower on
George obviously had very fond memories of
his time at Guildford Grammar School as h