TWO THOUSAND POUNDS
by Janet Bloomfield (2R)
If I had £2,000 what would I do?
It would take me a long time to believe it was true,
I'd have visions of dresses and shoes by the score,
Of visiting countries and oh, so much more.
And helping some children less lucky then me -
Of these there are plenty, I know you'll agree,
But when all my planning and scheming is done,
I'd pick up my money, and hand it to Mum.
THE CAMERA CLUB by Colin Jarman (4S)
I was delayed, in getting to the Camera Club but I finally arrived there at
4 o'clock.
At first I mixed the fixer and then the developer. When everyone was settled, and
all the things were in their place the lights were switched, off leaving us in
total darkness and so I could not see what was going on. When the lights were
switched on a film had been loaded in a developing tank. It was then developed and
fixed. While it was in the fixer several people helped agitate it, it was then left.
Richard Gould then showed the club how to enlarge. All this went very smoothly but
we found it was time to pack up and so our session ended. We will meet next Monday.
N.B. You are very welcome to join and the subscription is 2/- if you pay in
the first week and 2/6d. if you pay after.
THE HUNDRED POUND GUY by K. Neale (2R)
We had been on the corner of the street with our guy all afternoon and it was
getting dark, all we had collected was a bent penny and a collection of useless
farthings. My friend went home for his tea and after another ten minutes I went
home for mine, leaving the guy where it was for after tea.
A whistle blew and I looked out of the window to see a policeman chasing a short
man, with a cap pulled over his eyes and a battered raincoat with the collar turned
up to cover the rest of his face. The policeman soon caught the man and said that
he was supposed to have stolen round about a hundred pounds.
It was the second of November and I had to get some more money quickly. I was
wheeling the guy back when it rolled out of the pram, the mask fell off and behind
it I saw money - lots of it.
I counted it and found there was nearly a hundred pounds. I thought I knew where it
came from and went to the police.
The police said the lady the money was stolen
from was giving five pounds reward to anybody who found the money. We had a big
firework display that year and it seemed a pity to burn that hundred pound guy.
THE SUNKEN CONTINENT by M. Houghton (3L)
The Atlantic: It joins England and America. A small party of fishermen 'caught'
relics in their nets.
A party of divers went to investigate. They reached the bottom and stood, looking
amazed. In front of them there was a huge city - Atlantis.
Great stone pillars stood up like reaching hands. Fish swam in and out of little
buildings. Beautiful mosaics form the floors. Gold and silver pots lay forgotten on
the sea bed. Bricks and mortar, jewels and pots littered what used to be roads.
The divers rounded a corner and saw an avenue which used to be covered in fruit trees.
They went back up and the leading diver said, "There's nothing." They didn't want
the beauty spoiled.
FOREST FROST by M. Houghton (3L)
One leaf, once foliage, fluttered down, through the frosty forest,
Silently, smoothly, silver-tipped leaves, floated down to earth,
Reds and greens, tinted leaves, formed the forest floor,
An Autumn attack of frosty Jack, a frost tinsled forest,
A brittle bough heaved and cracked, and fell with startling retort,
And silver squirrels, furry rats, scampered from the scene;
The brown, cunning, sly old fox, moved through the musky woodland,
And past the chick' run, crept the creature, to his cosy lair,
The shy, strong deer, stood and stared, at singing wrens and sparrows,
Then more frost fell, cold grew worse, they too scampered home;
Drakes and ducks dived in ice-tipped pools, daintily enjoying the cold,
But they too went, the cold too great, frost, fascinating frost,
Now a silent, silver spectre, still, resting, COLD.
THE BIRD'S NEST by R. Everest (3X)
The nest was supported by three very thin twigs, but looked remarkably safe. It
was covered with a thin coating of ice as was the hedge. It contained no eggs.
The occupiers had probably migrated. Through the covering of ice could be seen
the structure of the nest. It was constructed of such things as straw, cotton wool,
paper, twigs and many other little additions. It was a very clever piece of work.
SOLITUDE by Raymond Mortimer (4B)
In the dull filthy city the mark of a tragic war was left all around, me. The wind
was playing with paper and a lone tom cat sat serenading his mate. The pub on the
corner shook with merriment and I shuddered as the cold rain revived me from my
trance.
The tall dark chimneys stood in solitude off my starboard bow and flats were off
my port; So this is the City; where money is found. How I longed for the clean sea
air of the coast and the smell of fish which wrought the air at home. How I longed
to return.
JACK FROST by Rosemary Pajak (1A)
Jack Frost away you go,
leaping over the ice and snow.
Making patterns like fairy laces,
just to cheer little childrens' faces.
THE SNOW by Mary Bardwell (1F)
The snow is glowing very white
And it is a pretty sight
So soft and fleecy
Yet so light and fluttering.
Outside it is so cold
But the snow crunches underfoot
and why the snow glitters so
Oh! that we do not know.
The snow glitters on our window
But that has all gone now,
And why? we do not know.
THE TRAMP by R. Benbow (4B)
The snow lay crisp and solid on the ground, and icicles hung from tree branches.
From a park bench, the whistling of the wind was suddenly challenged by the rustle
of snow-covered newspapers. From beneath these emerged the frost-bitten body of
a tramp.
He rose and stretched, as if rising from a warm bed. He then gave a glance in the
direction of our windows, envying the warm glow from inside, which lay a mere
hundred yards away.
He then turned and slowly made his way along the narrow path. His crunching in the
snow became softer and softer, and his figure became smaller and smaller, until he
eventually disappeared over the horizon, and once again, all was quiet.
And then how ashamed I was. How I felt I wanted to call him back, and invite him in.
But alas! he was gone, probably gone for ever. All that remained were his tracks in
the snow, disappearing over the horizon.
CHRISTMAS by Gillian Frost (2H)
Christmas carols in the night
Candles burning clear and bright,
Baby children now in bed
Pillows snug beneath their head,
Parents sitting by the fire
Flames are leaping higher and higher,
Now is the time to put out presents
Tomorrow all will be eating pheasants.
Church bells ringing through the snow
Children knowing where to go,
Christmas day is here again
Lucky it does not bring rain,
Come again another year
Bring the same good health and cheer.
THE WHITE GODS FROM THE SEA by M. Peacock (4S)
It was hot. Most of the Women in the Totonac town were making tortillas for their
men's breakfasts. The men sat around a fire over which a wild fowl was being boiled
in a pot. They sat there in silence spitting, now and then, into the pot. The steam
from it hung over them like the early mist on the sea.
While they were sitting there a small boy came running up, shouting loudly and
pointing out to sea. On the horizon there could be seen six huge monsters with white
wings and black bodies. They were coming closer every minute. The chief, Xycon,
gave orders and the men collected weapons from their huts and dispersed into a
vast field of maize.
The women and the children went and hid in the huts. The monsters were now very
close to the shore. They had stopped and now the creatures that were half man and
half beast were coming ashore and behind them came strange men in shining helmets
and breastplates.
At this moment the Totonacs attacked these strange creatures, showering them with
stones and arrows. The strange men raised sticks to their shoulders and the air
was split with a noise of thunder and lightning. Eight Totonacs fell, screaming,
to the ground. The halfmen and halfbeasts charged and more Totonacs fell. These
strange creatures were cutting them to pieces.
Soon the battle was over and the Totonacs surrendered. The stench of the dead on
the battlefield was nauseating. The chiefs of the tribe of Totonacs came to the
gods from the sea bearing gifts of maize, cloth and yellow metal trinkets.
Hernan Cortez looked at the yellow metal and marvelled. It was gold. Cortez asked
Xycon where it had come from. Xycon told him it had come from far away, from the
city of Mexico where Montezuma, ruler of all the Aztecs, lived.
During the days that followed Cortez made preparations to conquer Mexico. A week
later all was ready and they left. The Totonacs were sorry for them, for the Aztecs
were powerful people. When Cortez and his men left, the Totonacs settled down to
a peaceful life. The women making tortillas and the men spitting into a pot.
AN EXPLANATION . . .
The School Magazine is now printed in the summer term, but we thought it would be
a pity if some of the excellent writing that has been produced this term did not
reach a wider public: hence this Christmas Collection.
Thanks are due to Kay Gregg, Pat Godbold, Shirley Hawkes, Hazel Moy, P. Berry, M.
Corbyn, R. Mortimer and J. Thompson, who helped with typing, duplicating and collating.
Mr. Shine set and printed the cover.
A.S.J.
.....AND A POSTSCRIPT
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER by Michael Houghton
Out of the oven came the chicken. It was golden brown and a piece of crisp pork
was cooked with it. The smell in that room was like a Saxon banquet hall.
Another pan, containing crisp, golden, tempting potatoes was drawn out.
Above the oven, on the hot-plates, bread sauce and apple sauce simmered. Peas,
sprouts and sweet-corn cooked in their own special way added to the wonderful aroma.
The person responsible for the marvellous feast took the food into the kitchen.
(Her name was Mrs. Scrooge.)
She picked up a carving knife and sharpened it. The shining knife cut large slices
of tasty, white, tender, golden, nutritious chicken. The potatoes were dished out
generously, then yellow, lush sweet-corn, tender sprouts and sweet green peas.
The hungry family delved into the dinner with their knives and forks. Soon, that
great dinner, that took so long to prepare, vanished.
The Christmas Pud was taken out of the steamer. A beautiful black-brown. The smell
of pudding and dinner mixed well. After being set on fire the pudding was devoured
- so long to prepare - so little time to eat.
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