Old Nortonians in merry mood - Kings Norton Boys

Old Norts in Merry Mood
From the 1931-32 edition of the school magazine
Loud and boisterous noises proceeding from King's Norton Secondary School, in
Northfield Road, on Friday evening, warned local residents and passers-by that
once again the Old Nortonians' Association was holding its annual reunion.
Over sixty Old Boys were present, including three of the Association's foundation
members, Messrs. A. Paton, H. Slack, and K. Best, and other Old Boys,
Messrs. C. R. Smith and C. V. Hackett.
Mr. T. Welburn opened the Concert Programme, following the light supper, by
an appropriate solo item entitled Come, let's be merry. He also sang a sea
shanty. Mr. A. D. Thomas accompanied him at the piano, afterwards himself
rendering two solos.
A riotously successful feature of the evening was the group singing concert.
Three groups took part, each singing twice, as the adjudicator found difficulty at
first in placing the respective merits of the competitors.
Although Mr. Bailer's choir eventually gained first place, in some circles it was
considered that questionable methods were adopted by the winning choir, especially
in controlling the lighting effects in a manner calculated to upset their opponents'
powers of concentration.
Nor was it satisfactorily decided whether it was excess of emotion or the base
prompting of jealousy that led members of the winning group to trundle the piano
away from the accompanist during the spirited efforts of Mr. Holding's
choir.
As Mr. A. D. Thomas, the adjudicator, remarked in his witty and concise summary
of the contest, the winning choir was to be congratulated upon the possession
of such a fine soprano singer in the person of Mr. R. T. Cooling, whose
performance was quite out of the common.
A number of strange-smelling. vials being handed round, Mr. S. C. Hooper was
successful in distinguishing the contents of the greatest number, while Mr. E.
Duce won the prize offered in the noise competition. An entertainment was
given by Mr. W. V. Roe with his usual skill, in humorous monologues, and by
Messrs. R F. Bristol and E. R. Bailer in duets.
An added pleasure was the presence during the evening of the headmaster, Mr.
A. James, who entered thoroughly into the spirit of the gathering, and presented
the prizes won in the competitions. Members of the School Staff present
included Mr. F. W. Wright (second master) and Mr. T. W. Wareham
Mr R. H. B. Purden, Chairman of the Association, presided during the concert,
when the joint honorary secretaries, Messrs. C. R. Holding and G. L. Holloway,
and the treasurer, Mr F. L. Roberts, were also present. A great part of the success
of the reunion must be credited to Mr A. Paton, who, with the assistance of
the committee, organized the entertainment.

E.W.T. (1924 - 1929)