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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 7
looked to the right of the ridge there was
an even steeper almost sheer drop to a lake
below, certain death beckoned. The
scramble along Crib Goch was slow and
seemingly endless in the burning sun. No
cooling breeze, the only wind being that
exuded by some very nervous 15 year olds,
but needless to say somehow we all made
it with various degrees of shock and
sunburn.
Not that the ascent of Snowdon was the
only memorable moment of my days
learning from Geraint. We visited his
family farm on Anglesey, the hydroelectric
power station at Dinorwig, the nuclear
power station at Trawsfyned etc, etc.
There was also the annual field trip to
Malham, to limestone (CaCO 3 !) country
and the 3 peaks in 1978 but that’s another
story for another day as is any recall of the
Yorks Notts Derby Coalfields.
During our all too brief meeting last year
he was amused that I still knew what a
‘roche moutonnee’ was (a big rock with
scratches on it) after seeing one in the
Nant Ffrancon valley over 40 years ago,
but the fact that things taught stick with
you is a sure sign of a teacher who has
found the right vocation.
Geraint made our geography education
entertaining, meaningful and memorable
which is surely the measure of a truly
remarkable and gifted teacher who made a
difference to so many of us privileged to be
his students.
Tim, do feel free to include this tribute to
Geraint in the next magazine either in full,
in part or not at all as you feel appropriate.
Meeting Geraint and his charming wife
made our holiday in the Peak District truly
memorable. It has been a topic of
conversation for my family ever since as
my brother, John Scott, and father-in-law,
John Powley are also ‘Old Stationers’. It
would have been nice to meet up with
Geraint again but sadly it was not to be.
Best wishes to his family and friends
Robert Scott
ge
I was in my first year at Stationers
(1961/62) when Geraint was in his, I
believe, final year at school. We were in the
same house, Meredith, and so I came
across him at House Assemblies as well as
at the main school Assemblies.
I have a lasting memory of Geraint reading
lessons in the main Assemblies. The
lectern was one donated in memory of a
former pupil who had served in the RAF.
When Geraint read the lesson he would
hold both sides of the lectern and his
passion for the reading would be evident as
the lectern rocked back and forth while he
read. This was an example of Geraint’s
Welshness shining out of him.
The Welsh word “Hwyl” translates as “fun”
in general parlance. However, in a religious
context it has a wider meaning which
cannot really be translated into English. In
this context, its means something along
the lines of “emotionally going into the
spirit" of a reading, sermon or hymn.
Getting to know Geraint in later years
through the OSA, it was evident that he
kept his passion for life and for everything
that he touched. Geraint retained his
“Hwyl” to the last. Happy memories of a
great Old Stationer and an enthusiastic
Welshman.
John Rowlands
ge
We got to Stationers’ on my first day of
school on 9th September 1980 at 7am.
Later, more boys were arriving and before
you know it we were assigned our class
teachers and I was lucky enough to be
under the care of Ms. Jahans in 1J. Basically
she was completely bonkers in many
respects but a great teacher whom I will
never forget.
In class, we were given a rundown of all
the teachers at the school by Nava Jahans
in a very honest fashion. A few reviews
were shocking to be frank but she did
highlight that one positive teacher we will
meet called Mr. Pritchard was very firm
and will work us hard but his Geography
school trips were never to be matched or
forgotten. Unfortunately with the
destabilising talk behind the scenes about
the school’s potential closing, I never got
to have that experience of his teaching or
school trips. To paraphrase Mr. Pritchard,
“It was all the communist republic of
Harringay and Bernie Grant who described
the school as elitist who were to blame for
its destruction. After all the school was an
anathema to them”
During one lesson, we had a very young
female teacher who just could not control
the classroom. She kept threatening us
with calling Mr. Pritchard and no one took
her seriously. Well, she left the room and
when she came back she came in with Mr.
Pritchard and it was as if a whirlwind came
in – the shouts and arm gesticulations put
us all in line and we were sitting to
attention. He had authority and a persona
about him and no one dared question him.
I did recount this story at the last OSA
Annual Dinner to Mr. Pritchard and he
did tell me her name but apologies, I
cannot remember it. He told me he kept in
contact with her and she is doing well so I
am glad to hear it.
The school closed in 1983, I remember
everyone was in the Great Hall on the last
day and it was brimming with school staff
and students and it was hot and stuffy in
there. Some teachers wore degree gowns
and looked unbelievably surreal, the one
that I remember distinctly was Mr. Fitch.
It was a sad day for us, even though at the
time we did not understand the
Geraint & Marj at Malham Tarn