Therfield Magazine '77
The Magazine of Therfield School
Summer Term 1977

Editor's Foreword Well, here it is at last - the first edition of the new-style Therfield Magazine. We hope you like it. It has certainly given the Magazine Committee many enjoyable hours studying your contributions and performing the very difficult task of making the final selection. Many of you have submitted articles and art work of a very high standard. Others have successfully attempted to give the Magazine a light-hearted touch by providing jokes, cartoons and funny stories. Many thanks to all of you, and regrets that we could not include everything. Do enjoy browsing through the Magazine - your Magazine - remember to enter the competition at the end, and do please start thinking about what you could contribute to next year's edition to help make it the kind of magazine you want. Happy reading! (C. A. Panton, Mrs.)

Mr. B. du Mont
The Magazine Committee 1977 to extend their thanks and the gratitude of the whole School to Mr. du Mont, who has so successfully edited the Therfield Magazine for many years. It was not until we actually started planning this year's edition that we realised just what a mammoth task Mr. du Mont has performed. He has, for years, taken charge, single-handed, of all aspects of producing the Magazine. We, on the other hand, have been able to divide amongst many the work which Mr. du Mont has tackled by himself.

Many thanks, Mr. du Mont, for all your hard work and for setting such high standards. We hope we shall not let you down.

The Magazine Committee

WHICH WAY ARE YOU GOING?
The days of taking a job for granted seem to have gone.

The headlines of an educational paper are before me.... "Government axes more teacher training colleges. Protest - but it's all in vain."
"N.U.S tell M.P.s. Schoolchildren should be given lessons in signing on the dole."
"Another hard year in store for graduates seeking jobs."

Are there any commonsense guidelines for those approaching the school-leaving age? There's likely to be reduced call for unskilled labour so better knuckle down to some hard work and obtain qualifications; be prepared to go on learning. Perhaps for years. It is estimated that the average person will need to train for three different occupations during a working lifetime. Psychologists tell us that the average person only realises about 15 per cent of his potential during a lifetime. Do we all give up too soon?

Doubtless the economy will continue to have its ups and downs over the next few years, but the trend is for greater opportunities with skilled employment in manufacturing industries and less scope in the civil service and local government.

Many will always want a University degree, but increasingly this must be regarded as equipment to make rapid progress in a job rather than a ticket for a high salary.

Areas of employment which fluctuate strongly with changes in he economy include catering, tourism and the holiday trade, entertainment, hairdressing and beauty care, building and construction. Much steadier employment sectors feature food supply, nursing and medical services, the police force, and motor-car repairing.

A more permanent aspect of the North Sea Oil bonanza is likely to be a steady growth in petro chemical manufacturing, and this could offer considerable prospects for those with qualifications in chemistry.

There are strong and increasing signs that those with monotonous, unpleasant, unhealthy and, perhaps, dangerous work will earn more money than those enjoying high job satisfaction.

Which way are you going?

J. D. Wooding, B.Sc.
Headmaster

Mrs Moore
At Christmas we said goodbye to Mrs. K. D. Moore who had been Deputy Head since her appointment in 1966. During those ten years she involved herself completely in the life of the School, having the welfare of all very much at heart. Although much of her work was inevitably administrative, from the major task of timetabling to the detail of daily routine, she was always ready to make time for anyone in difficulty, whether staff or pupils. Many girls, especially, have reason to remember her readiness to come to the rescue when all seemed lost.

Mrs. Moore's loyalty to the School was such that she was present at almost every function whether it concerned athletics, her first love, or any other facet of school life. Although she never sought the limelight, her willingness to attend to the most minor details contributed much to the smooth running of Therfield.

We wish her a long and happy retirement and hope that we might see her "off duty" from time to time.

Mr Baker
The School wishes to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Baker, our new Deputy Head. He has been kind enough to spend some time being interviewed by the Sixth Form, whose findings are printed below.

Mr. Baker was born in 1943 on the Isle of Wight. He was educated at the local Grammar School and took an external London University Honours degree at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology. His main subject was Geography with subsidiary Geology. His Post Graduate Certificate of Education was taken at the London University Institute of Education. Mr. Baker has only had one profession in mind and, now that he has achieved his aim of becoming a teacher, he has never had any doubts about this decision.

He taught at Hinchley Wood School for one year and at a large London Comprehensive - Elliott School in Putney - for just under nine years before coming to Therfield.

Mr. Baker's first impressions of Therfield were very favourable, and he remarked on the politeness and general sense of self-discipline of Therfield pupils. Also Therfield pupils came well prepared for lessons. This was a welcome change from Elliott School where he always carried a supply of pens and pencils - for sale - and also a wodge of spare paper!

Mr. Baker has been married for ten years and has one "super year-old daughter" of whom he is very proud. He enjoys D.I.Y. and has just finished plumbing, re-wiring and renovating his own home. He is also an enthusiastic gardener and tries to grow all his own vegetables. He follows most sports and is particularly interested in Yoga. He is a great lover of music and plays the piano as well as taking part in choral singing.

Spot the Teacher
Concealed in this story are the names of 34 teachers and others at Therfield. How many or them can you find? In some cases you may have to go by the sound rather than the spelling. Here's the story then -

One day James, the son of Thomas, (a prattical sort of fellow) who lived up 't Mill, went for a walk in the early morning haze. Well, Tom's son was suddenly confronted by a tall man with a big brown beard.

"Yes? What du mont?" asked James.

"A pierce of the action", the man replied with a Scots accent. "I know who you are, and I know you've got the priceless Gold Hawk from Dr. Livingstone's tomb stashed away down Tanner's Lane."

"You're a nosey parker;" sneared James. "Who told you that?"

"Your father who lives in the mill at top of wood."

"He woodin' tell you a thing like that," James said, pantin' now. He made a dash in the opposite direction.

"Gover 'im, Spot!" the Scot said to his dog who pinned James to the ground.

W'hen James awoke, he discovered that he was in the temple of the dreaded archvillain Garibaldi, secretly hidden under the well-known chip-shop, William's Take-away.

The villain rubbed his beard.

"How would you like me to bake a little squirt like you?" he smiled.

"No 'hanks!" James answered gruffly, not wishing to be humbled.

"Cor, you're fuller yourself today, aren't you? Tell me where this priceless object is or I'll cover you with bleach and anchor butter."

The thought made James sick and he wrestled with his ropes.

"Don't be tilly." Garibaldi said. "I've tighed you up real good. Do you wanna be all bleachy and buttery? It would be a pierce of cake for me to push the red button. I grant you, I woodn't get the answer but it'd give me something to laugh about."

"Don't harris me!" James retorted. "I won't tell you:" So the man dropped the fluidy substances on to James, but because it made him so buttery he slipped away.

"Arnott that! Anything but that!" the man cried, banging his head against the wall.

So James escaped. What a good win for old James, eh?

Philip Jones
6P TA

New Staff

MR. S. JAMES
Mr. Steffan James was born in Swansea, Wales, was educated at Penlan Comprehensive School, Swansea, and received Further Education at Lincoln College, Oxford. He first taught at the Lycée International, St. Germain-en-Laye, France, then at Rydens School, Walton-on-Thames, before coming to Therfield. His hobbies include sport, cinema, the theatre, music, photography and reading. He enjoys eating all types of French food and drinking French wines.

MRS. J. KINLOCH
Mrs. Judy Kinloch was born in Bridgwater, Somerset. After attending many primary schools she attended Parliament Hill Secondary School in London, and then Port Credit School, Ontario, Canada. She then returned to England where she trained to be a teacher at Gipsy Hill Teacher Training College, Kingston. Her interests include gardening, the theatre, and reading when she has time. At Therfield she teaches English and Drama. When asked what career she would have pursued had she not become a teacher, she said she would have liked to be involved in television production.

MRS. J. PRICE
Mrs. Jean Price, the School's new Mathematics teacher, was born in Birmingham and was educated at Harrison Borough Girls' Grammar School. She trained as a teacher at Gipsy Hill College. Her hobbies include looking after her family - she has two children - camping, ballet and classical music. Mrs. Price enjoys Chinese cooking and drinking anything that's available!

MISS S. RIDGE
Miss Sue Ridge was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. She studied Art firstly at Mansfield College of Art, followed by a B.A. Course in Painting and Printmaking at Kingston Polytechnic. She then qualified as a teacher of Art at Goldsmith's College where she took a Post Graduate Art Teaching Course.

MR. K. WILLIAMS
Mr. Kelvin Williams, Head of the P.E. Department, was born in Pembrokeshire a quarter of a century ago (he too is celebrating his silver jubilee this year!). He was educated at Llandovery College, trained at Newlands Park College, and first taught at a Harrow school before coming to Therfield. His hobbies include flower pressing and stamp collecting. His favourite sport and mode of transport is the pogo-stick, and he particularly enjoys eating traditional foods and drinking alcoholic milk-shakes.

FRENCH EXCHANGE
A successful exchange visit was made to Therfield by pupils of C.E.S. Louis Pasteur of Brunoy, near Paris, for the period 18th-25th March, 1977. A group of Therfield pupils will be visiting France from 15th April-23rd April, 1977. It is hoped that this is the start of a good tradition.