Macnaghten's House Easter 1918, by Michael

[Nicholas]

All material appears by kind permission of Mrs Laura Duguid and the Provost and Fellows of Eton College.

Easter 1918

We returned unaccompanied by Lawson, Johnson; two newcomers, Buckley and Whitaker minor.  Endeavouring to repair his loss, the number of boys in my tutor's now reaching two and forty.
We should have had a very strong house at the game of fives, yet only acquitted ourselves in a modest manner.  The junior fives indeed gave us a cup.  Sheldon (who has another year) and Bright winning it very easily, being a very capable pair, and finding no opponents to make a show against them.  We should certainly win again next year.  No other of my tutor's junior pairs reached an advanced round.
The pairs were {Sheldon, Bright} [crossed out]
It is always best to think of the house first in the junior cup, although it is an open school event.  The captain of games should however exercise a great deal of tact in attemping any arrangement such as this, where he is not really concerned.
In school house-fives we did fairly badly.  Daviers major and Holland Martin major beirng worsted in the ante-final by the winners Worcester and Adams (of Knowsleys).  This was unsatisfactory as they would have been pleased to give Worcester the keeper some cause to regret the fact that he had not decorated them with the red and blue cap.  It is a fact that by their conduct of that game he could do nothing but remain satisfied with his decision.  Holland Martin was easily better than two of the fives choice players, and Davies having a [court? count?] felt very much hurt at the treatment he received.  No other pairs did very much.
The pairs were: [list of names including Senhouse and Davies mi]
House fives won by Davies ma and Debenham
junior ditto by Sheldon and Debenham.

In school fives no one passed the semi-ante final.  Which was bad.  My tutor's are certain to have one or two very good and promising players next half [crossed out] year. Let them be sure not to throw away their chances.  It is a disgraceful thing for a fives player not to do justice to his ability and to fail where he should be assured of success.  We are the best house at fives and should endeavour to impress that fact upon the surrounding scum by the proof of result.  Amen.
At racquets Boden reached the final of the doubles in which he played brilliantly.  He will be keeper next year.  Sheldon got his lists and did very well getting into the final of junior racquets.  This looks well for next year.
Peake still captained the boats, and Macewen and Thorneycroft rowed in Trial Eights, a very exciting race in which Peake's crew lost by a foot.
My tutor's had three in sixth form: Lowry, Baillie Hamilton and Davies ma.  The Newcastle did not fall to our scholarship.
One difference in this half's conduct that shoud be marked is the abolishment for the meanwhile of house-sports.  This may be a pity, as it gives the weaker ones no chance of exerting themselves in sports, but as we are nearly all - at that - the weaker ones, it is fair enough.  The fact is nobody did anything in school sports - but hush, a little bird whispers that this is an error. 
Page-Phillips ran very well indeed, being in the final of more than one long distance race; and the same did very well indeed at Stamford Bridge in the holidays.
It is said that Davies major threw the cricket ball further than any other competitor; did he win?  Someday perhaps we shall know.

Written for Roger Senhouse (tired)
by Michael Ll Davies
Floreat haec nostra domus, esto illa atque sit perpetua
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M Ll D[/list]