Nico's speech to the debating society, June 30 1920

[Nicholas]

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

Whether Eton could be improved by any changes

The Opener Mr Davies then murmured:
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen.  As to whether Eton should be changed in any way, I should say that there were certainly a few ways in which it might be changed.  Firstly, perhaps, there is Eton dress.  There was a debate not long ago which I was allowed to attend as to whether the Eton dress should be changed and I spoke against it being changed, but since then I have altered my opinion and I think it would be a very excellent thing if we were allowed to wear clothes which are less cumbersome.  I happened to come back two or three days late this half and for some reason which I cannot explain, I was surprised and horrified when I saw all the top hats.   They looked amazingly absurd.  And often you notice people. who are evident strangers to the place, going into fits of laughter.  Most of us went to Winchester last Friday and I certainly was struck by their clothes, they seemed just the right thing.  Then there are games, which I think are very excellently managed at Eton.  No alteration can be made in football, that is to say Eton Football, but perhaps Rugger might be more encouraged.  Cricket might be altered in some way, some people undoubtedly get bored before the end of the half - but I can't myself suggest anything.  The bounds I think are all very fair, though I hear that Windsor has been out of bounds owing to a great many people going into Tulls on Sundays.  The schools are also, I think, absolutely right, though I wish that we had stuck to the old summer schools - 7.0 early school etc.  The work is hard enough, I think, especially when one is up to m'tutor as I am this half.
Perhaps work might be better managed as regards specialists but I do not know.  And now, unable to think of ought else to say, with the President's leave, I will sit down.