Rutlish 1957 - the 50 Year Reunion
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Colin P Hicks

1957	1958	1961	"Recent"

Colin Hicks at the Reunion on 1 September 2007

Notes by Colin Hicks

I retired in May 2006 from my final Civil Service post as Director-General of the British National Space Centre and was awarded a CB in the New Year Honours list 2007 for "services to science".

I am still married to Elizabeth (we celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in 2007). We have two daughters and three grand-children.

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Memories by Colin Hicks

Argonaut Rugby fanatic in 1967 Examination serenity in 1967

When I talk about Rutlish, I usually talk about my equal enthusiasm and ineptitude for sport - especially rugby. At times I was playing rugby badly three times a week. I doubt anyone else has hung onto a photograph of themselves in a school rugby 3rd XV. I even have my Argonaut rugby shirt in the cupboard! Rugby was not all fun. I can remember Richard Cameron running straight at me with the ball in a house match and jumping in the air as he reached me with his legs thrashing in the air. I felt much as the England players must have done when they faced Jonah Lomu four decades later - petrified, helpless and foolish! I can remember Tank (why did we never call him anything else?) as having a ferocious temper which would inevitably explode at some point in every Latin lesson. When he exploded he would throw a board duster across the room or tear a textbook in half down the spine. He must have had a stock of sacrifical textbooks selected for their age and spinal weakness. I gave up on Latin as soon as possible because I could not see the point of learning it simply to be able to go to Oxford or Cambridge. Another random memory (prompted by exchanges with Peter Watts) is of the catch phrase "slow flow for slim Sim" - deriving from a time when Mr Simmons was explaining to us in history lessons that the historic ice fairs on the Thames were as much due to the slow flow caused by old London Bridge as to the winters having been colder.

Most of the time while I was at Rutlish I kept my head down and out of trouble. But late on, while in the sixth form, I was up in front of the Champ charged with unauthorised absence from school. I had been due to take an 'A'-level in Applied Maths in January 1964 (six months early) rather than in June. The school expected me to do normal lessons apart from the exam period itself. I objected to this so stayed home the day before the exam to do the necessary revision. My punishment was to be required to continue to attend the Applied Maths lessons until the results came out "in case I had to take the exam again in June". My applied maths master clearly thought this was stupid (I forget who it was but it was not Harry Hathway). He told me that all I had to do was turn up to the class but I could do anything I liked as long as I sat quietly at the back. I don't know whether this was the usual Rutlish syndrome with appearance triumphing over substance (or good sense triumphing over folly) but honour was satisfied all round (and I passed the exam anyway).

Probably the best thing about Rutlish for me was that Mr Preuveneers succeeded in firing up my interest and fascination with science, and chemistry in particular, well enough for it to become my career anchor.

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