John Twaites (RGS 1973-1980)

I came in to loan some items for the exhibition, bringing along a few pieces that still mean a lot to me: a tercentenary tie and keyring, the RGS RFC British Columbia Tour 1978 brochure, the RGS RFC 1925–1975 brochure, and the tercentenary and Independence appeal booklet.

While I was there, I found myself sharing a few memories from my time at the school—some of them still as vivid as ever. One that always makes people laugh is the whole school photo where I somehow appeared twice: once in the middle and again at the end. I’ve never quite lived that down. The trick was to jump down and run to the end as the camera used t take it would pan across, so you had to be quick!

There were plenty of quirks to school life back then. Outside Ballance’s office, there was a sort of “traffic light” system. If it showed red, he was busy. When it turned green, you knew you were allowed in.

Lunchtimes had their own rituals too. We sat at tables of six, and I can still remember the butterscotch tart—though the pieces always seemed to get smaller as they were cut. The most senior boy, usually a prefect, did the cutting and, unsurprisingly, took the largest slice. The masters sat apart at elevated tables, always wearing their gowns, which added a certain formality to the whole scene.

And then there was the French teacher, nicknamed “Fag Ash,” who was rarely seen without ash scattered down his gown—another detail that’s somehow stuck in my memory all these years later.

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