Memories from the 1940s

Richard Kenney (1937 - 1946)

John Dennis and I were contemporaries in the choir, he being the oldest by two years.
My father became a Vicar Choral in 1924 and I was fortunate to live in No. 5 Vicars Close until I left school. As a dayboy I knew all the nicks and crannies in and around Wells and I was always conscious of how limited was the free time available to chorister boarders, especially on Saturdays in 1939.
For them a quick trip down the town was a welcome experience. Firstly, past Penniless Porch and on the right was Gregory's the local wireless shop. Outside the door stood the glass carboys in their wicker baskets, full of sulphuric for the low voltage accumulator batteries. "Look, that wireless has 4 valves, it must be modern!" With a quick sniff at the carboys the boys would head for High Street. What a wealth of "goodies" there are these days for window shopping, ranging from magazines to electronic wizardry and then to screeching so-called music.
In the mid-30's Woolworth's came to Wells. With failing eyesight and an inability to see the blackboard or a need to resist fisticuffs one could buy glasses off the rack. All the goods were on display counters but there was one that had glass surrounds. In the space of say two-thirds of a square yard there was a "heap" of Moroccan tortoises. These ranged in length from three inches to about seven. And they were all 6d each!
I can't remember whether or not they were picked up or shovelled. They must have gone straight into many a pocket and found a temporary home somewhere in the Cedars. In time there was a memorable occasion when Preb Ritchie was taking a class in the Orangery and the door of the small room to the left of the window came gently open and a queue of tortoises came forth. Headmasters don't always have to find solutions. In today's vernacular he merely said "Get Rid".
My mother had a sympathetic ear for boarders and our front garden was soon the home for at least half a dozen of their named pets. The had to survive on grass, the occasional dandelion and the odd bit of lettuce. Viewing times were as often as possible as the boys went up and down the Close on their ritual walks, even breaking ranks to join in the fun. In the winter we did our best to hibernate them but our knowledge was non-existent and only the larger survived for perhaps a couple more years.
The Hindenburg or Graf Zeppelin flew low from east to west over the north side of Wells as viewed from near the Regal and the Swastika on the tail could clearly be seen.
One of my great delights these days is that Bernard Hale, John Barrett, Tony Fisher and I are all members of the bass lineup in Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society. We remember the past with great affection and use the most important of the skills taught to us so long ago -- the ability to strive for better results. Richard Kenney

John Birch (OW of 1944 to 1949)

John Birch left Wells Cathedral School in 1949 having been Head Boy, Captain of Cricket and Hockey and Vice Captain of Rugby if not a particularly effective scholar. I recall that the teaching at the time was suffering somewhat from the absence of young men who were largely still on Active Service. However I came under the influence of Alan Tarbat who taught me English and Ferg Ritchie who was Head at the time and tried to enthuse me with Latin but was rather more successful with Crosswords. I recall that he was a crossword compiler for the Times under the penname of Afrit and we had a crossword lesson every Saturday morning. I recall his sister Vi as a formidable presence in the boarding house. I lived in the Cedars and have fond memories of my times in Wells with contemporaries being John and Christopher Waters, very impressed because their Aunts were on the radio as 'Gert and Daisy' (Elsie and Doris Waters and their Uncle was Jack Warner, the friendly bobby on TV. Alan Derby was 1st XV Rugby Captain when I first joined the school in 1944. At the time I can be seen in the team photographs as a 13 year old mite of a scrum half at five foot nothing. Indeed I seem to remember that my nickname at the time was 'Microbe'.
Life as a boarder at Wells at the time, towards the end of the War, was always exciting. Cold baths in the morning before walking round the block. Timing the walk by the Cathedral Bells, out of bed by the first bell and on the road by the time the double bell started ringing or you had to run all the way round the School grounds to get into chapel before the door was closed. I recall there was a young lady who always hung her head out of the window to wave to us as we went by each morning. She worked on the local paper, was it the Wells Gazette, and I remember sneaking out to meet her after work and walk home with her, before creeping back into School, through the back garden and trying to avoid Vi taking their golden retriever dog for a walk.
Highlights of my time at Wells were Games almost every afternoon, except Friday when we had Cadet Corps. I always regretted arriving at Wells just about the time that the Drums and Bugle band was packing up although I did play the drums in one church parade before then. Then there were matches most Wednesdays and Saturdays. I still have copies of all my team photographs albeit I find it difficult to remember all the names now. In the boarding house we had one hour prep every evening after super and letter writing on Sundays. As a prefect we had to supervise all this. We gathered round the radio in the common room to listen to ITMA or Dick Barton special agent, after prep and even had an entrepreneur in our midst who had a machine for cutting gramophone records in the basement. I recall he arranged for the introductory music to Dick Barton to be transmitted very loudly through the Piano in the classroom above, just as one of the less experienced teachers was about to start her class. Sunday afternoon was usually a walk to Wookey Hole where we were very daring to meet girls!!! As a prefect I can remember the cane which we administered not infrequently in the corner of the prefects room, can you imagine that today. Central heating was not heard of at that time and we used to have a fire of peat. Don't remember ever seeing coal. Winters were very cold and we had some wonderful times sliding and playing in the snow. As a treat we were allowed to go into town every Saturday morning although when we became Prefects we could go when we liked and we used to go frequently for afternoon tea at a lovely cafe near the gate to the Cathedral Green, whose name I forget, although I will never forget their cakes!!!
When I left School I undertook somewhat undistinguished National Service in the army for two years before proceeding to train as a Physical Education Teacher at Loughborough College in 1951. During my army service I was stationed in Preston and recall visiting a Wells contemporary M.J Minett who was 1st X1 scorer when I was Cricket Captain and who lived near Cheadle Hulme a delightful hillside country retreat on the outskirts of Manchester. Where is he now?
While at Loughborough I achieved some success in Rugby playing for the College 1st XV who were a very strong side including many County and International players, indeed I usually came into the side when they were away playing for their Country(County). During this time I recall playing at famous grounds such as Welford Road against Leicester and Iffley Road against Oxford University. I also played in the College Cricket side.
On leaving Loughborough I taught at Lord William's Grammar School in Thame Oxfordshire where I was also House Master for a small boarding house for 50 boarders. On getting married in 1954 I moved to London and transferred to teaching in a large Comprehensive in SW London where I taught for some ten years before, in 1965, moving into Sports Administration with an organisation called the Central Council of Physical Recreation. The role of this organisation was to promote sport throughout the Country and shortly after I joined it was annexed by the Government of the time to become its main agency for promoting Sport and called the Sports Council (now known as Sport England). I worked for the Sports Council at its Headquarters and London and South East Regional Office for some 9 years before leaving in 1974 to become Chief Leisure Officer for the Surrey District of Waverley where I had responsibility for Sport the Arts and Countryside activities in a delightful area of Surrey stretching from Farnham in the west, to Cranleigh in the east and also encompassing the delightful towns of Haslemere and Godalming and a vast swathe of the Surrey Hills which was countryside of the highest quality. During this time I settled in Farnham and have remained there ever since.
In 1979 I rejoined the Sports Council as Regional Director of its Greater London and South East Region and working out of an office in the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. For the last ten years of my working life until my retirement in 1994 I was Director of Regional Services, where I was responsible for the work of the Sports Council's 10 Regional Offices, a staff of more than 200 and budgetary resources of around £15 million.
Beyond work I have always maintained my enthusiasm for the sport I developed at Wells. I played County Rugby for both Sussex and Buckinghamshire and Club rugby to a good standard for a number of clubs, Aylesbury, Saracens, Horsham and Old Wandsworthians. I was in the Saracens 1st XV for two seasons in the mid 1950's at a time when they were emerging as a first class side. I played a good standard of cricket for both Horsham and Bromley before retiring to play Village Cricket with Rowledge, for whom I was Chairman for more than ten years, and during which time they managed to get to Lords - and lose, albeit narrowly on a countback - in the final of the National Village Cup. As I became to old and frail for the rigours of Rugby I returned to Hockey, a sport I had to drop when I left Wells, and played lowly grade club Hockey for many years for both Bromley and Haslemere Hockey Clubs. In 1993 at the age of 62 I decided to give up both Cricket and Rugby and to take up golf which I continue to play fairly idifferently but with moiderate success at both Blacknest and Alresford Golf Clubs. I was Captain of Blacknest Golf Club in 1996.
Married twice, my wife Jean and I share 12 grandchildren which keeps us pretty busy and we live in a delightful bungalow which has an appropriately memorable address:
Second Innings, 1 Wicket Hill, Bat and Ball Lane, Farnham, Surrey.
Outside the sporting interests which are fairly time consuming I was at one time heavily involved in Amateur Operatics and performed the majority of the main Baritone parts in the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. I have now retired from that activity but continue to sing as a member of the Rushmoor Oddfellows Male Voice Choir, which apart for raising significant funds for charity by performing concerts in the local area, has taken part in performances at the Albert Hall with the London Welsh Male Voice Choir alongside some 1000 other performers.
I have largely lost touch with Wells and former friends. I tried through the good offices of Friends Reunited to get in touch with Christopher Waters, but my email to him was unanswered. However if any of my compatriots at Wells would care to get in touch or would like to meet up I would love to hear from them. John Birch

Peter Wade (1944 - 1949)

I was at The School a very long time ago and saw the names on the internet of John Newman, who was Dec1 when I was Can1, and John Mereweather who was Dec2 when I was a probationer. (He must be at least 121 now!!). At that time, during the closing years of WW2, Preb. Bawtrey-Williams 'oversaw' our musical efforts whilst 'Dapper' was away at war.
During a particularly bad winter's flu bout, we cancelled all services and played hockey above Tor Woods. I remember Sid Squires was quite good at hockey! Eric Purchase was there, as was Robson, Robinson, John Morse, Ray Wills, I'm sure John Newman and John Mereweather, and.... there my memory lets me down I'm afraid.
Do you remember Preb Ritchie's daughter Margaret's wedding? It was the first time I had ever tasted Claret, and thought it was wonderful. That day Verger Rice allowed us up around the Tower of the Cathedral and also many other places from which we were precluded. Mr Richardson, Head Verger was not aware of this!
We sang at Sherborne Abbey with Isobel Bailey and the Boyd-Neel Orchestra and.... Ask John Newman if he remembers The Choristers Augmented Orchestra in the holidays at The Junior School--what a racket!! We were also there for Latin lessons since we missed these by being choristers.
I have a plethora of memories which I have been unable to unfold... for example ask Eric Purchase if he recalls us 'performing' Sleeper's Wake on Mouth -Operated Organ Pipes!! Well, anyway I did meet Mr. Hywell-Jones whilst I lived at Weymouth and found him to be a very pleasant man!!! Peter Wade

Brian Taylor (Old Wellensian of 1940 - 1948)

In September 2006, my wife Mary and I were visiting the UK and decided to visit Wells again. I had briefly visited the School in the eighties but only had a glimpse of its obvious expansion since I left in 1948. My brother Donald and I had first come to the School in the summer of 1940 (after the Dunkirk episode), but we were to leave temporarily a little time after the term ended, to travel out to our parents who lived in Brazil. In 1945 we returned.

Prior to the current visit, Alwyn Gillen had kindly offered to give us a tour himself. On the day, however, urgent family needs called him away; but he had arranged instead for a ‘senior pupil' to take us around. We were invited to come to the Cedars to meet Ashley Deacon, the Registrar, and our escort. On the walk in, it seemed that little had changed anywhere. I tried to enter the Cedars (house) through the little door that was in College Road, but this is now sealed. A helpful girl in Corps uniform showed us the way to Reception, which is at the back of the Cedars. Here we met Ashley and our guide, a Sixth Former who introduced herself as Araminta. She instantly showed that she was to be a personable, considerate, and interesting companion. As we walked away, she said that her friends called her ‘Minta', so that's what she became to us.

We walked first across the Cedars back garden. The playing fields with their beautiful trees looked unchanged. On the College Road side of the garden, there is now a long extension from the house, to make a dining hall (in 1945-48, dining was in a large room on the ground floor of the Cedars). In 1940, we juniors had a small dining room at the corner between College Road and the Liberty. By ‘45 this was an office for secretarial staff, and then in '48, it became the office of a Major Henfrey who was later to become the Bursar. The Cedars itself now houses the administration, the Common Room for Senior Staff, and the Head's offices. We then crossed College Road to the Stable Yard. This area was not accessible in my time, and indeed was a bit of a mystery. Now it is bustling. The old large doors which once closed it off have gone, to reveal a near-quadrangle, the buildings housing the Bursar's Office and the Library on one side, and the Sixth Form Centre on the other. From the glimpse into the Centre, it was a busy place, probably as informal as any place frequented by teenagers! I pointed out that in 1945, further up College Road where there is now a housing tract, there had been a prisoner-of-war camp for Germans. One occasionally met a group of marching prisoners, but the camp was soon closed; all that remained for a while were Nissen huts and painted signs in German. Further afield in the Wells area was, I believe, a POW camp for Italians, but I cannot recall the details. At the far side of the ‘quadrangle', there is now a complex of buildings, including classrooms and a sports hall. We were led through this area, which was busy with Wednesday afternoon games. The sports hall has also an impressive array of exercise- and strength-building-machines. It is a far cry from the old conception of a ‘gym'. The hall itself is also used as the School Assembly (in '45-'48, Assembly was in the west end of the Cedars). Alongside the hall is the impressive swimming pool. I recalled that in 1940, and I believe later, the School pupils used the City swimming pool, and of course got there and back on foot.

We turned south toward The Liberty. We passed what had to be the old ‘gym', disused in the mid-forties, and perhaps through the War. I recalled that I was in a small party, under the leadership of Mr. Colchester, who tentatively inspected it in about '47 or early '48. We found a bleak and dusty place, having a wall-hung climbing net, a vaulting horse, but little else except spiders. I believe that there was a move to refurbish it. We reached The Liberty through the driveway of a house, now part of the School, called ‘de Salis'. It used to be the residence of a churchman. Next to it, going south, is a house still part of the School, but now called ‘Claver Morris' (I believe that we knew it only as ‘Morris House'). Up until the late forties, it was still lit by gas. Mostly used by middle-school boarders, senior boys used it when repairs were being made to their house further down the street. The repairs were intended to improve the heating system, but few could discern any difference! The next house, once a private residence, now belongs to the School and is called ‘Plumptre'.
Next in line was the house named ‘Edwards'. Minta said that senior girls were now housed there. There had been a policy to have single rooms, it seems. However, she and others much preferred to share, and this was now possible. She was sharing with a girl from Germany. In 1940, this house included the juniors' dormitories, and I dodn't believe it had any name at that time. The basement was then rigged with bunks for use as an air-raid shelter. I believe it was used almost full time as a dormitory instead of the normal ones on the top floor. If an air-raid warning sounded, and there was the faintest sound of an aircraft, a boy (selected from a roster that we kept) would go out into the garden and then return a report on events. When once I had this duty, I was seized by the scruff by a master, strongly admonished, and next morning was punished in the old-fashioned way by Headmaster Ritchie - the ‘observer corps' promptly ceased operations.

We talked about the changes over the'45-'48 period. In '45, seniors were housed there. A house name came later, but I did not recall it (the dormitories had reverted to the top floor). In the basement were changing rooms for games days. Mr. Linzee Colchester returned from the Army and became our housemaster; he was a man with a powerful and admirable influence. He was an amateur musician, among many talents. After boys' ‘lights out', he would sometimes play the piano which resided in the Fifth Form class-room on the ground floor, and his efforts were clearly audible to us; I thought that his playing was pretty good, but I was outvoted by the groaning musical boys in the dorm. In this same class-room, one warm summer's day, our revered Head was conducting a mathematics class. Unfortunately, his approach to the lecture did not penetrate, and I fell to making a pen-and-ink sketch of him at the blackboard. This work was eventually discovered by Mr. Colchester, who had it framed and hung up in the Prefects' Room. I understand it eventually disappeared. Mathematics to me became fathomable only when Mr. Frank Holliday arrived to take over this discipline. He had been an engineer in the aircraft industry, and could put over how to relate mathematics to real life just in the nick of time for me. On a lighter note, sometime in '46 or '47, an incident took place which had echoes of David Parnell's story in the September 2006 Newsletter. At this time, food was still on ration; but one day, the word got round that bread was to be released. We organized bicyclists, each to buy at least one loaf. This expedition broke School rules, because the commercial town was out-of-bounds except on Saturday morning. Nevertheless, the treasure was brought into the basement boiler room, a snug place. The fresh and maddeningly aromatic loaves were torn apart, the best-tasting pieces being unadulterated, others smeared with Marmite, but all devoured. This scene must have been repeated all over Britain, because the Government returned bread on the ration in a few days.

Minta bore these reminiscences with fortitude. Edwards was to be the last of the School's domain in the southerly direction. I recalled that beyond it was the residence of the Bishop of Taunton in the '45-'48 era. We then walked back past the Cedars to be shown the westerly properties. Minta described the current function of The Cedars basement area as being primarily for staff common rooms (I recall in '45-'48, one room was the Chapel, others were storerooms). In 1940, I believe that some of the rooms were rigged as an air-raid shelter. At the end of that Summer Term, my brother and I had to stay behind to await the summons to head for a ship which was to evacuate us to Brazil. We were assigned beds in one of the basement rooms. In this, the Head's son Andrew had set up his elaborate model railway; this had much more appeal to me than the prospect of a sea-voyage.

The first house beyond the Cedars, called ‘Jocelyn', now belongs to the School. It was bustling with very small children (it was to this house that, during a short visit in the seventies, I was directed so as to visit Mr. Alan Tarbat). Mr. Tarbat had been my English master in '45-48, and had been another with a positive influence on my education. In retirement, he had a flat at the top of the house. Incredibly after all those years, he recognized me immediately. Although my two small boys were initially in awe of this strong personality, he soon charmed them.

The next house also now is part of the School, and is called ‘St. Andrews Lodge'. While it is possible that this name (as indeed with the other houses) might have always been present, in the late forties it was the residence of the Cathedral organist, Denis Pouncey. Mrs. Pouncey was a charming lady; she was also an accomplished ball-room dancer, who observed that the seniors' social skills would be advanced by some instruction in this art. So she arranged lessons for them in one of the rooms at the Cedars.

The next house has been a part of the School, at least over many years. Although it is now called Ritchie Hall, the name plate carries parenthetically the original name: ‘Bernard Building'. Inside, it is now a hall with a stage (in '45-'48, there was a class-room and a laboratory there). I have a hazy memory that the class-room had a partition wall which could open to create a larger room. The laboratory was beyond this. The Library was in the tower above the porch. My persistent memory is how cold the place was. The class-room was ‘heated' by a cast-iron stove, influential for about a yard distance only. In winter, the touch of writing paper was quite painful. At the back of the building, there was a yard, used for PT breaks and Corps parades. In this yard, against the far boundary wall, was an old barn, I believe called ‘Canon's Barn'. The barn was open to the elements at the front and side, and usually had no obvious use except to shelter from the rain; for a time, it was used by a senior Army officer to house his jeep. The barn has now gone, and much of the open space is filled with new class-rooms.

Next along The Liberty is a house now belonging to the School, named ‘Polydor'. Apparently, it is used for juniors, but in my day was a private residence. We asked Minta if she knew how this unusual name had come about, but she did not know (I had a hazy recollection of a Polydorus being one of the numerous progeny of Hermes, but decided that it would be indelicate to pursue this association with the name of a house for children). Minta described facilities behind Polydor, which provided a Nursery School and a ‘pre-Prep' School; these limbs of the organisation did not exist in the forties.

The final School property along The Liberty (although it's more properly on New Street) is ‘Mullins'. It is also is used for juniors' activities, as is ‘The Coach House" next to it. In '45-'48, it was the residence of Dr. Mullins, MD, whose practice included duty as the School Doctor. His son was a senior at this time. It was nice to know that the name has been retained. The courtyard through the Mullins area was busy with small people, some being collected by parents on the ‘school run'. As we stood on the corner at Mullins, Minta pointed out other buildings up New Street: all were formerly private residences, but now are part of the Junior School organisation. I asked about the playing fields (Mundy's Meadows) on the other side of New Street. In '45-'48, they had been used for cricket in the summer and hockey in the spring. Minta said that a road bypass around Wells had been cut across the Meadows, but there was still space left for one pitch (which was surfaced with Astroturf). I couldn't help wincing at the loss of much of that fine field, and the substitution of ‘plastic' for fine grass. The cricket field was sometimes also used by the Theological College. The College had exclusive use of the tennis courts at Mundy's; eventually, permission was given for my brother and I to play just the once against two masters. There was then no organised tennis at the School. The function of the current road bypass iss to divert the Bristol road from the centre of Wells. This must have been a relief for the occupants of the building at the apex of the junction between Sadler Street and Chamberlain Street at the bottom of New Street. On at least two occasions when I was at Wells, a heavy lorry suffered brake fade descending the hill, and came to rest inside the building. It was a bizarre twist that the building was an insurance office. Minta said that the School had other playing fields at the foot of Tor Hill. She pointed out one more School building in the area, essentially opposite Mullins: this was ‘Ritchie House', now a residence for boys. I had a hazy recollection that in '45-'48 this had been a school for small boys, linked with the School but not strictly a part of it. Also, during the War, it had been a school for girls, possibly evacuated from elsewhere.

Now done with the empire north and east of The Liberty, we walked into Sadler Street and into Cathedral Green. Minta took us into the Music School. This used to be the Library of the Theological College, a handsome building just opposite the Cathedral. Inside, there was a huge bustle: in the main room, a symphonic rehearsal; in one corner, a solo performer practicing a different piece without any apparent distraction; in the adjacent room, some other activity. We left after a cursory look, so as to avoid disturbing this delicate equilibrium, and walked into Vicars' Close. Of course, this place is well-renowned. Minta told us that it had been a ‘location' for movies. Once, she said, there had been a fuss when some film company had a shoot there. Silence had been demanded of the onlookers who included some girls from the School. But this state was destroyed by squeals when the heart-throb Johnny Depp appeared on the scene. The girls were promptly banished. Minta followed this gem with a comment that ".... here in England, we have quite a few American films and shows on TV ......Some are popular .. There's one called ‘The OC' about a place called Newport Beach ... where the house prices are very expensive ...." Poor Minta gave a suspicion of a flinch when we told her that we lived in NB. We immediately sought to reassure her that we were not among the lurid ones portrayed by Hollyweird in this series, and knew no one who was; neither did we know of any resident of the city, or of Orange County, who ever before used the term the ‘The OC'! Minta seemed then to be reassured as to our probity, and we continued our tour with some laughter.

The Close has two School buildings: one at the Cathedral end (whose function I didn't record) called simply ‘No. 26 Vicars' Close', the other at the Liberty end called ‘Shrewsbury House', which I think was another residential place. In addition, the Chapel at the end, which used to be for the Theological College, is now used by the School; apparently by the senior girls. We crossed the Liberty (there is now a light-protected crossing here), and passed into the Cedars Reception to deliver Minta back, safe and sound. It was a most entertaining tour, which portrayed the huge changes that had occurred in the School over the last sixty years. To the normal person, eying the exterior of these handsome buildings, nothing had changed. Now we know that it has!

Brian Taylor (Newport Beach, California)

David Parnell (OW of 1941 to 1945) (David wrote this piece at the end of 2005)
This year we have been celebrating the end of the war 60 years ago. I too celebrated my leaving of the Cathedral School with a tinge of sadness as I had had four happy years there as a pupil, starting in 1941 when my family moved from near London. During the War years food was mainly on ration and at Wells one of my memories is of hunger and sneaking pieces of bread and margarine out of the dining rooms (forbidden) and toasting them on the boiler in the senior house just down the road from The Cedars on the left! Rather gritty I remember, but they tasted wonderful to our youthful palates. Another forbidden act was to sneak out of the senior house with a colleague and go to the bakers that was just in Thomas Street and buy a large lardy cake which would be brought back and devoured with relish in the basement wash-rooms: the colleague was to act as look-out in case any masters were coming back from the Cathedral! Thomas Street was strictly out of bounds as loose ladies were reputed to live there - but I never knew what a loose lady was until I started my apprenticeship in Bristol!
I came back to Wells on a sentimental journey some years ago, and also encompassed Shepton Mallet were my Father had his shop. All very changed: I was particularly surprised to see young beggars in the High Street and also at Glastonbury. However I noticed that my initials were still in the concrete wall topping on the left wall as you enter the senior house..... I remember doing this in 1941 when the original railings were cut down for the war effort. All these forbidden doings qualified for a visit to the Headmaster's study and a stinging "six of the best". I am glad to say I only suffered this once and I forget the crime - although I think it was for leaving a bottle of ink on the classroom floor. Prebendary Ritchie was very quick with the cane and I don't think I ever saw him smile!
My reason for writing (rambling!) is to ask if any one has the words for the School song which we always sung at the end of term? I well remember the tune and some of the words and when I was in Wells I visited my old family home, Bury Orchard, whose present owners' children also went to the Cathedral School and had heard of the song. I also have some photos from those days: the senior house in 1945, the Cadet force, Peace Day in Wells with the cadet band leading the parade etc. I can get copies of these if they are of interest.
Yours sincerely, David M Parnell