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Welcome to the Guestbook
Feel free to add messages relating to the site and the school. The only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).

It would be appreciated if you gave an email address, where you now live and said when you were at the school, but you don't have to.

Plase note that if you click on an email address below you will need to replace ~DOT~ with . and ~AT~ with @ in your email program. The Guestbook presents these this way to avoid email address harvesters collecting your email addresses from the page. I know it's a pain, but it's very much better than the alternative.

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There are 500 messages in the guestbook
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Viewing messages 151 to 160

alan wightman

I must act in haste, before it´s too late!

`It´s winter in Canada
And the gentle breezes
Blow thirty-five miles an hour
At thirty-five below in Victoria.
When the snow is up to your butt
And your brain gets frozen shut.
I could never leave Canada,
I´m frozen to the ground, O Canada!

`Sandancer´ `Geordieland´.

Thu 10-Feb-2022 09:11 - south Shields

Neale

Well done Alex! you seized the opportunity to shine. I knew that all those years spent in Montreal would pay off.
Actually my wiseacre Liz said "Why don't you go on line and look up the French version of "Oh Canada." And so I did and there it was, complete with English translation. I must say your effort was pretty close. It captured the Sturm und Drang of the original.
I hope that adding a few more lines here might eschew your foreboding that my one line effort heralded a descent into keyboard incompetence. Sometimes less is more. Cheers, Neale.

Thu 10-Feb-2022 03:50 - Vic BC.

Alex Patterson 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike,
In response to Neale’s challenge I decided to have a go at translating the first verse of the French version of our Canadian national anthem. I thought it was a useless exercise until I realized that the French and English versions of the first verse. are quite different. I never thought about doing it prior to this exercise. Why Alan thought that we Anglophones would be singing the French version is a puzzle. Anyhow…here goes.

Official French Version
O, Canada! terre de nos aieux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter lépee,
il sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une epopee
Des plus brilliants exploits
Et ta valeur, de foi trempee,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.

Unofficial Patterson translation
O Canada! Land of our forefathers,
Your forehead is covered with garlands of beautiful flowers.
 And because your arm knows how to wield a sword,
 It also knows how to carry a cross.
 Your history is a saga of brilliant adventures,
 And your courage is steeped in faith.
 Protect our homes and rights,
 Protect our homes and rights.

I hope this is satisfactory Neale, I'm happy to see that you're still capable at the keyboard and Mike, I hope that you're feeling better and have your power permanently restored.
Best wishes to all,
Alex (From a sunny and warm (+4C Toronto)

Wed 9-Feb-2022 18:36 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Neale

Thanks for the olive branch Alan but over to you Alex for a translation.

Mon 7-Feb-2022 19:42 - Vic BC.

alan wightman

Ca Va

Prayers for our school friends in Canada as the `Emergency ´enters 2nd. week.

O, Canada! terre de nos aieux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter lépee,
il sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une e´popee
Des plus brilliants exploits
Et ta valeur, de foi trempee,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits.

`Sandancer ´.

Mon 7-Feb-2022 09:44 - south Shields

Neale Backhouse | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Growing up in South Shields in the late forties,"Sandancer" was a rather derogatory term used to describe people of Arabian descent who lived in the Laygate area.I recall only one boy of such a descent, while Alex and I were at the High School. If I remember, his name was Harry Said and he was afforded special respect by all staff and students.

Sat 5-Feb-2022 23:53 - Victoria BC

Alex Patterson 1946-1951, VUA | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Eric,
So glad to see your back (Sorry, that should be "you're back") and that you and Doreen are both well. I was wondering about some of the other contributors, particularly the venerable Ed Forster from P.E.I. If anyone has heard from him please let us know and Ed, if you read this please drop us a line. It's good to see that Bruce and Neale are still writing although Neale's latest references to "Sandancer" has left me stumped.
I have been fighting "Wordle" for the last few mornings,
and I wondered if it is popular in England too. I feigned ignorance of the rules when challenging my descendants and pretended that the more green squares I had was a winning outcome and that "6/6" was a good score. It's fun to play particularly with competitive offspring like mine. Let's hear from you Ed and Mike take good care of yourself. Off to our nearby daughter's for Dinner.
Best wishes to all,
Alex

Fri 4-Feb-2022 22:45 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Eric Moyse | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com

Firstly, I am alive and well and still living with my dear wife Doreen in Reading. Sorry that I have not been contributing for a while but firstly commiserations to Mike re his heart attack and thanks to him for maintaining this fine website.
There are many matters being discussed currently but Alan Wightman's reference to a game played in the schoolyard interests me. We called it "Loppakitty" but a one-time work colleague of mine from North Shields insisted that it was "Mountacuddy." It featured in a book on children's games with various names being attibuted to it over the country. For some reason the nearest place calling it "Loppakitty" was Dunfermline! Some boys in our year played a jumping game called "Yards," which I never understood. Regards to all, especially our Canadian friends Neale and Alex.

Fri 4-Feb-2022 11:47 - Reading, Berkshire

alan wightman

Bonjour.

WCTAH TIHS SCAPE !

Sandancer. `Geordieland` England.

Tue 1-Feb-2022 09:19

Neale Backhouse | nealebackh~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Lighten up there Alan old boy. Espousing Dickensian wisdom is not going to change the world. There are no fair shares in this life. Never have been, nor will be.But keep up the good work.Keep smiling and enjoy yourself. Oh and bye the way "Sandancer" is starting to sound a bit racist these days. Cheers, Neale.

Sat 29-Jan-2022 15:58 - Victoria BC.

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