Life as a Senior Prefect

“The trickiest morning of my term of office started with Roger Ellis (then Master) knocking on my door in the Porter’s Lodge to ask me if I knew anything about the 32 pound artillery gun that had been placed in the middle of Court pointing directly at C House or the banner made from a bed-sheet with the words “17 SAS” which had been hung high up the spire of Chapel and was far beyond the reach of the Estate Bursar’s team.

There were only two people to my knowledge with the ability to pick the lock on the gun garage, hot-wire the CCF Land Rover to tow it to Court and the mountaineering skills (and equipment) to climb the spire but I professed ignorance and the Master seemed happy not to find out and left with a twinkle in his eye. I am almost sure that the perpetrators offered to take the banner back down several days later as a selfless community act, which was gratefully accepted!”

By Charlie Duff (B2 1979-84)