Tag Archives: Prep School

An Old Schoolboy

1943 to 1947 includes 5 years of my school life in Simla.   (Two years in Preparatory School in Chota Simla).   Now an Octogenarian does sum up many years ago.
Strangely enough its indelible imprint on my life leave clusters of fond memories.    Born a Christian of British parentage out in India I have always classed myself as Anglo-Indian.
However, after leaving India in 1956, on an Indian passport to go work for an American company in Iraq. I must begin to tell you the intrigue encounters of my national status. With the name Stringer, introduction to the many ex-pats was an amendment of the first degree to explain my clear English speaking accent.     Explaining my schooling up in the foothills of the Himalayas was at Bishop Cotton School, English founded educated discipline.
But in terror yet hilarious when Iraqi king & government was deposed by Col. Abdul Karim Kasim 1958 and I was detained at an internal checkpoint.      The bumbling guards could not make out from my documents if I was “Hollandee or Hindi.”

Moving on to London December 1958, the Cockney element could not tolerate my spoken English, by far, was clearer & well understood. How come life in old India was easier & better and the sun always shined!  Stone the crows what more could I say?

I seriously began to integrate me with England because of my family British background. Before career reassignments to Libya & Iran, I applied for a British passport and was denied.  Aware of my salary scale undervalued regardless of my well-advanced engineering skills drilling for groundwater.  I had to suffer, to teach drilling practice to other well-paid company fellows. Laughable to listen to some Americans sheer stupidly to ask if I was a US ‘Injun’. Including their wives, more so, taken with my quaint English accent coming from the East.

All throughout my working life and on holiday, countries around the Mediterranean I was forever accepted as local and treated with hospitable kindness.                                                     I say with pride my School motto “Overcome evil with Good” brought me safely where I am today.  You must be proud of dear Patina too.

Peter Stringer Lefroy

Letter from Peter Stringer

While I was Secretary of OCA (UK) for over 25 years, I regret now, for not being Internet connected. Slowly catching up with OCA web news I find to have lost opportunities to gather & exchange interesting contacts.

Now old news comments & views from Mike Weatherfeild who was a class mate, in Prep School – we called a ‘nib’ because he was so clever. Is he still around?
I also find – Sept2013- Geraldine Grimshaw whose father Douglas Horner (School Prefect ’44) mentions Douglas often recalls Whitty White & ‘Lumbo’ Peter Evans & the Willy Brothers. A direct ‘late’ response with regard to Lumbo Evans who often asked did I have any news or whereabouts of the aforementioned.

This may be of interest to some readers.

On invitation I often attended the very cordial Auckland House School London Reunions. Introduced to lady visiting from Australia, who at once informed me Peter Evans was her brother. Peter had moved to Holland after losing his wife, lived with his partner & Sheila would be visiting him before returning to AUZ. Peter wasted no time & was in touch with me.
He & Elisabeth came over & stayed with us & we exchanged many visits when he attended our London annual Reunions.

Sadly now Peter passed away 11 March 2012. Gay Niblett, Catherine & John Phillips, Arthur Jones & his daughter Julie, Maggie & I attend his funeral at Muiderberg.

I also have many interesting photographs – BCS connected if you might like to share

I shall be most obliged if you would be kind to post on the web.

Peter Stringer (Lefroy 1943-47)