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Peter Wurzel
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Peter Wurzel
| House: |
Clive/Intermediate |
| Year: |
May 1950 - Aug 1954 |
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Memories of School:
Flakey's prowess with chalk, other than using it on the blackboard. He was a supreme thrower of chalk at boys in
6E who were not concentrating (me, because the maths was too hard!!) or chattering (among others me again!). He would
continue teaching having noted a sleepy boy, when suddenly the sleepy boy would be wide awake as the piece of chalk
came flying accurately at his face. Having hit the now wide-awake sleeper, Flakey continued teaching as if nothing had
happened.
My other recollection of 'Flakey' was the six I received in his office. It was all so informal; no lecture about
‘you naughty boy etc etc’, just bend over and here we are!! His always-red face did not belie any emotion,
perhaps a semblance of a wry smile if the receiver had been stoic?
'Flakey' lives in my memory, as I am sure he does in thousands of others.
Since leaving School:
After failing at Imperial College in London my father was so angry that he said "find your own way"; Which I did for
2 years in the coalmines of England in an aptly named colliery called ‘Blackhall’!
My father forgave me and then paid university fees in South Africa, much cheaper then UK.
After lecturing at the University of Nairobi I joined Sir Charles Perriera, a well-known Kenya researcher who
headed the Agricultural Research Council in Rhodesia.
From there to Harwell in the UK and Vienna as a Fellow of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
After a year overseas I returned to Rhodesia where I spent the next 21 years in nuclear hydrology research and
academia at the university of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
At the age of 42, I entered medical school and to everybody’s surprise not least mine, I managed to pass
(despite working part time and propping up the bottom of the class for all of 5 years!) and practiced medicine for a
few years.
A new career in UNICEF beckoned with postings to Pakistan and Mozambique before mandatory retirement in Spain,
Florida, Spain again and now Oz.
Since then I have been lucky enough to work as an international consultant to the UN in water and health programmes.
I now live in Cairns, Australia, happy as a lark, but unhappy at the ever-quickening pace of the ‘getting old’ syndrome!!
(Registered - 16th November 2007)
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If anyone wishes to contact Peter, please e-mail webmaster@oldcambrians.com
to obtain his contact details
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