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Gymnastics display - 1952/3
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Photogallery
Prince of Wales School Gymnastics display - 1952/3
Gymnastics display - possibly during the visit of Princess Elizabeth 1952, or Speech Day 1953?
(Johnny Riddell and a view from the Quad before the Chapel was built!)
Vladimir Zakian (Grigg 1950-1953) writes:
I was a member of the gymnastics team in the years 1952-53. The only display to the public was
on the occasion of the visit to the School by Princess Elizabeth about a week before her father
King George V died while she was still in Kenya. I think this was the year 1952 and it would not
be difficult to ascertain the precise date. This was perhaps the only Royal visit to the School
or even the whole country. The picture must have been taken by someone situated not far from the
Princess, the Duke and other VIPs.
The Princess' visit was preceded by weeks of exciting preparations involving the whole school,
including the brass band and the CCF. The gymnastics team perfected its display under the stern
but inspiring supervision of Johnny Riddell (he was reputed to have been in the Commandos during
the war but I think this may been a product of the boys' imagination - someone, perhaps Brian
Gemmell, can probably clarify this point) and the display went magnificently well (one of the
masters even took a 16mm movie). The picture contains a somewhat enigmatic part in the middle
front. This is me doing the 'crab' standing on all fours but with tummy pointing to sky and
the smallest member of the team doing a stand on my tummy but with his body bent in a right
angle at the hips, with legs parted in a V shape, so that his toes point towards the gym box.
Ah, the good old days. It was my moment of glory.
Photos by Ron Bullock
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