Memories of my association with the school were rekindled browsing through The Story of the Cambridge Schools 1879-2004.

The book, written by a former headmaster, Tony Viljoen - he was headmaster from 1973 to 1992 - is superbly illustrated by photographs depicting the wide range of activities the three schools offer, particularly the high school. Many of the photographs are historic, covering historic hallmarks in the evolution of the three schools and historic moments, teachers and classes in the 125 years the book spans.

Chapters in this fascinating tome, another tribute to Tony Viljoen's devotion to the school where he was head boy in 1950, cover sport, other extramural activities, staff, parents, past pupils, the Spirit of Cambridge, Voices from the past, Cambridge High, Cambridge Junior and Cambridge Prep.

As a past chairman of the school committee - three of this Chiel's children matriculated at Cambridge High - I found the book incisive and insightful, while photographs of four personalities I spotted really intrigued me.

The first is of Howard Parker, head boy in 1944 looking very dapper in dress suit - I got to know Howard at the East London Golf Club.

Then there is the 1959 head boy, Brian Howard, who worked with me on the Dispatch years ago. Brian, in fact, ran what I consider was the best Umtata Bureau for the Dispatch of old. He produced highly readable, quality articles as the Transkei lurched towards Bantustan independence. His articles, too, were forthright and highly critical of the Matanzima brothers, Kaiser and George. The last time I bumped into Brian, just a couple of years back, he was working in New York.

There's a photograph, too, of Bob Lucas, who came into my life in the days when Lucas' Pharmacy was on the corner of Vincent and Frere roads, across the road from Abdo's Grocers. The grocer later became my father-in-law.

Pleased as Punch

AND then there's Max Schroeter, looking as pleased as Punch in a photograph of the 1943 prefects. I grew to know Max well in the days when I played first league rugby for Cambridge and Max (or Maxie as we called him) was one of those indispensable rugby committee members always hovering in the background, helping with kit, travelling arrangements or taking practices.

Another well-known East London educationist who gets a few mentions in the book is Ken Schaefer, since retired as headmaster of Selborne Primary.

In the chapter, Voices from the Past, Ken gives some of his recollections of his days at Cambridge, but the one that really caught me eye were the reminiscences of another man I grew to know well from my days as a member of the East London Rotary Club, 'Tubby' Grenfell.

Listen to 'Tubby's' reflections: "In those days (65 odd years ago) Cambridge was a separate municipality with its own town hall and council. It sported its own bioscope, the Tivoli, where the OK is now. Tickets cost a shilling for the best seats or sixpence for the front or back two rows. As it was just up Renfrew Street from where we lived, I spent many a sixpence there."

And this one: "One day, when we were particularly hard on Miss Peggy Williams, 'Skipper' Hart (the headmaster) suddenly entered the room and cured the problem with one cut each to 40 little behinds."

Then this: "The highlight of 1944 was when our 1st XV beat Selborne 6-3. Mr 'Woeps' Furter was so excited on Monday morning that we talked rugby instead of Afrikaans all period!"

Among the wealth of statistical detail given in various appendices at the end of the book, including guest speakers down the years, there is a surprising omission. Nowhere are the school's academic champions recorded, students awarded third, fourth and fifth aloes for academic excellence; students awarded cum laude (with distinction) honours; and then the most elite academic award made at the school, summa cum laude (with the highest distinction).

To earn a summa cum laude distinction you have to gain an 80 percent aggregate throughout the five years of your high school learning - and there are only 23 between 1956 and 2001.

May 21, 1954: The Chiel - An interesting commentary on South African ways of life is provided by the butter/margarine situation. In spite of the fact that butter is 3s 4d per pound, and margarine is 1s 10d per pound, sales of butter continue to increase and sales of margarine continue to decrease. Is it a question of merely the colour? If margarine were butter-coloured, instead of plain white, would there be more margarine bought, and less butter? Under present arrangements the amount of margarine produced in a year is limited to 18000000lb, by agreement between the Minister of Agriculture, and the Dairy Board. The six factories producing margarine have not yet needed to produce the maximum quantity. Last year the total production of margarine was 13000000lb. There seems to be a good case for allowing the factories to issue margarine in butter colours.

May 21, 1974: The Chiel - Sayings: Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important - John Ruskin, English writer and art critic (1819-1900).