Shame on you Ron Isaacs. Don't you know Dennis Bloodnock never rose above the rank of Major? What sort of credentials can you have as a Goon fanatic. The man would never have wanted to rub shoulders with the Colonels of this world. Bruce Donald PS You will be delighted to know that my girls in their teens are as addicted to the Goons as we are and when Neddy died they mourned with us until of course they read Secombe's own epitath for himself which was "He suffered fools gadly....because he was one!". John Butterworth writes: "This email suddenly triggered the remembrance of the true translation of the school motto:" Wink at those wot wink at you" (Vincit qui se vincit was the old Italian version...) And ,yes, it has been somewhat quiet on the PC screen recently...maybe time I and others did our biogs... Kind regards to all" Ron Isaacs writes: "Rod, The lack of e-mails is due to Falcon Feather Fatigue. possible causes are: a) you have been marked absent - a note is required b) all academics are always on sabbatical/strike/holiday c) you are not allowed sabbatical/strike/holiday d) corson is on strike. e) the threat of the publication of some more of our literary efforts has put a strain into the very fabric of cyberspace, f) we are saving the real reminiscences for the "actual" reunion g) our senior moments make our memories a little vague h) writers cramp i) writers block k) keyboard fatigue l) mouse click dementia m) sadness at the passing of Neddy Seagoon. During our years at NSBHS, I took inspiration from a spirit of irreverence that was literally in the air. It came to me especially in the form of the Goon show. Of course there was "Yes What" etc, and a whole raft of British comedy (especially the "Carry on" series etc). I suspect that in part we coped with institutionalism by making it look ridiculous (Murray Sime's exploits with Dim Jim is classic). What I find refreshing is that most of us who have joined the "virtual reunion" seem to have retained our sense of the ridiculous. Cheers, Ron Isaacs" and then Ron Isaacs added the following or re-wrote it and sent both, or is existing in two virtual realities which indeed was what Colonel Bloodknock was often referring to (before his time)...: "Re Wise on Corson etc. Rod is certainly correct - we were products of the time and our socio-economic environment. But I think it is more than that. The institutionalism and summary justice we encountered was also present in primary school. The recent horrific events of WW2 were heavy on the minds of our parents and our teachers. Their reaction, (when we made what appeared to be frivolous use of our freedom), seemed to be that we had somehow negated the sacrifices that had been made in ensuring Australia was a free country. We had not personally encountered the sacrifices, we were simply exploring the freedom. We were not unaware,- most of us were simply unaffected directly. The present and the future was what captured our attention. During our years at NSBHS, the times were in fact changing. A spirit of irreverence was literally in the air. I think it came to many of us in the form of the Goon show, "Yes What" etc, and a whole raft of british comedy (especially the "Carry on" series etc). We coped with institutionalism by making it look ridiculous (Murray Sime's exploits with Dim Jim is classic). We even got the US slant in the form of MAD magazine etc. What I find refreshing is that most of us who have joined the "virtual reunion" seem to have retained our sense of the ridiculous. If David Corson ever read the original cartoons by Ronald Searle which formed the St Trinians collection he would have seen therein the same Goonesque approach to institutionalism. I find it sad that he did not appreciate that the enthusiasm with which we recall our exploits arises because they represented a "victory" over the system, not a glorification of it. regards Ron Isaacs Our website is presently being launched... stay tuned Regards, Ron