Dear King's Spirit

I've enjoyed reading & listening to King's Spirit, the Headmaster and the Chaplain.

I (Simon Fuller) was in Old House (Johnny Rees - House Master) 1964-68. My time at school was fun. A loyal gang of friends including, in my own House, Dave Hole (Vicar), Simon Ferris (Ding), John Newton (Newt) and Peter Matthews (Strawb); and outside the House, Paul Howell, Phil Gadenne, James Wills from Blackford; Harry Blenkinsop from Lyon. We went through school often playing in the same sports teams and in class together, but mostly just being friends. Our Headmaster, Roy Davy, taught us divinity occasionally. We were privileged to be taught history by Basil Wright and geomorphology by Andrew Leach. I have retained a serious interest in those subjects all my life.

My father, Bill Fuller, was in New House 1920-4. His headmaster was Charles Tremlett. He kept a diary from 1918 to 6 months before his death in 1994. The first diaries are a bit scrappy. He begins recording each day fully in about 1925/6. He describes K.S.B. with a plan of New House, notes on the changing, boot, dining, day, classrooms, dormitory, fagging, matron's room. He stayed good friends with Gollop after Bruton. He was at Trinity Hall where he took law and started the King's Bruton Cambridge Association with another OB, Synge. They would have dinners in one of their halls with formal menus. 

He was in Henn Collins' Chambers for a time but couldn't afford it for long and took a job at the Society of Authors for a couple of years returning to the Bar in 1936 to Denning's (later Lord) Chambers.  

My father never missed a day, but sadly, one diary went to the bottom, when the troop carrier he was anti-submarine officer on, was torpedoed in 1941, after a fierce battle. Revenge came in 1943 when 'Ping' as he was called, pinged on U124 for which he was awarded a DSC at Buckingham Palace.

I am busy transcribing his diaries as I write, his fast writing is almost illegible!!!

Keep well and best wishes to the community during these difficult times.

Simon