It's a small world

13/11/2007

Jock Anderson (1961-64), perhaps better known to some at school as Russell Gray Reid Anderson, is a career journalist.

He is currently the editor of the new Truth and also operates the internet site – www.caseload.co.nz

Jock Anderson

Jock and fellow Old Boy Jim Mora (1967-71) addressed the latest gathering of the Auckland branch of the Old Boys’ Society earlier in the month at the University of Otago premises in the Queen City. Among Jock’s tales was this:

I made a day trip to Tirau (the corrugated iron and antiques township on Highway 1, south of Cambridge) the other weekend, just for a bit of a look around, grab a beer and generally be nosy.

My girlfriend and I were rummaging through some old stuff in an antique shop and I noticed a book case.

I looked through the books – several were about the West Coast – before coming on a copy – in near mint condition – of the Old Boys’ Centennial Register. It was a snip at $30.

When I got it home I found inside a handwritten note, on Otago High School Old Boys’ Society letterhead, from J.O. Lucas, Convenor of the Register Committee, dated March 4, 1963, urging the sending of a two pound cheque before the closing date of March 15 to ensure obtaining a copy. Mr Lucas had also sent a copy of a circular, dated September 6, 1962, explaining the many fascinating topics in the Register.

Unfortunately, I cannot decipher the name of the person Mr Lucas was writing to – it may have been a Mr or Miss Neale, or Nale, or a name like that.

The note shows that a cheque for two pounds and sixpence was sent on 6/3/63 to secure a copy of the Register, which I now have.

A small world.