Library & Archives Blog – The Viking: The County School Magazine 1916-1976 (now Caedmon College)

A while back, Janet, one of our amazing volunteers had pointed me in the direction of ‘The Viking’ magazines that lurk in a lower cabinet in case they were of interest for outreach sessions.

These magazines date from 1916-1976 publishing all sorts of articles, poems, stories written by students and school staff. Also, detailing students’ exam results and Higher Education/employment placements. I would think these would be interesting to read for anyone who attended the school and/or might have contributed to the magazines in the past.

In the first copy of the Magazine, dated December 1916, I have been reading the letter published written by the First Headmaster of the school applauding them on setting up the magazine from his military post in the Prisoner of War Section GHQ, 3^rd Echelon.

He writes, “’The Viking’ will, I hope, be the voice of a united and hard-working school. It will be a record of the chief events in your history, your growth in numbers, your successes in Examinations, your victories in the Games field, your Concerts and public performances, and the other incidents of your school life which you will like to recall when your schools days are over.”

Click on the link to listen to our ‘Talking Archives – The Viking’

https://redcircle.com/shows/24175188-fab1-4f63-91e1-e144e3064573 

The article ‘A Holiday in Germany’ peaked my interest in the 1939 publication when a three week exchange trip ‘was cut short’ due to the impending breakout of World War II. S Shirtliff had commented during a bike ride in Hamburg, “On one occasion I saw some Brownshirts, who were practising at throwing hand grenades, and who were having gas mask drills in a sports field.” Two weeks into the exchange the British Consul had advised the school group to return home – two-and-a-half-weeks later war broke out!

In the 1974/75 addition, I selected the article about the ‘Wembley ’75 Trip’. A busload of hockey-mad girls headed to Wembley on Saturday 8^th March to watch England win at Hockey – 2-0! This is a very entertaining article and it seems there was plenty of misdemeanours and mishaps! “Perhaps it was the rain, the excitement, or even the sheer immensity of the chanting crowds, but several members of the party managed to lose our bus!”

These magazines are amongst 88 available for the public to come and enjoy reading. The museum will be back open on Tuesday 6^th February.

Claire Marris Archive Development Officer

#archivesforall