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Interview with John Peel – 1970
John joined St David’s in grade 1, 1958 and was a day boy which meant he had more of a
family life and time with his brothers and sisters which he felt was important to him, although, if
he had been a boarder he would have been able to participate in more sport. On his first day he
recalled the smell of lead pencil and erasers shavings and sitting next to his friends Adrienne
Tygh and Antoinne Simaan.
The teachers he remembers are Brothers Anthony (Ounges), Andrew (Drac), Bosco (Boing) and
Br Sean in standard 6. He recalled being caught smoking on rugby tour twice by Drac; being
caught pinching orange juice out of the store room together with Willy Castle; being sent out and
standing in the corridor and hearing the click of “Ounges” fingers and “to my office boy”.
He really enjoyed the sport and was a member of the 1st rugby team, 1st cricket team, tennis
2nds, athletics team, golf and swimming. He entered into every heat to get out of school but
couldn’t swim a stroke. He was selected for the 1971 hockey, SADF; 1990 – 2005 Mpumalanga
Masters Hockey; 1974 Transvaal cricket; 1972 rugby U/20 Transvaal.
The friends he had and with who he is still in contact are Willy Castle, Keith Shaw, Dan Toner,
Phillip Karakashin, Errol Macaulay and Johnny Williams.
He recalls being a prefect and not particularly enjoying catching fellow smokers.
His last day he remembers sitting at the Rosebank Hotel (not in uniform) and having a beer.
On leaving school he went to Wits Technical College and Pretoria Technical College and is
currently employed as an ecologist.
John last visited the school in 2001
2010