It came as a great blow to all in the Ayton School community when we heard the rumour that Stanley Jones, for ten years, woodwork and games master here, was leaving. At first many of us did not believe it, but, unhappily, the rumour proved to be true, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Roger and Nicholas, their two sons, departed in their gleaming new Morris Minor for Warrington, in Lancashire, Stanley Jones's home county, where, he says, against all denial, they play the best cricket.

Stanley Jones was undoubtedly one of the outstanding personalities of Ayton. He was greatly admired and respected by all the scholars. His fairness, his reasonable and good-tempered nature was envied, I am positive, by all the senior members of the community.

Myself, being a Swarthmorite and not a Firbanker, like Mr. Jones, I was often approached by Firbankers, small and large, who said, teasingly, "You would like Mr. Jones in your House, wouldn't you?" Naturally, I hotly denied this and said that Swarthmore could do quite well without him. But I had to admit that the house which had Mr. Jones was a lucky one.

Stanley Jones's cricket prowess was known to all, even to the frogs and fishes who inhabited "The Lake." Frequently, during the summer season, they have had their afternoon peace disturbed by a cricket ball crashing into the water beside them, a straight six from Stanley Jones's best bat. As Club XI. wicket-keeper, Stanley Jones had little to learn from even such a man as the renowned Godfrey Evans.

Few generations of the many who have passed through second game will forget Stanley Jones, who would suddenly, miraculously, obtain the ball, for a moment forgetting he was referee and would emulate his namesake, Matthews, with a brilliant burst down the wing, leaving a trail of battered, baffled, defeated, despairing small boys behind him.

I wonder how many of the people who read this will realise how often Stanley Jones came out on top of the annual tennis tournament. With his skilful and cunning placing of the ball he could have matched Jaroslav Drobny !

Of course, Stanley Jones was here primarily to teach woodwork and at this, without a doubt, he excelled. One would have to look a very long way indeed to find a better woodwork master. His interesting, thoughtful, witty lessons were enjoyed by all the boys, without exception. His precision in sawing, planing and chiseling is unequalled by anyone, even " The Mouse Man."

So far, I have only mentioned the more obvious ways in which Stanley Jones contributed to the life of the school. Not many people realise the tireless efforts that Stanley Jones put into equipping and arranging the new woodwork shop, turning it into one of the finest in the district, or the amount of work he put into the stage for the school play last term, or the deep-rooted sincerity - he put into his ministerial advices in morning assembly, which, although sometimes connected with woodwork or cricket, were, nevertheless, always thought provoking.

His clever, humorous sketches, with Clifford Morgan, in the staff " pops," left all the school, young and old, in fits of laughter.

To an outsider, the sadness of the loss of Stanley Jones cannot be felt fully. But I am sure everyone will join with me in wishing Mr. and Mrs. Jones and their family the very best of fortune in the future. He will no doubt, do a very good job of work as Assistant Headmaster of Chaigeley Manor, helping children who are not so fortunate as ourselves.

And, finally, I must quote a saying which has been quoted by many people, for many people, but no one deserves it more than Stanley Jones " Nothing but the best was good enough."

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