Rhubarb Issue 1

r h u b a r b

Teddies History of Rhubarb

r h u b a r b r h u b a r b

had decided their colours should be ‘brown, pink and green in vertical stripes’. Nevertheless, an early OSE Cricket XI picture circa 1900 shows a variety of blazers, with only the gentlemen sitting on the far right (The Reverend C. de Labat, 1883 - 1888) and standing second from the right (R.E. Neale, 1884 - 1888) probably wearing the Rhubarb Blazer. The rest are wearing a variety of club blazers – three may even be wearing their original SES cricket blazers. This might suggest that only certain OSE were permitted to wear the Rhubarb. The trail goes quiet until February 1928, when an article in the Chronicle revives the discussion. One OSE is cited as recalling that the Rhubarb ‘was limited to members of the School Cricket XI when they left’. Another OSE had a rather less distinct memory of a restriction to those asked to play for the Wanderers. It would seem that by 1895, the colours had passed beyond the range of

the Wanderers Cricket Club, ‘which by that time was hardly existent’. The 1928 article ends with a plea for any of the original members of those earlier years to come forward with information about who was an ‘OSE Colour’ and what restrictions there were at that time. However, the question of the OSE Colours was never answered, the death of Simeon having filled the Chronicles that followed. Certainly by 1900 the Rhubarb was synonymous with the OSE, and there are dinner menus in the Archives beautifully embossed and threaded with the Rhubarb colours. I have gone through all the Society minutes of those times and the subject of Rhubarb, and who was allowed to wear it, is never mentioned. It therefore appears that Rhubarb was chosen to be different and nothing more, something still very evident today! Chris Nathan ( G 1954 – 1957, Archivist) Two Rhubarb Movies 1. Rhubarb was a 1969 British short film written and directed by Eric Sykes, starring Sykes and Harry Secombe. The dialogue consisted entirely of repetitions of the word “rhubarb”, all the characters’ last names were “Rhubarb”, and even the license plates on vehicles were “RHU BARB”. A baby “spoke” by holding a sign with the word “Rhubarb” written on it. Rhubarb was a 1951 comedy “screwball-noir” film directed by Arthur Lubin starring Orangey the cat, Jan Sterling and Ray Milland. Orangey won Patsy Awards Picture Animal Top Star of the Year (the animal version of an Oscar) for his appearances in both Rhubarb and Breakfast at Tiffany’s , the only cat so far to win more than once. 2. Another movie entitled

OSE Wanderers Cricket XI c.1900

If anyone has any idea how the rhubarb “got its stripes”, please let us know. We will accept both serious (and seriously silly) explanations, for publication in the next magazine...

In the Chronicle of March 1885, there is a brief report about a meeting held at the school ‘to form an OSE Cricket Club for the next term’. A Captain and Secretary were elected, and ‘it was decided to have colours quite distinct from any of the School colours’. At this point, no decision was made as to what those colours should be. In May 1885 the Chronicle reports that the OSE Wanderers Cricket Club

Lost for Words Locate all the listed names and words in the wordsquare

Algernon simeon Apsley

Avenue beehive big school

bradley Chapel Christie Corfe Cowells Ferguson Field Fisher Frederick Fryer hobson hudson Kendall Kenneth grahame Macnamaras oakthorpe phillips segars sing tillys trotman

Two Rhubarb Songs by Johns

Rhubarb Tart by John Cleese of Monty Python

Rhubarb Pie by John Fogerty of Creedence-Clearwater-Revival

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