Part of the physics course required that a project be undertaken. For most of the class this was comprised of a few elastic bands, a matchstick and an old cotton reel but Hector had an unusual ace up his sleeve... an interested parent!
This resulted in him bringing in a wind tunnel that Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds team would have been proud of. It was comprised of a clear perspex semi circle on a chipboard base with a series of torch bulbs down the two sides of the interior. Halfway down the tunnel was an airfix model of a jet fighter. At one end of the tunnel was an area made out of an old Virginia Tobacco tin without the lid, which was where whatever was going to be used to create the smoke was to be sited. At the other end was a battery operated fan which was to suck the smoke down the tunnel.
The teacher, whose name eludes me, gathered the class around his desk at the front of the classroom for what was to be a demonstration of what we could all achieve with a little application. The teacher sent Chris Wyamont to the playground to collect some leaves to burn to create the smoke. He returned and the leaves were placed in the receptical. Several attempts were made to ignite the leaves but due to their dampness no smoke appeared. Not to be defeated the teacher, egged on by the class, doused the leaves with methalated spirits. Cries of "Put more on than that Sir" only fanned the flames in more ways than one. After half of the bottle had gone on the leaves the class prepared for the big moment. The bulbs were turned on, the fan started, and the class huddled and jostled for a better position so that in the end the tunnel could hardly be seen in the melee.
As the burning match touched the leaves the bloody lot went whoosh!! The perspex started to melt because instead of smoke a bloody inferno was coming down the tunnel! The situation was rescued when a glass of water appeared from somewhere which worked a treat as now smoke was coming down the tunnel as planned. The class crowded still closer not wanting to miss the great event that had so far eluded them. As we all peered around crowded heads looking down as the smoke billowed through the tunnel over the model, suddenly some bastard's arm reached through the crowd, up the tunnel, grabbed the model and wrenched it from it's stand and in the blink of an eye it was gone!
To my knowledge it was never recovered. This story typified the physics class where anarchy ruled. Another teacher was put onto our case, a Mr. Gerrard, who came in breathing flames promising to change the world. I wonder where he is now? In Winic probably!
- Jeff Dale |
