<P> In September 1914 Cyril Connolly arrived at the school and formed a close friendship with Orwell . The First World War had just broken out, and Orwell's patriotic poem written at school was published in the Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard . The war made life difficult for the school--most of the teaching staff left to fight, although one staff member Charles Edgar Loseby, later a Labour MP, returned for a period while recovering from being gassed in the trenches . The First World War had a significant effect in other ways--there was the increasing roll call of old boys killed in the trenches, Mr Wilkes spent his summer holidays driving ambulances in France, the boys knitted and put on entertainments for the injured troops camped nearby, and food shortages made feeding a challenge . Classics was taught by Mr Wilkes, while the formidable Mrs Wilkes taught English, history and scripture . The long - serving deputy, Robert Sillar, taught geography, drawing, shooting and nature studies and was highly regarded in old boys' accounts . Outings on the South Downs were a regular part of school life, and Sillar led the boys on nature study expeditions . The school had instituted a Cadet Corps, in which Orwell was an active member . Orwell recalls stealing books off Connolly and Connolly describes how they reviewed each other's poetry . Cecil Beaton vaguely recalled working on the school's war - time allotments with Orwell . During his time at school, Orwell surreptitiously collected the saucy seaside postcards that were later to figure in his essay The Art of Donald McGill . </P> <P> In 1916 Orwell came second in the Harrow History Prize, had another poem published in the Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard, and with Connolly had his work praised by the external examiner Sir Charles Grant Robertson . In 1916 Orwell won a scholarship to Wellington College, a school with a military background appropriate for colonial service . Mr Wilkes also believed Orwell could win an Eton scholarship and would benefit from Eton College life and so he sat the Eton exam as well . Orwell headed the school prize list in 1916 with Classics, while Cyril Connolly won the English prize, Cecil Beaton won the drawing prize, Walter Christie won the history prize and Rupert Lonsdale won the scripture prize . Henry Longhurst, Lord Pollington and Lord Malden were among the winners of other class prizes . Other activities in which Orwell was involved included narrowly missing winning the diving competition, playing the part of Mr Jingles in the school play, and being commended as a useful member of the 1st XI cricket team . Although he had won an Eton scholarship, this was subject to a place becoming available . Instead of going to Wellington he stayed at St Cyprian's for an additional term in the hope that a place at Eton would materialise . As this had not happened by the end of term, he went on to Wellington in January . However, after he had been there for nine weeks, an Eton place became available, which Orwell took . </P> <P> On sending a version of the essay to Warburg, in May 1947, Orwell stated that he had written the "long autobiographical sketch" partly as a "sort of pendant" to the publication in 1938 of Enemies of Promise, an autobiographical work by Cyril Connolly, and at Connolly's request . Connolly, who had been Orwell's companion at St Cyprian's and later at Eton, had written an account of St Cyprian's which, though cynical, was fairly appreciative compared to Orwell's . In his letter to Warburg, Orwell wrote that he thought his essay "really too libellous to print", adding that it should be printed "when the people most concerned are dead". The libel report for Secker & Warburg, compiled after Orwell's death, judged that well over thirty paragraphs were defamatory . </P> <P> Sonia Orwell and Warburg both wanted to publish Such, Such Were the Joys immediately after Orwell's death, but Sir Richard Rees, who was Orwell's literary executor violently disagreed . He considered the work "grossly exaggerated, badly written, and likely to harm Orwell's reputation" and when Sonia insisted, he told her, "You're completely nutty about St Cyprian's". Thereafter, Rees had no further involvement in publishing decisions . In 1952, within two years of Orwell's death a version was published in the United States in the Partisan Review . In this version the school was referred to as "Crossgates" and the names of the headmaster and his wife altered to Mr and Mrs Simpson ("Sim" and his wife "Bingo"). Following Mrs Wilkes' death in 1967, "Such, Such Were the Joys" was published in the UK, but with only the name of the school and the proprietors in original form--the real names of his fellow pupils were still disguised . In the Completed Works edition (2000), the original text including all names has been restored . </P>

Such such were the joys and other essays