The Lower School (currently the Upper Junior School) had its own caretaker but in the early 1950s the role began to be described as that of porter. In the days when it was acceptable to name people based on their presumed national identity, “Jock” Cairns was appointed. He was a former Master-at-Arms and, as it emerged over the following 23 years, a jock of all trades. He had to be. 

The school magazine makes reference to him carrying out general building maintenance, marking out the playground for cycling proficiency tests, refereeing the Murfin Cup (for house soccer), judging the boxing competitions, sorting out the model railway club’s electrical problems, draining the swimming pool and running the tuck shop. During the Great Freeze of 1962-63, while retrieving a ball, his ladder gave way and he fell 17 feet onto a flat roof, an accident which left the tuck shop closed for two weeks. Three years later he was congratulated for arresting a burglar who was attempting to steal ten shillings and eleven pence (55p) from the tuck shop. He received armed back-up from Mr Verdon, who had a cricket bat. When it came to court the burglar’s defence was that he had drunk 15 pints of rough cider.  

In 1968, Mr Cairns heavy hand-bell was retired and replaced by an effortlessly activated button. The new-fangled “electrical system”, which marked the beginning and the end of each lesson throughout the school, saved Mr Cairns a lot of wrist-ache and shoe leather, but it wasn’t the same. When Mr Cairns retired fifteen years later it was estimated that he had rung the manual and electrical school bell some 66,240 times, made some 8,200 pots-of tea, rescued 749 tennis balls from the roofs and gutters, and dressed innumerable wounds.

The hard and essential work performed and goodwill displayed by support staff is not always given the recognition it deserves, but Mr Cairns' efforts were acknowledged on his retirement. "His contribution to the life of the school is not to be measured in cold facts and figures. He was the friend to countless new boys and the recipient of confidences which enabled him to steer many an incipient wrongdoer along the path of righteousness.”