[Duplicated First World War school magazine.] Our Own. The Magazine of Sidmouth St Boys' Demonstration School. Boys' Dept. HULL. [The first fourteen issues, including a 'Shakespere Tercentenary Number'.

Totalling 280pp., 8vo (each issue 20pp), with aditional grey card printed covers to issues 13 and 14. The first twelve issues are bound up, without covers, in a black leather half-binding with black cloth boards. As the covers are lacking it is only possible to date these issues from the gilt title on the spine: 'OUR OWN | 1913-6'. Ownership inscription on front free endpaper: 'Cecil Thom | 22 Nov. 1916.' (Henry E. Thom appears to have been a music teacher at the school.) Modern bookplate of John Gadd on front pastedown. Issues 13 (March 1917) and 14 (April 1919) are loosely inserted. All fourteen issues in good condition, on aged paper, and the binding of the first twelve issues good and tight. Excessively scarce, with no copy traced either on COPAC or on OCLC WorldCat. An attractive production, with the text handwritten, and the illustrations all line drawings. The first two pages of the first issue carry an editorial titled 'Our First Number', setting out the aims of the magazine. It begins: 'We have chosen the title "Our Own" for this little magazine which we hope to send out four or five times during the year, because we want it to be in time the actual work of the boys. | The first number is to a great extent the work of the teachers, but in this number you will doubtless read with pleasure an article by one of the scholars. | We shall print in future numbers anything of special interest to our boys and their parents. | We shall always be pleased to receive written matter, or humourous sketches from scholars in the school, or boys who have left us. [...]'. The magazine contains essays, poems (for example 'Obedience Rewarded. by Alan Balding (aged 10) Class 3.'), jokes, puzzles, examination results, reports of sports days and prize giving, regular features ('Odds and Ends', 'Nature Notes' by F. C. Bishop, 'Our Art Gallery' by H. Wilson, 'Science Notes' by 'F. O. Werner. B.Sc.'; 'The Puzzle-Box'). There are several referencces to football, beginning with a long report of 'Sidmouth St Football Club', and including a couple of 'Football Notes' (the first by 'Ern. Tindale (Captain)'). The eleventh issue is the 'Shakespere Tercentenary Number', with an editorial explaining that it 'will probably appeal more to our older boys, but we trust that even the youngest may find some thing of real interest to them.' The first feature in the issue is a two-page article by 'J. H. G.' titled 'The Shakespere Tercentenary'. The other two Shakespere article in the issue are a piece by H. E. Thom on 'Shakespere's Songs', and a page of 'Selections from Shakespere'. The first reference to the war is in the seventh issue, which is of a distinctly martial nature, with a full-page illustrated notice titled 'Our Word Our Bond. | Why we went to war.'; an article titled 'The National Songs of the Allies'; another article titled 'War Weapons'; 'With the Territorials' by F. Edmondson; 'A Conversation between a Belgian Boy & German Boy | (C. Richardson) Class 1'; 'Military Terms'; 'Deeds of Heroism', 'Our Indian Army' by 'J. L. G.'. Thereafter the war features regularly, with such articles as 'The Rises of the German Empire. Charles Richardson. Class I', '"V.C." Heroes of the War. W. Proctor (Class 2)' and 'Explosives' by 'F. O. Werner. B.Sc.' The twelfth issue carries 'A Message from the Trenches.', subtitled 'Mr. Bishop, one of our teachers, a lieutenant in the K.O.Y.L.T's, has sent the following message to the boys of our school. The words speak for themselves, and need no explanation.' Issue 13 carries a drawing of Lord Nelson by R. Clappison on the cover, captioned 'England expects' and 'Play up! Play up! Play the Game!' Issue 14 has an illustration of the school badge and the white dove of peace. The editorial begins: 'The last number of "Our Own' was published in March 1917. [...] By this time or vey shortly, we hope that Peace will have been officially declared.' The names of four 'boys of our own school, who have nobly died for God and their country' are given, including 'GEORGE JOHNSON, Torpedoed & drowned.' The editorial also contains the following: 'Our staff has greatly changed. Captain Bishop has been twice wounded, & is now taking a degree course, at Cambridge. | Mr Stevens, when last heard of was in hospital in Egypt. We welcome back after active service Mr Werner, Mr Watson, Mr Ward, & Mr Freeling.' The latter contributes a two-page illustrated article: 'My first Flight in an Aeroplane' by 'D. M. Freeling'. Among the other material in the magazine are the following contributions by pupils: 'My Sea-Voyage' by 'Cyril Death | Class V', 'An original hymn by Alan Balding (aged 8)', 'The Puzzle-Box' by 'Alan Balding. Class 1.', 'Our Excursion to Flanders' by 'W. Baron (Class 3)'; 'Sidney the Knight. By D. B. Jones (of the College)', 'Caught by the Tide. By H. Coates. Class III'; 'Our Holiday Camp. By Clive Gardam (Class I)'. Among the contributions by teachers are: 'School Songs & How to sing them. Hy E. Thom', 'The Blue Bird of Maeterlinck. Re-told by Miss Canham'; 'The Autobiography of an Old Slave. retold by Ernest Tindale (G.C.V.)', 'Photography for Boys' by J. Atkinson; 'Kitchen Joinery' by H. E. Spafford; 'To all parents who ask Why do we take Brushwork?' by H. Wilson; 'Moulds' by F. C. Bishop. The magazine also features these contributions by old boys: 'Now I have left School. from an old scholar Harold Morton'; 'Street Names & their Origin. By A. E. Cook (Old Scholar)'.