School Education
My
first School
Where do I start? Perhaps when I was four
and a half years old and starting my very first day at the local primary school
in Sussex, UK. My mother and I arrived in front of the large Victorian-gothic
portal on the south side of the sandstone building which was to be my place of
elementary learning from 1950-57. We were early and my apprehension increased
rapidly as the big wooden door swung open. Miss M., a short, cheerful woman
probably mid-50, greeted us. Soon, the other children began to arrive, and my
mother disappeared. A new chapter in my life had begun. There were two
classrooms made from one large area separated by a long wood and glass
partition. The infant's room was on the south side and the "big kid's”
room was to the north. Each had a large open coal fire for heating; later these
were augmented with cast-iron coke stoves which put out roasting heat when
fired up to a cherry-red glow. The walls were brick, painted green on the lower
half and cream on the upper. The South Down buses and the Southern Railway
shared the same scheme- I guess they had a limited repertoire of paint after
the war. There were railway type clocks, with of course roman numerals. In the
corner of the infant's room stood the ubiquitous abacus.
The very first lesson was a demonstration
of this device. I can still hear the clicks as Miss M. threw the coloured beads
from one side to the other while we drawled out the required chants of 2, 5,
10, 20 etc. Some of us could not count properly but we all went along with it.
In those days, most children only started to deal with letters and numbers when
they arrived at school. Now we have two-year-old kids working computers and
doing simple arithmetic. My three-and-a-half-year-old grandchild (now 19 since
this writing.) was attending a daycare which really resembles a primary
classroom but with considerable high-tech equipment thrown in.
One special feature of our classroom
deserves mention; around the walls on three sides there was a long frieze
depicting the letters of the alphabet and the "times tables" from 2
to 12. I had little idea on this first day that I would be, soon, regularly
stood in front of the class to recite all this material to expected perfection.
In the "Big Kids" room, the
decor was predominantly of maps, which were coloured, with lots of red areas.
The concept of the "Empire" had not yet fully given way to that of
the "Commonwealth" in many of these rural schools. The globe, gathering
dust on an upper shelf, was a neglected sepia brown with much of the text
faded. If it appeared on the "Antiques Road show", I would have
guessed it to be assessed late eighteenth century. After about 20 mins of
arriving we were all ushered into this other room for "assembly". The
head teacher enthusiastically thumped out "All Creatures Great and
Small" on the piano. New pupils all tried to mouth the words in an obvious
"out of sync " manner. This would happen every morning for the next
few years until my brain had the score indelibly imprinted. I recall her
classic hair style; she had a tightly arranged bun just above the back of her
neck. I had seen pictures of teachers in storybooks; and now here was the real
thing. I wondered whether she would be strict and how long it would be before I
became a "big kid" to sample her wrath.
The first two or three years drudged on.
There were sums, letters, and crafts. We were occasionally read to...I liked
that. The crafts sessions were good too; we would make muddy masterpieces with
powder paints, emulating Jackson Pollack Paintings with gluey hues carved and
daubed with our fingers and thumbs. There were the paper chains at Christmas;
made with painted newspaper strips and stuck together with corn flour glue.
They were quite ugly, but we always expected to take our designs home to adorn
our respective living rooms. Somehow, they seemed to be quickly replaced or
masked by the bright high-tech varieties from Woolworths; especially as ours kept
breaking due to the primitive glue we used.
In those grey, post war years, all of us
were taught to knit, sew, and become experts with dried grass, soaked cane or
leftover fabrics. I made trivets, trays, wooly balls, dishcloths, scarves, and
purses with cross stitch sides. All seemed to be destined for mum's Christmas
or birthday presents. Anyway, I began to appreciate these craft sessions as a
welcome relief from "sums" and writing. To graduate to the skills of
dividing four pounds nineteen and sixpence into seventeen pounds eleven and
nine pence did not really enthuse me.
We had a writing book and every day the
teacher would write a series of perfectly scripted letters at the top of a page
(later it would be a sentence). Our task was to copy this underneath ten to
twenty times for a reward of gold or silver stars. This did not make me yearn
to be an author.
My life long academic love was, then and
now, nature study. I took a degree in biology and am now retired after teaching
science for 34 years. Each day I could not wait for the time to go fishing,
collect bugs or hunt for fossils. Our surrounding countryside abounded with
opportunities in this regard.
Punishments were invariably physical. We
would be stood in the corner for talking out of turn. This was only deemed
effective if you cried or your legs went into cramps. You might pee but the
outcome was risky. Slaps on the back of the legs were dished out regularly for
disturbing others and mouths were washed out with carbolic green soap for
swearing. A cane stroke or two was administered for more serious offences but
only later when we had a Headmaster. He once even smashed my head against a
brick wall. Mum was not too happy about this, but I probably did something to
upset him; exactly what, I cannot recall.
Eventually the great day arrived when some
of us would be deemed fit to move to the "Big Kids" room. There would
be tears from those that did not make it, and a mixture of smugness and
suppressed terror from those who did. Buddies would be sadly separated; and the
familiar smelling, uniquely marked desks would be left forever. The
head-lowered shuffle began as we moved through the door in the partition into
unknown territory. We were thoroughly scrutinized by all the residents as we
meekly took our seats in the bottom standard of the class. The desks were
double and looked incredibly old. Eons of ink stains decorated each folding
top. Each had its own inkwell filled with a liquid made of dark blue powder and
water. Soon we would become experts in its manufacture. Our writing implements
were crudely-nibbed pens with stained wooden dowel shaped bodies, they had to
be carefully dipped into the wells and tapped to remove excess ink. This was a
skill to avoid any smudging that could have very unfortunate consequences.
These pens were great darts for target practice; both on inanimate objects and
one’s enemy of the day. The supply of new nibs was erratic, so this activity
was to be done on special occasions. We all soon learned the routine. There
would be "Ink Monitors", "Lunch Monitors" and "Milk
Monitors". The latter would be the best, because this meant time off at
the end of the arithmetic session before break. Also, there were no special
skills required for this position; except to be as slow at it as possible
without arousing suspicion.
There was another room off the west side
of this classroom which was used for reading periods and dentist's visits. The
periodic arrival of the school dentist put fear into all of us in the early
'50's. There were no high-speed water-cooled drills and an infected tooth, with
caries beyond a pinprick, seemed to be destined for extraction under the
influence of "Laughing Gas". Instruments were sterilized with hot
alcohol that gave us all an olfactorily confirmation of the events proceeding
in the next room. The drill was positively primitive; it was run by a treadle,
turning the bit incredibly slowly. As it performed its tedious task, one could
smell the friction-heated dentine that must have been smoldering in the cavity.
The trick was to squeal prematurely so that the operator's nervous system would
have time to stop the treadle to save serious damage. I do not exaggerate; I
hated these treatments. It is only my grateful recent experience of wonderful
technologic advances which has allowed me to mildly enjoy my dental maintenance
sessions today.
School lunches ('Dinners") were
memorable. They were subsidized; parents paid a nominal fee and the rest was
paid for by the local education authority. The result of this was that there
were no frills. From a diet point of view, they were adequate but that is as
far as it went. I recall specifically: Fatty, cubed tough beef, Belgian
horsemeat, undercooked mashed potatoes, suet pudding with syrup, tapioca, and
bowls of semolina. I knew some of the cooks and their skills and understand
their frustration in having to cope with often-inadequate supplies and
preparation time. I hope the situation is much better now.
We did not have a spectacular playground.
In my first few years it was leveled sand which measured about a quarter of an
acre; this is not vast. Our toilets were outside but flushing. Vigilance in the
winter was necessary to avoid freezing. A brick wall enclosed the stalls and
there was a divider to separate the girls from the boy's section. I remember
that we used try to pee over the wall into the girl's area. The successful
candidate was rewarded by hysterical screams. I have to say that this activity
did not occur very often as the ensuing investigation was naturally exhaustive
and usually came up with a culprit. There was no such thing as a " code of
silence" amongst us little people. I do, with shame, recall telling on
some poor boy for supposedly tampering with some building materials. He got the
cane in front of us all but was quite innocent of the charge. I just did not
like him. I have to say that I suffered several similar injustices, throughout
my time at the school, and so claim some degree of forgiveness.
Even at an early age at this school, there
were "love matches": Most of the time it was expressed by sending
notes and verbal messages followed by a few days of holding hands. There might
have been a walk home through the "common" after school.
As time went on in this "senior"
room studies became more and more serious as we neared the impending
"Eleven Plus Examination". However, there was a twist. Close to the
time of the examinations we were given several "Dry Runs". I had
contracted measles in the middle of this and, on my return, I was given an
examination that I thought was another dry run. I was wrong; it was the real
thing! My headmaster nearly had a seizure when I told him that I did not feel
like doing the last two questions, exclaiming, "it wasn't the real exam
anyway!" Frantic letters were written to various people higher up in the
system and the result was that I did get into grammar school. Fortunately, I
was able to prove my worth later.
I have to say that I owe much to the
diligence and continuing patience of the headmaster for believing in my abilities,
modest though they are, and helping me further my studies. Perhaps he did
really knock some sense into me against that green classroom wall. Of course,
as a teacher myself, I am fully aware that any kind of corporal punishment is
not tolerated today in schools.
Times were different then and I guess we
just went with the flow. The headmaster did so many good things for the school.
The dip-pens were banished. Attendance was increased to over 95% average,
crossing attendants were instigated and the general academic standards were
improved tremendously. In short, he took the school out of the dark ages and
laid the foundations of what this school apparently is today.
Midhurst Grammar School 1957-64
As a continuation of my story after I left
my Primary School, we go to Midhurst Grammar School.
Please be aware that a large proportion of
these notes are ‘Boarder’ based. This is not how it should be. I am sorry here,
but I was a Boarder!
If any of you were day students, please
either PM me with your recollections or clearly submit them to this FB site
with a label “for addition to Dave Colwell’s document” and I will include them.
If you do not do either, then your precious memories could fade away as you get
older 😊
Soon all will fade for me too!
First, I was given an interview which was
arranged between my primary school head and the Grammar School. I arrived with
my mother and was directed to a small room where I waited to be called. The
first person to see was the headmaster, Mr. N.B.C. Lucas. I had to read a
passage from H.G. Well’s “War of the Worlds” and then answer some comprehension
questions…no problem here.
Moving on to the next: Another person, Mr.
X, who asked me some mixed fraction questions…a bit of a problem here…a combo
of nerves and a slight lack of expertise in math.
The third person: a Mr. Gordon who was
interested in my general interests…great! Here I could shine. I was passionate
about nature and general biology. He had to listen to a long discourse on the
life cycle of the Atlantic eel and various other gems of freshwater biology.
So, I succeeded in being accepted. On to
September 1957 for the first term of my secondary school experience.
Year
one and notes on junior high school.
Under instructions from the school all
necessary clothes and sundry items were purchased and those that needed them
were marked with Cash’s name tape. They were packed in a trunk and sent to the
school. I would soon be on my way.
My mother and I arrived at the door of,
yet another Victorian-Gothic style build called Capron House. It was a
beautiful building with some History which was to be revealed later. We rung
and the door swung open with a warm welcome from a Miss Doreen Basset, the Housekeeper
and Matron with whom we would all get to know well…! I later learned that she
was the daughter of a policeman which, in retrospect, did fit the role which
she demonstrated over the years. Doreen was a caring, hardworking person but,
at the time, many of us felt a little differently. A person in her position had
to be tough to deal with a house full of adolescent boys. I said goodbye to my
mother and followed this lady meekly up the very imposing stairs to my first
dormitory, ‘Babylon’. I would soon learn that all the ‘Dorms’ were named after
Greco-Roman Cities. This first name was appropriate considering that I was in
the youngest year. There were 12 beds in this room, and I was duly assigned one
and given a string of information deemed necessary at this early stage. I would
try to remember as much as possible about bed making protocols and general
expectations. Supper was scheduled for 7pm but I recall having a brief
orientation meeting with my new ‘Dorm. Mates’ before that time. Since I had
arrived in the afternoon, I certainly had time to stroll around the grounds of
the school and become acquainted with a few of the new boys.
The Dining Room consisted of long heavy
oak tables flanked by equally substantial benches, sufficient to accommodate
approximately 60 boys. We were all welcomed by the House Master, Mr. Colin
Beacham. An alphabetical role call was made followed by grace given by the ‘Head
of House Prefect’… “Benedictus Benedicat, Per Jesum Christum Dominum Nostrum.
Amen”. Something I will never forget. Supper: Baked beans and mashed potatoes followed
by a traditional desert… exactly what? I cannot recall, but not haute cuisine!
My recollection is that bedtimes ranged
from 9:00 o'clock through 10:00 pm. The first night was interesting. We all had
to wear pyjamas and traverse the Oak Hall which was at the top of the stairs in
the main foyer of Capron House to the washrooms. Each of us had to have a
sponge bag with toothbrush toothpaste etc. and a towel. The stairs, flooring and banisters were of high-quality
oak and the whole area smelled of polish. One of the other features of this
hall were the stain glass windows which commemorated historical events and
important people, such as Richard Cobden of the 19th. Century Corn Laws
association; a former pupil of MGS.
When we got to bed there was quite a
considerable amount of conversation, as you can imagine on the first night. There
were a couple of second year students in the dormitory with us and they
explained things which they had experienced and more. One of them told stories
about a supposed ghost in the swimming pool. Some were taken in by this but
soon learned to be more wary. We looked forward with a degree of apprehension
about the coming first day at school. The beds were considerably basic, had
adequate blankets but everyone had to have their own ‘travelling rug’ as a
back-up for those chillier nights in the upcoming winter months. Patterns could
be chosen but most were some form of tartan. I still have mine after sixty
years!
In this dormitory we were arisen at 7:15
to the sound of a large brass bell welded by a prefect. If you did not respond,
then your bed could be quickly stripped exposing you to the cool morning air.
However, on this first morning we were all expectant of the coming events of
the day and dutifully trekked off to the washrooms in ‘short order’. Our new
beds were made, and we went down to breakfast after polishing our shoes. It was usually heavy porridge or cereal
followed by a savory of eggs/spam etc. I should mention that the shoe polishing
was considered important and involved an inspection by a designated prefect. If
unsatisfactory you could be sent out of breakfast to repeat the ritual. Also,
any behavioral infractions, including a discovered poorly made bed, could
result in the same
Soon we would be walking to assembly in
the school gym. This would involve announcements, a prayer, and a hymn. Of
course, we would all be in our uniforms as described in the school prospectus.
All of this would be before school started at 9:00 am. I cannot remember
clearly but I assume that on this 1st. day we had a designated guide
to direct us to the right places at the right times.
Next stop…our classroom. In this school we
mostly remained in our Form Room and the teachers came to us for our various
classes. Exceptions would be for specific courses which involved lab work, like
in science or home economics.
My 1st. Form Room was room 7 (see school
map. Hopefully, I have it as accurate as I can remember after more than sixty
years!). The form master was Mr. Serraillier who was also to be our
English Teacher. He was a renowned author and children’s broadcaster. He wrote
a wonderful novel called the “Silver Sword”; a family story set in WW2, a kind,
caring gentleman. He had 2 daughters and a son. The one I knew very well was
Helen because she was in my class for at least three years.
Room 7 was right at the end of a long
corridor in the most northerly, older, wing of the School. There were nine
rooms in this wing. The more senior pupils occupied the rooms with lower
numbers. The fifth forms would be in rooms 1-3 with everyone else in between.
The sixth forms were in another part of the school. The 1st. form
occupied two rooms 7 and 8. On this 1st. day we were issued our timetables
and then our required textbooks etc. as the various lessons unfolded during
these beginning days. Each day also had a dreaded prep timetable. There were
usually 3 subject slots for each day. Some teachers were more demanding of our
time than others. However, generally things were fair. Subjects on the schedule
were: English, French, Maths, Science, Latin, History, Geography, Art,
Religious Instruction and P.E. Science would later be divided into Physics,
Chemistry and Biology. I am not sure how Domestic Science came into it, but
this was for the girls. When I entered the school there were girls only in the
first two forms. I do not think there were woodwork or metalwork classes…a pity
really. Specific instruction for Ordinary Level (a.k.a. ‘O’ levels) really
began in the fourth form. After the first year there would be divisions or
‘sets’ for Latin and Maths; why not French I am not sure. There was no Greek or
German and Spanish was only offered for ‘O’ level.
In the next few pages, I will take each
subject and make some anecdotal comments on highlights of the lessons and the
teachers. I will not be disparaging but I will comment on some humorous
incidents. Not all my teachers will be remembered and the forms which they
taught may not be exact, but I will give you a flavour.
English:
We had Ian Serrallier, Ms. Rickets and
John Hearne. Ms. Rickets was fun. We used to argue with her about syntax,
sometimes with ‘tongue in cheek’ and she would get very flustered. She used to
give us essays which were critically marked, her standards were high. John
Hearne was a renowned author and came from the Caribbean. He was of mixed
descent, had red hair and a strong accent. He was an interesting person with
lots of stories. He used to read to us and make the lessons exciting. His
injection of a Central and North American flavour was stimulating.
French:
The 1st. teacher was Ms.
Horlick. She was a kind person but sometimes had difficulty with some of our
more mischievous pupils. Some would play cruel jokes on her. However, she was,
besides this, a satisfactory teacher who knew her subject well. In the second
and third forms we would have Mr. Douglas who was a kind generous person. He
was very fond of serious music and used to give record concerts in his flat to
interested boarder pupils. I was fortunate enough to go on a trip with him and
another teacher, Mr. Charles Stuck, in 1959 to Switzerland. He was a prisoner of
war in Burma after the Japanese invaded Singapore and he had many stories to
tell of that harrowing experience. He told us of turning a record on the
turntable by using a pencil fixed to a hole in the disk at approximately the
right speed…of course, they had no other means to do this. There was no wind-up
mechanism and certainly no electricity. I really liked French and still do like
to practice it whenever possible. Some of our class developed good accents…I recall
Helen Serrallier being excellent even in those earlier years. In those days
French was taught with Grammar first and speaking later. Now it seems to be the
other way around. I am still glad that I had a good grounding in the syntax
because it has helped with other modern languages. Some might disagree.
Maths:
We had Mr. Harris. A strict teacher with a
short temper. Anyone who got out of line suffered some harsh punishment, even
of a physical nature. He was soon ‘promoted’ to another school. Enough said!
Mr. Croft was very pleasant and was well liked. We did have Mr. Jackson
(‘Jacko’) for a while in the early forms and certainly later in year four. Maths
is what it is and largely based on homework and corrections. Most textbooks are
self-explanatory. Mr. Jackson had an interesting style with Geometry. He would
often play ‘dumb’ when it came to solving geometry theorems, proofs, finding
angles etc. Pupils would feel pride at ‘helping him out’. This worked very
well. None of us liked logarithms and associated questions given for homework.
Now things are quite different, and the tables have long been put aside. I
enjoyed algebra and trigonometry. I still see a purpose in it, even for those
who are not pure mathematicians.
Science:
Well, my favourite. I excelled in all
branches during junior high school and progressed to Uni. to become a
science/biology teacher. We remember ‘Rocky’ Hill, Hector Canning, Allen Mason,
Isobel Launder, Mr. Mills etc. Another Mr. Mason, the Geography teacher also
‘dabbled’ in Science, but it really was not his subject. He taught us science
in 1st. form but…...! However, he was an expert beekeeper and that
was his best lesson in my first year. Anyway, he did give me 110% in my science
exam at the end of that year. He had a moustache and we called him “Wally”, a
kind, personable man. On a light note: None of us will ever forget the sodium
experiment. He put a large lump of it in a pneumatic trough of water and we all
watched it scoot around until it exploded with a large BANG driving the newly
formed sodium hydroxide up to the ceiling. This was a successful teaching aid
both in science and in safety! His moustache twitched in time with his
characteristic nervous coughs. In all fairness, there is, likely, not a science
student on this planet who has not seen their science teacher perform this
‘folly’ of an experiment. Probably things are set up a little safer nowadays
with all the latest safety measures in place. Rocky Hill had a wonderful dry
sense of humour and was a great teacher. Hector Canning was legendary. I will
come to him later. Isobel Launder deserves a special chapter since she was my
lifelong inspiration for Botany. Allen Mason taught us Zoology but only in
sixth form. I had Mr. Mills for ‘O’ level biology. I do remember him,
painfully, rapping me on the head with his knuckles as a corrective remedy for
my errant behaviour; probably well-deserved, as he was a good teacher.
Latin:
Hey, this is now becoming ‘Old Hat’. What
schools do Latin, other than the old established Public (Private) Schools like
Eaton, Harrow, Winchester etc.? My experience of it was bittersweet. I did not
enjoy it, but I am glad I took it because it did give a basis for other Latin
languages. I achieved the top set…big deal! The cruncher was in fourth year for
‘O’ level. We had Ovid’s poems imposed upon us instead of a set book. I could
never translate those obscure sentences. I was simply lost. I failed Latin ‘O’
Level. My regret has long since faded!
My Latin teacher in Junior High was a Mr.
Kelly. When he was angry or in a punitive mood he would say “I see, I see” …not
listening but repeating these words. He also used to report on any activity
that he observed boarders doing that could be remotely clandestine. Very
annoying to us all! Like hitchhiking to Chichester etc. I do not think he was a
happy man.
Now
there was another Latin teacher of much more colour. He was a Welshman called
Sam Shirley. This man coined some wonderful quotes: “Boyo, if you don’t learn
your Kennedy verbs, you have as much chance of passing the exam as my arse is
cracking walnuts” ...in a rich Welsh accent. I did not have him in junior high,
but I could have…a pity! I remember in fourth year Mr. Jones asking our class
to repeat a test result. One pupil blurted out 1/10. The reply was “One whole
mark Jack!” He loved to belittle his students…some are like that, I guess.
Anyway, all is passed under the bridge for Latin. My one enjoyment was being
able to read “De Bello Gallico” by Julius Caesar in Latin and be able to
understand it.
History:
Now there was a teacher, Mr. Peter Stempson.
He could talk with us spell-bound for an hour. We would take rough notes. He
would the ask us (for homework) to synthesize, in essay form, what he had said.
We each had a notebook to record the key points of the lesson. It was the
Stuart period. I learned so much of basic parliamentary history with him. He
was a great tennis player and well-remembered. Yes, he had a traditional style,
but it is all in the delivery. A quirk, he used to flick his nose periodically with
his forefinger.
Geography:
This was not offered until fourth year for
‘O’level. Mr. ‘Wally’ Mason was the teacher. He had a unique style.
He would prepare colourful detailed maps
of a country before class on the blackboard. And then he would talk about it
for five to ten minutes. We would be asked to copy it. Meanwhile he would spend
his time with other business while we did this.
He had many idiosyncrasies. So, we
adapted. Concocted a game and we called it “Geography Cricket”.
There was a score sheet, and each idiosyncrasy
was worth several runs. For instance, a scratch on the cheek could be 1 run,
one on the nose 2 runs, a cough 3, a picked nose 6 etc. We had a whole
repertoire. The room was divided into two teams and we played cricket. There
were muffled cheers and “howzats?!” I guess this is what immature students do
when they are bored while their teacher is reading his newspaper. This was, of
course, a childish prank from a group of immature adolescents. Fortunately, he
knew nothing about it and went home happy! I passed Geography and so did
everyone else! Style is everything!
Art:
My art teacher in the early years was a
‘Bogie’ Bennet. He used to drive a Bubble Car. These were fashionable in the
late 50’s. There was even a pop song featuring them. A traditional teacher, no
frills. He gave you a sheet of paper and you painted a picture. The best ones
were praised, others not commented on much. I enjoyed painting and did get some
good comments from time to time. We did no sculpture and no other techniques or
media were provided.
R.I:
This was not religious at all. Colin
Beacham used to come in and chat to us. A bit of philosophy and general topics.
Not much to comment on here. Colin was a young popular house master who love to
drive sports cars. During my stay he had an MG roadster, and an MGa. Sometimes
we were puzzled as to what he thought about a given situation or what was his
real mood at the time…some nicknamed him “Phoney”.
P.E.
The head of the P.E. Dept. was Ken Allport.
There was Soccer, Rugby, Grass Hockey in the winter months with Tennis, Cricket
and Stool Ball (an old Sussex game) in the summer. We also had Basketball
indoors and the girls had Netball. Occasionally we played rounders (a sort of
watered-down Baseball). Of course, there were athletics for the spring and
summer. There also were a variety of ‘circuit’ exercises in the gymnasium. I
did not play on a school team until third form when I took up Rugby with
enthusiasm in the Colts. XV…this would lead on to me being captain of the 1st.
XV in the sixth form; fond memories.
I should say that we did have an outdoor
swimming pool which was NOT heated. The water was the clearest after being
newly filled but it was about 45 degrees F. The clarity of the water descended
to pea green as it warmed to almost a tolerable level. The filtration system
and chemical treatment was not the best. This pool was much used by the
Boarders; but then they were tougher, right? At some stage we would have a
swimming gala which was really a competition between the boarders and the day
school. Despite the disparity in numbers we usually won!
Such was the framework of the day school
at M.G.S. The ultimate goals were to get as many ‘O’ Levels as possible, move
on to the sixth form to do 2-3 more years culminating in 3-4 ‘A’-Levels. Many
would also add scholarship to embellish their records prior to University
entrance.
I skipped fifth form because I achieved
high enough marks in third form to be included in fourth year ‘Remove’. This
was an accelerated bridge to the sixth form. It was a small class and we got what
was considered more selected teachers; at least it seemed that way for the most
part. I am not quite sure that it was the best for me, but it did enable me to
easily spend three years doing my ‘A’ Levels etc. Midhurst was more ‘geared’
towards the arts rather than science, so it was not surprising that we got good
language teachers. Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Canning were both excellent; though I
did not take ‘O’ Level Spanish, sadly. I will not record my marks for ‘O’ Level,
but they were sufficient for me to enter the next phase; sixth form. We will
return to that later.
(A quick note on Meals: In the
beginning of my time at the school all boarders ate all their meals in the
boarding house dining room and the day pupils ate lunch at the town library in
two sittings. In the last two years or so a new dining area was built next to
the school gymnasium and tennis courts on Lambert’s lane. The boarders ate in
this building too).
But, for now, we will go back to the
boarding house and include various anecdotal social comments.
School ended at four pm. The boarders were
served tea, white bread, and jam prior to the prep bell ringing at 5:00. We all
headed for the classrooms for this and the sessions were supervised by prefects
on duty. Juniors had 1-2 hours and sixth forms had 3. Strict silence was
observed. Supper was from 7-8 and the sixth formers had an extra hour to make
up their 3 after this. We were all free after this. So, there was plenty to
occupy us. We had 3 common rooms in which to play games, listen to the radio
and in later years a TV. In good weather we had a nice lawn outside one of the
common rooms on which we could play our own concocted games like ‘Bunker
barrel’, ‘British Bulldog’ and other team games. Many will remember these with
nostalgic affection. The house was three stories high with 9 dormitories:
Babylon, Rome, Sparta, Carthage, Alexandra, Thebes, Corinth, Troy,
Athens; in order of seniority. Athens was for prefects and was divided into
cubicles. Corinth was soon converted into a prefect’s common room. That is how
it was arranged when I was in the sixth form. There were two Housemaster’s
rooms, a Matron’s room, and a surgery. There were two boot rooms, a clothes
storage room, and a boiler room. There was a large downstairs washroom in
addition to the two upstairs ones and at least 3 toilets. There were several
baths. Gym kit was stored in designated wire cages. Our trunks were stored
under the stairs in the oak hall. Attached to the boarding house was a
substantial library above two sixth form classrooms. Boarders had the run of
all classrooms except labs and the 1947 block where the school staffroom was
situated. There was also a locker room. Each member had his own key. Books,
personal items etc. were kept here. Some had tuck boxes in addition in which to
store food items sent by their parents. Sometimes this created jealous reaction
on the part of those who did not have these boxes. The demography of the
boarding house was quite diverse. Many had ‘well-heeled’ family backgrounds and
others not so. Many had professional parents who lived and worked overseas and
sent their children to boarding schools such as this. They would go ‘home’
during the vacations to places like Singapore, Nigeria etc. Mr. Lucas, our
headmaster would ‘collect’ his boys from all walks of life and social
backgrounds. Many with serious to minor family issues. It was his quest to mix
them up and help them adjust to society. It was like a kind of ‘sociological
bootcamp’. For the most part I really think it worked. At least, I am sure it
did in my case; but I will elaborate on that later.
As a little bit of History of the school
here is this:
(A
school was founded in Midhurst for poor boys in 1672 by local businessman
Gilbert Hannam. Initially a school for just 12 pupils, it
has varied in size over its 300-year history. The buildings were extended in
1821, but fell into disrepair, with the school closing in 1859. It was
re-opened in 1880 as a boys' day and boarding grammar school. By 1944 it was
classified as a Voluntary Controlled school, run by West Sussex County
Council. Later, in 1956 the school
became a mixed school, accepting girls for the first time. Falling pupil
numbers, and the opening of the new Herbert Shiner secondary school in Petworth
meant that in 1966 the school
merged with the then Midhurst County Secondary School to form a comprehensive, while retaining the historic name.
Shortly after this in 1970 local re-organization saw the school
change to become an upper
school accepting pupils at
age 13 (rather than 11). Younger pupils attended either
Midhurst Intermediate School or
the Herbert Shiner School in Petworth. Proposals were brought forward by the Local Education
Authority in 2002 to revert to a
two-tier structure in the area, which would have seen the Grammar School become
an 11-18 school once again. However, this was opposed by the local community.
The school then soon became an Academy, lost its uniform and name. Now it no longer functions as a school,
many of the buildings have been replaced.)
Midhurst Grammar
School alumni are known as 'Old Midhurstians', including:
·
Sam
Callis - Actor
·
Field
Marshall Sir Frederick Haines - British and Madras Army officer
·
Peter Jerrome - historian
·
Dan Pearson - Garden
designer/ TV presenter / columnist
·
Mick
Robertson - Children's TV Presenter
·
Nick
Talbot FRS, Molecular geneticist
As mentioned before; on Saturday morning
we had activities which you could sign up for. We had art, aircraft modelling,
some indoor sports etc. They liked to keep everyone as occupied as possible. I
seemed to recall it, maybe, not have been compulsory. My memory fails me a
little on this; perhaps someone will help me out here.
I have mentioned church, Sunday letter
writing etc. Most of us had minimal pocket money to spend but many had bikes,
and a few went fishing in the local river for trout and some course fish like
pike, carp etc. A Michael O’Brian was a keen expert who introduced me to trout
in Cowdray’s river rother. If we caught anything, it was customary to donate
the catch to Colin Beacham, the senior house master. He may or may not have
shared with other staff members. Anyway, there was no point in us keeping them
because we could not cook them ourselves anyway.
I used to like airplane modeling and balsa
wood kit construction of such. Many had little engines to power them and you
could often hear the high-pitched sound of them being tested in our locker
room. I recall the sweet smell of the special fuel used… not at all unpleasant.
Some enjoyed putting plastic scale model kits together (‘Airfix’ (tm)). They
would take great pains in their painting. Bike riding was popular, and the
beautiful surrounding countryside lent itself very well to this activity.
There was a local cinema which was
certainly visited whenever possible. It was even better when you had the
company of one of our girls. I remember such classic films as: “North by
Northwest”, Tiger Bay”, “Tammy” and many more.
The pop music records of the time were
natural signposts of these heady 1950’s and early sixties. There were the 45’s,
E. P’s and L. P’s Nothing new here but ours were the best, of course! Close
your eyes and remember: Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Elvis, Duane Eddy,
Gene Vincent…endless. Then, naturally, we had the Beatles! We would arrange
“Juke Box’ sessions at weekends. The necessary technology was provided by the
electronic experts among us…and there were several qualified individuals. One
of the highlights was the development of a small radio station. This was on,
and restricted to, our campus. It had to be only powerful enough to reach the
boundaries. Otherwise we would be committing a crime of illegal broadcasting.
Of course, we pushed it to the limit.
We would have performances of plays,
reviews, and musical events. During my stay there was a group who would present
pieces involving songs related to our social activities and there were
instrumental recitals with guitars and small bands. At Christmas we used to
have a feast of turkey with all the trimmings. We so looked forward to this
because it seemed that we were perpetually hungry. After this there was the
traditional carol singing accompanied by Mr. Theodore Jackson at the grand
piano in the school hall.
Our health needs were well looked after by
Miss Doreen Basset and her assistants. She held a daily morning surgery where
pupils would line up with minor ailments; some hoping to be given a day or two
off from school. She could tell the malingerers from the truly sick. The
standard remedy for a sore throat was a saltwater gargle. Temperatures were
always taken.
On occasion we had acute illness. I recall
the great Asian flu pandemic. (H1N1). The fall of 1957. The whole boarding
house became a sick bay. Some became quite ill. There were a couple of these I
recall. They were dealt with very efficiently. She is to be commended for what
she did for us all. We had no vaccines for it in those days. For ordinary times
we had a little sick bay at the very south end of the building near her bed
sit. It had a radio and reading material and was quite comfortable. I spent a
few times there.
We used to have formal House Meetings run
by the senior pupils (A House Committee). Robert’s Rules of Order were strictly
adhered to. An agenda was prepared by the secretary in between meetings
(monthly if I recall). There were often heated discussions, and some were more
prominent in this than others. I recall a Richard Hinton with some nostalgia.
He would stand and deliver his opinions with a ‘boffin-like’ manner. While we
might have been amused at his style, we all realized his effectiveness. A lot
of the topics were particularly important and there were many important results
which came out of these discussions once the summaries of them were passed on
to the authorities. These meetings were great practice for many of us which
would be useful in later life.
We had ‘play readings’ in The Lucas’s
drawing room. Attendance was voluntary and the plays were selected by Mrs. Vera
Lucas. The parts and the readers were negotiated. I loved this experience…all
good. We had such plays as: The Cherry Orchard (Chekov), Arms and the Man
(Shaw) etc. It was this experience that led on to me taking up amateur
dramatics in my local town in Canada many years later. Several of our boarders
did indeed become professional actors.
I will say at this point that my
admiration for Vera Lucas was extensive. She was a brilliant French teacher.
Her education equally matched this. In fourth year ‘Remove’, She would give us
class translations to do from English to French and vice versa. These would be
meticulously marked and thoroughly discussed at the next lesson. All mistakes
were noted. All vocabulary was discussed, and any associated words would
similarly be included in a life context. We had a notebook to record all these
words and phrases. In a subsequent lesson-period we would be tested. We soon
became very proficient. There were also oral lessons. I am still benefiting
from her expertise in this subject even though I did not take languages in the
sixth form.
With the diverse mix of boys from different
backgrounds there were corresponding differences in behaviour. Some showed
almost criminal tendencies and others were frail and meek. Indeed, there was
quite a bit of bullying. In short comfortable survival necessitated a positive
quest to ‘fit in’ or, at least, ‘lie low’. In retrospect, I think I failed to
do this in my first year and so things were rather painful. I had entered the
school with some chips on my shoulder which needed to be modified. Boarding
School will do that, and it did. By the time I left, and with the help of Rugby
Football, I became well rounded, forging some lifelong friends.
I had several wonderful girlfriends to
help me hone some romantic skills as well. Yes, in those days, things were more
romantic. The raw sex that we see today was not so obvious for us teenagers.
Birth control was not so prevalent, and things could have had unfortunate consequences,
so we were much more guarded in our behavior. Most of the girls saw to that
aspect! But that did not take away from the fun of it all. I was no saint but
still practiced a degree of conservatism necessary at the time. Of course, the
practice of 1st.base, 2nd, base etc. has always prevailed
to some degree. That is what growing up is all about. At least it was then!
Many of us did have romances which lasted
for short or more lengthy periods of time. We might go to the pictures or take a Sunday
afternoon walk on St. Ann’s Hill. There is little need for details, and I have
explained some of this above. There were some memorable relationships but as
with most of these situations they often peter out once school is left behind.
However, I will never forget anyone and that is good. In 2009 I went to a
reunion at Capron house and saw many of the people I went to this school with.
I recall sitting at a table with at least four of the young ladies with whom I
have walked on Saint Ann’s Hill on a Sunday afternoon. I was the subject of
some lighthearted amusement at this! By the way, I have been married to the same
wonderful, beautiful woman, Alison, for 52 years at this time of writing! And
she did not go to MGS. Also, of course, she does the proof reading for this
little document! This is a current picture and we are both 74. I hazard that
she has fared better than me!
Rugby games were wonderful to me. I
started off with the Colts XV team after third form. Chris Lacey was my mentor
in this. He taught me some basics and I soon became proficient enough to ascend
to captain of the team. I used to throw myself into it and some thought I was
slightly crazy. Anyway, it seemed to serve the purpose and I went on to the 1st.
XV and became captain.
I loved the fixtures we had where we
travelled to different schools on a Saturday and were royally entertained and
fed well. We so enjoyed the raucous songs on the bus on the way home,
especially after a good win! We played all kinds of schools…from ‘lowly’ high
schools to Winchester and Christ Hospital. The latter two used to field their
third teams and we still usually lost! It was still an education to see their
schools and to get something of their lifestyle and history.
I remember a game against the old boys
where we won, and I was hoisted onto someone’s shoulders and transported to the
river Rother and dumped. There was quite a current and I ended up going right
through the bridge at the end of the causeway.
There was another game which we played on
the shared the Cowdray Polo grounds. It was against Worthing High School. The
whole field was covered with sheep shit. We lost 34-0, of course because of the
sheep shit. The interesting thing is that one of their players had a Peter
Hotston among them. After I emigrated to Canada in 1969, became a teacher, and
settled in Squamish, BC, Canada, he turned up as a new teacher in the mid 70’s
and was able to recall that game. He eventually became my Principal, is now retired,
and lives down my same street. Small world! The Polo Grounds mentioned were
adjacent to the rest of our playing fields, but we used a couple of them for
Rugby during the winter months when there was no Polo. These fields were famous
for the latter game. Royalty and various famous figures like Jimmy Edwards
played there. We used to be amused at the colourful language expressed from time
to time by the Duke of Edinburgh and Jimmy Edwards when they got frustrated
with aspects of the game.
Regarding our education in the ‘Arts’, we
were so fortunate. We were profusely encouraged to take every opportunity to go
on any trip which would enhance this. Our house master would canvas us to
partake. We went on many trips to London to see the current theatre and opera
productions of the time. I attended many at the Old Vic, the Aldwych, Covent
Garden, the Royal Festival Hall and more. I saw, when they were young, such
names as: Lawrence Olivier, Frank Finlay, Max Adrian, Fay Compton, Joan
Plowright, Paul Scofield, Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, John Gielgud, Peter O’Toole,
and so many more. I saw Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger at the Festival Theatre and
Victoria de los Angeles at Covent Garden. I could go on and on! Our Headmaster
used to take us to see art galleries in London: The Tate, the National, the
Courtauld and numerous smaller ones. I saw the second night of Olivier’s
Othello at the Chichester Festival Theatre for ten shillings! Mr. Lucas would
give us general lessons on modern art. He had a ‘healthy’ collection himself.
After he passed most of his stuff was donated to the College which his wife
Vera attended at Oxford.
We would usually go on these excursions by
bus and return late at night to the school. We had no trouble sleeping! They
remain warm memories. If you would talk about privilege, this was it! No
apologies and much thanks!
Mr. Douglas used to give his evening Friday
night stereo-concerts to an interested group of boarders. He would kindly post
them on our notice board and people would then choose to go or not. We would
respectfully sit as a group in silence to listen to his selection. I enjoyed it
as a form of meditation. One such day on November 22nd. of 1963
something catastrophic happened. John F. Kennedy was assassinated. We learned
of it on returning to the boarding house. Most of us were devastated.
Tchaikovsky’s 6th. (Pathetique) Symphony was played in a ‘wallowing’
respect. Perhaps we were overly emotional but young people can be that way and
that may not be a bad thing. Anyway, we were a bit upset! So, most of us can
say where we were when that happened!
There is a bit of an irony here, because
during that time there was the Cuba crisis and Kennedy was well prepared
(backed up by his strong Catholic religious beliefs) to ‘press the button’.
There were peace marches in London by many young people decrying him for his
possible intentions. Such is Politics! He just called the Russian’s bluff and
was fortunate to win!
During the Cuba Crisis we saw V Bombers
flying regularly over our school and we knew that it was most likely that they
were armed with some very nasty weapons. There was extreme tension everywhere.
On one occasion I went to London to purchase some textbooks and ran into a
large protest march outside Foyles book shop. I joined this march which
proceeded to Whitehall. The atmosphere was ‘electric’. There was chanting
directed at the world leaders involved in the issue. There was a kind of
hysteria to which teenagers are very apt to react. I certainly did. We now know
so much of the History involved and can see the issue in a better perspective.
But at that time communications were not so good.
During the time I was at Midhurst, I did
go on a ‘Peace March’. This was large protest of approximately 60,000 people
starting at Aldermaston and proceeding to a rally in Hyde Park London. We
carried banners and slept in large tents, halls, and schools on the way. It was
quite fun, and we met many interesting people. It was the time of Bertrand
Russell, the CND, and the Committee of 100. I vividly remember going to the
Royal Festival Hall on two occasions to see respective concerts by Bob Dylan
and Pete Seeger, icons of the peace movement. At school we had a student’s
strike to protest the dangers implicit in the Cuba crisis. It was organized by
senior pupils and our plan was presented to Mr. Lucas, our headmaster. He was
sympathetic to our opinions and we marched the town carrying banners during a
school day. The Board of Governors was not pleased, and we got mixed press. Mr.
Lucas got into a bit of trouble over it too.
Just for fun Let me take you on a virtual
tour of the Boarding house from my memory of what it was like 60 years ago:
We enter the normal entrance from
what has been called the Granite Sets”; they are not made of granite at all,
they are limestone (we did an acid test). What you see facing you down a short
corridor is the surgery. On the left, is a flight of stairs leading up to the
first landing where there are two toilets. On your immediate left is a heating
radiator in front of a window looking out to the “sets”. Here a big brass bell
is stored to wake us all up in the morning. On the right is a notice board.
Fines are posted here and any other important messages. There is a common room
adjacent to the stairs on the left. This looks out to the back lawn common
room. On the left of this room is a door which leads to the walk-through common
room to another door which leads into the Oak Hall (already described). Right, around the corner from the notice
board is a corridor. On your right is Miss Bassets office. On your left is a
common room with a radio on a shelf near the window on the left. This window
looks out to a common lawn. Go further down the corridor and you will see ahead
the room where all the linen and clothes are stored. On the left is the locker
room which has on the left as you enter, two large tea chests for rubbish.
There are two tiers of lockers in a U-shape, one for each boarder. Opposite the
locker room there is a small boot /shoe cleaning room under a flight of stairs
leading up to two landings. On the right of the 1st landing, on the right again
is the Athens Dormitory. Proceeding up to the second landing you will see ahead
the senior washroom, toilet on the right before you enter. If you turn left on
the landing you see another corridor. On the right is the Troy dormitory.
Proceeding down the corridor you see ahead two doors leading respectively into
Carthage and Sparta. On the left at the end of this short corridor is a
bathroom and bedroom for one house master. If you go through either dorm, you
will find yourself in a large washroom which leads out to the upper Oak hall
and on to Babylon, Mr. Jackson’s room, and Rome up a short flight of stairs. Go
back to the entrance to Carthage and Sparta and you see a flight of stairs
leading up to the top floor where you find two dormitories above Carthage and
Sparta (Thebes and Alexandria).In between these two dorms is a trap door to the
roof (well used). Near the entrance to Thebes is Colin Beacham’s bedroom.
Further along the corridor is his sitting room. This is opposite to the
entrance to what was Corinth but became later the Prefects common room.
Proceeding past Colin’s room, you come to the return flight of stairs going all
the way down to the ground floor arriving at the corridor leading to the linen
room at the exit door adjacent to the locker room. This exit goes into a large
boot room and out through a final door to a parking lot in front of the library
and large School hall. Oops, you missed the large coke fired boiler room opposite
the small boot/shoe cleaning room. This is a place you can dry wet clothes and
warmup. You even roast chestnuts on the hearth of the stove!
This is where we lived as boarders
The Sixth Form
I had chosen Zoology, Botany, Chemistry
and Physics for my A- Levels. It was now September 1961. I had enough O-levels
(7).
My Zoology teacher was Alan Mason. He had
red hair, slender build, and a pale complexion. We plodded through the course.
It became my desire to proceed to University to study Zoology as my main degree
subject. I very much enjoyed the labs which included lots of microscope work
and dissections. I can still remember with little joy the smell of
formaldehyde. This chemical has since been given the label of carcinogen, but
thankfully I am still here at 74! I even was exposed to it when I became a
biology teacher in later years. I ended up after three years with an A plus a
scholarship designation in this subject. I will not say that he was anything
but a basically good teacher, but I was highly motivated in this subject from
an early age. I also had as an external mentor, my Uncle Alec Gunner who used
to be a teacher at MGS several years before I went to the school. The Biology
lab was part of a string of skimpy Classrooms called the 1947 Block. At the
back of it, Mr. ‘Wally” Mason kept some beehives against a wall which separated
them from the Lucas’s lawn. As a wee diversion here, I have always intrigued by
surnames and how in many cases they become related to the later careers of
their owner. Some are obliquely related to something else appropriate. “Walley”
was a beekeeper and coincidentally there are “Mason” bees. My Bryophyte (Mosses
and Liverworts) lecturer at Uni. was a Dr. Moss. The Ichthyologist was Dr.
Fish. I am sure many who read this know of similar examples.
For Botany I had Isobel Launder. She was a
brilliant teacher and I still have a lifelong love for the subject. She
demonstrated a great attention and demand for detail which enabled me to
immerse myself in the finest aspects of the structure and function of Fungi,
Bryophytes, and all Plant life. Again, I did very well in this subject. The
results for both Zoology and Botany enabled me entrance to university.
For Chemistry there was ‘Rocky’ Hill. A
good teacher but I did not do so well in this subject. I very much enjoyed the
lab work. He had a great sense of humour, albeit, dry. He also Refed our Rugby
games. In this he was excellent.
Physics with Mr. Hector Canning; I only
studied for a year, but I enjoyed the labs very much. I have already said that
he was a very bright man. Most who had him as a teacher will remember some
amusing incidents; especially one which comes to mind: The false teeth
incident. When he was exasperated with a student, he would point his index
finger at his temple and say,” Mama PUMPH!”
He did this once (only once) and his false teeth fell out onto the desk.
Hector was also famous for bellowing out “Don’t run…Go back and walk”. Prior to
1960 the Physics Lab was in the dual building backing onto Lambert’s lane,
adjacent to the school pond and swimming pool. It was shared with the Chemistry
lab. Later new buildings were erected, housing new Chemistry labs and a new Art
room. The old Art room, built in 1947, became the home of the Physics lab.
Where the new buildings were situated there used to be a cabbage patch.
During my time in Biology during the Sixth
form I went on a couple of extended field trips to places which were part of
the Field Studies Council of the UK. The first was at Slapton Lee in South
Devon. This village was famous in WW2 because it was here that British forces
practiced the beach landings which were to be soon enacted at Normandy during
D-Day. Unfortunately, a German patrol boat discovered the activities and
reported the information back. Anyway, our course was to study shore life in
the area. We were there for several days. It was most instructive and piqued my
interest in marine ecology. We got into a bit of trouble while we were there.
One of our more senior members suggested a prank which involved placing a
sixpenny coin into one of the light sockets. On activating the circuit, the
whole centre was plunged into darkness. The authorities were not happy and sent
a letter back to the school! We were all duly chastised. Those who were there
will possibly remember a field assistant named Mr. Peters. He had one eye, so
we naturally gave him the nickname “Cyclops” …yes, tut-tut. Well later, when I
went to Newcastle University, guess who turns up as an assistant in the Zoology
dept. there? Cyclops! He remembered the incident!
I was, in a subsequent year, allowed to go
on another course at Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire doing similar studies. There we
all behaved ourselves. A wonderful area. I believe these types of centres still
operate.
I soon became a prefect in the sixth form
and then finally Head of House. We had more privileges and more freedom outside
of the necessary exam work. My days at the school ended with a big party near
some wood in a field on a July day. I got very drunk, paid for by money I had
earned potato picking at a local farm.
Thank you to all my teachers and all those
I met at this great school.
Comments
and Anecdotes from Old Midhurstians
From Jeremy Fox:
There were many fascinating
characters: The Hamlett brothers, Claude Guppy, Penny Cloutte, Stephen
Fisher-Short, Michael Stepan, Nick Robertson, Michael Gerson, etc. Then there's
the atmosphere of the House ,the cubicles, the Christmas show... Lord
Cowdray with his high-pitched voice & single arm, and the Argentinians with
their magnificent horses playing polo in Cowdray Park with a UK
team that included Prince Charles. They still come over, by the way - and when
the previous Argentinian ambassador was here (she's a good friend of mine)
I’d get an invitation to a gathering there for tea and to meet the team.
For me the magical
moments were the play readings and the trips to London Theatre - which
initiated me into the world of drama and led me, in turn, to launch and direct
a theatre company during my years in Mexico (I still have a couple of the
programs). I was surprised you did not write a little more about Jacko
who, apart from being a rather good maths teacher, was a fine classical
pianist.
There was evidence of
PTSD among some of the older teachers who had been through the war (not that we
had the concept at the time). (Perhaps we should be sympathetic here,
regarding some of our teachers and their behaviour …Author)
From Dave Colwell:
Boarders:
Who remembers 'Causeways'? Roused out of bed for minor infringements punished
by prefects who watched through binoculars to ensure that you ran down that
causeway to the castle, around via the Mill pond and back to school before
breakfast in gym gear. Not nice in mid-winter at 7 am! The prefect was the one
who rang the bell and pulled you out of bed. Then there was shoe inspection and
the dreaded 'pound men ' who would enact a 'garnishee' of some of your
treasured pocket money! Heavy fines from Jacko for dormitory rags! Also, those
'hospital corners' and the resultant bed stripping if you did not do them right.
Most kids were kept busy most of the time. Supervised prep (1-3 hours),
'activities' on Saturday morning, supervised 'Letter writing' on Sunday and
Church. And if you were in a school team there were fixtures on Saturday
too...We still had fun, but your girl friends were restricted to those in the
school...at least they tried to enforce this!
When we were in the senior sixth, we had a
designated pub. We were NOT to be seen in the 'Angel’, the 'Wheatsheaf' and
only in the public bar of the Egmont Arms. There were a couple of others I
cannot remember.... of course, we were mostly underage, so we did not drink,
right?
Another thing that
would not happen now: Often The 'Big four' would go off to London to the
theatre etc. and leave the Boarding House apparently solely under the charge of
the head prefect and his team. I remember being in charge once and putting
everyone to bed relatively successfully.
Unfortunately, a huge water fight broke out and there was quite a mess.
I did manage to get it pretty cleaned up. There probably was someone on staff
on call somewhere but largely unreachable. Prefects used to supervise Prep
periods. You had to keep your charges in silence for the session and provide as
much help to them as needed. Good training for discipline if you wanted to be a
teacher. We had some powers of punishment to help, 'Causeways' were one. We
also had Hall duty in the Day School during lunchtime which none of us liked,
especially during bad weather as you can imagine.
I remember the rugby
pitch behind the ruins was always flooded in the corner. A good memory would be
emulating Isaac Newton measuring the speed of sound nearby bashing a dustbin
lid (not a girls' beret!) and timing the echo - on a nice summers day, one of
Hector Cannings' very good physics practical. If I remember right, we got quite
a good answer.
