1930s

A few notes on school & masters 1936 – 42 (From Ted Warren):

School started with assembly in the hall under the eagle eye of Tom Parkin.  The Headmaster read a prayer, a hymn was sung, notices read and then quietly and orderly we left for our classrooms. Breaktime we went across Bond Street to the Rawlings sisters (Gertie & Maisie) where if you were lucky you bought a doughnut or a twist. Back to school til 12.  Dinner time til 1.30 & home at 4.00.
The school had scholarship boys & fee payers.  I remember lining up in the hall to pay Mr Marshall of Talbot Stein & Evershed.
Fees per term were £5-5-0 if you lived in the Borough, and £7-7-0 if you lived outside. Uniform, which was strictly enforced, was either blue blazer, grey flannels, white or grey shirt with blue & red school tie, and blue cap with a broad red band at the back OR a grey suit.  These had to be purchased at either Tarvers (long since gone) or Ellis & Sons        

 For sports, in those days masters used to coach boys after school. Frank Read, swimming, Ron Illingworth, cricket & Jake Hammond, rugby. House matches were held on Saturday mornings and you were expected to attend wearing school caps and were punished if you forgot the cap.
Some of the students were:
P.C.H. Davies was a fine sportsman, captaining the school at cricket, rugby and athletics. He set many school records, some were still held by him when the school ceased.
Norman Dent became an English cross country runner.
Oscar Deville became a C.B.E. before being knighted for his services to industry.  He is a very gifted man.
John Dent was knighted for services to aviation & travel.
On a sad note – N Carfoot, Tom Thorley & Peter Berry all died due to war service.