Link to recent QEHOBS dinner 2003. class of 55 pictures

The School Room. (for school uniform pictures click HERE)

Here, each boarding student had one personal desk space in which books and writing tools could be stored. The desks were not locked. Approaching almost a century old, they were pock marked with insignia and carvings from students past. This made them difficult to write on without an under-pad. Between 7pm and 9pm each evening all students except the Sixth Form were assembled here to do homework. No talking, no leaving for the toilet. The homework was monitored by a Prefect from the Sixth form. Offenders against the rules were made to stand at attention at the front of the class for up to 30 minutes. Besides being uncomfortable it lost one time to complete assignments.

The paintings on the wall are near life sized portraits of historical figures associated with the school, founders and the like. At the far end is an honours list of past students. The Elizabethan style of the architecture can be seen here.

On the top floor of the central tower, the library was a quiet place for study. The holdings were limited but included text books, fiction and reference material. At the back (left side) of the library were two small apartments for live-in teaching staff. The library could only be reached by a fairly narrow spiral stone staircase. Below the library level was the dormitory level, and below that the main floor with the school room and dining hall.

Many happy hours were spent here doing experiments, making weird smells and listening to stories about the school summer camp on the Isle of Wight from the Chemistry Teacher , Mr. (Alf) Richardson. From here I went on into a life of chemistry.

The room had a raised platform running around the perimeter of the class from which the teacher could keep an eye on all.

Too much maths in physics for me, but there were some interesting experiments here too. This was one facility which was shared with a local girls (Red Maids) school that did not have facilities for physics. They shard their biology lab with us. One of the few occasions when we ever saw girls, and then only at the Sixth form level.

Present School front .............................................. Present Lower Quadrangle

This stone tiled area at the back of the school was the "playground" for everything from rough and tumble to semi-civilized games of football (soccer) or cricket. To the left one sees the end tower, showing the two floor levels (since converted to three) with the dining hall below the large dormitory. In front to the right are the two levels of classroom annex, and in between some washroom facilities and a "boot house". Also there was the upper entrance to the infamous rubbish pit, where wastes were collected and burned. Morning breaks for fifteen minutes, and after class hours were often spent sweating or shivering in the "Yard" as it was known.

This empty space with a "fives" court (sort of squash) was a more peaceful area and usually out of bounds. The Air Training Corps used it as a firing range, and at the far end was a temporary classroom. Today it is occupied with expanded laboratory and classroom facilities. Behind (right) is Brandon Hill which is capped by Cabot Tower to commemorate the Cabot voyages to the Americas. I once fell asleep up here in the summer and received second degree sun burn!

The dining hall was the place for three meals a day, plus morning assembly and other events. At the camera end there was a large Organ which had seen better days. Each Christmas a stage was assembled at this end for the staging of a school play. The school now has a proper theatre where the rubbish pit used to be!

Only the far four tables were used for eating by the boarders. From right to left they were named after the four principle benefactors of the school, Bird, Carr, (Lady) Ramsey, and Hartnell. Their pictures are high on the rear wall. The rest of the walls contained honour boards, other portraits and "school photos" from past years. Today, the far wall has a gallery resulting from the introduction of a split level.

The food was edible but unexciting, but for several years rationing still existed from the war years. Today, the dining room is self service cafeteria style.

Imagine about sixty snoring boys from ages about 12 to 15 in this room. Only one toilet facility at the far end which was off limits!. Bed-time 9:30 pm, rain or shine. Patrolled until 11 pm by duty prefect. No heating summer or winter. One could often wake up to frost on the pillow! As boarder #87 I occupied the bed indicated.

There were two smaller rooms, one for "new boys" and the other for Sixth form. Rise and shine a t 7:30 am. By appropriately arranging clothes in order of donning one could swing out of bed into pants and socks, pull on shoes and shirt and be gone in 1 minute or less. Last boy out in the morning emptied the slop pail!

Today, this has been split into two levels to give smaller rooms and more privacy, and central heating has been installed.

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