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Q. Mr. Goodwin mentioned 99 – the roll
never actually reached 100 while he was there.
A. Did he? It was absolutely crowded….They were sitting so
close together they had no elbow room.
Q. Throughout the last century, especially the last 40 years
every report on the school says that it is inefficient due to
overcrowding.
A. Yes, it was a ‘warned school’ when I went. If they
didn’t improve anything might happen – the grant was usually
withdrawn.
Q. There were seniors while you were there?
A. Oh yes. They used to stay until they were 15 some of them.
Dorothy Chapman stayed until she was 15.
Q. Dorothy Chapman sounds a familiar name. There is still some
of the equipment that you had in the school. For instance there
are some shaped blocks.
A. They were there when I went to school. I don’t think I ever
used them. |
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Q. I’m sorry to keep plugging this old Log
Book. If I could find it. Is there anything that you could tell
me about it. For instance you mentioned about the ‘boy’s
latter end being beaten’ and several other things in your
letter.
A. A great deal of it was taken up with personal remarks by Mr.
Meyers with his difficulties with the new rector (Mr. Hennell).
Poor Mr. Meyers used to sit down I think and write his feelings
in the Log Book.
Q. Did he mention anything about holidays?
A. Holidays always used to be fruit-picking holidays, as soon as
the strawberries were ready, school closed, because in those
days the managers could close the school when they liked – and
when you talk of the managers you usually mean the Rector – he
would come along and say ‘We are going to close tomorrow’
and we would close tomorrow. No more formalities than that. |