School History 1872-2000
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OTA Members' 1900-1999 Archive |
The School's history has been defined principally
by its Headmasters, the direction they wished to take the School combined
with the energy and talent they brought to their vision. Overlain on this has
been the interventions and guidance from the Governors and Oxfordshire
Council, social changes seen across the Country, the transformation and
expansion of educational opportunities - first started at the end of the 19th
century - and the impact of two world wars. During the seventeenth and into the eighteenth
century, Lord Williams's School had a history of educating scholars who went
on to have significant national influence. In that sense, it had an impact
that was greater than would be expected. It was, after all, a small rural
grammar school in an area that was dominated by an agricultural economy; and
perched on the edge of the County meant a certain isolation from the
administrative centre. It didn't enjoy the advantages of being one of the
great city grammar schools - although being under the protective wing of New
College, Oxford proved to be an often unsung benefit. By the time this history starts in the last three
decades of the 19th Century, on t occasions the future of the School's very
existence had been in doubt. Fortunately, at the turn of the 19th Century there
was a reversal in the School's fortunes and it flourished under the Rev.
Alfred Shaw. Unquestionably, it would have continued to expand if it hadn't
had been for the First World War. This brought the momentum, built-up over a
number of years, to a halt. Thereafter in the 1920s, the School had to cope
with the aftermath of the War, the retirement of Shaw, a loss of much
teaching talent and, across the country as a whole, economic depression. It
was a period of picking-up where things had stopped in 1914. Walter Bye -
very much a man of the Empire - made progress, had on average 130 pupils on
the roll, sent some to university but the School failed to reach its pre-war
potential. The 1930s saw a new headmaster arrive and gradual
further improvements but with no great radical change; in part because the
School's physical capacity had been reached and it would need new buildings
to increase in size - buildings that the School couldn't afford. In part it
was down to the Headmaster's conservative and dour approach to schooling.
Arthur Dyer was not someone who injected a sense of fun into daily
activities, and perhaps it was unsurprising that he was forever struggling to
encourage boys to stay on into the sixth form even if, by the end of the 1930s,
academic standards had been raised. In one sense, the intervention of the Second World
War, whilst once again halting any progress that could be made, acted as a
break from the past. It also accelerated the recognition that the School
could no longer remain even partially independent and it had to become a
fully fledged 'state' school - even if within a unique environment. In 1948, a new enlightened start was made under
the headship of Hugh Mullins. Yes, the School was under full LEA control and this
at times caused tension. When Mullins started, the School was still suffering
from staff shortages but he was responsible for starting the transformation
of the School to an entity closer to what it is today. His ambition was very
clear: he wanted to build the sixth form and significantly increase the
number entering university. In his time, he saw the 6th Form grow from a
handful of pupils to close on 20 when he resigned - a number that today seems
insignificant but then was a major achievement. This transformation
accelerated under Jon Nelson; a major new building programme took place,
radical changes to School structures were introduced and the roll grew from
170 to 215. But it needed a young headmaster, Geoff Goodall, to complete the
transform of the School into something that was thoroughly modern, reaching
heights in music, drama, sport and academic achievement not seen before. Of
course, this was helped by the public spending resources that were pumped
into education, and the increase in pupil numbers from the post-war baby boom
that allowed more opportunities to be exploited. In the 1970s, the biggest single change came with
the introduction of Comprehensive education. Since then, the School has grown
to be one of the largest in the country. This has brought both advantage and
disadvantage. In the late 80s and early 90s there were moments when the state
education system seemed under constant attack from the Government of the day
but this failed to diminish national-level achievements in the arts and
sciences. There have been four Head Teachers in 20 years, whereas the
previous four stretched over fifty years. Split sites were a continued
headache and added further stress to limited resources. But therein lays an
irony. During its modern history all the School's headmasters have held
ambitions for the School to be as academically distinguished as some of the
great public schools. It has taken the Comprehensive system to create the
level of academic achievement - numbers and percentages passing exams and
going on to university - which they dreamed of and never quite achieved.
(Though, it should be quickly added, the School has historically always
produced a steady stream of distinguished academics.) Since 2000, the School has been a specialist
college in sport, reflecting a long tradition of producing great sports
people that stretches back to the beginning of the 20th century: senior
internationals at soccer and rugby, a world championship racing driver, a
stream of internationals across a number of sports at junior levels, and
steady representation at Varsity level. Of course, it is a truism to say that pupils of
old would be hard pressed to recognise the 21st Century School but most would
accept this as a desirable consequence of progress. On the other hand, it is
remarkable to learn that pupils were making school trips abroad from the
early 1920s, and that much of the extra-curricula activity has little changed
for decades. Of course progress sums up what has happened in
the last hundred years or so. At times it may have stuttered but it would be
a foolish person who would ever claim that 'it was better in my time.' Prologue 1872 - The Grammar School closed following the
disastrous Headmastership of Dr Thomas Brandley (or Broadley) Fookes (born
c1809 in Dartford, Kent), a man of 'ungovernable temper.' He retired to
Hampstead on a pension of half his salary and died in 1874. He had been
appointed in 1841 (and arrived with his wife Maria and three children -
during their time at the school they had another four) and although he
was also appointed the Curate of Stoke Talmage his Christian beliefs didn't
stop him being a man of a violent manner, who seemed to spend most of his
time thrashing and expelling boys, playing the violin, and growing potatoes
in the School's playground. To compound matters, during previous decades new
schools had grown up in Thame and were taking pupils who might have otherwise
gone to the Grammar School. (In the 1851 Census, recorded at the Grammar
School are: George Maudby an assistant master, Gustav Adolphus Weill styled
as a Professor of Languages and born in Baden, and four pupils - Duncan
Robertson born in Jamaica, Richard Parker from High Wycombe, George and
Frederick Faber from the East Indies, and William and Walter Fookes who would
appear to be nephews.) Of the other schools, the most competitive was the
Howard House School which, by 1868, had 120 boarders and 40 day pupils. That
year, it merged with the Oxford County School to provide a better alternative
to the Grammar School. The success of this institution put paid to the claim
by Fookes that the reason that he had no pupils was due to a declining
population in the town. Indeed between 1801 and 1851 the population had
increased from 2,100 to 3,200. (The last pupil in this disastrous era was
said to have been Harry Lupton who had been at the School in 1862 - later he
wrote the History of Thame and its Hamlets.) A contemporary letter to the
Thame Gazette, described the school as 'a richly endowed but comparatively
useless Institution.' On another occasion, a reader wrote, 'The money goes
not to educate the children of Thame but to provide a fine house and a
sufficient income for some lucky fellow of New College.' (The Master's salary
was £200 per annum.) The conditions in the School were grim: one long double
desk ran the length of the dark cold school room across which two rows of
schoolboys faced each other. In one corner was the usher's desk, where he
would sit and hear lessons. It was common for boys to be fetched out of
school to do various jobs for their parents. Fookes was never seen. In 1871,
the census had recorded no boarders at the school and Fookes was living in
the Almshouses along with four recorded residents and a servant. 1873 - New College took control and a plan was
drawn up to open a new School. This retained the links to New College but it
was to take six more years before the plan became reality. However, this
scheme met with strong opposition within the town as many doubted the need
for another school when Howard House school was flourishing. The new scheme
was described as 'totally against the advantage which out townspeople in
general ought to possess in the education of the rising generation,' and the
fees proposed were considered 'too high to render any real service to the
town, or to attract an adequate number of pupils.' 1874 -The Thame Gazette commented, 'Need we paint
the deplorable picture of the empty school-house, not even at this time
inhabited by a person to keep it clean, with a patrimony belonging to it so
rich....Not a pupil has belonged to the school for years.' However it was in
1874 that a new scheme for the management of the school was approved and a
new governing body formed of thirteen members (including J W Marsh the
proprietor of the rival school) and New College's sole control ceased. It was
proposed that the School would take around 120 pupils including at least 60
boarders with a residence for the headmaster. 1875 - The new site of the School on the Oxford
Road was purchased for £1050 as it had been decided by the governors that the
old school site was unsuitable for the new school building - even though they
had the opportunity to pull down the almshouses if they so wished. The Thame
Gazette commented, 'in our opinion a more healthy or prettier spot could not
be found in the entire neighbourhood.' 1876 - The Oxford architect William Wilkinson was
engaged to build the new School. His original plans were too costly and in
the end a rather sombre red brick design was used with dressings of Bath
stone, after the style of St Edward's School, Oxford. The following is a
description of his life and works: William Wilkinson, the younger of the two
brothers, was born in Witney in 1819. In the last months of his father's
lifetime in 1838, he was co opted into the family auctioneering firm, and in
this trade he continued for some years. Notices of his auctions appear at
intervals in the local papers. As was common at the time, the business was
not clearly limited. Wilkinson sold building materials, livestock, furniture,
timber, houses, or real estate, and the local directories call him variously
auctioneer, appraiser, land surveyor, estate agent, architect, builder, agent
for the Royal Farmers, Insurance Office, and coal, timber, stone, and lime
merchant. As with his brother, it is very unlikely that he received formal
architectural training. Yet his first known building is a new church that at
Lew on the road from Witney to Bampton, built in 1841 when Wilkinson was 21
or 22. This gaunt church shows as much sophistication as most architects were
bringing to ecclesiastical work at this date in the revival of Christian
architecture. However, architecture could hardly be a full-time employment
for anyone in Witney in the 1840s, so he continued his other occupations till
1856. This background enables one to understand how it was that Wilkinson
depended first and foremost on severely practical abilities. All that is
known of his later life and works suggests that he was never the man to get
his specifications wrong or to underestimate any practical contingency. This
reliability combined with a modest sense of the picturesque and a lively
interest in grouping and planning, took Wilkinson to a high and esteemed
place among architects, if not to the top. William Wilkinson left Witney in about March 1856,
in which month he had offices at 2 St. Giles, Oxford, as well as in his home
town. Shortly afterwards he was operating solely from Oxford, and by 1860 he
had moved to 5 Beaumont Street, the seat of his practice until his
retirement. From this point his career very rapidly blossomed. There were two
or three crucial commissions which brought prosperity. Firstly, in about
1857, Wilkinson superseded J. C. Buckler as architect to the Oxfordshire
Police Committee, at a period when numerous provincial police stations were
scheduled for erection. Secondly, there was the vital commission from St.
John's College in 1860 to layout the Norham Manor Estate. This soon turned
into a general brief of superintendence over the whole development of North
Oxford. The precise extent of Wilkinson's contribution to this will never be
quite clear, but he certainly laid out the roads, decided on the sites of the
villas, designed many himself, and as architect to St. John's possessed
certain powers of authorization and veto. These responsibilities passed with
the practice to his nephew H. W. Moore, so that with the expansion of the St.
John's estate further and further north, it is hardly an exaggeration to say
that the whole of Oxford between St. Giles' Church and Summertown, bordered
on the west by the Oxford Canal and on the east by the Cherwell, is the
conception of Wilkinson and Moore. Jobs also soon abounded for Wilkinson outside the
immediate environs of Oxford. In virtue of an office block which he designed
in Bishopsgate, London (1860-1), and the Saturday Review rather rashly but
impressively compared him with Gilbert Scott as one of the foremost English
architects. Then came the third great commission, the Randolph Hotel, Oxford
(1864-6). At the opening, Dr. Adams, a Fellow of St. John's, was able to
claim that his fame as an architect was not confined to Oxford, and even had
it been so hitherto, this fabric would have entitled him to a European
reputation ... Had they (the Directors) not had a man like Mr. Wilkinson, who
threw his whole soul into the work, they would never have raised this noble
structure. It was the emanation of his brain and to him was due the credit
not only of the exterior but of every internal arrangement. The 1860's were the climax of his career, and were
marked by the publication in 1870 of a book of his designs called English
Country Houses. Forty-five Views and Plans of recently erected Mansions,
Private Residences, Parsonage-Houses, Farm-Houses, Lodges and Cottages; with
sketches of furniture and fittings; and a practical treatise on
house-building. A second and augmented edition with sixty-one views was
published in 1875. This book gives a clear picture of Wilkinson's mature
style. Up to 1870 the majority of his important works incorporate elements of
strictly Gothic detail in picturesque and asymmetrical facades. The lighting,
however, is better than in most houses of this style, and the detailing is
rarely overemphasized. There are, of course, exceptions, such as the Oxford
University Gymnasium, a solid, four-square brick building with undecorated
round-headed windows. Wilkinson's known church restorations are
unostentatious but uninspired. He was primarily a practical architect who
catered by preference for the wealthy middle classes. He built in Gothic not
out of strong religious belief, but because he was most familiar with the
style. In English Country Houses there is not a contentious word about the
'true' style, and the treatise on house-building which accompanies the plates
is severely limited to practical matters, as befits a book designed as an
advertisement to potential clients. But the book did achieve some notice; the
final accolade to Wilkinson's success as an architect was the illustration of
five of his works in Habitations Modernes, by the internationally famous
architect Viollet-le-Duc, who must first have noticed Wilkinson from English
Country Houses. The second edition suggests a change in
Wilkinson's style in the early 1870?s, reflecting a national trend. Gentler
elements are favoured, and he tries often to sound a more restrained domestic
Tudor note familiar to him from the stone-built houses of West Oxfordshire.
The compositions are frankly less interesting but they continue to be well
and originally planned. Foremost among the later works is St. Edward's
School, Oxford, where the great formal quadrangle possesses a natural dignity
unmatched in many schools designed by better architects. But by the late
1870s, many of Wilkinson's buildings have ceased to be distinctive. Lord
Williams's Grammar School at Thame (1878-9), for instance, is competent but
unremarkable handling of domestic Tudor motifs. 1877 - The Old School building was sold by auction
to Mr P.H Pearce for £1,710. (His wife opened the 'Girls Grammar School' that
took both day girls and boarders.) Construction on the Oxford Road started
with Messrs. Taylor and Grist of Aylesbury undertaking the work at a tender
price of £6,095 - the money raised by the sale of stock, the old school and a
number of houses in Thame including the Saracens Head. The following appeared in the Thame Gazette: The
New Grammar School – since our last remarks relative to the erection of this
pile, considerable progress has been made with the building, and for the
information of those interested we may mentioned that the extent of the
building proper will, we understand, be 200 feet by 160 feet, and it will
stand in its own grounds of about 9 acres. There will be a well-planned
master’s residence, with all the necessary domestic offices; also separate and
conveniently arranged apartments for a second resident master, a commodious
schoolroom, classroom, dining hall and extensive, well-arranged and
ventilated dormitories. The materials chiefly used in the building are a
local red brick from the Hartwell brickworks and Bath stone, which harmonises
exceedingly well; and we doubt not that when the whole is compete it will be
a handsome and substantial structure. 1878 - Building was delayed when the workmen went
on strike, threatening, hooting and throwing bricks at the clerk of works who
had made himself unpopular by unnecessary complaints. Five candidates were
interviewed for the Headmastership and George Plummer was appointed in
November. 1879 - The School reopened on 1st May on the
Oxford Road site under the Headmastership of George Plummer aged 32. 40 boys
were on the role and four staff (Plummer, Mackenzie, King and Digby). Plummer
had been Headmaster of Wellingborough Grammar School and he hoped to achieve
at Thame what Edward Thring had achieved at Uppingham: to raise a small country
grammar school to national importance. But as one of his first head boys
would recall, he was not a genius like Thring, just a very good teacher.
Canon A.G Robinson wrote of the first few hours of the School's new
existence, 'The School buildings were brand new. The play shed was still
unfinished. What afterwards became the Headmaster's garden was a tangle of
green and weeds. There was no formal opening of any kind. We took our places,
listened to a short speech by the Headmaster and were then gradually sorted
into classes.' Fees for tuition of day boys were fixed at £6 and boarders
paid an additional £35. The first assistant masters were Messrs. Mackenzie
and King, with Mr R H Digby as music master. J Cole and H D Hodgson (who died
the following year) were Head Boys; J Harrison and Willey were sports
captains. Cricket was played on the town ground. Plummer had brought with him
some eighteen pupils; in total there were some 25 boarders and about the same
number of day boys. Subjects were mostly arts; as was usual little science
was taught at all. 1880 - The School's first ever cricket match was
played on the newly levelled field: RSC High Wycombe was defeated by one run.
Masters were part of the teams and a boy called Crook ‘made a lucky nineteen’
for the school. A professional cricketer would coach the team two days a
week. The Mercury, an eight-page school magazine, was published containing
articles and stories, puzzles and gossip besides the usual school news.
The price was 6d and the then editor A G Robinson later recalled that
'there was always considerable difficulty in persuading boys to buy it.' It
was subtitled ‘The Chronicle of Thame Grammar School’ and the first edition
came out on Saturday 5th December with a request that boys should submit articles
for the next edition that was due to be published at the end of January. They
were advised that their submissions would remain anonymous. George Plummer
had written an article on ‘How we got our name’ and boys had written of their
adventures in the East, and a visit to the ‘Factory of Krupps, of Essen.’ A
rugby match was played against Linden House, a private school in Littlemore -
Lord Williams's won but as it was a small school it was noted that the team
only had ‘moderate capacity.’ The
toll-gate opposite the School was abolished. Staff changed frequently in
this period and the original assistant masters had already left and been
replaced. H Tibbits, I Whitsed and W M Wykes were all Head Boys; along with J
C Crook they were also the sports teams’ captains. 1881 - RSC High Wycombe turned the tables and beat
the School at cricket in a match held in May but the School won the return
match in July. This began a rivalry that lasted for many decades. St Edmund
Hall was another fixture. 1881 Census for Lord Williams’s School
(?) Indicates that the innumerator's writing is
indecipherable. W C H Church, A G Robinson and C Treadwell were
Head Boys. 1882 - A G Robinson gained an open scholarship to
Christ's College Cambridge, and W C Eppstein to Corpus Christi. (Both had
been Head Boys.) Also in 1882, William H Denchfield, Thomas W Gibbard,
Charles Tibbits and Thomas Wykes were Head Boys and the latter three along
with A Curney were sport captains. 1883 - the covered play-shed had its floor
concreted - the favourite place for fights was the far-end of this structure.
The boarders were subject to rather strict discipline - those inclined to be
round shouldered should have 'their trouser pockets denied.' Hampers were
restricted to one a term and parents were told they should not contain wine
or liqueur. J B Denchfield and W A Johnson were Head Boys. 1884 - soccer replaced rugby as the principle
school sport (largely owning to the influence of a master Mr Buxton who'd
played for Aston Villa.) Plummer was generally a mild man but nonetheless was
summoned to the County Court for thrashing a day-boy. He won his case. There
were only about a dozen day-boys as the alternative schools in Thame were
still thriving. The day-boys played little active part in activities outside
school hours - it was left to the boarders to play cricket or football -
although this was to gradually change over the next few years. C H Fowler, A
F Johnson, C E Morton and W C Tibbits were Head Boys. 1885 - Plummer introduced German as he thought it
was a 'coming language.' A paper-chase was held once a term. Favourite places
were to Princes Risborough and out on to the Chilterns, and to Tiddington and
Worminghall. In summer, boys could swim in the Thame at 'Jemmett's Hole.' C E
Fowler and F W Parkes were Head Boys. 1886 - a carpenter's shop was kitted out and a
craftsman from Oxford was engaged to teach once a week. Plummer organised a
walk to Marlow, followed by a river boat trip. Plummer also liked to play
cricket and tennis and was often seen on the field despite his gout. He was
said to be a fair bat, and bowled a slow round the arm round the wicket ball.
‘He would trot up to the wicket, a big man, big black beard blowing each side
of his face, so that the batsmean would be a little puzzled by the deceptive
lobbed ball. Plummer also once offered sixpence for each catch made in the
cricket team to improve fielding, and eleven catches were made. Plummer never
again made the same offer. Head Boys were J E L Harris, J S Dodwell, A
Morton. 1887 - the new Thame Town Hall was being built but
the roads in the town were yet to be tarred and the High Street (as in the
photo above) was more often mud. Boarders were allowed to shop in Thame once
a week. If daily work fell behind standard, the offenders were given a few
hefty strokes on the hand by the HM. Cricket seemed to absorb most of the
boys energies in the summer as Plummer was just as happy to be on the pitch.
One old boy wrote of ‘pleasant memories of long June and July afternoons of
cricket – the small gathering of intent spectators, the white clad figures on
the pitch, and beyond, the peaceful Oxfordshire landscape with the purple
Chiltern Hills in the distance. Woodworking lessons were held in a barn
opposite Cox’s Farm; there were also two cottages rented by the school as
quarters for two or three assistant masters. November 5th was
always celebrated with a big bonfire with a barrel of tar in it and a
well-stuffed Guy. Fireworks were brought by the boys from the ironmongers in
town. There was a tradition that ‘roughs’ from the town would always appear
‘looking for trouble.’ 1888 – it is said that a dual took place between
two boys with muzzle-loading pistols. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Rumours
at School suggested that Plummer might be Jack the Ripper. The new Town Hall
opened on April 2nd (it cost c£2000 to build) to commemorate the 50th year of
Victoria's reign. Among the subscribers were family names well-known to the
School including Arnold, Austin, Howland, Mott, and Shrimpton. The first
Thame Show was held and the tradition of having an afternoon off began. F
Stuart was Head Boy. Plummer was much appreciated by the boys not least for
some of his unorthodox ways: he would declare the day before exams to be a
holiday; he took boys to see Cup Ties in London; he would get the boarders
together on wet Sunday’s and read stories to them. Nicknames were de rigeur:
Sharper, Sticky, Inky, Fatty, Nellie and Dollie, Bull, Tusky and Toddler were
the stock of trade. 1889 - St Mary's Church was restored. One stunt at
School was to ride down a series of steps on what was then known as a 'safety
bike' with as big a series of bumps as possible. [Rovers, Premiers and Rudges
were favoured bikes.] Jumping Cuttle Brook was another craze. In hot summers
hurdles and sticks were used to make dens in the hedges at the side of the
sports field. Another craze was putting knickknacks on the rails at the level
crossing for the trains to squash. There was no tuck shop at the School so
sweets were bought in Thame from Dunkin’s and from May’s. S H Robinson and D
Fletcher were Head Boys. Sport was flourishing with three cricket and three
soccer. Opponents included some of the Oxford Colleges such as Lincoln,
Exeter, Worcester and Wadham as well as RGS High Wycombe, Oxford High School and
Abingdon High School. Football colours were originally half orange and half
dark blue but these were changed to first shirts that were half red and half
white, and then dark blue shirts with the school badge. However, there was no house system nor any
extra-curricular societies. 1890 - At Speech Day, Plummer said 'in no previous
term had there been better health, better discipline, or better goodwill
among the boys and masters.' Sadly, only a few weeks later, a boiler burst on
the premises killing one of the junior employees. In a state of shock, George
Plummer died a few days later. He left a wife, Sarah, and four children:
Edgar, George S, Edith and Mary. At his death, the School had 57
boarders and 7 day boys. Much had been achieved during his tenure: a syllabus
covering 17 subjects and four languages for example. However his vaulting
ambitions were never achieved. The endowment to the school was small and
there were no County Council or Government grants. He had to borrow money to
spend on the School. The local people begrudged paying fees and the existence
of boarders was resented. The number of boys never rose much above 60 and was
too small to drive his ambitions. It is said he died both disillusioned and
broken with little money left for his family.
A G Robison, one of Plummer’s pupils later wrote, ‘Before Plummer had
been at Thame very long, it must have been clear to him that his ambitions
could never be realised. He died when he was not much over 40, leaving his
widow and children quite unprovided for. His old pupils will always be
grateful to him for what he did for them. At the time of his headmastership
the State was strangely apathetic in regard to Secondary Education, and
schools which were trying to do work of value to the nation were left to
struggle on as best they could…Plummer was courageous and self-sacrificing
and who went on working hard though life brought very little in the way of
reward for his labour.’ J H C Lawrence, H H Mears were Head Boys.
1891 Census (April) 1891 - Benjamin Sharp who had been born in
Warrington and taught at Lancing, Bradfield and Loretto was appointed as new
Headmaster in September. He was 37. At Speech Day a report on the School was
given by two Fellows of New College. The presentation of prizes was done by
Dr F.J Bryant, and then scenes of plays were presented in English, German and
French. R S Kislingbury and C C Kaufmann were Head Boys. 1894: Many of Thame's roads were improved. The
Governors were: The Earl of Abingdon, The Warden of New College Dr
Sewell, The Chairman of Thame Poor Union, William Ashurst, the Rev Hereford
Brook George, the Rev William Spooner, Samuel Lacey, William Griffin,
Joseph Franklin, the Earl of Macclesfield, Philip Wykeham, Benjamin Sharp. J Mears has been Head Boy and he was succeeded by
S Kaufmann and A V Kislingbury. 1895 - a new School of Science was established and
was opened by Sir William Markeby, Fellow of Balliol College and Chairman of
the Oxfordshire Technical Instruction Committee. The newly formed Oxfordshire
County Council made a grant both towards the building of the labs and the
payment of a science master. This was the first formal association between
School and County Council. Nonetheless the roll was dropping below 40. 1886 - S V Sims and T C Turner were Head Boys. The
school continued to decline. 1897 - the School celebrated Victoria's Diamond
Jubilee. Only 6 boarders were left and one of the dormitory rooms was being
used to store lumber. J T Bailey was Head Boy. 1898 - The Victoria Nursing Home opened. Head Boys
were: L A Sims, R P Stevens and W S Harris. Philip Wykeham was appointed
Chairman of the Governors following the resignation of the Rev Dr Sewell,
Warden of New College. 1899 - Since Plummer's death, and under Benjamin
Sharp, the roll had dropped every year so that by 1899 it was down to 22. If
the numbers dropped below 20, the County Council would not pay a grant. The
Governors 'considered it of advantage to the School that Mr Sharp should
tender his resignation.' he went to a housemastership at Reading School -
taking 12 of the 22 pupils. The Rev Alfred Edward Shaw was appointed
Headmaster, aged 38 and started in September. He had been born in Maidstone
Kent. When he joined there were six boarders and twelve day boys; within a
year he had trebled the numbers on the roll. He was a great publicist:
advertisements appeared in The Times and Daily Telegraph, inviting admissions
from the age of eight from those 'boys from India and the Colonies.' Shaw
started evening classes for the town in Science. A Literary Society was
formed; one lecture was on Roman, French, Negro, English and Scots
superstitions. The story of the ghost in Thame Church was met with
incredulity. The School was embarking on a period of prosperity. The Boer War
was declared. Prize Day was held in December in the schoolroom. Shaw noted
how sciences had improved in the three years since their inception. Prizes
were handed out by the Chairman of the Governors, P.J.D Wykeham. There were
exhibitions of geological and natural specimens, physic and chemistry
experiments. The Rev W.A Spooner, Dean of New College, said the school should
take 'an honourable and important part in the education of the middle
classes.' Boys studied for three distinct stages of instruction varying in
difficulty, and graded to form a continuous course. Every boy who
satisfactorily completed the whole course was awarded a certificate by the
Committee of Council of Education. An attempt was made to brighten up the
walls of the Manual Worshop with large tinted drawings of woodwork. The
schoolroom was redecorated and a lamp was placed outside the School by the
Council. The boredom of being a weekend boarder was occasionally relieved by
visiting public shows in the Victoria Hall - one show being the Chrysanthemum
Show. The full-time staff consisted of Shaw and C H Cox, L. W Bone, and H J
Franklin. A B Turner, A Murray and C E Shrimpton were Head Boys. The Twentieth
Century 1900 - Tuition was fixed at £2 a term for day-boys
and between £12 and £14 for boarders. Four Founder's Exhibitions were
available worth either £6 or £3 a year 'for boys attending the public
elementary schools in Thame.' School numbers had increased to 73 in little
over a year. Dormitories were refurbished and much redecoration took place. A
large proportion of the boys were successful in the Oxford Local
Examinations. The football team played Watlington FC (this game was played at
Watlington and it was noted that 'the ground would have been in pretty good
condition had it not been for the liberal sprinkling of sharp pieces of
bone.') St Mary's Church, St Kenelms, Cuddesdon College. A farce was
presented called 'The Black Schoolmaster' 'and as the performers appeared
with blackened faces and rather fantastical costumes, much amusement was
caused.' Henry Taunt took photos of the school (see above).; it was felt the
ones of the workshop, chemical lab and the teams drill were the most
successful. The school hoisted a flag every time there was a victory in the
Boer War, and the school bell was rung when news of the relief of Ladysmith
was announced (and a cannon fired in Thame). There were examinations for the
whole school in Latin, English, French, History, Maths, Elementary Science
and Scripture. At Sports Day, The Stokenchurch Brass Band played to a large
contingent of dignitaries and parents - who outnumbered the boys. The senior
100 yards was won in 12secs; the 200 yards in 25 secs. Cricket was played
against Wycombe Grammar School, Thame Cricket Club, Royal Latin School Buckingham,
Oxford High, Burford, and New College School. Swimming was done at Jemmett's
Home bathing place. The school play was Henry V. Howard House School turned
into a prep school and was no longer the fierce competitor it had been in the
late 19th century. The National School was the principle primary school. The
Tamensian appeared for the first time in April, and the Editorial hoped it
would have a 'long life before it.' School rules included: Boys who are absent from School at any time must
as they return bring a sealed note from their parent or guardian, explaining
the cause. Every boy must have their name legibly written on
every thing that he brings to school. Any boy who scribbles on the walls, cuts the
desks, destroys library books etc, must repair the damage at his own expense. Boys are strongly forbidden to visit rooms of
Undergraduates. Boys who stay to dinner at School may not leave
the playground at all between 1:00 – 2:30; they will be allowed to make use
of the class rooms when weather is extremely bad; at other times they must
play in the Playground, or under the covered shed. Ill health is the only excuse recognised for
neglect of work. All boys must wear the School Cap or ribbon. Smoking is strictly forbidden. Boys are forbidden to go to the front of the
school to climb any walls or palings, or to do anything which may annoy a
neighbour in any way. Boys are required to "Cap" Masters when
they meet them in the street. Stone throwing and the use of catapults are
strictly forbidden. Boys may not barter, sell or buy anything whatever
from one another. Every boy is expected op walk quietly, and not
loiter, on his way to and from School. Boys are forbidden to make any noise in the School
buildings and to scatter rubbish about the School Playground. 1901: Queen Victoria died. The School gathered
outside Thame Town Hall to hear Edward VII proclaimed but it was noted
however that the ceremony could have been better organised by the Town Council.
Founder's Day was held on March 18th. After the service, a trip was made to
the Chiltern Hills, first taking the train to Bledlow. The gymnasium was
fully equipped with new equipment. A trip was made to the Torpids in Oxford.
The new Tuck Shop was thriving. There was a House Music Concert, and chess
and draughts tournaments. In his speech at Prize Day, Sir William Plowden
noted that the progress of the Education Bill through Parliament was crucial
to raise standards that had fallen behind those of the Continent,
particularly Germany, and the US. The Act would abolish school boards and put
education in the hands of local borough or district councils. H Clarke-Brown,
one of the School's governors was elected Sheriff of Oxford. Thame's
population was approximately 3,000. T A Grange was Head Boy. 1901 Census for Lord Williams’s School
1902 - the two major sports were cricket and
football. The cricket team enjoyed fixtures against Thame Congregational
Church, St Mary's, Wycombe Grammar School, Waddesdon, St Edmund's Hall,
Oxford High School, Bledlow, and Burford Grammar School. Football fixtures
included Thame Printers, St Mary's, St Kenelms College, Oxford High School,
Wycombe Grammar School, Burford GS, Jesus College and Thame Town. H.M
Inspector remarked that 'there was no school in the whole of the six counties
to which he came with greater pleasure than Thame.' Shaw had done his job. An
Act of Parliament set-up local education authorities and accelerated the
expansion of secondary education. Lord Williams's was styled as a 'Voluntary'
school. The School was aided by public money, with grants being conditional
on at least 25% of the admissions being free places to those from elementary
schools. Grants were also conditional on the School being passed as
'efficient' by regular inspections. The cricket side had a bad season. Half
the matches were canceled because of rain and of the six remaining only two
were won. However it was still decided to extend the cricket pitch and work
on banking up the western-side was begun. A Coronation Picnic was held on the
Chilterns. A Hockey team was formed. A horse was purchased for the roller and
cutter but proved difficult to harness. The peace of Vereeniging in May 1902
annexed the Boer Republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State to the
British Empire and brought the Boer War to a close. 1903: The soccer team has a disastrous season,
winning only one match. The hockey side won 2 out of 4. The Sports Day had a
crawling, potato, and bicycle race among its events. The Merchant of Venice
was performed. The school gained 28 Oxfordshire Certificates compared to 12
in 1901. Dr Tutton Board of Education Inspector said the school was improving
its science education yearly and in literary work bore comparison to any in
the district. Two members of staff left: Mr E E Larke and H. Oughtred. They
were replaced by Mr W H Cadman and J Prescott. C A Judge was Head Boy. 1905 - Shaw was awarded a Doctorate in Letters
from the University of London for a thesis on the 16th century French
chancellor and lawyer Michel de L'Hopital. Lantern lectures were given on
Russia, a railway journey from Charing Cross to Italy, mountains and their
formation, India, and missionary work in Egypt.. Bathing in the river started
on July 5th. O.S Portsmouth's high jump of 5ft 2inches was a school record. A
hot-air balloon that had taken off from Crystal Palace landed near the
School. It was noted that in a school such as Lord Williams's, where many
boys naturally leave for an active business career or take-up agricultural
work, few academic distinctions were recorded but there were some none the
less. (Boys generally left in the 5th form and if they were academically
minded went on to 6th Form at schools elsewhere. In the late 19th century
more boys stayed on for longer.) Dancing classes were held, with Mrs Shaw as the
tutor. Mr H.J Franklin who had been Music Master for the last 20 years died
unexpectedly. He was Deputy Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, and Organist
and Choirmaster of St Michael's. S R Tanner was Head Boy. 1906: The cricket side had its most successful
season for some time, winning ten out of 13 matches, beating Oxford High
School, Maidenhead Modern, Thame St Marys, St Edmund Hall, Wycombe GS,
Newbury, Royal Latin, Oxford High and New College School. Newbury were the
first team to visit by motor car but were delayed by an hour by a puncture -
and were then beaten. A debating Society was formed for the first time. In
soccer, Wycombe GS were beaten 12-0. H.W.C Davies, a fellow of Balliol
College and a distinguished medieval historian described the School 'as a
thoroughly good school which would give a good education for boys of every
capacity.' A talk was given on the 'Channel Tunnel.' In November, an small
advertisement was placed in the Thame Gazette announcing that 'important
improvements in equipment are being made in the lecture rooms in readiness
for the coming term. During the last 4 years, 98 certificates have been
gained in the Oxford Local Examinations, including 30 Honours and several
Distinctions.' 1907: The School attended a service held in St
Mary's to unveil a tablet to the memory of soldiers from Thame and the
surrounding districts killed in the Boer War. Mr William Wood from Norwich
visited the School with a collection of live and dead animals including
Japanese mice and a Maltese kitten (live specimens). Winston Churchill
inspected the Oxfordshire Yeomanry who were parading on Barley Hill Field. 65
boys were on the Roll, of which 50 were boarders. Under Shaw were three
assistant masters: D E Hunter BA, G F Douglas BSc and G Mathews MA.
Manual instruction was provided by E F Lay. D P Shaw had been Head Boy for
the last two years. 1908 - the girls school in the Old School closed
down, and P.H Pearce and his wife emigrated to Australia. RGS High Wycombe
were bowled out for 10. And Aylesbury GS beaten 10-0 at soccer. A day trip to
Kingston Blount was described thus: 'Those who had been in previous years
longed for the day, and those who had not looked forward to it with
anticipation. The actual event exceeded all expectations...a day to lie and
bask or wander. From the hills we went to Kingston House where tea, cakes,
and fruit played their part in a joyful half-hour. After tea, great games of
rounders filled-up the time till the brakes were ready, when with cheers, we
drove off.' A shooting range was constructed. A sixth form was now slowly
beginning to flourish. A Subscription List for the Pavilion was opened.
Howard House School closed in Thame and moved to London. A J Briars was Head
Boy. 1909 - the Cricket Pavilion was built after a huge
fund raising effort. A garden fete was held to announce the opening - done by
Mr Valentine Fleming. The Oxford Town Band was hired and the programme for
the day included gymnastics, concerts, a dancing display, a bicycle parade,
stalls, coconut shy and an Aunt Sally. The House system was established with
some twenty pupils in each - Boarders, Urban and Rural pupils with the
emphasis on competitive sports. Shaw had said at Speech Day, 'Why do I like
games? Not because we win so often but because we fight hard and respect our
opponents.' However, games were not compulsory for day boys and Shaw urged
local parents to encourage their sons to participate rather than 'loafing
about.' There were many cases of measles and Prize Day had to be postponed. A
gale in December knocked over the flagstaff and tiles were blown off the roof
leaving a large hole. Drains were laid around the sport field. A W S Wagner
had been Head Boy for the last two years. As the question was once asked, some information
on Arthur Briar's school career, a pupil who left this year: A few months ago, we were asked a question about
Arthur Jesse Briars. Since then Trudi, the Schools archivist, has been able
to find out more information. Arthur was born 8th February 1891 and joined
the School on 19th September 1902 as a day scholar. 1911 - Seventy boys were on the roll of whom 40
were boarders. Sport was a major feature of the School. Between 1906 and
1911, the School won 48 out of 55 cricket matches. Boys could play hockey and
tennis. There was athletics, steeplechases, paper-chases, and swimming in the
Thame. The town had Coronation fever and teas and picnics were organised for everyone
to attend. H C Bernard was Head Boy. 1912 - large-scale building work took place to
extend the School and create more classrooms, joining the isolated science
block to the main building. Lands at Sydenham and East Hendred were disposed
of and the proceeds invested in a War Loan - these part of the endowment
income for the school. C R Blake was Head Boy. 1913 - the staff comprised the headmaster Dr
A.E.Shaw, the senior master Mr Davis, and Mr John Howard Brown and Mr George
Moss (who joined in September), three assistants, and a visiting P.T. master.
George Moss' salary on starting was 100 pounds plus residence. The Boarders
would wear Eton jackets and silk hats on a Sunday. A large majority of them
hailed from London, particularly Mill Hill, Palmer's Green and Hammersmith.
Three German teachers visited the School. Despite this air of grandeur, there
was 'no main drainage, no main water supply, no electric light and mortality
among gas mantles was heavy.' And the food wasn't much better either: 'The
food was meagre - at times really poor. For instance, one day I noticed the
extreme weakness of the tea. On asking the kitchen maid for an explanation
she said she had forgotten to put in the tea bag. 'Fruit, salad and custard'
reads quite well, but in reality meant two unsweetened prunes floating in a
sea of watery custard.' Alfred Shaw as Chairman of the Oxfordshire Branch of
the Headmasters Association. 1914: life carried on as normal at the start of
the War. Money was collected for the Prince of Wales' Relief Fund and the
Princess Mary's Xmas Gift Fund. However, much to the boys delight, a cinema
opened in the town. W E Cubbage had been Head Boy for the last two years. 1915: The Old School became a VAD Hospital. Shaw
commented 'in the happy seclusion of the Chiltern Hills we can with
difficulty realise the terrible struggle and bitter consequences of war.'
Boys contributed to the war effort effort by raising money for the Red Cross,
and to making bed tables and splints for the local hospitals - one of which
was the old Grammar School. Masters were now being called-up and there
absence was being felt. New class rooms had been built and pupil numbers were
higher than they had been for several years. A chess tournament was played
and football continued but with fewer matches against other schools. A fete
was held at Thame Park to raise money for the local Red Cross. A Cadet Corps
was officially started. The 4th and 5th formers were making hospital comforts
such as splints, foot-rests and bed-rests for the wounded in the Manual Room.
Prize Day was not a public function this year. R H Colby was Head Boy. 1916: numbers reached 100 for the first time.
There were severe blizzards in March. The police complained about boarders
not keeping black-out. The School played only two cricket matches: against
Wycombe and Aylesbury. The Cadet Corps held a uniformed parade for the
Governors of the School. New College presented the Governors with an old copy
of the School Statutes. There was a private view of a film about the Somme in
the Cinema Hall. Three football matches were played. H H Vertigen was Head
Boy. 1917: The Tamensian ceased publication from
1917-19. J H Crook was Head Boy. 1918: the school leaving age was raised to 14. Mr
Moss's day went usually as follows: 'when on duty our day started at 6.30am
to be in time to wake the dormitories at 7.00am; followed by morning prep
from 7.30am-8.00am. The usual school routine followed from 9.00am to 4.30pm.
In the evening, the Duty Master had to supervise 'prep' from 6.00pm to
8.00pm. The last of the Boarders went to bed at 9.30pm - after that the rest
of the day was my own.' R E Jeffries was Head Boy. The University of Oxford
introduced the Oxford Higher School Certificate [equivalent to today’s
A-Levels.]. "The HSCE is intended to test the work of
pupils of about eighteen, who have pursued for about two years a course of
study in accordance with an organised curriculum, and have also continued
some studies of a less specialised character. As a rule, the exam will be taken
about two years after the Senior Local Examination, or some similar
exam." 1919 - Peace Day was celebrated by taking a train
to Princes Risborough and then walking up to White Leaf Cross. In the
evening, the School watched the fireworks in Thame and on the distant Chitern
Hills. The local cinema was often visited. 29 OTs had died on active service;
200 had served in the war and had earned two DSOs and seven MC's. George Moss
again 'On Sundays we had dinner in the House with the Headmaster and Family.
The Rev A.E.Shaw was one of the finest men I have ever met, a great scholar,
a marvellous teacher and a real friend. In those days, a master had to be
prepared to teach almost any subject. Although I had an honours degree in
History, I found myself teaching Geography, Latin, Maths, English and, for
one short spell, art. Occasionally, the Area Inspector visited. Dr Shaw
merely introduced him to each master, and then marshaled him into his house
for a quiet drink and a polite goodbye.' 1920 - Alfred Shaw retired as Headmaster and was
greatly missed being described as 'an erudite man, a wonderful teacher and an
excellent headmaster. He was replaced by Col. Walter Bye from the Dragon
School. A mathematician, he had taught at King Edward VI Chelmsford and Queen
Elizabeth, Farnham before taking the Headship at Dragon. With him came his
handsome and stately wife. In the war, he had won a DSO and an MC, and was a
keen games player. He told a dinner of OTs that his aim was 'to send boys out
into the world who would be first-class Britons - that stamp of boy which has
'Briton' written all over him - clean, manly, honourable boys.' There were
113 on the Roll: 61 boarders and 52 day boys. The School routine was very
much back to normal, very efficiently run with every moment of the day
organised. Armistice Day was observed with a service in the School. The
School War-Roll Book was placed in its case in the Dining Hall, the oak case
made some old wood molding (1630) out of Lincoln College Chapel. Also, two
bronze plates that had been positioned on the old School were restored and
erected in the Dining Room. (They had been taken to Australia by P.H Pearce
who had bought the Old School in 1877, and were returned by his widow). The
great Dickens authority the Rev A R Runnels-Moss gave a lecture. Dancing and
Deportment classes were held on a Saturday night. Rycote Manor was visited. A
House Concert and Supper were held in Fancy Dress. Twelve soccer matches were
played against outside teams. There were 8 boys in Form VI, their starting
age was 16 and their average height was 5' 4'' and average weight 8 stone.
Form II was the entry Form and had 22 boys aged 11 or 12. They had an average
height of 4' 5'' and weighed 4 stone 3lbs on average. Moreton Primary School
- that had opened in 1860 - closed. C Fawdry had been Head Boy for the last
two years. 1921 – Alfred Shaw died after a short illness on
May 16th. The whole school ‘was cast in gloom’ and it was noted
that his death at the early age of 61 was in part brought on by the supreme effort
he made to keep the school going during the Great War. A Memorial Service was held in Thame
Church; Shaw was buried in Tunbridge Wells Cemetery – he’d retired to 27
Maderia Park. Rugby was reintroduced as a school sport after a lapse of over
30 years but soccer remained the key sport. Cricket, though, was going
through a lean period, with the top batting average being only 9.70.(However
Bye was a cricketing headmaster, he took to the nets and things gradually
improved over the next few years.) Photography was booming and boxing classes
were held. The Paper chase and the Steeplechase were two popular House
competitions. 51 boys were in the Cadet Corps, and they joined the Camp of
the Public Secondary Schools Cadet Association, held at Leckhampton near
Cheltenham. Bye, though, reassured parents that the Corps was 'purely
educational and not a militarist movement.' Parents were urged to keep their
sons at the school until the age of 16. Lady Fanshawe presented the School
framed prints of Royalty once the property of her father Field-Marshall Sir
Evelyn Wood, presented to him personally by members of the Royal Family. The
Regulations of the Board of Education now stipulated that boys sent to the
School should remain for 4 years and until they reached the age of 16. Forms
at the School started with Form 1, a preparatory class for eleven or younger.
The core of the School was forms II to V largely of boys who had joined from
local 'elementary' schools and who had passed the 11+ and were grant-aided.
Boarders paid fees. Most boys left after four years having taken the Oxford
School Certificate. A few remained in the 6th Form. Lectures were given by
outside speakers and listening to the gramophone was popular. During the Xmas Holiday, those in the 5th and 6th
Form were asked to read any two of 'The Cloister and the Hearth' by Reade,
'Les Miserables' Hugo, or 'Guy Mannering' by Scott. For an essay they had to
write on 'The Choice of a Profession.' A silver-gilt clock was presented to
the Chairman of the Governors, Mr P.J. D Wykenham and his wife, to honour
their golden wedding. Mr Wykenham was a descendant of the Wenman family and
therefore of Lord Williams. Lloyd George opened the War Memorial in Thame and
the School were allowed to attend. A comment in the December issue of
Tamensians noted, 'Entertainments have been varied. Perhaps the most
enjoyable of all was a visit paid to the Dragon School where a special
performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience was given for our benefit by
the boys of the School. It is hoped that we, too, some day will be able to
produce Gilbert and Sullivan opera with equal success. At any rate, we see
what can be done.' 1922 – 124 Boys were on the School Roll – 62
boarders and 62 day boys. The first performance of a Gilbert and Sullivan
opera at the School - H.M.S Pinafore. In a press write-up, the small boys
were noted as having made 'very pretty girls.' Rugger was beginning to become
popular and was seen not just as a game where 'you get knocked about.' This
was also the year when the School mounted its first Shakespearian play - A
Midsummer Night's Dream. Two performances were given. Great interest was
shown in the League of Nations: boys attended meeting and lectures and
several became members. On Princess Mary's Wedding Day, the whole day was a
holiday celebrated by taking cars into Oxford to visit the Bodleian, colleges
and museums. The Manager of the George Cafe provided a very good tea and
afterwards there was a visit to the cinema. The School altered its colours to
black, sky blue and white - the real colours of the Founder. The old blue and
gold were the colours of New College Oxford and Winchester School. The Soccer
team played both St Edmund Hall and Wadham College for the first time - both
matches were lost 3-0. H C Reese had been Head Boy for the last two years. Mr
WJH Deekes, who studied at Downing College, Cambridge joined to teach
Biology, which had recently been added to the school curriculum. Seventeen
pupils passed their Oxford Senior School Certificate. {This was the
equivalent of O-Level or GCSEs.} 1923 – School numbers were now gradually
increasing with 134 on the Roll. To further encourage rugby, House matches
were introduced. The 1st XV played games against RGS High Wycombe, the Old Boys
and a Masters side, and a junior side played Dragon School. The Natural
History Society (the most popular yet only 2 years old) published its own
magazine - 'The Naturalist'. A miniature rifle range was constructed for the
Cadet Corps, and a shooting cup presented by H. Allesbrook, an Old Boy -
though the standard was not thought sufficiently high to award the cup that
year. A tennis club was started, the subscription was 6d. All 18 who sat the
Senior Certificate had passed. Sports Day included an egg and spoon race, a
tug of war, sack race, throwing the cricket ball, potato race, sack race and
slow bicycle race. The 'Mikado' was mounted with all the performers being
under 14. The costumes were made at the School, the wigs from Fox of London,
and the music played on the piano with an accompanying orchestra. The additional verse to Ko Ko's song, Mikado went
as follows: There's an ass that litters paper round and nuts
and apple cores I've got him on the list - I've got him on the
list! Who upsets tea on table cloths and ink on spotless
floors He never would be missed - He never would be
missed! The bore who babbles motor bikes, or wireless,
golf or chess, The knut whose hair-oils scented like the roses
(more or less) The fool who finds in chewing gum a charm that
never palls The knave who carves his name on desks or
scribbles it on walls The bass who loves Mikado tunes who never will
desist, They'd none of them be missed - They'd none of
them be missed. The Chess Club was revived. A School Employment
Bureau was set-up to help boys secure jobs at a time when there was a serious
decrease in opportunities. J Maughan and E D Syson were Head Boys. John
Twinman who was in Form V met his death while cycling in Chinnor. He was hit
by a car and died the next day in Thame Nursing Home without ever regaining
consciousness. He was buried in Chinnor Churchyard. 1924 - the
usual winter epidemic of colds and other illnesses passed the school by this
year. Rugby was gaining in popularity and technique: it was noted that in
tackling, ‘we see much less of that clasping around the neck and shoulders.’
A visit by boys of the Cadet Force to Verdun. Whilst this was a keenly
anticipated trip, there was little appreciation for the rats and bed bugs
encountered in the barracks where they stayed when in Paris. There were now
about 130 boys on the roll. The Cadet Corps held its first shooting matches
against St Edwards Oxford and Maidenhead Grammar - beaten soundly in both. Mr
Wykenham, Chairman of the Governors since 1898 and a Governor since 1882
died. He was directly descended from the Lord Williams. He’d been first
appointed a Governor in 1882. Boys from Watlington and Chinnor were provided
with a school bus. This year's G&S was the Pirates of Penzance. A Camera
Club was started. A School Bath Fund was started. Each form room had its
'stars and stripes' board: on this were recorded stars for outstanding work
and stripes for bad work, and disorder stripes for bad behaviour. Those who
got two of these were then rewarded with two strokes of the cane. H B Maughan
and J E Stubbings were Head Boys. The Natural History Society’s Museum was
presented with a Mummy’s hand and foot, and a 9ft long snake skin. Over 100
boys visited the Great Exhibition at Wembley going there by ‘motor bus.’ George Moss left
after 11 years teaching at the school to teach in Northampton. He was very
much admired by his pupils. His successor was William Guest who came in to
teach history - and was to become another long serving teacher, indeed he
taught at the school for 30 years. 1925 – boys who went down with a mild flu epidemic
were isolated at ‘Highfield.’ In
rugby, the School was playing Bloxham, RGS Wycombe, Henley GS, a London
Scottish side and the OTs. Motionless Floating was one of the events in the
Swimming event. In football the School played Henley GS, Burford GS,
Aylesbury GS, RGS Wycombe, Oxford Municipal Secondary School, City of Oxford
School, St Edmund Hall, The Old Boys, and Borlaise. The Natural History
Society was enjoying innumerable lantern slide shows. Masters at the School
included S F Moscrop, N J Wheatley, S C Wells, W Guest, J Howard Brown and H
R Eady. Singing of folk songs collected by Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharp
proved very popular. The income to the school from the endowment that had
been established by Lord Williams now only accounted for some 10% of the
total income needs of the school - the income was approximately £3,200 made
up of £320 from the endowment; £900 in fees; £800 from Government grants and
£1,200 from the County Council. C R Cosier was Head Boy. 28 cadets toured
Belgium. One of the Governors of the School was the Right Hon Herbert A. L
Fisher MP who was responsible for the education act of 1918 that improved the status and rewards of
teachers, and also designed a system of national examinations and in funding
universities. The School celebrated Remembrance Day for the first time on 11th
November, when the Roll Call of Honour, of boys who fell in the Great War,
was read out. 1926 - due to the inequality of numbers in the old
system, a new House system was introduced: Williams, Harris, Hampden and
Wykeham. (Much later Williams became New House to celebrate the School's
association with New College, Oxford.) Each House had its own distinctive
cap. House Colours, in the shape of ties, were to be awarded. The Scout troop
was also formed for the junior boys with Mr Bray as scoutmaster. The uniform
cost £1 and was supplied by the school. The annual concert was cancelled due
to an outbreak of illness (a reoccurring hazard in school-life at the time.)
Measles was one ailment; the other was scarlet fever. The lower forms went to
Oxford to see 'Treasure Island' at the New Theatre - on the way their coach
burst into flames. Cricket matches were held against Aylesbury, Thame 1st XI,
Marlow School, RGS Wycombe, Henley, Burford, City of Oxford, Borlaise. 'It
was pleasing to record that of the 26 July leavers, eight were between
sixteen and seventeen, seven between seventeen and eighteen, and four over
eighteen, which shows that the wisdom of continuing school as long as
possible beyond sixteen years is being realised by an increasing number of
boys.' The School Inspectors concluded that the School was in 'sound
condition' – although they were concerned that the Gymnasium was used as a gym,
changing room, an armoury and for woodwork. There were four prefects: P.
Webb, D. Johnston, M. Maughan and J. Lawrence. Prefects wore distinctive caps
with silver badges. The Pearce Memorial Gardens in the High Street with a
fountain and a statue of a boy was erected by Ernest Pearce of Australia as a
monument to the memory of his parents Philip Henry Pearce and his wife
Elizabeth - who had, of course, bought the Old School back in the late 19th
century. H W Howland was Head Boy. He and three others past their Oxford
Higher School Certificate. Some 15 boys passed their School Certificate. The
Remembrance Day service was extended: it was noted that several boys in the
school were not even born when War broke out; and the majority were not seven
when the Armistice was signed. It was felt that the boys needed a a ‘definite
line of thought’ to help them realise why November 11th was a
special day. The Service went as follows: Hymn 438, ‘How Bright these
glorious Spirits Shine’, Special Prayers, Psalm 46, Hymn 437, ‘For all the
Saints’ (first 3 verses), Roll of Honour, Two Minutes Silence, Hymn 437
(remaining verses) Readings, The Supreme Sacrifice. At every morning
assembly, a violin orchestra helped ‘to give fine zest the hymn singing.’ 1927 - electricity was installed and the boys were
at last spared having hot gas mantles fall on their head. School numbers at
the beginning of 1927 had dropped to 122, their lowest for a while. The
Spring Term weather was bad and the school was hit by a flu epidemic. John Howard
Brown published 'A Short History of Thame School.' There was 48 cadets in the
Cadet Force and they held their summer camp at Great Milton. Training - or
mainly square-bashing - was at lunchtime, and the cadets had shortened Lee
Enfield rifles. Two young pupils died: Thomas Westacott after an asthma
attack and a haemorrhage, and Wilfred Croxford of influenza. Westacott’s death was reported at length in the
Tamensian Magazine: ‘ …he died at the School on 21st February
after an illness only lasting one week. He retired to bed early in the
evening of Monday February 14th, complaining of an earache, which,
however, left him the next day. Then came an attack of asthma and bronchitis.
From Thursday he became steadily worse, a hacking cough bringing haemorrhage
in its train. Two trained nurses were at once called in and a specialist
consulted. He rallied some what on Monday afternoon but his constitution was
not capable of sufficient resistance, and he passed away very peacefully at
about 6.30pm on 21st February…even when it was clear to him that
he was dying his brave spirit never quailed.’ He was buried in Hillingdon
Church, Middx. Hampden won the first 'new’ House competition. A Sports and
Garden Fair raised more than 300 pounds for the Swimming Pool fund meaning
that work could start. The School production was 'Scenes from the Life of
Hannibel'. 30 members of the Natural History Society went to the Experimental
Station in Roehampton. JHB had a Morris Cowley that was often pressed into
service to take boys on outings. Outside lectures included talks on deep sea
diving, 'electric installations', and 'East Africa'. P C R Webb was
Head Boy until the summer and was succeeded by J M Crammer. Construction work started on the swimming pool;
the work being carried out by R G Holland of Thame and the architect was an
OT, Vernon Kislingbury. The first Founder’s Day was held on November 29th,
this being the 357th Anniversary of when teaching first started at
the school. The event was held in the school hall (two years later it was
moved to the Parish Church) with an address by the Headmaster. 1928 - the first swimming pool was opened after
four years of fund raising. Mrs Muirhead of Hasely Court performed the
Opening Ceremony and there was music from the Band of the 4th Batt. OBLI. The
Governors said it was Bye's 'most spectacular of his successes.' Forty boys
learnt to swim. HMS Pinafore was presented there having been a gap in the
schools mounting of G&S for four years. The Music Master was H Roscoe
Eady who had a propensity to name drop - he had some instructional connection
with a European royal family. The rugby team won all five matches. The
Wayfarers Trio from Oxford gave their first performance at the School, the
start of a long tradition. An epidemic of measles hit the school. A darkroom
was constructed for the Camera Club. The winter was exceptionally cold and
ink froze in the inkwells. A new wing was added to the domestic quarters
including much needed sick rooms. J A Sheldon was Head Boy. 1929 - Mr A C Dyer became the first Cambridge
graduate to be appointed Headmaster. (Few of the boys seemed to take to the
new Headmaster.) This followed the resignation of W.R.G Bye who took up a new
appointment as Headmaster of Skinner's School after nine years of being
Headmaster of Lord Williams. During the years he'd been at the School
academic standards were raised, rugger was reintroduced, calculus was added
to the curriculum as well as biology. the Cadet Corps had been reborn, the
gymnasium rebuilt, a new wing added to the School, and last but not least,
the building of the swimming pool. The Governor's were generous in their
praise, not least 'because he had relieved (them) of a great deal of
responsibility' and they noted the influence he had on the 'general manners
of the School.' He'd taken particular care of looking after the Boarders and
had a particular affinity with the younger boys. Under his leadership sixth
form work began to assume the importance which it has ever since retained and
university scholarships became an actual possibility. It was the Jubilee of
the opening of the new School buildings on Oxford Road. Mr Benjamin Sharp who
was Headmaster from 1891-1899 died. The National School was turned in to
Thame's senior (i.e. Secondary) School and the Royal British and Foreign
School - that had started life in 1836 as a non-conformist institution -
became known as Park Street School and was turned into Thame's only primary
school. (It is now of course the John Hampden School.) C H Pratt was Head
Boy. For the first time, Founder’s Day was held in the
Chancel of the Parish Church. 1930 - 118 boys in the School of whom around 30
were boarders. It was decided to discontinue playing football and concentrate
on rugby. After the Cadet Corps annual inspection, Brig-Gen E.S. Hoare Nairne
noted that "the march past and drill movements were interesting. There
were plenty of mistakes...one platoon was in confusion of step." Later,
the Corps toured the Battlefields around Arras. There was a Natural History
Society, Scout Troop and a Camera Club. A school branch of the National
Savings Association was opened - though it was said that not all its members
were 'particularly keen on saving.' A new gymnasium was opened with
up-to-date apparatus and a door to the swimming pool. The School day began at
8.45am with assembly. There were four morning periods of 40 minutes and a
lunch break from 12.30 to 2.00pm. Many of the Thame boys sensibly either went
home or brought sandwiches. In the afternoon, there were three periods and
then, homework. Saturday morning school was often the time when wood and
metal crafts were taught. (A tradition that continued right up until the
demise of Saturday morning school in 1971.) The school observed Remembrance Day on 11th
November; and Founder’s Day was celebrated on 28th November. 1931: the first full rugby season was a disaster
with seven matches in succession lost. However, the school did beat Burford
Grammar School 6-3 - though Burford too were newcomers to the game. As was
usual throughout its history Wykeham finished last in the House competition.
(What fate meant that this was perennially the case?) Mr F Geldherd-Somervell
retired from the Chairmanship of the Governors. It was noted that through his
efforts over the last six years, money was found for the addition of a wing
to the kitchen end of the Boarding House and the erection of a gymnasium and
changing room. Sports Day was held in March and the events held were the
Steeplechase, 1 mile, Half-mile, Quarter-mile 220 yards, 100 yards, High
Jump, Long Jump and Cricket Ball. The senior 100 yards was won in 11.6 secs.
Most of the boys paid a visit to the Oxfordshire Agricultural Show, held in a
field behind the School. An entertainment was organised jointly with the
Girls Grammar School and was given in the Cinema - it told the story of a Red
Indian. Mr G M Mercer joined the staff as Classics Master. The Scout troop
went on a week's camp to Eynsham, and a party of seven boys spent a week in
Paris. It was noted that whilst the Boarders were active in out-of-school
activities, the day boys gave 'slender support.' After the Friday Founder's
Day service, the afternoon was a half-holiday and the boarders were treated
to a special film matinee of 'Beau Ideal' at Aylesbury cinema. An outing was
also organised to see Moliere's 'Les Fourberies de Scapin' at the Oxford
Playhouse. The Camera Club and Natural History Society amalgamated with the
addition of a stamp club. The first public performance of the School Choir -
under the direction of John Howard-Brown - although it was written that 'the
whole choir must learn to count and come in together on the beat.' The Scout
Troop replaced the Cadet Corps. 1932: the rugby team were improving and winning
some matches. The Wayfaring Trio from Oxford gave a concert. One of the many
lectures organised by the school societies was illustrated using film for the
first time in the School's history. The School Choir's performance was
improving. Yo-yo were the rage. The Scouts had their summer camp at Castle
Combe, and one boy fell into the fire but was thankfully rescued without too
many blemishes. The Wardens and Fellows of Merton College commemorated the
tricentenary of the birth of Anthony Wood with a luncheon - the Headmaster
represented the School. A comment on the day boys (again!): 'Within School
Rugby, there appears to be a noticeable lack of public spirit among certain
boys, particularly the day boys. Their play is lackadaisical; inclusion in
the team appears to be a matter of small importance compared with a visit to
the cinema.' The Old School was rapidly falling into a state of disrepair.
(It was claimed that John Hampden's great bed was still in existence in the
building). 1933 - J H Brown published his book 'Elizabethan
Schooldays'. Day boys living within a mile of the School were banned from
cycling and had to walk to school, so as to improve their health. Sunday
dress for the Boarders - who always attended Matins at St Mary's - was
striped grey trousers, black jacket, white shirt and black tie, and bowler
hats in winter and boaters in summer. A favourite treat was to visit Betty
Martin's tea shop in the High Street for cakes. By now, the maintenance grant
from the local authority was 25 times that of endowment income. But this
increase in financial benefits was slowly eroding the School's independence
and the County was having a greater say in the running of the School. 1934 - the day boys, following the criticism of
their lack of interest in curricular activities two years earlier, were now
more active in societies and sports. The John Hampden Fund was given a boost
by an evening of entertainment put on for parents. School outings included
visits to Huntley & Palmer, Reading, William Birch Furniture Works in
High Wycombe, Kodak and Long Crendon Gravel Pits. Mr J Neale gave an evenings
conjuring entertainment. There were 18 cases of German measles. The House
points system was amended in an attempt to increase the competitiveness of
the House Competition. The 1st XV were able to watch the Varsity game at
Twickenham, though they were still playing poorly as a team. One of the
Governors, Mr Wood, drew up a long-term plan for the renovation and
development of the School. 1935 - J.H Brown and William Guest (a fellow
teacher at the School) published their 'History of Thame' in what was said to
be a somewhat uneasy collaboration. (Guest was a historian whereas he later
described Brown as an antiquarian.) The French Drama Society, which had been
performing for several years produced a triple bill. A party went to Paris
again, getting used to 'the peculiarities of Parisian motorists and the
incessant screaming of brakes.' One dinner was taken in the Coupole, and some
'very modern' French art was seen. Another party went to Dunkirk. Back at the
School, a lecture on Modern Germany, whilst highlighting the more enjoyable aspects
of the country, also mentioned the 'generally weird' modern art. Mr B.H.J
Bevan joined the staff, a man with a dignified manner in class. Wykeham still
trailed in the House competition. The sixth form was slowly growing - though
most pupils still left at 15or 16 after taking the School Certificate - and
was divided into two divisions: one studying languages and history, the other
mathematics and science with a view to taking the Higher Certificate. At
Speech Day, Dyer made a plea for more boys to stay on for longer and 'not to
be in a hurry to leave.' 1936 - 144 pupils in the School, which was a
record. Mr J.C Purnell, the P.T. Instructor celebrated 30 years at the
School. A debating society was started. Founder's Day was celebrated on the
proper day, November 29th, drew a congregation of 80 parents and OTs - much
larger than had been seen for many years. The cricket field was enlarged and
an Elizabeathen penny dug up during the excavations - much of the work was to
remove a good deal of the bank on the north-side to where we see it today.
The 1st XV won 8 out of 13 matches played; the Captain, E.A Dodwell, was
chosen to play for Oxon Schools. For many years, the School had held an
athletics meeting against Burford and this for year, for the first time, the
School won. In the Library, students could read Punch, Listener, Motor,
Aeroplane, Motor Cycle, Wireless World, Meccano Magazine, Armchair Science,
Popular Flying, and Geographical Magazine. Boys leaving the School were
expected to observe the custom of donating a book to the Library. Fines for
the late return of books were instituted. Mr Gelderd Somerville died: he'd
been a governor for 21 years and for the last seven Chairman. He bequeathed
to the Library many books and a very handsome upright clock (that is still in
the School). There were now 7 candidates for the Higher Certificate
Examination and three went onto university - testament to the improving
academic performance - including Colin Cuthbert to Oxford - but who lost his
life in North Africa in 1943. Swimming matches were held against Wycombe
Grammar School, Southfield School Oxford and the City of Oxford High School.
(The first competitive match had been held in 1930 and ever since). The 1st
XV was hitting its stride for the first time since rugger was reintroduced
and the average weight of the 1st XV was 10st 9Ibs. The School now had 7
full-time assistant masters - having grown from 3 over the last 15 years -
but the number of 'years' was still five, running from II to VI. 1938 - Mr Purnell, who taught PE, left the staff
after 32 years service and seeing through many changes from old-fashioned
drill to modern PT. Well loved, his classes were still often known as 'PT -
Purnell's Torture.' Captain Hunt, a great-nephew of General Gordon gave the school
a lantern-lecture on the Sudan. One new boy remembered that Major Dyer was
'stern and black-gowned' who insisted boys sat still and that the slightest
move to scratch an itch would provoke his wrath. 'He would remain aloof and
unsmiling.' Another remembered that boarding life was 'to say the least
circumscribed and decidedly spartan. It was also monastic. The only females
we ever saw or had contact with was the Headmaster's wife and Matron... a
formidable figure in stiff white collar and blue uniform.' Boarders were
woken up at 6.45am by a clanging hand bell. The dorm' windows were always
kept open whatever the weather. Washing was in cold water come winter or
summer. Food was...well 'the meat was mummified and the vegetables bleached,
sodden and tasteless.' One boy, Bob Craddock, decided to do an Oliver Twist
in reverse and once refused to eat dinner. Despite all threats he continued
to refuse that meal-time but it didn't lead to any improvement. The girls
from the other grammar school were viewed 'as strange creatures from another
world with whom any social contact was quite out of the question.' Despite
the boarders general air of superiority, they envied the day-boys freedom.
The School's layout was described by a boy, 'From the dining room, past the
pair of classes (walls lined with wooden lockers, no keys) you went passed
the teachers study. A dog leg down the corridor took you past two classes
then to the exit into the "Quad". There were stairs up to the
school library and the seniors recreation room . Looking into the quad, on
the left there was the changing room, with showers. Beyond this a shed with a
red glass window formerly used as a dark room. There was another classroom on
the right and up a few steps. A toilet block seemed to close the quadrangle.We
had only two laboratories, one science and one chemistry. At the end of these
rooms was the "half moon", which was a lawn, the pride and joy of
Pin, Mr Brown. Woe betide you if you even thought of walking on it. Across
the way was the Gymnasium, nearby the open air swimming pool. Norman Good: at the time there was one female
teacher. Miss Devine (pronounced Diveen) and referred to by us, irreverently,
as "Ma Divine". She was appointed to teach Junior Maths and was
very much of the old school. Her Maths lessons will be remembered for their
philosophical interludes -over our heads at the time but, in retrospect,
probably as muchvalue to us as mechanical removal of brackets and
manipulation of complex fractions -but I still remember her dictum: "First
remove your brackets and then multiply and divide before you add and
subtract". Long may teachers of this ilk survive in the system! 1939 - a new School Cap was introduced with a
wider peak, and a larger inside so it didn't perch on top of the head. The
Founder's Day Service started with the Hymn 'Dear Lord and Father of Mankind'
followed by prayers including the School's prayers; Psalm xv; Lesson Roman
xii; the Hymn 'He who would be valiant be'; the Address by the Rector of
Waterstock, the Rev J Todd; the School Hymn, and finally the Blessing. The
Scouts went on camp to Worcester with two French scouts. T.H Sheppard ran the
mile in 5' 5" to break the School's record. A party of pupils visited
Bicester and saw the Bristol Blenheim Bombers. 'We like history because its
easy' wrote a 2nd former. Speech Day was held in Thame Town Hall, an
experiment not repeated because the noise of traffic proved distracting.
'Adequate rest and sleep is important for boys, and a matter for parents to
ensure,' said the Headmaster in his speech that day. On the outbreak of War,
the School was given four boxes of first-aid kit and two stirrup pumps by the
Education Committee. Evacuees began to arrive including, as Alan Mitchell
wrote, 'the two Aris boys who were sent over from Germany to escape the Nazi
terror and who arrived without a single word of English. The Head spoke to us
and told us to help them to settle in with us and treat them with kindness,
which we all did. It was not long before they were "one of us".
Similarly we were joined by Zopf from Bremen who, if I remember correctly was
the son of the commander of a German battleship. It was not long before his
father's death was announced.' There were 163 on the School Roll and in
September 1939 some 17 of the 33 new boys (of all years) were evacuees from
London. All came from the middle-class suburbs including Eltham, Hampstead,
Pinner, Wimbledon and Epsom. Interestingly, of these 33 new boys only 4 were
from Thame itself. Most of the local intake was from the surrounding
villages: Aston Rowant, Chinnor, Great Milton, Horton-cum-Studley, Kingston
Blount, Little Milton, Long Crendon, Princes Risborough, Stadhampton,
Towersey, Watlington, and Wheatley. E.G Aris had the following memories: Never having
lived away from home, boarding school was strange indeed. As new boys at
school, it was tradition that they be ragged during the first night in the
dorm. Hans and I thought we were being attacked because we were German. so we
took our belts off our trousers and defended ourselves until the lookout boy
shouted 'Cave', then out attackers dashed back into bed and our ragging was
ended...Hans and I sat at the back of the class because we couldn't
understand what was being said...Mr Drane our English teacher could speak
some German so he gave us extra tuition at his home in Thame...the regimented
routine was good for us because we soon learned the times for meals, the
inspection of hands before entering the dining room and our allocated seat
according to seniority. The food was wholesome and if you wanted 'seconds' we
soon learnt you had to eat quickly in order to be early in the queue...The
boys never saw their parents again - who had been left behind in
Germany. R.P Wassell was Head Boy. 1940 - rationing had seemed to have little affect,
other than Wednesday being meatless. Voluntary work included work on farms,
salvage activities by the Scouts, a Savings Group was formed and Masters
joined the Home Guard. Only one 1st XV match could be played due to lack of
transport. The Scout troop were asked to impersonate the enemy in an exercise
to test the defenses of the Home Guard. Cross country runs were as they'd
been for years (and as they were continue for decades: out on the Oxford
Road, on to the Moreton Road past the brick works, down into Moreton village,
past the pond, over Cuttle Brook, along the lane to the level crossing,
through to the 'wreck' and then down the hill to Cuttle Brook again and then
through the fields (now the Chiltern Vale Estate) back to the School. Alan
Mitchell writes: 'There was then a "blackout ", so, many of the
dormy windows were covered with black paper, and there were a small number
where we had a large plywood frame. When all were in bed, Mr Brown (Pin)
would see that a boy was by his window to take the ply frame down after the
light was put out and the windows opened to let in the, often cold air, in.
He would then go out and shut the door. Occasionally there was a bit of a
rumpus, and we would find that he was still in the dorm! Trouble, and
sometimes the slipper!" D C Seymour was Head Boy. 1941 - 11 OTs had given their lives, most in the
RAF. Some 15 to 20 pupils were acting as messengers for the ARP and the Home
Guard, or taking turns with first aid practice or fire-watching. 11 pigs were
fattened on School swill. A bomb went off at the Prebendal and several
fragments reached the school but only a few tiles were lost. Mr B Bevan who
joined the staff in 1935 was called-up to join the Royal Signals in the North
Africa campaign. A memory from Nonny Tiffany an ‘Old Girl’ from the
Girl’s Grammar School in Thame: I was at the School from January 1940 until
December 1942"as one of the younger full time boarders, when Miss
Hockley and Miss Messenger ran the school. It was right after the beginning
of the war when people did not know what to expect. My home was in Stockport,
just south of Manchester; my mother had recently died, and my father wanted
me to be safe! He chose well: Hitler wanted Oxford to remain intact and sure
enough while I was there in Thame, I can remember only one stray bomb falling
on the town! But as a result of this, all the boarders had to sleep
downstairs in bunk-beds in the lovely front hall. I was very upset on first
visiting Thame after we had settled in Oxford in 1974, on finding that the
whole building had been pulled down! I do not remember many local girls who were at the
school, an Austin girl from the outfitters' shop across the road, who I think
was called Gloria, and a weekly boarder whose name was Dorothy and whose home
was Holly Bush Farm near or in Bledlow. I was known at the time as "Nonn
Adams", and I have many happy memories of my time at the school. There
was very little to tell us that there was a war on, and that there
was such a happening as Dunkirk or the Battle of Britain! We really were
almost completely cushioned from the war. By the time my father and I moved
down to Surrey in January 1943, I was completely blasé about it. Perhaps you
would be kind enough to let me know if there are any other reunions in the offing:
it would he nice to meet the girls who still remember the old buildings and
especially the swimming pool where I first learnt to swim! 1942 - the Headmaster was given petrol coupons.
War work by the boys included collecting salvage, potato and kale picking,
gathering rose hips for the extraction of Vitamin C, and beet harvesting. A
vegetable garden was started. An Air Training Corps had been established and
a few senior boys joined the Home Guard. Many of the younger teachers had
been lost to war service and in their place came a succession of elderly and
temporary replacements who had a tendency to hurl hard blackboard rubbers at
badly behaving boys. The 6th form were also drafted in to take some lessons.
Thursdays and Saturdays were half days and free if not participating in
sports teams. The Scouts put on a play 'The vengeance of the gang.' E G
Carbett had been Head Boy for the last two years. Patrick Harrison" We saw little of our
Headmaster either. He would materialise unexpectedly amongst us from time to
time: motionless, enigmatic and censorious. He was a small, reserved man with
a big nose in a face of coarse, pallid skin, with floppy, fairish hair, pale,
expressionless eyes and a pale, tobacco-stained moustache above broken,
tobacco-stained teeth all surrounded by an invisible cloud of sour,
tobacco-stained breath. He had come from Giggleswick in 1929 and taught maths
quite well to the upper forms. He should never have been a schoolmaster. To
be a solicitor in a rather larger country town than Thame might have suited
him..... However, he had little understanding of the compulsive lunacy of
boys. ‘Aaaah! All I ask is that yah be rea...sonable' he would plead, tapping
the ends of his extended fingers together. He distrusted enthusiasms of any kind,
partly because he saw it as an undesirable diversion of energy from
schoolwork, partly because he was made uneasy by any evidence of spontaneous
pleasure. He caught one boy who was keen on carpentry making something when
perhaps he should have been doing something else. His toolbox was promptly
confiscated. 'Aaaah! It's schoolwork we need Boughton, not woodwork'. Later,
my brother, who had given evidence of the musical ability that was to become
the basis of his career, had his gramophone taken away. However, although
repressive our headmaster probably stimulated ingenuity and subversive
non-conformity. Had we been at a school where spare time was thoroughly
organised we would have been left to ourselves far less." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||