My brother and I had perhaps an advantage at the School compared to other boys. In the 1920’s my parents, and we as small boys, lived first at Letchmore Lodge, which in about 1955 became for some years a junior boarding house, and then at Otterspool on the Wall Hall estate. As a result my parents were on friendly terms with most of the masters at the School, playing tennis with them and taking part in other social activities: and similarly with a number of other people living in Letchmore Heath and Aldenham. We moved to Norfolk in 1927, but my parents kept in touch with these friends and so when I came to the School in 1933, I was already known to several of the masters and people in the neighbourhood. I don’t think this affected the way in which the masters, other than perhaps Tibby Mead and his sister B, treated me. I was, however, able to go and have meals on Sundays with friends in the neighbourhood and so indulged with food not available at the School.
In our first years we lived in the main classroom and slept in the main dormitories. In the classroom we each had a locker in which to keep our things, including supplementary food. I had a standing order with a grocer in Radlett to deliver cornflakes and tins of condensed milk (delicious), jam and other food. There was also the tuck shop (the new one was built while I was there) and food in the House was good, but I suppose small boys are always hungry.
I suppose fagging for the Praes was customary, but I don’t recollect it as being onerous and I certainly called on them during my last year when as a School Prae I was responsible for organising all the seating in the gym and elsewhere for assemblies and other events. (This responsibility must have been inculcated into me, as throughout life I have been involved in the minutiae when organising events).
At some stage in our early years there was an initiation (there probably was another word for it) when as boys we had to stand on a platform of tables at the end of the classroom and sing a song. I was not a good singer but I remember to this day singing “Night and Day”. While doing this we were pelted and barracked by the elder boys.
I remember two or three occasions when we were all assembled in the classroom and a boy received a public beating. I have no recollection as to what for, but it impressed us with the need not to break the rules, and the boy concerned suffered no ill effect.
I was fairly keen and good at games, although only in the School team for hockey. In April 1937, after having entertained a German team at the School we went on a tour to Germany, playing matches in the Nuremberg Stadium and at Wurzberg. The hockey was good and we were well looked after, but one did get the feeling that everything was very regimented. While there we were taken to the Wagner Opera Meistersingers of Nuremberg. Not being very musical, I was rather bored as it lasted for hours, but I still remember some of the songs.
Similarly, I still remember some of the songs which we sang at the Christmas concerts directed by Colin Leighton.
There were 4 Royal events during my time at the School. In 1935 there was the Silver Jubilee of George V and the wedding of the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina. My uncle was able to get seats in a stand in the Mall for the latter. I suppose we had been given a holiday form School and I really was awestruck by the procession and crowds. Then in January 1936 King George V died on the day we were returning to School. Living in Norfolk I took a train to London, spent the day there, usually going to a theatre or cinema and then took an evening train to Radlett. But on that occasion everything was closed and so I had a most dreary day hanging around with nothing to do. In the summer of 1937, my last term at School, there was the Coronation of George V1. We had the day off, and on this occasion with my sister and a couple of friends we had a wonderful time in the crowds and finished up at a theatre.
Once a year, I think it was Remembrance Sunday, the School attended Matins at Aldenham Church. I think we must have walked there and back independently, as after the service I would look in on the Rector and friends, who I knew from when we lived at Otterspool 10 years previously and had regularly attended the church.
I think as part of a Science Society, we occasionally visited factories. Two stick in my memory. One to the Lister Institute in the lane opposite the Battle Axes pub, where there were horses which were regularly bled and from the blood serum was extracted as the inoculation for rabies. In 1936 we visited the HMV factory at Hayes and while there saw, for the first time, television.
Winters must have occasionally been colder then, as on several occasions we went skating on the smaller part of the Aldenham Reservoir. We had ice skates in a cupboard at home and most years these were brought out and clamped and strapped to our corps boots for a few days skating.
In the summer there was an annual fete at Aldenham House, that was before it became Haberdashers School, and we were free to roam around the grounds. In the summer 1937 there was a large fete and concert in the Wall Hall Park. In don’t remember what it was in aid of, but the memorable item was a turn by Arthur Askey.