My brother and I spent 7 years, between us at Aldenham but we did not discuss Aldenham very much since there were 5 years between our experiences, but there could have been similarities. However, we have really lived separate lives. My brother (TH) left School before I arrived and then spent years sheep farming (for wool) in Patagonia followed by Army War Service and marriage. At this time British Farming ran into serious depression. So it was a disappointment to Mr Beck that I did not go on to Oxford or Cambridge although I had qualified and I still have his generous letter saying so dated January 1932. So I left school and spent years as little more than a farm worker in depressed conditions and borrowed money.
So much for those personal experiences when I left school. I did, of course, benefit from School later on in other fields. I remember with gratitude the experiences of Aldenham, the friendship, the teaching. The games, the routine. Each day began with the run down a concrete passage to a constantly running bath of cold water, a quick dip, back to dress, call over, walk to Chapel, back to breakfast.
Next a look at the notices pinned up in School Yard – mostly by Praes – there was no excuse for failing to read and obey notices, which were copied with the warning “Anyone failing to obey the above will be severely dealt with – which meant, an appointment for 3 clouts with a ‘potty bat’ or other instrument of Corporal punishment. So you read the notices”! I was not aware of much criticism of this arrangement, although there was a letter in the Aldenhamian which quite upset Brain Still who was at Aldenham from 1913 and died a month or two before his century. I told him not to worry too much because the writer (Peter Greswellen) liked to be in the news – but it was a warning about publishing criticism which was a personal opinion – not necessarily shared by all.
I have the seventh, ninth, tenth and eleventh editions of the Aldenham School Register, and I do refer to it occasionally. I think there is an excellent history of the School development especially perhaps in the tenth edition.
Things that occur in ones memory about School are of very mixed value – the open dormitory windows leading to some ice on the hand basins. The squashed straw hats – only taken on walks so that you could wear them and remove them if you met a member of staff; the linking arms with your pals.
On a personal note, I remember in 1929 meeting with the Rev. J S Arthur who greeted me with the remark” Hello Langford – we are both new boys this term! A greeting so very valuable for a new boy who was feeling rather lost. Later I remember him flying round the School and returning to Hendon where he was a member of the RAF Auxiliary Air Force. Later during the war he won the Military Cross. He was flying a Hawker Audax.
I do not want to make special mention of members of the staff. Although I would say that I was happy with them; and although we were careful with
H E Gilbert and Fred English who had adjoining classrooms and demanded a high standard. As a comment I remember how you could get in Fred English’s understanding if you agreed to use a spade and dig earth in the additions to football pitches, down on the fields. One of his early questions when you joined his class was – “Can you dig”?
I was very sorry when L J H Arthur who must have been a contemporary of Jack Waddell received public criticism over some unfortunate problem with a child on which he was an expert. Like many of my memories - far and long ago.
A happy memory is of the allowance for us to walk on Sunday afternoons in the beautiful gardens of Aldenham House at the invitation of the Hon. Vicary Gibbs, now, I believe part of the Haberdashers Elstree School. I did not mention that games on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons were compulsory. If you were not chosen for a team fixture, or booked for fives you had to go for a run – and that meant running and not sitting down or calling at the restaurant by the Watford bypass! If you were careless enough to be seen you were liable to be caught as you returned by the Lower Sixth door (on the way to the Changing Rooms) and taken in and beaten – in running shorts!
New boys were collared by Mr Duches ??? (must look up his name) and put in the Choir – I quite enjoyed Choir practice. The Headmaster Mr Beck, as a student had sung in he choir at Kings College, Cambridge so he was keen.
What is difficult to describe is the way that living together as boarders, in study, playing games, spare time occupation, for example we used to brew after afternoon games, washing and sharing life and so learning what is acceptable behaviour and what is not . We had friends who shared what you could buy at the shop for example bread, butter, eggs, 1d buns and 2d bars of chocolate or orders to Mr Jock Evans for Coleman. Your locker had personal possessions, cash, letters, toilet rolls, soap and flannel and we had a joint primus stove and toaster and saucepan. Food, drink in bottles, soap and toilet rolls were kept in our private locker, which in School House main Schoolroom was under the lift up seats. Toilet rolls were private possessions which were carried to the WC’s after breakfast. No doors on the WC’s.
Reasonably good manners were essential in all this. Finance was carefully managed. At the beginning of term you paid Ł5 or if you were lucky up to Ł10 was handed in to a float cared for in the House and a draft could be made for essentials. There was a weekly allowance of 1/6 given on Saturday morning but the Headmaster insisted that you handed back 6d for a National Savings Stamp, which he stuck on your savings card. So we learnt the value of money and the importance of saving. It must have been an accounting nightmare for the Headmaster or Housemasters!
On Armistice Day we had a Corps Parade and marched to the War Memorial in Aldenham Village with the Band playing. I do not remember any interest in Hitler Youth and although we had a full mix of newspapers in the Library the interest was in the School and for me international news was no interesting news at that stage in my life until I left School. I think active longevity is helped by hard work, religious belief and Corporal punishment when young!