Sport was the major attraction in our lives in the early 30’s. If you were good at sport, which I thankfully was, it was a huge advantage over those who were not, who were considered WETS. For instance I hardly had to do any FAGGING as I was always out of the lower classroom playing games and even when I was, I wasn’t asked to do much. If you were good at sport you were considered special and cricket, soccer, tennis etc was our life.
Politics and the state of the nation were rarely discussed individually and there were no meetings even if one wished to air ones views.
We were really isolated from the outside world. No TV, one old radio, which we used to dash to hear the football results on a Saturday, but we used to read all about sport in the one and only classroom paper! DIXIE DEAN, DOUGLAS JARDINE, DON BRADMAN, HAROLD LARWOOD were looked upon as our heroes.
Hitler Youth hadn’t started then, there were only skirmishes on the N W Frontier of India. Spanish Civil War hadn’t started either, so away from sport we lived in a very comfy world. The RAF and British Empire were in full swing. Stanley Baldwin a marvellous man, was in charge of the Conservative Government, and all was well with the world.
Of course there was Depression in the early 1930’s but it didn’t last long enough to be worried about.
Of course conditions of living at Aldenham in those days were SPARTAN. We slept in mid winter with all windows open, had to break ice on the water before washing. I had to have a cold bath every morning of the year. Boys who objected were thrown in! The food especially in Sammy Cox’s House, was minimal. We used to have what was then called a “DERV” which was cereal with sweet condensed milk and cake, on half holidays.
If you were good at sport, you escaped being bullied. I got on well with all the Masters who taught me. I was shown much kindness by the House Matron, Miss Stokes, when I was very ill; I missed the rest of term. She even stopped the Chapel (at that time next to our House) bell being rung before Chapel.
Sammy Cox, despite half starving us, I got on well with. I have affectionate memories of him.
As I have repeatedly written if you were good at games you had a happy few years at Aldenham and it stood you in good stead after you left School. If a boy won his colours at cricket and football, he could walk into a job with a Bank. One’s academic record came a long way second.