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.................Do
you want me to talk about shorts? You
must have had strong views on shorts?
Nick. Yes do.
Roy. .That
was one I had to ponder about for a long time.
I didn't come with any preconceived ideas but it became fairly clear to
me that there was resistance by parents who were bringing their boys to look
around the school with youngsters who'd already, perhaps in their prep schools
even gone into long trousers. And I
know we had endless debates about it and I knew that it was a great tradition.
Did Bryanston still have them ?- I am not sure., they probably did.
Robert. Bryanston
had them.
Roy. Still
- a little longer
Robert. I'm
not sure
Roy. I'm
not sure now but anyway after, I think, we had discussed it with housemasters -
I don't think I ever went to the OC association about it - I decided eventually
that we would make the change but the option was given that anyone who wanted
to, could continue to wear them, I think, at least in the summer term.
But it was fairly noticeable that very few people did.
I don't know if you felt there was strong reaction at the time.
It was obviously a Clayesmore tradition and people like Appleby thought
it was a shame but I felt it was necessary to move with the period.
Nick. I think at the time I probably felt strongly but I can't remember any
strong feelings now.
Roy. I think there were feelings about - obviously inevitably some of the
sixth formers felt quite strongly about it perhaps - I think they continued to -
I can't think of any particular names but there were some.
I have a feeling that there was a very unpleasant habit that one or two
people had at the time. Those
public notices that one used to put up on the board.
You sometimes found that someone had made a smudge on your signature and
so sometimes I had to take the thing down and write it out again.
It was fairly clear that there was that element in the lower sixth who
were perhaps resistant to me really having come in and making some changes.
Nick. I
did not know that. I do remember
that now - the signature thing on the board.
Roy. I don't know if I made a public issue of it.
I think I thought probably it might be better to leave it but I do
remember there was an undercurrent of dissent.
Nick. Before
you came to Clayesmore what did you think were the tortes of the school?
What attracted you?
Roy. Obviously
the site I thought was absolutely marvelous.
I only made one slightly sort of furtive visit really I came when I
wondered whether to apply. I asked
someone how to get to the school as I came down Iwerne hill and I think I
discovered afterwards it was Seagrim's wife who told me where to go and we just
drove around. I didn't say anything
to my family who were with me at the time - we were probably coming back from
holiday - I didn't tell them why I was doing it.
I said there is this rather nice place round here and obviously the site
was superb.1 did not really know a lot about the school.
I hadn't read Devine's book by then.
I got hold of it later. I
think the size of the school appealed to me.
The school I had come from wasn't much different in size.
I liked the idea of a boarding community very much.
I think we both always enjoyed being in schools where one knows every
one. I think that was very important to us really and I thought on
arrival, and I still think it's true that it was a very happy place and the
atmosphere was very good once one was there.
It really was an enjoyable place to live and as Audrey would say, I think
one knew everyone. She knew all the
domestic staff well and used to go in to see them in their homes.
People like Palethorpe when he was ill, and Nelly and John.
She really felt she knew them well.
So I think that was a strong attraction really.
I would like to pay tribute to Robert Powell's role in the very difficult
negotiations that took place when the Prep School arrived in 1973. They were greatly helped by his wisdom and experience.
It was quite tricky: we had some difficult meetings but Bob Powell was
extremely good and he did really mastermind the fusion of the two schools.
Nick. He
had retired from Sherborne.
Roy. Yes
he had: I met him just before he retired at an HMC meeting and I remember asking
him at breakfast "If you are living in our part of the world - if I suggest
to the Governors - would you come on ?. He said " Oh yes, 1"11 come
and govern you. " and I think
he was an excellent choice.
Nick. Didn't
you get him to come and teach Greek ?
Roy. He
taught Jonathan Wetton and helped him get a scholarship to Oxford.
He came in sometimes and Jon used to bicycle over to him.
He thought he was pretty bright. I
have lost touch with Jon.
Robert. We
saw a photograph of him a couple of days ago.
Roy. Did
you?
Robert. When
we went back with Ruth Dear after Mrs T's funeral.
She had a whole lot of old photos and there was Jonathan in a play,
wasn't it?
Nick. And
in Figaro.
Robert. And
in Figaro - yes. Those were the
days!
Roy. Oh
yes. Rachel turned up in Salisbury for many years.
I used to find her in the arts centre.
Nick. Rachel
Wetton?
Roy. Yes
- She was at Clayesmore.
Nick. I
think she was one of the first boarding girls.
Didn't she come up from the prep?
Roy. I think she did. 1 am sure she did.
Yes
Nick. Now
talking about that - I can't remember what order things happened but we went
co-ed more or less at the same time as the prep were coming up.
Roy. Well
yes - I suppose the first business of any approach to co-ed was when we took in
the Croft House girls into the sixth form, of which of course Jane Salkeld was
one of the members - amazing the way she has gone on - the position she has got
in the Society and we had no more than, I think, about half a dozen from Croft
House then.
Nick. You
taught Jane.
Robert. Yes
I taught Jane........ and one other from there - the name temporarily escapes me
Roy. A
red haired girl
Robert. Yes
- Ruth - was she called Ruth?
Roy. Yes
Robert. I remember Brian Wright took a lovely photograph of her on the
mounting block and suggested it should be the front of the school magazine but
you vetoed it.
Roy. Oh
did I? I can't think why.
Robert. Very
long legs and short skirt. Yes her
father was a general I think in Shroton.
Roy. I think you're right. Yes
- yes. I suppose that was the
first, then am I right in thinking that we then admitted girls to the sixth
form? I am afraid I haven't got any
dates about me now. Quite
separately once the Croft House thing - you see once - that was in .- oh whose
time was that - I have forgotten the, woman's name.
When Barbara Warley came she was more anxious to keep up her own show
Nick. I remember the lady.
Robert. Trumpington?
Nick. No
- after her
Roy. No
it was after Caesar Torkington
Nick. It
was a Mrs Harper or Hammond
Roy. I am afraid I have lost the name now. I think it was Palmer - found it - she was so weakly staffed
at that level that it was fairly easy for us to say well we'll take your
historians, we'll take your biologists, and Appleby had some for English I think
but then Barbara wanted to try and build it up and it eased off a bit then, I
think we then went the dates I have lost now - direct entry to the sixth form -
the dates can be discovered somewhere. Is that right Robert?
Robert. I can't remember that. I
remember that they started trickling in from the prep school - Jane Davis was
one of them.
Roy. There
were five girls, none of whom I think survived to the sixth did they?
There were five - you are quite right - Jane Davies was one - the
doctors' daughter.
Nick. I thought you took the decision that we should not go for the sixth
form entry but that we should go after the girls from Croft House experiment.
Roy. Maybe
we had them at both ends but we certainly had girls in the sixth form.
Robert. Because
there were so few at the bottom.
Nick. But
I felt we were one of the first schools that would take girls right from the
beginning - right through and not just the sixth form because everybody else
seemed to be thinking about girls at the sixth form level.
Roy. You
are quite right. We said we would
go right through.
Nick. And
of course it was before the prep school move because when the prep school
building was built, that was when the first girls' house was built too.
We already had them somewhere. Where
were they? Because do you remember
that the end of the prep school....
Roy. That
became the girls' house.
Nick. But
I think we had.
Roy. Were
they all day girls to start with?
Nick. Maybe
they were.
Robert. Jane
was. Was Susan Kerr one?
Roy. Oh
yes - she must have been a boarder because we had the boys.
Jane was very bright - yes - that's right.
Nick. And
then the prep school building went up with our end to it for the girls.
Roy. Miss
Pitcher was the first Housemistress.
Nick. Was
she the first?
Roy. Yes
- she was the first housemistress. Vendela (Elverson) came later.
Robert. Vendela
then took over the same building.
Nick. Right.
Roy. Yes
- and then we moved the girls down to the vicarage.
Nick. That's
right but 1 think at one time, if I remember rightly, Gay Arden became the
assistant housemistress but resident in the girls' wing and Vendela went back to
living in Sutton Waldron - and then you bought the vicarage
Roy. I think that was a good buy.
Nick. Oh
excellent.
Roy. A
very pleasant house to have really as a boarding house
Nick. Were
there any tricky negotiations to have over that ?
Roy. No,
I don't think there were. I think
it was fairly straight forward. I
am very pleased we got that. I
liked the place very much. I think
it lends itself very well to a civilised boarding house.
Nick. And
of course Robert is still in touch with the Wells
Roy. Are
you?
Robert. Canon
Wells' son Christopher, lives in Paris and he has a little house in Hilton.
He always comes over with his wife when ever he can, and Penny, of
course.
Roy. Penny
Marsh. Is Mrs Wells still alive?
Robert. Yes,
she is.
Roy. I did see her at someone's funeral service
Robert. She
lives in a home outside Queens Avenue
Roy. I remember recognising her and we talked to her at one of those
memorial services - there have been so many recently
Robert. Well
of course she said while she was there she certainly wouldn't allow central
heating in the vicarage.
Roy. Oh
did she?
Nick. Another
character of those days whom I remember you being very fond of was - Do you
remember Mrs Hayter?
Roy. Yes
indeed I do
Nick. Who
got the Royal Maundy money
Roy. Yes
I remember the Royal Maundy. I was
horrified the other day, incidentally, to hear that people were flogging their
Royal Maundy as they came out of Gloucester Cathedral.
There were all sorts of spivs round who go and say 'You know it's really
worth more than ... It's only worth eighty pence to you - or sixty but I will
give you so and so. Yes I do
remember - she was marvellous - she always used to bring me coffee all through
the vac and through the term time - a lovely woman, she was and I was very, very
fond of Mrs Hayter and I do remember that - didn't we ask her to show it to the
school at lunch one day?
Nick. Yes
Roy. - she
lived up at Ashmore - that place where the ducks are and the pond.
There were some great characters weren't there - old Palethorpe - I must
be careful what I say about Palethorpe. One
of the things I think I did as it were to help modernise the school a bit - Do
you remember the exchange just inside the door?
Because Palethorpe's main job was to be the telephone operator and he
would not only listen in to everything but all the calls - there was a little
booth wasn't there?
Nick. With
a handle
Roy. Yes - he would ring through and I think I said - - we can't go on with this. It's ridiculous really having to spend this time - so I got this business of direct dialing.