Stories and reminiscences as they come in, verbatim. Views expressed are those of the author.
Keep sending them in please.
11/11/09 Nick McHardy LUKE-ISM
Back in the late 1950s the sixth-form used to gather once a week in the main hall for Luke’s “Religious Instruction / Art Appreciation / Advice for Living” address. I think this happened throughout his time at Midhurst. We would sit towards the back of the hall and Luke would enter from the corridor beside Room 3. He paced back and forth in the front half of the hall as he delivered his talk.
He made his entrance on the memorable day, and as usual, squared his shoulders, strode towards the middle of the room and gave us his special smile – a cross between a grin and a grimace. He delivered his “Good morning boys” without incident but his “Today I want to talk to you about ….” got only as far as “…. I wa…” when a red flash, a sharp report and a billow of blue smoke erupted from under his leading foot. He paused for perhaps three microseconds before continuing. A few paces later there was another explosion but this time there was no apparent effect on his delivery. Further explosions occurred every few paces throughout his 30-minute talk, but he took no notice whatsoever. At the end he smiled benignly through the blue fug and asked if there were any questions.
We of the Science Sixth, who may have struggled with the Law of Mass Action, were well versed in the chemistry of explosives so we recognised that crystals of silver acetylide were the likely pyrotechnic agent. Making silver acetylide is not particularly difficult. The clever bit is drying the crystals and transporting them safely, and we all knew that only one member of the sixth form would have been even remotely capable of doing this.
At the end of questions, Luke thanked us for our attention and headed towards the door. He opened it, then turned and said over his shoulder “Would Douglas Munro come to my office before the end of the day please ? ….”
…… and just an idea ….
I was surprised to find how many of the Old Midhurstians that I talked to on 5th September had had really interesting, and in some cases quite prominent, careers, often completely unrelated to what they had specialised in at Midhurst. Some of them related their experiences very entertainingly. However, over the half century or so since I left Midhurst, I don’t recall recognising more than a couple of names of Old Midhurstians in any press reports, and certainly not in any Honours List. There must be many more with equally interesting stories to tell among the thousands of Luke’s pupils who were not there in September.
It struck me that the current sixth form might be interested in hearing about some of these adventures and experiences. Few, if any, of us would be likely to be invited to give the Speech Day address (if Speech Day still occurs) but what about a less formal approach, perhaps on a Friday afternoon, once or twice per term ? Perhaps you could ask the current Head what he / she thinks of the idea. If the response is favourable, you might ask as many of Luke’s disciples as you can contact whether they would be willing to join this “scheme”. Anticipating a good response, it might be difficult to select which ones to invite. I suggest, therefore, that you ask them all, if they are interested in taking part, to send a short resume of their career / adventures, then ask the sixth form who they would like to invite to talk to them. If it takes off, you might like to dream up a Luke-associated title for the scheme, as a fitting tribute to all that he achieved.
…….. as I said, just an idea ……
15/09/09 Vivienne Andrews Hartley
This relates to a short period of time starting about September 1956.
This concerns our chemistry teacher, Mr Stuck, affectionately known as BEAR.
I was eleven years old at the time, and for the last lesson of a Wednesday
we had science. Having only recently made the transition from Primary school
to the schedule of M.G.S.by3.30p.m. I used to get pretty tired. I think some
of my classmates must have looked likewise.
For no apparent reason, instead of having a chemistry lesson, Mr Stuck
decided to read us a story. He proceeded to read us a chapter from the
Jungle Book. (His class was extremely quiet, you could have heard a pin
drop) This practice continued for quite a few weeks. Our PREP for that
evening was draw a picture from the part of the chapter he had just read us.
Our exercise book suddenly abounded with bears, snakes, and tigers amidst
very basic science experiments.
This kindness to us was discovered when about three years later one of our
class was doing an enforced clear out of his desk, and out dropped an old
science exercise book showing one of the said pictures.{ The owner might
have had the initials D.F.} Sure enough the form master saw it and asked
questions, and we had a job convincing him of the truth of the matter, but
we succeeded and no more was said.
28/08/09 Michael Lane
Looking at the list of people who are likely to attend the reunion, I see
that there is no-one who was at the school in the1940s, the nearest being
well into the 1950s; as such, there will be nobody there that I will have
known and so, with regret, I shall not be attending - if I could have
persuaded my younger brother to attend, I should have known someone who was
there about the same time!!
I have just been looking at my copy of the school prospectus from 1942 (with
some marvellous photographs of the school and its facilities), when I see
that Boarding and Tuition fees were £22 guineas per term and Dinner Fees for
daily pupils 4 shillings per week (I think it means lunch fees, not a good
description for a top boarding school with its own prep school).
I wish you all a very good time
16/07/09 Helen Morris (Serraillier)
I was at the school from 1957 - 1964, and was one of the second lot of
girls. From there I went on to Bristol to read Spanish (inspired by "Fan
Can") and Drama (inspired by Mrs. Grant.)
My Dad, Ian Serraillier, taught English at the school for 17 years from
1947, I think. We used to pick up Mrs. Cannings (Fan Can) in Cocking on our
way through from Singleton, and she would put on her make-up as we sped
along... Luke always seemed quite nervous of the girls, and would often
quickly say "Perhaps you would like to see my wife..." ( Probably thought it
was about periods or something...) I also think he never really got used to
the presence of the girls. Even in the 6th form he would send out messages
such as "Any boy wishing to see me..." Can't find any photos, sadly ! Look
forward to meeting you, Helen
13/06/09 A. David
Hyman
Thank you for your message confirming that there is unlikely to be anyone
from my "vintage" at the September reunion of Old Boys of MGS.
For the record I was a boarder from 1940 to 1948 and generally speaking
enjoying my time at a very happy school. I had the advantage, I think
unfairly, of being good at games (captain of cricket and vice captain of
football etc) and moderately bright. My views on Luke are very mixed. He was
generally a very considerate, modern (all the previous Heads had been
clergyman) and imaginative Head but had some serious faults. He made
"educational experiments" which probably amused him but were not,
necessarily good for pupils, For example he decided around 1942 that he
would "express" one form by a year, meaning that they missed a while years
tuition and took their exams than School Certificate and Higher School
Certificate a year earlier than normal.
This meant that I, already the youngest in my year, started School
Certificate before my 14th birthday which was absurd. I passed the requisite
number of subjects but he then decided that I was too young to go in the 6th
form so I had to waste a whole year.
When I was at school he was known as "snoopy" as he used to go round the
dormitories to check whether anyone was talking after "lights out" and, of
course he was fairly young to be a headmaster (37 or 38 I think when I
arrived.).
He was very keen on "student democracy" up to a point and we had a ""house
meeting" every Sunday evening when we could discuss anything we wanted
relating to the House. Boarders and dayboys did not mix much except in class
and at games so that all my best friends would have been boarders. Luke was
a good history teacher and also taught psychology to the sixth form as he
was unwilling to teach R.I. or go to the local parish church much to the
annoyance of the Vicar and local council member.
Midhurst was a strange place during the War as it was, I think, the only
town in the country without air raid sirens as the mostly elderly
inhabitants found them too noisy so we had no advance warning of air raids
and, of course, no air raid shelters.
Two girls in Lady Margaret School which was evacuated on us were killed and
about 30 boys in Petworth also died in a raid. We acted as Air Raid Wardens
at night sitting on the roof of the School House (in a rota).
All games were played on the fields by Cowdray Castle, which were quite
lovely and we swam in the summer before breakfast (no trunks were allowed).
MGS under Luke was tolerant school with virtually no bullying
I used to belong to the Old Boy's Association but that "dried up" after the
school went comprehensive. I did give some money for a travel bursary which
still exists.
08/03/09 Vivienne Hartley
(Andrews)
On the first day of term in September 1956 the first thirty girls all had
their photograph taken which was published in the local weekly paper. I was
in the front row as I was very small for my age. I didn't bother to tell my
mother about this. My name was mud when all the neighbours told her about
it, she being totally unaware of the circumstances and wondered what on
earth I had been up to.
In these days one reads so much of the strenuous efforts to ensure safety at
school. I wonder what would have been made of the frequent broken collar
bones which occurred during the Rugby matches. We certainly must have had a
season ticket to the local hospital, and Miss Basset (boarders matron) must
have kept very busy. I also remember the time when Jessop (the middle one of
three brothers - I cant remember his first name) broke his leg playing.
I remember all the school having to have a medical check up because one of
the boys had caught something infectious and taken to hospital.( There were,
I feel sure, definite bonuses for having an influential Chairman of the
Board of Governors.) Luckily he recovered.
I remember having to attend at the Midhurst Secondary School for one
afternoon for cooking lessons, (No cookery room at M.G.S) The boarders used
to wait like vultures to see what they could cadge from our completed items.
I remember Joyce Dunstan saying to the cookery teacher we all enjoyed her
lessons as it was a good rest from our other lessons. The teacher then asked
us all if we felt the same, we all said yes. I think she must have been
relieved that the following September 1957 we had to cease these happy
expeditions to see her because Latin had been added to the curriculum.
25/02/09 Philip Lee
Anecdote about Luke: In 1968 myself and another were innocently (honest,
constable!) in one of the dormitories of the girls' boarding house. To save
blushes, I shall not name which of the girls of that era were present, but
Jilly Rosser and Ginny Pielow may remember.
We heard that Doreen Bassett was on the prowl and heading our way, so we
climbed out of the dorm window. Wrong move! DB was outside the window.
Luke was apprised of our misdemeanour and we were sentenced to be shot at
dawn, commuted to cleaning the area around the fish-pond - next to the old
swimming pool - with tooth-brushes! My only explanation of this strange
decision is that I believe Luke had a high regard for A. S Neill and the
practices of Summerhill and wished to make the punishment fit the crime
(which, of course, was negligible).