Memories - Ken Adderley

Thank you to Ken Adderley (Five Ways pupil 1943-1950) for sending these great memories of his time with the school at Monmouth. Ken recently talked at a school assembly about his experiences and his presentation made a good impression, Ken told me:

 

 

 "I have been pleased to revise my rough notes of the speech I gave to school on their "evacuation day memoirs" which went down remarkably well. I am afraid it is rather short but my time was limited.

 Hope you enjoy reading it. It wold  be good to get some contribution from boys who joined the scout troupe, or enjoyed water sports. We were able to use Monmouth School's open air baths, where one of the prefects taught me how to swim! 

A FEW OF MY MEMORIES AS A FIRST YEAR STUDENT IN 1943

 

Arrival

 

By 1943 bombing by Germany to towns North of London had almost ceased.   So, some families considered it safe for their boys to leave Monmouth, preferring to be schooled back at Five ways.  So, by 1943 the school had become split between 2 sites: First year classes 1a and 1b were taught in Monmouth whilst classes 1x and 1y used the old school building in Birmingham.

 

In August 1943, the School kindly offered new boys a 4-week trial in Monmouth with the option of staying on when term started.   I was 11, the offer of a month’s holiday seemed quite attractive.   There was no grand procession along Broad Street as in 1939, but a motley group of new boys gathered at Snow Hill Station to take the 3 trains to Monmouth changing at Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

 

Accommodation

 

No hotels were offered to the new boys but by 1943 accommodation comprised some home stays and seven hostels: three clustered in the town centre and four scattered in the surrounding countryside.   I was billeted at Inglewood along with 30 scholars of various ages, being looked after by Mr Holloway, the Head of English, and his wife.  Inglewood was one mile out of town along the Wye valley; a nice rural location adjacent to the school farm which had a small paddock offering plenty of scope for games especially the opportunity to learn touch rugby.

 

After Christmas I was offered a place at Summerville, a house run by 2 ladies – Mrs Bromilow and Mrs Bailey who each had a son in the upper school – one a sub-prefect and the other a house prefect. The latter only had authority at Sommerville.  We all had domestic chores to do.   I remember that in my patch of garden I was to grow garden peas.

 

Unusual features of School routine

 

Lessons were scheduled for 5 & half-days a week, but when weather permitted, the Head, Mr Dobinson, announced a half days holiday sometime during the week,  encouraging us to enjoy local attractions on our bikes - such the caves at Symonds Yat or Raglan Castle.  If the half day came on a Saturday, we enjoyed a whole day’s excursion.   I well remember one occasion when we boys from Somerville decided to explore the caves at Symonds Yat with a 3rd year boy taking charge.   Inevitably we got lost in these primitive caves and could not find a way out.  The other first year, Mickey Hurle began to cry. A second-year boy, John Charlton, put his arm around Mickey, and reassured him that we would find a way out. We did, and I live to tell the tale!  Charlton later became head prefect.

 

School Routine

 

As Monmouth School’s daily routine differed to ours, we dovetailed conveniently into available premises.  Typically, in the mornings our lessons were taken in church halls or community halls. Whilst Monmouth School used the school buildings on weekdays  from 8am until 1 pm, our school day was from 9am to 12 noon and from 2pm to 5pm. Lunch was taken back at the hostel, a cycle ride or 1-mile walk each way to Inglewood, wet or fine!  After lunch most of us used the classrooms and laboratories in Monmouth School. We had the main school hall for school assembly on Saturday mornings.    For half a day each week the timetable included an outward-bound activity: either working on the School farm or scavenging the Forest of Dean for dead wood, which eventually found its way to the school farm.

 

Some of us did stand on the touch-line to cheer on our first rugby team which steadily increased in stature over the war years, eventually beating Monmouth School in 1944 by 3-0.   After the war the School maintained annual fixtures against Monmouth School and Newport High School.    In 1949 and 1950 [when I was awarded my School Colours playing wing forward or hooker for the first team] these matches were memorable occasions, fixtures being either at home [at Portland Road] or away.   Despite the horrors of war, and occasional news of old boys being killed, the evacuation experience brought a new and wholesome dimension to one’s school-days.