Memories of Chandos School

by Malcolm Hall

My memory of Chandos School is very sketchy and tends to relate to only a few specific events rather than to school life in general.  But I suppose the overriding general memory was the ability of the teachers to make me realise the importance of learning and studying in order to live a rounded and fulfilling life.  They certainly lived up to the School motto “Learn to Live”.

I attended Chandos from September 1959 to July 1965.  The school was very handy for me as it was just a five minute walk from our house, and was where my brother was already attending.  The girls' secondary school was built on the same site in a building immediately adjoining the boys' school.  The boys' and girls' playgrounds were right next to each other with a white line painted down the middle which you were not allowed to cross.  At break times you would see crowds of boys and girls standing on each side of the white line chatting to each other.  I never indulged in this pastime, being too shy!

I remember my first day at school.  I think the rest of the pupils had an extra day's holiday and so it was only the new entrants (and the prefects?) that attended the first day of the new term.  We were all assembled in the Hall, about 150/200 of us, all a little apprehensive in the unfamiliar surroundings and in a crowd of other boys most of who did not know each other.  The only person I knew was Hillier Simmons who went to the same primary school as me, although at the time I didn't know him that well.  I think we were addressed by Ken Whiting, the Headmaster, or perhaps it was more of a sermon on the merits of studying hard and applying oneself to one's lessons!  After that we were assigned to one of five classes - “115” to “155”.  As our names were called out we were taken to our form classrooms where we met our form teacher.  I was assigned to class “115” but, at the time, I had no idea what these numbers meant, as I don't think anyone explained their significance (first year, first stream of five classes - CP).  I remember thinking to myself as we walked along the corridor: “well, I'm either in the top stream or the bottom stream!”  Later on I realised I was in the top stream which meant that I must have only just failed the 11-plus, which was a little consolation.  My form teacher was Mr. Kendall, who was something of a fatherly figure, quite tall with greying hair, and with a softly spoken voice, although he could be quite strict if you were not attentive or did not concentrate on the lessons.

There are quite a few teachers that I remember, mainly my form teachers.  They were:

As well as a lot of classroom studying and homework, the school had quite a few day visits to places of interest (mainly connected with history lessons) which I was able to enjoy.  There was even a school camp "holiday". 

The "billet" where I slept.

For two weeks in May 1961 I went to St. Mary's Bay in Kent (near to Folkestone) with 47 other boys and three masters (Mr. Harrison, Mr. Flaxman and Mr. Clough).  Judging by the photograph I took we stayed in what looked like prison huts, but I'm sure it wasn't that bad.  We were taught how to make our beds and keep the hut tidy.  At night we were read a story (by Mr. Harrison, I think) about smugglers that used to operate in the local area in days gone by, and I think the intention was to lull us to sleep in the unfamiliar surroundings.  It worked for me on a few nights!

We had lots of outings and walks and saw a great deal of the surrounding countryside, including visits to Rye, Dover, Dungeness and Canterbury.  There was also a variety of sports to enjoy.  The trade-off was the need to keep a daily journal - which survives to this day - but what terrible handwriting I had then!  It makes interesting reading now, as do the postcards I sent home.

The inside cover of my journal (updated for year 1961).

The record of my pocket money (£1.50 in total!) that was held by the teachers and paid out throughout the fortnight is especially interesting, as I withdrew only small amounts on a daily basis and had half of the original amount left on the last day, which I drew out all together!  I can't remember what I spent it on, but it was suggested we buy presents for our families.  My efforts with the journal must have impressed the teachers (or else the others were so poor) because I won a book token (although this was not the top prize).  I think I exchanged it for a book on photography.

It was while I was at this school that I learnt to swim.  Classes were taken by double-decker busses to the local open-air swimming pool in Wealdstone and whatever the weather and whatever the temperature we were subjected to lessons in the icy cold water.  I gained my “beginners” Certificate in 1960 (for passing the “confidence” test), and my “elementary” Certificate in 1962 (for being able to swim 25 yards in a good style).  I must say it seems a long gap between the first and second certificates!

1962 seems to have been a busy year at school because that is when I took lessons in cycling and road safety and obtained my “National Cycling Proficiency” Certificate!

It was while I was at Chandos School that I really got down to the serious business of learning - I was a late developer!  Whether it was a sudden realisation that you had to study hard and gain decent qualifications in order to get a good job and get on in life, or that it was my school teachers that instilled that ethic of learning in me, I don't recall.  However, I remember there was one teacher in particular who was keen to impress on his students the need to study.  He liked to say that even an hour wasted (by not concentrating on lessons or by not doing homework) was an hour lost.  It was gone for ever and could not be recovered, and so the opportunity to learn was also lost forever.

Whatever the reason for my decision to become studious, I started to take learning seriously and the teaching methods at this school obviously suited my ability. 

Malcolm's fifth year report

Gradually my grasp of the academic subjects improved and I got better and better results until in the 5th year my report of class work showed that I attained the distinction of coming first in every subject!

We even learnt French (something quite new in those days, I think) and I got on well with the lessons and enjoyed the challenge of something a little bit unusual.  At some point, the French Master - Mr. Baker - organized a French “pen-pal” for everyone, but I can't remember the name of mine.  After several weeks of correspondence, eventually we arranged to meet when she was due to come to England.  I travelled to London to meet her from the train at Waterloo, but for some reason she didn't turn up, and I had to return home disappointed.  I don't remember the reason she never made it, but I think shortly after that we stopped writing to each other.

Unlike the academic subjects, my results in the practical subjects, especially art, were very disappointing, with such comments on my reports as "could improve with practice", "inconsistent results", "does his best to please".  Although I did not have a good singing voice, I was “press-ganged” into the school choir, probably by Mr. Cornick, the music teacher.  He was a short and jovial character, who was very enthusiastic about music and tried to pass this on to his students.  I remember attending a number of Christmas concerts and other events where I had to stand on the hall stage with the other members of the choir and sing our hearts out to an audience of expectant parents.  In spite of this (or perhaps because of this) I was glad when I was able to drop art and music in the 4th year.  There were, however, one or two practical subjects that I did enjoy, such as woodwork and metalwork.

I was appointed a prefect in September 1962, at the start of the 4th year and became Head Boy of the school in September 1964 at the start of my final year at school.  One of my first duties as head boy was to stand on the stage with the teachers and read a passage of scripture at a morning assembly.  I viewed this as something of a daunting task as I had never before had to stand before a large crowd and deliver an address.  Although I had time to prepare for my reading, I was still very nervous when the time came to take to the stage.  I think the passage included the words: “ … and the birds of the air came down and gobbled it all up … ”.  I was reading the passage quickly in order to get the ordeal over with as soon as possible and when it came to the last four words I guess they just ended up being joined together and sounding funny, and there were a few sniggers from the boys in the hall.  At the end of the reading I retreated, red-faced, to my chair.  Needless to say I wasn't asked to do any more readings.

The regalia of a Head Boy

One of my final duties as Head Boy was to write a letter to the previous year's Head Boy, Lawrence Parnell, inviting him to the end of term dance at the School.  My memory of the event is almost none existent, but I recall that he did attend.  Likewise, in my turn, I was invited to the end of term dance the following year.  It was a strange feeling walking back into school after spending a year at work and I felt a little out of place, although quite grown up!

When I was in the 5th or 6th year I was one of a few boys that became involved in a local, or possibly national, initiative to monitor the quality of the air around the school site.  The school was one of a number of similar sites situated across the locality or nationally.  The air sampling was done by means of a pump that sucked air in from the lower playground at school, passed it through some filter paper and then expelled it back outside.  This apparatus was installed in the store room between the two science labs.  The filter paper trapped the dust particles which were clearly visible as they turned the paper grey/black.  My job was to dissolve the particles from the filter paper into a chemical solution and then to measure the amount of another chemical needed to neutralise the solution.  The amount of this other chemical was recorded and represented the degree of pollution in the air.  I think the results were sent away to the central monitoring centre.  The pump worked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and so needed daily attention and so this was a regular chore for me at lunchtimes.  I remember having to go into school on Christmas Day or Boxing Day one year with another pupil (although I don't remember his name) in order to take the necessary reading.  I don't recall who let us into the building but I expect it was the caretaker.  We were quite gratified when our efforts were reported in the local newspaper - the Harrow Observer.

I took a number of examinations in the last two years of school and was successful in obtaining seven “O” level exams, as well as similar results in the Royal Society of Arts examinations, and some arranged by the local Council (known as Harrow Schools Leaving Certificate).  In spite of this success, there was no suggestion of my studying for “A” levels as everyone, including me, was aware of my limitations at that time, and so school life was over.

I left school in July 1965 and almost immediately started a temporary job in “Gosdens”, the local newsagents/tobacconists shop in Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, which provided me with a little pocket money.  It was the same shop where I had a paper-round job a few years earlier.  I was able to get this temporary job because the family (mainly my brother) was friendly with the manager of the shop.  I remember being somewhat nervous when I first started working there, especially when I had to work out what change to give a customer - there being no automatic tills in those days.  I don't think I got it wrong too many times!  I worked behind the newspaper and cigarette counter (perhaps because the manager didn't trust me behind the sweet counter, which was on the opposite side of the shop - but the lady assistants who served the sweets would often throw me a sweet or two when the manager wasn't looking!).  I had to deal with customers coming in to pay their newspaper bills as well as selling cigarettes and tobacco - even though I was only 17 years old - shops would probably not be allowed to employ someone so young to sell tobacco these days.

This temporary job allowed me a little time to think about seeking a suitable permanent job.  Although there was a careers master at school (Mr. Webb), I don't recall ever being invited to go and see him.  It was therefore left to family and friends to put forward various suggestions for my future career.  My father had worked all his life in Local Government (in the field of rating and local taxation) and so he must have thought that it would suit me as well.  I guess he came across a number of surveyors during the course of his work and thought that type of a job would be suitable for me.  At the time, I didn't really know what surveying entailed (not that I know much more now) but it sounded interesting and so we applied to the local Councils (Harrow and Barnet) and to the newly formed Greater London Council.  Although I had an interview with that organisation, I failed to get a job there, but was successful in gaining a post at the London Borough of Barnet.  I spent the whole of my working life in Local Government, working at the London Borough of Lambeth, Surrey County Council and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

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