One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'Class Rooms up Ashburnham were of course not originally designed for the purpose. As such they would have given a present-day Minister of Education a heart-attack, and certainly have been deemed unworthy of any Comprehensive or even County Primary School. However, we had no complaints - except about that ultra-gloomy room, on the ground floor (facing out on to Ashburnham Green) where the ferocious and austere E.L. Fox ruled the Upper Fifth with his rod of iron. As far as I remember, the Class Room depicted was not a (Upper and Lower School, independent of Forms) Form Room, but was used for Sets, till these were discontinued after the arrival of Costley White. Here in 1918-19 I learnt French under the acidulous W.N. Just and Maths under the doddering Rev. H. Hancock. (Both were ageing men, recalled as temporary members of the Staff to hold the fort while younger Masters were absent on War Service).'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'I think we called this corner (perhaps erroneously) “Ashburnham Green”. Unlike that of Green itself, its grass was sacrosanct! None of us had any idea or appreciation of its architectural and historical associations (for which see L.E. Tanner, pp 24-25) It did seem almost sacrilege to use one end of it for a Miniature Shooting Range - but where else could space be found? (On my return from India in 1945, I found School itself being used for this purpose by some persons, during the ‘Exile’.) Westminster did not excel at Shooting. On one occasion we were bottom of all the School Teams competing in the Ashburton Shield - despite weekly visits to Bisley. However (a fact overlooked in School Records) G.C. Cobbold (RR) and G.W. Teed (A.HH) won the Cadets’ Trophy at Bisley in (I think) 1920.'
[It is likely 'G.C. Cobbold' refers to Reynold Chevallier Cobbold, one of two Cobbold brothers at Westminster at the time, but the only one in Rigaud's.]
1 copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'Memories, 1921-1924 R.S.C The School Coin Collection was formed in the main by Dr Scott, who presented it to the School in 1874 (see first Number of ‘Elizabethan’). The bulk of the coins were kept in trays in a handy-size cabinet in the H.M.’s house. At some date unknown the most spectacular and interesting specimens were extracted & placed in a glass cabinet in the ‘Coin Room’ up Lib (as shown). They were expertly mounted and labelled by the British Museum, but attracted no interest at all, being badly lighted, under glass and tarnished black. Tho’ but an amateur, I was given the charge of the School Coin Collection by H.C.W. in Play 1921. I do not think they had been touched since Dr. Scott’s day. The task of cleaning, re-arranging and cataloguing these coins (I seem to remember there were just over 900- Greek, Roman Republican & Imperial, Saxon and English) occupied me till 1929, when H.C.W. kindly staged a small Numismatic Dinner in recognition of this. It was not till years later I learnt what a superlative collection I had been handling and what a precious possession the School had. (Now “dispersed”?!!**) I urged H.C.W. that the Cabinet up Lib be dispensed with and the coins in it amalgamated with the main Collection. He understood, but could not agree to this. Result - the Cabinet disappeared without trace during the Evacuation, including ‘OFFA REX’ now catalogued £800.'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: '‘Lib’ was my far the most usual ‘occupat’ for boarders between School and prep. For one thing, most of us (I for one) were too jolly tired after the long day’s work to indulge in any more strenuous activity. That blissful hour of quiet from 5:15 till House bells rang for Tea at 6.10 remains a happy memory. Peace for a while! Under the austere Librarian Rev. G.H. Nall and his elephantine assistant J.J. Huckwell, the rule of SILENCE was most rigidly observed. Some relaxations were introduced from 1922 under A.T. Willett, when board games such as Chess or even ‘Attack’ were provided. On wet days, Lib was occasionally a welcome alternative to Station up fields. We were proud of Lib, and used to boast it contained 10,000 books (!). Of these the most popular were “Dracula” (I never obtained it till my sixth year) and, among humorous works, Stephen Leacock. The walls of Lib were covered by prints of noted OWW. I was sad (if not surprised) to find these replaced after the War by contemporary art'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: '1918-1924 Ashburnham House & (formerly) Turle’s House Easily the most attractive aspect of Yard. (Note abundant Virginia Creeper. A pity those ball-topped pillars were removed not long after my time.) From left to right: (Ground Floor) A.HH (the largest of the five Houses) with 90+ Day boys): Suts (by door); Notice-boards/ Orderly Room (?): entrance to Dark Cloister, Armoury & Gym. (First Floor) Lib: Classical Under & Upper Shell Form Rooms (the latter nearest School) (Top Floor-originally Servants’ quarters) Various Class-rooms, including IV, and (nearest School) Music Room. (These were not all originally built for the purpose and would be considered totally unsuitable in any Comprehensive School today!) Yard was laid half with yellow gravel, half with flag-stones; on the latter K.SS still played the obsolescent game of ‘Woodens’, tho’ rather half-heartedly.'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'This picture (well before my time) has its use in supplying a general date for this series of P.C.s (recorded in Record of OWW Vol III, under ‘Arthur Brown’ on p443 as “about 1911”). It is always a source of regret that it was never my lot as a KS to take part in our supreme privilege of all - being first in the Empire to proclaim the Sovereign at a Coronation. The only royal occasions in which I was able to take part were (1) Princess Mary’s Wedding in 1922 as a (very nominal) Steward at the North Door and (2) the Installation of the Knight’s of the Bath in 1923 or 1924. At this my companion and myself were Stewards with the task of checking tickets at the little North Aisle door, commonly called ‘Devil’s Door’. L.E. Tanner, in charge, posted us with the words “Now come along, you two Devils!”'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'Memories 1921-24 (Known to us erroneously as ‘College Gardens’) It was anomalous (to say the least) that this delectable adjunct to the School should have been debarred even to K.SS except on two days of the year (for the reason, see L.E. Tanner, p46) while (before the opening up of the vista between School and College) TBB never set eyes on it! The Garden was not then visible from Dormitory (windows being too high up) but a distant glimpse of the Canons disporting themselves there could be gained from a window up Saignes. KSS were allowed into the Garden for a few blissful hours on Election Sunday and again next morning for Juniors’ Race, when Juniors ‘ran for their freedom’. This consisted of a handicap race twice round the Garden. A handsome money prize was awarded to the first three finishers (provided no doubt from Election ‘Cap’). (My luck to be pipped on the post by Binyon for 3rd place!). The disgusting custom of ‘Feeding’ in Hall before the Race was mercifully abolished by that wise Chaplain R.C. Fisher in my year (1921).'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'This picture would have been ‘posed’ by John Brown. As Under Election John he would have had to clear up the mess after Term, together with the long-suffering ‘Nymphs’ (as the two College charwomen were termed). I do not recall any such (rather senseless) ragging at the end of any of my 12 Terms in College (in any case, at the end of Play Term Under Elections, depicted here, were accommodated up Saignes). There was however one annual event on the last Saturday night of each Election Term, as an aftermath of the feast which followed Declams. This was Conveniences Race, a knock-out in which the Juniors competed in pairs, as a part of gaining their ‘freedom’. It consisted of a hurdle-race over towel-horses the length of Dormitory, out to Conveniences (Night Japs), to touch the door-handle there (a good bit of rough play took place here) and so back, cheered by occupants of one’s Room. Competitors wore pyjamas, and (an innovation I remember in 1924) top hats with white ties round the crowns.'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'The sudden transformation of half of Dormitory into Stage & Auditorium mid-way thro’ Play Term was an amazing annual feat. (I have never fathomed where such a vast amount of gear was stored meanwhile). Under Elections migrated up Saignes, Upper Elections occupying their Houses. Combined with a ceaseless round of rehearsals, the dislocation caused to study and routine was immense, but also K.SS would never have it otherwise, regarding the Latin Play (with strictly Elizabethan pronunciation) as our bounden duty to our Royal Foundress. (What of KSS today??) The fire-hazard in the Auditorium was immense. The whole structure was made out of wood and the only exit the narrow gangway (shown) beneath the ‘Gods’! There was one fireman on duty, he long superannuated. Since almost the beginning of the century, the Play cycle had settled into a fixed Terentian tetralogy- Andria, Adelphi (1919, post War), Phormio and (euphemistic) ‘Famulus’ (olim Eunuchus)- produced on rigid lines by the meticulous Rev. GGS Raynor. Scenery certainly and costumes presumably (including those extraordinary ‘fleshings’ for limbs) dated from the previous Century. I acted Gera in ‘Adelphi’ of 1923, very capably produced by Rev. H.K Luce'
One copy annotated on reverse by R.S. Chalk, as follows: 'Memories, 1920-1924 After the cramped conditions prevailing in Rigaud’s Little Dorm, it was a joy to have a ‘House’ of my own, even as a Junior. It provided space, comfort and a welcome degree of privacy. Pasted up in each House were “The Ten Rules of College”- the Magna Carta of Under Elections. I still remember: “Punishment to be by tanning or [for Upper Elections] desking, and in no other way”, and “No servants’ work to be done by any Under Election”. (There were of course two College Johns- and the ‘Nymphs’). Each House was screened by a red-baize curtain. At ‘Lights Out’ (9:30) Mon. Chaun. and his partner pulled this back (rather farcically!) to make sure all Under Elections were in bed (of course his coming could be nicely timed!). The commonest occasion for a ‘Case’ was to be out of one’s House (even by an inch) after that. In this picture, note (a) the hat-box, (b) school photos, no doubt purchased from John Brown. It may also be noted that the ‘floreat’ (i.e. chamber-utensil) has been removed out of sight. This was called “Setting to Rights” and was regularly ordered on Play Nights, to avoid shocking curious guests who peered inside Houses!'
