Eastcote Lane - Roxeth Manor School

Richard Taylor THE SULTAN OF BAGDAD. December 1946

I started school in 1940 at Roxeth Hill School,Harrow. I took and passed the 11+ exam in 1946.Three of us passed the exam from Roxeth but there were only two places.'Patricia' went to the girls Grammar school.'David' and I were interviewed for selection to fill the one place to the Boys Grammar school by the head mistress, Miss Doel.'David' got the place so I went to Eastcote Lane School.I stayed there for two and a half years until I passed the 13+ exam to go to Acton Technical College.
Most of my memories of Eastcote Lane are happy ones.But December 1946 had mixed feelings for me.Most of my class where press ganged into taking part in the school Pantomime....THE SULTAN OF BAGDAD.
As first years we just had bit parts.The programme shows us as 'Chorus of Market-
Folk,Slaves,Dancers,and Courtiers'.
I was a 'Dancer'.....in fact a lady dancer.We were issued with two 4 inch diameter silver discs of cardboard which our mums had to attach to elastic to make 'bras'.
We wore these with our bodies bare from the waist up.Waist down we wore baggy white net trousers with pyjama trousers underneath.This was all very disturbing for a boy of 11, the saving grace was that we also wore yashmaks!
SPEECH DAY PROGRAMME Friday,March 7th 1947
The programme shows an evening of speeches,plays,singing and school work.All very interesting.The back page shows a list of all the school activities in each class room and has the names of the teachers.I am amazed that after all these years I can remember just about all of them.
For me a sad memory is seeing 'Room 13,' Work with Retarded Boys',with Miss E Robins.I seem to remember that they were in a hut to the left of the main school building.I new one of these boys from my time at Roxeth Hill School.I had never thought of 'GG' as 'retarded' but as a nice guy but a bit slow to pick things up.Some fifteen years later I met 'GG' in Harrow.He had his own house and his own business as a small builder.So much for 'retarded'! I think he probably had the condition which we now know as dyslexia!
PROGRAMME of a SCHOOL CONCERT Wednesday 17th March 1948
I was in the school choir for a time.I don't remember much about this concert but in Item 5 it shows us singing Full Fathom Five.
This is something which, in mad moments, I still sing and can remember most of the wordsInter-House BOXING TOURNAMENT
Wednesday 25th February 1948
BOXING.....I never liked boxing,and still don't.'Boxing' and 'sport' are two words that don't go together.
Before this tournament the sports master made everyone do one round in the boxing ring as part of the selection process.
I decided that I would not attempt to hit my opponent but would just move about and parry my opponents punches.
This strategy seemed to work.Nothing was said about not trying and I was not selected!
However, I must have gone to the event because I have the programme,and I have even taken a note of the scores, so I must have had a competitive element somewhere! I can even remember that I was in Byron House.
FOOTBALL.....This wasn't really my thing either.Fortunately the pitches at the back of the school were unusable as they still had the air raid shelters on them.As an alternative venue we went on the bus to South Harrow Station and walked up Parkfield Road to the Roxeth Recreation Ground.Most of the Rec was unusable for football as it still had the long ditches and banks which had been dug during the war to prevent enemy aircraft landing.And so we had to kick about on a small area on the far side which had quite a slope on it,which was why it had never been considered as a suitable area for aircraft to land.
Clothing coupons were still needed to buy clothing and this included footwear.My dad had got me a second hand pair of football boots but the boys in my class told me that they were actually rugby boots.I never did understand what the difference was.
SPEECH DAY Wednesday,10th November 1948
Another fun packed evening!
Is the School Hymn sung any more? I doubt it. It was something of an anachronism even then.
Does anyone know the whereabouts of the film 'A School Journey to Snowdonia' ?
Is there anyone out there who was on it ?