School
rooms, labs etc.
As one entered the School through the back door (as non-pr*f*cts were obliged to do), turning left would b ring up a cloakroom, then the Hare Hall main entrance, and then another cloakroom. These two repositories were ancient indeed and had a strange layout with lockers and sinks which usually had hot water as well as coat racks. The 1st and 2nd XI's
would change and clean up there after games and I remember, in the second one at least, on those match days, there was always a thick mist of steam hanging around. I wonder, for during my short visit in 2001 I had no time to check, have these been modernized? (Mike Merry 51/56)
I remember those cloakrooms very well from my time at the school. I particularly remember the one immediately to the left of the back door. It seemed a bit dark and dismal and had a very low ceiling. I did sometimes use it, as a cloakroom, and also the very wide window ledges for doing homework, and revision before exams. I don't recall the other one you mentioned on the far side of the entrance. This doesn't answer your question about whether they have been modernized...enough to say that they were already in a pretty poor state in the 50s. (John Mills 47-55)
I was a '68 DNG pupil, attended 'till summer of '74. The first cloakroon, adjacent to 'rear' entrance was still in the condition you described from the '50s - - though I think the Hot water was shut off. The other cloakroom was no longer there when I was there.
I think it must have been where the computer rooms were set up.
The computer itself was housed in the room under the school office,
and, I think, the room described as a second cloakroom, must have been taken over for computer service office(s). (The computer was, I think, around 1977, removed from service.
I seem to recall it being crated up and stored under the Hare Hall spiral entry staircase for a while. I felt quite sad about it at the time. - Anyone know where the Elliott 905 went?)(Stephen Potter)
Room 23
However, I never recall that smell when we were in the Chemistry labs. No doubt young lads were fooling about. Any recollections from others? Any confessions? (John Hawkins)
Room 23 was behind the stage, and beside the rear doorway and stairs. It was known to me as Sus' Pender's geography room. However, it was equipped with a large fixed desk together with large sink, suggesting that it was intended for some other use.
The next room in that corridor was the small chemistry lab,
through the door to the quadrangle. Up
above room 23 was
There were two rooms in the school for Chem, Physics and Biology. Perhaps
an older member can recall room 23 being used for another purpose? (John Hawkins)
I seem to recall it being the room we used for Geography. Philk may be able to confirm or deny.(David Gregory)
It was always Dinger Bell's Geography room for those of us in the early 50's. Used as a dressing room for any stage event including dramatics, boxing etc. and equipped with a magnificent double blackboard that could be raised and lowered. (Mike Merry)
Room 23 was used by Ade Barber and myself on one occassion during a Geography lesson to set fire to a chair with Ade's lighter fluid. Sus saw it (would have been hard to miss it) and gave us a telling off but to my surprise never reported us to Jake. Have often wondered what you needed to do to get Sus to report you to Jake. Perhaps burning down the whole school instead of just a lousy chair.
Always liked the way Sus fanned a stack of papers and have never seen anyone else use his technique. (Cliff Jones)
I believe that room 23 was also used by the Musical Appreciation Society. In the late 50's or early 60's the Society met during the lunch hour and played the current hits until the volume got too loud or there were too many "members" trying to jam into the room. This would result in a visit from the common room and the dissolution of the Society for the rest of the term. (Peter Cowling)
Just think that MJM remembered that Dinger's room had, and I quote, "a magnificent double blackboard". As if totally forgotten by me... then I could actually 'see' it as two large boards, one behind the other suspended on sashes and pulleys with counterweights (like standard Victorian 'guillotine' windows), with two chromium 'handles' at the bottom, one on each side, for pulling each board down. Does this match your recollection, Mike? And did the board have a greenish tinge (or am I back into my usual realm of fantasy?) (Robert Priddy)
As for room 23, it must have been built as a laboratory but never put to that use and I would venture to suggest that there may have been some drains common to those rooms that were not of the best construction. (Peter Robinson)
I have been very interested to read the anecdotes concerning room 23 and the chemistry laboratories. I can recall that they were in very close proximity and that one could always tell when we "A" level students were making smells. If I recall htese moments were rare as we seemed to drift from one titration to another and wondered when the excitement would induce heart failure. Having said that I then proceeded to college and centred on chemistry and defining molecular structures of glycoproteins. It can only mean that the excessive number of titrations I performed failed to numb my senses. Either that or I am a sad fellow. (David Green)
Room 23 was also the regular location for the Transport Club. I remember being pulled out of there one evening to take part, reluctantly, in the House Chess competition. I lost in record time and raced back to the Transport club. Many old films of trains, trams and buses were shown.
Although I never got round to entering myself, several other members entered the annual General Motors/Vauxhall design a car competition (my practical handywork was demonstrated by the marble game in woodwork). I seem to remember Mr Tydeman jnr, doing well one year - wether it was the regional final, I can't remember - I just hope his dad did not do his homework!
Although the previous descriptions of the blackboard seem about right, I remember geography in that room because of the 'new modern Overhead Projector'. I think Biology had an epidioscope (or whatever it was called). (Chris Fribbins)
Robert P. mentioned the "green tinge" to Dingers blackboard in room 23. Yes, Dinger was one of the only teachers who used coloured chalk (Brooks was another) to show layers of earth and rock on those strange diagrams they drew. Green is he residual colour that remains
as it is the most predominant. Green itself and then blue and yellow which combine to make green. Because geography uses far more greens, blues and yellows than, say red, green always tinges anything used as a display.
Some time back in an essay, I believe on dramatics, I mentioned the various things that were hidden under that blackboard after a play, hopefully to be revealed to the first geography class that coming Monday morning. Rather filthy words and drawings were conjured up and
garishly coloured, articles of intimate clothing were hung etc. Dinger was never fooled. He was rather like a magician the way he would have them removed before pulling the board down, much to the chagrin of those who had labored so hard to prepare them. (Mike Merry)
Room 23 was also used as a changing room by the Romford and District Operatic and Dramatic Society, a company I 'lit' a few times after leaving school.
The ladies could use Room 22 to change but as the make-up was always in Room 23, few did so. Room 23 thus had other educational functions.
I think that room 23 had a socket which was used to energise the wire from an electric motor which a couple of lads unravelled and ran around the top and ground floors one lunch time. Lessons were delayed for a short while until the building was returned to its normal electrifying state. (David Silverside)
During my time at RLS room 23 was used by the Transport Club for evening film shows. It was a larger room, with blackout curtains, and no dangerous equipment for young boys to tamper with.
The Transport Club kept its assets in a tall set of shelves, hidden behind a wooden roller front, near the door. (John Hawkins)
My Room 23 association is not as pleasant as most. I well
remember it as the place where we older boys (5th or 6th form) were given a
slide show on VD. Including slides of what various diseases do to bits of your
tackle in living colour. Yeeurrk. (Ian Puxley)
My first form room was Buff Brooks' room. I couldn't believe the two old wooden cupboards in either front corner, both leaning towards their walls. The desks were all the original individual chair mounted on wooden runners, with a desk that could be slid to or from you. Many of these became defective throughout the school and were dumped behind the cycle sheds in High Trees. They made excellent toboggans during snowy weather down the slope into the old lake bed. The modern desks were mounted on black tubular metal frames which would bog down in the wet ground, and were no use at all. They had a hinged flat bench seat. A couple of years later our class were provided with these. Puffs appearance on TV with computer class was filmed in the corner classroom by the stairs for some reason (turn right from the main school entrance). He never used it otherwise. Unfortunately, it was full of old desks, so our new desks were used in the room for the filming. This is my only claim to stardom - my desk once appeared on national TV. (John Hawkins)