SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

HARE HALL, SCHOOL GROUNDS, LOCAL PLACES

THE DOG-LEGGED PATH

THE OLD BOYS’ HUT –cum- 6’TH FORM HUT

OLD HARE HALL/HAVERING etc.

A print of Hare Hall in the miscellaneous artefacts section. The view seems to be from somewhere in High Trees or just beyond. I don't recall the curvature of the "lake" in 1975 being quite as pronounced as in the print. However I'm sure the grounds are not as extensive now as they were then.
The building on the left of the main house is clearly not there now. However, the features of the main house are clearly recognisable. (John Phillips)

I lean towards the view being from the area of where the cricket nets were sited - with that splendid, but obviously artificial lake occupying the penalty areas and goalmouths (nearest to the High Trees fence) of the 1st and 2nd XI football pitches. Perhaps the end of the lake which we can't see extended into High Trees and what remained when we were at school was a mere vestige of the original.
Going by the clothes of the personnel I guessed at late 1700s to early 1800's but not Regency nor Victorian. Then I thought of looking up Phil Steer's post to the Romford History list re Hare Hall - "Hare Hall, Upper Brentwood Road, Gidea Park, now part of the Royal Liberty School, stands on the site of an earlier house called Goodwins. It is a small Palladian mansion built in 1768-9 by John A. Wallenger to designs by James Paine. (DGM)

"In 1769 Hare Hall, a small mansion, was built at the back of Hare Street. It was extended several times and is now the Royal Liberty school. It was built on the site of a Tudor mansion. Hare Hall's land used to cover most of the Gidea Park. In the 1830s a railway was

constructed, and the Hall lost a large chunk of its grounds. The railway" (Mike Merry)

Hare Hall - World War 1 poets: Although we studied Rupert Brooke & Co I don't remember mention of a connection with Hare Hall. Two of the poets, Wilfred Owen and Edward Thomas were stationed there in the Artists Rifles in 1916, Owen in the Officer Cadet Unit and Thomas as a map reading instructor.
I came upon this information at the "Anthem for Doomed Youth" exhibition at the Imperial War Museum where there are some interesting documents on display relating to their lives at Hare Hall including Owen's application to enlistgiving his temporary address as "Balgores", Gidea Park and a manuscript draftof Thomas's poem "As the Team's Head-Brass" (referring to a team of horses) written at that time. (Cliff Mullett)

ROMFORD Hare Hall: Wallinger - Severn 1770+  Built by John Wallinger. Owned by Benjamin Severn - J.P. Neale's Views, vol. I, 1818. (John Phillips)

Does anyone recall the (?urban) myth that part of the playing fields still exhibited traces of the Roman Road from Londinium to Colchester?David Gregory)

Brian Boswell writes: " I was looking at a print from an engraving of Hare Hall made in 1833. In the foreground are members of the Western family who apparently owned the house then. Peeking over the roof of the house is the tree (already large in 1833) which was ultimately surrounded by the quadrangle. The two wings are only connected to the house at ground floor level, thus at that time there must have been two additional staircases in the building - any traces long since gone." Wonder if this is the same print that I have Brian? - I haven't found a date on mine but otherwise as described by you. Drawn by J.Barden andengraved by E Young. Except that in mine the already huge tree looks like a deciduous and ready to go for the chop. my copy could one day be available for the Library - having just overcome obstacle 1 of getting a scanner I now have to take time out to discover how to manipulate the image and format into a jpeg file -there's nothing comes easy. (John C. Jennings)

 

A small number of 1895 slides of Hare Hall have been discovered in the RLS. They are marked as property of the 'Ventry House Museum'. Magoo and I are curious as to what and where this museum is, and we can't find anything about it on the 'net. There appears to be a museum in Dingle, Ireland with a similar name, but not the one we're looking for. Who knows, Ventry House might have some more RLS/Hare Hall shots, if we (a) ask them nicely, and (b) can find out where on earth they are. (Adrian Thompson)

SCHOOL PLAYGROUND AND SPORTS FIELD

(note: High Trees has its own ‘thread’)

You may remember that the athletics throwing circles were sited way across the field from opposite the school main entrance by the far fence beside the 2nd XI football pitch? i.e. two football-pitch-widths away from those two conker trees.
In 1958/59/60 or whenever it was, the school had a county discus champion called (Ah! This is the bloke I can't remember!) Funny kind of name I agree - perhaps he was rechristened by Wally. Anyway he was limbering up with his favoured missiles all that distance away while Bradshaw and cronies were honing their reflexes on the slip cradle on the school side of the conker trees.
Unbelievably the discus thrower must have unleashed a world record attempt as,without warning a spinning discus rocketed through the branches of a tree and felled Bradshaw as it bounced off his skull with a noise like a sledgehammer hitting a post!
Fortunately it hit flat rather than with its edge, but it still necessitated an ambulance and a spell in hospital for treatment for a cracked skull - no lasting damage but then Bradshaw was reputed to have the thickest skull in the school.
The athlete was largely unconcerned and insisted on being told exactly where Bradshaw had been standing so that he could measure his prodigious feat! (David Maltby)

I remember that tide of soapy white (and other colours!) scum which used to exude from the drain outside the kitchen - near the door from which the "tuck shop" used to operate - and then flood over the tarmac to gather in an offensive-looking and -smelling stagnant pool on the grassed area behind (and in) the goalmouth of the 3rd XI football pitch? (David Maltby)

Were the cricket nets also over by the throwing circle and particularly the fielding 'cradle' used for catching practice it looked like the skeleton of a long-dead rowing boat on a good day at least three first formers took a cricket ball between the eyes or in an even softer place. (Graham Lee)

Can anyone tell me whether the old bird sanctuary exists. It was situated on the l.h. side of the driveway which pupils used to enter from the Gidea Park station end, beginning just inside the gate and extending close to the bike sheds (i.e those facing the gate and below the swimming pool end). The bird sanctuary was surrounded by high netting and had a gate that was locked. The Bird Watching Society had the key and we could lurk there in lunch-hours. The school horse was also tethered in there too sometimes. The trees and bushes were quite wilderness-like and it was actually quiet therein. Some of it - if not all - must have gone when the large building below the swimming pool came (I see its bulk it from the aerial photo – but what is it used for?). (Robert Priddy)

...the boards leading to the loft above Old Bob's stable were forced up, the entry being made from Bob's stool itself. This "priests-hole" was a haven for 5th formers in 1956 but too many people knew about it and it was discovered by Bert Peade within a week of its "opening". (MJM) Does anyone still share my regret at the ludicrous decision to deprive us of our birthright - namely a playground pitch using the bike sheds as one goal and a tree/waste bin as the other - simply to expand the number of available classrooms? Oh absolutely! I wasn't there when this act of wanton destruction took place but I noted, with a certain chagrin, its occurrence when I visited on July 8th, 2000. I wouldn't like to attempt to add up the happy hours spent with a tennis ball in this area, honing football skills and just plain enjoying ourselves - and that classroom block is a monstrosity of ... well, it can hardly be called architecture can it? (David Maltby)

...the construction of the new classroom block in the playground resulted in a much lamented loss of at least half-a-dozen goals in front of the bike sheds. However, there was a small compensation in that it lessened the need to 'run the gauntlet' as we scaled the swimming pool gate (with great regularity) to retrieve lost balls from the pool, which would result in another caning from Jake if you were unfortunate enough to be caught. (Steve Hyde)

I only once entered the adjoining bird sanctuary on a biology lesson field trip, but can't recall anything of interest. There was a small circular pond that may once have held goldfish. This may well have been the excursion led by Dim Jim Hardy, once a local Liberal election candidate. I recall him walking off pointing here & there at trees and birds. The class appeared to be superfluous to his needs, so we all remained on the playground whilst he walked into the distance still gesturing and explaining essential information. He was well across the school field towards the Horse Chestnut tree before he realised that he was alone. I think he took it in good part. (John Hawkins)

Before the boiler room and main entrance there was a large cloak and locker room where truants hid for a smoke. To the right of the secondary gate that led out into the private road with Newth's and other masters bungalows was a brick building (with a very good wall for playing rebounds and kingie against). To the right again, near the trees at the edge of the field - and well before the long jump pit - were two smallish concrete blockhouses. One of these was the lair of the 12th Romford Scouts. Maybe the other was the 7th Romford troop, I'm not sure. What about the gymnasium? That was opposite the swimming pool entrance, beside the woodwork building... and was the scene of the dreaded boxing ring that old cauliflower ear Schofield erected in it to put us all through sessions of bashing each other (or - at best - having to pretend to bash). (Robert Priddy)

Coke was still being used when I joined in 1965. I clearly remember tobogganing down the clinker heap in High Trees as a first former. We used to sit on corrugated iron sheet and somehow get to the bottom without removing digits on the razor sharp edges. Had it been there today, I suppose the modern generation would be standing up and snowboarding. We called the ash heap 'Mount Fred' as I remember. We became oil fired sometime during my time, but nothing happened to mark the event, so I can't say when. Suffice it to say, I was old enough to not be sliding down an ash heap. The bridge in High Trees has been mentioned before. According to Steve Attridge, this was a folly designed by Capability Brown. I was very upset to hear that one of my contemporaries did much towards the destruction of the bridge. (Vince Leatt)

THE BOGS

What an excellent photograph! Thank you indeed TGB Barry. And doesn't memory play tricks. I thought it was open above the windows, painted black on the outside with the words 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' inscribed in a female hand. Perhaps it was black on the inside, good to play higher and higher (David Silverside)

Between the date of this photo and September 1955, all sorts of hooliganism was perpetrated onto the walls of this edifice! Was there an "election" during the summer term? Because I recall various "Vote for xxx" slogans in whitewash on the wall. Also there must have been a summer school during the holidays as there were the remains of paper notices pasted at each end bearing the legend "Inderdit aux filles/garcons" depending on which entrance you used! Of course, pre our first French lesson most of the new bods hadn't got a clue what it meant! After I found out I wondered how they kept the sexes apart inside! ...and presumably there must have been at least a couple of cubicles available to the garcons! But, in any case, you had to be a fairly brave new bod even to venture inside! N'est-ce pas Mike? (David Maltby)

Despite the '55 date, I do not recall the white building or hut which is just inside the gate and opposite the end wall of the Woodwork shop. I cannot identify the fence-like structure from the bogs to the black storage hut either. That Woodwork Shop wall was idea for "rebound" football. Kick the ball against the wall and the next bloke had to do the same thing. The idea was to return it when it was still moving because a really good kick at an acute angle could make the return very difficult if it was allowed to roll. Another use for that area was the gate itself and the wall of the bogs. These were the goals for tennis ball football pitch. Scruff would glide through the game, neither looking Sea. I never saw him take a kick at a ball or anything like that, in fact, I never saw him play any game whatsoever, quite unlike many of the Masters.
On a winters day a necessary trip to the OB's was quite a task. First one had to cross the playground with its layer of snow and several ice slides. Then in through the entrance at the left hand end as you look at them (the other end meant a walk past ten or so "stalls" before reaching the urinals, and choke on the cigarette moke billowing out from under and over the doors. Pity him that needed to use the stalls, that Izal type paper could peel off a layer of skin if applied to igorously!
Peer round the corner carefully just in case someone had a snowball waiting to launch at you and then, if all clear, a windy and cold relief. There were no sinks to wash hands so it was a quick but careful shake and then back to the 'warmth' of the main building and the comments of one's classmates. "Do yer flies up", "Have a nice smoke?" or "Took yer long enuf di'n it?". The Bogs always smelt of Dettol (is that how it's spelled) and I seem to recall they were "cleaned" by Bill Warr with a hose. Actually, the windows were quite a nice touch I thought, sort of disguises the actual use of the building? (Mike Merry)

THE DOG-LEGGED PATH

The dog-legged path: I can't see anything peculiar from the ground, but according to my esteemed UEL lecturers, markings from former buildings only show up for a short time, if at all, and usually in Summer. I have several aerial photos of the RLS taken from an RN helicopter in March 2000, and when I find them, I'll see if I can discern any more traces of the mysterious marking. Even if we never work out what it is/was, I think the most important thing has already happened, that is to say, the debate on RLSOldBoys. I'm supposed to be studying archaeology to figure out what there was in the past, but I prefer idle speculation to hard science. It's so much easier on the brain, and also seems to be more interesting to the public at large - witness Channel 4's "Time Team." And what we students call "the mejaah" could be where the money is if I play my archaeological cards right. Some of the photos of the Artist's Rifles' camp do show roads lined with huts, but these must have been elsewhere in the Hare Hall area - the 1916 photo of the first meeting of the Artist's Association and a similar view from 1918 show that the field was definitely clear during WW1. If the mark was caused by a man-made construction, it has to be pre-1769, at least. I think I remember Alan Pender saying something to me about an archeological dig on the field in the 50s, with a Roman road being found. Could he have got mixed up with something else? Or am I mixed up? I suppose I should give him a call or something... (Adrian Thompson)

Colin Calvert wrote: "It was fascinating to hear about the wartime RLS years from one who was there - can you imagine trenches in the sports field?..."Eh?  Does this explain the 'wall' or 'path' across the sports fields seen on older photographs and discussed at considerable length many moons ago? (David Silverside)

LOCAL PLACES

Colin Newlyn wrote: "I am pleased someone brought up the subject of the County High ... I have fond memories of the no-mans-land pub situated between the two schools (what was it called?) and meetings aborted due to teacher presence!"
Would this be The Drill on the Slewins Lane roundabout by any chance? This must have been a sixth form meeting place, when I was in the fifth. As you know me personally, you will recollect my youthfull appearance prevented my entry to pubs even after I was 18! (Early photos in school computer room
following soon, as promised, will prove this). All of our meetings with Daisy's Darlings happened in Haynes Park. (Vince Leatt)

During my days at RLS bicycles played a very important part. It seemed that most of the pupils arrived and left the school on a two-wheeler. The bicycle sheds must have held about 300 machines, at least 200 around the swimming pool and another 100 separating High Trees from the school. Do these exist today I wonder and if so, do most of the present day scholars come on bicycles to school? (Mike Merry)

...as for the pub it was probably either ' The Drill ' or ' The Squirrel's Head' personally i haunted the latter it was regarded at the time as having a little more 'class' if you wanted to live dangerously during lunch time, the place for a swift pint rather than a romantic liason, was 'The Unicorn' on main road or for preference the small back bar at 'The Ship' on many occassions, (Graham Lee)

Ah, the Ship. For several years after leaving the RLS there was a Christmas Eve rendezvous for some of the class of '68-75 at the Ship. It dwindled slowly as you might expect and then my own circumstancesrequired me to be elsewhere at Christmas. (John Phillips)

Does anyone else remember the local cafs?  What pleasure to forge a note from my parents saying that I would be bringing sandwiches and then to spend the dinner money on 5 Anchor and a cup of tea at one of these establishments.  I favored Tom's on the A127 and Bob's at Gallows Corner. Both had good jukeboxes but Bob's had not only a pintable but also a sort of pintable-size bowling machine.

There was also a seedy one on a sort of square that was in Gidea Park itself.  I remember seeing a 61 Cadillac parked outside in (guess what) 1961.  Now I own one. With a bike it was possible to cycle down to the GreenTiles which also had a good jukebox.  Are any of these still in existence? (Russell Martin)

I remember Bob's cafe and also the one at Balgores Square - strong tea and Woodbines (or Anchor or Strand - you were never alone with them!)  I also recall a spell when I used to use my dinner money to fund halves of draft cider at the Squirrels Head ( when it was still an unreconstructed prefab-type building in c. 1959/60).   What a mis-spent youth! (Bob Tucker) I remember Bob's cafe and also the one at Balgores Square - strong tea and Woodbines (or Anchor or Strand - you were never alone with them!) The Strand brand failed, as it was associated with being alone! (John Hawkins)

Do I remember the local cafs? I should say. The seedy one in Balgores Square was known as 'Olive's Caf' and we would often go there for a cup of tea and a doggy roll. Quite often dinner times would extend well over the allotted time if there was a 'free' period after. It had a 1970's Wurlitzer jukebox and a Gottleib Roller Coaster pintable. The Juke Box was our first victim.  As all of you know, the record selection on this type of machine is made by solenoids pushing a trip pin in a friction housing. When the record carriage scans the pins, any protruding ones trip the loading mechanism and the selected record is removed from the rack and played. When the record finishes, the pin is pushed back home. Putting money in enables power to the solenoids. Scanning and playing continue until all pins are pushed back in. All of you will also know that the front is made of hardboard with a fretwork pattern. We discovered that a four-inch screwdriver could be inserted through the fretwork, and the pins could be tripped. We sent Olive out the back to cook four doggie rolls, and set to work, tripping ALL of the pins.  We had music all through lunchtime. Of course, we had not bothered to calculate how long 60 records (times 2 side) would play. The following day, Olive said to us "'Ere! What you do to my f*ck*ng jukebox yesterday?  It played all bleeding afternoon!" We decided not to do that again, so we turned our attention to the pintable. It started in a small way. The Roller Coaster has a feature, which throws the ball onto a pair of rails (hence the name), which brings it close to the glass. With the aid of a very strong magnet, which Mr. Bowling 'lent' us, we could catch the ball as it ran through he feature, and drag it back to repeat over and over again. Having built up a few replays, we could then play for the rest of lunchtime. This was a dangerous sport, requiring a huddle around the machine to avoid Olive seeing the magnet. One of us, who shall remain nameless, worked out that putting money in the machine incremented the replay counter in the back box, which was a large numbered wheel. When the start button was pressed, the wheel was indexed in the opposite direction until it reached zero. It was logical that the game was enabled when the wheel was non-zero.Pressing our trusty screwdriver into action, it proved possible to insert it between the casing and cover, and manually index the wheel from zero. This time, we were careful enough to only put up enough games for our lunchtime. Later on, as we got cars, we moved on to the Lucky Diamond in Victoria Road, but there, we strictly 'played the game' as it were, because the owner looked even more dangerous than Olive. The attraction there was that there was a weekly prize for the highest score. One would play the game, and as the counters reached 9999 shout, 'Pete - It's going round the clock!' and Pete would come out from behind his counter to verify it.  Strictly against the gambling laws, of course, but I suppose nobody found out. Even at that tender age, we probably sensed that it was not a good idea to cheat when gambling was involved. (Vince Leatt)

THE OLD BOYS’ HUT –cum- 6’TH FORM HUT

 

HM Terry Hadert lamented of Brooklands: "Unfortunately enthusiasm and/or money ran out and the site became increasing derelict, with the land overgrown with weeds and the fencing deteriorated by the time I joined LBH in 1980. The site was a major eye-sore in an exposed main road position."
Terry, you couild equally apply this sad tale of woe to the RLS Old Boys Association playing fields by the A12 at Gallows Corner, where there was once three full size football pitches and a welcoming clubhouse. Way back in the late seventies a small quadrant of land was sold to developers for housing following meetings with LBH who on viewing the Associations plans to rebuild the clubhouse with the proceeds of the sale gave numerous verbal assurances that planning permission would be granted for a new access route to the new clubhouse. However, as son as the land was sold and work was started on the houses a number of local residents objected to our plans on the basis of the proposed access route to the new club.
Suddenly all LBH's verbal "promises" were history and the plans were thrown out, effectively condemning the Old Libertians Football Club to extinction. After many years of total neglect the field is now being used by young boys from Harold Hill for organised matches. I am sure that the irony of this arrangement will not be lost on many HM's, as many years ago it was a number of so called "boys" (ok, "yobs") from that particular part of H/Hill who would regularly vandalise the site, break in to the old clubhouse, smash it up, and set fire to it!!
(Steve Hyde)Regarding 6A and the hut by the Upper Brentwood Road / South Drive entrance mentioned by Hon Mem JAS. I am sure that hut was there in 1965, but when we reached the 6th form did we not have use of a new hut on the Hare Hall side of the school, adjacent to what was at the time the new music room? That is where I can remember endless games of bridge taking place. That was I guess in 6A, the upper sixth. Did 6B use the same place, or just the "flat" on the top floor of the main building? Was the old hut still there in 71/72? Maybe it was and a different crowd used it. (Tim Knights)

In the 50/51 alumni yearbook it says under the section on Rovers (Sergeant Crew) "Meet on 1st and 3rd Saturdays in the Old Boys' Hut" Where was the Old Boys' Hut?, does it still exist and, if so, can we still use it? (Robert Priddy)

Old Boys Hut was located inside the Upper Brentwood Road entrance to the school, adjacent to the tennis courts. (David Gregory)

Sounds like a description of the 6A Hut of my time. (John Hawkins)

Phil mentioned "renovating the 6th Form hut". Does anyone know if that ever got finished, and/or was actually ever used as the recreational/common room that it was intended to be? (Les Farrow)

When I was in the 6th form [69-71] a bunch of us were cleaning and refurbishing this building with a view to it being used as some sort of common/leisure room. We were allowed to do the work in school time, which is probably why it appealed. Inevitably things ground to a halt when the initial enthusiasm waned. Any updates? (Roger Jacobson)

This was indeed the black wooden hut inside the south gate on U. Brentwood Road. It has been said that this was called "The Farnes Hut". Named by Gussie Hartley and was supposed to have had a plaque over the door to this effect. This has never been confirmed. In my day it was simply "the sixth form hut". (Mike Merry)

In my memory, there was a wooden hut just inside the southern gate off Upper Brentwood Road. It was used by the model train club. I have recollections of seeing a layout on the floor and boys bringing their prized locomotives and rolling stock to the school for after-school pleasure.

There was another hut not far from the northern entrance off Upper Brentwood Road. It was used by the Scouts. If I am correct it was quite close to the biology lab.

The trenches close to Gussie's house were still there when I departed in 1946, and the brick shelters (now used for storage?) were close to the property line adjacent to the #4 soccer pitch. (Geoffrey Styles)

GS mentioned another hut inside the northern gate of Upper Brentwood. This would be on the right hand side of the path from that gate that lead to the bike sheds outside the Geography Room (Bell) and the CHem lab. The hut itself was between the sheds and the gate. Bert Peade used it for storing junk. We went in with a key made out of a paperclip on lunch time. The padlock was a very old and simple type.

There was another large wooden hut just inside the gate that led to the Headmasters house. This faced the brick wall of the Woodwork shop. This was used for paint and football posts etc.

The Biology lab (Faithful) was (if my memory serves me correctly) the second room along the bottom floor that looked out onto the Upper Brentwood road. The trenches had gone by '51 but the concrete huts were used by scouts and societies and occasionally, for parking motor cars on top of. (Mike Merry)

Despite the various answers that have already been given, I believe in fact the hut referred to was sited on the Gallows Corner ground. This was the home of the Old Boys Club in the early 1950's when it was a very flourishing organisation. For example fielding up to five football elevens each Saturday. I used to participate for a short period after coming home to live in Ilford in 1950, after being away for 2 years National Service, 1948-1949 (with a medal to prove it!).

Although I believe the building was vandalised, burned down, or met some similar fate, there still appears to be some controversy about whether the now dormant or defunct Old Boys club has any property rights or other assets remaining from the old Gallows Corner site (it was in the angle between the Romford Road and Arterial leading towards Collier Row), and if so in whom they are vested. I feel sure Ken Catton has made reference to this in a recent Reunion. Anyone remember? Think I was having too good a time to pay sufficient attention. (John Jennings)

This was the common/leisure room for 6A in my time, but I rarely took the trouble to walk as far as the UBR south gate!  It was a fairly bare shed that I remember, split into two rooms. A few tables for card players, a dart board and maybe a snooker table.  The exterior was oiled wood, giving a black finish.

Recent library postings of the site show that it is now missing, presumed stolen. (John Hawkins)

If I recall the discussion of July 2000 correctly the hut and a susequent replacement both burned down - vandalism was suspected I think. I paid a short visit to the plot. It's quite large - just waste ground now.

I believe that the Trustees of the Old Libertians' Association (whoever they are) still own the land but can't do anything with it (even if they wanted to and had funds) due to planning permission difficulties.  They might like to sell it but no-one would buy it due to the same planning permission difficulties. (Andy Lee)

"The Sixth Form Hut"

 

Black and silent 'sides the gate,

Noticed not, when one was late.

And came a'running through the rain,

From bus stop or electric train.

 

The Pr*f*cts used it for to hide,

And from its shadows they would slide,

Summon latecomers with voices gruff,

"You come with me, we're seeing Scruff".

 

From within its black, forbidding walls,

Passers-by could hear the balls,

As sixth-formers with ping pong bats,

Chased twenty-one with hefty pats.

 

Three wooden steps lead to the door,

On concrete blocks did rest the floor.

And clouds of whirling smoke did greet,

The visitor entering from the street.

 

In front the tennis court conveniently stood,

And observant visitors often could,

As they entered Upper Brentwood gate,

Watch Old Bob chew and defecate.

 

Once (it's told) along the drive,

As laughing sixth formers lurked inside,

Pr*f*ct Saxby's bike did maim,

A lower former who got the blame.

 

Alas, the hut stands there no more,

No dog-ends litter dusty floor,

No smoke from open windows curls,

No vists from RCH girls.

 

When Bert Peade retired to Rainham Marsh,

Kicked from his flat by judgement harsh,

He left the school, his cart piled high,

But with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

 

During the summer holiday,

While swimmers in the pool did play,

Bert with help from Bill Warr and Bob,

Returned to the school the hut to rob.

 

Bert and Bill were very smart,

Piece by piece, upon the cart.

The hut was loaded, wheeled away,

Pulled by Old Bob (so people say)

 

And so, Bert and Mrs. Peade,

Of charity, they had no need.

In the sixth form hut they did reside,

Until the day that Old Bert died.

 

(Mike Merry)

Whatever happened to the old boys clubhouse and sports ground near Gallows Corner? I seem to remember that some houses were going to be built on the plot but when I passed the old site recently the ground was just overgrown and unkempt. I remember that every year we used to put up a wire fence to keep the neighbours unruly kids off the ground yet the parents used to nick the fence as soon as we had put it up. Also remember the glorious sight when the coaches on the way to the coast always stopped in the adjacent lay-by so that their passengers could go behind the bushes and relieve themselves, who needed an education (Brian Mutton)

The clubhouse was knocked down way back in the late eighties. By that time it was in a very sorry state as it had been wrecked by the local hooligans who saw it as a legitimate facility on which to practice their "Breaking and Entering" and "Arson" skills. The bar was regularly robbed and the whole place was totally vandalised to the point where it looked like it had been bombed.

Eventually the Old Libs’ FC were hauled up before the officials of the Southern Olympian Football League and told that the facilities were not acceptable and had to be improved. We all knew that anyway but the number of complaints from visiting teams (who all had excellent facilities) was so great that expulsion from the league was threatened.

A decision was taken to sell a small piece of land where the old building stood to a builder in order to fund the construction of a new clubhouse near the A12.  The deal was that he would build houses on the quadrant of land and would simultaneously construct the new clubhouse with access to the field being from the cul-de-sac that runs parallel to the A12.

In the meantime the Old Libs got special dispensation from the league and the Headmaster (Coles) to play home games at the school on pitch 1 for one season while the future of the Gallows Corner site was being sorted out.  The houses were built but the planning application for the clubhouse was thrown out by the local council under pressure from the local NIMBY residents who did not want the access built at the end of their road. Subsequent modifications and appeals also failed. These plans were never resurrected and their refusal spelled the end of the football club, though the Vets section continued playing friendlies using local park pitches through to around 1995 when it also packed up.

When I joined the Old Libs’ football team in 1976 there were five separate teams playing in various divisions of the SOL, plus a vets section. Over the years the lack of decent facilities caused players to drift away to other teams and coupled with the failure of the new clubhouse project eventually caused the sad demise of a once thriving club.

Last weekend I passed the old ground at Gallows Corner and it was in a terrible state. Thoroughly overgrown and strewn with assorted debris. 

However, the land is still owned by the Old Libs Association and, I believe, cannot be used for any other purpose than recreation. What happened to the money that was raised by the sale of the building plot is anybody's guess - it should still be in a bank account somewhere and segregated for the use of the Football Club. But who knows??

Like myself, I am sure that many contributors to our daily banter have good memories of playing on the ground and/or spending many a very late night/early morning socialising in the clubhouse bar. It's all very sad and there are certainly more questions than answers about this whole sorry episode.

If anybody in the group has any further info they can add I'd love to know what happened to the cash! (Steve Hyde)

I regularly used the facilities at Hartley House from 1958 to about 1965, not only for football but there was also a cricket square. The changing rooms were primitive but the clubhouse was well used, I even remember a cricket club dinner where the chief guest was Trevor Bailey. Relations with the neighbours were not good, and I remember several complaints about noise, particularly when it was in the early morning at weekends. The last I heard about 'who owns the site' was that there are 3 or 4 trustees who were members of the last OL's committee, and the police refer any complaints about the ground to them. I assume that they are also liable guardians of the money.

A belated hello to Brian Mutton who I remember playing for the Old Boys in the early 60s. I believe you played on the wing and for several games your inside forward partner was Derek Roast giving a lethal culinary combination. (Bill Groves)

I believe that the proceeds are held in a trust.  Contact Ken Catton for details. (J. Alan Smith)

Thanks for the sad story of the demise of the clubhouse. Many a Saturday was spent there in the 1960's eating the customary after match Spam sandwiches then followed by the many jugs of bitter before resorting to the finer points of education-5 jacks. The away games north of the river were an experience travelling in Angus Robson’s Rover  past the London rubber company where Angus always advised his younger passengers, 'That’s where they are made folks' there was always the advert for staff to work there mainly Testers which put us in the right mood to play teams like mill hill village whose pitch had a bigger slope that Yeovil's old ground.

I seem to remember that various OLD LIB's contributed 100 pounds to buy the ground which was a lot of cash to find in the mid sixties but I never knew what happened to the cash raised. (Brian Mutton)