THE HARE HALL GHOST

 

There is an article by Ross Kaye (in RLS homelink Jan 2002) about ghosts in the school. The first Ghost predated his/her time and walks about the learning support area but the next origin date was for 'Jimmy' Green in 1990. A touch of deja vue, methinks.  Or maybe there is more than one ghost. (David Silverside)

...does anyone recollect the rumours that periodically used to fly around regarding the ghost that was supposed to haunt the corridor by the armoury? Before anyone jumps in with "That was Spook Smith in Room 1" let me remind you that this was a completely ethereal being seen occasionally during my time at school but dating back to the mid forties, perhaps WW2 time.
I never saw it personally but often felt a cold presence when walking through that area of the corridor after normal school hours. As I have stated here before, the old memory is not too kind about details of the era so HELP please. (Michael P. Large)

Now Graham mentions it, I think that there were sightings in the old sixth form flat during post war times when Bert Pead lived up there. I suppose it makes sense when you consider that was part of the original Hare Hall and all the history that building had seen.
Am I right in thinking that unsuspecting first formers were deliberately told ghostly stories to prevent them ever entering the hallowed domain of VIB. Did the tradition live on? When did it start? And, is the ghost still there? (Michael P. Large)

Bert Peade's little oppo, Bill Warr, was absolutely adamant that there was a ghost in the school. He claimed to have seen it on a handful of occasions and, if you caught him on a good day while Bert was nowhere around to supervise him, would describe his sightings in lengthy detail. If I recall correctly the "thing" was supposed to pass through the wall of the school nearest to the cadet hut. Bearing in mind Bert's obsessive behaviour regarding kids going in and out of windows, I wonder how he felt about this?Am I right or wrong in thinking that shortly after Bert moved into the house by the gate, Bill Warr was temporarily in residence on the third floor of Hare Hall? (David Maltby)

Ghost: Boys, boys...I regret to inform you that the ghostly occurrences in Hare Hall have nothing whatsoever to do with stagecraft. Nor are they a rumour to keep small boys away from the VIB room. I am surprised that you suggest this, considering that the ghost is real. I am truly amazed that nobody knows the true story but I am happy enough to oblige with its regalement, now that it has started raining again. It is a bit long but it goes something like this:
Charles I was born in 1600 and he toured much of Europe during his bachelor days looking for a bride with his mate Buckingham. Spurned by some Spanish chick on account of a mix-match of religions he slunk back home via Paris to have a pop at Louis XIII's sister, Henrietta Maria, who had just been passed over by some continental suitor. In the Palais de Versailles they were introduced by her mother, one Marie de'Medici, and they fell in love. On arrival in England, Henrietta was hailed as 'La Reyne du Coeurs' by all English peasants and this was proven as she completely overshadowed Charles. However, as soon as they set up home, he made one of his many seemingly intemperate decisions. He declared war on France. His missus was naturally vexed, for she was now an enemy of her brother, mother and all. So she shut up shop. No wonder she was passed over, thought the frustrated Charles. She thought the sly Buckingham was to blame and when the war was over, he was murdered by a Puritan which well pleased Henrietta. So she opened up again and the future Charles II was born in 1630.
Like all new mothers, Henrietta wanted her Mum to see the child and arrangements were made avec Louis. Unfortunately Charles was a trifle occupied at the time with a couple of civil wars (both of which, incidentally, he lost, an incredibly hard thing to do when you think about it) and had to put the visit on hold. Henrietta was patient though, because CI was a faithful husband, a devoted father, liked children and the arts. In 1638, once Charley had temporarily put aside his bellicose adventures, the visit was sanctioned and his mother-in-law came to England. Eager that his M-i-L should not travel too far alone (dacoity was rife) he rode towards Harwich in Essex to meet her off the boat and escort her to the capital. Regrettably he ran late and only got as far as Moulsham Hall in Chelmsford. He had not seen Marie for a long time but on re-acquaintance he realised why she was known as the Queen Mother of France. She was beautiful in her autumn years and in modern day parlance would be affectionately known as a Golden Girl. His loins leapt. Regrettably for him however, protocol demanded that they should not stay under the same roof, so while he remained at Moulsham, she rode on to Gidea Hall. (It's all there, dear reader, in the RLS library, if you don't believe me).
This is where the history books go quiet, and understandably so. Now, although Charles was a faithful husband, in the mid 17th Century this meant that it is kept within the family. Charles was often thought of as the king who chose poor aides but there was often method in his madness. There were no mobiles in those days so he sent his simple lad off to Gidea Hall with a note suggesting that the Queen Mother might like a G&T before dinner on neutral territory at Hare Hall, the home of Pallas, brother of the late Lord Buckingham. Being French, of course, nobody a la maison could read the note, so the innocent boy said he would take Marie there on the back of his horse so as not to arouse suspicion. And she went. I don't need to tell you much more.
They spent a night of passionate love in the future Bert's flat aloft. They loved each other so much that they wanted to conceive but she was of such mature years that it was just not possible. So she made him a promise which has now gone into everyday French. 'Je deviendra la mere de tous les enfants de cette maison', elle a dit, en Francais vieille, naturellement. Charles thought this was the next best thing to sliced bread and was much pleased with himself. Little did he know the future of Hare Hall.
Then the history books kick in again. They rode on to London on 8 November 1638, he with renewed confidence and vigour and she with the smile of a Cheshire cat. The first thing he did was to dissolve parliament for eleven years. Regrettably, as soon as he got the establishment up and running again he was beheaded for treason, on November 8, 1649. Some shady funding deal, I was told. Because he did not enter a plea at his trial, his spirit did not qualify for either heaven or hell so St Peter told him he would have to remain in England until it was sorted. He could choose the exact location. Remembering his clandestine affair and how this love was so much better than that of his trouble and strife, he chose to live with the memory of his mother-in-law, which by today's standards is pretty sad. Well, as I said, she was French and lived in France so the only place he could go was Hare Hall. And what a lot of children she had! So, if you see a ghost, walking the corridors of Hare Hall, head under arm, you will know who it is. (David Silverside)

The secret of successfully fabricating historical is to get the checkable details right. Charles I was beheaded on 30 January 1649. (JAS)

...given a choice between believing the contents of a learned and well-constructed exposition by a man of substance, education and proven integrity, or the Ind Coope-fuelled ramblings of a barely articulate caretaker's assistant, I know on which side of the fence I would scramble down - notwithstanding the minor factual error, not really relevant to the main thrust, concerning the date of Charles' execution being some 10 months earlier than "he was beheaded for treason, on November 8,1649." I am reserving judgement pending consultation with our resident Historian on the question of the Hare Hall's existence in the 17th century and I now eagerly await publication of David G's item from the newspaper. (David Maltby)

RLS Ghost? All of the posts regarding this subject jogged my memory and bought back an incident that could be the solution. I've not thought of it for about 50 years but in the spirit of "Tell All", here's something that did happen and might be the answer, though it's not at all sure!
THE ROYAL LIBERTY "GHOST"
Before telling this story let me first say that I personally cannot claim to have seen a ghost at RLS. Did I ever hear one? Sense one? Well let this story explain exactly what happened and you can make your own decisions.
How did all this come about? How do I know about it? How close have the references been so far in the postings to this list? I'll try and answer all of these questions as we proceed. Now, sit back and imagine you are in the second form at RLS back in the Spring term of 1953. It was an interesting year. I myself passed from 1B into 2S as school commenced in September of `52. Later in May of `53 Hillary and Tensing climbed Everest, the news being published on the morning of Elizabeth II's coronation. Maureen Conolly would win Wimbledon and Blackpool (with Stanley Mathews) would win the FA Cup Final. But enough of world history, what we are really interested in is the RLS "Ghost".
That the stage and dramatics were involved in this drama is indeed true. How much of a part did they play? That is something you will have to calculate. Recalling my memories of almost 50 years ago, I know that the incident that occurred was deemed a mystery and no one had an answer. I never said anything about my part in it though. I myself believe I know what happened but perhaps, on the other hand, there are others who see things differently and still others who may have had an opinion but whom have passed from this world and thus remain silent forever.
It started with the Shakespeare play. Auditions had been held in November of `52 and the appropriate scripts handed out to be studied during the winter holidays. Come January and the return to school, rehearsals started in earnest. At first it was merely reading the lines in Room 5 (Fox) after school. Then, as time advanced, we re located to the stage and practiced in the environment that would eventually be artistically prepared by the Stage Crew. As the date of the production neared, the rehearsals went on later and later. I found myself arriving home at 630pm, then 7pm and during the last two weeks, 730pm. At that time of year it wasn't pleasant walking to Gidea Park station to catch the train to Chadwell Heath and then having to walk a mile home, especially if it was cold and raining.
Once one left the stage it was always dark in the school during the winter months. There was usually one light left on illuminating the short passageway leading from the foyer in front of the assembly hall to the front door. However, apart from that, the school was very conscientious about saving electricity and the building was very dark. Occasionally there would be lights on. Perhaps from the Physics lab or the Library where one of the various societies was meeting. These societies were frequented on the whole by boys who lived close to the school. It didn't take them long to get home unlike some of us who had a long train or bus journey. The Chess Club seemed to stay the latest in the school, they would meet in the Small Dining Room on Fridays. The Scouts had evening meetings but they were in the Gymnasium if I recall correctly and were seldom seen by those in the school itself.
The newer part of the school wasn't particularly frightening but if one had cause to venture into the old Hare Hall section especially on the second floor, to pick up a forgotten satchel from one of the classrooms for instance, the creaking wooden floorboards and damp smell did indeed provide a perfect backdrop for a story of long lost spirits. The lights were never on and the only illumination on the playground side came from the moon or stars if the sky wasn't overcast. On the Upper Brentwood Road side a dim glow from the street lights made it possible to see one's way along past the physics lab and sixth form room and around the corner. After that there was a single bulb that glowed outside of the door of Bert Peade's apartment at the top of the spiral staircase. One would hurry by there, pass the "Museum", turn the corner by the Pr*f*cts room and scurry to room 4, 5 or 6 to retrieve the satchel or books for homework and then hurry down the staircase by room 7 and out through the front door where Bert would be waiting to lock up. Then it was down the drive past Bob's stable and out of the gates to Upper Brentwood and the windy walk through the passageway after the bridge to the Station.
The words were learned, the moves and sword fights carefully planned and then, a few days before the dress rehearsal, the hampers with the costumes arrived. This was always a major event and the ribald remarks and schoolboy jokes that surrounded the unpacking would have us in stitches. Everything had to be tried on and the individual costumes, which were all packed separately in labelled canvas bags, were jealously guarded by their characters. The hardware, swords, pistols or whatever, were bandied about, duels would start and dramatic deaths acted out. Finally Fox or Melnick would arrive and order would be restored. After trying on the costumes the actors were obliged to make small alterations themselves. I believe that everything came in "Small, Medium and Large" and if you were in between, safety pins and bits of string came into use.
We all knew our parts, costumes were ready. Daddy Scho had arranged the sword fights and the performances had been announced at assembly and in local newspapers. The Dress Rehearsal in front of local schools was set, usually for a Wednesday afternoon with the three evening performances following through Saturday. The Dress Rehearsal was always a laugh! The RCH contingent would always get the biggest cheer as they marched up the drive and then, when everyone was in the hall, it was possible for the plays participants to see through the many holes in the heavy, felt curtains and examine the audience without being observed. It was an afternoon performance and finished at around 430pm or 5pm. It allowed the final kinks to be ironed out in time for the Thursday evening performance which was usually attended by Scruff, a governor or two and a local dignitary.
This particularly Thursday evening in late March I didn't feel very well. I had a temperature and felt somewhat light-headed. Like a true RLS pupil though, I did my scenes and was executed During the last act. Now for the point of this essay and what happened between Act 1 and Act 5.
At the end of the first Act I made my exit along with the rest of the cast involved. We retired to the Geography Room while the stage hands changed the scenery and everyone listened to Fox's critique of the play. In no time the Edmund and Kent etc. were leaving the room to return to the stage and, having nothing further to do until the last Act, put my aching head on my hands and tried to will the pain away. I found it impossible to rest with all the noise and goings on the Geography Room. Make up was being re-applied and costumes adjusted and everyone was talking. I got up and walked out into the corridor. We had all been warned not to leave the Geography Room unless it was for a call of nature and it was made clear that the rest of the school was out of bounds during the performance. Not thinking, I turned right and walked down the quad past the chemistry lab. It was cold and I could feel myself shivering with the fever I realized that I had. There was nowhere particular to go and I wandered into the foyer where the spiral staircase winds its way up to Scruff's study. I started to climb the staircase, for whatever reason I don't know. I was about half way up when I heard footsteps and the boards creaking. I could see no one but I guessed whoever it was must be near Room One and probably going to turn in to come down the staircase. Perhaps it was someone in the play or Bert Peade making his rounds. Being out of bounds I didn't stop to ask or to see, I just turned and ran down the stairs just as whoever it was reached the top entrance. I heard a shout but kept going, hitching up my long dress and holding on to my wig as I ran back to the Geography Room.
I was feeling so bad I just sat and suffered until the 5th Act when I was executed. I hardly spoke to anyone and as soon as I could, I made my way home. I was unable to act in the Friday and Saturday performances, having been diagnosed with measles. I spent the next week and a half at home in bed. Pete Oval was my understudy and he completed the play in the part of Cordelia.
Later that year, July I believe, at the Boxing Tournament, I again found myself in the Geography Room where the fighters waited between bouts. It was a pleasant evening and still quite light. Some of the boys were hanging out of the windows talking with others who were hanging around the bicycle sheds. I cannot recall who started the conversation but the subject got round to how everything connected with the Stage required people being in Dinger Bell's Geography room. Someone then mentioned the "RLS Ghost" that two Pr*f*cts said they had seen during a performance of King Lear back in March. They swore they saw a woman in a long dress descending the spiral staircase during the play but had no idea who it was or how it got there. A bell rung in my head and I remembered my nocturnal jaunt and the voices I had heard. All became clear!
I didn't mention anything about my walk, I was only in the second form and still had a fear of Pr*f*cts and their ability to make little boy's lives very unpleasant, so, I kept quiet. It wasn't until the other day when the posts mentioned the Ghost that I remembered this incident. Like I said, I myself believe it was me. Perhaps, on the other hand, though, it wasn't and there really was a princess or queen knocking around as we have so recently heard. There's a lot of mysteries about the RLS and memories of those days are somewhat faded. I suppose we will never know the real truth about the incident, but that's what makes it interesting, no? (Mike Merry)

Now that Mike Merry has offered his explanation of the ghostly rumours (Only prose Mike? I thought this was a subject truly worthy of your epic poetic attention) a truth would seem to have surfaced.
It has now undoubtedly been established that several generations of RLS boys knew the rumours of a metaphysical presence somewhere in the school buildings albeit that their ' sightings ' took a different form over the years.
As we have heard MJM suggests it was his own fair self dashing through the corridors which gave substance to the apparition (but what was the real source of the creak on the floor boards which originally put him to flight?). DES has put flesh on the bones with his attempt at rationalising the stories with a potted history of Royal dalliance (somebody PLEASE keep him away from the lighter fuel in future).
MPL spoke of a ' cold spot ' near the armoury and myself, I recalled days of hippy fantasy in the VIB flat when even the ' piss in the bucket ' scandal was, at least temporarily, laid at the door of our ethereal companion. Without some hard evidence it will remain the stuff of RLS legend. In the meantime (don't hold your breath or you could end up as the RLS ghost yourself) I hope that OEM, or the Librarian or the Archivist or whoever he is today, will prove himself to be as fair, and even handed as we expect from a fellow Libertian and give MJM's Ghost Story (sub-titled " I was a Teenage Drag Queen ") equal billing with DES in the RLS Hall of Fame. (GAL)

The following message accompanied a jpeg of a faded, yellowed newspaper clipping.
"My recent ramblings re: The Ghost of Hare Hall, roundly derided, mocked and sent-up as they have been, are justified. Along with my 1953 School Hymn Book in a distant box of junk was discovered the attached press clipping (Romford Times, I feel) sent to my mother by a friend of the time. I'm sure she meant nothing more than to frighten the s**t out of the Old Lady, in which she succeeded admirably! You may care to post it where others can comment."
Thank you David.I particularly like the comments of one Albert Peade (that's how it is spelled in the clipping):
"... I've heard the rumours ... [but] ...I've never seen or heard of a ghost... If you ask me, it's more likely to be a prank by mischievous schoolboys who think that this sort of thing is funny. Well it isn't. "Oh yes it is Bert! See ... School Years ... 1953-54, juxtaposed appropriately just below the photo of the Drama Club! The ghost will be applying for Membership next - Maltby! Don't even think about it! (Andy)