STEPHEN HARVEY - RECOLLECTIONS AND
DIARY FROM 1947
Some Wisborough Lodge memories Stephen Harvey (1944-48)
My brother George and I first went to Eardenstowe (as WL was then called) in January 1944, at the ages of almost eight and just nine respectively. The headmaster at that time was a Mr E. Lloyd Maunsell and his housekeeper was Miss Mainprice. Their nicknames were Eggy-Lunch Manhole and Miss Maindrain! At first, I found boarding school life miserable and often incomprehensible. A very early memory is of David Cairns and his younger brother standing with his face almost in mine. The younger one said, "Hit him, David," to which David replied, "No, he won't fight." The young one then said, "He will if you hit him." I could not understand this naked aggression and simply felt scared. Later, I gradually came to terms with David, who died tragically young in a civil air crash in the early 1960s. Not long after we joined the school, it was taken over by Mr & Mrs MacDonald and its name was changed to Wisborough Lodge.
In his memoir, Robert Priddy refers to a boy drowning while swimming in the weir pool. In fact, the drowning took place in the thaw floods after a great freeze (February 1945?). We had been taken on a cross-country run, skirting flooded fields south of the school. Somehow, a boy called Kay got carried from the flood water into the river and drowned. We other boys were sent back to the school, in some cases unaccompanied. I remember walking up a farm track towards the Billingshurst road with Charles Pugh and saying to him, "I shall remember this day as long as I live." I think the experience must have traumatised many of the boys.
I too clearly remember Miss Cowlishaw (whom Robert describes). She was both an excellent teacher and a delightful person. She once marked a biology exam of mine 100/100, and afterwards told me that she had been about to go back through it to find some mistake so that she could reduce it to 99/100 and realised the unfairness of that so left it at 100/100. An achievement I would never subsequently match!
Another young master who joined us for a year before going up to Oxford was John Brooke-Little, a very popular chap. My brother George reminds me that his mother wrote children's books, under the nom de plume Constance Egan, about a little black boy called Epaminondas. John Brooke-Little went on to become a major figure in the world of heraldry, ending his career as Clarenceux King of Arms at the College of Arms in London. I adored him and took to heraldry on the strength of his enthusiasm and his talent for sharing it.
There was also at one point a Miss Cameron who was very nice and kind. I remember her and a young master inviting me out to tea with them one Sunday, but I can’t remember where it was they lived.
Towards the end of my time at WL, a new young master joined, called Mr Brook. He and his wife were in charge of the bungalow sometimes known as the White House, at the far end of the sports field. I remember that he had a Lea Francis car that he was overhauling. At that time, de Précourt Major and I were crazy about cars, and I was most impressed by Mr Brook’s apparent expertise. Talking of sporting cars, I was one of those who used to go for riding lessons at a stables in Adversane (near Billingshurst), and we were usually fetched by the woman who ran the riding school in her MG (a model WA, at a guess). While not a two-seater, it certainly wasn't designed to carry one adult and four (or five?) children, as it did. The last one into the back had to lie across the rest! Can you imagine such a thing nowadays? Progress down the narrow and winding lanes was always exciting, sometimes terrifying.
My closest friend was Fraser Pemberton, who came to stay with us in the summer holidays. He left school when he left Wisborough, and emigrated with his mother to Canada. Other friends were John Molyneux, Alan Tunstall, Charles Pugh, and John Bennett. I wonder what became of them.
Sometime in the mid-1960s, my wife and I were driving through Wisborough Green and we stopped on impulse to see if there was anything left of the school. We found Mr & Mrs MacDonald living in the bungalow. We stayed and chatted for a while, and Mrs MacDonald, who was now very friendly, gave me a Midland bank forwarding address, though I never used it. Apparently they spent much time abroad.
I also looked in at the school again in June 2000. By this time only the original house and the old gymnasium building were discernible. All else has been built on. I gazed up from the drive at the long west face of the buidling, where on the first floor the matron’s office had been, with two floors below it the cellars. I felt a frisson from long-gone childhood days.
The Diary of Stephen
Harvey, aged 12 years - 1947
During 1947, I made an entry every single day in my Schoolboy's Diary.
The following are verbatim extracts from my diary, but in some cases
what appears is only part of the day's entry. I have retained the original
spelling and punctuation throughout.
20 January
We went back to school. I had a tooth out in London. In the evening
when I got back I mucked about with Pem.
21 January
In the morning I helped with the trunks with Pemmy. In the afternoon
I went riding.
22 January
In the morning I was unpacked and I changed into everyday clothes. We
marked the football grounds in the afternoon.
24 January
We had a snowball fight in the field across the road. There was a super
slide made in the yard.
26 January
In the morning we went to church and wrote letters. In the afternoon
I went sliding. In the evening there were films. It snowed all day,
it was quite deep.
29 January
During the night it snowed heavier than it had done for a long time.
Morning Lessons. I helped clear snow and also slid in the afternoon.
Did usual prep in the evening.
30 January
The Igloo was made.
8 February
Nothing much happened in morning. We went a cross-country run with Colonel
in the afternoon. In the evening Perry held his puppet show then we
had films.
10 February
In the afternoon I sawed logs. Electricity cuts in parts of England.
13 February
Georgies birthday. In the afternoon we had a hunt for some sweets hidden
on the top footer field also played games of he. Georgie had his cake
and tuck parcel.
14 February
I got an anonimous valentine card.
16 February
We went sliding on the pond down old stale lane in afternoon.
18 February
We went for a walk with Miss Oliver in the afternoon. Nothing much else
happened. We had pancakes for dinner.
19 February
We had some fun on ice trying to play ice hockey on the iced floods
in afternoon.
20 February
We made a super slide in afternoon on frozen floods.
22 February
We played schrades in evening.
25 February
Stayed in bed all day in sick-room. Nothing else happened to mention.
1 March
It was a lovely day. We had our first game of footer which was complete.
It was a glorious sunset.
4 March
During Prep the lights were all cut, had to use candles.
6 March It snowed slightly during night. We helped cut logs and stack them in afternoon for fuel, the situation was getting desperate.
8 March
We did Geography, Science and Singing and State Affairs in morning class.
We had tuck after dinner.
9 March
In the afternoon I played 'Hot Rice' in play ground then had fun on
top field. After tea we had films.
10 March
In break we played Hot Rice in play ground.
11 March
I did the usual lessons, in break played Hot Rice. In the afternoon
I played Hot Rice. [I
have no memory of this game, which appears four times in three days.]
13 March
It rained at intervals heavily. In the afternoon I pumped [flood
water] and then played in gymn.
18 March
Nothing unusual happened in the morning. I helped Mr Macdonald in the
afternoon. We did lessons also.
24 March
We went out for the order of merit half [term] holiday to Horsham. We saw the films and had a good tea, we had dates
and ice cream too.
25 March
We started exams that day. We had a good riding lesson in the afternoon.
We played in the playground after a revising prep. I rode Gypsie for
riding.
27 March
In the afternoon we learnt about cleaning stables and grooming horses
at riding school.
28 March
We finished exams in the morning. I went riding in the afternoon with
the juniors because there was no room with seniors.
29 March
After tea Mr Chandlers gave us a lecture on ballons with lantern slides.
The grand national and boat race both were done that day. Cambridge
won easily.
1 April
We had prize giving, I won a couple of books. Nelson won the cup [the
other two house were Drake and Wellington]. We packed our books
up. We helped with trunks in afternoon. We had house supper.
2 April
We went home.
************
5 May
We went back to school that day. In the evening when we got back I played
on Purdy's roller skates.
7 May
In the afternoon we helped roll the cricket pitch.
9 May
In the afternoon after lessons we went riding. I saw [a] Swift for first time in year.
10 May
I saw a Blackcap in the evening.
15 May
We had the boxing tournament in the afternoon.
17 May
I saw a Cuckoo in the morning.
18 May
I saw a Spotted Flycatcher in the afternoon for first time in year.
27 May
We practised cricket in the nets in break. In the afternoon after lessons
we went riding. It was a lovely day.
28 May
We had the heats of the throwing the cricket ball in break. In the afternoon
we had practise in fielding then we went swimming.
3 June
We had a lovely riding lesson that day. We had Cricket Ball final in
the evening. I was first.
9 June
In the evening after prep Thomas and I played crokey against Tunny and
Moly.
11 June
After prep I climbed the cherry tree and helped pick cherries.
18 June
In the afternoon Colonel taught us how to fire a rifle.
23 June
We went for the half-term order of merit holiday to Bognor. I had a
lovely time. After tea we went to a fun-fair indoor place.
27 June
I looked for my ball with Tunny.
29 June
Georgie and I went for a picnic with Pem's mother and Pem down by the
river. There was a man fishing and he let me have a fish, I caught nothing.
We had a good day.
1 July
After tea and prep I looked for my ball. I found it.
8 July
We went riding. We groomed the horses and cleaned the stables and learnt
about bridles etc.
22 July
In the afternoon we went riding, Miss Dryden was in a bad temper, it
was not very good.
24 July
We finished exams in the morning. We helped do the wellington boots
ready for packing in the afternoon. I helped stook corn in the evening.
26 July
We had tuck and played against staff, we won easily.
30 July
We travelled home, Pem came to stay with us. We all came down alone
on the train from Victoria to Maidstone.
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22 September
Mama took us back to school in the car.
10 October
We went riding. We did usual lessons. The weather was ordinary.
23 October
We had a footer match against Pennthorpe. We won 15-nil. I was linesman. [The other two schools against
whom matches are recorded in my diary were Brunswick and the village
school.]
27 October
We had a game of football. It was an ordinary day. Georgie hurt his
shoulder.
28 October
Georgie was x-rayed. He had a fractured bone. I played right wing for
the team v. Wisboro Grn school. We drew 1-1.
2 November
I went out with Mama and Dada to Guildford Hospital and saw Georgie.
We brought him home.
5 November
It was Guy Fawkes day. We had a fireworks display and a bonfire. It
was super.
9 November
In the afternoon we went a long and dull walk with Miss Oliver.
11 November
I played around with some wire and inventions in my free time.
15 November
We had carols in the drawing room after tea.
20 November
It was Princess Elizabeth's wedding day. She married Philip Mt.Batten.
21 November
We went riding and had a wizard, super, smashing ride. I rode Snowy.
5 December
We had a game of handball in the afternoon. It was ordinary in the first
half. In the second half it became rugger.
6 December
We had carols after tea.
7 December
I and a few others had tea with Mrs Goldie and Mr Goldie at the bungalow.
13 December
We had to have a lot of pills that day to stop us getting an illness [in my memory, the illness was scabies, but how
true this is I don't know]. We went to a girl guide carol service.
15 December
We had an entertainment after tea.
17 December
We came home from school. Mama met us at Ashford. She showed me my Christmas
present, it was a pony called ROBIN.
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© Stephen Harvey, 2003