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Title JOHN STANBRIDGE
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I started at Hemel Hempstead Grammar School in 1932. The school was started by a man who served as chairman on the education committee, James Dunbar. Mr Dunbar had 8 children, 4 who went to Berkhamsted School and 4 who went to Watford. He was so disgusted (that) he had to take his children out of the area that he pushed it (the opening of the new school) through. When they came to the question of what would it cost he came up with the revolutionary idea of making it co-ed.

Don’t forget, those were the days when women knew where their place was. Men went to the pub and women stayed at home. The girls we were with were overjoyed to come here (HHS) because the staff insisted that we all treated each other equal and with respect and it was a very happy school. What I feel is sad, is that those girls were happy to be equal to us and nowadays they want a little bit more say than the boys, don’t they? There were about equal numbers – slightly more girls than boys. We got on so very well together thanks to the staff insisting that we did. There were some pretty smart girls when I was there. One girl – Nora Baxter – I never could beat!

There were approximately 30 in a class in 6 rows of 6 with a blackboard at the front. Each day began with a little service and we all had our own personal hymn book that we had to carry at all times. It was supposed to cover all religions but the Roman Catholic people went to the library until after the first 10 minutes.

We were led up to what was the School Certificate (now GCSE) in those days. We studied for the exam – English, grammar, essays and so on. In the fifth form (Year 11) we did The Rape of the Lock, Silas Marner and Twelfth Night, also 2 science papers, history, geography, French and French oral plus two maths exams. I was no good at art so I gave up and did extra French. What made me quite annoyed was if you failed one subject in this exam you had to wait 12 months until you were allowed to take the whole lot again. Consequently they were always practising exams on us and we had one at the end of every term.

All the staff ran after-school activities. Mr Butcher did the stamp club. I used to love the science club. They used to get speakers in; people from the outside. Miss Duncan, she used to do the library. All the staff did something – athletics, hockey, football; you name it! There was a very strong debating society that I was never clever enough to belong to. We used to play games on Saturday and there was always a member of staff there to see we didn’t do anything wrong.

Another thing I think is missing today – (in those days) not one of the staff had a car. Good luck to the staff who have them (today) but all the staff walked to school or came by bike and if you were coming at the same time you rode or walked along side them and you talked about general subjects and got to know them much closer than is possible nowadays.

Mrs Gladys Gurton was the Senior Mistress. They gave her a dinner when she retired in November 1963. I said, “Mrs Gurton, I’ve known you a long time. It’s about time I had a kiss.” She said, “Come on, come on. I’ve waited years!” Now, I wonder how many people will ask their deputy head mistress for a kiss in 30 years time? But that was the sort of woman she was. I never once saw her cross or lose her temper yet her discipline was absolutely a hundred per cent. We were discussing this one day when we got together (a group of former students) and we decided that her only weapon was a look that was like a flame-thrower. She could sense when trouble was brewing and freeze you on the spot.

One interesting fact that we didn’t know about until sometime after the war when the conditions of the Official Secrets Act were partially lifted. Mr Robinson, the school’s second Head Master, had as a fluent German speaker, been stationed at Bletchley Park code breaking station. He used to fly into Bovingdon airport and as a RAF officer was doing liason work with the Polish code breakers based in Felden. He told us that he formed a liking for this area and was delighted to apply for the Headship.

The younger members of the male staff were called to colours:
Mr Doggett (Geography) served in the army in YugoslaviaMr Boucher (woodwork and PE) in the RAFMr Prior (French) in a French medical unit. I believe that he was a Quaker and Conscientious objector, unwilling to fight; but he acted so bravely that the French Government awarded him the Croix du Guerre. He was a lovely gentleman.

The girls also played their part in taking the many different roles of men who had been conscripted: nurses, land girls, factories and the three services (ATS, WRENS and WAAF). One of the latter was my cousin Molly Stanbridge (HHGS 1932-37) who joined the WAAF at the start of the war. She worked her way up the ranks, as a secretary and as a Flight Sergeant went to Paris with General Eisenhower when he moved his headquarters to the continent. She was posted to Field Marshall Montgomery’s headquarters in Germany. For this move she was ‘mentioned in dispatches’ being one of the first two British women to cross the Rhine. She was actually there and saw the German generals surrender the North German Armies to Field Marshall Montgomery.

I have vague memories of gallantry shown by a senior boy named Bert Halsey. His sister Gladys Halsey came back to the school to teach advanced mathematics. As Mrs Hughes she became Senior Mistress. Bert Halsey was a Royal Artillery pilot who used to fly a small spotter plane to direct the firing of big guns. It was reported that on one occasion he saw the Americans begin a bombing run that would have dropped their load on British and Canadian troops below. The local paper said that he flew across their flight path firing red flares in the sky, thus preventing a disaster. Bobby Bowers, RAF navigator was very good at athletics but was a little so-and-so. If there was any trouble he was involved. He got taken prisoner of war by the Japs. When he was released - I’ve never forgot - one of my other friends who had a car drove him up to see me. At that moment I was coming out of the front door with a mouse in a mouse trap. He obviously forgot himself for a minute and said, as I threw it away, “You mustn’t do that. It’s protein.” I thought that was very sad.
,br> My brother-in-law, John Finch, was one of the original pupils. He went to France with the Watford Territorials, an *ack-ack regiment. They were guarding Le Havre when France was overrun by the Germans. They moved away to St Malo and evacuated from there. Then he went to North Africa and finished the war in Italy. When I got married to his sister he was sorry he couldn’t come to the wedding. The night before the wedding who should arrive? They’d given him special leave. That was in 1945.

Another interesting thing happened but I can’t prove it. I heard a strange story from Dunlop’s younger brother about his brother-in-law who was a Spitfire pilot. He was flying back from France when he got shot down over the Channel. He was on the wireless to base telling them what had happened and that he was slowly sinking and he couldn’t get his canopy open. The girl on the other end said, “Are you the Ian Dunlop that was at Hemel Grammar School?” He said he was and she said that she knew him,” You get that canopy open and we will pick you up in a minute.” In 10 minutes they had him pinpointed. But he could not remember what the girl’s name was.

It was a very happy school and I could really say they were the happiest days of my life.

* Matric – this refers to matriculation, the equivalent of GCSE exams today.
* Ack-ack – Anti-aircraft fire.

Source: Interview by Fay Breed and Lynda Abbott and letter from John Stanbridge.
December 2011

Keywords Mr Butcher; Mrs Gladys Gurton; Mr Robinson; Mr Boucher; Mr Prior; Mr Doggett, Moly Stanbridge; Bert Halsey; Bobby Bowers; John Finch
Collection Hemel Hempstead School
Place Hemel Hempstead
Year 1932- 1937
Conflict World War Two
File type html
Record ID number 210

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