Stubbington at Ascot
I went to Stubbington House School, joining in the term that it moved to Ascot in Berkshire. It merged with Boxgrove School from Guildford and was run by two headteachers, Renton and 'Arthur' Moore. I was generally happy there, with the exception of Latin with Arthur who made my life in his lessons a living hell. His teaching style combined fearsome rages against selected pupils (me!), bullying, sarcasm and extreme obseqiousness towards parents. I loathed the man. I still dream about him. He looked like Hitler without the moustach and pictures of Hitler still make me shiver with fear because of the likeness! His appalling example led me to believe teaching could be so much more inspiring and effective that I resolved, during one of his chalk throwing, hair pulling rages to become a teacher myself and show him how it could be done! After 20 years as Deputy Head in a large and successful comprehensive school I do not regret that decision but my anger towards the man has never abated. He once told me that I was so poor at Latin that I would never be better than a road sweeper, which of course I believed completely. A few years ago I met someone else who became a teacher after being taught (bullied) by him! I must say, however that Renton (an eccentric character who always wore plus-fours) and his wife were unfailing kind and supportive, he offered rare praise and recognised my abilities - in Maths. When I got a Science scholarship to Oxford University I had him to thank but not Arthur! Science was never on the curriculum at Stubbington. Other staff I remember well were Fields (Geography - who can forget the Geography Film Strip Hut?!), Moffat-Potts (French), Mellors (English), Byers (RE?), and of course Miss Armstrong the Matron who married Andrew ?something? who was senior teacher. A correspondant asked about famous pupils, Captain FA Scott was the one we were always taught about, but what about Admiral Jack Crace, hero of the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942? Do these thoughts stir any memeories out there?
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RE: RE: Stubbington at Ascot
It's very funny to read your memories of Mr.Moore!
I went to Stubbington from 1981 to '83.
Hitler - indeed - with a pipe ( in class!), screaming like a lunatic. His shouting would disrupt neighbouring classes.
And his partner Mr. Renton was a wonderful - as you say 'eccentric' - character. I was no good at Maths, but was in his class and I have very fond memories of him.
I think you were there a bit before me, so maybe you would not have encountered Mr. McCluskey, whose nickname was 'Psycho'. He taught history and could be truly frightening. He even put Mr Moore in his place. He disliked the school and its pupils, infact he seemed to dislike most things. And yet I liked him, he was funny and very thought-provoking. He was ( I thought at the time) knowledgable and he interested me.
Mr Field taught Science. He also smoked a pipe and suffered terribly from shingles in his cheeks I seem to recall. He spoke very quietly and seemed generally weary of everything. In class we used to all deliberately set our digital watch alarms to go off at the same time. There would be a chorus of beeps and lots of suppressed giggling that would drive him to despair, poor chap.
I was sad to see the school has closed. I went to visit the site ( not realising it had closed) about 3 years ago. I was able to drive in, there was nobody around and I stood under the tree that we always used to climb, overlooking the cricket pitch. It was exactly as I remembered, nothing seemed to have changed.
Comment from Simon Ratcliffe on Monday, 7th March 2011.