1948 To 1955 Rope Hill School Boldre Lymington Brockenhurst Sway

Hi Robert, I guess I must be about your age, since I also started at Rope Hill Preparatory School in 1948. I was 73 in May 2014. My name at that time was Ralston, first name Quentin. My brother Jolyon also joined the school, about 1955.
I also remember both Heaton and Arch.
Heaton was not someone I remember with pleasure.
Archibald Arch however I can truly say I liked a hell of a lot. For one thing I was exceedingly good in the maths area, which he was a great teacher of, and I loved listening to his history lectures when the normal history teacher was away.
I was always sorry I never managed to recontact him after I left; I saw him only once again when I was 15 and we had a delightful argument about the relative boot sizes of my father's Austin A50 compared to that of his A55..
I believe he sold up after some scandal with Mrs Burbidge, the nurse, of whom I did not have a high opinion, and went to live in Bournemouth where he got some job.

Hello again Robert: - we have communicated before, and I still in VR nurse my forehead which connected with your bat when you attempted a 'sixer' during a break-time game - I did learn to stand further back in later games - those formative days of youth are now over 65 years ago and I still presume that they the foundation on what we eventually built our lives. The school trip to the RN Dockyards at Portsmouth must have subconsciously influenced my joining the Navy - it was eerie returning to Phoenix in later days - after all the Navy training I became an Off-Shore Surveyor for primarily the commercial Oil/Gas Industries in several areas around the world during their scramble to find the expensive off-shore resources. I finally settled in Ottawa, where in my retirement, I sit and ponder over all these facets of life that have lead me to where I am today. Anyhow, the Rope Hill Days did scorch a path in my development in one way or another, and here I am trying to contemplate the exact details - I think I need more space to expand my thoughts.....................

Rope Hill Preparatory School was located in a rural area of the Hampshire New Forest in the village of Boldre, near Lymington and Brockenhurst. We three WILLIAMS boys, Edward John (EJ)(me), Ernest Charles (EC) the twins, and Richard David (RD), were at Rope Hill School from Sep 1951 to Mar 1955, , and we lived in New Milton , maybe thirty miles away. We visited the school in May/June of 1951 for a preview, and were invited to join in a game of Catch supervised by a teacher - Anthony Good was our chaperone. At aged 7, I found the first days there tough and I was homesick - although the regimented schedules and discipline were probably much desired by our parents, they were a shock to us, who were until then free-ranging children of two working parents, and probably too free with our mischief. That first term showed me how well Day-Boys and Boarders got on with one another, and one particular skirmish had the Day-Boys using their bicycle pumps as water guns on us Boarders, and they emptied the prize front-yard fountain - the administration were not pleased, but where was the adult supervision at break time. This same antagonism extended to the wooded spinneys that surrounded the school building, and two separated areas were designated, one for the Day-Boys and one for the Boarders - God help the invader from the other camp. In the Boarders spinney there were secret passages through the rhododendron bushes, smooth barked beech trees to carve our initials into, and various other points of interest - it was a break-time haven. We Williams' were not to shine on the athletic/sports field, swimming pool, or stand out scholastically either. The imposition of homework was a shock to my system, and also having to write exams. One memory I have is of suddenly noticing one winter evening a big flame over the trees to the east (Fawley) – we worried that the fire to burn its way right up to the school. The Boarders were walked off to Boldre Church every Sunday rain fair or foul , and on those narrow winding lanes it was a wonder we survived the passing cars – it was an old Gothic Church with connections to the HMS Hood incident I later found out. We had to purchase poppies for the outdoor Remembrance Ceremony. The annual Christmas Carol Service was the climax of weeks of practice that devoured our free time, but the parents must have enjoyed the sound of our soprano voices – subsequent years I felt did not come to the same degree of perfection. There was an end of year trip to Wimbourne Minster and Corfe Castle. ----- to be continued....

Continued from previous entry ------- . It came as a surprise at the start of the 1952 year to find the Head Master Mr. Heaton was replaced by Mr. Arch - he immediately closed down access to the spinneys to our great disappointment – every term we begged the the spinneys be reopened to no avail. Another piece of new-broom discipline that we fell fowl of was the deadline times imposed for parents to return their boarding children to the school after a break - parents were not chastised, but us children had to suffer days of detention until the crime was expunged. One year we were allowed to spend our free time in the summer cultivating a patch of wild hillside into beds of vegetables which were evaluated for prizes come Sports Day - the wild grass, preying rodents and competing students always had a field day before evaluation. One winter a friend brought his toboggan to school and the pathway downhill to the playing fields became a race track over the snow which only rarely fell. Our time at Rope Hill drifted by – we graduated to higher classes – teachers and fellow students came and departed – there were weekly trips in the summer to Lymington outdoor swimming pool into which broken bottles had been tossed to discourage non-swimmers – there were also annual School Trips: the Navy Dock Yard at Portsmouth, Eastleigh Airport, a ferry trip to see the Royal Yacht return from the Queen’s World Tour, and probably other trips I have forgotten. I did learn one lesson – as a wicket keeper/catcher you do not stand too close to the batsman – De Winter swung for a sixer and connected with my head – I dropped like a stone. The Rope Hill days, months and years slowly ticked by until my parents had us sit the dreaded Eleven Plus - we failed two years running - so much for an expensive schooling experience - our parents must have had a falling out with the Head Master, for we were suddenly yanked out of school at Easter 1955 without a chance to say farewell to anyone. In hindsight I treasure those days at Rope Hill. I remember the following teachers: Mssrs Heaton, Arch, Randle, Edwards, Nickelson, England, Sheldon, Flood, etc - Matrons: Mrs Heaton, Mrs Burbidge? - Pupils: Bagnell Twins, Rhymes, Palmer, Dibden, Dickinson, Hooker, Bateman, Hice, Tipper, Good, Clarke, Miller, Burrows, Craig, Waltham, De Winter, Givan, Bostock, Grenvell, Swift, Collinson, Ralston, Jones, Remper, Sutton, Cutler, Jack, Wynne, Archer, Turville, Pope, Carter, Bennett, Griffiths, Ellis, Pasmore, Green, Withers, Hodgkinson, Atkinson, Weaving, Marr, Menhinick, Anstead, Jennings, Baldwin, Nock, Deighton, Smyth, House, Hallett, Nodleman, Burns, Swift, etc, etc - I wonder where they all are these days.
Ed Williams
edward.l.williams100@gmail.com
2146 Peter Robinson Road, Ottawa, Canada K0A 1L0

Quenton Ralston: Yes, I do remember you at school, but our paths never really crossed to get to know you then better - also, I do remember my fellow boarder boys commenting on the nightly excursions of Mr. Arch into town, but in my youthly innocence I never speculated on details. I remember his puzzling us with threading a stringed pencil through a jacket buttonhole and leaving us to figure out the trick. It's good to hear from you - Ed Williams.

Greetings all

Jeremy Hooker here. I was a day boy at Rope Hill in the early 50s. My memories of the time and place are vivid, and I have published a memoir of them, which is included in my published journal, 'Diary of a Stroke' (Shearsman Books, 2016). Not a gloomy book in spite of the subject: I survived to tell the tale. You appear in it, Quentin: we were friends in and out of school. The teacher I remember best was Mr Randle. He introduced me to modern poetry, and thus helped to shape my life's work.. My best friend at that time was Peter Drew, and I remember well boys in my class, including Robert, and Dibden (how we used surnames then), Miller, Jack, Middleton, and several others. As I lived in the area, I knew it well, and continued to visit it well into my twenties.. The New Forest is a ground I often return to in my poetry.

Best wishes to you all

Hi Jeremy and all other "boys" from Rope Hill days
It has always amazed me as to how long organisations such as Friths maintain files such as this but I'm glad they do as it still draws in the dd one or two responses.

Jeremy had to get my old photos out to make sure my memory of you had some resemblance to a kid in cricket gear ready for photo taking and not playing and sure enough you are there sitting in the front row obviously one of the better players and I am hidden in the back row marking my cricket playing abilities which never improved. Best I can say I was in the same group as Mike Brearley when he was playing at the City of London school - however my role was usually as scorer or on a good ay as 12th man.

Am intrigued with your journal which I will now try finding with Dr Googles help but in the meantime please let us have your email address for future contact. Mine is "rwdew42@gmail.com". My address is as previously detailed.

Look forward to hearing more from you

regards
Rob

Have to add I have found your journal - second item on the google listing for Shearsman - now to start reading it....../

Too optimistic - only samplers on line so next step is to check with our local library here in Nelson to find out if your book has found its way to NZ - wait on developments.

Good to hear from you Robert! My email (down as I write, but should be back later today) is:

jeremyhooker1@gmail.com

Cricket was my game. At ten I was a demon bowler and I won my colours at Rope Hill, together with Miller and Dibden. I tell the sad story of how I lost all this in my 'Diary'. I have a few photos, and will ask my son to put them up. (To his annoyance I'm a computer incompetent.). So you live in New Zealand, Robert. I live now in South Wales, where I retired from the University of South Wales some 10 years ago. I'm wheelchair bound when we go out these days, but not unhappy. I can still work at my writing and reading, and enjoy family life and visits from friends. You have started an avalanche of memories in me by reintroducing Rope Hill, but I'd already revisited the school in my memoirs. I hate self-advertisement, but you would be able to get a copy via Amazon. I do all my book-buying from Amazon by necessity these days. I remember you well Robert! I always associated you with Dibden and assumed you were friends. Or was that because your names began with D? The only old boy of whom I've had some knowledge in later years is Godfrey Wynne. I didn't meet him but , as an Anglican priest, he became a friend of a close friend of mine. I remember him at school as studious and quite brilliant - on a different planet from the rest of us. I believe he made an illustrious career in business or law or something!, and turned to the priesthood later in life. When my son visits, I'll see about looking out some photos.

All best wishes
Jeremy

Do you remember our poor old music master, Mr Wakefield? He came in once a week or so with the thankless task of getting some music out of us. Robert, was it you with whom I acted in a play about the Emperor's New Clothes, which involved some singing! And I got it wrong, singing some lines twice, instead of varying them. Another teacher I remember with affection is Major Peacock. Once he took me fly fishing on the river below Boldre bridge. Another failure on my part, since I didn't have the right kind of fly rod. Ah, memories pour out once started ...

All the best from Jeremy

Hi Jeremy
Apologies for the delay in responding but I have two "excuses" - poor health wanted another go at me and more importantly I had to wait for Amazon to deliver my copy of your "Diary" - pleased to say it was delivered this morning and I will now start reading it - it will make a pleasant change reading it this evening as I usually spend quite a few fours almost daily reading the main London papers in addition to the NY Times and the Washington Post. I do get fed up reading about Brexit and Trump but both subjects are perhaps sightly better than reading about the All Blacks now and the Black Caps in a few weeks time when they play Pakistan in Dubai etc - sport certainly is more important here than politics or world news. Anyway I look forward to your diary of Rope Hill days and will get back to you again when I have ready your book.

To answer some points in your last email - no I cannot say I remember Mr Wakefield but I certainly do remember the Emperors New Clothes. Have little memory about teachers other than Heaton and Arch - he for christening me Dim Winter, a name which stuck with me right through schooling at the City of London and I am sure would have carried on with me at varsity if I had stayed in England rather than spending time at the University of Canterbury and then one year more at Auckland University.
More later after doing some reading
Regards Rob

Hi Jeremy, despite another day not feeling the best, I have almost finished your "Diary" - you certainly kept me in waiting for your life at and about Rope Hill. As never having been very good scholarly, I was pleased to know someone else had a life involving sport - in your case of course that was cricket. For me, it was soccer or football (living too long in New Zealand to call football rugby) when I managed to be good enough for the "seconds" team but never quite good enough for the first Eleven or Fifteen. I know I have photos of the Rope Hill cricket team - I will sort it out and send it to you over the next day or two. In the meantime I will finish reading the "Diary" and let you know my recollections when I have time to concentrate and put pen to paper.
Regards
Rob

I remember most of the names mentioned in these posts though not many of the events recalled. My best wishes to you all. Peter Cattermole.

Hello Edward and others. I was at Ropehill 1959-1963 as a dayboy.
I remember some of the names you gave. I was in the same class and good friend of Jolyon Ralston, Swift, Turville, Pope, Roderic Cochrane, George Hepplewhite. I wonder where they are.
Lost track of Jolyon Ralson when he went to join the army Commando 40-42 at 18!
I remember Mr Arch as headmaster, Mr Edwards as French master whom we used to play tricks upon.
Mr (Reverand Orme, latin master who relished giving the ruler!!).
In particular Swift. He put insects and a grass snake in the desk of Mr Edwards, who nearly died of a heart attack when he opened the old style teacher´s desk to get his teaching books..
The whole class was suspended! Mr Edwards infact gave me a very good grounding in French, that was later developed to serve well in my life. Mr Orme literally beat latin into me, for which I thank him. Latin served well to learn and Speak Spanish fluently later in Life. Mr Arch who always had the slipper waiting in his office to punish minor offences. I was slippered on 3 occasions one of which for breaking bounds to go and buy sweets in Boldre.
I have a torrent of memories playing in Rugby and Cricket teams at Ropehill. I had my nose broken playing a rugby match at Ropehill against Wallhampton. My nose remained slightly bent for the rest of my life. We were nuts about cricket, playing nearly every day during the season, then tea. Bread and jam !
Woodwork after class activities, provided a solid understanding of carpentry. I still have the first
work. A letter holder, later moved on to make a quite respectable table- Fond memories.
The life , education and discipline ( very old school style ) served very well to proceed to Gregg Grammar School, Brockenhurst Grammar School for A levels with Jolyon Ralson. ( he was an ace squash player. We played nearly every day whilst doing our A levels) and later onto London.
University and army life at the HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) and World wide international business throughout my life.
So I have a profound thanks to Ropehill. Formative, cherished years that have stayed with me thrioughout life.
I am nearly 70, semi retired living in Barcelona Spain, after many years in Information Technology worldwide. Thankfully I am in good health, now living in Spain for the last 20 years.
I would be pleased to hear from anybody who remembers Ropehill.
All the best

Peter Overton
Peter.A.Overton@gmail.com

I attended Rope Hill from 1953 to 1955 with my older twin brothers also at the school. I am just fascinated by the amount of detail others remember (including my brother Ed) while I can remember very little. What little has remained in my memory is interesting though - the very distinctive smell of the spinney and hearing Brahms Symphony No 1 in C minor during a music class which must have struck a chord with me (excuse the pun).
Visiting Boldre in later life I could not believe the length of the road from the school to Boldre Church walked each Sunday as a seven year old. It seemed to take a long time to drive let alone walk!
My parents withdrew me from the school in 1955 after both my elder brothers failed the Eleven Plus. I went to Homefield School in Southbourne for the next two years and fortunately sailed through the Eleven Plus myself and went to Brockenhurst Grammar School. It therefore appears that Rope Hill was maybe not the best preparation academically!

I have just found this thread which is fascinating. I was at Rope Hill from 1953 to 1958 and note I am mentioned above in Edward Williams's comments! I remember most of the boys mentioned but am ashamed to say I cannot picture him. I had a chequered few years at Rope Hill as a boarder and was removed by my parents in favour of Edinburgh House School at New Milton which was if anything more brutally fifties-prep school but at least it got me through the CE. I have some good memories but many sadly not so good! I was a dreamy boy and hence often in trouble. There were some not-so-nice masters though I remember Mr Ahern who was a brilliant chalk-juggler, Mr Wakeford (I think, not Mr Wakefield) who was ancient and sucked catarrh pastilles through piano lessons- the fumes nearly making me pass out. Mr Sheldon left after some very peculiar goings -on and I remember his replacement Mr Mooney whose shin I kicked once in a confrontation during a lesson. He didn't last long either, as I remember. Woodwork was good fun and I remember some good friendships, especially with Michael Baldwin whose Dad as I recall had fought in the Korean War. Mr Arch was a charismatic head but quite fearsome- I can still smell the overpowering tobacco smell in his study and the waits outside having been banished from class for some transgression. Usually this was followed by a beating not with a slipper but a cane. The grounds were idyllic and I have fond memories of Boldre church, the poignant HMS Hood connection-the Admiral on board had lived locally- and reading the 2nd lesson at the Carol Service in 1953 at age 6. (My star subject was always English). I returned to Boldre Church in 2001 for the 60th anniversary of the sinking, with a naval history enthusiast friend. We met one of the three survivors- a special if sombre experience.