My Memories Of Hurn Court 1980 1985

A Memory of Hurn.

I started at Hurn in 1980. I remember having to go to London in the summer to John Lewis for the huge uniform & kit. Having come from a poor background it was amazing that I was going to a private school and how beautiful it looked in magnificent grounds full of huge trees and the fantastic lake at the bottom of the South lawn. The Headmaster, Mr Morris was a great guy and other teachers were John Clarke (maths) Mrs Smith (english) Hawkins(P.E) Hurley (Geography) Adams (metalwork) Phillips (woodwork) and of course 'Robo' Watson! I remember having to play British bulldog on the south lawn as a way of finding out how brave the new kids were. The school was rugby mad and we had two rugby pitches which looked huge to a small 11 year old kid, but I loved the game and did pretty well at sport winning colours in rugby, football and cricket - Heronshaw was where I started, run by the Adams and the walk to the main school every morning although we did get a minibus back at the end of the school day which was a race to see who the fastest driver was - great fun! The grounds were great, what with monks walk, and the wood at the bottom of the playing fields would be great for a sneaky fag as long as you didnt get caught! The main stairs were always out of bounds with stuffed animals dotted here and there. I remember prep, usually conducted by the Headmaster and the silence was deafening! One of the saddest days was the day Danny Parker died after being crushed on the rugby field, we were the best of mates and when we were at Heronshaw we used to stay up watching tv on his little portable tv set with twin headphones so noone else could hear us. The school was an Elizabethan priory and was always really cold in the winter time. I once put too many blankets on my bed and very nearly suffocated by putting them over my head just to stay warm. Probably the closest I have come to dying. The school had a magnificent library and the Headmaster and I played chess there. I still play the game and won the championship in my local town last year. Sports days were great, what with all the parents and presentations and usually on the hottest day of the year! The Falkland war took place in 1982 and every night the tv rooms were packed with all the pupils trying to get to the front, as that had a certain prestige about it! In the summer, tennis and cricket were played and if I remember, Howland (science) was unbeatable at tennis. I also remember a tv series being filmed at the school, Stalky & Co, and how some of us were actually chosen to be in it. The star was the actor who would go on to play Guy of Gisborne in the hugely succesful Robin Hood tv series later. Unfortunately the BBC wiped the videos, so it is probably lost forever, which was a shame as the school never looked better. I also remember the school bell which dictated everything at school from the change of lessons to break times, and also the notice boards were you would check to see if you were in any school sports teams. The school was divided up into three 'houses' and I was in Priory. The others were Malmesbury and Shaftsbury and there was great excitement as the points were totted up and the winning house was declared. Pocket money was incredibly small and even at sixteen the maximum we had was a pound a week which didn't go very far - or maybe that was just me being poor! I remember break dancing was the in thing and we would breakdance on Bournemouth pier, (really just an excuse to try and approach girls!). My handle was Lazer as I wore glasses. There was also a fantastic pidgeon loft where a few dedicated boys would spend literally hours being with their prized birds - but it didn't really interest me. The school main canteen hall was filled with art created by the pupils and there was also a piano on which I would practice after tea. I was pretty bad, so apologies to all the tea ladies who had the misfortune to hear me play!! As you got older you made your way up the school and the dormitories were always busy and usually plastered with girlie pictures! On Sundays we attended church and we had to wear our best blue blazer and have an inspection to make sure we were all clean and tidy! Every morning assembly was held and the Headmaster would stand with all the teachers and readings were made and any unfortunate soul who had fallen foul of school rules would have his name read and the ominous words 'report to the Headmasters office' would send a chill down the strongest of backs! In my final years there was a rumour that girls would be joining the school, started by the purser Cottrill, who had the only girl our age for miles so she was understandably desired by us all - although totally out of bounds! Needless to say, the rumours were untrue, much to our general disappointment! I also remember the BBC micro computers being introduced and the total fascination as to what they could do. Some boys would spend every spare minute on them trying to make a spaceship zap an asteroid but it wasn't really that interesting to me. In my last year or so the school seemed very short on pupil numbers and the realisation that the school as I knew it was maybe going to close, which it did a few years later. I can honestly say I loved my time at Hurn and even though its almost thirty years since I was there, I sometimes wonder what has happened to all the people that I knew there. I hope that this has been of interest and maybe brought back a few long lost memories...James