Whittlebury Lodge College

Year: 1962

Whittlebury Lodge College

I was a pupil at Whittlebury College 1962-1964 . The school was run by Major Meager and his wife as a sort of "crammer" for those of us who needed to get more help for O and A levels. The teachers were perhaps not the best in the county but did help many to get the O levels that were needed, including myself but not in my subjects as I was expelled before I could take three more O Levels. I was seen smoking a Woodbine in the coppice just north of the school and was reported by a prefect (who I did not get along with). Lester Piggott's (the well known jockey) son was a junior at the school and his mother and father were particularly upset to find their fine young son had taken a puff or two of a Woodbine or similar! Major Meager was quick to make a new rule that anyone caught smoking would be punished too the maximum extent! I had been caned before by Major Meager and was not afraid! (The scars on my back and bottom have faded now but were visible well into my thirties.) I could take it! I got expelled! The good of it all was that my father was not angry and instead supported me and helped me to get into Slough College instead where I surpassed my goals. Other students who I remember well for different reasons were 'Ginger', Alan Renault, Basil Rathbone, 'String' the Art teacher, 'Bunny' the school nurse, Major Meager's son who was also a pupil and taught me to drive in his Austin Seven (without doors) and only within the grounds, a very sweet girl from the village who I introduced as my cousin on Open Day! The Vicar who taught me some Latin and also confirmed me 8th March 1963. I shall try to dig up some photos.

Year: 1963

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

Hello Francis Just read your memory with great interest. I left Whittlebury in 1963 having started in 1960. &snbsp;I would be intrigued as to the circumstances leading to your expulsion from the school and also whether you were one of the group of 12 who were caned most severely in 1963? &snbsp;I was one of those 12. &snbsp;I do have recollections of Anthony Meager's old car but thought it was a Model Y Ford of circa 1935 which even made an excursion round the frozen lake during the winter of 1963! &snbsp;I was also punished for smoking which took place behind the changing rooms which I think would have been before your time as those changing rooms were replaced by the gymnasium which was built in 1961. &snbsp;I have received info from an ex-pupil who confirmed that the majority of boys failed in their O Levels and have yet to hear of anyone who had an A Level pass. &snbsp;Do you have memories of any of the masters eg Spud, Jake, Dennis Johnson? &snbsp;Was the "sweet" girl's name Denise and did she have a friend called Sue who lived in Silverstone? &snbsp;I see you obtained the rest of your qualifications at Slough College - did you live in that area at the time and where do you live now? &snbsp;When I was at Whittlebury I lived in Newbury, Berkshire and now live in West Sussex. &snbsp;It would be great to hear from you with further info on yourself and more details on your life and experiences at Whittlebury School and any photos you may have. &snbsp;Have you checked out Whittlebury on Friends Reunited? Regards, Malcolm Etherton

Year: 1963

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

Just read your memory with great interest. I left Whittlebury in 1963 having started in 1960. I would be intrigued as to the circumstances leading to your expulsion from the school and also whether you were one of the group of 12 who were caned most severely in 1963? I was one of those 12. I do have recollections of Anthony Meager's old car but thought it was a Model Y Ford of circa 1935 which even made an excursion round the frozen lake during the winter of 1963! I was also punished for smoking which took place behind the changing rooms which I think would have been before your time as those changing rooms were replaced by the gymnasium which was built in 1961. I have received info from an ex-pupil who confirmed that the majority of boys failed in their O Levels and have yet to hear of anyone who had an A Level pass. Do you have memories of any of the masters eg Spud, Jake, Dennis Johnson? Was the "sweet" girl's name Denise and did she have a friend called Sue who lived in Silverstone? I see you obtained the rest of your qualifications at Slough College - did you live in that area at the time and where do you live now? When I was at Whittlebury I lived in Newbury, Berkshire and now live in West Sussex. It would be great to hear from you with more info on yourself and more details on your life and experiences at Whittlebury School.

Year: 2008

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

In the school magazine of May 1964, of which I have a copy, there is a full list of the Old Boys and their addresses at that time.

I was also a pupil of the school and my brother was head boy. I would like if possible to get hold of some photos. Any photos of the school, the grounds or the interior. The school actually moved to Whittlebury from Chichley Hall and many of the boys when I started still had Chichley Hall blazers.

One pupil did have an affair with a girl from the village whom we used to see on Sundays as she was in the church choir, and being very beautiful generally pushed her head veil back. (I know all the names.)

One pupil had an affair with one of the master's daughters, she used to sneak in to the dormitory at night to be with him. I was in the next bed but four. Usually at half term and occasionally on free weekends

I think if John Grieve got A level Maths he might be the only pupil I knew who did.

I think the best bet for further info is probably the Pepper brothers, Terry and Malcolm, who lived in Hill Farmhouse in Barton Springs in Bedfordshire. But it's more than forty years ago.

Year: 2009

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

I was also a pupil at Whittlebury, though I remember Nigel Daniel and Malcolm Etherton very well I am struggling with Colin Harbottle at present but if you're on the long school photo I will get there eventually. I also left with very little in the way of academic qualifications, two O levels for which I am grateful to Spud Ryan and JJ Etridge. I also remember very well young Daniels being expelled and remember how harsh and unjust it seemed to us at the time as nearly everyone I knew smoked in the Lower Fifth. I also remember the caning incident for the twelve including Malcolm Etherton. I also remember another incident involving the "borrowing" of the Headmaster's car late one night and it ending up in a ditch, for which there were repercussions for some. However at the end of one term I remember being involved with others in taking Mr Etridge's Mini and placing that in the middle of the cricket pitch and the geography master's scooter was wrapped in toilet paper and placed on Major Meager's assembly table. I also remember being confirmed in the local church. Has anyone managed to find out what has happened to all the others? Obviously we all know Aken Hutchison became a well known actor but I would love to know what became of "Hamy" and "Fred" Roberts, Frosty, Gordon Pink and Clarkey, Azor-Smith, Pennington and so many others? Amongst many other things I will always remember the tea at breaktimes from that "urn" being served in the TV room by the new Tuck Shop after the building of the Gymnasium, I often wondered what else was in it as I am sure tea on its own never tasted that bad.

Year: 1962

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

I was surprised that you 'lads' (Malcolm, Colin and Tony) answered. I have rather 'bad' memories of that school, in fact to call it a school.  It was, let's face it, a disaster. I tried to upload some photos but this site does not accept them.

In answer to the questions :
Yes I do remember all the teachers who were on the most part  very supportive when I was about to be expelled and I remember 'Edwards' and 'String" saying that I was "better off going to another school anyway - but don't tell anyone we said that". Now I can tell you all these years afterwards.
And yes her name was Denise! (you jogged my memory). The car was as you say not an Austin Seven, it was a Ford.
Looking into my certs now on my CV I only got two 'O's at WC, the rest I got at Slough.
I was the second boy to be caned severely as I remember, the first time for breaking windows, and the second for repeatadly being "off the grounds", the third for being at Silerstone and breaking a window on an old double decker bus, and the fourth, yepp you guessed! for cigarettes and smoking!  - and of course expulsion after that! Ok, I was a bit wild and didn't 'look up' to 'Major Meager' as a headmaster. But on the other hand did have some good mates and some fun times.
My parents or rather the people I lived with part of the time on holidays were living in Gerrards Cross around that time and several other places in Bucks.
I went to extra couses in Art at St Martin's and 'to sea', and eventualy became AB then first mate.
To be continued later.

Year: 1956

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

Nigel,

I think that I would agree with you about the academic attainment generally at Whittlebury. I notice that you refer to it as a college. When I attended 1956-1961 it was just Whittlebury School. As I mentioned previously, when I started it hadn't been going too long. I remember the beautiful walled kitchen garden and the lab block was in an old laundry, near the gate on the Buckingham road. I loved the old pump house, at the end of the paddock and the secret underground boathouse on the lake. The woods were full of magnificent trees especially the lime tree avenue by the lake. Unfortunately as Meager ran into financial troubles the huge trees from the grounds were logged and sold.
                            
I left with almost nothing, three O levels. Eventually I did end up with  a C. Eng and went on to do an M. Sc. in metallurgy, but it was a hard slog. I worked in Kuala Belait in Borneo for ten years, Pusan in South Korea for nine years and four years spread about in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. I retired at 57 after the last three years in Bilbao in Spain. I went back to the school some years ago, when it was boarded up awaiting demolition, after that girls home/ abuse incident. I climbed in and had a look round. My brother Peter's name was still visible in gold lettering, "Head Boy", on the oak panelling. Sad really. Does anyone know what happened to Meager?

Year: 1964

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

Colin I was still at the school when it closed and I have e-mailed your account at this site with some small bits of information, which you may find of interest. I will try and e-mail the others shortly but you asked a specific question. I also enjoyed part of my time there, though academically the masters’ ability to motivate in most subjects seems to have been limited as seems to have been confirmed by all of us having to improve ourselves despite our time at Whittlebury.
Tony Wood

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

I was at Whittlebury and survived... I last saw Major Meager in the lift (going up) at Peter Jones. I took a look at him at said, in full view and hearing of the others in the lift, 'You were the headmaster at Whittlebury. You have a lot to answer for.' In my day the policy (with a few honourable exceptions) was to make the bullies prefects. So Fret could more or less control the school. Very Evelyn Waugh, but nastier. I, like Colin Harbottle, returned to the school when it was boarded up, and climbed in; it seemed an almost comical end to what was really a nightmare. By doing this the experience seemed exorcised. The building was later burnt down, probably arson, and the site developed. The two masters I remember and liked were String Johnson, the art master, and a very urbane biology master, very keen on Railton cars and the facts of life. As for my life, I became a painter and have lived by my brush all my life. The dark experiences of Whittlebury have been grist to my mill. The only person I remember on this site is Colin Harbottle, and I would be very interested to share memories. I did once, in New York, bump into Tony Shafrasi, who vandalised Guernica, and became a very successful New York art dealer. And from school days I remember the tragic suicide of One Ball Strother and the subsequent cover-up. My other memory is Major-General Hyde-Upward, who was made to drop rank in order not to outrank the headmaster. And poor Philip Sprosen and how he was treated. On a lighter note, there was Miss Brooks' red hair and frontage.

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

I was at Whittlebury and survived... I last saw Major Meager in the lift (going up) at Peter Jones. I took a look at him at said, in full view and hearing of the others in the lift, 'You were the headmaster at Whittlebury. You have a lot to answer for.' In my day the policy (with a few honourable exceptions) was to make the bullies prefects. So Fret could more or less control the school. Very Evelyn Waugh, but nastier. I, like Colin Harbottle, returned to the school when it was boarded up, and climbed in; it seemed an almost comical end to what was really a nightmare. By doing this the experience seemed exorcised. The building was later burnt down, probably arson, and the site developed. The two masters I remember and liked were String Johnson, the art master, and a very urbane biology master, very keen on Railton cars and the facts of life. As for my life, I became a painter and have lived by my brush all my life. The dark experiences of Whittlebury have been grist to my mill. The only person I remember on this site is Colin Harbottle, and I would be very interested to share memories. I did once, in New York, bump into Tony Shafrasi, who vandalised Guernica, and became a very successful New York art dealer. And from school days I remember the tragic suicide of One Ball Strother and the subsequent cover-up. My other memory is Major-General Hyde-Upward, who was made to drop rank in order not to outrank the headmaster. And poor Philip Sprosen and how he was treated. On a lighter note, there was Miss Brooks' red hair and frontage.

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

Martin, I remember you very well, I have sent an email to your Frith account. I have some questions for you. The reason for this comment is that I see that you have not opened and read your Frith email account. Also I now have two fairly good digital images of Whittlebury school these are made from Kodachrome scanned slides taken late during the summer holidays of 1961.
If any one would like these would you please send me your email address and I hope dig arround in your own archives for any photos that you may have, black and white or colour.
Colin J Harbottle

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

Colin, could you please send me copies too, M&P chucked mine out with the rest of my old stuff by mistake! sotab@spray.se PS. Are any of you on FB?

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

It is with a smile that I read the memories of my colleagues from a bygone era, and I cannot but whole-heartedly agree on the academic calibre of the school or lack of, but that's history. I too hold the metre long photos of 1963 and 1961, if anybody would like a copy email tim@cmmassoc.co.nz I recall when Silverstone had a meeting I and Roger Flint and a few friends would pinch Mr Sheldon's wheelbarrow and take a midnight trip through the woods to the racetrack and its marquees and help ourselves to the beer refreshments and return laden. Then being enterprising take the empties by cycle to the pub at Pury End and get a refund on the bottles. My term of attendance was 1961-67, so teachers that left a lasting impression good or bad, were Mr Bolton 'Bobo', Mr Ryan 'Spud', Mr Beagley, Mr Thompson and of course Mr Ince the woodwork teacher. Mates at the time were John Brock, Jefferey Poulter, Andrew Pink to name a few.

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

BTHF. It was my ambition not to have a computer before iIdied, but this site is one of the compensations. I thought I was the only boy to get beaten every week. I was expelled quite often, but only had to leave when parents stopped paying the fees. There was a time if Spud saw me I got minus 4. Being brutalised I became a brute, gladly not for long. To this day I have a loathing of institutionalised bullying. The school building, the grounds, Colin Harbottle, David Cairncross, Janet Bacon, and a few others have been with me all my life, like beacons. Like Colin I have also been a traveller. BTHF.

Year:

RE: Whittlebury Lodge College

PS. Somewhere I have the original prospectus with views of the house and grounds.