Homefield School Southbourne Hants

I was a pupil at Homefield School, Southbourne, Bournemouth, from 1967 to 73, and its senior branch at Winkton, 73 to 1978.
I can find nothing online about Homefield's establishment and heyday, but only about Winkton's demise.
I wanted to find photos of the junior school at Iford Lane and of the buildings within. I have many memories.

By Ed Williams again: - Roger and I were only at Homefield as Day students for the summer term of 1955 - Mr Taggart was HM - Mr Cameron was our class teacher - some boys were: Christopher Bennet, Michael Start, ?? Stephens, Robert Webster, ......... I remember the teacher reading some youthful book about adventures on Lake Windermere? - I was not happy or settled at that school and found it hard to find friends in my brief episode there - Taggart tried to offer advice a couple of times. while authorities tried to resolve my future. My twin and younger brother had no such problems. We were bused to and from Barton every day. I tried to learn more of the location change of later years - was is over ambitious intentions???

I remember Mr Cameron and was in his form, 3A, in 1973. He was a superb English teacher. Homefield and Winkton had excellent libraries.
I wish I had kept something as a souvenir, even if only my school cap.
I found out online that the owl is in fact the family crest of the Scottish Taggarts.

Who remembers Mr King the PT teacher, who was a famous footballer? As I did not like sports, I was grateful to him, because he was a kind man - not what one expects of a PT teacher.
My first form was Transition with Mrs Bauer-Gunther, then P1 with Mrs Stefans. These were in the tall building with the wooden stairs by the Saxonbury Rd entrance. The Tuck Shop was Major Broach's office outside P1. The stairs continued higher. Does anyone know what the floor above was?

Homefield school

I attended the school in the 1940s, leaving to go to school at the City of London School, in 1951. I was the first “boarder” taken on at Homefield, by the Taggarts, when my parents moved to London in 1947, from where we lived in New Milton. I lived in the front bedroom of the house, overlooking the Stour, and open fields, towards the road beyond Tucton Bridge.
It was lonely, but other boys soon joined the school. Early names I remember were the Partridge brothers, Neil, Ian, and Tony, later to become headmaster I believe. There was David Jose, John Melhuish, Chris Horsford, all of us travelling from New Milton by train, each day, to Christchurch, and then by yellow trolly bus to just over Tucton Bridge, walking to the school in Iford Lane from there.
Other names were Watts, son of one of the masters, John Ludlum, and Aslet. Mr Amos was a master then, Colonel Kennedy, and Mr Harth, keen on Gilbert and Sullivan’s, an early housemaster, when the boarding house was moved to a property, bought in Saxonbury Road, which backed onto the Taggarts house in Iford Lane. There was then direct access then between the two properties. There was a small playground then, with another access out to Saxonbury Road, but all that has now been built on I suspect. There was an original classroom building when I joined, which also housed the dining room. A second new classroom building was added later before I left.
Early boarders were, in addition to myself, the Bull brothers, Charlie and David, Douglas Peffers, and Malcolm Whiffen. When I was there the number increased to about 8 I think, by the time I left. We had matches against St Peter’s School, and other schools whose names I cannot remember! Sports day was held in Kings Park, and we sometimes were taken to Dean Court to watch Bournemouth and Boscombe FC, although I don’t remember which League Division they were in, but the Goalie, Ken Bird, was a great hero.
We went to Church, walking to The Priory, and rambles up to Hengistbury head on a Sunday.
I think, on the whole, I enjoyed the school, once I became adjusted to boarding school life. I was taken to the West Hants Tennis Club, by Taggart, with other small local Bournemouth boys, to be introduced to Tennis, where we were initially coached by Dan Maskell, who taught us how to hold the racket, and hit balls back and forth across the net to a tall slightly balding man - Fred Perry no less, and over the years that experience helped me play the game with some minor success!
I have one old photo of the football team, in which I was the goalkeeper!
Anyone else remember any of this?

Dear Barry Edwards: My brothers and I lived in Barton-on-Sea (24 Barton Court Avenue) and my mother ran a Hair Salon on Whitefield Road New Milton. In 1955 we were withdrawn from Rope Hill School in Boldre (near Lymington) and joined Homefield School in Tuckton/Southbourne. Our older sister Kathy caught the eye of Neil Partridge, and he was a frequent visitor to our house. I didn't know that he went to Homefield. His brother Tony was a keen tennis player I believe - they lived on Whitefield Road a few houses down from my mother's Salon. It's a small world Barry - they say that everyone in the world is related within seven degrees of separation...... Ed Williams (Edward.L.Williams100@gmail.com)

I failed my 11plus for grammar school and instead went to Homefield in 1957 I think it was, for 3 or 4 years, as a boarder. The boarding house at that time was in Church Rd on a corner, big old rambling three-storey affair, someone said it was named Cherry Garth. Mr Amos was the house master, something of a religious fanatic, converted our bike shed into a chapel and made us attend nightly as I recall. The only other name I can remember is the head mr. Taggart. Our class made the french teacher’s life hell as we were all bored stiff. He used to throw chalk at us for misbehaving. Some of us boarders would sneak out at night and roam the local streets. Mr Amos wanted to promote the boarding house at one point and I had to pose in the “library” (hah!) pretending to be reading a book for the photo.
Haven’t lived in this country for over 45 years now so while visiting old blighty I made a nostalgic pilgrimage to see the old school, now all gone and even the boarding house is no longer, everything redeveloped. Interesting memories. As I understand it the school went bankrupt in the early 2000s. Anyone else attend as a boarder during my time?

I was a boarder at Homefield - 1960 - 1964. Main school was on Ilford (SP?) Road in Tuckton. The two boarding houses was Cherry Garth and Channel View. were on Church Road, approx. one mile from the main school. Mr Amos Junior and wife ran Cherry Garth and Mr Amos Sr. and wife Lilly(maybe) ran Channel View. Mrs Dean was the Matron (very nice woman)! Mr Taggert was the headmaster. and was very liberal with the caning of the boys. Not a bad experience all in all. I remember being constantly hungry and cold - quite Dickensian! A few names of boys I remember are Collingwood, Buckland, Wilkinson, Jeremy Mitchell, Clive Russell. Is there anyone else around at that time that can share experiences??

I went to Homefield 1954-1963
Mr Taggart cained me a number of times
I remember Amos he was what we called divinity master Mr Lloyd maths
Pupils I remember
Roderick Cheeseman Michael Higgins Gordon Williams Paul Roper(captain football)Adrian Reynolds Peter Quick John Deveki
Peter Ryder

I was at Homefield School from 1960 until 1972 as a day boy.
I started at Tuckton in the Kindergarten which was then located in the big house facing Saxonbury Road. It had a long jump and high jump sand pit in the front garden.
You could walk through the school property all the way from Saxonbury Road to Iford Lane
Major Bob Broach (Bursar) had his office on the first floor of the big house, if I remember correctly there was a music room on the top floor.
The school carol service was held in Christchurch Priory and the speech day at Bournemouth Town Hall.
I recall being a milk monitor and having to carry the milk crates from the main school building on Iford Lane across the playground to kindergarten.
Anyone remember our fleet of aging school buses that used to be parked in the school playground?
I also remember the new gym and shower block being built. Eric Wilkinson was my first PT teacher, later followed by Mr King. Both were ex footballers.
The ATC hut was a purpose-built wooden building next to the gymnasium.
We had our own unique PA system through the whole school, run by the boys (I was a member of the team) and this included a news bulletin every morning written by Mr Taggart the Head Master. The 'studio' was in the Mr Taggart's study which adjoined his house on Iford Lane.
The news bulletin theme tune was 'Albatross' by Fleetwood Mac.
There were four school houses Broach (Blue) Grenville (Green) Drake (Yellow) and Frobisher (Red). I was in Frobisher.
Senior sports days were held at the Kings Park Stadium and junior school held theirs down at the Iford Lane Playing Fields. We also played our cricket and football matches and did our cross country running at Iford Lane.
Some of my teachers included Mr Hempsted (Science), Mr Gillespie-Hill (French), Mr Cameron (English), Mr Wilkinson (Geography), Brigadier Wolfe-Barry (British Constitution) Mr Taggart (RK) and Mr Cordon. (I remember he lived next door to the school in a house on Iford Lane).
We were also taught Latin.
When the school acquired Sopley Park School some of us relocated there. We were taken by bus daily from Iford Lane. We took our O Level exams in the village hall in Sopley.
Later we moved to Winkton which was in the process of being developed.
I recall the library and extra classrooms including a new chemistry laboratory being built at Winkton, much of it under the direction of Eric Wilkinson.
Mrs Wilkinson was responsible for the catering arrangements.
As Winkton developed, Eric Wilkinson as House Master, built a new family home for himself in the school grounds by the front drive.
Tony Partridge was headmaster for the last couple of years I was there.
I still have some of my old school reports and the crest from my school blazer.
I those early days there was only one supplier of our uniforms and they had to be purchased from Barretts Outfitters in Soutbourne Grove.
I finally left the school in 1972 having attended from kindergarten to sixth form.
It would be good to hear of anyone else who was a Homefield Boy during that period. Sadly I think the Old Boy's Association folded many years ago.

Anthony, you have now raised another aspect of my life in UK - my parents ran a Ladies Hair Stylist Salon on Whitefield Road in New Milton from 1947 -1965 - three houses down the street lived the Partridge Family. I think that Tony Partridge had ambitions in Tennis if I remember correctly - Tony had several brothers, among which was Neil - Neil took to my sister Kathy and in my young teenage years, Neil was at our house in Barton quite regularly. I remember Neil as being a Limousine Driver in those days..... Maybe your Tony Partridge is a name-sake, and my comments here do not apply here. I'm now in my 80's and it's fascinating looking back some 70 years to my brief Homefield Days. My twin Roger sadly has now passed away - Regards, Ed Williams.