Fedsden School Parndon Hall

I also went to Fedsden at Parndon Hall in 1964 as a boarder too. Great memories for me of this place. I remember Mrs Clare very well. On 'bath night' I forgot the water was running and it flooded the bathroom and soaked through the ceiling below where plaster fell off on to Mrs Clare's office desk! I am sure she was exasperated. Loved the woods, and the domestic science block. We had a great house mistress called Mrs Ricketts. Never forget those days.

Hello Jane,
I was a boarder at Fedsden from 1959 and later we boarded at Kingsmoor House. I remember the bath water, and 'Reserved' writeen in red by Regina Gilmore on the middle bath tub. Great times!

Sorry I should have added my name, Jane Ravenscroft. We were friends with Carol Watts and Beryl Maris, Regina Gilmore, Stephanie Reith. Do you remember Mrs. Lacey?

I remember Mrs Lacey - fantastic teacher! I was there from 57-65 as a dayboy. We spent loads of time in the "tunnels" under the floor, where you could listen to all the teachers talking in the staff room immediately above. Beautiful grounds and wonderful classrooms in the old building. I was friends with Charlie Bent-Marshall(who I still see regularily), his sister Margaret, Andrew and Richard Bull, Philip Lidiard, Nicolas Griffin (His mother taught at Fedsden), Adrian Pretlove, John Young, Janet McKewan. Teachers Mrs Dunham in year 2 I think, Mrs Whitworth, Mrs Connell.
Really happy time there - delighted to share memories Best wishes to all, Steve Ross

I was there from 1965 to 1971. Spent most of my education there in the "stables" - Mrs Bull, Mrs Nichols, Mrs Dunham, Mrs Lacey and Mrs Connell. Still friends with Andy Nichols and Martin North. A great place to grow up in with the woods, fields - running riot during break time. With Sam the driver / handyman ferrying a group of us back and forth in, initially, a land rover (I sat on the spare wheel as I was the youngest - 4.5 years) and then the van. Gwen Silcock, Linda Brickwood and picking up Jane King and David Cords on the way. Great times - great to add a comment here. All the best to everyone reading this. Neal Ward

I went to Fedsden School in the summer term April May 1955. Was a boarder, coming from Argentina to improve my English. My Sister was there too. Have fond, if dim, memories: the walk along the lane from Burnt Mill Station, the woods and the mantled pond, the mysterious stables, And some names: Katharine Clare the lady in charge. And a friend, Paul Whittaker... maybe... Anthony (?) The tall pines at the gate where we would climb to watch our parents approach.... I was 7 and half years old, my sister Georgina a year older. Hugo Halbrich

Hello!!!
Did I really do that? Ha ha ha!
I remember you all and Mrs Clare, Mrs Ricketts, Mrs Lacey, Nanny Pardoe, Claire Holtham, Miss Prowting.... oh and so many more!
Didn’t Bridget Castle live on Isle of Wight (or was that another Bridget from my next boarding school, Brentwood)
Day pupils were Candy Bull, Gillian Kenneth, Beatrix Gold, Jenny Lemon and her brother Robert from Matching Green....

Oh what fun to find you here! Some of us used to visit each other at weekends or write during school holidays I think...

I’m still Jinny Gilmour, got fed up with the name calls when I was Regina ha ha!
I’m visiting the old school tomorrow!

Adrian Pretlove! I remember him! He sat on the crate of milk bottles and broke wind....I, who did many naughty things myself, was quite disgusted as I always enjoyed the little bottles at break times ha ha ha!
I think he might have been clever too so maybe a bit of rivalry there!
Jinny (Regina) Gilmour
I was a boarder from 1961-1967

My sisters Rehana and Farhana and I were boarders from 1955 to December 1958 at Parndon Hall. I have vivid memories of those years as our dormitories were in the building which is now a heritage site. There were beautiful paintings on the ceilings and a ballroom opening out onto a large garden with old trees. I once went into a tunnel under the house and could hear the teachers chatting in the staffroom. There were stables near the classrooms and during the holidays we were allowed to ride them in a field near the woods. Hugo, you mentioned Paul Whittaker. I remember him as well as we were in the same class. Does anyone remember the twins Patricia and Daphne James and their brother Charles? I spent two winter hols with them on their farm in Nottingham and would love to contact them. Rukhsana Mashhadi

My sisters Rehana and Farhana and I were boarders from 1955 to December 1958 at Parndon Hall. I have vivid memories of those years as our dormitories were in the building which is now a heritage site. There were beautiful paintings on the ceilings and a ballroom opening out onto a large garden with old trees. I once went into a tunnel under the house and could hear the teachers chatting in the staffroom. There were stables near the classrooms and during the holidays we were allowed to ride them in a field near the woods. Hugo, you mentioned Paul Whittaker. I remember him as well as we were in the same class. Does anyone remember the twins Patricia and Daphne James and their brother Charles? I spent two winter hols with them on their farm in Nottingham and would love to contact them. Rukhsana Mashhadi

Hi, I remember Rehana and Farhana. I was a day pupil, I left after a riding accident I think around 1956. My name was Joan Hickling.

Hello Joan. We were there from 1955 to December 1958.

Can we all keep in touch by opening a Facebook account? Any other suggestions?

Hello Joan. Please get in touch on Facebook.

Hello Joan. Please get in touch on Facebook.

There is one but only 4 members! It's a FB group called 'Fedsden School, Parndon Hall' run by Annette Joyce who was a boarder. Would be great if we could get more members and share all our memories.
Best wishes, Lyn x

Facebook group has been started by Annette Joyce - called 'Fedsden School, Parndon Hall'.

Way back when, quite a few of us connected via Friends Reunited Fedsden site, so it would be really great if we could all share our memories, photo's etc. again.

That name rings a bell. I remember Nanny Pardoe. There was also a cook who was deaf.

I was there from 59 -64 and then went to join my dad in Germany. I remember someone called Mark Ferns. I also remember a young lady who drove a Triumph Spitfire. I was known by my first name Harvey in those days. I was a precocious smart arse.
It was a good school and I felt loved.

remember me ... Chris jervis...

Nanny Pardue

are you on FB?

I think I remember Chris. I knew Mrs, Clare well and Nanny Pardue who was mainly at Kingsmoor House. I was at Fesden from 1959 to 1963. I am Hugh Robinson and my Father was a driver and my Mother looked after the boarders, she was a a lovely lady. The girl in the spitfire was my sister Valerie. She sadly passed away recently. Would like to hear from anyone else there at the same time. Great memories.

I'm Steve Westacott. I was at pardon hall from about 1957 to 1960. Loved the place. Used to love playing in the woods. Some other kid's brother used to make fireworks and we let them off. Also I brought eggs in and we boiled them one playtime!
I remember Eric pleece and presilla mcewan
Probably others too.

I remember you jane Ravensworth I was called jeanette durnford

I was at Fedsden from about 1954....absolutely LOVED the place. I had boarded at Worcester and was so unhappy I became disruptive....Fedsden totally sorted me out. Yes, all that wooded ground to play in, lovely Head in Mrs Clare, does anyone remember Miss Burke....a living Saint in her time......and ponies in the adjacent field. I thought I'd gone to heaven!

Hello, I was there also about same time. Im going to try the Fedsden School, Parndon Hall site....but I'm a technoidiot so no-one hold their breath!

Hi Everyone,
My name is Brian Grant,and l was at Fedsden School from 1961- 1964,
I was a boarder,and l Remember, Stephen Linney,Peter Maxwell, Ann Maxwell, Rochelle Shenburn,my sister Edwina also attended,but she passed away 10 years ago,
I use to love riding at the stables,and remember the ponies,Nugget and Joey,and Jane!
I had great times and memories there,l currently live in Glasgow,and if anyone is around at the time l was there,it would be great to hear from them!

I remember you Jinny,my name is Brian Grant,did you have reddish hair?

I was a day boy in the school up until about 1958 when I left to go to Pear Tree Mead and later Latton Bush.
I have very fond memories of Fedsden athough as the years pass they become a lot fainter. Our classroom was above the stables up some very steep stairs. Ronnie Wilson and I frequently carried the metal milk crates full of glass bottles up there but one day we dropped the crate and I knelt on some of the broken glass and spilt red stuff all over the place. I still have the dramtic scar to this day. During winter we sat around the stove in the middle of the room. We would all enjoy playing in the copse in front of the house although the cross country runs around the fielsd were not so popular. We played marbles in the clearing in the copse and often crept into the cellar entrance at the side of the house. I have tried to remember other members of the class but none come to mind. Help!
I now live in Devon with my wife.
We had cause to pass Harlow a few days ago which is what has promted these thoughts of long ago.

Hi everybody,
I was a student around 1956. I loved my days at Fedsden and remember Mrs Clare fondly. I loved the coconut ice made by Nanny. I remember Nina Pollard, Anthony Diaowkoski and many more. I was also a student at Kingsmore House and am still in touch with Carol Murray ( my friend from Scotland). Happy days were spent throughout those schooling days. I now live in Melbourne, Australia. So thrilled to read news of past students, thanks!

Oh yes - I remember Pat & Daphne James well! I was in my latter years with Pat James in my form. Pat was lovely and always said she wanted to be a teacher, I wonder if she followed her desires? Great to hear their names -🌹

Does anyone remember Mrs Ricketts, the Cookery Teacher, Mrs Connell and dear Mrs Lacey who tried desperately hard to improve my mathematical skills! I remember my desk placed in the ballroom window where I would gaze out onto the lawns! How lucky we were to be taught by Dame Leah Manning - oh what a great school! Just remembered, Patsy Tulloch, a really nice girl; Oh, happy days!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/974192899282747
There is a Facebook group you might like - Fedsden School, Parndon Hall. Has lots of great past students' memories and photos x x

Hello to all out there, who attended Fedsden School, Parndon Hall, Harlow Essex, in the late '50's and early 60's.
I have something for you all which may help all your collective memories from days at Fedsdon School. It is a very long @ 24 inch long school photo of all the kids and staff out the front of the school. It was from 1961. Some of you will recognise yourselves and your various friends. My sister and i are both in that photo.
My friends who i remember, were Stephen Linney, Brian Linney too?, Peter Maxwell, Edwina Grant, Adolphos Blankson and his sister Winifred Blankson, who was my sister's friend as well. My sister eventually was moved with other girls over to Kingsmoor House, where several of us were also taken to stay during holidays.
Somewhere i have some winter/ snow photos of Fedsdon School , and also some i took at the local railway station, and i think Stephen Linney and Peter Maxwell were in thise photos. I remember i had worked hard in my holidays, in Abadan, Iran, where my dad was stationed for four years as chief pilot of the "Friendship Group", which comprised of four brand new Fokker Friendship turboprop aircraft, on lease to the National Iranian Oil Company, by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at the time. All my hard work earned me enough money to buy an AGFA " CLACK" 120 MM camera, with which i took many photos at school.
I have many memories of Fedsdon School, and have already posted here, a short story of my next boarding school in St Leonards, Sussex, the story is titled

John Franks.....carrying on from my previous message, which i accidentally posted unfinished at 2.14 p.m today (1/11/22).
The other story about my next boarding school after i left Fedsdon School, Parndon Hall, Harlow, Essex, was titled "Ledsham Court, St.leonards, Sussex......Great Memories! by John Franks ( ex Rascal Boarder)". It is posted in the "memories of St Leonards" section, on this website.
Unfortunately, i have discovered today, that it has never been possible to upload our photographs here. However, the good news is, that they are in the process of designing and sustem whereby we can actually upload our photos, so that is something to look out for. They informed me that they will update with me with the progress of that. So perhaps in the not too distant future, i will be able to my 600mm ( 24 inch) long old photo, from 1961, of all the school kids and staff at Fedsdon School, Parndon Hall, and others, as i previously outlined. I will have to take about 5 photos of that long photo to get the whole thing posted.
John Franks 1/11/22 ( 2nd message).

Pure Nostalgia
Hello to my fellow Fedsden inmates, whoever and wherever you are now! So nice to find things like this online these days ... I was a boarder at Parndon Hall between about 58 and 61 - stupid gangly blond kid, with my younger sister Heather, and our mum, who was some kind of house mistress before moving on to Kingsmoor.
I can hardly remember any names, except Regina (very tiny) and Adolphus (very funny) and the delightful Ann Maxwell (kiss-chase in the grounds) and didn't Mrs Clare have a daughter called Moira?
Don't know what else to say really, except I have some very wild and random memories of this place, which I came to love being in ... like a dream you wish you could keep going back to (if only) ...
Otherwise I've tried without success to get on the Facebook page - any ideas? It would be great to hear from any one of you!
(Ross Paterson)

Hi all.
I too remember a great time at Fedsdon from about 1964 to 1968. Remember friends Paul Brown, Stuart Carmichael, Steve Tombs, Rochelle Shenburn, Linda Brickwood, Adrian Pretlove, and a name who escapes me but was known as 'Curly', his father was a ballet teacher. Also fondly remember Mrs. Connell, Madam mCGoggy, the French teacher who was herself French. Mrs. Claire and Mr. Murphy (Spud) who was our PE and Woodworking teacher. The class was held in the old stables outside. He came with me and a few of the boys when Harlow College closed in Old Harlow.
Certainly had a wonderful time there and at Kingswood House in the last year we were there. I would love to share memories with you all, whether we know each other or not. I shall look for the FB pages
Fondest regards to you all
Graeme Hatton

Has anyone seen the latest on our old school?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-66035691