Boldre Church (St. John The Baptist)

A Memory of Lymington.

This 11th Century Church in Boldre forms a cornerstone of my formative years. I attended Rope Hill School in Boldre in the early 1950's - for four years, we boarders attended the Church every Sunday during the terms after walking to and from the School in crocodile formation regardless of the weather conditions, and it usually rained a lot. We youngsters listened to the sonorous voices of the lesson readers, and tried to concentrate on the matters at hand despite the distractions of the activities of the other boys. Some of us frequently would become faint and require 'fresh air' in the vestibule. Once a year we would troop outside to gather around the War Memorial to promise our remembrance - at Christmas time each year, the School put on a Carol Service which in hindsight could have been angelic for the parents, but required weeks of practice to perfect under the strict control of Mr. Randle. The HMS HOOD connection with the Church was not impressed on my early memories - it was only later when I developed my own RN career that I regretted not knowing this connection at that time. The Rev. S. N. Agg-Large was closely involved with the School's activities during his time at Boldre.

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