Heath House School

Ah yes, Heath House School, one of the very few things I miss about Weybridge (having moved to Powys). I was there in the late 1960s. Of course, the fine old building was demolished, a long time ago now. I don't recall much, I was so young, but I do certainly remember playing cops and robbers in the 1920s cars outside, the "Jungle Gym" and how much it hurt my bare feet running to the outside swimming pool. I also remember being in the Christmas nativity plays, held in either St James or Weybridge Hall. Miss Sylvia and Miss Delta, two elderly sisters, ran, perhaps also owned, the school. When I went with my mother to meet them before being admitted, one of them asked me what colour the curtains in the room were. According to my mother I innocently replied "Dirty".

Oh!! I went to Heath House in around 1970. I remember running around in our swimming costumes (or nothing!) to get dry after the freezing and extremely shallow swimming pool. I'll never forget the woody, earthy smell of the wet ground and the plants and greenery on the path to the pool. I had cold feet too!! We had nice school lunch and the gravy was delicious!! Also I remember Music and Movement. I too went to meet Miss Silvia and Miss Delta before I went... they seemed SO old. Ah memories!!

Yes wonderful times ,but quite scary at the time ,when you are so small and everyone is ever so much bigger that you .Walking to the church in weybridge in our school uniforms was always a proud time ,us boys thought that we were like solders marching in our red blazers .We would also dreaded to be sent to sit on the matt.

This is really going to date me...started school at St James in Weybridge in 1957, would have gone to HH in 1958 and left again in 1960. My father was a policeman and joined the colonial police in late 1960 and we went to Fiji. I have no idea how my parents could afford the fees of a private school. Very few memories of the place but I do remember the freezing swimming pool! Think a few celebs sent their children there over the years, Charlie Drake's (remember him...) son was there during my time. All a lifetime ago now.

I was also at Heath House in 1957. My name is Lynda Levy and my father did the plumbing at the school to help with the fees I have a photo of everyone and I am sitting in the front next to Christopher Drake. I will try to scan it and post it.

Hello Lynda ... Ah yes the late '50s-65, lots of memories of tracing with our index finger sand-paper letters as we learnt to read. Reciting times tables & then playing in the jungle gym, the swimming pool & our sports days with egg & spoon races. Then there was standing on the mat! for those of us who were naughty... Bright red blazers with 'your word is a light unto my path' :)

My mum, Mrs Rymell, used to teach there - arithmetic and music. In my own school summer holidays I used to teach as a teenager too!

I was at the Tusk awards dinner in cape town south Africa , a dinner at which there were about 500 people last week and sat next to a lady , that told be that she used to live in Weybridge ,when I asked her whear she went to school , she said Heath House , well I was astonished . Emma Borg as she is now was at Heath House , 1967-72, does any one remember her . She has very fond memories of our old school .

I was at Heath House Scool from 1958 to 1963. I remember some families us people bringing their children there too. Lynda Levy I remember your name. How lovely to have been to that school with Miss Sylvia and Miss Delta. I remember ‘bend,wide,together in the swimming pool too. My name was Carolyn Payne and my Mum was School Secretary.

I am glad to find this board about Heath House. I am an American and attended Heath House in 1968-1970 (approx...and then returned to the US after), and I am planning a visit to the UK this summer. I don't know if this is the appropriate place, but could any of you catch me up on what happened to the school, timing, etc. I remember the freezing swimming pool, running around on the nearby lawn to dry off, getting sick after lunch and having to lie on the couch in the Headmistress' office with a hot water bottle on my stomach...it was so hot it was burning, but I was too afraid to say anything, so I took the burn! I hope I remember correctly that it was a Headmistress! (it has been many years). My fondest memory was when the American Apollo mission landed on the moon, I was allowed to go to the office to watch it on the television presumably because I was American. I have thought about that over the years to see if that makes sense...was the day that it actually occurred on a school day? was it at a time that would be during school in the UK? or am it remembering it all incorrectly. I also remember the straw hat of my uniform. I think I have it stowed away somewhere. Anyway, if anyone has information to share or could direct me to pictures, I would be grateful. I hope to come to Weybridge during my visit in July.

Hello everyone! I attended Heath House 1960 - 1965. I went to Woking Grammar School for girls. I remember the names of a couple of friends - Angela Waters, Tania Prichard (who I have since been corresponding with on Facebook), Andrew Nelson and Andrew Walters (whose mother worked there). Anyhow I have liked in the US for 36 years but I always think about Weybridge and what a wonderful place it was to grow up. At Heath House I remember the old car, rubber tire on the tree, the swimming pool where we did a play. The Nativity play where I played the King bringing gold. So many memories. My family was from Yorkshire and Lancashire and we moved to Weybridge when my Dad got a job as a design engineer at British Aircraft Corporation.

By the way my name was Janet Turner!

This last two postings mention people that I knew during my time at HH School. My name was Elaine Portman. I remember the two eccentric old ladies that ran the school, the jungle gymn, being put on the mat and then being told off by Miss Sylvia upstairs in her office. I also remember the steep wooden stairs that took you down into a cloakroom below ground. I enjoyed the tapioca pudding that not many others liked. My sister Claire Portman also went to the school but being younger she was there when Julian Lennon was a pupil. My brother Gregory went on from HH to Wallop, a boys junior school (ginger coloured blazers) also in Weybridge, where he found a friend in Robyn Hitchcock, now a singer / songwriter. It's sad that both schools were eventually closed and the land at HH was redeveloped with particularly uninspiring properties. I still live in the area and often walk down the alley that ran between the school and our old playing field that still exists. I'm in my sixties now!

Hi I remember Heath House school well. The cars in the play ground the swimming pool and the bathroom upstairs with the fish wall paper. I remember Elaine and Claire Portman . Playing Joseph in the school nativity play. I won first prize in an art competition and John Lennon chose my picture as he was the judge!! Happy memories. I remember Julian Lennon too and boys called Joseph and Gordon, Carol and Michelle. Some lovely birthday parties.
Making daisy chains on our playing field .
My name is Olga . I left in 1969

I was at Heath House 1963-1966. As I recall, boys had to leave when they were 8 because we were becoming too much of a handful - or maybe that was just me! Like everyone else I remember the pool, and the yucky feeling of the mud under your feet when you got out. And yes it was absolutely freezing. "Bend wide together!" is something of a family joke - my brother went there before me. I also remember the old cars and the jungle gym. I have fond memories of the woods we used to play and build camps in - and wasn't there a little asphalted playground where we would all do exercises in the morning? I also remember once corralling all the boys together for a strip show by a girl whose name I can remember but had better not say. She asked me to do it - honest! - and I remember being too shy to look. Was a Mrs Bergin the art teacher? I too was the king in one of the nativity plays - I was downgraded from Joseph as I couldn't learn the lines. I remember we had weekly elocution lessons with a fearsome lady who made us learn a poem every week. We had no poetry books in the house so I had to learn poems sent in by readers to the Dandy or another comic. One week no new poem was printed so I had to repeat an old one, and the other children were instructed to give me "two boos" for my pains. (The sliding scale was from three claps (excellent) to three boos (atrocious).) I remember going to French lessons and not having a clue what was going on. I once trod on Miss Knowles' foot by mistake, and was terrified when she yelped out in pain. I thought she, like Miss Delta, was about a hundred. The former was the scarier, I seem to remember. I always thought the house was wonderful if a bit scarey - big, imposing - but the lawn between the house and the swimming pool seemed paradisal to me. I remember crying when I left.

Oh and my name is Martin Nichols. My brother was - and is! - Christopher.

I went to Heath House School from 1961 to 1964 and have very fond memories of my time there albeit I was very young. I remember the old car and swinging tyre what fun we had. I remember scarlet fever, measles, mumps and chicken pox - got the lot except the first one. I remember the step down to the cloak room, the upstairs bathroom and cold swimming pool which we used to run around during the summer with our swimming trunks on and with towels fluttering behind us as we ran - great fun. I remember the copy books that we had to fill in during lessons and can still remember how dull they were. I also remember when I first arrived I could only understand and converse in Welsh despite being born in London. Thankfully my parents taught me English but sadly did not keep up the Welsh. I also remember going to Eric Sykes' daughter's birthday party and watching Mickey Mouse cartoons which I thought were marvelous. I also met one of my life long chums there - Hamish (Nigel as was) Osborn and we both went onto Wallop School in Weybridge together, albeit briefly on m,y part as I soon moved onto Allen House School in Woking. After all of these years, and despite the fact I now live in New Zealand, we still keep in touch. Wonderful, happy and innocent times. Dafydd Davies

My brother and I were at Heath House for only a year or so 1964 or thereabouts whilst we lived on Hanger Hill having moved down to Surrey from Yorkshire when my Dad got a new job. Our names are Jennifer and Timothy Kirwan. We were aged about 6/7and 4 respectively. I think Tim only went mornings to kindergarten. I remember particularly the nativity play and wearing stage make up for the first time. Because I was tall I was one of the Three Wise Men but I really wanted to be small and pretty so I could be Mary. I got promoted to Joseph for one production though. I remember Patricia Buckling of Bucklings Bakery on the High Street was in my class. As I remember, Miss Delta was brown and tweedy and Miss Sylvia was more ladylike and had silvery hair but I could be wrong! Very happy days!

Hallo there! I think you got to play Joseph because I couldn't remember my lines! I was demoted to be one of the Wise Men, so that fits. I sortve remember Patricia Buckling - the name anyway. I also remember Julie Sykes. And elocution lessons. Can't seem to find any photos of the school. or anything other than this site. A shame! Martin Nichols

I was just thinking about my time at Heath House, googled it and this site came up! I was there from 1969-1971 and have similar memories to everyone, Miss Sylvia and Miss Delta, the old cars in the front garden, the freezing swimming pool and what seemed an enormous playing field. I remember the steep wooden stairs down to the cloakroom and I once accidentally knelt in a plate of cold tapioca which had been left by the pegs. We seemed to sing Onward Christian soldiers a lot at the morning assemblies. My grandmother Rose Bergin was a teacher there and clearly loved it because she didn’t retire until she was 73! My name was Kathy O’Sullivan then. Happy days

I was at Heath House from '61-'64 and remember the cars in the playground which I loved. But the big dread was swimming days, & being thrown in a what seemed like dirty swimming pool with a tyre or rubber ring. I also remember identical twin boys ?in my class whose only difference was a freckle behind their ear(!) & one day one of them had an accident in the locker room & got their ear caught on a peg, & there was blood everywhere, upset me terribly!

I too was at Heath House School, now nearly 60 years ago. I hold fond memories of my time at the school, of Miss Sylvia and Miss Delta. The swimming pool so cold that I have avoided cold water ever since. I remember the old 1920's cars in the garden, learning by rote, copying books and of cold semolina with a dollop of jam (which I dislike to this day), and Onward Christian Soldiers which we seemingly sang almost daily.

Yes I remember Julian Lenon and Eric Sykes daughter, David (Davyth) Davis, Marcus Allington and his Mum Maureen who taught Art. I actually dated Marcus's wonderful sister Julia for nearly three years when I was 17. Sadly she was taken so very early. The school was an incredibly happy environment in which to grow. I remember no nastiness and have deep and fo d memories of my time there and the friends I made. On leaving Heath House I went to Wallop School. So very unhappy were my years there. Colonel Biss who loved to beat small boys a d wS terrifying. Also the older boys up to 13, (I will refrain from naming the most vile three) who delighted in throwing the younger, smaller boys, myself included into the long stinging nettles, (our trousers were shorts) that grew around the old tennis court.
The smell in high summer of the stinking urinals and Peanuts, a vile teacher who had no compunction in twisting a boys ear or delivering a well aimed kick at a cowering child. Wallop School was a terrible wake up to the reality of the behaviour of some human beings.

Hamish (Nigel) W Osborn
Heath House 1961 - 1964

I too was at Heath House School, now nearly 60 years ago. I hold fond memories of my time at the school, of Miss Sylvia and Miss Delta. The swimming pool so cold that I have avoided cold water ever since. I remember the old 1920's cars in the garden, learning by rote, copying books and of cold semolina with a dollop of jam (which I dislike to this day), and Onward Christian Soldiers which we seemingly sang almost daily.

Yes I remember Julian Lenon and Eric Sykes daughter, David (Davyth) Davis, Marcus Allington and his Mum Maureen who taught Art. I actually dated Marcus's wonderful sister Julia for nearly three years when I was 17. Sadly she was taken so very early. The school was an incredibly happy environment in which to grow. I remember no nastiness and have deep and fo d memories of my time there and the friends I made. On leaving Heath House I went to Wallop School. So very unhappy were my years there. Colonel Biss who loved to beat small boys a d wS terrifying. Also the older boys up to 13, (I will refrain from naming the most vile three) who delighted in throwing the younger, smaller boys, myself included into the long stinging nettles, (our trousers were shorts) that grew around the old tennis court.
The smell in high summer of the stinking urinals and Peanuts, a vile teacher who had no compunction in twisting a boys ear or delivering a well aimed kick at a cowering child. Wallop School was a terrible wake up to the reality of the behaviour of some human beings.

Hamish (Nigel) W Osborn
Heath House 1961 - 1964

Hi Hamish , that's a wonderful account of our old school and I too have very happy memories of Heath House, i nearly went to Wallop in weybridge , but instead went to st Paul's in Thames Ditton as my Dad was a strong catholic . From what you'v said Wallop sounded dreadful , did you tell your parents at the time the awful things that were happening to you .I too was there beween 1961 and 1964 . Very best regards, Philip Engelen.
PS My wife and I now live in Cape town and run a B&B.

I was at Heath House just after the war about 1946 for a couple of years. I can remember marking out hopscotch squares in the dry hard earth at play times. I was a day girl but I had to board for two weeks while my Mother was away. We had a mid night feast and one of the older girls in my dorm gave me a butterfly kiss with her eye lash because I was not used to being away from home. I can also remember having to sit at the dining room table one Sunday because I wouldn’t eat the cold lumpy mashed potato. I think I was there all afternoon! The only girls I remember was my best friend Diana Keene and Diane Bodycote who had a huge doll with the body made from some cotton material. I have lived in Australia since 1966.

Heath House from approx 1969-1971. Still live just 300feet of old school. ( my mother now 92 also still lives in Round Oak Road . I too recall Ms Sylvia and Ms Delta and the freezing cold pool and that ‘old woody smell’ of the place. Other than the old building long gone not a lot has changed around Weybridge. I will take sone photos of the surrounding areas and post for those who might be interested..