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One hundred years ago, Captain Scott reached the South Pole, the Titanic set sail on its disastrous maiden voyage and the GB 4×4 100 freestyle relay team won a gold medal at the Olympics. At a more local level, the then headmaster of Hertfordshire-based Bishop’s Stortford College, F. S. Young announced a significant milestone in the development of the independent school’s Junior School: the opening of a new building to serve as a home away from home for boarders aged 7 to 13 years, with dormitory accommodation for twenty-eight boys as well as classroom space for forty pupils, a dining hall and master’s and matron’s rooms.
In the Spring term of 1912, the first pupils joined the house, known today as Grimwade House. The name comes from Edward William Grimwade, who devoted thirty-two years of service to guiding the growth and development of Bishop’s Stortford College as Chairman of the Board of Directors, having taken over the role from his father. During his life, Edward W Grimwade became one of the most prominent and popular figures in the wholesale pharmaceutical business. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Croydon and Surrey, a Governor of a Croydon hospital, a Charity Commissioner and an Income Tax Inspector. Edward’s brother, Frederick, was in the pharmaceutical industry in Australia and founded a school, Melbourne Grammar School, where its Junior Department is still called Grimwade House.
To launch the centenary celebrations in 2012, current Grimwade House Parent Adrian Hathaway gave an enchanting assembly to Junior School pupils all about the origins of the house and how daily life was for pupils back in the early days.
Humerous anecdotes supplied by former Grimwadian, David Bookless (BSC 1931-1938) raised giggles amongst the children, especially the story about how the boys disposed of unwanted food back in the days when all meals were eaten in the House Dining Room:
“[We] sat at one long table, one end to the windowsill made of thick red tiles. One tile was loose in the middle. One day a week, lunch was a stew of meat, it was thought to be the remains of last Sunday’s dinner. It was very unpopular, therefore we use to pass the meal down the table, lift the loose tile and tip the stew down the ‘rhino chute’ to the outside, often to the housemaster’s dog.”
Every generation has its popular crazes. Delving into the College’s archive magazine, The Stortfordian, reveals some of the activities that have captured Grimwade pupils’ imaginations in past years.
• 1933: “This term toy aeroplanes have been a popular craze: [with some] some sensational flights as well as some dizzy nose-dives and terrifying crashes!”
• 1944: “Kite flying, now the war time ban has been lifted, has been all the rage this term: trees round the school grounds and in Sparrow’s meadow are now covered with kite-wreckage.”
• 1955: “A miniature car track has been made between the five courts and the covered cricket pitch. Other games that have flourished this term include Clink soccer, deck-quoits, French Cricket and, for the less athletically gifted – the yo-yo!”
• 1968: “This term started with a jump, as brightly coloured superballs hurtled through the air. Sadly, the craze did not last when West put one through the glass in the Boot room door.”
• 1981 (Spring): Space Invaders and table tennis continue to be the House craze!”
• 1981 (Summer): “The Rubik’s cube took over as the House craze diverting everyone’s attention from the more valuable [examination] revision.”
During the war years, Grimwade House opened early since many boys lived in dangerous areas. It was noted in The Stortfordian that “during the 1940s, at the beginning of term, we slept sardine-like in the [school’s] shelter. When the weather broke we returned to the House, where we now sleep on the ground floor, most in the Common Room, a few in the Dining Room. A dorm makes a good playground. Baths have to be fitted in as the siren permits.”
Health and safety matters were approached rather differently in days gone by. Rather than walking out of the nearest door for routine fire drills, as is normal practise today, pupils had to ‘escape’ from the top floor using sheets. The sheets were tied at the top of the House, three floors up, pushed out of the window and the boys would manoeuvre themselves inside the sheet and, with arms and legs out wide, slide down!
Many other things have changed over the hundred years of Grimwade life. Today, the extended, modernised and refurbished House is larger, brighter, warmer (thanks to the addition of central heating!) and buzzing with the chatter of girls as well as boys. No longer used for teaching purposes, the whole House is home to 14 full and weekly boarders, with a further 42 pupils who board for part of the week. Downstairs has five rooms to relax in, with snooker, table tennis, piano, television, computers and music available.
What hasn’t changed is the care and dedication of staff at the heart of House life. So many have devoted decades of service. Only a few years ago, in 2007, Mags Hatchett retired as Matron after twenty seven years and just last year, Eve Macarthy was presented with a painting of Grimwade House by local artist Margaret Blascos to mark her retirement after keeping the house spick and span for forty one years.
“A boarding house cannot, and, indeed, should not, replace a child’s home,” said House Parent Mandy Hathaway. “But it should feel like an extended family. Our aim as house parents is simply to make it the best home away from home that it is possible to be.”
Bishop’s Stortford College officially marked the anniversary milestone with a special celebration on 12th May 2012. Guest of Honour was Sir Peter Whiteley GCB, OBE, who is the oldest living Grimwadian. Aged eight when he joined Bishop’s Stortford College in 1929, Sir Peter went on to pursue a distinguished career in the Royal Marines during which he became Commandant General of the Royal Marines and, in 1977, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Northern Europe.