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Edinburgh House School, Contact Database
 (Listed in order received)

Please click here if you would like to be added to the contact database.

 

Robert Lawrence.
Oregon, USA.
Contact Me
Attended: 1960-1963.  

Lee House

Click here for detailed memories of the school.

             

Robert Lawrence has lived in the USA since 1980, and is a Major in the US Air Force Auxiliary where he is a search and rescue pilot.   

He is also a singer and musician and has a website at www.greene-lawrence.com  

Michael Brunton
Attended: 1977-1982

James Bates
 Attended  1980-1991

Comments:  As an "old boy" I have many memories, people and places. (The annex, the accounts room, the chaple, pre-prep)
The old building and its changes through the years, are important to me. Living locally I sometimes go for a look over the boundaries.
There are teachers I still keep in contact with through work, who taught me back then, and of course those ever faithful friends that I get re-acquainted with.

Nigel Ramsay
NSkywrite@aol.com
Attended 1956-1961

Comments:  A long time ago gents!

Jeremy English
 Attended:  1953 -1960

Comments:  I daren't tell you my life history - it's too shameful!  However, I still have many old friends from those days - Graham Hamilton, Huff Goldsmith, Alan Backhurst - perhaps that's not so many after all!
I'd be happy to hear from anyone in the photo, I've identified about 25 names.

John Evans
wejjne@aol.com
Attended:  1963 - 1966

Comments:  Live in the US now. Interested in what happened to the Keffords as well as teachers, matrons et al. I saw the school photo and they all look the same (even facial expressions) as the one I have from 63!

Andy Steadman
steadmanandy@aol.com
Attended: 1977-1983

Comments: I would love to hear from anyone that remembers me.

Ric Toovey
ric2v@aol.co.uk  
Attended 1956–1962

 

Comments: Some random memories.......

1 The 4 Houses: Ballard, Brightwell, Lee, Wellington
2. The sliding doors separating the classrooms
3. Marching from the old gym and through the long narrow wooden corridor to the Dining Room
4. Cycling through the town in crocodile fashion to the beach at Barton-on-Sea to swim (before the pool opened in c1958)
5. The 'dots' system for recording misdemeanors
6. The local competition at Durlston Court and Hordle House
7. The secret passage leading from one dormitory to another.
8. The drinking water fountain
9. The 'Glee' Club (under the supervision of Miss Norah Bath)        * She later married Mr Clarke I believe
10. Shooting .22 rifles in the range (and the postal competitions with other schools)
11. Walking round the drive when it was too wet for games
12. Playing 'convoys' and 'kick-the-can'
13. Making a pair of bookends in the Carpentry Shop (I still have them!)
14. The early morning PT sessions on the games field with Mr. Hutchinson (nicknamed Bongo?)
15. The 1/3 pint of milk and Swiss bun at break times! 

Dudley Gilbert 
Attended 1969-1972.
whiteheart1@ntlworld.com

Boarder, & 1 year of Day School. 

Charles Richards
Attended 1980-1985
cswrichards@yahoo.co.uk  

I recall a couple of people on the website already - Andy Steadman and Michael Brunton. 

Andrew Morgan
Attended 1977-1983
fivestringdude@hotmail.com  


At EHS 1977-1983 (passed CE to Lancing College) I was in Lee Appointed Head Chorister in my final year (1982-83)
Headmaster: Dick Drown 

Other teachers I remember:

Barbara Barnes (1st Form); Mary de Castro (2nd Form, Art); Colin Cooper (3rd Form, French, 1st XI cricket) William Hofton (4th Form, Director of Music) Mrs. Griffiths (5th/6th Form, Geography) Barry Hartley (French) Neil Pockett (PE, Senior Master) Mr Hutchinson (Housemaster Mrs. Drown (English) Mr. Dickinson (English) Mr. Thurgood (Maths) Col Charles Booth-Jones (Maths) Mrs Lamb (Matron) Mrs Partridge (Matron).

 

Giorgio Spacagna  
Attended 1988-2001
gio2cool@hotmail.com

I was there from around 1988’ish to the end. Then when it changed to Ballard School I was there till 2001.
My Mum still works at the School and both of my parents live around the corner in New Milton still.

I currently live in Southampton. 

Colin Stuart
Attended 1949-1953
colinstuart123@hotmail.com

 

Memories...

1.   Shouts of "E & F Bed" and "Milk & Buns".
2.   Mr. Maw while handing out mail in the gym would throw all the comics against the wall of the gym and invite pupils to collect their "Rubbish".
3.   Seeing the Brabazon fly over the school.
4.   Guy Fawkes night in front of the terrace.
5.   Whispered "KV" amongst pupils meaning that a Master was approaching.
6.   Steam engine journey from platform 10 at Waterloo Station to New Milton.
7.   Wearing long trousers for the first time.
8.   Miss Hoskins, the very tall and fierce Nurse.
9.   Threats of a 'Dot' if found running through the corridors.
10. Sports Day with parents taking Tea on the terrace.
11. Avoiding chalk and wooden board dusters thrown by Masters during class.
12. Striped backsides in the communal shower.
13. Away games against Durlston Court and Hordle House.
14. The smell of the school sanatorium.
15. Slipper fights in the dormitory.
16. Bicycle rides known as "Privates".
17. Blotting paper to pad shorts/trousers prior to a beating. "This hurts me more than it hurts you" remarks.
18. Being awarded ones 'Colours' for sports achievement.
19. Over Dots disciplinary sessions.
20. Mr. Maw playing the organ in the chapel.

Peter Hayward
Attended 1969-1972
peter@haywards.me.uk 

I joined from Marchwood Park so I think it must have been 69 and left in 72. I can't really remember which house I was in although Ballard seems the more familiar.
I was a weekly boarder (worst of all worlds)
I can remember:

1) The Davis escape system next to the windows in the dorms
2) The little attic spaces between the dormer windows which occasionally yielded superb trophies - normally military kit like gas masks from the time (I believe) it was used as a training base in WW2
3) The iron cupola (presumably originally housing some sort of AA weapon)
4) The hedge and ditch separating the 2 playing fields - one time we were playing cricket and waiting to bat, one of the boys was welting something buried in the ground that seemed to be yielding ball bearings; it was noticed that it seemed to have fins and when Sir came over and went white as a sheet, we all beat a retreat. The bomb disposal were called in. There was a bang but whether it would have gone bang without their help I know not.
5) The brand new gym ending up with a floor with a 3 foot swell in it due to the roof leaking.
6) Mr Lyme - the lovely gardener
7) One of the dinner ladies always arrived in an ancient car (Morris I think) with the reg YRU 98 

Alla Azizi
Attended 1976-1979
aazizi@direct.ca

I attended Edinburgh House School from 1976 - 1979 (Clyde-red)
Mr. Hutchinson was my Housemaster, I did visit him before he passed away.
I also remember Barbara Barnes, Mary de Castro, Colin Cooper, William
Hofton, Neil Pockett, Mr. Drown (Head Master) Col. Charles Booth-Jones
(who I had math tuition during the summer at his house) Mrs Lamb & Mrs
Partridge (Matrons).

Mark Lapper
Attended 1959 - 1961
mark@lapper.org.uk

Ballard House

Adam Helliker
Attended 1968 -1972
hellikera@gmail.com  

Brightwell House

My friends at the time included Christopher Hayward, Gerald O’Riordan and Andrew Leby(?)
I remember Mr. Hutchinson and a matron, Agatha Hickley.  Her brother was bursar at King’s Bruton, where I went on to.
Also Frank Pickering, the English teacher, who encouraged my interest in Eng Lit - but the poor chap was always being teased by his pupils.

I went on to a career in journalism, writing for the Daily Mail, Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Express.

Graham Gleadell
Attended 1960-1964
grhgld@outlook.com

Patrick Kumst
Attended 1979-1984
pkfromja@cwjamaica.com

My memories...

  1. Colin Coopers dog was a staple in the classroom (3rd Form, French)
  2. Bill Hofton (Music and RE) taught me how to make a short sheet bed prank and swapped my Snoopy plush toy for a miniature one claiming that mine shrunk in the wash. Mrs Lamb (Matron) played along.
  3. The .22 rifle range
  4. Playing every sport imaginable (swimming, track and field, rugby, soccer, hockey, cricket, golf, gymnastics)
  5. Traveling to Jersey for 7 a-side rugby tournaments
  6. The awful food (which I tossed on the floor since I couldn't leave it on the plate.
  7. Having to polish your shoes before entering the dining room.
  8. Having bath "night" once or twice per week.
  9. Playing in the woods and sneaking "out of bounds" 
  10. No running allowed in the halls
  11. Not being able to walk with your hands in your pockets
  12. Having a social dance with the girls from Fern Hill School

Students that I remember; Andrew Steadman, Steven Cooke, Daryl Broughton, Michael Hayward and other. 

Stephen Waters
Attended 1970-1976
 stephen@watershedschool.co.uk

I was in Lee House

Nigel Stephen Parker
Attended 1966-1968
anie.parker@wanadoo.fr

Wellington House

I remember the chapel in the mornings. Early morning swims in the outdoor pool in the woods. 
The Keffords, the Matron, Tuck boxes, trunks, rifle range, all sports played with Hordle House and other schools. 
Boxing in the gym with 4 pullovers to mark the ring and Mr.Kingsley as the referee. Head boy was Lee, 
he was a flyweight champion, he hit me 3 times before I even saw it!! Good comradeship!  
Very strict discipline, but encouraged effort.  I also remember each house had its own dinner table and its own garden. 
I remember the prep classes in the evenings, the dormitories and the fortnightly tests. 
I would love to hear from anyone who was there between 1966- 1968.

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Last updated 2023