Recollections of an Old (but young at heart) Oswestrian, circa 1952 - EPISODE 16, RULED BY THE BELL (SUNDAY, DAWN TO DUSK)

Life as a boarder at School House was dominated by the bell, the sound of which always foretold some kind of movement. An exception to this was the first call to arms of the day.

Sundays, in particular, before the 7.30am bell rang, were a haven of peace and tranquility in the senior dorm. Apart from a few whispered conversations between boys in adjacent beds and snores emanating from those still in a deep sleep, nothing stirred. The first bell of the day whose purpose was to kick start the boys into action was completely ineffective, as nobody stirred.

Sometimes there was an unexpected visit from Stoker, whose room was just metres away on the landing which connected the Junior and Senior dorms. Possibly sensing a lack of noise and bustle he would suddenly appear at the door like a Stormtrooper, booming at us to shift our backsides, or words to that effect, and it was he, rather than the bell, who was the catalyst for movement.

Whilst there was no actual chemical reaction here, the speed of activity was somewhat spectacular, particularly if Mr Lewis's unscheduled arrival coincided with the tolling of the five minute bell and, like a well-oiled machine, the whole dormitory went into a controlled frenzy.

We had just 5 minutes in which to dress, wash, visit the loo, and be ready outside the dining room door for breakfast at 8am. Some, inevitably, would not make it in time, and would be made to stand beside the short flight of steps leading to the Headmaster's living quarters. This sad cluster of late arrivals would have to keep one eye on Mr Williamson who, from his seat under the watchful eye of Dr Donne, would eventually indicate with a twitch of a finger that they could take their places at the table.

Rev Dr Donne's portrait in School House Dining Room

It was a well honed drill that enabled most of us to meet the deadline; carefully prepared the previous night and laid out on the chair between the beds, vests, shirts, jumpers, and ties all went on together in one swift movement, followed similarly by underwear and trousers. Socks were a little more time consuming, and many boys who were not quite up to speed would have overnighted in them. Only once feet had been slotted into shoes already laced up could the process move forward to the next stage which could be tricky, as, looking at the number of washbasins, you can understand why a wash for each of the 30 boys was impossible in the time available. Similarly, with only two toilet cubicles for the two dormitories, it was a testing time for bowel and bladder control, and sometimes a little imagination had to be used by the neediest who could not gain access to the facilities. Oh, the joys of those Sunday mornings!

Sundays were the time for a little relaxation after a week of competition in the classrooms and battles on the sports field, and for the most part we became brothers-in-arms for the day. I am somewhat hazy about the timelines, but I seem to recall we wore surplices for Sunday services in the chapel, seen below from the east side. My latest information on the controversial location of the infamous Holly Bush, confirmed by two people, is that it is the big bush situated bottom left in the corner of the picture. I wonder if any ladies can tell me whether the tradition of giving new bugs this prickly experience was extended to them?

A letter home was compulsory, and we all sat in a classroom next to the Masters' Common room until this was written and placed in a sealed envelope. I have a vivid memory of a painting, hanging rather crookedly askew on the back wall; it was The Laughing Cavalier, and I often mused that the title was a bit of a misnomer as he seemed to be smirking.

On several occasions, much to the irritation and disappointment of our parents, I enclosed a blank sheet of paper with just a few well chosen words, promising to be more forthcoming the following week, reasoning that at least they would benefit from my brother's tome. I mentioned this to Bernard who grinned at me and admitted he had done the same. We laughed at their expense - literally! All that hard-earned money spent for two blank sheets of paper. Shame on us!

In one letter I requested them NOT to send any more of those dreadful beans and tins of soup that had obviously been stuck for weeks on the shelves in one of our shops, and even quipped wistfully that, from memory, dog biscuits were more palatable. I regretted it later, half expecting dad's sense of humour to get the better of him, and I thought there was a very real possibility that a special delivery of Winalot could arrive, causing much merriment in the tuck room. I considered briefly, but with little conviction, the possibility of palming them off on the tuck room low life.

Talking of which, weekends were a fertile time for this bunch, as they had much time on their hands, largely being disengaged from school activities, and it was a tricky business trying to maintain a low profile and stay out of their reach.

At the first sign of one of their 'gophers' I would make myself scarce lest they were coming with an offer I could not refuse.

Sunday morning was also shoe cleaning time, and we all gathered convivially in the boot room, where everyone had a small locker. Digging out the tins of Cherry Blossom boot polish, dubbin, and brushes (1940's style), we gossiped whilst cleaning various footwear and listened to the only radio in the school. It was here that I heard my first episode of The Archers, which originally aired in 1951, and of which I have been a fan ever since (oops, I hope my credibility is not in tatters now!). 

Black for shoes

Dubbin for football boots

It is only now, as I tap in my memories, that realisation is dawning about just how much pre-organisation went into our lives, and how the routine that went with it filled our time to prevent idleness and sloth. 

Lunch was at one o'clock sharp.

To be continued next week...

As promised in Episode 15, but with apologies as not every boy is identified, here are the two photographs with the names of some of those present: perhaps others can fill in the gaps for me?