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Frances Mary Richardson (known as Mary) Russell Hill School memories by Frances Mary Sagar nee Richardson (aged 105)
F.M. Richardson (circa 1915) in school uniform
F. M. Sagar (née Richardson) aged 103
A photograph taken in September 1913 of the school play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. In January 1911 following the death of my father, my brother William Alan Richardson and I went to the “Warehousemen, Clerks and Drapers” schools at Purley Surrey. It was only for fatherless children and was called Russell Hill School. We both entered school on the 14 th Jan 1911, my brother left when he was 15 on the 27 th Nov 1915. I was registered as Frances Richardson but was always know as Mary. (The school records give her registration no. as 1992 and her brother’s as 1977) When I first started at Russell Hill I was in Hope Morley House with the matron. This was in a separate building away from the main school and was for the children under ten. We had our own dining room. Behind the playground was the field where the school horse lived. I do not remember that we had any contact with the main school while we were there. It was separate. We had copy books from which we learned to write very neatly. I loved dancing and as I knew the steps I used to be the leader in the dances with Ida Bowyer. I transferred to the “big” school when I was 10 in 1914 In 1915 my sister Ina and her fiancé John came to Purley to see my brother and me - they had to get a special permit as normally visitors were allowed only once a month. John was in his army uniform. My brother and I were the first to be allowed out of school during term time to attend their wedding in Dec. 1915 at St. Mary’s Acton. The reception was held at the Sharland’s home in Gunnersbury, just outside the station. I did not have a special dress and had to wear my school uniform which consisted of navy blue tunic, dark blue knickers and stockings, and a hard straw hat. There were over 100 girls in the main school in 3 dormitories. The large one had a screen half way down it. The small one, in the corner of the building, had a fire escape chute. I remember that when I was older I had to be the first one down in a fire practice, when we were not allowed to use the stairs. Fire practice was held once a term and the first one down had to hold the chute open ready for the next girl. It was great fun. The school had its own laundry so we each had to have a number on all our clothes, mine was 698 and my brother Alan’s was 1284, It’s silly the things you remember. Once when we had an air raid practice and had to collect in the corridor, I was with Dorothy Morphew and we crept into one of the classrooms and in doing so I lent onto a swivel blackboard and fell through it, we could not stop laughing. The school was split into houses. I was in the “ Normans” and was a house prefect before I left. The other houses were Angles, Britons, Jutes, Danes, Romans and Saxons. I cannot remember who the head girls were. Our day started at 7.0 when we were woken. We then washed but we only had cold water when I first went there, and then went to breakfast. We always had to congregate in the big play room and then walked into the dining hall in an orderly line two by two for all meals. When every one was seated we had a short prayer. Breakfast consisted of porridge and bread. If you wanted jam for your bread you had to have your own individual pot and get it sent from home. All I remember of Lunch is that we had a roast on Tuesdays and mince on Wednesdays. Out tea / supper was bread and fruit cake which I hated and always gave to a friend. I do not remember there being much change to the menu. In the hall we sat with the girls on the right hand side and the boys on the left and across the top. This was the only time we ever saw the boys as their school was separate to ours. We always sat at tables in our houses. We had to file out a table at a time when everyone was finished. The teachers did not eat with us, having their own dining room, but we were supervised by the duty teacher. Our classes from Monday to Friday were from 9.0 till 12.0 and restarted at 2.0 till 5.0 after which we had tea and did our homework before bed. I think we went to bed at about 8.00pm. On Saturday we only had morning school. On Sundays we all used to walk to church and passed the Boer War memorial on the main road from Croydon. Mr Christospherson was the minister. We all had to walk in a two file crocodile. In the senior school we had a special service in the evening. If you had visitors you would all sit in the play room and chat or walk around the grounds. Also on Sundays, siblings were allowed to meet up for a quarter of an hour after tea in the main hall, otherwise you were not allowed any contact with them. I think my Mother was able to visit about once a month. I think we had a good basic education with lessons in Arithmetic, French, Botany, Algebra, Art with free hand and memory drawing, English grammar, Geography, R E with papers on The Acts of the Apostles and Gospel of St Mark; Shakespeare and English composition. I still have my University of Cambridge exam papers in these subjects which I took in Dec 1919. We also learned cookery in the last year. There was an indoor school swimming pool which was heated and we played hockey. I was very keen and was Hockey captain in my last year at school. Before I left, we also started to play tennis. We also had a very well equipped gymnasium with vaulting horses, wall bars and ropes. Roller skates were allowed and my friends and I loved to skate around the playground and show off. I do not think there was a separate choir as we all had to sing which I loved. We did a lot of singing at school. I remember I had to stand next to a girl who was tone deaf. We sang the school motto “Non Siba Sed Omnibus” Each year we did a play based on Shakespeare. In my last year it was A Midsummer Night’s Dream and I was Bottom. Once, when we had an epidemic of Chicken Pox, I was one of the last to catch it, and was staying in the infirmary. I only had 5 spots! I watched a zeppelin. It was at night and the search lights were scanning the sky and illuminated it. You could see the Crystal Palace from Purley Hill. Croydon was the first International London airport and it still had a grass runway. It was taken over in the war. (WW1) We also had an epidemic of measles but I did not catch it but had to stay longer in the infirmary for the quarantine period and so she helped Nurse Bourne. As I got on well with her and was helpful, I was allowed to stay longer than necessary. I remember I was anaemic at school so was given Parishes Chemical Food and cod-liver oil and malt. We were only allowed home twice a year for the 7 weeks summer holiday and for 5 weeks in winter. At Easter time we had one week’s holiday, but this was spent in school, during which there were outings arranged for all the children. I remembered a visit to the Crystal Palace and walks and activities in the school grounds. It was while on holiday at home in Acton during a Sunday walk, I saw the soldiers in khaki uniforms taking their horses to drink at the rows of drinking troughs along the lane at Park Royal. We also had to wait to cross the road while troops of mounted soldiers and their equipment passed. I received 2/6 per term pocket money at school which I spent in the school tuck shop, my favourite’s sweets were Jap Nuggets (marzipan) cubes and twisted sugar sticks you could buy 4 for a 1d. These you could suck until you had a point on the end with which you could poke others! If you were naughty the punishment was either lines, learning a Shakespeare speech or being sent to bed. I never saw a cane and I do not think there was one. We also had the “Children’s Newspaper” at school, I remembered when they had the 1 st issue. We had a film show once a month at school with a serial film which always finished on a cliff hanger to be continued next time. Once I was caught sliding down the banisters by Miss Deeks the Headmistress and I had to go to bed and miss the next film showing. Miss Deeks was little and dumpy and had a lovely head of dark long hair which she wore in a bun. She had a bedroom at the top of the stairs. She had to pass by the dorm to go to the loo and washroom. She was also meant to have had a cat that had produced over a 100 kittens - well that was the story but we were never allowed to see any kittens. Other teachers I remember were Miss Dormer who married Mr Archer a master from the boys school, she taught History and Geography; Miss Hill who taught physical gym and drill; Miss Ogg who I think may have been head before Miss Dormer; Miss Henderson, Miss Rayner , Miss Hill and Miss McDermott who taught French; Miss Lake; Miss Gould and Miss Hedger. Some of the friends I remember were Eve Sibert, Doris Karn, Eleanor Collins, Maisie Green, Avril Morris, Gladys Bowles, Marjory Oats, Nora Riley and lots more who signed my autograph book which I still have. The school had large grounds which were lovely to walk round with a gardener and grew much of its own food for the kitchens. I do not remember any of the cooks, but we were well fed but the menu was a little repetitive. We were allowed a school trunk for all our possessions and left it at Purley station where the school arranged to pick it up. They also delivered it there when you went home on holidays. I caught the flue in the 1918 flu epidemic which killed many people in England As it was towards the end of the summer term I was smuggled up to stay in the small dorm otherwise the school would have made me stay there for the duration of the holiday. My friends helped to carry my case to Purley station to catch the train to Cannon Street then on to the tube. On arrival home my mother sent for the Doctor straight away. I was very ill. I completed my schooling in July 1919 and was presented with a medal and a number of book prizes. These are beautifully bound in red leather with the school crest embossed on them. I also have a book of poems presented by Mr Hope Morley. I then spent a further 6 months there as a student teacher and had a cubical to myself in a corner of the small dormitory. Unfortunately my mother could not afford to pay for me to go to teacher training college so I left school at Christmas 1919. The school produced a news letter called Old Russellions which I used to get regularly for many years, which kept me in contact with what was happening. I still have some old copies and a few photographs.
Memories of Speech Day 27th September 1947 I was interested to read Clive Whittenbury’s article in the Spring Newsletter. It brought back memories of Speech Day 1947. We were both about 14 and selected by Mr Tombleson, the English master, to take part in a scene from ‘The Bourgeois Gentleman’, by Molière. Whittenbury and I were very attractive ‘girls’ and he had to play opposite Long and I had to play opposite Millmore - both grown ‘men’ in the 6th Form who quite possibly even had to shave sometimes! The whole play was to be performed at the end of term in English but this scene, for Speech Day only, had to be done in French. Whittenbury was Lucille and I was Nicole and Long and Millmore were in love with us! During the scene the action involved the ‘girls’ on their knees pleading with the ‘men’ and later on, the men on their knees doing likewise. However, during the rehearsals of which there were many, an incident occurred which has remained with me all these years and I wonder if Clive Whittenbury, despite his distinguished career, remembers it, too. The rehearsals always took place on the stage in the Great Hall and Mr Tombleson would sit on a chair which he would place in the middle of the hall with the script in his hands being as patient with us as he could. It was in one of the early rehearsals that, with the ‘men’ on their knees in front of us, Whittenbury in pronouncing a French word let fly a small speck of spit which landed in Long’s eye and which he involuntarily closed. That made Whittenbury laugh, which in turn, made me laugh and which, in turn, made Mr Tombleson bite his nails. The trouble was that Long, God rest his soul, could not let it go and so at every rehearsal after that, when Whittenbury had to say that word, Long closed an eye. The result was a long break in each rehearsal while Whittenbury and I tried to stop our helpless laughter and compose ourselves, and made all the more funny because we could see Mr T going ever more frantic with his nails. It really was an unforgettable, eye-watering, stomach-aching, experience and all the more frightening when we thought of doing the scene for real on Speech Day in front of all the dignitaries and, of course, our parents. Fortunately, Long played fair and did not close an eye on The Day.
Derick Charles Smith (at school 1938-1944) On 31st March 2009 Derick, now living in Tenterden, Kent, wrote this: “How pleasing to see in tonight's programme of "Songs of Praise" that the old school featured as a finalist for the ultimate selection. Congratulations, anyway, for doing so well, and it is gratifying to note that the high standard of musical interest is being maintained with Royal Russell School. It was certainly good publicity for RRS to be involved with the contest and so beneficial for any future competitive ambitions. Best wishes from the original "Mabel" of the war time production of Pirates of Penzance at Russell Hill. Good luck next time!” Derick then sent us some photos: “The entire 'HMS Pinafore' cast on stage taken at 'Ballards' in 1938, i.e., before we were all pushed off to Russell Hill! I'm one of the "girls" in the 'Pinafore' photograph and I can still recall the headmaster emphasizing to the assembled audience - in case there could have been any doubt - that the school's cast, whatever the make-up may have portrayed, was certainly totally male!
Photos below are of Derick in 1949 aboard RMS Stirling Castle in Southampton, Cape Town, and more recently with family in Belgium.
I read Richard Dadson's piece on life at Russell School in the early fifties and I am inspired to write about some of my experiences. This photo features David Bennett, Nigel Stock, John Killey and myself. We are dressed as heralds and our purpose was to lead the stage party through the Assemby Hall and play a fanfare to the school and family and friends on Speech Day, probably about 1950/51.
I am pictured here at aged 15 outside Cambridge House Rec Room in 1953, and again negotiating the water jump in the Obstacle Race on Sports Day 1953.  The chorus of pirates from the school production of the Pirates of Penzance - probably early 50's. Back row L to R: Peter Matten, Christopher Jameson, Alan Mounce, John Parry, Roger Keen (Pirate King) I wonder if anyone out there has the Policemen's Chorus Line and General Stanley's Daughters' Chorus Line?
Gwilym Trevor Hamer – Science Teacher in 1940s
Nigel has very kindly donated a slide show for the O.R. Archives, which can be viewed here.
At Remembrance Sunday 2008 past and current pupils remembered their war dead. ‘In Loving Memory’ is a 90th Anniversary of the Armistice supplement, especially remembering two Old Russellians, Austin Rich and Frank Austin.
FACES FROM THE PAST - A MYSTERY SOLVED
But this chance discovery raised quite a few questions. Why were the photographs taken? Why are there no photographs of those who left the School before 1950? And of those who left after 1965? And why did the Album come to an end? Some of these questions can now be answered. A further Album has been found in the School Archive covering the period from 1939 to 1949. And many of those photographs which appear in this Album have the words "killed in action" written after their names. Ballards was built as a memorial to those who died in the Great War whose 90th anniversary was commemorated this month. The School had no photographs of the boys who died in the First World War and as a Second World War threatened the decision was taken to photograph all the boys leaving the school before they were conscripted. As a result the School now has portraits of all its dead in that war but none of those who may have died in more recent conflicts since 1965. These two albums also record the faces of boys on the edge of manhood who were not killed in war but went on to distinguished careers in the professions, business and the arts and a few who became household names. Once the photographs in this second album has been scanned their names will be added to the index and they will be able to request copies of their photographs from Bill Forster who initiated this project.
Do you recognise these ORs?
Why is my photograph not included?
RUSSELL SCHOOL IN THE 1950’S Have you any photographs taken at Russell School in the 1950's? The DVD will combine a digital archive of all the photographs (with captions and credits) plus a slide show of the more interesting photographs. Photographs can be transferred from the archive onto a computer for printing and e-mailing and the DVD can be played as a slide show on a computer or television. Bill would like to thank the following contributors: Barry Robinson, Brian Fraser, Bernard Spolsky, Bll Forster, Colin Barrable , Keith Angel, Chris Gough, David Wilkinson, Franciis MacMahon, Michael Ryan, Patrick Bygate, Richard Dadson, Richard Payne, Roger Ballaster, Roger Simmonds, Steve Woods, Stuart Adams, Tony Dear, Tony Ford, Andrew Foot and Royal Russell School. Please contact Bill by e-mail: bill@fischer-balcke.de Please send him your photographs as high resolution scans or post them to him for scanning and return within a week.
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