Reunions at the School

Saturday 18 September 2010

Once again we were lucky enough to have a wonderfully sunny day at Walhampton for our latest reunion and had to resist the urge to break into a game of British Bulldog on the front lawn. As always the fond memories of the school came flooding back, with much talk of all the fantastic activities and adventures that we had there - that would leave the health and safefy brigade of modern times absolutely speechless and horrified.

It has to be said though that modern day Hordle Walhampton is clearly still an amazing school with very happy pupils who obviously really enjoy their time there. Whilst things are very different from our day, the headmaster (Henry Phillips) and his team place great importance on retaining many of the values that JB wished for the school going forwards, with activities, sports, horse riding and expeditions week still remaining high on the school's agenda. Things like swimming for your life having capsized a small boat in front of the Isle of Wight Ferry, wide-games where pupils get lost in the New Forest for hours, and Sundays on the aerial runway/high swing/high tree walkways are sadly no longer part of the curriculum!

Many thanks to Henry and Jackie Phillips, Sheila and the other staff members, for making us feel very welcome and looking after us during the day.

From left to right: Richard Bruges, William Orr, Ralph Montagu, Nick Pepin, David Dibben, Neil Fleming, Stuart Wade, Wendy Stickley, John Graves, David Hill (hidden!), Kath Hutchinson, James Steele, Marjorie Ferrier, Chris Knox, Chloe Bruce, Hilary Knox, Gill Murray-Walker, Andrew Glennie, Laura Wade, Robin Marray-Walker, Ian Swain and Caleb Streat.

The school - taken by William Orr on Saturday 18th September 2010. I'm pleased to say it hasn't changed much - except for the bars on the dormitory windows now - so no more climbing out and up on to the roof. Shame...

Its still there! Stuart, Ralph and David Hill revert to being 12 year olds again!

Saturday 27 June 2009

Today the sun shone all day and we couldn't have wished for better weather, This enabled us to have picnic lunch on the front lawn, tea on the terrace and the opportunity to wander all over the lovely grounds. The children of OWs played games, swam in the pool and generally enjoyed themselves - as children tend to do when at Walhampton.

Whilst there were fewer OW's today than last time, it was enjoyed equally as much and gave people the chance to catch up with old classmates and walk around the school, the grounds and to see all the new sports and activity buildings that Hordle Walhampton now has to offer.

The dormitories are a far cry from our day with televisions, playstations, computers, internet, kitchen facilities and so on. In 30 years the the world of boarding schools has clearly changed a large amount with the emphasise now on schools needing to do everything they can to entice children to want to board, rather than go home at night and be day pupils. Whilst I'm sure that today's boarders are very happy, I can't help thinking that there was something to be said for secret chocolate supplies being hidden under floorboards, sneaking out of the dormitory windows onto the roof (all blocked off now), taking your chances on the aerial runway, sneaking into the ponies fields on a Sunday afternoon and riding them bareback up and down the field, wide games and generally living in a world of adventures.

Thank you to the headmaster, Henry Phillips, and his colleagues, for making us feel very welcome at the school, providing us with 'little tea' and allowing us a free run of the buildings and grounds.

Standing from left: David Hill, Richard Elliott, Caleb Streat, Ben Teale, Chris Knox, Rosalind Graves, Stuart Wade, Neil Fleming, Kathy Hutchinson, Marjorie Ferrier, Ian Swain, John and Joy Elphinstone , Gill Murray Walker, Chris Parker.
Sitting from left: Ralph Montagu, Tom Barton, Laura Wade, Jason Ball, Sara Davidson, Robin Murray Walker.

Robin Hepburn, Neil Fleming, Laura Wade, Stuart Wade and Ralph Montagu enjoying a picnic lunch on
the front lawn.

Start Wade, Ralph Montagu, Tom Barton, Chris Knox, Neil Fleming, Jason Ball, John and Joy Elphinstone
and Richard Elliott taking a stroll in the woods.

John Elphinstone and Caleb Streat taking tea on the Terrace

Ian Swain, Mrs Swain, Gill and Robin Murray Walker also taking tea on the Terrace.

Rosalind Graves (with husband Anthony on left), together with Chris Knox

Tom Barton, Ben Teale and Neil Fleming

Kathy Hutchinson talking to Richard Elliott

David Dibben with Tom, Stuart and Ralph

The grounds are still as wonderful as ever...view from Tiger

The lake with lilies in full bloom

View from the front of the building overlooking the Lodge and front drive

And two years previously....

Saturday 30 June 2007

 

Unfortunately we were not able to get everyone together in one shot, but this is the largest group we got. So, starting at the bottom of the stairs, left to right, Chris Knox, Wendy Stickley, Margot Brown, Robin Murray-Walker, Virginia Neal, David Dibben, Gill Murray Walker, Bob Short (still teaching at the school!), Richard Collins, Rob Thoyts, Claire Lindesay, William Cussans, Ralph Montagu, Andrew Glennie, Richard Vessey, Laura Wade, Richard Bruges, Guy Fancourt, William Atkins, Stuart Wade, Robin Hepburn, Gary Hague, James Steele, James Waghorn, Peter Perren, Chris Swingler. Sorry to anyone else in there that I've missed.

Claire Lindesay and Chris (Mr) Parker

 

"What struck me after 30 yrs or so was how small the school building seemed, as an 8 yr old it just felt huge, with really long corridors!" Virginia Neal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gary Hague, David Hill and Ralph Montagu

"For me, yesterday was marked by the moment I stepped into the woodwork room and met Mr. Short, still there in the same place where I learnt so many woodworking skills with him. It seems that Walhampton is not only a special place with lots of fond memories for all of us but it is also a timeless place. Mr. Elphinstone was wearing the same watch that he wore 30 years ago, easily recogniseable and memorable as he used it for timing the races for sailing and it has a distinctive dial with a red edge to it! Timeless is perhaps the right word, as while chatting it was difficult to know whether to stay in the past or the present. Memories of how people were 30 years ago constantly mingled with the present. Some people were instantly recogniseable others have changed and I would not recognise them at all. The name badges were often useful but by no means always needed. 30 years seemed to flatten into days, Chris Knox spoke to me as if I'd seen him yesterday, truely timeless! (However I think he had managed to forget that I was useless at History and I managed to forget to ask him if he still had studs on his shoes! We do remember those footsteps in the dormitory corridors after lights out!)" Chris Swingler

 

 

Andrew Glennie - very happy after finding the old model railway down the cellar!

 

 

"It was quite a surprise how few people I recognised at first but it didn't take long for many of the old links to start reforming as we all reminded each other of long forgotten memories. In the end, as a group of us went into the cellar and gathered round the model railway, it just seemed like we were all 13 again." Andrew Glennie

 

 

 

Jon Bentley, Chris Swingler, Chris Knox, James Bentley, Saleem Shamash.

"I very much loved my time at Walhampton, but in spite of this have only been back on a few occasions. I guess it was the age of innocence and fun and I confess each return has left me with a twinge of sadness – that those carefree times are gone forever and that the school has gradually changed as it must, so that one can never return to ones exact memories." Saleem Shamash

 

 

 

 

 

Teachers: Mrs Elphinstone, Mrs Moore, Mrs Murray Walker, Mr Murray Walker, Marjory (pre-prep), Mr Elphinstone, Mr Parker.

"We thoroughly enjoyed the day: the time sped past, and we couldn`t believe it when a glance at the watch said it was already 4 o`clock!  In some ways the wet weather helped, because it meant that people centred round the hall, which made it easier to see people. That said, were the sun to shine next time, we would appreciate afresh the beauty of the place we knew and loved as "Walhampton"." Robin Murray Walker

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Clode and Neil Fleming

I enjoyed the day despite the weather. It was nice to see everyone again. I enjoyed talking with the staff who taught us. Looking forward to the next Reunion. Neil Fleming

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Knight and Simon Ashby in background, Simon Messer and Andy Baerselman in foreground.

"I will be meeting up with at least one very good friend who, after 35 years of absolutely no contact, I bumped into in the courtyard on the way to Major "Diddles" Dunlop's science lab.  It was like meeting a lost relative and I will try not to lose him again - quite emotional - and creates an excellent link with a part of my own past that I had hitherto forgotten." James Waghorn

 

 

 

 

 

Miles Cudmore and Mary Cuttle

 

"It has brought back a real flood of memories which I shall have to write down this weekend !  It was interesting to hear of people’s reactions as they returned as well." Miles Cudmore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuart Wade, Claire Lindesay, Laura Wade, Richard Bruges, Mary Montagu, Ralph Montagu, Bob Short.

Jim Bruges, with Emilia and Ben Montagu at the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miles Cudmore, Gary Hague, William Cussans, David Dibben, William Atkins, David Chittick.

"I enjoyed hearing about the experiences that others had of
the school.  Everyone seemed to have had a good time.  I
kept on telling everyone what a horrible experience it had
been for me!  No one seemed aware that I had not been
happy there.  I guess I kept it to myself.  I appreciate
now that I was fortunate to have been at the school.  We
were privileged to have the facilities there and we were
given an excellent start with our education." David Chittick

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