In the 1950s Beaumont was just an ordinary Secondary Modern School. There were none of the modern buildings that spread around the site today; just the original brick structure, and three temporary ROSLA classroom buildings put up in preparation for the Raising Of the School Leaving Age – to fifteen. A few students were, even then, encouraged to remain until they were sixteen, taking GCE exams.
Among the most remembered events were the school journeys.
I suppose, as a boys’ school, as it was between 1954 and 1960, it was inevitable that there would be connections with the armed services. There had been the Sea Cadets which had met and trained at the school before removing to HMS Verulam at Westminster Lodge. But post-war there must have been a constant requirement for youngsters to “join up” in order to replace those who had been serving in the lean years immediately after the war.
In 1959 Mr Arthur Coxall, who taught woodwork and lived in Elm Drive, organised a Monday-to-Friday school journey to Portsmouth where our accommodation was HMS Vanguard, a battleship which was laid up in the harbour and was used, as far as I can recall, as a training and recruitment ship. There were about twenty or so fourth years (year ten) who went with Mr Coxall and the newly appointed headmaster, Mr George Humphries.
Quite why I became part of the group I am not sure, since I knew I had no intention of joining up as a career – even though they got you anyway at that time through the National Service route. Nor was I a particular fan of the water. It was one of those moments when, if your friends said they were going, that's what you told your parents, and they were supposed to agree. Fortunately, they did, but with one caveat. Whatever it cost I had to fund it. So that would be another raid on my paper round income.
I cannot remember as much as I probably should for such a unique experience, but found myself enjoying the novelty of sleeping in hammocks, which were amazingly comfortable, until, that is, the ridiculously early wake-up call by the sailors who were in charge of us. I wonder whether the teachers were in hammocks, or or whether they were afforded the luxury of a cabin?
Naturally, we were given a tour of the the dull grey ship, and we joined in many of the mess activities: some of the best basic meals I can remember – there always seemed to be seconds available if we wanted them. Just as the sailors benefited from down-time, we also enjoyed games room activities; and instruction sessions on various topics I have long since forgotten. Oddly enough I can recall a film night; a black-and-white feature film called Twelve Angry Men. I imagined ships always possessing a constant background throbbing noise from its engines, but this was absent from HMS Vanguard, instead, being attached to mainland life by a cable!
Every day we skitted around the harbour in a little naval launch to various places. There was a visit to HMS Victory, and a gunnery simulation building where we were able to score our ability to shoot simulated cannons at ships, and simulated guns at aircraft, with the winning team being awarded some kind of prize. The Royal Marines hosted one day but I am not certain what we did with them.
I have to admit that the week was thoroughly enjoyable. Who else went on this trip? It will have been others who were also 15 in 1958. Did it only happen once or was it a regular feature of the Beaumont programme in the 1950s? What is almost certain is that the Vanguard week was the last one. The ship was decommissioned and broken up in 1960, news which very much disappointed me.
I know, you are dying to know whether the experience changed my mind about the armed forces! Well, no, it didn’t, and by the time I was 17 the government of the day stopped compulsory National Service, thank goodness. I am sure that school journeys at Beaumont School have become increasingly adventurous, but we tend to remember the ones organised just for us. It's just a shame I didn't take a camera!
No comments:
Post a Comment