This was the gate at the western end of the school, opposite St Mary’s, and by Sylvester.
We would all troup through this gate on our way to the Tin Tabernacle for the Sunday service, and after an hour of listening to various Vicars, Canons etc, we'd troup back for letter writing.
21 comments:
I went to the HHS site a few years ago and to say that it was profoundly depressing is an understatement. I seethed quietly on the train back to London at the philistinism of the council. I actually requested the minutes of the relevant meeting in 1968 to see exactly what had been said but was fobbed off. Perhaps I should stick in an FoI request to find out. I suspect that it was driven by many chips on many shoulders...
The pool has been filled in but the gazebo and the amphitheatre were still there.
HHS had its many faults, not least that homosexuality was rife amongst boys and staff alike (in common with many prep schools at the time, I suspect) but it was as good a prep school and provided as sound an education as any that you'd find, then.
Interesting points Anon!
Apparently, it was a compulsory purchase, and I learned years after that the issue nearly killed GB.
Did you know the circumstances at all?
Distressed to hear comments of many later students. I was at Hydneye from abt 1947-52 and my father and at least three of his brothers between 1929-1935. Regrettably I have no photos from my era when The Maltby family were in charge. Old Mr Maltby was quite free with the cane I remember but we had usually earned it. I ended up on the 1st 11 cricket team and got my colours as a bowler wiping out Claremont. There used to be a team picture added annually to the dining hall walls. I wonder what happened to all of them. I don't recall a swimming pool then we all went to the salt water baths at Hastings/St.Leonards? by bus. Everyone went and all learned to swim. I still remember a monkey puzzle tree down the driveway towards the East Lodge. Scouting, making twist, on a fire in the woods behind Harefield. Daily PT in the courtyard etc etc and the Sunday walk to the Baldslow Chapel out the East Gate. Sunday evening Mrs Maltby read to us in her living room for an hour, the latest Biggles or some such novel. Richard Walker
Hi Everyone
I was at HHS from Spring 1965 and left in 1970 (after amalgamation with Glengorse). I revisited the site in the summer of 2007. My pics are posted on FlickR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/87532379@N00/sets/72157601748764095/
There are still many recognisable trees in the grounds (GB was besotted with the things and I remember the whole lot and still have my Observers Book prize for winning the Tree Spotting Contest).
I bumped into Douglas Kell at a big BBSRC meeting in London last year (he is the Chjief Executive).
I have many, many memories of Hydneye in its last years, and would be very happy to share them
Hi,
I was a much later addition to glengorse and hydneye as it came to be known, slightly sketchy memory on the exact years but I would have joined in about 82 aged 7. Unfortunately during the time i was there memories were perhaps not so great and due to some fairly serious allegations levelled, and proved, at a group of the staff the school was i beleive closed a few years later. Wish I had perhaps seen it in its heyday and sorry to dim your memories....Alex
Hi Alex... now then... I just wonder which members of staff? There was one in particular who should have been locked up for his activities from the time he joined the staff at Hydneye in about 1966. The teacher in question was one of very few Hydneye staff who made the transfer to Glengorse in 1969/70 but I wonder if he was still there when you were?
I remember Alan Hilder (who joined the school at some point shortly after I did in 1960) lived in the East Lodge, but who lived in the West Lodge? I remember it as being uninhabited. (And who on earth would have lived in these lodges when Hydneye was Beaulieu, a private house?)
That anonymous comment from December 2010 mentioning homosexuality/sexual child abuse is an interesting but thorny one. As the Catholic church has discovered, accusations by the abused can surface decades later. I hope no-one at Hydneye was abused, but there was a lot of very inappropriate teacher/boy behaviour. However, if it ever did go further than that, would it would help the individual to make charges against someone who, if still alive, would be in their 80s or 90s? Perhaps it would if it brought closure. I don't know.
Simon's comments are quite apposite as dealing with any form of sexual abuse is certainly tricky. As I indicated, there was one member of staff who would just about have started before Simon left who should have been put away. His behaviour strayed beyond just "inappropriate".
Making any charges would not really be helpful as far as I'm concerned (and I've thought about it often enough). I have no idea if the teacher in question is still alive (probably not), and with the school long defunct there seems little point. Closure for me (such as it is) has come about through different strategies
Back to the picture.... the lodge at this end of the drive was Matron's Lodge (cf Hilder's Lodge at the East end). And "Sylvester", as we were told every time we ran around the course, simply HAD to be spelled "SILVESTER", in deference to the Latin Silva-ae (f) = a wood!
Apols for not responding to all these comments, I've been changing my internet settings, and have finished up with the wrong passwords on the wrong acco - oh, don't go there!
You must have joined HHS the term I left Stuart. I went on to Brecon and started in the Summer term, 1961.
There were masters who seemed to be over-aggressive, and also pretty mean spirited sometimes, but nothing changed afterwards at my next school with exceptions of course, and I'm afraid it was probably the era which was wringing out the last of the 'Tom Brown' ethic.
I'd completely forgotten about the West Lodge! There was also one further over to the East, where Mr Elkington lived with his wife and dachsund! He was a great chap, and very likeable I recall!
And, yes, SILVESTER!
Forgot that too!
Richard - you were before me by a few years, and I never knew the Maltbys.
Regarding the photographs, I think GB kept some when he moved on, but he always had a bit of a problem with the nostalgia, and once, gave me all his copies of the magazine, which I still have!
The swimming pool was built from about 1958. There are some details in one of the mags, which I'll scan for you, and post separately.
Claremont is still thriving, and has expanded, but the old church has gone now!
Again, apols for not responding earlier!
Stuart my brothers and I were at Glengorse and hydney my brothers would have joined in 1964 and 67 I joined in 70 when sisters were being admitted I would be interested as to which teachers transferred I recall a mr smith who taught maths a one armed chap who taught music mr barker English cheers jo
Alex hi my brothers and I went to Glengorse and Hydney I would be very interested in talking with you
Cheers jo
Mr silk science and Latin was mr Brodrib excuse spelling mr Perkins you can contact me alamjoanne3@gmail.com
Peter Trainin. '54 to '58.
Maybe you knew Lawrence Babbington?
Yoo predate me by a decade but the scoutfire twist and the readings from Mrs Maltby still carried on.
You know Aleister Crowley lived on the Ridge at the end of his life. Nasty job he wkas!
Peter, why not email me at 2ndmktx@@@@@@@@@gmail.......com, and we can compare notes!
I remember you and your brother well!
In response to Alex. I was a personal friend during the early eighties, and started the Facebook page for this school. Exceptional memories of what went on at the school, particularly during lights out and by the matron who patrolled the corridors during lights out. My parents pulled me out after 2 years and sent me to St Bedes in Eastbourne for the remainder of the 4 years of prep school. I blanked most of it out, but I can remember vividly the physical and tormented abuse I received at the hands of the matron. The school as Alex said closed shortly after and the reasons documented in the local Newspaper. My Gran who took me in once every month showed me a newspaper clipping some years later, She handed it to me, I read it and handed it back. There was nothing mentioned other than a look. My parents as far as I could tell had no idea, but my Gran absolutely knew. It was a despicable school and harbours nothing but unhappy memories for me. I constantly think of it when I'm low and sad, and sometimes consider it as the reason for my failure in adulthood. I have a child slightly older than I was at that time. I look at him sometimes and think how He would have coped, and what I would have done if I had witnessed it on him. I have absolutely nothing but loathing and bitter memories of my time at that school. Apologies, I'm writing this whilst blind drunk.
So sorry to hear this, it was an awful school. Carey
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