The very good friends living in Bushey have sent me a cutting from your paper dated September 15, recalling your correspondents at the school when I joined in 1932.
Unfortunately, there was no name on my cutting.
The "Pat" Patter to whom he refers was, in fact, Thomas Lionel Petter (TLP) - a West Countryman, to give him his full title, as he so did with us. Gwynne was always referred by the said TLP as Harold George, while the chap above me on the register was always Harold Roger Pomfrey, and I was, inevitably, Calvert Charles.
There were many others, of course. While other masters either cycled, walked or took a bus to school, Mr Petter lodged at 108 Balmoral Road, north Watford and had the Rolls-Royce of cycles, the dark green model. Our worthy English master, "Prute" Morgan, who was a newcomer to the staff, arrived in an MU London- registered early Morris Eight.
The woodwork master was Owen Gentle, who lived in Sussex Road, north Watford. Gentle by name but not entirely by nature, as we would get a tweak of the ear or a small off-cut of wood may find its way in the direction of the miscreant. We did play up to Mr Morgan. It was possible to buy these small "stink" bombs, and one of these would be let off at times.
When he was at his desk, one of the more daring would creep up behind him and drop some itching powder down inside his shirt collar. Another character was the art mistress from the girls' staff, known as Polly Randall, and the lady who took the pupil teacher class was a Miss Kinselle, and she was rudely referred to as Tinbelly.
Like your correspondent I, too, wonder how many of them are as fortunate as myself to still be around to tell the tale.
In a recent copy of the Daily Mail was a reader's letter from a lady given the first electric typewriter purchased by her employers and, on her first day with the firm, managed to inadvertently to push it I off the desk and it smashed.
This calls to mind a similar mishap at the Central. When we completed our years at school and taken our Cambridge School certificate exams, if we had not found employment at the end of the summer term, we were allowed back until we were found employment. Two of us, Burgoyne and myself, did return in the September of 1934. We were found tasks helping with administrative needs, such as collecting the milk money and giving out the half-pint bottles at break times, renewing stationery, etc, to the teachers, and typing any items, as required in the daily running of the school.
There was a motley assortment of machines - Smith, Olivetti, Underwood and the real gem was the latest Royal, mounted on a very substantial base board. To carry out many of our duties, we had the use of the store room on the upper floor. On this fateful day, Burgoyne carried this precious Royal machine up the stone staircase and rested it on the corner of the handrail, which ran along the balcony. As he turned to unlock the storeroom door, the entire machine slipped and crashed to the floor below, completely smashed.
Although he was known as Moaner Mitchell when he taught us book-keeping, shorthand, typing and music, to his credit, he did not berate the unfortunate Burgoyne and just said it was as well it was insured.
One task which occupied me for many days was to type six copies of a story with the peculiar title of Six Who Pass Whilst the Lentils Boil. This involved six sheets of paper and five carbons to change, as each sheet was full. No duplicator and, of course, there was no photocopier.
You may find some of the foregoing of interest, and to quote the late Ted Ray, it might just "raise a laugh".
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