I have just read Calvert Proctors' nostalgia letter, and must congratulate him on his memory - I followed him to the school in 1932 but must admit I cannot remember him (but two years difference at that age was a very large gap).
All of his memories were so accurate but I feel I can add to his anecdotes:
"Pat" Patter, the first year form master, ranged the class on the first day in alphabetical order and then proceeded to allocate our particular house by quoting Cassio, Clarendon, Essex, Monmouth in order around the class.
It was with the help of this notation I was able to compile the list of most of the 40 pupils for year 1932. Some of the missing ones left early and/or were replacements.
Within one day of the start of the first year, "Pat" Patter knew every boy by his full Christian names and delighted in giving us our full title, particularly if that boy had more than two names for example or of my pals Bill Lowes was always addressed as Wilmot John Lawton Spencer (Lowes)
If we lived a certain distance from school, we were allowed to travel by bike (no free bus in those days) but woe betide us if we rode or scooted across the playground to reach the cycle shed.
As Mr Proctor said, our school caps always identified us, sometimes to our detriment - one of the biggest detentions I and three others every got was for riding down Watford High Street four abreast between Market Street and Queens Road.
Again, Mr Proctor was correct about Mr Morgon's nickname -Prute - but the full title of the book from which it was derived was "Eothen - or Travels with a Donkey" and I think the author was Westlake.
The girls' school, of course, was part of the same building separated by the assembly hall where the whole school, boys and girls, met for morning assembly and prayers (the girls on one side of the hall and the boys on the other). From that time, "ne'er the twain shall meet" was rigidly enforced.
The playgrounds were side by side but divided by outbuildings, toilets, etc, and a high wall - the only gap being closed off by a pair of large, solid, wooden doors, with a top cover of course.
The only means of communication was through the hinge crack on the left hand side, the other side being a full view of the masters' common room window. Many arrangements were made through that hinge Joint.
Watford Central School Class 1932:
Cassio - Banwell, Bond, Clayton, Farmer, Hefer, Lewis, Sanders, Summers, Tomlin.
Clarendon - Beasley, Bruce, Clarke, Fay, Hodgson, Lowes, Smee, Thompson.
Essex - Bedwell, Cadman, Compton, French, Instrall, Peppercorn, Smith, Thorpe.
Monmouth - Biggs, Childs, English, Grainger, Lawrence, Rodwell, Strange, Toft, Wooton.
I wonder how many of the above are alive? Some were killed in the war (Bill Lowes, Bruce and others). I met "Ginger" Wooton a few years ago.
Also, does the original register of the class still exist?
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