Rowlands
Castle
Nestling at
the end of a
beautiful
valley by
Chariton Down,
running from
Buriton,
Rowlands Castle
village is
indeed set in a
ideal location
between the
ancient Forest
of Bere and the
entrance to
Stansted Park
on the edge of
the
Hampshire-Sussex
border.
More............about
the evacuation
from Joy
Millson nee
Ling, daughter
of the
Headmaster
Battersea
Central
School
1929 -
1943
During the,
1920's certain
"high
grade"
schools were
reorganised by
the LCC and
called Central
School. The
headmaster
personally
selected the
scholars,
advised by the
Junior School
Heads and based
on the
scholarship
examination,
taking those
who hadn't
quite reached
the required
standard for
Grammar
Schools. At the
time Grammar
Schools would
only have be
able to take
about 3 or 4 or
less, from each
Junior School.
These chosen
pupils were
expected to
stay on until
their sixteenth
birthday and
had the
opportunity of
learning the
same subjects
as the Grammar
School pupils,
except perhaps
for Classics.
Therefore the
teachers were
experts in
their subject,
mostly with
appropriate
degrees and
qualifications.
The first
Headmaster was
Henry Wootten,
who retired in
1929 and was
replaced by my
father, Albert
Ling. My father
was appointed
for his
organising
ability and
technical
knowledge.
After being
demobbed from
the Royal
Engineers in
1919, he had
been the Head
of a Technical
evening
institute, part
of the
development of
Adult
Education. This
became the
South East
London
Technical
College
(currently
South Bank
University)
after my father
moved to
Battersea
He was very
impressed with
the standard of
work performed
by the boys
when he first
visited Surrey
Lane. For
instance, they
already did
their own
printing and
the phrase
"printing
on the
premises"
became a family
joke!
[This
reproduction of
a Lino Cut from
the printing Department
of BCS, was
this produced
by a pupil or
member of staff
- answers to
webmaster
please]
Some of the
staff already
there in 1929
were: Messrs.
Mason, Turner,
Kynaston,
Hodgkinson.
Woods, Stocker
and Jack White
and Brown. The
first
appointment
made by A Ling
was Stanley
Raine, in
charge of
Science, who
soon got his
doctorate known
as Dr Raine
officially, but
"Bill
Raine" to
his colleagues
or
"Doc"
by the boys. A
brilliant, up
and coming PE
specialist,
Williams,
followed him. I
have a photo of
his boys
demonstrating
to some
"high-ups",
including the
Duke of York,
later George V
I. (See
picture…..)
Others I
remember were
Cossam and R.
Beasley
(Carpentry),
Halliday and
Alway (French),
Protheroe,
(Science),
H.Taylor,
Hawkes
(Geography),
Broadhurst
(Art). At that
time the school
was occupying
Surrey Lane
School, Top
floor - Boys,
Middle floor -
Girls, Ground
floor -
Infants, but a
new purpose
built Central
School with
modern
facilities was
being built in
Culvert Road,
due to be
opened in 1940!
However, we
all know what
happened in
August 1939 (it
was a
Government
decision to
evacuate
children, whose
parents were
prepared for
them to go, to
less vulnerable
districts from
the main
built-up areas.
And on the 1st
September 1939,
the boys, girls
and infants set
off with their
gas masks and
"ironrations",
in crocodiles
to Clapham
Junction, with
mothers
standing,
waving them
goodbye, not
knowing where
they were going
or with whom
they would be
living. It must
have been a
terrible
decision for
parents to
make. We were
put on a train
and travelled
non-stop to
Petersfield
where we were
unloaded and
walked to the
Parish Church,
awaiting
distribution.
The Girls
School stayed
in the town of
Petersfield and
the boys were
divided between
a coach going
to Hawkley and
another to
Rowlands
Castle, barely
north of
Portsmouth!
Here we were
dropped at the
Parish Hall
until homes
were found.
Some settled
happily in
their new
environment but
naturally some
had their
problems. No
doubt many
stories could
be told by
individual
boys, but on
the whole the
atmosphere
between locals
and evacuees
was as good as
could be
expected. Quite
a number were
accompanied by
younger
brothers and
sisters who
continued their
education in
special o ps.
Mrs Jean
Hodgkinson, who
was a qualified
Infants
Teacher, helped
with these
children. They
included the
Leppard twins,
Manion and
Elleen Holder,
MaQueenle
Stafford, Joan
Tasker (Leslie
twins). I
helped until I
continued my
college Course
and during my
long holidays.
During the
months of
"phoney"
war, that is
until the
Battle of
Britain started
in August 1940,
it was
understandable
that a lot of
parents took
their families
back to London,
and some BCS
boys went back
to Battersea. I
would say a lot
of the parents
realised that
the staff at
Hawkley and
Rowlands Castle
was continuing
their
education,
whereas things
in London
seemed a bit
haphazard,
through lack of
organisation.
At Rowlands
particularly,
we had some
exciting times
with
"dog-fights"
over head and a
Junkers 88
coming, down in
a field nearby.
During the
first years of
the war, a
number of the
staff were
called up for
Military
Service, or
some
volunteered for
Intelligence
work etc. The
older members
who were left
continued and
some local boys
from
surrounding
villages
Clanfield,
Homdean,
Langrish, (who
reached the
required
standard),
joined the
school by
arrangement
between the LCC
and Hampshire
Education
Authorities.
These boys were
provided with
bikes to travel
the extra
journeys. The
specialist
teaching
continued with
the result that
those fifth
year boys who
stayed on were
able to take
the School
Certificate
Examination.
One
Christmas, a
Nativity Play
was produced in
the Rowlands
Castle Parish
Hall,
appreciated by
the locals. The
school choir
was up to
standard to
enter for the
Petersfield
Music Festival,
which was
judged by Sir
Adrian Boult.
My mother
continued to
teach a few
boys who were
learning to
play the violin
(an instrument
that always
causes
criticism from
those who have
to listen), I
often wonder if
any continued
their musical
ability in
later life. My
mother
preferred her
work as a
French teacher!
My family
connection with
BCS stopped in
September 1943
when my father
and mother got
the Headship
and Matron's
posts at
Mayford
Approved
School, Woking
very different
work! But an
exciting
challenge for
them as they
entered the
last decade of
their
interesting and
fulfilling
careers.
Joy
Millson nee
Ling, 1999
Below
are those known
to have been
evacuated to
Rowlands
Castle, please
advise the
webmaster of
additions or
correction, or
indeed any
useful data.
