I was one of a very large intake to the College in 1948. There were twelve of us who entered The Priory House that autumn, with dear old A.D.F.Dale, otherwise known as “Auntie”, or “The Aunt”. I still do not know why!
In The Priory House, which was a purpose-built boarding house, we had a ground floor, consisting of toilets, showers,changing room, boiler house, kitchens, dining room, prep room and a long corridor with small wash-basins, and personal lockers.
Above were three floors, set out in corridors with studies, and separate bed-rooms on either side. Head of house had his own double room, consisting of study and bedroom.
As new boys we had two forms of “initiation” to undergo! Firstly, we had to sing a song to the other boys in residence. This was done whilst “standing” on the top of the fire-place in the prep room. If we were poor, which we always were, then the house hymn books, (English Hymnal) would be hurled at us. I recall singing Irving Berlin’s “This is the Army”.
Our second welcome was to have to run the full length of all three floors, each resident would stand in his bedroom door with a slipper in his hand. The rest you can imagine!
The three floors of bedrooms and studies were known as A.B.& C decks. At one end they had a small trap – door and a rope attached to the wall alongside. In the event of a fire, the bell would ring and we would make for the ropes. There were never any fires, but an innumerable number of fire drills. Authorised and unauthorised.
My first bedroom was on the top floor at the far end. I had a side window and the fire-escape trapdoor was just outside my room. After my third term, I came back from rugby practice, to find my bed, intact with bedding, were attached to the end of the fire escape rope, hanging out of my bed-room window.
