Ian Whiteman (RGS 1953-1961) and Richard English (RGS 1953-1958)

RGS Memories by Ian Whiteman (RGS 1953–1961) and Richard English (RGS 1953–1958)

We joined RGS in 1953 when there was an entry of four forms and the one we were put into was named 1X. Here are some memories of our time at School.

Ian writes: you learned and in exams wrote down what you had learnt. My earliest lesson in Biology was CHONPS, being the symbols of various elements but this meant nothing to me. I did Additional Maths at O level, which included calculus. I didn’t understand it and it has been of no value but I reproduced it to pass the exam. But geometry came in useful many years later: when working out where to paint the spot from which a penalty flick is taken in hockey, I knew the width of the goal and the required distance from the goal line and Pythagoras told me the length of the third side, so I could mark the spot exactly. The Monday timetable, and typical of the week, in Form 1X was: Woodwork, Woodwork (double period), English, French, Latin, Maths and History. Apart from woodwork, where you worked but with little teaching, there was almost nothing on the artistic side. I did those same subjects, without woodwork but including biology, four years later at O level.

There were regular fights in the playground. Spectators would make a circle round the two fighters calling out Scrap, scrap, scrap. After a bit a couple of prefects would come down from their room - which is now the Board Room - the Headmaster’s study was on the first floor and the Prefects’ room on the second directly above] and break it up.

There was no, or appeared to be no, health and safety. You could use the ropes in the gym (now the Old Library) in PT lessons but with little supervision. There were no plans for days out – you just went. And no menu cards showing what was in the food provided, if one had an allergy. You just ate what was there. Richard, who was in the School shooting team, would cycle to the range at Betchworth with his .303 SMLE rifle slung over his shoulder and this caused no surprise, even when once the rifle broke apart and fell into the road and he had to hold up the traffic to pick up the bits.

Although quite a lot of RGS leavers went to university, this was a very small number of leavers overall compared with today. There was no cost of teaching or accommodation and we received a grant towards living expenses, depending on our parents’ income. We were encouraged to write once a year to the Surrey director of education, saying how we were getting on. This personal approach probably shows how small the number was.

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