Southgate County School Magazine

Some of you will have seen the photo above in the Weekend Telegraph, on Saturday 9th September 2000, where it illustrated an article by John Lucas (1938-1944) commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The photo shows John and two of his school friends in October 1940, putting on an exhibition of "ancient war relics" in their front garden, which raised £7 13s towards the cost of a Spitfire.

The Anniversary prompted us to have a look at the School Magazines at the time, No. 37, dated March 1941, and No. 38, dated March 1942, which make one realise just what it must have been like to be at the school at that time.

The opening page in both issues was headed “IN MEMORIAM”.

The March 1941 issue recorded the deaths by enemy action of a girl attending the School, Margaret Gow, and of three Old Scholars. Two were in the RAF: Reginald Olley (1928-1933) was killed in the Near East during “the early days of the Italian campaign” and Donald McIntosh Gray (1930-1935), “one of the best and keenest swimmers we had ever had ….. lost his life whilst flying his Spitfire over London”. The third was Eileen Flowers (also 1930-1935) who had been “a principal of the Operatic Society ….. captain of the tennis (and) hockey teams”: her mother was killed at the same time, presumably in an air raid.

An Old Girl, Joan Pocock (née Spring) had lost her husband, who had been in the Fleet Air Arm, and of three Old Boys who had been “posted as missing”, two were later reported as having been killed.

Sympathy was expressed for Mr and Mrs Cushen, the parents of two boys who had attended the School, whose home in Palmers Green had been destroyed in an air raid.

Other than damage to roof tiles from shell splinters, the School building had suffered no damage but several bombs had fallen on the school football pitch, although the hockey pitch had so far escaped. The statement that “It is, however, strictly against school rules to unload bombs on the cricket table” is a good example of the spirit prevailing at the time.

By the March 1942 issue, the number of Old Scholars killed while serving in H.M. Forces had increased to twelve; also, a further two Old Girls had “suffered an irreparable loss in the death of their husbands on active service”.

Two RAF men were reported as missing and three Old Boys, two from the Army and one from the RAF were known to have been taken Prisoners of War.

On 7th July this year, we went to the Farewell Dinner for Peter Hudson, who was retiring at the end of that term as Headmaster of Southgate School, Joan having been invited as a former Maths teacher at the School at Sussex Way. School now must be a totally different experience from how it was for us at Fox Lane but I was very pleased to see that the Honours Boards, commemorating those who lost their lives in the two World Wars, had been re-erected in the hall in the "new" school, although they did look rather incongruous on the side wall.

Back in the 1940's, the March 1941 issue of the Magazine referred to the increase in the numbers attending the School, as a result of temporary transfers from other schools, to almost 900 at one time - we thought we were overcrowded in the early 1950’s with around 525.

It also reported that four masters had left to serve in H.M. Forces: first Mr Giles, who had been seconded from Hornsey County, took up a commission in the RAF, then, in the Autumn, first Mr Rolfe and later Mr Toplis and Mr Fawcett joined the Army.

There was also mention of a rumour involving the school gymnasium, two members of staff and Cupid: in the following issue, all was made clear by the announcement of the forthcoming marriage of 2nd Lieut. G C Fawcett of the Green Howards, the former Sports Master, and Miss G R Sperrin, the Sports Mistress. (I remember seeing a letter from Mr Fawcett on the board at the 1998 Reunion).

In the March 1942 issue, there was news of a senior party held in the School Hall in December 1941, which raised no less (or should it be no more) than £3 1s 9d for the Aid to Russia Fund - so that's how they were able to drive back the German Army!

Both issues contained lists of Old scholars serving in HM Forces, although the Editor felt that the lists were very far from being complete.

The March 1941 list contained 189 names: 120 Army, 39 RAF, 26 Navy and 4 Old Girls, one in the WRNS, one in the ATS and two WAAF’s.

By March 1942, the numbers had increased to 285: 159 Army, including N. Allday, who had been discharged after having been badly wounded at Dunkirk, 75 RAF, 39 Navy and 12 Old Girls, the same one in the WRNS, the same one in the ATS but now ten WAAF’s. There were also two in the Women’s Land Army.

The WAAF’s included Eileen Le Groisette, better known at the time as Eileen Le Croisette (1932-1937) and now as Eileen Younghusband, who had been listed as General Secretary and Treasurer of the Old Scholars Association at the time of the March 1941 issue. She can be seen in mid-air in the Long Jump in the 1935 School Sports, so far the only photo in the “1910-1939 Before the War” Album and, hopefully, at Firs Hall on Friday evening, with her brother, Dennis, who now lives in California.

The March 1941 issue contained a piece on the “Southgate County Old Boys’ Sporting Review”, a monthly publication, priced at 3d a copy, “the purpose of which is to keep all members now serving in His Majesty’s Forces informed of various Club activities so that while serving their country they will not lose touch with the Association.”

The issues of the Review for December 1940 and January 1941 were described as “full of interesting facts and comments”. The Editor was none other than L H Wright and the Assistant Editor R J Spring but the March 1942 issue of the School Magazine contained a piece signed by 1462321 A.C.2 Lionel H. Wright, regretting that, as both he and Jack Spring had been called-up, it had been found impossible to continue publication.

As most of you will know, Tony Wright has been the driving force behind the biennial Reunions, only handing over to Fran Weil for the “Millennium Reunion” this coming Friday and he can be seen on our Home Page, unlike most of our photos, in glorious colour, at a function with his wife Freda, Terry Robinson, another long serving member of the Old Scholars Association and various others, as yet unidentified.

I first met Tony in 1953, nearly half a century ago, when I joined the Old Boys Football Club. He was Club Captain at the time and I became his Vice Captain the following season, yet I have still never asked him why we know him as Tony, when his name is Lionel H Wright (or even 1462321 A.C.2 Lionel H. Wright) - I must ask him on Friday!

It is interesting - or, at least, I find it interesting - that the purpose of the Old Boys Sporting Review, of which I had no knowledge until a couple of weeks ago, was to keep Old Scholars who were away from home in touch with the Old Scholars Association and, through that, with each other, which is basically the purpose of this Website.

The very last article in the March 1941 issue of the School Magazine was a piece entitled “THEN AND NOW”. It was written by Barbara Ching, who passed her Higher School Certificate that year and went on to Queen Mary College: has anyone any later news of her?

The article gives a very good idea of just what it was like to be at the School at that time but it is particularly appropriate, not just in its title but also because it actually refers to “the year 2000, for possibly many strange things will be happening then” - such as her article being published on the Internet?

We have therefore included it in full, just as it appeared at the time, on a separate Page, under "School Magazine" on the Menu.

We also reproduce below the back cover of the School Magazine in which it appeared. This shows six sketches of the War, including an “Air Battle over the School Field” on 30th August 1940, built into the School badge, with the place name “Southgate” blacked out by the Censor, to confuse the Germans when they invaded us.

The cartoon was signed “D.G.E.” Does anyone know who he was and whether he is still with us?