Ian Onslow - Headmaster 1965 - 1982

1970s Reunion
Saturday 15th September 2007

70’s Reunion date line: 15th September 2007.

The day commenced outside the famous “Jubilee Entrance” at 11.00 with an ensemble of men in varying degrees of middleagedness (and a couple of wives) and we were met by John Teather (Marketing & Development Manager) and David Wansey (Headmaster)

We all initially stood glancing at each other with such thoughts as ‘Now who is that, it can’t be’. All of us looked quite different from our days as school boys at Durlston Court. The grey flannel/corduroy shorts, caps and blazers had long ago given way to middle aged attire to corduroy trousers, jackets (minus elbow patches) and ties and we probably looked remarkably like our former teachers, which is a worry. Some of us are a bit more round now, some with some grey hair and some with less hair. Gone are the pudding bowel haircuts and braces.

The ice was broken with some self introductions and we started with a preliminary tour with a look in the old boot room.  We remembered this room where used to hang our overalls, windcheaters and gum boots. We reminisced on how the overalls had to be worn with only one strap over the shoulder or we ran the risk of being called a girl. The old smells of mud, and floor polish are so long since gone.

From the Jubilee entrance we made our way to the school dining room that had not really changed very much from our time in the mid 70’S. We were welcomed by the Headmaster's wife Tessa and served coffee.

As we sipped our coffee, the OD’s agreed to be feeling a little nervous and excited with those familiar old 'going back to school' feelings. We felt like the young boys we once were with the butterflies in our stomachs like we had when we had been driven down the long drive to the front of the school by our parents at the start of each term.

Attached to the walls are still some of the scholarship boards with the names of so many boys and girls listed on each board going back years and years in time. We recognised many of the names.  Some were hyphenated and a bit posh and some of the names were quite funny.

After we had coffee and after we had looked through some of the Durlston Magazines which dated back to the early 70’s that had been laid out for us on a table, we started to head up to the dormitories passing IDO’s study on our left. The feared headmasters study is no more and has been knocked through to create the new and very smart school entrance and office area. The old radiator in the former Headmaster's study has been removed which once had all his canes stuffed behind it. The clock above his office door is still there today where we would once be sent to stand facing the wall for being naughty, then called into his office for a strict talking to or to face a beating.

All of the old dormitories that we all once slept in are now classrooms but the old Matrons office or sick room, is still there and looks much the same as it did in our time. Of course the upstairs school bathroom has long gone along with its funny bizarre vulgar wallpaper that depicted a repeated alpine mountain scenery.  The narrow baths have also gone that we used to have to use the same bath water as the occupant before us to save water and bath times were twice a week. Outside the entrance to the bathroom you can still see the accordion radiator where we used to dry our hair by kneeling up against the radiator with heads pressed against the scorching iron. Drying was a serious business and the Matrons made us dry our hair before bed time.

On our tour we split up into several groups but rejoined in the former “Charterhouse” Dorm which is now the ‘Holy of Holies’ for the science lab now next door in the former “Radley” Dorm which has been expanded by knocking into Tom Holgates room (the former English master)

In the ‘Holy of Holies’ were  numerous old bottles of chemical concoctions which must have been around since Colonel Pidsley’s days. Among our discoveries was the remains of an OD (see attached photo) whom had not feared so well on the school diet of the 1970’s.

Time was moving on, so we decided to take a short cut to the chapel court yard by exiting from “Radley” Dorm down the external emergency fire stair case. This was always strictly out of bounds (except in the case of fire) so having opened the door to the fire exit we all checked the coast was clear and crept gingerly down the metal stair case. We still kept an eye out for a teacher in case we were caught on the stairs. At about the half way stage we heard footsteps and a door was heard opening on ground floor level. Someone whispered ‘KV’  Wansey’ (KV was Latin “for look out” or “watch out”). We all stopped in our tracks, ducking below the hand rail but thankfully it was only John Teather ('phew and cripes') who had come to round us all up for some photographs.

The wooden library is still standing but is no longer used. PY’s shack is still as it was but is no longer occupied and looked a bit sad and tired, it was once a hub of activity with small boys waiting by the door asking him for peanuts in return for doing little jobs around the school.

The school chapel is still as it was (except the organ that was on the right of the alter and has been replaced by a modern version that is now situated on the left of the alter) The chapel still has its old musty smell of all the old hymn books. We used to pile into PYs shack and watch “Saturday Swap shop”, “Dads Army” and other such TV shows from the 70s whilst munching on peanuts (nut allergies hadn’t been invented) and quaffing fizzy soda drinks of all different flavours. 

We knocked on the Shacks door using the St Mungo knocker and as the that familiar tapping sound resounded around the deserted courtyard we half expected PY to appear at the door with his usual cheery grin, however the door remained closed and PY has long since retired. We felt a bit disappointed not to see him.

The wooden ‘play room’ or assembly hall looked much the same as it did and is now used as a storage area. Some of the school house shields are still along its walls. The corridor joining the playroom leading to what was the headmaster study, looked shorter and no longer has all the old black and white school photographs that once stretched along the wall, although some more recent school photos are now located outside the old  5b class room. It all looked a lot smaller than we remembered it, as we were of course a lot shorter the last time we were at the school.

The famous cricket score board is no longer there but the pavilion is still standing. The swimming pool looks much the same but now has a cover and has smart changing rooms nearby. Justin said he used to hate swimming and that he was a total wimp avoiding swimming and most sport whenever he could, although many boys loved sport and the school had a good choice of games. A lot of the grounds have been sold off by the former freeholder for development. The former Latin teacher must be spinning in his grave, as he was a fierce defender of the school grounds and any plans to sell parts of it off for development. The school now owns the freehold and so is now protected from future development.

The sandpit area has gone and so has the boating lake, the greenhouse (where we used to steal the grapes) opposite the art room and the garages have gone which used to house the large green lawn mowers and IDO’s Ford Capri have all been dismantled and are no more. The headmaster house looks the same and is still covered in ivy.

We spent about two hours looking around the school but the time seemed to fly by and we didn’t have time to take a proper look at the new impressive facilities. It felt a little sad to be back but also it was nice to see the school flourishing. We will never forget the place. It was a harsh environment but did us all a lot of good. I think modern schools today can learn from its example. It taught us discipline and respect that is often sadly lacking with so many of today's children. As one of the school motto said  “Manners Maketh  Man” and it certainly did for us.

The school today still turns out children with these principals and is now a very fine day school in a beautiful location with dedicated trained teaching staff.

We both along with the other OD’s all thoroughly enjoyed our look down memory lane and will not forget this memorable occasion. After our tour we all went to a local restaurant and had a few drinks and some lunch whilst  reminiscing further..

We would like to pay special thanks to David and Tessa Wansey for opening up the school for us and for giving us such a warm welcome. We would also like to thank John Teather for being there to answer our many questions.

This article is dedicated to Major Elvery, Ian and Marjorie Onslow, Alex and Anne Keys , Bunty Mills, John Sanders, Tom Holgate,  Peter Yerburgh (PY) Major Bevis, Colonel Pidsley, Noel Clarke, Gwen Pye (Whitlock) and the many other staff and support staff who helped shaped and cared for us at Durlston Court and we say thank you for being there and for being tough but kind. Many of these teachers worked at the school for years and years. We and the other old pupils will never forget you.

We have forgiven you for the detention, the ruler and the slipper (and perhaps some of us may have deserved it) but we can’t forgive you for the school food, which really was awful!

 Justin Morley (1977 to 1979) & Peter Boon (1971 to 1975)