Royal Caledonian School Bushey

[nicwnacw]

I sent an e mail on Monday asking when I could expect delivery, having previously been told that the visit to gather the paperwork was being carrie dout the week before.

I had a replay that they 'hoped' to post that day, if not definitely Tuesday, still don't have them, getting a bit fed up now, but as i haven't 'paid' for a service I can't complain.

Will update you if I ever get any info

Sandra

[sproutmeister]

Oh well, I'd give them a bit longer I think they will have been busy this week. My Dad was at a 'do' just today actually and met Princess Ann all to do with the school and it was only last month they had a big show of photos actually at the school.
Its a great place actually if you ever get to go. The Purcell school of music who are there now do concerts I think

Stephanie

[nicwnacw]

Hi all

I got the stuff tonight and I am disappointed! But this is due to my lack of knowledge of how schools were, there are no anual reports, no academic test results, nothing about school at all, in my aunt and uncle's files their 11 plus fails, in my father's a reference saying he was poorly educated when he arrived at school but that he had picked up very well!.

Everything else was about the finances - my Nan was a bit of a bad girl when it came to paying!

However I do now know when my grandfather died, what regiment he served in, the full names of the children, their dates and places of birth. The admisssion records are an excellent source of data, no pics. On balance though good value for the £25.00. I ahve info from 1941 to 1945 on three of my family and in the correspondence there is also info about the ones at home, and about the unfolding benefits system!

Sandra

[nikkimc78]

Hi i went to caley right till the end i left in 1997 and after that it was bought and is now called purcell its a school for musically talented children

[nikkimc78]

you could try this link
http://www.rcst.org.uk/index.php
thats the caledonian trust fund that was set up when we left the school im sire they will be very helpfull john horsefield was incharge last i heard

[A Jackson]

I worked at the Royal Caledonian Schools in the 60s and at that time the role of the Caley was to support Scottish families and those who needed care for an extended time. A lot of those children came from Glasgow, and I used to go with them on the bus from London to Glasgow for school holidays. The Headmaster was Alistair Halliday the the Chairman of the Board was Sir Edward Reid, who was also Chairman of the Bank of England. I was there for for about 2 years and had charge of the boys between 6 to 10 years. We had a tortoise they used to escape to the annoyance of the gardener as he would get in the strawberry patch and wreck Havoc with the plants. They were great days

[Tracy Packman]

I was there 1972 - 1976.  I believe before the 1947 education act, children were taught on the premises.  Girls were trained to go into service and boys were taught a trade such as cobblering (?).
Boys and girls had no contact with each other, and I have heard of cases where adults have found that they were there at the same time as siblings, but didn't know at the time.  It wasn't quite that bad during my time.  If you find an old photo of the building, there are several on the internet the girls were housed at the left had end and the boys at the right.  The centre was the Hall of Clans, post war with the dining room and kitchens behind.  There was a gymnasium of sorts attached to the rear between the boys end and kitchen. a nursery at the corresponding point at the girls end.  When I started there in 1972, the children were split between sons and daughters of servicemen and charity cases - usually from Glasgow for some reason. The girls had to learn Highland Dancing and the boys were taught to play the pipes, and if not good enough could learn the drums.  There were several 'engagements' throughout the year when the dancers and band would perform as part of fund raising campaigns for wealthy scots in London.  The school was closed by Social Services in 1996 because it failed to adequately deal with abuse.

[A Jackson]

I have a number of photos of the schools and some of the children taken in the 1960s from memory it has the names of some. Will look it up and put some up in case someone remembers them.
In those days it was a very relaxed and caring place. When I came back to Australia I did a course through the social welfare department in Victoria and worked in child care with young boys coming through the children's courts. My time at the Caledonian schools taught me much in caring for children from difficult back grounds.

[A Jackson]

I would like to say that in my time working at the schools the children mixed together siblings included. It possible that may have not been the case prior to the 1960s. I for one made sure siblings had contact with each other. A belief I was quite firm about...maybe being a forthright Aussie helped. I do know a few of the staff didn't approve they thought I was too soft