The Old Bordenian Association

This is the 2nd article detailing the history of the school and particularly around the period 1928 – 1929, when the school moved to its current location.  It is a while since the first was published so to refresh memories – http://www.oldbordenians.co.uk/?p=88#more-88.  The story continues ..

I wondered where the photograph shown below was taken.  The text in the previous article seems to infer that this was the dining hall with the ancestral arms mounted on the wall at the end of the room.  I remember them mounted on the wall in the old hall between the Honours Boards. A recent search in Archives produced only the banner. 

  Note the similarity of the piano in the dining hall like that in the present one.  Apart from this the similarities end.  There seemed to be no obvious form of heating unless the large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling provided enough heat as well as the light to illuminate the hall.  However, upon recent inspection of the Hall, two fireplaces have been found.  They are on the south wall and in white with the initials of William Barrow appearing in black.  

The modern photograph shows the far one better.  The fireplaces are positioned under windows so the flues are angled to reach the chimneys in the corners of the hall.  Note that now radiators are installed for heating and the fireplaces remain as decoration only. 

The two chimneys can be seen on the outside photographs of the school on either side of the large central gable (the gable is hidden by the tree in the second photo). 

In the centre of the gable is the school clock.  Sadly the hands now remain at 12 o’clock.  It is a clock designed to chime the hours and is powered by weights that hang on wires running down inside the walls, again being shifted horizontally to avoid the window openings.  It had to wound by hand.

All the old pictures show the bell tower at the western end of the building, but it had to be removed eventually probably due to over enthusiastic ringing making the brickwork unsafe.  To ensure boys were aware of school time there was a second bell at the back of the school facing College Road (the cinder track) to ensure those dawdling up the track in the morning were perfectly aware whether they would be late and have to face the consequences!

This picture shows the rear bell support with the back of the original Headmaster’s house on the left
      
The plaque for the clock is located outside the main entrance to the left of the original Headmaster’s house.

Article by John Macrae.