Further memories of the building

Bit by bit we’re getting there. Now I've had this from Bill Cutts:

I was at the school from 1952 until 1957 and the old building was for the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th formers. The ground floor had a hall but it was Paddy Price’s gym and also served as the dining hall. I think there were 5 classrooms on the ground floor. Three classrooms in the gym section and one in each of the corridors at each end of the gym.

The 1st floor had a similar layout but the hall had been converted into the library, half of which was the 6th form.

The second floor I remember had the same classroom layout and numbers and the hall was used for the upper school assemblies.

A bit later Bill adds:

I have tried to remember the classrooms on the 2nd floor but all I can remember was that the first classroom inside the hall at the Walworth Road end was Miss Porchetta and next to that was Mr. Besch’s science room.

Incidentally, the Walworth Road end corridor of the first floor had a classroom on the Mina Road side that was my 3rd year form room. It had a piano in it and it was used for music lessons. Next to it with the door just inside what would have been the hall, was Miss Ashton’s form room, my maths teacher. Next to that was my 4th & 5th year form room and Mr. Rosen was my form teacher. The next classroom which was opposite the 6th form end of the library has slipped my mind. Through the double doors and again on the Mina Road side was my French teacher’s form room. He was Mr. Rogers.

I did make a mistake with the ground floor. The Walworth Road end corridor did not have a classroom. That space was the kitchen for the school dinners.

One day I'll search for the original plans in the London Metropolitan Archive.

Meanwhile, does anyone else than John (last posting) remember fires in the classrooms? Open fires, coal scuttles, tongs, pokers? how did it work, or not work? John remembers someone’s plimsolls getting burnt.