The Building of St Edward's School: A Chronology (1870 - 2020)

P AGE N O : 52 Work commences on new (Fourth) Cricket Pavilion ( Brooke Kitchin desig n) slightly back and to the north of its predecessor The original privet hedge, a survivor of the days of the ‘Meads’, is transplanted to form the edge between the Upper and Keble Fields The last of the wooden huts of Great War vintage moved across the Upper Fields and are re-erected below the northwest corner of Avenue Field as the Headquarters of the newly-formed Scout Troop No. 42 Oakthorpe Road leased out Big School bricks and chimney have been ‘wasted away to such an extent that repairs need to be undertaken in the next holidays at a cost of £150 (£13,830 today)’. Likewise the boiler in the Memorial Buildings has been worn out and now replaced (Committee Meeting, February 1932) Warden expresses frustration at time being taken by the Duke of Marlborough and/or his agents in replying to School questions on procurement or the renting of extra land around St. Edward’s (Committee Meeting, February 1932) Further member of the Common Room, Philip Whitrow, has now expressed a desire not to build and buy a house in the Apsley Paddox Drive (Committee Meeting, February 1932) Agreement reached to cover in the smaller Fives Court in order to provide additional changing room space at a cost of approximately £120 (£11,064 today) (Committee Meeting, February 1932) Harold Rogers asked to provide a scheme for the Memorial Chapel within which Mrs. Cowie (widow of the Reverend Arthur Cowie, former teacher and early supporter of Algernon Simeon) wishes to give an altar, while an un-named parent wishes to pay for the marble floor (Governors’ Meeting February 1932). A Memorial Chapel Committee is formed consisting of Bishop Southwell, Reverend C.S. Gillett, John Millington Sing and Harold Rogers (Architect) who agree an initial £400 (£24,600 today) for ‘structural alterations’ (Governors’ Meeting October 1932). This proves an underestimation and the School has to find an additional £100 (£9,220 today) ( (Committee Meeting, February 1933) £100 (£9,220 today) allocated ‘to start a Water-Garden beyond the squash courts’. Also £25 (£2,305 today) for new trees in the Avenue (Committee Meeting, May 1932) For some time the Pavilion drainage has caused problems and the School is taking steps to have this cured once and for all by attaching the sewer to ‘the City system’ (Committee Meeting, May 1932) Big School completely redecorated for a cost of £40 (£3.688 today) The new pavilion is to be built ‘forthwith’, the work to be carried out in such a manner that the drainage system according to the plans of Mr. Best (The School engineer) can be carried out at a later date’ (Governors’ Meeting October 1932). The costs of the new pavilion, estimated at £1124 (£103,633 (£9,220 today), would be ‘borne by the School Society and the drainage system should be extended as far as the roadway in the south west corner of the field - at a cost of £100 (Governors’ Meeting, December 1932). Further costs for the pavilion, including drains, water supply and electric light, add £595 (£54,859 today) to the overall costs The drainage of the Lower Fields is another on-going concern and William (later Sir) Goodenough, a School Governor, is asked to look into the possibility of draining into the canal via a windmill pump (purchased out of the Development Fund). This same device could also be used to pump out the Outdoor Bath (Committee Meeting, October 1932)