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

P AGE N O : 55

Harold Rogers’s refurbishment of the Simeon Memorial Chapel completed (minus the Simeon Tomb) After much deliberation and evaluation of different proposals, a decision is taken by the Governors to build ‘an entire two-House Block’ ( Brook Kitchin Design ) to hold ninety-eight boys, two single Housemasters and a Matron - eventual costs amounting to £25,064 (£2,436,689 today), of which the Endowment Fund would advance £5,500 £531,850 today). This costing does not include the central heating, which in turn would need a new Boiler House to be erected at the same time as the new block. Once again the builders will be T.H. Kingerlee & Sons whose contract would be eventually ‘disastrous for them due to delays and labour shortages’ (Hill, 1963). This new building would be in the south eastern corner of the School’s property east of the Work Block Menzies’ House is renamed Segar’s House after an exchange of Housemasters of the same names, with ‘Gerry Segar’ leaving Sing’s in the process Sanatorium extension into a second floor ward on the upper floor of the building approved ( Brooke Kitchin design) Extension agreed for Mr. Alan Wilding’s House in Apsley Paddox Drive - cost will be £1,170 (£113,139 today), paid for by the School and then repaid by Wilding on a rental basis (General Purposes Meeting, May 1935) A long time discussion point at Governor level to extend the New Buildings where Cowell’s House is then housed is eventually scrapped due to the new scheme to build a two house block to include Cowell's already suggested. Also a new plan is decided to develop the Apsley Paddox Estate (General Purposes Meeting, May 1935) Decision made to sell the ‘Banbury Road frontage’ of Apsley Paddox by public auction in July 1935 with a minimum price of £2,500 (£241,750 today) required. Rationale is that the ‘amenities of Field House would not be spoilt and that later on a better price might be obtained if it was decided to sell Field House and the remaining land’ - these two options stressed by Mr. Brooks, the School’s Estate Agent and Engineer (General Purposes Meeting, June 1935) The re-arrangement of the drainage at Apsley Paddox is completed at a cost of £119 (£11,507 today) agreed (General Purposes Meeting, July 1935) Harold Rogers to look into building two extra stories on top of the ‘Ceylon’ Dayroom in the Main Buildings to provide more Dormitory space (Governors’ Meeting, July 1935). Plan never materialised School refuses to contribute to extending the sewer and water main from the Woodstock Road along Squitchey Lane as ‘the School would not be likely to benefit from these services in the near future’ (General Purposes Meeting, October 1935) Efforts made to drain the Quadrangle by ‘laying stumps at frequent intervals’ (Governors’ Meeting, March 1935) New windows in the Old Library are finished (Governors’ Meeting, March 1935) A plan to build a wing onto Corfe House (then housing members of Cowell’s House) rejected by the Governors owing to the expense involved and that ‘this extension is doubtful wisdom and it is uneconomical to have a boarding house on the opposite side of the Woodstock Road to the main School Buildings’ (Governors’ Meeting June 1935) The General Purposes Committee recommend the proposal to build two new Boarding Houses in one building which fulfils two criteria set - firstly it will considerably benefit all boys, and secondly it will provide a permanent residence for Cowell’s (51 boys), at present housed in Corfe, it will also be very