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

P AGE N O : 61 Application made to receive compensation for the railings removed (for war use) along the Woodstock Road frontage of the playing fields (General Purposes Meeting, June 1946) 9 inch sewer will be constructed from Corfe House to the Woodstock Road to take the effluence from not only Corfe House but also Apsley Orchard, Apsley Gate, the proposed two new cottages and any other housing built in the future (Governors’ Meeting, March 1946) Masters’ Sitting Room converted to allow a separate office for the Warden’s Secretary (Jack Tate list 1955). 1947 - School wins a ‘dispute ownership’ claim of a strip of land at Apsley Paddox against a neighbour exercising his right to claim ownership before the end of a twenty-year period, despite this land being conveyed to the School with the rest of the Apsley property in 1925. The School lawyers find that the neighbour is within his rights, but as the School has been the owner for over 20 years, they now had ‘squatters’ rights’ and can retain the land. This is important as the preservation of the disputed ground might be essential if ever there is a road run through to the Banbury Road. Further legal advice will be taken to ensure further claims of this nature might be avoided in the future (General Purposes Meeting, February 1947) Building priority needs at the School are a new Masters’ Dining Room and Ante Room built on the roofs of the Pantry and present Dining-Room. In turn this would provide much needed Day Room accommodation for School House. Also extra accommodation in Chapel is now urgent due to an increasing School population with various schemes being considered, including rebuilding the organ loft so as to provide extra seating (General Purposes Meeting, May 1947) Investigations into buying a new Chapel organ under consideration (General Purposes Meeting, May 1947). Costs for repairing the present Chapel organ are estimated at £3,500-£4,000 (£198,100 - £226,400 today) and would not allow extra seating (General Purposes Meeting, February 1948) Proposal to erect a stone wall with the names of the WW2 fallen upon it within a Memorial Garden is deferred as this might not be what the O.S.E. desired due to the costs involved. Further mention of a future Library/Art Memorial Building discussed (General Purposes Meeting, February 1948) Carpentry Hut re-opened (Jack Tate list 1955) Masters’ sitting room converted to extra Day Room for Tilly’s (Jack Tate list 1955) Additional WC and Bathroom provided for School House (Jack Tate list 1955) So-called ‘Operating Theatre’ closed and Out Patients department of the Sanatorium re-organised (Jack Tate list 1955). 1948 - Builders around the School for the first time post-war, adding the delayed extension to the Kitchens ( H.M. Best Design ) - estimated cost £2,700 (or £142,830 today) (September Chronicle). Included in this enlargement is a Preparation Room in place of the existing larder, a new larder, Vegetable Store, Refrigeration Room, Dry Goods Store, Caterer’s Office, improvements to the Bread Room and provision of kitchen W.C. and washroom (Jack Tate list 1955) New organ installed in Chapel in December, a Compton 347 Electronic model with two manuals; an added advantage is that due to its new position there is extra seating for seventy boys in the Gallery, costing £400 (or £21,160 today). The original organ is removed at a cost of £225 (£11, 902 today) Final plans for the Memorial Library and Art School Room published and planning permission sought (January 1949 Chronicle)