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

P AGE N O : 98

Agreement reached to establish a School laundry, ‘subject to initial costs and running expenses and likely savings’ (Governors’ Meeting, November 1976) Norrell, Peel & Gamlen of Oxford (Solicitors) carry out a survey of all properties in the Woodstock Road and Blenheim Drive bordering on - or in the vicinity of School property seeking the possibility of their becoming available for possible sale to St. Edward’s and noting how well they are fenced. 1977 - New Art School in the Memorial Library opened on 2nd June Major make-over in Macnamara’s House costing £60,000 (£584,400 today) undertaken to modernize ‘the rabbit warren’ (Oxley, 2015). House considered in ‘a deplorable state and should certainly be top of the list for renovation’ (General Purposes, May 1977) A ‘bad-weather’ playing surface agreed as a worthy subject with a likely cost of £20,000 (£194,480 today) (General Purposes, May 1977) School bidding for 277 and 289 Woodstock Road. ‘The pool of housing should not be increased but those properties on the north side of Oakthorpe Road and adjoining the School property should be secured as available’ (General Purposes, May 1977). Finally secured in June 1978 (General Purposes, June 1978) Small fire in the Language Centre (in Room C) extinguished by ‘boys and masters with fire extinguishers and then finally put out by soldiers and sailors with a green goddess’. Electrical wiring is considered the most likely cause (General Purposes Committee, February 1978). 1978 – John Phillips appointed School’s tenth Warden Renovations within Macnamara’s House considered ‘below standard despite accepting that the money available is a controlling factor’. However, it is still thought that ‘more imaginative use of space could have been achieved’ (General Purposes, June 1978) Final closure on the Apsley Paddox Estate rumbles on with a case for freehold rights by two original claimants now finally resolved by the School with a payment of £700 (£5,887 today) (Governors’ Meeting, June 1978) School interested in the purchase of a warehouse built at 162-166 Woodstock Road despite the current price being ‘beyond the School’s agreed bid’ (Governors’ Meeting, June 1978). Architects advise that the warehouse which is adjacent to School property has no great value in itself and would need considerable outlay if it was needed for educational purposes (General Purposes, November 1978). An offer is made of £60,000 (£504,600 today) for the property (Governors’ Meeting, November 1978), then increased to £65,000 (£546,650 today) on the condition that outline planning permission can be obtained for the School’s future needs (General Purposes Committee, February 1979). The warehouse is eventually sold to another bidder in June 1979 (General Purposes, June 1979). 1979 - New appeal launched in September, headed by Douglas Bader (O.S.E.) as President, with three main objectives - an eighth Boarding House, a Technology Centre and a Sports Hall. The Sports Hall envisaged in the area of the present Squash Courts - completion hoped to be in September 1981. The Technology Centre expected to begin building by 1982 but the eighth House ‘remains elusive’ (Summer 1980 Chronicle). Target for this appeal is £2,000,000 (£15,540,000 today) (Oxley, 2015) Renovation approved for Tilly’s House, including an extension ( Falconer Partnership design, T.H. Kingerlee & Son builders) ); improvements to Cowell’s and Segar’s estimated at £150,000 (£1,165,500 today) (Oxley, 2015)