The following is an extract from the story of Shoreham Grammar School, an independent boys school in West Sussex as remembered by H.L. Wills and M.E. Barmen.

My first glimpses of Shoreham Grammar School occurred in 1908, when my two elder brothers who were pupils at the school used to take me to a 'dame school' in Gordon Road, run by a Miss Harold, the niece of the Rev. C.H. Spurgeon's secretary, K.W. Harold.

We approached the Grammar School through the dungeons, some of which were covered in, behind the Swiss Gardens, then along Hebe Road to Southdown Road and under the railway arch to Western Road.

There in front of us was what appeared to be a huge cage, with a wall about eight to ten feet up from the road, surmounted by a very high wire fence. Facing the road was a huge notice advertising 'Shoreham Grammar School, founded in 1842', which could be seen by all who were passing on the road or railway.

The playground was large enough to form a football pitch during the winter months. Any boy could join in the games which were played there in break and dinner times or when it was not lesson time.

Occasionally the football was 'booted' over the fence down into the road and then quite a competition would develop amongst the passers-by, to see who could kick the football back over the high fence.

My first impressions of Shoreham Grammar School were not very good as I passed by, just a little boy, and saw numerous faces looking down into the road watching the members of 'the outer world', particularly if there were any girls amongst them. I regarded it almost as a prison compound at first.

As we moved eastward along Western Road to the Pond Road junction, next to the playground were the coalbunkers, where supplies were taken in for the School furnaces. These were at the back of the School Sanatorium, and right at the corner, there was a rubbish dump where the pond used to be.

On the right, as we entered Pond Road, was a small cottage, occupied by the School caretaker, who in my younger days was nicknamed 'Ikey'. His main job seemed to be to fill the inkwells, clean the little boys' shoes once a week, and clear up the rubbish from huge waste-paper boxes, which every classroom contained.

There was a narrow garden, until we came to the entrance. This entrance led up to the Northover classrooms and dormitory, as well as the large dining-hall, with classrooms and a cloakroom behind it, and centre dormitory and centre extension over it.

Then coming back to the entrance where there were quite a number of fine trees, the road curved round towards Middle Street and this part was taken up by the Headmaster's garden and lawn, always beautifully kept when Mr. Taylor was there.

This garden was in front of his house, which is reputed to have been the original part of the School when it was founded in 1842. There were various dormitories in the top part of the Head's house, as well as a junior dormitory next to the centre extension, and over what was the junior dining-hall, later turned into an excellent library.

Continuing around North Street, there were kitchens, domestic quarters and sheds where 'Ikey' used to work, until you came to the playground again. Going back around the south side of Pond Road, there was and still is Westover. When I first went to the School, I was in a room in the front of Westover in the First form, whose form mistress was a Miss Johnson with auburn hair.

The basement of Westover and some of the upstairs rooms formed the music centre and many weird noises emanated from these rooms as pianos, violins etc. were being practised under the supervision of Miss Pitchford, Miss Purday, Miss Turney, Miss Ramage, Mr. Marsh, Miss Roberts and Miss Burnett.

The musical section was quite a large and important one at Shoreham Grammar School and in the 1920 'Record', I notice there were 76 boys learning the piano, divided into three grades as well as eight boys learning the violin. This was when the School Roll was about 250.

On the eastern side of Westover was the Masters' Common Room. There were also the resident masters' bedrooms in this section of Westover. Further round Pond Road on the south-eastern side, where the Chapel, which everyone admired, was later built, stood an old covered-in playground, which was used as a gym, where, in summer, we were allowed to play cricket with a hard ball.

Next to this was the sixth form, which apparently had once been a kind of stable. Then in the next building were the toilets. It was a great disadvantage to have to cross the road to reach these during the day, and it culminated in an accident in which a boy was killed.

Eventually the Headmaster arranged for the toilets to be moved to the site of what had originally been the caretaker's cottage.

The buildings on the east side were incorporated in the gardener's quarters, for Mr. Taylor always kept the large walled-in garden around the School in immaculate condition, and the gardeners had to report to the kitchen every morning to know what vegetables were required.

Besides the large garden facing Pond Road, Mr. Taylor had also purchased quite a big piece of ground, which was turned into a garden, between Middle Street and John Street with a frontage on North Street.

He also owned the corner house of John Street and West Street, known as 'Ingoldsey', and when I was a Prefect this house was used as an over-flow for boarders of whom I was in charge with Mr. McConagley occupying one room.

Coming back to the Pond Road garden, a miniature rifle range was built just behind the Chapel, and this was very useful when the Cadet Corps was functioning. They even had an Instructor, Mr. Madgwich I believe, who came into give instruction.