The 475 App is now available from the Apple Store and with the twenty beacons in place around the school, the virtual tour of Castle Campus is up and running.
Cataloguing continues and specifically, since Christmas, on a quantity of ledgers, papers and documents that have been brought down from the Girls’ School. Boxes have been assembled and re-labelled and shelves re-arranged to accommodate the new categories. As I never know what I am going to come across, or the quantities involved, this process will be repeated many times before the artefacts find their final place. Another forty six enquiries since the last update have resulted in information for all but two and word of mouth between two OBs, now resident in Jersey, has resulted in a donation of original Loxwood House (Girls) photographs.
School House prefects paid the Archive a visit, planning an OBs-Unsung Heroes assembly and spent two sessions researching the theme. The co-curricular Gardening Club at Kings, wanted to know about the past gardening activities at the Girls’ School, and we found information which went back to 1893.
Being an inquisitive sort of person, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a look in one of the School cellars that was being tidied. I found treasure…… the lovely trunks (there are two) took half a day to clean and polish and now sit under the table in the Exhibition Room.
Three artists proofs by Norman Wilkinson OB., another find, have been reframed and will go on display at Castle Campus……..when the perfect spot is found.
These new acrylic covers (pictured) will ensure our collection of sporting caps are protected against further wear and tear.
Two books have recently been purchased and added to the Archive category – Books by or about Old Berkhamstedians.
It makes mention of two OBs, Captain C.C.Strong, an observer when he was taken prisoner and Captain J.Hardy. Grinnell-Milne writes of Hardy “His reputation as a prison-breaker was, I suppose, the most widely known throughout the camps of Germany……some of his adventures were really quite astounding.”
The second book, ‘Regret to Inform You’ has been written by Derek Jarrett and tells the story of the people in the fictional village of Rusfield and their personal battles, as fathers and sons go off to fight in the Great War.
Where possible, the items written about, in this and future updates will go on display for a period of time in the Exhibition Room.
Finally ……. Ken Harris has been a Carpenter at Berkhamsted School, for the past six years. In the process of putting the Exhibition Room together, I have given him very bad sketches of ideas, which he has transformed into display stands and hangers and beautiful, fit for purpose cabinets. I would like to thank him for all his help and expertise and wish him a happy retirement.
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