Wandsworth School 1953
My name is Michael Kelly. I was at Wandsworth
from 1945 till 1953 - I spent three years in the sixth form! Apart from giving me a reasonable education - though a little short on career planning - the school gave me many pleasurable moments via its after-school activities. I remember astronomy, theatre and rocket-building in particular.
I attended the school in the "Good Old Days" before Comprehensive. In fact I was there through July 1953 when they started building.
Perhaps the crowning glory of my time there was at the end. Four of us prefects, including William Stanley (the head-prefect), David White, a Polish boy with a name like Gryzimski and myself (the no2 prefect), read a book about prewar escapades at Cambridge University involving climbing the buildings. We concocted and executed a plan whereby, one late (but not stormy) night we climbed over the fence (even then they had security!) and climbed the rain-pipe outside the headmaster's (H Raymond King) office to gain access to the roof. There is a flat portion of the roof for some reason, obviously not to facilitate this kind of activity. We then went to the end of the roof - the building was/is a square U shape - and fixed a strong wire to the S hook that serves to catch tiles that might slide off the corner. We then walked around to the other end of the U, pulled the wire tight and affixed the other end of the wire similarly. Before actually fixing it we slid onto the wire a large, pre-prepared banner made of old bed sheets. On the banner we had painted the LCC's (London County Council, in case you don't remember) favourite slogan which was to be seen on every single sheet of toilet paper in the school: "Now Wash Your Hands, Please". By coincidence I had my camera with me the next day and was able to get a photo of it before the Deputy Head Master (Mr, Flynn) had the "Lavatorial Legend" torn down. There was much speculation about who did it but they never found out (more likely the authorities knew but decided not to escalate an embarrassing episode).
click on pictures to see larger version
I don't have a lot of pics but here are a few more. Most of what I have are theatrical - I was a keen photographer and used to augment my pocket money by selling
pictures of the cast in the school plays (I was the lighting technician for several productions) and members of sports teams.
Programme covers from several annual school plays
The "Flying Angel" at an athletics demonstration in the main hall. This pic was published in the Wandsworth Borough News and I got paid 2 shillings!
Prefects - I am 3rd from left in front row, W Stanley is 4th left, D White is 5th left and the Polish boy is extreme right on the top row.
"Prefects Behaving Badly"
The cast of "The Merchant of Venice"
"Shylock" from that production.
Photographs owned by Michael Kelly
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This page was set up on 20 March 2005. Last updated 13 September 2009.