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Posted by Mick Travis Mick Travis (left in 67)
on 29/9/2005, 11:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Presentation of Brass Plaque and Stained Glass Shield"
82.44.204.6
John Hawley posed the question of where the memorabilia should be kept, either Manor Farm Library or the SNOBS RF club, I think these alternatives deserve some consideration.
Manor Farm Library is located in the Small Barn at Manor Farm, one of a group of Manorial buildings originally built by the ABBOTS of BEC. The manor was then acquired by Henry VI (not VIII) and used by him to found KINGS College of St NICHOLAS and St Mary at Cambridge. In 1928 Kings College donated the Manorial site to the people of Ruislip as a parting gift. In 1936 Middlesex County Council converted the small barn into a county library, the MCC was the same authority that created St Nicholas GS and ran it from 1955 to 1965.
The question is whether this site, open to all and created for the education and self improvement of all would be a better place for the school memorabilia than a cricket clubhouse, geographically remote from Northwood, not open to all and under the control of ‘flannelled fool and muddied oaf’.
Anyone who, like me, had the full St Nicholas experience - slippered by Cahill, caned by the beak, petty punishments from lickspittle prefects and monitors, etc – realises that the natural home for these objects is obviously the Rugby club where it would thankfully be out of sight to most people.
I was unaware of John Bartlett’s part in the demise of the school but he has certainly gone up in my estimation and I think he did the world a favour in consigning such a place to the dustbin.
By the way, the reason why the majority of old boys do not attend events is that they could never stand the place but had no choice about attending, but they do now.