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It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this PropertReunion. Propert House is one of the four original housesestablished in 1883 under the headmastership of Rev Williamde Lancy West. Today we celebrate the many generations ofpupils and Masters who have passed through its doors.

Reading the recollections shared inthe following pages will certainly sparka memory or two. I also hope it willprompt you to reflect more generallyon the importance of your Epsomeducation. If it has made a difference in your life, please consider theimportance of preserving these sameopportunities for future generations.

Through the work of the EducationTrust and the Old Epsomian Club, weseek and value the support of OldEpsomians, parents and current andformer members of staff. Support cantake the form of a written reflection, like these, career

guidance for a pupil, a legacy bequest or as anenthusiastic guest at an event, as you are today.Thank you for your participation and support of

Epsom College.With every good wish,

www. epsomcollege.org.uk

A NOTEF RO M T H E H E A D M A S T E R

Rev William de Lancy WestHeadmaster from 1870 to 1885

MR STEPHEN BORTHWICK, HEADMASTER

12 June 2010

3www. epsomcollege.org.uk

T H E E S TA B L I S H M E N T O FP RO P E RT H O U S E I N 1 8 8 3

In the early years, there was a conflict betweenthe charitable aims of an orphanage versus theneed to run an efficient school. In 1882, a series of disciplinary problems known as the ‘GreatDisturbances’ brought this conflict to the fore.The Headmaster argued he needed a strongerhand and proposed adopting a house structure,like other successful schools, which wouldgreatly increase supervision of pupils. In January1883, Council adopted the measure and fourhouses were created; Carr, Forest, Gilchrist(which was changed to Granville the followingyear) and Propert, each bearing the name ofthe greatest benefactors.

Housemasters were asked to ‘undertake

to watch over the conduct of their boys in all

matters, giving them advice when needed and

taking interest not only in their work, but in

their dress, manners and general conduct, so

as to influence them for good in all the details

of school life…’* By this definition, the role ofHousemaster (or Housemistress) has notchanged in over 125 years.* ‘Benevolence and Excellence, 150 years of The Royal

Medical Foundation of Epsom College’ by Alan Scadding

H A N S G A R D E - H A N S E N ( 1 9 4 0 - 4 6 )

I was admitted to Epsom in October 1940without the Common Entrance Exam which,at that time, was a requirement. We originatefrom Denmark, and came to England in June1938, at which time I knew not one word ofEnglish. However, Epsom was in the path ofBomb Alley to London and there were severaluntaken places, and I believe Mr HWF Franklin(commonly called ‘Bloody Henry’, although hegave no beatings in the six years I was at Epsom)took this into consideration. I was 11 years old.I was doomed to go into Hart-Smith House,under a certain Mr C (Connie B) Berridge.He was quite a caner, and only near the end of

Early photo of 1st XV rugbyfootball team wearingjerseys. All four houseswere represented, with theexception of Wilson,which had been separatefrom 1872.The date ofthe photo is unknownbut is estimated to bebetween 1882 and 1890.

Mr Henry FranklinHeadmaster from 1940 to 1962

4 www. epsomcollege.org.uk

ABOVE LEFT: 1930s Propert dormitory. ABOVE RIGHT: During the war the boys moved downstairs.The conditions were in sharpcontrast to the orderly dormitory prior to the war. Interesting to note, covers on lights and metal hats resting on ptoyces.

my time there, when 40 boys had received over180 strokes by half term, did someone have the nerve to complain. Beatings were far lesscommon after that.

I went to Propert in the Summer Term of1943 and left at the end of the school year in1946. An unusual event while I was there waswhen our Housemaster Mr Raymond vanishedone night and was never seen in the school again.Mr Warburton, a much nicer man, took his place.

Sometime during the war my father joinedthe Navy and could no longer afford to keepme at school. However, HWFF saw that I got a scholarship so I could stay until I got anIntermediate BSc, equivalent at the time to the Higher School Certificate.

There was a rule that Sergeant Major Mogercould give ‘8 of the best’, as I think HWFF could,but neither ever did give any while I was there.A Housemaster could give 6, school prefectscould give 4 with a hairbrush for houseroomoffences and a house prefect could give 4 with a slipper for dormitory offences. I do not recallever receiving any canings other than thosefrom Mr Berridge.

While I was at Epsom we asked HWFF if we could have a dance with the girls’ school on the other side of the road down to Epsom.The answer was NO. When HWFF was asked

T H E TA L E O F T U C K B OX 5 5 1

My Epsom College tuck box

has had a long and productive

life. In 1949 it served as

my trunk as I travelled to

Mozambique to see my

parents and younger

brother and sister,

following the completion

of my studies at Imperial

College. Following two

years of National Service,

I travelled with it to

Peru and subsequently

to Canada to work. In

1975 my tuck box and

I returned to Denmark

for three years, only to

return to Canada, where

we both remain

to this day. It is

now in my garageused for storingodds and ends.


why not, the reply was simple and correct:there was nowhere for ladies’ toilet facilities.

Every pupil had a tuck box, with name andnumber, mine was 551. I still have it. Mine wasalways empty as all my grandparents, aunts anduncles, and other kind souls lived in occupiedDenmark, and my mother probably did notknow its real purpose. Everybody at school got6d per week, enough for one chocolate barand a piece of apple pie from the Tuck Shop.

At Epsom I was a Corporal in the CCF underMr Sammy Weare, and this helped me get acommission in the Royal Engineers when I wascalled up later on for National Service, havingbecome a British subject in Canada in 1932.

P E T E R S A L Z E R ( 1 9 4 6 - 4 9 )

In September 1946 I found myself among thenew boys in Propert, with Thomas Warburtonas Housemaster and the stern and fearsomeHeadmaster, Henry Franklin. Our kind and gentleHousemaster had many nicknames:Tim, Gus orTom to name a few. He was a great chess player(some kind of Grand Master) who challenged usto a chess game in his study after bath evenings.He was also noted for his ‘token beatings’ whenhe felt the ‘crime’ was better handled by a firmtalk rather than a physical punishment.

There were many signs that the SecondWorld War had ended only a year earlier :rationing influenced what came on the table inthe dining room, the teaching staff included thewartime novelty of lady teachers, and many ofthe Masters were recently de-mobbed fromwartime service and just getting back to life on‘Civvy Street’. Some were an easy mark forgetting them to recount their wartime exploits,a relief from a ‘boring’ lesson.

I had some great years at Epsom, benefitinglifelong from the excellent teaching and makingsome good friends. My only regret is that I nevermade a representative rugby team, although Iseem to have spent half my time on variousrugby pitches. But I did win the inter-Houseboxing in my weight class two years in a row.

M I C H A E L S A L M O N ( 1 9 4 8 - 5 3 )

When Alan Parker was Housemaster, I was oncehauled up before him for a minor misdemeanor.He had a one square metre of carpet that youhad to stand on while he confronted you.You

Peter Salzer


stood to attention while he lounged in his largeleather armchair. On that occasion he informedme that I had let the College down, the Housedown, my parents down, my colleagues down,and myself down. While he went on about thishe snapped a Cadbury’s bar of chocolate intosix squares with one hand.Then with a deft flickhe shot one square into the air and with a sharpmovement of his head caught it in his mouth.He was sensible enough not to attempt it twice.To have failed on the second attempt wouldhave meant loss of face and failure. I have triedhis trick several times but have never succeededin catching the chocolate in my mouth.

A few months after I left, he marriedMargareta Stille a Scandinavian artist! I am theproud owner of one of her paintings.

J O H N G R A H A M - P O L E ( 1 9 5 4 - 6 0 )

Fifty Years On… Early October 1955, lying abedthirty minutes after ‘lights’, awaiting the juniorprefect’s telltale tread down the corridor: my13-year-old bottom was about to receive itsfirst thrashing from the Head Prefect. Rising tothat lofty status, I applied this punishment onlyonce, announcing to my seemingly petrifiedvictim before he ‘assumed the position’: “I’mgoing to give you six. Anything to say, haveyou?” After the third stroke, I decided the boy’s whimpers signalled he’d suffered enough.“Go on, get out of here,” I told him as gruffly as I could – only to hear his barely concealedgiggles as he scampered back to the dorm.

The escapades that never earned a strokewere the nocturnal excursions Bob Melhuishand I made to the day room. At two in themorning we’d creep downstairs, across thequad’s shadows and through an unlatchedwindow. Carefully covering the windows, we’dswitch on the lights and help ourselves tocoffee and toast in the head prefect’s studybefore goofing off for an hour or so.

Paintings of A Parker and R Tillson by M Stille from theCommon Room pantomine Aladdin

Our more aggressive instincts found expression

Propert House photo 1952Propert House photo 1952

John Graham-PoleJohn Graham-Pole Propert Day RoomPropert Day Room


in the (compulsory)boxing ring. A longtimeQuaker pacifist, I wonderat the delight I took inhitting even my friendswith my bunched fistsunder the watchful eye of the Marquess of Queensberry’s code.

As for raging hormones, many beatings camefor hanging out with the cleaning girls outsidethe quad gate after dark; I still remember Nancy,a ‘sweet colleen’ who was convinced we’dmarry as soon as I left school. Charlie Fox’scrime, however, was deemed beyond the pale:after a bike visit to his Leatherhead girlfriend, hereturned late for Alan Parker’s evening roll call.

AMP: “Where were you, Fox?”CJF: “Cricket practice, Sir.”AMP: “Always wear bicycle clips to cricket practice, do you, Fox?”Charlie’s Epsom career was promptly

terminated. All of which leaves me wondering:when did beating children, or urging them tobeat up each other, finally become not okay?And the interest of teenage boys in teenagegirls okay?

B I L L F L E M I N G ( 1 9 5 6 - 5 8 )

During the summer of 1957, I somehow foundthe courage to risk an unauthorised departure

from Epsom Collegeto walk into town andsee the newly releasedmovie ‘Bridge Over theRiver Kwai.’ The movie,with Alec Guinness,William Holden, andJack Hawkins depictedthe horrible loss of life

by British and Australian POWs at the hands ofthe Japanese during the building of the BurmaRailway in 1942-43. I even remember to thisday the miniature model of the bridge ondisplay in the theatre lobby.

Following the movie, I was en route back tothe College, when ‘Pills’ Parker pulled up to thekerb and asked me if I needed a lift back toschool! Well, this was not according to plan, andI reluctantly accepted the offer even though itmeant ‘six of the best’ for sure. On the way backto the College, he inquired as to what I wasdoing in town without an ‘exeat chit’. I told himin great detail about why I absolutely had to seethis movie regardless of the consequences andwe had a great conversation about the BritishPOW experience at the hands of the Japanese

Robert Melhuish,Stephen Charles Fox,William Fleming

Bill and Pamela Fleming

John Graham-Pole

8

during World War II. In lieu of a Housemaster’scaning, I was permitted to memorise and recite20 lines from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar which,by the way, I can recite to this day!

The postscript to this story is that I was notaware, until recently, of Alan Parker’s veryawesome service in North Africa during WorldWar II with the Royal Green Jackets and laterthe push into Germany following the Normandyinvasion. Only today, after reading Alan Parker’sobituary in the 2006 OE Magazine, do I nowunderstand why I never received the caningthat I so richly deserved!

M I C H A E L S Q U I B B S( H O U S E M A S T E R 1 9 6 5 - 8 0 )

I took over the House from the “redoubtable”Alan Parker in September 1965, this coincidingwith Propert’s last year in the main schoolbuilding. The following year, in September 1966,

Carr and Propert moved into the refurbishedNewsom Building, vacated a year previously byFayrer and Holman, with Propert occupying theground floor to the left and the whole of thefirst floor and with Carr occupying the groundfloor to the right and the second floor. Wewere, however, very separate entities!

The Squibbs family – wife, Elke, daughter,Nicola (aged 3) son, Christopher (3 months)and myself were therefore accommodated atthe tennis court end of Newsom – not an idealset-up, perhaps, as the Propert junior dormitorywas above the Housemaster’s bedroom andthe boys’ ‘box-room’ directly below it, hardlythe most convenient layout for any Propertianswanting to let their hair down or for theHousemaster and his wife to get much sleep!

But the refurbished quarters afforded the‘luxury’ of shared studies for members of theLower and Upper Sixth on the ground floor ofthe study block (study bedrooms in Newsombeing no more than a twinkle in the Council’seye at this time). Nevertheless, these studieswere a real bonus, in spite of the fact that allpersonal electrics, decorations and wall pin-upswere strictly and regularly monitored! Anadditional ‘plus’ in our new quarters was, ofcourse, an upstairs library/quiet room.

It should perhaps be remembered that thelate sixties and early seventies ‘revolution’ madelife potentially difficult. Many pupils, worldwide,at the College – and even in Propert(!) –

Alan Parker

Michael Squibbsteaching


wanted to exert their individuality and be seenas anti-establishment. Dealing with this requiredplenty of listening, some – though not a lot of –compromising and the Housemaster alwayshad to make sure that he had his metaphoricalmachine-gun at the ready! We all survived?

The Newsom building was where ourchildren learnt to swim, not as a recreation butfrom sheer necessity, as the ground floor of theHousemaster’s accommodation wasflooded to a depth of 11/2 feetseveral times. On each occasion, aquick internal phone call for help tothe Head of the House’s study saw60 Propertians on our doorstepwithin minutes, armed with mops andbuckets etc.The water was returnedalmost immediately whence it came!

Members of the House wereindeed almost part of our familyand more than once they wouldbring our children home with a broken boneor whatever and, as parents, we particularlyappreciated the occasion when a three-eveningvoluntary silence was carried out in the Housewhen it became known that our daughter wasmore than a little unwell.

An article in the ‘Epsomian’ by John Potter,referring to Propert during these years, statedthat “Propert entered everything with two aims:to enjoy life and to win, always achieving the firstand pointing to a never empty trophy cupboard

to prove the second”. It is true that the House was always verycompetitive and rugby, cricket,athletics and hockey competitionsrarely saw Propert other than ‘there

or thereabouts’ – not that music and drama –or even the CCF – were ever the poorrelations or any the less successful. Many willhave fond memories of “Hernando’s Hideaway”,“76 Trombones”, “The Hippopotamus Song”and the dramatic productions of “SweeneyTodd”, the “Duke in Darkness” and – with Carr– “Witness for the Prosecution”. Fewer perhapswill have fond memories of the early morninghouse drill competition practices on the tenniscourts (yes, even on a Sunday!).

Michael & Elke Squibbs

Norman Rice David Lees-Jones Kevin Shaw


A steady stream of Oxbridge awards andplaces and a very healthy number of Heads ofSchool, however, bore witness to the quality ofmany individual members of the House in theseyears. Propert was also very fortunate to havethe support, wisdom and guidance of someexcellent House Tutors in the sixties andseventies: Norman Rice, David Lees-Jones andKevin Shaw to name but a few, all of whomwent on to bigger and better things.

Many may remember that Propertinaugurated the first of the College’s Housesoirées during this era and may even rememberElke’s Deutsches Abendbrot suppers (well, thosewho lived to tell the tale!).

But as in any school, a House is only as goodas the boys in it or as good as the boys want itto be and, in this respect, my family and I wereindeed most fortunate.

15 years and one term – challenging,rewarding and (mostly) enjoyable. Propert isnow, I understand, a day house (shock, horror!)and is housed at the Carr end of Newsom(shock, horror again!).

But whatever, wherever, “Floreat Dyfalad”.

R O B E RT K N OW L E S ( 1 9 6 6 - 7 1 )

I remember well an event that occurred duringmy last year at Epsom. We all know that the1st XI cricket pitch was, and probably still is,hallowed ground. So it came to pass oneevening that a bunch of ‘seniors’ (Americanterm for final year students) decided to push a certain red mini onto the pitch. It belongedto a Mr Ryan, who was our Second Master atthe time.

Around 2 am, half a dozen of the lads weresomehow able to steer the mini past theHousemaster’s house (at the time MichaelSquibbs), along the grassy ridge by the tennis

courts and then a left turn up towards the 1stXI pitch.

The next morning, Headmaster McCullumgot the shock of his life when he saw a redmini parked between wickets on the XI pitch.Needless to say there were sore bottoms!

Propert House photo 1966

E P S O M

Mr A McCullumHeadmaster from 1962 to 1970


My time at Epsom was filled with study andsports. Being part of the swim team gave me thechance to swim in local and out-of-town meets,and yet as I look back, I am very grateful forthe structure, work ethic and values that reallyhelp me in today’s world. Thank you EpsomCollege, and to Propert House. I wish I waswith you on this special day. My congratulationsto a school that has leapt into the 21st centurywith success and has become a place that OEsare truly proud of.

I A N M I L L ( 1 9 7 1 - 7 6 )

The proverbial Squibbs… I particularly recallthe following two utterances in my directionfrom the great man:

1. During a practice for the House DrillCompetition, at a time when I had chipped theend of the middle finger of my left hand and it

was held pointing straight out in an unsightlyplastic contraption: “Mill boy! You stick out likethe proverbial sore thumb!”

2. After he had spotted, while showingprospective parents round the House, a posterin my study showing a drawn profile of SigmundFreud with the legend “What’s on a Man’s Mind”and a female nude cunningly included withinthe drawing: “Mill boy! The honeymoon is over!

This is the last straw that broke the proverbialcamel’s back!” I was, I think, 17 at the time.

Ian Mill

M A R K L O O I ( 1 9 7 3 - 7 8 )

As an M4 starting at Epsom as a boarder,September 1973 was a new and uncertainbeginning. I had never been away from myhome and family for more than a week beforeand I was anxious and uncertain as I took inmy surroundings as a new boy in Propert. I was going to learn an entirely new vocabulary:ptoyces/ lights out/ ability to brew (make toastor cook a Vesta meal) if one was willing to


1) The house changing rooms – cold, hardconcrete floors making it like a fridge inthe winter…….we had to congregatein the (tiny) boiler room to get warm!And no locks on the loo doors!

2) Mike Squibbs doing his famous hand-stand trick walking from one end of the junior dormitory to the other.

3) The telephone link between theHousemaster’s study and the Head ofHouse’s study. When Head of House,

I was having coffeewith my very goodfriend, GrahamGoddard (sadly no longer with us),when the phonerang. Grahampicked it up tohear that famous

‘Squibbs’ voice asking “Who have I got?” Graham, quick as a flash, said,“Goddard, Sir. And who have I got?!!!!”

4) Flooding the Squibbs’house when someone over ran their bath.

5) The smell of hot, buttered toast comingfrom the Study Block kitchen at breaktimes (made a welcome change fromthe cold, soggy stuff provided in theschool canteen!). And of course,Vestacurries and Chow Mein!

6) As complete underdogs, winning the House Senior Rugby trophy inMichaelmas 1977, with a team madeup of one 1st XV player, a few secondXV players, several 3rd XV players and a number of Colts players. Webeat the mighty Wilson (five 1st XVplayers and several 2nd XV players) in a famous semi-final……I don’t thinkI ever saw Mike more happy, having putone over the tournament favourites!

7) Squibbs’ many nicknames – especially‘Meathead’. And of course NormanRice’s – ‘Mr Spock’.

8) Trying to fool Mike Squibbs intobelieving that your hair was shorterthan it really was by tucking it underyour collar. On one occasion, Jonnyhad forgotten to have his hair cutbefore returning to school and soasked our Mum to do a quick trim.Mike’s first words on seeing Jonnywere, “I see your Mother’s had another go at your hair, Jonny old boy!”

J E R E M Y G O U L D ( 1 9 7 2 - 7 7 )

Jeremy Gould


become a fag/early morningPE/6th form dances/White

House girls. All this was yetto come!!

What I remember mostvividly was our first night

in the junior dormitory:a room with no curtains, 14 black castiron beds with uncomfortable thin

horsehair mattresses and an imposing man ofobviously some seniority, who had previouslyintroduced himself as our Housemaster, walkingup and down the dormitory in a suit. He couldobviously see the concern expressed in ourfaces as new boarders when all of a sudden,without any warning, he was going up and downthe length of the dormitory on his hands. Thiswas stupendous and we were wondering howhe was able to do this. Little did we know thatin Michael Squibbs’ youth he had been anexcellent gymnast and was therefore able tocarry out such feats at the drop of a hat(although some encouragement was needed torepeat the feat whilst we were advancingthrough the school). Before Harry Potter, thiswas an amazing thing to see from a seniorteacher and served its purpose of distracting usfrom the worries of our first night in Propert.

This was the start of a memorable andenjoyable journey in the best House in the schooldue to the diverse talents of its members, dulyharnessed by Michael Squibbs as its Housemaster.

DAV I D B E E R ( H O U S E M A S T E R 1 9 8 0 - 8 8 )

I am a frequent visitor to Epsom, usuallyaccompanying a rugby or cricket team fromEastbourne. There is a healthy, friendly rivalrybetween the two schools and it is always a joyto see the impressive Newsom building as youarrive through the main gate. I remember thebuilding being jointly occupied by Carr andPropert. There were large dormitories and preprooms for the junior years and a study block forthe sixth form.The sixth formers also slept indormitories, a far cry from the en-suite facilitiesthat many sixth form boarders enjoy these days.

It was a time of great change as full boardinggradually gave way to weekly boarding and thelarge dormitories were partly replaced withstudy bedrooms for the more senior years.The one thing that did not change was thetremendous House spirit. Whether it was arugby match against old rivals, Fayrer, or thehouse choral competition and another finerendition of a Lennon and McCartney favourite,you could rely on the boys to pull out all thestops. The finest team efforts were reserved for House plays. Of all the House events,putting on a play has the unrivalled capacity tointegrate the year groups and allow the mostunlikely characters to come to the fore. I have

David & Fiona Beer



particularly fond memories of Frankie Cooke’sproduction of the “Irresistible Rise of Arturo Ui”.

Fiona and I enjoyed the spaciousaccommodation and it was a fantastic building in which to bring up a young family. We soonbecame used to the regular floods from the boys’bathroom above our sitting room or throughthe front door after a summer thunderstorm.These episodes did little to dampen ourenthusiasm for what was a thoroughly enjoyableseven years. In fact we relished the challenge somuch that we went on to run another boys’boarding house at Eastbourne!

C H A R L E S DAV I D S O N ( 1 9 8 0 - 8 5 )

As a mainly sport focussed person, I measuredour success in Propert by victories on the sports field and we usually put in a creditableperformance, be it thanks to David Beer’spractice sessions or the team spirit that heinstilled.These games seemed to be more intensethan actual school matches and he was alwayskeen for us to do well and keep the tradition ofbeing ‘there or thereabouts’. While ‘Dave’ wasprobably most comfortable on the sports field,he also needed to extend his repertoire toproduce a half acceptable inter-House ChoralCompetition entry, of which his first entry in

1981 of “Just Blew In From The Windy City”from the musical Oklahoma was commendedby the judges for its sheer volume! We alsochalked up a 1st place in the inter-HouseCorps Competition with some early morningmarching practice in sub-zero conditions underhis supervision. Individuals were encouraged to pursue all areas of interest. In short, ‘Dave’fostered a great team spirit and led a happyHouse with enthusiasm and thoughtfulness.

M AT T S O L A N ( 1 9 8 0 - 8 5 )

Shortly after DJB and Mrs Beer took over thereins from Michael Squibbs, Propert and Carrhad a major re-fit, and although ptoyces were

Charles Davidson


retained for the middle andupper fourth years, the majorityof dormitories became bed-sitstudies. Like MJS before him, DJB likedto see Propert on top of the pile,and so the competitive nature ofthe House continued. All inter-House sports matches, concertsand plays were enthusiastically embraced witha good measure of success. The all-round ethosmeant that most boys helped Propert earnsome silverware during their time.The Housethat bears the founder’s name had a friendlyand successful reputation during the Beer-era.

When I took over the reins in 1988, Propertwas a conventional boarding house.The twojunior years slept in dormitories and did theirprep together in one large dayroom under thesupervision of a prefect. Notices weregenerally hand-written, though posh onesdid sometimes have to be bashed outon a typewriter. There were no mobilephones, no fax, no answering machine andno email. The Housemaster’s telephone,which had a circular mechanism on the frontcalled a dial, served also as the Housemaster’sfamily’s telephone.This was just as well becausein those days it was perfectly normal for aHousemaster’s wife to involve herself in the

well-being of the boys in the house. Certainlyin my case, often when

I answered the phoneI got the distinctimpression that the

parent who had made

the call would rather have spoken to my wife,who knew the boys and their families every bitas well as I did. All that changed over the yearsas accountability, professionalism and regulatoryprocedures came in and took away much of aHousemaster’s freedom to run his House as hesaw fit. Individualism, let alone eccentricity, wasseen as amateurish if not downright irresponsible.There was little that a Housemaster’s wife,who was not in any other respect a Collegeemployee, was permitted to offer.

Without doubt the lowest point in my tenurecame on a hot summer day in 1994.The firethat broke out just after lunch on Tuesday 13thJune destroyed half the roof of the Newsombuilding and put the whole top floor out of usefor six months. Officers from Surrey Fire andRescue were able to save the building, twoinjuring themselves in the process. Boys’possessions and those of resident staff in therooms below were destroyed more by waterthan fire; some boys lost virtually everythingthey kept at school. The exam season was wellunderway, so quite a few boys were already on

study leave, but remaining boarders had tobe ‘farmed out’ to other Houses forthe remainder of that Summer Term.

Throughout most of the followingMichaelmas Term, during the

renovation process, half the Househad to live in temporary

accommodation consisting of linkedPortakabin units put up in the area betweenForest and the tennis courts. Life was never dull.

At the end of that same academic year, inthe summer of 1994, came news that saddenedsome and surprised all: the House that proudlybears the founder’s name was to lose its status as a boarding House and would, fromSeptember 1994, take in only day boys. Properthad been selected to play a significant role inthe momentous change to full co-education thatwas about to sweep through Epsom College.

EPSOM21234

J O H N H A RT L E Y ( C R AW F U R D 1 9 6 2 - 6 8 A N DP RO P E RT H O U S E M A S T E R1 9 8 8 - 2 0 0 3 )


It seemed, however, that the House had otherideas: a few boarders were admitted, mostly tothe Lower Sixth, every year until 2003, at whichpoint Propert and Carr swapped both rolesand occupancy in the Newsom building. Sixteenyears after the decision was taken to endboarding in Newsom, the defiance of Propertthen and its refusal to accept with totalacquiescence that it should lie down and die asa boarding house is still marked today by thepresence of boarders in Carr.

Needless to say, in contrast to all of that therewere lots of high points, of which three Houseplays and successes in House competitions,especially those that were not expected, areperhaps the most memorable. Naturally it is tothe boys themselves, who would always turnup trumps when least expected but mostwanted, that tribute is due. A Housemaster isin the position of being able to see how muchall have to offer, and it was a tremendousprivilege to attempt, even in some small way, tosteer each one towards fulfilling his individualpotential. Over my time there wasn’t one boywho was enticed or encouraged to join theHouse. Some asked to be shown round, butno-one got the hard sell, or faced an inquisitionabout prowess on the games field or musicalability. The only familiar names that appearedon each year’s list of new boys were those of brothers.

Fifteen years is a long time in the life of afamily. Our part of the House itself became theplace my wife and I and our children will foreverremember as our family home. We always triedto sit down to Sunday lunch together.Thosemoments I shall treasure.

G R E G F R O O M E ( 1 9 9 7 - 2 0 0 2 )

“Write something about Propert!”, they said,evidently not realising the sieve-like propertiesof my memory. So I began to think about mytime in the blue-striped house and, after muchbrow-knitted concentration, I did reconnectwith those faraway days.

My first thought was of the House ChoralCompetition. Unlike many of my fellowPropertians, I fell ungracefully but decisively onthe Music side of the great Sports/Music divide,allowing me, just once, to represent my housein a school event. At the behest of John Hartley,Housemaster and evidently closet My Fair Ladyfan, the song would be Get Me To The ChurchOn Time, but with subtle alteration. It was feltthat “For Gawd’s sake, get me to the church ontime” might prove offensive to the undoubtedlypious audience; it was therefore changed to “ForPete’s sake”, assuming, I suppose, that thoselistening who worshipped God would greatly

JohnHartley


17

outnumber those who worshipped Pete.So it was that I found myself in a pairof extravagantly white conductors’gloves, leading a large group of unwillingchoristers through a religiously cleansed versionof My Fair Lady. The result was moderatelysuccessful: a tuneful chant, if not the eight-partCathedral choir sound I was hoping for. In theend, I think we still lost rather pitifully, but winningwas never really the point anyway. (Or maybe itwas, and I was just too un-sporting to realise...)

While not exactly a floodgate opening, morememories, taking their lead from the first, soontrickled from the recesses of my mind ...

Our large, desk-strewn day-room, often filledwith toxic clouds of Lynx, up on the top floorat the end of the white, institutional corridor ...The dark and (in my eyes, at least) infuriatinglycooler corridor on the other side of the topfloor: the mysterious and exciting domain ofPropert’s few remaining boarders ... Betweenthe two, the common room, with flashes ofhigh ceilings and endless supplies of toast ...Then the House assemblies, presided over by

My Fair Housemaster, the face ofthe Propert I knew, with serious

stare and habit of pushing weightonto one leg in front of the other, like an

athlete limbering up for a marathon ... And theview out the window, to the lush grass wherethose big trees once stood, sheltering my littleyellow car, the lawns and the severe red-brickof the main school beyond …

Even if this recollection was all fact, ratherthan the rose-tinted exaggeration I suspect mostof it is, I doubt anyone else would rememberPropert in the same way. But I also doubt thatit matters.Whatever memories trickle out ofeveryone else’s little floodgates, I’m sure we canat least agree on one thing: that we, for Pete’ssake, were part of the best damn house around.

Welcome to Propert House in its latest guiseon the ground floor of the Newsom Building.Since 2003 a number of changes have takenplace.The old Propert library has beenconverted into two new computer rooms tocomplement the existing computer room.TheM4, U4, 5th form and L6 day rooms have beenrevamped, modernised and given upgradedlighting.The games room, brew rooms, changingroom and showers have all been modernisedor replaced.

Today, Propert is home to over 70 day boysand, with increasing numbers, the need for morespace has become paramount.The solution wasto reclaim some redundant rooms upstairs and

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A N DY WO L S T E N H O L M E ( C U R R E N T H O U S E M A S T E RS I N C E 2 0 0 3 )


build a new staircase in the entrance foyer toaccess them.This area is now the U6 dayroom,containing four studies, a kitchen and an area inwhich to socialise.This gives the U6 somemuch needed breathing space from the hurlyburly of day to day life in the House.

I am often asked by prospective parents‘And what is Propert good at?’ and that alwaysreminds me of a reply my predecessor, MrHartley, gave to the same question, ‘Propert isgood at nothing’. I was taken by surprise at first and so was the parent, but I know what he means. In Propert we give everything a go.If I look down the list of House reps and captains for 2010, I note over 20 boys takingresponsibility for organising events such as

raising money for charity, to the school councilthrough to music, drama and the usual hugerange of House sporting events that take placeeach year, and we do enjoy a fair bit of success!

The House choral competition gets thingsgoing in September and with a bit ofencouragement talented singers emerge toguide the House. This is followed in Novemberby a ‘House soirée’, a relatively new but popularevent where the boys entertain their parents,after a convivial dinner, with a range of sketchesfrom comedy and line dancing to solo singers.This is done to a background of a SimonCowell-style mauling at the hands of thatfearsome judge of talent Mr Bob Ellison!

The faces may change but the traditionremains strong and the House is proud of itsheritage, pulling together in extraordinaryfashion to meet the challenges to compete and contribute in all areas of college life.

Andy Wolstenholme Andy Wolstenholme

19

“…we, for Pete’s sake,were part of the bestdamn house around.”

GREG FROOME

1997-2002

2010 Propert leavers’2010 Propert leavers’

PROPERT HOUSEMASTERS

George le Blanc Powles 1883-87

Clemens von Engel 1887-90

John Alexander Newsom 1890-97

Thomas Neale 1897-1927

Joseph Norriss Peart 1927-30

Ernest Lionel Raymond 1930-35

William Eric Radcliffe 1935-38

Peter Warwick Ching 1938-40

Ernest Lionel Raymond 1940-46

Thomas Marshall Warburton 1946-49

Alan Montgomery Parker 1949-65

Michael Squibbs 1965-80

David Beer 1980-88

John Hartley 1988-2003

Andy Wolstenholme 2003-present

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Telephone: 01372 821294Email: [email protected]

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