THE December meeting of the Andover History and Archaeology Society at the Guildhall featured two members’ talks; ‘More about Andover Grammar School’ by Greg Gregory and ‘Memories of Andover in the 1930s’ by June Harris.

Since 2001, when Greg’s book, ‘Aspects of Andover Grammar School’, was published, he had continued to collect items relating to school history. These ranged from a pre-1925 school cap and a 1930s sports medal to copied and original documents.

The oldest document was the terms of the ‘Gue Scholarship’, awarded from 1887 to the best scholar under 14.The 1923 inspection report recorded 145 pupils, including eight boarders: 55 per cent from Andover, 39 per cent Hampshire and 6 per cent from ‘England’.

The building (now the Andover Museum) had been condemned but improvement was still only ‘being considered’. The standard of Maths was high, but History ended in 1815! The 1926 School Prospectus emphasised good attendance, unauthorised absences being a running concern.

In a letter of 1945, an ex-pupil praised his training in the school cadet corps. At the beginning of term, pupils had to produce a health certificate from their parents declaring they had not been in touch with any infectious diseases.

The Staff Register 1925-47 included teachers from Russia, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Greg quoted from the ‘Instructions for a School Trip to Switzerland’ in 1949, costing parents £20 13s 6d. Reading from other letters and documents, spiced with his own anecdotes, Greg stirred memories among ex-pupils, and informed others educated elsewhere.

June bookended her talk with 1930s ‘mood music’ on 78s, played on a wind-up gramophone. Born in 1930, her earliest memories were of being taken in a push chair round the town, and when older walking on reins. June shared memories of community celebrations. The Silver Jubilee of George V in Jun 1935 brought Morris dancing to the High Street, and milk and cakes were offered in a marquee.

In 1936 June, now at school, caught chickenpox and measles. She displayed a hand-coloured photograph of herself in the fancy-dress costume which won 3rd prize in the carnival that year. The highlight was a procession where the carnival queen was covered in confetti thrown by the crowd.

June mentioned the special tea and mug presented to commemorate the coronation of George VI in May 1937. At school, she was the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland.

The Munich Crisis saw the ARP wardens assessing the numbers of gas masks needed. In school, the pupils followed the 1939 Royal Visit to Canada. June was pushed to the front of the crowd when Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) visited Andover. The 1930s have been called ‘the Long Cocktail Party’ or ‘the Long Summer’, and described by Ronald Blythe as the ‘Age of Illusion’. There was a lot of dancing, so June proposed instead ‘the Long Dance’.

Asked if she had been frightened by the impending war, she didn’t think so, quoting Kate Adie, ‘I never worry about the children; the children always adapt.’ The well-attended meeting ended with seasonal refreshments.