1918-1928
School life in Houghton Street soon settled down after the turmoil of the First World War. Pupil numbers increased and with that came growth in every area of school activities. Sports flourished and the outside football and cricket pitches were often used 2 or 3 times a day at weekends to fit in all the fixtures. The school playground was too small for serious sport and so the boys started to play netball - but not the ladylike version you would imagine! Their game was described as a cross between the Eton Wall game and vigorous American football - luckily there were no serious injuries!
In 1920 the chess club joined the London Grammar School Association where it gained an excellent reputation. In 1921 the Literary, Scientific and Debating Society, also known as the School Association, was established with the Headmaster as president. This gave new impetus to the old societies and widened the scope of their activities. Drama flourished and one of the school's leading lights, H G Sympson, went on to become a well-known theatre actor.
The school's first full length drama production took place in 1926 when a combined cast of boys and staff performed J Drinkwater's "Abraham Lincoln" in the school hall without a stage or lighting!
School inspections were very favourable and in 1923 the school gained its first two Exhibitions to Cambridge - everyone was given two extra days of holiday to celebrate.
However, throughout these years, standards of school accommodation and facilities were improving and it was recognised that the premises at Houghton Street were no longer adequate. The Governors were offered new premises at Ducane Road in Hammersmith and the move there took place in July 1928.
Memories from the period:
From The Dane of July 1919
On Wednesday July 2nd peace was publicly proclaimed by gorgeously dressed heralds at several points in London. We left school soon after twelve in order to witness this quaint ceremony at Temple Bar but owing to a miscalculation of the time we arrived too late and most of us saw nothing.
