Tavistock and Summerhill School was established through the merger of Tavistock Hall and Summerhill Court schools in 1973. The antecedence of Summerhill can be traced back to the 1880’s and the Belvedere School.
Belvedere School
In the 1880’s, it is believed in 1888, the Belvedere School was established in a large house of that name at Bolnore Road, Haywards Heath. The principal was Mr Stephen Yeates who, ‘with assistance from resident and visiting masters, offered a sound English education, with classics and modern languages, shorthand, book-keeping, music and drawing.’ [W. Ford, The Metropolis of Mid Sussex]
In the early 1900’s it was a thriving establishment that provided a day and boarding school for boys and a day only department for girls. The girls’ classrooms were in the main house on the corner of Bolnore road and Wealden Way with the boys’ classrooms in huts on the other side of the road. In 1912, Mr C.J.D. Gregory was the owner and headmaster. His sister Miss Ada Gregory was head of the girl’s school, while Charles Gregory looked after the day boys and boarders. However Mr Gregory as owner was much in charge and set the standard for the whole school. As a teacher he was very much a ‘jack of all trades’ and a strict disciplinarian, noted as being handy with the cane. Neither Ada nor her brother were married.
The day fees in 1920/3 were £4-10s excluding lunch, with the school day being 9.00am to 1.00pm, and 2.00pm until 4.30pm. Cricket and football was played in Victoria Park.
A pupil at this time was Queenie Viner and she recalls the girls walking ‘through the town in a crocodile from Bolnore Road to a corrugated hut behind the Sussex Hall to be coached in gymnastics, in full regalia, gym slip, long sleeved blouses and bloomers! Our coach was Mr Cobbold and his assistant Vera Cook. The Sussex Hall was the venue for our Prize Giving day, when we all wore white dresses.’
The curriculum included French and Latin, but no science subjects were taught. The school was said to be popular for the children of successful tradesmen and the lower professionals. It is said to have taken pupils up to the age of 18 years, although this seems rather late having regard to the general school leaving age.
A noted pupil of Belvedere was Group Cpt. Frank Carey, a Battle of Britain fighter ace, who left the school in 1927. [Details available]
During the 1930’s the girls department closed and perhaps at a similar time boarding for boys ceased. Also in the 1930’s, Dick Gregory and David Gregory, relatives of Charles Gregory, were teachers at the school. The next sequence of events is a little unclear but is thought to be as follows.
In the late 1930’s, Charles Gregory died from a tragic accident; he choked to death after swallowing his whistle while referring in school football match in Victoria Park. Dick and David Gregory then took charge. However David Gregory soon left, it is believed this was shortly before the art of World War11, following the death of his wife to start a new life in Tanganyika.
Then Dick Gregory took over the running of Belvedere but it was not long before he was called up for war duty, thereafter Captain Gregory was seen only very occasionally at the school. His wife Marcelle Gregory was left to try and run the school.
Mrs Gregory gave the task her best endeavour teaching English, History and Geography plus sports. She made every effort to maintain normal school life during the war years, e.g. organising performances of Shakespearian plays for parents. However these were difficult times and with a shortage of good teaching staff, academic standards suffered and fell below that needed for the achievement of the School Certificate. However Mrs Gregory was very successful at instilling good manners, self-discipline, respect for others and the importance of appearance into her pupils. The school uniform at this time was a navy blue blazer edged in light blue, grey trousers and a navy blue cap with light blue cross overs.
Mrs Gregory is well remembers for enthusiastically leading and playing both football and cricket, she particularly excelled at the latter. Cricket was played in Claire Meadow, often to an audience of Canadian soldiers who were more interested in the Headmistress than the game! In competition with other schools Belvedere teams were much feared and were usually victorious, especially at football.
Sadly the school was struggling to keep going and the Gregory’s decided to sell the school in 1944, and it would appear that the new owner, Mr Cross, started to become involved during the Autumn term of that year. The timing is recalled as after the passing of the VI flying bomb threat. Mr Cross and a few boys, in red uniform, from his previous school appeared but were not involved in lessons with Belvedere pupils. Belvedere School closed with the departure of Mrs Gregory and vacated their Bolnore Road premises at the end of 1944.
Summerhill Court School
At the start of the spring term 1945, Mr Cross opened his new school Summerhill Court at Summerhill, which he rented. This school comprised boys transferred from Belvedere School and some boys, who were boarders, from his previous establishment. It is thought his previous school was called Parkstone; it was not a local school and perhaps came from Parkstone, Poole
The uniform for the new school was purple blazers and caps. However despite being paid for in advance by the parents, few uniforms were delivered and likewise swimming lessons at the Birch Hotel. Parents began to realise that the school accounts were perhaps questionable and there were comments regarding other areas of concern. Many ‘Belvedere boys’ were quietly withdrawn from the school. This was the beginning of a very difficult but thankfully short period in the history of the Summerhill Court. To quote a subsequent owner and headmaster, the school ‘scarcely merited the term Prep School.’ After a couple of traumatic years the Crosses sold the school. [Anecdotes available]
On the 24th June 1949, the school was incorporated as Summerhill Court School [Haywards Heath] Ltd. The major shareholder and headmaster was Mr. S.D. Majoribanks, known as Capt. Majoribanks. Unfortunately due to lack of capital and a small number of both day boys and boarders, no doubt due to the Crosses poor stewardship. the school got into financial difficulties. this resulted in four parents taking over financial management of the school for two years.
In September 1951, Mr H.J. Ewins effectively rescued the school. After a term as a junior partner, Mr Harold Ewins and his wife acquires all of Majoribanks shares in January 1952 and with his wife became the sole shareholders. They started to re-establish the school.
The school remained a day and boarding preparatory school for boys. The school role in the 1950’s was generally about 90 pupils with about half being boarders. Most boys went onto public schools such as Lancing college, Ardingly School, Hurstpierpoint School or Brighton College. It continued to flourish under Mr Ewins control and he is held in high regarded as a good headmaster with the nickname of ‘Bodge’, by old boys of the period. The deputy head was Mr Charles Finch who together with his wife, Moira, made a significant contribution to the day to day life of the school.
[Interestingly Harold Ewins’ father Dr Ewins introduced M&B 693 made by May and Baker, the drug that saved Winston Churchill from pneumonia].
Tavistock Hall School
Tavistock Hall was established in the mid 1930’s at Tavistock, Devon by Mr Harold ‘Buckie’ Bucknall, regarded as an eccentric with a talent for running schools. In 1939, he moved the school to Heathfield, East Sussex. A boarding school for boys, it occupied a substantial house in spacious grounds and accompanying woodlands. Described in it prospectus as ‘standing amidst bracing firs 600 feet above sea level’ and boosting ‘an abundance of good food’ with its suitability for the healthy care and education of young gentlemen was, of course, unequalled.
Reality during the war years was perhaps a little different. A young boy, whose mother had died tragically and with his father overseas, recalls ‘I was sent in 1943 to a boarding school, Tavistock Hall, in Heathfield. Most of the staff were kind and the headmaster, extremely so. This was a pretty part of the country and the school’s old mansion. However, we were often miserable and always hungry. the food poor, we were always cold and lonely. I cannot eat swedes, turnips, cabbage, etc. to this day as it was fed to us so often. We all had boils and chilblains in winter because of the poor diet and damp.’
Mr Bucknall acquired a second boarding school, Skippers Hill at nearly Five Ashes, in 1945. Nothing further is known of the Tavistock schools until 1973.
By the early 1970’s, it is understood that a fall in demand for full time boarding created financial pressure while its location was considered as unsuitable for the day school. The proprietor at this time was Mr Jack Bucknall, the son of the founder. Mr Bucknall explored several options eventually selecting to acquire Summerhill Court on the retirement of Mr Harold Ewins. Mr and Mrs Bucknall purchased all the shares, in the School, on 31st July 1973, in time to open the School as Tavistock and Summerhill for the Autumn term. The buildings and grounds continuing to be leased.
Tavistock and Summerhill School
The new school continued as a day and boarding preparatory school for boys until 1980 when girls were admitted as day pupils.
However, perhaps the most significant changes occurred in the period immediately prior to Mr Bucknall’s retirement in 1988.
The available details are not entirely clear but a notice from Friends of Tavistock and Summerhill School to staff dated 11th March 1987 says, ‘Negotiations are currently taking place between the Friends, the Landlords of the school property and Mr Bucknall for the Friends to set up an Educational Trust to purchase the entire assets of the school, including the new 125 year lease, from Mr and Mrs Bucknall. This has been made possible by an offer of a donation [conditional upon planning consent being granted for the redevelopment of the playing field site] to enable Mr and Mrs Bucknall’s interest to be purchased thereby securing the future of the school for the next 25 years’.
A letter from the Friends to Parents on the same date advised, ‘Following the meeting on 26th January, discussions were held with the landlords to attempt to retain a part of the playing fields for use by the school in the future. These discussions regrettably were unsuccessful, the landlord stating all interests in the playing fields were loss lost during negotiations for the current lease and that retention of any part of the fields were not further negotiable in any circumstances.’ It further commented that the landlords ‘have offered to donate a sum of money to the Friends to set up a new educational trust…..’
This seems to suggest that at some stage Mr and Mrs Bucknall had acquired ownership of the property and grounds that houses the school from the previous owner, Elizabeth Eggar-Byatt.
Charitable trust status was achieved and with the appointment of a Board of Governors the school entered a new phase in its development.
The next change was in 1989, when due to falling demand the boarding facility was withdrawn. The dormitories were converted into classrooms. To replace the loss of the school playing fields alternative facilities were established at sparks Farm, Cuckfield.
This was followed in 1993 with the opening of the Nursery School. It allowed four stages in school life to be offered, Nursery, Reception, Pre-preparatory and Senior School with pupils being prepared for Common Entrance.
Mr Terry Locke, the headmaster, left the school in July 1993 and the post being filled by the Deputy Head, Flora Snowling, until the appointment of Michael Barber in September 1994.
The school continues to develop with pupil numbers approaching 200. A new classroom block was opened in September 1998 to facilitate a new class in year group three and to replace an old and decaying building.
The school closed in 2015/2016 academic year after suffering a decline in pupil numbers primarily resulting from the economic conditions in previous years and a period of uncertainty.
Lindfield History Project Group 
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January 21, 2019 at 10:46 pm |
I attended Summerhill Court from 1961-9 as a day-boy and disliked it intensely. Looking back, it was as if the staff (Mr Ewins especially) believed they were still training up young gentlemen to run the Empire. The teaching was very old-fashioned, the uniform rules complicated and unthinking obedience expected. If you did not conform to their template, you were considered of little interest. It was not until moving on to Earnley school near Chichester to board, that I flourished academically and found an atmosphere that encouraged boys to find their own way in life. I am pleased to see that the buildings have now been razed to the ground. Good riddance!
March 7, 2019 at 10:18 pm |
Well, what a bitter old man you are, clearly still lacking the moral fibre which the teachers at Summerhill Court tried, but evidently failed, to instill in you. If they had been more successful, perhaps the Empire would still be gracing the world with its wisdom.
March 8, 2019 at 9:15 am
You are colonel Blimp and I claim my five pounds!
August 8, 2025 at 8:21 pm |
Hi Richard. Do you have any photographs of Harold Bucknall, Jack Bucknall, Anne Bucknall or Mr Ward taken at Tavistock Hall (TH) or elsewhere? I’m researching the history of TH. Former scholars of TH who read this and who have any such photographs are invited to share them with me. Old photos of the pool, cricket pitch and school buildings are also of interest and may well be included in my mulit-year research project. Family & House History ResearcherThe Netherlands [email: inzethomas@gmail.com]
February 15, 2019 at 4:24 pm |
I remember going to Tavistock Hall and I was a pupil at the time King George died. It was significant to us boys because our usual Wednesday film show was cancelled!
I remember all the wooden classrooms and the playing field, swimming pool and the woods where I walked with the Headmster Mr Ward and watched him shooting squirrels!
One memory I have was the box diving board by the pool. We never wore swimming trunks as it was all boys. At the start of the summer break I and another were by the pool having had dip, I was standing behind the diving box and the other was sitting with his back to the pool. I suddenly notice a whole bunch of girls heading our way. Well all we could do was jump in! As I we were naked I asked the girls leader if they go away for a little while so we could get som trunks. We then return and had some fun. It was useful that we studied French.
I have little recollection of the main building itself except it seemed huge to me at that time.
April 2, 2019 at 2:11 pm |
I loved this school although I heard Mr J Barnett was allegedly using his hands in the wrong places.
April 17, 2019 at 5:26 am |
I remember the Tavistock Hall of the 1960s as a particularly unpleasant place to be. Staff from all levels excessively spanked, slippered, rulered, caned, spitefully kicked, cruelly humiliated or touched students in their care.
Ironically, and maybe a showcase also for what he might extol as Tavistock Hall ‘moral fibre’, in a previous post a former student has put down ( ref: ‘what a bitter old man you are …. lacking moral fibre’ etc.) another student who had a miserable time at his school. To respond like that with name calling to such a serious claim in this day and age cannot go unchecked. I believe these concerns should be brought to light and treated respectfully. That aside, it is my opinion, Tavistock Hall was emphatically wrong. My feelings echo those of Richard Tagart when he says he was not sorry to see his school razed to the ground. I was not sad at all to see Tavistock Hall closed and eventually turned into a housing estate.
April 17, 2019 at 2:10 pm |
Thanks for your support. I’m afraid there are still some of the old ‘It never did me any harm’ brigade still around.
BTW: If anyone’s interested, I have a few B+W class and sports-day photos from Summerhill Court dating back more than fifty years.
April 18, 2019 at 8:25 am
Opinions are divided but at least you and I know who is right.
August 8, 2025 at 8:16 pm
Hi Richard. Do you have any photographs of Harold Bucknall, Jack Bucknall, Anne Bucknall or Mr Ward taken at Tavistock Hall (TH) or elsewhere? I’m researching the history of TH. Former scholars of TH who read this and who have any such photographs are invited to share them with me. Old photos of the pool, cricket pitch and school buildings are also of interest and may well be included in my mulit-year research project. Family & House History ResearcherThe Netherlands
August 8, 2025 at 8:17 pm
Hi Richard. Do you have any photographs of Harold Bucknall, Jack Bucknall, Anne Bucknall or Mr Ward taken at Tavistock Hall (TH) or elsewhere? I’m researching the history of TH. Former scholars of TH who read this and who have any such photographs are invited to share them with me. Old photos of the pool, cricket pitch and school buildings are also of interest and may well be included in my mulit-year research project.
Family & House History Researcher
The Netherlands
December 9, 2021 at 6:18 pm |
I was at Tavistock in the mid 1960s and I’m sure I remember Nicholas Barrett. I agree entirely with what he says and am delighted that I left in 1967 and went to a state grammar school in North London. I would have loved to have been there to watch it being razed to the ground. A horrible place; cold, miserable and brutal, no wonder each term at least one ‘inmate’ made a bid for freedom and ran away only to be caught and returned.
June 5, 2022 at 3:09 am
My regards to you Jonathan. All in the past now!!
June 7, 2022 at 2:17 pm
My memories of Tavistock Hall have a somewhat different background. For a no. of years the school hosted boys of both British and foreign nationality during the summer holiday season under the name “Tavistock Hall Holiday Home”. Part of the time was spent on lessons in English and English manners (!) and the greater part on sports (cricket, socker, swimming, gymnastics etc.). There were also excursions to Brighton, Eastbourne and to London (for those who had never been there).All quite long ago (1962 + ’63), but I still have fairly vivid memories of it all.Some names of staff / teachers: Mr. and Mrs. Bucknall, Mr. Glass, Mr. Perry, Mr. Jarvis, the two Spanish girls who helped in the household (?).My dormitory was Wymans’. Other names: Francis Coppa (Italy), Wolfgang (?) von Waldhausen (Germany), Simon Rijpstra (The Netherlands), Petter Lund (Dutch/ Norwegian), Tsecachy (not sure of the spelling / Arab).The outdoor swimming pool was nice, the gymnasium very old fashionned, even by the standards of the day. The sockerpitch was on a fairly steep sideward slope, which required the development of a special technique, in order to keep the ball between the lines. Discipline was quite strict andphysical punishment did occur occasionally, but then ofcourse these were different times.All in all my memories of at least that particular aspect of Tavistock Hall aren’t so bad, really…George E. LagasNieuwerkerk a/d Yssel, NLVerzonden vanaf mijn Galaxy
June 19, 2022 at 9:17 am
Hi Nicholas, thanks for your response. Yes, it’s a long time ago and the school is long gone along with the rest of that type of ‘educational establishment’. Still, I think is important not to forget what passed for ‘education’ in those places.
May 30, 2019 at 7:18 pm |
During the summer holidays of 1961 and 1962
(and possibly also before and/or after these years) Tavistock Hall opened its doors to both British and foreign boys under the name of
“Tavistock Hall Holiday Home”, providing lessons in English, sports, as well as various excursions and outings to places of historic interest and the seaside resorts of Hastings and Eastbourne.
I am Dutch, but my mother was of British family and, as an 11 respectively 12 year old youngster I was sent to THHH in the above mentioned years. It was like a muniature United Nations, with boys from Holland, Germany, France, Italy, Brasil, Irak, Iceland etc.
I have good and grateful memories of these holidays as, I am sure, have several of the others who attended these courses!
Kind regards,
George E. Lagas
May 30, 2019 at 8:16 pm |
PS: Yes, indeed some members of the staff were old fashioned and quite authoritarian in their ways, but one should remember that these were the early sixties… in other words: the great changes of 1968 and beyond were still to come!
George Lagas
November 15, 2019 at 9:28 am |
Improvement Tips
Tavistock and Summerhill School – A Brief History | Lindfield History Project Group
June 22, 2020 at 1:36 am |
I went to tavistock and skippers Loved them both 1942-52
June 5, 2022 at 3:00 am |
Could you be Cyril Posner.? I was at Tavistock 1943-1945 and then Skippers until 1952.If so please email me. I have a photo of Cyril, myself and other taken I think in 1951
September 9, 2021 at 9:02 pm |
I attended Tavistock Hall from 1958-1964, an African from Liberia. Conditions were severe with poor heating and lots of childblains but overall good education and character building. Jack Bucknall , his wife and family were good people and found a good public school for me after which I ended up at Harvard in America.Any old photos?
And would love to reconnect with Nicky Bucknall.Richard Tolbert
June 8, 2024 at 10:43 pm |
I was employed as a temporary teacher at TavistockHall, during my gap year in 1969, and I have to say the experience was not a happy one. One of the main things I learned from it was that I was not cut out to be a teacher. Although I think I had a few good ideas, I struggled to maintain discipline: on one occasion the class was so unruly that one of the staff who was passing by assumed that there was no teacher in charge and came in to take control! I admittedly didn’t help myself by not preparing lessons properly. In my defence I had come straight from school with no training or previous experience, so maybe it wasn’t surprising I didn’t make a success of the job. In the end, following a school inspection where I came in for a lot of criticism, Jack Bucknall, the head, strongly suggested I didn’t come back for the remaining term that I was due to stay for, and although I wasn’t formally sacked I felt I had no choice but to comply.
One thing that shocked me was the undisguised racism shown by some of the teachers, which even by the standards of the time was pretty extreme. There were about 9 or 10 black boys at the school, and staff referred to them by the N-word, making no secret of their dislike of them or the fact that they didn’t want them there but only took them because they needed their parents’ money. At least one teacher gave the strong impression of being a paedophile from comments he regularly made, though I am not aware of him ever acting on such inclinations.
Although some staff were friendly and supportive, the fact that I had been educated in a state school seemed to prejudice others against me, and one or two were openly hostile. All in all I wasn’t sorry that my time there was brief.
October 14, 2024 at 3:41 pm |
Wow I’m surprised at some of these comments as I have just happened upon them.
I also boarded at the school and left in 1969 however whilst I remember being caned, slippered etc., it never seemed excessive. I’m saddened to read of the experiences of some of my contemporaries and hope it didn’t cause them any lifelong damage ?
October 14, 2024 at 3:48 pm |
Jonathan Hobbs do you remember me should you read this blog again , I’m sure your parents lived in Hounslow and if so I do remember spending one summer’s vacation with you ?
incidentally I ran away from school too but came back as soon as my biscuits ran out !
October 14, 2024 at 4:30 pm |
hi Stephen I do remember you. Back then my family lived in Staines but moved to North London at around the time I left Tavistock in 1967. I remember spending a week staying with you that summer in Aldershot. Long time ago now, but I remember you well
October 6, 2025 at 6:17 pm |
I am another of the guests of the Holiday Home, like George E. Lagas here above.
I confirm what he says; the “summer version” of TH was nothing close to the grim, miserable place some of you have depicted. We were a happy lot, of around 90 boys from all across Europe, plus some Arabs and thereabouts. We had fun, swimmed a lot in the pool, enjoyed visits to the village to hunt down the local girls, and all-in-all had a really good time.
I remember Mr. Perry from the first year I went there (1969; indeed I watched the Landing on the Moon from TH), I also remember Mr. Barnett, Mr. Phinn, Mr. Newman and others.
The kids: the first time I went, my dormitory was Elizabeths; it was huge, and most of us were Italians. I made friends with a French kid my age, Xavier Aubin, whom I met the following years as well; I remember a few Germans (Gustav and Klaus Kobberger among others), a host of Spaniards (the Iturriaga brothers, etc).
I loved it. I changed summer camps in 1973 because our parents decided to send my sister as well (she was 11 and I was 16 by then) and TH only hosted boys.
I learned later, from the only lifelong friend I made there, that in 1973 the Holiday home had been moved to Haywards Heath.
October 6, 2025 at 7:25 pm |
Interesting to read Stefano Toria’s comment / memories!Some of the names he mentions are unknown to me, but that is to be expected, considering the fact that his experiences date from several years later.Still his memories of THH as he describes them ideed seem to be rather similar to mine.George LagasVerzonden vanaf mijn Galaxy
October 16, 2025 at 4:38 pm |
I was at Tavistock Hall in the mid 1950s and I have very few good thoughts of it. It was an awful, austere place run by people who had no real fondness for children and certainly no pastoral care. I was contacted by the police regarding their enquiries but I think they were concerned with Summerhill of which I had no knowledge; in my day it was Tavistock in Heathfield and Skippers Hill in Mayfield.
I seem to recall Mr Ward as headmaster who then took over Skippers Hill and Mr Bucknall took over Tavistock.
I was in the cubs with their creepy cubmaster who had favourites [thankfully I was not one]. Mr Bucknall was too fond of the cane {“Having the whacks”!]. Remember that these were children under the age of 13. Any boy who ran away was caned on return for the trouble he had caused The cubs went off to camp at Bradwell juxta Mare in Essex and on another occasion to land owned by Sir Hartley Shawcross. His son William was at the school.
I was in Skyways dormitory at the top of the house. Halfway up the stairs was a dormitory “Wetbeds” which was for those nocturnally incontinent. Those boys were given a cold bath in the morning. Mrs Bucknall was unpleasant in my view. On one occasion my father was visiting and I became very upset when he left at bed time. She said [and I recall it even though 65+ years ago] “If you do not be quiet he will not be allowed to visit again”.
The masters I recall [vaguely] were Mr Petfield, Mr Mearing [formerly a bus conductor], Mr Sylvanus and Mr Pfieffer. On one occasion there was a train strike and the special trains that ran from Victoria did not run. Instead a coach from Bromley. The door was kept open for air and for any boys with travel sickness to sit on the steps.
I sang in the choir at Waldron Thorn church. I can now only croak. We were paid 3d a service and could – I think – spend the money in the lovely confectioner in Heathfield.
I recall the swimming pool which took all day to fill. As mentioned we would swim without trunks. The water would go green after a while. The dining room tables were covered with a new invention “Formica” when I was there.
Down in the woods we would have fights with the village boys across the ravine.
I took my 11+ exam in Lewes travelling on my own by bus. The invigilator had webbed hands and I had lunch [egg and chips of course] in the Polar Bear cafe.
I was – for reasons that even now I do not understand – suddenly removed and sent to the junior school of a public school for which I am eternally grateful!
October 17, 2025 at 2:59 pm |
Hi David, Many thanks for your extremely interesting and fascinating recollections of your time at TH. I have a number of burning questions for you. Hope you can find time to reply to them. Your contributions, and those of others who have contacted my recently, will all be added to the 2025 update of The History of Skippers Hill Manor & TH (till end 1969): 1. Why were the police inquiring about Summerhill, and when did they contact you? [important] 2. What was Mr Bucknall like, character-wise? Did he teach or wss he just Headmaster? 3. What are your recollections of your visit to William Shawcross’ home? Remember where it was? Who went? Year? What did you do/eat there? [important] 4. What was William like? 5. Was Mrs Bucknall involved heavily with TH, or did she just pay the odd visit [important]. 6. What can you recall about the masters at TH (Pfieffer, Sylvanus, Petfield, Mearing) e.g. subjects taught, personality, quirks, country of origin? 7. What can you recall about Mr Newman [very important]. When did he join TH? What did he teach? 8. Why were boys allowed to swim naked? Was Mr Bucknall present when boys swam naked? 9. What was the food like at TH? 10. In what way was TH “austere“? 11. Do you have–or know anyone who might have–panoramic photos of TH boys, masters, buildings? I would love to see them. 12. Who was the “creepy cubmaster? Why creepy? 13. Does anyone remember a Malcolm Tattersall at TH? [important]. To anyone else reading this, please keep your recollections coming. They are turning out to be very valuable contribution to the history of these two “sister schools”. Also: anyone who would like to have a copy of The History of Skippers Hill Manor & TH (currently 280 pp and growing; due in Dec 2025) which includes all the recollections of former TH and Skippers boys and a key chapter on Bucknall, should contact me.
October 17, 2025 at 4:12 pm
I can only really reply briefly. I understand the police were enquiring about Summerhill – there is internet links – presumably about abuse. I was contacted a year or so ago but know absolutely nothing of Summerhill. In my day it was Tavistock and Skippers Hill near Mayfield. I disliked Mr Bucknall and he me no doubt. He did teach Latin I think but was far too prone to cane boys “giving them the whacks” as he called it. I never visited William’s home we simply camped in their fields. I do not recall William though he is now famous as an author I think. I found Mrs Bucknall unpleasant; I believe she lived in TH. I cannot recall much of Pfieffer or Mearing. Petfield taught maths and Sylvanus taught Latin. He seemed a very old man to me. Masters would smoke in the classrooms.
I believe that Pfieffer was a South African jew. I recall that he was shocked by us swimming naked. Never heard of Mr Newman. I do not know why the boys swam without costumes I doubt that there is anything wrong in that. The food was pretty grim though we perhaps should recall that rationing had only just ended. I was [and still am] a vegetarian and they really did not cope with me. For lunch I had a piece of cheese and a soggy tomato. Or stew with the meat picked out. My father complained and they said it would improve. I complained to Mrs Bucknall who said “Oh we can’t be bothered with all that!” The school was cold with few comforts for the boys. We had a film show on most weekends although the projector sometimes broke down.
The cubmaster also taught Physical Training [“PT”] and “Swedish Drill”. “Davits by the front commence” and so on. He was ex-military although I do not recall his name. He had favourites in the pack. In these days I think he would have been regarded with suspicion though I never heard of anything untoward.
There was a chicken pox epidemic while I was there. One of the maids who helped with food serving [Charity] cut her finger off with the bread slicer.
I have never heard of Tattersall. I recall the names of Holiday, King and Gibney from my time but have never kept in touch with any. As said I left quickly to a school which catered for vegetarians!
I would love to have a copy of your masterpiece when completed!
October 17, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Thank you for your replies. Excellent additional details. I will combine all your recollections into one reply and add it to the update. Can you let me know exactly what year you joined TH and the year you left. Was Bucknall still at TH when you left? Also: did the Bucknalls have children? Did Mrs Bucknall teach, or was she responsible for the kitchen, cleaning personnel and boys’ diet?
October 19, 2025 at 4:56 pm
This is all a long while ago – of course – and any documents have long gone.
I think 1953 to 1955 but as I said I was taken elsewhere at short notice so could be a year later.
As said I think Ward was head when I joined but he moved to SH so if you have details of that it should fix.
I do not recall much of Mrs B. I doubt she taught so possibly domestic supervision. I seem to also now recall the school secretary Mrs Lloyd-Beetle [though I doubt that was totally her real name]. I also used to help out in the kitchen where there was a cook who was Irish. I think even at that time I knew more than she did about nutrition!
November 1, 2025 at 11:38 am
In answer to your questions:
As I explained in earlier replies I attended the Holiday Home at Tavistock Hall twice in the early sixties.
Mr. Bucknall was the headmaster. Mrs. Bucknall, as I recall, was head of the household and they had a son, Nicky, who was quite active in several of the sortsteams. I don’t remember other children of theirs. Regards,
George E. Lagas
November 1, 2025 at 2:29 pm |
Dear DavidRegarding your reply dated 16 October 2025, the following: Which Mr Bucknall are you referring to when you said that “Mr Bucknall was fond of the cane”? There were two Bucknalls involved with TH. Harold Bucknall, the founder of TH and SH, or Jack Bucknall, his stepson, who became headmaster of TH, eventually taking over from his stepfather? [JB’s son was John Nicholas B, also referred to by others as ‘Nicky’]. And, is the Mrs Bucknall you refer to in the same reply the wife of Jack Bucknall, Anne, or did you mean Harold Bucknall’s wife? This is important as Harold Bucknall liked to keep his finger in both ‘school pies’, as it were.
October 16, 2025 at 6:31 pm |
I always felt that I was discriminated against. My term reports always showed me right at the bottom of the class in everything but usually top or second in the exams where the results were less likely to be subjective!
October 16, 2025 at 6:33 pm |
I was discriminated against in that in class I was always well down the class in termly reports but always first or second in the exams where the answers were objective
October 17, 2025 at 3:18 pm |
Will Nick Webb, a former pupil of Skippers Hill Manor (1964-67), the sister school to TH, who wrote to me in Dec 2021 via my Skippers website (closed), please contact me urgently regarding Mr Burfield, should you by any chance happen to come across the Lindfield Project. [I lost your contact details when the website was taken down].
October 19, 2025 at 4:57 pm |
I do not know why my addy does not appear! I am not “speedy-whatever”
November 3, 2025 at 11:52 am |
“For the record, I need to know the actual name of “speedytechnically”, otherwise I cannot add it to my research document.RegardsPeter