Name ID 1953
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Nettelbeck, David A history of Arusha School, Tanzania
Page Number: 38
While Hamshere found day pupils an annoying appendage to the school, it must be said to his credit that he provided for the boarders a rich and stimulating environment. It is worth listing here briefly the significant extra-curricular activities which feature in the school records.
In the very first years of the school, Wynn Jones organised students to level the playing fields and as soil was removed to top-dress them, a 15 metre swimming pool was dug. Swimming; became an important sport and recreational activity, and both a swimming gala and swimming sports day involving former pupils were held annually.
An important annual event in which Hamshere himself always took the lead was the climb of Mt. Meru (14,979') near Arusha. Some 12 to 20 trained and physically fit children made the climb and an attractive certificate was presented to those who "conquered".
A school sports day was held each year, usually in the presence of some distinguished quest such as the Governor and Lady Twining in 1955.There was also an inter school sports day against the Greek and Dutch schools, but no competitive sports with African schools.
Carols by Candlelight, begun by the music mistress in 1947,,became a significant even for Arusha town.
A Christmas play preceded the annual Speech Day at which the Warden or his deputy presented the prizes.
A proliferation of cups and shields, was accumulated from old students members of the School Council. These included
the Wynn Jones memorial scripture prizes,
the Rasharasha prizes for "dependability, helpfulness and behaviour",
the Ann Revington Cup for the best all round girl and
the Du Toit cup for the best all round boy;
there was a Selian cup for physical culture,
an Ann Hazel Cup for swimming.
House Shields for swimming and athletics carved by a blind African wood carver and house trophies for rounders, hockey diving, football, rugby, netball and cricket.
There were inter school visits and sports matches with Nairobi School and Mombasa Primary School.
An annual school magazine was published from 1955 to 1965, and
there were troops of Guides, Brownies and Scouts.
From fund raising within the school, horses were purchased in 1954 and 2 tennis courts built in 1958.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the school in 1959, a bronze plaque noting the association of the school with the Diocese was unveiled in Christ Church Arusha, a special thanksgiving service was held, and "2,000 was collected for a Silver Jubilee Library. Bishop Chambers, whose foresight in 1927 had set plans in motion for the school, came at the age of 83 to open the library.
In 1943 the school was the venue for a conference of translators of the Bible into Swahili;
in 1947 delegates to the Pan African pre-history congress were accommodated in the school;
in 1950 Lady Baden Powell the Chief Guide, and later that year Lord Rowallen, the Chief Scout, visited the school;
in 1956 Princess Margaret spent 15 minutes with. the pupils in the school hall while the Hellenic and Dutch schools were allowed to line the drive! A cupboard full of Union Jacks, kept firmly locked in these post Independence days, remains as memento of the occasion.
In 1961 a conference on the preservation of wild life was held at the school and included such distinguished guests as Sir Julian Huxley, Peter Scott, Professor Monet, Armand and Michaela Dennis and Dr. Grzimek.
In 1969 the Presidents of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania met in the school to establish the East African Community.
In spite of the rapid turnover of teachers, matrons and some pupils, a strong school spirit and tradition was established. This was contributed to materially by the continuity of the School Council and of senior staff members as exemplified by
the Headmaster 1946 - 1964,
Miss I. Brown, Senior Mistress 1949 - 61,
Mrs. Fischer, Senior Matron 1950 - 59,
Mr. R. Johnson 1952 - 59,
Mr. H. Jones, Second Master 1953 - 61,
Rev. B. Jones Chaplain and from 1963 Headmaster, 1954 - 69, and
Mr. J. Hazel 1956 - 63.
Such continuity, even if for only a small proportion of the staff, was most unusual for the Colonial Service. The Department of Education, the statistics for which are not reflected in the above staff sample, could say in 1957, "there is a high rate of turnover of staff and delays in recruitment and by the end of the year, there was not one mistress who had been them 3 years previously"
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Extract Author: Geoff Jones
Page Number: 2004 11 12
Extract Date: 1954
I had a chat with Mark Morgan the other day and he mentioned that he had come across your site.
My name is Geoff Jones and I went out to Arusha in 1954 with my family. My father,Bryn had been appointed Chaplain Master to the school the rest of the family included my mother Pat, my sister Eira and young brother Huw.
The Headmaster at the time was Cyril Hamshere, other members of staff included H A Jones," Lanky" Johnson and of course Bill "Corky" Morgan. We had a wonderful life out there running pretty wild with the Morgan boys. My Dad became Head after Cyril Hamshere and stayed there until the end of 1969 when he returned to the U.K. to take up a Parish in South Wales.
I have had a great time looking through all the information on the site and will continue to do so. I was particularly interested to read about George Six who was a friend of Dad's. His son Eric is now a Neuro surgeon in Texas and we met up earlier this year at an Iringan re union. I will continue to be in touch.
Thanks for your email, and the "news".
You must have arrived in Arusha a year after me. What age were you then? I was at Arusha School 1953 (aged 7) to 1957. My father was the Rector at Christ Church, just across the river Themi from the school.
I think your father was followed by David Nettelbeck as the headmaster. He went on to write a thesis about the school, and I�m hoping to get a copy in the next week or two to add to the web site.
Do please have look through your old photo albums and see if you can find a few which will be interesting to visitors to the web site.
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Extract Author: Chris Austin
Page Number: 2009 03 19
Extract Date: 1956 to 1958
I went to Arusha (North House) from 1956 to 1958 and after that I went to St Michaels and St Georges in Iringa (Junior then Oram Houses) for the full length of the school's existence (Jan 59 to Dec 63), just like Eric Six whom I remember well.
I loved Arusha and hated Iringa. Arusha let us run wild, ride horses and, despite all the reviews, gave me a good primary education.
The horse riding was spectacular. There were a number of horses, one was a palomino carthorse who was incredibly uncomfortable to trot, but when she got into a gallop was just too beautiful, silky smooth and so powerful. Another was an ex race horse who went like the wind but was a bit flighty. And so much raw wild African bush to go haring about in! Who knows what today's health-and-safety culture would have made of it, but we made fun.
Down by the river was the training ring, but more importantly were loads of exotic fruit trees that were so strange to this little English boy, such as guavas and custard apples. And, of course, the huge avocados up by the playing fields.
My goodness, is that tortoise STILL there? We used to make it move by rubbing the back of its shell, and it had a big shiny patch then, and I always expected that it would wear through.
I remember two things vividly. One was a very small boy who couldn't have been much more that six who was completely unable to speak English, having been raised by his ayah to speak Swahili. The other was standing near the covered pathway that runs from the main building to the new girls dormitory ('thank you', Google Earth), promising myself that I would never speak the filthy language that the other boys spoke. It didn't last long, and soon I was master of two versions of the English language, one for school and the other for home!
I don't recall getting the tackie, but I was no angel, so probably was on the receiving end several times. Perhaps it paled into insignificance compared to Iringa where six cuts with the cane was literally that, on a bare bottom!
Nobody has yet mentioned BL's daughter Lynn, who was the prettiest girl I had ever seen (aged 10 at the time). I remember one boy (name remembered well) punching her on the nose and making it bleed!
BL was a great guy. I guess he has probably passed on, because I remember him telling us in one RI lesson that his ambition was to live to see the 2000th anniversary of Jesus' birth. I hope he made it. Anyone remember the History teachers name (it might even have been HA)? Taught us all about East African history, and that has been far more useful than all that stuff about the Stuarts and the Tudors!
If anyone wants to contact me they can do it via the link" alternatively, David Marsh has my permission to pass on my true email to anyone who requests it. It would be great to hear from anyone of the period.
See also
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Extract Author: Andy Hannah
Page Number: 2004 02 29
Extract Date: 1957 - 60
Thankyou very much for opening this site.
You are very welcome to publish all of the below.
I remember Martin, Mary, and Peter Davis quite well. I was in the year above Peter and below Mary. I remember dancing with Mary!!!
Name: Andy Hannah
Years at Arusha: 1957 - 60
Older brothers Lister, Tim, Dave, were also there before me.
Masters: Morgan, Hampshire, BL Jones, HA Jones, Lanky Johnston. Pop Hazel.
Matrons: Mrs Fisher (David Read's terrfying mother) (head matron), Mrs Birchman, Miss Balfour, Miss De Beer (also terrifying), Miss Bear, Miss Pollack, Miss Randall, Miss Morrell, Mrs Evans.
Teachers: Miss Ingles (gentle and fair), Miss Monroe (loud voice), Miss Elizabeth Gray (lots of fun), Miss Jenkins (Gypsy), Miss Lundy (spunk).
Friends: Peter Bird, Christopher Ronaldson, Roger Haggerty, Itzak Abramovici, Stewart Hammond, Ian Steer, Daniel Marjocki, David Spoors, Michael Carter, George Legnani, Adrian Van Schoor, William Power, Brenda Ulliat, Henrietta Shannahan, Pauline Shannahan, Yvonne Karafiat, Susan Hunt, Nida Mogelnikskii, and others (sorry if I've left anyone out).
(Sorry if I've spelt anyone's name wrong)
Comments:
Looking back, I think that Hampshire ran a pretty tight ship. I suspect that he also knew who the nice teachers were and who the not so nice, and arranged things so that we all had our fair share of both.
However, my principal memories are negative:
It was like a jail, and we were regimented a lot of the time.
There was always an anxiety that I'd do something wrong and get the tacky (or HA Jones' "persuader"). I didn't get punished that often, but half the time it was for an innocent absent-minded mistake.
My time in standard 3 was particularly unhappy because I was landed with a sociopathic dorm-leader.
Some of the female teachers went out of their way to make us feel small.
I think the most positive aspect was the friendships formed.
I would be delighted to get in contact with any of the above.
I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am married and have 4 kids (2 eldest have left home).
Great to hear from you, and thanks for your memories which I shall add to the web site when I next do an update.
You mention Mrs Fisher (David Read's terrfying mother)! I must tell that to David Read. I met him last October, and hope to see him again when I go back to Arusha at the end of May.
Your surname sent me back to my parent's archives, and I�ve found one slide of the Ball family, plus Timothy Hannah standing in the garden. I�m not sure if you have worked it out from the web site, that my father was the rector of Christ Church Arusha from 1953-57, and I seem to remember that we had various boys to tea on Sunday afternoons. I�ve been looking, but so far haven�t had enough to time find anything more, but I seem to remember that your father's names was Wells or Welsley.
I really need to go back to my fathers diaries to check my memories, and I could well be confusing you all with another family. But I seem to remember also that your father was in London in the early 60's and he took me to a rally in Methodist Central Hall, Westminster at which Dr Hastings Banda was speaking.
My slide scanner is on loan at the moment, but when I can I�ll see if I can send you a copy of Timothy's picture and any other pictures I might find in the meantime.
I�ve also got a couple of copies of the Arusha School Magazine, and see that in 1955 Timothy Hannah won a Standard I Form Prize!
Thank-you for your reply.
By the time I arrived at Arusha School, your family had left the vicarage, but I get the impression that both Tim and Dave spent a fair time at your house. In fact, I think it was your Mum who introduced meringues to our family - via Tim who insisted on our Mum trying to make them.
Yes, Dad's name was Wellesley, and he was working at the time as a medical missionary in Mvumi, near Dodoma.