Charney Hall School, Grange-over-Sands

Post updated 6 March 2023 : Photo of D Johnson removed - D R Johnson credited. Mr Fawcett’s Humber confirmed as registered ‘PUP…’ Here are the many old boys’ comments generated by Louis’ comprehensive blog ‘ Cumbrian War Memorials’, in particular with reference to the Charney Hall Memorial Hall. http://cumbrianwarmemorials.blogspot.com/2008/08/is-this-in-grange-over-sands.html I’m posting them here (in no particular order) so that they form a valuable, more prominent record of the observations of life at Charney Hall in this blog. Thank you Louis for including these in your blog to which I give full credit. I attach photographs sourced from the Cumbrian Archive (Barrow), previously posted, but included here to provide some visual reference. The Scholarship Board is mounted over the stove The Podmores’ Butterfly and Moth Collection can be seen between the two windows on the side elevation Tim Hindle John Cranna                   Roger Beaumont - a digimation until we find an accurate p

From 1966 the following thirteen years saw the closure of four of Charney Hall’s contemporary preparatory schools. Laurence House which I believe was a larger school, with more pupils, being located farther south, in a wealthy part of Lancashire, followed in 1993.  Only Rossall which has a Senior School has survived… Why did all the prep schools that Charney played against at cricket and football, bar one, either close or lose their identity? Whilst we saw the school as a place of education, sport and temporary accommodation, the headmasters and their masters looked upon it as a business that generated their income. Although the profession of teaching is considered a vocation, in the world of private education the cost of running such an establishment has to be viable. Unlike the state school there is no public money to rely on. The relation of income to outgoings must ‘stack up’.  There is thus an instant conflict of interest, a dichotomy, that of providing the best possible education

In the Summer term the boys in their final year would sit the entrance examinations for the respective public schools which either they or their parents had chosen. The more intelligent pupils ( whatever that meant ) would be encouraged to apply for a scholarship and if awarded, the whole school, as a way of celebration, would be given the day off and be taken by coach to Tarn Hows.  Credit : Google Earth Invariably the weather was hot and sunny - whether that was to due to immaculate timing and accurate weather forecasting by Maxwell Duncan or just plain luck I cannot remember. To the inmate of a preparatory school this was like a Bank Holiday. Something for nothing - no work (lessons) and a day out with packed lunch (instead of pay) in a beautiful part of the Lake District. In the 1950s Tarn Hows was completely unspoilt. There appeared to be no designated car park so the coach was just parked off-road. The path around the shoreline, a popular walk today, was not clearly defined and i