WINTER 2019 - 2020 WELCOME You might not know it quite yet, but 2020 is a While we look back at the past then, and celebrate the 125th significant year in Bede’s history. Anniversary of the foundation of our school, it is important to remember that we are also starting a whole new decade. In part this is because this year marks a significant anniversary, in that St Bede’s Preparatory School first opened its doors 125 years It is one in which my colleagues and I look forward to reconnecting ago. and deepening links with every Old Bedian, and I was very thankful to meet so many of our founding Senior School pupils and staff last year Who in 1895 could have imagined that our school community would at the 40th Anniversary Dinner. thrive as it has done, and that Bede’s would become a place where every individual is encouraged to explore, seek new horizons, and I hope to meet many more of you at the events we have planned at the achieve their potential – whatever that might mean for them? school in this special anniversary year, and in the meantime during this unprecedented time I encourage every Bedian to reflect back and 2020 also began with some very sad news however, in that Peter also to look ahead, in just the way Peter Pyemont always did and to Pyemont passed away on Friday 7 February. keep safe and well during this difficult period. He was a remarkable man, and was regarded as one of the greatest Peter Goodyer headmasters of his generation. He was the headmaster of Bede’s Headmaster Prep School for thirty five years (and was, thereafter, Head of History for ten years) and in these capacities alone he made thousands of lives better. But his legacy is something much greater than that. Greater than that of teacher, headmaster, father, grandfather, or even friend. Indeed, it was under Peter’s leadership that Bede’s became the first co-educational Prep School in the country (1968). It was also his forethought and vision that saw Bede’s Senior School established and then located in Upper Dicker, in partnership with Roger Perrin. As such, Peter was a leader, and a change-maker, and he remained a figurehead for Bede’s until the end of his life. Peter’s legacy will continue, and is alive in all of us. His example guides us all – from his kindness and warmth to his good humour, passion and prudence. I would like to say a huge thank has been infectious and I look forward you to all Old Bedians who have to meeting many more of our old pupils, families and staff in the months to come. been in touch to share their stories, who have taken the time We continue to build our events programme to come back to school, to those and you will see there are a number of opportunities over the year to meet up with who have helped reconnect and old friends and teachers. rebuild the Old Bedian community and helped us celebrate our If you would like to get in touch, please history. email [email protected] or call 01323 356652. You can also stay in touch with fellow Old Bedians through our facebook Elizabeth Banner The deep connection every Old Bedian Alumni and Development has for the Prep and Senior schools and linkedin groups or by signing up to the and the experiences, opportunities and mailing list. Manager encouragement every individual has shared [email protected] 125 YEARS OF BEDE’S St Bede’s was founded as the Preparatory School to Eastbourne College by Mrs Browne (widow of Rev F H Browne, HM 1895 Ipswich School1883-94) in January 1895 with a roll of four boys at 55 Blackwater Road. The name was chosen because the Venerable Bede (monk, scholar, historian and theologian) had just been canonised by the Pope. The Prep school moved from its then-site in Blackwater Road to its current, grander premises in Duke’s Drive where it is nestled on a 1902 cliff top above Beachy Head, affording stunning views of the sea and sharing a border with South Downs National Park. St Bede’s started its independent career here. On 24 June 1940, having received a warm invitation from St Edwards, Mr Harding (then Headmaster) left Eastbourne with 58 boys for the safety of Oxford. The expectation was that the relocation 1940 would be for just three to six months. The evacuation to Oxford lasted almost five years! The school was used for the training of over 2,000 code-breakers able to intercept and recognise enemy messages made in Code and Cypher. 8 May 1945, the boys returned to Eastbourne from Oxford. 1945 Coincidently, the same day was declared V.E. day and the children were greeted by flags and bunting and two days holiday! Peter Pyemont became one of the youngest Headmasters at the age 1964 of 25 and under his leadership over the next 35 years, St Bede’s grew from 40 to 400 pupils. The Prep School accepted its first girl pupil – Sally Ayers – becoming 1968 the first co-educational prep school in the country. Peter Pyemont (Headmaster) recognised the need for a new school where Bede’s pupils could continue the nurturing holistic 1978 environment of the Prep School and in 1978 St Bede’s Senior School opened in the garage of the Prep School. With the appointment of Roger Perrin (Senior School Headmaster) the Senior School moved to The Dicker, an estate established by 1979 Horatio Bottomley, the notorious swindler, MP and founder of the Financial Times. The school expanded again and Bede’s Nursery opened in 2010. 2010 The school now educates children from 3 months to 18 years in the Upper Sixth Form. MEMORIES FROM THE YEARS Alexander (Sacha) Engelhandt lived near Beachy Head. The Warden of St. mishap of some sort, and halfway through (Prep, 1915-1923) Edwards (Oxford), H.E. Kendall, was a friend the showing there was a break in the film, of Ken Harding (Bede’s Headmaster) and and not only that, the rest of the film had An extract from Bede’s History in always came down to Eastbourne to present been rewound backwards! Fortunately there celebration of the centenary: the prizes on school sports day. was a spare empty reel and I was able to figure out how to sort things out. I can still “Having come over to England from Russia Other masters I remember were “Hucka” remember the slow handclaps from the 300 at the outbreak of World War I, I went to Mckay, a rather daunting elderly maths strong audience while I struggled with the St Bede’s in 1915. Not speaking a word of teacher, Jimmy Connell, Mr. Higgins, Mr. problem. (I was only 14 at the time!) Poor Ken English, I was clearly handicapped from the Williams and Miss Harding was our Matron. Harding was looking very anxious during this start. The kindness and patience of all the proceeding. I finally managed to get it going staff, however, soon put me on the right road. again (Phew!). “The house opposite was bought by Mr I subsequently went up to Cambridge and Ellerman (later Sir John, the Shipping took a BA in Engineering. I eventually joined Magnate) and every Sunday Mrs Ellerman the family printing company becoming CEO. gave a tea party to her son John and his I am now retired and take an interest in the school friends. We had cream cakes and teaching of Maths to primary school aged other goodies which made us all happy.” children. I have five grandchildren, two in their twenties and three under 10 years. Of Production of Toad of Toad Hall, 1939 the eldest one is on her way to becoming a Barrister, and the other is a statistician in John Harrison The move to St. Edwards ‘Teddies’ where we the Bank of England. (Prep School 1938 – 1941) were evacuated during the war was quite exciting. Baths were taken in the washroom Sally Marchant [nee Ayers], next to the dormitory allocated to us, and Remembers people and events at (St) (Prep 1968-1971, Staff 1977- Bede’s when he was a boy. the baths were galvanised metal tubs about four feet in diameter. They were emptied by 1980) “I remember very few names. The Horne simply tipping them over onto the floor - no brothers I remember quite well, their father mean task! The food was manageable, but “Imagine my surprise on my first day at St was a director of Charringtons the coal not up to the standard we were used to in Bede’s to find that I was the only girl! I don’t people. Horne senior and my father had a Eastbourne. Classes were held in Teddies think the boys knew how to cope with me mutual interest in model railways. There was old library and cricket on the field next to either! a great “0” gauge model railway in the Corfe House. I was Captain of cricket in my school, having been constructed by final term in 1941 and I remember taking 5 At roll call, some called me ‘Ayers’ some J.B.Keeling (in 1936), who took woodwork wickets for 40 runs and was awarded my first ‘Sally’ and one even ‘Miss Sally’. I was quite classes in the workshop down the lane. He eleven colours as a result. embarrassed having not been in an all boys’ also carved the front panel of the altar in the school before but soon got over that when chapel which was built during my time.