This site is sponsored by Matrix Marking Ltd

My contribution is not of the best quality, but for the record the enclosed snap was taken in the 'Big Doors' by Ian (Tubby) McTavish, (Ah, Flip!) who also developed and printed it.  One can almost feel the intense cold of that dormitory in winter, which no doubt now is the bridal suite of the smart hotel No.24 has become.  I visited the place, well, the front door step to be precise, willingly for the first time in 40 years a few years ago, not knowing that it was an hotel.  I was relieved to see that the rear gardens are as good now as they were in the 1950's.

As one of three Sassenachs (Morgan (?) Witney and myself) in the House (or even the whole school?) life in 1960 was not all a barrel of laughs, but I don't think it was unusual for anyone growing up in the 1950's either.  To be fair, there was never any sassenach taunts from anyone in the house, perhaps thanks to Bob and Fanny. They ran a tight ship, but were basically kindly people with rather quaint ideas as to how to run a family of 24. We were herded in to their sitting room to watch Juke Box Jury on Saturday nights.  My only adult ally in No.24 in those days was Fanny D. the cook, who for some reason didn't shriek at me as she did at others, given the opportunity. When John Witney (Charlie) a fellow Englishman left to go to school in Exeter my new ally was Francis Holmes.

I remember the drought in the summer of 1959, when to our delight, due to Edinburgh running out of water baths were forbidden, but to our dismay we had to give ourselves a rub down with a sponge, standing on a piece of foam rubber, supervised by Fanny 'Right up into your crotch now,Spencer!' 

Another incident in the dormitory was when John Rome had punched Dairmid Lindsay which resulted in a spectacular nosebleed, and I think 'Foxy' Fowler who had somehow provoked the incident decided how the mess could be cleaned up without Fanny knowing.  We all kept to the story, even poor Dairmid, the victim.

I can't say they were the happiest days of my life - the dreariest days were winter Saturdays - if you were not interested in Rugby, and I wasn't, there was nothing else to occupy the time.  Jock's Lodge, Holyrood, Golden Acre, Murrayfield whatever - cold, wet, and bored was my lot. Put me off sports forever.

The best days were CCF field days where as cadets we played at being Royal Scots or Able Seamen (the latter in my case) and treated like adults by the real thing. It inspired me to join the Royal Navy, only to be sent to a Minesweeper based at Port Edgar at South Queensferry - not quite my image of the Navy.

Back row, left to right: Spencer Kennedy, John Witney, Carl Oberman

Front row, left to right; Francis Holmes, Michael Fowler, John Rome

Not strictly RHS house news but two house internees 3rd and 11th from the right, RN Section CCF Field Day and Annual Inspection, 1959. 

best of luck with the web site

 with all good wishes,

 Carl Oberman