Monday 24 May 2021

Schoolboy memories.


I must thank JayCee, who has just reminded me of this.

What is your most revisited memory from your schooldays?

Mine must be this small two-tiered chapel (on the right) that was situated directly opposite our Dining Room (with the two windows and drainpipe).


Below was 'The Undercroft Chapel', and above, reached by a very small winding stone staircase, was 'Prior Crauden's Chapel'.

I spent many hours upstairs in Prior Crauden's; reading whilst sitting in one of the uncomfortable stone niches. The chapel was always empty, and peace and quiet was assured.

I have never been a religious person, least of all during my school days, but as a senior boy I officiated over Complin in Prior Crauden's on a few occasions, with a handful of attendees. It was almost expected that we would take turns to read prayers, and in a strange way I really enjoyed it. The feeling of being part of history was overwhelming; even though, to me, it was no more than 'theatre'.

It was a set (10 min) service with the same script read nightly, which gave me an inkling into the superiority that priests/vicars must feel, whilst in control of a large congregation. Hmmm.

17 comments:

  1. These streets and the ancient buildings are so beautiful, to grow up there is to truly experience at any given moment something of the history of the place.

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    1. Yes, there were lovely old medieval buildings everywhere.

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  2. That is indeed a beautiful place.
    Not quite the same as my suburban grammar school!

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  3. You could have been Father Cro tending his flock - but hopefully not the altar boys!

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    1. Strange the things we do when young, and all in our stride!

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  4. Strange too the snippets we remember from our childhood, Not surprised you remembered this though - it is such aa beautiful building. I went to school around Lincoln Cathedral and have similar memories of various parts of it.

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    1. I've always been attracted to old buildings; I feel happier in them.

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  5. My school was on the outskirts of a Yorkshire Dales village and I was constantly distracted by sheep gazing in through the classroom windows.

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    1. I think I would have been too. I was easily distracted by almost anything.

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  6. How atmospheric looking! And incredibly solid. In comparison, my modern schools would have seemed flimsy and plastic. Indeed as would any place less than one hundred years old!

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  7. I forgot my enduring memory: raiding the feijoa fruit tree by the bus stop, when it was in season, against the exhortations from the teachers not to touch. Who can resist Forbidden Fruit?

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    1. I had to look-up Feijoa fruit. They sound delicious. My own scrumping was limited to Apples and Plums.

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  8. I remember the Tuck Shop and going to the pub at lunchtime …. That says a lot about me 🤣😂🤣 XXXX

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    1. We knew a few pubs that would let us in by the back door. Lots of Polo mints on the way back to school!

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  9. I feel the same as you about religion but enjoy the peace of a church. Your chapel is a very solid structure.

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    1. It's worth looking online at the interior.

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