One hundred and forty students from Gordon’s School recreated history, making the journey from Brookwood Station to the school in West End, Surrey, as the first children had done almost 140 years ago when the school first opened as Gordon Boys’ Home. The students, dressed in their ceremonial Blues uniforms, were led by the Pipes and Drums Band, as happened back in 1887.
The event was part of Gordon’s 140th Anniversary celebrations and involved students from Year 7 through to Year 11 making the five kilometre journey, with Sixth Form students acting as marshals. The school, which is the National Memorial to General Gordon, was opened as a home for necessitous boys at the insistence of Queen Victoria. Boys were taught a trade, many leaving to join the Armed Services and the home was run on military lines with drills and bugles. Over the years it has evolved to become a non-selective, co-educational state day and boarding school and one of the most successful schools in England. While the school has moved with the times, it continues the traditions and legacy of the original boys’ home. Every student in the main school is given a ceremonial uniform and weekly drills are held at the school for the nine parades held annually. Disadvantaged children are still helped through the school’s bursary scheme.
According to Lieutenant Derek Boyd of the Royal Engineers in his book ‘The Gordon Heritage’, the actual move to West End from their temporary home in Faversham, Wiltshire, took place on 14th December 1887, when the weather was extremely bad. ‘The nearest railway station was Brookwood, west of Woking, and from there 100 excited boys marched to West End, headed by their 25 strong newly-formed band’.
The Gordon Boys’ Home could accommodate 240 boys aged from 14 to 16 years old at the time of admission. They were required to be ‘necessitous boys unconvicted of crime and free from physical infirmity’. Some were admitted free, while others were required to contribute an annual payment of £22 according to their circumstances. They were required to provide a recommendation and certificate of character signed by a clergyman or magistrate. Boys left the institution on reaching the age of 18.
The recreated walk was also a fundraising activity for bursaries to Gordon’s and for the school to become a Steinway School and each of the 140 students taking part, had applied to do so, giving their reasons why they should be chosen.
One student wrote: ‘I want to show my respect to general Gordon and thank him for making this school possible’. Another said: ‘As an adopted child my start in life wasn’t great and my parents have given me a fresh start and new opportunities. I feel this is very similar to the purpose of Gordon’s School when it was established in 1885 as ‘Gordon Boys’ Home’.’
On their return to school, the students were greeted with a chinook helicopter on the school’s playing field! Each was presented a commemorative pin badge.
The Pipes and Drums then led the students on to the Parade Square where the rest of the student body welcomed them, lining their route and clapping them.
The Mayor of Surrey Heath, Cllr Louise Ashbery unveiled a newly renovated clock on the Parade Square. Originally installed in the mid-1800s, the hand-wound clock is now fully synchronised thanks to generous donations from the alumni of the school, the Gordonians.
Headmaster Andrew Moss said of the day: “The walk proved a splendid finale for the end of the half term and the commemorations for the 140th anniversary of the school.”
Categories: Gordon's School School News
