TBSHS On the Move

TBSHS On the Move!

Leaving party on the 6th July 2024

On Saturday, over 850 former pupils and staff of the Bishop’s Stortford High School returned to the School for a leaving party like no other.

The London Road Site was built in the 1950s opening in September 1957 and will close next week after 77 years, re-opening in September on the new site at the St James’ Park, less than half a mile away.

Former pupils, aging from 19 to 72 years old, including several former Head Boys, came back to ‘Walk down the Tee Corridor’ for the last time.

They enjoyed music from the current School music ensembles, plus performances from former pupils

including William Barnado, Robin Franklin and Jonny Brewer.

In addition to a licensed bar and food, all school artwork had been taken down from the walls and was available for purchase.  Former student Jonathan Whitmore who left in 2015, later joked that he had bought his own painting back.

There was a history of the School exhibition, curated by former member of staff, Peter Webb in the 6^th Form Centre.

Guests were invited to bid for the honours boards in the hall, which cannot go to the new site, (The names are being recorded in another way) and given that the boards are 15’ long, over 15 of them have been purchased.

Three longstanding members of staff, Simon Etheridge (RS & Citizenship), David Hows (Physics) and Nick Patterson (English) also ran ‘Lessons’ during the afternoon which were heavily oversubscribed.

Class Photo 2024 from Mr Etheridge’s lesson

Simon started with a register, and planned to hand out detention slips, before joking that visitors were paying to come back to the site to view the ancient ruins of the school.

All three described it as humbling and surreal, with 30 years of a teaching career, condensed into one afternoon.  Many teachers do not get to see and interact with pupils who left years ago, so catching up with where everyone had gone since leaving was particularly fascinating.

Class Photo 2 from Mr Etheridge’s lesson

The afternoon ended with a glorious rendition of the School Hymn ‘Jerusalem.’

It was a party like no other, which will never be repeated again, but the ethos of the school will continue to move forward in September on the new site.

Onwards to the next party to organise – the New School Opening!