In the early 1940’s and the days of Audrey Machin’s Headship at Homefield, life was very different as you know. I recall three ‘Naughty Escapades’ – Just imagine them in those days.

1. It must have been over a weekend, I think, when some of the day pupils invited us to their homes. Only a few of us were Boarders. The others were Day or Weekly Boarders. We climbed into the Rugby Boys’ swimming pool through a small window and had fun. The jaunt also included drainpipe climbing. 

2. We met up with some of the boys from BG in the fruit garden, where we had our little personal gardens and we made plans for a night visit. The boys came in through a downstairs cloakroom window for a midnight feast of peaches in the dorm. 

3. A considerable amount of food was stacked away at mealtimes and kept hidden for some weeks, ready for the ‘Run Away’. The reason was that we had been promised a walk to the canal on several occasions, but we never got there. The plot was to get to the canal and follow it to London. However, our plans were thwarted when the food was discovered.  

The Eleventh Commandment... ‘Thou Shalt not be found out…’ and of course, we were! I think the punishment was probably not going over to BG to see the films on a Saturday night, which was always a great treat.  

We even had a ‘gang’ in those days and one had to run through a bed of stinging nettles to qualify! The Wild Garden was the venue for so many imaginative games and Miss Woodruffe initiated us into Nature around the place with her great knowledge and enthusiasm for the Natural  world... wild flowers trees and pond life lessons have stood me in great stead.

Memories written by Jane Landells (nee Millard), who had to be called 'Margaret' at school as there were too many 'Janes'! Jane’s father, Percy Leonard Millard, was at Bilton Grange and won a scholarship to Rossall. Her brother, Leonard John Millard and her uncle Earnest Claude Millard were also at Bilton Grange. During the war, Jane was sent to Homefield to be near her brother as her parents were in London.  

Join us on 23 March 2024 for the Homefield Reunion. Register here.