Mr. Stanley Maskell, Headmaster 1957 - 1983

(This memory was written in 1987 as part of the school's 125th celebrations.)

Mr Stanley Maskell - 1975

St. Michael's School in 1957 was still very much a village school. The same in outward appearance as it must have been when it was built in 1862.

Surrounded by ancient elm trees, oaks and firs - probably part of the Windsor Forest which covered this corner of Berkshire many years ago, they provided a home for a large rookery, crows, starlings, pigeons, squirrels and many other birds and wild creatures.

The huge elm trees on the south and west boundaries were destroyed by the elm tree disease which swept the country and the oaks were felled when the new hall was built.

There are some trees still in the south east corner of the grounds but the skyline is no longer dominated by the huge trees and dense bushes of thirty years ago.

In the red brick building now used as the infant area, was the main school, with its church-like porch, high windows and peaked roof. The bell tower perched on top like a spire, with a wind vane that had rusted solid over the years, pointing eternally south-west no matter from which direction the wind blew.

This building housed the two junior classes, 7-9 years and 9-11 years and the senior group of 11-14 year old boys and girls.

The larger classroom entered by the main porch was used for this older group in charge of the headmaster.

It was also used as assembly hall and music room, and a 'grand piano' rather dominated one end of this space. This piano was probably presented to the school by one, of the several wealthy families living in Sandhurst at this time.

The south facing side with half acre garden and woodland falling away towards Lower Church Road, was mainly frontage to the headmaster's house.

Covered in dense growth of Wisteria and ancient Virginia creeper with branches thicker than a man's arm - it seemed such a strong, solid building that would survive to provide a home for many more generations of headmasters and their families; but all that now remains of this part of the original building is a small bedroom - above the infant library space - and the ornamental brick chimneys which were rebuilt in the school grounds as flower pots.

The only tarmacadam covered area was where the netball court is now in the upper playground; the remainder was simple gravel and soil covering - very muddy when wet but ideal for marble games where a hole could be dug out with the heel of a shoe.

This north-east corner, where the traffic crash barrier is now, was the main entrance and with the traffic flow of today would be very dangerous as a crossing point. It is difficult to imagine now that the leisurely pace of the traffic at this point was such that teachers and parents could escort children across the road to school at this crossing quite safely without the safeguard of flashing lights and lollipop ladies. All pupils either walked to school, cycled or came by local bus. Few, if any, were brought by car at this time.

Beyond the junior block and school house was a separate red brick  building,  now the offices, staffroom,  music  room;where the small reception group and infant class were housed.

Between these buildings were the outside toilets - yes! everyone, staff included, had to brave the hail, rain and snow to 'wash their hands'. Part of the 'boys' space was open to the sky ! and mostly completely frozen in the midwinter with no heating or adequate flush system - not very comfortable I fear.

Memories of my first visit bring back the strong smell of polish - old timber - carbolic soap - black lead polish used on the coke stoves, and the fumes from these heating stoves which seemed to fill every corner.

The sound of the wind in the high roof spaces, the creak of old timber, the crackling of the coke fires in the stoves, and the sharp sound of the school bell clanging in the open tower above the main classroom. The floorboards were scrubbed white and worn to a hollow shape in the doorways by the passing feet of a thousand children.

The heavy iron framed desks stood in neat rows, their polished wooden seats and tops chipped, and here and there carvings of long forgotten initials and secret markings!

The heavy oak desk and high stool where teachers long since gone had supervised their classes, seemed to stand guard over everything in the room.

From the school grounds the view was that of open fields on the south, east and west with few houses and cottages nearby.

St. Michael's Estate was meadow land; Perry Hill a wooded hill; Uplands Estate did not exist; Owlsmoor was open heathland with gypsy settlements here and there.

Little Sandhurst was just a development of houses along the High Street and Church Road. Mickle Hill was just a hill covered in shrubs and bushes and bramble, an ideal spot for rambling and picnics.

There was no secondary school in the area and pupils who did not gain transfer to Grammar Schools were first transferred to the new Bracknell secondary schools in 1958-59, then Crowthorne Edgebarrow school when it was built, and finally to Sandhurst secondary school at Owlsmoor when the number of schoolchildren in the area made this essential.

In 1957 the only playing field for St. Michael's was part of the meadows where Rectory Close is now. Then, with the development of St. Michael's Estate it was necessary for boys' games groups to walk the mile route through the village to the recreation ground on Yorktown Road.

For a while the field near Church Farm on Lower Church Road was used, but this convenient games area was eventually reclaimed by the new owners of the farm.

The playing field now used by the school was part of the garden and large orchard belonging to Mrs. Joyce Mason of the Cedars, for many years a very active school manager and governor. It was presented by her for the school's use only, and although it took several years to clear, level, drain and fence, now provides a very valuable school facility.

On the site of the swimming pool of today stood the dining hall and kitchen. This was a timber and corrugated iron covered building which had been given to the school by Sandhurst College. A kitchen was built on to provide cooking facilities, when meals were eventually provided in schools. The kitchen building is now the pool changing rooms and storage area.

In 1957, facilities for swimming were few. The county eventually arranged for groups of 24 older pupils to be taken by coach to The Blue Pool in Camberley (this is now a residential housing site) for a rather cold, brief dip in this open air, unheated swimming pool. Even these visits were limited to eight trips during the summer term. This unsatisfactory arrangement eventually led to the formation of a school association of parents to sponsor the provision of a heated learner pool on the site of the old dining hall when it was replaced by the new one of today in

The changes which took place during the first 100 years of St. Michael's School history were relatively small but, in contrast, during the last 25 years the changes have been quite dramatic and parents and pupils of a quarter of a century ago would probably be envious of the kinds of school in Sandhurst, and the exciting variety of experience and activity they now offer.

My sincere hope is that they never be taken for granted by the present generation of boys and girls or their parents.

Milk was provided free for all pupils and the crates of one third of a pint bottles with the drinking straws provided, formed the basis for many a lesson in science, maths, craft, etc.

The aluminium foil tops were collected, washed clean and sent to aid a national charity. The empty bottles made very useful paint brush holders, and the straws were most useful for activities other than drinking milk. Endless requests for more drinking straws must have puzzled the dairy staff, or were they just being generous in their own special way.

 Some children preferred their milk warm in the winter, in fact it was often necessary to thaw the columns of frozen milk after the crates had been standing by the door in the snow for some time, and the coke stove top was a convenient spot to put the metal crate for this necessary warming exercise, with a class monitor in close attendance !