25 April 2025
Those that were not at Hatch before family-type groups were introduced there in 1970 may think it odd that previously all of the upper ground floor level (second storey) of the West Wing (with the third storey and attic rooms) was essentially just accommodation for sleeping by boys plus Miss Agnes Travers on that level, and generally a young staff member on the third storey. In 1961 the Colt House was only a playroom plus two small rooms at its entrance (one bed/sitting room for Mr Simon Rodway) as it had yet to be extended to have 12 bed spaces for boys age 14 or more with shower room and washroom / toilets, plus flat for married staff. Hence the upper parts of the WW then had beds for Colt House and junior-senior boys and some juniors (majority of Senior Study boys mixed with some older boys).
The second storey had the bedroom of Miss Travers, two large dormitories and also a passage to the Yellow Office (beyond the area where she sat in the evening), for a total of 12 boys, plus small store, bathroom and toilet for her use. The third storey had beds for 11 boys and a toilet. The two attic rooms had beds for up to four boys.
The lower ground floor was largely for junior-senior boys (11-13 years). The main entrance to the WW for these boys was facing the Deer Park. Just inside that door was the remainder of a wooden staircase then just going up to the ceiling. In 1960 when I did junior housework for Miss Travers (just before going off to Mr Draper's class for lessons), my first weekday task was to sweep that staircase with dustpan and brush, sometimes seemed a bit pointless.
Turning left beyond the shoe shining area (required if we were to be 'passed' by her to go off to the Dining Room) and the door to the alley passage, we reached the large playroom for junior-senior boys - structurally in the main block of Hatch but the door on that side was not open at this time. There was table-tennis there (popular, with rankings from matches). Also 'lockers' (without locks) for personal belongings, sometimes sorted out with calls "Quis?", answered by "Ego" often before looking to see what was offered, spurious learning from olden days.
Turning right on entering the WW, we passed two partitioned changing rooms / washrooms on the Deer Park side - the first for junior-seniors, the second for Colt House boys. There was a small playroom in the corner (with windows looking into the alley passage), which then still had an electric train set with landscaping - I gather that this room had been used by older boys before the first part of the Colt House was built in 1958. At the far end of the WW was an entrance from the area of the Colt House, first with a room with a sink and a bath (used by Study boys before bed), then stairs to left or on the right toilets and some old showers operated externally by Miss Travers - who would call out "How's the water?", answered by "Wet".
The main sub-basement in 1961 was ruinous with iffy water running through it and with discarded broken chairs etc. Some use was made of a small 'dark room' for an odd photographer (old cameras then). WW in 1961 had no record player, TV, telephone, washing machine, cooking etc.