20 October 2024
I am pleased that many that were at Caldecott much enjoyed riding horses there (mostly ponies actually but horses from a perspective of children), including gymkhanas. For many that involved Miss Diana Howarth, Nursery teacher, who was an expert rider, but in the early 1960's riding was run by Miss Agnes Travers, in charge of junior-senior boys known as "West Wing" (WW). When I was in the junior school we went riding one morning each week which I quite enjoyed, but when I was in the seniors I reckoned that I would never make it into the cavalry. Grooms looking after ponies / horses at Hatch tended to be senior girls. Most boys my age then had other priorities, preferring to ride bikes and so on.
Some of you have expressed fond memories of particular ponies/ horses. I would like to see an article from an enthusiast on riding at Caldecott, stable, gymkhanas etc. Although Barry Northam's 1950's memories on the Caldecott Association's website do include a section on riding, he claimed no expertise on it, nor did Chris Howell, although some boys at CC were keen riders and took part in gymkhanas or half term activities involving riding.
In my time in the WW Miss Travers ('Aggie' to us) took us boys plus several senior girls most Saturday afternoons to go riding in the surrounding countryside, often including the Deer Park, but of course the numbers of riders greatly exceeded the number of ponies, so it was mostly walking behind, especially those boys who drifted off rather than take a turn at riding. Some boys a little younger than me made no secret of preferring to do other things on a Saturday afternoon. I set out below a monologue at Saturday dinner at Hatch as recalled by a member of staff for the Herald internal magazine at the end of term.
"Yeah, not fair I call it, 'aving to trail be'ind them 'orses all afternoon. Yeah an' they make a 'orrible stink an' there's stinkin' 'eaps of manure be'ind 'em all the time. Yeah an' crowds of people all looking out of their windors an' sayin' 'there goes that Caldecott mob.' Yeah, not fair I calls it; you've to walk five miles an' yer gits five minutes ride, and when yer gits back yer 'as to 'ave loads of showers to git the stink of 'em 'orses off yer. Yeah, an' loads of talcum powder to git the sweat off yer; oughter put talcum powder on 'em 'orses. An' there's Fatty an' Richard goin' to the cinema, an' it's not fair, an' them girls all gits the best of everythin'. Not fair, I calls it, trailin' be'ind them 'orses ".