New houseparents' accommodation on the back avenue

[michael scuffil]

I said I'd stay out of this from now on, but... oh well.

englishangel's points have been answered elsewhere, I think. Sure they can have decent accommodation, but it doesn't have to be mixed up with the pupils'.

Now I shall be an old fogey (aka historian). "In my day" Thornton and Coleridge asphalts were separated by the fives courts, which were demolished decades ago. In this sense, the status quo is being restored in one sense. But Plum gave the impression that this new thing was encroaching on the whole of Coleridge asphalt. That would be seriously objectionable.

It would be interesting to plot the number of pupils against the number of staff + family members with accommodation on or near the north side of the Avenue (excluding the kitchen block). In 1960 it was about 10 to 1 (i.e 800 pupils to I guess at most 80 staff + family, not including housemaids, who slept in some cupboard somewhere).

[John Knight]

not including housemaids, who slept in some cupboard somewhere).

In the 1950's they slept in a room at the rear of the dining hall complex... at the corner facing the scout hut.
I only know this because I used to visit in the middle of the night...
I have very fond memories of the asphalt at the rear of Barnes and Lamb. I loved sports but hated cricket on grass... but cricket on the asphalt, on a summer evening, with two dustbins and a tennis ball was great fun. Plus roller skate hockey etc...

[cstegerlewis]

Having seen a photo, all now becomes clear!!!

A new wall has been provided to play football against so the children are catered for.

And if anyone thinks that wall will stay up for more than five minutes, being built on what looks like a layer of mastic laid badly on the curb of the back av, then i will be very surprised. Have they dug up the asphalt the other side and landscaped it, otherwise it will just be an enclosed bit of asphalt?

[blondie95]

Have they dug up the asphalt the other side and landscaped it, otherwise it will just be an enclosed bit of asphalt?

I hope so otherwise what a disappointment

[ben ashton]

I cannot believe Ben's comment

Simply asking questions which I believe to be crucial for further consideration of the matter, if anyone can provide the answers please do!
Particularly re. budget when the school is seeking £23M from memory partly through public donation for building improvement, it would be good to have access to a coherent spending forecast [haha], so that individuals/companies making donations know how their funds are being appropriated.

nb. not recommending that teachers be made to live in squalor, just seeking clarification as to why with little notice this building work is going ahead and previously conceived projects are being left to languish.

[Great Plum]

I believe (from Housey) that the walled gardens are being paid by donations from Old Blues!

[ben ashton]

but did they know that was where their money would end up i.e. specificaly for that project?

[Mrs C.]

I think the MId OBs Association, or whatever it`s called, will probably have had to authorise this expense , so yes, they would know that the money was specifically for this project.

Personally, I find it a bit of an invidious situation where Middleton gets loads of money from its OBs whereas other houses don`t seem to have this luxury. In my opinion (and thats what it is, MY opinion!!) money coming into the school like this should be distributed equally between the houses.

No doubt many of you wouldn`t agree.

Also, in reply to Ben`s question, I believe that the original plan for the refurbishing/upgrading of the boarding houses a few years ago involved building Hsm`s houses on the back of each house which didn`t already have an attached house
Lamb was the only one to be done.

[J.R.]

I totally agree with you Janet.

It's a bit like tips left at a restaurant all going to the Maitre 'D' !

Another can of worms ?????

[sejintenej]

I think the MId OBs Association, or whatever it`s called, will probably have had to authorise this expense , so yes, they would know that the money was specifically for this project.

Personally, I find it a bit of an invidious situation where Middleton gets loads of money from its OBs whereas other houses don`t seem to have this luxury. In my opinion (and thats what it is, MY opinion!!) money coming into the school like this should be distributed equally between the houses.

No doubt many of you wouldn`t agree.

Also, in reply to Ben`s question, I believe that the original plan for the refurbishing/upgrading of the boarding houses a few years ago involved building Hsm`s houses on the back of each house which didn`t already have an attached house
Lamb was the only one to be done.

Janet; even at this distance I have long had the feeling that Middleton has somehow got / obtained / fallen into / created a more effective OB structure than other blocks. For example I have heard on thios forum of one person who has tried to create a similar structure but was slated for trying to charge inflated sums for what would normally be free or close to free.

If Middleton OBs can collect funds together for the benefit of some cause in CH then, Janet, IMHO they have the right to choose what that cause is.
That said, I can fully agree that staff families should be able to live in a reasonably quiet and orderly environment though, in agreeing to be houseparents, some members of those families may have to live "in" for certain days every week. A family house outside the Col - Peele rugby pitches seems a reasonable compromise with a bedsit in the school house.
Outside academia a goodly number of us have to go where the work is - I used to average 120K miles travelling every 6 months - that is what one gets paid for.

[Wuppertal]

This talk of megamoney and the short-notice building of various buildings reminded me:

What ever happened to the "Art Quad" - the idea was drawn up in late 2000/early 2001 if I remember rightly - with the aim of replacing the temporary buildings ("Grange Hill") behind Old Science School/Art School/Library and building a nice new little quadrangle with new classrooms. Also included in these plans was the invitation for any pupil/family who donates £100 or more towards the work to have a plaque with the pupil/family's name on in this new quad, yet to be started as far as I'm aware (though I haven't been back since 2005).

Anyone know any more about this? If these plans were axed (for the time being at least), what happened to the money that was donated specifically for this area of construction? Was it kept for use when the new art quad would one day eventually be built, or was it spent on other projects after the realisation that this project wouldn't happen?

[blondie95]

there is something about those Mid houses...before refurb during my time they were the nicest houses, and now they havevery geneorous and close OB's.

I agree with Mrs C if an OB donates to the school it should go into a pot, if the OB's house has a specific reason for raising funds and the OB specifies they want it to go there then fine! Also what about those from the year above me and since who had an avenue house and a grecians house, if both came knocking for cash it would be tough.

[jtaylor]

I can see both sides of this, and so will sit on the (new) fence......or is it a wall?

Whilst I agree that there shouldn't be any perceived favouritism to one house, there is a strong tendency from Old Blues to want KNOW where their money is going - and to be able to target it to specific things that they feel an affinity to. It's often complained that giving "into the school coffers" means that the money dissapears onto whatever project is felt relevent next - which, of course, the Headmaster and others will be closest to and will really know what the school actually needs next...

This is a thorn(ton)y issue for sure, so I think I'll stay somewhere in the Mid(dle)...

J
(sorry, it's been a long day...)

[gma]

Odd that money seems to be flowing to certain areas but the OB career advice/oppotunities thread is dying/has died a death. Is everyone retired? Surely not!

[Great Plum]

This talk of megamoney and the short-notice building of various buildings reminded me:

What ever happened to the "Art Quad" - the idea was drawn up in late 2000/early 2001 if I remember rightly - with the aim of replacing the temporary buildings ("Grange Hill") behind Old Science School/Art School/Library and building a nice new little quadrangle with new classrooms. Also included in these plans was the invitation for any pupil/family who donates £100 or more towards the work to have a plaque with the pupil/family's name on in this new quad, yet to be started as far as I'm aware (though I haven't been back since 2005).

Anyone know any more about this? If these plans were axed (for the time being at least), what happened to the money that was donated specifically for this area of construction? Was it kept for use when the new art quad would one day eventually be built, or was it spent on other projects after the realisation that this project wouldn't happen?

I think this was part of the 'masterplan' that had to get watered down due to the over ambition of the original architect, school etc when they found they wouldn't ever have the money for it... I don't know if they if they would have got planning permission for it either...

It all got rather quietly shelved a few years ago - indeed, it seems unlikely that it will happen as one of the new buildings was to be a new CDT (manual) school but the existing one was refurbished 2 or 3 years back...

As for the plaques, there are some in the Grecians' boarding houses but I do not know what happened to any other money - went on the boarding house refurbs no doubt...