Soham Grammarians: Opening of the New Assembly Hall & Laboratories Friday 4th October 1957

CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
OPENING OF THE
NEW ASSEMBLY HALL
AND LABORATORIES
AT
SOHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL
BY
BASIL M. BACON, ESQUIRE
CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNING BODY

The work was begun under the direction of the former County Architect, Wilfrid H. Wingate, F.R.I.B.A., and completed by his successor, R. H. Crompton, A.R.LB.A., A.M.T.P.I. The General Contractors were Messrs. Johnson and Bailey, Limited, and the cost of the buildings, including furniture and equipment, is approximately £42,000.

DEDICATION OF THE BUILDINGS
by the Venerable HF Kirkpatrick MA, Archdeacon of Ely

PRAYER FOR ALL PLACES OF WISDOM
The Rev Canon HM Hallidie Smith MC MA MSc, Vicar of Soham

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
CAMBRIDGESHIRE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
ALDERMAN MRS. E. W. PARSONS, M.A.

BASIL M. BACON, ESQUIRE
CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNING BODY
who will declare the buildings open

THE OPENING OF THE NEW ASSEMBLY HALL AND LABORATORIES

On Friday, October 4th [1957], Mr. Bacon, the Chairman of the Governors, opened Soham Grammar School's new Assembly Hall and Chemistry and Physics Laboratories.

The ceremony opened with the singing of the hymn "Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens adore Him", which was followed by the actual dedication of the buildings by the Venerable H. F. Kirkpatrick, M.A., the Archdeacon of Ely. After two lessons read by the Rev. S. Connolly the Methodist minister, and a prefect, the Rev. Canon H. M. Hallidie Smith, M.C., M.A., M.Sc., offered two prayers for all places of wisdom.

The three main speakers held the large audience of friends of the School and pupils rapt for a considerable period, during which the Chairman of the Cambs. Education Committee, Alderman Mrs. E. W. Parsons, M.A., spoke of other school building projects in the area. Basil M. Bacon, Esq., Chairman of the Governing Body, then dwelt at some length on the difficulties involved in obtaining new buildings for the school. Dr. Alfred Eden, M.A., an Old Boy of the School, gave an amusing picture of the school in its early days.

After the singing of the hymn "Father, hear the prayer we offer", the Headmaster brought the ceremony to a close.

EDITORIAL

We reached a momentous landmark in the history of the School on October 4th when our new Assembly Hall was officially declared open. Morning Assembly is now a much more comfortable affair for all, with the possible exception of the novice lesson-reader, who now finds himself elevated for his period of delivery to the same high level as that on which the Staff sit enthroned.

The Staff, incidentally, can now enjoy the hitherto unaccustomed luxury of dry chairs on even the rainiest of days. The service itself naturally gains in dignity from its new setting and its beauty has on occasions been still further enhanced by the inclusion of anthems and responses sung by the choir under the direction of Mr. Stalker.

The new science laboratories have also proved their worth, even, indeed, to the nonscientific members of the School, for the removal of the chemists has rendered the main building free from those abominable smells that used so ruthlessly to pervade every nook and cranny of it.

If you can provide recollections of this occasion or photos of it, please contact the editor
page last updated 9 Nov 2007