Strand School
Encyclopedia
Strand School was a boys' grammar school in the Tulse Hill
area of South London
. It moved there in 1913 from its original location in the Strand
. Distinguished in its heyday for its contribution of young men to the civil service
, it finally closed its doorsafter failed attempts by municipal education authorities from the 1950s onwards to turn it into a comprehensive
in 1977.
Former pupils included a leader of the Greater London Council
, figures prominent in the world of entertainment, and the scientist and environmentalist James Lovelock
, originator of the Gaia hypothesis
.
in the Strand for those seeking entry into the lower grades. The prestige of being associated with the university college was an added benefit. The Civil Service Department, as it was known in the early years, started with an intake of 172 men: it did not yet constitute a school for boys. In 1892 Braginton got permission to run a correspondence course, and day classes, for pupils wishing to compete for 'boy clerkships' and 'boy copyistships'. Thus, in 1893, began Strand School. The name was not apparent, however, till 1897, when King's College School
moved to Wimbledon
, making it possible for the commercial school to move into the college basement. Examinations on offer had by this time increased beyond those of the civil service as such, to include telegraph learners, assistant surveyorships, as well as those for customs and excise appointments. The success rate of Strand pupils was noteworthy. Many Old Strandians, as they became known, went on to distinguished careers in the civil service. In 1900 the London County Council
(LCC) agreed that intermediate county scholarships could be held there, and in 1905 it was allowed to become a centre for the training of pupil teachers.
determined that a mere basement was insufficient for a school. The threat of withdrawal of grant support caused the LCC to undertake to provide new buildings in Elm Park, between Tulse Hill and Brixton Hill
in South London
. In 1909 government of the school was handed over to a committee, which included LCC representatives. As a condition of the incorporation of King's College into the University of London
, under the terms of the King's College London Transfer Act 1908, the civil service classes for adults had to be placed under separate administration, so Braginton agreed to make the necessary arrangements: he relinquished the headmastership In 1909, to run St George's College for women, Red Lion Square, and St George's College for men in Kingsway. R.B. Henderson took over as headmaster of Strand School in 1910, and he it was who supervised the move to South London in 1913.
examinations. Extra-curricular activities included a variety of sports such as football, cricket, swimming, athletics, boxing and fives. There was active competition between the school's six houses: Arundel, Bedford, Exeter, Kings, Lancaster and Salisbury. There were a number of societies, including debating and dramatic societies, and a cadet force
, the army section of which was affiliated to the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. During the Second World War the school was evacuated to Effingham
in Surrey
.
crossword that was to have major repercussions. In May 1944 Utah was also the codename for the D-Day beach assigned to the 4th US Assault Division. This would have been considered coincidence; however, in previous months the solution words Juno, Gold and Sword (all codenames for beaches assigned to the British) had appeared but they are common words in crosswords and then on May 22, 1944 came a clue with the solution Omaha – codename for the D-Day beach to be taken by the 1st US Assault Division. Overlord
appeared on May 27 – codename for the whole D-Day
operation, and the pattern continued ending on June 1, with the solution to 15 Down being Neptune – codeword for the naval assault phase. MI5
became involved and called on Leonard Dawe
, Telegraph crossword compiler and creator of the puzzles in question, at his home in Leatherhead
. Dawe was also headmaster of Strand School. Dawe recalled the episode in a BBC TV interview in 1958. However, an explanation of how the codewords came to appear in the paper emerged only in 1984. Ronald French, a property manager in Wolverhampton, came forward to say that, as a 14-year-old at the school in 1944, he inserted the names into the puzzles. According to French, Dawe occasionally invited pupils into his study and encouraged them to help fill in the blank crossword patterns. Later, Dawe would create clues for their solution words. French claimed that during the weeks before D-Day he had learned of the codewords from Canadian and American soldiers camped close by the school, awaiting the invasion. French believed that hundreds of kids must have known what he knew. Another Old Strandian in 1980 is reported to have also owned up to being the perpetrator of the codenames.
providing for girls.
In the 1950s came the first serious threat to Strand School's existence. Towards the end of the decade, two large comprehensive schools were opened locally: Dick Sheppard School
for girls, and the giant Tulse Hill School
for boys, the latter built on what had been the Strand playing fields. Only by a narrow marginfollowing an intense campaign by parents, old boys and school governorshad the school beaten off a plan to abolish it as a grammar school, and turn it in to one of the two comprehensives: what became Tulse Hill Comprehensive was to have been known as "Strand Comprehensive."
The successful campaign provided what was to prove, in the end, only temporary respite. With the abolition of the tripartite system
in education, the Inner London Education Authority
took the decision to go fully comprehensive. So in 1972 the ILEA again proposed that Strand, described by Labour's
Roy Hattersley
as a "small maintained boys' grammar school in an elderly building," be turned into a comprehensive; its pupils were to be transferred to Dick Sheppard, with the Strand and Tulse Hill buildings merged to form a single new comprehensive school. Battle once again commenced.
Margaret Thatcher
, at the time Secretary of State for Education, later approved the closure, but not the Tulse Hill School alterations. Strand parents this time chose to contest the closure in the courts: in May 1972 an injunction
was granted forbidding closure. The Labour-controlled ILEA was forced to abandon immediate closure of Strand, but made a second application to the minister in July 1972.
Thatcher turned down this application in January 1973, saying that the change of heart was because she had "listened to the parents and watched their fight to save a small school which provided an opportunity for anyone who got there on a basis of merit, whatever his background."
By the late 1970s, nonetheless, Strand School had been closed down. Its remnants were merged with Dick Sheppard, which became, for the time that remained, a mixed school. Of all four schools, the only one to survive the rigours of improvement and shifting education policy was St Martin-In-The-Fields. Tulse Hill closed in 1990, and Dick Sheppard in 1994.
In 2007, to house Elm Court School, a special educational needs
school for 100 pupils moving from Elmcourt Road in West Norwood
to make way for the new Elmgreen secondary school
, major renovation started at the former Strand School site.
The buildings near the southern end of Elm Park were built by the London County Council between 1912 and 1914 under the direction of the chief architect W.E. Riley. The style employed was Edwardian
, with a red brick frontage decorated with Portland stone
dressings, enlivened by a magnificent central stone arched window incorporating a fine sculpture.
Other features of the school were its main hall with its war memorial
to pupils and former pupils who died in the First and Second World Wars, in the form of an imposing organ
bought by public subscription, the gymnasium
at the rear of the main building, and, on the top floor, what were once well-equipped laboratories
and the dining hall
. In the 1960s a two-storey art and woodkwork/metalwork block was built next to the gymnasium.
The school has been described as, "One of the finest secular buildings in terms of its architectural quality and character" and, "a splendid local landmark of significant historic and architectural interest in its own right."
Former pupils are known as Old Strandians and among their number are the following:
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London, England. It lies to the south of Brixton, east of Brixton Hill, north of West Norwood and west of West Dulwich.-History:...
area of South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. It moved there in 1913 from its original location in the Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
. Distinguished in its heyday for its contribution of young men to the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, it finally closed its doorsafter failed attempts by municipal education authorities from the 1950s onwards to turn it into a comprehensive
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
in 1977.
Former pupils included a leader of the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
, figures prominent in the world of entertainment, and the scientist and environmentalist James Lovelock
James Lovelock
James Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurologist who lives in Devon, England. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the biosphere is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling...
, originator of the Gaia hypothesis
Gaia hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis, also known as Gaia theory or Gaia principle, proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet.The scientific investigation of the...
.
Origins
Strand School got its name from its original location. When in 1875 the government extended the range of the civil service entry examination, William Braginton had set up private classes in rooms at King's CollegeKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in the Strand for those seeking entry into the lower grades. The prestige of being associated with the university college was an added benefit. The Civil Service Department, as it was known in the early years, started with an intake of 172 men: it did not yet constitute a school for boys. In 1892 Braginton got permission to run a correspondence course, and day classes, for pupils wishing to compete for 'boy clerkships' and 'boy copyistships'. Thus, in 1893, began Strand School. The name was not apparent, however, till 1897, when King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
moved to Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, making it possible for the commercial school to move into the college basement. Examinations on offer had by this time increased beyond those of the civil service as such, to include telegraph learners, assistant surveyorships, as well as those for customs and excise appointments. The success rate of Strand pupils was noteworthy. Many Old Strandians, as they became known, went on to distinguished careers in the civil service. In 1900 the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(LCC) agreed that intermediate county scholarships could be held there, and in 1905 it was allowed to become a centre for the training of pupil teachers.
Relocation to South London
In 1907 the Board of EducationBoard of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
determined that a mere basement was insufficient for a school. The threat of withdrawal of grant support caused the LCC to undertake to provide new buildings in Elm Park, between Tulse Hill and Brixton Hill
Brixton Hill
Brixton Hill is the name given to a 1 km section of road between Brixton and Streatham Hill in south London, England. It slopes downhill towards central London.Brixton Hill and Streatham Hill form part of the traditional main London to Brighton road...
in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. In 1909 government of the school was handed over to a committee, which included LCC representatives. As a condition of the incorporation of King's College into the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, under the terms of the King's College London Transfer Act 1908, the civil service classes for adults had to be placed under separate administration, so Braginton agreed to make the necessary arrangements: he relinquished the headmastership In 1909, to run St George's College for women, Red Lion Square, and St George's College for men in Kingsway. R.B. Henderson took over as headmaster of Strand School in 1910, and he it was who supervised the move to South London in 1913.
Education
After the move to its new red brick premises, Strand flourished as a grammar school. Though its priority had been to prepare candidates for the civil service, it went on to offer courses leading to the Ordinary and Advanced level GCEGeneral Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
examinations. Extra-curricular activities included a variety of sports such as football, cricket, swimming, athletics, boxing and fives. There was active competition between the school's six houses: Arundel, Bedford, Exeter, Kings, Lancaster and Salisbury. There were a number of societies, including debating and dramatic societies, and a cadet force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
, the army section of which was affiliated to the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. During the Second World War the school was evacuated to Effingham
Effingham
Effingham is an English village in the Borough of Guildford in Surrey, bordering Mole Valley. There is a railway station at Effingham Junction , at the point where a branch of the Sutton & Mole Valley Line joins the New Guildford Line - these are both routes between London Waterloo and Guildford.-...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
Strand and the D-Day crossword
In May 1944 ‘Utah’ appeared as a solution in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
crossword that was to have major repercussions. In May 1944 Utah was also the codename for the D-Day beach assigned to the 4th US Assault Division. This would have been considered coincidence; however, in previous months the solution words Juno, Gold and Sword (all codenames for beaches assigned to the British) had appeared but they are common words in crosswords and then on May 22, 1944 came a clue with the solution Omaha – codename for the D-Day beach to be taken by the 1st US Assault Division. Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
appeared on May 27 – codename for the whole D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
operation, and the pattern continued ending on June 1, with the solution to 15 Down being Neptune – codeword for the naval assault phase. MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
became involved and called on Leonard Dawe
Leonard Dawe
Leonard Sydney Dawe was an English amateur footballer who played in the Southern League for Southampton between 1912 and 1913, and made one appearance for the England national amateur football team in 1912...
, Telegraph crossword compiler and creator of the puzzles in question, at his home in Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
. Dawe was also headmaster of Strand School. Dawe recalled the episode in a BBC TV interview in 1958. However, an explanation of how the codewords came to appear in the paper emerged only in 1984. Ronald French, a property manager in Wolverhampton, came forward to say that, as a 14-year-old at the school in 1944, he inserted the names into the puzzles. According to French, Dawe occasionally invited pupils into his study and encouraged them to help fill in the blank crossword patterns. Later, Dawe would create clues for their solution words. French claimed that during the weeks before D-Day he had learned of the codewords from Canadian and American soldiers camped close by the school, awaiting the invasion. French believed that hundreds of kids must have known what he knew. Another Old Strandian in 1980 is reported to have also owned up to being the perpetrator of the codenames.
Final years
Strand served its surrounding area for most of the twentieth century as the local boys' grammar school, with nearby St Martin-in-the Fields High SchoolSt Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls
St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls is one of the oldest schools for girls in Britain. It was established in 1699 as a charitable enterprise by the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Its popularity and growth led to its relocation in 1928 on a larger site in Tulse Hill, in the South...
providing for girls.
In the 1950s came the first serious threat to Strand School's existence. Towards the end of the decade, two large comprehensive schools were opened locally: Dick Sheppard School
Dick Sheppard School
Dick Sheppard School was a large school, originally for girls, at Tulse Hill in the South London borough of Lambeth. It was founded as the sister establishment to Tulse Hill School for boys and as the Comprehensive alternative to St Martin-In-The-Fields High School for Girls...
for girls, and the giant Tulse Hill School
Tulse Hill School
Tulse Hill School was a large comprehensive school for boys in Upper Tulse Hill, in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. The school spanned eight floors and had almost two thousand pupils. It opened in 1956 and closed in 1990. Notable alumni included Ken Livingstone, ex London...
for boys, the latter built on what had been the Strand playing fields. Only by a narrow marginfollowing an intense campaign by parents, old boys and school governorshad the school beaten off a plan to abolish it as a grammar school, and turn it in to one of the two comprehensives: what became Tulse Hill Comprehensive was to have been known as "Strand Comprehensive."
The successful campaign provided what was to prove, in the end, only temporary respite. With the abolition of the tripartite system
Tripartite System
The Tripartite System was the arrangement of state funded secondary education between 1944 and the 1970s in England and Wales, and from 1947 to 2009 in Northern Ireland....
in education, the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
took the decision to go fully comprehensive. So in 1972 the ILEA again proposed that Strand, described by Labour's
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
as a "small maintained boys' grammar school in an elderly building," be turned into a comprehensive; its pupils were to be transferred to Dick Sheppard, with the Strand and Tulse Hill buildings merged to form a single new comprehensive school. Battle once again commenced.
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, at the time Secretary of State for Education, later approved the closure, but not the Tulse Hill School alterations. Strand parents this time chose to contest the closure in the courts: in May 1972 an injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
was granted forbidding closure. The Labour-controlled ILEA was forced to abandon immediate closure of Strand, but made a second application to the minister in July 1972.
Thatcher turned down this application in January 1973, saying that the change of heart was because she had "listened to the parents and watched their fight to save a small school which provided an opportunity for anyone who got there on a basis of merit, whatever his background."
By the late 1970s, nonetheless, Strand School had been closed down. Its remnants were merged with Dick Sheppard, which became, for the time that remained, a mixed school. Of all four schools, the only one to survive the rigours of improvement and shifting education policy was St Martin-In-The-Fields. Tulse Hill closed in 1990, and Dick Sheppard in 1994.
Later uses
After Strand School's closure in 1977, the buildings became known as the Strand Centre and have had various uses. They were used as temporary premises for "decant" schools; and, more recently, by an Albanian Youth Group. In 2000 they were converted for use as a primary schoolto house Brockwell Primary School while the new Jubilee Primary School was being built on Brockwell's site. When Jubilee Primary finally opened in 2003 the Strand premises again fell vacant.In 2007, to house Elm Court School, a special educational needs
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
school for 100 pupils moving from Elmcourt Road in West Norwood
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
to make way for the new Elmgreen secondary school
Elmgreen School
The Elmgreen School in West Norwood is the first Parent Promoted secondary school to be created in the UK under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The school is a specialist Humanities College.-History:...
, major renovation started at the former Strand School site.
The school's architecture
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
, with a red brick frontage decorated with Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
dressings, enlivened by a magnificent central stone arched window incorporating a fine sculpture.
Other features of the school were its main hall with its war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
to pupils and former pupils who died in the First and Second World Wars, in the form of an imposing organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
bought by public subscription, the gymnasium
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
at the rear of the main building, and, on the top floor, what were once well-equipped laboratories
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
and the dining hall
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
. In the 1960s a two-storey art and woodkwork/metalwork block was built next to the gymnasium.
The school has been described as, "One of the finest secular buildings in terms of its architectural quality and character" and, "a splendid local landmark of significant historic and architectural interest in its own right."
Old Strandians
- Vernon Butcher, Organist of the Chapel RoyalChapel RoyalA Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
. - David Guthrie Catcheside, seminal figure in the development of post-war geneticsGeneticsGenetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
. - Charles Alfred Fisher, Professor of Geography, School of Oriental & African Studies.
- Leonard Christopher Gilley, artist.
- Sir Reg GoodwinReg GoodwinSir Reginald Eustace Goodwin was a British politician. He was Leader of the Greater London Council from 1973-77. On the moderate wing of the Labour Party, he nonetheless favoured public control of utilities.-Family background:Goodwin was from a middle-class family of five and was born in Streatham...
, politician and former Leader of the Greater London CouncilGreater London CouncilThe Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
. - Leonard Duncan Albert Hussey, explorer.
- Fruitbat (Les Carter), rock musician, co-founder of Carter USMCarter USMCarter the Unstoppable Sex Machine is a British indie rock band formed in 1988 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style of power pop, fusing samples, sequenced basses and drum machines with rock 'n' roll guitars and...
. - David Jacobs, CBEDavid Jacobs (disc jockey)David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:...
, broadcaster, long-time presenter of BBC's Juke Box JuryJuke Box JuryJuke Box Jury was a musical panel show which originally ran on BBC Television from 1 June 1959 until December 1967. The programme was based on the American show Jukebox Jury, itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series....
and Any Questions. - Lord Sydney JacobsonSydney Jacobson, Baron JacobsonSydney Jacobson, Baron Jacobson MC, was a British journalist, editor and political commentator.- Early years :...
, newspaper executive and editor. - George Barker JefferyGeorge Barker JefferyGeorge Barker Jeffery was a leading mathematical physicist in the early twentieth century. He is probably best known to the scientifically literate public as the translator of papers by Einstein, Lorentz, and other fathers of relativity theory .-Career:Jeffery was born in 1891 and educated at...
, mathematical physicist, translator of papers by Einstein, Lorentz & other fathers of relativity theory. - Mick JonesMick Jones (The Clash)Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
, rock musician, lead guitarist and vocalist, The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. - James Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRSJames LovelockJames Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurologist who lives in Devon, England. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the biosphere is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling...
, scientist and environmentalist, best known for the Gaia hypothesisGaia hypothesisThe Gaia hypothesis, also known as Gaia theory or Gaia principle, proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet.The scientific investigation of the...
. - Richard Valentine MooreRichard Valentine MooreTemporary Sub-Lieutenant Richard Valentine Moore of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve attached to HMS President was awarded the George Cross for the "great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty" he showed in rendering mines safe during the blitz despite having 'no practical training'...
, winner of the George CrossGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
. - Sir Arnold PlantArnold PlantSir Arnold Plant was a British economist.Plant was born in Hoxton, London, the son of a municipal librarian.After attending Strand School, he worked for a mechanical engineering organisation....
, economist. - Alan A Ball, Professor of Engineering Design, Birmingham University.
- Leroy RoseniorLeroy RoseniorLeroy Rosenior is a professional football coach and pundit. He is a former professional footballer whose clubs included Fulham, Queens Park Rangers , Bristol City and West Ham United.As one of the few black football managers in England, Rosenior has spoken openly about the racism...
, professional footballer, coach and broadcaster. - Tim RothTim RothSimon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
, Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning movie actor and director - Jeremy SpencerJeremy SpencerJeremy Cedric Spencer , is a British musician, best known as one of the first guitarists in Fleetwood Mac.Spencer was born in Hartlepool, County Durham. He grew up in South London and was educated at Strand School, where he became known for hilarious impressions of the headmaster and several of his...
, rock musician, founder-member of Fleetwood MacFleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
. - Euan UglowEuan Uglow-Biography:Euan Uglow was born 10 March 1932 in London and as a child lived in Tulse Hill in south London. His father was an accountant, and Uglow went to the local grammar school in Tulse Hill, called Strand School. Afterwards he studied at Camberwell School of Art from 1948 to 1950...
, artist. - Ronald Philip Benjamin Wood, artist.
- Rev. Donald Aird, Vicar of St Marks Church, Hamilton Terrace, London NW8 (1979-1995), founder of the Society of Christians and Jews.
- Mark Perridge, Author, Publisher and President of London Crime Works
- Keith "Ernie" Hunt, President of Mt Baldy Chamber of Commerce, Southern California.
Teachers
- Bernard Fenton B.A., headmaster
- Martyn Read, headmaster
- Joseph E.Cox, BSc, headmaster
- Leonard DaweLeonard DaweLeonard Sydney Dawe was an English amateur footballer who played in the Southern League for Southampton between 1912 and 1913, and made one appearance for the England national amateur football team in 1912...
, headmaster. - Ronald GurnerRonald GurnerStanley Ronald Kershaw Gurner M.C. M.A. was a headmaster and writer who was born in London.-Early years:Educated at Merchant Taylors' School, London, Gurner went to Oxford University, where he was a classics scholar at St. Johns. He gained a First in honour moderations and won a university Latin...
, headmaster. - Brian LargeBrian LargeBrian Large is a television director specializing in opera and classical music broadcasts.-Studies:...
, music master.