Fire, Fire!!!
There were some very funny times though with a particular highlight being an end of term midnight feast in Nelson Dorm where we tried to toast some marshmallows in the fire place which we lit for the purpose. Unfortunately some embers slipped down the vent holes in the floor and we watched in horror as the litter and detritus beneath caught fire. Nine little boys stood in a sweaty line and pee'd down the holes in an attempt to put the fire out. Eventually Mr Redman (I think) found us and we set up a human chain with buckets from the scullery but all to no avail and the fire brigade turned up and did it properly. Fortunately our parents collected us the next day and we were never reprimanded.
Martin Koronka
Fire Fire!!!
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Rogernoble
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:17 pm
- Years attended: 1958-60
- Best Single Memory: Beating Cranleigh at footbal
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Rogernoble
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:17 pm
- Years attended: 1958-60
- Best Single Memory: Beating Cranleigh at footbal
Re: Fire Fire!!!
George Cook added:
There were some very funny times though with a particular highlight being an end of term midnight feast in Nelson Dorm where we tried to toast some marshmallows in the fire place which we lit for the purpose. Unfortunately some embers slipped down the vent holes in the floor and we watched in horror as the litter and detritus beneath caught fire. Nine little boys stood in a sweaty line and pee'd down the holes in an attempt to put the fire out. Eventually Mr Redman (I think) found us and we set up a human chain with buckets from the scullery but all to no avail and the fire brigade turned up and did it properly. Fortunately our parents collected us the next day and we were never reprimanded.
I remember it slightly differently, but the basic facts are there.
I think this was at the end of summer term, in June 1968. We were holding our usual 'midnight feast' on the last night, when Peter Shires and I got bored. So we started flicking lighted matches down the holes burnt by hot pokers over many years through the wooden floor around the fireplace in 'Nelson dormitory. Many years of school boys pushing sweet paper etc down these holes resulted in them beginning to smoulder. When we saw this, we got our natural hoses out and aimed down the holes; it did not work.
Smoke began to rise between the gaps in all the floorboards in the dormitory. Then it spread to the corridor outside, then the whole ground floor of the huge country house that was the school main building. Eventually we agreed we had to tell the masters, but which one to tell and who should tell them? Someone agree to go and knock on Mr Redman's bedroom and let him know. He came down, red faced, but matter of fact. He called 999 and I remember the blue lights of the three fire engines flashing around the conifer trees in the driveway, as I looked thought the glass of the front door.
Huge great firemen clunked in with their heavy gear, with crowbars and axes started to rip up the floorboards to get to the embers with water cannon. All nine of us were marched up to stand in a line outside Mr Wicker's study. We all had multiple sets of pants on. He demanded we tell him who did it; nobody flinched, not a word. He shouted, but we stood absolutely still. In the end, Mr Redman, who was observing commented that it was 6am and all the parents are about to start turning up to collect their boys; at this juncture Mr Wicker gave up and told us all to go down to pack our clothes and tuck boxes, I suspect with a wry smile on his face.
While I look back in fondness, I am told that I shouldn't and that it was not a good thing to do. However, it was just a little bit exciting.
Sorry.
George M Cook
There were some very funny times though with a particular highlight being an end of term midnight feast in Nelson Dorm where we tried to toast some marshmallows in the fire place which we lit for the purpose. Unfortunately some embers slipped down the vent holes in the floor and we watched in horror as the litter and detritus beneath caught fire. Nine little boys stood in a sweaty line and pee'd down the holes in an attempt to put the fire out. Eventually Mr Redman (I think) found us and we set up a human chain with buckets from the scullery but all to no avail and the fire brigade turned up and did it properly. Fortunately our parents collected us the next day and we were never reprimanded.
I remember it slightly differently, but the basic facts are there.
I think this was at the end of summer term, in June 1968. We were holding our usual 'midnight feast' on the last night, when Peter Shires and I got bored. So we started flicking lighted matches down the holes burnt by hot pokers over many years through the wooden floor around the fireplace in 'Nelson dormitory. Many years of school boys pushing sweet paper etc down these holes resulted in them beginning to smoulder. When we saw this, we got our natural hoses out and aimed down the holes; it did not work.
Smoke began to rise between the gaps in all the floorboards in the dormitory. Then it spread to the corridor outside, then the whole ground floor of the huge country house that was the school main building. Eventually we agreed we had to tell the masters, but which one to tell and who should tell them? Someone agree to go and knock on Mr Redman's bedroom and let him know. He came down, red faced, but matter of fact. He called 999 and I remember the blue lights of the three fire engines flashing around the conifer trees in the driveway, as I looked thought the glass of the front door.
Huge great firemen clunked in with their heavy gear, with crowbars and axes started to rip up the floorboards to get to the embers with water cannon. All nine of us were marched up to stand in a line outside Mr Wicker's study. We all had multiple sets of pants on. He demanded we tell him who did it; nobody flinched, not a word. He shouted, but we stood absolutely still. In the end, Mr Redman, who was observing commented that it was 6am and all the parents are about to start turning up to collect their boys; at this juncture Mr Wicker gave up and told us all to go down to pack our clothes and tuck boxes, I suspect with a wry smile on his face.
While I look back in fondness, I am told that I shouldn't and that it was not a good thing to do. However, it was just a little bit exciting.
Sorry.
George M Cook
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berniethebolt
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:24 am
- Years attended: 1965-1969
- Best Single Memory: End of term events
Re: Fire Fire!!!
This was one memory from Norfolk dormitory that you can never forget. Although I thought it was on the final term end of the school in 69. The whole idea was mad but seemed a good idea at the time. This could have ended a lot worse. Although we never got punished, our parents must have paid for our 'incident'. I remember an additional 'cost' on my parents school billing relating to this...strangely enough they never questioned me.
Bernard Bruty
Bernard Bruty