The Day the King Died…..Life at LGS in 1952
By John Weitzel, LGS Archivist
For the 603 boys, including the 50 boarders, Wednesday 6th February 1952 would have started like any other Wednesday at the time. The boys would have been pleased because Wednesdays were half-days (the afternoon was ‘made up’ on Saturday mornings) and so there were no afternoon lessons to worry about, just sport for those who wanted it or an afternoon at home or around town for those who didn’t!
Headmaster Sydney Pullinger (SRP) would have been either in his office, at the top of the ‘golden stairs’ in School House or around his own home which was part of School House when at 10.45 am the announcement was made from Sandringham that the King had died. How he got to hear the news we have no idea but he was clearly prepared as to what to do as immediately he started going round the School, entering each classroom in turn to make the formal announcement.
An alumnus recalled vividly. ‘We were having a lesson in B2 and SRP walked in, it was about 10.45 a.m. He solemnly announced that the King had died that morning and that school would now close for the day. I don’t recall how I got home to Kegworth that late morning. I guess a school bus did not arrive, and that we simply caught one of the half hourly service buses from the Rushes. And, of course, with so few mothers working in 1952, there would not have been the outcry that such sudden school shut-down would cause nowadays. I suppose SRP promptly closing the school did not overly affect things because, being a Wednesday, all in town boys would anyway have gone home at lunch-time, and many out of town boys not scheduled for games would also have gone home at lunchtime.’ Another said ‘Yes, I do remember being told about the death. I was in ‘B” class in H2 (now the Head of Sixth Form’s office and previously Mr Lax’s room) with Mr E Foxon who announced the death with SRP – we all went home.’
It is clear that whilst SRP was going round the School other forms were being gathered in H1 (now the 6th Form Centre) ‘I seem to remember that all forms in the upper school were summoned to H1 in which SRP announced in his most sympathetic voice that the King had died and the school was closing for the rest of the day.’
The only mention in The Loughburian is an acknowledgement of the death on the front page along with the quote from Minnie Haskin’s poem that King George VI had used in his 1939 Christmas broadcast. ‘I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out unto the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”’
The Town remembered the King nine days later. ‘I remember the death of the King, and I have a copy of a ‘Form of Service’ in commemoration of His Late Majesty – held in the Parish Church at 12 noon on Friday February 15th 1952. I can’t actually remember the occasion, but assume we boarders were dispatched to attend it in the usual part of the Church in which we sat every Sunday (Matins). This was a town event. The last part of the Form of Service reads ‘The congregation are asked to remain in their seats until the Mayor and Public Bodies have left the Church’ It was obviously a big ‘do’! – and I bet we were the last to leave!’
I may not know what the Headmaster at the LGS was doing on that day but I do know what Miss Andrews, Headmistress at LHS, was doing. She was appointing a new member of the Maths Department for the following September – Miss Margaret Leigh, my Aunt. Thus, between us we span the entire Queen’s reign at LSF.
