Memories of a time spent in the lovely county of Suffolk with its host of history.
CLARE, IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
When I went to live Britain in the 1970's my first job was as Assistant Matron
at Grenville College, in the tiny village of Clare, in Suffolk. South Africa knows
them as private schools; in England they are public schools. In reality this was
an inexpensively converted large private home, rented from impoverished gentlefolk,
lacking in modern comforts and amenities. Several "Portacabins" in the grounds served
as classrooms; dormitories in the converted attics squeezed in as many as possible and
one of the larger classrooms doubled as a dining-room. The lack of central heating,
adequate bathrooms and comfortable sitting-rooms for staff and children echoed the
Spartan conditions of British schools in earlier centuries. This neither facilitated
nor encouraged learning by the scholars. A general sense of "making do" under rather
impoverished circumstances was overriding.
In its heyday the house must have been an elegant and comfortable family home, with
large kitchen gardens, a grass tennis court and spacious gardens, but the passing years
had seen many changes. The constant wear from hundreds of uncaring youngsters was
damaging the building despite desperate pleas from the staff, and when the local
Fire Chief came to inspect the premises and discovered the overcrowding in the
dormitories, the lack of fire escapes and safety doors, it was touch and go whether
the school would continue or have to close immediately.
As to the education. Well, not being involved with the teaching I was in no position to
comment, but it seemed that less qualified staff and the usual pupil reluctance to learn
meant that the quality of schooling never rose above the minimum. The intake was
mainly from local farming families, so perhaps high educational standards were not
necessary, and satisfying the basic requirements was all that was necessary.
The nineteen seventies in England was the era of the great pop idols and superstars,
names we remember today, and some of whom are still around, although perhaps they are not
as chipper now as they were then. Elton John, Mick Jagger and the Stones, Ziggy Stardust,
David Bowie, Cliff Richards and of course, The Beatles, interested and absorbed the pupils
far more then than the dates of the Kings and Queens of England. The walls of their dormitories
were covered with their garish posters to the consternation of the headmaster whose thoughts
were not of pop stars, but of damage to the paintwork! But if you tell me that things have changed
in the succeeding thirty-five years, I’ll be delighted if you can prove your case.
As a county, Suffolk is renowned for three things. Mainly agricultural, the
countryside is gently undulating with beautiful open skies and lovely vistas, factors
that inspired the painters Constable and Gainsborough, both of whom came from the area.
Second, due to its proximity to the North Sea and no natural obstacles, the cruel winds
blow straight from Siberia, making for extremely cold winters. Lastly, it has a number of
ancient and very beautiful market towns, full of history and with many interesting buildings.
Lavenham, the most famous of the Suffolk wool towns, is renowned for its collection of
lovely medieval timber houses, including the Swan Hotel. Early in the 1900's the old
Wool Hall was in danger of being dismantled until incorporated into the hotel. Amongst
many treasures and interesting artefacts in the hotel is a counter in the bar - now
carefully protected by glass - which bears the incised signatures of American airmen
based in the area during WW2. Hundreds of these men flew on bombing missions taking
part in the famed ‘thousand bomber raids’ over Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden, and many
failed to return. Occasionally in the past thirty years, usually around the great
commemorative dates of VE and VJ Day, groups of elderly men wearing the Old Boy’s caps
of their active service units, will gather in the hotel to remember the old days and
drink a toast to those who are gone, a sad reminder of their glory days, and the large
number of combat airfields in the area.
One of the most striking features of the village is the beautiful ‘Pargetting’ decoration on
some of the oldest buildings, a distinctive feature of this area. Usually found on half-
timbered Elizabethan buildings, it is an art unique to East Anglia and is seldom seen in
other parts of Britain. As an almost forgotten part of the plasterer's craft, it is seldom
practised any longer. Measured quantities of carefully mixed fine plaster are smoothed
onto the outside walls of the large buildings, and when dried to exactly the right
consistency, is worked into elaborate decorative designs. As can be imagined, with the
damp British climate, judging the amount of water needed to create the initial mix as well
as getting the consistency right to ensure that it adheres to the exterior vertical surfaces,
takes a lot of skill. Therefore the remaining instances of this extravagant art are few and
far between, with Lavenham and its sister town Ipswich boasting some of the very few examples.
The area has a very ancient history dating back to the early Viking and Danish invasions
and many Roman and Saxon remains are to be found. One of the most interesting of the
larger towns is Bury St Edmonds, with a ruined abbey, originally built to contain the
remains of St Edmund in the 9th century. It was in Bury in 1214 that the powerful barons
of England swore to extract from King John the concessions set out in the Magna Carta.
Also in the area are numerous small churches, many of which contain fine examples of
ancient brasses. 'Brasses' are beautifully carved and cast memorial tablets, usually let
into the main aisle of a church, depicting the nearly life size representation of the lord,
knight or esquire buried beneath. Rubbings are made by stretching fine black paper over
the carving, and gently rubbing with a block of gold or silver coloured beeswax producing
a detailed copy of the engraving beneath. Until fairly recently, this hobby was very
popular, but is no longer permitted, as the constant friction and pressure on the
irreplaceable brasses was wearing away the fine detail of the castings. For those who
are still interested in the brasses, good copies can be purchased from the church shops
nearby, a sensible compromise between marketing and preservation.
Delicious table celery is grown in the dark, rich, fenland soil, and this was served at the
college for "High Tea" on Fridays with farm butter and strong Cheddar cheese - an
irresistible combination!
Suffolk is a beautiful county, seeming to have stepped back in time from the hurly-burly
of modern life. It’s quiet by-ways and picturesque villages, colour-washed in pastel pink
have an endearing appeal. Village greens and duck ponds abound, and motorists give
right-of-way to files of ducks crossing the road, while serene swans glide softly over the
water. The area enjoys a particularly dry climate, with the lowest rainfall in Britain; a
distinct attraction for those looking for a healthy place to live.