Farfield
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Farfield is one of the seven boarding houses at Gresham's School, an English Public School in Holt, Norfolk. It was opened in 1911 and the housemaster (Major JC Miller) and boys were all transferred there from a smaller building known as Bengal Lodge. The house is currently home to approximately 50 boys. Many former residents have achieved success or notoriety in a number of different fields.
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[edit] Alumni
Wystan Hugh Auden (1920-1925) Poet and Writer.
Jeremy Bamber (1974-1979) Notorious Mass Murderer.
Benjamin Britten (1928-1930) Composer and Conductor.
Norman Cohn (1929-1933) Historian and Fellow of the British Academy.
Donald Cunnell (1909-1910) World War I flying ace. Shot down and critically injured the Red Baron.
Nigel Dick (1966-1971) Music Video Director.
Philip Dowson (1938-1942) Architect and President of the Royal Academy.
Ralph Firman (1988-1993) Formula 1 Racing Driver.
Stephen Frears (1954-1959) Film Director.
Sir John Reith (1904-1906) First Director General of the BBC and Government Minister.
John Tusa (1949-1954) TV presenter and Managing Director of the World Service.
Tom Wintringham (1912-1915) General Strike Planner and Commander of the British contingent of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War; founder of The Daily Worker (subsequently The Morning Star).
[edit] Notable Features
Between August and September the Farfield Lawn is home to one of the finest colonies in Great Britain of the orchid Spiranthes Spiralis, also known as Autumn Ladies'-tresses.
The Grand Piano located in the common room is a Bechstein given to the school by The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers in 1900. It is widely believed that Benjamin Britten used this piano to write his Anthem A Hymn to the Virgin.
[edit] Housemasters
| Major JC Miller1 | 1904-1920 |
| EA Robertson | 1920-1928 |
| GR Thompson | 1929-1936 |
| AB Douglas2 | 1936-1957 |
| BW Sankey | 1957-1965 |
| WO Thomas | 1965-1980 |
| RW Coleman | 1980-1988 |
| GB Worrall | 1988-1998 |
| AA Edwards | 1998-2003 |
| JRP Thomson | 2003-Present |
1 In Bengal Lodge until 1911
2 The school was evacuated to Newquay during the years 1940-1945
[edit] Traditions
An Entertainment is held every March featuring music, sketches and dramatic excerpts.
The ritual of House Prayers is maintained in Farfield on three evenings per week. This is a short evening service, organised by the prefects (senior pupils), which consists of a hymn, a reading and a prayer, and concludes with the familiar mantra "Goodnight Boys".
[edit] Links
[1] Photo from the Britten-Pears library
[edit] References
- The History and Register of Gresham's School, 1555-1954 (Ipswich, 1955);
- I Will Plant Me a Tree: an Illustrated History of Gresham's School (James & James, London, 2002)
- Gresham's School online
