Reference
AU10/83/1
Title
Answers by G.H.Ashman to a questionnaire by Andrew Underwood:
- Q. Can you remember any of the Headmasters BEFORE Mr.Searle? If so, who? What do you remember about them?
- A. Mr.Ferraby. First recollections of him would be circa 1884. How long he had been headmaster before then I don't know. A strict disciplinarian, but with quite a subtle sense of humour. Great on English Grammar. His first introduction of the subject to a new child began with the sentence "Cats kill mice" always. He always wore a frock coat and when outdoors a wideawake hat like ….men often wear. I once heard him refer to his hat as an illustration of the words "uncouth, ill-shapen" which occurred in a reading lesson. Mr.Ferraby was headmaster of the Boys School, Mr.Herbert Studman Assistant Master; Mrs.Ferraby mistress of the Infants School; Miss Brightman mistress of the Girls School; Miss Dickens assistant mistress of the Girls School;
Q. What do you remember about Mr.Searle?
A. I refer you here to the enclosed letter from my sister (then Mrs.Minney) who served under Mr.Searle and knew him far better than I did;
Q. In what year, approximately, do you first remember him?
A. See (8) below;
Q. Were you in any of his operas and concerts?
A. Yes, several, the one I remember best was Sullivan's "Grand Duke" I took the part of GD;
Q. Can you name them, and give the name of the part you played?
A. Also I took part of "The Murderer[?]" and "The Pedlar" in ?Robin Hood;
Q. Can you remember who else was in them, and the parts they took?
A. Mr.H.J.Woods, Mr.Newby Stanbridge, Mr.Frank Peck, Mr.W.Crawley, Mr.Minney, Mrs.Seabrook, Mrs.Bates, Mrs.Minney (and a host of others too numerous to get in here) a Mr.Freeman was one, I believe it is his son who edits the Bedfordshire Magazine;
Q. Do you recall any anecdotes of amusing incidents attached to these operas?
A. One particularly, Frank Peck & Walter Crawley had to change clothes in a hurry, F.P. somewhat stouter build than W.C. took a short cut on to the stage, with dire results to the seat of the very tight breeches he had changed into, but had to go on stage and face the audience all the time
Q. Can you remember any of the teachers at any of the schools in the town before the 1st World War? What can you remember about the schools?
A. I have to apologise for keeping you so long before answering. Some of the delay is because I wanted to see Mr.Percy Gill (I expect you know him) who would probably know the exact sate of Mr.Searle's first year at Ampthill, but have been unable to contact him. Mr.Newby Stanbridge can probably give you a lot of useful information as he was the pianist in all Mr.Searle's plays and operas.
I enclose (please return them) a photograph of my sister as a character in one of the plays and also a large group. Newby Stanbridge can probably name most of the characters.
She be pleased to help you in any way further. You will note my sister has followed your notation of the questions in her letter
Date free text
1956
Production date
From: 1870 To: 1956
Level of description
item