Royal Masonic School for Boys
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The Royal Masonic School for Boys was an independent school for boys in England.
From 1798 charities were set up for clothing and educating sons of needy Freemasons. They originally provided education by sending them to schools near to their homes. A specific masonic boys' school was set up at Wood Green in North London in 1857 following amalgamation of the charities in 1852.[2]
A new school was built in Bushey, Hertfordshire in 1903[3] and a Junior School was added on the other side of The Avenue in 1929. By 1939 there were 800 boys at the school.[2][4] Following a decline in pupil numbers the junior school closed in 1970, with the senior school closing in 1977. The site is now occupied by Bushey Academy.
For a time, the buildings housed the United States International University (Europe). but the buildings' condition declined, and fell into disrepair. They have now been redeveloped as housing.
Both schools were commonly used for films (such as Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Lucky Jim (twice), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and numerous TV shows) from the 1950s until recently. The opening scenes of the children's series, 'Thunderbirds' were filmed in the old science block' (and also filmed at Wellington School.) The senior school and its grounds were used throughout the long running series of Judge John Deed starring Martin Shaw (employing much of the teaching block as the judges's chambers) and 'Big School' for many of the in-court scenes).
[5] Note that the rumours of the ghost known as the 'Old Grey Lady' who reportedly roamed the corridors of both the senior and junior schools were never conclusively confirmed, and probably mere high-jinks!
The Royal Masonic School for Girls at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire still operates today.
Notable alumni
- Anthony Andrews – actor
- Percy Jack Clayson - First World War fighter ace
- Robin Gibson - art historian
- Richard Evans – businessman
- Harvey Postlethwaite – Formula One designer
- D. R. Thorpe – political biographer
- Brent Sadler - CNN News Reporter in the Middle East
- Paul Pickering - writer
- Richard Lewis - Dean of Wells from 1990 to 2003
- Richard Holme - British Liberal Democrat politician
- Air Vice-Marshal Frederick Charles Hurrell - Director-General of the RAF Medical Services from 1986 to 1988
- Brian Wenham - television and radio administration
- Ernest Warburton - musicologist
References
- ↑ Architecture of Hertfordshire
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External links
- Memoirs of a student at the junior school 1949–1953
- Memoirs of a student at the schools 1965–1974
- Various old photos of the Boys schools
- Blog about life at the junior school 1961-1965
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- Pages with broken file links
- Defunct schools in Hertfordshire
- Boys' schools in Hertfordshire
- Boarding schools in Hertfordshire
- Freemasonry in England
- Masonic educational institutions in the United Kingdom
- People educated at the Royal Masonic School for Boys
- Educational institutions established in 1903
- 1903 establishments in England
- Educational institutions disestablished in 1977
- 1977 disestablishments in England
