Start of Term Reflections: 1974

September 10th 2024

The beginning of September in 2024 marks the start of a new school year, just as it has done for decades. Alleyn's School Archivist, Nicola Waddington, explores what was happening at Alleyn’s 50 years ago in 1974, and what the pupils could look forward to in Advent Term.

The academic year of 1974-75 was to be Alleyn’s last as a single sex institution, an indication of the School's progressive nature even back then. (John Fanner was the Head, and oversaw the first girls into the sixth form in Advent term 1975).

The School had said goodbye to Frank Kennard (pictured below), who had recently retired after 25 years as Director of Music, as had Mr Brand and Mr Gallop who was in charge of the School’s computers. A new Master, Mr King, joined the staff in September 1974. On the Board, the academic year of 1973-74 saw the first year as Chairman of the Board for Sir John Wolfenden (after whom the Sports Hall was named), as well as for Sir Leonard Hooper, AOB who was the Representative Governor of the Alleyn’s teaching staff.

At a time of national economic gloom with the three-day week, industrial unrest, inflation and unemployment, Alleyn’s was running the Alleyn’s School Appeal. It received £5373 in the course of 1974 of which £5200 (£40,000 in today’s money) had been donated by new parents. Regular coffee mornings were held in parents’ houses, which paid for an amplifier, microphones, record deck and speakers in the Great Hall.

The CCF introduced parachute training, and 5 members gave a display of para-ascending at the Annual CCF Inspection on 7 June. CCF Camps were held on the Isle of Skye, Shorncliffe, West Germany, Isle of Wight and Malta.

On the arts side, the School production in March 1974 was The Mikado, and the Lower School produced Chicken in Trinity 1974. Aspiring actors could look forward to performing The Lesson and The Real Inspector Hound in the Bear Pit in Advent 1974.

Photo of a production of The Mikado at Alleyn's in 1974

The School’s range of clubs and societies was growing and in 1974 boys could join sports clubs, VSO, The Railway Society, The Film Society, The Photographic Society, Natural History Society, Chess Club, War Games Club, CCF, and take part in walking expeditions to South Wales and Cornwall. School parties had visited Poland, Czechoslovakia, Istanbul, the South Downs and Snowdonia, while the Cross Country U15 and U12 teams were undefeated.

Outside of School in 1974 there was the rise of the Wombles, and just as term started in September there was the Kung Fu craze for older children to pursue. Abba achieved great success, wining the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at Brighton that year, with Waterloo and The Bay City Rollers spending many weeks in the charts.

The song Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas was Number 1 in the charts just as pupils returned to School and the films Paper Moon, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola were both popular in the cinema.

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