Rhubarb

2 St Edward’s r h u b a r b

Rewriting History

and steering it through these rocky times were supporters Lord Beauchamp, Lord Aldenham and Lord Halifax. They gave the School influence, prestige and – sometimes – money, the latter enabling the School to ward off such threats as the Duke of Marlborough’s desire to build on what is now the vast sweep of playing fields. What are your fondest memories of St Edward’s? I was among the last generation of schoolmasters for whom a teaching post was a way of life. Many teachers of that era never moved on, or if they did so, they moved just once or twice. St Edward’s provided me not just with employment for 38 years, but a home, and it is this near- perfect combination of life and work I remember most fondly.

Malcolm Oxley, former Second Master and author of A New History of St Edward’s School, Oxford, 1863 – 2013 , discussed his new book and long relationship with the School, with Marketing Manager Tracy Van der Heiden. How did you find yourself writing the second history of St Edward’s? I had thought about the notion of writing a new history on a number of occasions, and then about five years ago, I was approached by a school Governor, Chris Jones, who had had the same idea. I must confess that I hesitated initially – in part because I felt I was too old! - but also because, having spent some time looking after the school Archive, I knew it to be somewhat disorganised: I anticipated a long period of re-organisation before work could even begin on a new history. I was happily mistaken in that assumption. The current School Archivist, Chris Nathan, has worked tirelessly to bring order to the Archive and, on discovering its glorious transformation into a carefully-catalogued resource, I was content to accept the commission. In large part, yes. I also carried out a few interviews with former staff and current pupils, and drew on written memories of OSE, some of which were already in the Archive, some of which were supplied in response to my request for material for the book. I was also given access to Governors’ papers and to the necessary administrative paperwork. There are scores of OSE memories in the book – do they give a sanitised view or have you aimed for a realistic approach? I was conscious that, in general, school histories paint a picture of unremitting positivity and progress – ever onward and upward. Everything is depicted as wonderful. I wanted this new book about St Edward’s to be more realistic than is the norm. As a consequence, there are sections which some might find controversial. There are personal opinions on Wardens, for instance, and there is a degree of commentary on sexual activity in School, Is the content of the book drawn entirely from the Archive?

and on the widespread practices of fagging and flogging. It is important to remember, of course, that the culture of St Edward’s - then and now - is a reflection of the culture of similar schools - and of wider society. So I would say that overall, I hope to have given a balanced view of life at the School over the years. As you say, the culture of St Edward’s reflects the culture of wider society – can you give some examples of how the book illustrates this point? Many examples could be cited but amongst other developments, the decline of religious observance and the growth of secularism in society at large have their counterparts in schools. The rise of the ‘teenager’ or the ever-encroaching role of the State would be two further examples. Formality and deference are not what they were, anywhere! Undoubtedly the recent past. It is not yet history, and of course I have participated in some of this ‘contemporary history’ so it is impossible to give a dispassionate view. There are live issues, live matters of policy, and we are not distant enough to make commentary on them easy. I remember arriving as a new member of staff in 1962 shortly after publication of the first history of the school by RD Hill. I encountered some grumbling in the Common Room - the immediate past is simply too hot a potato. And in fact, we anticipated this difficulty. Readers will find that the last 10 years or so are covered very briefly. I bequeath all the fascinating detail of this period to the next official historian! Which section was the most difficult to write? Which period of the School‘s history do you find most interesting? Without question the Victorian period up to WWI. It was an eventful period – the School was nearly forced to close on a number of occasions. There were moments in the 1880s and then again in 1900 and 1905 when it seemed it wouldn’t survive. It was not until the Wardenship of John Millington Sing that finances were stabilised. Along with Sing, key figures in securing the School’s future

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