Sketching from the Orchard
The Abbey Gateway, by St Albans Abbey, is part of St Albans School – a private boys’ school founded in the year 948. Fortunately we have very good state secondary schools in St Albans, so I don’t lose much sleep about not being able to afford to send my children to this school. The most famous twentieth century old boy of the school is Professor Stephen Hawking. He came to speak to the pupils a couple of years ago and they kindly extended the invitation to pupils from the other St Albans schools, so my two eldest children were lucky enough to meet him. This is one of several lovely buildings that the school is housed in around the Abbey area of the city.
posted by Julie Oakley at Saturday, May 09, 2009
4 Comments:
Nice painting, I love how you flooded the trees with light... well done.
Hello Julie,
The year 948! Wow! We are just bubs over here in Australia.
My kids' high school was founded about a hundred years ago perhaps.
Lovely picture. It must be fun to walk through old sites like this. Are there vibrations there - ghosts perhaps?
w.
My eldest (now 50) went to the Abbey School. In those days it was a 'direct grant' school - a rather curious type of school which was largely fee-paying, but to which boys could gain entry on the merits of their 11-plus exam, which is what Matthew did.
Thanks Elaine.
Wendy I thought you might be interested in the age of the school.
Judith, I reckon my Tom would've got in under such a system, but now any scholarships still require the parents to pay at least 50% of the fees so still unattainably expensive.
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