1953 View from the Water Tower

At the time of writing, in 2001, the last of the original hospital buildings are under threat of destruction. This picture preserves them beautifully.

The hut immediately to the right of the pond was established as the hospital Chapel in September 1943 and served the same purpose for Wymondham College through to the summer of 1958, when a move was made to hut 35.  There is an enlarged photograph of the building on the previous page.

The extension to the Engineering Science Block on the extreme left was built by pupils of 3rd (Y9) & 4th (Y10) year under the direction of Dave Goman, assisted by Bob Mullenger & Andrew Seeley.  The centre block contained the metalwork (far end) and woodwork (near end) facilities; the chimney rising from the link section comes from the forge.  The right-hand block was used for Domestic Science.  The remaining building, closest to the pond, was built as the hospital mortuary and later served for many years as the Technical Drawing office.  The building was dismantled in 1999 and the site is now a garden in memory of the US Army Air Force personnel who gave up their lives for freedom.

The square units in distance were staff houses, and the nissen hut beyond the Chapel was a garage to house the blue Bedford Bus (1940's vintage of pointed nose variety) and two ex Army Khaki Utility Estate Cars (Tilleys).  These vehicles would be used for transporting pupils to sporting events, the bus usually being driven by Harry Wymer.

David Spinks

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