Page 22 - The Badger - Issue 8

THE BADGER Celebrating 125 Years of The Downs
Curiously, in 1948, a school-wide time usage study added some welcome humour to the post-war years: 450 hours spent on hobbies, 810 on music and singing, and 100 making boats from scrap wood. Pupils were recorded running 360 times, bathing 660 times, and consuming 118 gallons of milk and 540 scrambled eggs!
“ For painting we were very privileged to be taught by the wonderful Maurice Feild who was a great artist and teacher. I still have a couple of the oils I painted under his guidance. ”
James Turtle (1946-1952)
William Berkley (1952-1969)
A Culture of Thoughtful Growth
Berkley was the first non-Hoyland Headmaster in over 30 years, arriving with a background in international rugby and teaching experience across the Commonwealth. Known for his patience and long-term vision, he focused on building a loyal staff culture and fostering steady, values-led growth.
Under Berkley’s leadership, a number of popular traditions that we enjoy today, including Bonfire Night, were formalised into the versions we now recognise. He also introduced some that pupils are perhaps fortunate no longer to endure, such as 7am remedial morning exercises. Sport flourished, with expanded teams and new games, while PE instruction, swimming in particular, was enhanced through the addition of specialists like Ken Ricketts.
One of his crowning achievements was the development, in 1968, of the Geoffrey Hoyland Memorial Hall, an iconic space for school events, performances and assemblies ever since.
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Perhaps Berkley will be best remembered as a “gentle giant” and one of the great pastoral Headmasters. The boys often referred to him affectionately as “Bill”, speaking of him with warmth and respect: “He had the sort of humility which enabled him to see problems from their point of view and to put himself in their position.”