It had always been my ambition to be part of starting a church school in Rhodesia (as it was then). It was on my honeymoon in December 1952 when I heard that Fred Snell was leaving Michaelhouse and coming up to Rhodesia with the intention of starting such a school.
I immediately wrote to him and visited him at Ruzawi in May 1953. We stayed with him and Liza nearly scuppered any chance of appointment. After dinner Fred took me off to his study to look at building plans and left Liza with Margaret. “Do you play a musical instrument?” “No.” “Do you sing, then?” “Actually no.” “Do you paint?” “I’m afraid not”. “Well what do you do?”
September 1954 – the first two boys arrive
Anyway I resigned from teaching in government (Guinea Fowl and then Chaplin) in September 1954 and we joined Fred, at Peterhouse living in the Rector’s Lodge until a house was available. Liza was compelled to learn to play bridge to make up a four with Fred Richard Hudson and me. I acted as dogsbody helping with the building stores, the builders’ wages and teaching two early arrivals, Murray Alexander and Anthony Cross, in all subjects except Science (Margaret Snell) and Divinity (Fred himself). They lived with Babs and Bryan Curtis who had been employed as Estate Manager.
The Opening of the School
The school proper opened in February 1955 in a sea of red mud. Ellis house was finished; we taught in the two Ellis prep rooms and the library reading room; the library was used as a chapel; the boys ate in what was to become the staff dining room and there was builders’ rubble everywhere.
School list – February 1955
The first School List in February 1955 on the opening of the school was:
Alexander, M. Gliemann, B.M.E.O. Penny, R.D Arnot, R.S. Gordon, C.D.G.M. Pyman, D. Arrowsmith, R. Gunning, R.D. Reynolds, L.H. Ashby D.W.M. Herbert, A.S.D. Reynolds, N.E. Black, C.I.W. Herron, D.G.C. Robertson, J.S. Bradbury, C.R. Hewlett, W.P. Russell, J.E.O. Capouya, R. Hill, A.R.C. Sant, M. Craft, R.D. Hill, R.J. Sellers, J.H.G. Colley, M.W. Honey, W.M.M. Sole, C.A. Cross, J.A.M. Johnston, R.A.S. Stambolie, M.D. De Beer, C. Lamb, J.C. Teunon, I.C. Faed, W.G. Millar, R.B. Thelwall, C.deC. Fane, F.M.G. Meikle, S.J.V. Treplin, M.C.W. Fforde, J.P.Mercer, P.G.O. Vandre, R.N. Gadiel, D.L. Moore-Gordon, D. Vorster, M. Gane, B.S.F. Morris, C.G. Wiggins, C.M. Gemmill, A.D. McMillan, J. Wheeler, B.A. Gibbs, C.J.S. Normand, P.M. Owen, P.E.G.
