Biography of Malcolm Archbald SMITH
[Ref. S.1]
| Biography index |  |
Holidays |
Elmhurst Kindergarten
Malcolm started school in 1946 at the age of five when he attended Elmhurst Nursery School which was situated in Upper Gordon Road in Camberley. His first exercise book has survived having been kept by his proud mother. His parents also kept his school reports. He himself had some recollections of his time at the school. In 1946, all the pupils received a certificate from King George to celebrate victory in World War II.
Cheswycks pre-prep School
Malcolm remained only a few terms at Elmhurst before moving to a pre-prep school called Cheswycks in Firwood Drive, Camberley. He progressed well enough but found himself particularly good at athletics, at Sports Day one year winning all but one of the events into which he was entered, thus winning the cup. Some of the prizes were quite surprising for a young child, one being a handsaw and another a carborundum stone for sharpening knives. Dancing was one of the options at school but there was a move to introduce Dalcroze Eurhythmics instead. His school reports chart his progress through school. Malcolm remembered the shed between the playing field and the railway line where the children were taught pottery.
In 1950 Malcolm went to Papplewick, a preparatory school adjacent to Ascot racecourse on the Windsor road. Initially he went as a day-boy but became a boarder later. He continued to be good at athletics, especially the high jump. He played rugby for the school but took a total dislike to cricket after being hit on the head by a ball and managed thereafter to be allowed to run the store to issue and recover the cricket equipment.
He took part in a wide range of school activities, but in general, his school reports showed that he did better at the outdoor activities more than the classroom. There are more details of Malcolm's time at Papplewick including end of term reports, the school list, pictures of the school and some of Malcolm's letters home.
Malcolm passed his Common Entrance exams which allowed him to enter public school at Worksop College in Nottinghamshire in 1954. He fared well in most of the academic subjects, both arts and sciences, as well as the sports, especially athletics. He also participated in other general activities such as rifle shooting, the military band, school plays and choral works. He attended some of the army cadet summer camps and went on various field trips.
He became a house prefect then progressed to captain of house and school prefect in which capacity he wore a mortar board and blue gown. There are details of Malcolm's time at Worksop including end of term reports, school lists, pictures of the school and a range of associated items such as uniform.
During his school years, Malcolm's first family holiday away from home was on the Isle of Wight. He can remember being in his father's car on the slipway at Lymington waiting for the ferry. His father kept teasing the children that the car would slide down into the water and Malcolm was not at all happy. Furthermore, he was seasick on the ferry.
All subsequent holidays were spent at Selsey in Sussex where the family would rent a house for a month during the summer holidays. They seldom stayed in the same house twice but there was one particular thatched bungalow called Robin Hood that was situated right next to the beach and that was particular fun. The garden had a summer house in which Malcolm and his brother and sister would sometimes sleep at night.
| Top of page |