I went to Spyway in the autumn term of 1947 after three and a half years at a traditional but dated prep school elsewhere.
What a liberating experience! One was immediately treated as a growing person, trusted and encouraged in every way
The day started with a brisk walk, deep breathing exercises and the obligatory cold bath, then the day proceeded apace.
Exceptional at swimming, good at rugby and athletics and having a distinguished and stimulating father, I suited the Warners' model and as a result excelled for the first time in my life.
Responsibilities included wielding a full-sized scythe.
At my previous school we walked in a crocodile but at Spyway we had freedom and the many long expeditions including unsupervised trips to Hill Crest along the coast were as memorable as the Warners' reaction when we did not win 60-nil.
The school was built on trust and responsibility and it gave me an interest in geology which I still have.
The Warners loved Eton and probably about half of us went there. I did not.
Parents tended to be upper or upper-middle class and I remember the sons of a Scottish duke who reputedly went there to minimise contact with their cantankerous father.
I think most people enjoyed it but I do remember a boy with petit mal who I don’t think should have been there. I suspect there may have been others who did not relate to the Warner ethos.
The rivalry with Langton Matravers' other school was a great feature as was the Lagonda, Eric’s open-top Morris and, of course, the Jeep.
Another memory is returning to Spyway aboard the Bournemouth Belle followed by the Swanage puffer, which made going back to school something to look forward to.
What fun it was.
Colin Barry 1947/49
