Duke of York School

Nairobi Kenya

Old Yorkists' photographs

The Ngong Hills (right) can be seen clearly from the upper level walkway of the Tuition Block.

www.mccrow.org.uk

ADDED August 2015 - Visit Lenana in January 2011 - Photos by Glen Smith

A Tribal Class 29 locomotive appears to rush west bound over the school bridge - but in reality it was simply that my camera couldn't cope!  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow  - see Train Spotting at Duke of York School

Aerial view of Duke of York School taken in 1962.  The long drive leading in from the Ngong Road under the railway bridge is visible top centre;  the domestic staff lines are top right.  All the school houses are visible except Grogan and James.  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The armoury, swimming pool, squash court and tennis courts are at bottom left;  the "donga" is bottom centre.  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Official 1960 Photograph of the School

The impressive tower and hall.  Only visitors, staff and prefects were allowed to enter the building through the front doors - everyone else had to crowd through the side door to the right PHOTO - Malcolm McCrow

The School Library above the geography rooms and the side door referred to above - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The three-sided quadrangle where on Sunday mornings pupils fell in by houses and the head of school would report to the Headmaster before the Union Flag was either raised or broken - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Benches are visible in the Hall which was used for assemblies before the dedication of the School Chapel in 1959.  The benches were also used for Saturday night film shows and, in 1958, one of the showings was "The Spirit of St Louis".  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The Lecture Theatre to the right of the Hall was also used for staff-supervised Saturday Afternoon Detention - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Main Quad in 1964 - PHOTO Peter Caton

Not the inside of the School Chapel, but the altar in the hall at the opposite end to the stage.  It was curtained off when not it use.  It was eventually moved to the School Chapel - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The School Chapel soon after its completion in 1959.  It wasn't long before it was used for christenings, weddings and, sadly, also for funerals.  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The Chapel shortly after its opening (left).  A Chapel Fund had been organized and parents invited to subscribe.  The amount which each parent donated was listed, somewhat insensitively,  on the notice board in the anteroom passage leading to the headmaster's study.  Nearby on the same wall a letter received from Field Marshall Lord Montgomery of Alamein was also displayed.  In it the Field Marshall hoped that "the boys of the Duke of York School will take as their motto the words 'Fear God, Honour the Queen'."  PHOTO Brett Langevad

The School Chapel and School Bell seen from above the main entrance - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Hurdles were held on the grass between the Chapel and the well fitted out workshops - one for woodwork (Mr Yates) and one for metalwork (Mr Alcott)  - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Before the chapel was completed, services were held in the gym when the hall was being used for the Prelims and the School Certificate examinations - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Gym, changing room and music rooms - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

A path leading from Brooklands to the well equipped gym.  On the right of the gym were the music rooms and changing room.  - PHOTO Brett Langevad

The tennis courts and squash court by the swimming pool.  Out the picture to the right was the Combined Cadet Force parade ground and armoury.  - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Sunday afternoon swimming - completely unsupervised - no lifeguards and no life saving equipment.  Nothing ever happened.   Are we perhaps being just too cautious today?  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Swimming Regatta 1961 - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The swimming pool seen from Brooklands.  Changing took place in the banda next to the water purification shed. - PHOTO Brett Langevad

The swimming pool in the mid 1960s - PHOTOs Peter Caton

The swimming pool in the mid 1960s - PHOTOs Peter Caton

The swimming pool and squash court in the mid 1960s - PHOTOs Peter Caton

Cricket seen from the railway embankment.  When the Governor, Sir Evelyn Baring, passed one evening in the Royal Train on his way to Kampala, the school was assembled to cheer him - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Lower Junior to the left with the Junior Dining hall to the right.  Each house had its own dorm and prefects were seconded from senior houses. The prefects were allowed bicycles and this looks like one of them.  The bungalow behind Lower Junior belonged to the Honourable Charles E Kitchener, who was often to be found of an evening working in his garden.  - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Upper Junior taken from the Tuition Block Quad.  Between Upper Junior and Thomson Houses was the bungalow occupied by E K Fergusson who had a superb Great Western model railway in his garage.  On Sundays a small group of railway enthusiasts would sometimes congregate by the open doors to watch the proceedings.  - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Brooklands - Thomson and Delamere Dining Hall is in the centre of the photograph; the Tuck Shop was up the stairs to the right.  - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Thomson House seen from the stairway in the Tuition Block - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Delamere House with the dining hall to the right. - PHOTO Brett Langevad

There was little difference between dorms, let alone houses.  Here boys in Delamere typically congregate on beds, possibly of a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.  The boys at the end of the dorm - in Mitchell at least - were responsible for ensuring the cupboard doors were shut before supper in the evenings and before morning inspections.  Blazers and long trousers were kept on the coat hangers - each boy having a drawer for all his other clothes. Hats are visible on the cupboard shelf dating the picture possibly to before the arrival of Victor Laing from Southern Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe] in 1960.  Victor made the unpopular hats optional for town wear and they rapidly disappeared thereafter. Hats, unlike at primary, were never worn in school - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Junior Dorm in all houses was next to the dining hall, no doubt because the catering staff started work - with enthusiastic clattering and banging - at 0530 each morning.  This is again Delamere House - PHOTO Brett Langevad

Mitchell House viewed from the stairs leading to the housemaster's house who in 1961 was Nigel Skerman. PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

From right to left - Junior, Inter and Senior dorms in Mitchell House - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Third Year Study. Mitchell House - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Fourth Year "outside" study with "rabbles" at the window prior to supper - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Mrs Radcliffe with some of the Mitchell and Kirk Houses kitchen staff - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Kitchen staff preparing grapefruit for following morning's breakfast - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Supper - prefect at head of table.  The jug contains soup and the main course has yet to be served - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Kirk House Quad - mid 1960s - PHOTO Peter Caton

Eventually the new buildings came as here - the new Grogan House which was very grand compared to all the other houses.  But by this time the school role was declining and envisaged numbers never materialised - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The sanatorium on the entrance drive before you came to Brooklands - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

School dress was grey drill shirt and shorts - no tie - with optional maroon long or sleeveless jersey.  In the evening shorts were replaced with long trousers and a tie was worn.

Town dress was white shirt, shorts, tie and school blazer. (Photo shows Fred Lichtenstein - taken by Mrs Lichtenstein).  Sunday dress was town dress with long trousers instead of shorts.

Clothing List - remember what you had to take to school in your tin trunk

School Train Times at start of term  Train times back to Nairobi

Headmaster's Letter to Parents  Victor Laing's letter to parents - July 1960

Various small animals were acquired from time to time - a favourite was hyrax (left).  A vulture took up residence for a while (right).  The bangles on the boys wrists are made from elephant hair - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Some boys would appear with an East African Green Snake (left) from time to time, but the snake was usually released soon afterwards. Sometimes more "exotic" animals appeared like this bushbaby (right).  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

With Mrs Radcliffe's dog's puppies in 1960.  On Sundays, between matins and evensong, you could wear what you liked - until things got out of hand and "acceptable" clothing had to be worn to lunch.  Malindi shirts were banned - Bermuda shorts were unheard of!  Sunday dress - town dress with long trousers instead of shorts - was, by default, required for breakfast and supper due to morning and evening services.  - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

It could almost have been England in this 1960s. This shot was taken during a Wednesday afternoon shopping trip to Nairobi - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Afternoon visit of the Aeronautical Society to Embakasi Airport. The engine is a Rolls Royce Avon used in the recently introduced East African Airways Comet 4s.  Visits to BOAC [British Overseas Airways Corporation - now British Airways] and East African Airways were always popular as these two airlines always treated us to afternoon tea in the airport restaurant!  PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

When an airline introduced a new type through Nairobi the Aeronautical Society invariably was taken over the aircraft - in this case an Air India Boeing 707.  The little boy in the blue shirt is Dennis Cooper's son. Dennis, was Patron of the Aeronautical Society. PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

The Tower and Assembly Hall (left) and the sanatorium (right) as they appeared in the early 21st Century - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

The Tower (left) and the Bell and Chapel (right) - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

Chapel Entrance - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

After 50 years growth the trees give the Chapel and its surroundings a completely different look.  The technical block as it was in the fifties is just visible left of centre - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

Not much change in the Chapel after 50 years - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

Only the trees mark the passage of time in this recent shot - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

The trees have grown and blue has replaced green in the paintwork around the science labs - PHOTO Oliver Keeble

Former Upper Junior has become Tom Mboya House.  Mr Mboya addressed the Debating Society in the Lecture Theatre in 1960 - PHOTO David Lichtenstein

Former Thomson House seen from the stairway in the Tuition Block - PHOTO David Lichtenstein

East Africa