Sport Activities

[Image: Cricket match in progress, or rugby action shot]

Building Character Through Competition, Music, and Pursuits Beyond the Classroom

At Clare House, education extended far beyond academics. Sport built character, taught teamwork, developed physical capability. Music cultivated appreciation for beauty and culture. Various activities enriched boys’ experience and rounded their development.

These pursuits weren’t peripheral – they were essential to the Clare House experience and central to the school’s mission of forming capable, well-rounded young men.

Cricket: The Premier Sport

[Image: Cricket field with players, or team photo]

Cricket held special place in Clare House culture – quintessentially English, teaching patience, strategy, sportsmanship, and team play.

The Season

Spring/Summer terms – Cricket dominated warm weather months

Practices – Regular sessions teaching batting, bowling, fielding

House matches – Internal competition among the four houses

School matches – Fixtures against other preparatory schools

Watching cricket – Trips to Lord’s to watch Test matches

The Facilities

At Beckenham:

At Ashurst Wood:

Fixtures and Competitions

Clare House competed against neighboring preparatory schools:

These matches were serious affairs:

The Coaching

Clayton Palmer – During Ashurst Wood years, particularly keen on cricket, having played for Middlesex after his Cambridge Blue. He had reportedly once caught Dr. W.G. Grace in the field – credentials that impressed boys enormously.

He coached teams, organized fixtures, taught technique and tactics, and was mainly responsible for school sporting competitions.

Memorable moment: Palmer sometimes stopped the coach at a convenient hostelry on return from away matches to treat the team to lemonade – small gesture that boys remembered decades later.

Special Outings

Trips to Lord’s – Members of cricket teams taken to watch Test matches at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Both Robin Gladstone and Clayton Palmer were MCC members, securing good seats.

The 1948 Ashes – One alumnus recalled the highlight of his life: seeing Don Bradman play in the Lord’s Test of 1948, leading “that most famous of all Australian Touring Teams.”

The 1947 South Africans – Another alumnus went to Lord’s to see South Africa play. “Bill Edrich took a wicket with the first ball of the day!”

These outings exposed boys to cricket at the highest level, showing what mastery looked like and connecting them to a grand sporting tradition.

What Cricket Taught

Patience – Batting requires waiting for the right ball, not rushing

Strategy – Field placement, bowling changes, when to attack or defend

Teamwork – Individual performance serving team goals

Sportsmanship – Accepting umpire decisions, showing grace in victory or defeat

Resilience – Recovering from dismissal, maintaining concentration through long innings

Fair play – The spirit of cricket as much as the rules

These lessons extended far beyond the cricket field into life.

Rugby: The Winter Sport

[Image: Rugby match or team photo]

When weather turned cold and cricket season ended, rugby took over – building toughness, teaching teamwork, developing physical courage.

The Season

Autumn/Winter terms – Rugby dominated cold weather months

Practices – Regular sessions teaching tackling, passing, positioning, strategy

House matches – Internal competition among four houses

School matches – Fixtures against same schools as cricket

The Game

Rugby in that era was:

It wasn’t gentle. Boys got muddy, bruised, occasionally injured (though seriously injuries were rare). That was part of the point – learning to cope with physical adversity, push through discomfort, support teammates when things got hard.

Coaching

Clayton Palmer was also keen on rugby, coaching teams and organizing matches alongside cricket responsibilities.

Other staff also coached, teaching basics to younger boys, refining skills with older players, ensuring everyone participated regardless of natural athletic ability.

Special Outings

Trips to Twickenham – Rugby teams taken to watch the University Match and International matches at Twickenham.

These outings paralleled cricket trips to Lord’s – exposing boys to elite-level sport, showing what dedication and skill could achieve, connecting them to rugby’s traditions.

What Rugby Taught

Physical courage – Facing tackles, making tackles, putting body on the line

Team dependence – Rugby more than most sports requires true teamwork; individual heroics accomplish little without team support

Resilience – Getting knocked down and getting back up

Discipline – Following rules, accepting referee decisions, controlling aggression

Toughness – Mental and physical fortitude through cold, mud, exhaustion

Rugby built character perhaps more directly than any other school activity.

Swimming

[Image: Swimming pool at Ashurst Wood, or boys diving]

Swimming held special significance during the wartime Ashurst Wood years.

The Facility

At Ashurst Wood:

The Instruction

Robin Gladstone took personal charge of swimming instruction:

Strict supervision – Kept meticulous records of who was in the pool at any given time, ensuring safety

Teaching method – One alumnus recalled: “I was taught to swim by Robin Gladstone with him holding me up with his hand for length after length until the great day when I could swim unaided. Thereafter one was accompanied by the occasional frog.”

Requirements – All boys expected to learn to swim; those who couldn’t yet swim received instruction until they could

The Schedule

Summer swimming – Every day during warm months, twice on Sundays

Compulsory participation – Swimming wasn’t optional but required physical education

Recreation – Also free time for boys to enjoy the pool

The Sanction

Being placed “off swimming” for several days was one of the most effective punishments, particularly in good summer weather. Nothing quite matched missing out on swimming when all your friends were enjoying the pool.

What Swimming Taught

Water confidence – Overcoming fear, becoming comfortable in water

Physical skill – Coordination, breathing, stroke technique

Perseverance – Continued practice until proficiency achieved

Safety – Water safety, looking out for others, respecting dangerous elements

After Ashurst Wood

When Clare House returned to Beckenham permanently, there was no swimming pool on site. Swimming opportunities were more limited, though boys may have had occasional access to public facilities or the Abbey School’s Ashurst Wood pool for special occasions.

Other Sports and Physical Activities

Athletics

Sports Day – Annual athletic competition with various events:

Training – Practices before Sports Day to prepare

Family event – Parents attended, creating community gathering and public display of athletic achievement

Memorable Sports Day: July 1944 at Ashurst Wood – several V-1 Doodlebugs appeared during the afternoon, one flying fairly low along the valley. “We kept running, whilst many of the parents were diving for cover!”

Tennis

At Beckenham:

At Ashurst Wood:

Tennis was less central than cricket or rugby but offered additional sporting opportunity and variety.

Squash

At Ashurst Wood only:

Other Activities

Walking – Regular walks in the beautiful Sussex and Kent countryside, particularly on Sunday afternoons, providing exercise, fresh air, and opportunity to see the local area

Informal games – In the extensive park at Ashurst Wood or on Beckenham playing fields – various games boys organized themselves

Physical education – Gymnasium activities, exercises, drills, general fitness work

Music: Cultivating Appreciation

[Image: Chapel with organ, or boys singing]

Music held important place at Clare House, particularly during the Ashurst Wood years.

Robert Thompson: The Music Master

Role: Music master, chapel organist, and occasional mathematics teacher

Character: “A slight, grizzled character of indeterminate age but very laid back and an accomplished pianist”

His mission: Instilling appreciation of music in his pupils

The Singing Classes

Schedule: Friday evenings in the “big schoolroom”

Format: Three classes combined, Robert Thompson at the piano, boys gathered round

Repertoire: Everything from Pomp and Circumstance Marches to Gilbert and Sullivan, sung “with great gusto”

Preparation: Thompson had painstakingly copied numerous song word sheets so all boys could follow lyrics

Popularity: “Immensely popular” – a highlight of the weekly timetable

The Opera Stories

Tradition: At the end of every singing lesson, Thompson read a five-minute extract from a story of one of the great operas

Purpose: Introducing boys to opera plots, characters, themes – making opera accessible and interesting

Impact: Building anticipation for actually seeing operas performed

Special Outings

East Grinstead Operatic Society: Thompson organized trips on two occasions to see performances of:

“We knew most of the songs already, of course” – having learned them in Friday evening singing classes.

Chapel Music

Sunday services: Hymns sung with organ accompaniment

Chapel organist: Robert Thompson provided music for worship

Musical liturgy: Introducing boys to sacred music traditions

Impact and Legacy

One alumnus wrote: “I will always be grateful to him for having introduced me to the delights of Gilbert and Sullivan.”

This gratitude, expressed decades later, testifies to Thompson’s success. He created genuine love of music that lasted lifetimes – precisely what good teaching should accomplish.

Other Cultural Activities

Reading

Miss Arbuthnot reading Swallows and Amazons to young boys huddled around a gas fire

Library access (at Ashurst Wood) – books available for reading and enrichment

Encouraged independent reading – boys developing reading habits beyond assigned schoolwork

Drama

The Chapel services – Boys reading lessons, participating in liturgy

Informal performances – Possible school plays or performances (documentation limited)

The 2002 play – “The Clare House Time Machine” written by James Alcock and performed by Primary School pupils at the first reunion, shows theatrical tradition continuing

Hobbies

Philately – George Storrs encouraged stamp collecting among boys who were interested

Various pursuits – Boys developing individual interests supported by staff where possible

The House System in Sport

Sport and the house system were deeply interconnected:

Earning Points

Sporting achievement earned house points:

House Pride

Competition among Phillips, Mason, Norwood, and Gulliver extended to every sporting contest:

Team Building

Houses created smaller communities within the school:

The Educational Philosophy of Sport

Clare House, like most preparatory schools of its era, viewed sport as essential education:

Physical Development

Health and fitness – Regular sport kept boys physically active and healthy

Physical skills – Coordination, strength, endurance, athletic abilities developed through practice

Lifetime habits – Establishing patterns of physical activity to continue beyond school

Character Formation

Courage – Facing physical challenges, overcoming fear, pushing through difficulty

Resilience – Recovering from defeat, injury, setback; persevering despite adversity

Discipline – Training regularly, following rules, accepting authority (coaches, referees, team captains)

Sportsmanship – Grace in victory and defeat, respect for opponents, fair play

Social Development

Teamwork – Learning to work with others toward common goals

Leadership – Opportunities to captain teams, lead by example, take responsibility

Following – Learning to accept others’ leadership, support team decisions, play your role

Community – Representing school in matches, bringing honor to Clare House, building school spirit

The Broader Purpose

Sport wasn’t just recreation or physical education but character training:

“The playing fields of Eton” where supposedly the Battle of Waterloo was won – this Victorian idea that sport built the qualities needed for life’s battles remained influential at Clare House.

Boys who learned courage on the rugby field, persistence on the cricket pitch, and teamwork in various sports carried those qualities into adult life.

Special Sporting Memories

The Doodlebug Sports Day (1944)

“The Saturday School Sports Day around the 20th July 1944 was also interesting in that several V-1’s appeared during the course of the afternoon, with one flying fairly low along the line of the valley – we kept running, whilst many of the parents were diving for cover!”

The determination to continue Sports Day despite V-1 Doodlebugs overhead captures British wartime spirit – and shows how important these school traditions were that they wouldn’t be abandoned even during air attacks.

The Last Sports Day (1970)

July 23, 1970 – Clare House’s final official day

[Images: Sports Day 1970 showing boys competing]

The last Sports Day was both ordinary and extraordinary:

Those photographs from July 23, 1970 capture the last moments of seventy-four years of Clare House sporting tradition.

Trips to Watch Elite Sport

Multiple alumni decades later remembered trips to Lord’s and Twickenham – seeing Don Bradman, watching Test matches, experiencing international rugby.

These weren’t just outings but formative experiences – connecting boys to sporting greatness, showing what excellence looked like, inspiring their own efforts.

The Balance of Sport and Academics

Clare House maintained balance:

Academics primary – Sport important but never superseded academic mission

Half-days Wednesday and Saturday – Allowing time for sport without sacrificing too much classroom time

Afternoon sport – Most days after academic lessons finished

Evening prep – Ensuring homework got done despite sporting activities

Common Entrance focus – Sport never allowed to interfere with exam preparation for senior boys

This balance reflected sound priorities: sport enhanced education but didn’t replace it.

The Legacy of Clare House Sport

Physical Habits

Alumni report Clare House sport:

Character Traits

The character lessons from sport:

Shared Memories

Sport created some of the strongest shared memories:

The Motto Applied

“Whatever you do, do it well” applied to sport as much as academics:

In Conclusion

Sport and activities at Clare House weren’t mere recreation – they were integral to the educational mission. Through cricket, rugby, swimming, music, and various pursuits, boys developed physically, socially, and in character.

The memories that lasted strongest often weren’t of classroom lessons but of:

These experiences shaped boys as profoundly as Latin declensions or mathematical equations. They built the whole person – physically capable, culturally appreciative, socially adept, strong in character.

“Whatever you do, do it well” meant excelling on the playing field, singing with enthusiasm, swimming with proper stroke, competing with honor – doing everything, not just academics, to the best of one’s ability.

That was Clare House’s approach to sport and activities, and it worked.