Sloane Grammar School Hortensia Road Chelsea London England

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 Gone But Not Forgotten

You may think you're done with the past but the past isn't done with you!

Self-portrait from Stefan Bremner-Morris

REGISTER AND LINK UP WITH OLD SCHOOL FRIENDS AGAIN VIA THIS SITE
(See further down for details)

SEE ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES FURTHER DOWN, AND CHECK THE CALENDAR AT THE FOOT OF THIS PAGE TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING.

Come on in! 
Don't be late! 
This is one detention 
You'll be pleased to take.

 

A WARM WELCOME, fellow Cheyneans and passers-by, to the Sloane Grammar 1919-1970 Old Cheyneans and Friends web site.

Mark Foulsham has created this site for everyone who attended Sloane, or simply has a Sloane School connection, to share and enjoy, and to record for posterity all that I can. Feel free just to browse or, if you feel you qualify to join us, make full use of the site by becoming a Registered Classmate. Click on this button to start the registration process ----»

I'll also be happy to send a personal invitation to anyone else with a Sloane School connection who you think might like to join us. Just enter their e-mail address in the MISSING CLASSMATES  box to your right and click SEND INVITE.

Aspirations and Objectives

It is hoped, in some small way, to be able to have similar objectives to those stated for the first issue of The Cheynean in December 1926  -

"To record faithfully the major activities of the School, to promote and foster a corporate spirit in the School, to excite a greater keenness both in the games and in other phases of its social life, and to serve as a link between present members of the School and the Old Cheyneans".  -

and also to bring together, once again, old friends and classmates, and those of us who have outlived the school and share a common interest in its history and its future.

If you've any memories of Sloane you'd like to share, use the Contact Us page to send them in and, whilst you're there, register for the site as well. 

Once you've registered, you can activate the Instant Messaging feature that allows you to hold a 'real-time' online conversation with anyone else who has logged on to the website. You can also send a message to someone else on the site via the Message Centre page but, if you're expecting a swift reply, it might be worthwhile using their Profile on the Classmate Profiles page, to see what part of the world they're living in these days, and to have an idea of the time where they are. Use the Clocks below, to check.

After you've registered, why not take a look at all the Classmate Profiles ? Even if you don't know the person involved, the information they've put on their Profile can be interesting, illuminating and fun, and often brings back memories of something you thought you'd forgotten about.

If, at any time, you're unsure about anything click on this Using The Site link for an explanation or contact me direct via the Contact Us page.

Why Not Take a Look at Where your Classmates are Living?

Find out the Postcode of a Classmate from their Profile (if they've agreed to let everyone know it) then Click on the link below, enter the details where it says 'Address', then Click on 'Go'. Not every country is covered yet and those that are have limited coverage, but it's worth a try.

Here's the link. Have fun - http://www.vpike.com/

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Sloane in 1908 and much as it looks today

The Sloane building would have been 100 years old in 2008, although it didn't actually start life as a boys' school until after the First World War, during which it served as a hospital. It still stands and many memories are, no doubt, ingrained in its walls along with the odd name and ribald comment. Take the time to visit it while you can as work is in progress to convert the Fulham Road elevation and that playground into upmarket apartments. This is a combined Manhattan Loft Corporation Ltd, Trevor Osborne Property Group, and Kensington and Chelsea College development that had seen a few Council refusals of planning permission and many local resident objections.The number of proposed apartments was lowered significantly and the Council wanted provision for "affordable housing" as well. Original plans, going back a number of years, had wanted the whole Sloane building (Grade II Listed,1910) to be redeveloped into residential with a new college being built between the Sloane and Carlyle buildings because, as the developers put it, " the existing building cannot meet the requirements of the College" and a "secure the long term future of the College's educational use at Hortensia Road". According to the blurb, the first phase at "Chelsea Apartments" will number 24 private 1-3 bedroom apartments, plus one "stunning penthouse", with 4 bedrooms and 12 affordable / key worker apartments for the Dominion Housing Association that will be a "striking addition to a quarter of London where high style and innovation have always been valued". As well as the six storeys above ground there will also be provision, in three basement levels, for plant and 67 car parking spaces. It's a "development in a great tradition" and the architecture "has a purity and elegance that is thoroughly contemporary but with a blend of materials that ensures a real sense of place". What are they like! The second phase still appears to be under wraps. Originally, it was going to  comprise renovation and conversion of the existing college building into a further 34 residential units, but, confusingly, the latest information on their website says the architects Dixon Jones's design "will complement its baroque Grade II listed neighbour, Kensington and Chelsea College" and that, "Dixon Jones have worked closely with the college, English Heritage, and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, to make Chelsea Apartments part of the fabric of this exciting location. Chelsea Apartments is the first phase of a radical masterplan that will also provide an outstanding new education facility for the college." Grade II listed buildings can be altered, extended, or even demolished, but only with Local Authority consent, so it may be that the building is considered historically or architecturally interesting enough for it's fabric to remain untouched. Some consideration may have been given to it having been the first purpose-built secondary school in London, and it is certainly one of only 3% of all ages of listed buildings that was built in the 20th century. Work is expected to be completed by 2010 but if you decide to visit now you should find the Kensington and Chelsea College staff, currently occupying the building, very accommodating and more than helpful if you explain your school connection and that you wouldn't mind having a look around to rekindle old memories.

Sadly, Sloane Grammar School for Boys only lasted 51 years, from 1919-1970. Should the building survive in the form we all remember, there is still a chance that some of us will be around in 2019 to make use of the building to celebrate what would have been its centenary as a boys' school, had the school remained in existence.

Should any of you be interested, or even in a position to buy one, detailed floorplans of the proposed flats can be viewed at www.thechelseaapartments.co.uk .

HOW THE FINISHED ARTICLE SHOULD LOOK -

School Building Work Progress April 2010

Before the April 16th Get-together, I paid another visit to the old school to see how work was progressing on the conversion. After talking with the site foreman, I can report that, as expected, they have slipped behind schedule and work will not now be complete until 2011. Nothing of the old South and North playgrounds now remain.
I was also told that the work underway in the old South playground (the one between Sloane and Carlyle schools) is to provide a new college building which Kensington & Chelsea College will move into after vacating Sloane, so that the whole interior of the Sloane building can be converted into apartments. The building exterior will definitely remain much as it is because of its Grade II listing.

What was also noticeable was that the Carlyle Building has now been renamed Chelsea Academy and it also houses an arm of the English National Ballet School. There are no plans, as yet, to convert this building as well. Give it time!

Here are some of the photos I took -

The new apartments from Fulham Road	North side of school & rear of apartments	The apartments from the corner of Fulham & Hortensia Roads
Foundations for the new K & C College in the South playground	The South face of the school	The old South playground as it now looks
	Sign on the school railings. I love the idea of 'Camp' stores and a Survival School!

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FRONT PAGE NEWS !

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BREAKING NEWS!!

Our local ice cream man was found dead in his van yesterday, covered in hundreds and thousands. Police say he topped himself.

Sports News

Just in! Result of Holy Man v Speedboat race.

Jesus Wins!

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Barbecue Time!

Wherever you live, when the weather's as hot as it has been in the UK recently, it's time to think about relaxing in the garden with a barbecue and a few beers. Barbecues can be expensive, though, so you might need to improvise. I don't condone theft but you might find a shopping trolley lying around which will come in handy. Don't worry about getting it home; improvise -

When you've got it home, do this with it -

Don't worry if you haven't got any skewers, there's always something in the garden shed -

 
As for the beer, be careful when bringing it home -

If you manage to salvage any, make sure you don't invite this bloke -

Make it a perfect day by adding a little music -

But, whatever you do, if he wants to plug it in here, jump out first! -

And, if you don't have a back garden, try not to hold your barbecue too far from the amenities. We're all getting older; you never know when you might need them -

 
Have fun and make the most of the weather!

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Joke Of The Week (or until the next one)

On his 77th birthday Pete's wife paid for him to see a Red Indian medicine man who was said to have a wonderful cure for erectile dysfunction.

Once there, the medicine man slowly and methodically produced a potion and handed it to Pete with the words,

"This is powerful medicine and must be respected. Take just one teaspoonful and say '1-2-3'. You will then feel more manly than you have ever done at any time in your life and will be able to perform as long as you want."

As he walked away, Pete asked,

"How do I stop it from working?"

The medicine man responded,

"Your partner must say '1-2-3-4' but when she does the medicine will not work again until the next full moon."

Desperate to try it out, Pete ran home, showered and shave, took a spoonful of the medicine and invited his wife to join him in the bedroom. When she came in, he threw off all his clothes and said '1-2-3'.

His wife became excited too and undressed quickly and asked,

"What was the 1-2-3 for?"

And that is why we should never end sentences with a preposition; because we could end up with a dangling participle.

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Thoughts For The Day (Or until the next ones)

Four out of three people have trouble with fractions.

If today is the first day of the rest of your life, what was yesterday?

 
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If you fancy a little music as you browse the site . . . . .

Our dancers, below, will carry on doing their own thing, oblivious to music genre and pace, lost in their own little world forever, but you can listen to whatever they're dancing to by using the AOL SHOUTcast.Radio below. This player will give you a choice of radio stations from all over the world.

Click on 'Choose a Genre' to select the musical style you prefer to listen to. Select a station, then click on on the yellow 'Tune In' button to listen to what's on offer. The station of your choice will appear in its own window, and minimising that window will allow you to carry on listening as you browse our website.  If it doesn't happen adjust your 'Pop-up blocker' to allow pop-ups or hold down your keyboard 'Ctrl' key at the same time as clicking on 'Tune In'. 

AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE "WHAT'S HAPPENING' CALENDAR FURTHER DOWN THIS PAGE, OR TO SCROLL DOWN ALL PAGES AS THERE'S MORE TO SEE!

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* 1968 and 1970 School Group Photo availability:- *

Copies of the panoramic school group photos of 1968 and 1970 are now available at a cost of £5 per photo, plus £2 postage and packing whatever the quantity in each postage tube. This is the price for posting in the UK; the cost for posting elsewhere will vary but I'll let you know how much before I send them off.  If you're interested, e-mail me with you're requirements and when they're ready I'll get back to you to tell you the full cost, which you can then either pay via the safe and secure PayPal system, using the site Donate button you'll find in the right hand column of this page, or by cheque in my name, Mark Foulsham, to my address, which you'll find on my Profile. If you do use the Donate button, PayPal take a commission which reduces the amount of money I actually receive.

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Personal Ads

The personal ads you'll see here over time are genuine and taken from the London Review of Books personal ads section. It was started in 1998, intending to bring together people of similar literary and cultural tastes and has resulted in a funny and clever collection. I'll publish a different one each week and hope you enjoy them as much as I do and, if you ever spot any yourself,worthy of inclusion here, please let me have them and, so as not to give everyone the impression that you spend all your time looking at the personal ads, I'll withold your name on request! -

"I am not afraid to say what I feel. At this moment in time I feel anger, giddiness, and the urge to dress like a bear and forage for berries at motorway hedgerows. Man, 38. Box no.3632."

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I thought it would be nice to reproduce here a poem, written when he was in the 5th year, by one time Sloane Schoolboy, A R Doubledee. It's a decent effort and probably shows that, aImost fifty years later, nothing has changed much. If, by having gone to school in Chelsea, we consider ourselves to have been 'Chelsea' men, then this could apply to us -

The Weirdies

The Chelsea man is excessively queer,
He only drinks coffee and doesn't like beer.
He's always "chatting" the girls, and yet
This seems to make him "one of the set".

His unkempt chin and uncut hair
Go with his feet which are usually bare.
If he wears shoes, they've never got soles,
And he's usually found in Bohemian holes.

His outsize sweater is generally black
Contrasting well with his shorty mac.
He wears his clothing merely to show
That he can keep up with the boys of Soho.

To find a girl he doesn't look far,
But into the nearest coffee bar,
Where he's sure to meet a Bohemian "yob".
They're all from Chelsea - what a mob!

The girls with hair right down their backs
Wear irregular clothes that look like sacks.
They walk about wearing father's sweater:
I really don't see why he should let 'er.

Their gaudy clothes of reds and greens
Match up with the style of their men-friends' jeans.
Now that's how it goes with the latest style:
Girls on their faces make-up pile,
The men wear anything they can find -
I shouldn't stare, I should just act blind!

A.R. Doubledee (5b)

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All Forthcoming Events, And The Ones You Missed, Can Be Seen On The Calendar Below:-

Apologies for the adverts but it's cheaper for me if I allow them. 

Click on an event to learn more about it and on a gun to go backwards or forwards in time.