Peak School Centenary 1911-2011

Submitted by viemmett on Thu, 12/02/2010 - 16:58

In 2011 Peak School celebrates its centenary and the school has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the drawing room of a house on the Peak in 1911.  To mark this special occasion, Peak School is planning a series of events over the year for students, parents, alumni and staff.  We are also keen to contact alumni, parents of alumni, former staff and former and current Peak residents to gain a greater insight into the history of Peak School and Peak-living over the last 100 years.

 

If you have any stories, photos, snippets of information, reports, and anecdotes to add to our collection and to include in the Commemorative Book we will be producing, we would love to hear from you.  

 

Please contact Vanessa at ps100@peakschool.net or c/o Peak School, 20 Plunketts Road, The Peak, HK.  

- My sister and I transferred to Peak School after earlier going to Quarry Bay.  Just for comparison, when, in 1999, I was trying to find my school records from 1965 or so, Quarry Bay didn't have them.  One visit to Peak School, and a confirmation of attendance was delivered by post the next day.

- On to the school lunches.   We lived on Lugard Road so going home for lunch would have taken up much of the lunch hour.  So, my mother duly enrolled us in school lunches.  There was a big pile of bread on the table.  After one bite of the mystery lunch, my sister and I took the bread, salted it, and ate that for lunch.  Mother found out about two weeks later, and that was the end of our school lunches.

- On a good note, the music classes were held on the upper floor in the corner classroom.  There were all kinds of things to make noise with - and we did !  Very good fun. 

- The most daunting days were when we had to line up for Cholerah shots.  Most of us were quite brave, (after all, we got them at least yearly) but it was always unsettling to see a boy with his white shirt arm all bloody because the needle hadn't gone in right.  

- My mother was Brown Owl, and our Browine Pack was very fun.  I especially remember initiation day, when we would scour the hillside for flowers to place around the mirror that acted as a pond placed in the main hall, and watched while the new girls were slowly turned round with their eyes closed, while we all said "twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and there saw" - and I always enjoyed the new girls squeal "myself !".  Though I must say that, being an American, I thought it was hard on me when Brown Owl required that I learn both God save the Queen's and the Star Spangled Banner.

- Manners.  We were queing up to go into the main hall one day. and the teacher at the head of the line called to me.  I couldn't hear what she was saying, but being well trained to stay in the queue, I called "what?".  I saw with horror the teacher bearing down on me, not knowing my crime.  She bellowed "what did you say"?  Mystified,  I replied that I said "What".   she boomed, "the correct thing to say is "I beg your pardon?", and made disparaging remarks about ill mannered children.  To this day I cannot imagine that yelling "I beg your pardon" down the line was the correct thing to do when you cannot hear the teacher.

Annelise,

Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories.  Thank you also for your fantastic contributions to Gwulo which have inspired us to try and put together a book of  photos and anecdotes of the history of Peak School in the context of Peak living in the last 100 years.  We would love to hear more of your historical gems.

Best wishes

Vanessa

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Submitted by
Alison (not verified)
on
Sat, 03/26/2011 - 12:27

I am new to this site and have thoroughly enjoyed trawling through the pages over the past couple of days!  I went to Hong Kong with my parents in 1947 when I was a baby and spent all my childhood years there - until 1964 in fact.  I have many vivid memories and photos.  The posting about the Peak School Centenary interested me because I spent several years there and still have a project I completed in 1957!  It is called Hong Kong Scrapbook and there are 6 of them - all news items, advertisements, cinema news, fashion, trading, maps, tickets etc etc clipped from the newspapers and magazines at the time.  The 6 books are all Peak School exercise books with the badge on the front.

One news clip is a story about Elizabeth Taylor and her husband Mike Todd visiting the colony and lunching with the Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham, at Government House.  They also discuss sputniks!!

We lived first on Lugard Road and then at Mt Kellett (near the Naval Hospital) and I remember well walking to the Peak Tram to go down to Garden Road to my ballet class at Carol Bateman's School of Ballet.  On the way we passed the Dairy Farm and would always call in for a "Beano" - which was chocolate milk and kidney beans frozen on a stick!

We had tiffin at school - the tickets were pink and the meal was always hot.  I can't remember disliking them so they must have been alright.  Miss Ogle was the headmistress -  There was a Mrs McMinn there and I remember another teacher whose husband went sailing one weekend and apparently strayed into Chinese waters ; he was captured and imprisoned by the Communist regime.  I can recall the teacher crying in class.

I have photos of the school uniform in those years so if anyone is interested, I will post them.  

Incidentally Martin Booth lived at Mt Austin at the time and was also at Kowloon Junior School when I was there - although he was in a different class. I corresponded with him regularly exchanging memories prior to his last book - Gweilo.

Hi Alison,

I'm very pleased you found us, and that you've enjoyed looking around the site.

We've also got a photo of Kowloon Junior School over here.

Apart from your photos, your scrapbooks sound like they're a treasure trove of information too. I'd love to see copies of any maps of Hong Kong you have from the 1950s & 60s.

Here are some tips on how to upload photos. Hopefully it's all straightforward, but let me know if you run in to any problems.

Regards, David

Congrats on the centenary

I was at the Peak School during the 1950s as well, also at the Little Peak School in '53 and '54  - we left HK in Feb 1959 when I was in year 4

AND I lived on Lugard Rd (#31) one along  from Dragon Lodge - I saw the house again in 1984 just a few months before it was pulled down - it was quite derelict when I saw it again

My 'house' at the PS was Victoria - I remember winning a cup on Sports Day - for high jumping; I recall several teachers (Miss Whitley, Mrs Handyside, Miss Ogle was headmistress)  

Billy Tingles for swimming lessons at the LRC and cricket on Saturday mornings at the RHKCC during the winter months! 

Dad dropped us off in the morning and we (my sister and I) were often fetched by the 'fah wong' (or Mum)

 

cheers

Peter

Hi Annelise

 #29 Lugard Rd was still called Dragon Lodge in the late 60s I assume? 

I was born in HK in '49 and lived at #31 Lugard Rd from about mid '54 to Feb '59 - I revisted in '84, the building was derelict and about to be pulled down (I heard that happened a few months after my visit) but #29 was still being lived in it seemed.  

I knew all of the kids in the GEC Apts at #30. We also more or less 'grew up  at'  the LRC  - our membership no. was V5 !  I used it to sign for hot dogs and Green Spot lemonades! We were allowed one each! I went to the Peak School until we left HK when I was in Grade 4

I was great friends with Roddy McLeod - who died tragically sometime in 1960 I recall - we used to go exploring the Japanese bunkers and caves (I think they were off Harlech Rd) and hang around the rifle range looking for spent cartridges. One day we found a live round - which we very much wanted to keep (for many boys there is something oddly attractive and compelling about dangerous and ominous looking things I suppose)  - I'm not sure how long we kept it,  but I remember receiving lavish praise from the sergeant major when we returned it! 

happy trails

Peter

 

Hi Peter,

Roddy McLeod died in June 1959.  If you are interested in knowing the circumstances of his death, I can send you details from a letter my mother wrote at the time.

Annemieke

Hi Anemieke 

Haven't been on site for quite some time so didn't see yr post dd 06/2012 re Roddy until aa few moments ago 

I lost my (PVan) registration details so reregistered to get back in to Gwulo

Am intrigued by your offer to recount yr mother's letter  - I'll ask David to send you my email address -

Were you in HK then? I recall hearing about the tragic accident after my family relocated to Oz in Feb '59 - it made quite an impression on me

best wiahes

Peter    

 

Wonderful memories! Miss Ogle was indeed the headmistress, and I remember a Miss. Hoare( ?spelling) who used to haul me regularly to the "corner" by an ear during Maths. class. Probably explains why math. was not my favourite subject at the time! Also for the Beano's; loved them but couldn't remember what they were made from. Lived at 20 Queens Gardens 

Hello Everybody. I am a conservation architect who working on the project of the Old Peak School at No.7, Gough Hill Path (now is Peak Fire Station). My duty is to estimate the heritage value of the Old Peak School. I am now missing the information of history and social background of the school. Is here any alumnus can share photos or daily life to me?

Hi. Annelisec. I am a conservation architect who working on the project of the Old Peak School at No.7, Gough Hill Path (now is Peak Fire Station) for the Hong Kong Government. My duty is to estimate the heritage value of the Old Peak School. I am now missing the information of history and social background of the school. I know you are alumnus who can share photos or daily life to me. Would you please tell me more about the school life at Old Peak School. It is perfect fi you can share some photos with me. If you do not want to disclose your personal stuffs in Gwulo.com, you may cantact me via my personal email lo.gabriel@gmail.com. Thanks.

Hi. Alison. I am a conservation architect who working on the project of the Old Peak School at No.7, Gough Hill Path (now is Peak Fire Station) for the Hong Kong Government. My duty is to estimate the heritage value of the Old Peak School. I am now missing the information of history and social background of the school. I know you are alumnus who can share photos or daily life to me. Would you please tell me more about the school life at Old Peak School. It is perfect fi you can share some photos with me. If you do not want to disclose your personal stuffs in Gwulo.com, you may cantact me via my personal email lo.gabriel@gmail.com. Thanks.

Hi Gabriel 

I was a pupil at PS from 1954 - 59; I remember going to the 'old' building in grade 1 and 2 ---I'm pretty sure it was referred to as the 'Little' PS by kids who were old enough for grade 3 at Plunkett Rd bldg .  We were taught to read at Lt PS  using the 'Janet & John' primers and cut our teeth on Bobby Brewster and Enid Blyton (e.g. Secret Seven) ---  times when pc just signified  'police constable' !

Hi Peter,

I grew up at Lugard Road 31 as well (70's-80's) and would love to get in touch with you!

Is there any way of sending you a private message through this board without having to post our private emails within a thread?

Thank you so much for posting those pictures of the house! That brought me great memories back!

Best Regards,

Richard