Royal Masonic School for Boys

Royal Masonic School for Boys
Royal Masonic School for Boys
	Former Royal Masonic School for Boys, Bushey
Address
	Bushey; Hertfordshire; England
Coordinates	51°39′08″N 0°22′13″W / 51.6522°N 0.3702°W
Information
Type	Private school
Established	1903
Closed	1977
Local authority	Hertfordshire County Council
Gender	Boys
Age range	4–18
Website	https://www.oldmasonians.org

The Royal Masonic School for Boys was an English private school for boys at Bushey in Hertfordshire.

History

The origins of the school lie in the charities established in the late 18th century to clothe and educate the sons of Freemasons near their homes. These charities amalgamated in 1852 and established a boys' school at Wood Green in North London in 1857.^[1] The foundation stone for a new school in Bushey was laid by the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.^[2] It was designed by Gordon & Gunton^[3]^[4] and completed in 1903.^[5] A Junior School was added on the other side of The Avenue in 1929 and by 1939 there were 800 boys at the school.^[1]^[6]

Following a decline in pupil numbers the junior school closed in 1970, with the senior school closing in 1977. The site of the junior school is now occupied by The Grange Academy. The Royal Masonic School for Girls, based at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, was unaffected by the closure.^[7]

The site was acquired by Comer Homes in 1998; the buildings were rented out to the United States International University (Europe) (later Alliant International University) until 2009 when Comer Homes began redeveloping the site as Royal Connaught Park.^[8]

Notable alumni

Anthony Andrews – Actor
Percy Jack Clayson – First World War Fighter Ace
David Davies (football administrator) – The Football Association Director, Broadcaster and Author
Richard Evans – Businessman
Robin Gibson – Art Historian
Gavin Hamilton (British Army officer) – Military Cross (Posthumously Awarded)
Sir Stuart Hampson – chairman, John Lewis Partnership
Richard Holme – British Liberal Democrat Politician
Air Vice-Marshal Frederick Charles Hurrell – Director-General Of The RAF Medical Services From 1986 to 1988
Richard Lewis – Dean of Wells From 1990 To 2003
Paul Pickering – Writer
Charles Phillips - Archaeologist in charge of the excavation of Sutton Hoo burial ship.
Harvey Postlethwaite – Formula One Designer
Brent Sadler – CNN News Reporter in the Middle East
Harry Leonard Shorto – British linguist^[9]
D. R. Thorpe – Political Biographer
Ernest Warburton – Musicologist
Simon Roderick Warr - BBC radio broadcaster, television personality, writer and former teacher.
Brian Wenham – Television and Radio Administration

In popular culture

Both the senior and junior school were commonly used for films such as Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Lucky Jim, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade from the 1950s until recently.^[when?] The opening scenes of the children's series, Thunderbirds was filmed in the old science block. The senior school and its grounds were used throughout the long running series of Judge John Deed starring Martin Shaw employing the teaching block as the judges's chambers and other parts of the senior school for the in-court scenes.^{[citation needed]} The interior was used for the 1990 comedy Nuns on the Run.^[10]^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b G. Montague Hall (1938). A History of Bushey. Bushey: Bournehall Press.
^ "New-build News: Live at Potter's place… or would you prefer St Trinian's?". Metro. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
^ "Architecture of Hertfordshire". 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ "Gordon & Gunton". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
^ Nunn, JB (1987). The Book of Watford. Watford: Pageprint (Watford) Ltd. ISBN 0-9511777-1-0.
^ Bushey, Hertfordshire: Official Guide. Bushey: Bournehall Press. 1956.
^ "RMS for Girls". The Royal Masonic School for Girls. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
^ "Royal Connaught Park". The Comer Group. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
^ Phillips, Nigel (28 September 1995). "Speaking in the tongues of Mon and Khmer". The Guardian. p. 18.
^ "Nuns on the Run Filming Locations".
^ "Reelstreets | Nuns on the Run".