Perrott Hill 3


I cannot recount my days at Perrott Hill School without writing something about my old friend Richard Cottrell, a colleague, fellow wine lover and comrade-in-arms. Richard taught French and he started at P.H.S. at same time as me, so it was natural that we found ourselves in each other’s company rather a lot. 


Each evening, after a long day of teaching, afternoon games and boarding supervision, we would have supper together, discuss the highs and lows of a prep schoolmaster’s daily life and drink a glass or two of wine. Usually a cooked meal was left for us in the downstairs kitchen and we would carry our supper up to my room, as Richard's room was right next to the dormitories and so we would have no privacy. During my four years at Perrott, Richard and I became friends and a couple of times I even stayed at his home in Tonbridge. Most of Richard's family worked in the City and were doing rather well for themselves, so it was a matter of some surprise to them that anyone they knew could possibly be so silly as to want to be a teacher.




Comments

  1. Anonymous9 July 2026 at 12:44

    You both taught me at PHS and I remember Mr Cottrell warmly, even if his classroom was above the stables! I believe your old classroom has now been converted into The Loft https://360imagephotography.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Perrott+Hill/index.htm

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  2. Anonymous10 July 2026 at 19:06

    Hooray! How wonderful to hear from you, after so many years. It would be even more wonderful if you could tell me your name. Yes, I do miss my old friend, Richard Cottrell. The last time I saw him, we were having lunch together at a restaurant in London, but that was many years ago. After I started teaching in international school, Richard and I lost touch.

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  3. Anonymous19 July 2026 at 09:10

    I was very small and very quiet and one of the many pupils who sat in the old wooden classrooms in the attic, you would need a very good memory to remember me. I was at PHS from 83-89, and am still in contact with one or two of my year group. At least one of them has sent their children there. I do enjoy reading your memories and particularly seeing your pictures. So much of my time there (as should be expected – I was a child), is a complete blank!

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  4. Anonymous19 July 2026 at 09:23

    I was at PHS from 83-89, you would need a very good memory to remember me, I was very small and quiet. I am still in contact with one or two of my year group. At least one of them has sent their children there. I do enjoy reading your memories and particularly seeing your pictures. So much of my time there (as should be expected – I was a child), is a complete blank!

    ReplyDelete
  5. the hippopotamus19 July 2026 at 22:33

    Hello! I am glad to know that you have been enjoying my blog. I am going to add another post or two before I leave PHS. Yes, I have lots of photos of my time at Perrott, so I must scan some more and put them into my blog.

    ReplyDelete

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