Copthall School, Mill Hill: the
buildings, 1936-1950s
1950s aerial photograph of Copthall County Grammar School. Being a professional photograph is has fine detail.
Click for a larger version.
I regard myself as extremely privileged to have been educated at Copthall. At that time
its full name was Copthall Country
Grammar School, and it was designated as in Page Street, NW7. The main entrance
to the modern school has, however changed, making the school address as Pursley
Road, Mill Hill, London, NW7 2EP.
During the Second World War, there was no money for new schools and the years
after the war were still ones of austerity. So, as Copthall School was built
just before the Second World War, its buildings here held up nationwide as an
example of modern excellence. This was even the case when I was a pupil there in the 1950s. The
aerial photograph shows the buildings. Postcard versions were on sale at the school and
I bought one because I have always prized photographic records.
The front entrance in the 1950s.
The photo of the front entrance shows something of the imposing appearance
of the school. Not that we pupils were ever allowed to use it. I, like many
of my fellow schoolmates cycled to school, and it felt natural anyway to enter
via the back entrance, by the bicycle sheds. These can be seen by the near tennis
courts in the aerial photograph. (At that time cycling was relatively safe as
there was so much less traffic on the roads.)
At one stage, Edmundo Ros OBE (the bandleader who died
in October 2011 aged 101) lived in Wise Lane, practically opposite the entrance to Copthall, and he would often stop and talk to a group of girls.
He always showed a great interest in what we were doing at school, and told us,
"Do value your education. It's something nobody can every take away from you". How very true.
Sally Lawson (formerly Sally Porte)
Edmundo Ross lived in Edritt House in Page Street
(not in Wise Lane). I went to Hendon County School, but frequently cycled to Copthall
to meet various girls to walk them home along Bunns Lane and Flower Lane to Mill Hill Broadway.
The next house to Edmundo Ross further up Page Street was Featherstone House, which is thought
to have been the Dower House of the Nicoll family. Featherstone House was (and is) on the corner of Page Street and Wise Lane and was at one time owned by Claude Grahame-White, the famous aviator who had his works hangers at Hendon Aerodrome. Two cottages below Featherstone House were demolished in 1935 when Copthall Grammar School was built.
