​Tales Of Old School Cases & Skulls

85 year-old Barry Gilbert now lives in Western Australia.  He attended NPBHS as a boarder in Pridham for two years about 1942 and still has his original suitcase with content list stuck in side lid.

Chas Brentrum was Pridham's house master at that time, followed by 'Jungle' and Russe Ďreadon who was in charge of the top dorm. (Brentum's car is pictured below)

​Barry remembers names such as Bott rely, Hatherley, Kerr, Heron, Hooper, Prep school, and many more.
He tells us that the boarders were sent home due to the polio epidemic*.

Other memories are of a one-armed teacher called Wattie Wilkie, Bulldog (who was deaf), Sweeney and visiting the Girls High for dancing lessons. Barry recalls a building near the library had pianos which were kept for practicing.

The Old School Suitcase.
Barry Gilbert writes - 
​
​"The inside lid of my old school suitcase with the list of boarder requirements.The clothes brush was also included.but the skull has a story of its own.

As a third former we spent lots of time playing around the gymnasium and lower swimming pool.At some time a complete human skeleton was set up in the  Gym and used for lessons. At some time parts started to go missing until little was left! I salvaged the front skull! 

​These never leave the case and crossed the Tasman with out inspection.I hope it stays that way!"

* Effective polio vaccines weren't developed until the 1950's. 
​Bob McCaw comments "The polio epidemic was 1947. This resulted in Ross Brown (All Black etc) spending his first few weeks enrolled as a day boy at NPBHS, before his parents sent him to Kings College".

Chas Brentrum's car in front of Pridam - Photo Barry Gilbert