OV Paul’s Walk Down Memory Lane

OV Paul Bunting (Ca 57-64 and Old St Alban’s) this month made a detour on his way to visit friends in Oxfordshire in order to return to King’s and show his wife and daughter the backdrop for so many of his childhood memories. The academic year just finished, the School site was a haven of tranquillity, basking in the glorious sunshine the Bunting family had brought with them – along with some very delicious Yorkshire shortbread!

Top on Paul’s list of places to visit was College Hall. As well as its magnificent architecture he remembered School assemblies, Saturday night film showings, Christmas dances with Alice Ottley girls and, of course, exams! An amusing exam memory was of an ‘O-Level’ Art question that asked for a drawing of a ‘Gothic Decorated’ window which prompted his and a number of other heads to look studiously up to the side walls!

There has been very little change in the College Green vista since Paul’s time, though many of the buildings now have different functions. He took sciences at King’s and was amused to find himself very much at home in the Biology Department, particularly the staircase and its familiar smell. Next was a visit to his former boarding house, now the Music School, including the first floor room that had been two dormitories and now one room. Paul reported that in his time, the music offering was very limited and concentrated on the already talented. As an avid classical, jazz, folk music fan, who enjoys singing, playing tenor sax, flute and Irish whistles, he was very impressed by the School’s current music provision.

The School Gardens, with the unchanged Summerhouse and Fountain, brought back memories of Speech Days – and some less ‘official’ activities! A quick visit into the Michael Baker Boathouse to shelter from the sun was a great opportunity to enjoy the spectacular views of the river and beyond. Crossing the road to visit King’s St Alban’s where Paul had first boarded brought back conflicting memories. The buildings were locked due to the holidays but he could still accurately point out the location of the chapel, classrooms, dormitories and the sick-room where he had been seriously ill with flu.

Returning to the Senior School site, Paul was surprised that the rifle range is still located where it had been, albeit now surrounded by the John Moore Theatre and Dining Hall. He hoped that the heavy converted .303 rifles have been retired! The Science Block, relatively new when Paul had studied Chemistry and Physics, felt very familiar even with the impressively modernised laboratories.

The all-to-brief visit finished with a peek through the Reading Room windows (also known as the Chappel Memorial Room, or the Upper Sixth Common Room) to see the wooden reading shelf, that has been a focal point of the room since it opened in the 1930s, and to recall the lively debating society meetings.

We hope to see Paul back at King’s again!