According to the Twickenham Museum the first school in the area was created in the 16th century when “city merchants collaborated with godly preachers and established parish grammar schools to teach Latin and the scriptures”.
Twickenham Grammar School, formed as an adjunct to the Newland House School, founded in around 1930, came into being around 1945 when Newland House School moved from its Strawberry Hill Road location to Waldegrave Park.
Some of us in the 60's thought that some 370 years later it was surprising that Latin was STILL being taught, most Romans having departed back to sunnier climes. I suppose that once a significant number of copies of Ceasar's Gallic War had been purchased, they were jolly well going to be used.
And so Latin leads us fearlessly towards..........
The School Song
Haud procul tamesi sumus omnes alumni:
In finibus Londinii vitam agemus.
Nunc hanc in scholae concordiam convocati,
Haec verba conclamemus, "Per ardua ad gloriam".
Maiores et olim hunc spiritum fovebant,
Bello paceque studio fidem servabant.
Mox alii post nos eadem exclamabunt,
Intenti, exsultantes, "Per ardua ad gloriam".
Sic fiat, Domine, ut hic mores colamus:
Corpus, mentemque fortiter statim paremus.
Semper in aliis, non nobis adiuvandis,
Hanc fidem exponamus, "Per ardua ad gloriam".
(again thanks to John Hill for rescuing the words to this "delicate melody"
(you know we don't mean that don't you?) from a school concert programme)
From memory (unreliable) the melody,,,,,,,,well let's just call it a tune as it was
somewhat in the style of "Onward Christian Soldiers", went.......
Haud pro cul tam e si sum us om nes a lum ni:
d b d g e a g f# d d(octave up) b g f#
In fin i bus Lon din i i vi tam a ..... ge mus.
d e f# g b a e f# e f# e d e d
Nunc hanc in sch o lae con cor diam con vo ca ti
c b d g e c e c# e a g g f#
Haec ver ba con cla me mus "Per Ar dua ad Glor iam"
d e f# g a b a g g b a g b g g
School Song Instrumental "version"
From memory this is the best we've got. Pretty set on the first two lines and the rousing closure but line three and the first half of four - well we'll leave it to the listeners.
Anyway........All Together Now !!
The School Badge
With many thanks to The Newland House School for the history of their badge,
which was ours for a brief time as well.
A picture of the Thames not far from London.................to help you get in the spirit of it all.
