Inverness Royal Academy of Olde

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

More great photties

[Charles Bannerman]

More great photties

​That's part of a quite well known set of photos taken shortly after the 1913 extension was opened - to FPs, that's the bit back from the boys' door, including the boys' gym and science room downstairs and music, art and biology upstairs.

the "Higher Drawing Room" is, I think, what used to be the end Art room (R28 by the numbering of the late 60s and 70s). The large art room is, I think, 26 and 27 with no dividing wall. The corridor is the top corridor outside these rooms.

Although there are girls in the gym, this is what we would call the "boys' gym". At this time this was the school's only gym. What became the girls' gym was in a wing which was only added in 1926 and only after it ceased to be the Primary Department assembly hall around 1960. The bottom left photo is Room 18 (Hairy Hugh's room to some of us). The bottom right photo is of Room 17 next door.

At that time, some of the space in the Academy was shared with the High School which was based in what's now the Crown School. You will note that the captions refer to one of the Science rooms being used by the Academy and the other by the High School.

However that is also fairly evident anyway, given how much more intelligent and articulate the children in the bottom right photo look compared with the bottom left. (Smiley required - still can't do them on this new site!)

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Suspect that this would have been a mix of Milburn and High school

[IBM]

Suspect that this would have been a mix of Milburn and High school

Was looking for Charles but can't see a wee boy with short trousers!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Yet another school to rival the Caddy ?

[Charles Bannerman]

Yet another school to rival the Caddy ?

Well plenty of evidence there that this particular institution, housed in what older Invernessians now know as The County Buildings on the corner of Ardross St and Glenurquhart Rd, was a refuge for the local nobs. The college closed at some point before the end of WW1 and in the early 20s was acquired by the IRA War Memorial Fund as a War Memorial Girls' Hostel. A swap deal in the 1930s saw that hostel move to Hedgefield in Culduthel Rd and the County Council too over the Ardross St premises.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Interesting ?

[Charles Bannerman]

Interesting ?

As the Primary department was phased out during the late 50s, its classrooms were progressively converted into the Home Economics (aka Domestic Science or "cookeen") room, a ladies' staff room, a girl prefects' room and a changing room for what became the girls' gym, which had previously been the Primary assembly hall.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I can only remember drinking down the lanes

[Charles Bannerman]

I can only remember drinking down the lanes

Yup, for us some Strongbow out of Alexander Frasers in Tomnahurich St to be consumed up the lane behind Serafini's chipper and then up the Raining Stairs to the school for the dance. Hell of a hangover the next day. In the years before the school moved out of the town centre and the dances were held in the Northern Meeting Rooms, the Gelluns just round the corner must have done a roaring trade!

[Scarlet Pimple]

Interesting to note that the former Inverness College claims to have prepared the budding scholars for the "Scotch Leaving Certificate". 

 

Did you get one IHE?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I would never leave any scotch.

[Charles Bannerman]

Interesting to note that the former Inverness College claims to have prepared the budding scholars for the "Scotch Leaving Certificate". 

 

Did you get one IHE?

The term "Scotch" seems to have been used quite widely as an adjective around that time before "Scottish" became more common. For instance 100 odd years ago, these Leaving Certificates were issued by the "Scotch Education Department" which was based at Dover House in Whitehall. Dover House is still there on the Downing Street side of Whitehall, not too far from the Cenotaph and I believe it still accommodates such administrative staff for Scotland as still, post devolution, exist in London in what I think is now called The Scotland Office.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Who am I to scotch that rumour ?

[Scarlet Pimple]

I was talking to three of my female neighbours today about an issue with our Municipality. They were all in their fifities and one said something about me being Scotch and all. I felt obliged to opine that Scotch was whusky to generate a laugh. And they duly obliged.

 

It's a funny old world isn't it ?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Thank GAWD we can actually have the craic in this world that we live in !!

to be demolished ?

[Charles Bannerman]

Thank GAWD we can actually have the craic in this world that we live in !!

to be demolished ?

That's known as the Millennium Mural, designed by a pupil of the era and placed on the external wall on the way into the school. When the building is demolished, probably next year, I would guess that this would be transferred to the new one.

[dougiedanger]

Was reading something there that the IRA was originally funded by money from the slave trade.

Surely this can't be true of this most august and spiffing institution?!

If true, would almost eclipse the shame of having had CB as a student/teacher.

[Charles Bannerman]

Was reading something there that the IRA was originally funded by money from the slave trade.

Surely this can't be true of this most august and spiffing institution?!

If true, would almost eclipse the shame of having had CB as a student/teacher.

Gosh Dougie, it's taken you a while to tumble to that quite well known fact but never mind, we can just add local history to your "could do better" list. Funny though.....  this extreme chippiness isn't something I see much of among my several friends who are alumni of The Tecky, but on the other hand yours probably originates instead as second nature from your politics?

[dougiedanger]

Caddie Rats, bringing shame to the Sneck since 18 oatcake.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The curse of every school

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[Charles Bannerman]

This must have been very early 70s because there is no sign at all even of the foundations of the final, fifth phase which comprised a detached block of classrooms with Biology labs, Typeen rooms and so on. They are roughly where that clump of trees is in the photo and opened around 1974.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The Song School ?

[Charles Bannerman]

That is the big Music Room on the right of the photo, but the notion of Song School had departed many hundreds of years before!