CASTLETHORPE.
OPENING OF NEW BOARD SCHOOLS.
On Thursday afternoon the new Board Schools Castlethorpe were opened by Lord and Lady Carrington. The schools are situated in the centre of village, and are built of brick, with Bath stone dressings. The roof is of Brisley tiles, and over the principal entrance is a small tower and bell-cot. The rooms are adapted for the accommodation of about 150 children. The large room is 46ft. by 20ft., the class-room 18ft by 17ft and the infants room 20ft. by 17ft. At each entrance there a well - arranged cloakroom and lavatory. The whole of the rooms are warmed by Stainton’s medium pressure hot-water system, and there are open fireplaces for assisting the ventilation to which every attention has been paid. At the back of the schools there are playgrounds laid with asphalt this work having been done by Mr. J. Ward of Northampton. At the end of the playground there is a well arranged residence for the master and mistress. The architects were Messrs. H. H. Dyer and Son, Newland Chambers, Northampton, and Messrs. Adnitt and Everard of Rushden, were the builders. The school fittings were supplied by Messrs. Wake and Dean, London, and Messrs. Knight and Son, of Northampton supplied the clock, which is placed outside the school. The opening ceremony took place at three o'clock, and amongst those present were Lord and Lady Carrington the members of the Castlethorpe School Board, consisting of Mr. G. Rainbow (chairman), Mr. C. Whiting (vice-chairman) Mr G. Richardson, Mr. C. Jones, Mr. W. Manning, and Mr. T. Osborne (the Clerk): Mrs. Whiting, the Rev. M. A. Nicholson, Miss Cox, Mr. Grimes, Mr. Jonas (steward), Mr. J. Whiting, Mrs. and Miss Pike, Mr. C. Whiting, Mr. J. Checkley, Mr. Shrimpton, Mr. and Mrs. Quicksley, Mrs. and Miss Watts, Miss Brownrigg, the Rev. T. Varney, the Rev. F. W. Harnett, Dr. Symington, Mr. King, Mr. Fitzsimons, Mr. Williams, the Rev. M. Tuckwell, Mr. Kemp, Mrs. Verney, Mr. T. A. and Mrs. Brearley, the Rev. Westall, and Mr. East; the Hanslope School Board- Mr. Adams (chairman), Mr. Smart (vice-chairman), Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Rose, Mr. Checkley, Mr. T. Amos, &c. — Mr. Rainbow occupied the chair, and after the hymn, " All people that on earth do dwell," had been sung, Mr. Osborne read letters of apology from Mr. C. A. Park (Wolverton), Mr. Worley (Stony Stratford), and Mr. Hudson (of the Backs and Oxon Bank). Mr. Osborne then read the report, and said that when Board was elected in 1888 the Voluntary Schools had been closed for three months because of the insufficient accommodation to meet the increasing demand. The land upon which the school was built cost £90, and in order to give the frontage the Board bought out two small holders, for which they paid £150 as compensation, making the cost of the land £240. Calculations were made by their architect for the accommodation of 120 children, but, according to the architect of the Education Department, there was accommodation for 138. From 1881 to 1891 the population of Castlethorpe increased by 112, and if the same rate of increase went on for another ten years, the accommodation would hardly be sufficient. The contract for building the school was £1,750, and considering the rateable value of the parish, and the easy mode of repayments arranged with the Public Loan Commissioners, the School Board rate would be comparatively low. The Board had acquired the services of a fully certificated master and mistress for the school, which would be opened for children on Monday next. The Rev. W. Westall, the curate -in - charge of Castlethorpe, next addressed the meeting, and announced that the school would be open in the evenings. He urged the members of the Board to see that the education given in the school was efficient, and that the school should be conducted economically possible.—Mr. Osborne then read a letter of welcome to Lord and Lady Carrington, and Lord Carrington, who was, received with enthusiasm, thanked them for their kindness. After referring to the associations he had with Castlethorpe in his younger days, and the pleasure it gave him to re-visit it, he said that there had been an enormous improvement in that part of the county since he last saw it. The railway had raised the wages, and it now gave employment to enormous number of intelligent and deserving working men. He was glad to hear that some of the men at Wolverton had been able to save enough money to purchase homes for themselves. That was good thing, for when a man got a bit of freehold land of his own it raised his interest in his home, and a man in that position became to a great extent a much better member of Society. He would have the greatest possible pleasure to lot out a piece of land in Castlethorpe which might be convenient for selling to those who might wish to purchase it (loud applause), and who might then be enabled to build their own houses without unduly pinching themselves. In a short time he hoped that he would be able to offer them land at a reasonable and moderate price. He was pleased to see that the School Board had worked so harmoniously, and he was also glad to see that the Board was not composed of any one class, sect, or creed, and that the members were real bona fide working men. He congratulated them upon the splendid building and the excellent manner in which the members of the Board worked together, and concluded by thanking them for the hearty reception they had given him. “God save the Queen" was then sung, and the opening ceremony then terminated. —Lady Carrington was presented with a handsome bouquet by Miss Whiting, a pretty little lady of some seven years of age.—A tea was afterwards held in the school, at which Lord and Lady Carrington were present. The arrangements for tea were made by Miss Verney, Miss Gregory, Mrs. Cowley, Mrs. Sprittles, Mrs. Ekins. Mrs. Richardson, Mrs. Clarke, and Miss Swannell An enjoyable concert wound up the day's proceedings.
