The End

During the 1970s, the school became a City of Nottingham Comprehensive and reverted to The Henry Mellish School. The Grammar School was gradually replaced by the comprehensive intake into first year. After a period of decline and the school being taken into ‘special measures’ and then designated a ‘sports college’ it was closed in 2009. All the buildings have since been demolished and the site cleared.

CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL CEREMONY 2009

Closure of the school (by then a City of Nottingham secondary school) on 21 July 2009. The Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Sir Andrew Buchanan, is holding the key used to open the school in 1929. The school was named for his father’s first cousin, Henry Mellish.

Lunch – old boys before the closing ceremony. Photographs from Richard Bullock (1954-1961) and Neil Cossons (1950-58)

Sir Neil Cosson, Garth Norman and the late Mick Fisher by the front door – used only by those who arrived late in the morning to have their names taken.

David ‘Chas’ Chambers, the late Malcolm Jackson, Garth Norman, Neil Cossons

More on the Closing Ceremony on David Hallam’s website HERE

L-R: Dick Hallam, Ian Talks, the late Robert Newton, David Payne, Garry Humphreys.

Photographs from the Open Day before closure of the school – by Martyn Shaw

Vestibule – the only entrance open for those arriving late

The Hall – by then blocked off from the Gym behind – and carpeted but no grand piano

Corridor on Kersall Drive side

Kersall Drive yard – with stockade for staff cars!

‘Original’ light fitting. Did they appear in the 1950s?

Classroom

Gym

East quad with the CCF hut and armoury. Is that an air conditioner over the corridor?

Hall doors from the east quad

Rear Yard

Chemistry Lab (JCL) with four generations of board attached one over the other. The plastic gas taps have replaced the original metal ones. The old stools have gone but MP remembers polishing those teak benches. The door leads to the Prep Room (habitat of the lab steward and the lab boys) which came into use when the staff room was moved to the 5th form corridor. Beyond the Prep Room is the Junior Physics Lab.

Chemistry Lab from the other end. Electricity has been supplied to the benches. The door leads to the Chemistry Store and then to the Advanced Chemistry Lab (originally the Lecture/Music Room with the tiered benches).

Stairs down from the Library Corridor

Classrooms on the field

Steps to field – Kersall Drive end

Classroom on school field

Steps to the field – Dining Hall end

View from steps to the field – Ding Hall end. Changing rooms centre.

Air Raid Shelter – Dining Hall end. The school pond is above the shelter and was accessed by a leap to rough steps covered here by the bush on the right. The site of the Great Pond Survey of summer 1959.

Rear yard Air Raid Shelter

Dining Hall with the original doors blocked off