We Remember…

I have some happy memories of the people there, Mrs Haydock was the Headmistress and the Webbs were de facto running the school. I had a good maths teacher Mrs Olivier, and a French teacher Madame d’Ufajlussi – who smoked over me when she taught! My classmates were the likes of Chris Boyd, Alvin Daniel, Chris Steytler, Barry Fry, Fram and Vivienne Kruger, Maurice Diamond and Michelle Ward. I still have a class photo from 1961 of the 14 students in my year.My parents thought they wanted me to get a British education so shipped me off to the UK, whilst my younger brother Peter remained in Somerset West and eventually went to Paul Roos school.

Somerset House was a wonderful primary school to spend my formative education years. I have some very special memories of Somerset House. The most special memory is my first school prize was a book called The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde which was a prize award for tenacity. The children’s story is the most beautifully written story with so many different themes and layers, in which often brought tears to my eyes. Another good memory is when my family were moving from South Africa to New Zealand, I was given from my classmates a beautifully going away book with all signatures, with a cover picture of Somerset House which I keep in my desk to this very day. Famous Ralph Waldo Emerson quote in the going away book which says “Do not go where the path my lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. The other special memories is Welsh rabbit for lunch and ice cream special for Friday lunch. I have very good memories of Mrs Potgieter who taught me Afrikaanse, trying to learn Xhosa and learning remedial classes to help me with my reading and improve my learning skills. Also, remember fondly Mr Heale who lived in my father’s cottage,and farting in Mr Heale’s music class, which told the class that did not sound like drums. We are talking 40 years ago, however very good and special memories of my time at Somerset House. 

My father Michael Huelin, is one of the founding pupils at Somerset House, who started at school at age of two years old, which wonderful Principal Les Webb and his wife looked after him during his school years. Michael, best father passed away of lung cancer in 2002, however there is a tree planted there with plaque of his name and half my father’s ashes are there. The tree will be growing to a reasonable size now after being planted around 2004. I am eternally grateful and appreciate the role Somerset House played in my father’s life, and do hope to visit the school some day. 

Being in Standard 5 is something special. You set an example to the school – probably to challenge yourself to prove that you’re not a kid anymore. Ready to accept responsibility and be trusted, especially the job to make peace between children and solve their problems. You must face life the hard way – work your utmost best – make this year a good year for Somerset House and the children.

The very faintly dusty smell of the library introduced me to my life-long passion for books.

The Naburn Meadow, which you spent so much time planting, is looking good now. The grass is almost covered and we hope to use it next term. Cutting it is a major problem as the old tractor is on its last legs and battles to keep going. (It stops more than it goes.)

The Somerset House “family” has produced such a stream of old boys ad girls coming back to reaffirm their years of happiness at the school that the success of the system seems to have been proved. But possible more interesting is that they learnt more at Somerset House than they ever learnt in their Secondary school years. This would seem to prove that happiness and learning go hand in hand.

We used to climb up a ladder onto the nursery school roof. Someone would swing the knot at the bottom of the rope up to us and we would swing from the roof into the sandpit.