Mylander Issue 87

37 Learning & Growing forwards to school four times a day, although it was too far for one family from Braiswick, who had to bring a flask and sandwiches to eat in the playground shed instead. Today, North School is tucked away at the end of John Harper Street, behind the Sea Trade building. Architect and former pupil, Robin Matthews, praises the roof turrets and octagonal bell tower just visible from North Station Road, along with the other rich Arts and Crafts details of the building that show great empathy for its occupants. In the early days, the school was at the end of Princess Street, which was renamed after John Harper, the first headmaster, in 1933. At this time the school was known as North Street School which was the old name for North Station Road. It then became North County until 1998, when it became North Primary School. The school colours have remained largely unchanged, burgundy and grey, but the badge has changed from the initials NSS to the Essex seaxes to today’s compass design, which is based on one created by a pupil in 1991. There have been many highlights of the project and there are many stories from the past to tell. These include, discovering that famous artist Henry Collins went to North School from 1915, living on Bergholt Road next to The Bricklayers, then progressing to the Art School on North Hill, before creating the concrete murals visible in Colchester and beyond with his wife, Joyce Pallot. Essex champion diver, Gwen Groves, was a pupil at North in the 1930s, lived on North Station Road and tried out for the 1936 Olympic Games. In 1938, she completed the 3.5-mile Hythe Quay to Wivenhoe river swim in 61 minutes. Swimming was a big thing at North and many people remember the outdoor pool used for lessons whatever the weather, but also weekly trips to the Mill Road rugby pitches in the 1960s, to Land Lane for inter-school athletics and to Castle Park for sports days.