The Normal School

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 16

The Normal School

Sir, — The Historic Places Trust (of which I am an associate member) has devoted a whole page of its newsletter number 10, to the need to preserve old school buildings. The trust says that there is a “strong moral responsibility” of education boards to value their building heritage and do everything possible to conserve those of historical merit. In spite of this article, the Canterbury regional committee of the trust is taking no action even at this late date to save even the facade of the Normal School. Money is said to be the problem, but surely there must be retired stonemasons and bricklayers who would help to save a building which is part of our heritage. When I went over the Normal School a few years ago with a group, we all remarked on the beautiful woodwork inside. The school may face the wrong way, but so do many parts of Buckingham Palace. — Yours, etc., D. HENNESSY. November 28, 1978. Sir, — If giving Mr Lovell-Smith the doors he admires will hasten the demolition of this building he should be helped to get them. The Normal School could never have been completely satisfactory — a pair of good doors, a turret that looked pleasant from outside, but a building not well designed for its purpose and badly placed on its site. It was exposed to storms, dust, smells, traffic noises and expensive to heat or light. Many rooms were dark and the building was stuffy and hard to clean. Windows in the eastern corridor were placed to catch the full range of smells from the pickle factory, the machine shop and the garage to the north-east of the asphalt playground. It proved unsuitable for the training of primary or secondary teachers. If we had the money wasted in trying to remedy its faults we could repair and replace the Peacock Fountain, and still have plenty to give to schools. — Yours, etc., SADIE G. BALKIND. November 27, 1978.