PETERHOUSE NOSTALGIA

... MEMORIES ...

Mike Hammond (1956 - 2003)

The following is adapted from a speech given by Sue Buckland, Senior Mistress at the Girls' School, on Mike's "retirement" in 1993 as Head of PGH.:

"Mike was appointed Head of the Girls'School at the beginning of 1987. It was an awkward start, as the boys were still in residence at the Springvale main building, so the girls were given a classroom at Springvale House and taught by peripatetic staff from the boys' school. At the end of 1987 the boys moved out, the girls moved in and Mike began to discover what being a girls' headmaster was all about, having spent the whole of his career up to that point teaching boys almost exclusively.

Mike was educated in England, at the end of which he spent two and a half years in the Signals, Education and Intelligence branches of the British Army. After training as a teacher, he taught at two prep schools in England before accepting a three year contract to teach at the old Springvale School in 1956. This must be one of the longest three year contracts ever, stretching to 1973. During this time, he met and married Barrie, had three sons and was involved in numerous activities in the school, from French and carpentry to estate management and Senior Master. He moved to take over the headship of Eagle School in the Vumba in 1973, where he spent three happy years before having to close the school because of the close proximity to the Mozambique border during those tragic war years.

Eagle moved to Springvale in 1976 and after it was absorbed into the latter school, Mike accepted a post at Peterhouse in 1977 and he was Housemaster of Malvern for six years before moving back to Springvale campus to open up a Form 1 (D Block) House. The D Block moved back to a new building at Peterhouse and the girls then took over the school, as from 1988.

Mike retired at the end of 1993, since then he has lived in one of the two retirement cottages on the boys' side in Jurassic Park, (as the boy named it!) and he maintains a keen interest in the school's affairs, running the Shop (stationery, toiletries etc., not Tuck) and looking after the Petrean Society."

Postscript

It was with great sadness that we report Mike's death on 22 December 2003. He contracted tick bite fever and did not recover and he died peacefully in the Avenues Clinic surrounded by his whole family. Mike bowed out at the end of a great year for him: he turned 75, he and Barrie celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary, his whole family was together to celebrate his twins' 40th birthday in Cambridge in August during the hottest summer England had seen in many years and he and Barrie really enjoyed the many celebrations to mark Springvale's 50th anniversary.

Mike's was a lifetime of service to Springvale, Eagle School and Peterhouse and he is sorely missed. PHG will stand as his memorial.

Contact Barrie on zpn236@mweb.co.zw