Nigel Fletcher - Halls 53-61: "I was reminded yesterday of the old music room in the stables. There was an old wind-up gramaphone and a small pile of 78's. We used thorns for needles - much better for vynil than steel ones. Amongst the records I remember: the last movement of Stravinsky's Firebird; one of the songs from Britten's Serenade; an aria from Tosca. Anyone else remember this and any other records? It was really quite a progressive lot for the 1950's."

Chris Snuggs - Berners/Halls 58-65: "I don't remember those works - though they certainly might have figured in what was played to us in my era, but I do remember the music room very well in general. The light and accoustics were pretty good and Merlin (and later Barry) played us lots of classical things. For some reason I remember in particular "Peter and the Wolf" by Prokoviev. Merlin also tried to teach us harmony, which was when I finally realizedI was not born to be a musician. He also played his cornet to us once, the only time I ever heard him play it

The practice room by the ground-floor entrance is also memorable. I had some piano lessons there with Mrs Agate, she with the reputedly-beautiful daughter that we never did see. I also practised a lot in there alone, desperate to achieve something on the piano - and eventually learning by heart the first two movements of "The Moonlight Sonata". I knew that trying the third movement would be a waste of time! Later I added most of "Für Elise" to my repertoire, doubling it at a stroke! My fingers could in fact have done a lot more, but I was absolutely hopeless at sight-reading. It is a mystery (to me at least) why humans of more or less similar intelligence are so differently gifted in particular skills - and I was stymied by being unable to sight-read fast enough to play what I wanted.

That made a lovely music room, which I remember with great affection. Unfortunately, I have no photos of the interior, and I am not sure what IHS uses it for now."

Alan James Ford - Berners/Johnstons 82-87: “My favourite place at Woolverstone. I was even 'kicked out' of woodwork due to the many music lessons I had interrupting his class.”

Darren Willis - Johnstons 80-83: “A rebel!”

Chris Snuggs: ".... but WITH a cause!

Jackson Jones - Corners 80s: “I played New York New York on clarinet to minuet and trio on violin in that room, and sat various music grades - a great part of the school. P.S. I was in Corners in the 80s way after you. I live in Sydney now and have attended OBs catch-ups over here.”

Alan James Ford: “I went to Woolverstone from 82' - 87'. I started off in Berners until 85', then Berners as a 'house' closed, and all the dorms were turned into classrooms, and the rest of us were shipped to the remaining 4 houses (Johnstons by now was a 1st year house) where I ended up at Corners. Jackson, you were in the same starting year as me (82'). I don't recall you in the 4th/5th year's. Is that when you moved to Canada?”

Jackson Jones: “Yes, I moved to Canada after the 3rd year.”

Dean Haney - Orwell 82-87: “A Blue Sergio Tacchini tracksuit and some killer break dance moves as I remember.”

Harvey Angel - Hansons 64-71: “When I was doing 'A' level music some of my lessons, by special mutually agreed arrangement were timed to coincide with Taffy's gym periods. I cannot adequately describe the joy I would get on a cold winter's morning, listening to a Beethoven symphony in the warmth of that music room, looking out of the window watching my 6th form colleagues shivering as they set off on a run, especially if light snow was falling (lol)!”

Chris Snuggs: “Harvey, I believe a caculation was carried out whereby your presence in a classroom raised the average IQ by 20 points whereas your participation in any kind of sporting activity reduced the normally-expected average achievement standard by 20%. Is this just an urban myth - or rather a Shotley Peninsular myth? Rest assured that your unsurpassed (and indeed unsurpassable) Taffy-thwarting achievements have been duly recorded for future historians to marvel at!

Joking apart, it was a considerable feat to out-macho Taffy’s patience and Welsh stubbornness - he had after all (reputedly) faced up to the Red Navy in WWII!”

Harvey Angel: “Taffy was happy for me to not be in his class. I think my classmates didn't mind me being there, though, because it made their achievements look better in comparison (mainly because I achieved nothing and even Taffy didn't bother shouting at me).”

Tim Salmon: “I had violin lessons with Jenny Howard in the room at top of the stairs - but remember vividly the other rooms as a treasure trove of LPs and playing them when I used to go to woolverstone with Dad (Barry Salmon) on Saturdays/ Sundays and he would be off teaching elsewhere. I would have free rein of the rooms and made the most of it!”

Chris Snuggs: “Tim Salmon That building was just about perfect for the role assigned to it! (as were Merlin and Barry .....)”