Talk:Bablake School

Victuallers 22:35, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

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Could be worthwhile adding to the history section seeing as there's a lot that happened between 1344 and the present.

Also, it might be nice to add that Baker and Billing were houses not so long ago.

Terri G 16:20, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

Why is it vandalism to say that "No particularly famous person has attended Bablake" - the list given surely demonstrates that this is simply true. And the fact is surely noteworthy, in comparison with other similar school, etc.

OK, there are none, so I'm reverting. Simply name someome in the list if you disagree.

The comment is pointless. Some may well think one of the people on the list is famous, which is an entirely subjective word. -- Necrothesp 17:46, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

It's no more subjective than "notable" - a virtual synonym, in fact. And it's a list of *two* people, neither of whom has a wikipedia entry. Compare this with the lists for other similar schools.

The reason is that for much of the 20th century, at least after the war, Bablake tended to produce people who went into running and managing the local manufacturing industry. King Henry's was the more literary, academic school, partly because it had valuable closed scholarships at Oxford. Many, many "famous" Old Wheatleyans from industry could be listed, but in this country we have always tended to laud writers and academics more - alas!

I'm not saying it's an invalid comment, but as it's not a complete article yet, it's probably a bit premature. Also, I went to this school and I certainly don't want to say I am famous, but the previous comment is true, in that plenty of people who went into positions of high responsibility went to Bablake, they just didn't end up being famous. I would also say that Bablake tends to look forward rather than backwards as well. I know at least one teacher that was there when I was, had been a Welsh rugby international, but I wouldn't dream of saying anything about it, because they never went on about it. Terri G 10:17, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

"Famous" and "notable" are not synonymous at all. One can be extremely notable in one's field and not at all famous, which implies that one is well-known to the populace at large. Both listed individuals have entries in the Dictionary of National Biography, so they are most certainly notable. -- Necrothesp 15:32, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

DNB entries for alumni of Warwick Group schools:

King Edward's School, Birmingham: 50+

Nottingham High School: 18

King Henry VIII School, Coventry: 17

Wolverhampton Grammar School: 13

Warwick School: 7

Solihull School: 5

Bablake: 2

In response to the above (sorry, I can't seem to figure out how the indenting of responses works) the thing about the DNB is that you have to be dead to get into it, so a brilliant Bablake generation that has yet to pop its clogs could alter this balance. But I think it's unlikely: Who's Who and Who Was Who list 29 people educated at Bablake (only a couple of whom mean anything to me, for what that's worth) and 53 from Henry VIII (rather more of whom I have heard of). Radavenport (talk) 06:47, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

Scandal

I decided to remove the reference to the pornography scandal at Henry's because there was no reference for it, so I thought we should be careful about the verifiability. Also, I've think (no proof) there have been a few similar scandals in Bablake's recent history as well. Terri G 14:39, 14 November 2006 (UTC) Nobody at Bablake ever took photos of children in the showers like at Henry's —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sockmarine (talk • contribs) 07:42, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Foundation

The claim to have been founded in 1344 - which no serious historian entertains, e.g. VCH - should be treated more sceptically. Generally, attempts by sixteenth-century foundations to claim continuity with other, older schools are a bit of an embarrassment.

If I remember in the Lion and the Stars, they admitted it could be seen as a little tenuous (as are many records around then), but that they didn't see any reason not to believe it either, one day I'll drag out the book again and quote the relevant passage here, so someone can check their reasoning. Either way, I think they've got more concrete evidence from only 100 years later though. In the later periods of history show it almost dissolved into nothing, with only something like 6 boys attending, but they seem to have pulled through. Terri G (talk) 17:24, 14 July 2008 (UTC)

Welcome

to the schools project. Nice start to your page. Very old school???? Need to find a reference. I read the bit about what happened to old scholars.. ie they went into manufactring ... got a reference? Halfway between a stub and a start. Infobox maybe? Refs? Victuallers 12:51, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Suggestions for expansion

Looking at the schools project page there are probably a few things that could be done to this page:

1. Adding a picture of the present school rather than the buildings vacated hundreds of years ago
2. Adding a section on architecture, I'd have thought the rather eclectic mix of victorian, sixties and modern architecture would be good, could then include the fire at the sports field. I would have thought a school having it's own theatre is pretty notable
3. I think a bit more about sport and other extra curricular activities should be possible, in particular the Edinburgh festival run
4. Although listing teachers is generally frowned upon I think things like Mr Appleby's MBE should qualify him for listing

Terri G 18:05, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

When I attended Bablake in the 1950s, it was definitely not a boarding school. I am not sure when boarding was discontinued, but it was prior to my time. (The headmaster at the time was Eric Seabourne. He retired the year I left - 1959.) Also I am surprised to see no reference to Thomas Wheatley, whose bequest to the school in Elizabethan times is credited with keeping it alive. According to the school song at the time, the reference was to Thomas Wheatley's treasure trove, and I seem to recall some involvement with pirates, but I'm not too sure of the story - how memory fails us!! Thomas Wheatley gave his name to the "Old Wheateyans", of course, which is the former pupils association. (It used to be called the Old Boys Club when I lived in Coventry, but that is many years ago now. David Smith, London Ontario Canada. dsmith300@rogers.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.110.88.46 (talk) 21:20, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

I attended Bablake 1960-67. Mr Seabourne left in 1961 or 1962. It was not a boarding school then - the upstairs rooms one side of the headmaster's study were I believe the old dormitories, used for Maths at that time. The headmaster lived in the school at that time with his family. Gardnan (talk) 20:05, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

Boarders / E. A. Seaborne

I was at Bablake in 1959–66, and agree with other contributors that there were no boarders then.

I was taught English by E. A. Seaborne in 1961–2,which I think was his last year as headmaster (as the table in the article says and contra one of the other contributors here). Radavenport (talk) 15:11, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

Pro. Mehajbeen Farid (1634–1734)

Does anyone know anything about this supposed former headmaster that supposed served for a hundred years? It's an unusual name for the head of an English school at this date. I believe it is also a female name. And there is an Amazon profile of someone with this name who lives in Coventry and is/was about to attend Bablake.

Unless anyone can supply a verifiable reason not to, I propose to delete this name and report its insertion as vandalism. Radavenport (talk) 09:18, 28 August 2009 (UTC)