Celebrating 90 Years At St James' - Biography Of Our School - Part five
St. James’ has been based on more than one site(mainly two but at one time three sites) for much of its existence. From 1934 to 1949, a period of fifteen years, St. James’ was based solely on the Orange Road site in Burnt Oak. However, in order to accommodate the huge numbers of children attending, another building was provided by the Sisters in Marsh Lane Stanmore known as St. Thomas’ Annexe to St. James’ . From 1949 to 1978 , a period of forty-eight years, the equivalent of Key Stage 3 students were accommodated at St. Thomas’. A split site school ,logistically, was far from ideal and the dream was again to be based on one site.
The dream became possible with the closure of the RAF Aerodrome, Hendon. The Sisters acquired sixteen and a half acres of the aerodrome; and in 1977/78 the first phase of the new St. James’ was built by the Sisters, without financial assistance from Central Government. Two more building phases later, ninety per cent funded by the Government , St.James’ was once again consolidated on one site. St. Thomas’ had closed in 1978 and St. James’ Orange Hill in 1997. What I have written is more than a precise of the growth and development of St James’ between 1934 and 1997, it is a bowdlerisation of its history but for the sake of brevity was a necessity. A more detailed account I’ll endeavour to provide at a future date; but for now, it must suffice.
The above photograph is of the front of St. Thomas’ Annexe in Marsh lane Stanmore. St. Thomas’ was a large handsome building, with a large playing field and tennis courts. A stained-glass roundel, now in the Chapel at St. James’ Colindale, and a large concrete Dominican Logo provide physical links to St. Thomas’, long since demolished for housing.
he above print of the Quad at St. James’ Burnt Oak , taken from a painting(1996) by John Livingstone, now in St. James’ Colindale. In this Quad approximately one thousand five hundred gathered for Mass on the morning of May 16th. 1977. Later that day, Cardinal Hume travelled by coach with students and staff to bless the site of the new St. James’.
As I have said before, much could be said about the Aerodrome at Colindale, where St. James’ is now based. A more detailed history will have to await until a future date. Suffice it to say the aerodrome is the cradle of aviation in the United Kingdom. The first passenger and first air mail flights took off from here. The name Grahame Park is a salute to the man , Claude Grahame-White, pioneer aviationist and celebrity of his day, who developed the Aerodrome.
As I have also said before, there is still much to be researched on the history of St James’, on Burnt Oak, on Colindale and the immense contribution that the Dominican Sisters have made not only to the School but to Catholic Education. Are there any current St James’ students who would care to don the mantle of researcher/geographer/historian and help with this pioneering task?
To be continued…
