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G O OD BYE Lam b a rdes... ...H E L L O A I S H E R The Lower School boarding house took its last pupils in September and closed at the end of the Summer term, bringing over 50 years of its unique family atmosphere to an end. Lambardes has closed, but as part of the school’s plans to develop boarding – which contributes so much to the strong sense of community, shared endeavour and internationalism at Sevenoaks – boarding for the Middle and Upper School is being expanded, with the introduction of Aisher House. In 1950, when Charles Plumptre Johnson bequeathed the Park Grange Estate to Sevenoaks School, the house was used for Art, with other classrooms downstairs, and the upstairs was reserved for junior boy boarders. In the early Sixties, the demand for extra boarding space for senior boys led to the decision to convert Park Grange into a 40-bed house, and for a new, purpose-built, 20-bed house to be built on the PG tennis court to rehouse the juniors. Designed by Lerche-Thomsen and Murray, the architect of the Head’s house, the new building opened in 1965 with innovative ideas on furniture design: instead of rows of iron bedsteads in dormitories, with a separate homework room, each boy had his own ‘bedspace’, complete with foldaway bed, desk, cupboard and shelving. However, apart from a small model-making room, there was little in the way of common areas, and as further leisure facilities were introduced, such as table tennis and television, this need became more pressing. The introduction of high-sleeper beds in the late 1980s freed enough space to turn one room over completely to a common room, kitchen and separate television room. A major internal conversion was carried out prior to the introduction of girls in 1994, but the house remained small, with some 20 pupils, thus ensuring the family atmosphere which was a constant feature in our only co-educational boarding house. I have been in charge for the last five years and have seen many changes in that time; the advent of smartphones and laptops has significantly changed the way our young boarders use their leisure time and has facilitated much easier and more frequent communication with their parents. Lambardes provided a successful springboard for making a smooth transition into Middle School boarding and I will miss it. Caroline Dyer, Housemistress 72 Aisher House, the new boarding house for boys aged 13-18, has been taking shape. It will open in September 2019, providing a home to 60 boys in Years 9 to Upper Sixth. Designed, like the Science and Technology and Global Study Centres, The Space and the Lower School Common Room, by Tim Ronalds Architects, it aims to complement the elegance of Park Grange, which it faces. Aisher House will provide excellent shared spaces, including a large kitchen, recreation areas and courtyard, and en-suite study bedrooms. Sevenoaks has taken junior boarders since at least 1841, when the census return shows boys aged seven to twelve living in Old School, along with older pupils, and there is no reason to think that Lower School pupils were not accommodated throughout the school’s previous centuries of boarding history. However, until Lambardes opened, they had no dedicated boarding space of their own. “There is a sense of starting another chapter in The name reflects the Lambarde family, former owners of the Park Grange estate, and their service on the school governing body for three centuries. and are revelling in the position of being the Sally Robbins, Archivist the school’s long history as we embark upon this project to build a vibrant new boarding house. Both the boys and the staff are very excited about the new opportunities provided first ones to move into Aisher House.” Gareth Willis, Housemaster, Aisher House The house is named after Jack Aisher, who joined the school’s Board of Governors in 1964, bringing his business acumen to the management of the 1963 Appeal which raised funds for a new dining hall and classrooms. The Aisher family managed the Marley Tile Company in Riverhead, one of the biggest local employers, where Jack’s father, Owen, had built up the family fortunes after he devised a way of making concrete roof tiles in large quantities. Jack and the Marley Tile Company gave the school considerable financial and administrative support: 1967 saw not only the opening of the new dining hall complex but also the Aisher Hall for music, a personal gift of Jack’s wife, Eileen, and ten years later, another Aisher gift, the Marley Sports Centre, which was opened by the Prince of Wales. Both have since been replaced, but the new boarding house will continue to honour Jack and the Aisher family’s transformative contributions to the school. Sally Robbins and Lorna Dolan Design and illustration © Tim Ronalds Architects