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During the war years a number of schools were evacuated from the large cities to the Petersfield area, and Portsmouth High School was one of these - being moved to Adhurst St Mary and Hinton Ampner.
Mrs Susie Fisher (then Miss Susie Kertland) was appointed to be in charge of all the catering side of the school during those war years. I have been privileged to hear what life was like when large numbers of girls descended on Sheet.

The evacuation took place one day before war began in 1939. Miss Watt, the then headmistress, was in charge of the operation, and had stockpiled a great mass of food ready for the great day. As there was no building sufficiently large to hold the whole establishment, the Juniors (aged 11-14) were moved to Mr Dutton’s house at Hinton Ampner with Miss Watt in charge, whilst the Seniors (aged 14-18) were moved to Adhurst St Mary under the control of Miss Thorn.
Mr and Mrs Lubbock, who lived at Adhurst, moved into the nursery quarters, leaving the rest of the building for the 100 girls and the various staff It was something of a squash to say the least, with them all being packed into some two dozen bedrooms, with 8 bathrooms and loos. For many of the girls this was a great adventure as they had never been away from home before, and as the beds hadn’t arrived for the first few days, that added excitement as well.
Susie Fisher was not in at the start of the evacuation, in the late 1930’s she had been in Malta, helping a family with nursing and teaching, but as war was threatening she came home to Southsea, where she had been born, and it was then that she was approached about helping out at Adhurst. She didn’t really want the job, but came to Sheet and fell in love with the place. Miss Thorn offered her a job teaching Domestic Science half time and looking after all the domestic arrangements at Adhurst as well. The Domestic Science Mistress they had at that time was near retirement, and so obviously a replacement was required.
Catering for some 130 people is a daunting task under any condition, especially if one has never attempted such a task before, but when the complications of rationing are added in as well, one needs to be something of an optimist to cope. This was especially true in the first term, as there was no matron present to help, though eventually a very efficient matron (Mrs Wyllie) joined the school.
Most of the domestic staff were recruited from Sheet, including one 84 year old, and those who came from some distance away were billeted in and around the area as there was just not enough room in the main house. The kitchen maids were put in the head gardener’s cottage, whilst some of the teaching staff shared houses in Durford Wood.
A diet sheet was produced each week, and everyone had a cooked breakfast, a cooked lunch and a high tea, which could include such items as potatoes in their jackets. The food was obtained locally, with the grocery coming from Pinks (situated where Somerfields is now), some of the greengrocery from Bailey’s (on the present Foster’s site), whilst the meat came from Mr Baker, the butcher in the High Street. Milk and some eggs came from Adhurst Farm, and Mr Norwood, the head gardener at Adhurst House seems to have been a tower of strength, keeping the school fully supplied with fresh vegetables.
With so many items on ration, purchasing food for that number was no mean task, and on top of this Susie had to deal with all the other various supplies, including soap, which was also on ration. Bed linen was rather non-standard as everyone had to supply their own.
On one memorable occasion enough sugar had been saved up to make 100 eclairs and 100 meringues for a parents’ day - a real feast, as only those who have been through the war years will realise.
The school doctor was Dr Ormerod from College Street, though there weren’t many cases of illness during the war years - in those days one just got on and did things, and a balanced diet, if somewhat sparse, helped as well.
The lessons in the school took place in any odd corner, with Music and some other lessons in the ballroom, Domestic Science in the main kitchen, Games, including Lacrosse and hockey on the Adhurst St Man’s fields (from hich the PT mistress and Susie often had to remove the cow-pats). Tennis and Squash courts were also available at all times, unless, of course the Squash court was needed for Art lessons. Churchers College gave access to their Chemistry laboratories and Tennis Couris, whilst Bedales gave the use ot their Library and Swimming Pool. The girls had to walk to Bedales as there was no transport available
Picnics were arranged with a constructive view in mind, including blackberry picking (this being organised by Miss Scott, the Deputy IIeadniistress, in her very happy way), and potato planting arranged by Miss Thorn, whose expertise in every’ way surprised them all, not least in her ability to see that all went well. No-one felt left out. The girls had the use of acres of gardens at Adhurst, and usually stayed within the grounds, hut if they went out they had to go in threes. They were not usually allowed into town.
The girls helped with most tasks, including all the drying up, and when the cook left, helped with the cooking as well.
Plays, sports against local schools (such as Petersfield High School and Byculla, in Portsmouth), musical recitals, parent-teacher events etc completed a very busy time, with attendance at St Mary’s Church in Sheet the norm on Sundays, with the girls walking there in crocodile. Petersfield Church was used for the Confirmation Service. Prizegivings took place either in the Town Hall, or over at Hinton Ampner, some 12 miles away, and considering that the school only had a petrol ration for 2 vehicles, that was some achievement. Some of the staff cycled there, others waited for lifts.
Eventually the school returned to its site in Southsea, with the Juniors leaving Hinton Ampner at Easter 1945, and the Seniors finally departing from Adhurst in the summer after many pupils had achieved high academic success.
When one looks up the hill from Sheet and sees the stark outlines of Adhurst St Mary, it is hard to imagine that for some 6 years it was the home to some 130 visitors - who have such fond memories of their time of living and working together.
(Very many thanks to Susie Fisher and to Miss Scott - who now lives in Ireland —for their reminiscences. Vaughan Clarke)

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