Stuart Bird CO64

Stuart Bird CO64 was at Truro School from 1959 to 1964. He transferred to Truro as a boarder in the 4th Year when his father went to work in South America. He fondly remembers the glorious views on his steam train journey from Paddington to Truro.

Stuart joined Truro School in the same year Mr Derek Burrell (TS 1959-1986) was appointed headmaster, they immediately struck up a lasting bond as they had both come from London. Mr Burrell never tolerated bullying and helped create a secure environment for Stuart in his early days at Truro School.

In the 5th Year, Stuart enjoyed ballroom dancing with the girls from the High School and his O-Level and A-Level Chemistry lessons with Mr George Pester (TS 1954-1977). Stuart marvelled at Mr Pester’s’ ‘unflappable approach’ to chemistry in the days before health and safety. “We were in our A-Level practical class, preparing nitrobenzene. The flask contained a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids, which were added together whilst cooling. Then benzene was slowly added, making sure the mixture didn’t overheat. Unfortunately, my flask DID overheat, and noxious brown fumes poured out of the condenser, to create not just nitrobenzene but potentially explosive trinitrobenzene. I was worried, and George instinctively but calmly moved us all back. By now I was at the back of the class cowering behind the bench! He was very reassuring and with typical aplomb, cooled the flask under cold water, and the reaction subsided. I wondered what gave George Pester this amazing coolness under pressure…. I later learnt he was a bomb disposal officer in the Army!”

On Sundays Stuart and the other boarders would attend church services at St Mary’s Methodist Church before returning to school for letter writing sessions. They would write home to their parents and loved ones. This was Stuart’s main method of communication to his parents during his school years and remembers the joy of receiving their letters in reply.

Stuart spent the school holidays on his cousin’s farm at Stithians. His cousin Paul Gluyas CO58 also attended Truro so knew the characters at the school, and they enjoyed sharing tales together in the cowshed about all that went on at the school.

Whilst at school he enjoyed astronomy, chess and chemistry, and represented the school for athletics, cross country and chess. As a boarder he recalls slipper fights and midnight feasts in the dormitories after lights out when the prefects were not around. After learning that prefects got more food than the other students, he decided to become a prefect himself during Sixth Form.

In the Lower Sixth he became house prefect for the junior house Pentreve. The house masters at the time delegated a lot of duties onto the prefects. Stuart found this role of responsibility helped him in his teaching career later in life, with how to discipline a class. However, Mr Wicks (TS 1950-77) often left Stuart and his deputy Douglas McKirgan CO64 to help the younger boys to their beds, supervising dormitory plays and school prep. Stuart found it difficult to balance his academic work and the responsibilities of running a house of 40 boys alongside his own work for A-Levels.