Echoes From The Distant Past

Every now and then our school is visited by British tourists. Their reasons are primarily to see where they were born, and secondly, to reminiscence about the good old days when they used to work at the David Bruce Naval Hospital.

Last March Mr. Alan Pibworth (seen here in his prime sitting on a wall overlooking the front), together with his wife Christine, returned to his former workplace after about fifty-five years. Way back then he spent about fifty-five years. Way back then he spent about four years in the role of surgeon's assistant, and consequently he used to practically live in our top floor which used to house the surgery wards and some surgery theatres.

In one of the photos he sketches out a plan of the top floor marking the original purpose. The ward in the photo is today's Mathematics wing - some difference!

I am fascinated by any information I can gather about my school and venture to show the couple round some parts of 'my school' - which obviously Mr. Pibworth referred to as 'his hospital'. Alan immediately noticed the missing ramparts giving access on wheels from one floor to the other. He also noted how many of the archways have been built up and converted into normal doorways.

Almost invariably, during my daily rounds of the school to be close to my staff and the students, I never fail to visualize the hospital with all its activities: the hustle and bustle of the male nurses and the female nuns in trying to be in as many places as possible; the satisfied smiles of mothers holding their new-borns; the happy feeling following a successful intervention; the defeated looks upon being given devastating news. And during war time: the exodus down to the underground level of the hospital to shelther from air raid, the amputations, screams of young men in desperation, mutilated bodies, satisfied feelings at a positive outcome, a bright face at going back home (not necessarily in one piece).

Come rain or come shine there are the images that catch up with me throughout the corridors, classrooms and halls - wheneer I get the chance, that is.

Then comes my love of the building itself - a jewel of architecture, engineering and ingenuity under the leadership of the British personnel through our fathers' workmanship. I can just imagine the skill behind the laying of each and every stone, how it was dressed up to British standards, how it was put into place even at those great heights with what we now consider rudimentary building tools.

All these images and flashbacks are based upon informed conversations whenever a British tourist is ushered into my office requesting permission to have a quick look round (not to mention the odd minibus loaded with British tourists speeing stealthily on the school circle road to have a quick look). Not to be forgotten are the numerous graffiti etched meticulously by patients finding the force to do so on the corridor walls, some of which date to the early nineteen hundreds.

Having said all this, I mus conclude that it is one of my aims as Head of School to convert this building, finding its origin as a nineteenth century British Naval Hospital, into a twenty-first century school, aiming at E.U. standards - fortunately, or unfortunately?

Mr. C.S. Micallef

Head of School (2003 - 2008)