As fireworks exploded in the skies over Colchester on 5 November 1921, there were celebrations in the Duggan household. Mr and Mrs E. F. Duggan had just secured the lease on a house with several acres of land. It was the perfect site to allow them to fulfil their dream of opening a boys’ prep school, which would be realised at the start of the summer term in 1922.
With the country recovering from the turmoil of the First World War, the Spanish Flu pandemic, and on the cusp of the Roaring 20s, the Duggans wanted to provide children with an education that would prepare them for the world. Their aim was “to develop the individuality and abilities of each child; to make them self-reliant and adaptable.” The world has changed a great deal during the school’s first century, but in many ways the uncertainties that the early cohort of pupils were experiencing then are uncannily familiar to us today, and the Duggans’ underlying values still ring true.
In 1922, the world was full of pioneers. The BBC made its first broadcast, and Howard Carter discovered Tutankahman’s tomb. In the summer term, Holmwood House opened its door to just three pupils. The school’s history is scattered with examples of a pioneering spirit and resourcefulness; during the war, the whole school was evacuated to Worcestershire and the buildings were occupied by the army. In 1976 (as the VHS video was launched) the prep school purchased a local village hall, dismantled it, transported it to the school site and rebuilt it as the now much-loved Talbot Room. In 1981, the headmaster took a group of pupils up to the Edinburgh Fringe to perform a piece entitled “Princes”; and in 1985, Holmwood opened its doors to girls for the first time.
Holmwood House pupils through the years have continued to benefit from the core ethos set in place by the Duggans. From transplant surgeons to newspaper editors, teachers to West End performers, Holmwood alumni have gone on to do varied and amazing things. Most recently, alumnus Robert Thorogood, a screenwriter on BBC One’s “Death in Paradise”, published a new novel. As one alumnus put it, “Holmwood House gave me independence… the desire to learn, and motivated me to do well in my everyday life.”
Having started with just three boys, the school now has a thriving nursery, Early Years, Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior school departments set in beautiful grounds, providing boys and girls up to the age of with an inspiring learning environment.
Every year on 5 November , when the fireworks to celebrate the school’s birthday, the Duggans would surely be incredibly proud. The pupils of today are continuing to benefit from the inspiring education they had envisaged, developing self-reliance, individuality and adaptability. It turns out that these are as critical for the today’s children as they were for those three boys 100 years ago.
Old Holmwoodians
It is in many ways the alumni who best epitomise the ethos of our school. Our Old Holmwoodians have gone on to impressive careers in all spheres of industry, and we are always delighted when they come back to visit and share their experiences with our current pupils and the wider school community. If you are a former Holmwood pupil, we would love to hear from you and find out what you have been up to since leaving Holmwood House, and also encourage you to keep in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
