We all thought Mr. Skull was quite mad – he smoked a pipe furiously whenever possible, and he had a large harmonium in his lab which he used to play during break, pedalling away and smoking like crazy! He was also in charge of the sea scouts; I went with them once on the school boat, The Quintinian, to see the Boat Race – we arrived so late we nearly delayed the race and got shouted at through megaphones by the stewards! He was a decent old stick really though, even if he was a bit bonkers!
The harmonium was large and gothic in style and the effect was a bit like a Hammer Horror! Also The Quintinian boat was decrepit and taking on water, and it’s a wonder we didn’t sink in the middle of the Boat Race course! lol
Laurence Hughes, 27 May 2020
Sorry, it was Michael (not Laurence) Hughes, the music teacher, who came over and played the harmonium.
I ended up owning the Harmonium that Laurence Hughes mentions. John Skull was getting rid of it and, I think for a donation to the Sea Scouts, it was mine! The problem was, I lived (with my parents) on the top (second) floor of a converted house in King Henry’s Road, Chalk Farm. How the hell we got it up there, I don’t know! Laurence Hughes actually came over one evening and played it. It was leaking air, which is why you had to pedal furiously!