Nicholas Plumley – CH Staff 67-02

Submitted by Laura Kidner – CH Museum

Many Old Blues will have fond memories of Nick’s time as an Assistant Housemaster, History Teacher, keen organist, cricketer and especially, the Museum’s first Curator and Archivist. He was our CH Museum pioneer and founder not just for the opening in 1994 but for the gathering of archives back to when he first started at CH in 1967. We work with his legacy every day and have much to be thankful for in the work he did with protecting the historic collections over some 30 or more years as a member of staff at CH.

Many OBs recall him with great fondness, a lovely gentleman who made a significant contribution to CH.

Below is his farewell notice in the Blue of 2002.

It was 1967 and my senior colleague, the other tutor in Leigh Hunt B, was leaving. For those who were there at the time, the simple name Sherratt will say all that needs to be said. Typically, David Sherratt took great interest in the appointment of his successor. On first hearing his name he cried, “And who Is this man Plomondeley ?” He then proceeded to research in Crockford’s and Whitaker’s and discovered clergy and Cambridge professors in Nick’s family tree, and that he had been educated at Tonbridge and Cambridge. Alan Eagle, the housemaster, approached me next and said that he thought Mr Plumley had better have the newly finished flat at the back of LHB, since he was bringing so much furniture.

After such a build-up, it would have been difficult for any man to live up to the billing: but Nick never disappointed anyone from his very first appearance. He was a large man in every sense. He had enormous energy and intense enthusiasms, exceptionally high standards, and powerful means of communication with everyone from the second formers to the Clerk.

The ‘furniture’ turned out to be antique chairs and sofas with the occasional square piano; many organ pipes and other spare parts; a remarkable collection of Tlmbridgeware boxes and illustrated books, and a fine variety of paintings, including a few of his own works. Having teamed up with Paul Koronka, whom he had taught at his prep school, and with future organ designer Dominic Gwynn (both in Peele A) building an organ in the tube under Peele, he set about designing an instrument for the LHB dayroom. The project Involved me as the organist and, I think, Sherratt as painter of the Saints (Nicholas, John, David, and Cecilia) inside the organ-case doors. Needless to say most of the work (from the case building itself to the meccano-driven cymbelstar on the top) was done by Nick himself, but there was plenty to involve all the boys in the house as well. This was especially so when we carried the organ to Dining Hall for a concert.

Evening dayroom concerts regularly followed Leave Days. Our other great collaboration was on the Prep Block stage. Following a suggestion from house captain Chris Holmes (whose brother had been in the Colet Court choir for the first concert performance) we decided to stage Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. To our delight the librettist Tim Rice not only gave us permission to do this, but threatened to come to see it – since his father was an Old Blue. Nick produced and I directed: Tod Ramos painted the set, and several Seniors such as Perry Kitchen willingly came with drums and guitars while I played on a borrowed Earflsa electronic organ. I still claim it was the first ever fully-staged performance. Later collaborations included Captain Noah (and his floating Zoo) and the mammoth All the King’s Men – the last play in Big School, with Nick’s striking set of the walls of Gloucester all along the eastern wall.

Not all Nick’s interests were artistic or indoors. He helped me run a Scout Camp or two, he brought classical music to our first canal trip. He played cricket at a high level, being selected for the Sussex Martlets and helping to found (and name) the Feeder Cricks team at CH. I remember umpiring a staff v boys match once when Nick was put on to bowl: I swear that, as his huge boots trundled up to the crease, the earth trembled and the bails shook! He was a fine historian but always ready to take to the field in boys’ outings to old churches -1 still remember the Saxon wall-paintings at Hardham nr. Pulborough, and Paul Woollard’s sketches of them. He also relieved me very rapidly of the responsibility for Verrio tours and guides which I had inherited from Sherratt – and which I was very happy to lose.

Nick turned Verrio Days into a compete tourist industry, with highly trained guides, new postcards and guide books and splendid teas: he also visited the Townswomen’s Guilds and Mothers’ Unions lecturing on CH from a vast array of slides. It was obvious that his talents were destined for higher things – as indeed he became first the Archivist for the foundation and then the designer, developer and Curator of the School Museum. Here he sat in his office receiving the reminiscences of Old Blues, their widows and widowers, and endless streams of photographs, paintings, and documents.

He was still at his happiest though when lecturing to the Second Form Discovery sets on their first encounter with the Museum – and with NMR He wrote and edited the Christ’s Hospital Papers: a volume on the Music Second Formers visit the Museum in 1995: Including Guy Matthews (no bands). Guy Vesey (future Senior Grecian). Homan Mahmoudi, and the late Tom Snook Masters and Organs of the school, and two volumes of historic photographs. He worked for years on the history of JW Walker’s (Organ Builders); he published the definite guide to the organs of the City of London churches; he was a council member of the British Institute of Organ Studies; he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Society of Antiquaries, and the Organ Adviser for Chichester Diocese.

After his transfer from the history department and his years of house duties, notably in Maine B, Nick took up work on the Counting House staff. This enabled him to live out, and he bought a magnificent town house in Arundel which he set about restoring with characteristic enthusiasm, energy and great style. We made a video on the development, architecture and history of the town which was used for many years for Discovery visits. He commuted to school in an elderly Jaguar. But eventually, he found what he had always been looking for. Sarah was an Old Blue and a music teacher; her father and several other members of the family were organists. Their wedding at Chichester Cathedral was a truly CH occasion, with Mark Wardell at the organ, one-time parent Peter Kellett, the Head Verger, pokering me to a place behind the choir, and Bishop Luxmoore, whose sons had gained so much from Nick in Maine B, preaching the sermon. And then, to crown it all, as the organ blasted out the final voluntary, the bride and groom SAT DOWN and listened until the organ piece was finished before processing to their new life together. Last year Nick completed 100 terms as a member of Christ’s Hospital Common Room. We wish him another 100 terms to do all those things a school master never has enough time for – especially painting. As Nick always put it; ‘So busy, old boy!’ Bless you for all your contributions to the religious, royal and ancient foundation, but above all for being different and doing things your own way. David Sherratt’s original query has since been replaced with the question, ‘Have you got a Plumley on your wall to which I can reply, ‘Well, actually, I’ve got three!

John Shippen (staff 66-04)