We are delighted to include some personal reminiscences of the School, from an ex-teacher, Miss Lily Harris Candey, whose father was Headmaster until 1918, and who taught at the School herself after the Second World War.

My father was a Naval Schoolmaster. We came to Malta in 1902 where he (my father) was attached to the Dockyard School, then as you know, inside the Dockyard gate in Senglea.

In 1904 the school was removed to the old prison in Strada Prigione (the names were all Italian in those days). Now you will be interested to know that it was the children's and apprentices school in one, because the children's opened at 9.00 a.m. till 12.00 started again at 2 p.m. till 4 — then the staff had to go back to teach the apprentices from 6 to 7.30 p.m.

The children were those whose fathers were employed in the Dockyard (the lowliest labourer was entitled to send his children to the Dockyard school) and of course those of any service men. The children entered at the age of five years, went on until 7th standard (age 14 years) — the girls left, the boys had an examination. According to their position in the result list, so the lads could choose their trade — engineer, electrician etc. On leaving school these lads attended the Dockyard by day to learn their trade — left the yard at five o'clock and back to night school from six to seven thirty.

Many prominent men in Malta are old Dockyard School boys, who later were able to go to Lyceum and/or University. The Garrison Schools stood, apart from St Andrews, at Santa Margarita, Cospicua and Ricasoli. The children travelled by brakes drawn by lovely great horses. Schoolmasters were in uniform. The Dockyard School Staff consisted of Headmaster, Assistant (both Naval) three civilian male teachers, two Maltese male teachers, extra for night school, and three female teachers for Infants, Standards I and II. Many interesting things happened for the Dockyard School children — the Visit of King George and Queen Mary, also the German Emperor with his great moustaches — for these occasions we all lined the route from Marsa to Valletta. The laying of the foundation stone of the breakwater by King Edward, where the school children went over to sing, under my father's baton (he was the music master).

Once the dear old Duke of Connaught had his birthday here. The school children were all invited to the Palace for tea. On leaving we had to pass along in front of the Duke and Princess Pat, who gave the girls each a doll and the boys a sailing boat.

The Admiral of the Dockyard would call in whenever he liked. Each month a member of the school Committee would be on duty. This committee consisted of Admiral Parson, Engineer Captain, Admiral's Secretary and Civilian Secretary — as far as I can remember. The Naval Parson (who had a fine house in Bighi) came to the school for Religious instruction to the Protestants — Canon Cassar, the Roman Catholic Naval Priest took care of the Catholics; two of the masters were of this denomination.

Eventually my father became Headmaster, being relieved in 1918. After being in England with the family until they died, I gravitated back to Malta, where I was extremely lucky to get a job at the Royal Naval School, Headmaster Commander, later Captain Miles. The staff then consisted of Naval Schoolmasters, their wives and those like myself, locally entered people — Great fun, we had few text books, when these were ordered from the Admiralty they took so long in coming that we all had other ideas by the time they (the books) arrived. We did our best with our own brains!

However, later the seconded people arrived, and it was most amusing to note their chagrin to find how they were expected to work. You see they all wanted "a free hand" they didn't understand "Navy," much less Pink books, white cards, correct reports, with a care not to hurt the feelings of the parents. That's how it was when I was at Tal Handaq. As the school was enlarged the Infants and Juniors went to Verdala, myself with them.

All together I spent seventeen very very happy years, my last Headmaster being Instr. Commander Newbery.

I joined the Staff at Tal-Handaq in September 1949. It was then known as the Royal Naval School and although Verdala had been opened to accommodate the Infants and Juniors, not all these classes had been absorbed, so Tal-Handaq had not only a Grammar and Modern side (the word Comprehensive was not known in those days) but four classes of Juniors and about the same of Infants — the staff consisted of Naval Instructor Officers — and locally entered teachers, many of whom were service wives.

During the war the school had been an Army Ack Ack Site and most of the ground floor windows were iron barred - all rather sinister. Very few of the buildings were two storied and there was nothing beyond where the Hall is now - just the fields and no through road. The buses all parked in what is now known as the Staff Upper Car Parking Area so the size of the school can be gauged by this fact. Some of these buses are still on the road.

Captain Miles was the Headmaster and his time was marked by the building of the present School Hall until then, the ground floor rooms of Block 2, still separated by folding doors, accommodated all the school at assembly.

In 1950 just before Captain Miles was relieved by Commander Bellamy the present hall was completed — soon after this the first Tal-Handaq Musical Production, "The Princess JU JU" was produced by Mr. Walker. Later, Mr. Cresell produced "She Stoops to Conquer" and "The Rivals". From then on Tal-Handaq continued to put on a major show annually at either Christmas or in the Spring Term. For many years it became the tradition for school and staff to take part in Gilbert and Sullivan operas — these were very successful.

I can remember the visit of the first H.M.I's; as there were still Junior Classes in the school it fell to my lot, not only to take English in the O and A Level classes but once a week I descended to Form I Junior where I taught Geography. One day during their visit I had an inspector at my VI Form lesson in the morning, and that afternoon the same gentleman visited me in Form I. At the end, he greeted me with "Miss Yule you are a very versatile lady" — an unsolicited bit of praise I felt.

We had many more inspections while I was at the school and as Senior Mistress it was my duty to accompany the senior woman inspectress round the girls' cloakrooms etc. To my horror I found one lady's principal interest was the length of the chains in the lavatories. By and large, I doubt if we ever found these visits too over powering.