Staff + some (probably unfair / biassed / ignorant) attributes
* Pa Richardson (Richie). Headmaster ??-1955
* Dr (“Posho”) Miller. Headmaster 1955-1956.
* Miss Judy Dibdin. Piano and music teacher. 1952-1955. Left to marry Eldoret doctor Reynolds (and Judy taught at the Highlands).
* Miss Craig. Girls’ Hockey. Married local farmer (Walters).
* Mr Archie Fraser. 195?-1968. Boys housemaster for many years. Taught geography, cricket. Family farm near Kitale, but spent most school holidays visiting pupils at their homes. Organised staff/pupil tennis tournaments on Sundays.
* Mr J A L Chitty (Jim). 1956-?? Headmaster (and owner). Taught maths, Rugby, and his own brand of Cricket (not unlike today’s Kwik Cricket). Punishment by ‘tackie’ and cane frequent. Daughter Caroline attended the school. Wife Jane, see below.
* Mrs Jane Chitty. 1956-?? English. Also was school secretary from time to time. Pretty fearsome dame.
* Mrs Albrecht. ??-?? (1950’s) Afrikaaner. Taught one of the younger classes.
* Miss Pauline Herniman. ??-59 and 1970’s. Music. Left to marry a local farmer (Macadam) and returned in the 70’s
* Mrs Peggy Homer. ?59-61. Music. Saga of her drive up in a battered Morris Minor with her son (Georgie – a pupil) from Rhodesia to take up the appointment documented in the first ‘Kaptagatian’ magazine.
* Mr Brian Veall. ??-??. Taught French. Superb athlete. Demonstrated a 22′ long jump one sports day. Catchphrase: “That’s the ticket”.
* Mrs Helga Veall. ??-??. (wife of above). Taught English with a German accent.
* Mr John Bax. 58-61 and 70-?? (returned for a second spell, as headmaster). Taught Latin, French, Football. Sons Richard and Andrew attended the school. Wife, quite a looker, was sometime boys matron.
* Mr David Jupp. 58-68. Art, History. Painted the murals in the classrooms. One was ‘classical’ with statues and temples in a landscaped garden. The other was ‘African’ with bamboos and jungle. History was enlivened by his hand drawn scenes, which he stencilled and we coloured and stuck in our books. Only one eye. Took boys to the hotel for tea most Sunday afternoons, and played board games or cards with boys for hours on Saturdays and other free time.
* Mr Cecil West. 61-??. Music, Cricket. Broad taste included 1930’s ballads. Nickname Askey, ‘cos he looked very like Arthur Askey
* Mr Tax. 61-??. Latin. French. Swahili. Greek Mythology. Extraordinary little Dutchman, who smoked very cheap smelly small cigars. Incredible width of knowledge, many testify to him as an inspiration. Died in 1988.
* Mrs Williams 61-63. Latin and Riding. Organised the Gymkhanas. Daughter Pippa and son Nigel at the school. Mrs Williams died Nov 2000.
* Anne (Keane) Wollen. Late 50’s. Helped with riding teaching. Daughter Odile Keane at the school.
* Dr Ashton came each Sunday from Eldoret to take strongly evangelical services.
* Miss Jack, Tall lady kept much to herself, can’t remember what she taught, very disciplined and fussy. Despite this she could be fun when she wanted to.
* Miss Dobson, everyones favourite. Used to walk through the boys dorms after lights out kissing as many as she could. They all loved it. Can’t remember what she taught but she was very active in sports as well and doubled as the boys matron at times. A very nice lady.
* Mr Grieves Cooke, History teacher. A nice fellow in his fifties (in the 70’s). History class was like being transported back to England in the 17 century. Enthralling. A bit absent minded
* Mr Andrews, taught French and Maths. We had fun on the French walks, where we would go down to the river and sometimes into the woods and had to speak only french.
* Mr Pachet, quiet, a good athlete. He payed rugby for the local club, ‘Western Kenya Oribis’. Had a good rapport with the boys.
* Mr Dick Lauder, Science teacher. Very hip Britich chap. Popular with all the kids, saw through a lot of us. We used to smoke straws in the lab. He didn’t seem to mind.
* Mrs Evans, Matron, could be scary to a child of 7-10 years. Took a lot to understand her. Ran the boys dorm with perfection.
* Miss Atika, (Kenyan) girls matron, hawkish, stern, aloof. The girls loved her though. Like a big sister to them.
* Mrs Rushbrooke, (Ma Rush) Headmasters wife, maths teacher as well. A trained nurse, she ran the school sanatorium which was very well managed. She was the hardest working staff member in Kaptagat. An excellent person.
* Mr Rushbrooke, Headmaster, English teacher, choir master. Very good at the piano, explosive temper. Took charge of all school activities. Took us to all our matches and doubled as the school coach in many sports. Had a little sail boat in the pool. Very strong character. Very handy with a tackie. But very fondly remembered by many.
* Mrs Waldron – visiting ballet teacher in 60’s and 70’s, came in from Eldoret. Son and Daughter Elizabeth and Christopher Blackwall were at the school.
* Mrs Pearce – Science. Went bird-watching in a VW Combi
The 1958 Kaptagatian Magazine published the staff list as follows:
STAFF in DEC 58
Headmaster J. A. L. Chitty, M.A.(Cantab) Mathematics
assisted by Mrs J. Chitty, as Bursar
J. N. Bax, M.A. (Cantab) Classics and English
D. E. Jupp, A.R.E, A.R.C.A. Art and History
R. W. Veall, B.A. (London) Modern Languages
Miss P. R. Herniman, G.R.S.M, L.R.A.M. Music
Mrs. B. W. Veall, Dip.Ed. (Durham) Geography and English
Mrs. G. Parke (Froebel) Second Form
Mrs. H. Gilbertson-King, Cert.Ed. (London) First Form
Sister: Miss J. Frisher, S.R.N. (Guy’s Hospital)
Secretary: Miss C. Dewar (Queen’s Secretarial College, London)
Housemaster: Mr. A. Lovat Fraser assisted by Miss Caroline Begg
Housemistress: Mrs. A. Phillips
Cateress: Miss E. Bure
VISITING STAFF
Religious Instruction: The Rev. Rupert Lonsdale
Ballet: Mrs. Tania Waldron (late Metropolitan Opera Company, New York)
Riding: Mrs. Zoe Foster, assisted by Miss Mary Foster and Miss Judith Wilkinson
Tennis: Miss Sampson (L.T.A. Coach)
School Doctor: Dr. G. Reynolds, D.M.
School Dentist I. E. McKechnie, L.D.S.
Legal Advisers: Robson, Harris & Co., Nairobi
Accountants: Bell & Co., Nakuru.
Among the papers from Richard Bax was a printed staff list of about 1970:
J N Bax Headmaster
assisted by
J M Dunn Maths, Science and Art
A Lovat Frazer Geography and Divinity
Mrs J R Gill French
Mrs M C Logan History and English
Mrs P R Macadam Music and Singing
E M Phair English
H G Roberts Maths, Physics and Chemistry
L J Tax Latin, Greek and Kiswahili
Miss G M Hughes Form III
Miss J M Robinson Form II
Miss G MacLeod Form I
– visiting staff
C D Cullen Horse riding
Mrs J Musson Ballet
Miss C M Drakeley English
and
Sister Miss A M Ould
Secretary Mrs C M Jarvis
Medical Officer Dr M D Taylor
Chaplain Archdeacon J Adoyo