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The Memorial
Gates of the old Dorking County Grammar School were originally erected in 1949 at the entrance to the School driveway as a Memorial to pupils who died in the two World Wars. Owing to the increase in traffic, the Gates fell into disrepair, the final Gate being removed from its original position at the entrance just before the large Reunion in 1992, to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the School's foundation.
Nearly ten years ago, after much to-ing and fro-ing the then Chairman of the Ashcombe Dorkinian Association, Mike Dobson, decided to throw down the gauntlet to try to get the gates re-erected before that year's AGM on 14th October 2000.
A "Buy-A-Brick" campaign was started to raise funds for the Gates' refubishment.
The Gates were repaired, refurbished and relocated in a spot not far from where they were once installed. The original memorial plaque had been cleaned and fitted into one of the brickwork pillars with a new, matching plaque in the other.
Somewhere we have (but not known to the webmaster) a photographic record of the Gates' repair, and the building of the Site. Amongst these were pictures of the Redication Ceremony which took place on Saturday, 14th October 2000, just one year after Mike Dobson had thrown down the gauntlet.
Note added January 2008
Since then the plaques, especially the new one, have deteriorated and the current ADA (2007-8) Committee has organised their repair. A picture of the Gates is shown above and the plaques are shown below, the repaired ones above those before the repair.
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