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Laycock House
During 1924 and the earlier part of 1925 the Carey Council maintained a continuing appeal for funds with a goal of 10,000 pounds. When the appeal closed in May 1925 the total stood at 11,212 pounds. This sum included 2,000 pounds from a then anonymous donor to build a memorial dormitory.
In January of that year the Council Executive had examined plans for building the memorial dormitory in the terms of the anonymous gift When tenders were opened in June the lowest was found to be 2,948 pounds, but the donor known by then to be Mr. Burdett Laycock, agreed to increase his benefaction accordingly.
On 28th November 1925, the dormitory building, named in memory of the late Frederick Laycock, the donor's late father, was declared open by Mrs. Lesley A. Mellor, Burdett Laycock's daughter and mother of Alfred Burdett Mellor. Mr. A.F. Fullard, President of the School Council unveiled a memorial tablet reading:
"This building is the gift of Burdett Laycock Esq. in memory of his father Frederick Laycock Esq. Opened November 28th, 1925"
Laycock House was connected to the main school house by a first floor covered passageway. It comprised an upstairs dormitory, master's room, linen room, bathroom and toilets. Downstairs was the boarders' common room, dressing and locker room, storeroom, bathroom and toilets. The showers were for cold water only!
Because of financial stringencies, the need for more classrooms to accommodate the increasing school numbers, the total boarding house was closed at the end of 1951. Laycock House was converted into four classrooms, two on each level. The downstairs locker rooms, showers and toilets became available for the use of visiting sporting teams.
Sometime later, long after the boarders had gone hot showers were installed! Laycock House suffered various alterations, but apart from its former boarding house activities, its modern day real function was its use as a music school.
Geo-location[1] Date opened28th November 1925Date of demolitionBetween 1st September 2008 and 30th September 2008KeywordBoarding houseCategoryProperty | Kew Campus | Laycock House