Life 100 years ago
How did Hobbayne get
its name?
Nearly 600 years ago during the middle ages a man
called William Hobbayne was living in Hanwell.
When he died in 1484 he left a house and some land
in his will to the people of Hanwell. William made a
charity that gave money to St. Mary’s Church and
towards vaccines, building houses and education for
poor people.
There is no record of any school in Hanwell before
1782. In 1779 William Hobbayne ‘s charity started to
pay for a few poor children to go to school outside of
Hanwell. In 1781 the charity decided that it wanted to
have a school in Hanwell so that more children could
learn and play together. In 1782 it bought a house by
St. Marys Church and turned it into a school. Al-
though Hobbayne School is no longer in that house
you can still go and see where it was by visiting the
Rectory Cottage.
The site of Hobbayne’s charity school moved around
quite a few times as it got
bigger. During the 1800’s a number of other schools
opened in Hanwell and Hobbayne’s charity school
closed as the county council took over the running of
schools. The council opened a new school on Green-
ford Avenue in 1911 and
this is what we call Hob-
bayne School today.
By Amy Goodall
Aged 8, Purple Class
Hello my name is Anna and I want to tell you about
my life. I was born in Hanwell Cottage Hospital in
1903. I live near the new Elthorne Park. Before Elt-
horne Park was made there used to be fields belong-
ing to the
farm. I was
there when it
opened last
year and a
really im-
portant per-
son came in
(a Lord I
think) and
he said I
declare this park to be open and he opened the gates.
My school is Hobbayne Primary school but my best
friend goes to Cuckoo school. He says the school is
strict and they only give you bread and margarine
and a glass of water to finish with and jam on week-
ends. The school owns a church and a farm. Then
one day Charlie Chaplin took Tom and the rest of
the school to a picnic and to see one of his films at
the cinema because he’s in loads of films. A few
years earlier he went to Tom’s school. My friend
Tom is a bit mad and I told him to be careful be-
cause he might end up in the lunatic asylum near the
canal.
Last weekend we went on a picnic near the old
windmill. My dad told me about the 3 bridges there
designed by Mr Brunel. That’s what boring things
dads like to talk about. My dad works in a violin
factory and my mum works at a laundry just round
the corner.
Better be off now because I might get caned by my
teacher Mrs Fiddles because I’m talking to you and I
am supposed to be doing my homework!
By Anna Ruddock Year 3
 Memories

Len was born in Hanwell 85 years ago, he still lives in the same house now with his wife Josie. I asked
him if he could tell me some of his memories through the years.First he told me 2 Historical facts:
Hanwell is in the Doomsday Book

The magnificent viaduct is a Brunel and when Queen Victoria’s train travelled across it they
had orders to scown to a halt so she could admire the view across church fields.

When he was young the streets were the children’s playgrounds and they played hop-scotch and mar-
bles and spinning tops. One of the big events in the 1930’s was the brass band parade from Hanwell
Town to Elthorne Park. Many bands took part and one year Len carried the Hanwell band flag at the
front - he is still proud of this!Len was not in Hanwell in the war as he was a green beret in the royal
marines. Josie said she spent many nights in the basement of St Annes School with lots of other people.
There were not many cars and their main transport was these lovely old trams which ran on tracks. The
population was much smaller then and community spirit was good , the main meeting place for friends
was the town centre. Josie told me the big changes began in the 60’s as they had a lovely shopping cen-
tre with varied shops then suddenly Sainsbury’s closed down and quickly most other shops did too-she
thinks it’s never been the same. Len said all changes started to happen after this, many more properties
were built and some were lost but he and Josie are very proud of Hanwell’s history they just wish some-
thing could be done about the town centre.

I really enjoyed listening to Len and Josie they

have a lot of funny stories to tell and too many
to be able to write! I hadn’t spoken to them be-
fore but I have been invited back!
I also met David who went to Hobbayne in the
1950’s. He said he couldn’t remember a great
deal because all days were the same. There was
just a main building then and the playground
seemed very large. He remembers a patch of
grass with flowers where the school photos
were taken and pupils were not allowed to play there. He didn’t have a favourite teacher- they were all
quite strict! David did like the headmaster mr Ridley as he was quite fair with punishments. This has
been a good way to find out more about where I live and go to school!
Jane Richards , 8 years old - Purple Class

HOBBAYNES PAST
Hobbayne opened in 1911 and is still here now. My
school has changed a lot since it started. The field has
modified because there used to be lots of benches and
the school had a different logo. Hobbayne ran a scout
club and it had lots of class assemblies.

Szymon Pawluk Year 3


HANWELL 100 YEARS AGO
A hundred years ago, Hanwell was a very dif-
ferent place, there were lots of fields and open
space and not many schools. For example Han-
well Community Centre was once a school. It
was split into two parts, one part where you
work and the other was for learning. This is be-
cause a hundred years ago children had to
work. From ages 4–9 you were in the learning
part and 10–14 you started working and learn-
ing how to do everyday things.
The girls did needlework, cleaning, nursery-
maid work, cooking and tidying dormitories
(this is where they slept). The boys did baking,
blacksmithing, carpentry, glazing, painting,
gardening and farming. When the boys reached
the age of fourteen they moved on and worked
in boy’s homes, in their own home or they were
placed as apprentices. When girls reached the
age of fourteen they started working as servants
or maids. The girls also used to take part in
Swedish dancing classes. Most of the boys
went and joined army bands and then many be-
came bandmasters.
If I lived 100 years ago I would have found it
very different from now. I might have liked it a
bit but I don’t know why girls couldn’t do
painting too! I prefer to stay where I am now
than going back to the past to learn. I like it
much better here!
By Lola Almeida Year 5
Hobbayne Primary
Celebrate Centenary.
This year Hobbayne Primary is celebrating
its one and only centenary! How this special
and festive event is going to be celebrated
has yet to be decided by Mr. J. Brown the
current headmaster and Mrs. C. Densmore
the deputy. Even though it is 'Hobbayne's
Centenary' the school wasn't always known
as Hobbayne Primary. The school changed
its name from Greenford Avenue Primary to
Hobbayne Primary on February 1930. Many
things in Hobbayne have changed through-
out the years of its existence, including the
uniform: in the 1950-70's the Hobbayne's
uniform was an old type gym slip, navy uni-
form, completed with a felt hat.
Possibly of coincidence, but in 1484 a man
named William Hobbayne gave lands in
Hanwell, worth £6 per year, which was used
to help the local poor. In 1781, a charity
school was established, and children were
taught "reading, writing, plain work, and the
principles of the Christian religion". Other
early schools were the Hanwell Academy, a
private boarding school, founded in 1832,
and the Central London District School (also
known
as the
Cuckoo
School)
for poor
children
from
central
London.
It was founded in 1856; its most famous pu-
pil was Charlie Chaplin. Hopefully Hobbayne
will enjoy this event.
Chantelle Da Costa Year 6
 CENTENARY STRIKES HOBBAYNE

There is no record of any school in Hanwell before 1782. A Roman Catholic school started in
1901 by Sisters of St. Joseph, who had moved into the area by the invitation of the priest. The
county council opened schools in Oaklands Road in 1906 and on The Greenford Avenue in 1911.
In 1926, when Hanwell became part of Ealing, the borough took over the council schools. A few
years after the seniors (high school age) were also moved from Green-
ford Avenue (now renamed Hobbayne School)
When the school was opened it was called Greenford Avenue but was
later changed and named after William Hobbayne who has been part
of Hanwell’s history for a long time. In 1484 William gave a house and
land to be used for the poor and needy of Hanwell. Since then the
Charity of William Hobbayne has been quietly making a difference to
local people in need, hardship or distress and putting time into schools.
The school has had very good reports from inspectors from when it
was inspired by the local church charity to today where the school is
still going for gold every day. The only difference is we no longer play hopscotch but also spend a
lot of time on technological games and basic education has been replaced with getting ready for
the future.
The school’s main building stayed the same over time but additional buildings have been put up
and around the school. The head teacher at this present time is Mr. Brown and the school has
almost 500 students. The school used to have students mostly from the village of Hawell now has
students from all over the world who have moved into the bigger space that is now Hanwell.

Happy Birthday Hobbayne and may it live to see another 100 years! Jade Beecham Year 5

Hobbayne Primary School in 2111

I think Hobbayne Primary School in the future will have computers as work books, there would be no
tables because we could all float and if
teachers were sick and could not come into
school, there would be a robot to cover for
them. In the past I think school was very
unfair because the teachers
used physical violence and
they used a cane to whip
children if they miss behaved. I think in the
future we will not do Geography lessons and
R.E lessons any more, instead I think we
will do D.I.Y to learn skills for when we
grow up. I think we will not study Geogra-
phy in Primary school, instead we will learn
Geography at university because it is a more
advanced subject. I think we will not do R.E because nobody will believe in god any more.
I think in the future school uniforms will not exist anymore (at least I hope it won’t!!!) Instead everyone
will where their own clothes and if someone wore school uniform they would get told off because it be-
came illegal in 2050 I hope!!! At lunch time you would just have a little sweet and it would give them
all they need for lunch (a bit like Willy Wonka!) and they would have water by drinking coke, but the
coke would give them all the things they needed and the coke would be HEALTHY!!
Maddy Bush YEAR 4
 The future of Hobbayne!
The year is 2111 and it is a normal school day at
Hobbayne Primary School. All the pupils come in on
their astonishing jet scooters. They are a bright me-
tallic red with a solar panel built on the handles and
not forgetting they can fly! The pupils rush into class
for the register.
Registration is very different nowadays because in-
stead of the teacher reading your name out, you
scan your fingerprint on a machine on the class-
room door. Practically every school in the country
has one.
Teachers only teach certain lessons now, the ones
that computers cannot do. First of all we have our
science lesson.
A holographic teacher does this. He stands by a
whiteboard and can walk around the room when
pupils push there small help buttons.
When we are down stairs we feel excited that we
will be using the Bunsen burners. The holographic
teacher is amazing. He teaches us everything you
need to know with a Bunsen burner.
When it is time for break all the pupils go in glass lifts
down to the playground. The lift passes every class-
room on the way.
Some of the boys play air basketball where all the
players wear jet boots. The silver design gleamed in
the sunlight and was expertly made. Some of the
girls play skipping with the skip robots. The robots
hold the ends of the rope and make sure everyone
who wants a turn gets a turn.
After break it was time for I.C.T. We get to our com-
puter suite from the class lift. With the special com-
puters in the suite, you can ask the computer what
program you want and it will automatically open it.
Like science, pupils can press the help button and a
real teacher will sort out the problem.
At the end of each lesson we use the virtual reality
helmet that takes you back to any historical period
in 4D. You can touch things, smell it and hear what is
going on at that certain moment in time.
Next is lunch. At our school we order our lunch on a
touch screen and what you ordered arrives on a
conveyor belt. You don’t have much time for break
so you can concentrate on lessons.
After lunch is our last lesson of the day, P.E. For
sports, there is a central room with lots of different
rooms around it. Each room is for a different sport.
For example in the cricket room you hit a ball and
on the screen it shows how fast you hit or bowled
the ball and if you got any runs are out.
It was now the end of the day and everybody was
going home happily wondering if tomorrow would
be as good as today.
By Luke Blake Year 5
Hobbayne in 2111
This is how I imagine our Hobbayne School in 2111
At Hobbayne the outside world would be quite the
same but some things would be different. There
would be windmills to create electricity. They would
create energy that would be put into a tube in a box
that would then turn into electricity.
Also, rainwater would get collected in buckets that
were hidden on the roof. The water is filtered and
used for drinking water and toilets. Also on the roof,
there is a place with lots of plants and green things.
The windows make the energy by the sun shining on
it. The energy goes through a tube into a box. In the
box, electricity is created, just like windmills do.
The playgrounds are almost the same, just a few
changes. The infant playground has the “monkey
bars” but they are shorter. By the entrance, there
would be a play car-set, with pretend traffic lights so
you could learn about being safe on the streets.
In the classroom it is quite different too. Instead of
white boards, there are unbreakable glass boards at
the front. You might notice that the wood tables are
covered in the same glass as well. The glass uses
computer technology. There would be a message
box that you could put your message in and it would
go through the table legs, into the floor and sent to
the person. On the table you can do math, reading,
science, language and you can even watch TV. The
teacher could send you messages from his/her
glass table as well.
The types of things you learn would be a little differ-
ent too. Chinese will be taught more often. There
would be a new class all about the environment.
Also there will be
a big change in
science. You will
start to learn
more science at a
younger age.
In the year 2111
this is how I imag-
ine some of the
things to be like.
Anna Marie
Cobb, Year 3
 Hobbayne 2111

“10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ready or not here I come” shouted my friend. I had a grate hiding place it was
behind the climbing frame then suddenly I saw some thing at first I didn’t know what it was. It was a
door, I opened it, it was just big enough for me to go through. It opened to my play ground but I
couldn’t see my friends then a girl came up to me and asked “are you new?”
“No, I just came through a strange door where am I?”
“you’re in Hobbayne” she replied, “but that's were I came from” I said confused “it could be a
change of time” she suggested. “Whats the time then” I said still confused “2111” she answered “but
I’m from 2011” I said “I’m in the future” I said “yes that would make sense” she replied and walked
off.

Then I looked up and saw a huge climbing frame floating over the playground, with monkey bars and
swinging bars, ladders, ropes, zip wires and huge slides of all kind, with crash mats underneath. So I
climbed up a ladder and did all of the things you could do it was brilliant and fun! Suddenly some
words appeared on the wall it said, year 3 pack lunch, I checked I still had my lunch box, I did, so I
went in for lunch.. On the table there was lots and lots of printers I looked at one, a child said
“cheese” then suddenly a plate of cheese came out of the printer and he ate it. I sat down next to the
girl I met earlier she tort me how to use it, you had to press a button and say what you want to eat. I
said I wanted some “Roast dinner” and guess what immediately some lovely roast dinner came out so
I ate it, it was delicious.

When I went out to play it started raining I looked up and a roof came over to stop the rain, the girl
said it was called a “rain cover”. We played together on the climbing frame mainly on the zip wire it
was so fun. Then some words appeared on the wall again it said come in for your lesson. So we did at
the door the girl said “you have to put your finger on this thing on her wrist and it teliported you to
class by your finger print. We found our selves in the class immediately, it was amazing and cool. It
was lesson time we had a party, because Hobbayne was celebrating its 200th birthday! There was lots
of yummy food like chocolate and sweets the girl said that they had made chocolate and sweets
healthy to eat by adding this special plant. Then we went in to a shed with loads of animals in it and
some were even magic. The teachers taught us how to look after them. Then we went in to assembly
Mr Brown was still alive and it was 2111 so the girl explained that “they had found some thing that
makes people live for ever, at least for 2000 years”.

At the end of the day we went in the school’s swimming pool which had a water slide and wave ma-
chines it even had dolphin shaped boats which were electric and surfing boards with any picture you
want on it. Then it was home time so I said goodbye and went back throw the magic door. “I wonder
where she is,” said my friend. When she found me I told her
about my adventure, she said she wanted to go too as it sounded
so fun. So we went together the next day it was brilliant! I intro-
duced her to the girl I met.

Amelie Moat Year 3 27th Feb 2011

Being a school child in 2111

When I wake up in the morning I hear the jingling Robot alarm. I slowly sit up and rub my eyes. Then I go and
turn the jingling Robot alarm off as I do so I turn round and to my surprise I see my butler Robot standing next
to my bed. My ‘suspended hanger’ that holds my clothes for the day is waiting for me to get dressed. So I jump
into my suspended hanger and a couple of seconds later I’m dressed.

Now I’m in the bathroom getting ready to clean my teeth so I ask another one of my butler robots to do it. Now
that’s finished I have to wash my face ready for school butler robots do that too! Last thing to do in the bath-
room is to put my hover shoes on and I’m afraid the butler robots do that as well. Hover shoes are special shoes
that let you move around just hovering above the ground.

Learning to hover down the stairs is a bit trickier than hovering in a straight line. But by age 5 most children
have mastered it. Do you believe 100 years ago children used to go around on boards with wheels on them. Mum
said they were called skateboards and scooters and that she had them when she was younger but it sounds pretty
dangerous to me.
I’m just eating an energy bar for breakfast then off to school.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee that’s so fun swirling round in the air on hover shoes. I’m at school now did you
know to get into school you have to step on a button and the gate opens. There’s another button on the other side
to close the gate operated by my fingerprints. This also is like a register to let the school know I’m in school.

Anyway I’ve entered my classroom. Oh by the way my teacher is called Miss Honey.
She is a very kind teacher. I’m in year 3.
“Today our topic is called people around the world and as you can all see we have a new student called Bella I
suppose she feels the way you felt when it was your first day at school please treat her like it was you” she says
Miss Honey takes the register by calling out children’s names. We all have electronic desk surfaces that can read
our hand print and we touch this to let the teacher know we’re here. My desk works like a touch screen computer
with a pen for detailed work especially writing and art.

On the wall is a Digitable, which has the children’s names and buttons next to them. When we’re good we get a
credit on our Credits Card. Credits are practically money because you can buy stuff at school with them. Each
time we get a credit we get a point on our good behavior badge and it flashes on our uniform.
I earned 7 credits today which means I have 7 pounds on my credits card.
Miss honey says it is time for lunch so bye for now.

“Excuse me where do you get your lunch from” Bella asked me so I explain.
“There are ‘holes in the wall’ called lunch monitors and what you’re meant to do is to click on your class name,
then choose your name from the list and they’ll give you a choice of food and you collect it by the metal desk”.
“Thank you” she says gratefully. I go to the Lunch Monitor myself, click on my choice of food and collect it. We
sit together for lunch.

Munch munch yum yum yum mmmmmmm this is delicious food and, guess what, I’ve made a new friend isn’t
that great!
I’m going shopping now hooray. There is no shop but there is another hole in the wall called a ‘Shopper Credit’
where you put your Credits Card in the slot, click on what you would like to buy and then it gets delivered
through a bigger hole. You get your card back through a different slot and how ever much the thing you bought
costs you that many credits taken off your card.
Now we’re going home because school is over for he day. So I go and collect my property from my ‘Suspended
Locker’ and sit at my desk waiting for Miss Honey to call my name “Jessica you can go”. So I go home on my
hover shoes with my new friend Bella.

by Jessica Wetherall age 8

 Dave Gray’s Diary
Keep out!
Monday 8th February 2111
Dear Diary,
Today is my first day at a new school, Hobbayne primary. Mum told me that they’re 200 years old
this year. Let me tell you the day’s happenings.
Mr. Brown (the headmaster) greets me at the School teleport reception. He calls up two boys, one
of which is called Simon McDean, and one who is called Liam Johnson. Simon tells me that Hob-
bayne’s motto is ‘caring, sharing & learning’. Simon also tells me that I will be in Miss Federici’s
class, Mars class.

I’m taken to my classroom. It has a 4D laser projector. My hoverseat is next to a boy called
Callum. I am given a guided tour of the school by Liam and Simon. They take me to see the Astro-
gym on the 6th floor, the history room on the 11th floor where you can meet famous people of the
past’s ghosts and the Space Museum on the 19th floor. Afterwards, we fly to morning assembly.
As we land I see some awards. Hobbayne got ‘outstanding’ in Ofsted inspections every 4-5 years
since 2007. Mr. Brown talks about how astronauts have discovered a new planet called Nedired-
inio. I thought all the planets and universes had already been discovered! After Assembly it’s
maths. We’re learning fractions, but I’m not concentrating. I’m just writing in this diary. Anyway, I
don’t see the point of School. Why can’t I have Brainbox tuition, like the cool kids have? You
know, that hat that you put on and it teaches you stuff at home, in a really fun way. You only need
30 minutes of that a day, while I’ve been told that Hobbayne finishes at 3:15pm. After maths it’s
playtime. Me, Liam, Simon, Callum and a few other boys play rocket races. I grab an X.68w. we
were having a really fun time but suddenly a boy called Samuel Coppinger crashes and breaks his
leg. We fly up to the healing spa on the 10th floor and the Roboid nurse shines the healing light on
his leg so he is healed straight away. After that we carry on and finally I finish 4th out of the 13 of
us that played. Callum finishes 1st.

“Not bad for a new kid, Dave,” He commented. “You want to be friends?” I agreed without hesita-
tion. Afterwards we learnt about natural disasters. It’s hard to believe that up to around 50 years
ago people actually couldn’t predict and stop earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tsunamis and other
natural disasters happening and people actually died in them!
The final thing of the morning is lunch. For lunch I have Moon
grass, Neptune dogs and fire-balls. I love those fizzy fire-balls.
Our first lesson of the afternoon is P.E. We’re playing Tesad.
It’s where you play with a floating ball that has a mind of its
own and each side has got a small hole on their side which the
opposing side then has to get the ball in. I found out that I was
a great midfielder, and I helped my team to win 7-5!!! I scored
3, and Liam and a boy called Mark Cafano each scored 2,
(they were on my team) while Callum scored 4 for the other
team and Samuel Coppinger scored the other 1 for them. I get
the feeling Callum is the best at sport in the class. The last les-
son of the day is the unknown, and today we looks at the big
bang in 2056, which made Pluto explode. Then it’s home time.
I teleport home with Liam and Callum, and I find out that Liam
is my next-door-neighbour, and Callum lives 5 space-blocks
away.
I think that I will really enjoy life at Hobbayne primary.