The Day They Laid the Foundation Stone for the Cathedral School – December 1928

As I mentioned GG Scott’s Holy Trinity Church yesterday it seems only right to note the Cathedral School next door that drew most of its boys from the families of the congregation of Holy Trinity.Cathedral School was posh, similar to a British public school but without boarders and was housed in the rather nice art-deco building adjacent to the church. One rather well known old boy is of course J.G. Ballard who talked about the school in Empire of the Sun (I’ve put a link in but if you’re reading this blog and you’ve not read Empire of the Sun you really need to take your business elsewhere!!) and in this article in the Sunday Times shortly before his death.

Down along Jiujiang Road (formerly Kiukiang Road) is the school building where a small plaque remains to the foundation stone:

Cathedral School – Henry Lester Endowment for British Boys and Cathedral Church House and Hall

This corner stone was laid by CF Garstin Esquire CBE

British Acting Consul General at Shanghai

on the 19th Day of December 1928

The wonderfully named Charles Fortesque Garstin had a minor reputation as somewhat of a fighter against the opium trade and the, in 1928, rising power of the Green Gang etc. He moved from Acting to full in consul in 1929. And so the foundation stone was laid. What anyone walking past these days who bothers to stop, crouch down and read of CF Garstin’s actions that, presumably cold, day in December 1928 makes of him I do not know. But he lingers on down there on Kiukiang Road all the same.