Students going home at the beginning of the Christmas holidays

A joyous and slightly chaotic moment at Ardingly College, captured in 1926, as boarding school boys eagerly prepare to head home for the Christmas break. Perched atop a towering stack of battered suitcases on a horse-drawn cart, the boys wave their caps with infectious excitement. Their smiles say it all—freedom, home, and holiday cheer await.

This was a time when boarding schools were still deeply traditional, and horse-drawn transport was a practical solution in rural England. The image is a vivid reflection of early 20th-century student life—strict during term time, yet filled with camaraderie and bursts of carefree spirit when school let out.

The Gothic Revival buildings in the background, typical of English public schools of the era, reinforce the historical setting, just a few years before motor vehicles would begin to replace carts like this one.

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