Andrew Moore (99-18S), Adam Crispin (90-97G) and Ruslan Korovin (98-07F) have all written to say they were involved in burying a time capsule in the small field behind the Langhome building, the building at the western edge of the school 

Nick Brookbank (86-96C) remembers when Brian Aldiss (38-43F) visited WBS to help locate the time capsule he buried back in his school days. .....

Nick Brookbank (86-96C)

I remember the Brian Aldiss time capsule vividly. It was only the other day it came to mind. Coincidentally, it came at the same time as a new book launch for the esteemed author. I and some other boarders at the time were asked to have a dig around in the hedges that bordered the plantation and the old CCF assault course. After some hours of fruitless destruction of said ancient hedges, Mr Aldiss gave some quite specific instructions as to where to dig and lo and behold Nick Reed’s spade struck gold! A touch too hard for Mr Aldiss’ liking, striking a mighty dent to a rather well kept biscuit tin that had miraculously stood the test of time and all the weather WBS could throw at it. Not to mention, never being stumbled across previously by a truant young wag having a cheeky fag or even a romantic grip or two behind the said hedgerow.

Nonetheless, we dutifully gathered around as the local TV crew filmed to utter oohs and aaahs at the contents. If i remember rightly it was a manuscript of one of his early mild erotic works, as fresh as if it had been drawn from the temperature controlled archives of the Bodleian that day.

Matron, Jen Humes, at the time made a recording of the local news where yours truly was interviewed. Whether it still exists or not I do not know but it drew much hilarity at the time over drinks in the 6th form bar. Oh the days of such liberal attitudes! 

Oh and our reward? About a week or two later Michael Downward made a great fuss of giving us a postcard of WBS signed by Mr Aldiss himself.