Miss Burgess was known as Burgie or The Bug, and kissed each girl goodbye at the end of term.

 During the First World War, ether could be smelt in the school from passing trains containing wounded soldiers.

 The chemistry lab was once a billiard room, and the stable courtyard once housed four coach horses.

In the 30s teachers had to be resident and single, and if they wanted to marry had to leave the school.

After lights out for boarders no talking was allowed, so girls communicated with sign language.

In the 40s Selfridges supplied the school uniform, although the school also had a dressmaker, and parents could make up the uniform themselves too.

Someone once put a shrimp under Miss Wilkinsons table, which succeeded in encouraging the school cat to interrupt prayers.

In the 50s boys from Bickley Park School next door would come to use the swimming pool, and the girls were forbidden to look out of the window at them.

Recipe for gypsy tart: Take 1 small tin of evaporated milk and 8 ozs soft brown sugar, and whisk til frothy. Leave in fridge overnight. Bake blind an 8 inch plate with short crust pastry, fill and bake in a moderate oven for 20-30 mins until set.

On the final assembly of term the girls sat in Houses in the hall, with the head, junior school head and head of houses on the stage. For first the junior school then the seniors, individual achievements and Progress cup winners were announced, followed by results of House competitions. The Captain of the House winning the fewest cups led 3 cheers for the other Houses, followed by the runner up House and finally the winning House gave even more rousing cheers for its rivals.  Then the school hymn is sung and the school prayer said.

In the 80s, one final assembly a tarzanogram was arranged for Mrs Hopkins, the deputy head. The tarzan came on stage during the prayers, read a poem for Mrs Hopkins and carried away another teacher.

Founders day was celebrated on a Tuesday afternoon in summer after exams. Girls wore a sweet pea button hole, the head girl read a potted history of the school, the school hymn was sung and school prayer said. Girls and staff then met in House groups to eat cake iced in house colours and drink squash.

Between 1923 and 1986 there were 50 school plays, including Pride and Prejudice, Midsummer Nights Dream, Oliver, Anne of Green Gables and Jack and the beanstalk.

There is a Stratford House School facebook group with 226 members (in 2010).

The school hymn was written by Rudyard Kipling and sung to the welsh tune Llangollen

Land of our birth, we pledge to thee our love and toil in the years to be,  when we are grown and take our place as men and women with our race. Father in heaven who lovest all, O help thy children when they call, that they may build from age to age, an undefiled heritage. Teach us delight in simple things and mirth that has no bitter springs, forgiveness free of evil done, and love to all men 'neath the sun. Land of our birth, our faith, our pride, for whose dear sake our fathers died, O motherland, we pledge to thee, head heart and hand through the years to be. 

School head girls

The head girl supervised the prefects, collected the daily absentee lists from the form captains, and escorted the headmistress from her office to the hall at prayers. She also made end of term lists of those who had been awarded colours or cups for the head to present during final assembly.

Winners of the Sally Heddle Music Scholarship