The Ridge, A Johannesburg Preparatory School by Andrew Harington. H/C. Large format.1986 98649 pp.

First published 1986 by Ad. Donker Publisher. Dust jacket frayed at edges. Cloth-covered hardcover in good condition, slightly frayed at bottom edge. Inside pages clean and neat. Gift inscription on front flyleaf. High quality printing on glossy paper. Many black and whote photographs. Large format: 26 (H) x 21,5 (W) x 2 (D) cm

What a nostalgic find for anyone who had or still has ties with that lovely old institution, The Ridge private preparatory school in Johannesburg.

The Ridge opened in 1919 with under 20 pupils in what had been a private house, called The Woolsack, surrounded by koppies. The previous owner of the house, Aubrey Woolls-Sampson, was in such dire financial straits that he lived in a tree outside Salisbury (Harare) and could not be induced by his friends to get down and live in town. Today (1986) the school buildings, scarcely recognisable to earlier pupils, have greatly expanded and there are over 200 pupils. Prof Harington, an old boy, traces the development of the school from its founding to 1986, placing great emphasis on the contribution of individuals through the years.