An oddity was Mr Harmer-Smith, with a double breasted suit, usually a fraid and tie and sporting a grey/white a moustacheand white hair swept back Harmer-Smith had been the owner and headmaster of another private boy’s school called The Crescent School situated in Redland, Bristol, obviously in financial trouble he closed down the school and joined the staff at Cotham teaching mainly religious education, Harmer-Smith brought with him a number of his ex pupils that boosted the numbers at Cotham.

Harmer-Smith had an addiction to tea for every time he entered a classroom he carried with him a tray with a kettle, school milk (in half-pint bottles) a cup and saucer, loose tea in a tin and sugar. He then proceeded to plug in the kettle and throughout the lessons drink copious amounts of milky tea!

 He also had a particular unsavoury habit that sometimes thinking that his lower body was hidden behind the teaching desk he then placed his hand inside his baggy pocket trousers and slowly ‘played with himself�?this did not go unnoticed by us boys, once after ejaculated  inside his trousers he excused himself and dashed into the lavatoryHis other unsavoury habit gave him the nickname ‘Hovis Muncher.�?/FONT>Only a trained psychologist could probably fathom out this peculiarity.He would sit at lunch and take some Hovis bread from the basket, carefully he would moisten it with his salvia and then roll it into a small ball, and then would half sit on it! Slowly he would take pieces from his hiding place and chew on them with his meal.