80-year-old notice keeps its place

Council members of the Association of Lyceum Past Students (ALPS) who were preparing for the recent ALPS Exhibition of Arts, Books and Crafts at the Heritage Malta head offices in Merchants Street, Valletta, came across a notice attached to the back of the main front door which says "After office hours this door must be kept closed". It is signed by "C. Leach".

Mr Leach was the Lyceum Headmaster between 1913 and 1932, which makes this notice between 76 and 95 years old. It must have survived the bombings on Valletta during the worst parts of the attacks on Malta in World War II, and is still in very good condition.

ALPS Civics Commission Chairman Peter Tortell said he had spent three happy years in the early 1950s in the fourth, fifth and sixth classes, but he never saw this notice because the door was always opened.

He feels that there must be some past students of The Lyceum who may remember it.

Thankfully, Heritage Malta have said they have no intention of removing this notice, because it forms part of the history of the building and is a reminder of the time when it served as The Lyceum, where the future leaders of the country received their education.

The ALPS Exhibition of Arts, Books and Crafts closed last Wednesday after having attracted hundreds of visitors since it opened on September 24.