On Thursday 5th February, a group of twenty Old Bedfordians, parents, and guests gathered for a special private viewing at the Higgins Bedford, where an exhibition dedicated to OB Noel Lewis Carrington (Bedford School, 1903–13) offered a vivid window into one of the school’s most quietly influential alumni.
After a convivial welcome over a glass or two of fizz, guests were invited into the gallery. There, Victoria Partridge, Keeper of Fine and Decorative Art at the Higgins, delivered an engaging introduction to Carrington’s life and achievements. Born in 1895 and the youngest of five children, Noel moved to Bedford with his family in 1903 and was educated at Bedford School before going on to Christ Church, Oxford. His sister, the artist Dora Carrington, later associated with the Bloomsbury Group, played a formative role in his early academic success.
Victoria also highlighted Carrington’s remarkable contemporaries, including fellow OB Sub‑Lieutenant Arthur Tisdall VC, RNVR (1900-1909), whose extraordinary bravery at Gallipoli earned him the Victoria Cross. His story continues to resonate strongly within the OB community, and in April more than 30 OBs and their guests will travel to Gallipoli to visit the battlefields and honour those who served.
After serving in the First World War, Carrington travelled to India in the 1920s to establish and manage the Indian branches of Oxford University Press — an experience that immersed him deeply in the craft and business of printing. On returning to England, he joined Country Life and settled in Hampstead, where he continued to refine his skills in design, lithography, and artist collaboration.
In 1940, in collaboration with Penguin founder Allen Lane, Carrington launched what would become his most enduring legacy: Puffin Picture Books. Inspired by the bold, colourful Russian children’s books of the era, he championed the idea that beautifully illustrated, affordable books should be accessible to all children – a revolutionary concept at the time.
Through Puffin Picture Books and Country Life, Carrington commissioned, edited, and published some of Britain’s most enduring children’s titles. He championed both established and emerging artists, recognising talent long before it became fashionable to do so. Among his most celebrated collaborations were:
- High Street (1938), illustrated by Eric Ravilious, father of OB James Ravilious. (52-57) who himself was a well known photographer
- Life in an English Village, created with Edward Bawden.
- Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor, a fantastical pirate tale by Mervyn Peake.
The Higgins exhibition showcases a rich selection of Carrington’s work. They reveal a man of curiosity, creativity, and quiet determination – an OB whose influence on British visual culture continues to be felt today.
Thank you to all those who joined us last week to explore the world and works of this fascinating OB. The Noel Carrington exhibition is running in the Higgins Museum, Bedford until the 2nd September 2026.
