At the age of 23, Arthur Conan Doyle set up as a newly qualified doctor at 1 Bush Villas in Southsea, a ten minute walk from the school.. His younger brother Innes, came to help as his receptionist and attended PGS for a short while.

Innes wrote to their mother reporting on the Doctor’s progress at his Southsea surgery. “The patients are crowding in. We have made three bob this week. We have vaxenated a baby and got hold of a man with consumtion...”

Among the first patients was an epileptic grocer. Doyle made what he called “a ghoulish compact, by which a fit to him meant bacon and butter to me, while a spell of health for him sent me back to dry bread and saveloys.”

While waiting for patients Arthur started writing and the first Sherlock Holmes story, a Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887.

Innes was schooled at PGS for the officer exams for Sandhurst. He passed and fought in the First World War. Sadly he died in the ensuing pandemic in 1919.

In 1896, the great author was very briefly interviewed at Hilsea playing fields by a lucky pupil for The Portsmuthian (later renamed The Portmuthian). Sir Arthur was no stranger to Hilsea, having played against the school First XI as a member of the Hampshire Rovers team. One of the school archives' prize possessions is a cricket scorebook that records his performances on the field. It was probably at Hilsea that Sir Arthur befriended Alfred Wood, a PGS teacher who later became the great author's secretary.