Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I have to report that we often had our buckles to the back in the sixties and early seventies. We also wore our girdles round our hips rather than our waists.

No idea why all this time later! Must have been some sort of "fashion" thing at the time though!

my broadie buckle was stolen.
so i got another one.
which was stolen.
so i got a girdle.
which was not.

Mid A 15 wrote:I have to report that we often had our buckles to the back in the sixties and early seventies. We also wore our girdles round our hips rather than our waists.

No idea why all this time later! Must have been some sort of "fashion" thing at the time though!

That fits with what I remember from the '70s. However I think at the time there was a push to have the buckles at the front for event. If you look at the various house photos from the time, of the few that can be seen, only some are at the front (more or less).

I remember at Hertford (65-72) we understood that the more senior you got the lower you wore your belt, but we had no such legend about buckles.

For me, mid to late 70s, I preferred the front - didn't like sitting on it! (uncomfortable and the prongs tended to get bent).

palgsm93 wrote:After a brief look through the CH Photos section, it seems that people began wearing their Broadies at the back sometime after 1986.

As far as I was aware people only wore their Broadies at the back to rebel against the fact they should have been worn at the front!

Vonny wrote:As far as I was aware people only wore their Broadies at the back to rebel against the fact they should have been worn at the front!

Ah Yes, that was what I was thinking when I asked if this was a 'Human Rights' thing.
John. (still not liking the buckle around the back - new Head Master - Please sort this one out)

Nothing to add re- buckles but I well remember teaching in London in the 80s. The Head was adamant that we kept the school uniform as the pupils had to have something 'to kick against'. She would rather have the variations on the uniform than graffitti etc. How many ways does a CH pupil have to assert their independence when in uniform?

Katharine wrote:How many ways does a CH pupil have to assert their independence when in uniform?

I remember the excitement of becoming a senior on the UF and being allowed to wear a jumper of any colour under your housey coat.

cj wrote:I remember the excitement of becoming a senior on the UF and being allowed to wear a jumper of any colour under your housey coat.

I don't remember that at all!

Vonny wrote:

cj wrote:I remember the excitement of becoming a senior on the UF and being allowed to wear a jumper of any colour under your housey coat.

I don't remember that at all!

You went to Horsham as a senior, but I was only on my LE in September 1985, wearing navy blue jumpers and regulation pants!

cj wrote:

Katharine wrote:How many ways does a CH pupil have to assert their independence when in uniform?

I remember the excitement of becoming a senior on the UF and being allowed to wear a jumper of any colour under your housey coat.

This was the same in the '70s.

Waistcoats were another must-have item for a while - we used to raid the charity shops for them.

I don't remember anyone wearing waistcoats!!

Great Plum wrote:I don't remember anyone wearing waistcoats!!

Well, you're just too young!

cj wrote:

Vonny wrote:

cj wrote:I remember the excitement of becoming a senior on the UF and being allowed to wear a jumper of any colour under your housey coat.

I don't remember that at all!

You went to Horsham as a senior, but I was only on my LE in September 1985, wearing navy blue jumpers and regulation pants!

Oh yeah I thought you were just a year below me but you weren't!