Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

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PeA31
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by PeA31 »

I remember a big confrontation in Shelley's Wood in the early 70s with a bunch of guys from some place I think was called Muntham. I also remember Newsome in Assembly praising whoever it was that intervened on behalf of a smaller kid in Horsham - but I don't think I ever found out who it was, or wasn't listening too closely. Never really had trouble in Horsham (or even the Needles estate) despite spending a lot of time in some greasy spoon playing pinball and smokng No. 6.
Last edited by PeA31 on Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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huntertitus
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by huntertitus »

I live in a rough area of Battersea

But my only "mugging" happened in Beafort Street in Chelsea

He came and demanded money

I'd had a good night at the arts club

So I told him to go and crawl back into the stinking hole he came from

I added that were I a millionaire I would not give him a penny

He poked his ugly face very close

I pushed him into the road

Since then I've been told I should have given him a good kicking but I ran away

He followed me and hit me half way across the bridge with what may have been a dog lead

I was injured but had the satisfaction that he didn't get a penny from me

All hell to the muggers!

Lets hope there is heaven and hell!
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by Chrissie Boy »

PeA31 wrote:I remember a big confrontation in Shelley's Wood in the early 70s with a bunch of guys from some place I think was called Muntham.
This would've been Muntham House School, a very tucked-away institution for kids with behavioural problems, near Barns Green. So low-key, I never even knew it existed when I was at CH, but it's still there to this very day ( http://www.munthamhouseschool.co.uk/pag ... Home&pid=1 ).

Maybe that's where Dirty Old Jack's alleged army of chain-wielding thugs came from in the 70s....if indeed they ever existed beyond the realm of legend.

Someone tried mugging me one night a couple of years back, but I told him he was pathetic and he bugggered orf, thank gawd. I've a feeling the police would advise us to hand our money over if ever we find ourselves in that position. I just can't bring myself to do it, though.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by jhopgood »

I have had my pockets picked twice, which is a bit careless of me, both times front left hand pocket and have been mugged once, when I resisted and was lucky to get away relatively unhurt.
I had just arrived in Cali, Colombia, and went for a walk by the river. It was afternoon, lots of people around, so I sat down on a bench and got out a pocket diary to look up an address. The next I knew was that someone had put his arm around my neck from behind and was pulling me against the back of the bench. My first thought was that it was a friend from Costa Rica, until I realized I wasn't in Costa Rica and someone else was opening my jacket. I had a small stanley knife in my pocket and started to stick it in the intrusive hand, when I was rendered unconscious. I lost the diary, my watch, spectacles, travellers cheques and some cash. I later got the travellers checks and spectacles back.
Bad experience but I still feel that I could have got away if I had stood up immediately.
It made me very nervous for all of my time in Cali and I wouldn't let anyone close to me on the street.
I am also very aware of no go areas in any place I haven't visited before since I would probably react the same in future and not be so lucky.

My son was mugged 7 times in Buenos Aires, only the first was relatively serious. He lost his school satchel and nike shoes, the remainder were attempts as he could see it coming. He even used his pepper spray once before legging it.
Victims must run in the family.
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Post by Riggers »

wurzel wrote:
Ash wrote:Not penguin bashing per se... But a gang of CH people led by Richard "Rigger" Bates went to Southwater to take on a gang of kids from there... They went armed with hockey sticks, etc..

The Southwater gang came armed with a shotgun....

This was in the mid-80's sometime and may just be a CH myth... There was definitely some problems with Southwater kids around this time though.
Don't remember the shotgun bit but remember the event, they were referred to as "the scooter lads from Southwater" and Sillett and Carrington saw them off when they arrived at Dr's Lake having already turned back several groups of hockey stick armed seniors heading down Dr's drive etc.

My Brother still lives in Broadbridge Heath and lived in Horsham through the 80's/90's going to Tanbridge (I and my younger 1/2 brother went to ch) he used to tell us that people would brag to having bashed a penguin to get kudos even though it seemed to rarely happen. In the 60's (and earlier) Tanbridge was actually Horsham High School for Girls (my mother) with the boys at Collyers Grammar near the fire station or Forest Boys (my Father) in Roffey so less obvious mingling of pupils in town. With Tandbridge having now moved to by Tesco in Broadbridge Heath I would have thought it would have slackened off again.
Haha I remember the incident, but of course it has probably been wildly exaggerated since then. I had been having some problems with the Southwater lads, and one afternoon I heard there was a group of them down near The Lag (is that what is was called) waiting for me. I gathered a large group of housey boys and went on down to meet them, everyone "armed" to some degree. When we got close to them, myself and Steve "Boggy" Moore charged down towards them, yelling wildly, but unfortunately when we got to about 5 yards away we realised we were the only two (everyone else were frozen like statues 50 yeards behind us), so we sort of stopped, not waiting to take on about 15 Southwater lads on our own. After that, I don't really recall, only that there wasn't a fight that day, and there certainly weren't any shotguns.

Ah, the good old days eh? haha
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a M

Post by Riggers »

CHAZ wrote:is Richard Rigger bates also known as "Nigby Bates" and was in MidB leaving in 1983?
No, Richard "Riggers" Bates (myself) is the younger brother of Nick Nigby Bates. Nick left in '83, I left in '86.
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Re: Re:

Post by Chrissie Boy »

Riggers wrote:When we got close to them, myself and Steve "Boggy" Moore charged down towards them, yelling wildly, but unfortunately when we got to about 5 yards away we realised we were the only two (everyone else were frozen like statues 50 yeards behind us).....
What a bunch of big girls' blouses.

What in hell did they imagine they were going there armed with hockey sticks for? A game of hockey?

Human beings continue to disappoint me at every turn, even if I am made out of their discarded body-parts.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a M

Post by NEILL THE NOTORIOUS »

Never had any "Trouble" with local lads ---- never saw any.

and there was enough scrapping going on behind the Fives Courts, to satisfy anybody's inclinations ! :evil:

Perhaps the 40s were less civilised, within the bounds of CH !! :oops:
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Re: Re:

Post by adlop »

wurzel wrote:
Ash wrote:Not penguin bashing per se... But a gang of CH people led by Richard "Rigger" Bates went to Southwater to take on a gang of kids from there... They went armed with hockey sticks, etc..

The Southwater gang came armed with a shotgun....

This was in the mid-80's sometime and may just be a CH myth... There was definitely some problems with Southwater kids around this time though.
Don't remember the shotgun bit but remember the event, they were referred to as "the scooter lads from Southwater" and Sillett and Carrington saw them off when they arrived at Dr's Lake having already turned back several groups of hockey stick armed seniors heading down Dr's drive etc.

My Brother still lives in Broadbridge Heath and lived in Horsham through the 80's/90's going to Tanbridge (I and my younger 1/2 brother went to ch) he used to tell us that people would brag to having bashed a penguin to get kudos even though it seemed to rarely happen. In the 60's (and earlier) Tanbridge was actually Horsham High School for Girls (my mother) with the boys at Collyers Grammar near the fire station or Forest Boys (my Father) in Roffey so less obvious mingling of pupils in town. With Tandbridge having now moved to by Tesco in Broadbridge Heath I would have thought it would have slackened off again.
I thought they were called the Southwater Casuals but I do remember there being some scrapes or supposed scrapes. I also seem to remember stories of a kid who lived in one of the local pubs taking potshots at pupils with an air rifle too.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by no.31 »

?
Last edited by no.31 on Wed Nov 23, 2016 5:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by Jabod2 »

Intriguing to hear the story behind the stories. In my time there was a tale of a junior being threatened in Shelley Wood resulting in 'tooled up' (hockey sticks featured) Housie mob rushing of to confront an bunch from Muntham. The tale I heard recounted that a six footer bluecoat drew a line and invited the opposition to step over it and be crippled (the word resonates with the alternative view above). The confrontation fizzled out. That was in the late '60s or very early '70s as I heard it well before I left... I recall discussions as to whether .22s used in the indoor range at the Peele end of the asphalt could have been raided for use, although I recall they were kept in the Armoury down at the gym. Obviously a regular fixture, but not published in the sporting calendar...

I recall being spat on going through London in uniform on my way back to school - we converted to civvies shortly afterwards. My brother was asked 'what the hell do you think you are?' and responded with 'A black Father Christmas' (it was that time of year).

Regarding civvies, I recall a parody of Newsome's rendition of the new clothing rules, in the style of the sermon on the mount ('trousers, but not denim trousers, shoes, but not sandals, jackets, but not leather jackets etc... Those of that era can supply the emphasis, simultaneously with with the bow from the waist, for themselves. A voice in my head attributes that parody to Nigel Shields.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by Goatherd »

I was there from 1964 to 1970. I don't think I ever heard of Muntham House at that time.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by Mid A 15 »

Goatherd wrote:I was there from 1964 to 1970. I don't think I ever heard of Muntham House at that time.
Likewise and I was a couple of years behind you.

I do recall hearing the odd tale of boys in full housey being attacked on visits to Horsham and that is what I understood to be 'penguin bashing.' I had no problems myself.

The post of 'no.31' above is the first I have ever heard of Muntham House School.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by no.31 »

?
Last edited by no.31 on Wed Nov 23, 2016 5:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by Goatherd »

Beer lorries? Definitely after my time!
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