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

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A Dirty Old Jack
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Penguin-Bashers: Did They Really Exist or Were They a Myth?

Post by A Dirty Old Jack »

Back when I was at school, we always half-expected to get our heads kicked in by Penguin-Bashers if we went out exploring in the countryside on foot or on bikes. Even when the sun was shining and there wasn't a thug in sight, there was still a strong sense that a Horde of Penguin-Bashers might suddenly materialise and give us what for. As a squit I remember fleeing from a bloke in an Afghan coat whom we encountered in a wood, convinced he was a potential Penguin-Basher. I also recall a very strong rumour at one stage to the effect that 'an army of Penguin-Bashers armed with chains and iron bars' was marauding through the Barns Green/Itchingfield area, baying for blood (a rumour that continued for a week or so).

But was any of this stuff genuine (ever)? Or was it a load of old horse-dung we invented to scare ourselves with? Were Penguin-Bashers a (non-)urban legend only? Or were you ever Penguin-Bashed by an official Penguin-Basher?

Discuss.
Last edited by A Dirty Old Jack on Thu Jan 05, 2023 1:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Hendrik »

when i got there, they'd just allowed civvies in horsham, to avoid violence. i have talked to older 'penguins' and penguin-bashers alike, it is no suburban myth
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Post by kaaa »

:lol: when I was there, I never heard about Penguin bashing, although I would get seriously pissed off that we had to walk all the way into Horsham in our school uniform that only got dry-cleaned at the end of term - seriously sweaty - yeuch!

that was so grim, giving kids woollen uniforms, even in summer, and then not being able to wash them for months at a time.
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Post by Richard Ruck »

I didn't think that the problem was associated with the surrounding countryside and villages, so much as with Horsham itself.

We always used to take the short cut into town via the Needles Estate. This is still home to one or two of Horsham's 'problem' families and we were always advised never to hang around there.

I recall a school assembly where the headmaster (Newsome) warned everyone to be alert to the potential problems, and then proceeded to recount with some pride how one bloke who was set upon in Horsham proceeded to floor all 3 of his attackers.

Never suffered anything more than the usual verbals myself, though.
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Post by Vonny »

Richard Ruck wrote: Never suffered anything more than the usual verbals myself, though.
Me neither at Horsham. I do remember being chased by a group of girls from a local secondary school on two occasions whilst at Hertford though. Luckily the two of us being chased were pretty fast runners in those days. :lol:
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Post by J.R. »

I've never heard it referred to as 'Penguin-Bashing'.

I DO remember going out on a visit to Worthing with a mate from Col. B and his parents, (no names/no pack drill, but he came from Essex, wore glasses, and was a BRILLIANT wicket keeper).

We were accosted by a couple of local yobs, who seemed to think we were from some ecclesiastical order. The afore-mentioned mate promptly laid the pair of them out in quick order, VERY much to their surprise !

Nothing like getting a hiding from a Monk !! :oops:
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Andy Friend
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Post by Andy Friend »

I think it did used to be a problem, although I never really encountered it that badly. I remember once being spat on by some people at CH station but other than that it seemed to be restricted to just name calling. Of course this all stopped when we didn't have to wear Housey!
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Post by Great Plum »

I'm with Andrew on this one - there was the occasional noise from the penguin bashers but it did stop when we could wear civvies...

I do rmember one time when a girl sitting on her own at horsham station was beaten up/ verbally abused by some penguin bashers. The following week, the smallest UF was left on the station. When the bashers started to have a go at him, a large number of Housey people swarmed down from the footbridge and told them to er... go away!
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J.R.
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Post by J.R. »

The so-called penquin bashing in Horsham itself, and around CH must have become aproduct of the 70'a and thereafter.

I cannot remember any such incidents in the 60's near the school.
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Bingo the Poop-Eating Dog
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Post by Bingo the Poop-Eating Dog »

Ah, yes, the 1970s: Golden Age of Senseless Violence. Try telling the young folk of today about it - and they won't believe you.

Remember travelling by train on match days in London - all those bootboys, all that shouting, all those scarves tied to wrists so you'd know who was punching your teeth out....Then there was travelling on the Tube, walking down those white-tiled passageways, hearing shouting coming from up ahead and thinking Uh-oh! I'm going to get my head kicked in any moment now.

And yes, Penguin Bashing. Never got bashed myself, but the worry was always there (especially if you went into Horsham alone). I reckon most PB's were all mouth, though. Maybe they'd pop your bike-tyres, but I never knew anyone who got treated to a comprehensive kicking.

If CH had been in Pompey, we'd probably have been kicked to fishpaste by skins. But in Horsham? Naaah. Not even Kevin Rich got beaten up
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Post by Happy »

On my Grecians year, there was a large organised fight planned after we got banned from McDonalds. (CH got banned because we were the then Housey clad identifiable group. The bashers were naturally in civvies.)
The police got involved and my year were told to stay away from the meet point, which was the CH station. I understand that the bashers went into the woods to be met by police and that was the last we heard.
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Post by Spoonbill »

Just discovered this truly appalling and disturbing record of Penguin-bashing on the Internet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/ ... 6ce9d1.gif

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englishangel
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Post by englishangel »

Spoonbill wrote:Just discovered this truly appalling and disturbing record of Penguin-bashing on the Internet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/ ... 6ce9d1.gif

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Ha ha.

I did remember hearing from a peer at Hertford that her brother was on a bus in London and could hear all the whispers....

As he got off he turned around, raised his hand and said 'Bless you my children'
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Post by Great Plum »

englishangel wrote:
Spoonbill wrote:Just discovered this truly appalling and disturbing record of Penguin-bashing on the Internet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/ ... 6ce9d1.gif

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Ha ha.

I did remember hearing from a peer at Hertford that her brother was on a bus in London and could hear all the whispers....

As he got off he turned around, raised his hand and said 'Bless you my children'
I'm sure that sort of thing used to happen on St Matthew's day as well!
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Post by sejintenej »

kara wrote::lol: when I was there, I never heard about Penguin bashing, although I would get seriously pissed off that we had to walk all the way into Horsham in our school uniform that only got dry-cleaned at the end of term - seriously sweaty - yeuch!

that was so grim, giving kids woollen uniforms, even in summer, and then not being able to wash them for months at a time.
Dear Kara,

You forget that CH was a bit like the submarine service; they live in effectively the same clothes (and inm many cases sleep in other people's sheets) unwashed for up to 6 months at a time. Yes, it stinks (just don't go anywhere near Holy Loch when a sub comes in) but since you are in the clothes you don'r smell it. As for other peeps - so what; you are the one who has to live with the pong.

Keeps the penguin bashers away if you do it properly. BTW - in my day the showers in Col A didn't work and we had 4 inches of water in the bath once a week.
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
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