Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

No way!?
Wasnt she about 100 years old when we were there???

Rory wrote:No way!?
Wasnt she about 100 years old when we were there???

Don't you mean 'Oy vay'???

If you look in the photo section on the site, there's a picture of Barnes A in 1973 with Vanny as you'll probably remember her (as well as one or two other people you might recognise....).

Caroline Wiegerinck's in it, too. Remember her? Dutch, about 6' tall, skirts about 6" long.

For some reason, we preferred it when she was on duty for Matron's Inspection.

Rory wrote:Torkington - I remember his beard - a major disaster - and his car???? one of those old SAAB's that no-one (except him) would ever buy.

I think he still had that car when I was in Barnes B ('82). He once drove behind me a steeplechase and sped up to make me run faster - it didn't work as I sat down, got a lift back to the house though. I seem to remember the car coming to a demise during the storm of 87 when one of the avenue trees made a pancake out of it.

Rory wrote: And the day he showed the boys in Barnes B how to shower naked.....The whole house came down to check him out.

He did that in my day too, though it had the opposite effect as everyone left.

Rory wrote:I thought he'd say "shake a leg".

I agree on it being "shake a leg"

Also "rise and shine, lovely day".......even when it was gloomy, wet and cold outside.

Rory wrote:Then - Torkington - I remember his beard - a major disaster
Matrons - whatever happened to Mrs Van Alphen ?????????????????

I will NEVER forget when the Tork walked into chapel with the new beard. It was one of those moments when someone makes a sudden explosion of air from the mouth, a sort of aural fart, then we got those hysterics - the more you try to stop laughing the more you laugh - we were CRYING with silent laughter, tears rolling down our cheeks - it was agony.

Matrons. Now this is wierd because on the way back from work today I thought about doing a post saying "Who Remembers Van Alphen?"

Rory, you are either psychic or maybe just stalking my thoughts.

If you want to communicate with me I hope you can get my website and email me there...?

huntertitus wrote:....a sort of aural fart, ....

Oral, surely.....

Have you ever tried blowing off through an ear? A bit tricky....

Yours pedantically,

Dick

Richard Ruck wrote:

huntertitus wrote:....a sort of aural fart, ....

Oral, surely.....

Have you ever tried blowing off through an ear? A bit tricky....

Yours pedantically,

Dick

You really haven't grown up, have you.

Congratulations!

huntertitus wrote: You really haven't grown up, have you.

Of course not......

Nice one Richard !

I'd love to be pedantic, and I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

(When I left CH, I was classified as Dyslexic, but I'm K.O. now !)

Richard Ruck wrote:

Rory wrote:No way!?
Wasnt she about 100 years old when we were there???

Don't you mean 'Oy vay'???

Funny you should say that as I seem to recall that for some reason we thought on Matron Van A as Jewish.

I don't know if she was in a concentration camp or something - sometimes she could seem rather brutal - but I now think she was kinder than she seemed to be at the time.

The silliest story about her and myself was once she was sending me away after, no doubt a ticking off, and she said a phrase I had never heard before - she said "Toodle-oo!"

I replied, "I've already been."

Roger Martin once mentioned to us that Vanny had had a bit of a hard time during the Second World Unpleasantness (he didn't go into detail).

She was, as you say, very kind when you were ill or injured.

Richard Ruck wrote:Roger Martin once mentioned to us that Vanny had had a bit of a hard time during the Second World Unpleasantness (he didn't go into detail).

She was, as you say, very kind when you were ill or injured.

I suppose with that name she must have been Dutch, and didn't the Nazis over-run that country early on in the war - there must have been some pretty brutal things going on at that time and she would have been a very young woman or girl at the time - I wonder if she is still alive - and I wonder if there's a site somewhere where you can see which people at CH during a particular time are still alive?

Yes, I've heard that she is still around.

huntertitus wrote:I wonder if there's a site somewhere where you can see which people at CH during a particular time are still alive?

But it would be quite hard for us to unlist ourselves at the appropriate time, I fear.

Richard Ruck wrote:She was, as you say, very kind when you were ill or injured.

She was very kind indeed, and I remember her telling me that she was Dutch. However - most illnesses could be cured with Bradasol (sp?) or a dab of nivea, I seem to remember!

Does anyone remember the bizarre Sausage Dog she kept when her friends were on holiday?(can't remember his name though)

As far as the title of this thread goes - in the mid 70's it was definitely the rising bell which got us out of bed in Barnes A at least - 7.10 Monday to Saturday and 8am on Sundays (what joy a lie in and then ersatz coffee with our breakfast!)