Desks

Share your memories and stories from the Hertford Christ's Hospital School, which closed in 1985, when the two schools integrated to the Horsham site....

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fra828
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Re: Desks

Post by fra828 »

Jo wrote:Does anyone remember Deaconess Ridsdale, who used to teach scripture in the late 60s? She used to say "will you please sit", until someone a couple of years above me allegedly asked her why she spoke to us as if we were dogs. I think she took it in good part and moderated both her tone and wording appropriately :)
I remember the name but cannot picture her at all. I probably would have been completely in awe of her, what with her title, and especially if she spoke to us like that. Did we keep all our text and work books in our desks, and just carry the ones we needed, in those sacklike school bags, for the appropriate lesson if it was out of the classroom?
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Re: Desks

Post by Fjgrogan »

Why was the deaconess addressed by her title? We never referred to the Messrs Walker etc as Reverend.
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Re: Desks

Post by Katharine »

fra828 wrote:Did we keep all our text and work books in our desks, and just carry the ones we needed, in those sacklike school bags, for the appropriate lesson if it was out of the classroom?
Yes, that was the way it worked in my time. If I remember rightly they lived under the table in the cloakroom during the day - ie break time and lunch time but at night they had to go into the Tuck Room - presumably so that the cloakroom floor could be cleaned in the morning. When we reached the heights of the VI form we didn't have those desks and kept all our books in House, and carried them in precarious piles no bags. Also we could write with a BIRO not a fountain pen! Rare privileges indeed!
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Re: Desks

Post by Jo »

Fjgrogan wrote:Why was the deaconess addressed by her title? We never referred to the Messrs Walker etc as Reverend.
I suspect just because she wanted to be :)
Katharine wrote:When we reached the heights of the VI form we didn't have those desks and kept all our books in House, and carried them in precarious piles no bags. Also we could write with a BIRO not a fountain pen! Rare privileges indeed!
And in the VI form we didn't have to use exercise books, but instead had ring binders and loose leaf paper. It seemed so grown up to be able to carry a pile of folders rather than those shopping bags (though undoubtedly the bags were actually more convenient). I remember getting such a thrill out of it when my turn came in the VI form.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I still get an involuntary frisson of self-assurance, poise, and....well...just general grown-upness any time I find myself carrying books or folders around in that fashion :oops: :oops:
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Re: Desks

Post by Angela Woodford »

Those hessian schoolbags, though a forerunner of the "green" hessian bag I have today, were a big disappointment to me. How scruffy could we be, I thought.

At primary school, I had had a lovely chestnut-brown leather satchel, which I kept beautifully polished. It had a slot at the front for which my father typed a card with my name. Smart, or what? :D So, being issued with the hessian bag was a bit of a let-down, along with the rest of the uniform. Goodness, I was a spoiled princess before CH! :?

Jo, I agree. It seemed the height of grown-upness to carry one's books about in a stack at bosom level! Bustle, bustle.

I forget when Deaconess Ridsdale arrived, but I remember that anyone else rather than DR and St Paul was quite popular. Did she wear a pectoral cross? Maybe my memory is wrong. We were stuck with DR, after all.

I think it was mid-Seventies when the satchel-like Organiser Bag was popular. I found myself polishing mine with a particular pride. And now I'm back to the hessian carrier. :lol:
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Re: Desks

Post by su523 »

MKM wrote:Deaconess Ridsdale (I don't remember any nickname) used to preface many remarks with "In Damascus.." pronounced with a long aah in the middle, which we all imitated.
Am I the only one who remembers her being known as the Pekinese Ridsdale??

Su

5s 1967-73

[edited only to remove typo]
Last edited by su523 on Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Desks

Post by icomefromalanddownunder »

su523 wrote:
MKM wrote:Deaconess Ridsdale (I don't remember any nickname) used to preface many remarks with "In Damascus.." pronounced with a long aah in the middle, which we all imitated.
Am I the only one who remembers here being known as the Pekinese Ridsdale??

Su

5s 1967-73


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

although. IMO, she more closely resembled a sterotypical german shepherd in temperament, and looked like a wofhound (in my memories she was tall and had wiry grey hair).

:wink:
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Re: Desks

Post by Angela Woodford »

Having gone through a dinosaur phase when I was eleven, I immediately recognised Queenie as a velocaraptor.

Her rapid pace, proceding slightly on tiptoe as she approached her prey with the deadliest intent! Those cold, hostile lizard eyes! And the sickle shaped claws, with which her lookalike-cestors would tear into their prey - I stood rigid with despair beside her at her desk, being shamed before the rest of the form as her merciless hands tore through my Rough Book and my prep; those cruel claws were unmistakable!

In 1,000 years, archaeologists will rejoice at finding a missing link.
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Desks

Post by Fjgrogan »

Yes, Angela, so true!
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Re: Desks

Post by Jo »

Absolutely!

But I think old Queenie was human underneath. She had a wry sense of humour and once she'd whittled her O level group down to her desired candidates she wasn't nearly as scary. She was very encouraging to me when she thought I was going to do Latin A level, though in the end I didn't (but rather wish I had now).
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Re: Desks

Post by dinahcat »

Queenie was a velocaraptor and I have just officially joined Angela's Fan Club...
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Re: Desks

Post by Fjgrogan »

Me too in terms of perfect characterisation, but I have doubts about the spelling! Surely there needs to be an e after the c to soften it. My dictionary is out of reach and probably too small to contain specific dinosaurs, but velocaraptor as it stands would have a k sound in the middle? Who cares anyway? So why did I bother mentioning it? Oh dear, it looks like being one of 'those' days! Actually Angela's portrayal of QMB is just crying out for somebody to draw a cartoon .......... any offers?
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Re: Desks

Post by Angela Woodford »

Frances, I humbly, humbly apologise.

:oops: :oops: :oops:

It's "velociraptor; I have just checked the spelling. I'd like to claim speed of typing as the terrifying scaly image took shape in my mind, plus... well, it's a few years now since I went through my dinosaur phase. Excuses!

Sorry, Miss Morrison, I'll write it out three times.

Now, DR... don't tempt me!
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Desks

Post by Fjgrogan »

Apologies from me too, Angela - in fact we were both wrong, but never mind! It obviously isn't wise for me to hit the forum before breakfast. Oddly though, in the first draft I did say that it needed to be either an e or an i, but then I redid it, took a wild guess and got it wrong. We learn something new every day - but it would be good if it could something useful rather than how to spell long-extinct dinosaurs! The stress of pre-Christmas is definitely getting to me; please can we move Christmas to midsummer - I don't really want to migrate to Australia again - been there, done that! Have a good day!
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Re: Desks

Post by gma »

although you could slide the desk on runners away from the chair
When I read this I had an instant picture of sitting on the desk with my feet on the chair -classic pre-teen pose probably, chin on hands, elbows on knees and no posture!! Waiting for the warning that a personage invoking some level of respect, or fear, was in transit to the classroom!

Blotting paper, and the ink wells, and being ink monitor and filling them through that stupid litte pipe spout!!
I remember a girl in 3s, Nicki I think, who had ice blonde hair whose plait ends always ended up blue from being dipped in the wells, was it the girl or the hair that generated that behaviour I wonder?

Oddly, still can't write with a biro and use a pencil or an ink gel or fountain pen!
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