'Posh School' at Hertford

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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Jude
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Post by Jude »

Great Plum wrote:Well at least you could fraternise there...
FRATERNISE??????????!!!!!!!!!
THE OPPOSITE SEX??????????!!!!!!!

WE WERE IN AN ALL GIRLS SCHOOL, and during my time we had 4 - yes I sat down and counted them (sad or what??) male teachers....

our understanding of the opposite gender cannot possibly be mentioned in here - just understand I left at 16 thinking I could get pregnant by sitting on a dustbin.........

need I say more???
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts.
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englishangel
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Post by englishangel »

Jude wrote:
Great Plum wrote:Well at least you could fraternise there...
FRATERNISE??????????!!!!!!!!!
THE OPPOSITE SEX??????????!!!!!!!

WE WERE IN AN ALL GIRLS SCHOOL, and during my time we had 4 - yes I sat down and counted them (sad or what??) male teachers....

our understanding of the opposite gender cannot possibly be mentioned in here - just understand I left at 16 thinking I could get pregnant by sitting on a dustbin.........

need I say more???
A dustbin!!!!! Now it is I who am falling off my chair laughing.
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
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Jude
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Post by Jude »

I was very gullable -

at the tender age of 8 I was told that F**k off was a friendly greeting by some nasty little set of twin males.... so I went home and when my foul blood father came home I said "F o Daddy" he said "pardon" (he was a teacher of games and geography...... into corporal and almost capital punnishment, hated girls ony liked boys... u get the drift?) so I said it again....

i bounced off the hall walls and he said he'd make sure I couldn't sit down for a week - and I couldn't....
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts.
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WildOne
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Post by WildOne »

big ouch! I feel for you Jude!

Thank God there are laws about that kind of 'home discipline' these days!
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Post by AKAP »

Jude wrote: our understanding of the opposite gender cannot possibly be mentioned in here - just understand I left at 16 thinking I could get pregnant by sitting on a dustbin.........
Depends who you sit on the dustbin with.
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WildOne
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Post by WildOne »

It's so true that we were late developers as far as relating to the opposite sex went.

I remember feeling hugely disadvantaged at 17 when 'normal' girls at home seemed so at ease with flirting and 'chasing a boy until he caught her' (NOT a typing error).

I remember thinking that I was stumbling around like a shy 13 year-old at times, and very aware that my ability to send and receive the correct 'signals' was woefully inadequate.

And unfortunately, I was experimenting with men instead of boys and so had none of the protection normally provided by the 'under-age' laws in this phase of development. The men naturally expected me to behave like an adult woman, and I unwittingly got myself into a number of tricky situations! I remember feeling very angry that I had been cheated out of this phase of my life at a safe young age, and I don't think I ever really caught up.

I had a long 'rant' to DR about this in 1982 or 83, and, after putting my case pretty forcefully, I challenged her to find out what percentage of Old Girls were either in bad relationships, divorced, or still single, and to compare this with the national average!

Some time later, I heard that the schools had amalgamated in 1985 and I always wondered how much she influenced that decision and whether my 'chat' with her played any small part in her thinking.

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Post by Katharine »

WildOne wrote: Some time later, I heard that the schools had amalgamated in 1985 and I always wondered how much she influenced that decision and whether my 'chat' with her played any small part in her thinking.

Gaye
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Jude
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Post by Jude »

I don't think she had any influence at all, in fact as I remember it, not only was it a massive shock to us "gals", but many of the staff were none too happy about "mixed sexes" etc..

There were long discussions as to whether having male counterparts in lessons woud slow the girls learning down as well as distract them - to a point they actually considered separate sexed lessons - I think the Governers put their feet down - Hertford had to be sold as money was tight, and the girls (reduced in numbers from 350 to 200 i think) had to move to Horsham.

I am actually saddened by what has happened at Hertford - the lovely chapel - I think it should have been kept as a museum piece, gone to a carpark.....

There are the odd echo's from the past - but it's so different :cry:

I hope that those who managed to have some time at Hertford before moving to Horsham really took in the aesthetics of Hertford - i know that Housey is more impressive - but Hertford was the older school and still retained that quiet dignity....

OMG - I am getting mournful about the place I went to school!!! ARGH!!
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts.
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WildOne
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Post by WildOne »

Knowing how 'boys' were a huge source of mystique and excitement to us, I can hardly imagine the impact of being told that next year we would be at Horsham mixing with these mythical creatures on a daily basis!!!

Can anyone remember the actual moment they heard the news? How did the girls react? Or did it start as a rumour first and so was no great surprise when it was made official?

Gaye
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Jude
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Post by Jude »

they went up in stages - it was really weird - we lost the 4th form starters (so their o levels wouldn't be interrupted), but still had newbees, then 8's was closed down and the girls mergerd into other houses, then the 6th form went and i think it was 2's and 3's that got closed,

then I left - but it was well weird.. As I was a 5th former (end of o levels) my year stayed on to give stability as the 6th form... I can't remember people being that happy about going, but then end of summer term was always tearful..

then there was the 4 term year to to 3 term year to take into consideration - I think that was the only real bonus for those moving was their summer hols went from 1st July to mid september, while we had to return mid August!
Last edited by Jude on Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts.
To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
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Jude
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Post by Jude »

BY THE WAY - I have been promoted AGAIN!!

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I have become a Deputy Grecian all I ever got at CH was a P badge for Posture!!!
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts.
To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
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Post by Vonny »

Jude wrote:I am actually saddened by what has happened at Hertford - the lovely chapel - I think it should have been kept as a museum piece, gone to a carpark.....
I must admit I found it surprising they were actually allowed to knock the chapel down. Although not as impressive as the Horsham one it is a shame it is no more.
2's 1981-1985 2:12 BaB 1985-1988 BaB 41
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WildOne
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Post by WildOne »

CONGRATS JUDE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell us more? What do you do?
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WildOne
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Post by WildOne »

Oh Jude... I thought you meant for real, at work! LOL

Hey! Me tooooooooo !!! :)
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Post by Vonny »

WildOne wrote:Oh Jude... I thought you meant for real, at work! LOL
:roll: :lol: :lol:
2's 1981-1985 2:12 BaB 1985-1988 BaB 41
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