Welcome to the unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum - for discussing everything CH/Old Blue related. All pupils, parents, families, staff, Old Blues and anyone else related to CH are welcome to browse the boards, register and contribute.
This section was setup in August 2018 in order to move the existing related discussions from other sections into this new section to group them together, and separate from the other CH-related topics.
max_ratcliffe wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 12:54 pm
What was "Whites"? The chaplain's residence?
A residence, along with Graftons (sp?), behind a hedge on the outside curve on the Avenue opposite the bit between Peele B and Thorn A. I think there’s also an entrance on the Peele Pitches side - the residences are inside the end of the triangle where the west end of the Avenue meets the road alongside Peele Pitches.
There’s at least one house and several flats. Very pleasant place, totally concealed yet not far from the centre of things.
I’m not aware of it specifically being a chaplain’s residence. No chaplains lived there during my time anyway.
Gingerbeard17 wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 12:48 am
JR do you really believe that this all started happening after CMES left? There were rumours and accusations during his time which were covered up and dismissed. This was going on before, during and after your halcyon days.
I'm certainly NOT saying that these types of incidents DID NOT occur during my time. I certainly never became aware of any if they did. There was only one master who seemed to have, or was rumoured to have a penchant for the younger pupils, though probably more in a jokey fashion rather than a direct accusation.
I was simply implying that C.M.E.S. ran a much 'tighter ship' than those that followed him.
LHA wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 9:48 am
Whites was a sort of go to refuge wasn't it. It was indeed a very sizeable property, remote and detached from the rest of the school. There was also a small room which was a Catholic chapel (not sure if officially consecrated as such) with icons etc, which I think was to officially provide a catholic place of worship, which wasn't retained when the Murdochs moved in.
I wonder if there is any correlation between the sequence/chronologies of Dobbie's convictions and the years he lived at Whites.
Does anyone have a photo of it.
I also recall Dobbie, after I left, living in Graftons (?) which was accommodation for single teachers where Michael Carrington also lived after his wife sadly passed away I think. I assume this is before he moved to the Mid A flat.
All in all, Dobbie cannot have been very pleased to move from Whites, for all sorts of reasons, can he? It would be good to know more about this.
All this talk of 'Whites' intrigues me. Not a building I remember from my days. Where exactly was it located ? Sorry for being thick but I'm sure it isn't my dementia playing tricks with me !!
p.s. Just caught up with posts above. Doesn't help me much. was Whites an existing building, or was it built after my time ? I know there was extensive building works after I left.
LHA wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 9:48 am
Whites was a sort of go to refuge wasn't it. It was indeed a very sizeable property, remote and detached from the rest of the school. There was also a small room which was a Catholic chapel (not sure if officially consecrated as such) with icons etc, which I think was to officially provide a catholic place of worship, which wasn't retained when the Murdochs moved in.
I wonder if there is any correlation between the sequence/chronologies of Dobbie's convictions and the years he lived at Whites.
Does anyone have a photo of it.
I also recall Dobbie, after I left, living in Graftons (?) which was accommodation for single teachers where Michael Carrington also lived after his wife sadly passed away I think. I assume this is before he moved to the Mid A flat.
All in all, Dobbie cannot have been very pleased to move from Whites, for all sorts of reasons, can he? It would be good to know more about this.
All this talk of 'Whites' intrigues me. Not a building I remember from my days. Where exactly was it located ? Sorry for being thick but I'm sure it isn't my dementia playing tricks with me !!
LHA wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 9:48 am
Whites was a sort of go to refuge wasn't it. It was indeed a very sizeable property, remote and detached from the rest of the school. There was also a small room which was a Catholic chapel (not sure if officially consecrated as such) with icons etc, which I think was to officially provide a catholic place of worship, which wasn't retained when the Murdochs moved in.
I wonder if there is any correlation between the sequence/chronologies of Dobbie's convictions and the years he lived at Whites.
Does anyone have a photo of it.
I also recall Dobbie, after I left, living in Graftons (?) which was accommodation for single teachers where Michael Carrington also lived after his wife sadly passed away I think. I assume this is before he moved to the Mid A flat.
All in all, Dobbie cannot have been very pleased to move from Whites, for all sorts of reasons, can he? It would be good to know more about this.
All this talk of 'Whites' intrigues me. Not a building I remember from my days. Where exactly was it located ? Sorry for being thick but I'm sure it isn't my dementia playing tricks with me !!
max_ratcliffe wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 12:54 pm
Gunning was assistant housemaster in Mid A until about 87? Then Frank McKenna took over as assistant. Mike "Taffy" Williams was housemaster at least all the time I was in Mid A (85-89) and probably a year or so before that. Dr Chapman (from South Africa) took over, but not sure for how long.
These were all decent men, and not implicated in any way. Some of course were stronger characters than others.
What was "Whites"? The chaplain's residence?
How could I have forgotten Mr Williams? B loody blue blazers boyyo. Should have said Gunning was 'one of' the housemasters. Don't know why he specifically came to mind. No implication intended, just thinking of the chronology of Mid housemasters before Dobbie stepped into that position.
Whites was where Dobbie lived during our time there (I was the year below you, Max). Don't know whether it was specifically the chaplain's residence. I was invited there in 1990 to give my police statement after Rick Slater's death. Only time I ever stepped over the threshold.
Whites would have been there in your day JR. Being down that end of the Avenue I used to see staff coming and going. I remember Tod, Cherniavsky, Aitken being there. There must have been others. It was always the mysterious house behind the big hedges. The Chaplain's house in those days (late 60's) was on the Avenue opposite Peele. It was converted into two flats when Robson took over. He lived downstairs and Hall-Matthews was upstairs with a young family.
Last edited by Goatherd on Sat May 04, 2019 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Goatherd wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 2:10 pm
The Chaplain's house in those days was on the Avenue opposite Peele. It was converted into two flats when Robson took over. He lived downstairs and Hall-Matthews was upstairs with a young family.
I'm sure the Hall-Matthews had a house down the Junior end while Robson held court opposite Peele, certainly up until 72/3.
Goatherd wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 2:10 pm
Whites would have been there in your day JR. Being down that end of the Avenue I used to see staff coming and going. I remember Tod, Cherniavsky, Aitken being there. There must have been others. It was always the mysterious house behind the big hedges. The Chaplain's house in those days was on the Avenue opposite Peele. It was converted into two flats when Robson took over. He lived downstairs and Hall-Matthews was upstairs with a young family.
Vague memories returning now
I remember the Chaplains house well. Confirmation classes with Rev. Pullen.
richardb wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 9:09 am
Did any of these parties take place at East Lodge?
A good friend of Dobbie’s lived there in my time, I think with his wife and family.
During the 90’s Frank Pattinson lived there and he did not have a wife or kids. I don’t remember hearing any rumors about parties there but I don’t remember rumors about parties at whites either.
Graham Slater
Maine B 1990 - 1993, Thorn A 1993 -1997
Goatherd wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 2:28 pm
I had confirmation classes with J H-M in that flat. He may well have moved after a short time when he and his wife had a(nother) child.
I remember J H-M being in a house in Junior end when I was in my last couple of years , i even stayed there once when I went down to visit. Your memory is proven better than mine, so I'm sure you're right that they shared Robson's house before that.
richardb wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 9:09 am
Did any of these parties take place at East Lodge?
A good friend of Dobbie’s lived there in my time, I think with his wife and family.
During the 90’s Frank Pattinson lived there and he did not have a wife or kids. I don’t remember hearing any rumors about parties there but I don’t remember rumors about parties at whites either.
Apologies, my memory is clearly worse than I thought. I remembered Pattinson as being married and with at least one child, possibly a pupil, but I must be mistaken.
I also thought he was Pattison, not Pattinson, but I’m probably wrong on that front too.
