Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Jo wrote:

Jude wrote:

Jo wrote:Hi Su, good to see you on here. Kay is here too somewhere but other than that I don't think 5's is very well represented (except for people who were in Ward 5 as juniors)

I take it that although I joined when you left I am not a representative of 5's?????

Oops sorry Jude - you weren't around much on the forum when I posted that, IIRC, and I suppose I also subconsciously meant people who knew each other - Kay, Su and I all overlapped in 5s and remember each other. Glad you are back again to swell the numbers

5's and my year are not very well represented at all are they.....?? I wonder why....Same as Bath & Westy Old Blues - I went to a few meetings but they were all REALLY OLD MEN, and I was a young female, and of course didn't count so after 3 years I quit going... don't know if it has got any better!

oh well - at least you and I were in the same house!! I guess you remember Mrs Cooke?

Jude wrote: oh well - at least you and I were in the same house!! I guess you remember Mrs Cooke?

Oh yes I've posted about her elsewhere, but after 7 long years of 5s housemistresses ranging from the eccentric to the frankly lock-up-able, in my final year we at last got someone normal. I don't think I knew her predecessor was leaving - I think sometimes it was a fairly quick decision during the holidays - so I wasn't expecting anyone new when I came back in August 1974. I thought she was one of the new girls' mums until she seemed to be telling people what to do, and then the penny dropped.

We hit it off straight away, and I often used to sit up in her sitting room watching TV or just chatting, and smoking her St Moritz cigarettes. I saw her a couple of times after I left - once when I came back to Hertford with Judy Debenham (do you remember her?), and Mrs C had just bought a house a few streets away, plus one time she came and visited me in London when I was at UCL.

Sadly I lost touch with her but I did hear from her a couple of years ago via FRU on her daughter's account. Can't remember how long she stayed in 5s - I'm guessing maybe only about 3 years?

Mrs Cooke lasted 3 years I think - then we had a South African who noone understood - she was hard work - but as I was only there for 2 more years I think she left the same time as me....

Judy Debenham - yes I remember her - name but no face - just a vague one...

weird!!

High Fives to all the Fives posting here from a Sixes ! The lovely Nina Jones ( not sure of her married name) from Fives turned up at Hertford for the Museum get-together..she hardly looked a day older !...It was great to see her and her big sister Pam (Sixes) (though they couldn't make the meal ).

Pam bought some more of her CH pics including one of me aged 16 wearing hot pants; seeing Nina and Pam was one of the many highlights of that great weekend.

Fives and Sixes had a strange link...we were next to each other...on the square and in the dining hall , and DR usually put sisters in houses next to each other so for example we had Pam Jones and fives had Nina, we had Ann Bonfanti and fives had Susan ( who sometimes posts here ).Following this tradition we even had a Housemistress for a brief spell ( Miss Jackson ) who was the sister of Fives Housemistress ( whose name I can't recall).

I can't remember my Last Day.I think I just slunk off incognito.

I am editing this just to say that it was nice to see Jo on Saturday and to meet Jude for the first time

And it was great to see you last weekend, too, Alex - including Friday. One little dog is still dreaming of her l o n g and exciting walk on the Meads!
I can't believe you slunk out of Hertford at the end... surely you went out with a big bang? (Not with a whimper and floods of tears, as I did five years earlier....)

Alexandra Thrift wrote:High Fives to all the Fives posting here from a Sixes ! The lovely Nina Jones ( not sure of her married name) from Fives turned up at Hertford for the Museum get-together..she hardly looked a day older !...It was great to see her and her big sister Pam (Sixes) (though they couldn't make the meal ).

Pam bought some more of her CH pics including one of me aged 16 wearing hot pants; seeing Nina and Pam was one of the many highlights of that great weekend.

Fives and Sixes had a strange link...we were next to each other...on the square and in the dining hall , and DR usually put sisters in houses next to each other so for example we had Pam Jones and fives had Nina, we had Ann Bonfanti and fives had Susan ( who sometimes posts here ).Following this tradition we even had a Housemistress for a brief spell ( Miss Jackson ) who was the sister of Fives Housemistress ( whose name I can't recall).

I can't remember my Last Day.I think I just slunk off incognito.

I am editing this just to say that it was nice to see Jo on Saturday and to meet Jude for the first time

I think we also had Jacqui Pope's sister Carolyn in 5s if I remember correctly, plus there were Linden and Janessa Fletcher.

Pam and Nina look more alike than I remember, though strangely I don't think either of them has changed much. I guess they always looked alike but I just never noticed it before.

It was great to see you too Alex - I grew up at CH with an almost pathological sense of awe at anyone more senior, or with any authority, so I was quite tickled to be meeting as equals with people who were above me at CH (sad, I know )

First Day...

A bundle of nerves. There was so much tension in the air you could reach out, grab a chunk and throw it like a snowball. Fitted with the uniform - God, it felt uncomfortable, especially around the neck. The boots were probably 20 years old, but that probably made them more comfortable. Anyway, my father approved (he had been a master bootmaker and was then a shoe repairer, in the days when shoes were made to be repaired).

We weren't a demonstrative family, and my mother was way out of her depth, which sent her into stiff and formal mode, which included her telephone voice all day. Part of me wanted them to go and let me get on with it, part of me wanted to cling on hard and ask them to take me back home with them. Can't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure my pillow got salty wet that night.


Last Day...

I'd already left. My father was dying of cancer. I'd moved from Col A to be HC at Mid B. Didn't make much of a job of it, I'm afraid. I escaped into the theatre that year and willingly lost myself in Caliban for a while. I'd taken 2 A levels the previous year and been offered university places based on the results. I wasn't working much. Left around Easter. Went back for the leaving service, with girlfriend. Stayed in Richard Palmer's flat. Can't quite recall how I still came to have uniform, etc. The service was very moving, and I was desperately hoping that the tears forming would not start trickling down my cheeks.

But I'd already left. It was all very strange and rather an anti-climax. I didn't seem to have anything in common any more with my friends, although I'd only been gone a few months. We drove away fairly quickly, and I didn't go back for years.





Not two of my best days at CH!

Jo wrote:I think we also had Jacqui Pope's sister Carolyn in 5s if I remember correctly, plus there were Linden and Janessa Fletcher.

It was great to see you too Alex - I grew up at CH with an almost pathological sense of awe at anyone more senior, or with any authority, so I was quite tickled to be meeting as equals with people who were above me at CH (sad, I know )

Janessa went into 5s from 6s when it became an all through House. I don't know when it came about that sisters were split, most of the sisters I remember were in the same House.

Jo - see Alex's comment about meeting me after DRW's Memorial Service! I left CH her first Christmas so she has clear memories of me, whereas I have hazy memories of her name!

Ajarn Philip- that is a beautiful little piece of writing.

Alexandra Thrift wrote:High Fives to all the Fives posting here from a Sixes ! The lovely Nina Jones ( not sure of her married name) from Fives turned up at Hertford for the Museum get-together..she hardly looked a day older !...It was great to see her and her big sister Pam (Sixes) (though they couldn't make the meal ).

Pam bought some more of her CH pics including one of me aged 16 wearing hot pants; seeing Nina and Pam was one of the many highlights of that great weekend.

Fives and Sixes had a strange link...we were next to each other...on the square and in the dining hall , and DR usually put sisters in houses next to each other so for example we had Pam Jones and fives had Nina, we had Ann Bonfanti and fives had Susan ( who sometimes posts here ).Following this tradition we even had a Housemistress for a brief spell ( Miss Jackson ) who was the sister of Fives Housemistress ( whose name I can't recall).

I can't remember my Last Day.I think I just slunk off incognito.

I am editing this just to say that it was nice to see Jo on Saturday and to meet Jude for the first time

Thank you!!
I remember Caroline Pope - didn't realise she had a sister!! But then I think the year after I joined Margret Foxton was head girl (she was in 6's I think), she was also my security blanket in a way as her parents had taken me up to CH a couple of times before I started on the train journeys alone.. She was an amazing person...

I can remember names of people from 5's over the years - but I have to be honest and say that as I went up in the house I really didn't know the juniors at all!!! Which is pretty awful - but I wasn't chosen to look after a newbie, so I didn't need to be with them. It's a pity so few of my genre are in here - I honestly think I am the only one who started in August 1975!! Am i?????

first day

arrived in car with trunk at Maine B. Introduced to my nursemaid, waved bye to parents then picked up uniform and shoes. Speared myself at least five times as I palpably failed to do my bands. Tried to bounce on my bed and sent four planks crashing to the floor. Cried myself to sleep for the first of very many times.

last day (1)

It was half term in the Lent term, I had spent half the night out walking and chatting with friends around big side and into the woods. I finished packing, then dragged my trunk out of the back ready for my Dad to pick me up. Sat on it and lit up, my almost last act of defiance. Dad arrived, told me I needed a haircut and we loaded up the car. I went back in for a couple of late farewells, then was driven off, not looking back. (Stopped off for the abovementioned haircut )

last day(2)

Came back for the last day of term for my leaving service, as it was Lent Term there were few leavers, I was the most senior and went up last, shook hands with a suddenly friendly faced Newsome, can't ever remember him smiling at me before. Then marched into lunch with my house, and straight out the back door to walk back to Peele B. Lit up, my final act of defiance. Changed back into my "normal" clothes, dropped off my uniform and spent a couple of very merry hours with friends before catching the train back to London.

Apparently the difference between being asked to leave and expulsion is the leaving service and bible.

gingerbeard wrote:first day

arrived in car with trunk at Maine B. Introduced to my nursemaid, waved bye to parents then picked up uniform and shoes. Speared myself at least five times as I palpably failed to do my bands. Tried to bounce on my bed and sent four planks crashing to the floor. Cried myself to sleep for the first of very many times.

last day (1)

It was half term in the Lent term, I had spent half the night out walking and chatting with friends around big side and into the woods. I finished packing, then dragged my trunk out of the back ready for my Dad to pick me up. Sat on it and lit up, my almost last act of defiance. Dad arrived, told me I needed a haircut and we loaded up the car. I went back in for a couple of late farewells, then was driven off, not looking back. (Stopped off for the abovementioned haircut )

last day(2)

Came back for the last day of term for my leaving service, as it was Lent Term there were few leavers, I was the most senior and went up last, shook hands with a suddenly friendly faced Newsome, can't ever remember him smiling at me before. Then marched into lunch with my house, and straight out the back door to walk back to Peele B. Lit up, my final act of defiance. Changed back into my "normal" clothes, dropped off my uniform and spent a couple of very merry hours with friends before catching the train back to London.

Apparently the difference between being asked to leave and expulsion is the leaving service and bible.

You were ASKED to LEAVE??????????????????????????????? OMG... WHAT did you do (other than smoke)???
Intrigued - I never got as far as being remotely threatened with being asked to leave or anything - the worst punishment I had was I swore at Peter White our maths teacher , and before he could send me to the Head mistress I said, "I am off to report myself to Miss Tucker" which I did.... I seem to remember the secretary trying really really hard not to laugh when I told her I was reporting myself..... I had a small lecture on language, and ethics I thnk - then was told to apologise and that was it...

How do you get asked to leave????

Jude wrote:
You were ASKED to LEAVE??????????????????????????????? OMG... WHAT did you do (other than smoke)???

A long story Jude,

cut short

I had spent a large amount of the Michaelmas term in the infirmary, with visits to psychiatrists and psychologists, without being given a diagnosis, but taking quite a few pills. I was then sent back to my house to continue as if nothing had happened. Some masters seemed to be wary of me and gave me latitude but things were just about the same. I reduced my workload to two A levels and spent the last few weeks of that and the first few weeks of the Easter term missing more and more periods.

About two weeks before half term I went to Tom Keeley and announced that I was going to leave at the end of term... to which he replied, why wait that long? I was going to ask you to leave at half term....

Very civilised...

In the cases where being "asked to leave" is because of the poor disclipline of a pupil, I believe that the difference between being asked to leave and being expelled is that when you are asked to leave, you are given the chance to go and find a new school, and if you oblige you won't have to have it on your record that you were expelled; whereas being expelled obviously goes onto your record.

But there was someone in my boarding house who was (according to everyone I spoke to, though I never asked him myself) asked to leave, and he said no. In the end he resolved whatever issues he had and carried on, leaving at the end of his Grecians like everyone else and doing well for himself.

Seaman said to one friend of mine (he's on the right of the photo at
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2649)

If you leave now, I'm prepared to give you a not altogether frank testimonial.

That I suppose is "being bribed to leave".

Philip: I liked your piece.