Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Early histories of the school refer to public executions that were carried out frequently at Newgate Prison which adjoined the school buildings and were witnessed by pupils. I know the last such event took place in 1868 although I am not sure of the location. According to http://www.capitalpunishme...

I too have no recollection of public beatings in the 1950s. But when they ceased I don’t know. However I do have an account of such a beating in 1918 from someone who was present. “On one memorable occasion in 1918 Dr Upcott gave a morning sermon on personal purity. Then, after lunch, aided by two s...

Dear Moderators, Isn't it more appropriate that this thread is in the section entitled "General Chat - CH Stuff," rather than here?

To answer the question about CH having any ex-communists – Yes, there was at least one, Campbell Hunter in the 1920s. He, Michael Stewart (former Foreign Minister), Dom Griffiths (later a Catholic Benedictine monk/priest/author, who lived in India and became a yogi, writing on Catholic-Hindu dialogu...

Has CH always had an enlightened attitude to mental illness? I presume candidate pupils are always interviewed in part to ensure they are suitable for a boarding school life, for such aptitude may not always be evident from background knowledge and performance in a competitive examination. Meeting t...

One meeting of the Debating Society around 1955 was an address by Bryan Magee, on debating techniques. He was then President of the Oxford University Union (ie the prestigious debating society). I recall him saying that the secret to effective debating was frequently the converse of the structure of...

The Housey accent story has a long history and the following about Rev Kelsey is not (to my knowledge) recorded in any official account. When CH came to Horsham, the new buildings included four ultra modern science laboratories (the Old Science School). These were a great novelty, most successful an...

Me too, please?

Thanks Michael. One learns something every day.

Early fifties Housey slang included many more than four words. Words such as “bay” and “fotch” were in current use then. Another slang verb was to “buzz”, meaning to “cry”. Yet another is “dressing” meaning to stay in line while marching and take your position from an appointed person (usually on th...

Thanks David, I found it. Here it is. The Arthur Rider Song Post by David Rawlins » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:22 am The Arthur Song or Riders at CH By: Pitter, Kidner and others. Written C. 1952-53 (To be sung to the tune of "We plough the fields and scatter"). I'm Middleton A's Housemaster, And...

What were the criteria for being chosen as Senior Grecian? Here are some suggestions from observations made in the 50s, which are of course are my guesses and subjective. The Headmaster never confided in me! 1. Leadership qualities. 2. Member of a school team and for > 90% this was rugby or cricket....

However one notorious bully actually knocked out a victim (behind the Barnes fives courts, a favourite bullying site) I knew this perpetrator at school, though not well. By chance I met him a few years ago for the first time since leaving school and had to spend a couple of hours with him. I was mo...

CH has often been remarkably liberal in allowing political activity not approved by the vast majority and some past examples are of interest. For example the League of Empire Loyalists was invited to speak to a CH audience in the 1950s. (As Michael Cherniavsky, a left wing master at that time, put i...

Since the message formerly in this space concerned CH it will be moved to another thread called 'Politics at CH'. I can find no way to delete that previous message (can it be done?) so this explanation is left in its place.