Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Kit Bartlett wrote: ↑Sun Dec 22, 2013 1:59 pm I know that the CH Housey special has not run for many years. How do pupils travel home now if not being able to be picked up by car? Presumably by normal train from CH station. Does the school still break up in the early morning ?
When did travelling home in Housey uniform cease ? When did travelling into Horsham in uniform stop ?

Travelling into Horsham without a uniform ceased in c. 1996/7 after an altercation between a pupil and a local boy. The CH pupil won, apparently...

My understanding is that there is far less alcohol on a Saturday night as the house parents have breathalysers - no Grecians’ club either

Great Plum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:14 pm My understanding is that there is far less alcohol on a Saturday night as the house parents have breathalysers - no Grecians’ club either

I LOVE IT PLUM !

Breathalysers at CH. Are they often used, and if so, what are the consequences ? 35 mg being the driving limit, is there a limit for pupils ?

Given the fact that the place is now co-ed, I imagine that sexual experimentation and recreation now (mostly) take different forms. And I suppose it needn't be so clandestine.

But does anyone know: have many marriages been made at CH (between pupils, I mean)?

I know of 3 marriages between CH couples from my year and the year above. I’m sure there are many more.

J.R. wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:22 pm

Great Plum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:14 pm My understanding is that there is far less alcohol on a Saturday night as the house parents have breathalysers - no Grecians’ club either

I LOVE IT PLUM !

Breathalysers at CH. Are they often used, and if so, what are the consequences ? 35 mg being the driving limit, is there a limit for pupils ?

I’m not sure what the rules are surrounding it, but probably a red card for 1st offence...

DazedandConfused wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:13 pm I know of 3 marriages between CH couples from my year and the year above. I’m sure there are many more.

Certainly there’s a couple from my sister’s year that are married...

Two separate friends of mine (one was a year below and one was 2 years above) got together and eventually married when they met back stage of the opera house in Covent Garden having remembered each other from CH...

No Grecians' club? How sad. That was a refreshing escape from the regimented life.

Normally I'd rant about neo-victorian puritanism but given the prominent role of alcohol in the 70s-90s child molesting epidemic, I'd reluctantly say maybe it was necessary.

bakunin wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 12:26 am No Grecians' club? How sad. That was a refreshing escape from the regimented life.

Normally I'd rant about neo-victorian puritanism but given the prominent role of alcohol in the 70s-90s child molesting epidemic, I'd reluctantly say maybe it was necessary.

I think with the change of licensing laws which got away with the loophole and the introduction of the grecians’ boarding houses, it no longer could exist.

michael scuffil wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:25 pmGiven the fact that the place is now co-ed, I imagine that sexual experimentation and recreation now (mostly) take different forms. And I suppose it needn't be so clandestine.

Unless things have changed radically since I was there, it's probably as clandestine as ever. Getting caught in (or after) the act almost always resulted in expulsion/being asked to leave. Getting caught drunk got you something between a disapproving remark and rustication.

bakunin wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 12:26 amNo Grecians' club? How sad. That was a refreshing escape from the regimented life.

It's a pity, although I can completely understand why they've done it. Looking back I always found it one of the more civilised (or normal?) aspects of CH. Showed that on some small level the school was capable of treating older pupils like protoadults and trusting them to take care off themselves and not turn into total eejits the first time someone sticks a pint in their hand.

Perhaps I have been a trifle remiss (nothing new there!), but I was not aware that the Grecians' Club had closed. Does that mean that the Grecian Houses have also closed? Can someone explain, please?
David

Foureyes wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 4:42 pm Perhaps I have been a trifle remiss (nothing new there!), but I was not aware that the Grecians' Club had closed. Does that mean that the Grecian Houses have also closed? Can someone explain, please?
David

Not as far as I'm aware.

Great Plum would be the best person to ask.

Foureyes wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 4:42 pm Perhaps I have been a trifle remiss (nothing new there!), but I was not aware that the Grecians' Club had closed. Does that mean that the Grecian Houses have also closed? Can someone explain, please?
David

The grecians’ houses are still there but there’s not been a club for a number of years and the site is now a new building called the Hertford centre

Is there still a School Sergeant at CH? If not, when was the role done away with and why?

In my day it was Sergeant Guest and we were all a bit terrified of him, even though he was kindly enough at swimming lessons. He and his wife lived at and ran the old CH Post Office.

Is the School Sergeant concept entirely anachronistic now?

And are there still pig food bins? I used to worry a lot about those pig food bins, because skiffage plates sometimes contained broken glass (broken pepper pots or salt cellars) and I find it hard to imagine that the skiffage was carefully screened for foreign bodies before being consigned to the nearest piggery. Heaven help those poor pigs.

It was Sgt Guest during my day.

I never really discovered what he actually did other than teaching swimming. A rather elusive person as I recall !