Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I couldn't find this on any earlier postings, so here goes for a new Topic.

I was President of the Grecians Club 1983-1984. What a great place it was as well. Monday nights it was closed but in the Michaelmas Term used for post mortems on the previous Saturday First XV rugby match. I think it was open the rest of the week from 9-10? We had our committee meetings on Tuesdays just before lunch and JMC always bought us a pint. That was good too and there were more freebies when you worked behind the bar as the staff memebr always bought you a pint. In my days you bought a book of "chits" and used therefore paper money.

King&barnes beers were readily availably as were delights such as Porky scratchings.

I introduced on Sundays before lucng the Ploughmans but am not sure what became of that post 1984...

So what are your memories fo the club? Discos, getting drunk (?) ....

After my time sadly so none at all.

I believe Plum Senior was one of the founder beneficiaries so I can only have missed out by a year.

My only memory of the Grecians Club was an occasion - must have been OB day - when the place was packed. I was standing at the back of the crowd at the bar, alongside an OG contemporary from Hertford whose son was serving behind the bar. She 'pulled rank' by calling out to her son 'Two halves over here, X' and they were duly passed over the heads of the crowd. What a pity that I don't drink beer!

Frank Beddington was the lad behind the bar.... I remember the occasion.... it was OB day when I was still there - must have been my deps year (85-86), as he was the year above me.
I do have other vague memories of frequenting the Grecians Club but it's all a bit hazy I am slightly embarrassed to admit that my tipple of choice on those rare occasions was Babycham!!!

We also had chits, I assume that hasn't changed, I think it was something to do with the local bye-law that allowed for the club to service alcohol but not for cash to be exchanged for it!

Perhaps also the fact that you were allowed in from age 17, below legal drinking age? I seem to remember that they could serve halves of beer, but not pints. Yes, it was Frank Beddington - his mother was Sarah West who was in 8's, and in the CH Guide Company with me.

I believe that the Grecians' Club is no longer extant. Something to do with government legislation and alcohol in secondary schools.
I do remember, with gratitude, being able to use the Grecians' Club on more than one occasion when there was an Old Blues Day at Horsham and the Clerk of the time, Michael Pearey, thought that it would be helpful for the Hertford Ladies to have a designated meeting point away from everyone else, and we were allowed to use the Grecians' Club as our base. I also remember chairing meetings of the CH Old Girls' Association Committee in the Grecians' Club on the mornings of such days, though sometimes there may have been a delay due to the cleaning up from the night before not having been finished in time......

mvgrogan wrote:I do have other vague memories of frequenting the Grecians Club but it's all a bit hazy

Ahh yes - I remember carrying you back to house

mvgrogan wrote:We also had chits, I assume that hasn't changed, I think it was something to do with the local bye-law that allowed for the club to service alcohol but not for cash to be exchanged for it!

Yes - I remember buying them from Miss Lindsay - half a pint of lager/cider was 35p if I remember rightly - a pint 70p

mvgrogan wrote:Frank Beddington was the lad behind the bar.... I remember the occasion.... it was OB day when I was still there - must have been my deps year (85-86), as he was the year above me.
!

I left in Summer of 1984 and Beddington was already in Peele B which I think then moved to LHA. But I think he was only a UF when I left so in 85-86 he could have only been GE?

Perhaps a pint too many in the old days has reduced memory?

As a Mummy of a now third former - my fond memories of the Grecians Club are being bused in from Bramley, Guildford (St Catherines Girls School) for sixth form dances... we were the last ones in 1985 before CH became co-ed at Horsham.

Fond memories of sitting across the room from all the boys, being asked to dance and back to the house for a quick coffee...

Tuesdays at school following dances were spent waiting for the post to see if you had a Redhill post marked letter.

How very sweet...

Don't worry, st Cath's girl were still being bussed in until at least 87 to try and even up the numbers.

Far too many hazy memories of the club, even though my birthday being in July meant I only got 1 year rather than the nearly 2 of some of my contemporaries. Most importantly, it was good training such that when I got to Uni I could hold my own whereas most of the other boarding school types couldn't

cstegerlewis wrote: Far too many hazy memories of the club, even though my birthday being in July meant I only got 1 year rather than the nearly 2 of some of my contemporaries.

I was lucky & got 2 years

The Club still exists, although it is now open to Deps and Grecians. No alcohol is sold but soft drinks and coffee etc are. Alcohol is 'given away' on certain nights to avoid license issues. Strict two pint limit!

Surely it's naive to think that 17 and 18 year olds will stick to a' limit'.

Er.....yes - supposedly 2 pint limit existed in our day when we were 'buying' but always broken at weekends, key was to be coherent enough standing at the bar that the master in charge did not have to step in and refuse

The limit works up to a point. You have to sign for a drink and only a member of staff can serve you. Once you have signed twice then you cannot have any more. Alcohol is not sold every week. That being said, cheap prices in local shops mean that alcohol does find its way on site. It is without doubt the biggest risk to the students at CH. Things are tighter now than for years but we still have to be vigilant.