Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Re barbers, the one I remember from when I was in the Prep 1946-7 was called the sheep-shearer and operated in the boot room of each house in turn .. until the operation was couthed up and a permanent barbers' shop established in the Court Room annexe.

Postwarblue --- That must be the chap I remember 1940-1946 !

You must be nearly as ancient as I am !!!!!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Postwarblue --- That must be the chap I remember 1940-1946 !

You must be nearly as ancient as I am !!!!!

Tea-Dance anyone ??

Neill you are definitely my revered senior -- I was Prep B 46-7, Col B 47-54. But you might have been the towering figure who gave me an upperite fotch in the Tube when I was in the prep. (You can explain fotch to the wimmin on this forum in case they get the wrong idea ..)

Re Tea Dances ---

When I was about 10, my Mother, who was a superb Ballroom Dancer, with many Awards, used to take me to Tea Dances, in Bournemouth Pavilion.

This I HATED ! --

But when I became 18, I was very grateful ---- How did one meeet Girls ?

At the local "Hop"--- and if you were a good dancer ------ Weyhey !

Nowadays, people gyrate abouy a metre away from each other ------ how can you get a grip on a Girl ?

Postwarblue --- no not I -- in my time (Here we go again ! ) the Tube was sandbagged off, between Houses --
Not Guilty M'Lud !----- but what were you up to ?-- ( Up to what, were you ? --- Englishangel watches !)

I remember the Bokkers being South African when I was there, along with the lovely Jo of course (sighs deeply!), the lads I was friendly with were Mornay and Carl, can't remember any others..

yamaha wrote:.
No, no, no!

Bockers were people like Jack Hards (oink! oink!) and his assistant Squit Wells.

WOW !

Those names bring back memories !

I think Hards and Wells worked in the Prep. I remember being regaled by ex-preps (I wasn't one) with tales of their obtuse rusticalities.

Some of the bokkers were grumpy old men - for some reason not enjoying working on minimum wage, piling out slops to screaming teenagers. It felt like the relationship was based on class - sort of 'upstairs/downstairs'.

Some of the bokkers (like some of the pupils) were actually smart and friendly, but they were in the minority. I remember nearly buying a pearlescent Stratocaster-style electric guitar from one of the bokkers (Simon, with big mane of curly hair).

Bokker wasn't a hate-filled word, but it certainly had negative connotations. In the 90's, getting a cup of tea for a senior boy was called bokkering.

Anyone from my era remember the chef who, due to his scary demeanour, won the enviable nickname of 'Meat Cleaver'?

Or when Fairfield catering added pepper to the rice pudding... After enough people complained, they brought out the emergency supplies of ice cream.

I was back for OBD over the weekend and I couldn't believe it when I saw the head of catering, Mr Blunden. One of the teachers said he's retiring in the next few days, so he's been there at least 15 years.

R.
PeB - PeA, '89-'96

theonlyrick wrote:In the 90's, getting a cup of tea for a senior boy was called bokkering.

We use it in the family as a term for doing household/menial jobs (mostly my domain). Also 'sticking and licking' (a Hertford term) for mass clearing up sessions before Christmas, holidays, spring cleaning etc. and 'klepping' for nicking something/borrowing without asking.

cj wrote:

theonlyrick wrote:In the 90's, getting a cup of tea for a senior boy was called bokkering.

We use it in the family as a term for doing household/menial jobs (mostly my domain). Also 'sticking and licking' (a Hertford term) for mass clearing up sessions before Christmas, holidays, spring cleaning etc. and 'klepping' for nicking something/borrowing without asking.

Meatcleaver (who was the head chef iirc) was a scary whatsit...
Mike Blunden I think had been head of catering for over 20 years...