Quick questions and (maybe) answers Hertford Memories thread

[Katharine]

The plates were cold, Munch. They lived in the racks above the sink in the kitchen (did we have a name for the bit of the kitchen where we did the washing up?). I can't remember the cheese veg, can remember convent eggs and their poor cousin when we had the cheese sauce but no eggs in it (did that have a name?).

[Angela Woodford]

That's a funny thing Katharine.

I can remember doing the washing up of cutlery after meals, because those baskets were so disgusting. We just used to froth them up and down in the washing-up water - but they still had little fragments of old food clinging - oh yuck! It seems really unhygienic to me now!

I don't remember washing the plates or pudding bowls! However I've never even forgotten the smell of the oilcloth.

[Katharine]

Well Munch you weren't involved in the great smuggling of crested plates back to house - because we had achieved saturation point before you joined 6s! If a crested plate was found in the basket for 6s when laying the table in Hall for breakfast or lunch, it was exchanged for a plain one from the house kitchen. This needed a bit of care as we were not supposed to do such things (depriving other houses of the chance to see crested plates?). It was easier to take the extra plate back down that to bring the plain one back!

[MaryB]

That's a funny thing Katharine.

I can remember doing the washing up of cutlery after meals, because those baskets were so disgusting. We just used to froth them up and down in the washing-up water - but they still had little fragments of old food clinging - oh yuck! It seems really unhygienic to me now!

I don't remember washing the plates or pudding bowls! However I've never even forgotten the smell of the oilcloth.

The house kitchen racks had large and small plates but no bowls - but actually is that right, because if so what did we have rice krispies in on Sunday mornings when breakfast was in house.....? There was definitely a basket of melamine mugs, a different colour for each house. 3s had yellow ones, mostly bright but paler replacements crept in later.
Washing up was indeed revolting.

[Katharine]

I THINK the bowls for Sunday breakfast, yes always rice krispies, were delivered by the little men and their trolleys on Saturday night. The tea mugs came in during my time, previously we had the same type of bowls as at dining hall breakfasts. I THINK (careful thinking twice in one post!) that they were stacked in a complicated pyramid in the corner until dry, I may be imagining that!

[Kim2s70-77]

I remember muesli (in little packets) for Sunday breakfasts - followed by some unidentified 'meat' in cold, gristly slices. There was also stewed coffee-with-milk in an urn.
Was the area for washing dishes in the Houses called the Scullery? We also had a 'Char' who cleaned and blacked the stove etc. Is that a word that is still used in UK?? (Char).

[Angela Woodford]

Muesli? Must have been after my time! Wow - what an improvement on the inevitable Rice Krispies and green ham!

Sixes had two "chars" who sat in state in the kitchen and held court at break - Mrs Scroggie and Mrs Palsey!

I would say that "char" is a word no longer politically correct. You would refer to, say Harriet Harman as "an exasperating woman". Or to Antonia Fraser as "a fascinating woman". (Or whoever... as you will...)

But Mrs Scroggie and Mrs Palsey and such in that hugely appreciated career path are reverently referred to as

Cleaning Ladies! Executive Domestic Operators! Chief Domestic Operative! Non-industrial Home-based Facilitator!

[J.R.]

I think 'char' is infinitely better than 'scrubber' !

[Kim2s70-77]

Heavens! That has a slightly different connotation, doesn't it? Doesn't it???? I know I used to confuse 'slut' and 'slob' frequently - much to my chagrin, here in the US. Two VERY different words.

[Katharine]

I remember muesli (in little packets) for Sunday breakfasts - followed by some unidentified 'meat' in cold, gristly slices. There was also stewed coffee-with-milk in an urn.
Was the area for washing dishes in the Houses called the Scullery? We also had a 'Char' who cleaned and blacked the stove etc. Is that a word that is still used in UK?? (Char).

Thanks Kim, yes the Scullery you are quite right. How sophisticated you were with Muesli and coffee on a Sunday!

[Vonny]

I remember muesli (in little packets) for Sunday breakfasts -

We were still having the little packets of muesli in the 80's as well. Also yogurts which we used to freeze in the little compartment in the house fridge.

[midget]

House frig indeed. Did you never suffer the delights in UV/VI of milk saved from morning break (jug in bowl of water with a damp cloth over it) so that by the evening it was well and truly on the way to "turning"? It needed vast quantities of chocolate and sugar to be able to drink it.

[jhopgood]

House frig indeed. Did you never suffer the delights in UV/VI of milk saved from morning break (jug in bowl of water with a damp cloth over it) so that by the evening it was well and truly on the way to "turning"? It needed vast quantities of chocolate and sugar to be able to drink it.

Sounds just like the milk I had to collect at morning break, in a saucepan, that I would then take up to Matron´s at 9.00 pm for boiling for the monitors evening drink.
Can´t remember where we kept it during the day, but it was always sufficiently full so that it was almost impossible to boil without it boiling over.
My other chore was to steal butter from Dining Hall so that the monitors could put it on their toast.
At least, as a swab, I got paid.

[Vonny]

House frig indeed. Did you never suffer the delights in UV/VI of milk saved from morning break (jug in bowl of water with a damp cloth over it) so that by the evening it was well and truly on the way to "turning"? It needed vast quantities of chocolate and sugar to be able to drink it.

Can't say I remember the joys of that!
When we moved to Horsham I remember we had massive bags of milk fitted into a cooler in the kitchen

[J.R.]

Shouldn't that be fridge ??