CH Trivia

[J.R.]

Second up is usually how the Headmaster is incapable of talking to parents and answering queries. My advice for that is speak to the second master - they know everything usually and are very keen to chat. So what if the Head is aloof? I don't know him and it doesn't matter. The people who were key in my life were my Houseparents and my subject teachers.

The current Head (Dr Peter Southern) should've probably gone into politics - he has his critics, but he's one of the slimiest people I know (in a good way) and he really is quite good at talking to people - in my opinion anyway

He gave us a talk in the Science Block Lecture room when Coleridge B had a re-union months back. He struck me as a very good speaker, but definitely more of a politician than a teacher.

[shoz]

Thanks for your reply, I was hoping someone would do a 'rising bell to lights out' kind of thing. But, as ever it raises one or two more questions!

I realise these might seem the sort of 'bleedin' obvious' type of question, as Monty Python might say, but.....


7.15. Dressed, sheets and blanket folded, mattress arched to air, Downstairs and forming up to march into Dining Hall.

Is this a march in the proper sense or is it just a mad scramble to get to the breakfast table first?

10.15 2nd period ends; back to house for PT

Is this PT the 'physical training' type of PT? I only ask because at my school it was called PE, so I thought I would ask to make sure it's not another CH exclusive.

2.or 2.30 - start of sport. This could be rugby, cricket, cross country running, swimming, fives for squits ........ (See also note below) For those stupid enough to get caught, the time after sport was about the only time available for doing monitors' punishments.

Does this mean the entire school spends the whole afternoon playing sport of one kind or another? The facilities must be very impressive to cater for so many. Also, what powers do Monitor's have? What would you say was a typical punishment from them? What happens to studends that haven't got a 'sporty' strand of DNA in their bodies, like myself? I was always the last to be picked for any team.

Friday afternoon for 14 years old and upwards - CCF. That could be hard work.

CCF?

Trades monitors and those on Trades had to be in the Dining Hall 10 minutes before and after each meal to set and clear tables.

Could you explain Trades Monitors and what Trades are please? Can a Trades Monitor discipline students?

Worn out shoes; we had 2 pairs and the bockers would inspect and repair as necessary.

What exactly is a bocker, I gather he will repair the shoes as you say, but is 'bocker' a local term used by the school only?


it sounds an extremely busy day, I'm surprised you had any proper time for learning with all that.

Thanks in anticipation.

[Mid A 15]

Thanks for your reply, I was hoping someone would do a 'rising bell to lights out' kind of thing. But, as ever it raises one or two more questions!

I realise these might seem the sort of 'bleedin' obvious' type of question, as Monty Python might say, but.....


7.15. Dressed, sheets and blanket folded, mattress arched to air, Downstairs and forming up to march into Dining Hall.

Is this a march in the proper sense or is it just a mad scramble to get to the breakfast table first?

10.15 2nd period ends; back to house for PT

Is this PT the 'physical training' type of PT? I only ask because at my school it was called PE, so I thought I would ask to make sure it's not another CH exclusive.

2.or 2.30 - start of sport. This could be rugby, cricket, cross country running, swimming, fives for squits ........ (See also note below) For those stupid enough to get caught, the time after sport was about the only time available for doing monitors' punishments.

Does this mean the entire school spends the whole afternoon playing sport of one kind or another? The facilities must be very impressive to cater for so many. Also, what powers do Monitor's have? What would you say was a typical punishment from them? What happens to studends that haven't got a 'sporty' strand of DNA in their bodies, like myself? I was always the last to be picked for any team.

Friday afternoon for 14 years old and upwards - CCF. That could be hard work.

CCF?

Trades monitors and those on Trades had to be in the Dining Hall 10 minutes before and after each meal to set and clear tables.

Could you explain Trades Monitors and what Trades are please? Can a Trades Monitor discipline students?

Worn out shoes; we had 2 pairs and the bockers would inspect and repair as necessary.

What exactly is a bocker, I gather he will repair the shoes as you say, but is 'bocker' a local term used by the school only?


it sounds an extremely busy day, I'm surprised you had any proper time for learning with all that.

Thanks in anticipation.

First thing to bear in mind is that this is a typical day from the fifties or early sixties. Some of those elements, morning PT (PE) for example, had disappeared by the time I arrived at the School in 1965. Others will be able to comment on what remains of the daily routine now.

The breakfast march was a proper march in that we would assemble on the asphalt outside the house and "form fours" on the instruction of the duty monitor. We would then march up The Avenue to Dining Hall. In all honesty the standard of marching was not as good as for lunch parade but we did march in formation to breakfast.

Yes every boy, regardless of aptitude, did play sport, unless medically unfit, in the afternoons. Yes the facilities, Big Side and Little Side are very impressive.

Monitors, in my day, could impose punishments, often running, such as "loops" (approx 1/2 mile round part of Big Side, miles (the entire perimeter of Big Side) or double miles.

CCF stands for Combined Cadet Force. There were (?are) army, signals and RAF corps. Scouts was another alternative as was Police Cadets for a short while during my time.

Bocker is a housie slang term for estate worker.

[sejintenej]

Thanks for your reply, I was hoping someone would do a 'rising bell to lights out' kind of thing. But, as ever it raises one or two more questions!

I realise these might seem the sort of 'bleedin' obvious' type of question, as Monty Python might say, but.....

..................

Thanks in anticipation.

Most of your questions have been answered so I'll fill in the gaps. Remember that there were 14 upper houses (ie excluding the Preparatory School), each with its own organisation and rules. de facto there were not too many differences.:

PT = PE. Flipflaps, pressups and that sort of thing. A routine would be worked out by some masterand each house would have to follow it. Sometimes the combinations got a bit complicated.

CCF = Combined Cadet Force. Basically this started off as standard Army Basic Training. When you had pased "Cert A" (don't ask me where that comes from) you went into one of the more specialised groups such as those mentioned.
In my day there were only Signals, RAF, the erks and, in my last 2 years, Civil Defence. Don't forget that we were living in the middle of the cold war and the possibilty of nuclear strikes was an everpresent threat. In addition, accidents do happen and the CD section training was designed to teach members how to handle any emergency. IMHO that was the only really useful section in the CCF.
In those days, Scouts and Police were NOT alternatives; Scouts was a "hobbies" activity for Tuesday afternoon (CCF on Friday). It was compulsory unless your parents could prove that they were anti-war.

Incidentally, passing out of CH CCF was a near guaranteed entry into the Honorable Artillery Company which itself was a near guaranteed commission in case of call-up. It is the HAC who provide gun salutes from the Tower of London and provide an escort for the Lord Mayor of London with their 1600's uniforms, pikes and muskets. (They are also a fearsome TA regiment.).

Trades Monitors:
Monitors were what you would call prefects and it was they who ran the houses.
There were umpteen jobs which had to be carried out from cleaning the house to laying and clearing tables to serving food to ....... These were called "Trades" and there was a monitor whose particular function it was to allot tasks and ensure that they were properly carried out.

The second year in the Upper (ie not Prep School) escaped trades because they would be "fags". (Amazing how words change meanings!) Essentially they were what the army would call batmen to the monitors, ensuring their coats were clean, shoes polished (I suspect that they were not allowed to clean CCF uniforms), clean up the crumbs etc from the monitors late night tea, toast and jam. In fact fags used to get paid, typically 30 shillings per term which happened to be the recommended amount of pocket money for a term.

Punishments: In my house (Colerige A) we had 2 punishments which could be given by monitors - a "P.O.Path" and a "Mile". The first was said to be half a mile and the second about 1 1/4 mile. The "victim" had to run the stated course and change back into full uniform, all within a time limit. (You could change OUT of uniform instead). The time limit depended upon your age and ability; a strapping strong 16 year old had a lower time limit to an undernourished 11 year old. (my final time limits were 5 1/2 minutes and 10 1/2 minutes) Essentially the time limit was intended to be just and only just acheivable. Take too long andf you had to do it again until a) you passed or b) the monitor giving the punishmnent considered that honour had been satisfied or c) it was considered that you simply hadn't tried in which case it was handed over to the housemaster (I never heard of c) occurring; the slipper / cane is painful.
There were controls; every punishment had to be entered in the book and the housemaster could require that the punishment be justrified.

Lack of "sporty" DNA? Firstly, in them thar days we hadn't heard of DNA. You did it and did at as well as you could. It was acknowledged that some were better than others (which was taken into account in choosing school teams) but you still had to do your best (or face the cane). Nobody escaped -the only let out was a doctor's letter or a limb in plaster but sometimes there were choices they decided that I was so potentially lethal bowling in stoolball that I was banned from the game! Equally, if there wasn't a rugby opponent team one could play Rugby Fives (for example) - that is a masochist's sport - imaging squash with a golf ball and your hand instead of a racket.

Busy day, no time for learning ... ?
It was a busy but that includes 6 periods of 40 or 45 minutes (often they were double periods) and hours ofd silence for Prep (homework to you).

Sorry you missed it?

[englishangel]

I bet someone will ask what stoolball is as it is a peculiarly Sussex game.

I have certainly not come across it anywhere else.

I have a scar on my head (mentioned in 'would your schoolfriends recognise you') from being hit with a stoolball bat.

I had played it at primary school.

Is it still played at Horsham?

Has anyone ever come across it elsewhere in the country?

Just Googled and it appears confined to Sussex but there are many clubs.

[sport!]

I played it at primary school......in Sussex........but never at CH

[englishangel]

I played it at primary school......in Sussex........but never at CH

Where?

Just being nosy

[J.R.]

We live in North Holmwood, just South of Dorking. There is an active ladies stoolball team which plays at North Holwood Cricket Club.

I would imagine, being only some 6 miles from the Sussex border, they play teams from the Horsham area.

[englishangel]

If you 'google' stoolball there are quite a few teams around Horsham, though I come from the other end of then county.

[J.R.]

If you 'google' stoolball there are quite a few teams around Horsham, though I come from the other end of then county.

I used to google netball.

(Oh sorry ! Delete an 'o', and put a 'g' in its place !)

[sport!]

I played it at primary school......in Sussex........but never at CH

Where?

Just being nosy

A nice little village called Walberton, mid-way between Arundel and Chichester.

[shoz]

Tell me, are you interested in what CH would've been like if you went there or what it is like today?


Yes, I have to admit that my main interest is what life is like at CH today, I realise a lot of things must have changed over the years. So recent leavers, any contributions would be gratefully received. But, having said that, I don't want to be disrespectful to other contributers, particularly sejintenej, whose answers have been so long and detailed and so very interesting to read, so please do carry on with your posts. It's much mote than I could have hoped for.
I suppose the short answer is, I would like both! As long as I know from which time the information is from I will be able to do a comparison. Hopefully it will reveal information that all of us can find interesting.


Remember that there were 14 upper houses each with its own organisation and rules.

Can anyone name these for me please? Was it 'cool' to be in a particular one or were they all much the same? How were the rules made, on a democratic basis or by the Monitors? What would typical rules be? Which is the more senior, a Monitor or a Grecian?

It would appear that in the 60s and 70s (and perhaps earlier) the school had quite a large military tradition, is this still the case?

Has the tradition of 'fagging' died out now or does it still exist in a more up-to-date form?

I can imagine that the punishments of PO Path and mile must have led to a certain amount of competition between punishees, all hoping to set a new record. Is there any evidence of this?

Is there such a thing as an official archivist at the school?

It would be nice to hear from anyone who can answer these queries, from any time period, as long as you state which one.

Sorry you missed it?

Believe it or not, the more I learn, the more I wish I could have done it all. Except for the sport, though, I think all my spare time would have been spent running the Mile.

[sejintenej]

Remember that there were 14 upper houses each with its own organisation and rules.

Can anyone name these for me please?

Going from west to east in my day: Peele A & B, Thornton A & B Middleton A & B, Coleridge A & B, Dining hall, kitchens etc. Lamb A & B, Barnes A & B, Maine A & B, Preparatory A & B

Each block (H shaped) had a name but was divided into A and B. I might have swaped Maine & Barnes - it is so many years....
Since then they've imported wimmin and created a house called Leigh-Hunt'

Was it 'cool' to be in a particular one or were they all much the same?

Houses competed and there was often no contact between them except for knocking their blocks off on the rugby pitch, smashing their skulls with a cricket ball ..... J.R. (John Rutley)was in the same block (but other house) at the same time as me - I doubt if he remembers me and I don't remember him from those days (sorry, JR)

How were the rules made, on a democratic basis or by the Monitors?

Handed down generally, otherwise monitors. Democracy didn't exist.

Which is the more senior, a Monitor or a Grecian?

Quite different: Grecians is an academic grade (6th form to you perhaps)
monitors were senior in their houses but had little status outside their own houses - prefects in your idiom.

It would appear that in the 60s and 70s (and perhaps earlier) the school had quite a large military tradition, is this still the case?

No. Definitely not even then. There was a CCF just like many other public schools and the Navy could present pupils for the "Mathematical School" and RAF had presentations but like the rest, those places were for the children of the relatively poor and did not commit pupils to join the forces.

I can imagine that the punishments of PO Path and mile must have led to a certain amount of competition between punishees, all hoping to set a new record. Is there any evidence of this?

Remember that PO Paths and miles as described were Col. A punishments; Maine had its equivalents but slightly different courses for exampole. Any compretiton was for beatings and I never had a hope of catching a boy called Br**t in Peele B (whose housemaster had a reputation for pain infliction par excellence)

It would be nice to hear from anyone who can answer these queries, from any time period, as long as you state which one.

Time period: what part of Col A, 1952-1961 don't you understand?
Modern eddicashun .......... yeuch

[sejintenej]

I have a scar on my head (mentioned in 'would your schoolfriends recognise you') from being hit with a stoolball bat.

So you know how it could feel if the ball goes 6 inches east of target. In fact I used generally to hit the target (wooden, not skulls) but after smashing a couple they decided that heads were getting too close to my bowling!

Stoolball bats also used by "Daddy Dore" if you were flat (you got flatter) or tone deaf.

[DavebytheSea]

Were they stoolball bats? I have said elsewhere they were ping-pong bats; but I think, after all, you are right.