The School Rules

[J.R.]

Yes please, Liz - Do tell !!

I'm intrigued regarding the 'sins' involving a post-office !

[Liz60]

Miss Tucker was really pretty reasonable: she even let us stay up after 9.30pm, on account of us being 18!! (She'd taught in a day school so was a bit more aware of what the modern gal did!) I recall once using the official prep time to play the piano (the effrontery!) and was discovered by the Misses J, W & M on their evening post-prandial prowl. Naturally, no protestation from me cut any ice and I was duly reported. Next morning I was summoned to Miss T, who said that maybe it would be better if I were to use her piano for my practice during prep time so that there wouldn't be any chance of being disturbed! I was really impressed by that glimpse of enlightenment amongst all those women!

As to where or how the rule re post offices evolved, I simply cannot imagine! It may have been allied to a similar rule concerning swimming baths: perhaps it was known amongst boarding school staff of the time that there was a particularly deadly bug that bred in both post offices and swimming pools, just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting boarding school pupils. In Hertfordshire, anyway - I don't think my brothers in Horsham had to be so careful.

I remember the rule, too, that forbade one to go shopping until one had been deemed worthy of a Black Apron. There was a girl in the form called Judith something - had lovely red hair - whose birthday was in September; she remarked on her 16th birthday that she was now allowed to get married without her parents' consent but was not allowed to go shopping!! And if she ever impressed the Authorities enough to be awarded her BA, then she would always have to have someone with her. (Doubtless because of all the spivs, ne'er-do-wells and gamblers lurking in the back streets of Hertford. Not to mention the bugs in the PO and swimming baths...)

[englishangel]

(Doubtless because of all the spivs, ne'er-do-wells and gamblers lurking in the back streets of Hertford. Not to mention the bugs in the PO and swimming baths...)

It seems that Liz has very rapidly caught the spirit of the Forum.

[DavidRawlins]

Yes please, Liz - Do tell !!

I'm intrigued regarding the 'sins' involving a post-office !

Was this why there was a purpose built post-office at Horsham for the boy' use? When was it decided to close it?

[Angela Woodford]

As to where or how the rule re post offices evolved, I simply cannot imagine!

This always seemed really obvious to me. The Post Office enteree would be able to send and receive her own mail - maybe even establish a Post Restante-style extra-institutional correspondence system. She might receive parcels with forbidden content, purchase stamps, send Valentines, withdraw money from a Post Office savings account (and thus have the funds to run away), buy Premium Bonds - well, I can imagine all sorts of hideous possibilities!

Girls of my era may remember the Susan Parkin Affair. Susan was spotted by Miss Wilson blatantly posting a package in the main Hertford High Street Post Office. Miss Wilson, furiously bristling with righteousness, duly reported her, and Susan was de-GA'd. It was a bold action, and courageous Susan wore the Pinny of Shame with complete aplomb. Of course, it meant that she was barred from going out at all.

I admired her greatly - but then dear old Pot would always post anything of mine with a nudge, a wink and eee-eee-eee, a refence to mutual bark scrarching.

[Katharine]

We of course were all "rotten to the core" (according to DR and a phrase never forgotten by me!) and almost all BAs and GAs were demoted in one fell swoop - not enough pinnies to go around! The GAs wore BAs and we wore pinnies - I can't remember how long it lasted. Someone had been seen posting a letter and as nobody owned up we were all deemed guilty. I can reveal here that I was not guilty, and did not know who the "guilty" party was, but solidarity ruled!

[Liz60]

Goodness, yes, I do remember the Susan Parkin Affair now you come to mention it, Angela. Oh, the vicarious thrill, echoes of which I can still feel coursing through my veins as I write! That's really set me up for the day! You're probably right about the reason for the PO bar - current Health & Safety rules have evidently clouded my memory...

[Liz Jay]

Re Post Offices....my late father felt much the same way about pubs. I had dire warnings when I left home in Germany for the student lifestyle in UK

I was pretty terrified when as a new undergraduate I ventured into my first Black Horse/Red Lion/Spotted Dog/Whatever in Sheffield - expecting a den of vice and iniquity. Certainly Spivs, Gamblers and Ne'er Do Wells at the very least.....

Just a few amiable overweight middle-aged blokes playing Shove Ha'Penny and rather a lot of smoke?

Not at all what I had expected!

Liz

[englishangel]

Re Post Offices....my late father felt much the same way about pubs. I had dire warnings when I left home in Germany for the student lifestyle in UK

I was pretty terrified when as a new undergraduate I ventured into my first Black Horse/Red Lion/Spotted Dog/Whatever in Sheffield - expecting a den of vice and iniquity. Certainly Spivs, Gamblers and Ne'er Do Wells at the very least.....

Just a few amiable overweight middle-aged blokes playing Shove Ha'Penny and rather a lot of smoke?

Not at all what I had expected!

Liz

Beehive?

[jhopgood]

Yes please, Liz - Do tell !!

I'm intrigued regarding the 'sins' involving a post-office !

Was this why there was a purpose built post-office at Horsham for the boy' use? When was it decided to close it?

Just realised that I knew exactly where the Post Office was located, but never used it.
My mother would send me the Eagle with a note inside, and my brother got the Children's Newspaper. Never had any trouble receiving mail and no excess money to send mail the other way.

[Angela Woodford]

It may have been allied to a similar rule concerning swimming baths.... Not to mention the bugs in the PO and swimming baths...)

Now this is curious? I do seem to remember a Rule about alien swimming baths! But was there another swimming bath within striking distance? There may have been one somewhere in Hertford.

Does anybody remember? Perhaps there was, many years ago, and some daring girl had got her kit off outside the Walls, or spoken to an undesirable undressed local person, or have gone AWOL in municipal surroundings?

The "bugs" theory, ISTR was mooted a few years ago - I'd wondered why we were banned from using the green-line bus from outside the School Gates. I mean - we weren't allowed to hop on public transport anyway, but why that particular bus?

I know somebody did enlighten me as to its destination - I was expecting some really interesting place with possible alluring interchange opportunities to trains and airports, but no! The "bugs" theory won out.

[Liz60]

I think the destination of That Bus was Bishop's Stortford. Which would explain it. There was one, too, I remember that went from Horsham, where I lived, to Guildford. Need I say more?

[sejintenej]

Was this why there was a purpose built post-office at Horsham for the boy' use? When was it decided to close it?

Just realised that I knew exactly where the Post Office was located, but never used it.
.

Technically it was out of bounds so you couldn't go there without permission. Of course you passed it en route to the Armoury and swimming pool and it was relatively easy to get permission to fish in the farm pool - just past the post office but would the P O staff report any pupil customers? I also had no use for the post office.

[MaryB]

There was an open air swimming pool on the Leas (Lees?) just by where we came onto them after walking past the station and along a bit of the canal. An excellent vie of the brewery from there - remember the smell?
At least our pool was indoors.

[Angela Woodford]

The Railway Walk? The Meads? Hmm, an open air-swimming pool.... is there a little twinge of memory here? Anyway, absolutely no temptation to break that Rule. Not a chance.

OTOH - oh yes, the smell of that brewery! Not nice.