It's still tough

[ScottLidgettLad]

Blimey!!
I'm not looking forward to those moments
How many GCSE's is he doing?

[Volupturaptor]

Blimey!!
I'm not looking forward to those moments

Worry about that if/when it happens, as it may not.

[ScottLidgettLad]

Blimey!!
I'm not looking forward to those moments

Worry about that if/when it happens, as it may not.

Thanks for the reality check.....He probably wont want to come home in the first place judging by his enthusiasm so far

He is already using CH terminology despite not starting until September....I smiled yesterday during the school run home when he described a figure from his history lesson as wearing a "leather Housey".

Q: I understood that their civvies are laundered at school.....what's all this talk of mountains of laundry coming home at leave weekends
Also: Are they free to come home in their uniform ......We can't wait to show him off in it & visit the tower of London
I understand CH has close connections with the Tower........ I too have a very personal (shameful & humerous) connection with the Tower, which I would share but only if pressed to do so
Ciao

[Volupturaptor]

Lot's of people seem to say that the school laundry ruins clothes. They had me quite worried about it, as I'm way too far away to be doing regular laundry duties! So far however it has been fine, nothing lost, damaged, shrunk, turned a funny colour or otherwise ruined. I did make sure that my daughter didn't take anything too delicate, but how many kids have loads of delicate stuff anyway? Mine doesn't...
As for uniform, they have to bring it home to be dry cleaned each half term and end of term. They don't bring the shirt and socks though, so if you want to parade your son around the Tower of London, you may need to ask that he be allowed to bring home the rest of the uniform.

[Volupturaptor]

Oh, and go on, tell the story...

And another thing, may I ask about your username? My brother went to a school of that name...

[ScottLidgettLad]

The world can't be that small surely!!
But if you Brother did go to Scott Lidgett School in Bermondsey ??
then my type of story will come as no surprise... So if you're sitting comfortably..

Being brought up in Bermondsey SE London,
the Tower etc was part of our playground/stomping ground
I was Aged 12 my friend and I dared each other to ..:..
climb down into Traitors Gate & collect as much of the loose change
That the tourists were throwing in as a kind of wishing well type thing.
After filling our pockets with the stolen loot and getting soaked
To the waste in Thames water, We were promptly apprehended by the Yeomanry
Escorted under arrest into one of the Police boxes, given a proper telling off and was
Ceremonially Stripped of our ill gotten cash & banned from The Tower.
I'm hoping they'll have forgotten me in the intervening 35 years since.
Besides I'm a reformed character now... Lol
So there you have it, how many other Parents can say they've been held
In The Tower of London!
Shameful I know.. DS will throttle me when he sees this

So, is it the same Scott Lidgett School? I wonder

[CHDad]

Don't worry I would say 99% of the time my son is absoloutely fine and he does love CH. However you sometimes get the odd "wobble" just as you would get with any child at a normal day school (when they want to stay at home rather than go to school). Leave weekends are harder than holidays I think as the children have only just got used to being back home and then you have to take them back again.

Re GCSEs they have to choose them at the end of the 3rd form and that probably added to my sons stress this weekend as he was not certain of what to choose (thats difficult for a 12 year old). They have decided that they should all do 10 GCSEs going for quality and not quantity.

[Atticus]

CH dad, sorry to hear that your son wobbled this weekend. I hope he is ok now. I didn't realise that they chose the gcse's so soon. We asked my dd who is in second form what she thought she'd like to take, or do in the future. Before CH she had very strong ideas, but at the moment she is enjoying all her subjects ( well possibly one or two not as much!), and she doesnt have a clue what to choose. I see that as a good thing at the moment, and that she is enjoying the opportunities open to her, and the exams in a month will hopefully guide her. It is very young - she'll still be 12 too.

Scottlidgetlad.. Fantastic story !! And thanks for sharing . I'm sure they've forgotten, and if not.... Let us know how you get on ;-D I took my dd and a friend to the tower at Easter, and they had a great time. They did feel a bit exposed though! You'll need to ask matron for a shirt, bands and socks and take the girdle too. She should be fine if you explain what it's for. The same with borrowing the uniform to show family - we didn't have a problem.
With washing, dd has lots of delicate clothes - sequins, or light fabrics which I'm sure your son won't have. So we wash those at home, but it's not much except at full holidays where I tend to rewash everything. We have had some whites discoloured in the first 3 weeks, but that was due to a stray sock from another girl, but that could easily happen at home too

Dd had a great leave weekend and went back very easily. I don't hear much from her at the moment. She's very busy and settled. Hurrah !! But I'm sure there may be wobbles in the future.

[Volupturaptor]

The world can't be that small surely!!
But if you Brother did go to Scott Lidgett School in Bermondsey ??
then my type of story will come as no surprise... So if you're sitting comfortably..

Being brought up in Bermondsey SE London,
the Tower etc was part of our playground/stomping ground
I was Aged 12 my friend and I dared each other to ..:..
climb down into Traitors Gate & collect as much of the loose change
That the tourists were throwing in as a kind of wishing well type thing.
After filling our pockets with the stolen loot and getting soaked
To the waste in Thames water, We were promptly apprehended by the Yeomanry
Escorted under arrest into one of the Police boxes, given a proper telling off and was
Ceremonially Stripped of our ill gotten cash & banned from The Tower.
I'm hoping they'll have forgotten me in the intervening 35 years since.
Besides I'm a reformed character now... Lol
So there you have it, how many other Parents can say they've been held
In The Tower of London!
Shameful I know.. DS will throttle me when he sees this

So, is it the same Scott Lidgett School? I wonder

Yes, same school, same area, same stomping ground.
I used to love looking at all the boats in St. Katherine's dock, and rushing down to see the bridge when it was on the radio that it was going to be opened. We often used to sneak in the back door of the London Dungeon, far too easy to do! I've still never actually been inside the Tower of London, it was always WAY too expensive. I too, am sure they will have forgotten all about you by now.

Ooerr! I've just had a thought... If you were twelve, thirty five years ago, you'll be around the same age as my brother... It's quite possible you knew each other.

[YadaYada]

Great story!

I remember that we did ask to bring home his socks and breeches and shirt one end of term as he wanted to go into his old school in his new uniform.

School laundry - no problems for us so far ( hope that's not speaking too soon) - and we are nearly at the end of 3 years.

GCSE choices - don't think about it too much. My DS knew exactly what subjects he wanted to do and then the option blocks didn't allow it so he had to choose others anyway.

[cupcakemom]

He is already using CH terminology despite not starting until September....I smiled yesterday during the school run home when he described a figure from his history lesson as wearing a "leather Housey".

My DD did exactly the same after her New Entrants' Day ... she'd open a kitchen cupboard and declare "Oh! There's NO tuck ... um, I mean snacks!" It was priceless!

With regards bringing uniform home - I too had no problem at all as we needed to pay a visit to visit Grocers livery company for her to be presented formally with her gown plate during her first half term. She felt very self conscious on the train into London but when we were heading to the underground we were stopped by a delightful "mature" woman who told us how she went to CH ... best days of her life ... from then on my DD walked a little taller. We were also approached by an OB in a coffee shop and had a couple of tourists take her picture!

My DD is terrified of putting any of her home clothes in the school laundry - she's believed all the horror stories about things going missing or coming back a completely different colour! As far as I understand it, apart from the delicate stuff, it's just whites that don't come back quite as white! However, sadly, I am not an authority ... turning round three bags of laundry each leave weekend! I have to give her some credit though - since she's been at CH (still a 2nd former) she now sorts how own washing, puts it in the washing machine and is far more willing to help hang it out than pre-CH days!

[ScottLidgettLad]

Yes, same school, same area, same stomping ground.
I used to love looking at all the boats in St. Katherine's dock, and rushing down to see the bridge when it was on the radio that it was going to be opened. We often used to sneak in the back door of the London Dungeon, far too easy to do! I've still never actually been inside the Tower of London, it was always WAY too expensive. I too, am sure they will have forgotten all about you by now.

Ooerr! I've just had a thought... If you were twelve, thirty five years ago, you'll be around the same age as my brother... It's quite possible you knew each other.

Volupturaptor....
Apparently the London Dungeon just dosen't smell the same now and is harder to bunk into...
Don't want to hijack the thread so have PM'ed you re: origins
Regards

[CHDad]

I dont believe my son fully understands the requirement for a laundry at all. Whilst at school he does keep everything shipshape, however when at home he resorts to discarding clothes all over the house. I am not sure whether he minds whether his clothes are clean or dirty, as long as he has something to wear he is happy!

[ScottLidgettLad]

Sounds just like my lad's attitude to laundry.....lol....
It seems that this "Jeckyl n Hyde attitude to home/school is quite a common theme at CH
I expect coming home must feel like a proper holiday compared to the regime in boarding houses

[Fjgrogan]

Sounds rather like my husband's attitude to laundry - now if it is not in the laundry basket it doesn't get washed. As a result he saves his dirty washing up for weeks and presents me with a mountain of stuff all at once, ususally needing some of it immediately!