Welcome to the unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum - for discussing everything CH/Old Blue related. All pupils, parents, families, staff, Old Blues and anyone else related to CH are welcome to browse the boards, register and contribute.
This section was setup in August 2018 in order to move the existing related discussions from other sections into this new section to group them together, and separate from the other CH-related topics.
A good friend of Dobbie’s lived there in my time, I think with his wife and family.
During the 90’s Frank Pattinson lived there and he did not have a wife or kids. I don’t remember hearing any rumors about parties there but I don’t remember rumors about parties at whites either.
Apologies, my memory is clearly worse than I thought. I remembered Pattinson as being married and with at least one child, possibly a pupil, but I must be mistaken.
I also thought he was Pattison, not Pattinson, but I’m probably wrong on that front too.
You're correct, it was Pattison. Damn autocorrect on my iPhone. But he definitely wasn't married. I remember going down to East Lodge for A-level German Oral exams. I think you're right about him being a good friend of Dobbie's too.
It's scary how memories of just 20 years ago are already so hazy.
Graham Slater
Maine B 1990 - 1993, Thorn A 1993 -1997
If you read the school's response yesterday, it is clear that the key to this is Reid blaming not just the perpetrators but the environment.
We know that there was a cover up and during Karim's trial both Sillett and Cairncross tried to justify their apparent inaction.
This week saw another member of staff give evidence in which, as ai understand it, he said in terms that the pupil should forget about it in effect because things would get worse if he did.
It has taken me a long time to get there but I think I have finally got to the bottom of this.
Before you ask, I can't post what I think was going on on the open forum, so don't ask.
The police will have identified a period of time within which offending occurred and endeavoured to contact potential witnesses and victims. One victim can lead the police to another.
I was a potential victim of Webb. Nothing happened to me and I didn't witness anything. Unsurprisingly the police didn't contact me.
Don't forget a lot of what happened wasn't recorded at the time, so there wouldn't be any records.
marty wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 9:11 am
He was definitely at Whites when I started in 89. Makes me shudder to think about the times I went round there alone. I now wonder how many of us had a lucky escape & thoughts are with his victims.
My recollection (which let's face it dims further with each passing day so apologies if this is incorrect) is that there was unhappiness amongst the SMT that the previous Mid A housemaster (Grieg?) lived in Horsham and not on site. I always thought Dobbie moved in to the Mid A flat when he became housemaster to solve the issue of there not being a permanent member of staff in the house. The phrase “wolf in sheep’s clothing” regrettably springs to mind.
I visited Whites once - divinity related - when Dobbie was fairly new, so 84/85.
A creepy well spoken fellow.
I was amazed to learn recently that he had become a Housemaster.
richardb wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 3:40 pm
If you read the school's response yesterday, it is clear that the key to this is Reid blaming not just the perpetrators but the environment.
We know that there was a cover up and during Karim's trial both Sillett and Cairncross tried to justify their apparent inaction.
This week saw another member of staff give evidence in which, as ai understand it, he said in terms that the pupil should forget about it in effect because things would get worse if he did.
It has taken me a long time to get there but I think I have finally got to the bottom of this.
Before you ask, I can't post what I think was going on on the open forum, so don't ask.
I understand that you can’t share your theory or evidence, but do you believe that the police are working along the same lines as you?
graham wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 3:32 pm
It's scary how memories of just 20 years ago are already so hazy.
And scarier still that they don’t feel hazy until I realise my memory has invented a wife and child
richardb wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 4:03 pm
I was a potential victim of Webb. Nothing happened to me and I didn't witness anything. Unsurprisingly the police didn't contact me.
He was my woodwork teacher when he departed abruptly.
DazedandConfused wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2019 4:55 pmThere was much coverage of Poulton et al at the previous trials.
There probably should be now. It's patently clear that the school of today disowns that of yesteryear:
From the testimony of this victim and others, it is clear that abuse at Christ Hospitalwas enabled not only by the perpetrators who committed it, but by the environment in which it occurred.We are conscious that it may not provide much consolation to those whose lives have been blighted in this way, but the School today is a very different place, one in which the safety, happiness and wellbeing of our pupils is at the centre of all we do.