Films at CH, 1956-1960

[Katharine]

That was my first year at Hertford, my brother was at Horsham then, we had the same term dates then. His birthday is 26th July and wasn’t always home for it depending which day of the week it was, so I remember term ending late in July. I think start and end were always Friday and Tuesday, but have no idea of the rationale of so doing.

We didn’t have half terms, but they started in the summer term only while I was there, but before we went on to four term year so before 65. Peter had left Horsham by then so can’t say whether they started there then.

[jhopgood]

I have now found one of these, for the summer term of 1960. Click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16rORDF ... sp=sharing

Yes, brilliant find!

A couple of observations:

- No half-term week around late May or early June?
- The calendar days/dates are the same as this year, as is the date of Easter (and so also Whit Monday). Great for the statistics enthusiasts.
- What are "M.L.G. Vivas" and "E.G. Vivas"?
- 30 June: "Whole Holiday" - just a day off school for everyone, on a weekday in the middle of term?
- Term ended far later than it does now
- Arbitrary days for the start and end of term (Tuesday, etc.) instead of starting and ending at the start and end of a calendar week.

This would have been at the end of my first year at CH.
I left in 1966 and cannot remember ever having half terms.
I would guess that MLG, HG and later, EG vivas were for the Modern Language, History and English Grecians, who might have had vivas, or Oral Examinations, in preparation for trying for Oxbridge, which would have taken place in the Michaelmas term.
The Whole Holiday was a day when we were all made to leave CH and take a break, but were restricted as to where we could visit. For example, we could visit Littlehampton, but not go into the town, except to get off the train.
I don;t think term dates were arbitrary. From memory they always started on the Thursday or Friday, to give us time to settle in, and finished on the Tuesday, after the weekend.
I have no recollection of Junior and Senior Services, but they must have taken of place. Junior and senior Houses didn't start to form until 1964 - 65. I left direct from Barnes B in 1966 when it was a Junior House. I always believed that I was the last male to leave Barnes B for the outside world, as after it was a junior house it became a girls house.

[Phil]

M. L. G. = Modern Language Grecians, E. G. = English Grecians
These Vivas were for A level, I think, not Oxbridge.

Whole Holiday = A day in the summer term when all could go into the countryside for the day (ca 09h00 - 17h00).
Destinations were cleared with the senior housemaster before departure. Amberley, etc, for boating were favourites. Visits to relatives were also OK. Clymping was acceptable (then a sea-side village), but many with that alleged destination went instead to Littlehampton and its Amusement Park, for both were served by the same railway station. Towns (especially London) were not acceptable destinations. But usually there were no checks. Food was a large paper bag containing an apple, a few sandwiches (beef, I think) and a couple of other items. These 'nosebags’ were prepared in the Dining Hall for each house by a few boys with appropriate trades. They were then taken back to the houses and distributed. Transport was usually train (there were two service lines in those days serving CH), bicycle or very, very rarely one would be picked up by a relation’s car.

Term usually started and ended on a Tuesday.

I was at CH a few years before John Hopgood, so some aspects of these topics may have differed for him.