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.
Share your memories and stories from the Hertford Christ's Hospital School, which closed in 1985, when the two schools integrated to the Horsham site....
We certainly didn't have problems with fruit flies even in the summer of '76 - however we also never had coat frocks, veils hats or dress sheilds and our summer uniform came in yellow, pink, grey or blue stripes - and you got no choice!
the summer of '76 left us with very tanned bodies but also with the most incredible thunder and lightening.... I remember charging round the dining room in 5's trying to shut all the windows before too much rain came in - all round the school were girls and staff running as though they would melt!
Quite funny really!!
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts. To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
Jude wrote:however we also never had coat frocks, veils hats or dress sheilds and our summer uniform came in yellow, pink, grey or blue stripes - and you got no choice!
The veil was only worn for the confirmation service, not at any other time, Jude. We did not have any choice of colour for our summer dresses either. There were a myriad of different colours during the time I was there. The earlier summer dresses were blue check - not a standard gingham, always known as Zephyrs. These were replaced over several years, it seemed as if they bought a few bolts of striped fabric each year, the following year it could be quite different colours! The yellow dresses which attracted the flies were yellow linen Sunday best.
Do you know I can not remember if I wore a veil to my confirmation???
I know Miss Tucker did our confirmation classes, and our book was the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - (I have never been able to read it properly since!)
And the Bishop of St Albans - who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed us.... but as to the veil.... in a hole somewhere!
Anyone else around my time remember???????????
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts. To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
Yes, definitely, white veil on the head (not over the face) and in my time the Coatfrock.
I still remember my 'confirmation partner' (we were 'done' in two's) - in fact we are still friends even though she was from a different year.
And I still have all my confirmation cards, and gifts.
And that includes the gift given to all of us at the time, by the Headmistress (Miss West) although unfortunately in my case the inscription refers to the Bishop of Peterborough (who was a relative of Miss West) and not the Bishop of St. Albans (who did the deed). A momentary lapse, no doubt - which could happen to any of us.
I was 15 at the time, so this must have been 1963.
Jude wrote:Do you know I can not remember if I wore a veil to my confirmation???
I know Miss Tucker did our confirmation classes, and our book was the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - (I have never been able to read it properly since!)
And the Bishop of St Albans - who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed us.... but as to the veil.... in a hole somewhere!
Anyone else around my time remember???????????
Blimey you've got a good memory
The only thing I remember about my confirmation (must have been sometime around 1982-1984) was that I did not wear a veil and got to go home a day early I've no idea who took us for our confirmation classes and don't remember "doing" a book Also no idea who confirmed me
I don't remember a book in confirmation classes. The classes were taken by DR and Mr Walker the Chaplain, I was the year before Kerren.
I do remember we had an exeat for the day, and as we only lived about five miles away I went home for lunch and my mother had cooked kidneys in rice - it was the only time she ever made it. My father had chosen that as he had had that on his confirmation day! My father wanted my mother to come to school the following Sunday so that she would be there when I made my first communion. I managed to talk them out of that, saying nobody else's parents would be there. Father would have been taking a service himself, so he could not have come.
If we were given a cross as a confirmation present, we were allowed to wear it until the end of that term, the only time we could wear any jewellery.
Yes Katherine.. I remember the jewellry bit. I was given a cross on a gold chain at my confirmation , but I wore it for the remainder of my time at Hertford (3 years) by not wearing it round my neck, but looped through the rings at the front of my bra straps so it hung below the neck of blouses etc.
And my clearest memory of the Confirmation was going to Chapel that evening and listening to divine music - Confirmation Music, I think it was called - on the organ.
I wonder where that organ is now?
I should have added to Katharine's post that yes our Confirmation Classes were taken alternately by Miss West (Headmistress,with a fixation for St. Paul) and Revd. Walker. There were two Revd. Walkers in my time,...father and son. I think they came from Great Amwell, near Ware. We (irreverently) called them 'Ancient' and 'Modern' (after the Chapel hymnbook). It was 'Modern' who took our Confirmation Classes and I was amazed to learn relatively recently that he was still 'around', being a regular (and well respected) Bridge player with Betty Jukes!
Not sure I have any clear memory of what he may or may not have taught us in our confirmation classes. I think we thought he was - even then - a bit of a joke. Poor man!
kerrensimmonds wrote:I should have added to Katharine's post that yes our Confirmation Classes were taken alternately by Miss West (Headmistress,with a fixation for St. Paul) and Revd. Walker. There were two Revd. Walkers in my time,...father and son. I think they came from Great Amwell, near Ware. We (irreverently) called them 'Ancient' and 'Modern' (after the Chapel hymnbook). It was 'Modern' who took our Confirmation Classes and I was amazed to learn relatively recently that he was still 'around', being a regular (and well respected) Bridge player with Betty Jukes!
Not sure I have any clear memory of what he may or may not have taught us in our confirmation classes. I think we thought he was - even then - a bit of a joke. Poor man!
You are quite right he was Vicar of Great Amwell, in 6s we called Mr Walker Mr Quiverful it seemed that every School Sale there was a new little Walker brought in! However this was not true as I learnt later when my father was his Rural Dean. His eldest daughter borrowed my wedding veil (back to veils!) and head dress, forgotten her name but she wasn't much younger than me. Can't remember whether my parents had invited the Walkers to my wedding or not - he certainly did not take it - I had a priest uncle for that!
kerrensimmonds wrote:Yes Katherine.. I remember the jewellry bit. I was given a cross on a gold chain at my confirmation , but I wore it for the remainder of my time at Hertford (3 years) by not wearing it round my neck, but looped through the rings at the front of my bra straps so it hung below the neck of blouses etc.
And my clearest memory of the Confirmation was going to Chapel that evening and listening to divine music - Confirmation Music, I think it was called - on the organ.
I wonder where that organ is now?
The organ moved into the Music Library when the schools merged and then for some strange reason it was put in the dining hall which will probably do it no good at all and the acoustics are hardly set up for it!
I don't know what happened to the Chapel organ (which is where we heard confirmation music).
The rather special Fr Willis organ started life in the Dining Hall at Hertford and in the 1950's refurbishment of the School Hall was moved to the raised platform in the School Hall. At the closure of Hertford it was indeed moved to the Music School at Horsham, where it languished in a room and was not playable. The OG's (with some money collected in memory of Jean Morrison) joined forces with the CH Club and paid for it to be refurbished and moved into Dining Hall at Horsham. It had its inaugural recital there in October 2002 and is now, I believe, in regular use.
Jude wrote:Do you know I can not remember if I wore a veil to my confirmation???
I know Miss Tucker did our confirmation classes, and our book was the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - (I have never been able to read it properly since!)
And the Bishop of St Albans - who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed us.... but as to the veil.... in a hole somewhere!
Anyone else around my time remember???????????
Jude, I'm bemused !
Ignore me if its personal, but did you change faith on marriage or through some other reason ?
kerrensimmonds wrote:I don't know what happened to the Chapel organ (which is where we heard confirmation music).
The rather special Fr Willis organ started life in the Dining Hall at Hertford and in the 1950's refurbishment of the School Hall was moved to the raised platform in the School Hall. At the closure of Hertford it was indeed moved to the Music School at Horsham, where it languished in a room and was not playable. The OG's (with some money collected in memory of Jean Morrison) joined forces with the CH Club and paid for it to be refurbished and moved into Dining Hall at Horsham. It had its inaugural recital there in October 2002 and is now, I believe, in regular use.
Unplayable??? It was fine in the Music Library - it was used as the main pracitce organ. Although, I must admit, it was rather out of the way and not on display... But why put it in the Dining Hall which has the acoustics of a cave - not to mention 830 kids and food... I don't think it will be a very happy organ in there for long...
