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....
Great Plum wrote: 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...
Perhaps it had more to do with air circulation, temperature, etc.
Always keep your organ at the proper temperature, I say!
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 ?
Only found out my Jewish roots after leaving school and getting married - (oh and divorced!) Because it was "expected " of us all really at CH confirmation was quite the norm. I got a silver croass from my father and step-mother which has the appearance of being crushed aluminium foil - I was so embarassed as it was/is quite large and silver (I wear gold mostly now, although my Davids Star is in silver) everyone else had daintly little crosses - I felt like a nun that it should go on a rosary around my waist! I still have it.
Have been in deep thought, and I don;t think we wore veils, I was given a prayer book by my foster parents, and we were allowed time off to I suppose make our peace with God??
Pit the chapel organ has gone - it had it's moments though! Having been converted from a bellows to electric powered, when we had power cuts (about 4 a year) some poor girl would have to go around the far side and behind the organ and start pressing the two bellows - it was quite funny really as the started to run out of energy so the organ and it's notes faded and went off key! Miss Tavener was almost always the organist on Sundays, except when it came to the anthem, she then moved out to Debbie Rice or Lyn (5's) who then played the organ while she conducted the choir. What happened to her????
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts. To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
I was not C of E and DR (West) was quite put out that I wasn't going to be confirmed.
AFAIR Confirmation Day was the last Thursday of the spring term and the girls who were being confirmed were allowed to go home a day early. Still wearing veils in my time.
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
I don't really know what I was! In foster care I had been brought up John Knox, then when I came south to live with my father and step-mother, we went to Rustington Methodist, Then I went to CH (CofE) and now Oy Find out Oy am 1/8th jewish.....
Oy thinks oy am confused!
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts. To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
Jean Taverner lives in Rye, East Sussex - when last seen (2000, she conducted the 'scratch choir' of Old Girls when we had our Millennium Reunion at Hertford) she was in fine form and very busy running amateur choirs here and there, as well as playing the organ in her Church. She had no changed much - colourful and flamboyant clothing, and LOTS of energy.
Jude wrote:I don't really know what I was! In foster care I had been brought up John Knox, then when I came south to live with my father and step-mother, we went to Rustington Methodist, Then I went to CH (CofE) and now Oy Find out Oy am 1/8th jewish.....
Oy thinks oy am confused!
I'm hardly surprised.
I wear a solid silver heavy CELTIC cross, rather than the one, (as my Grand-son once put it, a cross with a little man on.
Some believe the celtic cross precedes Christ. (Checks to make sure motor-bike engine is running !)
As far as I am aware it is - omg..... I am agreeing with JR (runs out to check engine in car is still there ......pant pant pant )
As this is the Dodgy Hygiene Practices thread I thought I might just go back to it!!! (pullllllllllllllllllllllllllllsss!!)
How many of you got 2nd/3rd/4th hand shoes?? Is that gross or WHAT? And most of my socks were well used.... I was lucky that we were allowed our own bras, knickers and vests!
I don;t remember Chris getting shoes at Horsham - we had to buy 2 pairs as well as (what felt like hundreds of pairs of trainers etc!!) so I guess this practice has died out!
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts. To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
Jude wrote:How many of you got 2nd/3rd/4th hand shoes?? Is that gross or WHAT? And most of my socks were well used.... I was lucky that we were allowed our own bras, knickers and vests!
I don;t remember Chris getting shoes at Horsham - we had to buy 2 pairs as well as (what felt like hundreds of pairs of trainers etc!!) so I guess this practice has died out!
The only clothing our parents provided was a suspender belt and swimming costume. They also provided various pairs of shoes - indoor, hockey boots and gym shoes - but NOT the ones we wore in the gym itself as far as I can recall. I never understood why CH provided us with bras but not suspender belts the logic of it defeats me.
I presume that the underwear and the shoes were passed on, I don't remember it as anything special.
We had to take a full set of underwear and nighties home in the holidays - we were told it was for tax reasons but it may have been to stop anyone who really did not have anything else having to ask.
When my father was at Horsham his father had to sign that he had worn his uniform during the holidays. My grandfather was a vicar in Stepney then so poor Dad came in for some teasing going to church in full Housey.
You lucky girls! You got to wear your own underwear?
I will never forget the revulsion I felt the first time I had to wear CH issue skiddies..................The thought of what might have happened in them before I got them... well I won't labour the point.
I remember the joy I felt at conning the doctor into stating that I needed real leather shoes instead of the ones we were all issued with.
In my time we did not have our own underwear. The only items of clothing which were our own were our bedroom slippers, gymn shoes and/or plimsoles, hockey boots, indoor shoes. 'Outdoor' shoes were provided (often illfitting, and inherited from generations of others before us until they really were past mending again) as was all clothing from underwear to outerwear, and including nightwear.
ARGhhhhhhhhh Kerren - those dreadful flowery nightdresses - they were so revolting! and all our wash things had to be kept in a circular plastic wash basket under our beds, including your knickers etc.... On the days the cleaners came in to "polish" the dorm floor we had to put them in the CENTRE of our beds.....
I am never going to bed tonight - this is bringing back flood gates of memories!
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts. To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
Jude wrote:ARGhhhhhhhhh Kerren - those dreadful flowery nightdresses - they were so revolting! and all our wash things had to be kept in a circular plastic wash basket under our beds, including your knickers etc.... On the days the cleaners came in to "polish" the dorm floor we had to put them in the CENTRE of our beds.....
We still had those nighties when I was there! I'd forgotten about the wash baskets!
I'd forgotten about the wash baskets! 
