Dodgy hygiene practices

icomefromalanddownunder · Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:13 am

soc wrote:Flowery night dresses? oh yuck!

I have a photo of 6s in an assortment of uniform, including said nightie. I think, from memory, modelled by Siobhan Kierans (aka Kerry). I'm pretty sure that I posted it to the CH site - will double check, and/or try to find time over the weekend to dig it out and post it here.

Richard Ruck · Post by **Richard Ruck** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 8:24 am

soc wrote:horse hair mattresses???? No way!

I thought ours were made of horse hair too.........

Katharine · Post by **Katharine** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 8:31 am

It' amazing what you learn from this forum! I had no idea Kerren was such a rebel as not to wear her school nightie! I well remember the beds from the Crimea too!

Our wash baskets were rectangular wicker ones. The dorms were all ages so a junior would be appointed to prepare the basket for everyone whose bedtime was after lights out. This meant putting the towel, flannel, slippers etc in it.

I've said it before that we only washed hair every TWO weeks in 6s much of my time Ugh!!!

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:07 am

Jude,

there was a school 'shoe' shop that was run by Clive Kemp up until he died I believe...

AndrewH · Post by **AndrewH** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:48 am

Richard Ruck wrote:
soc wrote:horse hair mattresses???? No way!
I thought ours were made of horse hair too.........

They were, but the "horsehair" in a mattress is of vegtable rather than equine origin!

J.R. · Post by **J.R.** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:01 am

AndrewH wrote:
Richard Ruck wrote:
soc wrote:horse hair mattresses???? No way!
I thought ours were made of horse hair too.........

They were, but the "horsehair" in a mattress is of vegtable rather than equine origin!

I'm going to snitch to Trading Standards !!!

UserRequestedRemoval · Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:18 am

Oh great now I know why those mattresses smelled so bad! I never noticed what they were made of, I spent too much time checking my bed boards to see if they had been set to collapse again. The number of bangs on the head I got from those metal beds as I sank to the floor because I hadn't checked the bed first.

Jude · Post by **Jude** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:16 am

Our had metal springs underneath as well - if you were lucky - after the springs were dianond shapes of striaght rodsa (very thin) whihc had hooks either end - I was unfortunate enough to return late to term after my grandmother had died and the very first night got into bed only for foll through the hole other girls had made - it didn't go down well with me, or the housemistress who came to see what all the noise and laughter were about - and then Miss Tucker walked in........ trying not to snitch, get out of my wash basket and create a bit of bed was too much , and I ended up in tears. I hated those wretched beds - i hope they were melted down.

UserRequestedRemoval · Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:19 pm

Did you have to put up with apple pied beds too Jude?

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:26 pm

Absolutely

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 5:20 pm

soc wrote:Did you have to put up with apple pied beds too Jude?

Wd did

Katharine · Post by **Katharine** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:26 pm

soc wrote:Did you have to put up with apple pied beds too Jude?

Surely there would be something wrong if we didn't at a boarding school? In spite of everything we may have said here, we were normal youngsters with, in most cases, a sense of fun and a determination to make the best of the lot we found ourselves in.

kerrensimmonds · Post by **kerrensimmonds** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:33 pm

KATHARINE!!!!!
...'in which we found ourselves.'
Who taught you O level English?!

Katharine · Post by **Katharine** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:35 pm

kerrensimmonds wrote:KATHARINE!!!!!
...'in which we found ourselves.'
Who taught you O level English?!

I knew it was wrong when I wrote it. I actually got a B in English O level - to everyone's surprise DR even said to me that she thought the computer must have made a mistake!! I used to be bottom of the form at English (Susan Cottingham was top) By the way the answer to your question is Mrs Betterton

Having marked General Studies essays, I know why I got that B - the essay was 'A Channel Crossing' - I crossed the St George's Channel (also Irish Sea) from Fishguard to Rosslare. The marker must have been so glad to get away from Dover!!

Jude · Post by **Jude** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:54 pm

Thank the fishes for you lot!

I am a miserable old what not - have left Sarah in Leeds and the house feels and sounds very empty. Even the cats have stopped fighting!

As for doing the best in whatever circumstances we might have found ourselves in - you try getting out of your wash basket when the rods are missing in your bed and the Headmistress walks in......

As for apple pie beds - yes - and DORM RUNS.. and stuffing the fire alarm with tissues so we could all do dares of opening the fire door (probably still a window for those who don't remember the houses having fire escapes) and running in our nighties to the end of the field and back.....

madness!