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.
Vonny wrote:So did you HAVE to wear school bras and knickers in those days?
Oh, it was even better than that ..........................
We each had a shelf in the laundry room where we would find our clean clothes, hankies, and school issue items of an even more personal nature. No 'amusing' pearls of wisdom printed on the wrappers in those days.
icomefromalanddownunder wrote:We each had a shelf in the laundry room where we would find our clean clothes, hankies, and school issue items of an even more personal nature. No 'amusing' pearls of wisdom printed on the wrappers in those days.
We had to actually ask the Hag - who kept a diary. Imagine that, those who knew her. At least she did not subject us to the 7s bra treatment - I can well imagine Mabel doing that. Angela, I can't remember what my 'new school' bras looked like functional rather than decorative I should imagine!
I was already wearing a bra when I went to Hertford and the school issue one was a horror to my eyes. Fanny could assess the size isually, and/or measured with a tape measure.
As for the other Caroline, ours were kept in a drawer in the uniform room with a notebook and pencil on a string alongside to note what and when they were taken. But I suppose most Mums keep at least half an eye on what their daughters are up to, especially prior to holidays and such.
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
kerrensimmonds wrote:b) The Housemistress in 7's had a failsafe mechanism for dediding whether one needed a bra or not. One had to go to the Wardrobe Room, strip off to the waist, lean forward.. and if what one had to offer filled the Housemistress' hands (standing behind you and also leaning forward) then hey presto you were allowed one of those pink confections.
Decidedly very un-PC in this day and age.
I was just wondering what the job description would look like if ever the position became vacant and was advertised !!
icomefromalanddownunder wrote:We each had a shelf in the laundry room where we would find our clean clothes, hankies, and school issue items of an even more personal nature. No 'amusing' pearls of wisdom printed on the wrappers in those days.
We had to actually ask the Hag - who kept a diary. Imagine that, those who knew her. At least she did not subject us to the 7s bra treatment - I can well imagine Mabel doing that. Angela, I can't remember what my 'new school' bras looked like functional rather than decorative I should imagine!
I can't imagine telling the Hag anything of a personal nature. But the Hag never spoke to me during our brief aquaintance! Keeping a diary indeed! I used to hate saying at morning prayers if I was "off swimming". Very very embarassing.
School bras were first issued in about 1950 (AudreyG any ideas on that?)
They were by Berlei, elasticcrossed over at the back and buttoned on below the cups. The school doctor apparently got fed up with seeing girls with deep grooves in their shoulders from the "hoist them up and stick them out" bras which were being worn. They were only available to those over a size 34, and believe me a number of us never aspired to those dizzy heights. I only know of one housemistress who took pity on the smaller ones, and herself adjusted them to fit, and that was Miss Lomas in 6's. In consequence some of us didn't get to wear a bra until we left.
Thou shalt not sit with statisticians nor commit a social science.
midget wrote:School bras were first issued in about 1950 (AudreyG any ideas on that?)
They were by Berlei, elasticcrossed over at the back and buttoned on below the cups. The school doctor apparently got fed up with seeing girls with deep grooves in their shoulders from the "hoist them up and stick them out" bras which were being worn. They were only available to those over a size 34, and believe me a number of us never aspired to those dizzy heights. I only know of one housemistress who took pity on the smaller ones, and herself adjusted them to fit, and that was Miss Lomas in 6's. In consequence some of us didn't get to wear a bra until we left.
How interesting, Midget! Tidying out some drawers once in the Wardrobe Room, I found some old-fashioned but never worn bras in a very pretty soft pink called "Tea Rose". Were these the ones?
I'm interested in bras, ever since I was asked to lecture at a Breast Care Conference and wanted to research a non-medical aspect that would fascinate my audience. It did!
Liberty Bodices must have been before your time? This Miss Lomas sounds quite a nice sympathetic woman.
I think we wore liberty bodices in 1's when it was a junior house (my mother insisted on them before I went to CH) and certainly we had woolly vests in winter- they got more scratchy as the laundry did its worst on them
midget wrote:I think we wore liberty bodices in 1's when it was a junior house (my mother insisted on them before I went to CH) and certainly we had woolly vests in winter- they got more scratchy as the laundry did its worst on them
We had woolly vests issued in winter and other ones (what would they have been - don't think they were aertex) in summer. They were almost universally ignored - especially the summer ones!
midget wrote:I think we wore liberty bodices in 1's when it was a junior house (my mother insisted on them before I went to CH) and certainly we had woolly vests in winter- they got more scratchy as the laundry did its worst on them
We had woolly vests issued in winter and other ones (what would they have been - don't think they were aertex) in summer. They were almost universally ignored - especially the summer ones!
Cotton interlock, and we would almost certainly shot if we had ignored an item of clothing. Ah! happy days
Thou shalt not sit with statisticians nor commit a social science.
midget wrote:School bras were first issued in about 1950 (AudreyG any ideas on that?)
The school doctor apparently got fed up with seeing girls with deep grooves in their shoulders from the "hoist them up and stick them out" bras which were being worn.
Do you mean girls were bringing in unsuitable bras to wear, causing the grooves? How thrilling. Hoicked up straps! Whirlpool-stitched cups! The Jane Russell Look!
It's amazing that a thread about DRW, her passing and her funeral, has morphed into a discussion about underwear!
Yes in my time we had winter vests and summer vests, and pink bra's (if we were deemed 'big' enough to wear them). My own claim to fame is to have eschewed the 'issue' nightdresses in my Upper VI year, and (as I have already admitted on this Forum) to have used my own nylon shortie nightie which I hand washed and dried on the radiators. I used to use my school nightie to do the dusting, the day before it was due to go to the laundry - just to make it looked used.
I told DRW of this, a year or so ago. Her reply was typically blunt 'How Unhygienic!'.
We now have the outline of the funeral for 11 January, and it really would be good if as many as possible Hertford Old Blues could find the time and the wish to be there in Alfriston at 11.00 a.m. at the church of St. Andrew (which houses 'our' altar from Hertford) to bid her farewell - out of personal affection and/or respect.
I hope that, given that this week the staff will be returning to Horsham for the entrance exams, we will soon have an agreement in principle if not an actual date for a memorial service for DRW - which is when Christ's Hospital itself will have the opportunity to formally recognise her achievements on its behalf.
kerrensimmonds wrote:It's amazing that a thread about DRW, her passing and her funeral, has morphed into a discussion about underwear!
We now have the outline of the funeral for 11 January, and it really would be good if as many as possible Hertford Old Blues could find the time and the wish to be there in Alfriston at 11.00 a.m. at the church of St. Andrew (which houses 'our' altar from Hertford) to bid her farewell - out of personal affection and/or respect.
kerrensimmonds wrote:It's amazing that a thread about DRW, her passing and her funeral, has morphed into a discussion about underwear!
Sorry, Kerren. I think I was the one who first mentioned underwear on this thread - but it had morphed off DRW way before then. I'm not sure that she would have minded. I remember her saying that you could always tell that someone was well educated because they would always be able to carry on a conversation, whatever the topic. That's all we have done, in her honour!
As I said before, I'm sorry that I won't be able to make it for the funeral, as we will probably have more time for a memorial service I may be able to make that.
Hi Munch.....!
No need to apologise. I just thought that if she had still been with us and had known about the internet, DRW might have been amused to see that a discussion about her death and the funeral had turned into a debate about bras!
It will be really good to see you again on 11th January... and I can now confirm that there will be sandwiches and coffee afterwards, for all who need them. I do hope that many Old Blues will stay on, as I personally am likely to be delayed by about an hour, given that I have been asked to be part of the private party to accompany the coffin to the crematorium. AArrgghh!
Anyone who can sing however will be asked to sit in the Choir Stalls. The Church does have a choir but most of its members are out working during the week, so OGs who can sing may find themselves invited to populate the choir stalls, in order to lead the singing. Nothing that you do not already know!
