Aqua Manda

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....

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fra828
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by fra828 »

Judi Osborne's sister, Gill, was a year above me in 8's. There seemed to be several 7s/8s sisters at that time. Was the older sister allowed to choose their younger sister's house? I have a vague memory of this happening, in DR's- and possibly Miss Tucker's -time anyway .
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Re: Aqua Manda

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Yes, I believe that the older sister was allowed to choose the younger sister's house, though I'm quite sure DR would have assumed a power of veto if she didn't agree for any reason. Wasn't there another Osborne sister as well? Tina? Possibly younger than Judi.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by anniexf »

A contemporary of mine, Susan Beale, was in 7s - the first in our year to get her Ba, I think, Autumn term 1958(?) - & she had a younger sister, Joanna or Jan, who came to 8s. Angela (Pratt) may well remember her.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by Fjgrogan »

I remember Joanna Beale; she was in the same form as me. She later became Nurse Chugg in the infirmary, I think, during the time that my daughters were at Hertford.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by anniexf »

I believe Joanna came to 8s from 1s - were you there together? She had a reputation for naughtiness before she joined 8s, but I never noticed anything unusual; she was lively & cheerful. Were you friends, Frances?
fra828
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Re: Aqua Manda

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Jo wrote:Yes, I believe that the older sister was allowed to choose the younger sister's house, though I'm quite sure DR would have assumed a power of veto if she didn't agree for any reason. Wasn't there another Osborne sister as well? Tina? Possibly younger than Judi.

Was there Sue Osborne, possibly 3 or 4 years older than us? And my friend, Helen O-unrelated, but can't remember a younger sister of Gill and Judi, but could be after my time. Popular surname!
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Re: Aqua Manda

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fra828 wrote:
Jo wrote:Yes, I believe that the older sister was allowed to choose the younger sister's house, though I'm quite sure DR would have assumed a power of veto if she didn't agree for any reason. Wasn't there another Osborne sister as well? Tina? Possibly younger than Judi.

Was there Sue Osborne, possibly 3 or 4 years older than us? And my friend, Helen O-unrelated, but can't remember a younger sister of Gill and Judi, but could be after my time. Popular surname!
Sue Osborne was in my year, in 4s - she didn't have a sister at Hertford as far as I remember.
Older sisters were definitely allowed to choose: I remember Mary Jane Foakes, then in the 6th form, consulting us when I was in the 3rd form about where would be good for her sister. I can't remember what we said but, guess what, Susan Foakes went into 7s. We never seemed to get younger sisters in 3s (the Lil effect I suppose) - I think on the whole they did go into 7s and 8s.....
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by Fjgrogan »

My elder daughter, Maria, was in Sixes, my old ward/house, and her younger sister Kirri was in Threes, but I have never heard any suggestion that Maria had any say in where Kirri was sent.
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Re: Aqua Manda

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Jo wrote:Yes, I believe that the older sister was allowed to choose the younger sister's house, though I'm quite sure DR would have assumed a power of veto if she didn't agree for any reason. Wasn't there another Osborne sister as well? Tina? Possibly younger than Judi.
I don't remember being consulted about where my sister should go but may well have been, and would have picked next door to be as close as possible I expect. I'd forgotten Judi had a sister until you mentioned it Jo, but yes, I think she did. Judi was one of five in our year in 7s originally - I think she was the only one for a while after the rest of us left (Deb Beddows, Rosie Kirkup, Dorothy Leo and me). I wonder if this was a relief or a burden for her...
Slightly off-topic I know, but prompted by this rich mine of just-discovered nostalgia, I had a rummage in my attic this afternoon and unearthed my "CH Box". Hopeless hoarder that I am, I'd kept loads of letters from the year or two after I left, from Parvin, Toni, Karen Dewdney, Margaret (Tich) Churchill and Cathy Walsh - do you remember all of them? There were some interesting and retrospectively poignant observations from Parvin on Mrs Dean's arrival as their new HM - they all liked her at first but it turned sour pretty fast of course. I seem to have kept in touch longest with Sherrie (Smart) - right up to the sixth form. Her letters are wonderfully evocative and include very funny (libellous probably!) descriptions of new members of staff at that time. Maybe I could post some snippets, but not sure where... will have to have a look at all the boards and see where they might be relevant, I'm a bit green about all this so please forgive me if I'm breaking any rules, written or unwritten! I also found two copies of the LP "Christmas Carols from Christ's Hospital" - mentioned elsewhere I see. And a history of the school at Hertford by Frances M Page - bought, I suppose, by my father and including photos of a very young DR and some Mons from the late 40s/early 50s amongst others. A different world...
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Re: Aqua Manda

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Lizzyfrog wrote: Slightly off-topic I know, but prompted by this rich mine of just-discovered nostalgia, I had a rummage in my attic this afternoon and unearthed my "CH Box". Hopeless hoarder that I am, I'd kept loads of letters from the year or two after I left, from Parvin, Toni, Karen Dewdney, Margaret (Tich) Churchill and Cathy Walsh - do you remember all of them? There were some interesting and retrospectively poignant observations from Parvin on Mrs Dean's arrival as their new HM - they all liked her at first but it turned sour pretty fast of course. I seem to have kept in touch longest with Sherrie (Smart) - right up to the sixth form. Her letters are wonderfully evocative and include very funny (libellous probably!) descriptions of new members of staff at that time. Maybe I could post some snippets, but not sure where... will have to have a look at all the boards and see where they might be relevant, I'm a bit green about all this so please forgive me if I'm breaking any rules, written or unwritten!
Oh goodness yes, it would be wonderful if you posted some snippets. I remember most of the people you mention - I'd have said Margaret Churchill was some years above us, and if Cathy Walsh is the person I'm thinking of, she was the year above (ie the year I started in) and she had lived in Damascus. DR often brought it up in Scripture lessons and we (rather unfairly) used to bitch about Cathy going on about Damascus, when actually it was DR who prompted her. I thought Cathy also left early for some reason.

Of the others, I saw Karen Dewdney again recently - she has two daughters in their early 20s now! She was head girl in our year. I haven't seen Parvin since we left but I know people who are in touch with her. I also hadn't seen or heard anything of Sherrie since we left, until I met Becky Sholl again last year and she is (or was) in touch with her. I'm not sure about Toni though.

Sherrie was a fantastic sportswoman and I'm pretty sure won the Wansey Cup in our year. Toni was a linguist, like me, so I regularly had lessons with her in the 6th form. Her older sister Jo was in 5s.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by Lizzyfrog »

Jo wrote:
Lizzyfrog wrote: I'd have said Margaret Churchill was some years above us, and if Cathy Walsh is the person I'm thinking of, she was the year above (ie the year I started in) and she had lived in Damascus. DR often brought it up in Scripture lessons and we (rather unfairly) used to bitch about Cathy going on about Damascus, when actually it was DR who prompted her. I thought Cathy also left early for some reason.

Of the others, I saw Karen Dewdney again recently - she has two daughters in their early 20s now! She was head girl in our year. I haven't seen Parvin since we left but I know people who are in touch with her. I also hadn't seen or heard anything of Sherrie since we left, until I met Becky Sholl again last year and she is (or was) in touch with her. I'm not sure about Toni though.

Sherrie was a fantastic sportswoman and I'm pretty sure won the Wansey Cup in our year. Toni was a linguist, like me, so I regularly had lessons with her in the 6th form. Her older sister Jo was in 5s.
Yes, Tich WAS two years above me - the year below Juliane Bennet who writes on here sometimes and who I also remember as being very kind to weedy juniors! - but our parents knew each other a bit (both clergy!) and she lived quite near me until her family moved to Edinburgh. I think I may have been Tich's "cracklet" but not sure if I am remebering that right. Cathy did indeed live in Damascus - some of her letters are on airmail paper written by a swimming pool! One sweet (literally!) memory of Cathy is that she introduced us to the delights of Nutella chocolate spread, which wasn't available in UK at that time - we only had that dark sticky Cadburys stuff. Cathy brought jars of it over with her, with Arabic writing on them, and everyone wanted it on their fried bread!! Goodness, where are these memories coming from, I haven't thought of any of this for years... I would love to have news of Sherrie though - not surprised she's still in touch with Becky (5s? with Sheridan Chaffe?) - from her letters to me they were clearly firm friends by the sixth form. I searched for her on Facebook but no luck (found you though - I've sent a friends request but don't worry about offending me if you prefer to keep your friends list limited to close family and friends, I know FB can get a bit cluttered). x
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by Jo »

Lizzyfrog wrote:I would love to have news of Sherrie though - not surprised she's still in touch with Becky (5s? with Sheridan Chaffe?) - from her letters to me they were clearly firm friends by the sixth form. I searched for her on Facebook but no luck (found you though - I've sent a friends request but don't worry about offending me if you prefer to keep your friends list limited to close family and friends, I know FB can get a bit cluttered). x
I can't remember exactly what Becky told me, but I think Sherrie was divorced and remarried (?with 2 kids?) and living in Dorset when Becky knew her. I was particularly intrigued because, for some odd reason, 3s was the only house I'd completely lost touch with (Sherrie, Tony, Sophie, Ghislaine...). One way or another I've got contact with all the other houses and get news of what people in my year are doing, except 3s (until then). Though I don't know if Sherrie keeps in touch with Toni and the others.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by MaryB »

Fjgrogan wrote:My elder daughter, Maria, was in Sixes, my old ward/house, and her younger sister Kirri was in Threes, but I have never heard any suggestion that Maria had any say in where Kirri was sent.
Maybe it depended on the age difference - you would have had to be old enough to be regarded as "responsible" to be allowed to choose.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by Angela Pratt 56-63 »

Yes, Anne and Frances. I was in ones with Joanna (always known as Jan) though she came to Hertford in the first or second year. We then both went into eights in 1957 and were friends throughout our time at CH. She was a great character but, I know always suffered somewhat by having the perfect ( To staff and girls alike - most unusually) Sue as elder sister. When we both left in 63, I went to teacher training in Cheltenham and Jan went to Westminster Hospital to train as a nurse (No degrees in those days!). We met up afew times as my family lived in nearby and I remember she used to come and visit my family while I was away, but we gradually lost touch. I didn't know she had been Nurse at CH.
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Re: Aqua Manda

Post by Angela Woodford »

My dear friend Carolynn Newbury chose 6's - my House - for her sister Melanie. The House in which (I'm proud to say) we loved our juniors and in which there was no bullying. Hooray!
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