Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

The tape I remember wasn't brown; it was thin and transparent and papery, and tasted foul.

Brown-ish, not absolutely clear like Sellotape

I dimly remember the disgusting taste of that stuff so it must still have been (partly) around in my first year. I've certainly never seen it anywhere apart from CH! Otherwise it was sellotape. Does anyone remember the smell of the ink? It was in a big bottle with a pourer and we had to fill up the china inkpots that were in the desk - it had quite a strong smell to it.

My children go to a state school here which is part of a very old Cistercian monastery - the first time I went there and heard the clock strike with a peculiarly flat, clanging sound it took me straight back to Hertford.....

I recall chocolate bunnies from my first year in 5s, and certainly the foul taste of the tape for "sticking and licking" - I was in charge of Chapel music for a couple of years, and we had to use the disgusting stuff for mending the anthems - sellotape was already being used in classrooms to mend books, but we were not allowed to use it in Chapel because the papery stuff could be removed sometimes when it dried up without damaging the sheet music. I think in my UVI year the paper tape ran out and we had to use sellotape - thank heavens!

kerrensimmonds wrote:I think that the chocolate bunnies only applied to 6's, and given that Maria was in 6's at the time of the merger, I would suggest that the practice had already died out by the time she was there? If it had anything to do with Miss King and Miss Park, it's probably pertinent to note that they left before I did (1966).

I do remember that something called chocolate bunnies existed...just not what it entailed! I'll have to ask Fiona.. she has a pheomenal memory for this nonsense!

As I recall the clear tape was Butterfly brand, and was in general use before Sellotape and its derivatives (we have a particularly cheap and nasty type in the Hospice shop at the moment which wraps itself round your hand while you try to cut it)

I remember the brown paper tape with the gum on the back. You were supposed to press the cut piece of tape across an over-used pink spongey thing which sat in a black (?) bakelite or plastic container filled with water. Yuk. But even more yuk was the taste of the gum if you decided to dispense with the disgusting pink sponge and use your tongue instead......
Though we seem to have lived to tell the tale!
Hence 'licking' and 'sticking'.
I should think that self-adhesive sellotape or its equivalent was welcomed with open arms when it arrived...

mvgrogan wrote:

kerrensimmonds wrote:I think that the chocolate bunnies only applied to 6's, and given that Maria was in 6's at the time of the merger, I would suggest that the practice had already died out by the time she was there? If it had anything to do with Miss King and Miss Park, it's probably pertinent to note that they left before I did (1966).

I do remember that something called chocolate bunnies existed...just not what it entailed! I'll have to ask Fiona.. she has a pheomenal memory for this nonsense!

she doesn't...sorry!

kerrensimmonds wrote: But even more yuk was the taste of the gum if you decided to dispense with the disgusting pink sponge and use your tongue instead......
...

I suspect that it was made from the bits of dead horses that weren't considered nutritious enough to be included in frankfurters

xx

On the original subject of thread - in the summer, if I add grated cheese to a salad and then add hot mustard to my mayonnaise - I'm right back in 2s dayroom at tea-time !

I remember the foul gummy taste of the tape for sticking and licking - and the vinegar we used to get ink stains off the desks. Both smells are inextricably linked. The smell of Bluebell is strong - and the combination of fish smells and silver polish that the fish knives had. I also remember Chocolate Bunnies in 2s in the 70s. It happened once a term and there was considerable hype attached to the event. My most vivid memories were my first year, when the 2nd form described the great delights of escaping the House in the middle of the night and searching for these ENORMOUS chocolate rabbits. In my mind it assumed magical properties and there were untold fanciful and faery-like expectations of the experience. We even went so far as to sprinkle talcum powder all around our beds, so that we could see if any figures appeared in the night (or am I confusing that with Susannah Holmes???). Needless to say the 2nd form would walk towards the fireplace in the dorm and then climb back over the lockers so that any footprints led one way, up the chimney or to the Fire Escape. Being a very heavy sleeper, I was NEVER able to stay awake until Midnight. I was always devastated to hear the following morning,of the amazing revels that I had once again slept through!! Kids are so much more street wise today - I was an incredibly gullible sucker!!
As far as sounds go - the Westminster chimes usually makes me speed up and start wondering where I'm supposed to be - and good organ solos always transport me back to either chapel or the Hall instantly!

Kim2s70-77 wrote: and the combination of fish smells and silver polish that the fish knives had.

I cannot believe that no-one has mentioned this before, very evocative.

I did, Mary!

Whilst reminiscing about 6's kitchen. A smell I have never forgotten. Eurrrgh!

Obviously while I was asleep, sorry

Those fish knives were a bane - having to clean them all with silver polish on Friday mornings was a case of working at top speed because of course they all had to be washed and dried as well! I dread to think of the amount of silver polish we ended up consuming over years of fish knives and too little time to clean them!