Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

This was filmed on my Grecians year. I clearly remember the filming for the band parade (I'm on the second part briefly at 1.28!). Lots and lots of very familiar faces.

Fjgrogan wrote:You may not be aware that in the showband sequence the solo trumpeter was Rick Slater, who not long afterwards died on the railway line near the school, plunging the whole school into a state of shock. I have always hoped that his family had a recording of this programme.

I think my Dad did them a copy at the time. It's a good bit with Rick (and the rest of the Show Band) in the second part from 7.30 onwards. Can hardly believe it but in two weeks time it will be the 20th anniversary of his death.

cj wrote:This was filmed on my Grecians year. I clearly remember the filming for the band parade (I'm on the second part briefly at 1.28!). Lots and lots of very familiar faces.

Fjgrogan wrote:You may not be aware that in the showband sequence the solo trumpeter was Rick Slater, who not long afterwards died on the railway line near the school, plunging the whole school into a state of shock. I have always hoped that his family had a recording of this programme.

I think my Dad did them a copy at the time. It's a good bit with Rick (and the rest of the Show Band) in the second part from 7.30 onwards. Can hardly believe it but in two weeks time it will be the 20th anniversary of his death.

His funeral was on my 18th birthday. He'll never be forgotten.

Angela Woodford wrote:Never, never have I encountered a schoolchild who has been horrible enough to put dog poo in anyone's pockets - and my children went to a Kent comprehensive where life could be tough.

Looks like you and your offspring have lived a pretty sheltered life, then, missus.

I remember that someone (never identified) once deliberately evacuated their bowels onto the floor of someone else's study during the night. And then there's the old chestnut of kids flushing each others' heads down the lavvy. I also recall someone placing dried dog-poo in the toyce-cupboard of the kid who had the toyce behind mine.

All very tasteful.

Are you saying that excrement-crime was unknown at Hertford? What a saintly bunch you were.

Intelligent female bullying is much more subtle.

Spoonbill wrote:

Angela Woodford wrote:Never, never have I encountered a schoolchild who has been horrible enough to put dog poo in anyone's pockets - and my children went to a Kent comprehensive where life could be tough.

Looks like you and your offspring have lived a pretty sheltered life, then, missus.

I remember that someone (never identified) once deliberately evacuated their bowels onto the floor of someone else's study during the night. And then there's the old chestnut of kids flushing each others' heads down the lavvy. I also recall someone placing dried dog-poo in the toyce-cupboard of the kid who had the toyce behind mine.

All very tasteful.

Are you saying that excrement-crime was unknown at Hertford? What a saintly bunch you were.

Are you saying that somebody who desists from "execrement-crime" may be a saint? In which case, Spoonbill, according to your reckoning, we were saints. However, I feel that the ways in which punishment/revenge/threats/domination was expressed at Hertford in my day was a bit more complicated and sophisticated than flushing somebody's head down the loo, or pooing on a study floor.

Maybe this sort of stuff would be more meaningful in a boys' community such as Horsham, which may have been more "sheltered" than the lives of my "offspring" in rough Kent.

Mid A15, remember picking your offspring up from Jumpin Jaks, Maidstone, after midnight on a Saturday night? Certainly different from the Grecians' Club.

However, Spoonbill, I realise that you do like your posts to be provocative!

Angela Woodford wrote:

Spoonbill wrote:

Angela Woodford wrote:Never, never have I encountered a schoolchild who has been horrible enough to put dog poo in anyone's pockets - and my children went to a Kent comprehensive where life could be tough.

Looks like you and your offspring have lived a pretty sheltered life, then, missus.

I remember that someone (never identified) once deliberately evacuated their bowels onto the floor of someone else's study during the night. And then there's the old chestnut of kids flushing each others' heads down the lavvy. I also recall someone placing dried dog-poo in the toyce-cupboard of the kid who had the toyce behind mine.

All very tasteful.

Are you saying that excrement-crime was unknown at Hertford? What a saintly bunch you were.

Are you saying that somebody who desists from "execrement-crime" may be a saint? In which case, Spoonbill, according to your reckoning, we were saints. However, I feel that the ways in which punishment/revenge/threats/domination was expressed at Hertford in my day was a bit more complicated and sophisticated than flushing somebody's head down the loo, or pooing on a study floor.

Maybe this sort of stuff would be more meaningful in a boys' community such as Horsham, which may have been more "sheltered" than the lives of my "offspring" in rough Kent.

Mid A15, remember picking your offspring up from Jumpin Jaks, Maidstone, after midnight on a Saturday night? Certainly different from the Grecians' Club.

However, Spoonbill, I realise that you do like your posts to be provocative!

Yes some "lively" nightclubs and watering holes in Kent for sure. Icon (near WH Smith Do it all) and Strawberry Moons were the venues of choice in Maidstone as I recall. I more frequently though had to contend with the "delights" of Amadaeus or various seedy establishments in Chatham!

Angela Woodford wrote:. However, I feel that the ways in which punishment/revenge/threats/domination was expressed at Hertford in my day was a bit more complicated and sophisticated than flushing somebody's head down the loo, or pooing on a study floor.

From today's press it looks like the girls handed down their skills to today's generation. Not sure what the coroner thought about female methods on other pupils though.

That said, the boy's school had an equivalent event (referred to in this forum some years ago) which raised national outrage and enquiry.

Co-incidentally, a recent conversation with a group of friends segued from why I felt that Sonya Hartnett's Butterfly was written with a young adult readership in mind to why each of us have difficulty voiding our bowels when away from home. The fear of offending the nostrils of others? The fear of emitting socially unacceptable noises within earshot of others?

After much discussion and sharing of stories (including the one about being on a 28' yacht with four other people and, despite eating and drinking normally throughout the voyage, being unable to defaecate until the other four went ashore after ten days. Then spending hours pumping out the heads) we concluded that gene memories encourage us not to leave traces of our presence to alert prey or potential predators.

Spoonbill: if I thought that you meant what you wrote I would. Oh, I don't know what I'd do: you drive me to despair and sharing poo stories.