Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Incidentally, it also answers some questions asked here

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3657&hilit=Fiona+Toplis

Fiona was in 8's.

One thing I didn't know was that Christopher Tambling (who has written some pretty good choral anthems) is an Old Blue...

Hi

How funny that the remark about "alternative sheep dog training" has been picked up on!

As we have no sheep of our own, and a breed of dog whose working ancestors have slipped off the back end of the pedigree, I remain perforce a "hobby herder" - but have a lot of fun doing herding with the Beardies courtesy of a very broad-minded instructor called Jackie Goulder who seems to be willing to train "anything" - see her website http://www.spanglefish.com/BeardedColliesforShepherding

We may never make it on to "One Man and His Dog" but during the summer had visitors from as far away as Sweden, Austria and USA, eager to see these "alternative" sheepdogs in action. Besides the Beardies, which started it all off, we have Spanish Water Dogs and Boxers in our circle, as well as more likely breeds such as Swedish Vallhunds and GSDs

Jackie of course favours the Border Collies and has been known to say herding with a Beardie reminds her of trying to make a getaway from a bank robbery driving one of those circus clown cars which backfires as the doors drop off - but I prefer to liken our team of handlers to those drivers of beautifully-polished vintage cars which clutter up the A64 on summer Sunday afternoons. It's all about having fun with our dogs!

Liz

Liz Jay wrote:Hi

Besides the Beardies, which started it all off, we have Spanish Water Dogs and Boxers in our circle, as well as more likely breeds such as Swedish Vallhunds and GSDs

Jackie of course favours the Border Collies and has been known to say herding with a Beardie reminds her of trying to make a getaway from a bank robbery driving one of those circus clown cars which backfires as the doors drop off - but I prefer to liken our team of handlers to those drivers of beautifully-polished vintage cars which clutter up the A64 on summer Sunday afternoons. It's all about having fun with our dogs!

Liz

Good grief - BOXERS??????????????????????????? I think I may have already mentioned that I used to think that people who owned Boxers were ill-informed, irresponsible dog owners. And then Bernie came to live with me

I was told (by the ex) that he graduated early from Puppy Obedience because he wsa so intelligent. Jess (daughter) later confessed that he 'graduated' because the Instructor couldn't wait to get him out of the class. I believe that he and the ex were later banned from the more advanced class after ex, dressed in business suit, did a crocodile roll with Bernie in an attempt to get him to obey a command.

He did calm down after detoxing from the cr@p diet that the ex fed him, and moving onto raw, but he was always a p-i-t-a
around the horses, and there is no way on earth that I would have encouraged him to work sheep, as I had absolutely no control over him, even when he was within reach.

John (son-in-law) was as dismissive of Jess and my dog negotiating skills as I used to be of boxer owners. He had previously lived only with working dogs (mainly Border Collies and kelpies), but now shares his life and wife with Brenna The Irish Hooligan/Wolfhound, and while their kelpies still develop domestic deafness when I request something of them, John has come to realise that terriers, hounds and boxers just don't want to please humans (even him) the way working dogs do

Yes -- I have owned a Boxer.

A much-loved and utterly useless dog ! ------ what we used to call a "Face Dog" with mouneful eyes, lying on her back for her belly to be scratched !

Sense of smell -- compared to a "Gundog" --- MINIMAL
Tracking ability --- gets lost !

Worth as a pal --- inestimable !!!

.......... also known in the dog-world, as one of the thickest canines ever !!!

Which makes it all the more exciting doesn't it, how far Jackie's Boxer pupils have come in their herding training?

YouTube footage can also be found of Pip, a quite remarkable herding Boxer from the US, and it was Pip's owner Reagan who visited us in the summer to see our UK herding Boxers.

She was quite complimentary and very encouraging!

Liz

I would agree --- it is all in the Training ------- take Children !!!

If, as I assume, this is the right site --
I have just recieved my copy of the "Blue", containg a CD of Christ's Hospital Music.

This is really splendid, but I have to admit, that a crusty Old ( No ancient) Blue, was reduced to tears, hearing the young voices, singing the Foundation Hymn

What ever happened to the cynical NTN ???

I also received my copy of The Blue and the CD yesterday.

The magazine is excellent, though I haven't had time to listen to the CD as yet !

I loved the CD--Joe was very impressed with the singing (not like his days being terrified by the Jesuits)
I was amused to see that life at Hertford when Ruth Deech was there seems to have been even more Spartan than it had been during the war, and the following Crippsian austerity.

I've yet to listen to the cd but have had a flick through the magazine.

There appears to be some highly talented athletes and games players coming through. I hope they sustain their enthusiasm and continue to improve.

Very impressive for Luke Hansford, a Middleton A boy of LE age, to score a century for the 1st X1 to highlight just one achievement mentioned.

Do we all receive this? Do I have to sign up for it?

Katharine wrote:Do we all receive this? Do I have to sign up for it?

http://www.chassociation.org/contacts/index.php

Katharine wrote:Do we all receive this? Do I have to sign up for it?

All members of CHOBA get this.
I thought we had explained this in the recent Old Blue.
Communications failure again!