Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Sergeant Guest's predecessor (described somewhere on this forum as a 'bone-headed ex-army PT instructor') whose name escapes me (was it Usher?) used to come round taking names of absentees. He left in my first year. I think the absentee-round was discontinued at the same time, I can't remember Guest doing it.

I would have thought cutting lessons would have been quite risky. But maybe internal communication wasn't so efficient as we imagined.

I suppose this also applies to this thread ------

At the end of the War, we had the first female Teacher -----
Straight out of University and an absolutely gorgeous lady.

Her first Class was the Geography Deps --- not noted for academic brilliance, but containing several members of the first XV, if you get my meaning !

Naturally, some of the Class played up a bit, lots of giggles and semi-sotto voce remarks. We were, after all 17/18 year olds.

This went on for about 5 minutes, and she then said --- "You, You, You, You and You -- report down the corridor to Mr Carey 1"

L M Carey was waiting -- cane in hand.

Years later, I realised that this had been pre-planned ------ "You may have trouble with that lot -- pick a few, at random, and send them to me ! "

Strange to say, she never had any trouble with any Class,after that.

NO I was not picked out !!

The Vicar's son mentioned was in Lamb A; perhaps I had better not mention his name even at this distance of time. I believe that he had stored the stolen drink in the Scout Hut. The event occurred c 1951 and despite his father's personal pleading to the boy's senior Housemaster,
Mr. A.L. Johnstone, he was expelled.
Chris Bartlett

JR might remember a bit more but ISTR that a few boys went AWOL, mainly from the Prep, and were not seen again.

I remember a number of boys running away from the main school, not Prep. I wonder if this has diminished with the current regime of all candidates staying at the school during their assesment?

We had a boy in Coleridge A who lived in Tooting and ran away. There was another in Middleton A who did this on more than one occasion and also one in Thornton A who lived in Wimbledon and never returned. Did not the staff at CH Station have instructions to query any boy turning up
at odd times and advise the school or at least refuse to issue a ticket?. To my knowledge the station has been unstaffed for many years so that this could not happen now.
Chris Bartlett

I can't remember anyone running away, but unless they did it in the summer term, when they could have used cricket gear, they would have had to use Housey or rugby gear, either of which would have been fairly conspicuous on a train.

sejintenej wrote:JR might remember a bit more but ISTR that a few boys went AWOL, mainly from the Prep, and were not seen again.

I can't honestly remember anyone going AWOL from the Prep houses in my day, David, though bullying of 'squit' entrants was rife in Prep B, and it seemed to me to be encouraged, (or at least ignored), by house staff.

No names - No pack drill, but anyone from my era will know exactly who I'm talking about.

The omly boy, I remember, who ran away, was "Black Douglas" (Mentioned on a previous Thread) who departed, fully armed, into the local countryside !

He was, of course, expelled, and, I believe, went on to Dulwich.

No comment !

J.R. wrote: I can't honestly remember anyone going AWOL from the Prep houses in my day, David, though bullying of 'squit' entrants was rife in Prep B, and it seemed to me to be encouraged, (or at least ignored), by house staff.

No names - No pack drill, but anyone from my era will know exactly who I'm talking about.

Perhaps it was that currently university professor who put me into the sicker? No names etc..

I was "Fotched" across the face, by a Monitor -- Rosetti - for blacking the eye of a Senior, with whom I had had a "Disagreement "

"You do NOT strike Seniors "

Re. the concept of School Beatings, I remember Alan O'Neal (Ma.A/Col.B, 1970s) telling me that when his uncle was at the school (1950s?) there was a big outbreak of thievery amongst the pupils and when the guilty parties were finally identified they were caned in the Quad in front of the entire school.

Was this a School Beating?

It sounds a bit like the old-time phenomenon of a large crowd assembling to watch a public execution, only in this case compulsory. Presumably the spectators were intended to watch and learn.

There's nothing quite like a nice bit of light entertainment.

Chrissie Boy wrote:Re. the concept of School Beatings, I remember Alan O'Neal (Ma.A/Col.A, 1970s) telling me that when his uncle was at the school (1950s?) there was a big outbreak of thievery amongst the pupils and when the guilty parties were finally identified they were caned in the Quad in front of the entire school.

Was this a School Beating?

It sounds a bit like the old-time phenomenon of a large crowd assembling to watch a public execution, only in this case compulsory. Presumably the spectators were intended to watch and learn.

There's nothing quite like a nice bit of light entertainment.

Doesn't sound right; beatings were generally given in private. As exceptions, in Prep A Mr Jones went around a complete dormitory administering one stroke of the slipper to each boy; it was the end of term and there was a pillow fight after lights-out.
Kit, almost fresh from the pub (but dead sober) came into the day-room late one night to tell the monitors that he had just broken his record - 36 strokes in one session. I don't know the details - victims, crimes, whether in front of each other or singly etc. though of course I had suspicions.
The idea of a public beating in the quad does not sound right and I heard nothing about it between 1952 and 1961 nor talk of earlier events.

As I have said -- I never witnessed a "School Beating", but tradition had it, that certainly in Oily Flecker's time, it was carried out in Big School, in front of the whole School (Prep ??) and Masters, by the School Sergeant.

sejintenej wrote:

Chrissie Boy wrote:Re. the concept of School Beatings, I remember Alan O'Neal (Ma.A/Col.A, 1970s) telling me that when his uncle was at the school (1950s?) there was a big outbreak of thievery amongst the pupils and when the guilty parties were finally identified they were caned in the Quad in front of the entire school.

Was this a School Beating?

It sounds a bit like the old-time phenomenon of a large crowd assembling to watch a public execution, only in this case compulsory. Presumably the spectators were intended to watch and learn.

There's nothing quite like a nice bit of light entertainment.

Doesn't sound right; beatings were generally given in private. As exceptions, in Prep A Mr Jones went around a complete dormitory administering one stroke of the slipper to each boy; it was the end of term and there was a pillow fight after lights-out.
Kit, almost fresh from the pub (but dead sober) came into the day-room late one night to tell the monitors that he had just broken his record - 36 strokes in one session. I don't know the details - victims, crimes, whether in front of each other or singly etc. though of course I had suspicions.
The idea of a public beating in the quad does not sound right and I heard nothing about it between 1952 and 1961 nor talk of earlier events.

Certainly in Prep B, house punishments were given in the dorms by Mr Eagle at bed-time. Gym-shoe over pajamya's. The only stroke I received was when I laughed out loud, when the boy Mr Eagle was about to 'slipper' looked back between his legs and quickly 'hopped' forward so Mr Eagle missed completely !

My laugh earnt me one strike of the gym-shoe.

Coleridge 'B' canings were administered in the masters studys. Certainly no public beatings during CMES's days.