Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

AKAP did you do this or is my memory playing tricks?

I know that there weren't that many of us. Mike Gleeson is the only other person I can remember for sure doing it.

We had a field day trip to Bramshill I remember, another one to Gatwick Airport and,as I posted above, I can remember spending a sunday accompanying an officer in his panda car as well as driving lessons round the mile.

Police Cadets? That sounds like it could have been fun, It is a pity that they didn't do it when I was there.

As I remember, there was Army, Navy, Air Force along with a sort of social services, where the boys did shopping fo old folk

soc wrote:Police Cadets? That sounds like it could have been fun, It is a pity that they didn't do it when I was there.

As I remember, there was Army, Navy, Air Force along with a sort of social services, where the boys did shopping fo old folk

It`s called Community Service now - and far removed from shopping - visits to and helping in hospices, nursery and primary schools, RDA, old folks homes, special needs schools , charity shop work etc etc

http://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/26.html

I think the scheme was in its infancy when I was at the school

Mrs C. wrote:

soc wrote:Police Cadets? That sounds like it could have been fun, It is a pity that they didn't do it when I was there.

As I remember, there was Army, Navy, Air Force along with a sort of social services, where the boys did shopping fo old folk

It`s called Community Service now - and far removed from shopping - visits to and helping in hospices, nursery and primary schools, RDA, old folks homes, special needs schools , charity shop work etc etc

http://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/26.html

Is it not called Community Action now?

jdshippen wrote:As I remember, Peter Burr (PPdeWB) was master i/c at first

I have heard my husband say this set of initials so many times, when remembering pranks at the Ffestiniog Railway in the 60s. The name was Peter Burr it must be the same person.

Sounds like the sort of thing that he would be involved in!

I was more than happy to go into No1 Platoon and use a rifle as often as I could get away with. Then I ended up playing Hockey on fridays after Mr Kemp decided that would be our training day

Katharine wrote:

jdshippen wrote:As I remember, Peter Burr (PPdeWB) was master i/c at first

I have heard my husband say this set of initials so many times, when remembering pranks at the Ffestiniog Railway in the 60s. The name was Peter Burr it must be the same person.

PPdeWB was definately Peter "Potty" Burr who taught me Physics in 1970

He affected a sort of wild eccentricity and however funny he was you were not supposed to laugh

One punishment he gave me was a 200 lone essay on "Puncyuality and Punctiliousness" for being late

He had a narrowboat called The Empress of blandings and would murder anyone who referred to it as a barge!

Is JDS still posting?

jdshippen wrote:As I remember, Peter Burr (PPdeWB) was master i/c at first followed by David O'Meara (DJO'M). The main attraction was that you got free driving lessons from a police driving instructor.

If JDs is truly Mr Shippen I remember your extraordinary performances on the big school organ

I was usually the last one to leave the building when you let rip on that magnificent instrument - always was and still am mad on organ music

I loved the way that when you played the final blisteringly loud chord you would hold it and then hold it longer and then would draw your head forward until it disappeared onto the keyboard (behind that little curtain) and then you would, with a fantastic flourish, hurl your head back into view as the chord came to a halt - your flaming red hair would be all in a mess when you did that!

It was very endearing!

As well as the Scouts and Venture Scouts, DofE and 4 sections of CCF (Navy, Army, Air Force and Signals), in the 1970s we also had the 'Granny Bashers' for earnest, non-military type who wanted to be social workers and the 'Sh1t Shovellers' or Estates Group who'd rather go down to the Lag for cigarette on Friday afternoons. Everybody looked down on them and they looked down on everybody else - even with the benefit hindsight I've no idea who was right.

huntertitus wrote:

jdshippen wrote:As I remember, Peter Burr (PPdeWB) was master i/c at first followed by David O'Meara (DJO'M). The main attraction was that you got free driving lessons from a police driving instructor.

If JDs is truly Mr Shippen I remember your extraordinary performances on the big school organ

I was usually the last one to leave the building when you let rip on that magnificent instrument - always was and still am mad on organ music

I loved the way that when you played the final blisteringly loud chord you would hold it and then hold it longer and then would draw your head forward until it disappeared onto the keyboard (behind that little curtain) and then you would, with a fantastic flourish, hurl your head back into view as the chord came to a halt - your flaming red hair would be all in a mess when you did that!

It was very endearing!

I hope I have done this correctly: I remember the little red curtain on the Big School organ. I always felt that it should tuck in immediately behind the Royal Crest - not behind the organ gallery - or was it the other way round. Big School organ was used late at night when doing lighting plots (which of course had to be done after dark). Ian Bartholomew was the lighting man (in Mid B: he had to pop back to house for a Harry check at 10 pm and then sneak out again). Roger Martin introduced me to the tradition of playing Finlandia at midnight. You couldn't use Chapel Organ after 10.30 because of complaints form the Palace - and later the time switch on the organ blower. More reminiscences will have to wait for my (as yet non-starter) book 'Playing in the Other Room'!!

A book? Tremendous. Guaranteed sale here.

I recall on my first camp in Welford in 1993, Burr was there with his barge (I mean boat!) and he would get very irate if anyone dared call his vessel a barge!

jdshippen wrote:

huntertitus wrote:

jdshippen wrote:As I remember, Peter Burr (PPdeWB) was master i/c at first followed by David O'Meara (DJO'M). The main attraction was that you got free driving lessons from a police driving instructor.

If JDs is truly Mr Shippen I remember your extraordinary performances on the big school organ

I was usually the last one to leave the building when you let rip on that magnificent instrument - always was and still am mad on organ music

I loved the way that when you played the final blisteringly loud chord you would hold it and then hold it longer and then would draw your head forward until it disappeared onto the keyboard (behind that little curtain) and then you would, with a fantastic flourish, hurl your head back into view as the chord came to a halt - your flaming red hair would be all in a mess when you did that!

It was very endearing!

I hope I have done this correctly: I remember the little red curtain on the Big School organ. I always felt that it should tuck in immediately behind the Royal Crest - not behind the organ gallery - or was it the other way round. Big School organ was used late at night when doing lighting plots (which of course had to be done after dark). Ian Bartholomew was the lighting man (in Mid B: he had to pop back to house for a Harry check at 10 pm and then sneak out again). Roger Martin introduced me to the tradition of playing Finlandia at midnight. You couldn't use Chapel Organ after 10.30 because of complaints form the Palace - and later the time switch on the organ blower. More reminiscences will have to wait for my (as yet non-starter) book 'Playing in the Other Room'!!

You had better start it now, as retirement is meant to be the time for that

I am, however, aware that these days retired people usually find themselves busier than when they worked!

There would be many, many people here who would love to read the story of your life at CH