Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Mmm.. starch. (When I can be bothered to do them) I still like having newly starched shirts.

Sprim - yeuck... they did stop putting that evil stuff out eventually. Can't remember when.

sejintenej wrote:On the question of uniforms, has anyone heard of anyone seriously penetrating vocal cords, adam's apples or similar with a "safety" pin when putting on bands?

I didn't but came close enough times.

(For Shoz; bands are like the tabs that priests wear - there is a starched linen band which goes round the neck to which the tabs are sewn; it was held together with a safety pin which went through shirt collar, bands and the other shirt collar tight round the neck. There was so much starch that geting a pin through was a feat of strength)

Dare I ask? Do they still use them or have they gone high tech with velcro?

Wish I had thought of the button hole!

shoz wrote:Wish I had thought of the button hole!

at least they are not stapled on

I used to safety pin mine to my housey coat so I didn't forget them! Think most did this?

Some years back, you could pick up housey coats from a second-hand clothes shop in Kensington Gardens, Brighton, (one of the pedestrian streets below the station)...no idea if they were the real thing or not, though.

eloisec wrote:I used to safety pin mine to my housey coat so I didn't forget them! Think most did this?

Quite a few of us did this too.

If the bands fell off and got lost we had to pay for them.

PM wrote:Some years back, you could pick up housey coats from a second-hand clothes shop in Kensington Gardens, Brighton, (one of the pedestrian streets below the station)...no idea if they were the real thing or not, though.

Yes, I had heard of this from the many tales of a certain JD Shippen...
I believe that what happened was that certain pupils had tried to sell their housey coats (then reporting them lost). Unfortunately, their house numbers were still inside...

Jonathan (in common with everybody else), wears his girdle back to front. When and why did this pernicious practice begin? Looking at the Middleton photos on this forum, it appears that in 1985 you did not have to study a a pupil's bottom in order to admire her broadie yet now, alas, it is the case.

I always put the broadie buckle on the back...

Just looked at a photo of myself and a mate in our uniforms.

Buckles not on view, so they must be round the back somewhere....

Can't remember giving it much thought at the time, though

Seem to remember my buckle used to find its way to my left hip usually.

Great Plum wrote:I always put the broadie buckle on the back...

Seems about right.
Did you halfinch a narrow girdle and plait it for your breeches? That was the thing in my day. You could get away with it if the plaiting was tight and neat, but otherwise woe betide you.

In Col A it was customary to pass your broadie buckle to someone coming up to needing one. Otherwise they cost a fortune (well, a bit over 3 terms' pocket money)

No we never used girdles for our breeches... (well I didn't anyway!)

Richard Ruck wrote:Just looked at a photo of myself and a mate in our uniforms.

Buckles not on view, so they must be round the back somewhere....

Can't remember giving it much thought at the time, though

Me neither. Looking at the Col B photo posted on the forum, mine is plainly on view, at the front, dressed slightly to the left!!

Maybe it was uncomfortable sitting on it if it were round the back.....