Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Ah! Of course. Silly me! No tubes at Hertford! Cherries, yes - tubes, no.

Mrs C. wrote:If it's any "consolation" Hendrik, a friend of mine from uni`s been married for over 20 years to someone he taught as a language assistant in Germany!! And their relationship wasn't frowned on in the least by the school - or the pupils for that matter!

Great Plum wrote:Follwing Mrs C's point... whilst on the German Drinking (sorry, Study!) visit on my Grecians, an old language assistant from the school turned up to the main meal with a girl who had left CH a couple of years previously - and they were now together!

I'd forgotten about this, but this thread brings it all back. I recall gently playing cupid for the female French (language!) assistant and a guy on my year when we were Grecians... The rest of our little group were so pleased for them when they finally did get together - they were a top couple! Not sure if the school knew about the relationship, but it did continue for a while after we all left.

Shame on you for a fibber, Monsieur Ruck. I too remember your old Friendsreunited entry, where it said 'married, no brats, one crap dog' as I distinctly recall. I remember wondering what the said doggie had done to warrant being categorised as crap. (Possibly crapping all over the house?) I suggest you go down on your knobbly knees and beg your dog's forgiveness.

helen wrote:

englishangel wrote:Unfortunately, as far as I am aware there is only one other woman of my generation on this forum, I know she would probably have some strong opinions.

Just saw this bit. I'm not far off - a little before you, although it sounds as if things had changed quite a lot even then - male math teacher???Amazing. I just looked at your profile though and saw you were in 2's. Tell me, was Mrs. Winstone still there in your time?(perhaps this should be in the 'remembering CH staff etc. section but I dont know if you look there.) If so, what survival strategies did you use?
As for scandals, well, I dont know any of the sexual kind so perhaps anything else does not interest the readers of this thread . . ??Perhaps it is scandalous that we didn't even have the opportunity for a scandal or two.

'Fanny' Winstone was there for me. She got a brain tumour when I was Lower V (year 10) I think, Euterpe might remember. Went off to have an op and returned when I was Ipper V. Then retired at the end of that year (1970)

I think it is on Friends Reunited that we had a little discussion. She was much more mellow afterwards.

No tubes at Hertford. The main line train ran from across the road from the back gate though. Or is there and underground tunnel system at Horsham?

The hearest we got to that was the cellar under the scinece block. Turned into a 'disco' in about 1969. Sanctioned by auntie Dot would you believe.

Chrissie Boy wrote:Shame on you for a fibber, Monsieur Ruck. I too remember your old Friendsreunited entry, where it said 'married, no brats, one crap dog' as I distinctly recall. I remember wondering what the said doggie had done to warrant being categorised as crap. (Possibly crapping all over the house?) I suggest you go down on your knobbly knees and beg your dog's forgiveness.

]

Well, feck me. Another(?) one with a faulty memory.

Unless someone hacked my Friends Reunited profile, Eric has never been described as 'crap'.

If you've bothered, after all these years, to look at my profile, you may possibly have known me, so you will of course understand that my knees have never been 'knobbly'.

Now, and more importantly, Eric has been trying to attract my attention while I've been replying to this, and has spilled my tinny.

All your fault - that can of Carlsberg cost me £0.69875.

Bstard!

englishangel wrote:

helen wrote:

englishangel wrote: 'Fanny' Winstone was there for me. She got a brain tumour when I was Lower V (year 10) I think, Euterpe might remember. Went off to have an op and returned when I was Ipper V. Then retired at the end of that year (1970)

I think it is on Friends Reunited that we had a little discussion. She was much more mellow afterwards.

She deserved a brain tumour. I am glad it helped improve her. I wonder how you coped with her though - you didn't mention that - diplomacy?
I can still see her now - in my nightmares.

Can't find Friends reunited. Looked under Stories and reminiscences etc. /no luck.Where is it?

helen wrote:She deserved a brain tumour. I am glad it helped improve her. I wonder how you coped with her though - you didn't mention that - diplomacy?
I can still see her now - in my nightmares.

Can't find Friends reunited. Looked under Stories and reminiscences etc. /no luck.Where is it?

I have pm'd Helen, but for anyone else who doesn't know

http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk

And yes certainly Fanny was a nightmare.

I was fortunate, I was naturally very well behaved, (most obliging junior was my nickname amongst my friends.) so I got off quite lightly, but if you crossed her or she took a dislike, watch out.

My halo slipped once I discovered the outside world. I went straight to Uni. from school. An engineering uni. at that, with 7/1 balance of men/women and I discovered beer. (I got a third)

yes, there is an underground tunnel system at horsham. how come there wasn't one built at hertford? i thought it was built at about the same time. victorians had a newly developed fetish for tunnel networks apparently, something to do with their whole gothic thing.

why, what would 'Fanny' do if you were naughty that was so scandalous?

Hertfordwas built 1904 I think but the site wasn't very large so didn't tunnels.

I cannot remember Fanny doing anything specific, she just seemed generally very cold, not at all kind and caring to homesick girls.

Helen who brought this up may know more, and I don't think Euterpe got on very well with her either, especially in her early days.

englishangel wrote:and I don't think Euterpe got on very well with her either, especially in her early days.

Just had a skim back to Euterpe's posting --- gave her sherry and a fag????Blimey.
Sounds as if FW had a brain transplant not just a tumour!
If that's not getting on well with her I wonder what was! We got her second hand smoke and that was about it.

I think the school had owned the site at Hertford since the 18th century...

Great Plum wrote:I think the school had owned the site at Hertford since the 18th century...

Just checked, and I quote "....before the establishment of the branch schools at Hoddesdon, Ware and Hertford in the seventeenth century,...".

I meant that the buildings now standing (well what is left of them) were built in 1904.

Anyway history should be another thread.

helen wrote:

englishangel wrote:and I don't think Euterpe got on very well with her either, especially in her early days.

Just had a skim back to Euterpe's posting --- gave her sherry and a fag????Blimey.
Sounds as if FW had a brain transplant not just a tumour!
If that's not getting on well with her I wonder what was! We got her second hand smoke and that was about it.

Fanny was indeed a major pain during my first years in 2s, but things got better and behind the harsh exterior I eventually discovered a woman who really cared about her girls. Christine & I were the Mons during her hospitalisation, and ran the house whilst she was away - she was very very nice to us when she returned ( well to me, anyway - Mary, Ros & Julie may not have the same opinion !).
Of course, the fact that Auntie Dot loathed me, and that Fanny loathed Dot may have had something to do with it... She also had rather a soft spot for my boyfriend ( who used to come & take me out)!

I do remember Fanny as being much nicer when she came back, I think on FRU I put as much.

She was never as awful as the woman we had in the interim whose name I forget. (post-traumatic stress)

going back to the 'fag and sherry' thing.

On Horsham speech day 1972 I had the most awful menstrual cramps and ended up writhing in agony along the back seat of the coach on the way back to Hertford. Auntie Dot asked me if I wanted a nip of brandy from her hip flask. I refused as I didn't like brandy (still don't) but I do wonder how many nips she used to take. I have 3 teenagers and I am not sure how she could have coped with 360 odd without the occasional nip.