Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

If you were around in 1975 then it might be you !

I don't care now, but it must have been someone on the staff list or perhaps a jealous teacher's offspring ( weird phrase) who fancied it.
If I had it back now, it would be highly unlikely it would be ridden by anyone ,so if you still have it forget about a ransom!!!!

Whilst in Lamb B I was lucky enough to get my beloved dark green, hand painted, second hand , cheap as chips , basic ,lovely cabbage colour,with "fat" tyres which were cream / off white colour RALEIGH RSW *(google it) bike delivered by my ma and pa for me to roam the beautiful sussex countryside.

It was not held in very high esteem by my housemates and certainly not compared to Toby Wrights "tandem" which was a beauty compared to slug bike.

For the short time I had it , it discovered the local haunts within 5 miles , but was remembered mainly for racing down the tube.
At the end of term , because I lived along way from home, I had to stay behind for a day because of the crap rail links !!! . Railways were even worse then and I had to stay behind for a day whilst everyone had buggered off home. During the evening we , whoever else was left behind would race fom Leigh Hunt to Peele.

NOW THAT WAS A HIGH !! THE WHOLE TUBE TO OURSELVES AND WE DID NOT HAVE TO BE QUIET / DISCREET.

No teachers about and I could use all my three gears.We timed each other from one end to the other.
The raleighs time was not great but I remember it took less than 2 minutes .One way of course from Peele to Leigh Hunt as that was more dowhill and quicker.

COME ON GUYS, OWN UP OTHERWISE I WILL GET DEREK CUFF TO INVESTIGATE !

Not Guilty M'lud ---- of that particular Evil ! ----- I was nicking kit, in the Army !

I don't remember many bikes being at CH in the 40s, I seem to have a recollection of them being ridden by "Farm" boys --- those excused Sports, who worked on the "Farm" out on Big Side.
I do remember that bikes were ridden, with the Housey Coat, rolled up and tucked behind, in the Girdle. ---- also on another Topic, somebody being punished, for so doing, --- but I wonder how else one could ride a bike in CH Uniform !

Discuss ?

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Not Guilty M'lud ---- of that particular Evil ! ----- I was nicking kit, in the Army !

I don't remember many bikes being at CH in the 40s, I seem to have a recollection of them being ridden by "Farm" boys --- those excused Sports, who worked on the "Farm" out on Big Side.
I do remember that bikes were ridden, with the Housey Coat, rolled up and tucked behind, in the Girdle. ---- also on another Topic, somebody being punished, for so doing, --- but I wonder how else one could ride a bike in CH Uniform !

Discuss ?

Rolling the coat as you describe was standard practice in my days but only grecians were allowed to ride bicycles when in uniform. On one occasion I was ordered to for a very good reason - and very quickly got stopped by some master; it was a privelege taken very seriously.

In my day one was allowed to bring back a bike whenone got one's buttons. A more worldly-wise boy than I borrowed mine which was later spotted leaning against a haystack where he was (presumably) pleasuring one of the kitchen staff. Some entirely undeserved kudos for that. There was a special way of tucking the skirts of a bluecoat into one's girdle when cycling.

5h17shoveller wrote:
COME ON GUYS, OWN UP OTHERWISE I WILL GET DEREK CUFF TO INVESTIGATE !

It was probably Derek Cuff who nicked it in the first place.

Either that or one of the bokkers.

Or one of the chaplains.

I always thought the Reverend Godfrey "Don't Forget Your Bible" Hall looked a bit shifty.

Maybe he nicked your bike because you forgot your bible.

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:re ridden, with the Housey Coat, rolled up and tucked behind, in the Girdle. ---- also on another Topic, somebody being punished, for so doing, --- but I wonder how else one could ride a bike in CH Uniform !
Discuss ?

The norm for CH cycling these days (actually at one point my coat was such that I could ride without it tucked in, but only at a decent speed)

On which note, who nicked mine?

Yes, I see, in the latest copy of the Blue ----- a person riding "Full Skirted", I assume at reasonable speed ?

If they ride anything like I used to, their speed will be anything BUT reasonable!

If you look on page 87 of The Blue, the photo down at the bottom right hand corner shows what can happen if you ride your bike too fast!!! Not quite sure why it's made it onto the Art section although it was quite a work of art patching her up, I can tell you!!!

Barnes Mum wrote:If you look on page 87 of The Blue, the photo down at the bottom right hand corner shows what can happen if you ride your bike too fast!!! Not quite sure why it's made it onto the Art section although it was quite a work of art patching her up, I can tell you!!!

I return to the practice of riding with the coat tucked up, into the girdle. This was to avoid such accidebts -----------

Although we now have girls at CH Horsham, I imagine the practice might involve more mis-haps due to the boys not looking where they were going !!