Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I am seeking information on Commander (Engineer) Robert Mack, DSC, RN, who was born in 1912, attended Christ's Hospital from 1921-1929 and died in Surrey in January 1996. Does anyone have access to The Blue for 1996-7 which might include an obituary, please?

R Mack obituary in The Blue Michaelmas Term 1995 p73

Fantastic. Thanks. Are you able to send me a scan, please? My e-mail address is petard249@btinternet.com
If you can't or it's too long, I'll get a copy through the museum.
David

Scan sent.

In case anyone else has queries of a similar nature, I can consult my overstuffed bookshelves which carry an almost complete run of The Blue 1978-1999.

There is an interesting follow-up to this story.
The obituary provided by Vier Blieu (no offence meant, but I don't have a clue what that means!) mentioned that Mack was resident in Coulsdon. Now it so happens that I worked in Coulsdon for three years in the mid-1990s and hated it - the place, not the job. It seemed to me to be characterless and geographically indefinable. Be that is as it may, the fact is that the name rang a bell, and I also knew that Maurice Hall, Old Blue, had once lived there, as we had talked about it. So I contacted him and asked whether he had known a fellow Old Blue named Mack who had also lived in Couldson. Maurice had not, but agreed to ask around, which he did, but without any success.
Maurice now lives in Caterham and last week was in the Post Office there when, quite by chance, in walked someone he had known in Couldson, so he asked "Did you know a bloke named Mack?" "Oh yes," came the reply, "I worked with him. Remkember him well - he had a voice like a foghorn."
So, problem solved and information is now being exchanged. But what are the chances of finding such a neat solution in such a complicated way?
David

Foureyes wrote:. But what are the chances of finding such a neat solution in such a complicated way?
David

the chances would seem to be quite high - OBs seem to attract others like magnets.
Have recently heard of a YOB in York who found out that her university lecturer is an OB (YOB was wearing Leavers hoodie to lectures..)
A former neighbour in Devon, when asking where we we moving to, said "not CH? I`m an OB"
My parents` neighbour`s nephew is an OB (they live in the Midlands)


it is such a smalll world really

I might have told this story before on here... but it bears repeating...

When I moved to Finland I asked on this forum about other OBs in Finland and was directed to Keith Battarbee (BaB 54-62). I googled him and found him to be teaching at the local University. At the time, with no other connection than "I'm an OB" I refrained from contacting him but then some time later, at coffee after a church service, the guest book came around the table and I noticed that the gentleman sitting opposite me was indeed Mr Keith Battarbee!

Of course I said "You won't believe this but......"

As a now regular member of the International Congregation at Turku Cathedral, Keith and his wife Ruth have become good friends of mine. For those who knew him (John Hopgood?) Keith was recently accepted to train as a Reader in the Church of England and his wife began her training for ordination this summer.

....and.... Nick Hennessey - great Storyteller - has visited Turku a few times and I was lucky enough to spend an evening with him as the secretary of the Turku Branch of the Finnish British Society; he was in NYMT (so was I) and his grandfather was an OB (details unknown)!

Foureyes wrote: Vier Blieu (no offence meant, but I don't have a clue what that means!)

I am sure Geraint will be on here to confirm, but it is "Old Blue" in a Jersey language similar to French (?)

cstegerlewis wrote:

Foureyes wrote: Vier Blieu (no offence meant, but I don't have a clue what that means!)

I am sure Geraint will be on here to confirm, but it is "Old Blue" in a Jersey language similar to French (?)

If so, that would be Patois - A version of which is still spoken in Guernsey, generally by the fishermen, but a dying langiage, I'm told !

Since my son started CH I have found out that one of his old school friend's Uncle is an Old blue (and lives in the next road to us), and a friend of a close friend of mine is also an OB, I bizarrely met her whilst trick or treating with my youngest son this year!

J.R. wrote:If so, that would be Patois - A version of which is still spoken in Guernsey, generally by the fishermen, but a dying langiage, I'm told !

This is getting off the point, but ...

I think Geraint calls it Jerriais, and the Guernsey French is Dgernesiais. Not that I know anything about it. The information comes from the fascinating Ethnologue, which also reveals that Finnish is very much closer to Estonian and nine other Finnic languages than it is to Hungarian. Of all the false facts that school taught me, that thing about Finnish and Hungarian survived decades longer than most (apart from the ones that I still imagine are true). Anyway, I recommend Ethnologue as a time-waster for those who enjoy exploring the curious byways of the internet.

I have discovered that the Head of History where I work is an Old Blue and his mum is still a governor. We now have one of our year 11s applying to CH for sixth form - lovely, amazing girl - fingers crossed.

Is surely a small world as I only discovered this after my DS had stared and we are 150 miles from CH and rural so hardly local.

J.R. wrote:If so, that would be Patois

Patois simply means "(local) language". The etymology is obscure, but one theory derives it from patria. It's used in countries where French is an official language to condescend to or denigrate indigenous languages. Speakers of indigenous languages themselves,though, may use it in the same sense as the expression "the lingo" (e.g. "we speak the lingo, but they don't"). But basically all minority languages get referred to as patois.

By the way, and even further off-topic, I've got a new book out this month - I provided the Jèrriais text for a trilingual graphic novel. The English title is "White Ship" (éditions Helixborealis)

I discovered, recently, that the daughter of our Rector --- one Pamala Walker, is an OB.
I understand, from her brother, that she did'nt stay, all that long.------

Hence -- once again-- no names no pack drill, but I expect the sleuths among the girls will know !

Give us a clue, Neill - for example her approximate age?