Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

For me the late Bob Clarke, cricket professional, and Mrs Clarke who ran the Tuck Shop when I was at CH.

Bob had a lot of patience and tolerance for a young lad (me) whose ability fell way, way, way, short of his enthusiasm for the game. Mrs Clarke was always a friendly cheerful ear and helped me keep a sense of perspective.

I was saddened to hear of Bob's death, some time after it happened, in the eighties.

They both sound very worthy indeed.

Similarly, I suspect some people might mention 'Boomer' Carrington. He had a real passion for rugby amongst other things, yet taught the weaker sides who needed his patience and motivation. He certainly wasn't a teacher during my time at CH, though he may well have been before that.

Yeah, Boomer finished teaching at 1993 having taught at the school for some 312 years!

A very decent bloke...

"Boomer" Carrington was nicknamed "Des" in my day, after a disc jockey of the sixties named Desmond Carrington. He taught English and as well as coaching and reffing rugby organised the School athletics. He was also housemaster of Thornton A.

As an aside I noticed on a fairly recent visit to the School that the athletics track had disappeared from the back of Middleton. Where do the athletes go now?

Getting back to Mr Carrington you are quite right about his dedication. I was also keen on (but again bad at) athletics and he was always very encouraging.

Thanks to Mr Carrington I can claim to have come 3rd in the long jump in the Sussex Schools Athletics Championships. We'll gloss over the fact that there were only 5 of us in it!

I think Desmond Carrington still dj's on radio 2 sometimes...

Once the athletics track was taken up by a car park - the plan was to then build a new athletics track on the golf course behind the sports centre so that never materialised due to financial constraints... now they just run around a patch of grass on Little Side...

Thanks for the info on the Athletics track Great Plum. I wonder how they do field events like the jumps without a sandpit?

Mid A 15 wrote:Thanks for the info on the Athletics track Great Plum. I wonder how they do field events like the jumps without a sandpit?

There is a sandpit - it's by the astroturf

Great Plum wrote:

Mid A 15 wrote:Thanks for the info on the Athletics track Great Plum. I wonder how they do field events like the jumps without a sandpit?

There is a sandpit - it's by the astroturf

Neil Armstrong ???

Oh dear...