Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I have just received my copy of 'The Blue - 2012'.
The cover photograph makes me think that the school is ashamed of the 'Broadie Buckle'.
Why is it being worn at the back?
Why does the school not enforce a proper dress code?
It really makes me angry... it is a nice buckle... and should be worn in the correct manner.
As I have said before.. "If you have to wear a uniform, wear it correctly"

I too have received my copy this afternoon, though haven't had a chance to read it yet.

I too, despair at the slackness of dress and condition of shoes in these current times, as has been stated on this site before.

It would never of happened in my day, or at least not without severe punishment.

Nor John, would you have [sic] been allowed to write 'would never of' without severe punishment. A double detention I think.

michael scuffil wrote:Nor John, would you have [sic] been allowed to write 'would never of' without severe punishment. A double detention I think.

Not at my age ! I'm exempt !

Jan and I were in Horsham a few weeks ago, and saw a couple in Housey dress.

The shoes were a disgrace ! I was going to 'have a word', but thought better of it !

The shoes were a disgrace

Agreed. DS brought his home in a shocking state. He has shoe cleaning kit at school but when questioned says he only does it if there are special occasions. No-one ever mentions the state of his shoes.

Now clean and gleaming for return to school.

michael scuffil wrote:Nor John, would you have [sic] been allowed to write 'would never of' without severe punishment. A double detention I think.

I would throw in a School Drill and double mile too!

You should know better John

I'm not rising to the bait !

I just hope someone 'in authority' at CH reads this thread and asks HM to ensure clean shoes - Especially when going off-premises.

I was horrified.

When we were issued with new shoes, many of us in Coleridge B would spend many an hour doing the good old army bulling with spit and polish.

So very easy to get a shine back on a rainy or snowy day.

Ah the good old days when we had Hitler, Diptheria and Rickets !

Only joking - the only time my sons shoes are cleaned is when I do them! Since the 2nd form he has had a shoe cleaning kit, as yet unopened!

CHDad wrote:Ah the good old days when we had Hitler, Diptheria and Rickets !

Only joking - the only time my sons shoes are cleaned is when I do them! Since the 2nd form he has had a shoe cleaning kit, as yet unopened!

I rest my case, Me L'ud !!

Nevertheless, I'd still rather see dirty shoes than read "It would never of happened". Sorry. But, after all, this isn't the Daily Mail!

Goatherd wrote:Nevertheless, I'd still rather see dirty shoes than read "It would never of happened". Sorry. But, after all, this isn't the Daily Mail!

Now't wrong with the Daily Mail.

A good old fashioned right-wing newspaper.

Let's get back to attire...

The fashion for buckles at the back is just that, a fashion. In the famous Ackermann print of the Grecian, he has his cuffs not turned back, but buttoned over his hands. Presumably that was the fashion too.

The thing about uncleaned shoes is different. I take it from this that daily shoe inspections are no longer held. It would also appear that the school doesn't provide shoe-cleaning kit. (Not that it would cost anything -- brushes last for 100 years, and there were plenty of them 50 years ago.) That's bad enough, but it means these kids will not get into the habit of polishing their shoes when they grow up.

In my day we had to show up our shoes to the duty monitor every evening.

But when I 'went back' forty years ago Housey shoes were already a disgrace , what's changed?

As we used to say in the Navy, the wind don't blow the way it used to.

I agree with all the above comments about shoe cleaning. At Hertford our shoes were inspected as we marched into dining hall for breakfast. If they were not up to scratch they had to be repolished immediately after breakfast and 'passed' by one of the seniors. We each had our own shoe cleaning kit. I still use the same brushes today, clearly labelled with my name and house number. Polishing shoes helps them to last longer - many of my shoes are very old, but have been well looked after, and classic in style so that they will not go out of fashion. Today it is the custom to replace rather repair and replenish - we live in an age when everything seems to be expendable. As a family we are not so fussy on a daily basis, but certainly we all acknowledge that shoes that are worn as part of a uniform should be polished.

What puzzles me about the cover picture of the magazine is the fact that they are all carrying umbrellas in the cloisters Why? Please don't try to claim that it is to protect the drum - imagine a whole band with an umbrella-carrier marching behind each drummer!

Fjgrogan wrote:I agree with all the above comments about shoe cleaning. At Hertford our shoes were inspected as we marched into dining hall for breakfast. If they were not up to scratch they had to be repolished immediately after breakfast and 'passed' by one of the seniors. We each had our own shoe cleaning kit. I still use the same brushes today, clearly labelled with my name and house number. Polishing shoes helps them to last longer - many of my shoes are very old, but have been well looked after, and classic in style so that they will not go out of fashion. Today it is the custom to replace rather repair and replenish - we live in an age when everything seems to be expendable. As a family we are not so fussy on a daily basis, but certainly we all acknowledge that shoes that are worn as part of a uniform should be polished.

What puzzles me about the cover picture of the magazine is the fact that they are all carrying umbrellas in the cloisters Why? Please don't try to claim that it is to protect the drum - imagine a whole band with an umbrella-carrier marching behind each drummer!

Maybe they are going to be on sale ?

To be honest, I think they look very good !