Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Some groups used to go hiking or youth hostelling in the spring and summer holidays. I found it difficult to go because of circumstances at home, but managed two trips - once camping and once youth hostelling - while doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. My friend Margaret, the writer of this letter, h...

I'm sure I have some myself somewhere, but getting at them would involve clearing piles of junk and reaching up to the top shelf of a bookcase to bring down a rather precariously balanced basket. Must organise myself to do it soon. Oh do, please Jo. I knew I couldn't be the only one to have these b...

Thank you Jenny for typing in these old letters, I am enjoying them very much. I am puzzled, though, that you and your friends seem to have written letters to each other in term time, while you were both still at school. Was it because you were in different houses, and not allowed to chat much? S.A...

Yet another note from S.A.W. She is not in a good mood! J.M.B. Salve The epistle comes somewhat late today as all is chaos. My tongue is parched and my hands are sticky but I have finished my books. Needless to say I have not had them passed but with any luck this will not matter as I have shoved th...

On the way home I sat with Claire Latham, Diana Scott and someone whose name I didn't catch. We all overlapped at school to some extent, though I didn't remember any of them. However, in my little case I've found my diary for 1960, the year I left, and lo! Part of the entry for 11 June reads: "...

I have been given a CD of the service and would be prepared to copy it - for a small sum which I will donate to the Memorial Fund once we can get it off the ground. Anyone interested should PM me for details? Kerren I'd love a CD to hear that wonderful singing again. Tried to PM you by clicking the...

cj wrote:How old do you think you might have been while this correspondence was taking place? It makes fascinating reading, but then all the Hertford memories do. It's a different world.

We would have been 15/16/rising 17. I was in the year above S.A.W. (I think) and should have known better!

What I want to know is, did S.A.W. ever finish any of those (5!) novels she had on the go? She obviously relished writing, as you can tell by the letter. And... erm... what are/were her horns? Phil, I guess she started at least another 5 every term, as did I! I've never finished one though I'd like...

Why were the sports held in the Spring Term, surely Summer would have been more appropriate? By the way, Jenny, I have been wracking my brains and trying to imagine looking across to the 8s table and think I can just about remember a Jennifer Bore at the top end - I was the very bottom end of 6s ta...

Here's another, slightly shorter, note from S.A.W. I do wonder what she's doing now - most of her letters to me are written during class so it's a wonder she learnt anything! Of course, the same applied to me when writing the replies..... J.M.B. Salve Back to the treadmill once more. Oh what a horri...

Jenny, you must have been in House, and your friend up t'Imf! You say "come down soon". One went up t'Imf and then back down. Or was the letter to you and not by you? Hmm, strong coffee time. You wouldn't have taken your friend Julia's cacti up t'Imf with you? And you must have been prett...

Here's another one - undated, but I think I was in the infirmary at the time. The writer (S.A.W.) was in 3's and we kept up a massive correspondence via various trusted messengers. J.M.B. This will arrive via the fire escape with any luck. I hope you are feeling better today. My legs are madly stiff...

Those names for sports brought back memories - Jane Norcock was 6s and sprint champion. Sarah Battye lived in Thundridge which was one of my father's parishes, I think her mother was his churchwarden. Elizabeth Onley wa a superb violinist and went on to be a professional musician. Surely Philippa, ...

WHAT was the book, you could have told us!! Well - I did put an Editor's note that I can't remember! There's a possibility that it was Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley - we were going through a bit of a Huxley phase and I know this one was a real eye-opener to my letter-writer. Though I really don'...

On the DR Memorial thread I mentioned that I'd still got the old attache case stuffed with letters and said I might search it out. Well, having said it I then couldn't wait to find it. So, here's the first one I pulled out. I'll leave the writer anonymous because I haven't asked her permission, but ...