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St Matthew's Day, 2006

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:53 pm
by DavebytheSea
A little more info gleaned from the CH Official Site

ST. MATTHEW'S DAY
400 boys and girls from Christ’s Hospital, a School founded in Newgate Street in 1552, will parade through London on Friday, 22 September 2006 in their traditional and colourful Tudor style uniform, along with the School’s Band to celebrate St Matthew’s Day.
St Matthew’s Day is one of the high days in Christ’s Hospital calendar. Traditionally, it was the day on which the Governors of Christ’s Hospital were elected. Today, there are over 650 Governors; their generosity continues to help support the education of Christ’s Hospital’s pupils.

10.30am: Grand Parade starts from Embankment (Carmelite Street EC1) and moves to Tudor Street (EC4) into Farringdon Street, left onto Charterhouse Street and into the Church of St Andrew, Holborn

11.00am: A thanksgiving service in the Church, attended by David Brewer, the Lord Mayor of the City of London and Vice President of Christ’s Hospital (invitation only).

12.20/30pm: The Grand parade will commence again from the Church of St Andrew to Mansion House via Holborn Viaduct, Newgate Street (marching past the site of the former school), around the side of St Paul’s Cathedral via Martin’s Le Grand and onto Cheapside to Bank, circling back via Walbrook to Mansion House (EC4).

12.50pm: Arrive at Mansion House where the pupils will have lunch with the Lord Mayor. To celebrate their City origin and links with the City Corporation, each pupil shakes hands with the Lord and Lady Mayoress and each receives ‘largesse’, a small sum of money, fresh from the mint.

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 9:40 am
by Great Plum
It's a shame they don't go up there by train anymore!

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:29 am
by UserRequestedRemoval
I did the St Matt's parade twice and both times it felt a little like the male version of St Trinians when we all piled on the special train to London. I enjoyed the parade so much that I tried to convince Mr Elliott that he needed a boy to march behind the band ready to collect any dropped music cards or drum sticks. It didn't work but he did enjoy my attempts to convince him.

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:31 am
by Great Plum
I liked getting the first class compartment on the way back!

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:33 am
by Richard Ruck
soc wrote:I enjoyed the parade so much that I tried to convince Mr Elliott that he needed a boy to march behind the band ready to collect any dropped music cards or drum sticks.
That was Crater-Head's job (assistant bandmaster)!

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:39 am
by UserRequestedRemoval
Oh yes, now you say that, it was great if they had one attached to the train or the band hadn't hogged them all.

This talk just reminded me of an incident on one of the specials back to school for the summer term. I better not mention names here but it went something like this.

One lad is showing off his new cricket bat telling us all that he was going to be the first boy from the LF to play for the first XI. Another boy nicked the bat and stuck it out of the window and BANG! Another train came passed smashing the bat into two pieces. Both boys were removed from the train at Horsham by Transport Police and found themselves in deep doodoo. We all thought it was riotously funny.

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:19 pm
by Great Plum
I wouldn't like to be marching in today's weather - coming down heavily in the centre of town at the moment!

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:40 pm
by Mrs C.
Just got back from London - wet, but wondeful parade as usual!

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:46 pm
by Great Plum
What was the Mansion House like?

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:47 pm
by Mrs C.
I didn`t go with school - didn`t get to Mansion House

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:53 pm
by Richard Ruck
Great Plum wrote:What was the Mansion House like?
Why, has it changed in some way? I thought these places just got a lick of paint every once on a while, and that's about it.

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:11 pm
by UserRequestedRemoval
I would be worried if it had moved

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:37 pm
by Great Plum
Richard Ruck wrote:
Great Plum wrote:What was the Mansion House like?
Why, has it changed in some way? I thought these places just got a lick of paint every once on a while, and that's about it.
I've never been - we only went to the Guildhall!

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:39 pm
by Richard Ruck
I see - we always ended up at the Mansion House.

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:11 pm
by UserRequestedRemoval
They don't go to Mansion house anymore? When did that change