Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

If it was arranged enough in advance, there could be no extra-curricular activities planned for that day, and a couple of lessons knocked off for one day is not going to have a huge impact on the educational output of the school. It's not an annual event any longer so it wouldn't intrude into the calendar regularly. Bear in mind that this is me commenting on something that I haven't actually been to and I am in no way casting aspertions on the planning and management of the event just held! I just think that Saturday has a better feel about it for a massive get-together.

cj wrote:If it was arranged enough in advance, there could be no extra-curricular activities planned for that day, and a couple of lessons knocked off for one day is not going to have a huge impact on the educational output of the school. It's not an annual event any longer so it wouldn't intrude into the calendar regularly. Bear in mind that this is me commenting on something that I haven't actually been to and I am in no way casting aspertions on the planning and management of the event just held! I just think that Saturday has a better feel about it for a massive get-together.

Agreed! If I recollect correctly we did not have any school matches that day at Hertford and it was annual in those days.

cj wrote:If it was arranged enough in advance, there could be no extra-curricular activities planned for that day, and a couple of lessons knocked off for one day is not going to have a huge impact on the educational output of the school. It's not an annual event any longer so it wouldn't intrude into the calendar regularly. Bear in mind that this is me commenting on something that I haven't actually been to and I am in no way casting aspertions on the planning and management of the event just held! I just think that Saturday has a better feel about it for a massive get-together.

There are so few Saturdays anyway with Leave Weekends, holidays etc, I think it`s out of the question to cancel even more lessons. Also, if extra-curricular activities were to be cancelled too that day, what on earth would about three-quarters of the school do all day?? I can`t see how they would all want to be involved in OB Day. Sports fixtures would have to run for the same reason that lessons would.
I think its all very well for people to say Saturday would be better , and to a certain extent I agree, but I think you have to actually be here to appreciate the problems involved.

Yes, it's quite easy for us to remember how it used to be! Whatever happens, logistics are a nightmare. Maybe the summer is too busy and a different time of year may be better? Weather might not be so good, but you can never count on the English summer anyway!

I honestly think the time of year would make no difference whatsoever , unfortunately.

Whatever happened to only being allowed out of school three half Saturdays a term, and NO half-term breaks.

The only extra-curricular activities were rare, and usually band orientated.

P'raps the time is coming for pupils to study at home using computers and white boards !

It'd certainly save a fortune on staff wages and site maintenance !

Then we could host OB's day at The Bax, or possibly even on the beach at good old Climping. Arrrr, such sweet memories.

J.R. wrote:Whatever happened to only being allowed out of school three half Saturdays a term, and NO half-term breaks.

The only extra-curricular activities were rare, and usually band orientated.

P'raps the time is coming for pupils to study at home using computers and white boards !

It'd certainly save a fortune on staff wages and site maintenance !

Then we could host OB's day at The Bax, or possibly even on the beach at good old Climping. Arrrr, such sweet memories.

You old fogie!

You do have a point though....

Personally I think that whichever weekend day is chosen there will be people who can't make it.
Saturdays are very difficult for people in any retail environment (even though it's 7 day working, Sundays are usually easier to get than Saturdays)
The main thing would be to understand would be how many people didn't come ONLY because it was on a Sunday....I doubt it's many?
If moved to a Saturday, how many would then not be able to come.

Also, as Mrs. C. outlined, we HAVE to fit around what's easiest and most productive for the school. I liked the Sunday atmosphere in the school, as I felt the Blues were more relaxed and could enjoy the day with us (especially chapel and tea with the Grecians, which I pleased to see so many attend)

I agree with Julian - there are so few Saturday's at the school now, you couldn't really put OBD at the weekend...

Also, I think OBD was tried in Spetember a few years ago - this doesn't work for normal leavers as it seemed to be the weekend everyone went back to uni...

btw Munch

I really enjoyed "Old Blues Day" last Sunday.It was lovely to spend time with you.Our rousing "Foundation Hymn" at Evensong must have awoken the ghost of Susannah....

The day was pleasantly relaxed and there was just the right amount of organisation ( ie. not too much) and it was nice to have the chance to chat
with the current students.

Really impressed by the present girl students seizing the opportunity to clean our cars in the car park and raise money for a "breast cancer" charity........ and even nicer was that they seemed to be having such a good time.

Dr Peter Southern ( Headmaster) accidently sat next to me at lunch time ( I wasn't sure who he was at first )....anyhow...he seemed very interested in true life stories of DR. I must have given the impression of being a very dizzy and rather dumb blonde because after we had conversed for 10 minutes ( and just as I was privately musing on what a charming and unpretentious man he was) he said:

" Tell me, Did Miss West encourage the girls to follow a challenging career .......or were you just educated to be good wives and mothers ?"

Slightly nonplussed ( and wondering if I should have been more boastful about all my wondrous lifetime achievements) ,I sent him off to the Court Room to purchase DR's book " Half To Remember " which are now suddenly in very plentiful supply ( although they had gone up in price from 50p to £3 ).....

A well-meaning Old Blue asked me what had brought me to Old Blues Day ?..........Puzzled,I simply replied while pointing to my CHOGA badge,....." I'm an Old Blue !"........He apologised, explaining that he had forgotten all about the girls !

Moving swiftly on......

I felt that the "Hertford" section of the museum needed a few modern photos and wonder what happened to the charred wooden doll which was rescued from the ruins of the London school in 1666 ( and which was the chief exhibit of the museum we had in Hertford ) ?Apparently there are still crates of potential museum exhibits that need cataloguing...... if anyone lives close enough and could spare the time.......?

It was poignant and special to stand next to a senior Old Blue by the Housey War Memorial while,visibly emotional he pointed out ,amongst the list of the WW2 fallen ,the men he had been at school with.

We also had the pleasure of meeting MIDGET !! and hubby Joe

A fab day and many thanks to Zoe and all involved ! (PS. I really don't think OB day should disrupt the school....and honestly it was rather nice on a Sunday...with everyone chilled out )

Having posted the above post,I read Julian's requirements for this thread and realised I'd done it wrong again. (too chatty)

So:

. I had a lovely day and thanks to everyone involved

. Everyone...OBs ,current students and staff were really relaxed (including catering staff )

. Someone should have met the cars as we arrived and pointed us in the right direction (remembering that Hertford girls might still feel a bit lost )
and told us what to do first (ie sign in at the court room). Maybe have a couple of the Grecians with "Here to help" badges firstly at the car park and then wandering around generally during the day available to answer queries or help or make announcements (such as "The museum visit will start in 5 minutes ....please meet outside the dining hall ") or whatever.

. Poor Richard shouldn't have spent the WHOLE day selling mugs ! I would have happily done an hour of it (but no more). Obviously a rota should be organised beforehand. We could have been asked in the letter or maybe the students could have sold mugs (business studies experience??)

. I enjoyed chatting to the Grecians (all girls on my table) at tea......but they were shy to sit with the old fogies and were far more interested in the sandwiches and cakes (just as I would have been!!) and I gate-crashed their table.

. Really impressed with Tristram (grecian) and "The Twins" so kindly doing the museum visits.Really enjoyed it.

.Thought the school looked lovely and tidy with very little litter etc

. Really liked the Headmaster and rather sorry he's retiring.

. Thanks to the music teacher and students for the strings orchestral music in the quad.....a truly enjoyable and rather bohemian touch (sounded like Olde English Folk Tunes ?)

. The Band was fabulous

.Chapel was really nice though Munch (Angela Woodford ) and I would have preferred to have known the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis ....and wondered why the responses weren't sung....and were confused by the prayers coming from different parts of the chapel and above and not being able to see who was speaking (disembodied voices).
"God be in my head" would have been nice at the end of the service.It was great to have so many pupils sitting and singing with us with little separation....I really had the CH feeling of continuity and unity.


I loved the way the present Students, Headmaster, Music Teacher,Chaplain etc were so involved and honestly felt quite humbled by the effort that was made to help us to have a good day. Thanks again.

Thanks Alexandra - I gave up trying to keep the topic as tight as I intended(!), but thanks for summarising everything.

Excellent feedback - it's really encouraging for the organising committee and the CHA management to see such positive and also constructive feedback from everyone.

Cheers,

J

Great Plum wrote:I agree with Julian - there are so few Saturday's at the school now, you couldn't really put OBD at the weekend...

Also, I think OBD was tried in Spetember a few years ago - this doesn't work for normal leavers as it seemed to be the weekend everyone went back to uni...

I think you need to clarify that.

During term time it is the school which decides on what happens and what doesn't happen. If the school says well in advance "no going home and no parental visits on Saturday ** of June" then that's fixed.

Saturday morning lessons? there's the option to start earlier like 8.30am so they are finished before OBs arrive after 12.00pm. You could cut the gap between 2nd and 3rd parion as well. Alternatively, have only two periods on that Saturday and one extra on the preceding and subsequent Saturdays (assuming there are still 4 periods on Saturday morning).

Sports? sorry but CH is not scheduluing any sports against other schools on that specific date.

If there was a will to arrange OB day on a Saturday then it could be arranged; the only question remains whether it is better for the OBs to come on Saturday or Sunday. The fact that OBs day seems to be such a rare event means that a once every five (?) years adjustment to Saturday routine should not be a stumbling block except to those who cannot read outside the envelope.

I see your point, but would also say that the default should be for us to fit AROUND the school, and not expect them to have to adjust to fit around us.
The main point you raise I agree with - it would have to be proved beyond conclusive doubt that the number of people who can't come on a Sunday would outweigh the inconvenience and adjustment required from the school to do a Saturday - I think we'd struggle to prove this, especially given the unequivocal success of last Sunday.
I guess it could also be said that if Old Blues care enough about coming back to visit, then with enough notice then WE can arrange our lives/days-off etc. to fit around a Sunday as much as around a Saturday? I for one do other things on a Sunday which I missed, but with absolutely no regret...

J

jtaylor wrote:I guess it could also be said that if Old Blues care enough about coming back to visit

That's a bit unfair to say that people who don't go to OBs day don't care I would love to go to OBs day but for me a Sunday just isn't feasible.

jtaylor wrote:then with enough notice then WE can arrange our lives/days-off etc. to fit around a Sunday as much as around a Saturday? I for one do other things on a Sunday which I missed, but with absolutely no regret...

Not so easily done when you have young children!

At the end of the day, as others have said, whatever day it is held there will be people who can't attend for whatever reason. I hope to be able to attend one day, although I'd probably be nervous meeting some of you lot