Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I remember a few people getting expelled and many more getting rusticated. I only vaguely remember Poulton's "dry old stick" talk, but I do remember a couple who got expelled, not for being caught in the act, but for the lady getting caught/seen leaving the guy's room.
As I remember it, a lot of people weren't happy with their expulsion. Partly because they were really nice people, but mainly because this wasn't during term time. They were both back for some events or trips which most people felt was extremely unfair. I seem to remember Dobbie had a minor role in this, but that could just be scraps of random memories coming together.

Between A-levels and the end of the year a number of Grecians got suspended. I think it was the school's way of saying "we know we can't control you and nothing we do now will have any meaningful effect on your future but we don't want you messing things up and it would look bad if only a dozen people got their bibles on the last day". I don't think anyone took it seriously at that point. One guy took the blame and subsequent suspension for someone else so he could get home in time for a mates party.

What got under my skin was that there was no consistency with suspensions and expulsions. Some people got away with murder and even though they had a string of suspensions and red/yellow cards had to do something pretty special to finally get kicked out, whereas others were gone with no warning at the first infraction.

I like the guy who took the blame so he could get suspended and sent home and therefore not miss his mates party. Just proves what a good education can teach one.

As far as some pupils being suspended or expelled and others getting away with it.

Would this be a case of the really bright students being retained for staff/school excellence figures and the 'also rans' being disposed of?

I can remember only one expulsion in my time: Lamb B 1948-55. Ian ----- was just junior to me and I knew him reasonably well. He was always up to something. On one occasion he talked me into going with him to the swimming baths at about midnight, where some of the Irish maids were supposed to be swimming. For some reason the Senior Housemaster (Archbold) knew about this and addressed the house next day, asking for those concerned to come forward voluntarily. I did and got three - it should have been six but three were remitted for confessing, although I never grassed on Ian. (For the record the maids weren't there either, so it was a 'no win' for me!)

Some months later Ian just disappeared. It was very odd as there was no warning beforehand and no official comment afterwards. His name was obliterated from the roll call, his belongings disappeared and that was that. There were mutterings that he had been expelled, but if so and why was never revealed. Indeed, to this day it remains a mystery.

David

J.R. wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:24 amWould this be a case of the really bright students being retained for staff/school excellence figures and the 'also rans' being disposed of?

Not exactly. Actually the opposite in a few cases. The couple who were bounced for probably having sex were ones who had "very bright futures". I think they were button Grecians, or were about to be. Compared with another guy who'd been on a final warning since his squits, suspended and stuck on red/yellow cards, then finally got expelled after going on an almighty bender and beating the snot out of a couple of other kids (even then it took a little while before he actually left). He wasn't stupid, but definitely wasn't a straight A Oxbridge prospect or one who excelled in any extracurricular activities the school liked to showcase. There were a couple of kids like that while I was there. No matter what they did they very rarely got kicked out and no-one could really explain why.

That's my recollection of a lot of things at CH. It didn't feel like there was a lot of consistency with what someone had done and the punishment they got. Not going to lie, I could have been suspended a few times, but for some reason got let off with warnings, whereas others got into trouble for much less.
I have a theory for this, but that would make this an even longer winded reply

Disclaimer: For the last 20 years or so I haven't had much need to think about at CH. I migrated to Aus at a time before the ubiquity of the interweb and lost contact with virtually all my classmates. It's only been the events of the last few months (and finding this forum) that have made me dig up those memories and see what I can see.

Foureyes wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:52 am I can remember only one expulsion in my time: Lamb B 1948-55. ********** was just junior to me and I knew him reasonably well. He was always up to something. On one occasion he talked me into going with him to the swimming baths at about midnight, where some of the Irish maids were supposed to be swimming. For some reason the Senior Housemaster (Archbold) knew about this and addressed the house next day, asking for those concerned to come forward voluntarily. I did and got three - it should have been six but three were remitted for confessing, although I never grassed on Ian. (For the record the maids weren't there either, so it was a 'no win' for me!)

Some months later Ian just disappeared. It was very odd as there was no warning beforehand and no official comment afterwards. His name was obliterated from the roll call, his belongings disappeared and that was that. There were mutterings that he had been expelled, but if so and why was never revealed. Indeed, to this day it remains a mystery.

David

A fascinating scenario David. Almost one for Miss Marple.

I had to think long and hard about allowing the name of the vanishing pupil to remain. My colleague Moderators may think otherwise. In view of the possible conspiracy theories I'll let it stand for now !

Name now deleted at posters request.

I wouldnt worry about grassing JR. They can't give him the cane now JR.

richardb wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:07 pm I wouldnt worry about grassing JR. They can't give him the cane now JR.

It's the great thing about leaving school JR.

They can't tell you what to do. And if they do try to tell you what to do and you ignore them, they can't beat you for it.

richardb wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 3:57 pm It's the great thing about leaving school JR.

They can't tell you what to do. And if they do try to tell you what to do and you ignore them, they can't beat you for it.

.... and I didn't even bother to tell them that I was leaving. I just didn't bother going back at the start of the 1963/64 academic year.

If CH did teach me one VERY important thing, it was 'Stick to your guns and do what you want to do - Not what others want you to do'.

I’m not sure how many of my year were actually expelled - I know some were ‘asked to leave’ which I don’t know means the same thing - my memory is that these were for cumulative examples of rule breaking but I can’t actually remember a person that it happened to (I’m sure it did!)

An interesting parallel - I recall pupils being “asked to leave” as a kindness, so their record didn’t show expulsion.

The same seems to have been applied
to teachers.....with potentially devastating consequences to children.

Hence the expression.... "Did he/she jump or was he/she pushed ?"

Surely JR you mean: was he allowed to jump?

richardb wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 5:00 pm Surely JR you mean: was he allowed to jump?

I think that would depend on the HM in situ at the given time.

No mention of the barn being burned down? Roughly 90, 91? On the farm on the way to Southwater...

One culprit "asked to leave", the other allowed to stay. Both from Thorn B.