Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:

Kit Bartlett wrote:Although passenger services between Horsham and Guildford ceased in July 1965 it is still
possible to travel by direct train between Guildford and Reading.
I remember that the Housey special always left at an early hour , about 7.30 a.m. on the last day of term. I do not recall that any masters ever travelled on the train.
Chris Bartlett

Yes ! I always travelled on the "Special" to and from CH.
Breakfast was ALWAYS hard boiled eggs, and experienced Station Staff, would move indoors as the "Special" approached.
The unfortunate "New" incumbents, soon learned why --------- !

We were always threatened with dire action, if the egg-throwing continued --- but,as quoted above -- no masters were on the train !---


PS -- I am not sure where to announce this --- but I am divested of my "Little B***er"--- the size of an orange ! and 2 hrs surgery) and am now back to annoy you, until a check in 2 weeks and, also 3 months.

TBA has been professioinal , with the surgeons and nurses---and also as sympathertic as possible with a cowardly Patient !!

You might want to move this news, JR, (Celebrations --- Relief ---General Regret ?? )

I've only just caught up with this so apologies for not commenting earlier.

Pleased to hear the little b***er has gone Neill and hope you continue to "annoy" us!!

By the time I arrived, the last day's breakfast had been changed to sausages (also potential missiles, but not (quite) so hard). This was the case my whole time at CH (or almost, in my last year the arrangements were changed so that the special left at midday on Monday instead of Tuesday morning).

At Sutton and Clapham Junction there was always an announcement: "This is a school special. Do not attempt to board this train." But someone nearly always did.

On one occasion (I think it was the end of the summer term 1956 or 57) word went round that toilet paper was to be streamed from all the windows of the train. And indeed it was. When we returned next term, we found that all the toilet roll holders had been replaced by a proprietary device called "Toi-Lok", which only allowed one sheet to be removed at each pull; you needed a key to open them and change the roll.

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:


PS -- I am not sure where to announce this --- but I am divested of my "Little B***er"--- the size of an orange ! and 2 hrs surgery) and am now back to annoy you, until a check in 2 weeks and, also 3 months.

TBA has been professioinal , with the surgeons and nurses---and also as sympathertic as possible with a cowardly Patient !!

You might want to move this news, JR, (Celebrations --- Relief ---General Regret ?? )

Neill, I'm so glad that's over and done with! Sorry, but I didn't notice this announcement at the time. I do hope that's the end for the Little B****r, & also that checkup #1 went well.

Check-up number 1 is due on 10th October ---- under General Anaesthetic.

This may be designed to stop me talking !!!

I apologise for returning to this subject but I wonder if any one has a rough date as to when the School ceased to hire a special train to take pupils to London. I assume that normal passenger services are now used as of course they were on the Guildford and Brighton lines. Does the school
now break up in the afternoon? I remember that there was one boy in my time who lived in Northern Ireland and was permitted to leave on the day before.
Chris Bartlett

Kit Bartlett wrote: I remember that there was one boy in my time who lived in Northern Ireland and was permitted to leave on the day before.
Chris Bartlett

Was that James Torrens-Spence?

The one I was thinking of was A.C. I'Anson TB 39-48. I imagine that there must have been a number of servicemen's offspring who might have had to travel abroad,

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Check-up number 1 is due on 10th October ---- under General Anaesthetic.

This may be designed to stop me talking !!!

Allowed out today 12th, Surgeon quite pleased, has done a "Clean-up" but reports a few "Frilly things" which has gone to the Path Lab

Interestingly -- the letter from my GP, certifying that due to Bladder Cancer, I could not go to Italy --- has been signed TODAY (!!!!!)
a month after submission --- and has cost £25 !! ------ don't get me started !

The Insurance co. has had everything on hold, and tells me that this often happens, so much for Hospitals versus GPs !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Check-up number 1 is due on 10th October ---- under General Anaesthetic.

This may be designed to stop me talking !!!

Allowed out today 12th, Surgeon quite pleased, has done a "Clean-up" but reports a few "Frilly things" which has gone to the Path Lab

Interestingly -- the letter from my GP, certifying that due to Bladder Cancer, I could not go to Italy --- has been signed TODAY (!!!!!)
a month after submission --- and has cost £25 !! ------ don't get me started !

The Insurance co. has had everything on hold, and tells me that this often happens, so much for Hospitals versus GPs !

Not sure if this is good or bad, Neill !

My wife keeps her 'frilly-things' well hidden.

Hope all goes well !

JR ----- I have to confess that my Prostate is, generally, kept out of sight.
Except, of course, at the New Moon ----- when weird festivities take place --- !!

I recall getting the train from Plymouth to Paddington in the late 60's and early 70's and then having to get across London to Victoria. Whilst I was a junior my mother arranged an "Aunt" minder type lady to chaperon me across London in a Taxi - complete waste of time and money that she thought i could not walk out of the train station and get in a taxi and say "Victoria Station please"! Then the special to CH.

It would have been cheaper although not possibly quicker to have travelled from Plymouth to C.H. via Reading and Guildford. I remember that the Guildford Line was used by boys living in Newbury and Reading ( West Gift's pupils).
Chris Bartlett

Kit Bartlett wrote:It would have been cheaper although not possibly quicker to have travelled from Plymouth to C.H. via Reading and Guildford. I remember that the Guildford Line was used by boys living in Newbury and Reading ( West Gift's pupils).
Chris Bartlett

He did say "during the late 60's and early 70's. The Guildford Flyer ceased operation in the mid to late 50's; I used to use that route to get to South Brent (stop before Plymouth) but had to change to Victoria - Paddington. Then they closed the South Brent to Kingsbridge line so had to get off at Totnes which made the journey even worse.

Kit Bartlett wrote:I apologise for returning to this subject but I wonder if any one has a rough date as to when the School ceased to hire a special train to take pupils to London. I assume that normal passenger services are now used as of course they were on the Guildford and Brighton lines. Does the school
now break up in the afternoon? I remember that there was one boy in my time who lived in Northern Ireland and was permitted to leave on the day before.
Chris Bartlett

Chris - Certainly when I started in 1968 we still had a special - I think it ceased in 1971. Certainly it wasn't in existence in 1973!

sejintenej wrote:

Kit Bartlett wrote:It would have been cheaper although not possibly quicker to have travelled from Plymouth to C.H. via Reading and Guildford. I remember that the Guildford Line was used by boys living in Newbury and Reading ( West Gift's pupils).
Chris Bartlett

He did say "during the late 60's and early 70's. The Guildford Flyer ceased operation in the mid to late 50's; I used to use that route to get to South Brent (stop before Plymouth) but had to change to Victoria - Paddington. Then they closed the South Brent to Kingsbridge line so had to get off at Totnes which made the journey even worse.

The Guildford Flyer closed on 14 June 1965. (It has its own wikipedia entry, see 'Cranleigh Line'.)

Surely 'having to get off at Totnes' is not a punishment... or so I thought, but then for a teenager, perhaps it is. Incidentally, the establishment that until recently was called 'the totnes bear shop' has changed its name to 'not made in china'. (If you don't know Totnes, you may be getting the idea...)