Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

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Richard Ruck
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by Richard Ruck »

I certainly remember Mike Carrington very well. He was Housemaster of Th.A during my time at C.H., and had a sort of catchphrase: "Get off the track!", usually shouted at top volume (his voice could be turned up to 11) from the back of Thornton A at any youth foolish enough to set foot on the cinder track for any reason other than athletic competition.

He used to help out at the theatre too, using the same big voice to recall errant punters from Big Side at the end of the interval.

He was also heavily involved in athletics, both locally and throughout Sussex, and will be fondly remembered for this by many in the Horsham area.

He always seemed like an all-round good bloke, and when I bumped into him on a train a few years ago he didn't seem to have changed much at all. We spent a pleasant hour or so recalling names from the late seventies, even though I had just attended a Christmas party with work, and was probably burbling a bit.
Ba.A / Mid. B 1972 - 1978

Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
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J.R.
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by J.R. »

Richard Ruck wrote:I certainly remember Mike Carrington very well. He was Housemaster of Th.A during my time at C.H., and had a sort of catchphrase: "Get off the track!", usually shouted at top volume (his voice could be turned up to 11) from the back of Thornton A at any youth foolish enough to set foot on the cinder track for any reason other than athletic competition.

He used to help out at the theatre too, using the same big voice to recall errant punters from Big Side at the end of the interval.

He was also heavily involved in athletics, both locally and throughout Sussex, and will be fondly remembered for this by many in the Horsham area.

He always seemed like an all-round good bloke, and when I bumped into him on a train a few years ago he didn't seem to have changed much at all. We spent a pleasant hour or so recalling names from the late seventies, even though I had just attended a Christmas party with work, and was probably burbling a bit.

I daren't possibly comment, Richard !!
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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CHAZ
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by CHAZ »

I was fortunate enough to know JMC in the 80s and had him as an English teacher, Athletics coach and a glorious time as President of the Grecians Club.
He, like Ron Lorimer, was a CH man through and through and did just about everything in his tenure. His love for Athletics (at that time with Mike Taffy Williams) saw him take boys every year to Hendon for the Public Schools Championships and indeed he was heavily involved with Horsham Athletics. When he invited me to be President of Grecians Club I felt most honoured and will never forget the booming "Time Gentlemen please!". He had such energy and even when away from school stuff he looked after his wife who was in a wheelchair. A lovely man who will be sorely missed by us all.
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Avon
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by Avon »

He was a great guy, one of the few inspirational staff that I met, and I think I knew about his wife at the time. I remember him looking sadly at his watch after he had banged the gavel to end lunch. I asked him why and he replied that the school had lunched in just eleven minutes.

I still have to the temper my urges to eat at the feral pace of CH.
michael scuffil
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by michael scuffil »

Lunch (or dinner as we called it) lasted for 45 minutes c. 1960. That of course was an enormous waste of time, but 11 minutes is barely civilized....
Th.B. 27 1955-63
DavidRawlins
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by DavidRawlins »

Avon wrote:He was a great guy, one of the few inspirational staff that I met, and I think I knew about his wife at the time. I remember him looking sadly at his watch after he had banged the gavel to end lunch. I asked him why and he replied that the school had lunched in just eleven minutes.

I still have to the temper my urges to eat at the feral pace of CH.
This was very good training for those of us who went into medicine. In hospitals the staff usually knew where you were at meal times so that they would call one in the dining room. One's plate had often been cleared away when one returned to one's place.
Col A 1946-1953
Mattweihs
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Re: Some Sad News - Michael Carrington

Post by Mattweihs »

Very sad news. I have very fond memories of being taught by Mr Carrington. I still hold images of him cycling, knees out, with green trousers and tweed jacket between
lessons or in his tracksuit off to rugby or athletics. His energy and commitment to the school was amazing and there was no-one else in this world, I am sure, who could bring a school dining hall to silence with the whack of a gavel.

My thoughts go to his family and friends. He'll be sorely missed.
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