Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW9mNQQy9v0

At about 1.00

Well spotted at 1.02.

Interesting slight differences:
the buttons do not go equally spaced right up to the collar
The cuff buttons are more widely spaced
There is some white thing hanging from the button below the bands.

Given that this was in Hull and several schools had similar uniforms I wonder if this was a CH boy.

What a wonderful piece of film, I love all the clothes shown. Not many churches would have such a large congregation now! The little Housey boy (Prep surely?) seems to have a ribbon attached to one of his buttons.

I know my grandfather had to sign that my father (born 1914) had worn the uniform in the holidays, so he was made to wear it to church. Grandfather was a vicar in the East End of London at the time, i'm not sure how many other Housey boys were in the area.

I think he's older than the Prep (that's definitely a broadie girdle), and the 'ribbon' is a watch-chain (to judge by old house photographs, commonly worn).

I think it is a CH boy. The buttons on the uniform are not evenly spaced even today (or at least were not, c. 1960 -- a photograph of me around then shows the top two buttons about twice as widely spaced as the others).
There was no bluecoat school in Hull.

Note the admiring looks from the two ladies to the left of him (i.e. to his right).

Interesting that it is the only thing that hasn't changed, apart from the building.

Michael,
An exceptional find, for which many thanks. The ladies' fashions are out of this world - those hats!
Concerning, the boy. I am sure he is a Housie boy and that he is from Newgate Street rather than Hertford, as his girdle has a Broadie buckle.
Concerning the white thingie, this is a guess, but I wonder if it was some sort of exeat token, to show that he was on authorised leave?
David

The film appears to be from 1902 so the boy could be from either Newgate Street or Horsham presumably.

The film was made in Hull apparently.

I wonder whether or not 'the CH boy' could have been Linton Andrews, later to become Sir Linton Andrews and editor of the Yorkshire Post?

http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/ ... rass-roots

Linton Andrews was born in 1886. Does that boy look 15 /16?

jhopgood wrote: ↑Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:15 pm Interesting that it is the only thing that hasn't changed, apart from the building.

The building is St James's Church, Hessle Road, Hull. It was demolished in 1957.

This looks like summer. No one's wearing an overcoat. So I suppose the boy spent the summer term in Newgate St and then returned after the holiday to Horsham.

How did you come across the film, Michael?

Katharine wrote: ↑Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:58 pm How did you come across the film, Michael?

I tend to look at old footage and old photographs on youtube, so when I go to youtube, the program recommends a selection. I idly clicked on this one, and happened to notice the boy.

Mid A15 wrote:
"I wonder whether or not 'the CH boy' could have been Linton Andrews, later to become Sir Linton Andrews and editor of the Yorkshire Post?"

How perceptive and how splendid it would be if it was. A great man, unfortunately now almost forgotten. He served throughout World War One in the Black Watch, almost all of it in the front line in France, starting as a private and reaching colour-sergeant in early 1918 when he was at last persuaded to take a Commission. But he knew the trenches and he knew his comrades, and he wrote one of the most moving books about the war, Haunting Years. (reprints are available from Naval & Military Press). Not only did he experience the trenches as a soldier, but he observed as a journalist and wrote accordingly. As a sample here are his final paragraphs, writing about Remembrance Sunday:

"They (the dead) come each year now on that sacred day, when, thinking of the War, we think most of the end of those brave young lives. We almost forget for a moment that they are the blessed dead. They are living and laughing boys again. Dear, great-hearted comrades of the Black Watch, no darkness of the grave can keep you from my sight, nothing can dim the light of youth in your friendly eyes. You will never be old ghosts to me, but warm-hearted friends, as when we stood in the line together and talked of our dear ones at home. The horrors of those years have often haunted my dreams, but I thank God with a humble heart that I came to know and love the spirit of my old battalion."

He was writing, in particular about the Fifth Battalion, The Black Watch, but he could have been writing for the whole Army.
David

Just because I could, here's a screen grab:

Sent from my SGP611 using Tapatalk

The ladies' fashions are out of this world - those hats!

I agree. But you can still see a similar spectacle, as regards the hats at least, if you go to Holland and stand outside a (protestant) church any Sunday. I have a splendid snapshot: a young woman with a very extravagant hat being picked up on her boyfriend's (presumably) bicycle after church. She's sitting on the back while he pedals away; very Dutch.

I lived in The Netherlands (not 'Holland', please note) and one of my enduring memories is that on one day a year they all used to put out the national flag and get dressed in their best. Then the men would wear what looked like tea cosies on their heads and get paralytically drunk. They would then walk down the street with the men weaving all over the place, while the women and children walked sedately behind. I never understood that.
David