Master Keys

Share your memories and stories from your days at school, and find out the truth behind the rumours....Remember the teachers and pupils, tell us who you remember and why...

Moderator: Moderators

JamesF35
LE (Little Erasmus)
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:51 am
Real Name: James Bishop
Location: East Devon

Master Keys

Post by JamesF35 »

Does CH still have the same old master key system ? It got you through most locked doors around the school.

It was so useful to have a master key although you didn't want to get caught with one. There were so many of them around however, some even home made from soap impressions. At one time the head announced an amnesty on master keys and everyone was given the opportunity to hand them in without fear of repercussion, but with the threat of serious trouble if those boys known to have one didn't hand it in. That was a real nuisance as it took me almost a week to get a replacement !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
James Bishop LHA / MidA 72-78
AndrewH
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 169
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2004 1:40 pm
Real Name: Andrew Harrison
Location: Cardiff
Contact:

Re: Master Keys

Post by AndrewH »

JamesF35 wrote:Does CH still have the same old master key system ? It got you through most locked doors around the school.

It was so useful to have a master key although you didn't want to get caught with one. There were so many of them around however, some even home made from soap impressions. At one time the head announced an amnesty on master keys and everyone was given the opportunity to hand them in without fear of repercussion, but with the threat of serious trouble if those boys known to have one didn't hand it in. That was a real nuisance as it took me almost a week to get a replacement !
Didn't you manage to get an 'official' one after the amnesty? I did but it was not nearly as good as the one I handed in (new = weak metal as oposed to old = V Strong metal!)

Andrew
Andrew Harrison
Maine A 1970-73
Lamb A 1973-77
User avatar
Great Plum
Button Grecian
Posts: 5282
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:59 am
Real Name: Matt Holdsworth
Location: Reigate

Post by Great Plum »

The old master has largely been superceded by a 'new' master...

Also, some areas of the school are now swipe card protected...

One of my friend's mum was (still is) the matron of Barnes so he was allowed a master key as it was his front door key!
Maine B - 1992-95 Maine A 1995-99
User avatar
Richard Ruck
Button Grecian
Posts: 3120
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:08 pm
Real Name: Richard Ruck
Location: Horsham

Post by Richard Ruck »

I had an official one.

As band captain I had to lock the music school every night.

Of course, I never used it for anything else........
Ba.A / Mid. B 1972 - 1978

Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
JamesF35
LE (Little Erasmus)
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:51 am
Real Name: James Bishop
Location: East Devon

Re: Master Keys

Post by JamesF35 »

AndrewH wrote:Didn't you manage to get an 'official' one after the amnesty? I did but it was not nearly as good as the one I handed in (new = weak metal as oposed to old = V Strong metal!)

Andrew
Yes, I got one because of my work in the Theatre. There were a few days however when I was without one and that was a real pain.
User avatar
oiref
2nd Former
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:53 pm
Real Name: Alan Robinson
Location: Sunderland

Master Keys

Post by oiref »

I used to have one..infact I had a couple can't remember how useful they were as the really interesting places were locked up individually.If I wanted to go there I had to resort to other means. 8)
C.H. 73-->80 Barnes A. & Col.B.
Big Troll
Gripper
2nd Former
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2005 12:29 pm
Real Name: Phillip Archer
Location: Oxford

Post by Gripper »

I also had a master key.

It would open both classroom blocks next to Big School and the back door to dining hall which was really useful.

If I remember correctly most Leigh Hunt A Grecians had one.
PeA7
2nd Former
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:48 am

Post by PeA7 »

I too had a master key because I was Band Captain. Although when I was BC, the music school was on a seperate key.
Always a very handy thing to have though - for strictly official business of course!
User avatar
Rory
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 460
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:17 am
Real Name: Rory FT
Location: Shanghai

Post by Rory »

I still have one.....

But I have no recollection of why I have it - I just remember that it was useful for many official reasons....
User avatar
Nyort
3rd Former
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:17 am
Location: London, UK

Post by Nyort »

Very annoying now. Most doors are fobbed or have a lock code. No more master keys. Very annoying on a Sunday afternoon when the Incompetence Department have locked the computer room and I desperately need to finish an essay, and all the computers are taken by zobbing Deps. :x
User avatar
Great Plum
Button Grecian
Posts: 5282
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:59 am
Real Name: Matt Holdsworth
Location: Reigate

Post by Great Plum »

I think I still have a Scout Hut key... ;)
Maine B - 1992-95 Maine A 1995-99
User avatar
ludwig van
2nd Former
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:43 pm
Real Name: James Frecknall
Location: London

Post by ludwig van »

I've heard the new fob system uses different levels of key. I don't know how many, but the higher level of fob you have, the more places you can go. Problem is, all the pupils have level 1s for one area - and there's, i believe, no way of cuting copies of stolen ones!
chris the crisp
2nd Former
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:21 pm
Real Name: chris thomas
Location: London

I acquired one....

Post by chris the crisp »

from a girl i was seeing who had acquired it from an ex boyfriend, anyhow, was a very useful tool especially when you had monitor's privelages and could generally get away with nocturnal wondering! Still have it but i've heard they pretty much changed all the locks since 2001 anyhow.....it worked for dining all and all center hall doors! :lol:
User avatar
DavebytheSea
Forum Moderator
Posts: 2034
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:33 am
Real Name: David Eastburn
Location: Nr Falmouth, Cornwall

Re: I acquired one....

Post by DavebytheSea »

chris the crisp wrote:from a girl i was seeing who had acquired it from an ex boyfriend, anyhow, was a very useful tool especially when you had monitor's privelages and could generally get away with nocturnal wondering! Still have it but i've heard they pretty much changed all the locks since 2001 anyhow.....it worked for dining all and all center hall doors! :lol:
Golly! :oops:
David Eastburn (Prep B and Mid A 1947-55)
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: I acquired one....

Post by J.R. »

DavebytheSea wrote:
chris the crisp wrote:from a girl i was seeing who had acquired it from an ex boyfriend, anyhow, was a very useful tool especially when you had monitor's privelages and could generally get away with nocturnal wondering! Still have it but i've heard they pretty much changed all the locks since 2001 anyhow.....it worked for dining all and all center hall doors! :lol:
Golly! :oops:
No Omission, there then, Dave. (EEEEEEEEEEE, by Gum !)
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
Post Reply