DR

Share your memories and stories from the Hertford Christ's Hospital School, which closed in 1985, when the two schools integrated to the Horsham site....

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thamesmudandbarges
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Re: DR

Post by thamesmudandbarges »

DR was a a good headmistress (says I, with the benefit of hindsight) but my over-riding memory of DR was her appalling bad breath. Anyone who ever got called into DR's office (heh- remember the ante-room, or perhaps you weren't as bad as I) will recall that one lived more in fear of being breathed on by DR than of getting a disorder or even a conduct mark. I actually never got a conduct but I do think I got a few disorders if memory serves correctly.
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Re: DR

Post by Katharine »

I have no memory of her bad breath - perhaps that came after my time. In my last couple of terms I was in her room every day except Sundays (as her Mon, not as a sinner!). If she had had it then I think I would have remembered it!
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thamesmudandbarges
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Re: DR

Post by thamesmudandbarges »

I was at CH a little later than you - 1964 I started - I think. 8:24.

Perhaps DR developed bad breath after you left!
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Re: DR

Post by Angela Woodford »

thamesmudandbarges wrote:DR was a a good headmistress... Anyone who ever got called into DR's office (heh- remember the ante-room, or perhaps you weren't as bad as I)
An interesting memory, thames mud! I have extensive memories of the ante-room and its chief gloomy Occupant - but I know I've written loads about it. Once I'd knocked on DR's office door and heard the gruff "Come In!" I always stood as far from her desk as possible. She may well have had bad breath, but I wasn't even remotely near enough to be blighted by it. I know I remember her teeth were not good - but she never smiled at me for me then to consider what remedial action she should take. Eucryl tooth powder was the whitener of choice in those days, daily mouthwash and flossing unheard of!

Imagine if one could see DR transformed by a laser-whitened gleaming smile! :D :D :D

"A good Headmistress". Hmm - interesting that Baroness Deech in The Old Blue considers that we had "no pastoral care".
In my opinion, it wasn't what she did or didn't do. It was the way she did or didn't do it!

But, there are accounts here and there of her occasional kindnesses. Solid, grim and efficient, without doubt. Maybe, if I could have sat down by her desk and had a reasonable remedial chat? But now, thames mud, I realise that this could have been rather difficult from an aesthetic point of view.
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: DR

Post by englishangel »

OK, 8's the same year as Munch, who could that be? Claire?
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Re: DR

Post by MKM »

I was playing Bridge this afternoon, and another of DR's sayings came back to me - "You're sending a boy to do a man's job" - said when someone led a card which was unlikely to win a trick. Now I think about it, it's not a very feminist phrase, is it?
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Re: DR

Post by englishangel »

I remember DR coming into 2's dayroom one Sunday afternoon when we were playing pontoon and she asked what we were playing, someone else said pontoon and I said bridge (no gambling on a Sunday) and the other girl said " I knew it was something to do with the royal engineers"
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Re: DR

Post by Angela Woodford »

I just came across this memory from Julian Clary -

"I was never badly behaved, but I became subversive and theatrical".

Exactly. Just the sort of thing that DR most abhorred.
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: DR

Post by anniexf »

Angela Woodford wrote:I just came across this memory from Julian Clary -

"I was never badly behaved, but I became subversive and theatrical".

Exactly. Just the sort of thing that DR most abhorred.

Angela! I read that too this morning! We share a taste in newspapers, it seems - though I only have it on Saturdays :lol:
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Re: DR

Post by J.R. »

anniexf wrote:
Angela Woodford wrote:I just came across this memory from Julian Clary -

"I was never badly behaved, but I became subversive and theatrical".

Exactly. Just the sort of thing that DR most abhorred.

Angela! I read that too this morning! We share a taste in newspapers, it seems - though I only have it on Saturdays :lol:

Poor You !!!!

:oops:
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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Re: DR

Post by anniexf »

J.R. wrote:
anniexf wrote:

though I only have it on Saturdays :lol:

Poor You !!!!

:oops:[/quote]

You must take into account that I'm an OAP, J.R. ... :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: DR

Post by sejintenej »

anniexf wrote:
Angela Woodford wrote:I just came across this memory from Julian Clary -

"I was never badly behaved, but I became subversive and theatrical".

Exactly. Just the sort of thing that DR most abhorred.

Angela! I read that too this morning! We share a taste in newspapers, it seems - though I only have it on Saturdays :lol:
JR refers to your very thin purse but, unless it is the Times you can still get it free on t'internet - and you don't even need shoe leather.
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Re: DR

Post by anniexf »

sejintenej wrote:
JR refers to your very thin purse
Oooh! So that's what he meant!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: DR's House

Post by Angela Woodford »

We've just been having a most interesting HOGOF debate, as Jude has posted a very interesting aerial picture of the Hertford campus photgraphed from behind School Hall.

I was looking also at the size of DR's house.

Did anybody ever actually see over this house?

I know that the big right hand (If you were facing out from the front door) was the dining room, because I once did an evening's prep there, babysitting for DR's invalid mother. But was there a sitting room on the other side? It seemed such a huge house for one woman. I wonder what the other rooms were like?

As DR couldn't cook, I imagine a lovely kitchen gone to waste!
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
Angela Woodford
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Re: DR's House

Post by Angela Woodford »

Angela Woodford wrote:We've just been having a most interesting HOGOF debate, as Jude has posted a very interesting aerial picture of the Hertford campus photgraphed from behind School Hall.

I was looking also at the size of DR's house.

Did anybody ever actually see over this house?

I know that the big right hand room (If you were facing out from the front door) was the dining room, because I once did an evening's prep there, babysitting for DR's invalid mother. But was there a sitting room on the other side? It seemed such a huge house for one woman. I wonder what the other rooms were like?

As DR couldn't cook, I imagine a lovely kitchen gone to waste!
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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