'Old Girls' invited to visit CH Hertford now

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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kerrensimmonds
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Post by kerrensimmonds »

I remember fire practices (I think) - in the summer, in the evenings, when we trooped down the fire escapes at the back of the Houses. I don't remember having a fire practice when we were in School.
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Post by englishangel »

After you left Kerren the ladders on the 'Senior' houses were relaced with stairs similar to 1's and 5's, and the windows at the ends of the dorms were replaced with doors.

I don't remember ever going down the stairs.
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Post by J.R. »

I don't remember ever having a fire drill at CH Horsham !!

Perhaps Health & Safety didn't exist in those days.
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Post by midget »

J.R. wrote:I don't remember ever having a fire drill at CH Horsham !!

Perhaps Health & Safety didn't exist in those days.
We were ahead of you then at Hertford. We had fire drills even in my day!
I got into trouble after one such,because I was in the music room at the far end of the day room when the alarm sounded, and as our assembly point was in the playground behind 3's I climbed out of the window. Apparently I should not have done this (even if the dayroom was on fire?) Score nul points for initiative.
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Post by sejintenej »

J.R. wrote:I don't remember ever having a fire drill at CH Horsham !!

Perhaps Health & Safety didn't exist in those days.
I recall fire practices - for the school fire brigade but not for the boys.

The "fire brigade" always struck me as a bit under-equipped; a cart with a pump and short ladder on it propelled by boy-power, reminiscent of 1920's western fillums fire brigades (even Charlie Chaplin's one had an engine).
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Post by Katharine »

Strange to say, in spite of Midget's post and Kerren's (and she was there before me and left after me) I cannot remember ANY fire drills in my time at Hertford. I'm sure I would remember if I had ever gone down the ropes from the dormitories.

I can well remember a time in the 80s when I was teaching in London and we had a hoax bomb scare in December. I marched girls round and round Wimbledon Common to keep them moving and stop them freezing it was so cold. Some little ones were just in gym leotards and bare feet - we managed to get them into the home of one of the girls who lived very near the school.
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J.R.
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Post by J.R. »

sejintenej wrote:
J.R. wrote:I don't remember ever having a fire drill at CH Horsham !!

Perhaps Health & Safety didn't exist in those days.
I recall fire practices - for the school fire brigade but not for the boys.

The "fire brigade" always struck me as a bit under-equipped; a cart with a pump and short ladder on it propelled by boy-power, reminiscent of 1920's western fillums fire brigades (even Charlie Chaplin's one had an engine).
You've struck another chord again David.

I vaguely recall that antiquated pump, but I can't recall ever seeing it being transported or used !
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Post by icomefromalanddownunder »

The only time I remember 'using' the 6's fire escape was one Guy Fawkes Night. We had some indoor fireworks, some of which were a bit like large slow burning matches. We sat with our feet on the fire escape landing of the upper dorm and lobbed the fireworks at 5s or 7s. 7s, I think.

Someone dobbed us in, er, that should probably read reported us, and we each got a conduct mark. However, the story had got a little scrambled in the telling, and DR seemed to think that we had been sitting on the upper dorm window sills, presumably with our legs dangling over the void. I was, and am, way too much of a coward about heights to have done such a thing, and was sufficiently gob smacked by her perceived stupidity to open said gob and get myself into even more trouble :?

A letter was sent home to my parents to inform them that their delinquent daughter had been awarded a, shock, horror, conduct mark. Mum, who wasn't quite up with the play, sent me a letter asking whether I had forgotten to hand up my homework.
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Post by Jude »

There were red lead painted fire escapes from the back of the science block... although toget to it you had to climb out of the window next to the venting cupboard!

We always had a fire drill at night - in the summer... the only other time I remember a fire drill was when I think the cooks had a bit of a mistake... it was very exciting!

Red house - where the Ladies Miss Morrison, Miss Jukes and Miss Wilson lived is I think Kerren even earlier - wasn't it made of wattle and daub hence it was so historically important and a start listed building? the red brick was put on later to preserve when the girls first went to Hertford and did sewing etc.. I'm sure it is 16C or earlier.....
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Post by DavebytheSea »

J.R. wrote:I don't remember ever having a fire drill at CH Horsham !!

Perhaps Health & Safety didn't exist in those days.
I remember the occasional fire drill on warm summer nights - we were always told when it was going to happen. We had to troop down th stairs at the north end of the dormitories and form up on the asphalt. I don't ever remember seeing any equipment deployed, but I think the fire ladder and pump my still be seen in the region of the counting house - though I may be thinking of the I de Brehat which I visited this summer. (See the girls' thread on forgetfullness which they seem to equate with pregnancy - tho I must say I never thought they kept their brains ..... er ..... down there)

That makes me ponder whether, after all, it may be something to do with size. I once worked with an impossible - but exceptionally small Deputy Head. I was informed by a wise colleague that there was a generic problem with small men in that they kept their brains far too close to their bottoms. He was, of course, referring ONLY to men and I hasten to add in this company, that the secrets the girls keep in remote places are far too lovely to corrupt any brain power with which a bounteous nature has seen fit to endow them.
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Jude
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Post by Jude »

DavebytheSea wrote:
J.R. wrote:I don't remember ever having a fire drill at CH Horsham !!

Perhaps Health & Safety didn't exist in those days.
I remember the occasional fire drill on warm summer nights - we were always told when it was going to happen. We had to troop down th stairs at the north end of the dormitories and form up on the asphalt. I don't ever remember seeing any equipment deployed, but I think the fire ladder and pump my still be seen in the region of the counting house - though I may be thinking of the I de Brehat which I visited this summer. (See the girls' thread on forgetfullness which they seem to equate with pregnancy - tho I must say I never thought they kept their brains ..... er ..... down there)

That makes me ponder whether, after all, it may be something to do with size. I once worked with an impossible - but exceptionally small Deputy Head. I was informed by a wise colleague that there was a generic problem with small men in that they kept their brains far too close to their bottoms. He was, of course, referring ONLY to men and I hasten to add in this company, that the secrets the girls keep in remote places are far too lovely to corrupt any brain power with which a bounteous nature has seen fit to endow them.
DBTS - you have the wrong thing on the brain I think....
Jude Comber (nee Kelynack) 5's 5.38 1975-1980 Herts.
To Learn - read, to Know - write, to MASTER - Teach
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