Hertford uniform

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:05 pm

Anyone remember Cherry Reds and spotted blouses?!

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:31 pm

Wasn't the Hertford uniform really unpleasent?

FrogBoxed · Post by **FrogBoxed** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 3:02 pm

Vonny wrote:Anyone remember Cherry Reds and spotted blouses?!

No... but according to our inimitable (though many tried) matron, the reason girls on the UF and above wear grey socks is because when the schools were merged, the more senior girls outright refused to wear the yellow socks.

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 4:04 pm

Great Plum wrote:Wasn't the Hertford uniform really unpleasent?

It wasn't anything special really. In the winter we wore grey tunics with a sort of checked blouse and black macs! In the summer we wore striped summer dresses in various colours with a black blazer. The cherry reds and spotted blouses were for sundays or special occasions.

Great Plum · Post by **Great Plum** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 4:38 pm

Surely having 3 uniforms is a bit bizarre? (and expensive!)

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:36 pm

Great Plum wrote:Surely having 3 uniforms is a bit bizarre? (and expensive!)

I guess so. As all uniform was provided I didn't give it a second thought!

Laura M · Post by **Laura M** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:23 pm

After spending far to much time in the CH museum, I think I got to know the hertford uniforms pretty well, in my opinion the worst of the lot was that tartan monstrosity from the 1960's. I did like the one from the 1940's though, very smart, great hat!!!!

Euterpe13 · Post by **Euterpe13** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 8:37 am

It wasn't all bad - once they got rid of chapel caps... and having everything supplied ( and I do mean everything, right down to bras and tights ) was a great leveler - very democratic. I remember when our outdoor coats were changed for blue harris tweed with leather buttons - they were beautiful and very warm - much nicer than my family could have afforded at the time...

Having 3 uniforms wasn't really that expensive, as they were passed on to other girls as you grew - and we were encouraged to take care of our clothes ( Friday night was mending night - and those my age will remember shields in their Sunday blouses ! - horrible things ).

As for the cherry red jackets / blue pinafores - we actually looked very smart in them... and I've seen schools look a lot worse. We were a bit jealous of the boys in their coats - so much more distinctive, and sad when the Sunday frock-coat was abolished ( navy blue with yellow banded front and waist - hope it's in the museum - v. chic )

So no, I don't think that the uniform was horrible - it never bothered me!

Laura M · Post by **Laura M** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:40 pm

Don't worry, there are plenty of sunday frock coats in the museum, as well as red blazers blue tent things err sorry pinafores, and thanks to my endless pestering I managed to get a house tie from the 40's!!

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 5:39 pm

I cannot believe that 16 years after I left Hertford girls were still wearing cherry reds, they did nothiing for the complexion. We had a blue and white striped alternative to the spotted blouses which I preferred. I remember you Euterpe (BB?). The blue pinafores did nothing for the shape either. The tartan shirt with the grey pinafore was for Sundays in the winter and was very cosy and warm. The Harris tweed coats were lovely I do agree. They must have cost a fortune. We were very envious of the boys unique uniform and I am so glad that the girls now have something similar. Having the uniform supplied was good in some ways but we only had 2 pairs of panties a week (officially) on a Tuesdy and a Friday so radiators were often draped with drying underwear. Also we had to sign out Dr Whites, until DR told the 6th form that using tampons did not compromise our virginity. ( thought we were going to die).

Deb GP · Post by **Deb GP** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:56 pm

FrogBoxed wrote:
Vonny wrote:Anyone remember Cherry Reds and spotted blouses?!
No... but according to our inimitable (though many tried) matron, the reason girls on the UF and above wear grey socks is because when the schools were merged, the more senior girls outright refused to wear the yellow socks.

I heard it was more something to do with retaining a tradition of monitoresses wearing different coloured aprons and trying to retain something of the Hertford identity in the new girls' unifrom.

Thank goodness they ditched full time wearing of jabots and jackets. (The first for being too impractical and the second for being too cold).

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:41 pm

FrogBoxed wrote:
Vonny wrote:Anyone remember Cherry Reds and spotted blouses?!
No... but according to our inimitable (though many tried) matron, the reason girls on the UF and above wear grey socks is because when the schools were merged, the more senior girls outright refused to wear the yellow socks.

I was at CH during the merger and came to Horsham at the start of my GE. I'm not sure of the reasons behind us not wearing the yellow socks

I do remember wearing the jabots though - very itchy things and very dangerous in the science labs!

rebel · Post by **rebel** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:30 am

have read through the postings with some astonishment. As a veteran(survivor?) of hertford in the fifties I have no knowledge of anything approaching cherry pink colours. The blazers were the usual navy blue with gold braid. the underwear was calico and only issued a couple of times a week - i received a severe punishment for washing mine out and putting it on the radiator to dry. And the bras were limp pink nothings that prejudiced any further erotic development. our clothes were generally modifed to go against the current fashions - low hems when they wre mostly short, short hems when the fashion said otherwise. And no bras that could possibly enable those mammary glands to conform to the parametres of what was currently desirable among the male population - of which we were entirely ignorant being cut off from it at every turn.

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:09 am

I think this is running out of steam but reply to Rebel. Cherry reds were plain-cut jackets (no lapels) in aforementioned colour which were worn over a short sleeved cotton blouse and blue linen tunic on Sundays in the summer. Came in about 1969 I think, and from the postings went on until the school merger.

We were still wearing the smart navy blazer with gold cord for everyday wear.
We had very thick baggy cotton underwear in the summer and in the winter we wore white cotton briefs under baggy cotton 'blues'. When I started (1966) i was a 'well-built' girl and was given 2 white cotton bras, they were quite similar to what I was already wearing at home, so an improvement there I think.

Vonny · Post by **Vonny** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:37 pm

englishangel wrote:We had very thick baggy cotton underwear in the summer and in the winter we wore white cotton briefs under baggy cotton 'blues'.

I'd forgotten about blues!!! We only wore them for sports though (instead of shorts).

Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Hertford uniform

Hertford uniform

Re: Hertford uniform

herford uniforms

hertford uniform

Uniforms

Re: Hertford uniform

Re: Hertford uniform

uniform