weighing and measuring

[Katharine]

Nines was one of the oldest parts of the school site. It was the original Ward Nine dating from the days when the senior boys were in London and the younger boys and girls were in Hertford. The boys were in Wards in the square (I presume they must have had 8 too) the girls were almost out of sight and mind in Nines. In our time it was the fiction library on the gound floor, the clothes store on the first floor, the Girl Guide Headquarters on the second floor. I seem to think it was really the clothes store part that was called Nines most.

Can anyone else come in and reassure me that my memory is not failing?

[lonelymom]

I am so glad that CH at Horsham now has names such as Barnes, Leigh Hunt, Coleridge etc, and that the library is actually called the library, the laundry is called the laundry, and the health centre is called the health centre etc. I don't think I'd ever get the hang of all the numbers otherwise

[Jo]

Nines was one of the oldest parts of the school site. It was the original Ward Nine dating from the days when the senior boys were in London and the younger boys and girls were in Hertford. The boys were in Wards in the square (I presume they must have had 8 too) the girls were almost out of sight and mind in Nines. In our time it was the fiction library on the gound floor, the clothes store on the first floor, the Girl Guide Headquarters on the second floor. I seem to think it was really the clothes store part that was called Nines most.

Can anyone else come in and reassure me that my memory is not failing?

That's correct, and there was, I believe, also a Tens, on what became the playground, which was demolished when the boys went to Horsham. There was also a picture in last year's exhibition of the original infirmary, on the site that became the School Block. There was also a picture of the original wards that lined the square. Hertford was obviously a much older site than Horsham, but I do think it was a shame our houses didn't have names.

[icomefromalanddownunder]

"Kim's work resembles that of a mentally retarded spider that has dipped its feet in ink and meandered slowly across the page"/quote]
I think that sounds like Miss Morrison.

I immediately thought of Queenie.

xx

[icomefromalanddownunder]

This is obviously ringing many bells, 2 pages in 2 days. I went to Hertford age 11 height 5'4" weight 7st 5 and already wearing a B cup bra. In three years I grew 3 inches, put on 3 stones and 3 cup sizes. I was a BIG girl and like Maria I cannot Imagine why people like Katie Price would do what she does.

Hi Mary

Did you have a long wingspan too?

Whatever was done up t'inf (weighing and measuring, I think, not squizzing), we also, at some point, had the distance from middle finger tip to middle finger tip measured (with arms held at shoulder height, 90 degrees to body).

Imagine my distress when Nurse - younger one, but not the nice one who had a baby and used to trip down the stairs with him in her arms, singing 'Knives and forks and spoons. Knives and forks & ...........', which I still do when putting cutlery away - complained bitterly because my wingspan exceeded the length of her tape measure. I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me, ground scrapping knuckles and all.

xxx

[Liz Jay]

One wonders with hindsight whether this wealth of statistics served any practical purpose?

Perhaps somewhere is a dreary journal entitled "Variable Growth Rates of Teenage Girls in the Boarding School Environment" with chapters like "The Relationship of Wingspan to Bra Cup Size" and "How Negative Counter-Conditioning Can Be Helpful in Cases of Excessively Luxuriant Hair Growth".

Were we specimens in some mad scientist's research????

Enquiring minds need to know.

Liz

[icomefromalanddownunder]

Hi Liz

Were you at Hertford when we participated in a drug trial? I'm betting that our parents didn't see any investigator brochures or sign any consent forms.

I think that it was trialling Vit C (from the taste of the tablets) as a cold or flu preventative. Anyway, huge brown bottles, one with active and the other with placebo. Dear Pot, being too lazy to actively oversee administration of the pills just left the jars above the lockers just inside the Day Room door, and we helped ourselves. The ones that I assume where active tasted quite nice.

If only we could still get away with conducting such slack trials we might actually get products to market

xx

[Jo]

Hi Liz

Were you at Hertford when we participated in a drug trial? I'm betting that our parents didn't see any investigator brochures or sign any consent forms.

When I was in about the 3rd year, it was decided that I needed to have a thorough test for diabetes - not just the finger prick, but a half day at Hertford Hospital, starting with drinking a glass of glucose, two urine tests and about six blood tests. Probably quite sensible as it's in my father's family and I've always carried weight. But not only did they not ask my parents' consent, they didn't even inform them !! The first they knew was when I wrote to them the following Sunday.

To their credit, although normally too much in awe of the school to kick up any fuss, the next time they came to take me out, they went up to see sister. I suspect they were too timid to actually say they were annoyed, but hopefully it left her reflecting that informing parents would be a courteous thing to do next time

[Euterpe13]

I remember the Vit C trial ! they tasted orangey.
More serious was the strep throat epidemic episode ( the whole school came down with it, the Infirmary was full to bursting and the top floors of the San were opened up) - we were given a new antibiotic megapill, just one dose a day - we weren't told what it was, but I do remember Sister saying that it was given to the School by a drug company - so probably guinea pig testing again...never mind if anyone might have been allergic!

[MKM]

One Long Sat, DR summoned my mother and suggested that I have some sort of counselling, because I was so quiet and withdrawn. Mum refused, saying I was naturally like that. At the time, I was horrified at the thought of being singled out in that way, and relieved that Mum had turned it down. With hindsight, I could have used some help (though incompetent counselling could have been much worse than nothing).

Some of my friends (sorry, I can't remember who) knew Mum had been called to DR, and asked what it had been about. I lied (sorry again!) and said it was about my tonsils.

I wonder why DR consulted with parent(s) on this occasion, and not about Jo's diabetes test? It must have been about the same time.

I also vaguely recall someone being offered help to lose weight, but turning it down.

[sejintenej]

I note that the mentally retarded spider seems to have recovered very well according to Kim's post!

More importantly, although I can appreciate the distaste, curvature of the back is a very unpleasant complaint - I know three young girls with scoliosis - and the earlier it is seen and treated the better. Of the three, one was in a brace for five years (she was about 17 when it was diagnosed) but is now fine, another (now 7) has had one for 2 years and it has taken the Yorkshire NHS about 6 months to find a specialist prepared to see the third even after diagnosis!

As for walking from one end of the gym to the other, how often have you seen girls (and boys) slouching along? Deportment is taught in a few schools and IMHO should be more widely taught to both sexes - it made a big difference to me as an employer to see how a candidate appeared.. I am sure also that it has to have some long term deliterious effect on the spinal column.

You might not have liked those exams but they could have been useful in preventing long term problems if followed up

[MKM]

Deportment! Which forum members were awarded a Posture badge? Were they made specially for the school, or were they meant for Prefects? (For any non-Hertford readers, posture badges were yellow, shield-shaped, with a "P" on).

[Kim2s70-77]

I love these discussions!! I have a million responses to all of them! Once again, I see evidence that I operated in something of a fog that very occasionally cleared allowing me to notice something, before being enshrouded in my blissful lack of awareness. I had no knowledge of Nines! (Or of a darkroom/girl guides (although I think I did once go sailing on the pretense of Ranger guides - but don't know how that came to pass)/ or a staff flat behind Geography room/or possible homosexuality in the myrriad 'close' relationships between staff members etc etc ). However - I do remember being 4' 11" when I arrived at CH and 5'9" by the third form (- lots of fuel for Mrs D!!). I was a gangly stick - simply longing to be able to wear a bra instead of sporting 'two fried eggs' on my chest. I found myself in some wardrobe place being measured for one of those cotton school bras - but have no idea how I got there - or how i would have known where to go. I think Veronica Trevor was the wardrobe guru - so I expect I would have turned to her. I think I must have been one of the most compliant, obedient children known to mankind! My rebellious side must have fermented under the surface, for some later events to have occurred - but I still, to this day, have difficulty breaking rules - even stupid ones.

[Kim2s70-77]

Oh - I forgot! I was awarded my Posture badge in the first form, as far as I remember, and maintained it throughout. It sat on my flat chest, to be joined later by whatever badge we wore as Head of House. I bet Ms Tucker later resented that choice!!

[gma]

Head of House? HEAD OF HOUSE?????

OMG you made a good recovery!! More power to you