HERTFORD BADGES

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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Foureyes
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HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Foureyes »

I am nearing completion of my study of Hertford Dress 1552-2010, which will, I hope be published as a booklet. I need some help, please, on badges and distinctions worn after 1922 and before merger in 1985. At the moment my list is:
1. Monitresses. Badge introduced in 1916. Third yellow band on velour/panama hat (but from when to when?).
2. Green apron. Monitresses.
3. Black apron. Year 11?
4. Foundation plates. As far as I can discover Royal Mathematical School plates were NOT worn by eligible girls at Hertford. The first device similar to those worn at Horsham was a brooch bearing the insignia of Sir Barnes Wallis's RAF Foundationers Trust. Is that correct?
5. The blue blazer with yellow piping worn between 1963 and 1969 features a CH badge on the breast pocket in some cases, not in others. Is it correct that this was worn by members of school sports teams only?

Can anyone add to that list, please, or suggest amendments? For example, were there any other badges/brooches/distinctions, and, if so what?

David :shock:
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by MKM »

When Miss West was headmistress, black and green aprons were awarded on merit, not to the whole year group, though I think this changed later. They could be taken away for bad behaviour.

There were posture badges, yellow with a silver P, awarded for good posture. Maybe form captains' badges, blue with a C (not sure if I've imagined those).
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Angela Woodford »

Definitely a blue and gold shield shaped Form Captain badge!

(I was elected Form Captain the last term in 111'! Oh, I was proud! Amongst other responsibilities, I would be in charge of quieting the Form before a lesson, and stand guard at the door watching for the approach of the Mistress. As she hit the corridor, mine would be the voice that announced (in a calm and authoritative way)

"Stand up now, please!"

I waited in the ante-room to collect this badge from DR. I had prepared a little speech - how I understood the honour of this prestigious appointment - how I was going to be the very most excellent of Form Captains - how 111' was going to be the most excellently administered Form of all time...

Into DR's office. She walked towards me, holding the precious badge! But, before I could utter a word, she pronounced "Well, I hope this will knock some sense into you."

I felt quite sick, and my eyes filled with tears. How babyish of me! I don't remember exiting the office, but I remember the pain of the pin of the badge feeling so sharp in my clenched hand.)
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Katharine »

Foureyes wrote:I am nearing completion of my study of Hertford Dress 1552-2010, which will, I hope be published as a booklet. I need some help, please, on badges and distinctions worn after 1922 and before merger in 1985. At the moment my list is:
1. Monitresses. Badge introduced in 1916. Third yellow band on velour/panama hat (but from when to when?).
The original Mons' badges showed the head of our revered founder. There were a strictly limited number 2 per Ward plus 2 for Headmistress's Mons ?+ 2 for head Girl and Deputy. I polished the 6s Mons badges at one stage and they were engraved with a 6 on the back. By the early 60s these had been polished to within an inch of their lives and visitors thought the insignia showed an oak tree rather than a young man with a big hat! The old ones were replaced with new ones, and there were more badges available so the position of Senior BA went (see Green Apron) The third hat band disappeared in the autumn of 1959 I think.
2. Green apron. Monitresses.
The Green Apron for Mons and Senior BAs came in during 1960, I think, and before the change in Mons badges above. Before that there was the position of Senior BA they had the initials CH embroidered on the strap of their BA.
3. Black apron. Year 11?
This was one of the longest standing items of uniform. It was awarded some time during the O level year. There was Mark Reading at Half term (not that we had half term holidays!) and the end of term. DR would read out the list of all those who had been awarded their BA. In 6s we had to make our first BA the previous year, and that was the one we wore to lunch after the Mark Reading! You gained extra privileges when it was awarded but it could be removed and you would be forced toe wear a pinny again - this proved a tad difficult when almost all seniors were demoted for being 'rotten to the core' - there weren't enough big enough pinnies!
4. Foundation plates. As far as I can discover Royal Mathematical School plates were NOT worn by eligible girls at Hertford. The first device similar to those worn at Horsham was a brooch bearing the insignia of Sir Barnes Wallis's RAF Foundationers Trust. Is that correct?
Yes
5. The blue blazer with yellow piping worn between 1963 and 1969 features a CH badge on the breast pocket in some cases, not in others. Is it correct that this was worn by members of school sports teams only?
I think you have the dates wrong for this blazer. The school badges for all came in during my very early years, possibly summer 1960. Previously the badge had only been for members of school first teams. At first the badges were sewn on, and the blazers without badges were worn as 'everyday' ones and not Sunday best. Later the top pocket came with the badge already embroidered. If you were awarded colours you had the appropriate initial to sew on - ask Kerren she had colours in at least one sport possibly more.

Can anyone add to that list, please, or suggest amendments? For example, were there any other badges/brooches/distinctions, and, if so what?
As well as the posture badges and Form Captains badges, I think there were two special swimming badges worn by just the champion swimmer obviously two slightly different things, but I think Delphine had two of them. I also think that other sports colours wore a badge, I seem to remember a lozenge shaped school crest. Guide enrolment badges and DofE awards could be worn, also the RAF Foundationers could wear a squadron badge on their blazers.

David :shock:
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by icomefromalanddownunder »

Definitely have the wrong dates for the blazers. I know that they were still being worn when I left in 1970, and I think that you will see some being worn in the photograph that was included in the write up of our visit to Forgotten Blues. Not sure when that was taken, but definitely post 1972, and possibly just before the move to Horsham.
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by MKM »

Going slightly off topic (nothing new there) - were form captains the only elected posts at Hertford?
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by midget »

The blazers with yellow piping must have been around since the dawn of time, going by the ratty objects I had to wear from 1944 onwards. I don't know when they were first worn, but they were certainly in use in 1937 ("Away fron the Bombs and the Boys" Audrey Griggs).
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by fra828 »

I have a pic of myself somewhere wearing this school blazer. This was taken in 1972 or 73. IMHO it was the smartest part of our uniform at Hertford.(Must add that the winter tweed coat was also smart). I must be alone in thinking that our uniform, hated though it seems to have been, was not THAT bad and was typical of other girls' school uniforms at that time. Our summer dresses were colourful, cool and practical, the winter uniform was perfectly adequate and the tartan (winter) sunday blouses were also smart and warm . Personally speaking I was relieved we didn't have to wear that cumbersome Housey uniform at Hertford and as for coatfrocks, who would have wanted to wear these antiquated garments in the 50's, yet alone the 60's and 70's??! :?:
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Foureyes »

Many thanks for those replies which are extremely helpful. I have to admit that I did not realise that this would be such a complicated subject! Ah well!
I certainly take the point about the blazer, as I now have a photograph of one being worn in 1938, and even then it was clearly a well-accepted part of the uniform. I suspect that it was part of the 1922(-ish) dress reforms.
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Angela Woodford »

Is it just my memory, or was the RAF Squadron badge the largest and smartest? More impressive than the Mons' Badges?

Der...der...der... trying to visualise it...

"Why do you always sit up so straight? Relax!" somebody said to me last week. Still hoping for a Posture Badge! :roll:

I'm really looking forward to reading this, Foureyes! I've absolutely no idea what was worn prior to the 1922-ish Dress Reform!
"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: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by englishangel »

Somewhere on here there is/was a picture of DR with the 617 squadron presentees, all with their badges but I'm blowed if I can find it.
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Katharine »

Just remembered the School Prefect's badges. These were a tie pin with a coloured enamel CH crest. I don't think there were ever more than about 6 of them.

My father had a table napkin ring with a very similar enamel badge on it, but the badge was very battered. During my first term I had the temerity to ask the Head Girl where she got her tie pin as I would have loved to have replaced father's napkin ring. She gave a lovely silvery laugh and explained to me what it was. The reason I could speak to her (Claire Roper Power) like that was that we marched to Dining Hall twice a day, and if she wasn't on duty elsewhere she led 6s, and as the youngest in the house I marched just behind her. I think she came out of the Study and asked me whether I was settling in, and that was when I asked her.
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Angela Woodford »

Weren't there only six Prefects?

I imagined that this was because the Flat ( :twisted: ) slept six girls? I don't remember a Prefects' tie pin, but it would make sense that They had some sort of extra pin-on?
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by Katharine »

Angela, being in the Flat and also being a Prefect were NOT synonymous when I was at CH.
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Re: HERTFORD BADGES

Post by dinahcat »

Talking of badges , I have question that has bothered me for years. I thought that when I left in 1977 I joined C.H.O.G. A and I received a badge which had those initials around the edge. I then lost this badge and applied for a new one. When I got it, it did not have those initials on it. My sister then said she had two badges and one of them must have been mine. When she showed them to me neither had the initials on them.Were there any badges issued with those initials on them or have I made this up? I am thinking that maybe Angela or Kerren might have the definitive answer on this . Though I fear if the answer is no, there were no badges like this and I am absolutely crazy as I really remember it.
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