Up t'inf

[Jo]

This might help

[chaosriddenyears]

Jo, you angel! This is fabulous - brings back many memories indeed!

[Jo]

Doesn't it just? I'd heard a rumour that the mons' boards were somewhere at Horsham, so I spent Old Blues' Day last year hunting for them. It became clear early on that they were in the girls' houses, but no-one seemed to know exactly which ones were where, until Kerren pointed me in the direction of Barnes B for 5s and 6s.

The lovely staff member on duty let me in, though it wasn't one of the open houses that day, and also asked me lots of questions about Hertford as she was interested to know about life before Horsham. I couldn't leave without taking photos

[englishangel]

I thought this was common knowledge. We were shown them in 1994. The boards from the hall are there too somewhere.

[Jo]

In 1994 CH and I weren't having much to do with each other so I had no idea until recently. The boards from the Hall are in the corridor between the Dining Hall and the Counting House (or the something Room, I still haven't got to grips with Horsham terminology!) However, I failed spectacularly to achieve any prize or award at school that entitled me to a space on those boards, which is why I was quite keen to find 5s' mons' board with my name on it - just to prove I existed

[Fjgrogan]

Jo - thanks for the photo of the mons board. Wow there are definitely names there that ring bells. Clare Chisholm's older sister Jane was in Sixes in my year - whatever became of her, I wonder? Susan Flood was in the same patrol as me in the 1st CH Guide Company - I have a very poor black and white photo somewhere which includes her. Does the line across halfway down the lefthand column indicate the time when 5's went from being a junior to a senior house? Or is it just a trick of the light? If my guess is right, then the names above the line would be LIV mons? The name Tessa Jordon is lurking in my memory from the time when she was very young - possibly a First Former (age 9)? - there was a dispute between Tessa and Ann Cooper who was my year, so Third Form at that time, and therefore vastly senior!! For some reason Tessa had threatened to bite Ann, so Ann held out her arm and said 'Go on then!' and Tessa did, leaving a very distinctive bite mark on Ann's forearm. As far as I can remember no further action was taken, and the situation was instantly defused. If you are out there Tessa and I have got it all wrong please put it down to the galloping senility - I've had it for years!

I wonder if anyone else has pictures of mons board - I would be interested to see Sixes' one.

[englishangel]

Jo - thanks for the photo of the mons board. Wow there are definitely names there that ring bells. Clare Chisholm's older sister Jane was in Sixes in my year - whatever became of her, I wonder? Susan Flood was in the same patrol as me in the 1st CH Guide Company - I have a very poor black and white photo somewhere which includes her. Does the line across halfway down the lefthand column indicate the time when 5's went from being a junior to a senior house? Or is it just a trick of the light? If my guess is right, then the names above the line would be LIV mons? The name Tessa Jordon is lurking in my memory from the time when she was very young - possibly a First Former (age 9)? - there was a dispute between Tessa and Ann Cooper who was my year, so Third Form at that time, and therefore vastly senior!! For some reason Tessa had threatened to bite Ann, so Ann held out her arm and said 'Go on then!' and Tessa did, leaving a very distinctive bite mark on Ann's forearm. As far as I can remember no further action was taken, and the situation was instantly defused. If you are out there Tessa and I have got it all wrong please put it down to the galloping senility - I've had it for years!

I wonder if anyone else has pictures of mons board - I would be interested to see Sixes' one.

Yes

[fra828]

Does anyone else remember the creepiness of being up t'imf upstairs, especially when you were up there on your own? I was convinced I could here noises at night and it wasn't the 'patients'! One night I woke up and wanted a drink of water, but was too scared to go and get one from the bathroom!

[Vonny]

I failed spectacularly to achieve any prize or award at school that entitled me to a space on those boards

Me too

I did however see my name on a board in BaB as I was a house monitor BUT they had my middle initial as "H" when it isn't!

[chaosriddenyears]

Does anyone else remember the creepiness of being up t'imf upstairs, especially when you were up there on your own? I was convinced I could here noises at night and it wasn't the 'patients'! One night I woke up and wanted a drink of water, but was too scared to go and get one from the bathroom!

Yes it definitely was creepy up there and very spartan as well. If we were in one of the wards on the side nearest The Wall we had a system of letting notes down to friends who sneaked round the back and who answered in kind. I think we tied our dressing gown belts together of something like that - it was like being in prison.

[Katharine]

Going back to the Tampax talk, I remember it well, although I had forgotten that a discarded box had inspired it. We were all taken into the School Hall and harangued about the use of such evils (not I don't think she called them that - but that was what we were supposed to understand). I couldn't have told you which year I was at the time.

Interesting seeing the 5s Mons' Board, I didn't know some of those listed had gone into 5s when it became a Senior House. I well remember the hours spent in School Hall and looking at the names there. I always used to look for (and find) my aunt - I wonder whether my niece did the same for me?

[kerrensimmonds]

Welcome back Katharine!
To answer a couple of Frances' questions, Jane Chisholm lives an idyllic expat life in Australia (Clare has just come back from visiting her); Susan Flood is a professor in a University in Jerusalem.
Clare and Alison Lowes (also named on the 5's mons board) were both at our year's 60th birthday party in London last July.

[Angela Woodford]

Up t'Inf!

Not me, but alas! my computer!

I am in the local town library, trying to catch up with emails...

My computer has been attacked by some really horrible viruses, is in a bad way, has queued to see Sister at PC World and has to return with its brush-and-comb bag to be admitted for cleansing and cure.

So I will be out-of-touch for a while longer. Very frustrating! At least it might be visited by DR at approx 5pm daily.

[J.R.]

Sorry to hear that, Angela.

I'd be interested to know the diagnosis after the Doc has given a clean bill of health.

[Angela Woodford]

I know, JR, that you'll be pleased to learn that it's going to P(olitically) C(orrect) World, where they promise me all sorts of wonderful restorative things -

whoops! Library session run out - I miss you !