Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

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Foureyes
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by Foureyes »

It is just a thought, but is it possible that the name was not 'Toyce' but either 'Toye's" or 'Toyes''? I have sometimes found that messing about with the spelling can produce an answer.
These items were installed after my time (left Christmas 1955) so I find it difficult to envisage precisely what purpose they served and what they looked like.
David :shock:
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by michael scuffil »

I think I said it years ago, but I'll say it again.
In 1962 or 63, when Seaman was explaining the forthcoming re-organization and the physical manifestations to a meeting of monitors, he outlined the appearance of these things, and said 'At Winchester they call them "toyces". Perhaps we should do the same.' That's certainly how the word came to CH. John Hopgood has suggested above how it may have come to Winchester.

Edit:
I am beginning to doubt whether it is actually used at Winchester, whatever Seaman said (and I heard him say it). Googling Winchester and toyce produces zilch. However, if you google Epsom College and toyce, you will find this
http://www.educationtrust-oeclub.org/us ... 13_Web.pdf

Search for toyce in that, and you'll find it. That says nothing about its origin, though.

More edit:
Also here: http://epsomoe.dns-systems.net/userfile ... istory.pdf
in which with amazement, I also read this, a housemaster's reminiscence:
'Sleeping quarters were provided in the main building which consisted of two dormitories, one small and one vast with elementary washing facilities. As Housemaster, I lived in two rooms in the main building, sharing a bathroom with the boys.'

The thought of sharing a lav-end with Arthur Rider, or Johnstone, or Pongo makes the mind boggle.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by Katharine »

michael scuffil wrote: Also here: http://epsomoe.dns-systems.net/userfile ... istory.pdf
in which with amazement, I also read this, a housemaster's reminiscence:
'Sleeping quarters were provided in the main building which consisted of two dormitories, one small and one vast with elementary washing facilities. As Housemaster, I lived in two rooms in the main building, sharing a bathroom with the boys.'

The thought of sharing a lav-end with Arthur Rider, or Johnstone, or Pongo makes the mind boggle.
I've said it before, in Hertford we did share with the House Mistress - or rather she shared with us! Having said that, in my whole time in the school I never encountered her going into or coming out of either the bathroom or a lavatory! She must have done so! I can only assume she must have got up before the rising bell at 7. Even the most senior girls were supposed to be in bed with lights out by 10 pm so evenings wouldn't have been so difficult.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by J.R. »

michael scuffil wrote:I think I said it years ago, but I'll say it again.
In 1962 or 63, when Seaman was explaining the forthcoming re-organization and the physical manifestations to a meeting of monitors, he outlined the appearance of these things, and said 'At Winchester they call them "toyces". Perhaps we should do the same.' That's certainly how the word came to CH. John Hopgood has suggested above how it may have come to Winchester.

Edit:
I am beginning to doubt whether it is actually used at Winchester, whatever Seaman said (and I heard him say it). Googling Winchester and toyce produces zilch. However, if you google Epsom College and toyce, you will find this
http://www.educationtrust-oeclub.org/us ... 13_Web.pdf

Search for toyce in that, and you'll find it. That says nothing about its origin, though.

More edit:
Also here: http://epsomoe.dns-systems.net/userfile ... istory.pdf
in which with amazement, I also read this, a housemaster's reminiscence:
'Sleeping quarters were provided in the main building which consisted of two dormitories, one small and one vast with elementary washing facilities. As Housemaster, I lived in two rooms in the main building, sharing a bathroom with the boys.'

The thought of sharing a lav-end with Arthur Rider, or Johnstone, or Pongo makes the mind boggle.

I'm not absolutely sure that 'Boggle' is quite the right word, Michael !!
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by Straz »

Foureyes wrote:I find it difficult to envisage precisely what purpose they served and what they looked like.
David :shock:
It's been many years since I've seen one but as I said earlier in this thread, a toyce was essentially a large, legless desk that hinged off the dayroom's wall.
As you progressed through a senior house, you were given your own toyce. It was a big stepping stone between sitting at the dayroom table to do your prep and having your own study.
Normally set at right angles from the wall, the toyce had cupboards and shelves for your text books, writing implements and so on.
For certain occasions - house plays, group activities, cleaning of the dayroom, etc - the toyces could be swung back on to the wall. This gave considerably more floor space in the dayroom.
The normal thing during the 70s was to have a travel rug thrown over a piece of string to partition off the toyce from the rest of the dayroom. When you were sitting down at the toyce, with a blanket wall on one side of you, suddenly you were in your own world for the first time at CH.
And, as I said, some people found they could fit a record player into their toyce area. With headphones, it worked a treat, and is certainly how I remember listening to some great music - Captain Beefheart, Brian Auger, Hawkwind, Curved Air and more.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by jhopgood »

I can't believe that you mention Brian Augur without Julie Driscoll.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by Straz »

jhopgood wrote:I can't believe that you mention Brian Augur without Julie Driscoll.
Ah, I'm talking about Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - the prog jazz-rock outfit he formed after the Trinity...
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by rockfreak »

I saw Brian Augur's band opening for the Rolling Stones in a package at the London Palladium in 1965. They were then either Steam Packet or Shotgun Express, I can't remember which, and the other featured singers apart from Julie were Rod Stewart (who sang "Can I Get A Witness") and Long John Baldry (who sang "I've Got My Mojo Working). I saw, rather than heard, the Stones because the girls started screaming when they came on and never let up. Others on the package were the Moody Blues, who'd just had a hit with "Go Now", the Merseybeats, and US R&B singer Sugar Pie Desanto.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by J.R. »

rockfreak wrote:I saw Brian Augur's band opening for the Rolling Stones in a package at the London Palladium in 1965. They were then either Steam Packet or Shotgun Express, I can't remember which, and the other featured singers apart from Julie were Rod Stewart (who sang "Can I Get A Witness") and Long John Baldry (who sang "I've Got My Mojo Working). I saw, rather than heard, the Stones because the girls started screaming when they came on and never let up. Others on the package were the Moody Blues, who'd just had a hit with "Go Now", the Merseybeats, and US R&B singer Sugar Pie Desanto.

Arr, the good old days, when music WAS music !!
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by Jabod2 »

Straz wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2016 4:06 pm
Foureyes wrote:I find it difficult to envisage precisely what purpose they served and what they looked like.
David :shock:
The normal thing during the 70s was to have a travel rug thrown over a piece of string to partition off the toyce from the rest of the dayroom. When you were sitting down at the toyce, with a blanket wall on one side of you, suddenly you were in your own world for the first time at CH.
And, as I said, some people found they could fit a record player into their toyce area. With headphones, it worked a treat, and is certainly how I remember listening to some great music - Captain Beefheart, Brian Auger, Hawkwind, Curved Air and more.
Hi Paul - I recall your Elton John (? might be wrong - sounds too mainstream after the list above, which I only fully encountered in Mid B) piano expertise in the scout hut! Boogie exceptionelle!

I've just been trying to explain to my nearest an dearest about the complete lack of personal space at CH until the senior house and toyces. Her personal space at Badminton School was her (shared) bedroom - the concept of a dormitory used only for sleeping and shared with 25 others was a tad alien!

How did we survive in junior houses without personal space (bar our lockers)? Evestually we got a toyce in a seniotrhouse, then a shared study, then a single...

Regards, Keith
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by sejintenej »

Jabod2 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 7:51 pm
Straz wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2016 4:06 pm

The normal thing during the 70s was to have a travel rug thrown over a piece of string to partition off the toyce from the rest of the dayroom. When you were sitting down at the toyce, with a blanket wall on one side of you, suddenly you were in your own world for the first time at CH.
And, as I said, some people found they could fit a record player into their toyce area. With headphones, it worked a treat, and is certainly how I remember listening to some great music - Captain Beefheart, Brian Auger, Hawkwind, Curved Air and more.
I've just been trying to explain to my nearest an dearest about the complete lack of personal space at CH until the senior house and toyces. Her personal space at Badminton School was her (shared) bedroom - the concept of a dormitory used only for sleeping and shared with 25 others was a tad alien!

Regards, Keith
Golly, what luxury! We had the box beside the bed and a tiny locker in the dayroom. No partitions of any nature except for a single partition in each of the two dormitories and two in the dayroom for the senior and number 2 monitors. Everything including baths and other washing facilities and also urinals plus naked swimming was in full view
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by gneuss »

We had the box beside the bed .....
....which we used to call a "settle". Strange how I remember that but I don't remember using the word 'Toyce'. The more usual term for a toyce is a 'carrel unit' but I don't think it was ever called that at CH.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by loringa »

michael scuffil wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2016 5:41 pm
I am beginning to doubt whether it is actually used at Winchester, whatever Seaman said (and I heard him say it). Googling Winchester and toyce produces zilch. However, if you google Epsom College and toyce, you will find this
http://www.educationtrust-oeclub.org/us ... 13_Web.pdf
According to my late mother, at Winchester they were call 'Toys' not 'Toyces' but the idea is clearly the same. She was regularly asked to tea by students there because when 'entertaining' students were allowed coal for the fires in their studies. She was often invited because her grandfather was head of classics, rather pretentiously called the Senior Classics Don, bit like addressing the teachers at Hogwarts as Professor. Said Grandfather taught the Rev'd Ian Atkinson who then taught me. What goes around comes around as they say.

According to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notions_( ... r_College) toys are:
Toys: (Old French toise, fathom, formerly the width of a toys) the upright wooden stall with a seat and cupboard in the chamber or mugging hall where a man works and keeps his books. Hence, Toytime, evening homework or prep. I am sure Michael would have wished to know.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by sejintenej »

gneuss wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 10:30 am . Strange how I remember that but I don't remember using the word 'Toyce'. The more usual term for a toyce is a 'carrel unit' but I don't think it was ever called that at CH.
Not surprising. Straz describes it as a legless table which is hinged off the wall (see posting above) Used by more senior pupils, the hoi polloi having to use the tables. I can't imagine where, with the lockers where they were, they would find wall space for such luxuries.
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Re: Where does the word "Toyce" come from?

Post by Ajarn Philip »

Well done on your 'toys' research, but I must take issue with you on the following:
loringa wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 11:12 am ... rather pretentiously called the Senior Classics Don, bit like addressing the teachers at Hogwarts as Professor.
There is nothing pretentious about Hogwarts teachers being addressed as professor as they all have chairs at the University of Magic. I do wish you muggles would stick to those subjects you are familiar with.
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