Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I sometimes wonder whether those who criticise are from a view that is either envy (I didn't get there) or the fact that they wouldn't fit in anywhere --- boarding or not !

I appreciate that boarding is not for everybody, but I think it needs a year to get over the natural Homesickness.

I read the article with interest, and would rather not comment.

The basic source of this has been discussed on here in many threads, and it became obvious that there is a strong 'us-and-them', or 'them-and-us' faction that contribute to this site regularly.

The yobs and the oobs.

Those of us that attended during the more austere regime, and the present day-ers. Hence my lack of comment before I get accused again of being a 'in-the-good-old-days' moaner, yet again !

I can't remember much that was "good" about those days, JR!

anniexf wrote:I can't remember much that was "good" about those days, JR!

I did enjoy my last couple of years at CH. Possibly first year in Col B was a bit daunting, and Prep B was a nightmare. Toughened me up for the world, though !

I cant really comment either as they are talking about 7 and 8 year olds (that does sound really young) . My son was 11 when he went to C.H and is very happy there. Out of interest at what age did some of you go to CH?

CHDad, I was eleven.

I went to CH as late as you could in my time, I was just 12, but my brother went at 9, and my sons both went to Prep schools at the tender age of 8, as we were working overseas. DS1 was 8½, having a March birthday, DS2 has a late August birthday so was only just 8. DS2 does talk less about his emotions than DS1, but I have never put that down to going away to boarding school so early. Both are quite scathing about weekly boarding "as they would miss all the fun bits" - yes they built dens and generally behaved like little boys. DS1 has severe dyslexia which was picked up in his first term, he was given help, won a scholarship to the senior school and now has a PhD in Chemistry. I am not sure how much of that is due to his getting help so early. At the time he was regularly seeing shop signs etc in Malay, English and Welsh, so we put his poor spelling down to a mix up of languages - Taxi in Malay Teksi, in Welsh Tecsi. (I have a Quality Street tine I keep embroidery threads in, it describes Quality Street as Coklat dan tofi that gets a few strange looks!

J.R. wrote: Those of us that attended during the more austere regime, and the present day-ers. Hence my lack of comment before I get accused again of being a 'in-the-good-old-days' moaner, yet again !

Oh JR: you know we all loves you

Now, while I would never wish the food that we were not only subjected to but forced to eat (or spit into our, fortunately ,large, mansized, school issue handkerchiefs) on anyone, I was somewhat surprised to see what is now on offer in the CH Dining Room. At home, my kids would be offered one dish to eat or not, although I would never serve up something that I knew they did not like. The only time that they had a choice of dishes was when we ate out, which was rarely.

To get to the point, it seems that we have gone from one extreme to the other, when there could surely be a more financially viable middle ground. I thought that CH was a charitable institution, not a 5 star hotel.

J.R. wrote:

anniexf wrote:I can't remember much that was "good" about those days, JR!

I did enjoy my last couple of years at CH. Possibly first year in Col B was a bit daunting, and Prep B was a nightmare. Toughened me up for the world, though !

JR I can empathise with that. I went at 11, never really did settle in to ANY term until I left the school. Times were hard and I was the butt of many jokes and yells as I went up and down the Avenue, and writings on walls (some probably deserved!). Like you it does toughen you up - I find myself thinking at bad moments "I got through school so I can get through this"

Interestingly, my new Spiritual Director has pointed out that there is an organisation called 'Boarding School Survivors' or similar whose website is interesting and makes me feel that my experience wasn't as bad as some......... unless I'm kidding myself!

Chris Blewett wrote:

J.R. wrote:

anniexf wrote:I can't remember much that was "good" about those days, JR!

I did enjoy my last couple of years at CH. Possibly first year in Col B was a bit daunting, and Prep B was a nightmare. Toughened me up for the world, though !

JR I can empathise with that. I went at 11, never really did settle in to ANY term until I left the school. Times were hard and I was the butt of many jokes and yells as I went up and down the Avenue, and writings on walls (some probably deserved!). Like you it does toughen you up - I find myself thinking at bad moments "I got through school so I can get through this"

Interestingly, my new Spiritual Director has pointed out that there is an organisation called 'Boarding School Survivors' or similar whose website is interesting and makes me feel that my experience wasn't as bad as some......... unless I'm kidding myself!

A drunken 'idiot' was giving me massive grief in my local the other day, and I remarked to a friend I was getting near the point of parking him on his @rse.

Friend replied, 'Not worth it - You'd only end up inside !' to which I replied.....

'After the boarding school I attended, a couple of months in a modern Nick would be a holiday !'

Not, I think, for an Ex Copper --- you would have to keep that quiet !

I remember Neill's Daddy telling me that it was surprising how many real "Nasties" Peadophiles, Granny Beaters and the like ---
used to resist address on the way to the Station !!
Nowadays they would scream Human Rights

NTN wrote:Not, I think, for an Ex Copper --- you would have to keep that quiet !

I remember Neill's Daddy telling me that it was surprising how many real "Nasties" Peadophiles, Granny Beaters and the like ---
used to resist address on the way to the Station !!
Nowadays they would scream Human Rights

You might well say that - I couldn't possibly comment !

[/quote]


A drunken 'idiot' was giving me massive grief in my local the other day, and I remarked to a friend I was getting near the point of parking him on his @rse.

Friend replied, 'Not worth it - You'd only end up inside !' to which I replied.....

'After the boarding school I attended, a couple of months in a modern Nick would be a holiday !'[/quote]


Thanks for the laugh - after an hectic afternoon with an Area Commander, HR, 2 Chief Inspectors and uncle tom etc al!
Mind you, I think I won 2 and lost 1!

There was an interesting article in this week's Guardian reporting on the rise of boarding provision in the state sector. The report might suggest that the risk of any percieved 'harm' from boarding can be outweighed by the advantages of a secure and supportive educational environment, particularly to children from unstable home backgrounds.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/201 ... oom-pupils