Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

rockfreak wrote: My experience of this thing is that some may take to it and pursue it after school, moving on to what we call leader/second climbing on the bigger crags but others are left unmoved and never bother thereafter. I used to hate heights and wouldn't have used a climbing wall at CH if they'd had one. I got to it much later in life through a common route of fell walking and then what is called scrambling.

There are three lots of sandstone sufficiently close to CH and a small group of us used to climb at weekends on two of them - Tonbridge Wells was not convenient so Stone Farm was the favourite. Everything up to 5B s. I myself had been climbing rocks for several years before I went to CH because of where I lived.

From teaching I agree that there are those who try it and decide not to carry on - it is a personal decision. As for hating heights I have contrasting problems - a 400' face climb on Idwal and bigger climbs elsewhere were no problem but I could not go near the window of an 8th floor empty office space at Canary Wharf!

Abseiling is purely a matter of confidence. I have had a trainee freeze halfway down a 30 foot face but, like many, have done the 100m charity abseils in London. Speed is not relevent - full control is essential and on the long drops I found sped was impossible near the top. That said I did love being able to kick off and drop several tens of feet before kicking off again; that is NOT something you do on the

Simon Reid the CEO/Head-Designate is effectively an Honorary Old Blue like Richard Poulton who indeed as HM 1986-1996 appointed Simon to the teaching staff 1993-2004. Simon is fully alerted to Campaign/Petition 1552 and it is optimistically anticipated that Simon will be working in concert with Greg Andrews current CEO/Clerk and the Council of Almoners to assemble a Business Plan to reduce the FFP% to under 10% by 2027, perhaps even to 5% FFP. This hoped-for new and robust reforming policy to fully restore the ancient ethos to educate poor and needy children at a time of continuing inequalities needs to be encouraged by the one thousand Old Blue signatories of Petition 1552. Thereby Simon Reid could become a Great Reforming Head as Sir William Hamilton Fyfe HM 1919-1931, a century ago. We all hope most earnestly that Simon will not fail in this Great Challenge.

I used to love face down abseiling - wearing the descender at the back of the harness and therefore being able to sprint down the rock face in huge, arcing jumps. Great fun, it just took a leap of faith at the top and a bit of gravity awareness at the bottom!

sejintenej wrote:

rockfreak wrote: My experience of this thing is that some may take to it and pursue it after school, moving on to what we call leader/second climbing on the bigger crags but others are left unmoved and never bother thereafter. I used to hate heights and wouldn't have used a climbing wall at CH if they'd had one. I got to it much later in life through a common route of fell walking and then what is called scrambling.

There are three lots of sandstone sufficiently close to CH and a small group of us used to climb at weekends on two of them - Tonbridge Wells was not convenient so Stone Farm was the favourite. Everything up to 5B s. I myself had been climbing rocks for several years before I went to CH because of where I lived.

From teaching I agree that there are those who try it and decide not to carry on - it is a personal decision. As for hating heights I have contrasting problems - a 400' face climb on Idwal and bigger climbs elsewhere were no problem but I could not go near the window of an 8th floor empty office space at Canary Wharf!

Abseiling is purely a matter of confidence. I have had a trainee freeze halfway down a 30 foot face but, like many, have done the 100m charity abseils in London. Speed is not relevent - full control is essential and on the long drops I found sped was impossible near the top. That said I did love being able to kick off and drop several tens of feet before kicking off again; that is NOT something you do on the

I think much has to do with what you're used to. If you're confident that a belay at the top of a big rock face is solid, then you can launch off with confidence. On the other hand, what would you belay to in an office on the 8th floor at Canary Wharf? The secretary's chair perhaps?

OK, I accept that le nouveau Beak will not be introducing cold baths, kilts and flagellation, so we can move the climbing discussion onto the Rock Climbing thread under "Old Blue Clubs/Societies".

Good plan. We need a discussion on the 2017-2027 strategy of the school and the FFP% reduction process.

davidtaplin wrote:Good plan. We need a discussion on the 2017-2027 strategy of the school and the FFP% reduction process.

OK. Off you go then. What news from Mafeking?

Various walking wounded in Mafeking but the battle continues - awaiting a definitive response from Council/CEO by late June. The key is Old Blue stamina for the cause at this stage.

davidtaplin wrote:Various walking wounded in Mafeking but the battle continues - awaiting a definitive response from Council/CEO by late June. The key is Old Blue stamina for the cause at this stage.

If there's one thing CH taught it's pupils, it's stamina and resolve !!

Maybe we shall see some posts on encouraging the new CEO & new Deputy Head in establishing a forthright FFP% reduction policy to <10% by 2027. And Council/Court at the June Meetings? Keeping our eyes on the ball as per Man of the Match Joe Lauinchbury vs Wales at Twickenham on Sunday. Come on Housey! For poor & needy Blues of future generations and tyhe ancient charitable ethos of the Boy King in 1552.

davidtaplin wrote:Maybe we shall see some posts on encouraging the new CEO & new Deputy Head in establishing a forthright FFP% reduction policy to <10% by 2027. And Council/Court at the June Meetings? Keeping our eyes on the ball as per Man of the Match Joe Lauinchbury vs Wales at Twickenham on Sunday. Come on Housey! For poor & needy Blues of future generations and tyhe ancient charitable ethos of the Boy King in 1552.

I quite agree, David.

Thanks John! Adelante Housey - & Forum!