Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

J.R. wrote: ↑Wed Nov 21, 2018 2:22 pm I hadn't realised that the Coleridge matron, Mrs Riches, was a married woman, let alone that she had a son.

It was mentioned elsewhere in the forum:
There are various references to a Graham Riches in "

1st XV Captain also played representative rugby for Eastern Counties I believe

" (David Taplin), and possibly an RAF presentation badge (John Saunders)

Kit Bartlett wrote:

Mrs Kathleen? A, Riches was Matron of Coleridge from 1950 to 1965. Her son Profesor G.C.P. Riches was in Thornton B and Maine B from 1952-60.Last reported in Saskatchewan in 1991.
The Riches' family home was in Runton, Norfolk.

To add to this apparently he attended Old Blues Day in 2003

Many thanks for the updates on Mrs Riches.

In my original post I should of said I wasn't aware she was married with a son whilst I was in Coleridge.

J.R. wrote: ↑Thu Nov 22, 2018 9:24 am Many thanks for the updates on Mrs Riches.

In my original post I should have said I wasn't aware she was married with a son whilst I was in Coleridge.

It was not much realized in ThB either that his mother was the Coleridge matron. (I think she was the only 'Mrs' among the matrons.)

He was one of the original participants in Voluntary Service Overseas, in fact I think he was a bit of a guinea-pig in this regard.

He was indirectly the reason I went to Emmanuel College Cambridge. Advising me on university entry, Pat Cullen said I should try Emmanuel, because they had been 'helpful' in Riches' case. (That was the way things were done in those days.)

I was in touch with him during Petition 1552, we discussed Sarawak where he had served. His experiences of VSO were very different from mine, but both left lasting memories!

michael scuffil wrote: ↑Thu Nov 22, 2018 11:28 am He was one of the original participants in Voluntary Service Overseas, in fact I think he was a bit of a guinea-pig in this regard.

Two of my year in Peele A went off to do VSO in 1960 - one to Sarawak, and the other to India, where he ended up more or less in charge of a huge refugee camp for Tibetan exiles who had come to India when the Dalai Lama left Tibet. Very much a case of being dropped in at the deep end!
The Tibetans were very grateful, and (so I heard) the elders came to him and said it was unthinkable that a young man in his position should be on his own, and they presented him with a line up of young widows (who's husbands had died fighting for their homeland) for him to make a choice of a 'temporary' wife, for the duration of his stay in the camp. Different times.....

ZeroDeConduite wrote: ↑Thu Nov 22, 2018 12:04 pm
Two of my year in Peele A went off to do VSO in 1960 - one to Sarawak, and the other to India, where he ended up more or less in charge of a huge refugee camp for Tibetan exiles who had come to India when the Dalai Lama left Tibet. Very much a case of being dropped in at the deep end!
The Tibetans were very grateful, and (so I heard) the elders came to him and said it was unthinkable that a young man in his position should be on his own, and they presented him with a line up of young widows (who's husbands had died fighting for their homeland) for him to make a choice of a 'temporary' wife, for the duration of his stay in the camp. Different times.....

A little bit different but how regrettable that our and many other societies have forgotten the art of considering other peoples' feelings and needs.
Where I was initially brought up kids were looked after by every woman in the street - your mum was out so you went anywhere else and it was like home (including the wallops on the posterior!).
In France where I lived, when somebody died every person in the village attended the funeral and they all were there to help the bereaved.
I understand that in one area (at least) of the USA the whole neighbourhood brings food for the wake and ensures that the bereaved and neighbours are looked after ... and I saw similar suport for neighbours in Andalucia and Gibraltar. Here in England, at least where I live, - zilch! A workmate of my wife died and a couple of "mourners" admitted that they came solely because it was an excuse to visit and see the sights of TOWIE land - how sick can you get.

“I understand that in one area (at least) of the USA the whole neighbourhood brings food for the wake and ensures that the bereaved and neighbours are looked after”
Certainly in small towns in New England this is still the norm, as is showing up with food when people move into the neighborhood. Mind you, that may be driven by a desire to look around the house and check them out.

J.R. wrote: ↑Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:41 am In the Prep houses in my day, Matron was Miss Haigh. On reflection now, she seemed quite young for the post.

In my day we still had Miss Haigh as matron, well past retirement age like Sister B (Sister Betsy Payne) who ran the Sicker into her senior years

Thorn B matron in the late 60s was a Miss Benbow as I recall. Quite fierce. In charge of laundry and possibly discipline upstairs. Pretty sure we had to see her before going to the Doc/infirmary/surgery? What I do vividly recall were her assistants, all young (3in total?) and one in particular, extremely attractive and Polish. We were all,to a boy, in love with her!

Funny how the last two posts were 'my' matrons. I remember both Miss Hague (as I was in LHB 70 to 73, and Miss Benbow (ThA 73 to 75).
Miss Hague was firm but supportive and so had an assistant (think she may have been Scottish) who seemed more friendly.
Certainly we preferred the assistant for Matrons inspections. Remember those? Think they were twice weekly; check you were clean and your feet for varuccas, hair for nits etc.
As squits we spent the 1st half term stressed about these inspections as 3rd formers convinced us that every so often there had to be a willy inspection. They even convinced one poor bunch to line up naked ready for Matron!
Bullying and abuse really I suppose.

There were two Dutch assistant matrons if memory serves me correctly. Coming off the dais after lunch, they always made us concentrate (1972-1974)

oakes123 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 2:09 pm There were two Dutch assistant matrons if memory serves me correctly. Coming off the dais after lunch, they always made us concentrate (1972-1974)

Good memory. I remember the taller one being pictured in a housey coat...

SandysJ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 12:34 am
Certainly we preferred the assistant for Matrons inspections. Remember those? Think they were twice weekly; check you were clean and your feet for varuccas, hair for nits etc.
As squits we spent the 1st half term stressed about these inspections as 3rd formers convinced us that every so often there had to be a willy inspection. They even convinced one poor bunch to line up naked ready for Matron!
Bullying and abuse really I suppose.

Different house, different era. I don't remember any matrons inspections for anything. There was a doctors inspection to check your testes had dropped but (at least) for me that was a one-off