Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

The old post office at CH is now a master's house I think...

I have to say that the rules at Hertford sound more archaic every day - how stupid that you could write to no one but your parents...

Great Plum wrote:I have to say that the rules at Hertford sound more archaic every day - how stupid that you could write to no one but your parents...

It wasn't like that by my day. I think we had letterwriting in 1s once a week, probably on a Sunday which was the most boring day ever. I always wrote weekly to my parents and also less regularly to my grandparents, godparents, best friend from my last school and my brother once he started at Horsham the following year. I don't remember them being left open (for other additions or to be checked) - wasn't there a letter box near the gates at Hertford? Mrs Endacott tried to continue with the Sunday letterwriting sessions in Col A but it died a death fairly soon and of course the 'phone took over as a primary communication to the outseide world. No mobiles!

We didn't have access to a phone until I was about 15 or 16 when the Postal service went on strike and there was no other means of communication. then there was only one outside the Physics lab for the wholer school, 280 of us. It didn't help me much as we didn't have phone at home.

There were no restrictions or censorship on letters in 1958 onwards and we had access to the old pay-phone boxes - Button A, button B type.

J.R. wrote:There were no restrictions or censorship on letters in 1958 onwards and we had access to the old pay-phone boxes - Button A, button B type.

As I recall there was a phone box next to Lamb on the Court Room wall I believe and one outside the Post Office I think.

We used to have regular Sunday morning letter writing.

cj wrote:It wasn't like that by my day. I think we had letterwriting in 1s once a week, probably on a Sunday which was the most boring day ever.

We didn't have it in 2's. I can imagine "Wizzo" making you all do it though

Mid A 15 wrote:As I recall there was a phone box next to Lamb on the Court Room wall I believe and one outside the Post Office I think.

We used to have regular Sunday morning letter writing.

Which were then joind by two more, one behind Peele and one near the Prep Block.

englishangel wrote: then there was only one outside the Physics lab for the wholer school, 280 of us.

That phone was still in use when I was there. Were we allocated a certain time when we could use it though? Certainly not during the week, probably a Sunday afternoon. I used to feel so homesick after speaking to my mum on the phone, so probably didn't do it that often.

By the time I was at CH, there were payphones in every house... normally in the tiny room under the fire escape stairs...

Great Plum wrote:By the time I was at CH, there were payphones in every house... normally in the tiny room under the fire escape stairs...

guarded by Harry Potter, perchance ?

Perhaps, but normally it was where the homesick squites went... or were sent to answer the phone...

Great Plum wrote:By the time I was at CH, there were payphones in every house... normally in the tiny room under the fire escape stairs...

BaB had one at the bottom of the stairs, by the side door. Not an ideal place with people banging the doors and thundering up the stairs. Also there was one girl who hogged the phone EVERY evening once her boyfriend had left CH

to bridge the gap between Hertford days and Horsham - in 5's we HAD to write home or somewhere on a Sunday morning - after prep...(and chapel!) We had no Black Aprons - and very few ever got Green aprons - I think as they had realised that the school was closing soon buying new ones was out of the question. I think those who got GA's were the most likely to become prefects. Post was administered in the morning from the 6th form study - sometimes by head of house sometimes by housemistress - I rarely had any, so didn't bother with the gaggle of girls all hoping their parents had sent them something - in fact as I got older and wiser I made certain I wasn't around as it was painful when some got post every day and parcels and I got very little - probably the equivilant of what comes through my front door per day today for a whole term. We didn't leave our letters unsealed - they were put in Matrons office next to the stairs. From there it disappeared. Any post not given out in the morning was left on a shelf by the kitchen wall - it was then I would creep and see if I had anything. The most embarassing thing was birthdays - sometimes Mrs Cooke would hold onto the mail and then it would be passed down the breakfast table to you - on my 14th Birthday my step brothers and parents sent me an LP - called ......... Boogie Nights (or something) I was so embarassed as it had a leg in fishnet tights and a thermometer under a garter on the back and a woman with pouty lips and lots of lipstick on and not much else on the front - I was certain it would be confiscated (phew) or I would get expelled!

Jam was a luxury for me - and I was allowed one pot of home made each term - the trouble was that if I didn't get it eaten in the 1st three weeks due to the heat where out lockers were (above a radiotor in the house) or the heat in the summer always made the jam go off and smell alcoholic! The only thing that lasted was marmite - and we had aluminium jugs full of that at least twice a week anyway.

The few times I got post was often a postcard from my father and stepfamily saying they had gone on holiday to Greece etc! That was really comforting!

There were 2 payphones - one in the science block and one in school block where you could phone home. I used to phone my foster parents as they at least loved me!

I suppose in this day of mobile technology the most anyone can hope to receive is a text or an email!

AndrewH wrote: Which were then joind by two more, one behind Peele and one near the Prep Block.

And one outside the Tuck Shop......