School Rules (pocket edition) (Horsham)

[carong]

If anybody feels like giving (or selling) me a copy of a co-ed rule book, I'm in the market.

In the 1950s/early 60s, Radio Luxembourg was the only source of pop music. Hearing the electric opening of Cliff Richard's "Move It" (his first and only decent record) in a dark dormitory was really quite sensual. I also remember the advent of a young DJ called Jimmy Saville, who invented something called the TTDC (Teen and Twenty Disc Club). Not to forget Horace Batchelor, of course. Impossible to drive along the M4 near Bristol and not have this involuntary recall.Radio Luxembourg was always experiencing fade-outs -- usually in the middle of your favourite song.

Keynsham....

Thats spelt K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M !

I lived in Keynsham for several years, and discovered that giving my address was a good way to gauge someone's age ... if they mentioned Horace Batchelor they were 'of a certain age'!

We also had friends who, when they had their personal stationery printed, put "Keynsham Spelt" as the town!!

[John Knight]

We also had friends who, when they had their personal stationery printed, put "Keynsham Spelt" as the town!!

Ah yes.... my son lives in 'Hove Actually'
John

[postwarblue]

Re the original thread, in Col B up to 1954 we had the rules in a typescript on a windowsill opposite Chinky Buck's study with, nearby, a framed Ordnance Survey map marked with no-go areas.

[michael scuffil]

I had a booklet of rules in the early 90s. It did prohibit 'sexual intercourse, the penalty for which is expulsion'.

I'm amazed it was so explicit. Is it still the penalty?

In c. 1960, to coin a phrase, it would have been: "First find your girl." (By that time, you would have left.)
Of course there were always boys, and very occasionally, someone was removed for this reason. But only after a few warnings. (And of course in those days it was actually against the law of the land; perhaps that was why it wasn't explicitly against the rules, any more than stealing (not common) or GBH (not common either, but not unknown).)

[Ajarn Philip]

I'm amazed it was so explicit.

I can't believe you're truly amazed, Michael. There isn't a delicate way of stating it that doesn't make holding hands or even a smile an expulsion offense. And you must have noticed at some point over the last 40 years that people are a just a tad more 'up front' about these matters than they were in the early 60s!

[michael scuffil]

Actually I'm a bit surprised it's taken so seriously. As a matter of interest, HAS anyone been expelled for this offence?

[cj]

Actually I'm a bit surprised it's taken so seriously. As a matter of interest, HAS anyone been expelled for this offence?

Not sure if anyone was ever caught 'in flagrante delicto' during my time - Vonny might have a better idea - so being expelled for transgression of that rule would be a mighty fine coup. Just coming out of a boarding house at night doesn't prove anything? I don't ever remember it being openly discussed (amongst pupils/friends) if and who were shagging. About couples who had been together for a seemly length of time, it might have been assumed that they were at it. I suspect that the staff knew more than we thought - especially as some of them were crossing the student/teacher boundary with regularity! There was mention in a 'scandal' thread sometime ago of someone being removed for the result of the act in question.

[Jo]

A couple of years after I left, I gather two of the music teachers were sacked for sexual misbehaviour. One was fairly run-of-the-mill, a youngish (though married with a family) chap having an affair with a sixth former, but the other was a rather spooky older chap who was molesting some of the younger girls

[Great Plum]

I think being caught in the act normally did lead to expuslion although very few people were ever caught...

[Eruresto]

Wow! All we get is some silly little "code of conduct" which is really quite vague, and doesn't list anything clearly. What I wouldn't give for a real rulebook so everyone knew EXACTLY what was right and wrong and so couldn't blame ignorance for when they get caught doing something!

*waits for the CH lynch mob to come for him*

[Ajarn Philip]

...*waits for the CH lynch mob to come for him*

I think you'll find lynching was banned in the early 70s.

Exact date, anyone?

[michael scuffil]

I think you'll find lynching was banned in the early 70s.

Another Housey tradition bites the dust... Ah well!

[J.R.]

What was 'lynching' with respect to CH ?

Doesn't ring any bells with me !

[englishangel]

What was 'lynching' with respect to CH ?

Doesn't ring any bells with me !

Irony goes right over JRs head doesn't it?

[michael scuffil]

What was 'lynching' with respect to CH ?

Doesn't ring any bells with me !

Irony goes right over JRs head doesn't it?

No, it's his memory going. These lynchings were quite spectacular occasions. The victim would be hung, drawn and quartered, and then ceremonially roasted on Lamb Asphalt in front of the Manual School. (This would take place during a Staff Meeting). It was generally reckoned that a tender junior would feed about 15, so he would be served up at house captains' high tea. (But JR was never a house captain, maybe that's why it slipped his memory.)