Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Be grateful that you never had a Ghurka bandmaster!

I don't know if the Navy has speeded up but it is now 116ppm, light infantry 140ppm, rest of the Army 120ppm.

Bandy said our pace was 120, and 140 for the Rifle Brigade, although I can´t remember what we played for that. Only on CCF parade I suppose.
Can´t remember what the slow march was, but judging from the procesions I play in now, must be about 60. Until you get used to it over balancing is easy.
We play paso dobles and when played in the street are about 120, but in concert are slower. Not much but enough to throw one if you go on to auto pilot and forget where you are.
Band director gets very agitated.

silent one from St Matthews day 1926 on there as well

Some time ago, last year, I posted a Press Photo of the Band, marching through a destroyed City. (About 1945)
Paddy was leading, as Drum Major,------ I was well to the rear, (Cornet) My Parents are on the pavement.
Can we resurrect it ? --- I am useless at these things, and needed a lot of help from the esteemed Moderators !!

I think the interesting thing about the Photo, is the amount of War Damage, still existing.

"And who wouldn't march through London for a shilling?" - hilarious!

I noticed in the Speech Day video that the band formed up in front of dining hall as opposed to the other side of the avenue as they do now. when was gthat practice abandoned? (Presumably when the band doubled in size?)

Great Plum wrote:"And who wouldn't march through London for a shilling?" - hilarious!

I noticed in the Speech Day video that the band formed up in front of dining hall as opposed to the other side of the avenue as they do now. when was gthat practice abandoned? (Presumably when the band doubled in size?)

In the 60s they did it as in the newsreel. In fact, what struck me about the film was that apart from the women's dresses, it could have been 1960.

(Does that mean the Lord Mayor now stands in front of the Hall?)

Mid A 15 wrote:What a brilliant link!

I'm sure JR was in one of those parades

Buglers never did St Mathews Day Parade in my time, as far as I can recall.

michael scuffil wrote:

Great Plum wrote:"And who wouldn't march through London for a shilling?" - hilarious!

I noticed in the Speech Day video that the band formed up in front of dining hall as opposed to the other side of the avenue as they do now. when was gthat practice abandoned? (Presumably when the band doubled in size?)

In the 60s they did it as in the newsreel. In fact, what struck me about the film was that apart from the women's dresses, it could have been 1960.

(Does that mean the Lord Mayor now stands in front of the Hall?)

Yes he does. - I don't think the band would fit there anymore - they number about 100 strong now...

As a first timer on the forum I just picked up this thread. The reference to the 70/71 London visit with two bands must be to the **th anniversary of the Royal Mathematical School when the entire school went to Westminster Abbey. Funny thing is I can't remember which bit of the band I was in that day!

Also regarding the pace I think it should be 120. Saw the St Matthew's day parade the other day and was amazed at the pace the band went off at but they slowed down en rout!

If the whole school went I must have been there, and I think that this has been mentioned before, as has the money given to us on St Matthew's Day, both of which have been completely erased from my memory.

englishangel wrote:If the whole school went I must have been there, and I think that this has been mentioned before, as has the money given to us on St Matthew's Day, both of which have been completely erased from my memory.

I definitely don't remember it so perhaps we can conclude that the girls didn't go. I do remember a whole school outing to Westminster Abbey somewhere around 1966 for its 900th anniversary. Sadly, the major thing that has stuck in my mind about this outing is the typically military precision of the arrangements for toilets - we were allowed to use St Matthew's primary school which was and still is nearby, but woe betide you if you were caught short at a non-prescribed time during the day..... I also remember that lessons were read by 8 people, each representing their house and year.... Bridget Woollard read for 3s and her year.

Nope, don't remember that either.

PeA31 wrote:As a first timer on the forum I just picked up this thread. The reference to the 70/71 London visit with two bands must be to the **th anniversary of the Royal Mathematical School when the entire school went to Westminster Abbey. Funny thing is I can't remember which bit of the band I was in that day!

Also regarding the pace I think it should be 120. Saw the St Matthew's day parade the other day and was amazed at the pace the band went off at but they slowed down en rout!

This acts as a memory jogger for me. The highlight of the day was sitting on the floor in the Mansion House eating a packed lunch in very posh surroundings.

If we went to Mansion House for lunch it must surely have been St Paul's we went to. Which may be right 'cos I can't for the life of me remember lunchthat day.

A couple of years later we did the Lord Mayor's show for the first time, which I think was the first non-school event we ever did (except for a brief appearance at a Horsham High School for Girls fete and a select few taking part in Iolanthe put on by some Horsham am-dram outfit).