Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Michael was my brother in this pageant? If so, what was he? I can't remember when he left CH.

michael scuffil wrote: Blooody Mary was played by C.J. Lintott (to whom I can't put a face).

This might be Christopher, the incredibly brainy and glamorous Oxford student brother of my peer Susan Lintott! AND he was once Queen Mary! Wow!

Katharine wrote:Michael was my brother in this pageant? If so, what was he? I can't remember when he left CH.

No, he'd already left. The pageant was in 1963, I think he left in 1961.

Surely, C H Read is Chris Read, who was responsible in my last year for all the school printing in the Manual School ?

He was the only master at CH who called me by my Christian name, and Vicky-Verky.

J.R. wrote:Surely, C H Read is Chris Read, who was responsible in my last year for all the school printing in the Manual School ?

He was the only master at CH who called me by my Christian name, and Vicky-Verky.

I was so cack-handed I gave up all manual after the second year and never went near the place again. Though I did have printing under a Mr Leamy, who retired that year and died a year or so later. The full programme of the Pageant presumably went beyond the Manual School's possibilities. Looking at the programme, one can see how much "cheap" printing has improved in the last 50 years. ("Fine" printing was always good -- and very expensive.)

The Manual School had some characters. There was a Mr Mumford, who still wore wing collars in the 50s.

michael scuffil wrote:

J.R. wrote:Surely, C H Read is Chris Read, who was responsible in my last year for all the school printing in the Manual School ?

He was the only master at CH who called me by my Christian name, and Vicky-Verky.

I was so cack-handed I gave up all manual after the second year and never went near the place again. Though I did have printing under a Mr Leamy, who retired that year and died a year or so later. The full programme of the Pageant presumably went beyond the Manual School's possibilities. Looking at the programme, one can see how much "cheap" printing has improved in the last 50 years. ("Fine" printing was always good -- and very expensive.)

The Manual School had some characters. There was a Mr Mumford, who still wore wing collars in the 50s.

Another name from the distant past. He taught me !

michael scuffil wrote:

J.R. wrote:Surely, C H Read is Chris Read, who was responsible in my last year for all the school printing in the Manual School ?

He was the only master at CH who called me by my Christian name, and Vicky-Verky.

I was so cack-handed I gave up all manual after the second year and never went near the place again. Though I did have printing under a Mr Leamy, who retired that year and died a year or so later. The full programme of the Pageant presumably went beyond the Manual School's possibilities. Looking at the programme, one can see how much "cheap" printing has improved in the last 50 years. ("Fine" printing was always good -- and very expensive.)

The Manual School had some characters. There was a Mr Mumford, who still wore wing collars in the 50s.

We had no option of "Opting out" of the Manual School -----the plan seemed to be, that one did Metal work, Forge work, Woodwork, in successive years, and then, with allowances made for age-- the best subject continued for the reat of the time at CH.
I finished up, turning some lovely stuff on the Wood Lathe --- but I have been forever grateful for the ability to fashion flat metal into a saucer,by Planishing, or produce a poker --- knowing the right temperature in the Forge -- by colour.

I still believe that CH gave me a rounded education ---- and I expect some smart contribution from JR !!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:

michael scuffil wrote:

J.R. wrote:Surely, C H Read is Chris Read, who was responsible in my last year for all the school printing in the Manual School ?

He was the only master at CH who called me by my Christian name, and Vicky-Verky.

I was so cack-handed I gave up all manual after the second year and never went near the place again. Though I did have printing under a Mr Leamy, who retired that year and died a year or so later. The full programme of the Pageant presumably went beyond the Manual School's possibilities. Looking at the programme, one can see how much "cheap" printing has improved in the last 50 years. ("Fine" printing was always good -- and very expensive.)

The Manual School had some characters. There was a Mr Mumford, who still wore wing collars in the 50s.

We had no option of "Opting out" of the Manual School -----the plan seemed to be, that one did Metal work, Forge work, Woodwork, in successive years, and then, with allowances made for age-- the best subject continued for the reat of the time at CH.
I finished up, turning some lovely stuff on the Wood Lathe --- but I have been forever grateful for the ability to fashion flat metal into a saucer,by Planishing, or produce a poker --- knowing the right temperature in the Forge -- by colour.

I still believe that CH gave me a rounded education ---- and I expect some smart contribution from JR !!

We started off with cane work, making baskets etc. I also did woodwork and forge but not metalwork and I miss not having done any lathe work. The only useful thing I made there was an anchor in forge. OTOH, I don't know if it was part of "Manual" but I did Mechanical Drawing upstairs in the Manual building - and got an O level. It's been useful training for preparing all the plans for building permissions applications etc.

When doing A level there was a requirement that one did 2 lessons per week at a new language and 2 lessons at either manual or art. I did Spanish (the only pupil in the school to do it) and I think art but I don't remember

I don't think that any "Manual" subjects were taken at School Certificate --- a pity, in my case -- but I did get a Matric Exemption with 5 Credits.

This qualification was, surprisingly, accepted by Bristol University, for me to read Dentistry, when I left the Army.
I would, however, have to wait a year --------

With two Children, a Wife and a Greyhound to support, this was not possible !!!!

sejintenej wrote: When doing A level there was a requirement that one did 2 lessons per week at a new language and 2 lessons at either manual or art. I did Spanish (the only pupil in the school to do it) and I think art but I don't remember

Ah yes, Grecians' "Options". In many cases, "compulsions". As I was a Mod. Languages Grecian, I didn't have to do a language option. Over the years I did "current affairs" (which Mr Simms, then in his first year, turned into an O Level course in the Economic Structure of England, which I found terribly dull, but passed the O Level), art (Nell Todd thought my painting a complete mess, but was rather taken by my drawings, which were even entered for the House Art Comp), and most interesting of all, science (which Gwyn James, also in his first year) turned into a history and philosophy of science, which, given some of the arty types who were there, was quite stimulating in a dialectic sort of way). I must have had six options altogether, but I cannot for the life of me remember what the other three were.

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I don't think that any "Manual" subjects were taken at School Certificate --- a pity, in my case -- but I did get a Matric Exemption with 5 Credits.

This qualification was, surprisingly, accepted by Bristol University, for me to read Dentistry, when I left the Army.
I would, however, have to wait a year --------

With two Children, a Wife and a Greyhound to support, this was not possible !!!!

I like "dentistry" as a branch of Manual.

I did woodwork in my first year and still have the photograph stand I made, mainly to prove to my wife that my woodwork skills are minimal.
In my second year I did printing, which I enjoyed, but doubt that anyone does these days.
Curious that my manual skills were considered as limited, but I was still able to teach kids to use lathes, milling machines etc when I was a volunteer in Costa Rica. I´ll get the machine to do anything (made a dodecahedron on a shaping machine once) but don´t ask me to file flat.
Grecians Options were Russian with Biddick, which was not successful, and modern Greek with Todd.
Neil Simms was Assistant Housemaster in Barnes B, and my main memory is of him rushing off to play Rugby somewhere. I think he played for Sussex occasionally.

I have two memories of Neil Simms.

One is of him giving a Grecians' Option lesson from his sick-bed in the infirmary, the other is of him addressing the House Captains' Meeting on the subject of the future shape of PE. He gave his talk, and was then dismissed fairly summarily by CMES. We were left with the impression that the school belonged to us, not to junior staff.

jhopgood wrote:I did woodwork in my first year and still have the photograph stand I made

Ah, don't we all?!

michael scuffil wrote:

jhopgood wrote:I did woodwork in my first year and still have the photograph stand I made

Ah, don't we all?!

No Michael - sometimes it is the Mum who has the photo stand! I think she also has a mirror mounted in metalwork scrolls that Peter made.