Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Compared to that thin piece of scaffolding with holes in it... I suppose not!

englishangel wrote:We at Hertford had heard that the SG was allowed to marry - didn't know about the beards and white horses.

Freemen of the City of London are allowed to herd sheep across Tower Bridge, I don't think the SG is a Freeman but I know DR was, because she told us that if she was to be executed for treason she could be beheaded rather than hanged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeiW_bWZ ... re=related (thanks Jo)

Yes Freemen of the City (I'm one!!) are allowed to drive sheep across London Bridge - although I understand that this is limited to one day a year (possibly a Sunday). There is also a thought that Freemen were entitled to be hung with a silk rope!!!

School Monitors in General were allowed to grow beards when I was there. I remember at least 2 from my early days at CH (I think one was a guy called Jon Curd) who had a face full of fuzz In the late 80's though I think beards were deemed "unfashionable" so nobody grew them. Either that or the Monitors were all too "Baby-faced" to actually achieve it!

Chris Blewett wrote:

englishangel wrote:We at Hertford had heard that the SG was allowed to marry - didn't know about the beards and white horses.

Freemen of the City of London are allowed to herd sheep across Tower Bridge, I don't think the SG is a Freeman but I know DR was, because she told us that if she was to be executed for treason she could be beheaded rather than hanged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeiW_bWZ ... re=related (thanks Jo)

Yes Freemen of the City (I'm one!!) are allowed to drive sheep across London Bridge - although I understand that this is limited to one day a year (possibly a Sunday). There is also a thought that Freemen were entitled to be hung with a silk rope!!!

Technically the flock can be driven across London Bridge at any time. However, that bridge is very busy and it is the police who have clamped down to prevent too much traffic disturbance.
Silk rope: correct but AFAIR there are only three crimes for which you can still be hung** and I suspect that the Corporation would withdraw your Freemen status PDQ if you were found guilty - hence no silk rope.
**The crimes I remember are regicide and setting fire to Her Majesty's Dockyards; the third may ber treason but I am not sure.

There are NO capital offences in GB today. Thanks to the EU and the Courts of Human Rights.

Thanks for that - but someone at the BBC seems not to have researched it very well!!!

The below is from the Livery Page of the City of London.


Commuter sheep

Historically, driving sheep across London Bridge was the right of Freemen and Liverymen of the City of London - and they recently resurrected this tradition at a fundraising event in aid of the British Red Cross.

Communters were joined in their daily walk across the Bridge by a collection of life-sized model sheep and their 'handlers', collecting money for the cause. Liverymen Ann Esslemont and Wendy Mead won 'Best in Breed' for their black sheep Bobo, who was inventively made from black fleece gloves (a plug for the Glovers!)

I tried to find that page Chris, I obviously didn't go 'deep' enough.

Chris Blewett wrote:

englishangel wrote:We at Hertford had heard that the SG was allowed to marry - didn't know about the beards and white horses.

Freemen of the City of London are allowed to herd sheep across Tower Bridge, I don't think the SG is a Freeman but I know DR was, because she told us that if she was to be executed for treason she could be beheaded rather than hanged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeiW_bWZ ... re=related (thanks Jo)

Yes Freemen of the City (I'm one!!) are allowed to drive sheep across London Bridge - although I understand that this is limited to one day a year (possibly a Sunday). There is also a thought that Freemen were entitled to be hung with a silk rope!!!

At Hertford, one of Miss Morrison's (Fatty M) pet peeves and cutesy sayings was "Pictures are hung; people are hanged!"!! End of pedantic comment.

Kim2s70-77 wrote:

Chris Blewett wrote:Yes Freemen of the City (I'm one!!) are allowed to drive sheep across London Bridge - although I understand that this is limited to one day a year (possibly a Sunday). There is also a thought that Freemen were entitled to be hung with a silk rope!!!

At Hertford, one of Miss Morrison's (Fatty M) pet peeves and cutesy sayings was "Pictures are hung; people are hanged!"!! End of pedantic comment.

Kim,
I can't write for Chris (CH taught him how to do that) but so long as it is quick and painless I don't care if I am hanged or hung. However, tests in the French Revolution showed that the average beheadee was conscious for over 20 seconds after his/her head was removed from the body so presumably there is little difference in consciousness time with a hemp or even a silk rope. That said, I'm not going to remember the pain from being hanged or hung or even beheaded (subject to St Peter's decision, of course).
Whatever, I prefer that my beef is HUNG for 28 days.


A related question which the Chain never answered. According to Bhuddist thought we are reborn until we acheive enlightenment. Subject to how we behave this time we can be reborn as anything from an amoeba to better that we are now. Given that the population of the earth is increasing and the population of animals and insects etc. is not falling, where do the extra "souls" come from?

Do you know - I've been pondering if I was right with 'hung' all day (apart from a brief interlude with my spiritual director!) and I suspect that it should be 'hanged'

Mea maxima culpa

englishangel wrote:We at Hertford had heard that the SG was allowed to marry - didn't know about the beards and white horses.

Freemen of the City of London are allowed to herd sheep across Tower Bridge, I don't think the SG is a Freeman but I know DR was, because she told us that if she was to be executed for treason she could be beheaded rather than hanged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeiW_bWZ ... re=related (thanks Jo)

I don't know about the beheading, rather than hanging ---- but I was BORN in the "Square Mile", and my Father, who was a City Copper, informed me, that I could start, with my herd, from the City end --- but would be "Nicked for Obstruction" at the Met end.
Starting from the Met end --- I would be Nicked before getting underway !!!

BTW --- I think it is London Bridge --- the Tower Bridge being comparitavely modern !

geoff_janes wrote:BC is indeed Band Captain.

Here are the perks

Bling (No one else has as many buttons!)
Being a Button Grecian- even if you aren't a monitor nor have academic buttons
A Key to Music School (Coolest place to be)
Radio interviews with local radio stations
The ability to make Lunch Parade as fast or slow as you want
Your name in Gold Letters on a board in the Band Room
Being the coolest guy/gal in school.


Of course I'm joking-- The SG gets the best stuff!

It's been ages since I was on the site but have been rather buys the last year. Anyway as a former Sg myself (not my wish!) , I would say the perks were pretty good too: ( tongue in cheek here)

Invitation to Amicable Society of Old Blues dinner ( I snorted snuff here for the first time!)
Numerous dinners at HM house if there were special guests in town. Lots of alcohol and port
More money in the form of Q Schott
Access to the SG "book" with stories and much more
A key too that opened nearly everything and the Music school!
The Oration (LOL) - the hardest piece learning I have ever had to do and I fluffed it at one point!
Getting closer to master's daughters???!! Harry Spurrier's daughter tried to show soem interest!
Chapel 6 times a week rather than just two for grecians in my day
Reading the lesson in a Carol Service under the title of Former Senior Grecian
Getting up early every morning to watch morning parades. JDS always got Maine A in before I could get to Dining Hall...


and the best bit...leaving it all behind and feeling the weight of pressure lifted as HM handed you the Leavers Bible and Prayer Book....

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:
I don't know about the beheading, rather than hanging ---- but I was BORN in the "Square Mile", and my Father, who was a City Copper, informed me, that I could start, with my herd, from the City end --- but would be "Nicked for Obstruction" at the Met end.
Starting from the Met end --- I would be Nicked before getting underway !!!

BTW --- I think it is London Bridge --- the Tower Bridge being comparitavely modern !

Yes, it is London Bridge (the one the Americans thought had those four enormous towers and the lifting spans when they wanted to buy it !)

Your problem was that you are male because they have great trouble finding two girls of good repute in the City each year to whom the Corporation awards dowries.
I can't remember the Italian's name but he came to London centuries ago, married a girl from the City and they lived happily ever after. So happily were they married that when she died he created a fund in her name to give dowries to two such girls each year; the fund still exists and the dowries are disbursed in accordance with his wishes. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

sejintenej wrote:

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:
I don't know about the beheading, rather than hanging ---- but I was BORN in the "Square Mile", and my Father, who was a City Copper, informed me, that I could start, with my herd, from the City end --- but would be "Nicked for Obstruction" at the Met end.
Starting from the Met end --- I would be Nicked before getting underway !!!

BTW --- I think it is London Bridge --- the Tower Bridge being comparitavely modern !

Yes, it is London Bridge (the one the Americans thought had those four enormous towers and the lifting spans when they wanted to buy it !)

Your problem was that you are male because they have great trouble finding two girls of good repute in the City each year to whom the Corporation awards dowries.
I can't remember the Italian's name but he came to London centuries ago, married a girl from the City and they lived happily ever after. So happily were they married that when she died he created a fund in her name to give dowries to two such girls each year; the fund still exists and the dowries are disbursed in accordance with his wishes. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh

Ok....call me sad....... but I've found the details of the bequest!!

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporat ... irst_match

Hopefully the link will work!!