Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Jo wrote:
According to the member details, both Vonny and Maria are still around, but Cath hasn't visited for several months. But thinking about Maria made me realise that I don't think we've seen Frances for a while. Hope she's ok.

Likewise Midget, she hasn't been here for a couple of weeks. Is anyone in touch with her?

I was thinking about Frances too, I know Midget has her battles to fight.

Cath's alive and well and posting regularly on FB.

We knew that, but she hasn't been on here since March.

Frances has only been away since 19th June so she may be on holiday.

Hi guys - thanks for the concern. Mum (Frances) is still around - reading but not contributing so much!

As for the transition from Hertford to Horsham, I don't have the amazing memory that so many of you seem to have. I think I preferred Horsham but as I was 16 in 1985 it was as much to do with the discovery of boys as anything else!!

Of course, for me the discovery of the theatre also had a long lasting impact. We had no such facilities at Hertford and I don't really remember much theatrical activity in the main hall, other than a reading & recitation competition and house singing! The discovery of the theatre cost me my A Levels but as I went on to work in the theatre it sort of made sense in hindsight!

Jo is right about the location - the space available - acres of open land - was a lovely upgrade from the tiny site at Hertford. I think to find my own space at Hertford I would sit in the chapel (I talked for ages to that gorgeous little wooden statue of Jesus - whatever happened to that?) but at Horsham, I could walk in the grounds talking to myself; a much more free experience.

I don't remember many specifics about staff but I do recall that in Sixes we had a whole succession of housemistresses, no-one staying for more than a year or so and as mentioned elsewhere, all unmarried women of a certain age (I think one of them was divorced...). In Barnes B we had three relatively young (probably younger than I am now!) single women all sharing the housemistresses duties - I certainly think we had more fun with our housemistresses at Horsham as opposed to the fun at the expense of the housemistresses in Hertford!

Alcohol.... available at Horsham, not available at Hertford!

I'm sure I'll think of more things at a later date but right now it's late and I'm off to bed!

"Alcohol.... available at Horsham, not available at Hertford!"


My God: in my day I am not sure whether alcohol or girls were the most sought after! To have both available would have been beyond our wildest imagination.

Speaking for myself, I felt much the same. I do wonder if I had been educated with boys and alcohol around I would have done better at University when I was introduced to both. probably not

I seem to remember alcohol being allowed in the Upper VI study - was that for 18th birthdays??? I know we had cider at least. (Hertford)

When I read Neill's post I thought that he was referring to 'Half to Remember'.

Maybe DR was a great Headmistress in the eyes of all when she was young and new to the position. I feel that it is wrong for any institution to permit someone to remain in the same position for the length of time that DR was Head at Hertford. It seemed to me that she was stuck in the 1940s and had little hope, even if she had wanted to, of understanding her flower powered charges.

As for alcohol in the VIth form dorm: that might even have persuaded me to stay on for A Levels, but I'm guessing that it was introduced by Miss Tucker.

mvgrogan wrote: Of course, for me the discovery of the theatre also had a long lasting impact. We had no such facilities at Hertford and I don't really remember much theatrical activity in the main hall, other than a reading & recitation competition and house singing! The discovery of the theatre cost me my A Levels but as I went on to work in the theatre it sort of made sense in hindsight!

I think that paragraph could also have been written by my niece Jo, was she the same year as you Maria? Did you both go to the same house at Horsham?

After some years working in the theatre world Jo had a change of direction, doing VSO in Sri Lanka then going into development work.

Katharine wrote:

mvgrogan wrote: Of course, for me the discovery of the theatre also had a long lasting impact. We had no such facilities at Hertford and I don't really remember much theatrical activity in the main hall, other than a reading & recitation competition and house singing! The discovery of the theatre cost me my A Levels but as I went on to work in the theatre it sort of made sense in hindsight!

I think that paragraph could also have been written by my niece Jo, was she the same year as you Maria? Did you both go to the same house at Horsham?

After some years working in the theatre world Jo had a change of direction, doing VSO in Sri Lanka then going into development work.

Jo was the year below me. In Sixes with me at Hertford so probably in BaB with me at Housey - sorry - the old memory fails me at the moment! I think she did the same course as me in Leicester, too! I was aware we'd followed similar paths although we haven't been in touch. Not sure housewife/mother/Usborne lady/storyteller in Finland quite matches up with VSO/development work in Sri Lanka, though Please send her my best next time you're in touch.

re: Alcohol
It was a last minute thought as I was about to go to bed last night!
The Grecian's Club was a revelation to me. I've never been a drinker, even as a teenager, but the Grecian's Club introduced me to Babycham and on the eve of my 18th birthday I was not very sober... I had a rehearsal on the day, so decided to celebrate the day before... When I crawled back to house, the housemistress sat me down in her flat - I was expecting a proper telling off. There were two other (sober) Deps with me.

"Now I realise you have been celebrating your birthday Maria but I needed to speak to the three of you about something important. The Grecians have exams approaching and the other Deps are already housemonitors so are taking on some of their duties. In order to help them out, I would like you to become house monitors" Of course I guffawed with laughter Not many people were promoted to House Monitor when under the influence

As we left Hertford at the end of my fifth form (GE?) I wouldn't know about sixth form alcohol!

me again... chatting to Mum (Frances) on Skype and she said this:

"While you are chatting at Katharine though you might like to remind her that I was in 1066 and all that - we did 'Three Little Saints From Rome' to the tune of 'Three Little Maids from School' - St Patrick, St Pancras and St Ives - I was St Patrick!! One of my very few theatrical ventures!!"

Jo wrote:
thinking about Maria made me realise that I don't think we've seen Frances for a while. Hope she's ok.

In response to your enquiries about her whereabouts, Mum asked me to let you know "I decided to opt out after receiving unpleasant PM response to something I had actually apologised for posting". I know she was very upset about it at the time but she is still reading the forum daily and following what's going on, she's just not sharing her personal thoughts & opinions in public. Fair enough, I say.

mvgrogan wrote:me again... chatting to Mum (Frances) on Skype and she said this:

"While you are chatting at Katharine though you might like to remind her that I was in 1066 and all that - we did 'Three Little Saints From Rome' to the tune of 'Three Little Maids from School' - St Patrick, St Pancras and St Ives - I was St Patrick!! One of my very few theatrical ventures!!"

Jo wrote:
thinking about Maria made me realise that I don't think we've seen Frances for a while. Hope she's ok.

In response to your enquiries about her whereabouts, Mum asked me to let you know "I decided to opt out after receiving unpleasant PM response to something I had actually apologised for posting". I know she was very upset about it at the time but she is still reading the forum daily and following what's going on, she's just not sharing her personal thoughts & opinions in public. Fair enough, I say.

Frances,

I and others miss you!

Your contributions are always well thought out and worth reading.

Please don't let one idiot spoil your enjoyment of the forum or our enjoyment of your input.

If anybody is in touch with Maggie please pass on my thoughts and prayers.

Has anybody heard from Annie? Likewise if anyone is in touch please pass on my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

Mid A 15 wrote:
Has anybody heard from Annie? Likewise if anyone is in touch please pass on my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

Here I am, Andy! and thank you for those thoughts and prayers. Surgery was successful. I'm now on a course of chemotherapy, 4 sessions at roughly 3-weekly intervals. One down, 3 to go!

As an aside to this thread, I am in touch with a Patricia Rapley who was at Hertford in I guess the late 70's early 80's (def not Horsham). we had known each other for about 10 years through a motorcycle club and me selling her my house in Reading before I realised she was an old blue.