We are chameleons....

[Angela Woodford]

"Posh" or "Pleb" seems rather class-based. It's more complicated than that, isn't it?

I suppose that, because I was institutionalised at an early age, I have strangely low expectations of enjoyment. New shoes! Clean underwear! Privacy! I still appreciate the freedom to do what I like sometimes, and if anyone pays me a compliment I'm absurdly pleased. Ridiculous! I just became accustomed to being told I was no good at CH.

I just never have blended in, Mary! How many times have I had the "different" eyeroll from colleagues or bosses, or been told that I'm "unusual" in some mystery way? And why, why do I volunteer to do things I don't really want to do in a sort of Hertford Duty way?

Why can't I walk away from lost cause situations? Normal people can.

I'd love to blend in, I really would, but I don't!

[Ajarn Philip]

I don't think it's a question of blending in or of 'posh or pleb'. I can see where all these things might appear relevant, but to me blending in implies being something you're not. I believe it's more a matter of having the sort of relatively quiet confidence that allows you to feel comfortable in pretty much any situation. In pure social class terms, I think the CH of my time was a great leveller.

[Jo]

"Posh" or "Pleb" seems rather class-based. It's more complicated than that, isn't it?

I suppose that, because I was institutionalised at an early age, I have strangely low expectations of enjoyment. New shoes! Clean underwear! Privacy! I still appreciate the freedom to do what I like sometimes, and if anyone pays me a compliment I'm absurdly pleased. Ridiculous! I just became accustomed to being told I was no good at CH.

I just never have blended in, Mary! How many times have I had the "different" eyeroll from colleagues or bosses, or been told that I'm "unusual" in some mystery way? And why, why do I volunteer to do things I don't really want to do in a sort of Hertford Duty way?

Why can't I walk away from lost cause situations? Normal people can.

I'd love to blend in, I really would, but I don't!

I'm with Angela on this. CH left me socially gauche and inept and I think it was because we were stuck with the same few close friends for years and rarely had to meet or get on with anyone new. I don't doubt that some people did find that CH helped them to blend in and get on with people, but I just can't get my head round that idea myself; it's completely the opposite to my own experience.

[Katharine]

I'm with Angela on this. CH left me socially gauche and inept and I think it was because we were stuck with the same few close friends for years and rarely had to meet or get on with anyone new. I don't doubt that some people did find that CH helped them to blend in and get on with people, but I just can't get my head round that idea myself; it's completely the opposite to my own experience.

I have told the story before of going on our residential course for DofE Gold. There were about 6 or 7 of us including the Clarke twins (identical). It was run in the Easter holidays before A levels and was designed for girls* of that age. The first night there was a getting to know you session. The course leader spoke to me and said "You are one of the Christ's Hospital girls aren't you?", she then picked out each of the others - obviously the twins were easy but .... I couldn't tell what made us so obvious. We can't have been chameleons there!

*CH, or possibly DR, paid for this course if you were really on track to complete Gold while still at school. If you had a brother relatively near you in age, you went to the girls only course, if you did not you went to a co-ed course at Lee Abbey. In DR's immortal words "Every girl should live with boys for a week before going to the university" (yes the definite article was there, I remember thinking it strange when she said it!)

[Jo]

In DR's immortal words "Every girl should live with boys for a week before going to the university" (yes the definite article was there, I remember thinking it strange when she said it!)

She did indeed talk about "the university". I don't remember her saying that when I was at school, but it's littered all the way through Half to Remember and I also thought it was rather strange, and I've never heard anyone else say it.

[Angela Woodford]

"The University".

Maybe the only expression of DR's I really liked. It has a certain dignity!

Infinitely preferable (pedant alert) to the awful, dreadful, exasperating "yooni" . Atrocious!

[jhopgood]

Not sure that this is the correct thread, but just picked this up from

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 7904.story


By some accounts, the world's first school uniform debuted in England about 450 years ago at Christ's Hospital, a school for needy boys. Pupils at the now-private (and expensive) institution still deck themselves out much as they did in Tudor times, in dark blue overcoats, breeches for boys, pleated skirts for girls, white neckerchiefs, yellow socks and leather belts.

Although they resemble young seminarians, students voted overwhelmingly last year to keep their distinctive outfits rather than adopt any "modern" innovations.

I wonder what constitutes expensive in Californian terms?

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I assume that we must accept the description, now that CH has "Full Fee Payers" ?

[J.R.]

I assume that we must accept the description, now that CH has "Full Fee Payers" ?

DON'T GET ME STARTED, NEILL !!

[Antinous1]

I wonder what constitutes expensive in Californian terms?

That question got me mildly interested. A very casual bit of investigating suggests that the average fees for boarding schools in US might be around $42,000 a year (£26,500 roughly), which would make CH a little less than averagely expensive, but the majority of Californian schools I found details for ranged from $18,000 (£11,400) a year to $35,000 (£22,138), which would make CH look pretty pricey! One figure I saw suggested that 33% of children at private schools in the US are receiving financial aid and the schools I looked at often had between 20% and 30% of children on financial aid. Cate School looked to me to be not unlike CH in some ways and its fees were $45,000 per year with 30% of children on financial aid receiving an average grant of $32,000.

One amazing globe-trotting school was charging $125,000 (£79,000) a year and promising 12 countries in twelve semesters!!! Wow, how the other half lives, eh!

Antinous

[jhopgood]

I wonder what constitutes expensive in Californian terms?

That question got me mildly interested. A very casual bit of investigating suggests that the average fees for boarding schools in US might be around $42,000 a year (£26,500 roughly), which would make CH a little less than averagely expensive, but the majority of Californian schools I found details for ranged from $18,000 (£11,400) a year to $35,000 (£22,138), which would make CH look pretty pricey! One figure I saw suggested that 33% of children at private schools in the US are receiving financial aid and the schools I looked at often had between 20% and 30% of children on financial aid. Cate School looked to me to be not unlike CH in some ways and its fees were $45,000 per year with 30% of children on financial aid receiving an average grant of $32,000.

One amazing globe-trotting school was charging $125,000 (£79,000) a year and promising 12 countries in twelve semesters!!! Wow, how the other half lives, eh!

Antinous

Having worked in Latin America, with most of my children's contemporaries going to US universities, I remember being told that University education was much cheaper if you went to a university in your state. I assume that explains much of the financial aid .

[mvgrogan]

Not sure that this is the correct thread, but just picked this up from

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 7904.story


By some accounts, the world's first school uniform debuted in England about 450 years ago at Christ's Hospital, a school for needy boys. Pupils at the now-private (and expensive) institution still deck themselves out much as they did in Tudor times, in dark blue overcoats, breeches for boys, pleated skirts for girls, white neckerchiefs, yellow socks and leather belts.

Although they resemble young seminarians, students voted overwhelmingly last year to keep their distinctive outfits rather than adopt any "modern" innovations.

I wonder what constitutes expensive in Californian terms?

interesting article... how long until the girls start wearing shorts or even short shorts!!?