CH Trivia
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mr tall
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Richard Ruck
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Please feel free to send a P.M. !mr tall wrote:Yes, certainly can remember the words to the 'Scrotum'. Not sure if all of them would pass the censor, either for taste or obscenity! If you are desperate, perhaps I could send them on an email or something?
Ba.A / Mid. B 1972 - 1978
Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
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UserRemovedAccount
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Food!
I echo DavebytheSea's views about food. Having, like him, been brought up on wartime and post-war rationing at home, food at Housie was of fair quality and quantity. I particularly remember the "puds." There was, for example, "cabinet pudding" although whether that was named after Government-type cabinets or the wooden variety was never clear. Then there was something which was only ever known as "frogs' spawn" which I rather enjoyed, although I have never seen anything remotely resembling it since, so I still have no idea what it was. We always seemed to be hungry, but with hindsight we were extremely active, which, combined with growing up, meant that we needed a fair calory input!
Norman Longmate
Also like DavebytheSea I have just read Norman Longmate's book. I find it very impressive. First, either he has extraordinarily vivid and detailed powers of recall or he kept copious notes (or both) but the amount of information contained in the book is quite extraordinary. Secondly, to write at such great length about the school indicates that he either hated or loved it very much; I strongly suspect that it is the latter and that where he does criticise, it is because of what he considers to be missed or squandered opportunities. Thirdly, I have read quite a number of books about CH, particularly by Old Blues, and I find far too many of them are OTT and depict the school as seen through very rose-tinted spectacles. In my view Norman's book achieves a better balance. Fourthly, do not forget that it is one man's view.
Incidentally, I have just reviewed for "The Old Blue" a newly-published book by another Old Blue named Anthony Shaw, called “The Upside of Trouble†[Book Guild Publishing, Sussex, England, 2005; ISBN 1-85776-982-1; £16.99]. As it happens, Shaw was in the same house as Longmate (Peele A) and just one year ahead of him, but in his book he has nothing but praise for the school and his house. So, it takes all sorts....! But, whatever, anyone might think of Norman's book, it is a remarkable achievement and many of his criticisms are well-founded.
What I would really like to see is how Housie compared with other schools. We all have our own (and usually strongly-held) views on Housie's strong and weak points during our own time there, but how many of these were actually common to most boarding schools of the time? To take a perhaps trivial example, was the food at Tonbridge, Westminster, Eastbourne or Harrow any better in the late 40s than that at Housie? I doubt it. Some people say that there was a lot of bullying in their time - but, even though any bullying is to be deplored, was that at Housie any worse than anywhere else? Again, I doubt it.
Sorry to be so serious and to bang on at such length,
I echo DavebytheSea's views about food. Having, like him, been brought up on wartime and post-war rationing at home, food at Housie was of fair quality and quantity. I particularly remember the "puds." There was, for example, "cabinet pudding" although whether that was named after Government-type cabinets or the wooden variety was never clear. Then there was something which was only ever known as "frogs' spawn" which I rather enjoyed, although I have never seen anything remotely resembling it since, so I still have no idea what it was. We always seemed to be hungry, but with hindsight we were extremely active, which, combined with growing up, meant that we needed a fair calory input!
Norman Longmate
Also like DavebytheSea I have just read Norman Longmate's book. I find it very impressive. First, either he has extraordinarily vivid and detailed powers of recall or he kept copious notes (or both) but the amount of information contained in the book is quite extraordinary. Secondly, to write at such great length about the school indicates that he either hated or loved it very much; I strongly suspect that it is the latter and that where he does criticise, it is because of what he considers to be missed or squandered opportunities. Thirdly, I have read quite a number of books about CH, particularly by Old Blues, and I find far too many of them are OTT and depict the school as seen through very rose-tinted spectacles. In my view Norman's book achieves a better balance. Fourthly, do not forget that it is one man's view.
Incidentally, I have just reviewed for "The Old Blue" a newly-published book by another Old Blue named Anthony Shaw, called “The Upside of Trouble†[Book Guild Publishing, Sussex, England, 2005; ISBN 1-85776-982-1; £16.99]. As it happens, Shaw was in the same house as Longmate (Peele A) and just one year ahead of him, but in his book he has nothing but praise for the school and his house. So, it takes all sorts....! But, whatever, anyone might think of Norman's book, it is a remarkable achievement and many of his criticisms are well-founded.
What I would really like to see is how Housie compared with other schools. We all have our own (and usually strongly-held) views on Housie's strong and weak points during our own time there, but how many of these were actually common to most boarding schools of the time? To take a perhaps trivial example, was the food at Tonbridge, Westminster, Eastbourne or Harrow any better in the late 40s than that at Housie? I doubt it. Some people say that there was a lot of bullying in their time - but, even though any bullying is to be deplored, was that at Housie any worse than anywhere else? Again, I doubt it.
Sorry to be so serious and to bang on at such length,
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Richard Ruck
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DavebytheSea
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I don't know which bit of Petard's excellent review to quote - it's all good stuff!
According to Roff Rayner (MaB 37-44) who lent me the book, the late Peter Portwood (Col B 37-45) went apoplectic whenever Longmate's name was mentioned - basically he considered him an "ungrateful bounder"! Both Roff and Peter were exact contemporaries of Norman Longmate. However, their experiences was clearly very different, no doubt because of the rigid house system of the time. In the middle years of the century, any inter-house friendships were frowned upon and each house had a markedly individual character dependant on the housemaster who was, in effect, more like the headmaster of a conventional school.
Peele A ( my son's present house!!) seemed to have a tradition of robustness and isolationism (something to do with its location?) which was fostered by the then house master, Noel Sargent - a man roundly castigated in Longmate's book. I must say that 'Sam' Sargent, as he was known in my day, was the only teacher I ever had a real row with - not only did I refuse a detention from him (he tried to teach me some French) but I then refused to bend over for the beating he wished to administer to me in retribution. Otherwise, in those days of all-knowing adolescence, I always considered him a rather slow-witted lightweight character best suited to banging his little hammer as hall warden.
I agree with you, David, that Longmate's book is full of fascinating detail giving a picture of CH that I fully remember (except for the brutality and misery!) ; either he has an amazing memory or he has kept an enormous amount of stuff (including apparently his exercise books), or, as the experienced author he is, he has thoroughly researched his material. Whatever the truth may be, the book is a fascinating read particularly to those of our generation. I love the detail, but loathe his pomposity, self-righteousness and whinging.
According to Roff Rayner (MaB 37-44) who lent me the book, the late Peter Portwood (Col B 37-45) went apoplectic whenever Longmate's name was mentioned - basically he considered him an "ungrateful bounder"! Both Roff and Peter were exact contemporaries of Norman Longmate. However, their experiences was clearly very different, no doubt because of the rigid house system of the time. In the middle years of the century, any inter-house friendships were frowned upon and each house had a markedly individual character dependant on the housemaster who was, in effect, more like the headmaster of a conventional school.
Peele A ( my son's present house!!) seemed to have a tradition of robustness and isolationism (something to do with its location?) which was fostered by the then house master, Noel Sargent - a man roundly castigated in Longmate's book. I must say that 'Sam' Sargent, as he was known in my day, was the only teacher I ever had a real row with - not only did I refuse a detention from him (he tried to teach me some French) but I then refused to bend over for the beating he wished to administer to me in retribution. Otherwise, in those days of all-knowing adolescence, I always considered him a rather slow-witted lightweight character best suited to banging his little hammer as hall warden.
I agree with you, David, that Longmate's book is full of fascinating detail giving a picture of CH that I fully remember (except for the brutality and misery!) ; either he has an amazing memory or he has kept an enormous amount of stuff (including apparently his exercise books), or, as the experienced author he is, he has thoroughly researched his material. Whatever the truth may be, the book is a fascinating read particularly to those of our generation. I love the detail, but loathe his pomposity, self-righteousness and whinging.
David Eastburn (Prep B and Mid A 1947-55)
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J.R.
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Big School is the largest building, taking up the Southern side of the School quadrangle. It is, basically, an assembly hall big enough to accomodate the whole school.
Why the 'Big School' ? I suppose this is just historical.
To the south, where many of the playing fields are, is known as 'Big-Side', however, to my recollection, there is NO 'Small-Side' at C.H.
Why the 'Big School' ? I suppose this is just historical.
To the south, where many of the playing fields are, is known as 'Big-Side', however, to my recollection, there is NO 'Small-Side' at C.H.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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AKAP
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but there was a "little side" between middleton and Post OfficeJ.R. wrote:Big School is the largest building, taking up the Southern side of the School quadrangle. It is, basically, an assembly hall big enough to accomodate the whole school.
Why the 'Big School' ? I suppose this is just historical.
To the south, where many of the playing fields are, is known as 'Big-Side', however, to my recollection, there is NO 'Small-Side' at C.H.
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AKAP
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Asked Westminster brother-in law today, he says that school food wasn't bad, but that has to be seen in the context that his mother couldn't cook and was quiet likely to keep food until rotten and then prepare it. So anything was an improvement.AKAP wrote:I'll ask as one brother-in-law went to Tonbridge and one went to Westminster.petard249 wrote:
"was the food at Tonbridge, Westminster,"
Won't see Tonbridge brother-in law until we go to Australia in April.