Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Great Plum wrote:A bokker or bocker was a member of the catering staff when I was there... originally they were mostly geordie but by the time I left, they were mostly South African graduates who earnt more money putting slop on our plates than being an accountant back home...

Our bockers (and I agree with postwarblue about the use of the term, tho' I think it was extended to non-school rustics) were all I think local men. Non-locals at CH in the 50s were mostly Italian (I think probably Sicilian) maids, diminutive, plump and moustachio'd. ("These Orientals", as the Barnes matron famously called them.) They were so numerous that staff notices were in Italian and English.

Does anyone remember the one that topped himself in the tube 1958/59-ish ?

re the bocker who topped himself, it was before my time but the story remained in circulation. As mid-60s squits we were told it happened by the Prep/Leigh Hunt steps.

PeA31 wrote:re the bocker who topped himself, it was before my time but the story remained in circulation. As mid-60s squits we were told it happened by the Prep/Leigh Hunt steps.

I think it was quite near there.

I seem to remember we had to go up to the dining hall in the pouring rain, where we would normally have used the 'tube'

Needless to say, the 'ghost-in-the-tube' rumours didn't take long to get started.

I remember a Kiwi Bokker in the mid-80's - I think his name was Craig - who once played rugby for New Zealand U21s or something like that. He was a bit of a joker and once put food colouring in the milk. He wasn't around after that...

In Maine A in the late 80's we had Len the Bokker who always looked so miserable and when someone tried to cheerfully chat to him it was like opening the floodgates to depression-central.

michael scuffil wrote:

Great Plum wrote:A bokker or bocker was a member of the catering staff when I was there... originally they were mostly geordie but by the time I left, they were mostly South African graduates who earnt more money putting slop on our plates than being an accountant back home...

Our bockers (and I agree with postwarblue about the use of the term, tho' I think it was extended to non-school rustics) were all I think local men. Non-locals at CH in the 50s were mostly Italian (I think probably Sicilian) maids, diminutive, plump and moustachio'd. ("These Orientals", as the Barnes matron famously called them.) They were so numerous that staff notices were in Italian and English.

I remember them as being estate workers who would occasionally come into the houses for menial work. (The cobbler, having a trade was not a bokker).
Not sure I remember any mustachioed Italians (though there was one Italian I would prefer to forget!) but you don't mention that long yellow haired Finnish nymph who worked in the kitchens and was subject to particular scrutiny by some boys and also more by the kitchen management to ensure that she never left the building unescorted (said Italian was not pleased - I leave the rest to your imagination)!

PeA31 wrote:re the bocker who topped himself, it was before my time but the story remained in circulation. As mid-60s squits we were told it happened by the Prep/Leigh Hunt steps.

Oh no! I wish I hadn't read this. Too close for comfort to me! I won't be able to walk past that door without thinking about this ever again.

Although, I don't believe we had "Bokkers" as a term inthe 40s --- I remember one "Visitor" to Barnes B, who was the Barber
I am sure we didn't have "Hairdressers" then !

This chap was much admired for beimng able to do one-handed Pressups , which he would demonstrate !

I imagine, from what I have read, on this Topic, that he would not have been a "Bokker", since he had a "Trade" --?

He was only of slight build (Which may have helped the Pressups) and was pre-War Royal Navy.

I imagine that he did the whole School on a continuous basis ---- but was he still there, in later years ?

"Peg leg" (so called because of his artificial leg) was the barber in my time and he was quite a portly gentleman from memory although he had various assistants at times none of whom stick in the memory.

I suspect "the press up king" had gone by my time.

If you get the Hertford girls started on haircutting this could become an extremely long thread!

And that would be the only thing that was long about Hertford hair cutting. "Special" cut for seniors HAHAHAHAHAH

Barnes Mum wrote:

PeA31 wrote:re the bocker who topped himself, it was before my time but the story remained in circulation. As mid-60s squits we were told it happened by the Prep/Leigh Hunt steps.

Oh no! I wish I hadn't read this. Too close for comfort to me! I won't be able to walk past that door without thinking about this ever again.

If you get down into The Tube, take a torch and have a look up at the overhead pipes.

The rope-burn might still be there !

J.R. wrote:

Barnes Mum wrote:

PeA31 wrote:re the bocker who topped himself, it was before my time but the story remained in circulation. As mid-60s squits we were told it happened by the Prep/Leigh Hunt steps.

Oh no! I wish I hadn't read this. Too close for comfort to me! I won't be able to walk past that door without thinking about this ever again.

If you get down into The Tube, take a torch and have a look up at the overhead pipes.

The rope-burn might still be there !

J.R!!! That's so mean! I will NEVER go down into the tube again now. If my girls ever get wind of this story they'll never sleep, can you imagine the dramatics?

sejintenej wrote:

michael scuffil wrote:[

Our bockers (and I agree with postwarblue about the use of the term, tho' I think it was extended to non-school rustics) were all I think local men. Non-locals at CH in the 50s were mostly Italian (I think probably Sicilian) maids, diminutive, plump and moustachio'd. ("These Orientals", as the Barnes matron famously called them.) They were so numerous that staff notices were in Italian and English.

I remember them as being estate workers who would occasionally come into the houses for menial work. (The cobbler, having a trade was not a bokker).
Not sure I remember any mustachioed Italians (though there was one Italian I would prefer to forget!) but you don't mention that long yellow haired Finnish nymph who worked in the kitchens and was subject to particular scrutiny by some boys and also more by the kitchen management to ensure that she never left the building unescorted (said Italian was not pleased - I leave the rest to your imagination)!

I do remember her, and a pair of Norwegian kitchen au pairs who married a Grecian and a science master (respectively) (both marriages long and happy, though the science master, who didn't stay long, has recently died), and a housemaid au pair in Thornton called Hannah, who was very intellectual and left a book on philosophy in the lav-end, which gave me a legitimate excuse to chat her up when returning it.

michael scuffil wrote:
I do remember her, and a pair of Norwegian kitchen au pairs who married a Grecian and a science master (respectively) (both marriages long and happy, though the science master, who didn't stay long, has recently died), .

Whilst I didn't know about the Norwegians I know of a nurse at the school who married an OB (lucky man!!!). Does anyopne know of any other ex-pupil /(ex) staff marriages?