Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Oops, as Andy has suggested my name I should respond, even though now irrelevant as Geraint has confired that there was no LF in our time at CH in the eighties (should be keeping a better eye on things......)

My understanding though was that the first form was the 'final' year of prep? (or possibly just a general description of Prep?) Certainly the classroom block behind Leigh hunt was still called the Prep School/ Prep Block in my time?

When the Second and Third forms were introduced as the regular first two years in 1961/2, the logic was supposed to be that the counting was down from the existing Lower Fourth, so that the slow stream at least went "Second, Third, (Lower) Fourth". If they'd been called First and Second, there would have been no Third. Of course they could simply have been numbered in order, but then there would have been a numbering problem with the fast stream (hitherto the only stream) which retained the Erasmus nomenclature. The result was a dog's breakfast.

I never took "Dog's Breakfast" in School Cert. but I'm sure I would have got a Distinction !

It would appear then from posts on this thread that the LF disappeared in September 1976 or 1977....

Also when me and Craig were at CH there was a Mrs Morpurgo teaching English as I had her on 2nd form (in sep81) but she then left to go and teach in the US. I believe is was form IIx we had a fast english form (A) a slow english form (B) and 4 mixed ability (w,x,y,z), There was no LF although I remember a notice board in the classic block corridor with a LF banner as I remember asking Mr Keeley what it was and him going off on some long rambling speach.

Prep block changed its name from that I believe when they were swapping boarding houses in and out of it in last 10 years (my 1/2brother is only 7 years out of CH ).

Did the Second form appear when the Lower Fourth disappeared? Maybe some form of devaluation.

DavidRawlins wrote:Did the Second form appear when the Lower Fourth disappeared? Maybe some form of devaluation.

Second form was there in 1959.

Surely (as at Hertford) 1st form was 9 year olds, 2nd form was 10 year olds, and third form was 11year olds, then went LF(LIV at Hertford). All changed when the lower forms went at Hertford (1964-66). I think Horsham changed a little later.

DavidRawlins wrote:Did the Second form appear when the Lower Fourth disappeared? Maybe some form of devaluation.

No. The two co-existed for quite a while (see my earlier post). If John Hopgood says the Second Form existed in 1959, I'll believe him (it must have been invented then, certainly no earlier; I thought it was a couple of years later, but jh was in it, so he should know).

michael scuffil wrote:

DavidRawlins wrote:Did the Second form appear when the Lower Fourth disappeared? Maybe some form of devaluation.

No. The two co-existed for quite a while (see my earlier post). If John Hopgood says the Second Form existed in 1959, I'll believe him (it must have been invented then, certainly no earlier; I thought it was a couple of years later, but jh was in it, so he should know).

My first lesson at CH was in the 2nd form with Mrs Hurst. Michaelmas term.
I then went 3rd, LE, GE, Deps and Grecians.

jhopgood wrote:

michael scuffil wrote:

DavidRawlins wrote:Did the Second form appear when the Lower Fourth disappeared? Maybe some form of devaluation.

No. The two co-existed for quite a while (see my earlier post). If John Hopgood says the Second Form existed in 1959, I'll believe him (it must have been invented then, certainly no earlier; I thought it was a couple of years later, but jh was in it, so he should know).

My first lesson at CH was in the 2nd form with Mrs Hurst. Michaelmas term.
I then went 3rd, LE, GE, Deps and Grecians.

Which shows you were a bright boy, because that was the fast stream. (Before you, everyone went to the fast stream, there wasn't a slow one. The slow stream took two years over the LE, calling the forms LF and UF)

My first lesson (on the LFA) was with George ('Pip') Newberry, though he wasn't our form master. That was Kit.

Just to let you know JEMorpurgo was at CH, and the family set up a scholarship in his name after he died. The author Michael Morpurgo is his step son, but went to King's Canterbury (as I did)
Linda Morpurgo (Jack's daughter in law, and my wife) taught English at CH 1980-86. We lived for most of that time at Northgate.
Our son Stewart Morpurgo was at CH c 1983-1989
Mark Morpurgo

ooo! we lived at Northgate for 3 years when we first came to CH - lovely house!

markmorp wrote:Just to let you know JEMorpurgo was at CH, and the family set up a scholarship in his name after he died. The author Michael Morpurgo is his step son, but went to King's Canterbury (as I did)
Linda Morpurgo (Jack's daughter in law, and my wife) taught English at CH 1980-86. We lived for most of that time at Northgate.
Our son Stewart Morpurgo was at CH c 1983-1989
Mark Morpurgo

Was there not a Morpurgo on the scholarship board at Forest Grange School?

markmorp wrote: Linda Morpurgo (Jack's daughter in law, and my wife) taught English at CH 1980-86.

I remember her!

markmorp wrote:Our son Stewart Morpurgo was at CH c 1983-1989

I remember the name!