Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Phew!

It's interesting to read people's opinions on the uniform . Didn't realise that pupils changed out of uniform at 3.30pm. That must make a difference-changing into home clothes or sports gear for after-school activities. And not having to get back into uniform again that evening.

I am not surprised at seeing the change to home dress at the end of the working day. Most schools now do this and when i taught at Oakham, this was the norm. Interestingly enough the 7th year (Grecians) were allowed to dispense with uniform altogether and had to be dressed in jacket and tie or smart dresses/trousers for the girls. As they were seperated from the main school, this seemed like a good idea. i guess CH could do the same with the fact that Grecians are now in seperate houses.

In the 80s the only change we could muscle was dropping the coat and wearing a house blazer. This was acceptable "non uniform" after class, dining hall meals, chapel etc...In the later yeary we all had some favourite sweater or cardigan that we put over our white shirts to look cool...yup right with breeches below it worked...NOT!

Ah Annie - Frances and I were in 6s together for 3 years, so that is why she is worried! I can't remember how the strings came about. I used to have a photo showing them, wonder where it is?

CHAZ wrote:i taught at Oakham

I can't remember the distinctive features of the Oakham uniform offhand...

Housey dress has been weird and distinctive and not terribly practical for 450 years, and out of date for 400 at least. In other words, the arguments that apply now already applied in 1600.

Barnes Mum wrote:

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Sorry --- but I cannot resist ----- " In my day" --- All uniforms were FREE, as were socks shoes, underwear --- need I go on (NO !)

The Housey uniform is still provided free to the children. They do now provide their own shoes but coat, shirts, bands, skirt/breeches and socks are all still provided by the school.

In that case, could I recommend that parents teach them how to clean them ?

J.R. wrote:

Barnes Mum wrote:

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Sorry --- but I cannot resist ----- " In my day" --- All uniforms were FREE, as were socks shoes, underwear --- need I go on (NO !)

The Housey uniform is still provided free to the children. They do now provide their own shoes but coat, shirts, bands, skirt/breeches and socks are all still provided by the school.

In that case, could I recommend that parents teach them how to clean them ?

The matron's try their best I assure you J.R and would hope that no girl from my house would be seen with dirty shoes. Unless of course, she has emerged from where she shouldn't have been (smoking bushes!) before being caught! A real give away, muddy shoes!

michael scuffil wrote:

CHAZ wrote:i taught at Oakham

I can't remember the distinctive features of the Oakham uniform offhand...

Nothing spectacular..just black trousers and a blue jacket for the boys with shirt and a house tie; for the girls a tartan skirt, blue blazer and a white shirt. Hosue was identified by a coloured bar on the blazer....

CHAZ wrote:

michael scuffil wrote:

CHAZ wrote:i taught at Oakham

I can't remember the distinctive features of the Oakham uniform offhand...

Nothing spectacular..just black trousers and a blue jacket for the boys with shirt and a house tie; for the girls a tartan skirt, blue blazer and a white shirt. Hosue was identified by a coloured bar on the blazer....

Precisely...

fra828 wrote:It's interesting to read people's opinions on the uniform . Didn't realise that pupils changed out of uniform at 3.30pm. That must make a difference-changing into home clothes or sports gear for after-school activities. And not having to get back into uniform again that evening.

As my parents are at the school, I'm sometimes visiting in the evenig and a lot of kids seem to keep the uniform on if they have no need to change...

One thing about wearing the uniform all the time (which I think changed on my deps - so 98ish) was that it is a great leveller - it didn't matter if you didn't have the 'right clothes' to fit in - I knew people who literally had only a couple of sets of 'civvies' as that was pretty much all they had - the rest of the time they would wear games kit.

Great Plum wrote:

fra828 wrote:It's interesting to read people's opinions on the uniform . Didn't realise that pupils changed out of uniform at 3.30pm. That must make a difference-changing into home clothes or sports gear for after-school activities. And not having to get back into uniform again that evening.

As my parents are at the school, I'm sometimes visiting in the evenig and a lot of kids seem to keep the uniform on if they have no need to change...

One thing about wearing the uniform all the time (which I think changed on my deps - so 98ish) was that it is a great leveller - it didn't matter if you didn't have the 'right clothes' to fit in - I knew people who literally had only a couple of sets of 'civvies' as that was pretty much all they had - the rest of the time they would wear games kit.

Yes I agree uniform is a great leveller. My comments are aiming at the comfort and relatively high maintenance of the Housey uniform.

jhopgood wrote:I must say that the school must be pretty hard up if uniforms have to be dry cleaned at home. We had the full uniform including shoes, which were frequently second hand, and 2 coats, one for every day and one for special occasions or when te day one required cleaning.

I seem to remember my coat being dry cleaned at home during the '70s. The school took care of everything else, though,

Richard Ruck wrote: I seem to remember my coat being dry cleaned at home during the '70s.

At Hertford in the '50s we had to "dryclean" our tunics ourselves - dayroom tables covered with thick cloths, bowls of methylated spirits & ammonia set out, small scrubbing brushes - the pong was unbearable, the fumes suffocating. What would H & S have made of that, I wonder?

Dark Green Stockings ! ---- My dear -- how contemporary !

On the basis of economy, perhaps they could be Uniform up to Le ???

Glad to know that the Uniform is still free, with all the moans, I mis-understood --- however "Dry Cleaning" ???
I don't remember my Coat ever being cleaned, grease spots and Kiff(OBs explain) stains were scrubbed out, but I think that was it. --- AHA ! ------ now you know why NTN !!!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Dark Green Stockings ! ---- My dear -- how contemporary !

On the basis of economy, perhaps they could be Uniform up to Le ???

Glad to know that the Uniform is still free, with all the moans, I mis-understood --- however "Dry Cleaning" ???
I don't remember my Coat ever being cleaned, grease spots and Kiff(OBs explain) stains were scrubbed out, but I think that was it. --- AHA ! ------ now you know why NTN !!!

Ours were supposed to be cleaned during the holidays. During term time there were frequent (I think weekly) inspections so all marks had to have been removed with a scrubbing brush and Sprim (what a pong but it worked!)