Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

influenced you, positively or negatively. I'm thinking more from a non academic viewpoint although please feel free to mention academic matters if relevant.

In no particular order I would name Gerald Davies who, despite being a British Lion and current international and therefore well known, was an approachable man of humility and modesty. I think he taught me that "successful People" do not have to be "flash" and for ever giving it the great "I am".

Oh that some of the "successful people" I've encountered subsequently were like TGRD.

I would also mention Ron Lorimer who taught me to listen to other peoples opinions rather than stubbornly and dogmatically think that mine was the only viewpoint that was right.

There were others but those two sprung to mind.

I too would nominate Big Ron (Lorimer not Atkinson) as being one of my most influential mentors and John Shippen too for that matter. Their teaching methods were entirely different with Big Ron being more conservative in his adherence to the curriculum whilst John Shippen was a great advocate of individual thought with an almost total lack of reliance on the text book - Shippen's methods were more akin to what I would find later at university where the learning is not spoon-fed. Outside of class they were both approachable and endowed with a healthy supply of common sense. Mike Williams and Bob Hailey are two others whose respect was easily gained, as human beings first and then as teachers. On the other hand I was always suspicous of those masters who rated highly in the popularity stakes with my contemporaries and this feeling of distrust was carried over into my university days where my distaste for one particular geology lecturer who was seen by others as a "great bloke" led to some particularly venomous clashes.

OK guys - you may know what and WHO you are talking about - but can I bring up the TLA problem again????? Who is TGRD??? The Green Revolting Door????

Miss Gravett gave me responsibility - during a time I was having a lot of home problems, which was nice (hate that word..) The school secretary was probably the kindest as when I had bad news from the headmistress she was the one who brought me hot chocolate and BISCUITS!

Good point Jude.
To answer your question in the abscence of Mid A 15.
TGRD is Gerald Davies of rugby fame.
That was the welsh team that also had JPR playing at full back (John Williams)

(sorry if you fell asleep in the middle of that)

AKAP wrote:Good point Jude.
To answer your question in the abscence of Mid A 15.
TGRD is Gerald Davies of rugby fame.
That was the welsh team that also had JPR playing at full back (John Williams)

(sorry if you fell asleep in the middle of that)

I (literally) bumped into him outside St Mary's Paddington one day. BIG bloke, but not as big as Linford Christie, (brick outhouses spring to mind.) I walked into LC at 2am on the Labour Ward when his wife was in.

Has to be 'Rip' Kirby and the gorgeous, sweet and much missed Nell Todd.

J.R. wrote:Has to be 'Rip' Kirby and the gorgeous, sweet and much missed Nell Todd.

Even I remember my brother talking about Nell Todd!!

J.R. wrote:Has to be 'Rip' Kirby and the gorgeous, sweet and much missed Nell Todd.

Agreed about Rip Kirby but my drawing wasn't good enough for her to offer to pose for me in private

sejintenej wrote:

J.R. wrote:Has to be 'Rip' Kirby and the gorgeous, sweet and much missed Nell Todd.

Agreed about Rip Kirby but my drawing wasn't good enough for her to offer to pose for me in private

You can't win 'em all !!

Mr Simon Reid

i was very lucky to be at the school and do my Al evel English with 4 of the best English teachers the school have ever had. Mr Reid, Mr Marlow, Mr Kirby and Dr Stewart.

Down to them and in particular Mr Reid's support for me i got through my a levels and went onto do a degree in English at uni with International Relations.

He had time for everyone, gave everything so much passion-i had a particular dislike to Worsdworth but his enthusiasim and the way he read it made me reconsider(i still think that most of Wordsworth stuff was slightly over the top but one poem struck a chord with me). He also introduced me to a life long love of South African literature.

So as you can probably tell i think very highly of him and its a total shame that he left as did Mr Marlow. I also think like that about the other 3 too.

newbies seem to get better teachers ...... is that true???

blondie95 wrote:i was very lucky to be at the school and do my Al evel English with 4 of the best English teachers the school have ever had.

How can you compare them to teachers from previous generations?

We had some pretty good ones too, you know. They even taught us to use capital letters where appropriate!

You never miss a trick, do you.....

Rory wrote:You never miss a trick, do you.....

Well, I'm defending the honour of Pinky Palmer & co.!

Just looking back when I was a "girl" - all our staff were well over 40yrs old - with perhaps the oddity of Miss Gravett..... & poor Peter White

These days most of the staff seem to be well under 40 and although young I wonder if they are better able to "get with it" with the younger generation...?