Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

The other morning I was walking down a road through a wooded area after the rain and the smell suddenly transported me back to The Avenue twenty-odd years ago as a kid walking to lessons. For a moment I almost felt I was wearing the uniform and carrying my books. It made me feel quite emotional as it was a very powerful flashback.

Upon reflection, there are many strong olfactory memories I have of CH from every part of the school. Many that I haven't experienced since but can remember clearly.

Just thought I would share the moment with the forum to hear what people remember and maybe awaken a few memories I thought I had forgotten!

Yes, the smell in Dining Hall after the floor had been polished is a fairly strong memory.

The smell of the tube, of course,was very distinctive.

Then, for those who were at C.H. during the mid '70s, the smell of a senior house when everyone was furiously burning joss sticks.

The smell of damp housey coats was always one that sticks in my memory.

And the smell of the wardrobe as well which smelt of a mixture of housey coat and mothballs!

The smell of the changing rooms after a rugby match was pretty potent but then so was RF!

Liver served up in dining hall was pretty powerful.

The smell of fresh bands and shirt!

Duraglit, which we used to polish the brass, and it made your fingers all green/black too.

Our teachers were pretty smart, they didn't let us anywhere near cleaning substances, we would only have tried to work out which combinations exploded

englishangel wrote:Duraglit, which we used to polish the brass, and it made your fingers all green/black too.

We didn't use Duraglit but Brasso, I think, it definitely came in a red and white tin. The brasses were always calld Bluebells in 6s, after the previous brand of polish. Whatever it was. it did smell!

There was always a musty/yeasty smell pervading the atmosphere around the dining hall at Hertford that instantly takes me back there. And the smell of Body Shop Dewberry reminds me of the archaeology trip to Egypt on my Deps in 1989.

Katharine wrote:

englishangel wrote:Duraglit, which we used to polish the brass, and it made your fingers all green/black too.

We didn't use Duraglit but Brasso, I think, it definitely came in a red and white tin. The brasses were always calld Bluebells in 6s, after the previous brand of polish. Whatever it was. it did smell!

That smell (Brasso) reminds me of church, because, before I was old enough to attend school, I used to help my Nan polish the brasses at St Saviour's church, Battersea. There was a large brass lectern fashioned like an eagle.

Does anyone remember the smell of the History room at Hertford?

I am almost afraid to ask what it did smell like Caroline. You have got my interest peaked though.

icomefromalanddownunder wrote:

Katharine wrote:

englishangel wrote:Duraglit, which we used to polish the brass, and it made your fingers all green/black too.

We didn't use Duraglit but Brasso, I think, it definitely came in a red and white tin. The brasses were always calld Bluebells in 6s, after the previous brand of polish. Whatever it was. it did smell!

That smell (Brasso) reminds me of church, because, before I was old enough to attend school, I used to help my Nan polish the brasses at St Saviour's church, Battersea. There was a large brass lectern fashioned like an eagle.

Does anyone remember the smell of the History room at Hertford?

Didn't Miss Mercer smoke Gauloises or Gitanes or something.

Perhaps we had different stuff, I remember Brasso, and have used it, but we had Duraglit, the wadding type stuff from the orange tin.

soc wrote:I am almost afraid to ask what it did smell like Caroline. You have got my interest peaked though.

Hi soc

Re Mary's reply: Miss Mercer was our History Teacher.

As to what the History Room smelt like: it was a smell like no other I can remember smelling, and I have no idea where it came from.

Maybe furniture polish from the wooden desks, mixed with eau de Gitane or Gauloise?

I have felt the same on occassion re. the damp earth/soil/trees smell - that early morning smell at around 6am when it's just stopped raining - often brings back memories of walking up the Avenue to breakfast...

Freshly-polished dormitories at the beginning of term.

The counting house at Horsham has a very distictive smell, which hasn't changed in 15 years

Junior-boys' dormitories - horrible - unwashed boys with no deodorant!

J

Katharine wrote:

englishangel wrote:Duraglit, which we used to polish the brass, and it made your fingers all green/black too.

We didn't use Duraglit but Brasso, I think, it definitely came in a red and white tin. The brasses were always calld Bluebells in 6s, after the previous brand of polish. Whatever it was. it did smell!

BLUEBELL. Thank you Katharine, I was trying to remember what we had used at Hertford, while I was considering polishing the brass ornaments my daughter keeps giving me.

soc wrote:The smell of the changing rooms after a rugby match was pretty potent but then so was RF!

Liver served up in dining hall was pretty powerful.

The smell of badly cooked tripe wafting from Peele Bridge to the sicker was indescribable. Remembering it makes me feel sick even now

The foul stench of well matured sweaty humanity in the tube was a distand second.