Damn refurbishment!

[lucyinthesky]

Does anybody else seriosly disapprove of what's happening to the avenue houses?
I'm told that It's necessary under 'Health and safety' (can't stay in a padded box forever though) but can't they do it without stripping the houses of their individuality and turning them into identical whitewashed mental asylums that start falling apart within weeks?
I was really upset the other day- while walking past Col A (where I've lived for the past 6 years) I glimpsed past the scaffolding how they've ruthlessly gutted all the history...
Anybody else feeling as bitchy as me?

Sorry if this has appeared here before, but allow- I'm new

[J.R.]

I haven't seen the developments recently, Lucy, but the last time I was down at CH, I couldn't help but think that the current re-development was taking away the School brotherhood/sisterhood ethos by sffectively isolating pupils from one another.

Isolation and mental health 'cells' rings a little bell at the back of my mind.

I await other comments avidly.

[Vonny]

It does seem rather sad but I guess the houses (particularly the boys ones) must be in need of some kind of refit.

A bit off topic but have they put the boards with all the names of the house monitors etc back up on the walls of the refurbished houses? They got my initial wrong on my name

[lucyinthesky]

Not sure... They were in the process of updating the Col A one when I moved out.
I don't doubt that the houses seriously need doing up, just annoyed that they had to get rid of the individuality etc. The earlier ones (Lamb, Peele, LH) don't have dayrooms any more, and they're all refitted to exactly the same plan.

[Vonny]

The earlier ones (Lamb, Peele, LH) don't have dayrooms any more, and they're all refitted to exactly the same plan.

What's where the day rooms were?

[lucyinthesky]

What's where the day rooms were?

Bedrooms. theres loads more single rooms in the new houses, and a kitchen/tv room where the common rooms used to be, towards the back of house.

[lucyinthesky]

I haven't seen the developments recently, Lucy, but the last time I was down at CH, I couldn't help but think that the current re-development was taking away the School brotherhood/sisterhood ethos by sffectively isolating pupils from one another.

Isolation and mental health 'cells' rings a little bell at the back of my mind.

I await other comments avidly.

were there still open dorms in your time? when I was in Col, there were rooms of 1-3 depending on age, but the walls didn't reach the ceiling so we were all connected and could still talk all night without leaving bed!

Alas, no longer...

[Vonny]

Oh I see. So who sleeps downstairs?

[lucyinthesky]

mostly seniors, though the unfortunate ones sometimes get sent to the top floor. No more progression downsairs when one comes of age...

[Vonny]

mostly seniors, though the unfortunate ones sometimes get sent to the top floor. No more progression downsairs when one comes of age...

I would have thought the seniors would be upstairs! Don't think I would have fancied sleeping downstairs with all the noise of people in & out.

[lucyinthesky]

ground floor, fair enugh. I don't like the sound of that either. What happened in Col was the seniors had the middle floor and juniors above, then common rooms, dayroom, kitchen etc downstairs. one flight of stairs definately preferable to two!

Grecians west has bedrooms on the ground floor and kitchens two floors up. craziness...

[J.R.]

I haven't seen the developments recently, Lucy, but the last time I was down at CH, I couldn't help but think that the current re-development was taking away the School brotherhood/sisterhood ethos by sffectively isolating pupils from one another.

Isolation and mental health 'cells' rings a little bell at the back of my mind.

I await other comments avidly.

were there still open dorms in your time? when I was in Col, there were rooms of 1-3 depending on age, but the walls didn't reach the ceiling so we were all connected and could still talk all night without leaving bed!

Alas, no longer...

Yes Lucy. Two long dorms reached by the central stair-case. Beds side by side down each side, military fashion. The far staircase, (emergency staircase) was out of bounds except to monitors and for use in the case of emergency.

As far as talking was concerned, effectively you could shout from one end of the dorm to the other, though this was banned after lights out, and punished by 1/4 miles or miles.

The only personalisation allowed was one blanket that could be bought from home.

I'm sure I have a photo of my dorm somewhere, though I haven't seen it for ages.

[Angela Woodford]

I haven't seen the developments recently, Lucy, but the last time I was down at CH, I couldn't help but think that the current re-development was taking away the School brotherhood/sisterhood ethos by sffectively isolating pupils from one another.

Isolation and mental health 'cells' rings a little bell at the back of my mind.

I await other comments avidly.

were there still open dorms in your time? when I was in Col, there were rooms of 1-3 depending on age, but the walls didn't reach the ceiling so we were all connected and could still talk all night without leaving bed!

Alas, no longer...

Even now in my twilight years I really appreciate having a room of my own - funny, isn't it? I longed for a bit of privacy during the dormitory and cubicle years at Hertford, especially if you had a locker-searching Housemistress. But it did make me expert in the art of concealing stuff. Poor old Pot - but she wasn't a very good searcher.

If I come on Old Blues Day, would I be able to see around a House - does anybody know?

I have posted before that I attended my godson's Confirmation during the early 90's and saw a very primitive dormitory where he slept. There were boards under the bed! It looked a dreadful place to sleep! Though I note via the Forum that you guys remember those days of cold baths and removing each other's bed boards with relish. The regime must have made you strong and tough!

JR - "isolation and mental health cells" reminds me of my various times in psychiatric nursing. Of course you may have extreme mental illness in mind but at handovers, the team were always horribly quick to pick up on any poor patient guilty of "isolating". On no account to be allowed - ruthlessly they were pressured to mix with other patients, when I felt that possibly a bit of time on their own was what they could have welcomed. And ditto with Care Of the Older Patient (once called Geriatrics).

Munch

[lucyinthesky]

I'm not sure of the rules regarding old blues day... (shameful) but I don't see why you shouldn't see a boarding house. Middleton is the only one left unscathed...

The far staircase, (emergency staircase) was out of bounds except to monitors and for use in the case of emergency.

As far as talking was concerned, effectively you could shout from one end of the dorm to the other, though this was banned after lights out, and punished by 1/4 miles or miles.

Anyone's allowed to use the back stairs now... They're a particular favourite of whoever's on duty for sneaking upstairs, listening to our sordid conversations for a few minutes, then declaring their presence and that we all would have house drills the next sunday morning.

My second form was the last year that house drills consisted of running the mile. After that it would be cleaning the fridge or sweeping both staircases. fun.

[Great Plum]

I never agreed with the way the houses were orignally being refurbished - Lamb, Peele etc... it's also true to say that Lamb already looks 'tired' inside after its refurbishement...

I haven't been in any of the 'less renovated' houses that retained a dayroom etc, but surely a dayroom (or at least a room where the whole house can gather) is vital.

An interesting point - Exeter university don't have any girls in the halls sleeping on the ground floor due to safety issues...