Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I note, with intrest, that there are re-unions for OBs of the 30 40 and 50 "Years On"
I never see one for those of us who were at CH in the 30s and 40s, who are now 60 years on --- and more !
Many will remember the Bristol Uni's study of Dr Friend's Patients, which concluded (I kid you not!) that 50% of us were better than the National Mortality Rate --- which is 100% -- therefore 50% of us are Immortal !
Working on this principle, I did a 13000ft Sky-dive, for Charity, the day after my 80th Birthday.
We attend Old Blues Day, Founder's Dinners and our local CHA Events -- we aint dead yet !
Dous anybody out there feel as I do ? ---- I'm sorry-- I'll say that louder ----
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE ? -----Mumble mumble ----------zzzzzzzzzz ! ---

That is a fair point Neill.

I GUESS that the response would be that most of those who regularly attend OB Reunions are of your vintage and thus "on board" whereas the younger generations attend in fewer numbers.

The reasons as to why younger OBs do not attend are arguably a topic for another thread but I'll suggest the following: Work, family (the lunches are often mid week I notice which is fine for those able to attend but will rule out "youngsters") and fear of knowing nobody and feeling like a fish out of water.

Reading my recent old blue, i noted that there seems to be no evidence of a Kent OB's-not even one meet planned in the entire year. I know of 3 OB's in Kent of my era and im sure there are many many more. I would like to know of a Kent network and see who else is around this area!

blondie95 wrote:Reading my recent old blue, i noted that there seems to be no evidence of a Kent OB's-not even one meet planned in the entire year. I know of 3 OB's in Kent of my era and im sure there are many many more. I would like to know of a Kent network and see who else is around this area!

Kent COB's, page 35 in your OBM?

blondie95 wrote:Reading my recent old blue, i noted that there seems to be no evidence of a Kent OB's-not even one meet planned in the entire year. I know of 3 OB's in Kent of my era and im sure there are many many more. I would like to know of a Kent network and see who else is around this area!

I vaguely remember filling in a survey enclosed with The Old Blue from Kent COBs a year or two ago although I've never attended any of their events.

If I remember rightly the secretary was looking to step down. Hence the reason for no listed events I would suggest.

Actually, my complaint is not about the attendance of young OBs at local "Functions" but that there are NO re-unions at CH, for those of us of "Elder Years" ie. pre 1950s !
Some of us are mobile in Bathchairs !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Actually, my complaint is not about the attendance of young OBs at local "Functions" but that there are NO re-unions at CH, for those of us of "Elder Years" ie. pre 1950s !
Some of us are mobile in Bathchairs !

Surely there is, it's called Old Blues Day.

Like I said -- we attend Old Blue's Say amd Founder's Dinners, BUT there are re-unions for Old Blues who qualify by their years at CH, eg: 70s, 60s 50s ----but no 40s 0r 30s.
My point is --- We ain't all dead !
My last re-union was of Barnes B, which, now being a Girl's House, I was given a tour by three delightful young ladies ( don't want to appear patronising -- but they were !)
On visiting their Senior Common Room (?) -- I remarked that it had, in my time, been the senior Housemaster's Study and that I had been beaten there. They enquired "Where ?" ------- a pause while I considered my answer -- I said " In that corner, over there !"--which I considered to be a tactful reply !
They asked me where I came from to CH-- I replied "Stockwell---- en oi cun gaw bick there enny toim oi loik "
Oh, said they, we have a girl here from Stockwell-- on meeting her she replied "Ewe yis !"--- But when I relapsed into my original tongue she said "Wuwl sah kin oi akshul !" we decided that CH puts a veneer on your speech --- but what horrors lie below !
I was glad to see that Barnes B humour remains alive and well !

blondie95 wrote:Reading my recent old blue, i noted that there seems to be no evidence of a Kent OB's-not even one meet planned in the entire year. I know of 3 OB's in Kent of my era and im sure there are many many more. I would like to know of a Kent network and see who else is around this area!

Katherine Bennett (nee Davidson) lives near Margate (lucky her!)

Thank you Plum-in the 3.5 years living in Kent only been to Margate once!

Mid A 15 wrote:

blondie95 wrote:Reading my recent old blue, i noted that there seems to be no evidence of a Kent OB's-not even one meet planned in the entire year. I know of 3 OB's in Kent of my era and im sure there are many many more. I would like to know of a Kent network and see who else is around this area!

I vaguely remember filling in a survey enclosed with The Old Blue from Kent COBs a year or two ago although I've never attended any of their events.

If I remember rightly the secretary was looking to step down. Hence the reason for no listed events I would suggest.

http://www.chassociation.org/sections/uk/kent.php

Yes the Kent COBS organiser is looking to step down.

Browsing through today's Guardian I lingered over the queries answered by the Agony Aunt (who demonstrates a splendid mastery of the comma in para 2).

Question Should I go to my school reunion?

Lucy Think about who is going to be there. A group of people for whom the heaving, hormonally-soaked morass of cliques, secret political machinations and occasional armed skirmishes in the playground were the best days of their lives and who are seeking to recreate them for one last evening. And a second group for whom school was a waking nightmare and who are going back only to lord it over their one-time tormentors by talking loudly and incessantly about their children/bank statements/double garages/holiday homes.

That is not a fun evening, even before all the old patterns re-emerge, rising from the depths of your brains like ancient rocks from the sea bed, against which your sophisticated adult selves will quickly dash themselves to pieces. Clinging to the wreckage will be the tiny, vicious bully or whimpering victim you thought you had killed off years ago, battered by the freezing and unforgiving seas of self-knowledge.

So, I should say, on the whole, don't go.

Does this sound like Old Blues Day?

NO! but I perceived a tiny flicker of familiarity quivering in my unconscious . "whimpering victim"

How very true that is, I think i may if i went fall into the latter group-show those who tormented me and made me feel very low about myself just how i have used it and grown!

blondie95 wrote:Thank you Plum-in the 3.5 years living in Kent only been to Margate once!

And once is more times than you'd like I'm sure... She lives in a place called Birchington...

Great Plum wrote:

blondie95 wrote:Thank you Plum-in the 3.5 years living in Kent only been to Margate once!

And once is more times than you'd like I'm sure... She lives in a place called Birchington...

Birchington is a far nicer place than Margate.