Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Jan and I have returned from a short break on the South coast, and decided to have a day in Horsham yesterday.

Surprise-surprise.

A CH girl in full Housey uniform strolling quickly through the Carfax. (non-Grecian).

My gaze was immediately drawn to her shoes.

I'll just leave it to say that if anyone in Coleridge B in the 60's walked around with filthy scuffed shoes like hers, our feet wouldn't have touched !

Is there no pride in footwear at CH these days ?

...at least if she was a non-grecian it can't have been my daughter - she's just trying to get her shoes to last till the end of term now. Rather different with son, as I was able to wear his cast offs!

In my Junior House you had to clean your shoes nd leave them in your locker durning prep. A monitor would check if the shoes were clean and if not at the end of prep you were signaled out! I think we had to wear our slippers or something during prep.

I havent been back to CH since 2004 but was equally surprised to see the sloppiness of the pupils then: socks down, bands open...would never have happened in my day!

CHAZ wrote:In my Junior House you had to clean your shoes nd leave them in your locker durning prep. A monitor would check if the shoes were clean and if not at the end of prep you were signaled out! I think we had to wear our slippers or something during prep.

I havent been back to CH since 2004 but was equally surprised to see the sloppiness of the pupils then: socks down, bands open...would never have happened in my day!

That applied to everyone excluding monitors in Col A - inspection each weekday evening and they had to be clean and highly polished. Also coat inspection from time to time.

If it's any help, my son lives in fear of the School Marshall who is, I believe, in charge of correct uniform etc. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

Momto2 wrote:If it's any help, my son lives in fear of the School Marshall who is, I believe, in charge of correct uniform etc.

OMG, what a Dickensian image this conjures up. I have a vision of a tall, haggard chap with yellow teeth and in need of a shave (think Harry Potter, the caretaker with the cat, but slightly better dressed ) in a top hat, scraggy tail coat and stripy trousers walking round the school with a cane under his arm, preying on innocent young pupils whose bands aren't straight or shoes aren't shiny.

Please tell me it's true...

If its the same chap... I seem to remember he was a little bit like that only well dressed :p He had two labradors who went around with him and they both hand bands attached to their collars

He liked to give out dress parades and sunday morning detentions!
Most 2nd form (and most students actually) were either terrified or did their best to avoid him.... either that or hurriedly pulled up their socks/did their bands up on the way into breakfast..!

He was called Sergeant Major

Maine B in the early 90's was the last house in the avenue to have daily shoe parade... Plum Senior inheritied the tradition from Mr Grimshaw and we all had to be outside at 7.15 and our shoes were inspected...

I won't go any further in narrowing down the possible identity of the shoe-offender.

Unusual to see a pupil in Uniform in Horsham. Very rare now. Shoes vary - at this time of year they do look tatty. Not the high priority they once were.

Why not?

Because they're allowed to go into town in civvies now, and I guess, most choose to do so.

I kNOW who it was!

Have you whispered in her ear that JR thought her shoes were filthy and scuffed?

I meant why are shoes not the high priority they once were?