Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

After a trip to DC and seeing flocks of birds in Washington National Airport, I wondered, did CH ever eliminate the birds from the dining hall?

I vaguely remember birds in the Dining Hall, ---- but I was too busy eating what food there was !

To the credit of the School, during the War they fed us quite well, in addition to accommodating, clothing us and , to a certain extent educating us !

There were always a few sparrows in residence in the DH during my time at CH.

I don't think anybody took a blind bit of notice of them.

If you were on early trades in there, especially during inclement weather, their 'tweeting', (not the computer type), would echo around the hall.

The answer, as the Duke of Wellington told Queen Victoria at the Great Exhibition when faced by a similar problem, is a sparrow-hawk

Did you never wonder, Neill, exactly what sort of meat it was that you were eating?!!

Fjgrogan wrote:Did you never wonder, Neill, exactly what sort of meat it was that you were eating?!!

Frances, if you were a bit older, or had been to Horsham during rationing, you would have known exactly what you were eating - gristle and a bit of leather if you were lucky, overcooked green stuff and other unmentionable concoctions. We didn't even dare wonder - that alone would have brought on the retching.
Meat? did I read you write "meat" young lady? You must have a fine imagination** or a lot of optimism

Going back to when I was at primary school, school meals were brought the 30 or 40 miles from I think Exeter. At least several times a term we would get a few days off as the teacher, Miss Welch collapsed after lunch and was unfit to attend school next day at least. Yes, it was the food. After that, (no comments about CH in this respect) I have had a pretty strong belly; went to Africa, Brazil and pre-modern southern Spain and was fine ignoring all the rules. When my wife came to Brazil I made her obey those rules and take all the pills imaginable - it was she who had food poisoning, was seriously ill, needing injections and everything else!


** reminds me of the aircraft crash at the Dublin cemetary - death toll is over 2000 so far.

'Young lady' you say! now who is the one with the fine imagination?! I was born the day the war ended, so the only rationing I remember in any detail was sweet rationing!

sejintenej wrote: young lady?

Isn't he lovely, Frances?

The after effects of the Dining Hall (and my generously filled tuck tin... and The Chocolate Box, Bull Plain) for me meant

D*I*E*T!

Of course he is gallant ----- We "Of a certain age" tend to rise to our feet when Ladies enter the room, and hold open doors for them.

I got caught like this -- this Morning, on leaving Church, when fully 30 people were arriving for a Baptism !!

I fely like wearing my Medals ---and a peaked cap -- might have made a few bob !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Of course he is gallant ----- We "Of a certain age" tend to rise to our feet when Ladies enter the room, and hold open doors for them.!

That is when we of a certain age get the door slammed in our faces - if we are lucky

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I fely like wearing my Medals ---and a peaked cap -- might have made a few bob !

I had to go to a funeral on Tuesday at which one of the deceased's sons wore his medals. Unfortunately it looked awful; he was wearing the fullsized ones on a blazer and the British ones went from the middle of his chest to beyond his armpit; IMHO he should have worn the minatures. On top of that he had two foreign medals - worn above the UK ones; I thought that non UK forces medals should be worn on the right?
Interesting question of etiquette; normally the GC or GM (being normally civilian awards) would be worn on the right but in the case of the surviving bomb disposal expert, because that the award was earned in a war situation should he wear it on the right or left?

(I have no reason to doubt that those medals were properly earned.)

Way off topic re. birds in Dining Hall (didn't happen at Hertford, I think!) - but ladies hold doors open too? Not sure if it is an age thing, but it might be innate politeness, bred at CH? I went to an all-staff meeting on Friday, and left my electric buggy on the rather small landing outside the doors, by the lift. I was fairly early out of the room at the end of the meeting, but with the mass of people emerging from the room and aiming for the stairs, I couldn't have dreamt of getting on and manoeuvering the buggy, so I just held the door until the massed hordes had emerged. Everyone thought it was Very Funny! 'I'd rather be a doorkeeper......' , I kept on saying!

I have only, personally known one GC, who was my Colonel, and one VC who was my Great Uncle
He, the Colonel, with the assistance of a Naval Lieutenant, and some "Volunteers" sailed a burning Ammunition Ship out of Valleta Harbour. Uncle took Thiepval in the Somme and held it for 48 hours (Where the Lutchens Memorial is )
GCs are awarded for gallantry which is NOT "In the face of the Enemy" but rank equally with VCs (and ,I am sure, should be Left Breast ) ---- hence the VC and GC Association
The VC carries a Pension --- I'm not sure about the GC
My Colonel always wore his as the first of his medals.
My Uncle joked about his (As they do !) the Citation reads "He refused Medical Attention for 48 hors "
He said "There WAS no B***dy Medical Attention --- I'd have gladly accepted it "!!! (Two Wounds !)

Yes Medals worn by Wives and Children, should be on the right breast, as to whether they should be miniatures -- I don;t know, "Mins" are usually for Mess Dress or formal Evening wear ----- but ??


This should be on WW2 Topic ------ not much Enemy Action in the Dining Hall !

'not much enemy action in dining hall'? you were clearly never in sixes with Miss Jenkins! but that is a bird of a different feather!!

sejintenej wrote:[On top of that he had two foreign medals - worn above the UK ones; I thought that non UK forces medals should be worn on the right?
Interesting question of etiquette; normally the GC or GM (being normally civilian awards) would be worn on the right but in the case of the surviving bomb disposal expert, because that the award was earned in a war situation should he wear it on the right or left?

Generally speaking, foreign awards which are equivalent to a Mention in Dispatches or a Queen's Commendation or higher will be authorised for wear and are worn after all British awards; fairly common these days to see US Bronze Stars and Legions of Merit from Iraq and Afghanistan. Royal Humane Society and RNLI awards are worn on the right but as Neill correctly points out all authorised UK awards are worn on the left including the George Cross, George Medal (and Queen's Gallantry Medal). I have also noticed that the relatively recently awarded medals from the Russian, Maltese and Malaysian Governments to veterans of various campaigns of the Second World War and the insurgency in Malaya are often worn on the left underneath authorised awards but this is entirely unofficial. Equally unofficial is the wear of privately produced medals available for purchase from a wide range or organisations to commemorate sevice for which official awards were never made, ie National Service, the Cold War etc. Next of kin often wear their realtives' medals on the right and, whilst minatures these days tend to be worn only with Mess Dress or equivalent, in the Victorian era they were originally produced for wear by spouses. My daughter always wears the minatures of her Great Grandfather's medals from the First and Second World Wars for the Remembrance Day service and parade at our local church.

Still "Off Topic" --- but interesting !

I don't wear "Family" medals on Remembrance or other parades.
Firstly, because their actions were far superior (If that is the right word for the Somme ???) to mine, and secondly because I would clank like a tank, down on the Right Breast !!! -- (None of us brighter, than to be Soldiers !)
I have mentioned before, the India Medal, with clasps for Afghanistan and Waziristan (Seems only yesterday !! )

I think the photographs are very moving --- Grandfather (RSM DCM, RHA) as a Lance Bombadier,with Grandma -- on their engagement, he with pill-box cap and swagger stick, she with enormous hat and bustle. (About 1880)

My younger Son (52) has just started to get interested in the Family History --- is this a sign of Maturity ???