Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Does anyone know whether The Tube which extended in a North South direction when built in 1902
as well as West to East under the boarding houses is still in existence?
Chris Bartlett

You could see still see evidence of it on littleside through the skylights when I left in 89 there was one almost opposite what is now the entrance to the sports centre

Probably not related, but when I left last time, I parked on the grass opposite the security office whilst I handed in my pass. The security man said I had better move on quick as underneath where I had parked was subsiding and in danger of caving in. I didn't wait to ask whether it was drains or the tube.

Kit Bartlett wrote:Does anyone know whether The Tube which extended in a North South direction when built in 1902
as well as West to East under the boarding houses is still in existence?
Chris Bartlett

To the boiler house near the old swimming pool (series of skylights around the edge of Littleside), under the cloisters and under Big School (and the classroom blocks I think). There was/is also a branch to the Sicker. There are also tight passages under each house, just big enough to craw down. The entrance to the boiler house tube from the main tube is/was quite high up, but once past the first bit it became a narrow passage, just about high enough to walk down, with super heated steam pipes to one side!
I don't know much about the passages up towards Big School apart from the face that it was possible to disapear into the floor at one end and appear under the stage.

I assume that the "Tight Passages" must be as now.
During the War, the Tube from the Houses to the Dining Hall, were wide enough for a House to march to meals, in wet weather -------

Regrettably they were sandbagged into House divisions, to avoind a "Through-blast" from a bomb, and in my first year all the juniors slept down there every night !

I believe that Seniors were considered expendable !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I assume that the "Tight Passages" must be as now.
During the War, the Tube from the Houses to the Dining Hall, were wide enough for a House to march to meals, in wet weather -------

Regrettably they were sandbagged into House divisions, to avoind a "Through-blast" from a bomb, and in my first year all the juniors slept down there every night !

I believe that Seniors were considered expendable !

The tube under the houses is much as it was, apart from lots of walls with fire doors blocking it off. The tight passages were under the dayrooms and studies (were previously changing rooms).

WOW !

Yes i remember the smaller tubes as being up near the ceiling of the main tube generally with metal grills over about 3' square. There were stories about rooms down them that had been or were being used for home brewing etc etc - the went out to the classroom blocks from under dining hall via Old science school and chapel as well, I guess they needed to be big enough to allow inspection and repair of the heating pipes as until the mid 80's all the hot (in Leigh Hunt and i guess Peele read tepid) water had to come up from the boiler house down by the old swimming pool near the station and be distributed to every building (except i think for maybe the new science block and definitely the new block/theatre that had their own heating system)

OFF Topic, but, our brewing was mostly done, and stored on the stone stairs at the ends of the Dormitories.
Explosions seemed to occur at night, and there was a rush to see whose had shattered (Involving clean up of the stairs !!)

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:OFF Topic, but, our brewing was mostly done, and stored on the stone stairs at the ends of the Dormitories.
Explosions seemed to occur at night, and there was a rush to see whose had shattered (Involving clean up of the stairs !!)

I take it you mean the emergency fire-escape stairs, which were always out of bounds, unless an emergecy DID occur !!

Yes I do ----- and I don't remember them being Out of Bounds ---- that doesn't mean the y were not !

We are talking some 65 years ago !! ------ senility is a great comfort !

I take it you mean the emergency fire-escape stairs, which were always out of bounds, unless an emergecy DID occur !![/quote]

They were out of bounds 1946-53, in Col A

Dear David,
Pleased to see your name in the Forum. Hope that you are keeping well. I assume that you will have retired by now. Are you still in Frome? Have been in touch with David McKie. He was a great friend of my brother Nick who you will know sadly died in 2008. Quite a lot of Col. A Old Blues of our vintage have died including Digby Blakiston and Raymond Jewell.
Regards,
Chris Bartlett

In the early 90's, the rooms off the tube were still used to store trunks etc...

DavidRawlins wrote:I take it you mean the emergency fire-escape stairs, which were always out of bounds, unless an emergecy DID occur !!

They were out of bounds 1946-53, in Col A[/quote]

Never out of Bounds in LHA or B in the 80's especially as by the time i was in LHA it was a senior house and bottom dorm was the day room, the original day room had been turned into studies sleeping 2-4. The room opposite the bottom of the stone fire escape was the tuck room in LHB and a TV room full of manky old sofas and benches (the original day room ones) in LHA. The cupboards under those stairs were converted into telephone boxes when the 3 old BT ones (prep block, wardrobe & by 22 range) were abandoned about 1983.