Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

How much is really known about the School's most well known landmark, the Water Tower?
What is its capacity and precisely how do the mechanics work of supplying the water?
I wonder how many Old Blues during their time at CH or afterwards have ever climbed to the top.
I seem to remember that some enterprising person once flew a red bather from the flagstaff.
Chris Bartlett

Kit Bartlett wrote:How much is really known about the School's most well known landmark, the Water Tower?
What is its capacity and precisely how do the mechanics work of supplying the water?
I wonder how many Old Blues during their time at CH or afterwards have ever climbed to the top.
I seem to remember that some enterprising person once flew a red bather from the flagstaff.
Chris Bartlett

I found this thread about the Water Tower....

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2023&hilit=water+tower

I think i remember Mr Torkington explaining it as an artesian well on sharpenhurst that fed the tower via pipes at a continuous flow which was not enough to meet peak demand - hence the need for a water tower in the centre of the school which then gravity fed all taps in the school with enough head of pressure that the top dorm taps in houses still flowed.

So all powered by gravity

One of its functions I remember was to be measured in Trig class to try and estimate its height, knowing your distance from the base and the angle to the top.

In the summer of 1960 (I think), we had no hot water for a fortnight. I don't know the cause, but a provisional remedy was found which involved the water tower being draped with hoses (at least on the east side).

LongGone wrote:One of its functions I remember was to be measured in Trig class to try and estimate its height, knowing your distance from the base and the angle to the top.

"estimate"? Shame on you! You mean "calculate".

But yes, this was to demonstrate the practical value of tangents. I can't remember what we measured the angle with, but I do remember having to take the height of this instrument from the ground into consideration.

Interestingly, the new painting in Dining Hall of the Queen`s visit to CH a few years ago has Dining Hall in the background - minus the water tower!!!
How could the artist have failed to see it???

michael scuffil wrote:

LongGone wrote:One of its functions I remember was to be measured in Trig class to try and estimate its height, knowing your distance from the base and the angle to the top.

"estimate"? Shame on you! You mean "calculate".

But yes, this was to demonstrate the practical value of tangents. I can't remember what we measured the angle with, but I do remember having to take the height of this instrument from the ground into consideration.

Yes -- there must be very few "Horsham" Old Blues, who have not had to do this, in Trig (We are all evading the spelling !) classes.
It was a long time ago, but I seem to remember an instument, rather like a Sextant, with the angle shown on it's side, when pointed at the top of the Tower.

Also, a long time ago, I was working for Plessey in S. Africa, and we were building "Tellurometers" which sent a modified radio signal to a reflective target at the top of a mountain, and calculated it's height, using the same formula, but now knowing the "Hypotenuse" distance. ---- nothing changes !

michael scuffil wrote:

LongGone wrote:One of its functions I remember was to be measured in Trig class to try and estimate its height, knowing your distance from the base and the angle to the top.

"estimate"? Shame on you! You mean "calculate".

But yes, this was to demonstrate the practical value of tangents. I can't remember what we measured the angle with, but I do remember having to take the height of this instrument from the ground into consideration.

You credit me with too great an ability with Trig: ‘estimate’ was not chosen lightly

Interestingly, the new painting in Dining Hall of the Queen`s visit to CH a few years ago has Dining Hall in the background - minus the water tower!!! How could the artist have failed to see it???

Not the only error. Check which way KEVI is facing. Rumour has it that the artist was paid £27-28,00. I am speechless!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote: Yes -- there must be very few "Horsham" Old Blues, who have not had to do this, in Trig (We are all evading the spelling !) classes.

Nope, never did this at any point!

LongGone wrote:One of its functions I remember was to be measured in Trig class to try and estimate its height, knowing your distance from the base and the angle to the top.

We also did that in scouts with the benefit of a tape measure and a stick but no tables of tangents etc.

Foureyes wrote:

Interestingly, the new painting in Dining Hall of the Queen`s visit to CH a few years ago has Dining Hall in the background - minus the water tower!!! How could the artist have failed to see it???[/quote]

Not the only error. Check which way KEVI is facing. Rumour has it that the artist was paid £27-28,00. I am speechless!

Someone mentioned at school that the Water Tower was left out because it was 1) too phallic, and 2) would have required a different shaped canvas.
Also there's no grass in the quad.
Funny how this took 7 years to paint and the Verio took 6.......

Perhaps the omissions could be explained to viewers, by a suitably gilded sub-script !

BAH ! CHA ! and fiddlededee !

OK --I'm an old cynic !

Concerning this painting, does anyone know the name of the artist and whether there is a picture of it on the Web anywhere?