Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Does anyone remember exactly how these were accumulated? Were they voluntary payments made by boys,
parents or Old Blues? Presumably they were used to buy extra equipment or creature comforts of some sort for the House.
Kit Aitken Senior Housemaster of Coleridge A always refused any offers made by visiting Old Blues in the early nineteen fifties until they were earning two thousand pounds a year.
None of us could at that time envisage ever ascending to that dizzy height of income.
Chris Bartlett.

A deduction was made from pocket money. I think the amount was standard throughout the school. When I started, it was 5/- (25p) a term, which was one-sixth of official minimum pocket money. By the time I left it had increased to 7/6 (37.5p), minimum pocket money having gone up to 2 pounds.

Much of house funds went on sports equipment.


Even in 1970, 2000 pounds was a reasonably good income. More, for example, than a teacher could aspire to. On 2000 pounds you could get a mortgage of 6000, plus the 1500 you were expected to find yourself. In those days 7500 outside London would buy you a detached house with a big garden in a quiet road.

House funds are now £25 - a year I think - and are automatically added on to fees.

I think Kit deducted 2/6 per term, starting in 1946

YadaYada wrote:House funds are now £25 - a year I think - and are automatically added on to fees.

I seem to remember it being £20 per term, but was separate to fees, and was a cheque paid to the house.

I seem to remember it being £20 per term, but was separate to fees, and was a cheque paid to the house.

You remember correctly Josh. This system was changed a couple of years ago, and the House Funds (currently £25 per term) are now added to the fees and debited from your bank account. Presumably this 'centralised' method of collection is simpler, removes an administrative burden from the HMs, and above all ensures that everybody pays up!

ailurophile wrote: You remember correctly Josh. This system was changed a couple of years ago

Is it too soon for me to moan about 'back in my day'??

Eruresto wrote:

ailurophile wrote: You remember correctly Josh. This system was changed a couple of years ago

Is it too soon for me to moan about 'back in my day'??

YES - MUCH TOO SOON, JOSH !

I don't even remember it, but since I believe Chris, is a contemporary of mine, it must be so.


When I left the Army in 1959, and joined the Vestey Group, I demanded £2000 a year --- and got it.
This, then, with my Army pension was quite comfortable, bought a house and paid the groceries.

When TBA and I bought a house in 1980 for £20,000, my younger son, at Bradford Uni, remarked --------" £20,000 ?

In Bradford, you could buy the whole Bl***dy street for that !"

How things and values change !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I don't even remember it, but since I believe Chris, is a contemporary of mine, it must be so.


When I left the Army in 1959, and joined the Vestey Group, I demanded £2000 a year --- and got it.
This, then, with my Army pension was quite comfortable, bought a house and paid the groceries.

When TBA and I bought a house in 1980 for £20,000, my younger son, at Bradford Uni, remarked --------" £20,000 ?

In Bradford, you could buy the whole Bl***dy street for that !"

How things and values change !

.... and probably still can !!

Compulsory deduction from pocket money when one 'banked' it with the housemaster at the beginning of term. I always resented this as it was then wasted on sports equipment for which I could see no beneficial use. Set me for life against all other forms of collective taxation.

postwarblue wrote:Compulsory deduction from pocket money when one 'banked' it with the housemaster at the beginning of term. I always resented this as it was then wasted on sports equipment for which I could see no beneficial use. Set me for life against all other forms of collective taxation.

If this were facebook, I would click 'Like'.

I really don't remember a deduction from pocket money, in the early 40s.

Most of mine was spent, at the Tuckshop on enormous wedges of warm bread, dripping with Margarine.-- remember sweets were strictly rationed !

They had a name , --- which escapes me. --- any help from Wartime "Dinosaurs" ?