Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

over a couple of summers the school got completely infested by Daddy Longlegs. There are probably still squashed ones all over the quad, as we used to go around exterminating them by flicking them with elastic bands.!

I'd forgotten about them! They were horrible. Trying to walk down the cloisters without stepping on them or getting them over you. Grounds staff hoovered them up one year.

Not enough water being put on the grass, OR a lack of starlings !

Would you like an explanation ?

There were always hundreds down the cloisters in September...

It was the horse-flies in my day !

I used to get bitten to b******y !

So much so, that now I am completely immune to them.

J.R. wrote:It was the horse-flies in my day !

I used to get bitten to b*****y !

So much so, that now I am completely immune to them.

Oh no, you haven't used a rude word, have you?

I thought I'd by-passed the censor, but obviously not.

The word started with a 'B' and figured greatly in Oscar Wilde's world.

J.R. wrote:I thought I'd by-passed the censor, but obviously not.

The word started with a 'B' and figured greatly in Oscar Wilde's world.

Banditry?

Oh yes I remember the crane flies. One particular occassion comes to mind . . .

We were in the middle of a chemistry lesson with Mr. Matthews (renowned for his chain smoking habit - he used to keep the bunsen burner going on his desk throughout the lesson so he could keep on lighting ciggies - also had yellow nicotene stained glasses). Having been let out for a short break in the middle of the double lesson, one classmate (could name him but not sure if that is allowed) managed to fill a tupperware type box (usually used as a pencil case) with a large number of crane flies collected in the cloister. Having returned to the class and the lesson being underway, the boy in question, who was sitting in the front row, released all the crane flies. They went everywhere - I remember we were particularly amused by the ones that flew through the bunsen burner flame being instantly cremated. Mr Matthews (can't use his nickname as it be sure to be censored) didn't seem to notice - probably couldn't see through his yellow glasses. He was more concerned that the whole class had disolved into laughter !

Interesting trivia:

A 'daddy longlegs' is also known as a 'harvestman' or 'crane fly'. A claim was banded around that they are extremely poisonous but harmless to humans because they are unable to bite through our skin. This is false! More than one type of critter is referred to as a "daddy longlegs." The crane fly, a winged insect which looks like a large mosquito, is called a daddy longlegs in some parts of the world (such as England), but it is not venomous (nor is it a type of spider). The pholcus phalangioides, also referred to as the long-legged cellar spider, is an example of a "daddy longlegs" spider, probably the one referred to as being the world's "most poisonous animal".

So now you know!

Amazing that the teachers used to smoke in lessons...

Arrr ! Mr Mathews.

Brings back memories !

He was known as 'Phallic' Mathews in my day. God knows why !!

Two incidents in his classes come flooding back.

We actually managed to manufacture a very basic form of nitro-glycerine which worked amazingly well on filter paper when dried in the sun.

AND ....

a certain person, (who shall also remain nameless), who somehow managed to reverse the fan on one of the fume-cupboards for 'Phallic's' next class

I had Matthews for Chenistry for which there were many stories.
One concerns someone starting something in one of the back where there were some form of gas extractors. Half way through the first lesson there was a loud explosion as whatever it was came to fruition.
Naturally there were also various attempts to make the most smelly gas.
Matthews always popped out at some stage to continue his nicotine habit. Someone, Webber I believe, was small enough to be stuffed under the benches and behind the back of the cupboard where the pipes ran. He had to remain there until Phallic went out on a fag run. Remarkably, Phallic neither noticed his abscence, nor his return.
Next door was Pop Bevan, who was renowned for collecting old toothpastes tubes which were chucked out of the lav end windows. Since they were made of some aluminium alloy, he melted them down and made a lens fitting for his camera.
Waste not, want not.

Another name from the past.

Didn't 'Pop' Bevan have a glass-eye ???

Mark Sutcliffe used to wander down the cloisters eating as many crane flies as he could. His nick-name was Mosster. Wonder what became of him?