Hello again
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:34 pm
Hello everyone,
Is this a good time to clear the air? First, I would like to apologise for my behaviour, I think maybe I was being a little over sensitive in what I took to be criticism from you. I can fully understand how strange it must have been to you all, to suddenly have this guy from Manchester asking all sorts of ridiculous questions about CH. I can see how some of you must have thought I was taking the Micky out of your school, your uniform, your community or its traditions. I can say, hand on heart, that was never my intention. So, CH has a 'quirky' uniform; so, it has some strange traditions, like the lunch parade, I personally have never heard of any other school with such a thing, but that is what makes it so interesting to me. I can't think of a single person I know that would be seen dead in bright yellow socks, but not only do pupils at CH spend their entire teenage years wearing them, they become proud of wearing them, along with the rest of the 'strange' uniform. (I never did find out if the socks were still itchy!)
I could easily find out information on my local comprehensive school, but they are ten a penny, and usually they don't make for very good reading. But CH is different; there can't be many schools, if any, like CH in the country and that is what makes it so special. It is so easy to see why many of you are quite rightly proud of the school. From the little I have learned about CH via this forum it is obvious that all is not completely well with CH though. When people start talking about selling off buildings to pay for this and selling off land to pay for that, then that can potentially lead to the end of CH as you know it. I attended a grammar school which had its own sixth form and the grounds of the school included 3 rugby pitches. the local council in its wisdom decided to scrap all grammar schools, close the sixth form and sell off the land for housing development. The school is laughingly known as a 'community school' now and believe me, it is a total mess! I'm not saying this would ever happen to CH but perhaps you get where I am coming from when I say I am genuinely concerned about the future of CH, especially when I read threads about the MasterPlan. I have yet to hear anyone in favour of it. Again, I can hear you all saying, 'why is a guy who has never even visited CH, let alone attended, so concerned?' If I was being totally honest, I am not sure if i know myself. I can say that, given the chioce, CH would have been top of my list of schools I would have wanted to go to, though.
I hope now you understand my silly questions about the school. Anything, no matter how trivial, would be of interest to me. Perhaps I should start a CH Trivia thread?
Well, now perhaps my two most controversial questions. The cat and the beds. As for the cat - Of the three schools I have attended, two of them had full time cats. They were great for clearing mice away. Our school was over 100 years old and rather prone to them. When I started my first job as an engineering apprentice the firm I worked for had a cat that was even included on the company accounts. Maybe it's a northern thing, I don't know. The cat I remember most was a lovely ginger tom at my primary/junior school. he was there the whole time I was there, about 6 years. He was called Wycliffle, after one of the school houses, the other being Cranmer. He was allowed to go wherever he wanted in the school and often sat on the teachers desk during class. I suppose for health and safety reasons it wouldn't be allowed now. And so to the beds - I have a cousin who used to go to an English boarding school in India. His parents worked for the cotton industry and they lived out there for 8 months a year or so. He was never allowed to make, or change his own bed. Soon after the kids got up every morning staff would move into the dorms and make the beds. I know it was India and a long time ago but I hope you can see where the question came from. There was no facetiousness intended, I was just trying to compare with my own experiences and knowledge. Yes, of course I can guess the answer to my question as to who makes the beds these days, but I suppose I can guess anything really. You can't beat hard facts from the horses mouth though.
There is so much I want to know about CH and I realise I will never know as much as you guys. I have no idea what a 'squit' is, or what 'compline' is, I thought that was a drink my mum used to take to bed when she wasn't feeling well!
I know I have rambled on and this message isn't particularly well structured (composition was never my strong point, I would have probably failed the entrance exam to CH!) but I hope I got all my points over and people understand me a little more. But if any of you are still awake, thanks for getting this far!
Is this a good time to clear the air? First, I would like to apologise for my behaviour, I think maybe I was being a little over sensitive in what I took to be criticism from you. I can fully understand how strange it must have been to you all, to suddenly have this guy from Manchester asking all sorts of ridiculous questions about CH. I can see how some of you must have thought I was taking the Micky out of your school, your uniform, your community or its traditions. I can say, hand on heart, that was never my intention. So, CH has a 'quirky' uniform; so, it has some strange traditions, like the lunch parade, I personally have never heard of any other school with such a thing, but that is what makes it so interesting to me. I can't think of a single person I know that would be seen dead in bright yellow socks, but not only do pupils at CH spend their entire teenage years wearing them, they become proud of wearing them, along with the rest of the 'strange' uniform. (I never did find out if the socks were still itchy!)
I could easily find out information on my local comprehensive school, but they are ten a penny, and usually they don't make for very good reading. But CH is different; there can't be many schools, if any, like CH in the country and that is what makes it so special. It is so easy to see why many of you are quite rightly proud of the school. From the little I have learned about CH via this forum it is obvious that all is not completely well with CH though. When people start talking about selling off buildings to pay for this and selling off land to pay for that, then that can potentially lead to the end of CH as you know it. I attended a grammar school which had its own sixth form and the grounds of the school included 3 rugby pitches. the local council in its wisdom decided to scrap all grammar schools, close the sixth form and sell off the land for housing development. The school is laughingly known as a 'community school' now and believe me, it is a total mess! I'm not saying this would ever happen to CH but perhaps you get where I am coming from when I say I am genuinely concerned about the future of CH, especially when I read threads about the MasterPlan. I have yet to hear anyone in favour of it. Again, I can hear you all saying, 'why is a guy who has never even visited CH, let alone attended, so concerned?' If I was being totally honest, I am not sure if i know myself. I can say that, given the chioce, CH would have been top of my list of schools I would have wanted to go to, though.
I hope now you understand my silly questions about the school. Anything, no matter how trivial, would be of interest to me. Perhaps I should start a CH Trivia thread?
Well, now perhaps my two most controversial questions. The cat and the beds. As for the cat - Of the three schools I have attended, two of them had full time cats. They were great for clearing mice away. Our school was over 100 years old and rather prone to them. When I started my first job as an engineering apprentice the firm I worked for had a cat that was even included on the company accounts. Maybe it's a northern thing, I don't know. The cat I remember most was a lovely ginger tom at my primary/junior school. he was there the whole time I was there, about 6 years. He was called Wycliffle, after one of the school houses, the other being Cranmer. He was allowed to go wherever he wanted in the school and often sat on the teachers desk during class. I suppose for health and safety reasons it wouldn't be allowed now. And so to the beds - I have a cousin who used to go to an English boarding school in India. His parents worked for the cotton industry and they lived out there for 8 months a year or so. He was never allowed to make, or change his own bed. Soon after the kids got up every morning staff would move into the dorms and make the beds. I know it was India and a long time ago but I hope you can see where the question came from. There was no facetiousness intended, I was just trying to compare with my own experiences and knowledge. Yes, of course I can guess the answer to my question as to who makes the beds these days, but I suppose I can guess anything really. You can't beat hard facts from the horses mouth though.
There is so much I want to know about CH and I realise I will never know as much as you guys. I have no idea what a 'squit' is, or what 'compline' is, I thought that was a drink my mum used to take to bed when she wasn't feeling well!
I know I have rambled on and this message isn't particularly well structured (composition was never my strong point, I would have probably failed the entrance exam to CH!) but I hope I got all my points over and people understand me a little more. But if any of you are still awake, thanks for getting this far!
