Did anyone see...

kerrensimmonds · Post by **kerrensimmonds** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:29 pm

It was an interesting programme, but in my experience Old Blues are divided quite clearly into 'supporters' and 'non supporters'. I just felt sorry for some of the kids who were forefronted, especially Josh Bell (who I remember from the Barbican concert in 2003).
-hello - yet again we are going off topic in this thread!

DavebytheSea · Post by **DavebytheSea** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:37 pm

I felt that at the beginning, but I have since got to know Josh quite well, and I can assure you that he found the experience both enriching and exciting. His mother also feels that it has given him confidence and a wonderful opportunity to experience all manner of things for which he would never otherwise have had the opportunity.

Richard Ruck · Post by **Richard Ruck** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:14 am

cj wrote: I am not an 'official' OB, being neither a member of CHOGA or the Old Blues Club (or whatever it's called now).

Yes you are, Cath. As an Old Blue you are automatically a member of the Christ's Hospital Association.

You don't escape that easily!

sejintenej · Post by **sejintenej** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:07 pm

Mrs C. wrote:But would you have enjoyed it quite so much if you didn`t have a CH background?!?
I don`t think we as a family would have been at all interested if it hadn`t been filmed here - and the fact that at least one of the 2 daughters would be on tv sooner or later!!

No, Mrs C; we may have a television but I tend to look only at the news channels, cookery and (can I advertise?) ClassicFM. No, I wouldn't have seen Rock School but, having started, I was more than happy to continue even without the housie connection.

sejintenej · Post by **sejintenej** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:11 pm

DavebytheSea wrote:I felt that at the beginning, but I have since got to know Josh quite well, and I can assure you that he found the experience both enriching and exciting. His mother also feels that it has given him confidence and a wonderful opportunity to experience all manner of things for which he would never otherwise have had the opportunity.

ISTR saying at the time that, however hard they might have found it, they were the lucky ones who would gain self confidence for the future. I spent a lot of time with kids trying to get such openings for them - usually to be stymied by bureaucracy, do-gooders and red tape. When it did work then the results were fantastic.

cj · Post by cj » Sun Sep 03, 2006 10:13 pm

Richard Ruck wrote:
cj wrote: I am not an 'official' OB, being neither a member of CHOGA or the Old Blues Club (or whatever it's called now).
Yes you are, Cath. As an Old Blue you are automatically a member of the Christ's Hospital Association.

You don't escape that easily!

Apologies. I thought one had to join and pay a subscription for these things. I have never received any literature from school (the Blue etc) since leaving.

kerrensimmonds · Post by **kerrensimmonds** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 10:55 pm

Richard is right. As an Old Blue you do not have to join (or 'pay') for the Christs Hospital Association. If you have not been receiving Who's Blue or 'The Old Blue' you need to contact Zoe Mitchell/Wendy Killner (the Manager/Administrator) of the CH Association, based in the office adjacent to the former CH Club Room at Christ's Hospital.

Post by **jtaylor** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:10 pm

Full contact details available here:-

http://www.chassociation.org/contacts

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:39 am

We watch ClassicFM all the time, and lay bets on which track will be next.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:08 pm

kerrensimmonds wrote:I can't find the subject, Lynne James, in Who's Blue 1997 or in the update 1999. So who knows who she is, how long she was at Hertford or whatever.

From a print-out of 'missing' OBs (supplied to me by the Partnership Office in the mid-Nineties) I see there was a Lynn (sic?) James at Hertford from 1967 to 1972. Her ward isn't stated.

J.R. · Post by **J.R.** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:48 pm

englishangel wrote:We watch ClassicFM all the time, and lay bets on which track will be next.

Hope it's Brands Hatch. One of the best ever !

Richard Ruck · Post by **Richard Ruck** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:53 pm

Aaaarrrrgh!

sejintenej · Post by **sejintenej** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:33 pm

J.R. wrote:
englishangel wrote:We watch ClassicFM all the time, and lay bets on which track will be next.
Hope it's Brands Hatch. One of the best ever !

Home from home

midget · Post by **midget** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:17 pm

cj wrote: I'm afraid I would have to disagree with this one. I felt hugely dissatisfied with the quality and breadth of my education whilst at Hertford (for 2 years), particularly with the music, and my parents would not have considered sending me there if the merger had not been on the horizon. It was not an enjoyable experience for me and many of my friends.

I haven't seen the programme, but would hazard a guess that the revoltingness of the Hertford uniform was not the factor that drove this woman to financial problems and overspending on clothes. We don't know of her home background and why she was sent away, or her own personal experiences at school (bullying?). And for some, being 'sent away' is the start of the emotional troubles that can end with spending to make you feel good. It's the same as over-eating. Or excessive drinking. Or taking drugs. As I have said in previous posts on different threads, not everyone has rosy memories of the place. Some ended up coming out more damaged than when they went in, and structures were not always in place to help those who needed support.

You must have been unfortunate cj being at Hertford during the merger. From what I can gather from varios posts on the forum, the number of pupils had been very much reduced by 1985, so probably the number of staff had as well and there may well have been those just serving out their time.
In the VI form apart from our 3 A levels we had COMPULSORY General English (an extended essay a term) 2 gym lessons, Scripture,singing,and a "general" lesson for the entire VI, generally taken by DR,with discussions,informal debates(you will propose and you will oppose this subject--3 minutes to prepare) and one big formal debate each term.
How much broader can you get?

englishangel · Post by **englishangel** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:00 am

midget wrote:You must have been unfortunate cj being at Hertford during the merger. From what I can gather from varios posts on the forum, the number of pupils had been very much reduced by 1985, so probably the number of staff had as well and there may well have been those just serving out their time.
In the VI form apart from our 3 A levels we had COMPULSORY General English (an extended essay a term) 2 gym lessons, Scripture,singing,and a "general" lesson for the entire VI, generally taken by DR,with discussions,informal debates(you will propose and you will oppose this subject--3 minutes to prepare) and one big formal debate each term.
How much broader can you get?

Nothing had changeds 20 years later. I took my General English exam up t'Inf, a sojourn mentioned elsewhere.