Tuesday 14 October 2008

Random Memories - Late 50s


In no particular order...

Watching The Beatles playing 'She Loves You' and later 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' on Matron's ('Miss' Thomas's) television. I think we had about 15 of us crammed into her room. 

Same Frances Thomas over-using the terms "Swinging" and "Dodgy" with appropriate thumb gestures.

Virol or Malt... I always preferred virol. My first introduction to vitamin supplements?


Stewed Figs. Almost put me off that delicious fruit for life - and those baskets of rather sour bread that I am sure were very healthy!


Getting a hat-trick - sadly not for the first XI - on the pitch below the golf course. Can three-in-a-row be a fluke?


Dunking for Apples after chewing sticky buns off a string and scoffing a digestive biscuit out of a plate of flour (all with no hands) at Halloween.


The General Knowledge Quiz at the end of term.


Passing logs along the chain of 50 or so boys to fill all the baskets around the school.


'Go-Kart' racing (made from old roller skates) - (one boy-power) around the shed.


'Sly Games' in the Grove - why was Hugh(?) Mansel always thought to be sly?


George Elles throwing a dart across the dormitory which embedded itself to the hilt into Charlie (now Brocket) Nall-Cain's foot.


Talking after lights out - in particular the aformentioned CN-C telling us the facts of life which rather mysteriously he had learned at the time of his father's funeral. Of course we all said he was talking rubbish - surely THAT wasn't POSSIBLY true!


Very cold dormitories in winter.


Collecting chestnuts on one of those very long Sunday walks.


Geoffrey and Bev's rather smelly Old English Sheepdog - 'Ciel'.


Half an orange at half time during rugger matches.


Running down the hill to Dancing Ledge with a towel as an air brake.

.
Parental visits to Bovington Tank Museum and Lunch at the Square & Compass. 


Some boy's (was he called Miles... or Myers?) Dad visiting in a small helicopter (a Hiller?). I wonder if these last two tipped me towards joining first the Cavalry and then later the Army Air Corps.

I did say they were random...

Christopher Hudson
Aberdeenshire. '59(ish) to '64.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

an excellent memory jogger of a quirky place I would add the peep hole on the backstairs in the back green bathroom and the dens made in the trunk room wow

Anonymous said...

The best of the late fifties – Susan Kenrick, the under matron – oh my what memories!

Charles newall said...

Christopher Myers, I seem to remember that he used to lose his temper in a spectacular fashion and as a result got mercilessly 'baited'.

This was when I decided never to lose my temper