The Hansons Dining-room Seating Plan   -   Mark Frost et al

Mark Frost - Hansons 70-77: “Some of you may have been recently reading on here about Harvey Angel and the terrible food bullying he was subjected to in his early years. Harvey was in the Upper Sixth when I was in the First Form. I am not sure if his tribulations (and possibly others) contributed to the Hansons Dining Room rota which was established by 1970. I have attached a sketch showing how everyone moved seats each day (except for the Upper Sixth) so that no one had to sit with the same people day after day.

Because of the different number of boys in each year it meant that even if you were in an 'odd' numbered year (say Third Form) and moving in the same direction you could still escape a 5th former you didn't like after a few days of 'musical chairs'.”

Jon Kemp - Corners 73-80: “In Corners, each table had two seniors and the rest were all either, first/second formers or third/formers and there was a fifth form table.”

Harvey Angel: “You couldn't miss out the person at the top of the table, especially if they made you swap places with others to ensure that you would be on his table more often. There was a 3rd former who used to enjoy digging me in the ribs, but he stopped doing that at the dining-table after my fork accidentally went through his knuckles!”

Lamb Taylor: “Mark, you have a memory of an elephant!! Thank God we have you here! Do you remember the lady that used to give out the food? Blonde or greying but skinny. Must have been in her 50s. She used to give me extras sometimes. I just vaguely remember when you were a 1st or 2nd former you had to serve the tables so you needed to eat fairly quickly or your food would be cold.”

Mark Frost: “The memory of an elephant, and constantly trying to fend off the body of an elephant. I know exactly who you mean. There was Freda ("They're all the same dear!") when we went up to try and pick the dish with the most contents. And of course Rosa - who has many tributes elsewhere on these FB pages. Was the other person called Vi, or something like that?”

Toby Blundun - Hansons 68-75: “Freda had a daughter who was literally over twice her size who also worked in the dining-room. Possibly Linda? Not sure why, but David Hudson sometimes headed one of the tables as a kind of guest diner. Also in 1974 there were only three of us in 6/2 so I don't know who headed the other tables. Good work Mark!”

Mark Frost: “I had forgotten about David Hudson (Deputy Headmaster) as a guest diner. You had to be on your best behavior when on his table, or indeed with Stan Goetzee or John Taylor. If you were in 6/1 or possibly 5th year sitting next to them you had to try and make meaningful adult conversation.”

Chris Snuggs - Berners/Halls 58-65: "And reduce the number of your expletives, no doubt!"!

Harvey Angel: “I often wondered if Freda was going to make it to the end of the shift. Nice lady, but she looked ancient and like death warmed up.”

Mark Frost: “Quite a lot of the 'mollies' lived in the flats behind the Orwell Stores in Chelmo. They would sometimes wave to us from the balconies.”