HORSES: BOXER and/or BOB or DOBBIN

See also http://www.rlsoldboys.freeola.com/library/v3/04_essays_and_poems/old_bob_bert_and_bill_essay_mjm.htm

On entering the school grounds from Upper Brentwood Road we would always stop and give a greeting to old Boxer, the horse, whose stall was an adjunct to Harrys' tumble down shack. (Geoffrey Styles)

I seem to remember a "Staff Member" called Bob, and the disgusting habit of second & third formers of attempting to induce an erection in the poor old bugger by tickling the member with a stick. Bert used to get very tense about that..."I seen ee, boy. I know ee! I'll tell the eddmarster!" (DGM)

The same effect good be achieved by skilful manipulation of his tethering rope! (DGM)

I seem to remember that Old Bob needed no outside help to make us all envious. He also smelled so bad that I cannot recall anyone wanting to get very close to him, however, I am referring to the elite of the '51 input and can't vouch for some of the other years. I also know that Old Bob didn't make water in a bucket but in the privacy of his stable. Walking up the drive from Upper Brentwood in the early morning one could often see the steam pouring out of the Dutch Barn Door and catch a whiff of the sharp ammonia aroma as Bob made "straw soup". Did Bob have a bucket? Quite possibly. However those so-an'-so's who did the Stage Lighting probably stole it and set the whole "Bucket Incident" up. Whenever David S. innocently posts a remark I always get suspicious! (Mike Merry)

"David wrote: Incidentally, I came across an OL of 1940s vintage who INSISTED that the horse was called Old Boxer (in his day!)! Surely Old Bob wasn't a replacement? Or was he?" I am in the Boxer camp & seem to recall that the horse got very decrepit about the time I left school. Replacement is the most likely theory. I believe I recall an announcement one day at Assembly to the effect that Boxer had died and would be replaced. (Robert P.)

Re: 'Is this where Dobbin lived?' I don't know who Dobbin was (you mean Boxer and/plus/or Bob?), but the huts were not where he lived. It was dib-dib-dib, dob-dob-dob instead... the two small concrete huts were the7th and 12th Romford Scout huts (in l. to r. order).

ref the School Horse, he was definitely named Boxer in my day, just as the groundsman was Harry Saville, but as both seemed to me timeless, a change of name might not have been out of the question. (John Jennings)