Web Page 1122
17th February 2013
Top Picture: A typical 1950’s duffle coat
Bottom Picture: The school satchel
School Uniform
Do you remember the hassle when it came to changing
schools and we had to go out with our parents to buy our new school uniforms?
As far as I remember the only place that stocked our particular school uniform
was Beaumonts in Cosham High Street. The schools department was on the first
floor and I remember going in there for the first time to be kitted out in the
correct attire. Not like today when you can rush off to the local supermarket
and buy all that is needed for a bargain price. For us the school uniform had
to last because it was expensive.
Firstly there was the black blazer, those for the
girls had gold piping round the edges, and this was going to have to last at
least three or possibly four terms so it was essential to have room for growth.
The cuffs of the blazer for most first years came almost to the knuckles and
the bottom of it reached half way down the thighs! ‘The lad will grow into it
sir, we were told and sure enough I did. Hen I started at Court Lane in 1957
all the boys had to wear black caps and so the process of finding my head size
(you may think large!) and fitting the cap began. Do not remember if the girls wore a hat at all maybe someone can
help me out there but I am pretty sure that when things changed and we moved to
Manor Court there was no hat as part of the uniform. Having got the blazer and
cap it was then time to purchase the badges, one large for the blazer and one
smaller one for the cap.
These were the two big items and were hastily followed by
grey flannel trousers with turn-ups or short trousers for the boys and grey
skirts for the girls. To go with these items were grey short socks for us boys
or long socks with garters and grey long socks for the girls, (of course later
on as the girls got older these were replace with stockings etc.).
Right we are almost ready to go except for buying
the white shirt or blouse and the obligatory school tie (I often wonder what
happened to mine, during my last days at school I got all sorts of people,
pupils and staff to sign it but unfortunately it is long gone and so have the
memories although Geraldine sent me a copy of her Autograph Book which
certainly brought back many memories.).
Right we are almost ready to go all we need now is
something to carry our books in. A satchel was the most common this was
followed by a bag of some sort but for some unknown reason my father had a
wooden brief case made for me with my initials on the lid. I think I was the
only person in the school to have one, it was large, cumbersome and very
embarrassing and as I remember it only lasted a term or two when I managed to
persuade my folks that it was totally impractical and what happened to it I
don’t remember neither do I remember what I replaced it with.
Just the sports kit now, black plimsoll’s, black
shorts and white tee shirts were the order of the day for both boys and girls.
Then of course one had to have the shoe bag to put it all in and as I remember
Mum made this and embroidered my name on it.
The last item to buy was probably the most expensive
and that was the top coat and again these were bought with the intention of
lasting a long time. A navy blue or black gabardine mackintosh was the official
uniform coat but thankfully when I came to go to senior school the duffle coat
had become an accepted part of the uniform providing it was navy blue or black
With the uniform and kit list came a recommended
list of stationary items that I was expected to have. So after leaving
Beaumonts we marched off down the High Street to Mills the stationers here to
buy a fountain pen (Osmiroid or Parker), a bottle of Quink Blue Black ink (no
ball point pens for school work in the late 1950’s), pencils, pencil sharpener,
a geometry set, rubbers both pencil and ink, a ruler and a Collins Pocket
Dictionary. The only thing that remained was to buy a pencil case big enough to
take the all the pencils and pens that we had just bought.
The expedition was over and so it was a dash across
the High Street for a milk shake in Mary’s Milk Bar, which was later to become
the Palm Court Café. Then home and put all the new things away and forget about
them until after the holidays.
Stay in touch
Peter
You Write:
My, My that article on schools certainly stirred up a few memories. This week we start with Anida's input and then Biffs (Christopher Richards)
My, My that article on schools certainly stirred up a few memories. This week we start with Anida's input and then Biffs (Christopher Richards)
Anida writes:-
Re: Walkers College
There is a Facebook
page I believe.
Walkers Training College
1881
Established Schools
1915
6-7 New Buildings, Elm Grove, James Walker 1
1918
6-7 New Buildings, Elm Grove, W Walker 1
1923-1928
55 Elm Grove, J Walker 1
1934-1940
115a Elm Grove, Walkers New College, J Walker 1
1946-1948
115a Elm Grove, Walkers New College, W Walker 1
1951-1964
7 Woodpath, Walkers College, W Walker 1
1966
7 Woodpath, Walkers College, N Milton 1
1967
18 Woodpath, Walkers College, N Milton 1
1971-1973
18 Woodpath, Walkers College 1
Looks like its
been demolished, a mix of just a few Victorian houses and new buildings now in
Woodpath.
Biff Writes:
I started
Boundary Oak prep School in 1952 aged 5 as a day boy, my brother was a
predecessor, and as such I was known as Richards minor a common term for
younger brothers in those days. School for me was a horrible place from the age
of 5 till 7 I was in the junior section starting in junior D and working to
junior A you were then sent to the senior school to an intermediate class
called remove. Where you stayed until you moved up to senior D to A at which
time you took the common entrance to go to public school.
Three Years later I was still in remove having never passed my
term exams to proceed. In those days there was no such thing as dyslexia but
generally you wear either lazy or thick. The School thought I was both. From
the age of 7 I received the cane every Monday morning for poor work. Each
lesson you were graded S for satisfactory FS for fairly satisfactory and NS for
not satisfactory. On Monday morning you presented your weekly report to the
Head master (Dody Miller) if you had 2 x NS and a FS you received 3 of the best
and if you got 3 x NS you received 6 of the best. This action on Monday morning
meant standing outside his study till all the boys had reported and then I was
summoned into his office told to select a cane from an old cannon shell by the
window; you dropped your shorts and stretched across his desk to receive your
punishment. There were always 2 of us. After the first few times I learned not
to cry which gave me some street-cred with the other boys. As well as the
Monday punishment you received other punishment for talking or poor behaviour. Mr.
Thorn (known as Prickles) who took math's and Latin would pull up the edge of
your shorts and using the edge of two rulers to whack you so that you had a
double wield in you upper leg which would rub on your shorts for days, but was
not visible.
Mr. Partridge (Feathered Friend) took French and would belt you on
the back of the head without warning. He once hit one boy so hard he was
unconscious for minuets and had a large blue mark over his ear.
Occasionally you received public punishment, on Schoolhouse
veranda, this was done when lining for school lunch in front of the whole
school, I received six on one occasion for having a fight with one of the
borders this was as an example to the rest of the school. In those days you
never told your parents as this would mean an extra punishment at home.
I was finally removed from school at ten with a comment on my
report which said We believe you child is un-teachable and recommend his
removal. I was sent to a small prep School (Sea Court) in Southsea for a year.
It specialized in problem children like me and at last I started to learn,
being in an upper class for math's and making all the school sports teams. At eleven
years old having failed my eleven plus I went to Court Lane (1958)
r were the other two honorees in the “Music Icons” series.
On this day 17th February 1960-1965
On 17/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony
Newley and the number one album was South Pacific
Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1
champions. The big news story of the week was that Prince Andrew born on the 19th February.
On 17/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome
Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top
rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR)
and the box office smash was One Hundred and
One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's
Division 1 champions.
On 17/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones -
Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top
rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia.
A pound of today's money was worth £12.89
and Ipswich Town were on the way
to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 17/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album
was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard
& the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash
was The Great Escape. A pound of
today's money was worth £12.64
and Everton were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Liz Taylor starts to film Cleopatra.
On 17/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The
top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son
(BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1
champions.
On 17/02/1965 the number one single was Tired of Waiting
For You - The Kinks and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones.
The top rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's
money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
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