Web Page No 2656
28th January 2020
1st Picture. Solent Road School tie
2nd Picture. Solent Road pupils all in uniform
3rd Picture. 1950’s satchel
4th Picture. School street sign
School
Uniform
I really is scary when
you realise that it is almost 70 years ago when you first put on a school
uniform. Not the casual wear that they wear today but a regulated smart uniform
to be proud of.
Starting at the top it
was the cap or in the girls case a beret. Mine, for Solent Road Infant School
was a navy blue cap with a badge in the centre consisting of a dark blue
background with SR in light blue on it. Naturally these initials soon got known
as the Southern Railway badge. With this both boys and girls wore a grey shirt
with a light and dark blue striped tie (a tie they are still wearing 70 years
later) and for the boys grey shorts plus for the girls a grey skirt or a
gymslip, no trousers or ski pants in those days! Most dresses were
shirtwaist style with cinched-in waists and added coordinated belts. The
lengths went from below the knee to mid-calf.
A navy blue gabardine
mackintosh and school scarf, (again two tone blue) completed the ensemble. The
mac was essential because, unlike todays school children, we had to walk to
school and back everyday, sometimes twice a day if you did not stay for school
dinners. One other item that was required wear in the winter was a pair of
black wellington boots.
I do not remember a
sports kit but I do remember having sports shorts and plimsoles either lace up
ones or those with elasticated fronts. All of this was carried in a homemade
shoe bag with a drawstring top.
Everything, of course,
had to have your name either embroidered on it of a Cash’s name tape applied.
Looking back school
uniforms when we started school reflected the British class system like never
before. Many private schools changed their uniforms to distance themselves from
state schools, for example the Portsmouth High School, Daley’s and the Southern
Grammar for Girls had very different hats for their pupils from the Secondary
Moderns. The Southern Grammar for Girls even had a deportment sash that was
awarded to some girls who carried themselves in the correct way. (my wife Pam
had one of these). Also, in some schools boys were not allowed to wear long
trousers until they reached the grand old age of fourteen!
The Butler Reforms in the
late 1950’s raised the school leaving age to 15. Mixed gender schools became
popular and schools were encouraged to create uniforms codes based on the time
of the year, light weight dresses for the girls in summer. Grey knitted jumpers
for the winter. Leather satchels became popular.
Come the 1960’s pupils
began rebelling against tradition, often unbuttoning their blazers and
slackening their ties. Girls started to wear pleated skirt with tights, a
blouse and blazer. Boys were allow to wear long trousers from a young age,
however, one tradition remained and that was that both girls and boys always
wore ties with shirts at all times.
All this before we even
try to consider the very odd uniforms worn by the pupils attending public
schools. But that, my friends, is a totally different subject.
Stay in touch
Peter
You Write:
Part 2 from Griff
Found it !!
Ricky Dean & The Rivals. My photo... and I'll stick my
neck out and say it's the only one in existence, hence my crease in it.
To the best of my knowledge it was taken in Kimberly's Ballroom, Southsea,
Autumn 1961. Ricky was a very good singer as were The Rivals as an
instrumental group and they use to start their act with a few instrumentals
mainly The Shadows or The Ventures to start with and then Ricky would leap out
onto the stage and belt out an Elvis or Billy Fury song to get the dancing
going.
Ricky and The Rivals
won the Southern TV search for a group competition that year. Unlikely anyone
remembers that fact now though .... lol I can't remember
when the group broke up but I think it was around 1964.
News and Views:
On this day 28th January 1960-1965
On 28/01/1960 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 North by Northwest. 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 day was Call for higher
police pay.
On 28/01/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show
was The Russ Conway Show (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's
money was worth £ 13.25. The big news story of the day was Bootsie & Snudge
(Granada).
On 28/01/1962 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 28/01/1963 the number one single was Dance On - The Shadows and
the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show
was The Prime Minister (All channels) 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.
On 28/01/1964 the number one single was Glad All Over - Dave Clark
Five and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated
TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office
smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's
money was worth £12.24.
On 28/01/1965 the number one single was Go Now! - Moody Blues and the number one
album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. 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.
