Figure 1.--

By now, it seemed normal to wear school uniform. We had a uniform of gray suits. Now I was back into long trousers – for the whole of each term. Here I am at my East Anglian school, looking happy in my uniform. Note the scarf, which we wore a lot, not because it was cold but because we liked them (figure 1). We wore grey shirts, but 6th formers could wear white shirts. We also had a striped blazer for sports, a jaunty black, purple, and white. School caps were obligatory until you reached the 6th from, then they went the way of grey shirts. We had a ceremonial burning of caps. Sixthformers could wear the boater in summer, and very popular they were. The uniform at both of my boarding schools was grey suits for the whole year. For younger boys it had to be mid grey of a particular style and was supplied by the school outfitters in a nearby town. Boys in the first 2 years usually wore shorts but it was optional. On reaching the sixth form, as well as dispensing with the cap, you were allowed suits of a superior cloth and most people chose a darker grey, verging on charcoal grey. The blazer was an option for the summer term (semester), You wore it instead of the grey jacket at lessons and generally around the School but it also went quite well with cricket whites or tennis kit and could be worn over other clothes travelling to go sailing, rowing or some such civilised activity.

Juniors

The uniform at both of my boarding schools was grey suits for the whole year. For younger boys it had to be mid grey of a particular style and was supplied by the school outfitters in a nearby town. Boys in the first 2 years usually wore shorts but it was optional. I suspect most parents preferred the shorts because their sons were growing so quickly that any long trousers would soon be hanging 'at half mast'. I recall only two boys who wore nonstandard suits and both had lived in France. Their suits were made of a very light grey flannel, much rougher than our terylene and worsted, and the younger boy's shorts were extremely short - in fact you couldn't see them below his jacket unless it was unbuttoned. This was rather unfortunate, the different shade of grey drawing attention to these two boys and the younger one being often asked if he'd forgotten to put his trousers on. I don't think any permanent psychological harm was done, I'm happy to say.

6th Formers

On reaching the sixth form, as well as dispensing with the cap, you were allowed suits of a superior cloth and most people chose a darker grey, verging on charcoal grey. The blazer was an option for the summer term (semester), You wore it instead of the grey jacket at lessons and generally around the School but it also went quite well with cricket whites or tennis kit and could be worn over other clothes travelling to go sailing, rowing or some such civilised activity. It seems strange now, but however hot the weather, you never loosened your tie or took your jacket off. Probably just as well, as deodorants had not yet entered the market! There was something nice about putting on your blazer for the first time each summer. It went with the smell of cut grass, the long, light evenings, the stowing away of goal posts and marking out of cricket pitches and the wok - wok of tennis balls being hit on the courts outside the school buildings. By comparison, the winter seemed to last a long time, the grass was soggy underfoot and the only sports were football (soccer) and the dreaded cross country running. So putting the blazer on heralded the warm, lazy days ahead.