Figure 1.-.

My best mate Michael (the one who's mum was Irish) didn't go to our Sunday School as he was a Catholic and went to mass at another church. I know he did have a suit for that completely different to his school uniform. He often did wear jeans - even on a Sunday - for play. It was not as if his Mum was any less concerned about how he looked than mine was. It maybe was because Michael had older brothers who were allowed jeans and also because he had a Dad who had some say too - not so much over Michael I know because he was the youngest boy and his Mum was like my Mum was with me a lot - but over his brothers. Because his brothers were allowed jeans they naturally came down to Michael and so when I met him on a Saturday afternoon he was often wearing them. I rarely wore my grey jeans - only when we were playing cowboys and indians and I, for some reason, wanted to be a Civil War soldier on the Confederate side following a film I'd seen. It wasn't that Michael didn't have play shorts - he did but they had been his brothers' who were 2 or 3 years older and when he did wear their old shorts when it was hot they were old-fashioned looking and other boys would sometimes comment about that which may have affected his thinking. Anyway I'll tell you of a time when I did really want to wear my jeans and my Mum wouldn't let me which sticks in my mind. This involved Michael.

Michael

My best mate Michael (the one who's mum was Irish) didn't go to our Sunday School as he was a Catholic and went to mass at another church. I know he did have a suit for that completely different to his school uniform. (He went to a different school to me - a R.C. primary). I know that because as I said my mum would always cook a proper Sunday meal while we were at church and we'd have to sit at the table to eat it. It was funny because I'd still be in my Sunday School clothes and my older brother in his cub uniform but my younger brother would be more casually dressed as he'd been “helping” my mum. I don't know why he was never sent to Sunday School. She'd normally let me get changed and go out to play then. Some boys would have to stay in or go out with their parents to a museum on Sunday afternoon but as I say my mum wasn't particularly religious and Michael's parents always let him out too. Sometimes he came round for me while we were still eating and he'd got changed.

Play Clothes

My best mate Michael often did wear jeans - even on a Sunday - for play. Anyway the fact is that Michael was often wearing jeans when we met up to play on a Saturday and I was mainly wearing shorts - and always in shorts on the Sunday because of Mum's rule. We never mentioned it - and other boys were either in jeans or shorts and some wore shorts one day and jeans the next depending on what the game was or what was in or out of the wash in the Summer holidays.

Michael's Mum

It was not as if his Mum was any less concerned about how he looked than mine was. I have already told you how,when I met him in the week! (which was rare) when our Mums met when shopping after school I could hardly recognise him - his school uniform was much smarter than mine. He also went Irish dancing on a Saturday morning - and although he didn't have to wear his costume (a kilt and shirt which I never got to see he was that embarrassed about it) to the hall but changed there his Mum still dressed him smartly in his school shorts to go down there - because I saw him coming home sometimes when I was coming home with the shopping with my Mum. He also had a suit for Mass on Sunday which I also saw when I went round to get him out to play on a Sunday afternoon and the he'd be allowed to leave the table and get changed (well most of the time!).

Older Brothers

It maybe was because Michael had older brothers who were allowed jeans and also because he had a Dad who had some say too - not so much over Michael I know because he was the youngest boy and his Mum was like my Mum was with me a lot - but over his brothers. Because his brothers were allowed jeans they naturally came down to Michael and so when I met him on a Saturday afternoon he was often wearing them.

My Jeans

I rarely wore my grey jeans - only when we were playing cowboys and indians and I, for some reason, wanted to be a Civil War soldier on the Confederate side following a film I'd seen. Because boys who did wear jeans (including my brother) nearly all had blue ones I was glad to be different - and the fact that I heared the Confederate soldiers being called "Rebs" appealed to me - but I knew nothing about the history really.

Play Clothes

It wasn't that Michael didn't have play shorts - he did but they had been his brothers' who were 2 or 3 years older and when he did wear their old shorts when it was hot they were old-fashioned looking and other boys would sometimes comment about that which may have affected his thinking. I know that when he came round for me on a Sunday (when we had taken too long over Sunday lunch for my liking and I was itching to get out and glad that he'd come to rescue me - as I normally did for him) my Mum was surprised to see him in jeans and commented on the fact later.But as she got to know Michael's Mum better and Michael himself she accepted that was how they were - but that didn't mean that I could wear mine (and as I have said I didn't really want to but my older brother did try to make a point of it which annoyed me).

Football Match

Anyway I'll tell you of a time when I did really want to wear my jeans and my Mum wouldn't let me which sticks in my mind. This involved Michael. As I say I hardly ever saw Michael in the week. Our play times were Saturday afternoons (after shopping and so on for me and dancing for him) and Sunday afternoons (Mass for him and Sunday School for me - and both of us having to endure our Family Dinners - which is unfair of me because Mum spent ages cooking it and wanted us all to sit round the table properly and talk but I just wanted to go out and play and hated sitting there for what seemed hours. Michael too - and he had an even bigger family!). These times were precious and we packed a lot in and there were also the school holidays in between when either he or I were away. If I was going to Leeds and he was going over to Ireland at the same time in the holidays that was great as we had some days together. If I was away when he was in London and then he went away later that was miserable as we'd be on our own (well besides all of the other boys we played with but they weren't the same) and then school would start again!

Bill