Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
Boys at the Farnham Grammar School wore the standard traditional British schoo uniform items. They wire caps, ties, blazers, long strosers, amd short trousers with kneesocks. The styles changed somewhat ove time and for many years there was no required uniform, although there seems to have been a dress code requiring suits or blazers. We have an account from a student at the school describing the various uniform items. He tells us, "I was a pupil at Farnham Grammar School for boys, located in Farnham, Surrey, in the 1960s. Although this was a relatively small school in terms of numbers pupils were drawn from neighbouring towns and villages as well as from the Farnham area."
When I started at the school, caps were worn by all boys, including the sixth form. This rule was later relaxed so that caps were optional for the fifth and sixth forms (age 16-18). As a junior boy the cap seemed quite normal - indeed useful, especially in the rain or snow. However, as we became older most of us began to resent the insistence on caps, which now struck us a juvenile and old fashioned. Many fifteen-year-olds would wear the cap as far back on the head as possible so that it almost toppled off the other side. We regarded it as a red letter day when we reached the fifth form and caps were no longer compulsory.
The cap bore a small crest representing Farnham Castle. This badge also featured on the school blazer, along with the school motto 'Nisi Dominus Frustra.' The blazer was of plain navy blue material whilst the navy blue peaked cap featured segments of a contrasting maroon.
First year boys could wear either short or long trousers. I started my new school in longs but a fair number of boys in my class wore shorts. Several boys also wore shorts in the second form but by the time I reached the third year everyone was in long trousers. The choice of a white or grey shirt was also optional. Many parents chose grey
shirts for their sons probably because they were more practical than white shirts. The grey shirts in the early 1960s were made from a somewhat coarse viyella type material rather than the grey polyester we see today.
By my time the school was not overly strict concerning uniform. For example, i can't recall any rules concerning overcoats. Similarly with scarves, although there was a uniform scarf. However, I can remember one particular master ghetting very worked up over non-uniform scarves and upbraiding boys who dared to wear them. But there was never any
official pronouncement from the head.
Junior boys could volunteer to join the small school scout troop. A few boys stayed in the scouts for their entire time at the school whilst a number joined the school cadet corps when they reached the appropriate age. Scouts wore khaki shorts with a matching short sleeved shirt, long knee socks, a troop scarf and green beret.
he school had a Combined Cadet Force contingent, although because of the size of the school this was limited to an army section. Boys could volunteer to join the CCF in their third year, attending parades in their own time after school. Only a minority of boys
usually opted to do this. However, when you reached the fourth form the CCF became compulsory, with parades taking place on Friday afternoons. Cadets wore khaki serge battledress and army boots to school on Fridays in place of normal school uniform. The battledress blouse bore shoulder titles in scarlet, with cream lettering reading 'Farnham G.S. C.C.F.'. The blouse sleeves also carried badges of rank and attainment (eg for
marksmanship). The beret bore the badge of the local West Surrey Regiment.
Boys played football in the winter and spring terms wearing a football shirt in the appropriate house colour: red for Harding, green for Morley, blue for Childe and yellow for Massingberd. These school houses were named in honour of past incumbents of the Winchester episcopacy.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
