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Like all boys I'd always worn the same pull up elasticated swimming trunks for school swimming lessons that we'd worn on seaside holidays. These were of all sorts – plain colours, striped or whatever. I never remember anything other than the brief style trunks. I don't recall the boxer-style trunks I have noted being worn in America. I only recall the briefs-style trunks, both at primary school and secondary school. We had to do cricket in Summer for the first three years there of my grammar school. Then we could choose other games during the Summer if we wanted. Some did tennis (they had courts), some swimming. My secondary school didn't have it's own pool so we used the municipal pool - a different one to the one at primary
school. My little brother's secondary school - a modern comprehensive - did have it's own pool - they used to open it up to adults in
the evenings as well as other facilities - it was trying to be a community school). I don't really recall the boxer style swimshorts here at all - on the beach either .
The only preferences I remember boys having at my primary school - and I mean in the last year when I had my Speedos - was to have plain coloured trunks rather than striped ones. For some reason the ones with multi-coloured stripes seemed childish. I don't think many boys had a lot of choice in things then – not at my school anyway. Before that I don't remember any discussion about swimming trunks.
As I say – we had several pairs around because we'd often forget to pack them when we went away on holiday – even though we always went to the seaside. Then mum would buy us new ones from Woolworths in the holiday resort. We always had trouble finding them on Sunday evening when we were getting our clothes ready for school the next week as mum wouldn't have them in the airing cupboard with the other clothes. Once we'd found a pair that was it – mum would peg them up by the door and
no-one was allowed to touch them until the day we went swimming.
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