Sorry I managed somehow to erase this page. But have tried to reconstruct it.

My New School Shorts

Material

My school shorts were until my last pair grey flannel. They were usually knee length shorts. They always began looking baggy after a few wearings. Flannel just didn't keep a crease. I don't remember mam ironing them. I think it was just expected they would look like that. The other boys all had flannel shorts and we all looked perty much alike.

Features

I remember many of my shorts had a double seat. I'm not sure quite why. I really don't remember them wearing out there. For some reason I didn't like this double seat. Most of my shorts also had side adjusting buttons. So I did not need to wear a belt.

Pockets

My school shorts had two front pockets, but I can never recall having back pockets. This continues to be the case. Long trousers commonly had two front pockets and one, button down, rear pocket. Short trousers had no rear pockets.

I am not sure why short trousers had no back pockets. As I said before, the modern day equivalent, appear to have none either. If there is a reason for this, I do not know what it is. Could it be that grey school short trousers are obviously for school boys, who should be seated at a desk for most of the day, and contents of back pockets could prove uncomfortable? (I often found sitting at school uncomfortable…but not because of this reason!!!) My argument is not very sound however, as school long trousers do appear have back pockets. But in support of my theory, even now, if my trousers do have back pockets they remain unused. A question for some research I think. If HBC comes across any solutions I would be most interested.

[HBC speculates that the major reason for a back pocket was a wallet. As younger school boys would be unlikely to have pound notes or need identification, manufacturers may have decided that back pockets were an unecessary expense. Once this became established, modern manufacturers may just be followining the destablished style. After all to add pockets would just make the shorts more costly to produce.]

I cannot remember exactly when I started using a wallet. Most probably when I commenced employment. Certainly I cannot remember using one at school. Its worth commenting, I never keep a wallet in my back pocket, but always an inside coat pocket. Its safer there, but perhaps I never got used to using back pockets as a boy as I wore shorts without them. Nowadays I also carry a small cigarette pack size wallet for credit cards, which I carry in a trouser side pocket.

Length

The short trousers we wore were all quite long and often baggy. Shorts now to your knees were the style then. In addition our thrifty mothers often bought a larger size so we could continue wearing them as we got older. Many of us were really growing very rapidly. Thus younger boys often had the longest shorts and older boys the shorest shorts.

There was another factor at play here. The last year we had to wear shorts when we were 14, many of our mums delayed buying a new pair. They realized that their sons would only be wearing them for a few months. So they delayed the purchase until they were 15 and then bought longs instead of shorts. The result was that many older boys were wearing shorts they had grown out of that were quite shorts. I have rather vague memories, but by the time I last wore shorts, they were fairly short. My friend Kenneth had especailly short tight fitting shorts if I remember correctly.

I cannot recall any comments about the length of shorts, either from other boys, or my mother. Short trousers in general were becoming shorter and I think it was just an acceptable fashion. I suppose you would have appeared odd wearing shorts down to the knee by this time.

Oddly, I cannot ever recall Graham wearing short trousers that were any other than a perfect fit and, always about the same length, about a couple of inches above the knee. Obviously, a wealthier family, who kept their son in clothes that fit well, irrespective of the cost.

Linings

My first flannel shorts were not lined, but I am certain my last Terylene short trousers had a white lining.

Normal Clothing Decissions

As far as I can remember Mam laid out my clothes that I was to wear each day. Coming home from school I would be told to change and what to put on. As I mentioned, when I started at the Secondary Modern I still had a couple pairs of longs. During the winter Mam would occasionally put them out for me to wear on really cold days after I came home from school. I didn't have any say in this matter. I just put on what Mam layed out. She had done this when I still was in primary school and she just continued laying out my clothes for me after I started secondary school.

More often than not I would ask to wear longs. As I said before these were almost totally confined, during this period, to play wear in very cold winter months. So if I was to venture out, weekends or after school I would ask Mam if I could wear longs. In these circumstances I cannot recollect her ever refusing permission. She nearly always, as best I can recall, laid out my school clothes, Sunday clothes or, any other occasion when best was required. I live in an area of England that had frequent and often heavy snow falls in winter and, I often play outside in some extreme conditions, which of course added to the fun. I think this is the reason I was allowed the concession of wearing longs. At all other times, and certainly in summer, I would be told what to wear.

It is a very vivid memory of my clothes laid out for church on the day I was to confront my friend Anne. No surprise perhaps, but the only article I can remember; short trousers, nothing else was of any real importance to me.

Strangely, I have no idea when my Mam stopped doing this, perhaps, when I went into longs and it was no longer a contentious issue what I wore. Also as a bigger boy I assume she just figured I could do this myself.

Winter Months

I had to wear short trousers for school in all conditions, including snow. It seems odd, when I was junior boy, being made to wear a muffler, coat, winter vest and, even sometimes a balaclava. I also had porridge oats for breakfast every morning in winter, to "keep me warm inside," then I was sent out bare kneed into any conditions! It toughened you up, was the logic. Although I never liked wearing shorts, having to do so in winter never really seemed a hardship. I can remember wearing shorts sometimes with wellington boots, both in deep snow or wet weather, when you stocking would drop down inside and you legs would become sore with the rubber boot tops. Perhaps for this reason, I also turned the top of my wellingtons down, like turn over tops stockings. A practice I continued even in long trousers.

I have no recollection about winter being any different regarding wearing shorts. I can't recall getting teased any more at school. The only thing I remember is the fuss about wrapping up warm, but leaving our poor knees bare to the elements. We must have been fairly tough kids, as I don't particularly remember being concerned about this.

Summer Shorts

I also wore khaki shorts during the summer, which for some reason I would roll up. Somehow I did not like the look of them down to my knees. I think I thought rolling them up made them look more like sport shorts. I sometimes wore them with sandals and grey socks. I remember not liking the grey socks as they got faded. They looked too much like girls white socks.

Hand-me-downs

Also, although I cannot remember much detail, I had to endure the younger brother fate of wearing my brothers cast offs for playing, keeping my new shorts for school and best.

Wearing Short Trousers

I can remember some social type occasions, involving wearing short trousers.

Woolworth

From an early age, about thirteen, I became passionate about classical music, and Beethoven, in particular. Wanting to obtain a recording of his Fifth Symphony, I was allowed to go alone, to the nearest large town. I found my recording, somewhat unexpectedly, in the Woolworth's store. Taking the outer sleeve to the counter a young girl assistant had some difficulty locating the actual disc, eventually asking a fellow assistant… "Do you know were this record is. Its for this little boy." I was absolutely furious, and embarrassed, at being referred to as a little boy. OK so I wore short pants, but I was buying a Beethoven Symphony damn it and I was thirteen!!!! This was 40 years ago, but still a very vivid memory. I still have that recording and I understand, though I have not been back for many years, that the store and record department are in exactly the same location!!!

The concert

The other occasion was a few months later. A local orchestra had been formed in Newcastle and had a supporters club, "Northern Sinfonia Society." Fully turned on by classical music I joined and attended their next concert. This cost me a few weeks pocket money! None of my family was into this type of music so, as it was held on a Sunday afternoon, I was allowed to attend alone. I was totally in awe. Following the concert, there was a small reception for Society members, so very sheepishly I stayed behind. I was almost the only young boy there, I think, especially in shorts. For once, my dress did me a real good turn. I have nice strawberry blonde hair (OK so I'm vain) and I guess amongst all these adults, I must have looked really cute!! A lady member of the orchestra must have thought so anyway, as she took me under her wing and introduced me to members of the orchestra…..even the Conductor, Michael Hall. The concert included a piano concerto and the soloist was a lady called Moura Lympany (you may have heard of her) She was really famous and kept very busy talking so I never got the chance to speak to her. She looked really disappointed at not meeting me as well……..maybe!!

I nearly missed one concert by this orchestra. A couple of years later I planned attending, but a few weeks before, Dad caught me smoking. Punishment…no pocket money…no money….no concert. Now you may laugh, but it shows how much I like music; I was absolutely devastated. My Father never, never, never went back on his word. But just this once he relented, giving me enough money to attend my concert. He said my love of good music was one of the very few redeeming points, an otherwise naughty boy had. Happy days!!!

A final note. Next month I have booked to go to a concert celerbrating the 40th Anniversary of the orchestra I went to see in it's inaurgral season. This confirms my own caluclations that I would be thirteen at this first concert. The founder/conductor Michael Hall, of forty years ago, will be conducting the opening anniversary fanfare, so he must be around 75/80!! Unlike my first concert, for the one next month, I will definately be wearing long trousers!!

My Last Shorts: Terreyln

Terrelyn was becoming popular in the late 1950s and my last pair was Terrelyn worsted which I must admit, held a smart crease. My last shorts were Terreyln. As much as I disliked that last pair of shorts.

I distinctly remember going with mam to buy this last pair of shorts. I was hoping that because I was nearly 15 that she would at last buy longs for me. However, it was not to be. She bought a pair of the new Terrelyn shorts. I had to admit they looked very smart with a sharo crease, but I was really disappointed to be getting yet another pair of shorts.

I have tried to recall my conversation with mam or what the sales person may have said. Unfortunalely, I cannot offer many details. I cannot recall much of the conversation on this occasion, just that I felt very bad about getting short trousers again. I think, my mother was puzzled about all the fuss I was making, unable to understand why I was so reluctant to wear shorts. Certainly as far as both my parents were concerned, the school had requested this, so end of discussion.

This last pair of shorts was shorter in style than my earlier flannel trousers. So, even new, my own shorts as an older boy were shorter than those I wore as a younger boy. I think they were about mid-thigh length, which although I did not like any short trousers, these were preferable to the long, baggy variety.

Created: April 20, 1999
Last updated: May 10, 1999