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The school blazer was unchanged in the 1950s, but they were no longer optional. The entire school in 1958 was wearing blazers, both the younger and older boys. They also wear the samne striped ties. Unlike earlier years when many boys wore suit coats rather than blazers, all the boys in the 1950s wore them. Short trousers were no longer optional for the younger boys. All the first year boys wore them. We do not have details on the school rules, but as all the first year nboys wear shorts, we can assume that shorts were required by the school. Almost all of the boys wore the school kneesocks with two dark color bands. Earlier boys had worn all sorts of different kneesocks, but the school appears to be strict about the kneesocks in the 1950s. A few boys in the second year year continued wering shorts, but most boys switched to long trousers. We notice some junior boys wearing caps, but again we do not know what the actual school rule was. Almost all boys wear black lace up shoes, but at least one first-year boy wears school sandals.
Some changes can be obsevedin the school uniform during the 1950s. The school blazer was unchanged in the 1950s, but they were no longer optional. The entire school in 1958 was wearing blazers, both the younger and older boys. They also wear the samne striped ties. Unlike earlier years when many boys wore suit coats rather than blazers, all the boys in the 1950s wore them. Ties wer also no longer optionl. Another change in the 1950s was that hort trousers were required for the first year boys and were no longer optional. A reader tells us about the school in the 1950s. "Having seen your page regarding Boston Grammar School uniforms, and having attended the school from 1953-59, I can supply the following information. The school blazer (mandatory) was black with gold braid and the badge was a monogram "BGS". The uniform was changed in September 1958 to a plain black blazer with a badge consisting of three gold crowns in a gold outline of a shield. Boys awarded sports "colours" wore a three crowns badge with the jewels picked out in red, green and blue. This badge was worn on both old and new style blazers. I was the first to wear the new blazer, being given special permission when my old one was damaged in July 1958. The school cap was mandatory throughout the fifties and was black with a miniature three crowns badge. It was an offence not to wear the cap in public and it was to be raised when addressing masters and other adults in the street. Short trousers were encouraged for younger boys by the headmaster, Mr L T Waddams, and parents were advised not to rush to put the boys into long trousers. He left the school at Easter 1954, and the new headmaster did not make any recommendation. There was not at any time a specific rule ordering short trousers for first years. Grey socks with black/gold bands were the norm. Shirts were grey for autumn and spring terms and white for summer term. Black/gold diagonal striped tie was the standard throughout the school during the fifties.
Masters wore their gowns at all times over suit and tie. Capes and mortar boards were worn for special events, such as Speech Day and the town "Beast Mart". The three crowns badge is derived from the old Borough of Boston coat of arms and was with Kingston upon Hull, the only boroughs permitted the crowns on a badge under an edict of Henry VIII. Other occurrences are in fact ducal coronets. The Hull version was in familiar use in miniature on the cover of the exercise books of the day, printed by Browns of Hull and London. School reports, exercise books and headed letters bore the school crowns badge inside a circular belt lettered with the school motto: Floreat Bostona. The Army section of the Combined Cadet Force wore the Sphinx cap badge of the old Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, the RAF section wore the extant RAF cap badge, and the RN section wore a tally band with the insignia "Combined Cadet Force". All sections wore a black shoulder flash lettered in gold "Boston Grammar School C.C.F."
School football colours were Black and Gold halved shirts, Black shorts and Black stockings with two gold bands on the turnover. Although the colour was gold in all cases the school colours were always referred to as "Black and Amber"." [Orange]
The school blazer was clearly required for all boys. Short trousers look to be no longer optional for the younger boys. But has our reader tells us, there was no actual school rule. Even so, all the first year boys wore them. As all the first year boys wear shorts, one would think thst shorts were required by the school. But it appears to be parental attitudes and the suggestions given by the headmaster. The cap was, however, required throiughout the 1950s. Unlike earlier year, the school in the 1950s was inssting that the boys in shorts wear the proper school kneesocks with two colored bands at the top.
Figure 2.--This photograph shows the new intake at the Boston Grammar School in 1953. The boys appear to be weaing their uniforms or school uniforms from their primary or prep schools rather than the BGS uniform. Notice the school caps and sandals. |
A grammar school was a selective school with six forms. Not all the boys wnt all the way through the sixth form unless hey were headed to the university. The younger boys are in the first form. These boys would have been 11-12 years, having entered the school after doing well on their 11+ exam. The only unifom diffence based upon form level tat we note is that the first year boys wore shorts. A few second yea boys do also, but this was not required. There may have been a reuirement about the caps for the junior boys, but we are not sure about this.
Some basic information is availabl on the school uniform garments he boys wore.
We notice some junior boys wearing caps, but again we do not know what the actual school rule was.
All the boys wear blazers and the blazers look to be all of the same design. The blazers were a olid color with contrasting piping. I'm not sure about the colors. Sometimes senior boys wore slightly different blazer or even suits of theirown choice instead of blazers. This was not the case in 1958. That design is the same as had ben worn since the 1930s, the only difference was that all the boys wore them.
Most of the boys at the shool wear long black trousers. The first year boys were required to wear short grey tousers. A few boys in the second year year continued wearing shorts, presumably because heir parents insisted. Most boys switched to long trousers as soon as they were allowed.
Almost all of the junior noys in shorts wore the school kneesocks with two dark color bands. Earlier boys had worn all sorts of different kneesocks, but the school appears to be strict about the kneesocks in the 1950s. The junior boys wearing short socks are very much the exception.
Almost all boys wear black lace up shoes. We do not know if this was rule. We otice at least one first-year boy wears school sandals. The fact that most boys wear lac up shoes, rather than sandals, may have been because most boys prefered the lace up shoes.
Orange, Michael. E-mail message, August 24, 2009.
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