Figure 1.--

At one time a school book satchell was identified with the schoolboy (think Shakespeare's "whining schoolboy"!) but, like caps and so, on they were rarely seen, at least in state secondary schools, after the early 1970s. One item I particularly remember was my book satchell. Some of the other boys also had them when I went to primary school. Funnily enough I can't remember the girls having them - or indeed any bag. They usually just had a purse on a leather strap for dinner money. I don't think this was a rule - just a convention. When I started at secondary school I naturally still had my satchell (they were made to last! - and I liked mine anyway). What I do recall is that many of the boys there did not have satchells - they had proper "briefcases" just like the boy on the left in this image is carrying.Now I think my elder brother also had one of these briefcases to start at secondary school with - maybe my grandfather bought it for him or my Mum did because he was the eldest. He got long trousers straight away for secondary school too whereas I had to wait for mine. I can't remember exactly. I can only talk for London as always - things may have been different elsewhere in the country and in Scotland and so on. I never really saw what my cousin in Yorkshire wore to school as I was only ever there in the school holidays of course - but they did seem a year or two behind us in "fashion".

Primary School

One item I particularly remember was my book satchell. Some of the other boys also had them when I went to primary school. Funnily enough I can't remember the girls having them - or indeed any bag. They usually just had a purse on a leather strap for dinner money. I don't think this was a rule - just a convention. When I started at secondary school I naturally still had my satchell (they were made to last! - and I liked mine anyway). Mum always said that backpacks - or satchells as we had - were better for posture than briefcases or sports bags. We always wore them for going shopping and they say that today too. Although there is some concern that children are carrying too much weight in modern book bags today. I don't know why as books are becoming obselete with the internet! Anyway as I say I actually preferred my satchell as it left the hands free - and even when I graduated to a sports bag in secondary school, I carried it slung over my shoulder. The beauty of satchells of course was that they could be worn either properly on the back as my Mum insisted - the posture thing - or at the side with the single strap. Our satchells by the way had a single strap and you looped it around the back of your neck and under the arms in order to to wear it properly. The "German" boy's more "continental-type" back pack had double straps though one for each arm as I recall. I'm only sorry that I don't have a picture of me with my satchell! I was very fond of it and regretted stopping wearing it. I do have pictures in my mind though.

Secondary School

What I do recall is that many of the boys there did not have satchells - they had proper "briefcases" just like the boy on the left in this image is carrying. Now I think my elder brother also had one of these briefcases to start at secondary school with - maybe my grandfather bought it for him or my Mum did because he was the eldest. He got long trousers straight away for secondary school too whereas I had to wait for mine. I can't remember exactly. The main thing is that when I started at secondary school (1970) all boys had either proper leather briefcases or satchells but a few years later very few did. There being all sorts of sports bags allowed. The "fashion" was to carry the correct bag to school. Branded sports bags such as PUMA for "skins" and canvas shoulder bags for the "hairies". The former with football stickers on them, the latter with "ban the bomb" logos drawn on. The various styles appear in quite a few HBC pages. A good example is a Scottish school photograph. The only boy I recall who did still carried a proper leather satchell-type bag was the boy with the German name I told you about before. (The one who still wore shorts later than the rest of us and wore sandals later too). The HBC satchel page reminded me of his book bag. He wore short trousers (all year round) and (open-toed) sandals in Summer) long after we had gone over to carrying books in sports type bags by the third form onwards. He wasn't teased over it as he was quite a bit bigger then us! But I did find it interesting as when I was in Germany it was Summer so I obviously didn't see their schoolwear. The boy didn't have a German accent or anything so I suppose that he was born here and his parents picked up the bookbag on a trip back to Germany because I don't think that they were sold here. our satchels were different in that they fastened at the back with straps and buckles and had a slot for inserting a card with your name and form. The German bookbags seem to fasten at the front (hidden in the picture next to the boys' backs) which I suppose was more secure and practical. Wearing our English style uniform with the German bookbag and sandals was I suppose a way of his parents integrating him into the English system while still keeping some of his German heritage. The same as I wor my English school clothes in Germany I suppsoe but that was my choice certainly not my Mum's had she been there as she had bought me lightweight shorts and short socks to wear similar to the German boys. Although the younger ones also wore lederhosen as I have mentioned - not sure if they wore them to school though. I don't think the abrupt change in the type of school bags at that time was due to a change in school rules. I just think different types of bag became generally available and once one boy had one everyone wanted them and at my school most boys had parents who could afford to indulge them. I too had money from my paper round to keep up with the fashions! I think it does show a general blurring between "schoolwear" and out-of-school clothes. The type of school bag was just one of the changes taking place.

Created: 8:16 AM 7/10/2005
Last updated: 3:28 PM 2/14/2009