Figure 1.-- |
|
I have photographs in school attire. I attended a prep school in England. A British prep school is different than an American prep school. It was a kind of private primary school for children 8-13 years of age. Now most have pre-preps for younger children. Like most prep schools we had a uniform. I left my prep school when I was 12. That was a year early. Then I went to a German-language Swiss school. I find that part of my childhood fascinates me more than my British schools. I made some good friends there. When I was 15 my dad said he could no longer afford the fees in Switzerland, as the pound was dropping like a stone. What else is new? So at age 16 I was moved (more like being interned) to a school called Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.
I attended a prep school in England. A British prep school is different than an American prep school. It was a kind of private primary school for children 8-13 years of age. Now most have pre-preps for younger children. I did hate my British Prep school, but that was more to do with being seriously home sick. The conditions, especially for new boys, were probably rather more spartan than might have been absolutely necessary. There were often about 12 boys to a dormitory. Which can not create a feeling of home. Later I was in a dormitory of five boys. And that made the whole school experience much happier. Your site is opening up all sorts of memories and, actually, helping me feel a lot better about some of the hurts, real or imagined, of my childhood. I have been looking at old photographs and it is remarkable in how many I look happy. I think it is the few sad times we remember most. The food was not bad, there just wasn't enough of it. To this day I eat at maniacal speed. When they called for Second Helpings only boys who had eaten everything on their plates could go up for them. Like most prep schools we had a uniform. I left my prep school when I was 12. That was a year early.
Then I went to a German-language Swiss school. I find that part of my childhood fascinates me more than the English schools I attended. I noted the excellent article on HBC about Tom's experirnces at his Swiss boarding school, with some very memory stirring photographs. My school was much smaller than his, with fewer than 150 boys. But I do remember the intensity of the work. We got up at 05.30 av and, though the official bed time was 21.30 pm for our class we often worked on our Aufgabe (homework), until 23.00 pm or later. It was alright as long as we were ready for bed in our pajamas or night shirts. Eventually Mutti or our teacher would tell us to go to bed anyway. I do remember boys wearing what my friends and I called Tintinhose, those baggy knicker type pants. Not many wore them in our class and no-one in my room did. I couldn’t see the point of them. Wear longs if it’s very cold, otherwise shorts was my approach. I think our school was more progressive than what he describes. It paid lip service to the ideas of the great Scottish Educational pioneer A.S. Neill.
When I was 15 my dad said he could no longer afford the fees in Switzerland, as the pound was dropping like a stone. What else is new? So at age 16 I was moved (more like being interned) to a school called Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. It had one saving grace, the acting Headmaster; a Mr Steadman. He was the only man I ever met who spoke to kids without the usual censorship that most adults and all schoolmasters automatically apply. I will write about him later because he was a true eccentric and a great man. I hated the school, but I am glad I went there because some of the teachers were fantastic. Also the work was not nearly as hard and we had more freedom. I had not been there a few days before someone told me that the Janitor spoke German. I was pining to speak German so I went to his little office in the basement and hunted him out. His story about the Hitler Youth was amazing.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Roger page]
[Return to the Main English personal experience page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Bibliographies]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Essays]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossary]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
