Figure 1.--.

We had no Dad around and on the whole I think we realised that my mum didn't have a lot of money in our own way so didn't get on to her for new clothes or anything. I notice that I seem to be complaining a lot about my mum in my own writing - I don't know how this comes across to HBC readers. Given HBC is about clothing, it seems that I'm forever at war with her as a kid. I have not added here the stories of how I was lovingly looked after when I was sick etc. As I was writing about the school trips I was remembering all of the work it must have taken for my mum to keep us clothed and fed. I have give my point of view and things I observed as a boy. For instance I complain about my mum wrapping us up in the Winter in clothes we hated, but I could also tell you stories of kids who had no warm clothes for the cold eather. Generally as I said my mum's main concern was to keep us healthy first and then to try to get us the best education she could. Having us on her own meant that she had to work hard at sorting all this out. She was also under pressure from her mum who was always on at her to move back up to Leeds with us. She also tried to be fair with us all. I just didn't want to give the impression that my mum was unfair on us as far as clothes were concerned – she did her best – even though we'd argue. Looking back as an adult now, I'd say I had a wonderful mum.

Limited Income

We had no Dad around and on the whole I think we realised that my mum didn't have a lot of money in our own way so didn't get on to her for new clothes or anything. It wasn't dicussed but she never had a load of new clothes either - although she always looked good, and she was working too so I think us kids sort of knew the score.

Boyhood Complaints

I notice that I seem to be complaining a lot about my mum in my own writing - I don't know how this comes across to HBC readers. Given HBC is about clothing, it seems that I'm forever at war with her as a kid. I think that this is probably always the case at that age (and my mates would say the same). Well as I've explained we were a bit unusual then in not having a Dad so Mum made all of the decisions on what we wore and for what. As is probably apparent - she did her best to please us all but at other times she would put her foot down and decide that we would wear what she thought was appropriate for the occaision. Whether it was to keep us healthy (wrapping up in Winter), cost (wearing wellies to save on shoes) or so that we would look smart for an occaision (dressing up to travel to Leeds) it normally led to clashes but even at the time we realised that she was just trying to look after us and anyway when she had made her mind up like that it didn't pay to argue for too long and it wasn't that often that she insisted on something you really objected to - which is why it seemed so frustrating when she did and why those occaisions are so memorable - they were the exception rather than the rule. Even then it could have been worse. At least my Mum let us wear playclothes on Sunday afternoon whereas some of the boys who I went to Sunday school with had to stay dressed up all day and go out to museums and things with their parents. I keep going back to those check shorts as they sort of sum up the way things were with Mum and me. She insisted that I wear them to travel up to Leeds and back - but she could have made me wear them to other special occaisions like some other boys had to wear clothes they hated to (the school Christmas party for instance to be topical). She didn't as she knew that I hated them - but in return she expected me to wear them to Leeds because my gran liked me in them. What is more they had been bought especially for me - and I was normally complaining about my older brother getting all of the new clothes!. The fact that I only had to wear them on about 8 days of the year (three return trips to Leeds and Christmas and Boxing Day) showed that my Mum wasn't that bad - especially as she didn't have a lot of money and normally got full wear out of our clothes before we grew out of them (I told you about her rotating our school shorts to get even wear). On the whole I probably only wore those shorts a couple of dozen times in total over 3 years but they did make me miserable on those days. What has to be remembered (and I try to now) is the other 1000 + days in those three years when I didn't have to wear them! I couldn't think of it in those terms at the time but some Mums would have had me in them every Sunday and for that school Christmas party too (which would have mortified me!). So I suppose in all periods there have been relaxed times and not so relaxed depending on a boy's parents' attitudes, type of school and so on. The 1960s and 70s may have seemed more relaxed compared with earlier decades but because there was more choice - for those who could afford it - it led to other problems for boys. Having the latest styles for school and so on and having the mickey taken out of you if you wore more old-fashioned stuff (which many boys who had older brothers did but my Mum normally made sure I didn't have to and anyway my brother was only 1 year older so his clothes that came down to me weren't really old-fashioned like boys who had much older brothers had to wear).

Lovingly Looked After

I have not added here the stories of how I was lovingly looked after when I was sick etc. As I was writing about the school trips I was remembering all of the work it must have taken for my mum to keep us clothed and fed.

Selecting Clothes

Mum selected our clothes, but this was not always the case in British families at the time. We had no dad. My cousin Robert's Dad (my Uncle Richard) certainly had a lot of say in Robert's clothing - so it's not all mums.

Perspective

I have give my point of view and things I observed as a boy. For instance I complain about my mum wrapping us up in the Winter in clothes we hated, but I could also tell you stories of kids who had no warm clothes for the cold eather. Similarly I absolutely hated wearing those those check shorts to go up to Leeds in - but kids round my way never even got the chance to complain about being dressed up - they wore the same stuff in and out of school. As you say I am writing pretty much from the standpoint of the boy I was and the feelings we had then were pretty strong – without the insight that we can bring to things as adults. [HBC note: This is what makes Bill's account so interesting, because he presents a boy's view of the fashions of the day. I don't think complaints from a 10 year boy (as much as we find them fascinating) reflect badly on mum. In fact I think Bill's mum comes off as a stalwart single mother doing her best with limited means.] I notice that even here I use the word “hated” a lot – I didn't really hate being wrapped up for Winter – it was more a temporary annoyance even then and it was soon forgotten.I've got no big hang ups about these things – I hope that readers realise that however strongly I felt about things at the time I look back on many of these incidents with amusement – it's all part of growing up. The only part where I do think “hate” is the correct word when talking about my boyhood clothing is the check shorts – the thought of them still sends a shiver down my spine - and I think that is the best way into explaining my mum's attitude to clothing and us generally. A lot of this was my fault as well as I turned it into a big issue – something beyond the wearing of the shorts themselves.

Mum's Concern

Generally as I said my mum's main concern was to keep us healthy first and then to try to get us the best education she could. Having us on her own meant that she had to work hard at sorting all this out. She was also under pressure from her mum who was always on at her to move back up to Leeds with us – something I'd have hated as I'd had good friends in London and I'd have missed them. My mum liked us to look smart for school and Sunday school – but she was not over-fussy about clothes like some mums were. She had no real choice in the school clothes we wore – they set the uniform – and out of school she let us dress more or less as we liked for play. She had certain rules like I've told you – like not wearing jeans when out with her or on a Sunday – but some boys, like my cousin Robert were not allowed jeans at all. Her wrapping us up for school in the Winter and insisting that we wear short socks and short-sleeved shirts in the Summer were due to health considerations – she was just trying to look after us.

Independent

My mum was very independent and only accepted help with us on her terms. She appreciated,I know,the clothes that the old woman used to knit for us – but she never used to force us to wear them if we really didn't like them – a lot of the jumpers were worn as sort of dressing gowns over our pyjamas after our bath – or even in bed when it was cold – we didn't have to go out in them. The same was true of the clothes my gran used to buy us – she didn't make us wear gran's underwear just to please her mum but because she herself thought that it was suitable for the Winter – in the Summer we could wear our usual stuff – even though gran disapproved – it was my mum who made the choice not anyone else – and she'd normally also take into account what us boys wanted.

Fairness

She also tried to be fair with us all – my older brother normally got first pick of the new clothes – but my mum also bought me stuff to call my own – like my grey school shirts, my grey jeans and ! all of the clothes she bought me to go to Germany with. That Summer she also bought me the new style school shorts and the jumper I've told you about even though she had had the expense of kitting my older brother out for secondary school (although in truth I think that my grandparents helped out there) – she didn't want me to feel left out. I had started complaining about having to wear his hand-me-down clothes. My mum indulged me quite a bit as far as clothes were concerned – and that was not just with buying them – like my grey shirts and jeans – but also pandering to my fads – like always wanting to wear green briefs in the Summer to start school on Monday or letting me wear my sandals well into the Autumn. I sometimes must have driven her mad. Sometimes though she would put her foot down if she thought we were starting to take advantage of her. That was where the check shorts came in. Anyway – I could tell you seprately about all that – I just didn't want to give the impression that my mum was unfair on us as far as clothes were concerned – she did her best – even though we'd argue. Looking back as an adult now, I'd say I had a wonderful mum.

Bill