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HBC readers have provided some interesting reflections about their prepschool experiences. The experiences of course varied from child to child. And of course the various schools while having similarities could be quite different. We incourage readers to add their experiences here.
One reader reports, "The images in HBC appear very familiar to me from the time of my own school days. The uniforms are the same, as are the classrooms and desks and even the boys themselves seem to be familiar as though I'm looking at pictures of my own school chums. I've been astonished with the memories that your photographs have invoked in me. Long-forgotten images have sprung up in my mind such as the carvings I made on a desktop lid or the Bakelite inkwells that always seemed to be broken. Pinning school timetables to the underside of desk lids with drawing pins (thumb tacks) and catching the backs of one's legs on the splintered edges of the wooden seats. 'Duffle' coats that were very warm and cosy and leather satchels with well-worn straps and buckles and a home address and telephone number stencilled in under the flap. Rain dripping off the peaks of school caps and sodden socks. Struggling to get the school tie just so--the 'big end' tip just below the waistband of the trousers. T-bar sandals that were a joy to wear new but the white soles quickly grew dirty and the uppers were easily scuffed. Scarves in the school colours that our Mothers made us wear in cold weather despite it being viewed as 'sissy' by one's peers. At night in the dormatories trying to sob away the awful despair of homesickness as silently as possible lest we be ridiculed by the 'hard kids' or punished by the house master for not being asleep. Changing over to ankle socks from knee socks in the Summer term showed just how white calves could get compared to tanned knees and thighs."
I find people have the wring idea about prep schools. I attended prep school in the 1980s and as quite happy there. And like the previous correspondant, the images in HBC bring back memories. They are not filled with home sick little boys and girls. Nor are the uniforms repressive. I began at my prep school when I was 8 years old. I was indeed a little dosturbed about boarding for the first time. There was a sinking feeling in my stmoache when my parents drove off that first day. And there were some tearry nights at first. And I was not alone. We all had our teddies and other cuddly animals to cofort us. But that soon past as we made friends. Matron was very kind and the head master's wife took a real interest in us newboys. We soon got over being homesick although excheats and hoidays were real treats when we could be papered by our parents and watch all the telly we wanted. After a while on the longer holidays I began to look forward to going back to school and joining up with my mates. As to the uniform, I didn't mind it at all. It solved the bother of worrying about what to wear and meant I could quickly get on with the daily activities. Like your other correspondent, there were items that I still recall quite vividly. I wasn;t used to wearing short trousers and I recall how it felt rather strange wearing them during the winter. And the main building at our school wasn't all that well heated. I also recall my school sandals which we were also required to wear. Then there were the turn-over-top school socks with the colored bands. I remember how the elastic garters left marks on my legs. But perhaps most important of all, I receive an excellent foundation for my future academic life.
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[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals
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