The past is a different country. They do things differently there.

[Gadget]

 

and on top of the vest and liberty bodice we had to wear an underslip and then a jumper and then a cardigan - how did we move.  Not to mention those horrid navy blue knickers which were school uniform 

I still hate wool next to my skin 

[Lydart]

Oh yes !    I remember those swim-suits knitted by Granny ... mine was STRIPED !    I hated it !   They sagged when you went in the sea and got them wet !   And then the dye from the wool ran down your legs, and if it was a yellow suit ... I leave the rest to your imagination !

My school flannel navy knicks had a pocket !

[ozlady]

We had to wear ordinary pants under our navy knicks. How unhygenic was that. We also had communal showers after gym and games. I was so glad I got a couple of verruccas! Swimming lessons in the local pool (outdoor) were a nightmare, it was always freezing cold and/or raining.

[Shropshire Lass]

My school flannel navy knicks had a pocket !

I'm glad it's not just me remembers those!

I went to a girls school and it never occurred to me that it might be a good idea to have boys around the place.  We were encouraged to do whatever we were good at and I was amazed to hear girls talking at college later on, saying they couldn't show they were good at maths or science because of the boys' reactions.

Monica

[Gadget]

My school flannel navy knicks had a pocket !

I'm glad it's not just me remembers those!

I went to a girls school and it never occurred to me that it might be a good idea to have boys around the place.  We were encouraged to do whatever we were good at and I was amazed to hear girls talking at college later on, saying they couldn't show they were good at maths or science because of the boys' reactions.

Monica

Didn't happen like that in our school - as many if not more girls as boys in the Science sixth - maybe Wales was different 

Gadget

[geniecolgan]

My school flannel navy knicks had a pocket !

My school gym bloomers were brown and didn't have a pocket but they were fleecy lined ..... ugh! 
Mum used to buy them miles too big for me, ("you'll grow into them and it will save coupons"). 

One time they were so big I pulled them up under my armpits and clowned around. All the other girls laugh. Well..... it was better than just standing there being embarrassed, wasn't it 

[Ann Baker]

lol genie

I had the navy ones in the 1970s when coupons were gone but seemed our school hadn't moved with times! They matched our heavy duty St Trinian style gymslips perfectly.

We weren't allowed black patent shoes because of possible underwear reflection and our head mistress had a unique way of removing eye make up - nail varnish remover! Is a wonder she didn't blind us all!

Happy days!

Ann

[chinakay]

I've noticed left hand people now seem to write with their left arm bent at right angles from the elbow and then their hand twisted somehow so that they write over the top of the paper, rather from the side, if that makes sense.  I'm always fascinated by it.

I think it's because as we write from left to right, a leftie would naturally drag the writing hand through what had just been written and smear it. Hooking the arm around like that lets the ink dry a bit before the left hand ruins it.

My theory anyhoo.

Cheers,
China

[lesleyhannah]

I think it's because as we write from left to right, a leftie would naturally drag the writing hand through what had just been written and smear it. Hooking the arm around like that lets the ink dry a bit before the left hand ruins it.
China

I think you're right China. My left-handed son developed that awkward way of writing in secondary school where he was made to use a fountain pen. It was an all-boys' school, and his form teacher was barbaric - making a point of humiliating my son whenever he smudged his work - then keeping him in detention (more times than I could count).

The clumsy way of writing stuck with my son - as did his hatred of his school.