Burnley Grammar School

I attended an all boys grammar school in the midlands in the mid 60's. I well remember the scenes set in these comments. The photo looks very similar to our gym lessons.
We had to wear the almost transparent white nylon shorts and we were ordered not to wear underpants. Shirts and skins was the norm for any activity in the gym. Showers were compulsory and we had to go into the communal shower naked.
We were lucky enough to have a pool and it was quite common after a PE session in the gym to have a shower, put our shorts back on and then go into the pool. The shorts went almost totally transparent but we just seemed to assume that's the way it was and not take any notice.
The first time I can remember this being a problem for any of us was one friend who was obviously an early developer started to have problems with hanging out of his shorts. He was embarrassed and of course the rest of us made a huge joke of it, not thinking it would become a problem for us in time!
I remember one day at the beginning of the lesson, the PE teacher sat us down in the changing rooms and talked to us about growing up and that if we felt uncomfortable in just our shorts, we should get jockstraps like the older boys, and in any case we would need them if we were going to play rugby. He had them on sale at school if we wanted to buy them.
Few of us knew what a jockstrap was but as the changing rooms were a shortcut to one part of the school we started to notice older boys getting changed and worked out what they were. Those with older brothers also knew already.
From then on, they started to appear at changing time and, of course they were plainly visible through the almost transparent shorts, especially when we went on to swimming after pe. Often the waistband showed above and the leg straps showed below but, to us, that was a sign of being one of the older boys.
Coming from a family with no older brothers, I had never talked about such things with my parents and they were not at all sporty. I couldn't imagine asking them to get to buy me a jockstrap so I summoned the courage to go and buy one at school. I just remember feeling like one of the big boys and never worried about it showing through the shorts. Like a lot of the others we washed them in the showers and kept them in our lockers.
I was never over sporty so didn't get onto the major teams but we did have to do "cross country running" which took us through the woods but also along public roads. An interesting sight for some passers by, I expect, on a wet day when things had gone particularly transparent!

We boys were made to stand in a line shoulder to shoulder. We were told to look at the wall bars opposite. The PE teacher would then walk in front of us, pausing to pull the shorts to the side, then proceed to the next one. The penalty for not looking at the wall bars was never disclosed but we were told it would be severe.
There were no showers in the changing rooms.
Is there any interest in punishments dealt out by other sadists? Sorry, I meant teachers at that school.

As Speedy writes, it almost beggars belief what Harry wrote, although it was a different era. I know from my schooldays in the mid 60's punishment was severe compared to today, (including the cane across the hand as punishment for misbehaving in other lessons) but you did not go home & complain because to do so incurred the wrath of your parents which was worse. Some boys took the option of the cane rather than stay behind in detention so that their parents did not know that they had been punished. Teachers were to be obeyed end of.

As for checking for pants. How did he do that? That does seem a step to far even in those days. The nearest we came to being checked was the threat at our first pe lesson by the teacher that he would pick a boy at random to bend over. We wore thin white shorts so any pants would be visible so there was no opportunity to flout the rule. The same teacher threatened that if one boy was caught wearing pants the whole class would be get the slipper. That threat was enough.

Interesting comments Harry.What you describe almost beggars belief.But,as you say,it was the 1950s - it was a different world back then.

I almost hesitate to ask what the arrangements were (if any) for showering at the end of your PE lessons.

I went to an all boys school in the late 50s. PE was done in shorts and plimsolls only. The gym master checked to ensure we were not wearing undies. The penalty was to take your undies off in front of every one or receive a slippering. Slipperings were dealt out for being last in a race or otherwise under performing. Slipperings were given at the end of lessons. Plimsolls were removed so that he had something to hit you with, and shorts were removed so that he was not wasting his effort getting through clothing.
A pupil was made to bend over a vaulting block and put his feet into the hand holes of the vaulting block so his legs were apart. That is if the pupil was lucky. The alternative position was the diaper position on top of the vaulting block. I will leave to your imagination where he put a hand to give you protection. But this was the late 1950s.

Re Bill's comment, I recall doing PE just in underwear in a mixed sex infants school 1967-69. This was only in the Infants School, however (ages 5-7); after that we moved along to the Primary school (on the same site) and although my recollection of gym there is a bit hazy, I am pretty sure that we had to wear more than just underpants.

At age 11 I went to an all boys Prep school, and there we had to wear a similar uniform to the one shown here - white nylon shorts with underpants strictly forbidden, plimsolls and white socks, and white cotton vests. For some activities we removed the plimsolls, socks and vests (but never the shorts, thank goodness!)

Mark,my mother would only resort to using corporal punishment only if we misbehaved,were disobedient or did badly with our exams but perversely we were made to wear shorts for her own amusement and gratification.

For PE we always wore white shorts and white teeshirt, both in primary and secondary for both boys and girls.
However I did read that in some primary schools PE was done in just underpants for both boys and girls. How common was this? Did anyone here have this practice at their school?

Also, was it common practice in secondary schools for boys and girls to do PE separately or mixed?
Is the picture on this page from a boys only school, or did the boys have separate PE classes from the girls?

Regarding the comments by Chris and Anon about vests: growing up in the 1960's most of us used to wear them (as far as I can remember from changing for PE at Primary School). I don't recall them being scratchy as they were cotton. The boys ones were normally plain white and the girls were similar, but with perhaps a little coloured bow or similar on the neckline.

I must admit that at the height of summer I did sometimes leave mine off!
I continued to wear a vest into Secondary School, until eventually my developing figure necessitated a different form of underwear!

Yes John I can relate to having my legs smacked. As we got older, mum would have us touch our toes or bend over the arm of the sofa, but the always used to have us pull down our shorts and pants before she took the strap to us!!

Mark,I do agree it was far better not to argue with my mother although the prospect of 'a trip across her knee'might have been a little daunting for her especially if my shorts had to be removed.
I'm sure it was more convenient and practical to award a summary punishment to a refractory teenager by some sharp slaps on my legs.
The brief shorts that I had to wear were ideal to facilitate this form of punishment.

Re Chris's comments about vests. I was brought up by my nan so my fashion was dictated by what the "previous generation" dictated should be worn and was acceptable. It was Vests certainly had to be worn (thick scratchy wooly ones in the winter) right up to my late teens. After starting work I did in fact decide to coose my own clothes and went out and bought the string briefs and vests which were in fashion in the 70's which received a frosty reception from Nan but from then on I chose what I wanted. As previous people have commented, I also wore grey shorts, (which were short )up until I was about 14 because I was deemed not tall enough or old enough for longs. Again Nans influence

With reference to Jamie's comments, similarly we had after school activities and our's was cross country and like wise 2 or 3 of us aged about 12/ 13 would be allowed supervised showers afterwards and we thought nothing about Sir being there and frankly no one cared. There was no hint of any impropriety and as lads we did not care about using communal showers. That's as it was.

Yes John, same here. Arguing too much with mum would earn a trip over her knee. Usually it was best to say nothing.

For normal gym lessons we had no time for showers at the end of lessons. However, sometimes a couple of us had extra gym after school, ie gymnastics etc. We would always be allowed to have showers supervised by the gym teacher. We were only about 12 or 13 so very innocent and it was fun times. No inhibitions in those days. And for gym, we only ever wore gym shorts and no top

For ordinary PE in the gym, or outside on lawn when the weather was particularly fine, showers didn't enter into the picture. After PE, you had no more than ten minutes to get changed and on to the next class. The only time we had showers after exercise was after football on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

Very interesting comments you made Chris on the nature of the clothing worn for PE and the similarity of Mr.Parry`s gymn to yours.

Expanding the comparison I wonder what the arrangements were (if any) for showering at the end of your PE lessons. - Interesting to hear(indeed from other posters as well)of any pertinent anecdotes,etc.,and how you felt about it all.

Hi Mark,My mother was just the same,there was nothing more difficult than trying to persuade her to allow me to wear long trousers and be treated more like an adult.It was not easy trying to convince my mother,while risking her wrath pouting and showing my displeasure.

This could have been my own secondary school gym back in the fifties, even down to the wall-bars and the wooden horses! The only obvious difference is that while we had to have white shorts, they didn't need to be a uniform pattern, while the kids in the photo seem to have uniform striped shorts.

Although the school uniform list that my parents were sent before I started had specified white cotton shorts and top (underwear vest acceptable) for PE kit, it was somewhat out of date, and by the time I started, the 'powers that be' had decreeed that PE would now be done bare-chested.

Unfortunately, nobody had bothered to warn us newbies of this change in policy in advance, and although most of us had turned up for school on our first day diligently, and largely reluctantly, wearing the vests that we had spent much of the summer holidays spurning, I don't remember anyone being particularly trumatised by the toplessness that ensued when PE came around the next day.

This was in the days when mothers, in particular, were uniformly over-concerned where their offspring and vests were concerned, an era when all kids were expected to wear vests most of the time, most kids were expected to wear vests all of the time and msny kids, tried to avoid wearing vests at all. Finding myself in the former category with strong leanings to the latter, most traumatic for me was going home after that first PE class and nervously revealing to Mum that, not only had I taken my vest off for PE, but that I hadn't put it back on afterwards! I refrained from adding that I saw no need to put it on again tomorrow morning, but Mum sensed that, as far as I was concerned, vests were history and she had better battles to fight - 60 years later, she is still correct.

Mum never gave a reason for the things she did. She was very controlling,ritualistic,and fastidious.

Mum never gave a reason for the things she did. She was very controlling,ritualistic,and fastidious.

Hi Mark,thank you for your reply.What really intrigues me is why our mothers kept us in shorts both up to similar ages,when most boys of my age were in long trousers.Did your mother give you a reason for this practice of keeping you in shorts?

Hi John, no my mother made me wear them. She was not a lady to be argued with

At my all boys secondary school during my time there 1961 to 1966 Corporal punishment was Cane given across the hand by male teachers and Headmaster. As I remember we had only one female teacher and she sent "naughty boys" to a male teacher to administer the cane and he would deal very severly with that lad for "playing up" Miss.

The PE teacher administered the slipper across the behind although I did not experience this, I am told by boys who did, that the slipper was a very painful punishment when you were wearing thin nylon shorts with no underpants.
Apart from the Headmaster, who caned in his study, the cane/slipper was given in front of the class as a warning & deterent to others.

Mark,when I was kept in shorts in the sixties at age 16 it was not common to see boys of that age wearing shorts.
Were you compelled to wear them or did you wear them by choice?

When I was at school discipline was very strict. It did vary and change slightly as we got older. It was also much harsher for boys, who tended to get disciplined in front of the class. At infant and middle until age 12, our teachers were incredibly strict. Boys would get the backs of their bare legs smacked at lot. This was painful and left embarrassing hand marks. And there were two teachers who did actually pull down boys shorts and pants and smack their bare bottoms in front of the whole class. This happened to me and it was awful. As we got older teachers started to use the slipper(a plimsoll) on us. One teacher used it on a daily basis. Boys would have to bend over and touch their toes and then get up to three almighty whacks on their bottoms. The cane was used, but only in private. I never got caned but I remember a boy age 16 being taken out in a careers education class for the cane(stick we called it)
In many ways the worst was to come when we got home. For most of us, including me, if we got spanked at school then we got another at home(usually from mum) If i got home with red marks on my legs then I quickly found myself over mums knee, with my bottom bared, getting a strapping or the hairbrush.
I vividly remember that I got spanked so hard at school at time, that my legs burnt bright red and I had trouble sitting.These are not good memories and some teachers went way too far.

Yes Mike, corporal punishment was also the norm of keeping discipline in class for most schools during the sixties, whether it was the slipper, ruler or strap in some cases, although the cane was usually reserved only for the headmaster.
Would be interesting to hear from readers of this forum what kind of corporal punishment was used at their school.

John, we too were kept in shorts until 16. Not unusual in the 60s.Our mother was very strict and regularly took a strap to our bare bottoms.There were usually marks visible on our legs. yes we had to run the gauntlet at school of getting teased. When we took our showers at school therewas always at least one boy with a well striped bottom

We played Gaelic Football during PE and fielded teams against other schools in a league at my Catholic Secondary School, in the late 80s and early 90s.
The lowest temperature recorded in the UK for the whole of 2014 was in Katesbridge Co Down N Ireland. Not far from my old school.
The football pitch is exposed on one of highest pieces of land in the Courntry and is often frozen solid.
With a title to defend for the school, playing anything other than Gaelic Football was unheard off.
So the older boys had PE outdoors and never used the gym.
I only remember PE in gym for a week after Third Year. As soon as a smaller training pitch was cleared of heavy snow we were back out in it!
I wasn't on the team as I wasn't very good and liked my bed.
The Football team had early morning training sessions, often on frozen ground.
Despite their own liking of thermals and expensive Goretex the Coaches insisted on proper school training kit only for the players. Gaelic Football shorts are pretty short and the jerseys offer little protection over a bare chest.
During the team prematch pep talk the players would remain shirtless, only putting jerseys on after go ahead from coach!

The guys did similar before training. The Coach never said don't wear a vest but any lad that did was given a hard time and called wuss etc, by players and Coaches!

I suppose its a macho toughness many admire! But in our case most of us hated PE as there were only a few team members in each class. Most were looking at the warm empty gym, as we ran out in the snow, dreaming about indoor soccer.

Re the last message the boys are lucky thwese days they can wear underwear. In my day albeit in an all boys school it was tight white nylon shorts no underwear. At least these days it seems lads are proud to show off their designer underwear with low slung jeans so why worry about pe and girls seeing as I expect it is all boxer shorts and not briefs or slips.

Once back in my winter Pe term between January-April 1987 gymnastics was cancelled unexpectedly. When we did gym we wore white shirt, white shorts socks, pumps and underwear (unless you had the wrong t-shirt then you went topless).

Instead we were told to go to the swimming baths we had to undress and put on just our white shorts for our impromptu swimming lesson.

This practice is backed up Phil who has posted on this blog!

http://pekitblog.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/swimming-in-pe-shorts.html

Anonymous said...
The pic reminded me of when my class had to go swimming in white PE shorts. We were meant to do PE outdoors but there was a thunder storm so we had to go to the pool instead. No one had trunks with them so it was white nylon shorts only and yes, they were fairly see through when wet....


Likewise, as soon as we jumped into the pool our white shorts became transparent like Jellyfish basking off the coast of Pennsylvania.

As we came out of the pool to dive off the boards my pre-pubescent member clung to the white see through fabric. Other boys who were much more developed had their hairy penises and large testicles stuck to the white transparent shorts.

Afterwards we showered off with our buttocks stuck to this ethereal second skin that adhered to our private areas. We hurriedly dried off and dressed ready for our next lesson.

It is amazing that even today there are many schools that require boys to wear white shorts where the girls can see their underwear underneath but female modesty is protected by dark shorts.