Burnley Grammar School

It's easy to forget how cold those gyms could be at any time of year. They were big spaces and, especially in winter, uneconomic and almost impossible to get warm.

But, the PE teacher made us work so hard we soon forgot about the low temperature.

Our uniform included plain white t-shirts, but as the lesson progressed, we became so hot despite the chilly conditions, that most of us asked for permission to remove them.

Like most schools in the late 60's we did indoor pe in just shorts, nothing else (and with no choice but to strip). Also had to run cross country shirtless all year around - both of these were fairly universal I think.

We were always allowed to wear plimsolls for cross country (one lad didn't, but that was his choice), no one wore short trousers at school beyond 13/14 (and most switched as soon as they started secondary school).

In high summer at home boys mostly didnt wear shirts, and indoors often were barefoot. Outdoors I don't remember anyone always being barefoot, and the only times we were was when swimming in the lake/river or playing around on grass on a very hot day.

In the winter, homes had limited heating, so no one went shirtless,in fact the opposite and mostly we wore several layers even indoors.

Yes some parents used heavy coprporal punishment (one lad in my class often had belt marks on his bare back in pe for example), but no parent would have made their kids go around stripped off to just a pair of shorts.

It wasn't unusual to wear shorts at school until at least age 12 at school back in the 60s and 70s but I've never saw a teenage boy age 14 running around the street playing with friends barefoot and bares heated. Did you you ever see this James?

I wore shorts to school, where in primary school it was compulsory, wearing shorts at secondary school was optional, for PE we were always topless and barefoot.
I suppose it was no different for me at home.

If the onejack stories are true then to make a teenage boy go out in the street bare foot and without at shirt is a abuse. Given that these things he writes about happened only five years ago I suspect the stories are pure fantasy.

One2jack, I was told to be stripped to the waist because my parents think that tops aren't necessary for young men in the home and that it would be better if I 'toughened up'. This involves remaining stripped during cold winters. They also think that it will encourage me to take care of my body and be more confident, which is true. Hoesntly, during the summer, it's s real advantage being stripped to the waist- I usually spend entire weeks with nothing more than a pair of shorts.

james, phil: they don't insist that i wear shorts, but i'm just used to strip to shorts now

On 29th March, one2jack says that he is nineteen and on 1st April, he says that his parents still keep him in shorts. This conversation is becoming silly.

one2jack, It wasn't really an issue wearing shorts without underwear, as we were never allowed underwear for sports or PE. I just grew accustomed to wearing shorts without any, so it didn't draw too many comments.
I think the main drawback with wearing shorts was that older boys didn't wear them.
What kind of shorts did you wear and do your parents still insist that you wear them?

james, im not sure why exactly i was and am kept in shorts... but i guess the reasons are: laundry, to get comfortable with my body, fear that i'd damage the clothes, etc.

yea i was de-pantsed. they were like "hey he's not even wearing underwear" "what happened to your underwear?" or something like that and some even wanted a proof, ganged up against me and de-pantsed me....

what your friends said when they noticed?

one2jack,I'm sure there were many reasons why my parents kept me in shorts, mainly it signified I was still a juvenile and so to be regarded. Other reasons included, the "cute" factor influenced my mother. Certainly they believed that making boys go bare-legged had healthful benefits, developed hardiness, as well as character building
virtues, instilled docility and taught humility.
It was occasionally noticed that I wasn't wearing underwear and yes, I was de-pantsed when I misbehaved, which was very rare as I behaved with decorum and wearing my shorts kept me in check.
How about you, why were you kept in shorts, were you de-pantsed and what did your friends say when they realised you weren't wearing underwear?

in winter i never was in just shorts, so i was never cold.
i'm speaking about outside. inside i was always kept in shorts, even today.

yeah older ladies called me "cute in shorts" etc too... i hated it.

did you ever ask you parents why?
did your friends notice you wasn't wearing underwear with those shorts?
did they ever de-pantsed you?

One2jack, one of my main objections to wearing shorts for school was simply my winter uniform was similar to what I wore in the summer, apart from being allowed to wear knee stockings.
In the 70's/80's, fashion dictated that shorts were very short and mine were no exception.
Although we had a winter uniform for school, my shorts were considered quite suitable for the harsh, cold weather.
I remember being told that I 'looked cute in my shorts' and told to 'wrap up to keep warm', but I felt I would freeze in those little numbers.

james, i know what you mean. i have same experiences with comments... my friends wore long shorts or jeans and i was and am still in shorts...

embarrasing when about 13-14 outside and you are the only one in just shorts no shirt and barefoot.

one2jack, It was difficult wearing short shorts, especially as most of my friends were wearing long trousers or jeans. Often, it would lead to many derogatory comments, but I had to accept it.
Like you, I would wear my play shorts without underwear and often go bare foot. I can assure you, it was not by choice!

James
I also had to stay in shorts but at least only until 13 years old. There werre some other lads had to do the same according to parents wishes. My shorts were short and tight. Not like the longer shorts of today. The shorts were worn with long grey socks.

mark, yes same here. boys had to take their shoes and socks off.

james, at home i was often made to wear short soccer shorts. in summer when its hot not even underwear. how did you feel running around in just shorts? what about your friends? how did you feel wearing shorts in school til that age? how old are you now?

one2jack/Benny, when I wore shorts for school and home they were much shorter than the knee length shorts that as seen today. Despite my age or height my shorts were worn well above the knee, and bought so that they fitted neat and trim.
Usually boys were promoted to wearing long trousers at a certain age, usually about thirteen years of age, but my school allowed the option of keeping boys in shorts till they left school if their parents so desired.
My fate was sealed and my parents took the benefit of this option and kept me in shorts till I left school.
Apart from being the odd one out at school, I felt I had a very juvenile appearance, that I'm sure my parents appreciated.

At school we always did pe in just shorts. We were always barefoot and bare chest.
I remember many mothers didn't like children, especially boys, running around their houses in sweaty socks, so they had to take them off. So when visiting I often had to remove my socks. My mother was the same.

benny, swimming was mixed too. we only could wear speedos, but most of the guys would have prefered wearing cool longer shorts. speedos were after a while some kind of embarrasing. obviously tell tale bugle esp when you get older... but teacher said its better for mobility and swimming itself. long shorts would have distubed us

one2jack

At ourSecondary school (all Boys) swimming was at a municipal pool. Trunks were speeedo in desin desig but a cheaper version. This was the only option. Far better than the current trend for long shorts which I avoid.

james, sometimes i rebel in wearing just shorts, but most of the time im ok with it. im 19 and still living with my parents, so im still in shorts when i got home. i left school a few years ago. so i'm just used to it.

when i was younger i was in just shorts all neighbourhood in summer. not even shoes. hang out with friends and playing. now its just around the house.

i dont know if my friends had these rules at their homes. everytime i was at theirs, they were dressed completely (just shoes off, sweatpants).

the reasons are: laundry, to get comfortable with my body, fear that i'd damage the clothes, etc.

Growing up we were never allowed to wear shoes at home, they came off at the door and we had house clothes to change into. But we did not have to go bare chested. Back in the 60s and 70s not many homes had central heating and it would have been extremely cold to go without a shirt in winter.

one2jack,Jeremy, how did you feel about wearing shorts all the time and did you rebel or object to wearing them?
Up to what age were you made to wear shorts and what was the reason given?
I was kept in shorts at home all the time and they were compulsory.

james, jeremy. for p.e. boys wore shirts, shorts and trainers. same outside. speedo for swimming, trunks werent allowed. same for girls, but sure swimsuit for swimming. p.e. was mixed. teams were skins vs shirts, girls got vests as teammate. in case of forgetting the kit means for a boy do p.e. in his clothes, often they decided to go shirtless. barefoot because risk of injury when doing p.e. in socks. i don't remember when girls forgot their kits...


same as you guys my parents want me to strip to shorts when i got home. in summer even outside around the house. i didnt know others had the same rules.

Like Alistair my brothers and I were made to strip to the waist as soon as we got home from school. We also had to go barefoot and were in shorts.
Sometimes we had to go out into the garden stripped to the waist and barefoot and as far as I know some of our school friends had to do the same.

one2jack,we too were shirtless for PE, just shorts and barefoot.
Like Alastair, my parents adopted this approach when I returned from school and changed out of my school uniform into a pair of shorts.
This was just normal practice and I always wore shorts at home without a shirt and went barefoot.

Alistair why your perents want you to be shirtless? do yo have to be barefoot aswell? only inside? what about your friends?

Although we wear shirts during pe lessons (I'm in my last year of school) my family still believes that shirts are unnecessary in the home. Whenever I'm at home my bro and I are stripped to the waist in shorts- it has helped me to be more confident about myself and encourages me to exercise and look after my body.

Any questions, just ask

Yes, I totally agree with you. Bare chest or vests are the most practical way of doing sports.

Formerly most schools which didn't require boys to be barechested for PE made them to wear PE vest.
Nowadays PE vest are changed for T-shirts. I can't see why.
Boy didn't seem to mind wearing vests for PE.