Hertford uniform

[AKAP]

The human race would heve died out rapidly if all females had to wear those things, don't you think??? They were more effective than chastity belts, I imagine.

Gaye

The normal male sex drive cannot be so easily defeated.

[Maureen Connor]

Oh happy days! Shoes were passed on from one to the next - and God help you (literally) if they were no clean and sparkly - cleaning the shoe brushes was a foul punnishment !

until we were in the 5th form we had to wear socks - when finally a "senior" and allowed to wear "tan or American Tan" tights we thought we were in heaven - until they laddered - then Miss Morrison (FM??) would tear a strip off us... The grey tunics were fine - I don't know what the problem regarding yellow socks is - we in 5's had canary yellow games socks even though our house colour was purple.. no sock maker made purple games socks.... can't think why not!!!!

Sundays had blue pinafore - basically a sack with no arms and a rounded neck, depending on the Sunday it was either spotty or striped blue and white shirts, and cherry red blazers - well looking back they were incredibly good as were the tweeds - it was a dare to take a tweed home when you left - I didn't dare as my father would have beaten me to a pulp.. but what about the blues knickers for games???? anyone remember them???

Remember them well. In fact rember very well taking a ruler once to measure the crotch width of a particular pair.I think 14ins (don't ask me what that is in new money)was the record in the 70s. As I wrote that I suddenly remembered 'Backs'. You would have had to have been part of this to understand the sheer humiliation involved in contorting yourself around at 8.30 in the morning in your jumpsuit (now they were really flattering items of gym wear - not). To rub it in the girls who didn't need to go to 'Backs' or 'Feet' were awarded a P badge for posture. I never got one. I'm sure all of this must be against the Disability Act. Perhaps I can make a retrospective damages claim.

[Alexandra Thrift]

I remember you ! You were in Sixes and made us all laugh ( in a good way...ie you had a GSOH and didn't take life too seriously ) . I notice that we are both in Dorset and that you have three teenage or nearly teenage children.I can picture you all tilling the soil on your allotment in true Hardyesque style

Anyhow ,a welcome from me

[Katharine]

As I wrote that I suddenly remembered 'Backs'. You would have had to have been part of this to understand the sheer humiliation involved in contorting yourself around at 8.30 in the morning in your jumpsuit (now they were really flattering items of gym wear - not). To rub it in the girls who didn't need to go to 'Backs' or 'Feet' were awarded a P badge for posture. I never got one. I'm sure all of this must be against the Disability Act. Perhaps I can make a retrospective damages claim.

What was a jumpsuit? In my day we did gym in our blues and aertex blouses. Between wearings the blouses were kept hanging in the cloakroom in red bags cross-stitched with our numbers. It cannot have been very savoury!

It was rather more than not going to Backs or feet to get a P badge, I never did get one either! I only went for a couple of terms to Feet.

Welcome to another old 6s, though we didn't overlap.

[Maureen Connor]

As I wrote that I suddenly remembered 'Backs'. You would have had to have been part of this to understand the sheer humiliation involved in contorting yourself around at 8.30 in the morning in your jumpsuit (now they were really flattering items of gym wear - not). To rub it in the girls who didn't need to go to 'Backs' or 'Feet' were awarded a P badge for posture. I never got one. I'm sure all of this must be against the Disability Act. Perhaps I can make a retrospective damages claim.

What was a jumpsuit? In my day we did gym in our blues and aertex blouses. Between wearings the blouses were kept hanging in the cloakroom in red bags cross-stitched with our numbers. It cannot have been very savoury!

It was rather more than not going to Backs or feet to get a P badge, I never did get one either! I only went for a couple of terms to Feet.

Welcome to another old 6s, though we didn't overlap.

The jumpsuit was navy-blue, no legs, cap sleeves, zip up the front, rather like a babygro, in fact. We had to wear them to do gym in and they were freezing when it was cold. I bet no one put one of those in the museum?!

[englishangel]

Jumpsuits came in in about 1968 I think. We wore them for athletics and gym, but I think we usually wore aertex and blues under gymslips for hockey etc.

In the picture thread Becky and Penny are wearing aertex and gymslips, but I know I also had photos of some people jumpsuits, unzipped as far as we dared with the sleeves pushed up, and socks rilled down to get the maximum skin exposure for a tan.

[Euterpe13]

Jumpsuits must have been later than '68, because I have no memory whatever of wearing a babygro....

[Vonny]

I'd forgotten about the jumpsuits They were hideous - navy blue towelling We wore them for gym in the 80's too but I don't remember wearing them for athletics - may be wrong though

[Vonny]

I notice that we are both in Dorset

I'm in Dorset too - in fact I have just found out that Maureen lives a mere stroll away from me (Uphill stroll that is!)

[darthmaul]

My, you do have some happy memories...

[Alexandra Thrift]

My, you do have some happy memories...

In many ways it was unbelievably grim Darthmaul and really didn't prepare us for life beyond the broken-glass topped walls.

New forum member "Ruthie-Baby" ,who seems to have visited everywhere else, has wisely decided not to venture here

[Katharine]

In many ways it was unbelievably grim Darthmaul and really didn't prepare us for life beyond the broken-glass topped walls.

Too true, Alex. No preparation at all!

[englishangel]

In many ways it was unbelievably grim Darthmaul and really didn't prepare us for life beyond the broken-glass topped walls.

Too true, Alex. No preparation at all!

I have never made a cream horn since I left, or 'Queen of Puddings'.

I have however worn a jumpsuit, a bright orange one very similar to our gym ones (for those who knew me I lost quite a lot of weight after I left).

[darthmaul]

In many ways it was unbelievably grim Darthmaul and really didn't prepare us for life beyond the broken-glass topped walls.

Too true, Alex. No preparation at all!

I have never made a cream horn since I left, or 'Queen of Puddings'.

I have however worn a jumpsuit, a bright orange one very similar to our gym ones (for those who knew me I lost quite a lot of weight after I left).

And people complain about CH...

We are prepared (I think) fairly adequately. However, this could well be because I have had lots other experience in terms of schools...CH is my sixth overall!

[englishangel]

Too true, Alex. No preparation at all!

I have never made a cream horn since I left, or 'Queen of Puddings'.

I have however worn a jumpsuit, a bright orange one very similar to our gym ones (for those who knew me I lost quite a lot of weight after I left).

And people complain about CH...

We are prepared (I think) fairly adequately. However, this could well be because I have had lots other experience in terms of schools...CH is my sixth overall!

I think Horsham always was more 'normal' but it is obviously completely different since it went co-ed.