Co-ordinated uniforms

The school term may be officially over for the new familiar six weeks school hols but this doesn't mean school terms are over for good as much as you'd like to see the end of S R Jones's humilating and often homophobic presence as science teacher.

I likened him back then to the popular brand of toothpaste which upon getting back to him only resulted in being smacked in front of the class for cheek and disrespect.

Instead as if by magic come September it all begins again.

Connected of course with all that is the ritual of going to the boys department or sub section of the men's wear that deal with more formal boys outfits for a fitting for the new school years uniform where out comes the tape measure to take chest,waist and inside leg measurements coupled with any school requirements before getting some items you go into the tiny cubical with thin curtain to try on.

That in real school life things went a bit wrong because at my school, like a good number they favoured long trousers while really it would of made more sense for me to had been put back into short trousers of the then brievity and treated a bit more like a junior to work on my attitudes and develop some sense of self discipline rather han relying totally on the notion of pleasing or not having pleased a grown up.

That's beside the fact being unco-ordinated and still playing rather a lot at breaktimes it would of been more cost effective given long seldom lasted a month without holes coming in knees.

BEING LIKE THE BOY ON THE LEFT REALLY WOULD MADE MORE SENSE.

Leaving and resuming years later

In the old order of things you'd be in school this week as Summer Term wound itself down as we couldn't really go any further in our classwork  so we'd have trips out, maybe a school production, certainly a school leavers service and board games on school desks at other times.

I remember that time in July 1975 quite well as we had a composition to write about our time at school, the things we learnt and our hopes for our futures at high school all to the backdrop of It Ain't Half Hot Mum on tv and Whispering Grass sang by two cast members on the radio.

The kit you need, I need even, as the eternal boy reflects that era although we didn't have caps and blazers, and the latter was one item I had to get that summer, removing any outward appearence of an adult.

Restoration to a school aged junior boy is the order of my day which is why two impliments are included for bringing my behaviour in line consistant with that era as that's what I understand best.

A juvenile little boy really is best treated for his misdeanours with a well caned bottom which he was used to if not merely threatened with 1975 style.

It is a very effective way of teaching me a lesson and I support adults who as this adult little boy teaching me right from wrong caning me without question.

It'll make a good boy out of me.

Summer Littles Away time

This year I did get away with some littles even if bits weren't really my cup of tea for being,well, girlish.

As an adult little boy who is more on the Middle side for me this whole thing is rather like the Caregiver/little side of things in that it is a space to allow the child-like me out to play and interact as if I was an actual child at a emotional age appropriate level for me, the one impacted significantly by my developmental/learning disabilities that in so many ways I function ordinarary and with no choice at that level.

It's hardly age-play, I mean I didn't choose it, it just the hand I was given and it's a matter of learning to make the most of the only life I have.

I have been interested as much as I'm more around upper UK juniors and first year senior side about things more associated with younger children as for example I've always been drive to spin or rattle things such as whizzing tape reels around or enjoying the sound of winding a cassette back with a pencil or impulsively leaping to a rattle.

While I was away a "Baby Gym" with a pretty patterned mat and mobiles that made noises had been set out and I though, "Right, it's a quiet area" and decided to have a bit of a play with it.
It only took a few minutes and I sensed myself shifting to a younger more tactile headspace playing with it so while I may not identify with AB, some things from it could be in my little space needs that benefit from being met.

The other large side to this that for this whole period I am in a setting where my behaviour and attitudes are under the gaze of adults with authority over me and where I know I will be taken to one side and spanked without exception for any breaches of what I know isn't acceptable.

We did have a games morning where in sports kit we played in teams which was rather fun plus jigsaws and models to complete.

I brought my Beano summer special with me rather like I used to on family holidays in the past and a plushie to keep me company.

Alternative presentations in the Famous Five

I do enjoy reading not least the books written by Enid Blyton although over the years they have suffered from Bowlderization as social mores have changed, ill judged attempts at modernizing to make them more "relevant" to today's children and that applied to how the children were dressed.

The Famous Five series suffered from that with children of the 1940's being put into jeans and modern bright t shirts when boys would of worn above the knee short trousers and girls typically dresses with "George" alias Georgina showing her rebellion by wearing boys shorts and only answering to George.

This really it undermines a big part of the story beyond the adventures.

The 1978 adaptation for Tv followed that ill advised  alteration but the 1995 ITV Tyne Tees series kept more of a period feeling including as shown in this picture the very attire Enid had in mind.