Misterpoll is no more

 

This is a bit late coming out today not least cos I've been somewhat busy with other things today but what I rather expected would happen at one site, has.

Misterpoll was where most of us got together around the same time Tumblr was a good place for those of us who were ALB/ASB to get to know each other talking about our lives from schoolboys of old, to feeling more a kind of a schoolboy today showing pictures about the places we remembered.

We wrote about our school lives, the things we did, the lessons we took and a lot about how we were dressed back then in our school uniforms and how those compared with those of today.

We wrote about how we liked to dress more like, whither or not it was for going hiking, attending various vintage events "in role", any kind of school like setting we had anything with.

Unlike at the forum, we didn't talk much about our interests such as railways, train spotting and going on steam driven trips and the like cos Robbie had his vision for his poll - it was about vintage uniforms.

Some of our  posts tended to go a bit "off topic" which he didn't it's fair to say appreciate and he wasn't onboard with some of our more regression/reenactment talk but it was his forum attached to his poll so we respected that.

That poll and the forum posts going back to around 2010 have just gone, the owners of Misterpoll having decided not to spend effort keeping legacy forums and polls unlike Tumblr that axed many of our Tumblr blogs.

It is sad many interesting and indeed heartfelt posts over the years have gone but many of us moved and made our new home, not wishing to blow my own trumpet I made it for us, and tell many of those stories in rather more detail with more interaction and even pictures!

Farewell Misterpoll, you brought us together.

Uniform - getting it without breaking the bank

 It's June and hardly flaming here as it keeps going dullish and then sunny with temperatures around 14 to 17 but damp feeling having been up gettting the oatcakes this morning (Staffordshire, NEVER Derbyshire!).

Something people do talk about is uniform and I don't feel rehashing posts about whole looks and all that but more around the business of getting yours and any more play clothes as you may not either have any or being delicate, perhaps don't fit into the remaining bits you might have or can easily pick up.

The first place you might find is Albert Prendergast Ltd but while I'd never day anything against their service and overall quality unlike some other interests that seem to sell to those who must have stuff from places that cater to them, his stuff tends to be expensive compared even to things from similar suppliers.

You can often find stuff like turn over top socks with and without banding on ebay sometimes new sometimes "vintage" and depending on your shoe size some mainstream shops with school uniforms sections may have them in plain grey or black.

Short trousers if you're over a 36/38 inch waist can be harder to find especially lined although some "Sturdy" or Plus sized pair sold by general school sellers can be found on the likes of Ebay in unlined form.

That's the one area I feel you're more restricted over as often actual boys shirts, M&S y fronts, vests can be found eslewhere.

When it comes to scoutwear within limits such as obviously with new stuff current "branding" will  apply, you can buy from official suppliers but be mindful to order small quantities as if you're buying for an actual child and leave feedback relating to a child not you and certainly not  nothing that might suggest anything else!

I have a more mix and match approach being a traditional grey shorts and matching socks version of the current look.

A.P Ltd do have some replica whole uniforms made for pre 1967 and 70's 80's before the last major changes if you are the sort that need a total period look.

We are talking around the idea of allowing private sales on the forum as some do buy bulk consignments and would be happy to split, others may have some vintage items they don't need and depending what your doing something more vintage may be what you're looking for.

It is early days yet but it is likely to have most correspondence doing via the messaging on site with "Would like to buy" "Pending" "Sold" adding to any sales thread so everyones clear on the status and obviously it is between private individuals and as such Moderators aren't getting into policing sales.

Spun events

Things that seem odd is like why did dad run several of my socks through when it was the  machine showed up "pump failure", broke down and he put them on a radiator when I seriously doubt as the drum didn't run they have not been properly rinsed and have a major outbreak of white flaky stuff all over them that doesn't seem to want to go.

I suspect these pairs will need to replaced from a well known stockist for around £13 to 15 per sock while I do have some unopened spare y fronts to replaced stiff as card ones washed too

Said machine is meant to replaced yesterday - as ever this written a little in advance - which neccessiated some movement of things as the back door opens outward rather than inwoods so everything has to pass through the front door, then through to the living room and door from there to the kitchen.

That uncovered this great 1990 survey with interesting pictures of UK Boys Prep schools of the 1980's which is an interesting read of itself and obviously a start point for getting your ALB/ASB uniform a good match for how it was back then so it is realistic.

The great uniform debate 2022 style

 

Another summer as no doubt parents are considering all those back to school signs we see on the high street and there is much talk about the cost of school uniform.

One BBC Radio Presenter even suggested we should scrap uniform altogther because of its expense.

My main issue with scrapping uniform is that in the absence thereof, the well off children will come in casual highly branded attire which pretty much rubs it in the faces of those less well off their dire home situations where they may struggle to afford thirty to forty pound sweatshirts or hoodies, the latest trainers and so on.

Some school uniform is expensive and I would question if everything near enough has to be branded and why blazers with sow on badges wouldn't be more affordable but the idea uniform disadvantages the least well off is one I struggle with.

Clearly some families are struggling and proper funding for a uniform grant across the whole of England would help the least well off who currently have to make do with refurbished uniform or hand me downs.

In the meantime a descrete word to the Head of Year explaining your situation may make sense as uniform often isn't the only area some children struggle with, school dinners and trips often are so a word may lead to some advice or agreed relaxation until you are able to fit within uniform rules.

Of Tumblr and stuff

 There are a couple of topics I feel like addressing this week.

The first being the olderboygreyshorts3 tumblr was started a fair while back but it has a number of inherent issues that make blogging on it difficult, nearly all going back to this sites actions with the account.

In short order they are:

Inability to post on the main Tumblr with statement invalid tumblrlog showing even though there are three posts on it and I can alter the avatar.

Inability to delete the main and with it the account to restart.

Limited functions on the usable secondary Tumblrs that doesn’t include being able to like from it, like I’d rather of had this as my main which would of made more sense.

Because of  the first, it is difficult to block posts on the secondaries using the normal techniques  so you have to manually copy and paste details to the blocklist. That is tedious.

Because of this and the content is duplicated on pasttimesforever10 with more followers on a separate account I plan to discontinue this Tumblr by next weekend.

Thus this weeks posts will be the winding down ones before it is paused.

The second is post two of what I call reference photographs by which I mean pictures that do encapsulate how mentally I see me which is more problematic on Tumblr (and why we have blogs!).

I saw this which was "conversion" from long trousers on a blog but was not to happy with how they had got the colours so redid it so in a way it's my edit of an edit.

This is the closest yet to how I see the schoolboy side of me with a boy looking more around the eleven mark but as we all know some boys always looked older and others younger for being around the same age.

It's the look I emulate.

The other is the Cub me, around 10 so heading towards being moved up to Scouts but enjoying his remaining time, exercising responsibility in looking after the younger members, helping Akela out feeling confident, loving an adventure.

This how the LB side of is more at.

Getting proper started

It is a pretty warm week having been out without even a coat on enjoying the fresh air between keeping an eye on our Forum which as own falls down to me as the person who is held by the host to be in charge of it.

We do see a far bit of talk around the differences in school type uniform from the days we saw it first time around to todays.

One area tends to be around wearing dress shirts and ties  as some schools usually combined infant and juniors have ditched them for school polo shirts and yet others have reverted to old school shirt and tie even if it's a clip on tie rather than the sort you tied yourself.

The other thing is the perennial shorts lengths discussion give how many school where shorts still are an option tend to be just above the knee  where for many of us they were appreciably shorter and always worn with long usually turn over socks.  

This summer Japanese Uniform isn't a a bad compromise keeping shirt and tie in even if the shirt is short sleeved and sleeveless jersey with logo.

What caught me eye were the sensibly short short trousers for comfort and plenty opportunities for fresh air and sun on your legs and the medium length socks that are more flattering than ankle socks.

For the modern touches it is very much in touch with spirit of traditional school boys uniform.

Somehow there seems to be a dirth of traditional comic type adventure stories for boys of the sort we loved to read and I really don't see that modern boys at the core are that much different even if the publish companies seem to be very PC.

Of course it isn't all helped by the battle for space in newsagents and the trend since the 90's for tv and cartoon based tie in publications.

There just has to be a way of getting such material out to a potential audience.

Playing the part

We wouldn't normally talk music on here and it is rare on the other blogs but when looking at this whole like a schoolboy thing especially presentationally, the persona of Angus Young of the Hard Rock band AC/DC was certainly one the first public instances of seeing an adult dressed as a schoolboy.

It did not escape my attentions as a fourteen year old who clearly had some age dysphoric traits even then that at least some "men" did dress as the kind of schoolboy I preferred to be dressed as even if may of been seen as an outlandish stunt and a nod to teenage rebellion in the punk era to which they were for a period associated with before "Heavy Metal" as a scene that was written up in Sounds and the N.M.E magazines we bought with concerts and a pub circuit that served patrons was a thing.

AC/DC's music to me was more blues boogie in influence even if the lyrics played up to the mindset of  adolescent boys than anything else not least with tracks like Whole Lotta Rosie. 

His existence encouraged me to reclaim part of what it meant to be the kind of schoolboy I was on the inside fighting the mini adult versions others were pushing and over time made it easier to get bigger fitting school uniforms as tribute bands and fans alike bought the look.

It also has hasn't dented Australian Boys liking for wearing shorts based school uniforms which is the kind of comment some make when some of us talk about our liking of it for our own reasons as if we'd uncool it out of existence.

Thanks a bunch Angus!

This last weeks lesson

Last week I was away, the first time for absolutely ages and I have heard of people feeling that in some ways lockdown changed them cos so many old routines and contacts were broken and with them how they see themselves.

Regulars know how over the years I've been stepping out from other peoples mistaken ideas about me since this blog started and specifically the period I first joined ASB and had my first Tumblr account and lockdown with me saw the realization that I was not age regressing to cope with adult life as good as that is for some but in reality it was I was Age Dysphoric, a adult according to the law but in reality very much a child all of the time emotionally and functionally.

I decided to travel and arrive at where I was going to be just as the boy I remain with few concessions to the attitudes and norms of grown ups cos let's be honest I am not one. 

Travelling up through Preston I stopped as friend had some stuff to pick up on route as I got some interesting looks and a smile from l'd say was a the mother of a mid teen girl as she parked next to our car with me in uniform and pretty visible.

Walking around was fun meeting hikers in shorts but more the Chino or Khaki sorts rather than mine with blue turn over tops and green garter sashes showing, talking about the weather feeling more like a ten year old by with his minder at hand to answer anything groan up as my thighs got wet.

I played with games and took an Action Man with me together with the Beano Summer Special, this weeks regular Beano and The Phoenix.

The one thing the I'd take away from the experience was just feeling comfortable in my own skin as the "eternal boy" looking as I did without a care and that in accordance with my boyhood era, this time only wearing much shorter shorts complete with matching blazer and blue striped turn over socks looking every inch a little ten year old boy.

In so many ways I have ceased to have a external adult presence with that now aligning with how I truly am internally.

Christopher knows who is is now: A little boy of ten and nothing more and glad to be one

Harvest break week thoughts

After tomorrow what was my Junior School breaks up for the Harvest break for just over a week a ritual that was punctuated by Harvest Festival that usually meant learning a reading, the whole Juniors practising the hymns, the Minister or Vicar giving a talk about harvest and thanksgiving and a collection by us with help from our parents of food to help the most needy in our community.

It's probably apt then that I spoke for a bit this weekend with Karl who was one of my boyhood friends at Junior School and, knowing me, is one of many boys and girls of that era here who respect me for what I made of my life given the stack of cards I had, doing things that many of them didn't.

We spoke with the natural ease of boys together many decades on that reminds you of that bond and those shared values you had and as the week progresses there is every probability I will see todays boys of the age we were who curiously enough are just the current generation version of us and exchange a few words with as they play and I enjoy what has become this lockdown my playtime too.

Boyhood is a link across the generations.

*based upon a ide from the old TSB and the wordpress back up.

I have the right...

to Structure

Something I wish to talk about this week  is the role of Structure within LB/ASB life.

Something that isn't said enough is what enables you to let out your LB/ASB side is that somebody else handles the responsibilities so you need not concern yourself with them, that in other words you do not have to be your own adult (assuming you are fully capable of it).

That totally frees you up to be that adult child because you know, you cannot, will not even be allowed to fall because the "responsible adult" be they a Caregiver in a DD or DM/lb relationship or the Cglre  Dxlb or Mxlb x taking out the "Dominant" with the BDSM kink overtones and in effect making it more paternalistic "Daddy or Mummy" 2 (adult) little boy or a ASB school centred Teacher/Head Teacher steps in ensuring you do not come to any harm.

You are that little boy to them and you will allow them to address you as such.

They also by consent deal with handling any dangerous, rude or otherwise risky behaviour  on your part by stepping in and being the one who disciplines you whither or not it it involves any or no corporal punishment.

The point is, by providing that structure, they enable you to be just you, the adult little boy just being a boy knowing he'll be cared for, safe and not likely to get into situations that work against his needs.

I have benefited from being spanked learning to be more responsible and generally more grown up these day and am glad of it.

The past is the future going forward

This week is a good deal cooler than much of last week which you do notice when you're as out and about as I am.

There are a few topic I do wish to talk through this week one of which is the frequent outages at MisterPoll where there's a Shorts/LB poll where Robbie is currently talking though plans because that site has no messaging and one concern was maintaining contacts in addition while information exchanged may be stored and conversations continued. 

Another is that as I in time work on a "pet project" of mine, I am removing the last links to the malaise ready for such time I will be able to go out with others as just me ditching a small outdoor bag and a tote bag I use for shopping for something I truly feel more comfortable being seen with as an LB.

The last thing is the huge progress I have made in the last two and a bit years from arriving at Tumblr sorting all that out is paying off as I'm now accepted by my extended family and the wider community as LB with them being comfortable with me in uniform just like that in public being accepted. I have "Come out".

I've managed to pull down an adult perception of me that never worked while retaining my place within it with men saying "Good boy" as they treat me as a son publicly able to be a part of the community but as an adult boy in it.

That to me is so lovely.

Bonds and Role of dress

Today's post does build upon a little from last weeks and probably will tie in with a future post or two as a number of ideas whizz though my mind rather like a certain boy in the Beano did when I was younger.

Bonding really is big one because it's really about a shared sense of identity that leads to a emotional and social sense of connection that almost instinctively you recognize each other, connecting.

You look each other in the eye and feel that you can share things about yourself such as your feelings and interests with each other to the point you become mates, play mates forever together kicking a ball about, playing chess, a computer game or just engaged in horseplay.

You may talk about a book you read, a comic you follow religiously or your musical likes and dislikes as we did often did over school dinners comparing the merits of Wizzard, Mud, the Bay City Rollers and Pilot or what you did at cubs. 

You may talk about what you like to wear outside school.

It's possible that you may even talk about what it means and how it feels to be a schoolboy which I have heard a few do because our school uniforms our just a part of how we are as school boys.

I always loved my uniform but I loved and still love being him.

 
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The weekend report

It's been an odd kind of a week with England's team in the Women's World Cup through to the quarter finals after yesterday's match with Cameroon which was more noted by that teams lack of discipline on the pitch than our teams focus and 3-0 win.

The women's game isn't my thing as with most things feminine it has nothing to offer me as I was always more interested in school footie and the men's game throughout my boyhood, watching MOTD, sunday afternoon matches with my Gran and rushing back from fairs in time for F.A. Cup Finals and the like but I wish them well.

The rebooted music forum account given the male oblique adult little boy referencing make over is working out well with an acceptance for my little side shown in the avatar and by having my gender openly affirmed and acknowledged apart from being spoken to as a male by all the men.

I also decided to reset a google account to give proper acknowledgement of my gender as that too had be neutered around the same time. 

I went out with Dad and Mum in my uniform so their I was with tie, grey shorts and long socks on celebrating his birthday as his boy, having a celebratory meal together in public totally accepted in this community as the adult little boy I am.

And as more will be mentioned on the other blog I'm getting my very own small computer which was designed very much for schoolboys and girls so it looks after itself with keys better aligned to help us type.

The GSS Revival

Ours was not that much of a gray world with gray shirts going upon going to high school for white ones but it was one where there was some reluctance around wearing the shorts as much as I did in Juniors just before and to which I had to be said I much preferred but here in 2019 this summer it's happening the Fifth aka Year Eleven are finishing their exams ready to leave school...in shorts!

That's a big reversal since the mid 70's when almost overnight seniors went all long all the time followed shortly by Junior four right down to two by the end of the decade in many state primaries.

Back then to be seen even in denim shorts was to attract negative attention from "Why are you in those shorts" to outright intimidation although whenever I could get away with wearing them such as school trips I always did refusing to give into any and all intimidation.

In so many ways I look more like a boy like him in mine than anything which in a week with plenty on my mind was at least a blessing.

One person on a music site asked about my schoolboy anime avatar puzzled why it is the only male one - cat girls and the likes are not unknown - so said in a need to know matter of fact way it was the representation of the younger in spirit me  who loves music especially music of the past.

One day they learn more of the ALB life but that's enough to be getting on with!

Can you live as ALB for real?

One thing that sometimes people ask about me is how do you just get on with things, isn't just a fantasy existence you play at behind the keyboard between four walls and maybe the odd person who just might be in on this anyway?
Well okay there are some people who clearly have issues with life being lived in a very much child-like way whatever angle you may personally come across it.
To me that's because they've invested so much in the whole putting away of anything from their childhoods to get the status the clearly enjoy at least on the surface that they don't wish to be confront by your ability not to.
It's a kind of jealousy that you're doing what they said to themselves no one can.

This said it is actually quite surprising the number of people who do just accept it especially if you do show some social awareness and tone things down just a fraction to take out any items that might invite curiosity such as school caps or ties. 
Recently I had to see a person who carries out assessments in connection with my benefits as a disabled person and I decided actually I would attend dressed more as I feel comfortable in grey sweater, grey school shorts and long socks with a white school shirt on because in part because I have developmental disabilities  I am in many ways that child even now.
They did not bat an eyelid nor ask any questions about why it was I was in school uniform minus tie and cap but instead were focused on my needs.
Clearly to them, being asb/alb so long as you used a bit of common sense was not an issue and on top of voting twice in full asb with tie on goes to show that you can actually live this life for real.

An Authentic Chris

Here at the dorm I've been rather busy dealing with the Blogsphere tm of this is one of a few in this family of blogs that go back to the mid 2000's that deal with different aspects of my life overlapping a little but with main focus which so reminds me of school Venn Diagrams that one was to draw neatly or be suitably admonished.

In someways then it's perhaps for the best this member is fairly recent as all the 'baby steps' in blogging happened before and had been learnt from so the same mistakes had not been repeated.

An often repeated comment I hear at various sites that sadly I'm less able than I'd like due to my physical disabilities is around the extent in a world where people do cultivate an image of themselves and their abilities to the point when one interacts with them either messaging or face to face even there's a gap between what you read and what you see with me I'm very much the same on any site, any kind of 'chat' and  when I've been privileged to spend time face to face with people for extended periods.

The word that comes to mind is "Authenticity", the extent to which one is true to yourself in harmony with your own spirit while respecting rules and social conventions that make life frictionless as we all know what to expect.

Thus while on one blog I do write more of joys of littles regressed life and here around emotions, attitudes and at times role of corporal punishment in my life neither denies what the other centred on and where all is intertwined, the one whole me.

What I write about is what I feel, what I have experienced and actually know routed in my life albeit my education, employment and learning more about coping with my actual needs rather than what may know second hand or the views of those who write about what they have read.

The one thing towering over all is a childhood that was very much routed in being in an actual boarding school for much of my education which went beyond of curriculum subjects but in moral character building and standards and one that understood you learn through consequences, believing strongly in disciplining you very much for ones own good.

What I have to say around this and as it applies in particular to corporal punishment  is very from having received it 'in loco parentis' several times each deserved and from that how that changed for the better those attitudes and behaviours first hand rather than any kind of role playing fantasy.

I know it works well with me as it did with most of my peers at the time not just in nipping our behaviour in the bud but also of deterrence of the class,  year group and ultimately whole school from acting on such impulses.

The benefits in terms of being able to study, to have your teacher just come in and start the lesson and carry on with everyone engaged rather than endless low level disruption might surprise present generations!

It is that I suspect the last person who commented picked up on in the broader sense in that I am the product of such an education and it shows in my work.
Thank you for your compliment.