SHOES !!!!!!

[sejintenej]

I know it is a "Military Attitude" but I still believe that you can tell a lot about a person (Male or Female) from their shoes.

(What Cad wears brown shoes, with a blue Suit ?? )

In the 40s -- and obviously since-- attention was paid, under Monitor supervision-- to the cleanliness of shoes.

As to appearing in Horsham ------ we were not allowed there, at all --- unless accompanied by our Parents, on Visiting Days
(Saturday and Sunday)

I expect a lot of "Flak" from modern thinking OBs ---------- but I dont care !

Ditto 1950's and early 1960's. Daily inspection of shoes up to monitor level.

Visiting days: yes but only one weekend per term. In fact there were compulsory Saturday morning lessons and Sunday morning chapel so parental visits were for little more than two half days a term

[Fjgrogan]

Shoe cleaning was also considered very important at Hertford. When we marched up to dining hall for breakfast the two senior girls in each ward would stand by the door and inspect our shoes as we filed into the hall. Any considered substandard had to be re-cleaned immediately after breakfast and 'passed' by one of the seniors. It was not unusual to see girls with a smudge of shoe polish on the back of their lisle stockings, where they had hastily rubbed their shoes whilst lining up to start marching!

Re Neill's comment about telling the calibre of a person by their shoes, I remember an actress (but cannot be sure who it was!) who said that when getting into a new character she would always start with the shoes.

[anniexf]

Re Neill's comment about telling the calibre of a person by their shoes, I remember an actress (but cannot be sure who it was!) who said that when getting into a new character she would always start with the shoes.

Frances, I'm sure it was Beryl Reid who said that.

[englishangel]

and Gloria Hunniford says that you should always have a good comfortable bed and good comfortable shoes, because if you are not in one you are in the other.

[J.R.]

I know it is a "Military Attitude" but I still believe that you can tell a lot about a person (Male or Female) from their shoes.

(What Cad wears brown shoes, with a blue Suit ?? )

In the 40s -- and obviously since-- attention was paid, under Monitor supervision-- to the cleanliness of shoes.

As to appearing in Horsham ------ we were not allowed there, at all --- unless accompanied by our Parents, on Visiting Days
(Saturday and Sunday)

I expect a lot of "Flak" from modern thinking OBs ---------- but I dont care !

It was just the same in the late 50's and early 60's, Neill, though I seem to remember button Grecians could go into Horsham with permission from their housemaster.

I we wanted 'stuff' from Horsham, there was a lit you wrote it on and the dep house-master would purchase on your behalf and the cost would be deducted from your saved pocket-money.

[Fjgrogan]

Annie, originally I thought it was Beryl Reid and typed that but it seemed unlikely since all her roles were very similar, so I edited it out! If we both think so, it must have been her - or maybe we are both wrong! Anyway she was right, we do move differently according to what shoes we are wearing. I cannot wear heels of even minimal height these days, but when I did I always seemed to move more 'sedately'! (I always wore heels with a cassock!!)

[J.R.]

I know it is a "Military Attitude" but I still believe that you can tell a lot about a person (Male or Female) from their shoes.

(What Cad wears brown shoes, with a blue Suit ?? )

In the 40s -- and obviously since-- attention was paid, under Monitor supervision-- to the cleanliness of shoes.

As to appearing in Horsham ------ we were not allowed there, at all --- unless accompanied by our Parents, on Visiting Days. (Saturday and Sunday)

I expect a lot of "Flak" from modern thinking OBs ---------- but I dont care !

It was just the same in the late 50's and early 60's, Neill, though I seem to remember button Grecians could go into Horsham with permission from their housemaster.

If we wanted 'stuff' from Horsham, there was a lit you wrote it on and the dep house-master would purchase on your behalf and the cost would be deducted from your saved pocket-money.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

My Mother was a 1920s "Flapper" all Charleston, flat chest, cloche hat --strap shoes
She was an absolute stickler for "Good Manners" and would have died of disgrace if I had not stood up when a lady entered the room.
Although in the 30s she wore slacks -- any woman who wore them with HIGH HEELS, belonged on the streets !!!For a lady to smoke on the streets was unthinkable, and doors were expected to be opened and seats given up.
She died, peacefully at 95, with brain and tongue in perfect working order !!!

[midget]

In the 1960s Manchester had a good rule about giving up seats on buses: no child paying half price was allowed a seatif an adult was standing. I remember hearing two girls paying full price because they had PE first lesson.
With regard to shoes I still feel guilty if mine are not well-polished.

[icomefromalanddownunder]

With regard to shoes I still feel guilty if mine are not well-polished.

I keep a tube of liquid shoe polish in my desk drawer at work: habit learned while living in the sticks. No matter how clean the shoes are as you step out the front door, they are guaranteed to be dusty, and possibly poo encrusted, by the time you get to the car.

[postwarblue]

I've come late to this thread but one memory is the jumbo tin of polish kept in the bootroom. Polishing and showing up one's shoes every evening was part of learning to look after oneself and care about one's appearance. Only a few years after I had left it was clear this had gone by the board.

[sejintenej]

With regard to shoes I still feel guilty if mine are not well-polished.

I keep a tube of liquid shoe polish in my desk drawer at work: habit learned while living in the sticks. .

We had a liquid polish in a bottle with brush which was marvellous on CCF boots - no spit 'n polish required, though there were rumours that it was not good for the leather ansd waterproofing. However, anything to save an hour or three's polishing once a week .....

[cj]

Rubbing the inside of a banana skin on leather shoes (and then rubbing it off!) is supposed to bring them up lovely. I remember frantic shoe polishing very early in the morning before we hopped off to the Lord Mayor's Show or St Matthews Day. DGE would not been pleased with mucky shoes on display in the band and, as his put-downs were legendary, I always felt it necessary to clean myself up before dawn on those particular occasions. Should have done it the night before but never learned.

[Mid A 15]

Rubbing the inside of a banana skin on leather shoes (and then rubbing it off!) is supposed to bring them up lovely. I remember frantic shoe polishing very early in the morning before we hopped off to the Lord Mayor's Show or St Matthews Day. DGE would not been pleased with mucky shoes on display in the band and, as his put-downs were legendary, I always felt it necessary to clean myself up before dawn on those particular occasions. Should have done it the night before but never learned.

Welcome back Cath

I hope the family are all keeping well and that we see you back here more often.

[Angela Woodford]

Shoe cleaning was one of my punishments. All the shoes in the second pair rack. Down to the cellar with me!

Fortunately, these shoes weren't in bad nick. I could rub them over with a cloth for a fake just-cleaned effect, hide the interesting book I'd smuggled down there with me, and do my hands with the red-brown polish for a 37-pairs-later effect.

Then appear, contritely knocking at the Study door, to whimper "Please, Wendy, I've done all the shoes now...".

Her face would contract in smug satisfaction. I've never forgotten that face.