starting school

In the summer of 1954 I started school but the build up in the weeks before that added to the excitement of that important milestone in my life.
Everyone who visited us or met us in town always remarked, firstly to me "you'll be starting the school now" or words to that effect, then to my mum "aye you'll miss the company now Donald is starting school."
The best part though was going to the shops for the uniform as this meant new clothes and not being very well off things like new clothes were a rarity.
The first purchase was the blazer, brown, with the badge on the top left hand pocket done in yellow braid spelling out the name of my new school (NEWTONHEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL) around the edge, with the initials (N.P.S.) in yellow, large and intertwining in the center. A cap only a schoolboy could wear and typical of the era, was the next purchase and it too was brown with a small badge in front replicating the one on my blazer. Next was the short grey flannel trousers and rather than braces I opted for the modern belt of the time which was elasticated with a shiny metal snake fastener at the front and came with the school colour of your choice. (very popular at the time and I'm sure well remembered by those who wore them). White shirts, two of, brown socks with two yellow rings around the top, two pair of was the next purchase, then the shoes. Being quite poor as I have already mentioned, expensive shoes were out of the question so I was forced to wear sandal shoes which had the same type of sole as sandals and the uppers were made of the same thin leather but it was a shoe rather than a sandal. (I hope I have described them well enough) Cheap sand shoes for gym, my sisters old schoolbag, with a basic pencil case inside (a gift from an aunt) finished off the attire that would become so familiar to me through the early years of my education,(being grudgingly renewed by my mother when needed of course).
I am quite sure anyone from that era will recall happily, similar events and attire when that unforgettable milestone in their lives crosses their minds.

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