Burnley Grammar School

I would hardly describe naked swimming as a' liberating experience'.
I was very apprehensive and found it rather daunting, especially as we had two female instructors.

Thinking back to nude swimming, in less inhibited days it was common for boys and men to swim naked and I suspect that this was just a historical 'leftover' - no more, no less.

People who I know who regularly swim naked say it is a most liberating sensation.

Like Stuart we always did PE and xc stripped to the waist but we were also always barefoot even in mid-winter.
Nobody complained but if anyone did he would probably have been caned and then ended up still doing it stripped to the waist and barefoot.

In late 60's we always ran xc shirtless, like the lads in the photo. No socks allowed either. A few boys always ran in nothing but shorts, thus with bare feet as well as stripped to the waist, even in the middle of winter.

I was part of the school team, and we always wore vests for competitions. Some of the boys in the photos are wearing socks, which we weren't ever allowed to do. One of my classmates, also in the team, always ran bare foot.

I also notice that a couple of the boys are wearing rugby shorts, which would have been a flogging offence for us !! Being serious, if we had worn rugby shorts for xc we would have been in serious trouble, and would almost certainly have been caned.

Bill, in response to your further questions. The school that I attended was an independent Public school, with an attached Preparatory school,taking both day and boarding pupils, ages ranging from 7-18. The pool was indoors, and swimming sessions were supervised in individual class age groups, maybe 15 or so boys, and, as in my case, separate coaching for those observed as unable to swim at the time. After a game of Cricket,when both teams would go for a swim, there were more, of course. If there was a competition with another school, a rare event in the 1950's,when and if the visiting team wore trunks, the home team would do likewise, but other schools would often swim as we were required to do. House swim competitions would be strictly nude. There were never any events in my recollection with spectators, since the pool area would accommodate few people. All these activities became a routine part of everyday life.

Edward, I presume you are talking about a secondary school, that is from about age 11 to 17.
Was it an outdoor or indoor pool?
What were the swim lessons like, that is if it was in different age groups or all ages together, how many boys in each class, were they free swim lessons or instruction techniques, etc.
Also some posters here and elsewhere mention that they competed nude or during swim galas in front of mixed spectators or parents. Was this also in your case or were you made to wear swimsuits in such cases?

Bill, No reason for nude swimming was ever given,and no boy had the temerity to question the rule.It was an authoritative principle,such as school uniform,to which everyone had to conform,like it or not.It applied to all age groups.

Edward, what were the reasons given for making the boys swim nude at your school?
Was this for all ages, or up to a certain age?

Dave, that bought back memories. I regularly ran in school cross country competitions barechested from when i broke into the team aged 12 until I turned 18
Being part of the team meant you had the joys of an extra fitness session (once a week, instead of the craft lesson) or a timed training run, all barechested of course, to prove you could do it come race day. All this came on top of the standard PE/Games lessons for which were always done with half in vests vs half in skins. It also meant the teacher had absolute freedom to decide who stripped off. Needless to say if you were on any sports team you would also exercise stripped too.

In response to Bill, and following my post earlier this year, nude swimming was the unquestionable rule at the all male school that I attended in the late 1950's. Unwillingly I participated naked, as all boys were required to do. Initially apprehensive, I ultimately became less inhibited, oblivious to personal nudity, enjoying the freedom of swimming without trunks.

We certainly did cross-country stripped to the waist in 1963(this was the harsh winter of 1962/63)and nobody complained. It would have made no difference if we did.
Seemingly youths were tougher then!

Were cross country competitions shirtless too? If you look at that photo it seems so. Any memories anyone?


http://www.huntleysschool.co.uk/page9/page23/files/page23-1011-full.html

Any guys here who had nude swimming at school?
What was it like?

I agree with Bryan.
Social Services would also get involved if tried today.

I have seen that previous comments refer to nude swimming, which is I presume is a thing of the past. Cannot imagine parents agreeing to it these days and why was it neccessary?

To Roy,

I don't believe ANON'S posting.

To Anon
You certainly wouldn't get away with having to do PE stark naked in this day and age.

My secondary school had a no underpants rule when indoors were always topless, if you forgot your shorts you still had to do PE Lucky it was an all boys school. There was no exception from first year till fifth year. You even got caned if you forgot your shorts before the start of the lesson.

There was normally a more relaxed regime with senior pupils, with only an occasional crack-down on the various rules.

Thank you for your reply Bob. I must admit that it shows how times have changed. It would seem that your class had no problem with having to drop their shorts. However, I am sure that teachers would not be allowed to do this nowadays. Certainly not pulling out the waistband at the front of the shorts. Was this for all years?

To Bill
I went to an all girls secondary school and I don't know whether our local boys school had a no pants rule or not. My ex went to school in a different area where it was no pants rule until the 3rd year when they were encouraged to wear an athletics supporter.
Rather than a 'no pants' rule, our kit for indoor pe was no skirt or shorts - ie. regulation gym knickers only. We were allowed to wear a vest or bra under our pe polo shirts.

When my son was at secondary school a few years ago, he always wore pants under his shorts (and showers were not compulsory - he said there was never time). So it seems as though the old rules have died out.

Regarding enforcement of the no underpants rule, not everyone had the same thickness of shorts. Some were cotton, not thin nylon. For a quick check of the whole class at once, we would be told to lower our shorts to our knees. This did not stop pants being pulled down as well, and concealed in the shorts, so sometimes the PE teacher would check some or all of the class individually, by pulling on the elastic waistband at the front or back of their shorts and looking inside. Any offenders found would be slippered.

Although we never had this "no underpants" rule at the schools I went to it seems to have been common in many schools from what other posters are saying here.
Just like enforced showers after PE, I wonder if this rule is still enforced in schools today.

To Andrea, did the boys at your school also have this no underpants rule?
Incidentally I never heard of this rule being applied to girls.

Bob's reply to Andrea the no underpants rule was enforced by inspection. How was this done because our pe teacher said no and that was it. As far as I recall there was no checking because the shorts were so thin pants would have shown

As far as I can recall there were no specific rules re short or long trousers.
I personally started to wear long trousers at the6t0 beginning of the Spring Term of my second year i.e. Year 8 in today's parlance.

Andrea, yes, there was a no underpants rule strictly enforced by regular inspections. No athletic supporters were ever seen by me. Maybe a few of the keen team players wore them, I don't know. We were told freedom of movement when doing PE and games was beneficial for normal development of the male organs.

To Speedy

If you put PE STRIPPED TO THE WAIST into google, at the top of the list that comes up, you'll see the two sites. the comments and experiences are much the same as on here - in fact, I think some of the posters are the same.

Speedy,just click on to 'childhood' at the top of the page and then scroll down until you find the name of the school you require.

Bryan,

My younger sister had to wear my 'hand me downs' too - which didn't please her too much!

Bob,

I assume that your school had a 'no underpants' rule, hence the movement? My ex told me that was the rule for the first two years at his secondary school, but that they were advised to wear an athletic support at the start of their third year.

Somewhere along the line I seem to have somehow missed completely the postings pertaining to "Clitheroe",and "Hesketh".

Therefore could someone please enlighten me,and give references.