Jennings goes to school

It's getting toward the end of August and almost by magic my mind starts slipping back to what this time in the past meant for me as a schoolboy.

Part of it meant getting ones equipment and uniform ready to return to school with a  mad dash to the stores and this leads really on to this which I do so miss all of that and one of things I did was read books.

Anthony Buckeridge's creation Jennings and his side kick, Darbishire was the boys series I read  cover to cover in the dorm as I liked about the series was they did feature memorable characters in situations I could relate to although I did read some of Enid Blyton's girls centred school series too.

This was the first published story although Jennings was inflicted on the Britishers in nineteen forty-eight  on the BBC Children's Hour program, garnering a following.

In the first story we are introduced to the two new boys of Linbury Court School for boys, Jennings and Darbishire, their initial meeting with Mr. Carter just seeing a very average boy in his blazer and shorts  but it is not long before her realizes his well meant but impetuous nature coupled with an overdeveloped sense of initiative soon leads trouble despite his more erudite mild mannered companion  attempts at moderating him as they both start to learn the ropes  in their first term.

My copy is a nineteen sixty-two Collins hardback where I'm sure the one I had at school would of been  from the mid seventies edition.

Getting set for school

It's that period as the school holidays start to draw to an end which with me tends to mean two connected things of one is being age dysphoric my mind feels it is time to return to school regardless of what chronological age I am and the other is even while away you see the "back to school" sales in BHS, M&S and the independent school outfitters.

For as long as I've lived I have been drawn to school uniform and as a chunk of that time crosses over with my exploration with gender identity and being a "sissy" good part of the gender presentation for me is that more like a school girl.

Tammy wanted to be in school wearing skirts and dresses, not that she had major issues with wearing short trousers, just all the gender stuff that others throw at you so something like that skirt would of been ideal, having good pocket.

Although in senior schools it's much less common that it used to be, Tammy looks good in a pinafore dress, honest I do and tradition pereline white socks.

Now this is interesting as the one on the right was close to how I dressed at junior school but the grey cardigan adds a feminine edge and if we made it dusty pink, it would be quite acceptable for me.

On the other hand the classic gingham dress, here in blue, is a staple of the school summer outfit again worn with a cardigan, this time blue which is a colour I wore a lot of being raised as a boy, with white socks and buckled shoes.

There are different ways of presenting more feminine as we all have differing areas around gender presentation.

Here we have a more senior skirt and blouse combination but the main difference is the black opaque tights - and mummy did put Tammy into tights when I was younger and the open top, buckle fastening shoes

Tammy is a school gurl  

Scouting and me 4

Scouting in general changed a lot from 1967 and not all of us agreed with it although initially the Cubs wasn't so far removed from the previous Wolf Cubs that it was recognizable to our dads from their own days as members

I personally hold to and follow the ideals and principals of that vision being a Brownie in spirit as a LSG, undertaking many of the exercises and activities you'd of done back then.

Visiting and taking pictures for my Photography badge would of been one and recently I went along the Trent and Mersey canal as that forever brownie

Here's Alice Rose in red and yellow livery. Notice the floral decoration on the front and top of the the barge.

I was able to take this photograph just after the passengers had disembarked to stock up on food and other provisions

Cubs on parade -thoughts

Many of us at young age feel the need to "belong" and for some it can be things like scouting.

It's kind of funny in a way but in Scotland it's quite common for boys in Scouts to wear kilts on parade and at camps too with no questions but just cross the border and anything like a kilt or skirt option just does not exist.

I think one issue in Scouts is they remain stuck with the modernization agenda of 1967 that removed except for cubs the cap and shorts which went much later going for long trousers and a more "street cred" brand although they went co-ed too.

Putting in shorts or skort options especially for Beavers, the added to six to eight year old section as well as Cubs where there is more physical activity would of made more sense as feeling comfortable increases the amount of activity boys and especially girls undertake while allowing their skin to breath more.

It also would of allowed a any individual to express a bit more personal identity within a uniform being no different than many schools.

Hardy footwear really should in their too to support the feet and suited to being outdoors.

Re-introduction

The origins of the concept of this blog really stem the decision to move blogging from Friends Reunited in late March of two thousand six to Blogger with the launch of the SuperChris14 profile that run out of steam.

Part of the problem was having two different audiences viewing it with incompatible expectations and  even having twin identities for each making having a common blog for all an increasing nightmare as sentences had to parsed to a rigorous genderless form but then even that couldn't deal with any references in comments.

I decided to redo it in a slightly different form while I work through all the issues keeping the SuperChris concept, a homage to the cartoon superheroes I loved as a boy albeit a very feminine one.

I have been working on appearences this month to improve my feminine expression and we are starting with foundation garments.

One challenge was to wear hot neon stockings which are shown here with a camisole and matching knickers.

The other was working on a more grown up look, something an older girl may wear outside of sixth form college or her first job.

Her I am wearing black hold up stockings with a pretty bow on them, frilly knickers that repeat the bow and a black bra.

It felt very different to the more schoolish presentations I had previously done and while the track this came from proved to be a dead end, not being really into sissification, it was one I did learn some valuable lessons from.

I learned more about my feminine side. I was "forever changed"

The Girls of St. Brides

Reading is a passion of mine and it is not uncommon for authors  to write a whole series of stories that are self contained and over time start again which does make it hard pick a series to work ones way through.

In the instance of Dorita Fairlie Bruce, she actually wrote five whole series so I've cherry picked this the start of the St. Brides/Maudsley series to work my way through.

 Originally written in nineteen twenty-three and long out of print, this introduces to Island School of St. Brides on Inchmore far away from industrial west coast of Scotland and introduces us to its main characters although it obviously was not conceived as part of the "Nancy at St.Brides" series at the outset as Nancy doesn't make an appearance!

One strong point of this book is the inclusion of a disabled girl, Winifred who was disabled in early childhood and uses a wheelchair which is very rare for the period and how it touches on the idea of integration, talking about the sense of isolation and lack of acceptance showing how in this school and through the friendship with Morag, she emerges becoming very much a part of the school community.

Integrated education is as I know from direct personal experience as a disabled boy is still controversial and indeed for a period many did not have what would be recognized as a (appropriate) academic education.

Because it was written in nineteen twenty-three, Dorita does use the term "Cripple" to describe Winifred which would jar with many today but we need to remember that it is from the German term "Krupil" and one of the meanings of that word is "lame" which medically speaking is true as her limbs are indeed just that as are mine. 

It also is the case cripple did not acquire the common abusive undertones it did in the nineteen fifties and sixties as did "spastic" both of which went on unofficial blacklists of terms not to be used from the late seventies onward but Dorita in fairness uses cripple with sensitivity.

Thus it does not personally offend because her use of and development of that character is not in any way offensive.

Guiding and Baden-Powell

 The statue at Poole, Dorset opposite Brownsea Island of Robert Baden-Powell

Baden-Powell at the 1935 Jamboree, lionized by the Scouts.

He is MY hero, the founder of Scouting for Boys and Guiding for Girls, teaching personal, social and practical skills, increasing the confidence and competence of millions of boys and girls around the World of all races, religion, class and language, moulding them into good productive and useful Men and Women. 

Brownies here take their salute at the weekly meeting just like others across the region and beyond.

Tammy is glad to be a brownie in spirit.