I think I've posted this photo before, but not in relation to today's subject.
When I left school I remember packing away all my stuff. I had managed to acquire all sorts of things that made study-life reasonably pleasant; a comfortable wing-back chair, a toaster that actually worked, a set of Sherry glasses, etc; none of which I either wished to keep, or could possibly have transported to my home.
Only my clothes and some sporting kit went back with me, but in amongst all the other rubbish, I later discovered that I'd inadvertently added a pair of socks that weren't mine. They belonged to the small boy in the top row on the far left of the photo.
His name was B (Brian) C Ockelford, and his name tapes had been carefully sown into each of the two grey woolen socks.
They must have been very good quality socks as they lasted for many years.... not that I wore grey woolen socks that often. I'm not totally sure, but I think I eventually put them away somewhere, and may still have them.
Looking at the photo again made me smile, as it did every time I wore his socks with his name sown into them; which I'd deliberately left in situ.
I recently read somewhere that he'd died, and I felt strangely guilty.
25 comments:
It's his mother (assuming it was her who sewed in those name tags) I feel sorry for. A labour of love. Though clearly not lost on you. I am sure she'd have been very pleased that you held her son's socks in enough high regard to wear them.
Who is the tall guy, first row second from the right, with the short trousers (showing off HIS socks)?
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His name was Roger Tamplin. I painted his portrait, and it was the first portrait where I really achieved what I was after. Several years later when he married, I wanted to send him the painting, but some bastard had stolen it. I'm still angry about it today. I had so much work stolen!
. I look at school photos now and can't remember the names.
Obviously you remember BC Ockelford, and the other guy. Do you remember the rest?
Not all of them; I don't even remember the faces of 3 of them.
You were drinking sherry at school?
Very cheap Sherry; I'm ashamed to say. However, we did smoke very expensive 'Abdulla' cigarettes.
A handsome bunch! Which one is your good self?
I'm in the middle row, third from left (with silly haircut).
Your tale reminds me of a German woman who was on holiday in Austria. She had cold feet and I gave her a pair of warm socks I happened to have in my Rucksack. She had big feet for a woman so I said: Since they fit you you can keep them. Several months later a mysterious package arrived. It was a note of thanks and my socks, washed, neatly folded, and would believe it - they’d even been ironed.
I think I may have told you about my Scottish friend whose wife sewed numbers on his socks so he’d know which pair was which.
Oh. So young!
You really were young, but you still look like Cro even then!
No beard or grey hair!
Socks can be more interesting than one imagines. My late Mother-in-Law used to knit socks for Christmas, but they always wore out very quickly. So she decided to knit mini-socks instead, which we all either hung in the front of our cars, or placed on the Christmas tree. We all still have them.
Your last comment about the numbers reminded me of a recent incident. M & S sell cotton socks with coloured toes and heels in matching pairs. I was staying with a friend recently and her sister appeared in such socks but in different colours. When I (rather obviously apparently) looked at the socks she said: they are all the rage: non-matching socks. I realised that I must be a wee bit of OCD: I spend ages sorting my socks into pairs!
An old friend of my studied Fashion at the Royal College of Art back in the 60's, and one of his 'big things' was odd socks. He never became well known!
I wonder if he spent his life with the memory of the other side of the spectrum. I think we all have memories like this Cro - they are the spice of life.
Wondering where his socks went, you mean? It's strange, but 'Ockelford's socks' became quite a talking point in our house.
What you don't realise of course is that in his belongings B C Ockleford found a pair of your underpants with your name tape sewn in, which made him smile every time he wore them, although they were raather too large for him. His executors are now trying to trace the owner.
I quite expect that all sorts of things changed hands. It was a big panic trying to assemble all our belongings. It was like moving house after four years residency.
My granddaughters have been wearing unmatched socks for years. I thought it was just them, but I was wrong because lots most of their friends do the same thing. It saves time and money. There is no need to throw out that one sock after the other one has gone to sock heaven where many lost soles and heels go after being captured by the washing machine.
I didn't recognise you in the photo. Usually I do. It must have been a bad hair day/week/term.
It's a good photo. Wasn't it such a laborious task to label clothing, but we all did it. By your example, it was quite pointless anyway.
I'd cut my own fringe... rather drastically.
Yes, our poor mothers; all those wretched name tapes.
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