Showers.

We would have a shower after any energetic activity, PE football and the like, and at night before bedtime, evening showers were compulsory. They were communal, and although on this photograph the floor tiles were ribbed, in the original showers, they were no tiles, just smooth painted concrete. This was ideal to slide on, on your bare bum, and many games were had, throwing soap, sponges, sliding about, and such great fun. On the other hand you could slip and break a leg! The showering was usually supervised by a male staff teacher, but on occasions a female would do this job, some of them would be very discrete, and keep to the main wash area, shouting instructions if needed without actually venturing into the shower proper, while one other lady I remember would spare no ones embarrassment, and I think actually enjoyed venturing in to view proceedings, and they were some big lads! In cold weather, we would be reluctant to have the windows open, consequently, the shower block could rapidly fill with steam, this of course could add gleefully to the playful activities, until a member of staff put an end to it, and opened all the windows.

I recall we had an individual hook where a towel was kept and maybe a face cloth, this would have been numbered. Teeth were cleaned twice per day, and you had to form an orderly line to be doled out the toothpaste from a teacher. Every so often a barber from Bradford would visit to cut the boys hair. I think a regular one was Metcalf’s, and I am sure he had a salon on Bowling Old Lane, near the original Old Red Gin public house, in West Bowling, Bradford. That has long gone, and the segment of Bowling Old Lane also disappeared during new house building. They was no choice as to style, it was always Short, Back, and Sides. In fact a basin would have been the nearest style. Some of us used to hate this, and hated the man, or butcher as we nick named him, for perpetrating this dastardly deed. You must remember that as we grew into our early teens, our hair was a statement! The fashion was quickly calling for long hair for boys; our peers in terms of pop groups all had long hair, the Beatle style being the favourite. But no chance at Linton.

Metcalf had a nice little side line in Brylcreem, for the boys still with 1950’s styles, square neck, and D.A. (Ducks Arse) He would charge the earth for a jar, a nice little earner for him on top of his contract price.

But we thwarted him. We started to make our own Brylcreem in the science class, with the assistance of Mr. Robinson. It did the same job, although not smelling as nice! It was also good for cleaning football boots.
During winter time, showers were a real pain, when it was really cold we would beg to be excused, but to no avail. What multiplied the discomfort was that the end of the shower was always spent with a few minutes under the cold water. “To close your pores” was the given excuse, bloody freezing this could often be. Then you had to make your way back to the dorm, often in winter, in freezing snow! Lads would fight for the right to turn the tap on to the cold part, they would think it hilarious to prolong our agony.

At the end of the ablutions block, near to the gym, a small changing room was built for use during sport activities; one could take off ones muddy kit here and then walk, in the duff, into the showers, and out the other end to collect your towel. A cute method if you could work it, was to take your towel in with you, but with the possibility of some rotten kid drowning it on purpose was always a possibility, and then where would you be, no dry towel.

I recall a time when we played football against Netherside Hall, a similar establishment to Linton, but catering for children from Lancashire. Netherside was a large mansion building, akin to a stately pile, a little further up Upper Wharfedale, a few miles from Threshfield, after the game, which we won, we were led into their ablutions for washing, but we were somewhat surprised to note they had individual baths, albeit, in the same room.