Living the daily rhythm, morning till elevenses

Clap... clap.... clap.... the double doors of the dorm swung open. From many beds issued forth unwilling groans. The keen boys had already got up some 5 or ten minutes before so that they could get a place in the showers.

Some boys got up at that point and wandered off to the showers where there was already a queue. Some boys did not take a shower but most did. Not to be seen washing (very) frequently was to be considered "skeggy" and to invite much abusive mockery.

At first I was one of the boys who got up at the wake up call and would spend miserable minutes waiting in the showeres queue, having to give way to those in senior years who came.

Then I got dressed. I put on a striped shirt and a dark blue jumper and some indifferent chords. After this, down to breakfast.

Breakfast was different from other meals as it was self service. Cereals were laid out and we helped ourselves. Then a cooked breakfast was brought. This was often Bacon with fried bread and tinned tomatoes. I loved this bacon an tomatoes and would frequently help myself to many rounds of it in later times. But when I started at Goring I was too timid to do this. Another difference to lunch and supper was that the start and finish did not occur with the housemaster's bell and grace. The boys came in when they wanted (within the breakfast time given in the schedule) and left when they wanted.

After finishing I went back up to my bedspace in the dorm (this was the nearest thing I had to a personal area in the house) and got my stuff together ready for the first classes. Then the bell rang for house prayers in the common room. The inmates all came down for this. At the end of the prayers was a time of great excitment for me. It was when the housemaster handed out the mail that had arrived that morning. He read out each name on eac letter in turn. This was a good way for him to check if a boy had been absent from prayers.

Then off I went down to the main school for the first classes. next to the main school was a small building in which where the "carols". This was where each junior boy had his individual desk for prep periods and keeping his books etc. So I came there first to gather any other things I needed then I went off to the classroom.