Posted by John Birch on August 15, 2000 at 11:53:01 from m827-mp1-cvx1a.big.ntl.com:
In Reply to: Re: Picts and Martyrs Oddities posted by kate crosby on August 06, 2000 at 23:38:09:
We returned from the beach yesterday (after a week touring Broadland, with stops off at Sea Palling, just east of Horsey Mere). The sight of children under the age of ten bathing with no clothes, or at least getting into swimming things sans towel was not uncommon - and both my children (aged 4 and 9) are likewise, though the elder now does favour a towel. All adults were changing under a towel... what indeed do Americans do on a wide, crowded beach?
I think it may be a school-related thing. Most people did - and children still do - go to schools where is is only one changing room for a class (all be it in secondary schools split up by sex). This is continued in sports halls - my local swimming pools has no "cubilcles" at all - just one big "male" and another big "female" room.
These children knew each other well, being only from three families, and all went to Public (ie. private) schools - probably sleeping in dormatories - so getting changed in "public" would not mean much to them.