On my morning walk by the river I found a swimming area donated to Eton in 1917 by the parents of a boy killed in a "flying accident". (A strangely vague statement - I assumed it was in the war but why not mention his service?) Behind the bench was this stone of instructions:
Boys who are undressed must either get at once into the water or get behind screens when boats containing ladies come in sight. At the end it states that boys breaking the rules will be "severely punished".
So much of this is quaint - protecting ladies from male nudity, the complete absence of fashionable swimwear, doling out severe punishments to frolicking boys.
I didn't see anyone actually swimming there but maybe they were hiding behind screens??
1 comment:
On my morning walk by the river~ that's quaint!
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