On a serious note, I do think girls' boarding schools were more overt about that sort of thing than day schools. I was told (by a close friend -- who, Jan Scott's opinion notwithstanding -- I still exchange Christmas cards with 40 years on) that "If you've not snogged a boy by third year [Nicola's Lower Fourth equivalent] everyone will think you're a lesbian." Which was assumed to be a dreadful fate and known to be one - one couldn't say, "And? So?" in 1975. Even if that was the right thing to say.
Whereas five or so years earlier, my (seven years older) sister had been shocked rigid in the bathrooms by what -- with the benefit of several decades hindsight -- I'd say was "performative lesbianism" from pupils at a South Coast Girls' boarding school (which may have been why she really got twitchy at my reading Antonia Forest, come to think of it) when their school and ours were flung together on a field-trip at Slapton Sands, Devon. [And when I say "shocked rigid" I do imply both that -- so far as she confided anything to me, which wasn't much, but which was a lot more than our parents gathered, from either of us -- whatever happened involved both teasing and a bit of exhibitionism and also some degree of unwelcome come-on.]
So I can sort of see where the reputations came from, even if undeserved.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Peculiar O Level Timing
Date: 2015-02-16 12:47 am (UTC)Whereas five or so years earlier, my (seven years older) sister had been shocked rigid in the bathrooms by what -- with the benefit of several decades hindsight -- I'd say was "performative lesbianism" from pupils at a South Coast Girls' boarding school (which may have been why she really got twitchy at my reading Antonia Forest, come to think of it) when their school and ours were flung together on a field-trip at Slapton Sands, Devon. [And when I say "shocked rigid" I do imply both that -- so far as she confided anything to me, which wasn't much, but which was a lot more than our parents gathered, from either of us -- whatever happened involved both teasing and a bit of exhibitionism and also some degree of unwelcome come-on.]
So I can sort of see where the reputations came from, even if undeserved.