Bright yellow socks, the Wall Game and pancake flipping. Katie Hughes uncovers the weird and wonderful independent school traditions that help schools connect to their rich and illustrious history
In many independent schools, you?re buying something else ? the personality of the school,? says Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council. And nowhere are these ?personalities? better embodied than in the quirky independent school traditions, uniforms and even slang upheld ? over decades, and in some cases, centuries.
Weird and wonderful independent school traditions
Traditions at Christ’s Hospital, West Sussex
Credit: Christ’s Hospital
Take Christ?s Hospital in Horsham, where pupils still wear the school?s original Tudor uniform; not least a long wool coat and knee-length mustard-yellow socks. They also march into lunch six days a week, to the sound of the school band playing oboes, piccolos, tubas, drums and (much) more. Traditions at Eton College, Berkshire
Credit: Rhubarb & Custard Photography
As integral to Eton?s identity is the St Andrew?s Day Wall Game; played on St Andrew’s Day in the Michaelmas half and Ascension Day in the summer on a narrow strip of grass alongside a ? not-so-straight ? 18th-century wall. ?The rules have been revised from time to time since 1849,? says the school, ?but the game has remained essentially the same.?
It all starts ?when about six of the 10 players from each side line up against the wall and against ...