WDYTYA Boy George

[Top-of-the-hill]

  I was glad he refused to play with the lever in the hang house.

[nanny jan]

Not sure about the "boy in a dress because they were poor"; when did 'breeching' stop? I have a photo of my dad (b 1923) aged about 2 in a dress. Last of a family of 3 girls and 4 boys.....working class from Shoreditch.

[Rena]

Not sure about the "boy in a dress because they were poor"; when did 'breeching' stop? I have a photo of my dad (b 1923) aged about 2 in a dress. Last of a family of 3 girls and 4 boys.....working class from Shoreditch.

I also liked this programme.  Even if his father had lived the children would still be taken from him, as it was thought men couldn't look after children.  Unfortunately, I can't recall the name of the man who fought to get his motherless children out of a nun's orphanage.

I had one ex WWII veteran teacher.  He brought a photo of himself aged two to show us.  There were plenty of giggles when we saw he had long hair set in ringlets and (tee hee) he wore a dress. The only means we had to know he was a boy was the side of the head his hair parting was on.

[Daonnachd]

Yes, I have a photo of my Granddad aged about 3 (c 1909) in a dress complete with a very feminine looking  sun hat. (Whitechapel).

My Mum told me years ago, that boys were dressed as girls when they were small to avoid them being taken - linked to the massacre of the innocents by Herod; or alternatively taken by the devil.

[StanleysChesterton]

I have a large, colour, photo (or hand-coloured, not sure) of my dad c.1935 - he looks like a perfect Shirley Temple, with golden curly hair going down to his shoulders.  Looks like a beautiful girl, not boyish looking at all.

Mum/dad always said "mother wanted another girl", but maybe that's just how they turned them out back then.  You couldn't always "trust" what mum/dad said as some of it may've been said in jest and went right over my head.

Re Boy George episode:

I think too many people put "today's luxury values" on things that went on in the past.  I think the grandmother was probably "saved" - allbeit to a rotten institute.  She was probably "better off" there than being left at home where all sorts might've happened to her.  Being with family isn't always best for everybody... but we'll never know.  The show 'experts' though were trying to tactfully tell him that it was probably for the best... allbeit a rotten place.

[Sinann]

Wasn't boys in dresses for ease of changing nappies and toilet training.

[nanny jan]

Wasn't boys in dresses for ease of changing nappies and toilet training.

Yes, "breeching" when they could manage being in trousers.

[Sinann]

Never heard the term 'beeching' before, good word, I did wonder when I read it earlier.

[dublin1850]

I also liked this programme.  Even if his father had lived the children would still be taken from him, as it was thought men couldn't look after children.  Unfortunately, I can't recall the name of the man who fought to get his motherless children out of a nun's orphanage.

I think you mean Desmond Doyle?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doyle
The film 'Evelyn' was based on his story.