Myself and cousin Karen really did not know where to put our faces as Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley rampaged through the school outfitters.
Aunty Shirley was in her element as if this outing were a school jumble sale.
As always Nanny Mitchel followed Aunty Shirley’s lead.
“It is such a shame Dorothy that the young do not wear their uniforms as smartly as we did back in our days,” Announced Aunty Shirley making one of her many observations.
“Isn’t it just that Shirley,” replied Nanny Mitchel in an agreeable tone.
“They just do not seem to have any pride in the way they wear their uniforms these days,” continued Aunty Shirley,”
And have you seen their modern hairstyles, Dorothy? they are awful, all spiked up with different colors and high-heeled shoes. I have never seen anything like it in all my life.
“I do not know what the world is coming to Shirley.” interjected Nanny Mitchel. ” It wasn’t like this in our days.”
“It certainly was not, we would not dare do some of the things these youngsters would.” barked Aunty Shirley who always appeared to get a little angry when discussing this subject.
Meanwhile Sandra, the shop manageress just rolled her eyes and prayed to God she would never be like this when she was their age.
Sandra had now decided that it now may be a good idea to help these two aging busybodies find the items on the list of school attire for what she now starting to view as Mrs Hegiteys pretend school.
At least this way, to save herself embarrassment, they may leave the shop sooner rather than later.
However, she was soon to realize try as she did this was not going to happen any time soon.
Whilst Myself and karen Stood in a corner of the shop, being seen and not heard, Nanny Mitchel, Aunty Shirley and Sandra worked through the school uniform list that had been written by Mrs Hegitey.
Sandra did her best to find these items which were.
Three School green checked dresses
Five Pairs of green regulation undergarments.
Five white school Vests.
Two dark Green Pinafore dress
3 white school Blouses
2 pairs of green gym undergarments
2 White cotton P E blouses
5 pairs of white knee ankle socks
2 Pairs of white socks for P E
One pair of classic school pumps.
However, there was going to be one fundamental problem.
Neither Nanny Mitchel, Aunty Shirley, nor Sandra knew my size.
Obviously having to know the size of the dress I required had completely gone over Nanny Mitchels and Aunty Shirley’s heads.
They were both far too engrossed in school clothing to think about such trivial matters
Sandra was pained to make any suggestions on my size.
She realized this situation was already very awkward for me and she did not wish to add to my embarrassment.
Nanny Mitchel on the other hand really did not give a hoot.
“Patricia will have to try the dress on,” announced Nanny Mitchel in a matter-of-fact voice. ” Where are the changing rooms, Sandra?”
“At the end of the shop on the right,” replied Sandra, hoping that Nanny Mitchel would stop addressing her by her real name in case she saw someone she knew.
It was at this time Sandra decided that it would be a lot easier if she were to measure me first.
She was almost apologetic about having to do this as she knew it would add to the humiliation of my current situation
After all, she thought to herself, “No right-thinking young man would want to be measured up for a female school uniform. Would He?”
However, she also knew the quicker this was over and done with the far better it would be for all concerned.
After a short consultation with Aunty Shirley, Nanny Mitchel agreed that it may be a good idea if I was measured up.
Sandra went to the drawer and proceeded to get out a simple measuring tape ready to measure me up.
“Can you come over here please Peter? so I can measure you,” asked Sandra in a sympathetic tone.
This very request was one to make Nanny Mitchel see red.
“Her name is not Peter anymore, it is Patrica,” corrected Nanny Mitchel in a stern voice.
“She must get used to being addressed by her proper name Sandra, or she will become very confused.” continued Nanny Mitchel as if she were scolding myself or cousin Karen.
Sandra thought to herself that if this situation were not so diabolical, it would be hilarious.
However, she saw nothing funny about me being made to dress as a girl.
To say that I would become confused was a little bit of an understatement, as it appeared I was already very confused.
However Sandra knew her place, and her place was certainly not to argue.
Finally giving into Nanny Mitchels demands to call me by my girl’s name Sandra finally relented.
Come over here please Patricia, so that I can measure you, said Sandra, once again in a sympathetic tone.
Over I walked to Sandra to be measured for my new school uniform.
This was to be the first and maybe last sign of any gentleness I was to see for a long time.
Sandra proceeded to carry out the measuring for my school uniform as quickly as possible.
First Sandra carefully proceeded to measure my chest, followed by my waist, followed by my shoulder to waist, and finally followed by my shoulder to shoulder.
Obviously measuring my inside leg would not be necessary.
With this all done Sandra proceeded to go to the stock room and retrieve the items of clothing as quickly and efficiently as possible, hoping that we would all soon be gone.
However, this was not going to happen anytime soon.
Nanny Mitchel was insistent that I was to try on both the school-checked dress and the pinafore dress.
Off myself, Nanny Mitchel went to the changing room, followed by an ever-opinionated Aunty Shirley.
It was with some relief that I was to be trusted to be able to change into the garments alone, whilst Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley stood outside.
It was at this time thoughts of Mr Ben entered my mind,
Mr Ben had been one of my favorite watch with mother programs.
I had always been fascinated how this character was able to go into a clothing shop, go into a changing room and come out and have some form of adventure.
However, it was painfully obvious this was not going to happen to me.
Besides if it did I would have probably ended up in Mrs Hegiteys classroom or something similar.
Failing that I would have gone in the changing room as Mrs Ben and come out as Mrs Ben.
Slowly but surely I proceeded to remove my Green Mint frilly dress and proceeded to put on the checked gingham dress.
Similar to Karen’s checked Gingham dress I had worn the day before for a game of schools, the fabric felt harsh and well starched.
However this time around, the garment appeared to fit perfectly, which was a blessing in itself.
“Do not take all day Patricia,” came Nanny Mitchel’s stern voice through the changing room curtain.
It was painfully obvious that Nanny Mitchel wished to inspect the green gingham dress in full view of the rest of the shop.
“Patricia! Come out this instant,” came Nanny Mitchels next command.
To be honest, I have very little idea why I was actually so embarrassed by having to come out and show Nanny Mitchel and Aunty Shirley my new dress.
After all, I had already spent the best part of the day being paraded up and down the town in a frilly green mint dress.
With a little hesitation, I slowly drew back the curtain and came out of the changing room.
“Oh doesn’t she look adorable Dorothy?” Aunty Shirley Announced as I walked out of the changing room cubicle.
“Yes I think that will do,” came Nanny Mitchel’s response in one of her matter-of-fact noncomplementary tones. ” Stand up straight Patricia, let me have a good look at you.” she further ordered.
Through her spectacles, Nanny Mitchel appeared to inspect every part of the green-checked gingham dress.
This task in itself appeared to take rather a long time.
However once done Nanny Mitchel ordered me back into the changing room to try on the green pinafore dress.
“And make sure you fold it up properly as I showed you” Nanny Mitchel further ordered, obviously referring to the green gingham dress.
It was at this time I realized again that Nanny Mitchel had gone into her control mode, where she would dish out her orders that would have to be followed to the letter.
Slowly and carefully I removed the green gingham dress, all the time making sure that in order to avoid the wrath of Nanny Mitchel, I folded it up nicely and did not crease it.
Once I had done so I began to put on the dark green pinafore dress.
Much the same as the gingham dress the man-made material felt starched and hard.
I was later to find out this was to also stop the garment from creasing.
Once again the same procedure was followed, where I came out of the changing room to be inspected by Nanny Mitchel and an ever-inquisitive Aunty Shirley.
This time the inspection was a little quicker as Nanny Mitchel was now becoming restless.
“That will do. Get changed back into your dress Patricia and remember to fold it up nicely,” repeated Nanny Mitchel as if she was drilling into me the importance of folding my clothing up nicely.
The embarrassing visit to the school outfitters had appeared to take a lifetime, whereas in reality, it had only taken an hour or so.
Finally, we proceed to the shop counter where Nanny Mitchel paid for the garments with the money and clothing vouchers that had been handed to her earlier by Mrs Hegitey.
However unbeknown to Sandra at the time these vouchers were forgeries and were to later cost her her job.
