stpetre Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 hiya, yep i had a balaclava,yep it was knitted by my mam,yep it was in the 40s yep it was in that khaki wool, yep it didn't taste very nice when it was wet around the mouth, one thing,no two things i regretted not having were a school cap and a gabardene school mac. If it makes you feel any better, I was dressed the same in the 50's winters and they didn't taste great when wet either. School caps and gabardine macs were for rich pratts anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hardie Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I had a balaclava which in my case probably came from Bevan's on Spital Hill. Thermogene brings back warm memories. That being it looked like fibreglass only in appearance as it was orange coloured but it didn't itch,just a cozy warm, soothing feeling next to your chest. Part of many kid's my age bringing -up medication along with things like Bona-Mints but I'll not get into them. Do you remember Joan Fairweather working at Bevan's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stpetre Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Do you remember Joan Fairweather working at Bevan's? No, not really but was she part of the family that had the very good tailoring business at Petre St/Sutherland Rd.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hardie Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 No, not really but was she part of the family that had the very good tailoring business at Petre St/Sutherland Rd.? She was Robert Fairweather's sister. They lived on Sedan Street in the same yard as the Hobsons. They had a Polish stepfather. I think we posted about them before. I don't know if it was the same family as the tailors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 If it makes you feel any better, I was dressed the same in the 50's winters and they didn't taste great when wet either. School caps and gabardine macs were for rich pratts anyway! Oi! We all had school caps at my school in the 60's. It was school uniform...and non of us were rich pratts. We were working class pratts, so there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little malc Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Just for information, the leather flying helmets that so many wore are now worth a small fortune to collectors. If anyone still has one get it valued – you may be surprised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grinder Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) I remember one of my mates dad back in the 40s used to do his gardening in a pair of flying boots !!! I have never been so envious of anything in my life as I was of those boots, you had all on getting a pair of wellingtons back then in 1947 let alone a pair of fur lined boots....... Edited January 12, 2015 by grinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willybite Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 If it makes you feel any better, I was dressed the same in the 50's winters and they didn't taste great when wet either. School caps and gabardine macs were for rich pratts anyway! hiya,i have never thought of this but it could have been a bit of envy on my part,but the ones at school i remember were as you say well shod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grinder Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Did anyone else ever have a pair of clogs ? I had a couple of pairs with the wooden soles and thin iron sort of horse shoes on the soles and heels. I think my Mother must have got them cheap down the market because I can't remember any one else wearing them, but they were great for sliding till the irons came off..... What about the old Jerking suit, sort of battle blouse top with short trousers to match ? You know reading this back I must have looked a right dip stick back then, talk about Billy no mates..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterR Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) Back in the 50s balaclavas were worn by all schoolkids at my old learning establishment Hillfoot County,my abiding memory of those times were the cold winters that seemed to drag on and that we spent a lot of time outdoors!.Playtimes for instance we were not allowed inside unless a force nine gale was in progress,also we had to leg it everywhere not like kids today chauffeured to and from school poor little dears!.It was a necessity in my case due to dear old dad who every few weeks shaved my head to the bone with his army shears leaving me looking like a refugee orphan abandoned by humanity,so until my hair grew back my balaclava was never off my skull!.As well as balaclavas what about knitted swimming trunks,if you,ve never worn them you missed a unique experience when you ascended from the swimming pool,the gusset soaked up vast quantities of water dragging it down to your kneecaps leaving you with a big red face and everyone else falling about laughing!.Those were the days if you tell kids now they wouldn,t believe you!. I thought my balaclava was macho, to use more recent terminology. Loved it. Just looked at a photo of me and my two younger brothers in the paddle pool at Butlins in 1952. They are wearing matching mock leopard skin trunks of unknown material and,yes, I have on plain knitted wool. I remember well the reluctance to stand up, and the deluge draining embarrasingly down my legs. My mother would have made them all. Bless her, everything else she made was marvelous, on reflection. Wish she was here to laugh at it all Edited January 13, 2015 by PeterR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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