What is the oldest piece of clothing you possess that you still wear?
She's got lots of clothes that are over twenty years old, still fashionable and in great condition, her Donnybrook Duffle coat being one of them. She took it with her on the mammoth trip that Edgar and she went on in 1994 and she'd already had it for a couple of years by then.
A Yves Saint Laurent jacket dates to 1972, she remembers this as it was given to her by a dear friend who died later that year. A glorious Loewe black antelope skin dinner suit also dates to that year, it was the first thing that Bill ever gave her, they were in Seville. It's a bit battered and bruised but now she's much slimmer, she has worn the jacket a couple of times.
And being slimmer has meant that one of her most favourite gifts from Bill can be worn again.
In February 1973, forty four years ago this very month, she was visiting him in Washington DC for the weekend of President Richard Nixon's re-election. Bill, being Bill, had been invited to every 'gig' in town and had her put her name down to be included on his invitation or ticket . But alas and alack, had not told her exactly how very 'fancy' this weekend was going to be!
But armed with Bill's American Express card and two of his store cards clutched rather nervously in her paw, she was whisked off by his charming secretary to get 'kitted' out for the festivities and.. the cold! The dresses have long gone but the warm jacket survives, it was bought at a 'Young Gentleman's Outfitters' the name of which she cannot remember, it is a khaki parka with a hood and it's lined in Rabbit.
For years she hasn't been able to wear this cosy thing but out of sentimentality there was 'no way' that it was going anywhere! So it remained in a trunk in a cotton cloth bag with cedar wood chips and lavender that she replaced every year. The trunks, I regret to tell you, are still causing chaos in the sitting room but she had a thought or two about her weight loss and 'Old Rabbit', as she calls this parka and pulled the bag out last week.
She gave the jacket a good shake and tried it on.. EUREEKA! It fitted! And over a sweater too, not a very thick sweater but with its' furry lining you don't need to be wearing one. 'Old Rabbit' is such a cosy thing, she'd forgotten how snug a fur-lined hood is, her ears are warm with the hood which doesn't squash her hair like a hat, although there have been a day or two when she's worn one of Pat's hats underneath the fur lined hood and she'll be doing that today. For it is mighty chilly-billy here this morning!
But it is a pair of shoes that she bought fifty years ago this month that are her oldest item of clothing. They're a pair of 'Swan' brogues by Crockett and Jones, made in Northampton, England. They have metal studs in their leather soles and in them, are a pair of wooden shoe trees.
She remembers exactly where she bought them - 'Riceman's of Canterbury' where she worked on Saturdays and in the holiday. The store was taken over by Fenwicks and demolished in the 80's.
And, what she paid for them as she had saved and saved up for them, it was the huge sum of £7.10 shillings.. there used to be twenty shillings to a pound £, so ten shillings in old money was 1/2 a £.. the only reason her parents agreed to her spending this huge sum of money was A. her feet had stopped growing and B. they knew she'd take care of them and that she'd have them forever! The style is still made.. but they now cost over £400.00!
What a good thing she IS her father's daughter and always polished her shoes!
Oh, lookielookie.. it's time for YumYum.. off we go.. but I'll be back to tell you all about the short story by Joanne Harris which touched her so deeply! PipPip.. "come here little eggy-peggy, Beaky wants to gobble you all'up".
GeeGee Parrot.
February 8th, 2017.
PostScript: Known in our household as : Peter Jenner's, David Mac's & her niece Zoe's birthday.
She's got lots of clothes that are over twenty years old, still fashionable and in great condition, her Donnybrook Duffle coat being one of them. She took it with her on the mammoth trip that Edgar and she went on in 1994 and she'd already had it for a couple of years by then.
A Yves Saint Laurent jacket dates to 1972, she remembers this as it was given to her by a dear friend who died later that year. A glorious Loewe black antelope skin dinner suit also dates to that year, it was the first thing that Bill ever gave her, they were in Seville. It's a bit battered and bruised but now she's much slimmer, she has worn the jacket a couple of times.
And being slimmer has meant that one of her most favourite gifts from Bill can be worn again.
In February 1973, forty four years ago this very month, she was visiting him in Washington DC for the weekend of President Richard Nixon's re-election. Bill, being Bill, had been invited to every 'gig' in town and had her put her name down to be included on his invitation or ticket . But alas and alack, had not told her exactly how very 'fancy' this weekend was going to be!
But armed with Bill's American Express card and two of his store cards clutched rather nervously in her paw, she was whisked off by his charming secretary to get 'kitted' out for the festivities and.. the cold! The dresses have long gone but the warm jacket survives, it was bought at a 'Young Gentleman's Outfitters' the name of which she cannot remember, it is a khaki parka with a hood and it's lined in Rabbit.
For years she hasn't been able to wear this cosy thing but out of sentimentality there was 'no way' that it was going anywhere! So it remained in a trunk in a cotton cloth bag with cedar wood chips and lavender that she replaced every year. The trunks, I regret to tell you, are still causing chaos in the sitting room but she had a thought or two about her weight loss and 'Old Rabbit', as she calls this parka and pulled the bag out last week.
She gave the jacket a good shake and tried it on.. EUREEKA! It fitted! And over a sweater too, not a very thick sweater but with its' furry lining you don't need to be wearing one. 'Old Rabbit' is such a cosy thing, she'd forgotten how snug a fur-lined hood is, her ears are warm with the hood which doesn't squash her hair like a hat, although there have been a day or two when she's worn one of Pat's hats underneath the fur lined hood and she'll be doing that today. For it is mighty chilly-billy here this morning!
But it is a pair of shoes that she bought fifty years ago this month that are her oldest item of clothing. They're a pair of 'Swan' brogues by Crockett and Jones, made in Northampton, England. They have metal studs in their leather soles and in them, are a pair of wooden shoe trees.
She remembers exactly where she bought them - 'Riceman's of Canterbury' where she worked on Saturdays and in the holiday. The store was taken over by Fenwicks and demolished in the 80's.
And, what she paid for them as she had saved and saved up for them, it was the huge sum of £7.10 shillings.. there used to be twenty shillings to a pound £, so ten shillings in old money was 1/2 a £.. the only reason her parents agreed to her spending this huge sum of money was A. her feet had stopped growing and B. they knew she'd take care of them and that she'd have them forever! The style is still made.. but they now cost over £400.00!
What a good thing she IS her father's daughter and always polished her shoes!
Oh, lookielookie.. it's time for YumYum.. off we go.. but I'll be back to tell you all about the short story by Joanne Harris which touched her so deeply! PipPip.. "come here little eggy-peggy, Beaky wants to gobble you all'up".
GeeGee Parrot.
February 8th, 2017.
PostScript: Known in our household as : Peter Jenner's, David Mac's & her niece Zoe's birthday.
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