General Chat

I met Mary Quant's brother for a few minutes - RAF dentist.

Ann also mentioned Quant.

I have a set of Quant make-up containers. The make up has long gone, but the compacts and lipstick tubes all have the Quant daisy on them.

I wouldn't want my winter shirts, they were collarless and you had to have the collar attached with a stud, thick material that creased easily and needed spray starch to look decent.

Summer shirts were OK.

There was of course the security problem at the time so no part of a uniform would be allowed to be kept.

No problem JL

Pat, I can just imagine you in a too-large greatcoat. :-D

Sorry, Ann, I often go off on a tangent! :-)

This thread is a bit like chinese whispers :-D I think there is only one post that actually answers the question. However, no problem, carry on!!!

My OH I am pretty sure kept his shirts when demobbed from the RN but I am pretty sure his uniform suits etc had to be handed in. And maybe his hat but I am sure that somewhere I have the hatband and badge. For obvioud reasons I can't ask him.

Joy the Sgt would have to accounted for the uniform as he made out forms for them to take them off the inventory - the CO of the camp then had to sign them to say they could be thrown away. The CO could come and do a spot check at anytime. I got the hardly used towels back as they were due to be replaced and he may have had spares to cover them. He couldn't produce a full length skirt if all the others were so short or 1 pr of size 5s shoes with a couple of 21/2s.

The shoes were black brogues which I wore all the time in UK and in winter overseas. The soles and heels had been replaced several times as I was on my feet most of the day. They were due for exchange as well. I kept my court shoes as I had to buy them.

Officers are different as they had to buy their uniform so could keep it. My greatcoat buried me, I mainly used my mack, only wore my greatcoat a couple of times. They don't automatically issue greatcoats anymore due to them being sold as a fashion item late 60s/early 70s.

But I never saw any of it worn to work like the other uniforms.

Strange, Sharron, cos my Dad's uniform was RN and, following his full-time service, he was in the reserves for a few years too.

Like a lot of children, his greatcoat was used in the winter to add onto the top of our blankets for added warmth. I can still remember his kitbag too.

Luckily, he was very easy-going because as children, we used to parade around the house wearing his cap and medals - he never minded.

Alas, as he got older and sorted out his memorabilia, while he filled two photograph albums for two of his grandsons (one my child), he then had to send for new ribbons for the medals to give to his other grandson.

I was only thinking the other day that, when I was growing up in the i fifties, everybody down the farm was in uniform. Leather jerkins from WW1 were still being worn, especially when they were trimming.

Berets mingled with the flat caps and army greatcoats were always improved by the addition of a bit of binder twine round the waist.

Strangely, I don't ever remember naval uniform being utilized anywhere.

What a shame, Pat, and a waste! It must have been standard practice for five years' use but I do think, rather than ditch them, he could have let you keep the dresses and shoes too. It wasn't as though you were going to wear them to go to work again, was it! They would have been OK to 'loll around' in at home, I guess. (He should have seen what I wear around the house!)

ZZzzz :-D :-D :-D

They were over 5 yrs old but size 1 chopped down so who were they going to fit. My 2 pr of beetle crushers were size 21/2 and worn most of those 5 yrs and my pr of white sandals I had for being out in Cyprus were also 21/2s so they weren't going to be used again. My white dresses were beginning to age. I was almost due replacing them but once again they were size 1 cut down so difficult to give anyone, also white dresses were only worn by 2 trades so even more limited than normal uniform.

The Sgt in stores looked at everything and he threw it all on the floor except my 3 white towels which he gave me back and I used them for the children. All down as written off so came off the inventory.

JoyLouise, at one point I was staying with cousins and was wearing a lime green blouse with orange trousers, he said I hope you aren't going out with us in that, I said yes I am at which point his husband walked into the room with exactly the same colours on so we were a matching pair and proud.

We’re they well-worn, Pat? So not fit for recycling?

Or only for a few years so able to recycle?

My OH wore uniform for years - and kept most of it but that is probably because it was well-used for years. All fit for gardening! Not sure whether they did that for those who served shorter terms.

ZZzzz, I understand the situation …..

Makes me want to finish with, ‘no money, no stamp,’ :-D

We’ll see you coming Zzzz? :-0

No Joy everything they gave me I had to return including shoes and towels - I was only loaned them and they were on my inventory. I only had 2 skirts (1 working and 1 best uniform), 2 summer blouses and 3 winter blouses but 12 white dresses in heavy cotton. All went back :-D

Ripped is not such a recent phenomenon. I remember students wearing ripped jeans in the eighties. Some of them will have adult children of their own now!

I was a security officer in my last job and the uniform was either black or navy blue, I retired from that job and now wear clothes that would give would give Micheal Portillo a run for his money. Lol.

Pat, when you left, did they let you keep the skirts and blouses at least? You’d have something to wear around the house then.

They would not have recycled them, would they? And it would have been a huge waste if they’d done so for everyone leaving.

My nephew has served 25 years and is about to start a new job overseas so I’ll have to catch him and ask before he goes.

I recall my Dad still having some of his things - but not all,

I never earned a lot of money - in those days HM forces weren't paid a lot but I did get my work outfits ;-)