Button to chin

Today

This morning I decided that the winter clothes must be put away. I went into the porch to collect Paul's winter coats for dry cleaning. "Do you realise", I said to Paul "That you've about 20 winter outer garments of one kind or another?" "Impossible!" He replied. "Well, when you take into account the six woollen overcoats, four leather coats/jackets, two waxed coats, a moleskin jacket, and an assortment of lined anorak type coats, I don't think I'm far off."

The coat racks both in the porch at home and at the flat groan with Paul's attempts to fend off the cold and my much more modest selection is relegated to a tiny corner.

In My Day

How was I protected from the cold when I was a little girl? You can sometimes see pictures from the '50s showing little girls in fitted woollen coats with cute little velvet collars - well I certainly didn't have one! I really remember how I was dressed on cold morning before going to school. Pile it on, seemed to the guiding principle.

Two pairs of knickers, a vest, a Liberty Bodice to which stockings were attached by suspenders, a blouse, gymslip, cardigan, blazer and gabardine mac. I could hardly move, yet there was a completely unprotected gap between the top of the stockings and my knickers. Otherwise I was warm enough, I guess.

When Paul & I were first married, my coat was made out of an old army blanket (a tailoring project at college) and Paul didn't have a coat at all. Apart from an Afghan coat of mine, which smelt resolutely and enduringly of goat, neither of us could afford a coat for years. We wore anoraks and cheap quilted jackets; once we even wore matching bright green logo-printed jackets that came free with some motoring promotion or other - which was a stylish look.

When she was very small Lizzy had a coat that had once been James's and later a coat bought in the sales. These resurfaced throughout the family, eventually returning to Becky. For quite a long time her only winter coverings were a couple of Aran zip up jackets made by Mamma.

Eventually I made her a coat in blue wool with cream lining and a piece of cream fake fur around the hood. My sister in law and I went halves on a piece of wool/alpaca; I bought a pattern and made a coat which I wore until it literally dropped into pieces. After that I got by with jumpers and anoraks for ten years. (Joan never got her coat made and I made her a parka from the fabric about twenty years later).

The truth is, coats were simply too expensive, particularly for Paul. Even fifteen years ago they could cost easily £200. It wasn't until I worked for Flare and received bonuses that these luxury garments could be bought. I bought Paul a proper coat about thirteen years ago - cashmere and wool - for Christmas. This he still has and wears with pride.

Given that really cold weather is rare these days, I think that Paul need never buy another overcoat. Not that that's likely to stop him, of course.