One thing I have learnt about growing up
in this country is you need a decent jacket and pair of boots. The weather
in this country is unpredictable at best.
Weather men only really need to
say its going to rain today and they will be right 50 percent of the
time. Some might say its terrible, aahh it sucks and it rains all the
time, yes this is true it can be a drag at times but believe it or not we are
actually quite lucky. Whats he going on about I hear you say, well let me
explain. We have Weather rather than a climate the difference being one is
fairly constant and the other being very changeable. Think how boring it
would be having just one type of weather condition.
Which brings me on to
my next subject, Outerwear. I love Clothes, jackets and boots in
particular. I was not born this way, the weather did it to me. From
the age of 5 onwards I spent a lot of time outside due to my Mum kicking
me out because I got under her feet. Rain or shine I will be out there
trying my hardest to have a good time with budget clobber to deal with the high
end weather conditions.
My late teens were similar in a sense where my
mum would still kick me out for getting under her feet but the thing that
changed was I had a job and was able to buy some decent gear. Mcdonalds,
parks and local estates where we a had a fairly stable relationship were the
main places we resided, so the gear would generally be Timberlands, Rockport boots, Chevingnon
Togs/Down jackets or puffas if you like and MA1 military jackets with big
hoods, all practical and stylish..ah yes this takes me back, back to a place when fashion made sense.
Nowadays Fashion rules and function and practicality are forgotten.
I wont rant but take for instance Barbour. Worn by northern lads and east end barrow boys way back in the mid 80's to early 90's purely for practical reasons. The padded versions were very popular amongst the rough diamonds but now the big companies have stole this idea and sold it back to us in a cheap and meaningless form but the masses seem to lap it up. Is this down to lack of imagination on both sides, sides being the corporations and the masses.
Anyway back to me.
My winter boots of choice are the delightful William Lennons. Hand made on a bench in Stoney middleton. No marketing strategy, no advertising just boots and shoes made by people who take pride in what they do.
Here is a lilnk to there site and a link to a write up by the loomstate blogger.
http://loomstate.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/william-lennon-factory-stoney-middleton.htmlhttp://www.williamlennon.co.uk/
