SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Seeing what people were wearing in the sixties on the YEP footage of city square got me thinking about my own school uniform in the 60's. In a typical Leeds winter I would wear a vest ( aertex or string vest when they came in) white cotton or bri-nylon shirt, V neck pullover ( long or short sleeves), blazer , school cap, and if it was actually raining or snowing top this lot off with a full length gabardene mac or duffle coat and a scarf and woollen gloves. I am sure most other people wrapped up similarly warm. That's 5 layers in total. I was wrapped up better than a german soldier at Stalingrad. Why did we think an average Leeds winter needed as much outdoor clothing as Captain Scott or Sherpa Tensing? These days I hardly ever wear more than 2 layers and might put on an extra layer and a hat for cold weather ( winter hiking or foul weather at sea). If I dressed up in 5 layers as we all did back then I would collapse with heat exhaustion.So whats changed the most- mild winters or the technology of the fabrics, or our centrally heated and car-borne lifestyle.    

Duffel Coat, Balaclava, mittens [on a piece of elastic, threaded through the arms] and, for when it was foggy, I vaguely remember some sort of reflective thing worn like a Sam Brown belt, the forerunner of that 3m reflective stuff in hi-vis vests.

I’ve just remembered this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAqXku3uCAY. I thought it was called “Be safe, be seen” but obviously not. The damn link doesn't work! the film is called "White at night" and is a 1973 public information fulm.

blackprince wrote: Seeing what people were wearing in the sixties on the YEP footage of city square got me thinking about my own school uniform in the 60's. In a typical Leeds winter I would wear a vest ( aertex or string vest when they came in) white cotton or bri-nylon shirt, V neck pullover ( long or short sleeves), blazer , school cap, and if it was actually raining or snowing top this lot off with a full length gabardene mac or duffle coat and a scarf and woollen gloves. I am sure most other people wrapped up similarly warm. That's 5 layers in total. I was wrapped up better than a german soldier at Stalingrad. Why did we think an average Leeds winter needed as much outdoor clothing as Captain Scott or Sherpa Tensing? These days I hardly ever wear more than 2 layers and might put on an extra layer and a hat for cold weather ( winter hiking or foul weather at sea). If I dressed up in 5 layers as we all did back then I would collapse with heat exhaustion.So whats changed the most- mild winters or the technology of the fabrics, or our centrally heated and car-borne lifestyle.     I bet the lasses all cheered before you put your kegs on as well!!!LOL! PS no wonder you were cold! lola!

'Arry 'Awk wrote: blackprince wrote: Seeing what people were wearing in the sixties on the YEP footage of city square got me thinking about my own school uniform in the 60's. In a typical Leeds winter I would wear a vest ( aertex or string vest when they came in) white cotton or bri-nylon shirt, V neck pullover ( long or short sleeves), blazer , school cap, and if it was actually raining or snowing top this lot off with a full length gabardene mac or duffle coat and a scarf and woollen gloves. I am sure most other people wrapped up similarly warm. That's 5 layers in total. I was wrapped up better than a german soldier at Stalingrad. Why did we think an average Leeds winter needed as much outdoor clothing as Captain Scott or Sherpa Tensing? These days I hardly ever wear more than 2 layers and might put on an extra layer and a hat for cold weather ( winter hiking or foul weather at sea). If I dressed up in 5 layers as we all did back then I would collapse with heat exhaustion.So whats changed the most- mild winters or the technology of the fabrics, or our centrally heated and car-borne lifestyle.     I bet the lasses all cheered before you put your kegs on as well!!!LOL! PS no wonder you were cold! lola! For the sake of decorum Arry I was keeping the discussion above the waist, but as you raised it, the ensemble was completed by cotton draws, flannel trousers, and long woollen socks & wellies in snow. Come to think of it boys wore shorts up to the age of about 12 in those days so the nether regions were a bit exposed, especially the knees. Pity the poor scotsman in his kilt. I think a lot of older men in those days wore long johns all year round. Ne'er cast a clout till May is out!    

Although a few years younger, I can remember wearing vest, school shirt and tie, school jumper, 'snorkel' parka, gloves and scarf. On foggy days the scarf would be pulled up to cover my mouth and nose to "stop the fog getting in" (!), even with the parka zipped right up, in the late 70's(Before 'Arry asks, yes there were trousers, pants, socks and shoes etc on the lower half as well!)Was it really that much colder back then? Nowadays a shirt and a decent fleece (listing top half items only again!) suffices for all but the very worst days, even with a 10 minute walk from where I park to work.

I remember the white knicker elastic my mum used, to make garters to hold my socks up.As for school jumpers i cant remember haveing one any jumper would do.My shorts were about three inches below my knees i have gone to school with cardboard inside my shoes to stop the stones comeing through the hole in the sole. Its not the cardboard box joke would i live it again like hell i would its the best start in life any child could have.Sorry if i drifted from the thread

Talking about sturdy winter wear can anybody tell me where in Leeds i can buy an old school Donkey jacket ? You never see workmen wearing them anymore,it's all that yellow reflective stuff nowerdays.

£8.15 to buy +£5.22 postagehttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MENS-DONKEY-JACKET-70-WOOL-MELTON-MEDIUM_W0QQitemZ300331646710QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMen_s_Clothes?hash=item45ed293ef6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I think Arco still have donkey jackets in their catalogue, Franco.Yes, I remember wrapping up in multi layers in winter as a kid. Duffel coats came in two versions - single-seamed 'pointy' hoods, or double-seamed 'rounded' hoods.On a similar note, school kids these days never seem to have a warm waterproof coat, especially as the summer weather is so changeable in these 'global warmed' times. I was in Otley one lunchtime a few weeks ago, and the weather lived up to the forecast - cool with heavy showers. Every kid I saw queuing at Greggs for lunch was soaked through to the skin, having walked from the school in just a shirt.