Web Page 3085 15th December 2023 First Picture: Duffle Coat

Second Picture: On the Bridge

Third Picture: Dr Who

Fourth Picture: Jonathon Creek

Duffel Coats When we were young duffle coats were very popular, I had one, mine was navy blue with natural wooden toggles, I did not want a camel coloured one. Did you have one? The duffle coat must be the only article of clothing which spanned the classes from the Royal Naval officers to farm workers. A duffel coat (also duffle coat) is a coat made from duffel cloth, designed with toggle-and-rope fastenings, patched pockets and a large hood. The name derives from Duffel, a town in the province of Antwerp in Belgium where the manufacturing process of this kind of fabric, a coarse, thick, woollen cloth originated. Duffel bags were originally made from the same material. As the hood and toggle fastenings from Polish frocks proved popular, the frock spread across Europe by the 1850s. By 1890 a less sophisticated version was being supplied to the British Royal Navy, from various manufacturers. During World War II all British troops wore the coat, among them Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery and Lieutenant-Colonel Sir David Sterling. After the war, the coats became available in England as government surplus stock and became popular, especially with students. In countries freed by British, wearing the coat also meant a tribute to all troopers that fought in the war and a statement to civilian freedom. There are many variations of duffel coat. The basic British style features: • Genuine double weave woollen duffel fabric, lined with a woolly tartan pattern, or plain in the military version. • Three or, later, four front wooden or horn toggle and leather fastenings. • Two large outside patch pockets, with covering flaps on post-war versions. • Originally knee length; shorter on later versions. • A buttonable neck strap was added.. • Bucket hood with press stud adjustment. Later versions feature a neater "pancake" hood. The large toggles and long ropes from the army coats were designed to enable easily fastening and unfastening while wearing gloves in cold weather. Current designs often feature imitation plastic buffalo horn. The original hood was oversized to allow room for a Naval cap. Toggle-and-rope fastenings are known since ancient times, among others in China. The Duffel cloth has been manufactured since about the 1450's in Belgium and since the 1550s in The Netherlands (Leiden). British outerwear manufacturer John Partridge developed the first version of the duffle coat. In the 1890s the British Admiralty purchased the coat in quantity for the Royal Navy from multiple manufacturers, where it was referred to as the "convoy coat". The navy issued a camel-coloured variant during World War I,] most probably also made from Melton wool. The design of the coat was modified slightly and widely issued during World War II. It became known under the nickname "Monty coat". Large post-war stocks of low-cost military surplus coats turned the duffel into a ubiquitous item of British civilian clothing in the 1950s and 1960s, especially among students. Today, the duffel coat is often made of Melton cloth, as opposed to modern duffel cloth, which is a softer wool fabric with a distinct nap used for high-end coats and parkas. British Major Calloway played by Trevor Howard in the 1949 movie The Third Man wears a standard issue Army duffel coat throughout the film. In the Doctor Who serial The Curse of Fenric, the Seventh Doctor wears a tan duffle coat over his costume. David Bowie wears the coat in the music video for "The Man Who Fell to Earth". In the BBC series Jonathan Creek, part of the character's signature look includes a duffle coat, which was from actor Alan Davies' own wardrobe. YOU WRITE:- This from Mary{:- Hello Peter, I have just read your blog, & much enjoyed it. After leaving Portsmouth & moving out nr Hambledon we were living nr the Chairmakers Arms. With my mother being very anti alcohol, I wasn`t allowed in pubs, not that I always stuck to the rules!!! However I was sent to the Chairmakers one day with some eggs from our chicken. The landlord, Major Good was quite a character, & got on well with my Dad, both being ex soldiers. Mrs Good , I think, was Lebanese, & Dad said was a lovely lady. Their son was a little older than me & was a handsome lad, a fact not wasted on me. My then boyfriend told him that I was already spoken for, a fact I didn`t know for 50 yrs! A few yrs ago we took our day centre clients for lunch at the Chairmakers & I felt sad that it had lost it`s wonderful character. I`ve enjoyed a ploughmans at the Plough & Harrow nr Steep, a marvelous place. The Horse & Jockey nr the Chairmakers was good too. These days I live 1 minute from a small Welsh pub, which does excellent roast dinners on a Sunday. It`s a very friendly place & we`re all looking forward to meeting up next Wednesday for a Christmas lunch, free for us 70+yr olds. Wishing you all the Best, Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com