From Brenda

Dear Lorraine,

I have just read the letter from Morag about how her mother made her wear her school regulation gaberdine mackintosh, and a rubber mackintosh for school. I was most interested in this as we do not often hear of people who like the traditional school gaberdine mackintosh. I thought you might like to add my experiences to that from Morag as they are similar in some ways.

I was sent to a very strict girls only boarding school from 1958 and left in 1968 when I was 18. The teachers and matrons who looked after us were very strict with regard to how we dressed. At that time the gymslip was commonly worn and of course our school was no different, and it was worn under a blazer which had to be kept neatly done up on the three buttons.

Most of the time when outside we were made to wear our traditional check lined navy blue gaberdine mackintoshes. Most girls seemed to hate wearing them, but I found that I developed a deep love for my gaberdine. I would wear mine even in the summer term when it was not compulsory. I would always have it buttoned up to my neck and more often than not I would have my hood up. I think that I felt more secure somehow in my long and heavy gaberdine, especially when I had the hood up protecting my head.

Of course I was teased a lot, especially when I came to school in my last year at age 17 in a brand new gaberdine that I had got my mother to buy me. It was so long that it nearly came to my ankles, and covered most of my white knee length socks. The sleeves were over long and the hood was very large. I always wore it fully buttoned to my neck and tightly belted. I loved it and I even wore it after I had left school. I had promised my mother that I would wear it out after I left school, and I had no trouble in keeping my promise.

Having read the letter from Morag has re-kindled my interest and I would just love to be able to buy a new school gaberdine for myself in a large size just like I had when I left school. I believe that they are very hard to come by, but I just wish I could buy one now.

I like your suggestion that you should have a separate section for school gaberdine mackintoshes as I would love to read comments from others who wore gaberdines in that period.

I never had to wear a rubber mackintosh at all at school so I cannot comment about them. The rubber mackintosh that Morag had to wear with the hood up sounds very interesting indeed. She certainly had a very strict mother!

Brenda