5 Cheapside, Lancaster.

Formerly the premisses of Attwater and Son Ltd, Outerwear Specialists.

This may have housed the object of desire remembered by Richard, below.

"I have a special memory of Lancaster.

Just after I left school in about 1957 I stayed with some relations who lived in Hest Bank.

As we were wandering around Lancaster and in what I dimly recall as being the older part of the city I came across a small shop in the window of which was a display of a single-breasted mackintosh in green rubberised polka dot material complete (I am glad to say) with a suitably uniform matching souwester. I gazed at this fascinating model for as long as I decently could but eventually had to move on - I thought about it a lot afterwards and often wondered who the lucky person was who ended up wearing it (who perhaps being made to wear it?!)."

Richard

"I remember it as quite a small local shop selling a range of garments – the type that was popular then but has now disappeared sadly from most town centres. I recall that the polka dot was in a very stylish green (unusual perhaps). What caught my eye was the cut of the mackintosh , the matching souwester (which of more anon are of great interest to me) and that it was definitely large enough to be worn by an older girl or young woman. Even at that age (17) I found strangely fascinating the thought that she might be taken into the shop by a parent, or boyfriend, or husband - and emerge some time later wearing this perfect mackintosh uniform: a complete 'rubberisation', perhaps imposed, I dared to think, to correct some youthful indiscipline."

Richard