Club Foyer>Uniform gaberdine raincoat >
Dear Lorraine,
I was very interested to read the letter from Charlie where he mentions wearing
a long nylon mackintosh under his gaberdine, and it keeps him nice and warm.
Then I read another suberb letter from Pauline where she asks if anyone has
tried wearing a waterproof mackintosh under their gaberdine mackintosh. Then
you make the comment that you know someone who has a gaberdine mackintosh with
a waterproof (rubber) lining. That person of course is ME [This is a guess!
- ed].
I thought that other people might like to know the situation.
I have been a VERY, VERY devoted wearer of gaberdine mackintoshes since early
childhood, and a few years ago I managed to persuade Lorraine to source a supply
of navy blue gaberdine material plus a check lining. She then had her seamstress
make me an exact replica of a girls school regulation gaberdine mackintosh
with a hood. Only this was a VERY special gaberdine, being fully interlined
in a lovely rustly rubber, so making it smell delightful and rustle as I move.
The whole gaberdine mackintosh is much heavier than it would otherwise be,
and of course it is totally waterproof. This means that heavy sweating will
be produced inside after prolonged wearing, and/or any exercise. Naturally
the warmer the day, then the more sweating I will have to endure. I call this
my girls punishment school regulation gaberdine mackintosh.
It is of course double-breasted, and I always wear it done up to my neck, girls
way, and there is a complete set of large mackintosh buttons to do up on the
inside, plus a D ring sewn into the gaberdine lining near the inner top button.
Normally school gaberdines were made with a friction belt, which often slackens
during use. This was no good for my discipline, so I had my new gaberdine made
with an eyelet belt. My gaberdine is 52" long, which makes it ankle length,
and it has an inverted pleat at the back, but my walking is still restricted.
When I was at school I had a girls' hood attached to my gaberdine, and I often
wore it up without being told to, so my Lakeland Elements gaberdine has a large
hood with tying tapes, draw cords in the front and a button tab to do up under
my chin.
Not satisfied with the discipline that wearing this heavy long gaberdine gives
me, I normally wear a thick nylon RUBBER lined anorak under my gaberdine. This
is knee length, and has velcro at each wrist which I do up as tight as I can
possibly do it. I do the zip right up to under my chin, and without putting
the hood up, I pull the draw cords tightly, which seals the rubber lining around
my neck. With this heavy anorak on, it is quite easy to pull on my large gaberdine,
making sure that the anorak hood is neatly inside the gaberdine. I discipline
myself every time my gaberdine is worn, to make sure that all the 6 inner buttons
are done up, and I then slip a padlock through the top inner buttonhole and
through the D ring and click it shut. Only then can I do up the 6 outer buttons,
and pull my belt in as tight as I can bear it. Then a second padlock is clicked
shut through one of the belt eyelets. So I cannot slacken my belt or undo my
buttons without the keys. The gaberdine also has cuff tabs, which are done
up on the tightest button available. I now have a totally airtight seal on
my whole body and my arms.
My favourite discipline is when I am going on a train trip to London. It is
an hour and a half from my local station, and I will leave the keys to the
padlocks in my car. This means that however hot it may get in the train or
in the crowded tubes under London, I have to sweat it out. Many is the time
I have been sitting in a train wiping the sweat off my forehead, still done
up in my rubber lined anorak and rubber interlined gaberdine, and I get some
very strange looks from fellow passengers wondering why I don't take my gaberdine
off! Well I can't - it's impossible!
When going on a trip to London I usually leave Stowmarket station at 8.30am
and get back 12 hours later. All day I will have been in an excited state revelling
in the wonderful smell of my rubber lined waterproof anorak under my rustly
gaberdine, breathing in the rubbery gaberdine smell all the time. I'm very
sad to have to take them off at the end of the day, and I find that my jumper
and shirt underneath will be wet through and steaming hot! I have not yet been
bold enough to devise a locking system for my large gaberdine hood, but I do
wear it up over my head as much as possible during the day, especially when
standing on platforms waiting for trains, or trainspotting which I love.
Lorraine has told me that she is now using a heavier wool gaberdine for any
new gaberdines made by Lakeland Elements, and I will shortly be ordering a
new punishment gaberdine to the same specification, but I hope that the new
one will be even thicker, heavier, and more of a discipline to wear. It will
of course have a full interlining of rubber!
I am sure that some people, including Lorraine, will question why I love to
impose these disciplines on myself. I am sure it all goes back to my time at
a very strict boarding school. During my whole 8 1/2 years away at school I
had no other sort of coat to wear either in school or during the holidays.
Wearing a gaberdine in the junior school was not an option - it was compulsory!
Punishment would follow if any child did not wear their gaberdine when needed,
or ordered. A favourite punishment, which did fit the 'crime' very well, would
be to be made to wear our gaberdines for a day inside as well as outside. This
caused considerable embarassment for the wearer as I am sure you can imagine.
Thank you Lorraine for the wonderful section that you have regarding our love
of the traditional school regulation gaberdine mackintosh. This must be the
most comprehensive gaberdine section on the web. I just find it a great shame
that you do not include more photos of gaberdines. I have lots you could use
and I would just love to see Pauline in one of her punishment gaberdines with
her hood up and face flap on.
Robin
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