Locked in

Dear Lorraine,

Wonderful to see the club still going strong. I'm so glad the weather is now wet and cold, as it means I have to wear my raincoats for protection as well as discipline.

My great friend Karen has had to move away, with her work, and so my visits with her now involve a weekend trip to London. I read the letter from Alice, who is locked into her raincoats, and I thought it might be good to try the same.

I went to London to see Karen in October, just before the clocks went back, which of course is the time when my winter uniform must be worn. I travelled on the Friday before, in my full winter outfit, with the top buttons and belts on my gaberdine and my waterproof overmac locked, and a pair of little padlocks fastened to small D-rings to keep my face panel in place. The locks are concealed by the panel, which is buttoned over them. I posted keys to Karen a few days before, and left mine at home, so I couldn't undo any of my layers for the entire train journey of over an hour, plus the local trips to and from the station. When we went out, I asked Karen to make sure I was fully wrapped up and locked in, which she did.

The experience was wonderful, and I couldn't help remembering how strictly I would discipline myself at school, especially when I had gone home with a poor report at the Easter holiday. I wore my oldest clothes and my old navy gaberdine raincoat, fully buttoned to the neck and belted, with the hood tied on tightly, every day for ten days. I also had a warm woolly scarf wrapped around my mouth and chin, with the ends tucked into the front of the raincoat, and Mummy made sure I stayed in it by sewing up my buttonholes and the hood tapes and belt each morning. Whenever I went out, even into the garden, I had to put on my green school gaberdine, also fully buttoned and belted with the hood on, together with my wellingtons, gloves, and my heavy scarf tied tightly round my face. At mealtimes, I was allowed to pull the woolly scarf down far enough to eat, but after the meal it had to be pulled up again, and fastened to the hood with safety pins to stop it slipping. I asked Mummy to make me wear it for ten days, which of course she did.

I didn't have to wear my outdoor clothes indoors this time with Karen, of course, but the discipline of having to dress up to go out to her local shops and other places, knowing that I could not remove anything, was magical. I was also delighted to see that Karen has now bought herself a trench coat, which she wears properly buttoned and belted, though to emphasise that she is in charge, she left the neck open when we went out. I spent some seven hours outside, locked in, in two separate trips, and also the two journeys. I am considering locking myself into my rainwear for shopping at home now, but I have not yet done so.

Someone also suggested recently that wearing a waterproof mac under my gaberdine would be a very severe discipline. It sounds very sweaty and uncomfortable, but has anyone tried it, do you think?

Lovely to see the site still flourishing,

All the best,

Pauline

 

Dear Pauline

So nice to hear from you! And glad you are managing to keep in touch with Karen in spite of the move. In some ways perhaps an occasional visit can create a peak of excitment that is more elusive with everyday contact - ?

I just love the idea of posting your keys ahead of you! That puts you for a few hours entirely in the hands of Richard Branson (if like me you had to use Virgin trains to get anywhere). Bliss!!

You ask if anybody wears a waterproof mac under their gaberdine. I'm not sure. I know of someone who has a gaberdine with a waterproof lining, which would have the same effect I assume. I think the experience must be a very strong one! I would ask you to try it and let us know - but if you get stuck in Nuneaton or somewhere you may just squish.

Best wishes

 

Lorraine