My grandmother has recently been at my new house and noticed my riding mac in the hall.
I got her talking about her younger days.
She was a teenage in the late 40's and in her twenties in the 50's. We all know that rubber riding macs were all the rage then so details and stories are no real fun - BUT she remembered a lot about the suppliers of them and also about some interesting specifiction details.
You could buy a ridng mac in any saddler's shop but the main makers were:-
She said that some of these manufacturers made several qualities and prices. If you went into a shop called Allweather in Knightsbridge you could choose from about eight riding mackintoshes in every size, price, spec., shade etc. and in Harrods school dept. there were rows of riding macs which were essential items for many girls and some boys schools.
Apparently the skirts were much wider in those days and covered not only the riders' bums but most of the horses' quarters as well and were thus much looser over the knee giving better protection. £3 would buy a cheap mac, £12 a top-of-the-range one. Two extras she liked were a strap-fastening on the throat/storm tab which allowed you to to tighten the collar and prevent rain going down your neck and a pommel strap which was just below the third button down and just above the pommel of the saddle when you were astride. By pulling it tight you not only closed that irritating gap round your crutch that always gets wet but also took all the strain off the button above which all of us who wear a proper riding mackintosh today know is always coming off.
Hope this will amuse some of your readers. But we do so need new riding mac photos for your site.
All the best
Imogen
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