I went to a big funeral in London on Thursday. The departed was a friend, a real one, of more than half a century's standing, a Trinidadian seven or eight years older than me, who in recent years used to review his troops - one of the big carnival costume bands still run from North Kensington - from the balcony of our old gaff in the Grove.
I could do a whole obituary, but this is about funeral dress. The departed was a man of great elegance and presence who always wore white shoes and never wore a collar and tie. So with the 18 quid apparently brand new black British-labelled half-wool East European gangster pinstripe double-breasted whistle from the Oxfam shop in the nearest town here (would have cost 100 in London) I wore a black tee shirt with a blue stone Shi'ite rosary round my neck and a big abalone-shell wooden bangle on my left wrist. And the white nipple-soled driving shoes, wiped down with washing-up liquid to make them clean but run-in looking.
No one complained so I must have got away with it. An in-law has just died too, a delightful man of exemplary character. That would require collar-and-tie and black shoes, but actually I don't have to go. If I were in London for the funeral I would because I liked the guy a lot. But I won't be so I don't have to.
The orange watch arrived and I wore it for two days immersing it in water a couple of times. But one of my granddaughters was 16 yesterday and I hadn't got her a present. So I took it off and gave it to her. I am thinking of ordering a purple one to replace it.
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With apologies to AC for a slight drift
I went to my mate's dad's funeral...and the family asked me to be a sort of usher on the door.
I stayed at my then girlfriend's house (now wife) as it was only 15 mins away from her (250 miles away from where I lived and worked). Just before I left to go...in my weddings and funeral suit....my plastic based safety police tie exploded on me, rendering it totally useless, as the cloth was far, far too short to actually tie in a proper knot.
So what to do.......
....nip down the local cop shop and borrow one. They were most helpful.
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>No one complained so I must have got away with it.
Dressed for the occasion AC. Your friend would have appreciated the effort, probably grinning from ear-to-ear :-)
>But one of my granddaughters was 16 yesterday and I hadn't got her a present.
>So I took it off and gave it to her.
It was Mrs K's birthday yesterday and I hadn't got her a present.
Conversation is still a series of grunts and dirty looks.
Gemini's hold a grudge she tells me.
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She doesn't know yet then that her pressie is the surprise weekend away next weekend?
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>She doesn't know yet then that her pressie is the surprise weekend away next weekend?
Brilliant idea Zeddo!
Just googled and managed to get a good deal on a romantic weekend break in Slough.
She'll be gob-smacked when I tell her!
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>> a good deal on a romantic weekend break in Slough.
Very funny ;-)
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I recommend the Slough trading estate as a venue - you will love the smell of Mars Bars being made.
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>> >She doesn't know yet then that her pressie is the surprise weekend away next weekend?
>>
>> Brilliant idea Zeddo!
>>
>> Just googled and managed to get a good deal on a romantic weekend break in
>> Slough.
>>
>> She'll be gob-smacked when I tell her!
>
Hey, she'll be pleased - Its not Basingstoke.
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She's having you on Kevin, Gemini's are far too busy to hold a grudge ...... but still follow Z's plan if I were you ...
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>She's having you on Kevin, Gemini's are far too busy to hold a grudge ......
You're right Dee, but they have long memories and this slight indiscretion on my part will be dragged up years from now as if it was yesterday :-(
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>>but they have long memories and this slight indiscretion on my part will be dragged up years from now as if it was yesterday :-(<<
That's Women in general Kev - they are like Elephants (well, you know what I mean)
:-D
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I know what you mean......we can wait and wait;)
Pat
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>> I am thinking of ordering a purple one ....
I'm thinking of ordering a suit with a velvet collar.
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>> thinking of ordering a suit with a velvet collar.
I wouldn't if I were you. Make you look like a 1911 rent boy and goes mangy and ratty.
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edition.cnn.com/2012/02/13/world/africa/congo-dandy-sapeur/index.html
There's a few shops near my office which sell this stuff.
Send me your sizes and I'll see what i can do.
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Are they acceptable?
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2012/may/30/acceptable-wear-shorts-office
I'd say not but albeit rarely I'm called to meet the public without appointment. Light slacks with collar, tie on or to hand if needed.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 30 May 12 at 12:54
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>> Are they acceptable?
Quite a few of us wear 'long shorts' in our office when it's warm; I don't recall anyone wearing above-the-knee ones like those in the Guardian pic. It's quite an informal environment when it comes to dress - some wear 'smart' clothes but not many. Definitely a plus.
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Yes they are. But like navy tropical gear they need be white, pressed with creases, knee length, long socks, worn with a pressed open neck short sleeve shirt.
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Well mine have got creases...
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I wear my "home" clothes for work - whatever I happen to put on to walk the dogs of a morning stay on for the rest of the wroking day. Never wear shorts as I have traditionally British "candle" legs - rarely exposed to daylight.
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>> I have traditionally British "candle" legs - rarely exposed to daylight<<
I bet they weren't always like that though, I used to take the Michael out of my brothers legs years ago (he's 15 years older than I) now my legs are almost the same!
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My long shorts just about hide the fact that I have very thin (runners) legs, with highly attractive varicose veins down the right one :)
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I'm not over-bothered about what other people wear and have always found office 'dress codes' pompous and intrusive. But I wouldn't wear shorts myself except on a beach, however hot it was. This is only partly because my legs are the wrong colour and I haven't really got the figure for it. It wouldn't take long for my legs to tan if I wanted them to.
Zero's idea that shorts should be long, well-pressed and colonial, with boy scout socks below them nearly up to the knee, is utterly appalling. Even at the age of eight I found the sight of my father and his colleagues dressed like that mildly embarrassing. Wear swimming trunks.
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My brother always had terrible varicose veins in his legs, in fact his legs were more blue than white!
He's 76 this year and can still walk for 2-3 hours (or more)
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I've had them for some time now - can't remember when they first appeared - but I'm only 47! As far as I'm concerned it's just a cosmetic thing - doesn't stop me wearing running shorts when I'm running, but not really what you want to see in the office.
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>>I've had them for some time now - can't remember when they first appeared - but I'm only 47!<<
I've just had a look at mine (like ya do) and they don't look too bad for 59, apart from being like WHITE!
Its probably a genetic/hereditary thing - hows your BP/Cholesterol/Homocysteine etc..
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You show me yours and I'll show you mine: www.flickr.com/photos/43576259@N04/7301937116/
Not too bad for an olden - I used to do a bit of running when I was younger though.
(mainly from the old bill)
My knees are a bit the worse for wear I see, but that comes from facing East 5 times a day.
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>> You show me yours
There's other forums you can go to for that sort of thing you know :)
>> My knees are a bit the worse for wear I see, but that comes from
>> facing East 5 times a day.
My ribs are currently a bit the worse for wear, from when I fell over on my run to the station nearly 3 weeks ago :o
Thinking about cutting down on the running, not that I'm doing that much, but I think my body's trying to tell me something. Too much like hard work these days.
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>>Thinking about cutting down on the running, not that I'm doing that much, but I think my body's trying to tell me something. Too much like hard work these days<<
Jogging is good - done properly, less impact on the ole joints!
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>> My knees are a bit the worse for wear I see, but that comes from
>> facing East 5 times a day.
>>
You pray to Moscow?
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>>You pray to Moscow?<<
Nah, Essex!
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>> Its probably a genetic/hereditary thing
Yeah, I think my mum has them, and she's always been active.
>> hows your BP/Cholesterol/Homocysteine etc..
No idea - never heard of the last one :)
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>> >> thinking of ordering a suit with a velvet collar.
>>
>> I wouldn't if I were you.
They look alright on Lee Mack.
>> Make you look like a 1911 rent boy ........
I'm not that old!
>> and goes mangy and ratty.
People have velvet jackets and they last OK.
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I used to wear shorts to work when the temperature was over 25C. It was more comfortable for the cycle ride.
The reason for the scarred knees with lumps missing had to be explained to newbies. I never did get out of the habit of cornering a m'bike 'knees out' and they were the first bit to hit the ground when it went wrong.
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I do not wear shorts to the office because my office in UK is air conditioned ... in fact I have just turned it off because I was getting cold...I very rarely wear a suit in the office over here -
Fashion note - today I am wearing a pair of Dockers chinos , blue deck shoes and casual shirt..
The problem comes when visiting customers in the Gulf when I have to wear a suit and it can get very hot just walking 20 yards from airconditioned car to airconditioned office.
It is worse however for my pilot colleagues in the Gulf who are often sat on the ground at the heliport in glass greenhouse like cockpits at temperatures of over 50 degrees....
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www.flickr.com/photos/67389469@N02/7302667476/in/photostream
Here are mine - mine are the less hairy ones. On a separate note the dog has been photographed so often that he now automatically poses when he sees the camera. Significantly Mrs RP didn't ask why I was doing this - I just mumbled something about car4play - if anyone asks I'll explain the injury.
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The dog shows significantly more sartorial elegance than you do.
By a large margin.
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The dog wins by a large margin!
Pat
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Haha! - yours look sturdier than mine Pugley, but also lacking in fur, I used to have hairy legs, 20 years ago!
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I think the very least that Pat and Zero do is show theirs now !
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Absolutely! - we could have a C4P knobbly knees competition, and iPodwoman could be the Judge :)
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My wife sort of suggested that - but there are jibbers !
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Well if the mods are doing it...
s969.photobucket.com/albums/ae173/focushj/?action=view¤t=SAM_0045.jpg
Scared the dog off unfortunately. BTW I do have my running shorts on :)
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>> Well if the mods are doing it...
>> s969.photobucket.com/albums/ae173/focushj/?action=view¤t=SAM_0045.jpg
>>
>> Scared the dog off unfortunately. BTW I do have my running shorts on :)
Wanders off dazed wondering where Mrs B left the mind bleach......
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Cor blimey guvnor, bit near the mark that piccie AND hairy legs, oh what it is to be young!
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>> Cor blimey guvnor, bit near the mark that piccie
You should have seen my old running shorts - now they *were* short!
And Bromps, cheeky so-and-so - I don't remember you posting a pic of your fine specimens... ?
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>> And Bromps, cheeky so-and-so - I don't remember you posting a pic of your fine
>> specimens... ?
>>
No danger. Mine make Rob's look meaty and tanned!!
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Really chaps, I mean to say, sort of thing, and so on... you post some fashion footnotes to go with Humph's recent thread about funeral, er, threads, turn your back for a moment and then find the most unlikely people exhibiting snatched photographs of parts of their bodies normally kept hidden, while hinting at depraved orgies of bestiality...
If this goes on the whole thread will degenerate into unalloyed filth. People will be talking about the mating habits of the anopheles mosquito unless someone calls a halt. Stop it now!
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>> Scared the dog off unfortunately. BTW I do have my running shorts on :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV2GZF8rKT4
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Ah the green eyed monster rears its ugly head. Tsk.
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Err no, not with you wearing those shoes.
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Shoes? Slippers - they go with the pipe.
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Fashion notes - Westpig
