A very belated "Hello", a slightly belated "Merry Christmas" and a not-quite-belated Happy New Year

Well hello, hello! and once again a thousand apologies for letting this blog lie dormant for over 2 months.  I wouldn't blame you if you thought I'd dropped off the edge the Earth; the truth, however, is more boring than that - I simply haven't been able to find the time, nor for that matter anything much of a vintage bent to blog about (although you can still read my writings in In Retrospect magazine - subscribe today!).  I have to say it's been a very busy time for me work-wise (although as I've said before that's really no excuse) and the daily news since October seems to have been bereft of vintage interest.

However, now it's Christmastime (still, just!) and 2016 looms large!  I hope to do better than the measly thirteen posts I've managed this whole year just gone and although you're probably all fed up with me saying this, I promise Eclectic Ephemera will continue.  So, without further ado -

Christmas presents!

Christmas this year was again a quiet one, spent with the folks and sadly not featuring either of my sisters since one of them came down with a tummy bug on the day itself (although she's over it now, I'm told).  Better luck next year, eh?!

The folks' and my presents gathered around the, erm, coffee table. 
No traditional tree for them this year for reasons I won't bore you with.

As an aside I'm delighted to tell you that this post is the first to feature photographs taken on my new digital camera!!  Yes, after over 10 years of somehow managing on a 3 megapixel, 3x zoom Nikon Coolpix that has been outclassed by most mobiles since at least 2007 I finally got around to upgrading to something better (just as everyone else has made the switch to camera phones and Instagram) - a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90 for any of you camera buffs out there.  Still, I'm nothing if not old-fashioned and have been delighted with my choice; so from now on any photos on here that were taken by me will be in glorious high-definition whereby you will actually be able to see the subject matter without squinting.  As an example, here's a robin which with the old camera would have appeared as a small dot in the centre of the picture:

As you can probably tell, I'm still learning the intricacies of this new box-brownie!

As befits a small family Christmas the presents were high in quality rather than quantity.  As such I've augmented them in the following daguerreotypes with other things that were either treats to myself in the run up to the festivities or items purchased in the subsequent sales (hot off the shelves today, in fact!).

I am, and always have been, a terrible bibliophile.  I admit it, I love books.  This would be less of a problem if I had a place to store them all (something I hope to rectify in 2016) but it doesn't stop me from buying or requesting more!  This Christmas was no exception, with books including The Complete Saki (if you don't know of H.H. Munro, or Saki as his pen-name was, I advise you to search out his works for he wrote in much the same vein as Oscar Wilde and P.G. Wodehouse - and indeed bridged the gap between the two era-wise until his untimely death in the First World War), The Treasures of Noël Coward; also a delightful little book detailing the on-screen adventures of those two archetypal British chaps Charters and Caldicott and an hilarious spoof 19th century cricket compendium entitled W.G. Grace Ate My Pedalo.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny and can easily be enjoyed by even those with just a passing interest in the game; it's very much in the same vein as The Chap magazine and books.

Then of course there's the almost mandatory calendar - or in this case calendars.  Featuring steam trains, naturally!  One for home, the other for the office, and both come with matching diaries - now there's really no excuse for me to miss any appointments!

And finally, the box set of one of my favourite (and much-overlooked) period murder-mystery dramas - the early 2000s American series entitled A Nero Wolfe Mystery.  Starring Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin and the late Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe, this programme was - in my opinion - one of the best things to come out of American television since Frasier, but sadly it has been all but forgotten since, with only a few desultory repeats on B.B.C. Two in the late 2000s and a few episodes available on a Region 2 DVD Dutch release.  Fortunately I managed to track down this Region 0 Australian import featuring all the episodes.

I featured Timothy Hutton's portrayal of Archie Goodwin as one of my "Style Icons" back in 2012, and I may yet devote another post to this wonderful series in the future.

Oh, and some neckties.  Because a chap can never have enough ties, can he?(!)

Well, it only remains for me to wish you all a happy and health New Year!  I'll be celebrating quietly at home myself but I hope everyone has a fun time whatever they're up to.  Thanks again to all my readers, followers and visitors for sticking with me through a somewhat sparse 2015 (blogging-wise) and I hope to see you all, old and new, afresh in 2016.

Cheerio for now!

The Strange Case of the Strikingly Similar Silk Ties; plus a chance to be well-heeled

Well hello, everyone!  Sorry I've been a bit quiet this weekend; as I said I had a couple of posts lined up but I felt quite run down last week so I ended up spending the whole May Day weekend at my parents', recharging my batteries.  A very relaxing three days were spent lounging in the garden, doing the charity shops in Leigh and popping into the local bi-monthly vintage fair (not much resulting for me, sadly, although the latter had a couple of good stalls with some nice jackets and waistcoats at decent - for these days - prices so I've noted the seller's details with an eye to checking out her own shop in the future).

It was in The Children's Society shop that I found my only score of the weekend, a Marks & Spencer St Michael brand silk tie in what I felt was a pleasing '90s-does-'50s pattern.  It didn't ring any other bells so I paid the 99p and thought no more about it.  When I got back to the folks' place I put it next to the two or three ties I'd bought with me from home and it was only then that I noticed something remarkable about this new one compared to one of the others.  See if you can spot what it is... (cue eerie music)

New tie, right, versus old tie, left

I couldn't believe it - no wonder I liked it so much, I already had one very much like it!  But not exactly the same, you'll notice.  The first tie I'd bought from a charity shop at least ten, if not fifteen, years ago and was originally from well-known men's outfitters Burton.  Now to the best of my knowledge M&S has never owned Burton, although I'm sure they've had Burton concession shops within their larger stores - either way I can only assume that through a strange quirk of fate they've ended up using the same pattern.  Perhaps it was a popular design?  Strange for me to have come into possession of them both over the space of 10+ years, though!

Now, moving on to the second part of this post - "ooh, how is he going to be well-heeled?", I hear you wonder.  Well, this was not a chance for me to be well-heeled but it is a chance for you, ladies!

I'm not often given to advertising on this blog, especially vintage-style ladieswear because obviously I don't have such things.  But mother does!  Shoes, to be precise, in a spiffingly attractive brogue heel design.  Alas, despite being in her size (UK 5½, EU 39) they no longer fit her comfortably so she is reluctantly getting rid of them.  "Oh, the girls who read your blog would like these, will you mention them on there?", I was asked, and I was happy to oblige!  Egads, I'd have had 'em if I was a 5½ and looked good in heels! 

source

Mater's just put them on Ebay today, so they're fresh from the wardrobe.  The main details (on the listing but I'll repeat them here):  produced in Italy for Jones the Bootmaker, so really well-made (the soles still look to have a lot of life left in them, and the overall quality's top notch); 3-tone brogue design (two shades of tan/light brown - mum's put the dark colour as black, I wouldn't swear to it not being dark chocolate brown but it's hard to judge); 2½-inch heel.

Mother's described them as "vintage style" and we can both see them really suiting a 1930s, '40s or '50s bookish look - perhaps with a tweed suit/skirt, maybe?  So if you're a size 5½ why not high yourself over to the E of Bay for a look?  They deserve to go to a good home!

Right, enough hawking.  I hope to return ere long with stories featuring Spitfires, Mosquitoes and steam trains.  In the meantime I hope you all had a splendid May Day holiday and I look forward to catching up with all your posts!

The spirit of Christmas present(s)

Well, I don't know about you but Christmas 2014 went past in something of a blur for me, albeit a very enjoyable blur at that.  Now here we are already but three days away from 2015.  I blame the weekend, personally...  Actually I feel the real reason in my case was a combination of putting up the Christmas tree a week late on the 20th due to a head cold the previous weekend and working up until the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

Anyway I ended up having a lovely Christmas Day at my sister's (she does read this, so hello Sis! if you are - thanks again for the dinner and pressies!) where I was able to play Monopoly with people who actually wanted to for the first time in years (discovering my 19-year-old niece has usurped me as the family Monopoly Champion), enjoy a delicious roast beef dinner and listen to my brother-in-law's Hoagy Carmichael collection.  Bliss!



But of course, you'll want to see what presents I received!  Let's have a look, shall we?

My parents have been in Pittsburgh, PA visiting my aunt & uncle since the beginning of the month and aren't back until after the New Year, so as an early Christmas present mater bought me this spiffing wool jacket when we were browsing in the local TK Maxx (some impressive bargains to be had in that store if one's willing to sort through a lot of stuff) a few months ago.  It's been worn often in that time (including on Christmas Day itself) and is fast becoming a staple of m'wardrobe.

source

However one thing that has long been missing from the same is an overcoat of similar [earth] colours for days when I'm in a country mood and wearing greens and browns (currently I have a number of blue/black coats only - plus the heavyweight 1940s Kaufmann's full-length wool jobby from m'aunt, which is too good for day-to-day wear).  It looked like being a long and ultimately fruitless search for an inexpensive brown or green ¾- or full-length coat that wouldn't risk making one look like Arthur Daley/Inspector Clouseau/a flasher, until an old favourite online emporium - Samuel Windsor - came to the rescue with their Country Coats sale.  Now the splendid-looking Bedale Tweed coat is winging its way to me as I type.

Just prior to Christmas I'd also order some new woollen ties from the same source, with a view to further augmenting my autumn/winter wardrobe.  I already have a few secondhand [skinny] woollen ties, which have stood me in good stead over the years, but I fancied some more [wider] ones including one or two in blue - an underrepresented colour in my tie collection's palette.  SW were able to oblige with four in very pleasant colourways - including a Navy and, interestingly, "Air Force" blue.

The fourth tie - not pictured here because I'm currently wearing it - is called Corn, 
a nice green-gold that will go well with both greens and browns.

As I may have mentioned my new office has a very relaxed dress code; fortunately that includes a relaxed attitude to me flouting it (showing them the way, more like!).  I initially took the opportunity to break out my cravats but as winter began to bite I started missing my ties.  I've always felt that woollen and knitted ties are more informal, so now I'm glad to have a few more from which to choose during these colder months.

My first work Secret Santa was a jolly affair and proof that they've "got me pegged", as my manager put it, as I received this nice little lapel pin in the form of Morgan Motor Cars' crest.  Quite an early example, too, dating from the 1940s so I'm told (the "secret" part of Secret Santa falling by the wayside somewhat when we all had to guess "who got who" at the end of the proceedings!).

Finally, my sister came up trumps again with a copy of Cooking For Chaps, the new cookbook for chaps and "the man about town" by editor of The Chap magazine Gustav Temple and professional cook Clare Gabbett-Mulhallen, plus an apron and tea-towel set featuring a splendid quote from Roderick Field - "Tea is the finest solution to nearly every catastrophe and conundrum that the day may bring"!  Quite right too! 

That's it from me for now; I'm looking forward to seeing what other vintage bloggers were given by Father Christmas, and to the forthcoming new year.  Plus I hope to have a few more posts up before 2014 draws to a close, which - along with all those for 2015 - I can't wait to start writing.

Now at work, rest and play

Golly gosh, I'd forgotten just how time-consuming a full working week can be!  Still, here we are again, what?  The first week of a new job is under my belt and now I've got some time to sit down and write a few lines of this and that - all that has been leading up to this week just gone.

The week previous - that is, two weeks ago now - I spent some time nosing around my local branches of Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and BHS hoping to score some bargain items for m'wardrobe in the summer sales.  I was not disappointed, either, as Debenhams' sale was in full swing (they don't seem to call it the Blue Cross Sale any more, unless they're saving that for Christmas/January?) and I picked up two smashing pairs of cotton trousers that will go well with the majority of my jackets for a casual summer look.  Most importantly, Debenhams' men's trousers go up to a 34" inside leg - perfect for the long of limb such as myself!

Maine New England Navy twill chinos, £12 from £20 at Debenhams
(**sold out**)

The navy blue is a nice, muted colour - giving off an almost workmanlike vibe - but the terracotta twill is my absolute favourite, adding a welcome and different dash of colour to my outfits.

Maine New England Terracotta twill chinos, £10 from £20 at
Debenhams

Marks and BHS had less on offer (and M&S wonders why its year-on-year clothing sales keep taking a battering - definitely a "could do better" on the men's clothing selection, at least) but I was still able to score this beautiful "Autograph" knitted silk tie for a frankly unbelievable £4 (it was actually still marked up at £7.50 on the ticket - I do like pleasant surprises!).

It actually goes quite well with the terracotta trews, don't you think?  It's wonderful to the touch, of course, and knots well too - something that's not always a given with knitted ties, I've found.

Saturday last found me in Rayleigh for the town's first ever Antique & Vintage Street Market, run by the same people who put on the local Runnymede Vintage, Antique and Retro Fairs that I have been to many times in the past and enjoyed, as has been mentioned on this very blog.  Alas I can't see this street market becoming a regular one as it was really very poorly done with barely half a dozen stalls in the high street (which had not been closed as I was expecting), largely selling stuff that would have better been described as bric-a-brac.  There were supposedly more stalls around the corner outside the local auction house (Stacey's, occasional star of Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt) but we - mother, sister and I - we so disappointed we didn't bother with that but instead hit the charity shops.  There I was able to pick up a nice T.M. Lewin shirt for £3.50 and an interesting CD for £1.

Twenty-four songs from The Radio Rhythm Club, a name I'd never come across before but actually that of a B.B.C. programme broadcast during the Second World War.  The Radio Rhythm Sextet was led by a young Welsh clarinetist called Harry Parry(!) who greatly admired American bandleader Benny Goodman, to the point where he emulated him with his own group of top British instrumentalists of the time.  Sadly Harry Parry died in 1956 at the age of 44; The Radio Rhythm Club and Sextet seem to have been lost to the mists of time, since I can't seem to find out much about them.  The Benny Goodman influence is obvious (but just with a soupçon of British smoothness) and it maybe this overt similarity, plus changing musical tastes after the war, that ensured The Radio Rhythm's obscurity.

Still, after all that, I'm glad I bought the CD as it certainly does bubble along.  I do like the Benny Goodman sound anyway and was only recently thinking about finding some more 1940s music, so this ticks the boxes.  Have a Boogi to this:

What else has happened?  Oh yes, I marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War on the 4th August with a single candle and the "lights out" motif, as did most of the country I think.  The B.B.C.'s coverage was rather good, I thought - slightly reserved rather than overdone and all the better for it.

This was the same candle that I burned (we were all given one) at my granddad's
funeral back in 1997. 
I'd never lit it since but it somehow seemed right to use it on the anniversary of WW1

Well, that's all for now, I think.  There's going to be a bit of disorder around here for a little while longer as I continue to settle back into a 5-day working week and get comfortable in the new job but as long as I can post at least once every weekend I'll be happy - and hopefully you, my readers, will be too!  I've already got posts planned featuring the two surviving Lancaster bombers flying together for the first time in 50 years, plus a 61-year-old woman driving a 110-year-old car across Australia!  In the meantime I do still enjoy reading your blogs when I get the chance - usually now a special treat after work! - and I hope you'll continue to stick with mine during this transition.

A near-spectacular surprise

After two helpings of Captain Hastings (well, almost two) now it feels right to do an event post by way of a change.

Yesterday (Sunday) morning found me at the St. Luke's Hospice Vintage Spectacular in Basildon.  St. Luke's Hospice, I should explain, is a specialist palliative care charity serving the local area (and although there are several St Luke's Hospices dotted about the country, I don't believe they're linked other than by the services they offer).  They have two large charity shops in the towns nearest me, Basildon and Wickford, from where I have scored many a find over the years.  This was their very first foray into vintage fairs and while it would be something of a stretch to have called it "spectacular" it was well-organised, quite popular (I've never seen so many pin curls and vintage outfits in Basildon before!) and definitely has potential for becoming a regular event.

Some two-dozen stalls were spread throughout the sports hall of the local college, with a dancing area at one end on which the fine folks from A2 Jive (including a distant relative who I caught up with) doing their stuff.  There are some pictures on their own site here that give a good idea of the thing.  Going solely by the leaflet I picked up months ago I was not expecting such a wide range of different stalls and traders, but rather a selection of clothing and collectibles (by the way, did you know the difference between "collectable" and "collectible"?) that had been culled from the two charity shops in the preceding months.  Certainly the sparseness I've encountered on the rails and shelves of both branches recently had led to me to suspect that they were holding stuff back for this event but it turned out that only 3 of the stalls were the hospice's, selling the usual mixture of books, old (and "vintage") clothing and bric-a-brac.  Nothing like what I'd envisaged, though.  It was still a very enjoyable, typical vintage fair, however - similar to my other local one at Benfleet (indeed some of the stalls looked familiar!).  Many local stallholders had turned up, including Lawdy Momma from Battlesbridge - who also happens to feature on Ruby's latest blog.

I had the briefest of flashbacks to my hated school P.E. lessons upon entering the building as the interior layout was almost identical to my old school's sports hall - no doubt the [same] builders had followed a template!  It proved to be quite a boon, however, as it allowed the stallholders and dancers a bit of space.  The Vintage Tearoom were able to set up in a separate room, too, which also allowed them more space; they also had a delightful live singer, Miss Violet Rae, in one corner doing more than justice to 1940s and '50s standards.  Refreshments were more than reasonable too at 50p each for a cup of tea and a fairy cake.

I didn't leave empty-handed either.  As is usual with these events there was a mixture of "proper" vintage, repro and stuff labelled "vintage" that really wasn't (or at least shouldn't have been for another 10-20 years).  Prices were wide-ranging but I did manage to sniff out three bargains, two of which you can see above.  A classic brown leather suitcase that cost me all of a five pound note and a nice plain chocolate brown wool tie.  Neither are of any great age - probably not many years older than me! - but both have a timeless quality that will suit me well.  The suitcase is very similar to one I have that belonged to my father - in colour and size practically identical, so I like to think of them as a matching set now!  )Not that I go on many holidays these days...) The straps on this one are strangely counter-intuitive though - you have to push the metal clasps up and away from you to disengage the pin.  Takes a bit of getting used to!  For such a niggardly sum and in such good condition (only a couple of small dings and marks on the leather) I just couldn't pass it up.  If nothing else it will serve as storage for some items of clothing, away from the dreaded moths!

The tie, although labelled "vintage", was only £4 probably as a result of it sporting the St Michael's label (Marks & Spencer's luxury line) which only ended in 2000.  It was also immaculate, pure wool and an appealing colour, though, so home it came with me.

The third and final item is a really interesting score, from the St. Luke's Hospice stall itself.  The selection of books consisted almost entirely of cricketing tombs (you can see them in one of A2 Jive's photos, actually) - probably all from the library of a recently-deceased cricket fan.  Being something of a fan of the noble game myself, I cast my eye over them and one in particular leaped out at me.  Lo!:

The splendidly-named The Test Match Surprise is, in its own words, a "cricket novel", written by the English batsman Jack Hobbs (later Sir John Hobbs) and dating from 1926!  I haven't had the chance to look through it closely yet but it would appear to be the fictional tale of the trials and tribulations of a lowly cricketer.  It is wonderfully redolent of its period, when Hobbs was at the peak of his popularity following England's win at the 1926 Ashes.  The book itself has aged, of course - the cover is dulled, the pages brown and crisped.  More remarkably the spine is as tight as anything - I can barely open it more than an inch or two without fear of doing some damage.  It's slightly looser up until chapter eight, where there are crease marks from where the page has been folded, but after that...  You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it has never been read in its entirety since it was first bought.  And how much did this 87-year-old book set me back?  One whole English pound.

All-in-all, then, a very worthwhile and enjoyable day out with some lovely finds to show for it.  St. Luke's Hospice acquitted themselves admirably with their first vintage fair and I sincerely hope it will not be their last.  Judging by this one, I think that very unlikely.

Retired detective starts club for fans of the bow tie

Retired detective starts club for fans of the bow tie

I was in two minds about posting this story when I first read it on a local news site a few months ago, partly because like so much regional journalism it was rather badly written (so people didn't wear bow ties before the 1960s, then, for example?!) and partly because it propagates the age-old cliché of painting anything or anyone who chooses to deviate even slightly from "society's norms" as odd and "eccentric".

Source: blogging2fun5444.blogspot.com via Juliette on Pinterest

Dr Who's Matt Smith gets Bow Tie Society invitation

But then just today the B.B.C. covered the same story (hopefully they don't think it's an April Fools' joke!) tying it in (no pun intended!), of course, with the latest Doctor Who who has - very welcomely, I might add - been acting as something of a "poster boy" for the resurgence of the bow tie in the public's consciousness (beyond its continued prevalence at formal dinner engagements) since his first appearance in 2010.  Bow ties are indeed very cool!  (Although I must point out that while in early outings of the current Doctor it appeared that he was utilising a proper self-tie bow, in later episodes it seemed quite evident that pre-tied versions were being used (!) - and if I'm not much mistaken most recently... one of a clip-on variety!  Still at least he is popularising them in one form or another, as well as braces - although there again ideally they would also be button-on rather than clips - plus to a lesser extent the noble fez.  Let's not forget that he has done wonders for the Harris Tweed market too.)

Anything that helps the cause of the bow tie is aces in my book, however, and I'm delighted to see a local group springing up to celebrate this often-overlooked item of neckwear.  Maybe when my collection numbers more than one or two I may  just look in to joining myself!

By far and away one of the best sources on the interweb for quality (i.e. self-tied, sensibly patterned, silk/cotton) bow ties at reasonable prices, Tom Sawyer Waistcoats will be my first port of call for when I can start filling out my bow tie drawer.  Two examples that have caught my eye include:

Source: tomsawyerwaistcoats.co.uk via Bruce on Pinterest

Navy with multicoloured squares self-tie silk bow tie,

£14.99 [+£4.25 p&p] @ Tom Sawyer Waistcoats

Blue paisley self-tie cotton bow tie,
£19.99 [+£4.25 UK p&p] @ Tom Sawyer Waistcoats

Elsewhere Charles Tyrwhitt do a particularly jolly gingham number, proving that that pattern is not just for the ladies(!):

Royal and white cotton gingham check bow tie,
£24.95 (reduced from £50) [+ £4.95 UK p&p] @ Charles Tyrwhitt

The articles rightly mention other famous bow tie wearers past and present, the latter of whom it is hoped will grace this new club with their membership.  To finish off this post, here are some more famous people both real and fictional who have sported bow ties:

Source: a-harlots-progress.tumblr.com via BarbaraLowe on Pinterest

Probably the most famous [fictional] bow tie-wearing detective, Hercule Poirot needs no introduction here!

Source: agathachristie.com via Dover Public Library, NH on Pinterest

While one half of Agatha Christie's sleuthing duo Tommy & Tuppence, Tommy Beresford is often seen (in the 1980s ITV series, at any rate) sporting a bow tie.

Source: idlesuperstar.tumblr.com via Leaf on Pinterest

In that other master of mystery and suspense Alfred Hitchcock's seminal work The Lady Vanishes, male characters also wear that particular style of neckwear - often while fighting off evil foreign types.  Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) and Charters (Basil Radford) (the latter of whom, along with Caldicott - Naunton Wayne in the 1938 film - were criminally left out of the B.B.C.'s recent adaptation) in particular:

Source: timeout.com via Jacqueline on Pinterest

Noted British political broadcaster and commentator Robin Day was well known as much for his bow tie as for his strong interviewing style during the thirty-odd years that he was a television journalist from the 1950s to the 1980s:

Source: theredlist.fr via Livia on Pinterest

Finally, British racing driver Mike Hawthorn (below right) famously wore a bow tie even while racing in Grands Prix and at Le Mans in the 1950s earning him the nickname "Le Papillion" in the French press.  Flamboyant and fun-loving, he won the Formula One Championship in 1958 but was tragically killed less than a year later in a traffic accident.

Source: Uploaded by user via Enrico on Pinterest

These then are just some of the many champions of the bow tie who are known to me and I hope you've enjoyed reading a little about them.  Do you like to see a chap wearing this other type of necktie and who are your favourite bow tie wearers?

Ties to the past

Late last year I blogged about a little score at one of my local charity shops.  At the time I focussed on the books and their subject whilst saying of the ties that I would get to them later.  Well, having recently obtained two more items of neckwear I thought now would be the time to go through them all.
  
So, starting with the original pair from December I'll deal with the least "vintage-y" first - the right-hand one of the two, an old Next design made of lightweight silk.  Despite the high street name and the insubstantial nature of its fabric it does have some things going for it.  The thinner silk makes it pleasant to knot and its length is perfect (more on that later).  It also has a rather nifty trick up its sleeve (or rather its blade, perhaps!) - despite being thin silk the pattern is such that from even a short distance away it resembles a much more highly crafted necktie that could easily be mistaken for a woven silk or even a woollen one.  Blue, brown and gold colours means that it goes with several different outfits - this one's got a busy life in front of it.

The second of the two is a study in opposites.  A really thick woven silk, its quality is quite tangible even before you see the name - Wolsey.  Vintage inasmuch as Wolsey don't seem to make ties any more, it is otherwise a fairly pedestrian design but once again goes well with a range of dark colours.  The red flecks are also a welcome touch.  However so thick is this tie that it really needs to be worn with a cutaway collar, and only certain knots work well with it.

The two newest arrivals are both very similar to one another.  I came across them last Thursday in my local Barnados which is quite unusual in that very rarely do I unearth anything of interest there and - it has to be said - it does seem to be at the higher end when it comes to prices (although neither points have been my experience at other branches).  These two beauties however, hanging amongst an unremarkable number of polyester jobs, were a princely 99p each!

They are two of the loveliest traditional knitted ties - 100% wool with the narrower-style blade - both made by two now-defunct tie-makers. The first is a green-grey colour and made by Tern.  It has obviously been worn many times but once I get it cleaned up a bit I'm sure it will have many years of life left in it.  It knots nicely and has a good length to it. 

The second of the two is by far and away my favourite, though.  In a beautiful oatmeal brown, this fellow was made by the Afonwen Woollen Mill in North Wales.  Although I can find no information on it, it must have been a traditional wool mill - the quality is splendid, it is in jolly good condition and knots very well indeed.  If I have one tiny criticism it is that it's slightly on the long side.

Which brings me nicely on to that which I said I'd talk more about later - tie length.  I used to have a bit of problem with ties in this regard.  This stemmed from my being blessed/cursed with long legs (the hunt for trousers is still often a fruitless one - the general 33in inside leg limit of most shops barely suffices; 34in is better but harder to find, so alterations are usually the order of the day...) and a short body.  Never was a man more suited to the (now hard to find!) traditional high-waisted trouser!  The upshot of this is that ties knotted in the common four-in-hand style would finish embarrassingly far below my waistband.  I finally overcame this sartorial problem thanks in part to the wonderful book 85 Ways to Tie a Tie (the title is slightly misleading - there are really only 13 distinct knots with the remaining 72 being variations).  Three in particular produce æsthetically pleasing knots while at the same time using enough cloth to produce a good length.  They are the [brilliantly-named] Cavendish, the Victoria, and the Prince Albert.  Several others - for example the delightful-looking Plattsburgh/Dovorian - I am still endeavouring to master.

Although now out of print, 85 Ways to Tie a Tie should be readily available from most libraries.  Thanks to Lord Whimsy the thirteen main styles are available to download here, along with some equally splendid pocket square folds. In the meantime I continue to look out for more ties with which to practise, but these four are welcome additions for now.