Anyone remember Liberty bodices and combinations?!
I think the maternal Knotweed mentioned them once in passing. IIRC the context was with her mother (my Gran) having stopped wearing corsets/bodices after Gran's first round of open-heart surgery in the 1950s. As far as I know I've only seen them in history books and museums.
I have plenty of experience of wearing a reeded bodice (Tudor midwife), a hygienic soft corset with rubber buttons (WW1 nurse) and full corset, chemise, drawers and a steel hooped walking cage/crinoline (Victorian social reformer). All handmade by me, including the walking cage. My hygienic corset is very similar to a Liberty bodice and was based on a Jaegar wool corset in the V&A collection.
I agree with you about M&S’s lingerie department, NEQ. I spent around 45 minutes there on Monday morning failing to find suitable bras (was just looking for something fairly basic, no underwires and suitable for warmer weather). After three separate trips to the changing rooms I decided they had too wide a choice and no consistency on sizing.
After that I went into Next and found exactly what I wanted in five minutes. I’ll start there next time.
I remember someone at school who had a liberty bodice, that seemed very old-fashioned even in the 1950s. I think every child brought up at that time was warned about having clean underwear in case they had an accident. Not something I ever warned my son about.
Another lovely day here, though the wind was a bit chilly. I had a dentists appointment this morning that wasn't as bad as I feared it might be, and a council meeting this evening which was worse.
I do remember liberty bodices, presumably my own, but don't have any memory of actually wearing one.
I have very few memories from before I was five. Clothing only became memorable when my mother and my best friend's mother started making us new dresses for the Sunday School anniversary. I didn't wear a liberty bodice beneath them.
@Puzzler I remember Liberty bodices! When the children were doing history they were informed by a history teacher that they were a form of life jacket. 😱
I was able to inform her, via them, that name came from the original intention, which was to replace corsets so allowing children more freedom of movement. When asked to come up with a description the best I could do was to say they were like the modern flak jacket or stab vest but covered in brushed cotton.
I'm still recovering from the revelation upthread that M&S seem to have abandoned selling applecatchers. I thought that was the whole raison d'etre of M&S!
A dull and cold morning in Arkland the Grey has turned into a pleasant afternoon, with some Sun Shine. The horrible wind from Kadath In Ye Cold Waste has dropped, and we may get much higher temperatures tomorrow (possibly 20C! ).
Today's Task was an Expotition to Tess Coe (still bereft of Pilchards), and a visit to the Arkland Office to collect yet more parcels. One of them was an immense length of replacement hose for my big Wet-and-Dry Hoover - the original hose suffered a split, just as I was hoovering up Soot from the recent chimney-sweeping job.
grimace:
I've learned from experience, though, and the hoses (both the original and the replacement) are long enough to reach down into the galley of the Ark, whilst the Hoover itself remains outside on deck.
Tomorrow's first Task, if the weather is as clement as They predict, is to extend the Dragon's chimney by adding a new section of flue, and a new rain-cap. If all goes well, I may attempt the fitting of the new grate, which is something of a Chinese puzzle - you know, the sort of problem where you have two pieces of Daemon-possessed metal which will only fit together in one particular way, and need a great deal of Wangling (and Norty Wurds) to achieve the solution...
Now M&S seem full of the sort of sets better described as "lingerie"; the sort of thing that would make the NE Man nervous if I bought any.
It would make Mr Nen think all his birthdays and Christmases had arrived at once.
In other news I had a Very Frustrating Morning, a combination of not being able to get some one-to-one time with a friend I was looking forward to seeing, the time being taken over by A Third Person who wouldn't stop talking, and some non-communication from Nenlet1 which resulted in a necessary dash back up to the shops I'd just been to, for something for the GrandNenling. It was one of those occasions when I messaged Mr Nen on the way home with a "Just to warn you, I'm cross" heads-up.
We've been attending a Lent group at our place, the last session is this evening. Salmon and roast vegetables in parsley sauce for tea.
A very nice day again if a little chilly first thing. I went to my Lip Reading class, which this week was about other quirky sports, having done toe wrestling last week. I then had lunch in a nearby park before heading to my bookshop shift.
This evening I have a council meeting which should be less fraught than yesterdays and hopefully won't go on too long.
A
Today's Task was an Expotition to Tess Coe (still bereft of Pilchards)
No apparent shortage of pilchards here in the West of England. Local smallish Sainsbury's and Little Waitrose both have small tins in stock. A week or so back I went to a larger Sainsbury's about a mile away and they had small and large tins on the shelf and a gap between them where, according to the ticket on the front, there had been medium sized tins.
When I was recovering from a frozen shoulder, I couldn’t do a bra up. I discovered that the world doesn’t end if you don’t wear a bra. I have not gone back to wearing a bra (honourable exceptions for some sporting endeavours).
I have been searching YouTube to no avail for the Tony Hancock You Are Never Alone With A Pilchard sketch.
We are finally making progress with the chaos. Today I cleared everything off the dining room table; the first time I have been able to see it in 12 weeks. I look forward to finally being able to do my Christmas jigsaw.
Re: female support garments - I have abandoned Marks & Sparks* for an online (I think Australian?) company called Boody who make the most comfortable bras I've ever encountered out of some sort of bamboo fibre (no, I don't understand that either). They have no hooks and go on over your head like a tank-top, and are consequently wonderful.
* I know, I know - I'm beginning to wonder if I'm still actually British ...
It's been another glorious day in West Lothian: 19° and sunny, so socks have once again been discarded (even though Accu Weather was saying it was only about 3° when I left for work - I think it was a little warmer than that).
I had mentioned in the office my woes regarding non-functioning lightbulbs in the kitchen Which I Can Not Reach, and my somewhat taller, very kind and totally heroic colleague A offered to come and replace them, which she did after work.
Not that the kitchen needs artificial light at the moment - it faces roughly west and gets the full force of the setting sun at this time of day in the spring and summer.
In honour of the splendid weather, I bought some cold meat, quiche and assorted tubs of salady things which will form supper for the next wee while (except tomorrow obviously, because Friday and F&C).
Having done that, we'll probably get a foot of snow at the weekend ...
Re: female support garments - I have abandoned Marks & Sparks* for an online (I think Australian?) company called Boody who make the most comfortable bras I've ever encountered out of some sort of bamboo fibre (no, I don't understand that either). They have no hooks and go on over your head like a tank-top, and are consequently wonderful.
Having for the majority of my life worn bras with hooks at the back and underwiring, I wear bras like that (though not of bamboo fibre; maybe I should try that) all the time now as well. Blissfully comfortable.
Definitely not sockless here. My feet still haven’t thawed out from choir practice in church, from which I returned nearly two hours ago.
I haven’t achieved a huge amount today, but have ticked some long overdue things off my list, not least getting my signature witnessed on an important document, and clearing out the bathroom cabinet. Such is life.
Having worn bras of various designs from many companies over the last 65 years and never found one that didn't have some uncomfortable feature, I took a risk on this company https://tinyurl.com/3ybjznky just before Christmas.
At last I have found a bra that I can wear all day without any of the usual problems, and am not desperate to remove it and have a good scratch in the evening!
Didn't get the job. TBH I'd pretty much worked that out, and the feedback was fairly positive, and in line with what I thought when I saw the role advertised in the first place, but this sentence got my goat "We encourage you to continue building your experience in research and workflow development"- HTF do I do that when I'm unemployed?
Plod on, I guess - but there's nothing else out there have any hope of an interview for, there's so little at my level it's not true. One more platitude and there may be murder done - someone told me the other day that getting an automated acknowledgement from HR was a positive sign! Good job they were on the other end of a LinkedIn message...
That is a pain @Sandemaniac and you are right to be pissed off. No platitudes, but I am thinking of you. @Roseofsharon , those bras look interesting. I might buy one and see what I think.
Out early today to my Pilates class. I bravely wore cropped leggings and my heavy duty walking sandals with no socks. A bit chilly on the way there, but fine on the way home. I came back via the market where I brought bird seed and bananas. I would have brought some plants from the amazing Friday plant stall but it wasn't there this week. The other really nice flower stall had some lovely things but not what I was after. After that I noticed a pair of butterscotch yellow trousers in a shop, popped in and brought them.
This afternoon will probably be devoted to leafleting for the county council elections if my husband has enough energy after doing a shift in our Town Hall museum.
Seconded (or thirded). Words do not suffice.
ION, a fine, warm, day (after a very cold night) in Arkland the Dry, with some nice Sun Shine, just as They promised.
The Dragon's new Grate has been installed, without much Wangling, and the rain-cap has been temporarily placed on the Chimney, in case the weather changes over the weekend and into Easter...
Some work is needed to extend the Chimney, as the new sections appear to be just a little too tight - although the dimensions are apparently correct, there are some slight discrepancies, albeit only a few millimetres.
When looking down into the Chimney (as one does), I was struck by how well Neighbour S had swept it. Another sweep will be carried out before the end of Summer, but the result of his work is most gratifying.
Lunch is GAMMON STEAK n'FRIES, because use-by date.
Didn't get the job. TBH I'd pretty much worked that out, and the feedback was fairly positive, and in line with what I thought when I saw the role advertised in the first place, but this sentence got my goat "We encourage you to continue building your experience in research and workflow development"- HTF do I do that when I'm unemployed?
Plod on, I guess - but there's nothing else out there have any hope of an interview for, there's so little at my level it's not true. One more platitude and there may be murder done - someone told me the other day that getting an automated acknowledgement from HR was a positive sign! Good job they were on the other end of a LinkedIn message...
Is your experience in a field where you could be a self-employed contractor?
Didn't get the job. TBH I'd pretty much worked that out, and the feedback was fairly positive, and in line with what I thought when I saw the role advertised in the first place, but this sentence got my goat "We encourage you to continue building your experience in research and workflow development"- HTF do I do that when I'm unemployed?
Plod on, I guess - but there's nothing else out there have any hope of an interview for, there's so little at my level it's not true. One more platitude and there may be murder done - someone told me the other day that getting an automated acknowledgement from HR was a positive sign! Good job they were on the other end of a LinkedIn message...
Is your experience in a field where you could be a self-employed contractor?
Prayers continuing to ascend.
The glorious West Lothian spring continues (for the moment); I carried my coat home in a carrier bag this evening, and it was positively balmy (18°) when I went over to the chippy to get my supper.
I think I might take a wee stroll beside the loch now before the sun sets - even for a lazy sod like me, it's just too nice not to.
Update: I may have only ambled for 20 minutes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The sun had sunk just low enough that it was screened by the trees on the other side of the loch, and it's just so pretty round there! 🙂
It was hot this afternoon. Husband and I spent two hours leafleting a very long road. I wish I realised how hot and sunny it would be as I would have slapped on the suntan cream and worn a hat. Its a road I don't go down often and I've never realised how nice some of the houses are. I rather fell in love with a late Edwardian cottage, not that I'm thinking of moving.
Tea tonight was a couscous salad accompanied by a rather nice bottle of Gruner Vertliner. We ate in the garden for the first time this year.
The fatigue from yesterday's heavy weeding/planting efforts have caught up with me. I shall be glad when God can take on the watering (Monday ff).
Disappointing outing to mobility centre in hopes of finding something that would enable Mr F to walk more than a few hundred yards without collapsing. However the problem seems to lie in duration of movement rather than nature.
You and Mr F are up against it in a fair old way at present @Firenze .
It's been sunny all day and warm in the sun but still pretty chilly otherwise. I've been out most of the day and have been glad of the three layers I was wearing; some people were wandering about in shorts and flip-flops .
I was awake early and have been cooking for most of the evening in readiness for visiting Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling tomorrow so am about to crawl into bed. There's a beautiful full moon this evening.
Yesterday was a shocker. I sat down for some early evening viewing when the picture turned to shreds and what looked like an old brown coat fell from the guttering. It turned out to be a concussed and very angry buzzard that had just totalled my aerial. He went grudgingly eventually. In search of some much needed peace I went to early Adoration, meditation and confession followed by a Spoons breakfast. I think I am ready to face Easter with no telly now.
That was a bit of unforeseen drama @Bob Two Owls. I hope you can get your aerial sorted soon. We once spent a week without the internet or TV after a digger snapped a Virgin media cable. We managed, though I missed the internet more than the TV.
Another sunny day here. I've watered the garden and hung out the washing. I'm now off to spend a few hours on a stall for my political party trying to encourage people to vote in the upcoming local elections.
It's yet another lovely day here (although I understand it's heading towards less-than-lovely in the next few days), so I took advantage of it and went for an amble after choir practice (which was somewhat less dire than it's been of late).
Then home for brunch of smoked salmon, poached eggs and TOAST, which will now be followed by a cup of tea and a couple of miniature HCBs.
Arkland the Golden basks yet again in rather hazy, but warm, Sun Shine.
WSPFILYMMW, but it looks as though Our Place will have a fine day for the outdoor Palm Procession tomorrow. It's about 100 yards from the Hall door, round the corner of the street, and into the Church porch...
Mind you, we once had the Procession wholly within the Church, on a particular Palm Sunday when snow was falling outside.
A brief Expotition to the Co-Op (no Pilchards) means that I now have enough BEER to last for mumble mumble days.
We went to the Wai Yee Hong Chinese supermarket in Bristol yesterday, then lunch in their upstairs restaurant. A good sign was that it was busy and everyone there was Chinese, except us.
I had chilli beef and cashew with my favourite rice - jasmin.
There was too much so I brought half home and had with stir fry today - deelishus!
Comments
I think the maternal Knotweed mentioned them once in passing. IIRC the context was with her mother (my Gran) having stopped wearing corsets/bodices after Gran's first round of open-heart surgery in the 1950s. As far as I know I've only seen them in history books and museums.
After that I went into Next and found exactly what I wanted in five minutes. I’ll start there next time.
Another lovely day here, though the wind was a bit chilly. I had a dentists appointment this morning that wasn't as bad as I feared it might be, and a council meeting this evening which was worse.
I have very few memories from before I was five. Clothing only became memorable when my mother and my best friend's mother started making us new dresses for the Sunday School anniversary. I didn't wear a liberty bodice beneath them.
Another childhood memory I had no wish to recover...
I was able to inform her, via them, that name came from the original intention, which was to replace corsets so allowing children more freedom of movement. When asked to come up with a description the best I could do was to say they were like the modern flak jacket or stab vest but covered in brushed cotton.
Knickers big enough to catch apples in.
Since being in hospital, I have been wearing bralets
Today's Task was an Expotition to Tess Coe (still bereft of Pilchards), and a visit to the Arkland Office to collect yet more parcels. One of them was an immense length of replacement hose for my big Wet-and-Dry Hoover - the original hose suffered a split, just as I was hoovering up Soot from the recent chimney-sweeping job.
grimace:
I've learned from experience, though, and the hoses (both the original and the replacement) are long enough to reach down into the galley of the Ark, whilst the Hoover itself remains outside on deck.
Tomorrow's first Task, if the weather is as clement as They predict, is to extend the Dragon's chimney by adding a new section of flue, and a new rain-cap. If all goes well, I may attempt the fitting of the new grate, which is something of a Chinese puzzle - you know, the sort of problem where you have two pieces of Daemon-possessed metal which will only fit together in one particular way, and need a great deal of Wangling (and Norty Wurds) to achieve the solution...
In other news I had a Very Frustrating Morning, a combination of not being able to get some one-to-one time with a friend I was looking forward to seeing, the time being taken over by A Third Person who wouldn't stop talking, and some non-communication from Nenlet1 which resulted in a necessary dash back up to the shops I'd just been to, for something for the GrandNenling. It was one of those occasions when I messaged Mr Nen on the way home with a "Just to warn you, I'm cross" heads-up.
We've been attending a Lent group at our place, the last session is this evening. Salmon and roast vegetables in parsley sauce for tea.
Such larks we shall 'ave...
This evening I have a council meeting which should be less fraught than yesterdays and hopefully won't go on too long.
No apparent shortage of pilchards here in the West of England. Local smallish Sainsbury's and Little Waitrose both have small tins in stock. A week or so back I went to a larger Sainsbury's about a mile away and they had small and large tins on the shelf and a gap between them where, according to the ticket on the front, there had been medium sized tins.
We are finally making progress with the chaos. Today I cleared everything off the dining room table; the first time I have been able to see it in 12 weeks. I look forward to finally being able to do my Christmas jigsaw.
* I know, I know - I'm beginning to wonder if I'm still actually British ...
It's been another glorious day in West Lothian: 19° and sunny, so socks have once again been discarded (even though Accu Weather was saying it was only about 3° when I left for work - I think it was a little warmer than that).
I had mentioned in the office my woes regarding non-functioning lightbulbs in the kitchen Which I Can Not Reach, and my somewhat taller, very kind and totally heroic colleague A offered to come and replace them, which she did after work.
Not that the kitchen needs artificial light at the moment - it faces roughly west and gets the full force of the setting sun at this time of day in the spring and summer.
In honour of the splendid weather, I bought some cold meat, quiche and assorted tubs of salady things which will form supper for the next wee while (except tomorrow obviously, because Friday and F&C).
Having done that, we'll probably get a foot of snow at the weekend ...
Having for the majority of my life worn bras with hooks at the back and underwiring, I wear bras like that (though not of bamboo fibre; maybe I should try that) all the time now as well. Blissfully comfortable.
I haven’t achieved a huge amount today, but have ticked some long overdue things off my list, not least getting my signature witnessed on an important document, and clearing out the bathroom cabinet. Such is life.
At last I have found a bra that I can wear all day without any of the usual problems, and am not desperate to remove it and have a good scratch in the evening!
Plod on, I guess - but there's nothing else out there have any hope of an interview for, there's so little at my level it's not true. One more platitude and there may be murder done - someone told me the other day that getting an automated acknowledgement from HR was a positive sign! Good job they were on the other end of a LinkedIn message...
@Roseofsharon , those bras look interesting. I might buy one and see what I think.
Out early today to my Pilates class. I bravely wore cropped leggings and my heavy duty walking sandals with no socks. A bit chilly on the way there, but fine on the way home. I came back via the market where I brought bird seed and bananas. I would have brought some plants from the amazing Friday plant stall but it wasn't there this week. The other really nice flower stall had some lovely things but not what I was after. After that I noticed a pair of butterscotch yellow trousers in a shop, popped in and brought them.
This afternoon will probably be devoted to leafleting for the county council elections if my husband has enough energy after doing a shift in our Town Hall museum.
Seconded (or thirded). Words do not suffice.
ION, a fine, warm, day (after a very cold night) in Arkland the Dry, with some nice Sun Shine, just as They promised.
The Dragon's new Grate has been installed, without much Wangling, and the rain-cap has been temporarily placed on the Chimney, in case the weather changes over the weekend and into Easter...
Some work is needed to extend the Chimney, as the new sections appear to be just a little too tight - although the dimensions are apparently correct, there are some slight discrepancies, albeit only a few millimetres.
When looking down into the Chimney (as one does), I was struck by how well Neighbour S had swept it. Another sweep will be carried out before the end of Summer, but the result of his work is most gratifying.
Lunch is GAMMON STEAK n'FRIES, because use-by date.
Is your experience in a field where you could be a self-employed contractor?
If only!
A long day, I finished my marking at 6pm (this will be the theme for the next month…).
I have just ordered a Chinese takeaway.
Prayers continuing to ascend.
The glorious West Lothian spring continues (for the moment); I carried my coat home in a carrier bag this evening, and it was positively balmy (18°) when I went over to the chippy to get my supper.
I think I might take a wee stroll beside the loch now before the sun sets - even for a lazy sod like me, it's just too nice not to.
I shall have to make a habit of it.
Tea tonight was a couscous salad accompanied by a rather nice bottle of Gruner Vertliner. We ate in the garden for the first time this year.
Disappointing outing to mobility centre in hopes of finding something that would enable Mr F to walk more than a few hundred yards without collapsing. However the problem seems to lie in duration of movement rather than nature.
@Sandemaniac needs a new job. A good one that he enjoys, working with colleagues who are nice people.
Amen.
You and Mr F are up against it in a fair old way at present @Firenze .
It's been sunny all day and warm in the sun but still pretty chilly otherwise. I've been out most of the day and have been glad of the three layers I was wearing; some people were wandering about in shorts and flip-flops
I was awake early and have been cooking for most of the evening in readiness for visiting Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling tomorrow
Amen!
Another sunny day here. I've watered the garden and hung out the washing. I'm now off to spend a few hours on a stall for my political party trying to encourage people to vote in the upcoming local elections.
Then home for brunch of smoked salmon, poached eggs and TOAST, which will now be followed by a cup of tea and a couple of miniature HCBs.
WSPFILYMMW, but it looks as though Our Place will have a fine day for the outdoor Palm Procession tomorrow. It's about 100 yards from the Hall door, round the corner of the street, and into the Church porch...
Mind you, we once had the Procession wholly within the Church, on a particular Palm Sunday when snow was falling outside.
A brief Expotition to the Co-Op (no Pilchards) means that I now have enough BEER to last for mumble mumble days.
SALMON FILLETS for lunch.
I had chilli beef and cashew with my favourite rice - jasmin.
There was too much so I brought half home and had with stir fry today - deelishus!
Hic!
Well, I have to have something to console me for the lack of Pilchards.
(Our two larger local-ish Co-Ops are devoid of Pilchards, too).