Get rid of this glass?

[yamin]

feltwell, i applaud your stamina in being able to put fingers to keyboard at all at the moment, let alone make a reasoned response to Joce's message - are you not at the moment only able to manage those stage whispers of 'oh i don't know whats wrong with him, you have a go' that go on in the early days of new babyhood with your spouse/ - or was that just me and husband with few day old twins - congratulations, by the way!

 

[JoceAndChris]

This is hard, but I'll try. I am currently wearing a pair of New & Lingwood black leather Oxfords with composition soles. A bit naff that they aren't 100% leather I know, but when it's wet in London as it is today they reduce the risk of me slipping on the pavement. How about you?

I'm sure they're very nice, Nigel. I'm still in my pyjamas. I may get dressed at some point, then again, I might not bother. I have the guinea fowl and blood oranges ready for supper, so no real need to go out. This is the luxury of living in a remote spot.

As with everything, I get hopelessly attached to shoes. My favouritest pair, cream Chloe calf leather patents with little bows from Koh Samui in Covent Garden, got ripped on brambles last summer. I've patched them with a floral fabric from Cath Kidston; it lends them a certain rustic charm I feel.

Feelings - erm, I feel knackered today, does that count? I feel like a beer? Is that what you mean?

I suppose in the light of the circumstances you may be forgiven that brief resume of such an important topic.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Shoes would be quite a short conversation for a lot of us men. I wear boots, all the time. When they wear out (and I mean REALLY wear out) I am forced, grudgingly, to buy another pair. So the choice in the morning doesn't take long. I do have a smart pair of shoes, they're in the bottom of the wardrobe somewhere.

Not that short. I subscribe to the theory that shoes should be allowed to rest between wearings in order to prolong their useable life in terms of number of days worn. They should also be stored with shoe trees in.

I'm afraid I still cling to the old-fashioned prejudices that you can tell a man from his shoes, and that an Englishman who doesnt wear English-made shoes is not quite to be trusted.

I have five pairs of black shoes, one for each working day (2 prs Church's Oxfords, 1 pr N &L brogues, 1 pr Tricker's brogues, 1pr N&L Oxfords with composition soles) and three decent pairs of brown (2 Church's and I old N&L - probably made by Poulson Skone - at least 15 years old and my favorites). I also have a couple of old pairs for gardening & DIY and some (ahem, not English) sandels for holidays.

I have been buying Church's shoes for more than 25 years, and not all of them have been brilliant so I have recently been purchasing other brands in sales, but my current black Church's are my most comfortable shoes.

 

[Feltwell]

You're a lot more cultured than I am Nigel ! I did say "a lot of us men", not all. I promise I'm not being sarcastic - but I really had no idea you could still buy shoe trees - I haven't seen one in years!

You would be horrified by my footwear I suspect. I used to wear Doc Martens boots, which whilst not exactly traditional shoes are (or were - not sure now) made in England. Until they started to wear out very quickly, the soles split very easily. German Army surplus combat boots were always great for riding motorbikes, alas you can't get them any more. I own one pair of smart shoes, which I bought for my wedding - 10 years ago - still plenty of life in them, they come out for trips to see customers only!

I'm still in my pyjamas. I may get dressed at some point, then again, I might not bother.

Joce, I'm shocked. This wasn't you was it???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8484116.stm

Only teasing!! :wink:

feltwell, i applaud your stamina in being able to put fingers to keyboard at all at the moment, let alone make a reasoned response to Joce's message - are you not at the moment only able to manage those stage whispers of 'oh i don't know whats wrong with him, you have a go' that go on in the early days of new babyhood with your spouse/ - or was that just me and husband with few day old twins - congratulations, by the way!

Thank you! This little one being no.3 must help, I doubt we were so together with our first child - and twins must be very hard work. He's fine, it's pretty clear generally what he wants - nappy or food - and if not then a cuddle settles him down quite quickly, which is great as I find there is nothing more relaxing than sprawling on a sofa with a baby to cuddle. See, I am in touch with my feelings really!

Mrs F is more tired than I am simply because she's up usually twice in the night to feed him.

I'm posting more than usual because there are lots of little gaps in the day at the moment whilst he's asleep for a bit. Back to work next week though.....

 

[Nigel Watts]

I'm generally not much into pets, but this guy is pretty cute:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, he's lovely!

Do you know, for a moment there you boys were talking about shoes- how sweet.

Joce, I'm shocked. This wasn't you was it???

How could you confuse me with her? Do you not remember that in my 20s I had no need of clothes, not even pyjamas? In fact it was at that very age I walked from the Turf Tavern to Marlborough Road completely starkers, in the middle of the afternoon, as a drunken dare.

That news story did make me laugh though. It's the kind of thing you don't understand until moving to the country. I bet that poor girl's house is freezing and she can't face changing.

 

[Feltwell]

Do you know, for a moment there you boys were talking about shoes- how sweet.

See - you're bringing our feminine side out already.

How could you confuse me with her?

I wouldn't seriously compare you to her for a second! The scariest thing it that she clearly believes that there is nothing abnormal in that behaviour, which says a lot about the area she is living in. If you've ever driven around some the estates on the outskirts of Cardiff you'd believe it as well.

Did you listen to the radio interview? Quite hilarious, especially when the interviewer is trying to find out just how late in the day she will go out in her pyjamas "just for fags".

 

[Flyfisher]

I subscribe to the theory that shoes should be allowed to rest between wearings in order to prolong their useable life in terms of number of days worn.

Me too. However, I've always found that one day's rest was sufficient, meaning just two pairs were needed for daily use. I used to favour Grenson over Church as they seemed to be of a heavier build. But since giving up work they are somewhere in the bottom of the wardrobe in their shoe bags. Nowadays I tend to wear boots most of the time.

They should also be stored with shoe trees in.

Indeed. Preferably wooden.

 

[MdB]

shoe trees

Ahh, yes...

 

[TimM]

The Turf to Marlborough Road? That's quite a way, even after a few pints of best

 

[LadyArowana]

I have been buying Church's shoes for more than 25 years, and not all of them have been brilliant so I have recently been purchasing other brands in sales, but my current black Church's are my most comfortable shoes.

Wasn't that company gathered into Miuccia Pradas empire a while ago? I remember his Lordship being devastated. I teased him they would start making black nylon shoes with little triangles on. Don't think they have changed anything much, other than the adverts being a bit more contemporary.

 

[Nigel Watts]

I think you are right about some Italian company taking them over. The shoes are still pretty much the same, and if they went downhill a little a few years ago they have bounced back again it would seem and I still get my old pairs sent back to the factory in Northampton for resoleing.

Some odd things have crept in to the shops recently, like belts and luggage. Why anyone would go into in a shoeshop other than to buy shoes or get them mended is a complete mystery to me.

They are getting a bit pricey now though - all that expensive advertising no doubt. They should follow the example of shops like Tricker's and just place an ad in the Spectator once a year when they have a sale. After all, who else needs to know?

 

[LadyArowana]

............. some Italian company .....

If the female shoe faries hear you refering to Prada that way they will curse you will a plague of ingrown toenails and athletes foot.

 

[Flyfisher]

and I still get my old pairs sent back to the factory in Northampton for resoleing.

The first time I did the same I was astounded at the difference in the repair quality. The shoes came back looking brand new. The biggest issue I had with 'high street' repairers was that they would just run their machines along the sole and make completely new holes. After two or three new soles the edges of the uppers were effectively 'cut to ribbons' with all the extra holes. I don't know if the manufacturers hand-sew the (I doubt it somehow) or are just extremely careful to alingn their sewing machine with the existing holes in the uppers, but the result is perfect stiching through the existing holes. Consequently the shoes last much longer than they otherwise would (just as well considering the price).

Oh dear - seems that Joce's wish has come true. Who'd have thought it.

 

[LadyArowana]

Oh dear - seems that Joce's wish has come true. Who'd have thought it.

Now if we could just organise a group hug..............

 

[JoceAndChris]

xxx

Quite a lot on boys' shoes. Gosh. I think maybe you can be trained.

Here's a little story on shoes and period properties. This is Stage 2 of my fascination with period properties (Stage 1 was boarding from 11-17 in creaky old houses in Stamford).

In my cupboard right now are a pair of Size 4 Victorian elm shoe lasts of a beautiful rich smoothness and polish and patina. Being Size 4, they fit the aforementioned cream Chloes as Cinderella in her glass slipper. How I got them is rather romantic. I was 19, and living in the Renault Traffic. The hippy boyf (20 years my senior) was also a dutiful great-nephew and had a posh, rich-ish Great-Aunt Nell in Finchley. She was well into her 90s and had lived in the Finchley house since her birth in around 1900. She never married, and never threw anything away. Her father had been some kind of a shoe merchant and every drawer and cupboard was stuffed with Gladstone bags full of leather samples, laces and lasts. Well, she died, of course, and there was no-one to take care of her affairs or estate, and so the task fell on us. Not only had the house never been tidied, but also it had never been fully modernised. To have a bath you had to light a fire in the kitchen. After her death the electricity was disconnected, and I can't really describe the feeling of being in that house with just one candle, and her relics all around us. The furniture was of the heavy, Victorian, mahogany kind, crammed with papers, and each paper to be gone through. I could fill a book with the whole story, but suffice to say that we became intimate with her life, her one poignant love-affair, and all her belongings. No-one else in the family wanted this detritus and I'm ashamed to say we burnt a lot and carted a lot to the charity shop, but nevertheless I have a great clutter of 1930s medicine bottles, art deco compacts, laces, the shoe lasts - and all the furniture and many of the other effects have been carefully polished and hoarded by the great-nephew who has never married and never thrown anything away, and I have a strong feeling I have not seen the back of them.

 

[Flyfisher]

Gosh. I think maybe you can be trained.

But of course; isn't that what you girls do best? :wink:

(Lovely story by the way).

 

[worms]

If we are on shoes, can I mention that having bought a pair of decorators' safety trainers/boots I am a complete convert. The number of times I have stood on a nail and benefitted from the sole protection, or let something heavy down without getting my toes out of the way and been grateful for the steel toe-caps and all in something that acts as every-day wear or up-the-nearest-hill wear. And so far they've not been banned by Tesco!

Ok, not quite the romance of Joce's story...

 

[TimM]

Yeah I love my steel toe caps too