“Mum! Do I have to wear a flower?”
Posted by Big John on June 25, 2007
I’m sure that those of you who have read my posts about my childhood during the dark days of World War II and the years of rationing and deprivation, will have a mental picture of a scruffy little urchin from the grimy backstreets of South London.
Well, how about this for a change of image ? …
Yes, the tiny ‘toff’ in this wartime wedding group is me, all dressed up in my Little Lord Fauntleroy ‘Sunday best’.
My mother (in the spotted dress next to the bride) must have spent all our clothing coupons on my outfit, and how about that cap? I suspect that it was borrowed or ‘handed down’ from one of my older cousins.
I remember ‘inheriting’ a very smart set of clothes from an older cousin, consisting of a coat, breeches and large flat cap, all in a rather bright green tweed fabric. I hated it ! and can only recall wearing it once, when my mother made me wear it to school, where I must have stood out like some ‘posh’ prat amongst all the other little tykes in their grey patched ‘hand-me-downs’. I decided to camouflage myself with mud from head to toe. I don’t think that my mum was too pleased, but I never saw that outfit again.
In the photograph I appear to be clutching something in my right hand, as does the lady in the ‘Robin Hood’ hat. I suspect that it was confetti, as valuable rice …
… would have been reserved for a pudding.
Betty said
John is that Fred Astaire standing to your left? LOL By the way, do you think you’re going to like Gordon Brown better than Tony Blair?
gawilli said
That was a pretty slick way to get away from that inherited set of clothes!
Big John said
Well spotted Betty. Ginger is just ‘out of shot’.
I don’t think that any pensioner in Britain is very keen on our new PM. Still I can’t see him crawling up Bush’s arse like our ‘Tone’.
ferouzeh said
Goodgod….Your younger self looks like a real Just William!
By the way ( or maybe not) do you have any recollection of the Brylcreem Boys?
Can you tell us something about them?
Terri said
Great photo of you looking so dapper. I rather miss the dress code of years ago….it’s doubtful that here in the States anybody would show up looking so properly dressed for a wedding.
Big John said
Ah! Brylcreem Ferouzeh, what would we have done without it ? No ‘spikey’ hairstyles in those days, just flat and shiny. I do remember members of the RAF being referred to as ‘Brylcreem Boys’ during the war years, but not when I served as a conscript in the late 1950′s. BTW I loved ‘Just William’ books when I was a kid.