I’ve been watching some of the 500-odd 15-minute Look at Life films on TV; a snapshot into the ways of life in the UK between 1959-69. In every film, most people are wearing ties – as did some of the pigs in the quarter of an hour “On the farm” insight.
When did people stop wearing ties?
At primary school, we wore ties (on elastic left over from linking my gloves together); at secondary school we wore ties which depicted which house you were in or if you were good at certain sports.
Oddly, during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the vogue (mainly with school ties) was to get the knot as big as your head and have nothing left to tie the tie with. It looked like a giant bat was attacking your neck – you almost expected Christoper Lee or Ingrid Pitt to be helping out in the school tuck shop.
Pupils secretly thought Roy Castle would visit and thus get them a place in the Guinness Book of Records for having the stupidest knot.
As the seventies progressed, so collars grew extraordinarily big, so your tie’s knot had to be even bigger.
My first work tie was maroon – it looked like I’d stolen it off a bishop.
There are so many variations of a tie knot. I always went for a Half Windsor – mainly because it was a move Kendo Nagasaki frequently used on a Saturday afternoon.
The only time I wear a tie these days is when I’m gardening: a knitted green one which wards off slugs.
Micky's Up blog 
of course, back in the ‘60’s we were truly multinational. We had Windsor knots in our ties, Boston trim at the back of our hair and wore Cuban heels on our shoes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
An early adopter of multi-culturism – Angela Merkel would be proud if you 👍😂
LikeLike
and quite right too. Add to that the fact that we had Scotch eggs, Welsh rarebit and Irish stew and we were full on multi-culturalists. I would quite happily have joined the Common Market except I couldn’t possibly belong to anything that had “common” in its title.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Probably those reason why de Gaulle originally said “No” 😂
LikeLike
I think we may have cracked it. Forget all the stories about he didn’t want the UK to join because of our close relationship with the USA (forgetting that that very same relationship helped free France from the grip of Germany) and that the Common Market would be flooded with cheap US imports, it was actually down to the fact that we didn’t like the word common. That and, of course, cheap imports of Welsh rarebit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m with you with anything that says common. I wonder if they even consider an Aloof Market?
LikeLike
absolutely. Also Tooting Common becomes Tooting Aloof. It has a certain upmarket ring to it. I think you and I should create our own political party in time for this ‘ere upcoming General Election. How does The Incredibly Sensible Party sound to you? Can I leave you to produce our manifesto?
LikeLiked by 1 person
And if someone has lived with you for years and you’re unmarried they common aloof law partner. It has a ring about it. I shall write the manifesto. I shall stay. With Gladstone’s first words as PM which were “my aim is to pacify Ireland” – or Disraeli “how much for that canal?”
LikeLike
if common law partner becomes aloof law partner then it can’t have a ring to it otherwise you would become married! Sorry to be pedantic. Not certain that your first words when becoming PM should be “I will pacify Ireland”; might cause a few ructions. And might I suggest that in adopting Disraeli’s words you might adapt them to “how much is that HS2”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The modern day equivalent of the Suez Canal building. At least that’s not going to stop at Royal Oak .
LikeLike