And of course, it was essential attire if visiting the main control room at Nechells Power Station in the 1930s. Viv.
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When Everyone Wore A Hat...
- Thread starter oldMohawk
- Start date
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Viv -The guy nearest the control panel looks like Al Capone, some of the people in that pic look shady - it's strange how hats seemed to define how we viewed people !
Smashing pics Moss - Wonder if the cop in the first pic is guarding the posh looking man with the handkerchief in his pocket ?
In the second pic, a hatless trend appears to be creeping in with a few chaps without hats !
Absolutely Phil. My grandfather (right) seems to look quite respectable in his hat. But the guy to the left, well he doesn't seem to have the same panache in his cap. Viv.
paul stacey
master brummie
Really enjoyed this film, I wonder if it was one of the "Lost", Mitchel and Kenyon films which came to light a few years ago.paul
Think you're right Phil about the wedding, but don't know much about the photo. Must do some more research. Viv.
Hi viv ;
just been reading the hat threads i found it intresting i must say ;
then i started to think about the hats i have a selection of country and westeren hats i ware when i go to these country and western festivals around the counrtry which of any intrest to an body starts up this month across the country
my diary is full o dates now ; but i will get back on track as to why i am writing this thread or should i say my requesting ; is because my uncle joe born in Aston
way back in the early 1900,s was when he left school it is listed on is record as being a hat maker by proffesion on the censors roll ; and as i see you are researching the hat brigade was wondering whether or not you could recall or may be know of the possiblitty of where there was a hat maker may be in aston in thoses days or was it in the city some where as he lived in white house street and in parliment street aston; and let us know of any hat makers names from posibile
that period incidently i wouldlike to say i bought and still buy my hats as also my shirts from america the orinional westeren shirts and coats and boots as you cannot get the gear from england they aint the same materials and they are very limited to buy here ; once again viv; many thanks Alan ; Astonian;
just been reading the hat threads i found it intresting i must say ;
then i started to think about the hats i have a selection of country and westeren hats i ware when i go to these country and western festivals around the counrtry which of any intrest to an body starts up this month across the country
my diary is full o dates now ; but i will get back on track as to why i am writing this thread or should i say my requesting ; is because my uncle joe born in Aston
way back in the early 1900,s was when he left school it is listed on is record as being a hat maker by proffesion on the censors roll ; and as i see you are researching the hat brigade was wondering whether or not you could recall or may be know of the possiblitty of where there was a hat maker may be in aston in thoses days or was it in the city some where as he lived in white house street and in parliment street aston; and let us know of any hat makers names from posibile
that period incidently i wouldlike to say i bought and still buy my hats as also my shirts from america the orinional westeren shirts and coats and boots as you cannot get the gear from england they aint the same materials and they are very limited to buy here ; once again viv; many thanks Alan ; Astonian;
A.Willoughby
master brummie
It was part of the dress, of the day, in the late fifties to wear a trilby style hat in the detective branch. I bought myself a green coloured one with a dainty feather on its side. One evening the sergeant, who was a beast of a man in size had lost a case at court and knew that the 'lucky fella' was holding a celebration with his mates at a local pub. The sergeant told me to go with him to the pub. On entering the bar the banter directed towards us was not flattering by the large crowd gathered in there. Personal jibes were directed to my companion who took off his trilby and threw it onto the floor in front of them and asked if anyone was going to pick it up...gulp ....I thought we were about to be killed. Instead the bloke who had got off said words to the effect that the sergeant would get him another time but now would he join in the drink. Honour restored the sergeant picked up his own hat and the celebrations continued. Don't think I walked a straight line at the end of the evening. So a hat had a meaning, if thrown on the floor, in front of an adversary similar to that of the thrown gauntlet in days of yon.
Not one person 'baht 'at' in this 1914 recruitment parade scene in Windmill Street. Viv.
DavidGrain
master brummie
Perhaps the training camp was on Ilkley Moor because as you know you should not go there baht at!
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Interesting story - hats certainly had many uses ....Thanks.
What a variety of hats - When everyone stopped wearing hats, an industry faded away ... well apart from baseball hat makers !
I noticed in the video in the 1st post and in many other old pics and films, most men of those times seemed to carry large white handkerchiefs and waved them when departing on boats and running alongside parades..
sylviasayers
master brummie
My dad always wore a hat, a flat cap to go to work in and a trilby for best, the trilbies were made from velour, he always left his hat in the front room and on one never to be forgotten occasion our cat had kittens in it. This was probably some time in the 1950's and I know they were expensive the figure of 6 guineas seems to come to mind, and he usually bought them from Dunne & Co.
DavidGrain
master brummie
I remember Dunn & Co as I used to buy clothes from them. I remember a rather old-fashioned shop in New Street with the name George Arthur Dunn & Co Hatters over the shop front
Note in Wikipedia :Dunn & Co. was founded in 1886 by George Arthur Dunn, a Quaker, who started by selling hats on the streets of Birmingham. Forty years later he had 200 hat shops and as many franchises in other stores.
Company failed in 1996
Note in Wikipedia :Dunn & Co. was founded in 1886 by George Arthur Dunn, a Quaker, who started by selling hats on the streets of Birmingham. Forty years later he had 200 hat shops and as many franchises in other stores.
Company failed in 1996
My g grandfather in his top hat. This must have been not long before he died. He was run over by the Lord Mayor's car in 1918 and died a little afterwards of his injuries. (Been trying to track down a newspaper report, but not found anything yet). A top hat certainly gave a man presence. Viv.
Not only were they worn by everyone but as I remember it, they would be regularly raised when greeting or saying good-bye in the presence of a lady. As was my school cap, on pain of death.
Would such courtesy be regarded today as a sexist, patronising insult, I wonder?
Chris
Would such courtesy be regarded today as a sexist, patronising insult, I wonder?
Chris
DavidGrain
master brummie
My mother, who is now 91, has told me that she used to enjoy it as a little girl going out with her grandfather in his top hat to Smethwick market where he would buy a chicken and ask for it to be delivered. Market traders always said "Good morning, sir, good morning missey" to them.
I never saw my dad wear a hat even in the rain, not even in old photos. Perhaps it was his reaction against having to wear a hat in the army during the war.
I never saw my dad wear a hat even in the rain, not even in old photos. Perhaps it was his reaction against having to wear a hat in the army during the war.
A.Willoughby
master brummie
Have not worn a hat regularly since the early sixties. Tomorrow, if the sun is as hot as of recent times, I will be wearing my old panama to go to a garden fete. Must protect the old napper these days. Hope I remember the etiquette expected when wearing one. Trouble is one could forget, with the passage of time, one is wearing one and break the code.
maypolebaz
master brummie
I used to wear a cap regularly when walking my dogs, lets face it you're out in all weathers for that chore. I only "doffed" my cap once though and that was for a funeral that was passing, it seemed the right thing to do.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
It's my grandchildren's school sports day tomorrow so I'll be wearing my wide brim hat. The venue is in Yorkshire so I think I don't I need to bother with etiquette ...
By gum Phil, thou needs a cloth cap! The one clear memory I have of my Yorkshire grandfather is his brown cloth cap. A stereotype I know, but it's true! Viv.
DavidGrain
master brummie
In cold weather, I wear a "fur" hat for which you need two hands to put it on your head, so no, I do not doff my hat. Doffing one's cap reminds me of the Two Ronnies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woqfb12h4y4
rosie
brummie
I'm sure men used to remove their hats when going into someone else's house, nowadays hats, caps and beanies stay firmly on!
My Dad wore his Home Guard beret to work, with a gabardine mac, a bit like "Some Mothers do 'ave 'em"! He never wore a hat apart from this.
Mom had some of those springy "S" shaped things that were like a wide clingy hairband with feathers, they used to hold her hair in place. She liked proper hats too, with hatpins.
Nan had a box of "hat-trimmings" like wax cherries and felt flowers.
rosie.
My Dad wore his Home Guard beret to work, with a gabardine mac, a bit like "Some Mothers do 'ave 'em"! He never wore a hat apart from this.
Mom had some of those springy "S" shaped things that were like a wide clingy hairband with feathers, they used to hold her hair in place. She liked proper hats too, with hatpins.
Nan had a box of "hat-trimmings" like wax cherries and felt flowers.
rosie.
DavidGrain
master brummie
Surprise Surprise, I have just come across a present day photo with everyone wearing hats when they didn't before. OK I know it is a specialised event. Just been reading a London University Alumni newsletter and in it is a photo of a graduation ceremony where everyone is wearing a mortar-board cap. Isn't that normal you may ask but years ago when I graduated from London University, at the ceremony the men did not wear hats as it was an indoor function and you would have had to take it off when presented to the Chancellor of the University. The women however did wear hats but only a few wore the mortar-board, the vast majority wore a soft Oxford cap which was the alternative female attire.
Old Boy
master brummie
Hi All,
One Christmas Eve I was on duty at Steelhouse Lane Police Station when I had to deliver a message to someone in the bar. The bar was packed because of the day and I was confronted by some person I did not know but assumed him to be a guest. He said, "Dont you know that you should remove your headgear when in the mess".I replied "I cannot see what business it is of yours but I will remove my helmet when I come in for a pint" I would add, however, that whenever I was in a private house on duty I always removed my helmet.
Old Boy
One Christmas Eve I was on duty at Steelhouse Lane Police Station when I had to deliver a message to someone in the bar. The bar was packed because of the day and I was confronted by some person I did not know but assumed him to be a guest. He said, "Dont you know that you should remove your headgear when in the mess".I replied "I cannot see what business it is of yours but I will remove my helmet when I come in for a pint" I would add, however, that whenever I was in a private house on duty I always removed my helmet.
Old Boy
nice picture ; old mohawk
As a little kid i recall our dad used to have two kinds of hats he used to wear we used to play around and squash is hats in the house
our mom used used to go barmy at usif she ever seen us with his hats we put them on and throw them around
one was a bowler hat which grand father also used to wear at the druid society at the meeting and he got my dad involved and
excepted into the society of bussiness mens society which i believe was some socity where they looked after the poor
people of aston ; also he wore a every day hat what the humprey bogard hat when going to work especialy in the wintermonths
grand father used to wear his bowler hat when onbussiness running around the birmingham area or when he had to go to the council houses and the gpo offices ; many times as a nipper i used to noticed that when he pulled up in his car he would be walking quite spritely up the big long terrace of cromwel terace on lichfield rd the women whomwould be standing talking with there washing in there hands discussing whomis gpoing first to the brew house
to light the old copper boiler under neath o start the days washing when grand father came u they always stood one side and say good morning mr jelf ;
h would touch his hat and reply ; but i also notice this was never done with anybody else and most of all the old rent man ;he haD A PLATTY PUSS FACE NEVER SMILED TO ANYBODY ;banging on the doors it makes me smile because he my grand father and my old man was a member of the society
for this so called society that looked after the poor yet we was por despite him [ gand father having all that money along with al the shops running around the town; and yet as i am told by cousin raymond whom is in oxford that our grand parents and the fore fathers was the grand masters of the society
cousin ray is older than me but he also said he wanted to follow in there foot steps of the society but he said that by the time he was of age this society was closed down ray as you know went to the king edwards grammer in aston ; worked hard and became succesful in life in bussines and in the society
grand father told her do not worry joyceyou are welll cared for wheni have gone ; thats was a laugh
best wishes Astonian;;
As a little kid i recall our dad used to have two kinds of hats he used to wear we used to play around and squash is hats in the house
our mom used used to go barmy at usif she ever seen us with his hats we put them on and throw them around
one was a bowler hat which grand father also used to wear at the druid society at the meeting and he got my dad involved and
excepted into the society of bussiness mens society which i believe was some socity where they looked after the poor
people of aston ; also he wore a every day hat what the humprey bogard hat when going to work especialy in the wintermonths
grand father used to wear his bowler hat when onbussiness running around the birmingham area or when he had to go to the council houses and the gpo offices ; many times as a nipper i used to noticed that when he pulled up in his car he would be walking quite spritely up the big long terrace of cromwel terace on lichfield rd the women whomwould be standing talking with there washing in there hands discussing whomis gpoing first to the brew house
to light the old copper boiler under neath o start the days washing when grand father came u they always stood one side and say good morning mr jelf ;
h would touch his hat and reply ; but i also notice this was never done with anybody else and most of all the old rent man ;he haD A PLATTY PUSS FACE NEVER SMILED TO ANYBODY ;banging on the doors it makes me smile because he my grand father and my old man was a member of the society
for this so called society that looked after the poor yet we was por despite him [ gand father having all that money along with al the shops running around the town; and yet as i am told by cousin raymond whom is in oxford that our grand parents and the fore fathers was the grand masters of the society
cousin ray is older than me but he also said he wanted to follow in there foot steps of the society but he said that by the time he was of age this society was closed down ray as you know went to the king edwards grammer in aston ; worked hard and became succesful in life in bussines and in the society
grand father told her do not worry joyceyou are welll cared for wheni have gone ; thats was a laugh
best wishes Astonian;;
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Astonian - It seems like you had some fun with those hats. I don't ever remember anyone in our family wearing a bowler and the only one I do remember seeing was worn by our rent man - made them seem important. I wore sun hats when I was little and did have a school cap but can't remember wearing it much. I suppose back in the old days hats could be 'doffed' to be polite to ladies, but these days they would laugh at us ...
oldmohawk
oldmohawk
