Pakamac

Thanks Scotty and Constance - I can't access the BBC site from Australia (revenge for the loss in the Test match?) but I'll try to get a look on Torrent.

Elizabeth Anne, have you tried out your 'new' nylon mac yet? And how are you going looking for a rainhat? They're getting harder to find in the second hand shops but there's usually a few floating round on Ebay.

Hi Elizabeth Anne have you road tested your nylon mac yet can we have a full report please i did not think of Australia as a mac wearing country I got a shock when I stoped overnight in Mount Gambier on my way to Adelaide in the morning there was frost on the car spent five weeks in your great country not a mac in site.

Hi BJ
The programme was called,Strange Days-Cold War Britain and it is screened tonight on BBC2 at 21.00 hrs. Hopefully some rainwear on show tonight.
Cheers

BJ, this is a link to the one I watched http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03j9f3w
A fascinating reminder of when I was just a girl.

Hi Constance my wife would say good luck she give me a ultimatum if I did not except a normal marriage with no macs then I should find someone else the thought of not getting a lady wearing a mac in my arms for the rest of my life was grim to say the least so just get in touch and talk it really is good to talk you can ask me anything may be we both had unrealistic expectations when we got married the end of your marriage must have dented your confidence let me help you regain it what have you got to lose courage Constance.

Oh dear there is no old tv programmes to view tonight to see if anyone has a plastic mac on oh dear how sad

This year it's my semi-transparent 'natural' colour plastic mac when it's raining Scotty, to go shopping. Or else on other less wet days then it might be one of my nylon macs. After the summer we had, my sundresses are all laundered and put away. It's lovely to return once again to my much loved look.

It would be lovely to have lunch with someone who appreciated a lady who loves macs, Gareth. I would love to exchange 'notes' and compare what I feel about wearing a mac with what a mac does for a man. However, Gareth, what would your wife say? If I had a mac loving husband meeting a mac loving lady for lunch, oh boy would that husband be in trouble.

Hi Scotty and Constance, what is this film you are referring to?

Hi Constance, what plastic mac did you pick for your shopping trip, my guess would be a semi transparent one to co-ordinate with your outfit. I agree It’s a pity more women don’t wear a nice mac rather than the sack of potato type anorak, the look does nothing for me.
I watched that programme as well, I could only catch one girl wearing a plastic mac. However loads of women wearing pleated plastic rain bonnets, rather than umbrellas, Where were all the pakamac’s as they were popular in the 60’s.

Unfortunately I didn’t see the Lord Mayor’s show but it sounds like a few people do still wear pakamacs in wet weather. I’m sure it is true that even in the past not everyone wore plastic macs but just a lot more than they do now. We didn’t go to Wales this year but thinking about the gardens and whether macs were ever really popular made me think about the last time we really saw lots of people wearing pakamacs. It must be nearly fifteen years ago when we were on holiday in Ireland, I think it was 1999. We had atrocious weather but a lovely time and I could write pages about the number of times we got caught in rain. I also think that C&A and Rukka were popular in the eighties and I think they are Dutch so I think rainwear must be more popular in Europe.

Hi Constance First I think your ex was a cruel for saying such a nasty remark to you what is natural or unnatural we all have our tastes I think we are cut from the same cloth the times i have been in France its always been hot but have seen lots of ladies in nylon macs in Belgium I would love to have lunch with you you could tell me your story it would be good to talk about macs without fear of humiliation hope you will give it some thought the new year is very near a new beginning hope you will get in touch soon.

Yes Gareth, I still have a few although over the years, I have had many more. Unlike some of my wardrobe that I might clear out from time to time, as I grow tired of wearing it or it has been an inappropriate impulse buy, the macs I have discarded have been ones that have become damaged somehow whether perished, torn stained or whatever. For me they are timeless classics, items I never become tired of and something that makes me feel so feminine. I was out shopping in a plastic mac yesterday, strangely because it was raining, and I looked at the other women, dressed for the weather in a variety of walking anoraks. If I am so unnatural, as my ex called me, why are other women wearing such unflattering garments. I love to take time with my appearance, as I'm sure these other ladies do, but to top it off with an item of clothing that should only be seen on the top of Cairngorm, is beyond me.

Reading through this forum, there are many comments about the number of people who used to wear macs and the times when 'everyone' had a pakamac. I have to admit that this is my memory too, but I was watching a rerun of the current Cold War series on the BBC. In a 60 minute programme that was filled to the brim with British crowd scenes from the early 1960s, I only spotted one lady in a nylon mac and no men wearing macs! There was hundreds of others wearing thick wool coats and the like it wet weather but not a single plastic mac amongst the lot!

Watch any film covering the same period, but of crowd scenes in France and there will be loads of PVC macs on the street. Maybe it's a misnomer that the British are renown for their mac wearing. Any comments?

Hi Constance you say other macs do you have rubber and PVC macs as well I used to be in the Mackintosh society years ago there was someone with the name Constance who was a member forgot if that was the surname or the first it was donkey years ago.

That's fine Scotty, I think Frank is allergic to women

Haha Frank, unfortunately I am allergic to dogs. xx

Elizabeth what do you need a nylon mac for are you going looking for Kangaroos and Scotty get a dog mate much better for you.

John Cleese had a plastic mac in the dead parrot scene Peter Cooke and Dudly Moore also had plastic macs for comedy a man used to come on the Welsh TV in a plastic mac and say awful corny jokes so if any woman really does fancy a man in a plastic mac then Frank is right pigs can fly.

Of course there was a spark Frank, when I agreed to marry my ex, but over the years it slowly extinguished. Yes, I certainly do blame him for not indulging my obsession for plastic macs and other macs. I might forgive him a little because my obsession never waned, probably over the years growing stronger. Maybe it sent out a big message that my love for these macs was stronger than the relationship. That's his loss as far as I'm concerned.

Hi Scotty. yes I can remember the rain hats with press studs instead of ties. I had one when I was really little, maybe 6 or 7. The idea must have been that the studs were easier than trying to tie a bow under your chin, especially when you've only just learnt how to tie your shoelaces. I don't remember them being any bigger than the standard kind with the ties. A bit later on, when I was in high school, I saw them again, and bought one which had the studs and a pattern of little white dots in rows. I liked the dots but found the studs a nuisance, like others have said they were too loose in the wind, so I remember I cut the ends off and sewed in some cotton ties which were much better.

I've found and bought a brand new-looking royal blue nylon raincoat for my outdoor activities, in a Salvos second hand shop. According to the weather forecast I should be able to 'road test' it properly tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to the chance.

Like most of those raincoats as I remember them It doesn't have a hood, so I'll still need to find a rain hat somewhere. The lady in the shop said the concertina kind I prefer still come in now and again, and she'll keep a look out.

And Frank, yes it is easy. A hell of a lot easier than you seem to find writing in sentences.

Yes Constance, you are one in a million indeed. A good relationship can’t exist and revolve around mac wearing alone, it just won’t last, the attraction will eventually dissipate and there will be nothing left. I think that’s partly to blame for my marriage breakdown, as my wife wasn’t into them at all and thought Pakamac loving was unusual, despite my coaxing. Eventually had to try and curtail my Mac loving, which I think just made my relationship worse..

Keith I do remember those jumbo rain bonnets and have a nice patterned red one in my collection. Mind you they are a bit flimsy and can appreciate your aunt trying to stop it blowing off. One of my girlfriends modelled it one day and had exactly the same problem lining up the snaps to keep it on. I eventually helped her with it, she looked very nice in it as it’s wider and bigger than the standard pleated ones.

Hi Constance was there a spark when you got married it takes two to Tango or are just blaming your ex because he was a man all women do it is easy

Hi Rob and Beth my cousin phoned last night she had been to Bodnat and said it was wonderful did you both ever get there.

Do any of you Ladies or Scotty remember the jumbo pleated rain bonnets that had 3 adjustable snaps instead of ties. My aunt was a avid Pakamac wearer her favourite one was a off white version that had a tie on belt that came without an attached hood. Much preferring too wear one of her many rain bonnets,
On this occasion my aunt and I already had our macs on to ward off the drizzle when the heaven's opened. In a flash my aunt had her hand in her mac pocket pulling out a new rain hat.

I could see this was much bigger bonnet then usual with flowers printed on it as she placed over her head I realised there was not any ties but press studs along the ends off the bonnet, As she struggled to line up the snaps I said let me help I managed to snap it shut under her chin without to much trouble.

On the walk home the wind tried its best to blow off the bonnet it being much bigger then the normal sized bonnet.

Hi Constance you sound as if you are still grieving for the loss of your marriage we all get horrible episodes in life rejection hurts i should know Its good to let your anger out at your ex but at some point you just have to let it go I am in my sixties so I just take what other things I can get travel a great deal a good wine or long walk life is to short to go over the past I have tried all my life to find a lady like but its like trying to find the end of the rainbow life is to short if I can help you or just talk just ask.

Yes Frank, a billionaire would be lovely, even a millionaire but I know if the spark wasn't there then I'm sure it wouldn't last long. Neither would a relationship where there was a mutual love of Pakamacs if that was all that we shared.
I'm guessing from the comments here that most men haven't found their dream Pakamac loving woman so I assume from it, that I am in a very, very small minority. My ex-husband thought I was unnatural, for a woman. Presumably that was what made him stray.

Hi Frank yes I know a woman does not have the same feelings for macs as men but you have got to have a dream does it matter if the comments are gospel or just made up just relax and enjoy them or you will just get bitter thats no good for you and live in hope Margaret its sounds as if your husband had a thing for macs and have had a thing for them after is that right and Constance if you exist email me make my Christmas

To constance re who buys womens plastic macs if women do not wear them. I am not saying women do not wear mackintoshes and some sadly not many do like them. But wanted to say at least some of the mackintoshes are bought by men to wear themselves.
I am certian at least one man does this because that is me. I go out in pertra ladies nylon mackintoshes from rainmac and have pink, yellow. white, purple plastic macs to wear in private.

Oh dear my life is meaningless if I cant get Frank to believe me I'm devastated I may as well just go and shoot myself now

Hi Elizabeth Why do you feel the need to respond you have not worn a plastic mac since you were a child and a nylon mac since your schooldays so you can not call yourself a mac lover and as for the other women a lot of talk but no proof and Gareth stop looking they are not to be had the only thing women want is a billionare.

Just watched the Lord Mayor of London's parade on television. Raining quite a bit so many ponchos and quite a few plastic macs - including some of the women.

No truth in the rumour that the Worshipful Company of Sewer Workers and Muck Rakers also took part but marched along under the roads.