General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Well, here we go....

Yet another footwear related story from the 1970's

The year 1970, I was living in Putney, (South West London), at the top of a long hill. It is named West Hill, (The A3). It runs from Wimbledon Common/ Putney Heath, and merges with Upper Richmond Road, which was The South Circular Road, for last third of a mile down to Wandsworth Town Centre.

Now you may have heard of London clay, it has has been much mentioned on TV in respect of tunnel boring, archaeology finds etc.

Even in London, I was a keen gardener, and that clay-based soil used to build up into heavy clumps on gardening shoes. Furthermore, it would quickly rot leather as it held water and prevented leather from adequately drying.

My grandad lived in Holland. He experienced similar difficulties, but the solution: Dutch Clogs, which I inherited.



All wood: could scrape of garden soil easily, did not readily rot, and rigid: a big help when using foot on spade/garden fork, plus offered inherent toe protection.

Brilliant, though a little difficult to don and doff them.

One day busy gardening when I decided that I wanted something from the garden shop down in Wandsworth town centre. (No longer recall what it was)

So, off I set down West Hill. I became concerned that I would not make it in time before the shop closed, and as I came to the junction with Upper Richmond Road, I chased a bus that was just pulling away from the bus stop. (The old 'Routemaster' style)



Well, I took a headlong dive, and managed to grab that vertical post on the platform, swung myself around it, and as I looked back......

There on the pavement was my clogs, without me in them. I had leapt right out of my clogs.

And I had to leap right back, barefoot , to retrieve them before anyone half-inched them.