Ultra-wide Protective Footwear

[Mary Fisher]

I know. AND a lav in the yard next door. AND cobbles on t'street. Never been as well off since! Except that now, when the sun shines, we have hot water :-)

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

It was worse AFTER the war, in The Big Winter of '47 - '48 we (most people in our 'class = income') ran out of coal. My mother made 'briquettes' from coal dust and cement packed into empty cans. They burnt, resulting in ash and smoke, giving no heat to speak of. My dad walked some miles across Leeds to the coal pits with the pram, which he filled with waste from the 'slag' heaps - along with many other fathers. That didn't burn well either but at least they tried.

Our range had a small, open grate which was extremely inefficient by today's standards. We huddled round it but with little cheer. No number of blankets and coats on our beds helped us to be warm after the stone hot water bottle (still have it) had gone cold.

My most vivid memory was of getting up on a freezing morning, with ice on the inside of the window, and trying to fasten many rubber buttons on my 'liberty bodice' with cold, numb fingers. I did enjoy putting a hot penny on the windows though, to make a spy hole.

Very Anderson.

Today there's talk about 'fuel poor' families.

Hmm.

Mary

[Appin]

The message from " [e-mail]" contains these words:

For shoes add +1. But that's not necessarily true for boots unless you're in the habit of wearing several pairs of socks simultaneously. I always found that I took the same size in boots as in the UK, though shoes always, as you say, one size larger in number in the US.

[Appin]

The message from "The Medway Handyman" contains these words:

I hope you're not suggesting he's quackers :-)

[Rod]

That goes well with OCD and autism. :-)

[Rod]

Hot penny! Where d'ya get one of them from? Warm farthing would have been luxury...

[Owain]

I've woken up plenty of times with ice on the inside of the double glazing.

Owain

[Mary Fisher]

I'd been saving with the Yorkshire Penny Bank for seven years.

Still have eightpence in the account.

Mary

[Gordon Henderson]

They don't feel right because you've never had a pair correctly made to measure...

I have rectangular feet, or paddles as my wife calls them. Probably something to do with viking ancestry or something... NEver had shoes that fitted until a few years ago and a trip to the Conker Show company in Totnes (I live relatively nearby). I now have a pair of shoes and a pair of boots (not steel tow capped though) that fit perfectly and I won't be without them now.

Bloody expensive though - nearly £200 a pair, however, I've had the boots re-soled once - they're now nearly 4 years old and the shoes which are

2 years old might get re-soled for the start of next year and I'm hoping to get quite a few more years out of them yet.

As for safety boots - I bought some cheapies out of the local country stores, (Tuckers, Ashburton), which fit mostly OK if I wear 2 pairs of thick wooly socks.

Gordon

[Mary Fisher]

Herring boxes without topses?

>

[Rod]

I am sure you are right. Which made the ones I did get a bit of a waste. :-(

Every time I have investigated, the options have not looked good - Totnes is a very long eway away, other makers specialise in types/styles of shoe that do not work for my feet, are too expensive, or something. But at least for shoes I can live with Cosyfeet's offerings.

[somebody]

In message , Rod writes

I'm the UK version of bigfoot.. although "big fat wide foot" is probably the scientific description - ie, not quite as hairy :-)

Size 14 *before* we start hopelessly praying that someone will give me a choice of widths.

Anyway, I bought a pair of "Meindl" boots about six years ago to aid in walking following a serious ankle injury.

The injury is now out of the way, but I now use the boots for DIY. I am seriously amazed at the crap I put them through and then how nice they polish up.

Ie, one day I'm ankle high in concrete. A spray with the hose, a bit of polish and the next day they look like posh smart boots.

They were quite expensive to buy, but probably the cheapest footwear I've ever owned...

think the 'Klassiker' is probably the closest match to the pair I have.

Hth Someone

[Rod]

That is interesting. Many years ago I owned some German shoes (Sioux, I think), beautifully made, fully lined with leather. After a few years of occasional wear (to stretch them), I wore them nearly continuously until the soles wore through. Couldn't find a mender willing to take them on. :-(

Even a nearly local stockist!

But too expensive for the DIY world - until well worn.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I wonder if you can get toe capped stilettos?

[m1ss_wh1te]

Is that with or without steel?

[Rod]

Was in Sainsburys the other day, someone (woman!) wearing stilettos that were unbelievably tall, sharp and teetering. Somehow not quite right for grocery shopping.

No - don't think they'd be right for my image. :-)

[Rod]

Got a very pleasant email response from them - an outside possibility but I am doubtful. Will have to go next time I am anywhere near a branch.

[Mary Fisher]

I think there's a problem somewhere!

Mary

[Chewbacca]

More like my fantasy shopping, won't mention what else she wears.........

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Mary Fisher" saying something like:

Anne Frank was never so lucky.

Mon - stayed in. Tue - stayed in. Wed - stayed in. Thu - stayed in. etc