A strange, unusual request I know, but ...

I am attending a 'Murder Mystery Suspense' event on Saturday and just
found out I must dress the part and for the period, as a gardener, to
a Lord and Lady of a Manor in the year 1935.

Cloth cap, pipe and carrying a watering can? My imagination does not
stretch very far! I tried a costume hire shop but they had not much
idea. Any ideas of what I might wear (and how easily I might get hold
of it quickly) would be much appreciated.

I know this is not quite what URG is really about but hope folk can
help me out here!

Many thanks
Colin

In article ,
(Colin) writes:
| A strange, unusual request I know, but ...
|
| I am attending a 'Murder Mystery Suspense' event on Saturday and just
| found out I must dress the part and for the period, as a gardener, to
| a Lord and Lady of a Manor in the year 1935.
|
| Cloth cap, pipe and carrying a watering can? My imagination does not
| stretch very far! I tried a costume hire shop but they had not much
| idea. Any ideas of what I might wear (and how easily I might get hold
| of it quickly) would be much appreciated.
|
| I know this is not quite what URG is really about but hope folk can
| help me out here!

All clothes old, battered and probably ill-fitting (e.g. M'lord's
old shooting jackets) but usually clean.

Solid leather shoes and woollen stockings.
Twill, corderoy or similar trousers, and usually braces.
Long sleeved woollen, linen or cotton shirt with collar.
Tweed jacket and unexciting tie.
Optional cloth cap.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

In article , Colin
writes
A strange, unusual request I know, but ...

I am attending a 'Murder Mystery Suspense' event on Saturday and just
found out I must dress the part and for the period, as a gardener, to
a Lord and Lady of a Manor in the year 1935.

Cloth cap, pipe and carrying a watering can? My imagination does not
stretch very far! I tried a costume hire shop but they had not much
idea. Any ideas of what I might wear (and how easily I might get hold
of it quickly) would be much appreciated.

Cloth Cap yes
and either a collar and tie OR a shirt with detached collar with no
collar and no tie (If that makes sense)

AND the waistcoat!!


I know this is not quite what URG is really about but hope folk can
help me out here!

Many thanks
Colin

Not sure about the watering can but if you have to have one, NOT
plastic;-))

Mike, not able to remember as he was born a year later :-))


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O ruddier than the cherry, O sweeter than the berry,
O nymph more bright, than moonshine night,
like kidlings blithe and merry.
John Gay 1685 - 1732

In article , Mike
writes


Found a picture which 'might' be of the period and they were carrying a
wooden (not plastic please) a wooden trug AND they were in jackets with
collar and tie ;-)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O ruddier than the cherry, O sweeter than the berry,
O nymph more bright, than moonshine night,
like kidlings blithe and merry.
John Gay 1685 - 1732

"Colin" wrote in message
om...
A strange, unusual request I know, but ...

I am attending a 'Murder Mystery Suspense' event on Saturday and just
found out I must dress the part and for the period, as a gardener, to
a Lord and Lady of a Manor in the year 1935.

Cloth cap, pipe and carrying a watering can? My imagination does not
stretch very far! I tried a costume hire shop but they had not much
idea. Any ideas of what I might wear (and how easily I might get hold
of it quickly) would be much appreciated.

If you could find somebody with a copy of one of the early editions of RHS
Vegetable garden displayed - the demonstrator in that is kitted out in just
post-war manner so probably not a lot different from 1935. The tie would
only be worn for photos unless you were the head gardener. Trousers are worn
tied with string just above the ankles.
You need more than a few days to aquire the weather beaten face and hard
callused hands.

Rod

In article ,
Rod wrote:


If you could find somebody with a copy of one of the early editions of RHS
Vegetable garden displayed - the demonstrator in that is kitted out in just
post-war manner so probably not a lot different from 1935. The tie would
only be worn for photos unless you were the head gardener. Trousers are worn
tied with string just above the ankles.

Even the 1978 reprinting has one person dressed much like that!

I should have said boots, not shoes, of course - though a gardener
might well have worn handed down shoes when not actually in the
garden.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

In article , Colin
writes
A strange, unusual request I know, but ...

I am attending a 'Murder Mystery Suspense' event on Saturday and just
found out I must dress the part and for the period, as a gardener, to
a Lord and Lady of a Manor in the year 1935.

Cloth cap, pipe and carrying a watering can? My imagination does not
stretch very far! I tried a costume hire shop but they had not much
idea. Any ideas of what I might wear (and how easily I might get hold
of it quickly) would be much appreciated.

I know this is not quite what URG is really about but hope folk can
help me out here!

Adam the Gardener was pictured doing his job every week in the Sunday
Express in those days. A recent Annual of the series shows him wearing a
battered trilby hat, a short black waistcoat never buttoned up at the
front and with a stripy or shiny panel at the back, a loosely tied
'bandana' kerchief or neck-scarf, a white (or off-white) shirt with the
sleeves always rolled up to the elbows, baggy nondescript trousers held
by a buckled belt and tied just below the knees, sturdy lace-up boots
and a black band always on his right wrist. He has a whitish neatly
trimmed beard and he never seems to wear gloves or topcoat. He doesn't
smoke in any of the pictures shown.
--
Alan Gould

Trousers were cord(Moleskin) and were mostly held up with string instead
of a belt.

Noooo... braces are absolutely de rigeur. No reason not to have a belt
as well, of course :-) Corduroy and moleskin are not the same thing, by
the way, but both would make very acceptable gardener's trousers.

I am delighted by your responses, thank you, in such a short space of
time as well! I'll read through properly when I finish work. Please
keep any more ideas coming though and I'll see what I can rustle up
from the ideas you give between now and the weekend.

Thanks again
Col

(Colin) wrote in message . com...
A strange, unusual request I know, but ...

I am attending a 'Murder Mystery Suspense' event on Saturday and just
found out I must dress the part and for the period, as a gardener, to
a Lord and Lady of a Manor in the year 1935.

Cloth cap, pipe and carrying a watering can? My imagination does not
stretch very far! I tried a costume hire shop but they had not much
idea. Any ideas of what I might wear (and how easily I might get hold
of it quickly) would be much appreciated.

I know this is not quite what URG is really about but hope folk can
help me out here!

Many thanks
Colin