So Scotland won the Calcutta Cup ...but lost in curling to America.  No that's not being fair, the jocks did a good job of it against England and was a well-deserved win.

 

On happier news, Town sit 2nd - albeit with 2 matches out of hand - and look to be a shoe-in for the play-offs.  Though how we'll fair come April remains to be seen.  We've put in some gutsy performances against some top clubs.  Now's the best shot at promotion we've had for the last 4 years.  Get stuck in.  I couldn't bear having to wait another year.

With the good news of my promotion rattling like loose change in my pocket, I set out to keep up with my habit of spending money I don't have.  Since I haven't bought any cd's lately - last probably being Coldplay x&y - I made my way to Best Buy, determined to purchase at least one album. 

 

Nearly bought James Blunt's Return to Bedlam.  An album, I'm embarassed to say, that I really like.  But I spotted Arctic Monkeys on the shelf, and desperate to salvage some street cred with the girl at the checkout I opted for the latter.

 

It is quite a nice album.  Good to see a northern band doing the job - and thankfully from the right side of the pennines.

It's bitterly cold.  I'm freezing despite being indoors, wearing a t-shirt, l/s shirt, and my thickest jumper (plus jeans and underwear, obviously...and socks) and have the heat up.  There's nothing else to do for it except put the kettle on and have a cup of tea.  Which is something I hate to do, it's such a disgustingly English pastiche.  But England's making a mess of it in India this week, we'll probably lose to the French in the 6 Nations and I don't hold much hope for the World Cup this summer.  Oh, and we'll definitely lose the Ashes again.  So with respect to the sinking fish, I'm having tea.

 

And browsing for new suits.  And shirts, and shoes while I'm at it.  This morning - a very frigid morning when a person could easily talk about nothing except how bad the weather is - the first point of conversation I received was a resounding snip at my choice of mixing checkered shirt with striped-ish tie.  This is perhaps the fourth person in as many months to comment on how inappropriate such a combination is.  And while I dismiss the philistine drivel as being wrong fundamentally, I have to concede anything that attracts this much attention is perhaps in need of a change.  It's the principle of understatement, you see; yet another terribly English trait.

 

In all honesty I have being letting the side down.  The cut and fit of suit and shirt have been below par, and the shoes are unforgivable.  However, my socks are quite good these days and I have the decency to own more than one pair of good underwear.  It's only right to start with the intimate articles and assemble a wardrobe from there.  This ideal is largely influenced by Terence Conran and differs from the typical view of start with the shoes, and with Wilde's preference of a 'hanging from the shoulders' approach.

 

For the sake of the simple minded an effort will be made to avoid the 'sinful' three pattern combination.  Which is no real diversion from my original intent - I am a fan of crisp white poplin and prefer patterned shirts to be limitted to tattersalls or similar staples of rural attire, where it is fully appropriate and almost de rigueur to wear three patterns.  If only because in the country you will likely have either a gun, a horse or a dog, any of which is a potential weapon to be used against the birds or the bird-brained (a horse can step on a bird - antiquated hunting practice).

 

So with Savile Row and Jermyn Street ruled out as possibilities due to lack of funds, I am left with an unfortunate conundrum.  My two choices are: make a trip up to Minneapolis and see what the local tailors can kit me out with - maybe a good Ralph Lauren OTR, or a laughably near-custom made-to-measure; or take a risk and order a suit from Marks & Spencer - who hold a fair amount of respect from more than one bespoke suit maker.  The cost would be nearly the same, the problem being that M&S would involve blind-purchase and I'd have to guess which size would fit me best.  At least I could trust them to be a proper cut; and should I be seized by a moment of temporary self-importance they do offer a few in the Italian style, though I doubt it is entirely as good as the genuine article.

 

As far as shirts: am favouring Charles Tyrwhitt, they have a respectable line of fitted shirts that remain understated, and quality crafted without breaking the bank.  Much better than the parachutes I've mistakenly purchased from Turnbull & Asser and Burberry.

 

Will heed the very sound advice - and my own preference - to avoid pleats in the trousers, and belt loops - which really are silly.

Bit of a mid-february slump.  Not much to write about so I'll fill this space with a list of my personally favourite designers.

 

Paul Smith  Messr Smith is to clothing what Weller is to music.  You could easily imagine them being father and son - though truthfully I don't know that there's that much of an age difference between them.  Both live up to what P.S. describes as 'traditional with a twist.'

 

Can't say I love everything Smith does, but overall I like the principles he subscribes to.

 

Burberry  Our kid Christopher Bailey has done wonders with Prorsum.  I almost feel uncomfortable admitting an attraction to the Burberry line, but some of their work is so flawlessly perfect that no amount of cider swilling chavs can put you off it entirely.

 

Despite the generic feel of the house check, with the fresh approach of Prorsum Burberry is able to sit comfortably alongside all the big Italian designers in Milan.  Speaks volumes for itself; what used to be almost exclusively the choice of stodgy old-timers, has re-invented itself to the point of rolling with the big kids.

 

Temperley  Strictly a womens line, and she don't half do a bad job neither.  It's very similar to P.S. except where Paul chooses to put flair in the stockings and socks, or in the linings of jackets, Alice seems to favour putting the 'twist' element in the trim of a garment.  Again, as with P.S., I'm not a fan of every item she's done, but the primary ethos of her design is something I quite like.  She does the best with pastoral skirts and dresses.

 

YSL Rive Gauche  I'm surprised how much I've come to enjoy the works of YSL.  For years I've hated their fragrance lines, and always found their advertising campaigns hard to stomach.  But respect is due, and duly given.  They appear to be much sharper than before, very modern with out being over the top.

 

Missoni  Some people hate it, deriding them as pretensious and fake.  They might be right but who else are you going to turn to for woolies?  Oh, and they (did) use Kate Moss in printed adverts - an immediate shoe-in.

 

 

Town should manage a good wind down to the season.  1st and 2nd are out of the question, 3rd would be a struggle, but 4th or 5th are very do-able.  Unlike Hereford and the other upper table folk, we get our harder matches at home and the easier ones away. 

 

Only hope we don't squander this great - and potentially life saving - opportunity. 

 

UP THE TOWN!

So the Super Bowl was on....zzzzzzz  .... oh yeah, was boring, so mind numbingly boring....zzzzz....

 

 

Really now, if I wanted to watch overpaid girls slap each other, I'd rent the O.C.

Sadly today is marked by the passing of Grandad Lucas - Roy, son of Charles, devoted husband of Joyce.

 

Quite as near a stranger as any one of the same blood could be, there is a great deal of regret.  You do tend to stop and think about things more - not only would it have been nice to have known him a bit better, but you realise somethings are just plain daft and not worth the time or bother.  Makes one re-evaluate their priorities.

 

Anyway, was a good man as far as I can tell.  Solid in the faith and as mild mannered and meek as anyone could hope to be.