I was watching a recording of the Victoria Wood xmas musical, 'The Night we all Sang', which was set in the late 60s, the time of flower power, hippies, anything way out. Inside IBM, the dress code was white shirt, sober tie, dark suit and black shoes. A sort of Mormon brotherhood. Outside on the streets, folk wore anything but, flowery shirts, flared trousers, gaudy kipper ties and sandals.

Jackie, later my wife, made her own dresses at the time (we were poor !), which were bright flowery patterns, as she was a wartime baby. She also made me kipper (really broad) ties, from the material she had left over, we were a matching pair when we were out. Real dedicated followers of fashion.

Unfortunately I took to wearing these non regulation ties for work, where customers were amused by their non regulation dressed, renegade engineer. It was all fine as long as i avoided the management fashion police. However I failed, I had to visit the office one Monday morning to drop off my call cards, when I was spotted by the PEKING fashion police. I was invited into the Chief Inspector's office to explain my crime. It was the only time that I recall being reprimanded by your Dad, he was a very tolerant man, especially when worse was to come, when I wrote the Branch Newsletter.

I bet he doesn't remember that story, Jackie was most offended by slur on her creations.