Festive Clobber Gifts (Recent Purchases)

A few Christmas gifts off the family for the wardrobe -

First up a plain Barbour shirt from me maw. Dark blue and white check, quite a chunky check too. Not the usual thin check most of my shirt choices have. Liking the lack of outer labelling, just a small discreet shield motif with no words on chest pocket.

Next up a nice smart Harris Tweed scarf. It's stiff, it's itchy and it smells of piss when wet, but what a cracking look. Brown/cream houndsteeth design from those Outer Hebrides hermits who weave the wool in their living room. Well documented that Casual Connoisseurs Harris Tweed scarves all sold out within a minute, but preferred this colourway direct from Harris Tweed - half the price of CC efforts at a low low £15. A gift from the wife, who thankfully has the same view on scarves as me - that you can never have too many...

Which is a good thing because the maw-in-law got me another one. A smart Paul Smithesque college scarf by House of Frasers Linea range. Not something I've ever bought from before, but in my humble opinion the likes of HoFs Linea and Howick are just like M&S - they provide good quality everyday clobber for a reasonable price. Anyway it's always been about design as opposed to the label for me (not strictly true when I was younger, but is now I'm more mature), so there.

Next something I been after for a good while but couldn't warrant it at full price. However found one on eBay BNWT and got him for £30. A Casual Connoisseur 'Beat-a-storm' MKII cagoule. Anyone reading this won't need telling they used the Peter Storm Cag as their template and made a pretty damn cool waterproof/windproof lightweight jacket. Deffo the best colourway of the second set of releases, although would have killed for a blue one of the original set. Still this looks the dogs on and the quality is far better than expected, fully lined in white rubbery waterproofing inside. Well done lads.

Finally another eBay purchase. Been on a downer about Stone Island recently and sold this jumper off. However felt lost without him being one of the original S.I. crew. So saw another one pop up on Bay and had to have it. Got for the same price as I sold it, he was one size bigger so a bit more comfy, plus in better nick than my old one so all in all a result. Pale green with marina stripes, and those of you film buffs may recognise it from Nick Love's Football Factory, as the knit on the 'nutter in a Stone Island jumper and a blade in my face' - but we'll not hold that against it.

This is England 88

This is England 88 finished last night and have to conclude there was three excellent episodes from Mr. Meadows. TIE86 was good but this time he quite rightly was the sole director (the first two episodes of 86 he lent out and weren't that good). BAFTA award winning Vicky McClure (Lol) was brilliant as she has been throughout the film/series, but for me Joe Gilgun (Woody) was outstanding. His witty, charming and endearing character was rightly put at the forefront of this installment, and Gilgun steals every scene he's in, be it funny, awkward or sad. He lives and breathes his character with some wonderful improvising going on, hilarious even when he's hurting - I mean that in a nice way. Makes you wish he was in the original film more, as his character is barely seen in the second half when Combo shows up. An amazing actor - Woody by name, not wooden in nature.

Unlike Thomas Turgoose (Shaun). He was good as a boy in the film but has failed to blossom as he's matured. I think Meadows has realised this too, as he was reduced to a few scenes in the third part last night. Hope I'm not being too harsh, but he looks clumsy delivering his lines and there always seems to be a big fuck off pause before he actually does say it. I'm pleased Meadows hasn't let nostalgia rule his storyline, as most of the gang take a back seat and McClure and Gilgun rightly act their arses off - good decision, awards in the bag.

Has to be said, the cameo of Stephen Graham's Combo in episode two was genius. Lol telling him sorry for what she said in the car back in the film and that she loved him was lovely. That was the moment in film for me that sparked off bad Combo, and although he was vindicated at the end of 86 for taking the wrap for Lol killing her dad, this moment of heart felt loving is something he deserved. He'll be out on parole in TIE90 I'm hoping. Hope it doesn't interfere with Lol and Woody as them being back together now looks a done deal. Magic.