News

7th December 2011

Wolsey Grip Top knee length socks with the famous red top are popular for Christmas

Wolsey's Grip Top knee length socks with the distinctive red piping at the top are popular purchases for Christmas. The warmth of pure wool and the reinforcement of nylon at the toe and heel are a great combination.

Wolsey's Grip Tops have enough grip at the top to stay up, but without gripping too tightly. They're warm and comfortable on the colder weather, and wear well for everyday use.

We have Grip Tops in rustic brown, mid grey, and black - subtle colours which go with most outfits. Some customers are buying a week's supply of one colour, others are having some of each colour - the choice is yours!

Grip Top long socks are available in our online shop, as well as Wolsey Cardinal half hose calf length socks for those of you who prefer the shorter sock.

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30th November 2011

It's a red spotty hanky - oh yes it is!

Red spotty hankies and the pantomine season - and we're discovering yet more uses for our popular  large spotted handkerchiefs.

If you're staging Dick Whittington this festive season, you'll be looking for a red spotted handkerchief for Dick to wrap his belongings in as he heads to London in the hope of finding streets paved with gold. We've also heard a rumour that the Seven Dwarves reckon these colourful hankies would be a good addition to their outfits.

Brighten up someone's Christmas with our red spotty handkerchiefs and other colourful hankies - they're in our online shop now (oh yes they are!)

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23rd November 2011

Wolsey Cardinal socks: traditional quality, classic style

Wolsey Cardinal half-hose socks have combined quality and style for decades. We stock these popular calf-length socks here in our online shop and in our shop in Brecon.

Wolsey is one of the oldest textile companies in the world. It's still based in Leicester, close to the grave of Cardinal Wolsey who inspired the brand name. Wolsey was one of the first brand names, and the company was one of the first to build brand awareness through advertising.

Wolsey adverts from the 1940s and 1950s are design classics. Many were by renowned graphic artist Ashley Havinden, who signed himself "Ashley". His humourous minimalist style is similar to Gilroy's famous Guinness adverts of the same era. The advert above was in Punch, November 15th 1950. It 's one of a series using animals to advertise Cardinal socks.

Havinden designed the advert's Wolsey logo, in a style that evolved into his 1955 Script typeface. As Art Director of Crawford's advertising agency for almost 40 years, he also produced work for Jaeger, Chrysler, Simpsons of London, and the Milk Marketing Board. Wolsey used the highest quality artist to reflect the high quality of their socks.

Wolsey Cardinal socks are still reinforced at the toe and heel, and are still a great buy. They'd be a super Christmas present. See the Cardinal half-hose and Wolsey's Grip Top knee length socks in our online shop. And if you revisit this news page in future, we might have some more classic Wolsey adverts to show you!

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16th November 2011

Somax nightshirts: brushed cotton comfort for all the family

Somax nightshirts in soft brushed cotton flannelette are great for cold winter nights. Long enough to curl up in, thick enough to keep out the cold, and stylish enough for ladies as well as men - a perfect Christmas gift for him or her.

These high quality long nightshirts are the traditional over the head style with 4 buttons and a proper collar.  Somax of Northern Ireland have been making them for years, and they remain a favourite for all ages. Chose blue stripes or wine (burgundy) stripes. The nightshirts are easy care - just put them in the washing machine at 40 degrees.

Brushed cotton nightshirts from Somax are comfortable and cosy as both sleepwear and loungewear for women as well as for men. So don't let the chaps have all the fun - if you're buying a nightshirt for the man in your life, how about one for you too? Have a look now in our online shop.

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12th November 2011

Red and white spotted handkerchief

Many of you have been Googling "red and white spotted handkerchief" in search of our popular 22 inch patterned hankies. Lots of results pop up for a book called "The Red and White Spotted Handkerchief"  - so we thought we'd find out what it's all about.

"The Red and White Spotted Handkerchief" is a book of narrative poems by Tony Mitton. Jack sets off to seek adventure, taking crusts of bread tied up in his red and white spotted handkerchief. He encounters a mermaid and a genie, fairies and a dragon, a magic carpet and a treasure map, plus many other characters familiar from traditional fairy tales and fables.

After a magical journey he ends up safely back home. In a twist on the familiar frog-into-prince transformation, "the dragon turned into a girl" and Jack had found his Jill.

So if any of you young-at-heart folks would like to follow in Jack's footsteps, seeking adventure with your food tied up in a red and white spotted hanky, we can provide you with just the thing. The spots on ours are not quite as big as the spots on Jack's, and you might use your spotty handkerchief as a neckerchief or as a napkin on a picnic or camping trip, rather than to carry crusts - but who knows what adventures you might have!

 

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5th November 2011

Spotted handkerchief in starring role as doggy bandana

A red and white spotted handkerchief from our shop has been a successful purchase for a customer in the Midlands. Sally from Worcester emailed to tell us all about it.

"Hello Aidan. Thought you'd like to see these photos of our dog Tanni wearing your lovely red spotted handkerchief as a doggy bandana! She's a German Shepherd, 8 years old, and loves being the centre of attention. She enjoyed posing for photos in the recent sunny spell - the spotty bandana makes her feel a real star.

We'll now buy some Paisley patterned handkerchiefs from your online shop - because Tanni will be wanting a different pattern for each day of the week!"

Thanks for that, Sally. It's always great to receive feedback about our products. We reckon Tanni has the star quality to be the next Lassie!

 

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29th October 2011

Large patterned hankies: lots more uses

Large colourful hankies have a multitude of uses. More suggestions have been coming in, including cleaning the car windscreen and polishing reading glasses. We've just tested one of our large spotty handkerchiefs and agree that it's perfect for both jobs!

A lady on holiday in Brecon recently bought a whole set of all the patterned handkerchiefs. She told us that she was delighted to see them on display outside our shop because - although hats don't suit her - she finds that these 22 inch square handkerchiefs make perfect colourful headscarves.

One of our local customers has just bought a pair of spotted handkerchiefs to send to her grandson. He is on a gap year in Madagascar, and it's difficult to send things to him. So these multi-use handkerchiefs (or neckerchiefs or bandanas) are just the thing to pop in the post to him for Christmas!

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25th October 2011

Large handkerchiefs: what do you use yours for?

Our 22 inch square spotted and paisley handkerchiefs are popular purchases - but what do you use your hanky for? This question was addressed recently in a series of letters in The Telegraph. Readers' suggestions included using a handkerchief to tie up bean sticks in the garden, as a bandage, and for wiping drips when painting.

We know our customers use our handkerchiefs for many different purposes. Our red spotted and blue spotted handkerchiefs and Paisley pattern handkerchiefs are used by men, women, children as neckerchiefs, bandanas, and all-purpose cloths.

We've also seen quite a few used as sun-hats in the summer, and then as neckerchiefs to keep out the chilly winds in winter. A lady visiting the shop recently described how she uses them as miniature tablecloths on side-tables and plant stands. And we know some labradors wear them as doggy-bandanas!

How do you use your large spotty handkerchief?

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20th October 2011

Somax brushed cotton pyjamas: reassuringly warm and comfy

Somax's luxurious brushed cotton flannelette pyjamas are just the thing for these chilly winter nights. Pamper yourself with the warm, comfortable fabric and relaxed cut of these top quality traditional men's pyjamas.

The buttoned jacket top has a proper revere collar and a chest pocket. A tie-cord drawstring waist on the pyjama trousers allows you plenty of room for adjustment. The flannelette fabric (sometimes known as wincyette or cotton flannel) is easy to care for. The pyjamas will go in the washing machine at 40 degrees.

We have these traditional-style Somax pyjamas available in blue stripe and in wine (red) stripe. Sizes are Medium, Large. Extra Large, and Extra Extra Large, catering for chest sizes up to 48 inches (122 cm). And they're not just for men. We sell lots of flannelette pyjamas to ladies who appreciate their comfort and quality, both as sleepwear and as loungewear.

See the full details of Somax's traditional striped flannelette pyjamas in our online shop, or phone us on 01874 623613 if you have any questions. I'm certainly looking forward to keeping warm and snug in my Somax pyjamas throughout the winter!

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12th October 2011

Corrib Donegal tweed overcoat from Magee

Magee's Corrib overcoat has been generating interest from customers looking for a winter coat. But some of you have also been asking about the origin of the name "Corrib", so we'd like to tell you all about it.

Lough Corrib is a lake in the west of Ireland, in an area known as the Irish Lake District. It is the second largest lough (lake) in Ireland, after Lough Neagh. It offers great fishing for brown trout and pike. The River Corrib - one of the shortest rivers in Europe - connects Lough Corrib to the sea at Galway. The River Corrib is reknowned for its salmon fishing, and is also popular with white water kayakers.

Oscar Wilde's father built a summer house beside Lough Corrib, but the lough is best known for its beautiful scenery, part of which is now a wetlands conservation area.

Magee is proud of its Irish roots, and looks to the local landscape for inspiration when selecting colours for its traditional tweeds. With the Corrib tweed overcoat, the name too is inspired by the landscape.

Magee's Corrib tweed overcoat is available in our online shop in chest sizes 38 to 46. For variations on these sizes, the Corrib is also available in Magee's Personal Tailoring service. Contact us on 01874 623613 or by email if you would like to find out more about this splendid coat with its impressive heritage. You too could be wearing a little bit of Ireland.

 

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