Military 'woolly pully' sweaters

[Ticklishchap]

Legal and eminently suited for my study desk.

As one of our radio announcers says in his Lancashire accent: 'call me if it's safe and legal'.

 

[Ticklishchap]

I have realised that I wore my first woolly pully in 1977, aged 11 - it was olive, and Navy soon followed. This means that I have been wearing these sweaters for over 38 years!

 

[ingineer]

TC;
so now it is a sweater! sounds like we will make a Yank out of you.
found another used Brigade Quartermaster WP (old OKW re-brand )
black, but as cheap as chips.
missed the OKW sale while i was swinging the lead

 

[Ticklishchap]

Richard
That's a good photo and I hope you'll get a lot of wear out of the WP. Thanks. There'll doubtless be another OKW sale soon. Re. American English, could you translate 'swinging the lead'? I remember Brigade Quartermaster.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I have realised that I wore my first woolly pully in 1977, aged 11 - it was olive, and Navy soon followed. This means that I have been wearing these sweaters for over 38 years!

I Think I have been wearing them since about 1972! As said above, it has been very warm recently for the time of year, seems a worldwide thing at the moment. Having said that, I happen to be in a navy WP just now.

 

[Capesofwrath]

Richard
That's a good photo and I hope you'll get a lot of wear out of the WP. Thanks. There'll doubtless be another OKW sale soon. Re. American English, could you translate 'swinging the lead'? I remember Brigade Quartermaster.

Not sure if you’re joking there but I aways though swinging the lead was English English. A near synonym for skiving. Both long gone tasks where the progress made was hard to quantify so easy to shirk on. Though the former could end in a disaster if the leadsman did shirk.

 

[Ticklishchap]

Not sure if you’re joking there but I aways though swinging the lead was English English. A near synonym for skiving. Both long gone tasks where the progress made was hard to quantify so easy to shirk on. Though the former could end in a disaster if the leadsman did shirk.

It's one of those expressions that takes us back to a time when we had manufacturing industry. It's worrying how much vocabulary from the recent past we seem to be losing.

 

[Ticklishchap]

I Think I have been wearing them since about 1972! As said above, it has been very warm recently for the time of year, seems a worldwide thing at the moment. Having said that, I happen to be in a navy WP just now.

And I too am in a Navy WP just now. 1972 is even more of an achievement but then you're a bit older than me! ...

 

[Ticklishchap]

TC;
so now it is a sweater! sounds like we will make a Yank out of you.
found another used Brigade Quartermaster WP (old OKW re-brand )
black, but as cheap as chips.

I also like the expression 'cheap as chips', which has almost fallen out of use here.

Another woolly pully day today.

 

[mariner]

Unseasonably warm weather in the UK, means no wearing of jumpers at all. I have acquired a few vintage 70s and 80s Bridgedale and Commando versions of wps over the summer. Those jumpers seem better quality wool, a tighter rib, longer length and more attention to detail in the overlocking of seams than Kempton do now. Even an old cream roll neck rib jumper seems better put together than the modern green and brown marl versions I have - they seem to get floppy and out of shape easier and the roll necks are too loose fitting too, maybe is a tension issue in the knit. I mentioned how strange the submarine jumpers look in an earlier post, in relation to the old Pick & Sons models I have and a nice 1960s issue version - the latest model has a weird fold in the roll / polo neck - you can see this on the site. Maybe this is symptomatic of the company taking their eye off the ball in terms of quality; given the greater volume of sales of these through the ebay site and internet? I saw on their negative feedback, that someone said they were made offshore now? I can't imagine that happening in Leics, of all places, but I do wonder after trying to sell some of my WP collection on ebay and being prevented from doing so by Kempton, that there's a problem and copies of an inferior quality are in the market - even if they're not mine. Either way, it doesn't bode well and I am reluctant to buy any other colours of the styles that I like, just in case & obviously am not very enamoured if you can't sell off 2nd hand versions on the used market. Poor show really.

 

[Smithy]

I was wearing mine over the weekend. RAF blue/grey model. They're great jumpers.

 

[Ticklishchap]

I was wearing mine over the weekend. RAF blue/grey model. They're great jumpers.

Yes, I like the RAF blue and wear mine quite frequently. The Dark Grey Mix is a good colour as well.

 

[Ticklishchap]

Unseasonably warm weather in the UK, means no wearing of jumpers at all. I have acquired a few vintage 70s and 80s Bridgedale and Commando versions of wps over the summer. Those jumpers seem better quality wool, a tighter rib, longer length and more attention to detail in the overlocking of seams than Kempton do now. Even an old cream roll neck rib jumper seems better put together than the modern green and brown marl versions I have - they seem to get floppy and out of shape easier and the roll necks are too loose fitting too, maybe is a tension issue in the knit. I mentioned how strange the submarine jumpers look in an earlier post, in relation to the old Pick & Sons models I have and a nice 1960s issue version - the latest model has a weird fold in the roll / polo neck - you can see this on the site. Maybe this is symptomatic of the company taking their eye off the ball in terms of quality; given the greater volume of sales of these through the ebay site and internet? I saw on their negative feedback, that someone said they were made offshore now? I can't imagine that happening in Leics, of all places, but I do wonder after trying to sell some of my WP collection on ebay and being prevented from doing so by Kempton, that there's a problem and copies of an inferior quality are in the market - even if they're not mine. Either way, it doesn't bode well and I am reluctant to buy any other colours of the styles that I like, just in case & obviously am not very enamoured if you can't sell off 2nd hand versions on the used market. Poor show really.

Like many people, I have been complaining about the unseasonably mild weather and the persistent south-west winds bringing it in. I hope for a change to cooler or colder weather in the New Year! However, you are further south than me so it is probably worse. I have been able to wear jumpers, including WPs, on many days, sometimes in lieu of a jacket.
Most of my WPs I have had for some time, but I have acquired two patchless WPs (Army and Navy) from OKW over the summer and have been very happy with them. I am sorry that you have not been so lucky with yours: perhaps you should contact OKW and let them know?

 

[ingineer]

perfect misty day for the IDF WP

 

[Ticklishchap]

Very nice WP and really suits you. What is the badge that you're wearing with it?

 

[Ticklishchap]

Perfect day for an olive Army WP today.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Perfect day for an olive Army WP today.

That's a co-incidence, I am in an Olive WP now, was in Blue-Grey earlier.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Unseasonably warm weather in the UK, means no wearing of jumpers at all. I have acquired a few vintage 70s and 80s Bridgedale and Commando versions of wps over the summer. Those jumpers seem better quality wool, a tighter rib, longer length and more attention to detail in the overlocking of seams than Kempton do now. Even an old cream roll neck rib jumper seems better put together than the modern green and brown marl versions I have - they seem to get floppy and out of shape easier and the roll necks are too loose fitting too, maybe is a tension issue in the knit. I mentioned how strange the submarine jumpers look in an earlier post, in relation to the old Pick & Sons models I have and a nice 1960s issue version - the latest model has a weird fold in the roll / polo neck - you can see this on the site. Maybe this is symptomatic of the company taking their eye off the ball in terms of quality; given the greater volume of sales of these through the ebay site and internet? I saw on their negative feedback, that someone said they were made offshore now? I can't imagine that happening in Leics, of all places, but I do wonder after trying to sell some of my WP collection on ebay and being prevented from doing so by Kempton, that there's a problem and copies of an inferior quality are in the market - even if they're not mine. Either way, it doesn't bode well and I am reluctant to buy any other colours of the styles that I like, just in case & obviously am not very enamoured if you can't sell off 2nd hand versions on the used market. Poor show really.

It does sound like you may have been sent a defective garment. I have some of their roll necks and other sweaters that I bought from them recently and they were fine, if anything the roll neck it self was a bit tight but ok. Maybe you should contact them and raise your concerns. It does not sound like their normal service.

 

[Ticklishchap]

One of the dilemmas when you have as many WPs as I do is not only which colour but which model to wear. For example, I have 4 different types of Navy: patchless, standard model with patches, patches and epps, patches, epps and pen pocket. I have opted for the latter today!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

One of the dilemmas when you have as many WPs as I do is not only which colour but which model to wear. For example, I have 4 different types of Navy: patchless, standard model with patches, patches and epps, patches, epps and pen pocket. I have opted for the latter today!

I am wearing a Peat Brown WP today.