Originally Posted by
Whenurhappy
Were not RE City and Gieves one and the same? I have a Gieves Greatcoat I bought second hand in Plymouth when RAF Mount Wise closed down. It had had a red silk lining, but it had been roughly removed. I had that reinstated on a foreign tour where the tailors were affordable. I also picked up an RE City No 3 Mess Kit (probably owned by the same chap who sold the greatcoat) - it still fits well but it is heavily quilted, no doubt from the days when Messes did not have central heating. If worn with a waistcoat, it can be uncomfortably warm. But I wont be wearing either items again. I'm holding on to the greatcoat and mess kit for sentimental reasons.
When I was on the last entry of Flight Cadets, RE City, which had a branch in Sleaford was owned by Alkit. Our first No 1's came from RE City but I cannot remember whether they were marked as City or Alkit. Can't remember where the SD hats came from though they were nothing special – I remember sewing the white tape to make the cadet's hat band. OP shoes came from Poulsen Scone. Gieves had a shop on the West Camp, managed by Mr Young. Useful for buying new gloves and collar-attached shirts – the approved style being Van Heusen "Hyde", an improvement on those issue, collar-detached shirts made by Ladybird. We were free to buy our mess kit from wherever – mine came from a chopped officer via RE City. Graduation No 1 came from Gieves though at least one of our number had his made up by another. I cannot remember buying anything else from a military tailor save a pair of gloves and a decent hat from Bates,. Can anyone remember the picture of the officer who looked as if he had just smelt something nasty in the Bates’ advertisement in the College Journal?
I am informed that I am a Veteran and at a meeting of veterans at an airbase in Anglesey recently, I met the new Padre sporting a new SD hat. The top was so large and flat that you could have played a game of cricket on it. When I inquired of its parentage, I was told it was issued from stores. No doubt they are made under contract in Albania or somewhere.