Thursday 25 September 2014

Old leather

A load of boxes stored in my parents’ loft recently turned up a nostalgia-overdose. In among the Subbuteo and Scalextric, the graffiti-plastered school books and old rugby boots was this, my first ever leather jacket. I got it when I was about 14 years old. The Triumph obsession was served by a tatty Tiger Cub that, just as I was old enough to ride it on the road with L-plates (17), the law changed and pushed it out of reach. The Isle of Man patch was from my first ever TT, with my mate Smiffy (and his parents) when we were 15. That white ‘LP’? Teen love in Humbrol enamel. The lining’s long gone and it smells like a dying Labrador, but it’s a keeper. Can anyone ever chuck out their old leathers? It’s a skin thing. MP

5 comments:

Chris said...

too true...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/driverchris/jacket1.jpg

Mick P said...

Nice jacket, Chris. Your handiwork?

Unknown said...

My first was a ratty old jacket with sisters of mercy "tune in, turn on, burn out" painted on the back. I scratched it off and painted over it a bit and stencilled the clash on the back of it. It is so dry and pretty much falls apart if you so much as look at it. At one point the arm was hanging on by about an inch of leather at the seam. The pockets have no bottoms as they are split and the lining has torn at the bottom completely. It is soaked in much beer and I think even some sick!

Chris said...

All my own work Mick. The back started out with a mono Jimi Hendrix (man!) which was replaced with a Tank Girl sitting on a mini over a Senseless Things logo.

Being handy with the brushes I did various college mates jackets - Celtic knotwork a la New Model Army was a popular choice

Peter said...

That jacket looks so cool. I had one back when I was a young lad. My mates and I were really into Top Gun. Mine was plain, though, wish I’d have met you and had you do mine. I suppose I can’t wear a painted on the leather jacket now. You still handy with a brush?

Peter @ Colourlock