PINKTOBER 28 - PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD...

...and when you do, make sure it’s wearing a pink Doc Martens “bovver” boot!

I wonder if you thought I had gone mad and bought a pair of pink Doc Martens “bovver” boots?  Sadly the answer is No - but they are on loan from our lovely neighbour, Lynn.  When we were having afternoon tea a couple of days ago, I said that I wanted to go into town to see if I could get a shot of a pair of pink boots, whereupon she said that she had a pair of pink Doc Martens and I was very welcome to borrow them - so here they are - with me wearing some pink flowery trousers and next to a pot of pink chrysanthemums - and I am even wearing pink/purple socks.

I didn’t know much about these boots, so did some research and found out that although Doc Martens are a symbol of Britishness, in fact, they were first created in 1945 by a Dr. Klaus Maertens, a soldier, who was convalescing and nursing a broken foot when he found the traditional leather of his army boots too harsh, so he made an air-cushioned sole using the discarded rubber of old tyres.  Formal production began in 1947 with a business partner, Dr. Herbert Funck and the business grew rapidly, proving very popular with housewives and older women - perhaps my Mum even had a pair!

In 1960, Bill Griggs, whose family business in Wollaston, Northamptonshire was already producing work boots, saw an advertisement in a shoe trade magazine and subsequently obtained a licence to produce work boots with the Dr. Maertens air-cushioned sole.  The design was adapted to include the trademark yellow stitching, the sole was rebranded as Airwair, the name changed to Dr. Marten and the rest is history.

They were initially sold as a £2 work-wear boot, and soon became popular among postal workers, who walked many miles during their day, factory workers and police officers.  It also became part of the “skinhead” working class uniform - named “bovver” boots - and sadly these were associated with violence.  They are  much more expensive today, of course, and can cost upwards of £150.  

Many of my ancestors lived in the Northampton area, and some of them were boot makers - many years before Dr. Martens were produced here - but it’s interesting to think that had they been alive 60 years ago, they may even have been involved in making Dr. Martens boots.

Please remember to click on this link so that those who cannot afford to pay for a mammogram may have a free one.  Thank you.

“Be sure you put your feet 
     in the right place, 
          then stand firm.”    
Abraham Lincoln

P.S.  I have put an extra in to show the lights in our conservatory - they certainly cheered us up and brought joy to our hearts - there is even a pinky glow!