Wednesday 26 November 2014

Leather, a wedding and a skull or two too

One of the last times I wore a leather biker jacket was at a wedding.  My wedding!

It was cough splutter twitch mumble years ago today, and we both dressed in black and leather. I must confess that we hadn't even wanted to do the whole marriage thing in the first place, because it didn't seem very rock'n'roll.  However, it looked as if I might not have a home in the not-too-distant future and that as a married couple we could be offered a place on the council list, so we did it.  We picked the date and I went down to the Registrars to book it. The man behind the desk spent a lot of time explaining that parking was so limited we'd need to tell all our guests to use the car park by the train station please, and he made it very clear that confetti was strictly forbidden, etc. etc.  It all seemed very officious.  I barely acknowledged his instructions and conditions, just nodding vaguely before asking how much these formalities would cost.  If my memory serves me well, it was about £9.50.

So we made it as rock'n'roll as we could, and I'll never forget the Registrar's face when the two of us walked in together dressed like we were just off to a gig.  He was surprised when our two witnesses were the only guests we'd invited as well, and none of us had cars or confetti.  No family, no photos either.   When we finally exchanged our silver skull-and-crossbones rings, the man's expression was priceless.  I don't wear the same ring now, but I did for several years and I'll always remember one day when I was serving a very posh man in the record shop, he caught sight of my third finger left hand.  "That's bloody bizarre" he said in a disapproving Sergeant Major type voice. "Is it?" I replied.  (What did he think I was going to say: "Oh my god, I never noticed! Get it off me, quick!" ?)

Anyway I was talking about leather biker jackets, wasn't I? -  and I was just saying to a friend the other day how something that was once quite a rebellious fashion statement for a female (particularly if you didn't actually ride a motorbike) has become populist now.  So populist that recently Littlewoods advertised it as one of this year's Top Ten 'must haves' for ladies, along with ankle boots, an oversized bag and a skater skirt.  It's in the mainstream... like Ramones Tshirts and doubtless many other items and styles that once meant something special to the wearer, once gave them an edge and set them apart, but not any more.  Funny how that happens, and now that alone is enough reason for me not to want to wear another biker jacket - even though aesthetically I do still like them.  But this is just wrong:



After our £9.50 wedding we pushed the boat out and had a slap-up meal at the local restaurant with our two 'witness' mates, followed by Mars Bars bought tipsily from the local corner shop and then we went home.... separately.  Our plan didn't work and we were never offered a council place.  We lived apart for several months before I managed to get a job and we could pool enough money together for rent in a shabby sub-let concrete flat above a shopping precinct, with a dodgy neighbour whose feral kids used to peer into our back windows and from where we once witnessed the nearby petrol station catching fire and lighting up the sky.  And other stories which I won't bore you with!  Very rock'n'roll, hmm...

Off for a slap-up meal now.  See ya later!








19 comments:

  1. Given enough time, everything becomes mainstream eventually. Depressing really. How do kids rebel nowadays? Quietly, judging by by mate's teenage daughter. He was telling me recently that he was so outraged by the sedate volume at which she was listening to an album in her bedroom, that he burst in and told her off for not playing it loudly enough! 'Turn that bloody racket UP!'
    I only ever owned one biker jacket, £35 from a charity shop. It was too short, but for a couple of years I convinced myself that it fitted ok. One day I caught sight of myself reflected in a shop window. It looked ridiculous - as if I'd stolen the jacket from a child. I re-donated it soon after.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! You haven't been listening to my conversations with the cubs, have you? 'Turn that bloody racket up!'...how many times have I told them? I was thrilled when one of them came home with a Smiths album on vinyl - little did I realise it could be played so bloody QUIETLY!

      Delete
    2. Yes it all changes I suppose, what was once perhaps in the margins becomes mainstream and then something else has to take its place... maybe it doesn't really matter that much anyway.. but it seemed to so much at the time and I can't quite rid myself completely of that feeling, even though it's all quite superficial really when it comes down to it!

      Love that about music being played too quietly - I had no idea that would ever be an option for a young'un! I still want louder... !! And turn up the bass! But maybe I'm just going deaf...

      Delete
  2. I'll have to admit that I'm so non-rock and roll in certain respects that I've never owned or wanted to own a biker jacket. Of course, I can understand the rebellious appeal and I'm sure you looked great in yours! Nice wedding outfit! The only time I've ever worn such a thing - well, quite similar anyway - was when I borrowed a mate's leather jacket one night when we went out for a drink (it must have been colder than I thought). Anyway, I felt very uncomfortable in it (being a long-time vegetarian may not have helped) and I must say I ended up more pissed than I had been for many, many years; could barely stand up on leaving the pub. I've concluded that leather jackets have a weird effect on me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear, sounds like someone spiked your jacket! Best steer clear!

      I do still wear leather, but dress me in something pink and frilly and I'd probably end up getting very very pissed too...

      Delete
  3. The modern fashion biker jacket is a major calamity. I like a 'proper' one but I think for a man there comes an age were you are running a risk of looking a tad mid life crisis.
    Swiss Adam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...I'm now picturing Charlie Higson's pony-tailed mid-life crisis man from The Fast Show...

      Delete
  4. Love the wedding story btw
    Swiss Adam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ta, I only wish now that we'd taken just one photo!

      Delete
  5. And how long have y'all been married? Ha!

    That's excellent.

    The only people who can truly get away with these leather jackets are the Bandidos that run meth from Mexico through Miss. on motorbikes. Otherwise...not a good look.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was a child bride :-)

      I can just see those Bandido guys in my head now... we don't really have an equivalent, but you do sometimes see Old Rockers and Old Hell's Angels (plus of course Old Punks) who are perhaps the closest thing we have, wearing their biker jackets with any degree of authenticity.

      Delete
    2. I loved the new header...I really love the newest header.

      The funny thing about the motorcycle gangs...is they don't hide it at all. You know, I know, the cops know what they do but they don't hide it. You really don't see them that often.
      Lots of other biker clubs...vets, Christian groups, riding clubs.
      The other thing you see every once in a while is a little crude cross in the webbing between pointer finger and thumb...little dashes around it. Fellow travelers and affiliates of the Mexicans.

      Delete
    3. Thanks Erik, I was just so attracted by the original photo of Anita Page, had to play with it and use it somehow!

      You have some real hard guys out there...

      Delete
    4. Ha. I thought it was you...still love it though.

      I reckon it says something about my life that I only know these things because I have had close ties with some of these people :0.

      Delete
    5. Oh! I've rectified that now and put her name at the bottom. Credit where it's due!

      I feel you must have some great stories there, but whether or not you would be wise to make them public is another thing...

      Delete
    6. Ha. I need to make it clear that I was not involved in any business with the Mexican Mafia..:). My friends are no longer involved in these nefarious activities.
      It was with the dope selling waitresses at Waffle House that stories were made which cannot be repeated because Martha has no statute of limitations...and she would kill me if she knew some of the tights I got myself in back then. :0

      Delete
  6. Excellant, my type of wedding. Mine was in a register office in France and it was over in a minute and a half and then we were out in the street. Never understood a word. However we took photos and it really is a shame you did not. At least somthing, even from a phone booth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely brilliant! A minute and a half and you never understood a word... and still you're married to the lovely Old Ma, it says a lot about what really matters :-)

      Delete
  7. I actually think a leather jacket would look great over a wedding dress, it certainly toughens it up a bit!

    ReplyDelete

Please come in, the door is open

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...