In the dimly lit attic, a forgotten treasure lay waiting to be discovered. As I rummaged through the piles of forgotten items, a cardboard box caught my eye, its contents a mystery. Inside, I found a time capsule of sorts, a collection of clothes from my teenage years. Among the pile, a tie stood out, a formal, thinly-styled tie with tiny white squares, reminiscent of the fashionable ties worn by The Beatles. This tie, I realized, was a memento of a special occasion, a suit tailored by the now-defunct department store, Brown, Muff & Company, in Bradford.
This discovery sparked a journey down memory lane, a trip back to the mid-1960s in Bradford. I recalled the momentous event of being kitted out in a made-to-measure two-piece suit, a suit of distinction, to commemorate my transition into adolescence. The store, Brown, Muff & Company, was a symbol of high social standing in Bradford, and its exclusive nature was indicated by the fact that only the wealthy had accounts there. My family, firmly rooted in the working-class branch, never ventured into the hallowed portals of BMs, as it was affectionately called. Instead, we shopped at Lingard's, Busby's, and the Co-op Emporium, paying upfront in cash or on the never-never.
The suit, with its quality blue-black material, double-breasted jacket, and flared trousers, was a fashion statement, and the tie, with its inscription, 'Golden Award Custom Matched by Frank Struser', was the pièce de résistance. The tie, in particular, stands out as a symbol of the store's exclusivity and the social status it represented. It was a tie that, in my opinion, was not just a piece of fabric but a status symbol, a marker of my family's aspirations and the social ladder they sought to climb.
The tie, now rediscovered, has taken on a new life. In my post-retirement role as a 'casual registrar', I wore it one busy Saturday morning at Leeds Civic Hall. The groom in the very first ceremony remarked on the tie, and I preened, boasting about its origin. This simple tie, I realized, was more than just a piece of fabric; it was a connection to the past, a reminder of the social dynamics of the time, and a symbol of the aspirations of my family. It is a reminder that, in the grand scheme of things, we are all just trying to climb the social ladder, each in our own way, and that sometimes, a simple tie can be a powerful reminder of that journey.
