Quote Originally Posted by Pleater View Post
I sometimes have to explain that the oil put onto smocks has rotted the fibres and that it is beyond saving. The oil waterproofed the fabric quite well, right up until it began to fail and fall apart, by which time another one would have been made.

Having visited several places where people act as though they were living in the exhibitions, I often see behaviour which is wrong.

My mother would wear a cardigan, slippers and apron in the house, and her purse was always kept in a particular place, but if she needed to go to the shop, which was the sixth door along the road from our house she would wash her face, comb her hair, take off the cardigan and apron and slippers put on leather shoes, a jacket and - back in the 50s and 60s, a hat and gloves. The handbag came out of the sideboard, the purse went in, along with a small folding shopping bag, then off she would go, out of the front door and back in again a few minutes later. The side door to the kitchen was only a few steps away, but she was brought up when such things were still significant and at that time the servants used the back door (which was often left unlocked in the daytime) whilst the mistress of the house had a key, and used it, or the door was opened for her.
I used to read old novels and the plot often turned on some aspect of behaviour or etiquette which either gave away the hero/heroine's superiority or betrayed the villain as not who he seemed!!

Anne the Pleater
Whale oil and shark oil were used for thousands of years as well as lanolin. I put Mink oil on my leather boots here in Canada where there is snow and road salt. My leather sporran is even preserved with mink oil.