London Scottish: The Cockney Jocks Reenacting Group

[BoldHighlander]

BRAVO!
I've always admired the hodden grey colored kilts.

[OC Richard]

that's quite amazing.

I know from much hard experience how difficult it is to get everything just right. It seems so easy to get 90% of the kit together, but oh that last 10%!

Interesting about the footwear. Ankle boots with no spats, eh? I know that was very common with Highland Dress at that time, in the civilian world, but offhand I can't remember a military unit's Full Dress being like that. Of course the London Scottish's uniform was unique and quirky in just about every way, so I'm not surprised at the footwear.

No dicing on the Glengarry initially? When was the dicing introduced? Happily for reenactors, Glengarries with the distinctive London Scottish/Toronto Scottish dicing are being mass produced as we speak in India or Pakistan- I see them at the Games all the time.

See you at Fair Hill! I'm going to be visiting from California, my first times at those Games.

As a piper, I would love to have the time and money to put together this kit! (The last time one of those sporrans came up for sale it was around $1500.)

[McRoy]

Great look although any unit not wearing Black Watch ain't worth S%$T IMHO. Lol

All kidding aside, from Wikipedia;

Hodden Grey is the name given to the tartan worn by members of the London Scottish Regiment, and the Toronto Scottish Regiment (Canada). It was chosen both to avoid inter-clan rivalry and also because, as Lord Elcho said, "A soldier is a man hunter. As a deer stalker chooses the least visible of colours, so ought a soldier to be clad."

[416 Rigby]

You look smashing! Is that a Martini?

[BruceBC]

Looks great. Anyone know of a source for the Hodden kilt material?

[Blupiper]

Great impression. I'll second OC Richard; really love that sporran!

JMB

[BobsYourUncle]

that's quite amazing.

I know from much hard experience how difficult it is to get everything just right. It seems so easy to get 90% of the kit together, but oh that last 10%!

Interesting about the footwear. Ankle boots with no spats, eh? I know that was very common with Highland Dress at that time, in the civilian world, but offhand I can't remember a military unit's Full Dress being like that. Of course the London Scottish's uniform was unique and quirky in just about every way, so I'm not surprised at the footwear.

No dicing on the Glengarry initially? When was the dicing introduced? Happily for reenactors, Glengarries with the distinctive London Scottish/Toronto Scottish dicing are being mass produced as we speak in India or Pakistan- I see them at the Games all the time.

See you at Fair Hill! I'm going to be visiting from California, my first times at those Games.

As a piper, I would love to have the time and money to put together this kit! (The last time one of those sporrans came up for sale it was around $1500.)

Thank you for the good words! It was great that we got to meet up at Fair Hill and jawbone over all of this!

As I posted, my kit is all Circa early 1875, and differs from modern London Scottish kit in several respects. To answer your questions: [1] Spats did not come into use in the London Scottish until 1882. See J.O. Robson's The Uniform of the London Scottish 1859-1959, Ipswich, The London Scottish Regiment Ogilby Trust, 1960, page 24; [2] Dicing on the Glengarry--that is an item unique to the Toronto Scottish. The London Scottish have NEVER worn dicing on their Glengarry, they only wore dicing on a forage cap Circa 1860; [3] the Piper whose picture you have posted is a MODERN Pipe Major--they are dressed differently than regular pipers. The Pipe Major wears some Officer items, for example, the sporran depicted is an Officer's pattern. Regular Pipers wear a different pattern. In the early years, pre-1908, the Pipers wore the same sporran that Other Ranks wore, with a thistle sporran badge. Also, the Gordon tartan bag was not in wear until 1936. Robson, page 54. Up until 1936, the London Scottish pipers used a Government tartan bag.