POLICE GLOVES

[Mervyn Mitton]

With the current cold weather I needed gloves this morning - and where were they all - in my flat in Bournemouth !

The only ones that could be found were these - issued to me in the Metropolitan Police in 1967 - so, they are ready for a Police Museum. You can't pick-up anything in them and they were made too large. Needless to say we all had our own leather ones - and eventually Stores had these withdrawn and leather types with elastic were issued.

The interesting thought is that gloves would never have been issued in the early days and I suppose it was down to the Constable's family to get knitting...............

[coldstream]

Mervyn

In the early 90's we were each issued with a pair of fake leather gloves which were the same type as could be found in any clothing store of the time. They were not up to much but better than nothing I suppose. Most of us who were ex services had managed to retain a pair of the leather padded gloves issued for Northen Ireland and so wore those.

Being Met were you issued with white gloves for ceremonial duties? If so were they personal issue or just handed out for a particular duty?

Best regards Simon

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Simon. With the Met. 5000 men of the inner Divisions were issued with full No. 1 Dress - incl. white gloves. The uniform was made of very high quality Melton Cloth and were identical to the 1900's style. Some idiot at CO (Scotland Yard) decided they were too expensive and all were sold to Ealing Film Studio for 3.50 pounds each ($5). I noticed recently that they have now re-issued white gloves. One trick I do remember - probably borrowed from the Army - is that in very cold weather you wear a pair of thin silk gloves under leather gloves - wonderful insulation. Mervyn

[NickLangley]

Where I used to live, Nottingham, white cotton gloves were still part of the summer uniform until the early 1980s. In shirt-sleeve-order the gloves would be folded neatly over the constable's uniform belt.