Smart suit gave us the Hebe-geebees

VISItING the Festival of Britain in 1951, in its honour I wore my best hebe Sports costume — quite an expensive item in the early Fifties. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit in the company of a young man who had been delegated to keep an eye on me! two weeks later, with my best friend amanda, I spent a week in London, where we stayed at the homes of the evacuees who had lived with us during the war years. We’d meet at a central tube station, then explore the city. amanda also had a hebe Sports costume and we thought ourselves quite sophisticated as we visited London’s attractions, including its expensive stores. While amanda soon had the tube worked out, I often got it wrong, and was late several times at our meeting point. One morning I arrived to find amanda quite upset. She explained that a woman had approached her and said angrily: ‘Why are you here? I was told to come here!’ at first amanda was puzzled, then realised the woman was, to be polite, a lady of the night. ‘She thought I was like her,’ said amanda indignantly, ‘and I was wearing my hebe Sports costume!’ I wanted to laugh, but realised she was truly upset. ‘try and be on time in future,’ she said. the next day I was early, and I stood just outside the station entrance keeping a wary eye out for anyone ‘suspicious’. Someone touched me on the shoulder, and a voice asked, ‘Mary? It is you, isn’t it?’ It was the young man from the Festival of Britain. Before I could say anything, he went on: ‘I thought I recognised the costume.’ two rather subdued students still wearing their hebe Sports costumes left London that week.

Mary Anderson, Wimborne, Dorset.