The perfect crease

SIR – In Glasgow Academy’s CCF pipe band in the 1960s, to achieve a perfect crease (Letters, May 20) we used the very thin thread of elastic that was wound round the centre of an old balata golf ball.

This was carefully run down the inside of the jacket arm, before being pressed with a very hot iron. It was never used on trousers, however – we wore the kilt.

AJM Scott

Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire

SIR – Fine trouser creases on parade, especially when leading the guard, were vital. Decades later, before a special event, I still put on my shoes before my pressed trousers to preserve their sharpness.

Malvern Harper

Ripley, Derbyshire

SIR – I, too, was a successful user of soap to sharpen creases in my CCF days (Letters, May 20).

Having been taught by an aunt to sew, I also amended my school uniform, replacing the white buttons with coloured ones – red, blue and green – and sewed a contrasting colour to the reverse of my black tie.

After school, with a quick twist of the tie, I was quite a lad about town, which earned me the nickname “Ed the Ted”. Grenville Edwards

Albaston, Cornwall