Hat remark was a real head-scratcher

DAVID J Crawford (Letters, December 13) writes that “hats have been badly treated in Scotland for years”. I wouldn’t know about that, but can say I own lots of hats and often wear one. A particular favourite, a wee woolly bunnet, handy for keeping the head warm while walking along Princes Street in Edinburgh (a very draughty place), caused a gentleman at city’s bus station, several weeks ago, to make an odd remark.

I was waiting for the last bus at 10.50pm, so sitting reading in the quiet station when a man came and sat by me, and after a while said: “Yer banes are stickin’ oot yer heid”. As there was no-one near I assumed he was talking to me so I said: “Pardon?”. He repeated what he had said and pointed to my bunnet. Ah! To hold the bunnet on during the windy walk I had pushed several large hair-grips into it and I could feel two of them were sticking up.

The man walked away and got on to a waiting bus. I remained there with my “banes stickin’ oot” but thankful for the warmth of the wee hat. Thelma Edwards,

Old Comrades Hall,

Hume, Kelso.

AS one for whom size XXL hats are barely adequate I have been following the correspondence on large heads with interest, particularly from the gentleman who had difficulty in obtaining a reasonably fitting Scout hat (Letters, December 14). At the annual summer Scout camps I was routinely addressed as “Big Heid”.

Attending a safety lecture for members of the Merchant Navy circa 1970, I was one of several who were shown dramatic film evidence of the results of being struck on the head while not wearing a safety helmet. The gentleman conducting the lecture, a rather blunt-speaking ex-liverpool docker, then challenged any one of us to come up with a reason for not wearing safety headgear. When I volunteered the information that safety helmets did not come in extra-large sizes he approached me with a large box of helmets. He worked his way through them, sitting them precariously on top of my head one at a time.

“Mate,” he said, “You are the first to beat me. I will get one specially made for you at my own expense.” Russell Martin,

17 Rutherford Avenue,

Bearsden.

ALBEIT entertained, I am surprised by the comment involving the rise and fall of the hat Letters, December 11, 12, 13 & 14). The issue arose from a simple suggestion Scottish Secretary David Mundell was worthy of a plume-bedecked “titfer”. In fact, Mr Mundell, in regularly sporting a soft hat, is a rarity amongst MPS.

Perhaps the old sales slogans of “attaboy” and “if you want to get ahead get a hat” have enabled Mr Mundell to “keep the heid” under mounting political pressure.

Allan C Steele,

22 Forres Avenue,

Giffnock.