Better get a boater (if you can)

A exercise in triumph over adversity, our October meeting experienced a last-minute change to the scheduled speaker—thanks to the Earl of Essex for stepping in—plus a national rail strike which prevented some members from attending. As such we were a select but noble gathering, noble not least because we were honoured by a visit from American member Roy Engoron. Despite being based on the other side of the Atlantic, Roy has actually delivered a couple of talks at these monthly meetings himself, but on this occasion he was just passing through on his way to spend some time in Cornwall, sensible fellow that he is. Essex's talk was on the boater hat, its origins and rising and falling fortunes. Despite being something we may now associate with sporting leisure, for a time in the 1920s it was ubiquitous and considered semi-formal headwear. Although there was clearly some variety in proportions, particularly with the height of the crown, Essex touched upon the fact that it is nowadays very difficult to find a proper boater made from thick, rigid straw with a horizontal top and brim (not one of the thin, flimsy objects that masquerades as a boater). The main manufacturer, Olney, went bust during the Covid lockdown and, while you can still find old Olney stock for sale, prices for this scare resource have sky-rocketed.

You can see a video of Essex's talk at https://youtu.be/CpbpJCz-b3U.

You can see an album of photos from the evening at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheridanclub/albums/72177720302726178.