Umbrella dilemmas
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:18 pm
There’s a perennial problem with umbrellas - if, like me, you happen to use your time on public transport to be deep in thought or absorbed in the little glowing screen above your keyboard. In that state, your mind drifts, your stop has arrived, so you leave your brolly on the train / taxi to an uncertain fate at the Lost Property office.
There was a time in the 90’s and 00’s when logo-ed golf umbrellas were commonplace corporate marketing playthings. I think that went out of fashion when a trend developed among certain types of snaffling a rival’s umbrellas and then behaving boorishly in public while waving their rival's logo in onlookers’ faces.
I am down to my last few tokens of generosity from various lawyers and other consultants, so kidded myself that I needed at some point to get a proper crook handled black umbrella. In any case, many golf umbrellas are too heavy to lug around all day.
Quite by chance I had to go to New Oxford Street this afternoon and was walking past James Smith & Sons, when it began to rain. I took this as divine instruction and called in. It quite made my day.
There is a dilemma, however, with fine umbrellas. If you have an expensive umbrella and you lose it, it’s more than annoying. I have a beautiful Swaine Adeney & Brigg umbrella, but it has immense sentimental value - I couldn’t bear to lose it, so it’s actually useless as an object for full daily use.
JS&S however have umbrellas to suit every taste, pocket (many close on £300) and degree of customer crankiness, so I found a “London Umbrella with Malacca Cane Crook” for a modest £65. It’s beautifully made, thickish canopy fabric, with an elegant steel shaft - strong & lightweight. I also think mine is extra length, so a slightly larger canopy. On my criteria it is pretty much ideal : a lovely object, but not so pricey its loss would be a tragedy.
Waiting for the train home.
So here’s the point of my post. If you need a new umbrella, there really is nowhere else quite like James Smith & Sons. However - although they have a lovely website - I would urge you to go there in person. The staff are delightful and professional and plainly enjoy what they do. The shop does not appear to have been “restyled” (Kilgour take note) in about 100 years, and is all the better for that. The umbrellas - are fantastic and at any price are good value for the quality.
There was a time in the 90’s and 00’s when logo-ed golf umbrellas were commonplace corporate marketing playthings. I think that went out of fashion when a trend developed among certain types of snaffling a rival’s umbrellas and then behaving boorishly in public while waving their rival's logo in onlookers’ faces.
I am down to my last few tokens of generosity from various lawyers and other consultants, so kidded myself that I needed at some point to get a proper crook handled black umbrella. In any case, many golf umbrellas are too heavy to lug around all day.
Quite by chance I had to go to New Oxford Street this afternoon and was walking past James Smith & Sons, when it began to rain. I took this as divine instruction and called in. It quite made my day.
There is a dilemma, however, with fine umbrellas. If you have an expensive umbrella and you lose it, it’s more than annoying. I have a beautiful Swaine Adeney & Brigg umbrella, but it has immense sentimental value - I couldn’t bear to lose it, so it’s actually useless as an object for full daily use.
JS&S however have umbrellas to suit every taste, pocket (many close on £300) and degree of customer crankiness, so I found a “London Umbrella with Malacca Cane Crook” for a modest £65. It’s beautifully made, thickish canopy fabric, with an elegant steel shaft - strong & lightweight. I also think mine is extra length, so a slightly larger canopy. On my criteria it is pretty much ideal : a lovely object, but not so pricey its loss would be a tragedy.
Waiting for the train home.
So here’s the point of my post. If you need a new umbrella, there really is nowhere else quite like James Smith & Sons. However - although they have a lovely website - I would urge you to go there in person. The staff are delightful and professional and plainly enjoy what they do. The shop does not appear to have been “restyled” (Kilgour take note) in about 100 years, and is all the better for that. The umbrellas - are fantastic and at any price are good value for the quality.
