Going Home

No not me, not yet. My hat.

The Hat goes to Glastonbury

I've several old pieces of clothing, I've always been keen on urban combat trousers and T-Shirts. Not the funny logo ones, there appeal would fade, but ones that mean something to me. Bar my Therapy? T-shirts most are from regattas, events or similar. Some free some I had to buy. I feel much better going around with "F18 Nationals" or "Kings Cup Regatta" type T-Shirts, as far as I'm concerned they say who I am in a way the most trendy stitching on the outside or F U C K (yeah I'm dyslectic) never can. What others read into what I wear I neither know nor care.

I've 5 pieces of clothing older than a decade. 2 are sentimental only now, one, being the defaced sleeveless remains of my old school blazer is unwearabley small, the hooded embroidered smock thing that was virtually uniform for me for a decade is too weak, rotten and manky to wear.

 
The Hat goes to Garda

Only 2 T-Shirts survive the magic ten years, the Kings Cup (Thai Regatta) 99 shirt is grey and stained enough to star in Red Dwarf, the other is my renegades (Trini Steel Orchestra) is with me and I still wear, the inside has faded but thats nothing compared to the outside which has faded from dark green to almost Karki the hem has gone, but its unholy and the logo's are all in tact. Its not going to live for much longer.

No the only really old piece of clothing I have going strong is my hat. You all know the one I mean. Hell this hat has done 3 Atlantic Crossings and 2 Pacific Crossings, its sailed further than most sailors will in a lifetime. Its developed some character along the way. One side is permanently warped up, its still sporting the Paddle Round the Pier 09 volunteers pass on the band. For a couple of months it was sporting several beer labels.

Thailand (when it was new)

Tahiti

The Hat Crosses the Pacific

The Hat goes to Cov

The Hat Goes to Gran Canaria

The Hat goes to Tonga

Its my hat. It was bought here in Darwin, almost exactly 11 years ago. And goes pretty much every where with me. If left it many places and retrieved it - particularly curry restaurants for some reason. In Cairns, a massively touristy place, many were being sold, many more worn by tourists, like me, except in one respect. Age. Mine has weathered so that I didn't feel I was a tourist in it.