Wellies

Butter Cream

Wellington Boots (aka wellies) are synonymous with the British, worn by those from all walks of life from Her Majesty the Queen (who issued a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Hunter as supplier of Wellington Boots) to Paddington Bear, who never leaves 32 Windsor Gardens without his glossy red ones.  While wellington boots were once only found in the homes of the landed gentry and working farmers in the British Isles, today they have become a fashion style trend across the globe and are sold at high-end retailers including Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

Metalic Gold

A college friend (thanks Anne) told me that Hunter Wellington Boots had some great new Spring/Summer colors including butter cream, candy pink, lemon, cobalt blue and poppy red  in their "Original Wellington" range.  So, on this very British Friday, while a royal wedding is taking place in Westminster Abbey, I can think of no better way to honor the occasion than by making this Friday's Fabulous Find the new Spring/Summer colorful wellies from Hunter. And, as I hear there is the prospect of rain, perhaps a metallic gold pair will be on stand-by for the bride.

Why buy a wellington boot versus a pair of rubber ones?  Simply put, their stickier.  The vulcanized rubber used in manufacturing wellies make them grip better than any other boot out there.  So for gardening, hiking, climbing, or even playing in the mud, there is no better choice.  Oh, and they are wellytastic.  Sorry, couldn't resist!


Finally, a plethora of fun facts on Wellington Boots from Hunter's website.  My favorite is the pig who ate her owner's Hunter wellies and didn't even suffer indigestion!

Poppy Red

FUN WELLINGTON FACTS  

Oxford and Cambridge boat crews all wear Hunters before and after the race: Oxford in blue boots; Cambridge in green. 

The biggest Hunter ever made was a size 18 for a Derbyshire vet.

It takes a gallon of custard to fill a size 10 Hunter.

A Cumbrian farmer's pig ate her Hunters and didn't even suffer indigestion.

Well into the 20^th Century, rubber was more valuable than silver.

Many rubberists ascribe aphrodisiac powers to its pungent smell, now available as a bottled scent from Parisian perfumer Jean Guton!!

Some people love their wellies so much that they give each pair a name and even have a'Welly Naming Ceremony'

In 1974, Scottish comedian/actor Billy Connolly adopted a comical ode to the boot called 'The Welly Boot Song' as his theme tune and it became one of his best-known songs.

Paddington Bear started wearing his red wellies in 1972 when the first soft toys of the character were produced.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society lovingly describes its cask number 41.29 as "the colour of golden syrup with the scent of the inside of a welly boot".

A Yorkshire farmer requested a plastic buckle for his Hunters - the rattling kept waking up his wife as he got undressed for bed. A Hunter buckle is made from six separate pieces.

The boot has also given its name to the welly boot dance, said to have been performed by miners in Africa to keep their spirits up whilst working.

Hunter even made boots for cows! In the early 90's Hunter made the Hubble Boot which was a boot specially designed for cows.

  
Notes: Images from Hunter website.  Top right. Country Life.