at9

I was in my teens back in the early 1970s. Modest heels for men were quite common then. I bought 2 pairs of boots (high ankle or mid calf) with approx 2" heels. I think from Dolcis, now long gone. I still have one of the pairs, black patent with a gold ring decoration. They're rather fragile now but I still wear them occasionally.

I like the German word for a bagpiper: Dudelsackpfeifer

Also one of the French words for bagpipes: cornemuse

It seems that bagpipes are found well beyond Europe too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpipes

 Has anyone seen bagpipes being played by somebody wearing high heels?

At least she doesn't want to learn the bagpipes! Somebody once said of the bagpipes (presumably the Highland Pipe, there are many others from all over Europe) that it's the only instrument that sounds as bad when you've finished learning to play them as when you started.

Some rather good Northumbrian piping.

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

Wearing hats indoors in some instances is all right - in public places such as railway stations and airports etc. Wearing hats in church.....

Depends on your particular choice of deity. In a mosque it is customary for men to cover their heads and more or less compulsory for women. In a synagogue head coverings are compulsory for men and often customary for women. I have no idea about other religions.

I think there is some variation in custom between different christian sects.

As far as I remember, Duo's only proper store was in Bath. Others were small fitting rooms that didn't carry much stock.

Their UK to EU sizing is suspect. They say EU43=UK10 whereas the usual conversion is UK9.

I've had a pair of Duo boots for  number of years. About 2.75" heel. At the time their biggest size was UK8 so they're bit small on my UK9 feet but OK with very thin socks. Nicely made, good leather.

Duo used to have a lovely shop in Bath. My wife bought a pair of flat boots from there a few years ago. Again they are nice. Duo went though some kind of reconstruction a few years ago. Possibly a liquidation and buyout. They then became online only.

I've had to change a lightbulb that was high up above the middle of a double bed. The room was a bit small and crowded so moving the bed wasn't really an option. Standing on a chair standing on a bed is precarious! Heels of any kind wouldn't have helped.

I'll avoid some of the "How many xxxx does it take to change a lightbulb?" jokes. Some are racially unacceptable. For much of the world except the UK there's the double entendre: "How many xxxx does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

And for seasonality: If you have old fashioned fairy lights (before LEDs) they were wired in series so the union boss says: "one out, all out!"

I was there December 2016/January 2017

We went to many places but I don't think we went to Prion Island. Nor Bird Island.

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

youre very luck indeed to have made it to Elephant Island, that’s a very rare landing 

We were told it's rare enough to even see Elephant Island as it's often foggy. Landing on Shackleton's beach is strictly forbidden for tourists. We may have been the first ever tourist party to visit the beach we landed on.

The huge colony of king penguins was indeed on Salisbury Plain.

I've been to South Georgia (and the tip of the Antarctic peninsula) but, unlike Shyheels, only as a tourist. Truly incredible places. One special memory on South Georgia was seeing a colony of king penguins. Said to be over half a million individuals, adults and furry brown chicks. Penguins further than the eye could see.

We also landed on Elephant Island which is very rare for a tourist trip. That was on the opposite side to where Shackleton made camp. We came close to the site of Shackleton's camp, and also the monument, while in a zodiac.

There are stories of people climbing Helvellyn (a famous mountain in the English Lake District) in stilettos for a dare. I've no idea if there's any truth in this.

In central London yesterday evening. Saw lots of heels, from the usual 2.5" boots to 4" stilettos. All on women, mostly being worn well, walking confidently.

I was in Margate the other day. In a supermarket I saw a very tall  guy wearing pink high heel ankle boots and a short skirt. I'm pretty sure he was presenting as a guy, not trying to pass as a TV. People hardly seemed to notice.

I was in the City of London (the central business district,also known as "the square mile" for those unfamiliar with the greatest city on earth) today. It's usually pretty dead on a Sunday. I saw two ancient ceremonies that are probably of Victorian origin. One was driving sheep across Southwark Bridge, the other was a gathering of pearly kings and queens by the Guildhall. Anyone not of these sceptred isles will think us mad but we really don't mind.

https://sheepdrive.london/

https://londonist.com/london/things-to-do/pearly-kings-and-queens-harvest-festival

None of the sheep were wearing heels! There were plenty of 2" to 2.5" block heel ankle and knee boots to be seen. A few women at the pearly festival were wearing nice 3" stilettos. one pair of OTK brown suede boots, about 2" heel.

Two nice sightings in London yesterday. Late afternoon at a tube station near me in outer London (Zone 4) a woman wearing 3" stiletto pumps. Absolutely at ease in them, walked down the stairs without holding the handrail. Then on the train, a smartly dressed couple, perhaps about 50. She was wearing black suede boots, just on the knee rather than over. About 2" block heel. They might have been going to the theatre as they got off at Leicester Square.

Apparently the term "kosher salt" is common in the US as a generic term for a type of coarse salt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_salt

I haven't seen the term used in the UK outside the Jewish community.

Like Shyheels, I have no interest in Taylor Swift. But she has certainly been seen out and about in high heels. Plenty of reports such as: https://pagesix.com/2023/12/13/entertainment/taylor-swift-shows-off-toned-legs-in-sky-high-heels-and-sparkly-black-mini-dress-for-34th-birthday-celebration-without-travis-kelce/

https://it.pinterest.com/pin/taylor-swift-high-heels--537476536760241241/

Mark Twain said: "The report of my death was an exaggeration"

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_hoax

Not a job to do in high heels!

The first few will be novel. The last few will be sheer purgatory. At least you've got a good crew. The test will be if you're still on speaking terms at the end.

I recently visited some server rooms which had halon fire suppression (not real halon, modern stuff that complies with the Montreal Protocol) but if that blows you need to get out of there damn fast.

I have a bootjack to help remove pull-on boots. I admit that my only such boots are wellies. It's like this but made of metal: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pluvios-Wellington-Remover-Scraper-Weatherproof/dp/B07F1VMDRJ/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AHiNlnPYWbeu38DQNj_aMcX8VKfUdh6tYXsP5T0S8lGsHx1ZPRf-cxfYOt-b_i-kVvYPITHSz6SjNUDpwZCtKrDsIW6-LFgXIZBnG2ZelUKiW0zJqEk8Nr9upSgIrOMTBMoIUnDK-SFDp72uOQkXVaavtL7jznWM52z8c90JN-uaZDuA5LPE7U0FiLLgVYSq3IQIs5y_hBY80UYJ0O3EUMm7rLF2ZOs_P9Xezwm8ozS-cmXgoBo0ysX7uH4JBNyPY5G1Er2dPAtM-dwuOe_C38LV-ZJGBKy-H5BCeGSnUPU.mV_wY9Nz2UAtvtaIu8BtHBa4SQzMB1OY9FjPQ_W2664&dib_tag=se&keywords=Boot+Jacks&qid=1721832713&sr=8-5

I can't find it. It's probably been deleted by Tech. From memory, KH used an acronym or initialism which included the letter "N". Then said what it stood for.

His arrogant and overentitled response to Tech's penalty is revolting. Perhaps he should try putting a foot or word out of line in his beloved Russia. People don't get penalty points, they get sent to gulags.

The N word did appear in one of KH's posts. I saw it myself and was horrified, even though it was used as part of an explanation rather than being obviously racist.  I'm not surprised Tech has censured him. You committed the crime. Don't be a baby. Don't be arrogant. Take your punishment like a man and stop whining.

The other day in central London (Jermyn Street, the traditional home of high class men's tailoring)  I saw an older man (he might have been younger than me!) probably in his 60s or maybe even 70s, smartly dressed with a pair of short western style booties. Maybe 3" heel.

Nothing as dramatic as your siting but I've occasionally seen women wearing surprisingly high heels while walking dogs. Along local footpaths (decently surfaced) as well as in the street.