I had too had an old No 1 jacket turned into a BD jacket in '76 - 77, much nicer than a thunderbird jacket..... i kept it until orders came from on high to stop wearing them and as i worked in ESG at Binbrook, which was next to SHQ, being seen wearing it was almost inevitable.I once had an old best blue tailored into a BD style jacket and trousers back in the day when BDs and Thunderbird jackets were both in use,.
It looked really good until the SWO at Leeming took a dislike to it and had me hand the jacket in at clothing stores only for it to re-appear a few days later with WO badges and medal ribbons on.
In the late 70s, used to turn up at the local working mans club near Oldham on a Friday night straight from my fitters cse at Saints in my number 2s. Had loads of beers bought me! (think the marksmans badge helped!)Damn! Must admit before the IRA got all sniffy in the early eighties about us wearing uniform to go home in. I quite enjoyed heading off over the weekend to Manchester home from Stafford Graveyard in uniform. Especially wearing No1s. Then Paddy O'Flynn decided to up the ante and the Green was in vogue from TSW and Paddy go upset with that too.