Fits like a Glove

Its that time again when we get to order our uniform for the coming year....Click 'Uniform' on the bloggies on the left for previous anecdotes (those little keywords that you never realised were there nor what they were for...)

Its also the time for the annual struggle to find a tape measure.  Which'll probably explain why Terry's new shirt will fit more like a glove.  Just order XXS Terry, and then turn it up when it arrives!

10 year old Terry Edmunds getting fitted for his new school uniform.

We haven't come very far in the last five years.....here's Brian being measured for his cap back in 2010! But at least we have the new Keela kit!

New Keela HMCoastguard Kit

The August uniform orders have finally come through with our new 'active base layer' tops. 

To quote the manufacturer Keela:

'Keela's high performance active layers give superior wearer comfort during sporting activities at any level. Perfect for use on their own in warmer climates [Swanage] or as a base in a layering system in colder climates [Worth Matravers]' 

Keela Tech Fit 

So the Coastguard Team will be nice and toasty when we are out on the cliffs.

One slight downside is that they are a 'Tech Fit' which basically means that they are very tight; ...very tight indeed. Which is fine if you have a physique like me ;-).

Some members of the team will however look like shrink wrapped turkeys.

Bernard Mathews Tech Fit

Anyway Brain has volunteered to run a number of fitness sessions in the new year, entitled  'Podge Club'. 

The first rule about 'Podge Club'...is that we don't talk about 'Podge Club'.

It's a Small World. Or Medium. Or Large. Or Extra Large

Occasional Blog's blogs have become even more occasional recently - partly because I'm away with work at the moment helping British companies sell their goods and services overseas. Well, only partly.

Regular readers will have read about our uniform orders in the past. Well, by chance, here with me in Saudi Arabia at the moment is the MD of the company that supplies our uniform, Miller Rayner Ltd of Southampton, busy pursuing export opportunities in the ports and maritime world.

We held a smart reception last night for the British companies on the mission so I decided to wear my Miller Rayner Coastguard tie to promote both the company itself and HM Coastguard Service - I knew it would come in useful one day.

Oh, and another thing....turns out Rob doesn't just make quality clothing for the discerning Coastguard Rescue Officer, he's also a volunteer on the Freshwater Lifeboat crew. Top bloke! Have to do a blog on that one day and add them to our links page (...already done).

In other news, its about 26C here in Jeddah; what's it like back home?

What do points make ?.....Prizes! ....Good game, good game.

It's that time of the year where we get to exchange our Coastguard Points for new uniform or kit. Basically we get 50 points to spend on kit that we need. We order in August ...and if we are lucky we get it before next August. The big white bags turn up and its a free for all.

What do points make? Prizes!

So what do you get for the points?

Well socks is 2 points, a shirt 8 points etc.... and ladies hold up tights 3 points apparently.

Sometimes we club together to buy an expensive item like Brian's jacket which was 80 points. Regular readers will know that last year Brian was banging on about a jacket so we clubbed together to get him one with our own points - naturally we like to let him know at every opportunity that we 'paid' for it.

So last night was an important kit night and the final opportunity to fill in the forms and order kit.

I went for some shirts and a hat, ooh and pushed the boat out with a further 8 points by ordering a tie. Nick went for some socks, a couple of shirts and a jumper,

....while Austen went for the ladies tights only to be veto'd by Ian saying they were for lady rescue officers only. Fair play to Austen he tries to order them every year which shows perseverance.

So no Brucie Bonus for Austen.

Pants and Socks?

Having been ordered last year the uniform finally arrived this week. As deputy blog already mentioned, Brian had all the points this year so the rest of us could only order pants and socks!

We will no doubt find that since ordering last September, team members will have "grown" a little (outwards not height wise!) so lets see what will still fit!

Brian's Booty.

There may be a riot up at the station as the new uniform has arrived. There is a big notice on the cardboard box saying ‘hands off’ while it gets sorted.


Regular readers will probably know about our uniform and the fact that we are only allowed a certain amount each year. We get given points which we can ‘spend’ on items – this year it was 50 points, yup 50 big ones. We ordered back in August and the kit has just arrived.

Some items like the Coastguard polo shirts are 10 points, socks 5 points and hats 25 points. A jacket however is a zillion points and in order to get one the team have to be persuaded to throw their leftover points into the bucket so that someone can have a jacket. Buttons are extra.

Well this year it’s Brian turn. He’s been banging on about a jacket for years as he doesn’t think jumpers suit him; he’s also gone for a posh hat I believe and a new belt.

So Brian will look like the bees knees this year while the rest of us slum it in coastguard socks and pants.

Medal of Honour

During one of our uniform blogs, a sharp eyed reader spotted that John's medals were being worn the wrong way round. Well spotted and thank you, the photo was taken 2 years ago and now in our new procedure manual issued in June there is a section which clearly explains "Medal Protocol"

"The order of precedence (from the centre of the body) is: Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals, Commemorative Medals (e.g. the new jubliee Medal) and lastly Long Service Awards."

So we will do better !

The Royal Warrant for the award of the Long Service Medal to volunteer Coastguards was introduced and signed by Her Majesty the Queen on 27 January 1954. The original Warrant has since been subject to Amending Warrants in 1966, 1997 and 2002.

The Warrant enables the award of the Long Service Medal to those recommended who have completed 20 years service as a volunteer Coastguard rescue Officer.

The Warrant also enables the award of a Clasp to the Medal after an additional 10 years service and then a second Clasp after a further 10 years (40 years in total service).

Uniform, part 2

Black and Whites......used on patrols, meetings or other official duties, also worn under the jacket during official duties.
During the winter or those colder summer days, a Coastguard blue jumper is worn over the shirt.

Uniform - No 1's

On the theme of uniforms, these jackets (and hats) are for "posh " or special events, like remembrance parades. Long ago Coastguard Officers wore these jackets all the time and I've seen officers standing in the water wearing them!

Rank insignia is put on the sleeves, medals on left (although in the above picture John has medals on the right which are his families medals)

Logo's

A sharped eyed reader has spotted some team members wearing different logos on their polo shirts and asked why?

Well both logos are in use, the Coastguard Crest (top) is an offical crest and is very important to team members. The MCA logo was brought in during the 1990's when HM Coastguard and two other maritime agencies merged to form the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

From 1990 all our clothing started to come in with the MCA logo on but Coastguard Rescues Officers (called Auxiliaries in those days) wanted to continue using the crest to show the search and rescue side of the agency rather than the "MCA Brand"

As time went on the Agency when on to supply polo shirts with the MCA logo on and various teams went out and purchased privately similar style polo shirts but with the Crest on and their station name on, it was sort of adopted unoffically but funny how it was copied all around the country!

So official you are meant to wear the MCA tops but its accepted team members have brought their own tops with the crest on.

Rumour has it that in time we may revert to the crest only again .....we wait and see.

Perhaps in another blog we will cover the different uniform types

Points make Prizes

As Coastguard Rescue Officers we are issued with Personal Protection Equipment - overalls, boots, helmets etc - to allow us to do our job.

However once a year we can order extra uniform such as polo shirts, caps, shirts, jackets etc. To make sure nobody overdoes it each item has a points value and we can spend a maximum 50 points each. Turns out that a Coastguard pullover is worth 13 clip on ties or about a third of a jacket, whilst a coat costs more than 2 years worth of points so I don't suppose they get through many of those.

Well, I've chosen what I want, totalled it up and at 175 points I think I've bust. Might have to rethink; maybe put the shirt back and get a tie instead, or just have the right trouser leg and save up for the left one next year?

Getting Shirty

But what I did find up the station.... was swanky new polo shirts courtesy of Steve. They are actually very good, nice one to Steve for sorting. Blue with the HM Coastguard logo, rather than the MCA logo – not that we are a fussy bunch.

In the other room were the less exciting HM Coastguard white shirts- although these also have a logo on them.

Hopefully this might stop some of the verbal abuse we get when walking along the seafront with people thinking we are traffic wardens or policeman. It’s slightly sad that you get it, but it’s normally followed by ‘Oh sorry, we thought you were police / traffic wardens!’. Which is perhaps equally sad that people think that these people are fair game for abuse.

Uniform order

Every year we can order a selection of uniform, July is our month so I asked who wanted what, it was going OK until we got to Rid.

"Rid whats your collar size.....?"

"Don't know"

"Shall we phone your mum?"

"Hold on" says Austen " we have a tape"

For some reason he did declined to measure his inside leg measurement!