subject: Wellingtons Are Universal [print this page] Wellingtons Are Universal Wellingtons Are Universal
There was a time when footwear was seen as merely functional, something to keep its wearer dry, and to protect the feet from anything that might cause harm.
The child's pair of wellingtons were in constant use in harsh wet winters, protection against rain and of course snow. They were of a fairly simple design, black being the most usual colour, but more recently, they have been seen as the most practical footwear for many activities outdoors, from fishing to watching sport, from walking on flat terrain to working on the land where damp conditions underfoot, mud or dirt abound.
They covered every winter time option other than on those crisp sunny mornings when it was perfectly alright to wear every day shoes.
Nowadays what was once merely functional is regarded as fashionable and the standard footwear for many rural folk is wellingtons on all but the warm days of summer.
Farmers walking in their fields, tending their herds of cows, shepherds on the moors, farm hands on the tractor, farmers' wives collecting the eggs, all possess this essential piece of footwear which has become ever more sophisticated over the years, providing extra comfort through sole and heel design, support of the ankle yet protection to the calves.
They are now part of the fashion scene in fact and different colours and designs are now produced to meet demand of a fashion conscious public.
The Countryside has received more and more attention as the environment moves to the forefront of local, national and international affairs. We are ever more conscious of the value of the land for producing our food, although the need to cater for the ever increasing demand for products has led to forms of agriculture and livestock becoming ever more intensified.
Rural life has undergone great change and debate continues to rage about several emotive issues, not least hunting with hounds which saw very eminent groups of people take opposite sides of the debate. The Countryside Alliance whose remit is the promotion of all things rural strongly opposed the ban introduced after fierce opposition a few years ago.
The Alliance however promotes many other things, not least the farmer and all his issues. With a membership of over 100,000, and claiming four times that many marched in England's Capital a few years ago in support of them, it is a powerful pressure group. It has firm views on the value of the countryside, and its traditional pursuits which go far beyond hunting with hounds yet it is the issue that reaches our eyes and ears most often. Opponents of the Alliance focus on this and say that its other objectives are fairly generalised and rarely promoted.
The Alliance themselves state that it is important to act to safeguard everything rural, the lifestyle, the people and their pursuits. There are many issues in the rural environment and it is important not to lose sight of this in formulating policy at a national as well as regional level.
