Snorkel Parka Pleasures

Maybe you will have to have been a kid growing up in Britain in the 1970s to understand what I'm going on about here. The snorkel parka or anorak was de rigeur for kids my age, whether in blue or green (and some even black.) Snorkel, beacause the hood zipped right up, leaving just a tunnel of polyester and nylon fur and orange quilting. Lovely and snug in those cold UK winters of discontent, though wearing it 'full snorkel' cut off the peripheral vision completely, making it hard to perceive cars speeding outside the playground gates. A large, meanly-compacted snowball deftly inserted with force into the 'full snorkel' was also an always present hazard for the wearer. I have vivid memories of trudging to school in thick snow with submarine periscope vision, then greeting my friends in the playground, all similarly attired and wandering around clumsily in full snorkel mode, until we were eventually called inside.

Everyone, and I mean everyone had one in those days. They were just cool, and were literally big, warm, survival suits for kids, and easy for parents to get their kids to wear then. My brother had one which I considered to be better than mine, and I was so happy the day it was handed down to me. I had always wondered what happened to our parkas. They were like old friends that had disappeared over the time.

Imagine my surprise and joy then this week when I walked into our local charity shop (thrift store) and found this. A new, old stock, never worn Campari Snorkel Parka. Orange quilted lining, buckle on the hood, internal drawstrings, leather reinforced pocket seams, elasticated cuffs...I had forgotten what details these parkas had. Faux fur hood and polyester lining. All 100% nylon. As kids we were walking fire hazards, and by the time we had discovered cigarettes, we had - luckily - moved on to Harringtons, leathers or army jackets.

In a large size 40 and for just £10, I snapped it up without a second thought - and I'm now reliving my childhood winters in my new parka. My daughter gets scared when I peer at her through the snorkel. It's so warm, and comfy, and practical. And brings back very happy memories. Apparently they go on Ebay now for good money, especially the Lord Anthony ones. But I always remembered the Campari, England label (though it then says 'Made in Korea' on the label below..). Good parka info here

To appreciate how virtually all kids wore parkas in those days, watch this classic and famous clip from a football match when Hereford knocked Newcastle out of the FA Cup, from 1972. The pitch invasion is carried out by young parka kids in parkas, strangely enough mostly green in this case, and with some kids with hoods down and some in full snorkel. Classic.