17 December: The Bowler Hat

On this date in 1849 Thomas and William Bowler, felt hat-makers, sold their first bowler hat. Here are 10 things you may not know about bowler hats:

1. There is some dispute as to exactly who their customer was. Many say it was William Coke, who purchased the hat at Lock’s of St James in London, however, recent research suggests it may have been Edward Coke.
2. Whichever Mr. Coke bought it, it is generally accepted that he had commissioned a hat to protect him from overhanging branches when he was out shooting. Up until then, gentlemen and gamekeepers would wear Top Hats when hunting, but they weren't very practical, because they could easily be knocked off and damaged.
3. The story goes that to test the headgear, Coke put it on the floor and stamped on it. The hat survived, he was suitably impressed and coughed up 12 shillings (60p) for it.
4. The bowler hat is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown and a rim. In America, they are often called derby hats, while in South America they are known as bombins.
5. Bowler hats soon became part of the dress code for gentlemen when walking out. Cavalry officers still wear Bowler hats and suits for their annual parade, because this was considered smart wear for men at the time of their first annual parade. In Scotland and Northern Ireland the bowler hat is worn traditionally by members of the main Loyalist fraternities such as the Orange Order, the Independent Loyal Orange Institution, the Royal Black Preceptory and the Apprentice Boys of Derry, for their annual parades.
6. While cowboys in Westerns are usually portrayed wearing a cowboy hat or sombrero, the most popular type of hat in the West at that time was actually the bowler. It was worn by both lawmen and outlaws, including Bat Masterson, Butch Cassidy, Black Bart, and Billy the Kid, and was even known as "the hat that won the West". A bowler hat was less likely to blow off when riding a Horse in high winds, so was deemed much more practical than a cowboy hat.
7. In the UK, the bowler hat is most associated with businessmen in the city, as this was what they traditionally wore in the early 20th century. Although the wearing of bowler hats died out in the 1970s and 80s, the stereotype of the English city gent is still a man in a suit and a bowler hat carrying a rolled up Umbrella. Like John Steed in the 1960s TV series The Avengers. Perhaps one of the most famous icons of the 21st century to wear a bowler hat was Sir Winston Churchill.
8. Many paintings by the Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte feature bowler hats. One example is The Son of Man, in which a man in a bowler hat stands in front of a wall. His face is obscured by a large green Apple.
9. In fiction, bowler hat wearers include Alex, the protagonist of A Clockwork Orange, Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, Oddjob, the henchman in Goldfinger, whose hat had a razor edged rim and was used as a weapon, and Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic from the Harry Potter series, whose bowler hat is lime green.
10. Lock & Co still sells around 4,000 to 5,000 Bowlers each year "mostly to City workers, ex-military gentlemen and young Americans".

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A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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