Letter: Article on three-generational clothing business had me recalling how we all got clad at Spackman’s
A letter from John Wilson Foster:
I was pleased to read about Jill Compton’s three-generational Dungannon clothing business (Class act: Customers remember getting their school uniforms from Elizabeth’s and now they are bringing their children to me, August 16) and to hear that she has customers whose parents bought their school uniforms from the shop and now are now buying them for their own children.
It put me in mind of what older readers will remember, the slogan of Spackman’s, the high street ‘merchant tailor and clothier: “When I was a lad, I went with my dad, and I always got clad, At Spackman’s. Now I’m a dad, and have many a lad, and we all get clad, at Spackman’s.”
Spackman’s was on the high street since before 1907 until at least the 1960s.
Because of bomb damage during the Belfast Blitz in April 1941, they moved from number 102 to 109 and when announcing their move, added defiant verses to their slogan.
"But Hitler’s dad, brought up a lad, that never was clad, at Spackman’s.
"This lad, when mad, sent a bomber squad, and the havoc was great, at Spackman’s. But SPACK, old lad, you’ll rise, bedad, till again we’re clad, at Spackman’s.”
John Wilson Foster, Sidney, British Columbia