Coat Hooks. Old School.

When I was a kid I was fortunate enough to attend schools with cloakrooms.  These were long, skinny rooms running behind the blackboards at the front of the classroom and every classroom had one.  Along one side was a row of numbered hooks.  On the other side a wall of cubby holes for putting things, I’m not sure what.  I seem to recall names being above the hooks, but they never lasted long or remained relevant.  Classes were small and hooks plenty.

My first grade school was small enough that we had one room for each grade and stayed there for the entire day.  Third grade meant a new school, but we stayed primarily in home room with our cloak room.  I liked the first school best of all.  It was a better school with especially dark cloakrooms.

First and second grade got cheated.  Those grades were in the new addition which had shiny lockers in the hall and no place to put a wet umbrella.  Dreadful.  When you think about it, the cloakrooms made sense because they DID have room wet umbrellas.  And wet rain coats, as well.  We were practical back then, too, and wore boots to school in the winter or wet weather and changed into dry clean shoes at school.  The last thing you want to do is cram wet and dirty things into a tight locker for the day.

But I suppose, like shale blackboards, cloakrooms are a thing of the past.

I do recall one of my first school lessons quite well.  We were introduced to the cloakroom, including a detailed description of its rules and uses.  Did you know, for example, that long top part of a wall hook is meant for hanging your hat?  The shorter hook beneath it is for your coat.  You would never do it the other way around, of course, because you would not want your heavy coat crushing your fedora.  You could also drape your scarf over the long hook with your hat, but never twist or knot it.  A scarf should be allowed to breath and dry so it is soft again on the way home.  Good lessons.

It is interesting to note today, how when we don’t wear the hats of ladies and gentlemen anymore, that the coat hook really hasn’t changed.  It is designed as if waiting for a fashion renaissance when people once again have a propensity to care about what they wear.

Yes, well, I’m sorry, but this is all that I have for you at the moment.  Scroll down and find something more interesting and then tell your friends about it.

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