On a Sunday afternoon recently while listening to Gardeners Question Time (BBC Radio 4), one of the questions made me smile.
What do you wear in your wellies? (Wellington Boots)
The questioner admitted to wearing bed-socks inside her rubber boots to keep her feet warm while working in the garden.
When the titters of laughter died down the panel gave their answers.
One guy used newspaper to soak up dampness and keep in heat, while another male panelist swore by ladies tights!! The only lady on the team wore an old pair of her husband’s socks over her own.
So what does Grannymar wear? Do you really want to know?
Well to begin with my wellies are so old the thread on the soles would not pass a road safety test. I find them very heavy nowadays so only don them when I have no other choice.
Somewhere in days of yore I read about making insoles from carpet to line the base of Wellington boots. Fortunately it was at a time when we were in the process of changing floor covering. I cut insoles to size and placed them in the boots. It works! I also find that Ski Tubes, those 24” long socks without heel shaping are warm and comfortable in my boots. I bought a couple of pairs about eight years ago to wear when rambling, something I used to do most weekends.
My ski socks served their time well and are as good as ever to this day.
Red ones keep you warmer, perhaps that is physiological, but I do know of one nursing home that provides red bed-socks for the inhabitants for that very reason!
Grannymar 
The newspaper tip would work well. We always stuffed newspaper in our school shoes to dry them out~ I still do this when necessary. I wear socks that the air lines give you for long haul flights~ very useful!
Grannymar – I remember years ago when I was doing a psychotherapy training course, we were each asked to state “What can you identify as giving you a ‘feel good’ factor in life?” When I replied “putting on my wellies” the whole class fell about laughing! But it’s true! When I’ve got my wellies on I feel ready to take on any task 🙂
In recent years, wellies have come back into fashion with fun designs but these ones tend to be more for look than anything else. ‘Real’ wellies have thick soles to protect your feet and I always wear two pairs of socks, one thin and one thick to create an additional layer of insulation. But if I were honest, I rarely have an excuse to put my wellies on these days 😦
I have to say, I love the image of all the OAP’s lined up in their bright red socks 🙂
I own a pair of Bean boots (L.L.Bean). It is a felt lined rubber boot as tough as real Wellies. I find with these that any good heavy wool sock works just fine. I don’t know about red socks but for me a black sock keeps my toes warmest.
Chris ~ We always used crumpled newspaper to reshape and help dry water soaked shoes. Young folk of the now, now, now world want their shoes dried quickly. I heard of one man recently who put his wet shoes on a radiator!!!! I scolded him and told him to let the shoes dry slowly and naturally with the paper stuffed inside. The sudden heat would ruin real leather.
Steph ~ I always wore my rambling socks with my trousers tucked into them. I had a red fleece hat and with the red socks they became my trade mark. Nobody ever lost me. 😀
Brian ~ I bet like most men you never feel the cold. I wonder if I have a heart al all because winter or summer I am always cold.
Grannymar – the only time I’m cold at night is when the other half is away. The rest of the time, it’s like having a furnace in the bed but I don’t usually complain because:
1. I know I’m lucky to have him at all and
2. I’m usually like an icicle by the time I’ve finished my evening’s blogging! 😀
Aluminium works. Make a simple insole, or buy them ready-lined insoles which can be cut to fit.
Steph ~ ‘The rest of the time, it’s like having a furnace in the bed’
I know what you mean. I used to say Jack was like a walking radiator!
M Buckley ~ Welcome on board! Thanks for the tip. I have tried umteen different types of ‘ready mades’ without success. My carpet – no cost – and my ski tubes work for me.
Hahah . . we call them gum boots and the only time we use them is for gum boot throwing competitions at family picnics! Although I do have a pair of fluoro orange ones hanging around somewhere. I think I pinched them from a construction worker to waddle around muddy paddocks. What do I wear in my wellies? Redback spiders these days! They love ’em!
Baino never tell Elly about spiders in boots. She Haaaaates them!
HI Granamar,
My chinese doctor told me that cold feet were caused by weak Kidney Yin energy. A combination of acupunture and a ten course liquid remedy put the Yin energy – but still my feet were cold! I went back to him. He then told me my kidney Yan energy was weak and continuing with the acupunture, he gae me a bottle of pills to tak. Would you believe it – within 2 days of starting the pils the Yanenergy was fixed – I knew this because my feet were for the first time in years warm. One can test the kidney yin by the same technique as taking your pulse from the wrist. Aparently you hae three beats. The first one at the top of the wrist is the heart, the second the liver and the third the kidneys. The Yan energy is tested on the other wrist. One just places the first three fingers on the wrist to test. Yin is on your left wrist and Yan is on your right wrist. No need for stockings, newspaper or someone’s socks any longer here.
trackman
Welcome back Trackman, thanks for the info and advice.