Pakamac

Open All Hours - Beware of The Dog https://youtu.be/CFj1GQZmh1o at about 18:55. A lovely mature lady customer in a natural looking plastic mac.

Episode 366 TTHR, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EsEF5muDPuE from around 5:58 for nearly a minute. Mrs Mack in her fully buttoned nylon Pakamac and plastic rain bonnet.

Episode 348 TTHR, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnLi-asLNCY around 12:03. A few seconds of Mrs Mack in her nylon Pakamac.

At last, a sighting of Mrs Mack, in episode 339 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JcrkL3-3owA from about 5:30. Almost 2 minutes of her in a men’s fully buttoned nylon Pakamac.

From episode 70 up to 135, of Take the High Road, I could see no evidence of any Pakamacs or any plastic or nylon macs for that matter. Unusual perhaps, when it covers the years 1981 and 82. They were still relatively plentiful, especially in Scotland. What is more unusual is that in all of the episodes I have skimmed through, there aren’t any men wearing them. Not unusual today, of course.

In episode 136 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MO2Co-5BmdQ after just 00:48, a lovely semi transparent full length hooded plastic mac appears for well over a minute.

In episode 141, a young woman is driving a Landrover. It looks like she is wearing a zip up plastic jacket. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v64c_Rc-BdQ&t=507s Around 8:27.
The programme is from October 1982. Not all that long since the late 1970s when plastic jackets were seen everywhere. On July 30th, 1977, the Daily Mirror ran an article on the subject of such a range of plastic jackets from Pakamac Ltd, referring to them as the PAKAJACK.

Mrs Mack in her plastic Pakamac makes a welcome appearance in episode 153 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=evW3kwJo1jU at around 16:09 with a gorgeous minute long view of wonderful plastic mac.

In episode 168, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N3VV7jSr4Gs the plastic mac appears again, fully fastened and hood up (quick view) at 11:25

The green plastic mac is worn in the previous episode, 175, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z59zR8Q8ajw&t=485s at about 08:39

The green plastic mac appears once again in episode 176, draped over a sofa, implying it has been worn. The character (Morag Stewart, I think) is initially dressed in some kind of house/bedroom robe but later dressed and in conversation https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CoWaophpRR4 at about 16:11.

There’s a very brief sighting of that green plastic mac in episode 189 around 14:23 and again, but for longer, in episode 185 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fvJfEe-m00o around 21:25. I don’t quite understand why, yet, she doesn’t put it on. I keep plastic Pakamacs and nylon Pakamacs next to my front door and they are always too tempting for me and I have to put them on. What I do see though, is that the clothes worn do follow the weather, at the time of filming. Even Mrs Mack appears lots, without her Pakamac.

Susan

Excellent work. Mrs. Mack seems to have worn several Pakamacs throughout the TTHR series. I seem to remember she wore a blue hooded one in the millenium special! I’ll do a bit of trawling when time allows. There’s also an episode that features a storm which I’ve not been able to find yet. I can only imagine Mrs. Mack’s pakamac being sorely tested that night. So many windy corners to struggle around.

In episode 190, I don’t recall seeing Mrs Mack but a green plastic mac appears briefly hanging at the door, where other characters are involved https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sWl5Jz-nMYs
at 04:27
I’ve looked through all the 200 range of episodes and now looking at the 100 range.

Episode 215 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mspk5UQuopc
At 5:09. Lovely views of her in the plastic Pakamac

Episode 237 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cwDbk2MTX2o straight after the break around 12:12. The plastic Pakamac.

Episode 269 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HBVRPUIr8vU from 18:48. Some fabulous views of Mrs Mack’s fully buttoned men’s plastic Pakamac

Also episode 281 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YBmChjCkrOU from 5:26 and later from 18:06 onwards

Another lovely one McMac. You have me hooked on this, a programme I rarely saw because it was on when I was at work. Hope this will save you time, try episode 296
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oAp_kkRvPtM from around 11:05. Mrs Mack in her lovely men’s nylon Pakamac. She is my pinup lady.

Another lovely one McMac. You have me hooked on this, a programme I rarely saw because it was on when I was at work. Hope this will save you time, try episode 296
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oAp_kkRvPtM from around 11:05. Mrs Mack in her lovely men’s nylon Pakamac. She is my pinup lady.

Here's the redoubtable Mrs Mack again:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ySkoFTZMAo
It starts at 7.17 and it's raining heavily.
There are plenty more episodes like this. I just need the time to sit down and find them.

Absolutely gorgeous links to TTHR clips, McMac. Mrs Mack epitomises my style, wearing men’s plastic and nylon macs with female clothing, especially lovely when worn over a winter coat. I try in my small way, to show that in my own pictures. Before anyone looks, I need to warn viewers that I’m trans. However, it’s not about me, it’s about the macs.

I think both clips show Pakamacs.

You reflected my thoughts entirely in regards to that last scene.

Overcoat fastened to the neck
Nylon pakamac to the neck
Hat
Headscarf
Plastic rainbonnet

Truly spectacular

Here's an episode with a triple helping:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qTblvKTWmc
The first (at 1.50) Mrs Mack's has her pakamac open at the neck but the second (at 18.04) has it over her arm and finally the third (at 21.10) she is fully buttoned up for maximum protection in preparation for an open boat trip. She's also sporting a hat, silk scarf and rainbonnet to guard against the damp chill. What a spectacular woman!

A wonderful episode, thanks for posting. A shame the top button wasn't fastened as it was in the clip from Old Summer Wine. Mrs Mac was certainly of the no nonsense brigade wasn't she? I suspect her son would have been similarly attired in his formative years!

The belt does look like part of the raincoat and not an add on. Another of life's mysteries. Here's another possible Pakamac on TV:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdK5fSqMvo's
The interesting part starts at 8.18. The lady in question is called Mrs Mack-how appropriate, maybe the writers were having an in joke at the time. I remember watching this back in the 80's and it featured nylon rainwear fairly regularly. It is supposed to take place in Scotland after all.
I have other links involving the fabulous Mrs Mack and one or two others as well. I'll post them in the near future.

A lovely link. Definitely a genuine pristine Pakamac for ladies, the buttons give it away, along with the occasional rustle. It’s the Suzanne style. I still have 2, one in light blue, one in red.

https://flic.kr/p/2cnmmcv

I bought lots of them in the 1970s, but what puzzles me is the belt. That style never had a belt.

Things seem to have gone a bit quiet on the Forum, so I though I'd add in another link to a Pakamac sighting. This time it's Last Of The Summer Wine, but not Norman Clegg as you would expect. Here's the link:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzzmUcKZdbo
The interesting part starts at 4.46.
I think beige is my favourite colour and the lady in question must love her Pakamac since it's bright and sunny when she wears it! Mature and stern to boot, what more could you ask for. Does anyone else have similar links to videos of interest?

All the comments about Lollipop ladies were can you buy one of there mac's ?

As promised the final part:-

Part3 – The Blizzard
Hazel bought a hooded yellow Pakamac to remedy her lack of waterproof head protection and equally importantly it had popper closures all the way down to below the knee. She wisely decided to change into her new purchase while still in the shop and was glad of the extra coverage it provided on their return journey.
The blizzard had shifted direction and so they had to buck the icy head winds once more. The snow build-up on their Pakamacs was even worse this time around, necessitating more doorway stops. Their nylon shells had become translucent with the continual soaking they were receiving, but still managing to protect their owners.
Hazel’s scarf was now largely redundant and so she shared it with Mum on the way back. They also linked arms and huddled into each other to reduce the amount of nylon exposed to the windblown snow. Mum jokingly said that the wind gusts were strong enough to blow a solitary woman over so this would help them both stay together and on their feet.
The snow was becoming thick on the ground and walking was becoming increasingly difficult, so they decided to stop in at a coffee shop half-way along the High Street for a brief rest and hot cuppa. They stood in the doorway and patted themselves down, while stamping the snow off their boots. Both women pushed back their hoods before peeling off their dripping Pakamacs and still dry duvet coats in one go, hanging them up on the hooks by the door. The coffee shop was empty apart from them and after a quick deliberation they decided to take a window table.
Despite the weather’s best efforts Mum & Hazel’s inner layers were still dry and keeping them comfortably warm. They sat and chatted almost continuously, feeling animated and energised at the same time. Without admitting it to each other, both were looking forward to the last leg home.
The coffee rejuvenated both women for the trudge home. In the next half-an-hour they only saw the occasional hardy pedestrian pass the window, all with heads down and completely covered in a layer of white. All the while they sat there the snow outside got steadily heavier and the wind picked up to almost blizzard level.
”Better to make tracks before we need skis to get home” said Mum. Hazel nodded in agreement. They each donned their duvet coats and still sodden Pakamacs and securely fastened both. The nylon was cold and slippery to the touch, making closing the poppers difficult. They secured their hoods and headed out into the storm. They stopped outside and wrapped Hazel’s scarf around their already snug hoods.
The wind pummelled them with large flakes making walking even more of an effort than before.
As usual Windy Corner proved the greatest test. Here the snow was being driven horizontally. They adjusted their communal scarf to cover up any remaining exposed flesh. Fortunately, the general snow cover made everything very bright and enabled them to see enough through the scarf wrappings to continue walking.
They were covered in so much snow that it was hard to see that there were two women underneath. Mum pulled Hazel into Fiona’s doorway so they could dust themselves down one last time before home. Hazel pulled down her scarf wrappings. “This has been some shopping trip!” she said. “I’m amazed at how our Pakamac’s have kept us dry despite all the snow. God know’s how we’d have coped without them” Quickly pulling the scarf back up ready for the next leg of their journey. Their Pakamacs were absolutely dripping wet even after a thorough patting down. Mum had begun to feel a slight chill permeating through her protective layers. She realised that the Pakamac was so wet that the any air passing under her coat hems and being forced up by the wind was laden with damp. “Are you feeling a chill setting in around your legs?” Hazel nodded. “Time to make haste before they become completely numb”
With this they headed back out into the open, fully exposing themselves to the howling blizzard. Hazel held her shopping bag across her Pakamac skirt to keep the now small amount of unfastened skirt from being blown open while her other arm was intertwined with Mum’s as they huddled together for security. They made slow but steady progress until they were just about clear of Windy Corner.
The wind suddenly started swirling in a vortex and blew both women first one way then the other, trying to separate and blow them off their feet. They were forced to a standstill, knowing that to move would give the wind the opening it was eagerly seeking. Finally, it abated enough for the women to battle there way up the footpath while under a constant barrage from the wind driven snow. The snow was now hitting their Pakamacs with such force that it was beginning to seep between the gaps of the popper fastenings and spread onto the duvet coats beneath.
They struggled across the road and into the relative safety of our garden. Mum unwound her end of the scarf and gave it back to Hazel. They briefly embraced and then Mum kept a watch on Hazel as she continued alone up the short distance to her own door.
I opened the door to find Mum standing there looking like a living snowman. She shook her Pakamac and boots free of their snow cover before stepping into the hall. She carefully peeled off the Pakamac and duvet coat before moving to the hall radiator to warm her chilled legs up. Otherwise, Mum looked like she had come through her snow adventures remarkably unscathed.
At their next tea session, she admitted to Fiona that because of their proper attire, they’d enjoyed battling the elements while staying snugly warm. Her Pakamac had performed magnificently and kept all but the very bottom of the duvet coat dry. Her hands had stayed toasty warm and dry with the help of the ski mitts.
Oddly Mum didn’t buy anything on their shopping trip. Did she then just tag along because of the thrill of her Pakamac’s enveloping protection against the snow? I suspected this to be the case but would never have the courage to ask her.