Wellies have many wonderful uses – shooting waterbirds over a wetland is not one of them.
Wellies, also known as rain boots or galoshes, were invented in the 1800s by the Duke of Wellington. Apparently, he asked his shoemaker to modify his riding boots. Initially made of leather, the Scottish-based North British Rubber Company began manufacturing wellingtons from natural rubber. Natural rubber was known as “gum rubber”, hence the name “gumboot”. The duke was famous as he led the British Army to their final victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Part honour to the great man, the name “wellies” stuck.
The instructions accompanying the invite said we should bring waders., well, OK, I thought. I did not have waders and I wasn’t going to rush off and buy a pair for one shoot only. Besides, I knew nothing about waders apart from observing heavily over-equipped fly-fishermen wearing bulky, rubbery-looking long johns. I settled for gumboots and went to the local farmers’ cooperative to buy the regular. Those years the choice was easy – you could have any colour as long as it was black, like Mr Ford’s Model T. They were designed to withstand the rigours of serious mining abuse – tough and uncomfortable. You would perhaps doubt this statement if you
