A much-travelled correspondent of this corner writes about scarves. "Watching some stylish young women going into a rugby ground recently reminded me of an incident that took place on Howth pier some years ago. They were wearing long, colourful scarves - not necessarily to declare their support for any particular team, but just to keep out cold winds," he suggests.
"In almost all the cold countries I have visited, particularly in Scandinavia, Austria and Germany, young women have such long woollen scarves which they wrap several times around their necks and sometimes even over their heads as well, rather like women do in Arab countries "There used to be a man in the printing department of this newspaper, Jim Dupuy, who got himself a knitting machine and give away lots of presents of long woollen scarves, perhaps not as bright-coloured as those which seem to be fashionable now, but very welcome for people who leave work in the small hours in winter . . . "
But he warned. "One Saturday morning four women drove down the pier in Howth, Co. Dublin, and handed out knitted presents for those that go down to the sea in ships and occupy their business in great waters. The fishermen were pleased to accept their kind gifts, because a long wool scarf is excellent protection against drips going down the neck.
"One of the fishermen, however, had cause for misgivings when he went down to his engine room to start up for a day's trawling east of Lambay. His beautifully-engineered Gardner fired up instantly when he pressed the starter button behind the engine, but he nearly lost his life that very morning. The long tail of his Saturday present fell down and wrapped itself around a rotating shaft. His head began to be drawn closer and closer to the machine when, just in time, he managed to get his tobacco knife out of his pocket and cut the scarf."
Our friend ends his welcome and helpful advice: "I didn't get a chance to catch the women in Lansdowne Road to warn them not to attempt at any time to wear their long scarves while starting trawler engines. They were lost in the crowd." Y